ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neuropharmacology
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1688649
This article is part of the Research TopicResearch on Precision Prevention and Treatment of Neurological and Neurodegenerative DiseasesView all 17 articles
Neuroimaging and Molecular Mechanism of Action of Cang-ai Volatile Oil in the Treatment of Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Provisionally accepted
- 1Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
- 2Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- 3Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- 4West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- 5Yunnan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
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Cang Ai volatile oil (CAVO) is a Chinese herbal inhalation preparation with significant anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate whether CAVO could improve cognitive function in rats with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) using 7T high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), behavioral testing, and molecular biology techniques. A VCI model was established using bilateral permanent common carotid artery occlusion (2VO method). Successful models were randomly assigned to four groups: sham surgery, model, CAVO treatment, and donepezil treatment. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze test at two weeks post-surgery. Resting-state fMRI detected changes in functional connectivity (FC) in rat brains. Western blotting analyzed the expression of CHOP, PERK, p-PERK, caspase-3, GRP78, and NLRP3 proteins, while polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyzed hippocampal tissue protein expression. Results showed that CAVO enhanced functional connectivity strength in specific brain regions of VCI rats. Furthermore, this treatment improved hippocampal neuronal integrity, restored mitochondrial arrangement structure, and reduced hippocampal tissue expression levels of CHOP, p-PERK, GRP78, NLRP3, BAX, and caspase-3 proteins. These findings indicate that CAVO mitigates inflammatory responses, reduces neuronal apoptosis and necrosis, enhances functional connectivity between brain regions, and ultimately promotes cognitive recovery in VCI rats.
Keywords: vascular cognitive impairment, Cang-ai volatile oil, Neuroimaging, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis
Received: 19 Aug 2025; Accepted: 14 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Liang, Li, Wang, Wang, Xiong and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Fabao Gao, fabaogao@outlook.com
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