Melatonin attenuates impairments of structural hippocampal neuroplasticity in OXYS rats during active progression of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology

Protective effect of melatonin on soluble Aβ1-42-induced memory impairment, astrogliosis, and synaptic dysfunction via the Musashi1/Notch1/Hes1 signaling pathway in the rat hippocampus

BACKGROUND

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, and soluble Aβ oligomers are more cytotoxic than Aβ fibrils. Recent evidence suggests that Notch signaling is affected by AD and other brain diseases. Melatonin exerts beneficial effects on many aspects of AD and may protect against myocardial ischemia via Notch1 signaling regulation. Therefore, we hypothesized that the Notch1 signaling pathway is involved in the neuroprotective role of melatonin against soluble Aβ1-42.

METHODS

An AD rat model was established via repeated intracerebroventricular administration of soluble Aβ1-42. Melatonin treatment was administered 24 hours prior to Aβ1-42 administration via an intraperitoneal injection. The effects of melatonin on spatial learning and memory, synaptic plasticity, and astrogliosis were investigated. The expression of several Notch1 signaling components, including Notch1, the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD), Hairy and enhancer of split 1 (Hes1, a downstream effector of Notch), and Musashi1 (a positive regulator of Notch), were examined using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR. In vitro studies were conducted to determine whether the melatonin-mediated protection against Aβ1-42 was inhibited by DAPT, an inhibitor of Notch signaling.

RESULTS

Melatonin improved the Aβ1-42-induced impairment in spatial learning and memory, attenuated synaptic dysfunction, and reduced astrogliosis. Melatonin also ameliorated the effects of Aβ1-42 on Notch1, NICD, Hes1, and Musashi1. The in vitro studies demonstrated that DAPT effectively blocked the neuroprotective effect of melatonin against Aβ1-42.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that melatonin may improve the soluble Aβ1-42-induced impairment of spatial learning and memory, synaptic plasticity, and astrogliosis via the Musashi1/Notch1/Hes1 signaling pathway.

Insomnia and dementia: is agomelatine treatment helpful? Case report and review of the literature

The treatment of sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be quite challenging in elderly patients because of drug side effects or interactions and comorbid local or systemic diseases. Here, we report a patient with AD, who was suffering from severe insomnia and depression. We ordered agomelatine for the treatment of insomnia in this patient, and it was quite helpful not only for insomnia but also for depression and for the cognitive symptoms related with dementia. Our aim was to share these observations for similar patients.

Impaired Memory and Evidence of Histopathology in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons through Injection of Aβ1-42 Peptides into the Frontal Cortices of Rat

INTRODUCTION

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, which has much benefited from animal models to find the basics of its pathophysiology. In our previous work (Haghani, Shabani, Javan, Motamedi, & Janahmadi, 2012), a non-transgenic rat model of AD was used in electrophysiological studies. However, we did not investigate the histological aspects in the mentioned study.

METHODS

An AD model was developed through bilateral injection of amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) into the frontal cortices. Behavioral and histological methods were used to assess alterations in the memory and (ultra)structures. Furthermore, melatonin has been administered to assess its efficacy on this AD model.

RESULTS

Passive avoidance showed a progressive decline in the memory following Aβ injection. Furthermore, Nissl staining showed that Aβ neurotoxicity caused shrinkage of the CA1 pyramidal neurons. Neurodegeneration was clearly evident from Fluoro-jade labeled neurons in Aβ treated rats. Moreover, higher NF-κB immunoreactive CA1 pyramidal neurons were remarkably observed in Aβ treated rats. Ultrastructural analysis using electron microscopy also showed the evidence of subcellular abnormalities. Melatonin treatment in this model of AD prevented Aβ-induced increased NF-κB from immunoreaction and neurodegeneration.

DISCUSSION

This study suggests that injection of Aβ into the frontal cortices results in the memory decline and histochemical disturbances in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, melatonin can prevent several histological changes induced by Aβ.

Synchrony and desynchrony in circadian clocks: impacts on learning and memory

Circadian clocks evolved under conditions of environmental variation, primarily alternating light dark cycles, to enable organisms to anticipate daily environmental events and coordinate metabolic, physiological, and behavioral activities. However, modern lifestyle and advances in technology have increased the percentage of individuals working in phases misaligned with natural circadian activity rhythms. Endogenous circadian oscillators modulate alertness, the acquisition of learning, memory formation, and the recall of memory with examples of circadian modulation of memory observed across phyla from invertebrates to humans. Cognitive performance and memory are significantly diminished when occurring out of phase with natural circadian rhythms. Disruptions in circadian regulation can lead to impairment in the formation of memories and manifestation of other cognitive deficits. This review explores the types of interactions through which the circadian clock modulates cognition, highlights recent progress in identifying mechanistic interactions between the circadian system and the processes involved in memory formation, and outlines methods used to remediate circadian perturbations and reinforce circadian adaptation.