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

Aiqin Zhu, Aiqi Xi, Guofeng Li, Yinglan Li, Baoxia Liao, Xing Zhong, Jingping Zhou, Sonqin Gu, Meihua Yu, Yide Chu

Institution of Geriatric, Qinghai Provincial Hospital, Xining, Qinghai, China.

DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2012.21009                

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 < 0.01, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) in patients after 16-week treatment with high-dose RNSP No. significant differences were observed in either the low-dose RNSP or placebo groups (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.

Keywords

Ratanasampil (RNSP, Tibetan Medicine); Alzheimer’s Disease; β-Amyloid Peptide; Aβ42/Aβ40 Ratio; Pro-Inflammatory Factors; Cognitive Function

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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