Jiawei Xionggui Decoction promotes meningeal lymphatic vessels clearance of β-amyloid by inhibiting arachidonic acid pathway

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an aging-associated form of dementia characterized by the pathological deposition of toxic misfolded proteins in the central nervous system (CNS), which is closely related to the clearance impairment of meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs). Thus, enhancement dural meningeal lymphatic drainage to remove Amyloid-β (Aβ) is usually considered as a potential therapeutic target for AD.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of Jiawei Xionggui Decoction (JWXG) to attenuate cognitive dificits in APP/PS1 mice with impaired meningeal lymphatic drainage.

Methods: Ligation of deep cervical lymph nodes (dcLNs) was performed to establish the mice model of the impaired meningeal lymphatic drainage in APP/PS1 mice. Cognitve behaviors and pathological morphology of mice were assessed. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) of mice was determined using Laser speckle contrast imaging analysis. Serum non-targeted metabolomics analysis was applied to decipher the mechanisms of JWXG in rescuing the impairment of mLVs, and C8-D1A cells were employed to validate in vitro.

Results: Disruption of mLVs in APP/PS1 mice deteriorated cognitive dysfunction, accelerated Aβ burden and glia activation, accompanied by more severe neuropathological damage, CBF reduction and neuroinflammation exacerbation. Serum non-targeted metabolomics analysis indicates the increase of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic pathway was the key contributor to the neuropathological exacerbation of dcLNs ligation APP/PS1 mice. Interestingly, clinically equivalent dose of JWXG was sufficient to restore mLVs drainage and rescue cognitive performance by inhibiting neuroinflammation depended by AA metabolic pathway in dcLNs ligation APP/PS1 mice.

Conclusion: Our findings establish a novel mechanism that rescue mLVs by inhibiting AA metabolic pathway to clear brain Aβ, and support JWXG as a feasible treatment strategy for AD by suppressing AA metabolic pathway to improve mLVs drainage efficiency.

Alzheimer's disease; Arachidonic acid; Cerebral blood flow; Meningeal lymphatic vessels; β-amyloid.