Mechanisms of neural and behavioral dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease

Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease and Diversity of 1,2,3-Triazole Scaffold in Drug Development: Design Strategies, Structural Insights, and Therapeutic Potential

Alzheimer's disease is a most prevalent form of dementia all around the globe and currently poses a significant challenge to the healthcare system. Currently available drugs only slow the progression of this disease rather than provide proper containment. Identification of multiple targets responsible for this disease in the last three decades established it as a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder that needs novel multifunctional agents for its management and the possible reason for the failure of currently available single target clinical drugs. 1,2,3-Triazole is a miraculous nucleus in medicinal chemistry and the first choice for development of multifunctional hybrid molecules. Apart from that, it is an integral component of various drugs in clinical trials as well as in clinical practice. This review is focused on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and 1,2,3-triazole containing derivatives developed in recent decades as potential anti-Alzheimer's agents. The review will provide (A) precise insight of various established targets of Alzheimer's disease including cholinergic, amyloid, tau, monoamine oxidases, glutamate, calcium, and reactive oxygen species hypothesis and (B) design hypothesis, structure-activity relationships, and pharmacological outcomes of 1,2,3-triazole containing multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's agents. This review will provide a baseline for various research groups working on Alzheimer's drug development in designing potent, safer, and effective multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's candidates of the future.

Aging differentially affects LTCC function in hippocampal CA1 and piriform cortex pyramidal neurons

Aging is associated with cognitive decline and memory loss in humans. In rats, aging-associated neuronal excitability changes and impairments in learning have been extensively studied in the hippocampus. Here, we investigated the roles of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) in the rat piriform cortex (PC), in comparison with those of the hippocampus. We employed spatial and olfactory tasks that involve the hippocampus and PC. LTCC blocker nimodipine administration impaired spontaneous location recognition in adult rats (6-9 months). However, the same blocker rescued the spatial learning deficiency in aged rats (19-23 months). In an odor-associative learning task, infusions of nimodipine into either the PC or dorsal CA1 impaired the ability of adult rats to learn a positive odor association. Again, in contrast, nimodipine rescued odor associative learning in aged rats. Aged CA1 neurons had higher somatic expression of LTCC Cav1.2 subunits, exhibited larger afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and lower excitability compared with adult neurons. In contrast, PC neurons from aged rats showed higher excitability and no difference in AHP. Cav1.2 expression was similar in adult and aged PC somata, but relatively higher in PSD95- puncta in aged dendrites. Our data suggest unique features of aging-associated changes in LTCCs in the PC and hippocampus.

Linking α-synuclein-induced synaptopathy and neural network dysfunction in early Parkinson's disease

The prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease is characterized by aggregation of the misfolded pathogenic protein α-synuclein in select neural centres, co-occurring with non-motor symptoms including sensory and cognitive loss, and emotional disturbances. It is unclear whether neuronal loss is significant during the prodrome. Underlying these symptoms are synaptic impairments and aberrant neural network activity. However, the relationships between synaptic defects and network-level perturbations are not established. In experimental models, pathological α-synuclein not only impacts neurotransmission at the synaptic level, but also leads to changes in brain network-level oscillatory dynamics-both of which likely contribute to non-motor deficits observed in Parkinson's disease. Here we draw upon research from both human subjects and experimental models to propose a 'synapse to network prodrome cascade' wherein before overt cell death, pathological α-synuclein induces synaptic loss and contributes to aberrant network activity, which then gives rise to prodromal symptomology. As the disease progresses, abnormal patterns of neural activity ultimately lead to neuronal loss and clinical progression of disease. Finally, we outline goals and research needed to unravel the basis of functional impairments in Parkinson's disease and other α-synucleinopathies.

Alzheimer’s Disease: An Update and Insights Into Pathophysiology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible brain disorder associated with slow, progressive loss of brain functions mostly in older people. The disease processes start years before the symptoms are manifested at which point most therapies may not be as effective. In the hippocampus, the key proteins involved in the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, such as p-JAK2-Tyr1007 and p-STAT3-Tyr705 were found to be elevated in various models of AD. In addition to neurons, glial cells such as astrocytes also play a crucial role in the progression of AD. Without having a significant effect on tau and amyloid pathologies, the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in reactive astrocytes exhibits a behavioral impact in the experimental models of AD. Cholinergic atrophy in AD has been traced to a trophic failure in the NGF metabolic pathway, which is essential for the survival and maintenance of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN). In AD, there is an alteration in the conversion of the proNGF to mature NGF (mNGF), in addition to an increase in degradation of the biologically active mNGF. Thus, the application of exogenous mNGF in experimental studies was shown to improve the recovery of atrophic BFCN. Furthermore, it is now coming to light that the FGF7/FGFR2/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway mediated by microRNA-107 is also involved in AD pathogenesis. Vascular dysfunction has long been associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of AD. Vascular risk factors are associated with higher tau and cerebral beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden, while synergistically acting with Aβ to induce cognitive decline. The apolipoprotein E4 polymorphism is not just one of the vascular risk factors, but also the most prevalent genetic risk factor of AD. More recently, the research focus on AD shifted toward metabolisms of various neurotransmitters, major and minor nutrients, thus giving rise to metabolomics, the most important “omics” tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases based on an individual’s metabolome. This review will therefore proffer a better understanding of novel signaling pathways associated with neural and glial mechanisms involved in AD, elaborate potential links between vascular dysfunction and AD, and recent developments in “omics”-based biomarkers in AD.

Mitochondria-Targeting Ceria Nanoparticles as Antioxidants for Alzheimer's Disease

Mitochondrial oxidative stress is a key pathologic factor in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, can lead to neuronal cell death. Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles are known to function as strong and recyclable ROS scavengers by shuttling between Ce(3+) and Ce(4+) oxidation states. Consequently, targeting ceria nanoparticles selectively to mitochondria might be a promising therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report the design and synthesis of triphenylphosphonium-conjugated ceria nanoparticles that localize to mitochondria and suppress neuronal death in a 5XFAD transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse model. The triphenylphosphonium-conjugated ceria nanoparticles mitigate reactive gliosis and morphological mitochondria damage observed in these mice. Altogether, our data indicate that the triphenylphosphonium-conjugated ceria nanoparticles are a potential therapeutic candidate for mitochondrial oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease.

PPARα activation attenuates amyloid-β-dependent neurodegeneration by modulating Endo G and AIF translocation

The accumulation of a large amount of amyloid-β (Aβ42) in brain neurons is one of the debilitating characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we determined the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activation on neuronal degeneration using a model of Aβ42-induced cytotoxicity. We found that 0.5 μM Aβ42 induced DNA damage and apoptosis in NT2N cells after 6 h of treatment. Co-treatment of Aβ42-treated cells with Wy14643, a PPARα ligand, significantly increased cell viability after 24 h compared with cells treated with Aβ42 alone. There were no differences in the protein levels of caspase-3, Bcl-2/Bax or p53 between cells treated with Aβ42 alone and those treated with both Aβ42 and Wy14643. However, the addition of Wy14643 significantly suppressed the Aβ42-induced upregulation of Endo G and AIF protein levels. Immunohistochemical analyses further demonstrated that Wy14643 reduced the expression of Endo G and AIF translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, which occurred concomitantly with the decrease in DNA damage in Aβ42-treated cells. Our data clearly show that PPARα activation prevents DNA damage and neuronal cell apoptosis by decreasing the expression and translocation of AIF/Endo G to the nucleus in a caspase-3- and p53-independent pathway in the NT2N cell model. This role of PPARα in promoting neuron survival suggests a possible clinical application in treating Aβ42-associated neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease.

Aβ induces acute depression of excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission through distinct phosphatase-dependent mechanisms in rat CA1 pyramidal neurons

Beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) has a causal role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies indicate that Aβ can disrupt excitatory glutamatergic synaptic function at synaptic level. However, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we recorded evoked and spontaneous EPSCs in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons via whole-cell voltage-clamping methods and found that 1 μM Aβ can induce acute depression of basal glutamatergic synaptic transmission through both presynaptic and postsynaptic dysfunction. Moreover, we also found that Aβ-induced both presynaptic and postsynaptic dysfunction can be reversed by the inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B), FK506, whereas only postsynaptic disruption can be ameliorated by the inhibitor of PP1/PP2A, Okadaic acid (OA). These results indicate that PP1/PP2A and PP2B have overlapping but not identical functions in Aβ-induced acute depression of excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.

The importance of considering all attributes of memory in behavioral endophenotyping of mouse models of genetic disease

In order to overcome difficulties in evaluating cognitive function in mouse models of genetic disorders, it is critical to take into account the background strain of the mouse and reported phenotypes in the clinical population being studied. Recent studies have evaluated cognitive function across a number of background strains and found that spatial memory assayed by the water maze and contextual fear conditioning often does not provide optimal results. The logical extension to these results is to emphasize not only spatial, but all attributes or domains of memory function in behavioral phenotyping experiments. A careful evaluation of spatial, temporal, sensory/perceptual, affective, response, executive, proto-linguistic, and social behaviors designed to specifically evaluate the cognitive function each mouse model can be performed in a rapid, relatively high throughput manner. Such results would not only provide a more comprehensive snapshot of brain function in mouse disease models than the more common approach that approaches nonspecific spatial memory tasks to evaluate cognition, but also would better model the disorders being studied.

Amyloid Beta-Protein and Neural Network Dysfunction

Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction induced by amyloid beta-protein (Aβ) represents one of the major challenges for Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. The most evident symptom of AD is a severe decline in cognition. Cognitive processes, as any other brain function, arise from the activity of specific cell assemblies of interconnected neurons that generate neural network dynamics based on their intrinsic and synaptic properties. Thus, the origin of Aβ-induced cognitive dysfunction, and possibly AD-related cognitive decline, must be found in specific alterations in properties of these cells and their consequences in neural network dynamics. The well-known relationship between AD and alterations in the activity of several neural networks is reflected in the slowing of the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. Some features of the EEG slowing observed in AD, such as the diminished generation of different network oscillations, can be induced in vivo and in vitro upon Aβ application or by Aβ overproduction in transgenic models. This experimental approach offers the possibility to study the mechanisms involved in cognitive dysfunction produced by Aβ. This type of research may yield not only basic knowledge of neural network dysfunction associated with AD, but also novel options to treat this modern epidemic.

Genetic strategies to investigate neuronal circuit properties using stem cell-derived neurons

The mammalian brain is anatomically and functionally complex, and prone to diverse forms of injury and neuropathology. Scientists have long strived to develop cell replacement therapies to repair damaged and diseased nervous tissue. However, this goal has remained unrealized for various reasons, including nascent knowledge of neuronal development, the inability to track and manipulate transplanted cells within complex neuronal networks, and host graft rejection. Recent advances in embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, alongside novel genetic strategies to mark and manipulate stem cell-derived neurons, now provide unprecedented opportunities to investigate complex neuronal circuits in both healthy and diseased brains. Here, we review current technologies aimed at generating and manipulating neurons derived from ESCs and iPSCs toward investigation and manipulation of complex neuronal circuits, ultimately leading to the design and development of novel cell-based therapeutic approaches.

Respiratory and sniffing behaviors throughout adulthood and aging in mice

Orienting responses are physiological and active behavioral reactions evoked by novel stimulus perception and are critical for survival. We explored whether odor orienting responses are impacted throughout both adulthood and normal and pathological aging in mice. Novel odor investigation (including duration and bout numbers) and its subsequent habituation as assayed in the odor habituation task were preserved in adult C57BL/6J mice up to 12 mo of age with <6% variability between age groups in investigation time. Separately, using whole-body plethysmography we found that both spontaneous respiration and odor-evoked sniffing behaviors were strikingly preserved in wildtype (WT) mice up to 26 mo of age. In contrast, mice accumulating amyloid-β protein in the brain by means of overexpressing mutations in the human amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) showed preserved spontaneous respiration up to 12 mo, but starting at 14 mo showed significant differences from WT. Similar to WTs, odor-evoked sniffing was not impacted in APP mice up to 26 mo. These results show that odor-orienting responses are minimally impacted throughout aging in mice, and suggest that the olfactomotor network is mostly spared of insults due to aging.