Object To investigate the effects of Heart-benefitting Recipe (HBR) on the histopathological changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats after unilateral amyloid-?_ 25-35 protein (A?_ 25-35 ) injection into the amygdala. Methods The experimental rat models with dementia,spatial learning,and memory impairment were induced by unilateral amyloid ?_ 25-35 protein (A?_ 25-35 ) injection into the amygdala of rats. The spatial learning and memory ability and the function of cholinergic system were observed by the means of Morris water maze and radioligand binding assay. The protein expression of A?_ 1-40 ,AT_8 was estimated with immunohistochemistry. The expression of mRNA related to APP was observed by RT-PCR. Results HBR significantly alleviated the spatial learning and memory impairment induced by A?_ 25-35 and remarkably increased the activity of ChAT and Rt of M-receptor binding sites of these models. The expressions of A?_ 1-40 protein and APP mRNA in cortex and hippocampus of AD rats were decreased remarkably by HBR. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of hyperphosphorilated tau AT_ 8 in cortex and hippocampus of AD rats was inhibited significantly by HBR. Conclusion HBR can effectively improve the spatial learning and memory impairment,decrease the deposition of A?_ 1-40 ,and alleviate the hyperphos-phorylation of tau of AD rats induced by A?_ 25-35 .

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of recipes for replenishing qi and activating blood on p16, p21, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin D1 and cyclin E gene expressions in the liver of aging rats. METHODS: A recipe for replenishing qi and a recipe for activating blood were administered to aging rats respectively, and the effects of the above recipes on the expressions of senescence related genes (p16, p21, PCNA, cyclin D1 and cyclin E) were examined by RT-PCR and Western blotting methods. RESULTS: The expressions of p16, p21 and cyclin D1 mRNAs and proteins in the liver of the untreated aging rats were up-regulated, while the expressions of PCNA and cyclin E mRNAs and proteins decreased. As compared with the untreated aging rats, both recipes could down-regulate the expressions of cyclin D1 mRNA and protein and up-regulate the expressions of cyclin E mRNA and protein, but had no obvious effects on the expressions of mRNAs and proteins of p16, p21 and PCNA. CONCLUSION: Recipes for replenishing qi and activating blood can improve the liver cell proliferation of aging rats via down-regulating the expressions of cyclin D1 mRNA and protein and up-regulating the expressions of cyclin E mRNA and protein.