Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders associated with slow and progressive loss of brain structure and function mostly in older individuals. Evidence has shown that disruption of zinc homeostasis in the brain leads to synaptic, learning, and memory impairments. In this study, we evaluated the effect of zeolite zinc on memory performance and hippocampal cell death in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) induced by intracerebroventricular administration of Aβ1–42. We employed the Morris water maze, shuttle box, and open field tests to assess spatial memory, passive avoidance memory, and anxiety-like behavior, respectively.". P-Tau and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression, and hippocampal cell death were also evaluated. Both Aβ1−42 and zeolite zinc were also injected intracerebroventricular. The results showed that zeolite zinc partially reversed Aβ1-42-induced impairments in memory performance and mitigated the effects of Aβ1–42 on locomotor activity, although not fully restoring to baseline levels. In addition, Aβ1−42 increased the expression of APP and P-Tau, and the number of dead cells, while zeolite zinc decreased these effects. In conclusion, our findings suggest that while zeolite zinc plays a role in modulating the pathophysiology of AD, its therapeutic effects only partially reverse the progression or symptoms of AD, indicating the need for further investigation into optimal dosing or combination therapies