摘要Objective:To investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of Tiaoxin Recipe (a Chinese herbal formula) treatment on Alzheimer's disease (AD).Methods:Twelve-week-old APPswe/PS1△E9 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice were used as a model of AD-afflicted mice.One group of mice was treated with Tiaoxin Recipe by gastrogavage for 12 weeks,while two other groups were given intraperitoneal injections of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or FK866 for 4 weeks.Morris water maze and thioflavin S staining tests were performed to evaluate cognitive impairment and amyloid plaque deposition,respectively.Serum amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ1-42) content was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and quantitative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction was performed to examine the expression levels of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in cortex and hippocampus samples of the study mice.Results:Compared with the normal control group,the memory and learning abilities of the APP/PS1 model group were found to be impaired (P ＜ 0.01),as shown by the increased levels of senile plaque deposition in cortex and hippocampus (P ＜ 0.01),miR-34a expression (P ＜ 0.01) and serum Aβ1-42 content (P ＜ 0.01).Treatment with Tiaoxin Recipe significantly reduced memory impairment (P ＜ 0.01) by reducing amyloid plaque accumulation in cortex and hippocampus (P＜ 0.01),miR-34a expression (P ＜ 0.01) and serum Aβ1-42 content (P ＜ 0.01) in APP/PS1 mice.Conclusion:Tiaoxin Recipe is a viable complementary or alternative therapeutic treatment that is capable of delaying the development of early-stage AD by inhibiting the expression of miR-34a.