{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:16:55Z","timestamp":1787026615392,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, yet effective therapies for this neurodegenerative disorder remain scarce.\n                      <jats:italic>Epimedium<\/jats:italic>\n                      , a herb with a history of thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits diverse biological activities and holds potential therapeutic effects against Alzheimer's disease. However, studies on its modern pharmacological mechanisms remain relatively limited.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      TCMSP and PubChem were used to retrieve\n                      <jats:italic>Epimedium<\/jats:italic>\n                      constituents, and SwissTargetPrediction was used to predict potential targets. GeneCards, OMIM, and GEO databases were used to identify targets associated with AD. The AD model was established by intragastric administration of AlCl3 combined with intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose, with the normal saline group serving as controls. Cognitive function was assessed by the Morris water maze, and histopathological changes were observed by H&amp;amp;E staining. ELISA detected IL-1\u03b2 and TNF-\u03b1 levels, and qRT-PCR detected KAT2B, NF-\u03baB, IL-1\u03b2, and TNF-\u03b1 expression.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      We identified 172 key targets, with KAT2B and ACACB determined as core genes through transcriptomic screening.\n                      <jats:italic>In vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      studies showed that\n                      <jats:italic>Epimedium<\/jats:italic>\n                      significantly ameliorated cognitive deficits and alleviated histopathological damage in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore,\n                      <jats:italic>Epimedium<\/jats:italic>\n                      suppressed neuroinflammation by reducing IL-1\u03b2 and TNF-\u03b1 levels and modulated the mRNA expression of key targets (KAT2B, NF-\u03baB) in the hippocampus.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Epimedium<\/jats:italic>\n                      improves pathological alterations in the hippocampal tissue and alleviates cognitive and behavioral impairments in rats by modulating neuroinflammation through KAT2B, thereby providing a scientific basis for its potential application and development as a therapeutic agent.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  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