The effect of nobiletin on hippocampal acetylcholinesterase activity and apoptosis in amyloid beta-induced rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Nobiletin could ameliorate acetylcholinesterase activity and apoptosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of nobiletin on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and cell death in amyloid beta-induced model of AD in the rat. 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four different groups as follows: sham, sham plus nobiletin, amyloid beta, and amyloid beta plus nobiletin. Rats were injected amyloid beta into the CA1 region of the hippocampus through stereotaxic surgery. Nobiletin was administered 10 mg/kg daily one hour after surgery for one week via gavage feeding. Then, apoptosis parameter (DNA fragmentation) and AChE activity were measured via separate kits in hippocampal homogenate. Our findings showed that amyloid beta group had significantly elevated level of AChE activity and DNA fragmentation as an apoptotic biomarker versus sham group (p <0.05). However, treatment of amyloid beta-microinjected rats with nobiletin non-significantly lowered hippocampal AChE activity and DNA fragmentation. According to the findings of this study, AChE activity and apoptosis are increased in amyloid beta-induced model of AD and with no significant ameliorating effect of nobiletin on theses indices.