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Fang CW, Yang CY, Chau HC, Tsai MC. Exploring the Impacts of Age at Menarche on Cognitive Aging in Late Adulthood: Evidence from a Mendelian Randomization Study on the Taiwanese Population. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024; 53:143-152. [PMID: 38560983 DOI: 10.1159/000538620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The potential influence of age at menarche (AM) on cognitive aging remains inadequate, partly because of the difficulties presented by multiple confounders. To address this issue, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to explore the causal impacts of AM on cognitive aging. METHODS Using the publicly accessible Taiwan Biobank, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with AM as instrumental variables to estimate the effects of instruments on cognitive function assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We employed several MR methods, including two-stage least squares, inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and constrained maximum likelihood (cML) MR methods, to ensure the stability and reliability of the results. RESULTS MR analyses indicated no significant causal relationship between genetically determined AMs and total and subdomain MMSE scores, except the G5 subdomain (βIVW = 0.156, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.005, 0.307; βcML = 0.161, 95% CI: 0.014, 0.309). However, in a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, we found a significant relationship between AM and cognitive aging after eliminating rs157863 and rs6758290, thus demonstrating the potential pleiotropic effects of these two SNPs. After these two SNPs were eliminated, we found a significant causal relationship between AM and overall MMSE scores (βIVW = 0.425, 95% CI: 0.011, 0.839), though. CONCLUSION Evidence from the present MR study did not fully support a causal relationship between AM and cognitive function decline in later life. Potential pleiotropic effects of the genes underlying these two traits are worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Wen Fang
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yi Yang
- Department of Statistics, College of Management, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hephaes Chuen Chau
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Che Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Genomic Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Sempere-Bigorra M, Julián-Rochina I, Pérez-Ros P, Navarro-Flores E, Martínez-Arnau FM, Cauli O. Relationship between Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms with Somatosensory Functions in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Older Adults and Its Impact on Quality of Life. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1790. [PMID: 37763194 PMCID: PMC10532541 DOI: 10.3390/life13091790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is an inevitable process that impacts the peripheral and central nervous systems and is considered one of the strongest risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, when it also presents with diabetes mellitus, the risk of neurological damage may be further increased. This current study aimed to explore the relationships between peripheral sensory system decline and cognitive functions, the symptoms of depression, and quality of life (QoL) as metrics of central nervous system impairment in institutionalized older adults. A total of 95 individuals participated in this case-control study, which included diabetics and non-diabetics. The superficial sensory pathway was assessed in terms of thermal sensation, nociception, and non-discriminative touch, and the deep sensory pathway was evaluated by assessing vibration and light touch-pressure sensations. To assess function at the intellectual level, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Trail Making Test (TMT) cognitive functional tests were used, while the symptoms of depression and QoL were explored by employing the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale and EuroQol 5D questionnaire (EQ-5D), respectively. In the overall population analyses, altered thermal sensation was significantly associated with cognitive impairment (CI; p < 0.05). In turn, bivariate analyses and a binary logistic regression showed that the symptoms of depression and QoL were significantly related to altered vibratory sensation when assessed using a medical tuning fork (p < 0.05). In the group of diabetic patients, those with CI also had significantly lower thermal sensation (p < 0.05) and non-discriminative touch sensation, although this was only a trend (p = 0.055). Diabetics with depression had a significantly worse non-discriminative touch (p < 0.05) and vibratory sensation when tested with a tuning fork (p < 0.05). In addition, poorer QoL was associated with reduced sensitivity to heat (p < 0.05), light touch pressure (p < 0.05), and vibrations when assessed either with a tuning fork (p < 0.05) or a biothesiometer (p < 0.05). In contrast, no relationships were found between sensory functions and cognitive assessments in non-diabetic patients. These findings indicate that superficial sensitivity damage was related to CI, while deep sensation alterations were related to depression and poor QoL, with diabetes apparently further strengthening these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Sempere-Bigorra
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.S.-B.); (I.J.-R.); (P.P.-R.); (E.N.-F.)
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Iván Julián-Rochina
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.S.-B.); (I.J.-R.); (P.P.-R.); (E.N.-F.)
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Pilar Pérez-Ros
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.S.-B.); (I.J.-R.); (P.P.-R.); (E.N.-F.)
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Emmanuel Navarro-Flores
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.S.-B.); (I.J.-R.); (P.P.-R.); (E.N.-F.)
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Francisco Miguel Martínez-Arnau
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
- Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Omar Cauli
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.S.-B.); (I.J.-R.); (P.P.-R.); (E.N.-F.)
- Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
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Dong Y, Qi Y, Jiang H, Mi T, Zhang Y, Peng C, Li W, Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Zang Y, Li J. The development and benefits of metformin in various diseases. Front Med 2023; 17:388-431. [PMID: 37402952 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-0998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Metformin has been used for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus for decades due to its safety, low cost, and outstanding hypoglycemic effect clinically. The mechanisms underlying these benefits are complex and still not fully understood. Inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory-chain complex I is the most described downstream mechanism of metformin, leading to reduced ATP production and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Meanwhile, many novel targets of metformin have been gradually discovered. In recent years, multiple pre-clinical and clinical studies are committed to extend the indications of metformin in addition to diabetes. Herein, we summarized the benefits of metformin in four types of diseases, including metabolic associated diseases, cancer, aging and age-related diseases, neurological disorders. We comprehensively discussed the pharmacokinetic properties and the mechanisms of action, treatment strategies, the clinical application, the potential risk of metformin in various diseases. This review provides a brief summary of the benefits and concerns of metformin, aiming to interest scientists to consider and explore the common and specific mechanisms and guiding for the further research. Although there have been countless studies of metformin, longitudinal research in each field is still much warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yingbei Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Haowen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Tian Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yunkai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wanchen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongmei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
| | - Yi Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Open Studio for Druggability Research of Marine Natural Products, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266237, China.
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, 264117, China.
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Zahid S, Dafre AL, Currais A, Yu J, Schubert D, Maher P. The Geroprotective Drug Candidate CMS121 Alleviates Diabetes, Liver Inflammation, and Renal Damage in db/db Leptin Receptor Deficient Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6828. [PMID: 37047807 PMCID: PMC10095029 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
db/db mice, which lack leptin receptors and exhibit hyperphagia, show disturbances in energy metabolism and are a model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The geroneuroprotector drug candidate CMS121 has been shown to be effective in animal models of Alzheimer's disease and aging through the modulation of metabolism. Thus, the hypothesis was that CMS121 could protect db/db mice from metabolic defects and thereby reduce liver inflammation and kidney damage. The mice were treated with CMS121 in their diet for 6 months. No changes were observed in food and oxygen consumption, body mass, or locomotor activity compared to control db/db mice, but a 5% reduction in body weight was noted. Improved glucose tolerance and reduced HbA1c and insulin levels were also seen. Blood and liver triglycerides and free fatty acids decreased. Improved metabolism was supported by lower levels of fatty acid metabolites in the urine. Markers of liver inflammation, including NF-κB, IL-18, caspase 3, and C reactive protein, were lowered by the CMS121 treatment. Urine markers of kidney damage were improved, as evidenced by lower urinary levels of NGAL, clusterin, and albumin. Urine metabolomics studies provided further evidence for kidney protection. Mitochondrial protein markers were elevated in db/db mice, but CMS121 restored the renal levels of NDUFB8, UQCRC2, and VDAC. Overall, long-term CMS121 treatment alleviated metabolic imbalances, liver inflammation, and reduced markers of kidney damage. Thus, this study provides promising evidence for the potential therapeutic use of CMS121 in treating metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saadia Zahid
- Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Atta ur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Alcir L. Dafre
- Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Biochemistry Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Antonio Currais
- Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jingting Yu
- The Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - David Schubert
- Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Pamela Maher
- Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Kim CK, Lee YR, Ong L, Gold M, Kalali A, Sarkar J. Alzheimer's Disease: Key Insights from Two Decades of Clinical Trial Failures. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 87:83-100. [PMID: 35342092 PMCID: PMC9198803 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Given the acknowledged lack of success in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug development over the past two decades, the objective of this review was to derive key insights from the myriad failures to inform future drug development. A systematic and exhaustive review was performed on all failed AD compounds for dementia (interventional phase II and III clinical trials from ClinicalTrials.gov) from 2004 to the present. Starting with the initial ∼2,700 AD clinical trials, ∼550 trials met our initial criteria, from which 98 unique phase II and III compounds with various mechanisms of action met our criteria of a failed compound. The two recent reported phase III successes of aducanumab and oligomannate are very encouraging; however, we are awaiting real-world validation of their effectiveness. These two successes against the 98 failures gives a 2.0% phase II and III success rate since 2003, when the previous novel compound was approved. Potential contributing methodological factors for the clinical trial failures were categorized into 1) insufficient evidence to initiate the pivotal trials, and 2) pivotal trial design shortcomings. Our evaluation found that rational drug development principles were not always followed for AD therapeutics development, and the question remains whether some of the failed compounds may have shown efficacy if the principles were better adhered to. Several recommendations are made for future AD therapeutic development. The whole database of the 98 failed compounds is presented in the Supplementary Material.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael Gold
- Neuroscience Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
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Another Example of Conditioned Taste Aversion: Case of Snails. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9120422. [PMID: 33256267 PMCID: PMC7760351 DOI: 10.3390/biology9120422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary It is important to decide what to eat and what not to eat in the life. Children are likely to reject new foods. When eating a new food results in a negative experience, the child will avoid that specific food in the future. This phenomenon is called ‘conditioned taste aversion’ in mammals, and it is considered necessary for survival by preventing subsequent ingestion of sickening foods. Many researchers study the same kind of phenomenon in invertebrates, too. For example, the formation of conditioned taste aversion was found in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, with the selective associability between a sweet sucrose solution and a bitter KCl solution. A sweet food attracts many kinds of animals, resulting in the feeding response, whereas a KCl solution is an aversive stimulus, inducing a withdrawal response in snails. After repeated temporally-contingent presentations of these two stimuli, the sucrose solution no longer elicits a feeding response, and this phenomenon persists for a long term. In the present review, we first outline the mechanisms of conditioned taste aversion in mammals, then introduce the conditioned taste aversion in snails, and compare them. Furthermore, the molecular events in snails are discussed, suggesting the general mechanism in conditioned taste aversion. Abstract Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in mammals has several specific characteristics: (1) emergence of a negative symptom in subjects due to selective association with a taste-related stimulus, (2) robust long-term memory that is resistant to extinction induced by repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS), (3) a very-long-delay presentation of the unconditioned stimulus (US), and (4) single-trial learning. The pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, can also form a CTA. Although the negative symptoms, like nausea, in humans cannot be easily observed in invertebrate animal models of CTA, all the other characteristics of CTA seem to be present in snails. Selective associability was confirmed using a sweet sucrose solution and a bitter KCl solution. Once snails form a CTA, repeated presentation of the CS does not extinguish the CTA. A long interstimulus interval between the CS and US, like in trace conditioning, still results in the formation of a CTA in snails. Lastly, even single-trial learning has been demonstrated with a certain probability. In the present review, we compare, in detail, CTA in mammals and snails, and discuss the possible molecular events in CTA.
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