To prove the pharmacological actions of honeybee royal jelly (RJ) on the nervous system, we examined the effects of RJ on CRE-mediated transcription.

RJ increased CRE-mediated transcription in PC12D cells. Moreover, CRE-mediated transcriptional activity by RJ was enhanced by nobiletin. U0126, a MEK inhibitor, inhibited CRE-mediated transcription by combining RJ plus nobiletin without affecting transcription by RJ alone.

These results suggest that RJ stimulates CRE-mediated transcription via an ERK-independent cascade, whereas the increasing CRE-mediated transcriptional effect by nobiletin is dependent on ERK phosphorylation.

Combining RJ plus nobiletin may activate effectively neuronal functions via enhancement of CRE-mediated transcription…

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by multiple cognitive deficits, including memory loss, with a devastating impact on the whole society. Consequently, a tremendous effort is being devoted to the development of drugs that prevent or delay neurodegeneration in the brains of patients with AD…