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Etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice
Haiyan Liu, J Zhou, W W Yang. Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2025-02-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
To investigate the effect and mechanism of etomidate on attenuating Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD was modeled in vivo using amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) mice. After etomidate treatment, behavioral experiments and histopathological observation of hippocampus were performed. Hippocampal Aβ deposition was detected using immunofluorescence. AD was modeled in vitro using a HT22 cells which are an immortalized cell line derived from primary mouse hippocampal neurons induced by Aβ1-42. Cell viability, apoptosis rate and LDH release were detected after etomidate intervention. Synaptic proteins were detected by mmunofluorescence or Western blot, and neurotransmitters and inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA. Etomidate improved the memory ability, novel object cognition ability, and spatial learning of APP/PS1 mice. The improvement of cognitive function and memory ability may be due to the recovery effect of etomidate on hippocampal pathological changes in APP/PS1 mice, including reducing Aβ deposition, neuron and synaptic loss. Etomidate also regulated neuroinflammation and the release of neurotransmitters GABA and 5-HT in APP/PS1 mice. Etomidate effectively reversed Aβ1-42-induced hippocampal neuronal damage, which was reflected in the improvement of cell viability and the inhibition of cytotoxicity, apoptosis and pro-inflammatory factors. Etomidate reversed the inhibition of the expression of synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) induced by Aβ1-42 in vitro. After etomidate intervention, the expression of serotonin 1A receptor (5HT1A) and gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit alpha1 (GABRA1) in Aβ1-42-injured HT22 cells were up-regulated, and free calcium ion was increased. In conclusion, etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice, indicating that etomidate may be a potentially useful drug for the treatment of AD.
Key findings
- In conclusion, etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice, indicating that etomidate may be a potentially useful drug for the treatment of AD.
Why it matters
In APP/PS1 mice and in hippocampal neuron cells, etomidate improved memory and spatial learning and reduced amyloid-beta deposition, neuron and synaptic loss, and regulated neuroinflammation and neurotransmitters. This is an animal and cell study, so it does not establish that etomidate treats Alzheimer's disease in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 26/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record and senior author's track record, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 92 points we could judge it on, which is 26 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “app/ps1”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Sichuan Mianyang 404 Hospital: institution h-index 42 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40137847) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 24 / 92 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 92 points we could judge it on is 26 out of 100. |
| Total | 26 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Liu, H., Zhou, J., & Yang, W. W. (2025). Etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society. https://doi.org/10.26402/jpp.2025.1.04
Vancouver
Liu H, Zhou J, Yang WW. Etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society. 2025. doi:10.26402/jpp.2025.1.04. PMID: 40137847.
BibTeX
@article{liu2025-40137847,
author = {Liu, Haiyan and Zhou, J and Yang, W W},
title = {{Etomidate ameliorates Alzheimer-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice}},
journal = {Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.26402/jpp.2025.1.04},
pmid = {40137847},
url = {https://doi.org/10.26402/jpp.2025.1.04}
}
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