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Ratanasampil (Tibetan Medicine, RNSP) Reduces β-Amyloid Protein (Aβ) and Pro-Inflammatory Factor Levels and Improves Cognitive Functions in Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Patients Living at High Altitude

A. Zhu,Aiqi Xi,Guofeng Li,Yinglan Li,B. Liao,X. Zhong,Jingping Zhou,Sonqin Gu,Mei-Ching Yu,Y. Chu

Published 2012 in Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science

ABSTRACT

Ratanasampil (RNSP) is a traditional Tibetan medicine used for the treatment of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. Previous discoveries that RNSP can reduce β-amyloid protein levels and increase learning and memory in Alzheimer’s mouse models (Tg2576) led us to investigate whether RNSP can improve cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s patients. In this study, 146 AD patients living in Qinghai province received either one gram or 0.33 gram daily of RNSP for 16 weeks. Placebo patients received Piracetam. Serum Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels were measured at the beginning of the study and after 4 and 16 weeks of treatment. Compared to the same group before treatment, MMSE scores, ADAS-cog scores and ADL scores were significantly improved (p 0.05, p > 0.05). After 16-week treatment, serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and Aβ42 levels were significantly decreased (p < 0. 01) in the high-dose RNSP group, whereas no significant differences were found in the low-dose and placebo groups. The Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio was significantly decreased after 4-week and 16-week treatment in the high-dose RNSP group (p < 0. 05, p < 0.01). Furthermore, serum Aβ42 concentrations had a strong positive correlation with TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 levels. There were no observable adverse effects in either treatment or control groups. We conclude that further clinical trials of RNSP in Alzheimer disease are warranted.

PUBLICATION RECORD

  • Publication year

    2012

  • Venue

    Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science

  • Publication date

    2012-02-29

  • Fields of study

    Medicine, Environmental Science

  • Identifiers
    DOI 10.4236/JBBS.2012.21009
  • External record

    Open on Semantic Scholar

  • Source metadata

    Semantic Scholar

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