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Mugundhan V, Arthanari A, Parthasarathy PR. Protective Effect of Ferulic Acid on Acetylcholinesterase and Amyloid Beta Peptide Plaque Formation in Alzheimer's Disease: An In Vitro Study. Cureus 2024; 16:e54103. [PMID: 38487137 PMCID: PMC10938272 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the effects of ferulic acid (FA) on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme activity and amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide plaque formation in an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Background AD is a progressive neurological condition marked by disrupted cholinergic signaling, accumulation of Aβ peptide, and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. Currently, no direct anti-Alzheimer drug that effectively prevents the cognitive decline from AD has been reported. To combat this, a multi-target drug addressing several molecular aspects would be ideal for AD. Natural compounds are preferred over synthetic drugs due to their accessibility, cost-efficiency, and lower toxicity The proven association between polyphenol consumption and the prevention of AD has led to the investigation of the effect of FA, a polyphenolic compound, on acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity and Aβ peptide formation, the key targets of AD. Materials and method The free radical scavenging ability of FA was assessed by xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, FA was also evaluated for its inhibitory activity against AChE enzyme and amyloid beta peptide formation to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of FA. Results The results showed that FA has the potential to be an AChE inhibitor, thus helping in blocking the activity of AChE and also reducing the incidence of amyloid beta plaque formation. Furthermore, the compound also exhibited a significant antioxidant property which was demonstrated by the xanthine oxidase enzyme inhibitory effect. Conclusion From the observed results, FA has significant antioxidant and neuroprotective effects which are compared with those of their respective standards. More research is required to determine the efficacy and safety of this compound as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like AD because the precise mechanism and degree of its AChE inhibitory effects in the brain are still elusive. A potent, selective, and effective drug is desperately needed to treat patients with AD and those at risk of developing the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mugundhan
- Department of Forensic Odontology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
| | - Abirami Arthanari
- Department of Forensic Odontology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
| | - Parameswari R Parthasarathy
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND
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Kabir ER, Chowdhury NM, Yasmin H, Kabir MT, Akter R, Perveen A, Ashraf GM, Akter S, Rahman MH, Sweilam SH. Unveiling the Potential of Polyphenols as Anti-Amyloid Molecules in Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:787-807. [PMID: 36221865 PMCID: PMC10227919 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666221010113812] [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: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that mostly affects the elderly population. Mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis are yet to be fully revealed, but there are several hypotheses regarding AD. Even though free radicals and inflammation are likely to be linked with AD pathogenesis, still amyloid-beta (Aβ) cascade is the dominant hypothesis. According to the Aβ hypothesis, a progressive buildup of extracellular and intracellular Aβ aggregates has a significant contribution to the AD-linked neurodegeneration process. Since Aβ plays an important role in the etiology of AD, therefore Aβ-linked pathways are mainly targeted in order to develop potential AD therapies. Accumulation of Aβ plaques in the brains of AD individuals is an important hallmark of AD. These plaques are mainly composed of Aβ (a peptide of 39-42 amino acids) aggregates produced via the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein. Numerous studies have demonstrated that various polyphenols (PPHs), including cyanidins, anthocyanins, curcumin, catechins and their gallate esters were found to markedly suppress Aβ aggregation and prevent the formation of Aβ oligomers and toxicity, which is further suggesting that these PPHs might be regarded as effective therapeutic agents for the AD treatment. This review summarizes the roles of Aβ in AD pathogenesis, the Aβ aggregation pathway, types of PPHs, and distribution of PPHs in dietary sources. Furthermore, we have predominantly focused on the potential of food-derived PPHs as putative anti-amyloid drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Rahman Kabir
- School of Pharmacy, BRAC University, 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | | | - Hasina Yasmin
- School of Pharmacy, BRAC University, 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Tanvir Kabir
- School of Pharmacy, BRAC University, 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Rokeya Akter
- Department of Pharmacy, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Asma Perveen
- Glocal School of Life Sciences, Glocal University, Mirzapur Pole, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ghulam Md. Ashraf
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shamima Akter
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA
| | | | - Sherouk Hussein Sweilam
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Cairo-Suez Road, Badr City 11829, Egypt
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Som Chaudhury S, Sannigrahi A, Nandi M, Mishra VK, De P, Chattopadhyay K, Mishra S, Sil J, Das Mukhopadhyay C. A Novel PEGylated Block Copolymer in New Age Therapeutics for Alzheimer’s Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6551-6565. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1542-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Discovery of novel dual acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with antifibrillogenic activity related to Alzheimer's disease. Future Med Chem 2018; 10:1037-1053. [PMID: 29676170 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2017-0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and neurodegenerative disorder of the CNS, affecting elderly people. The current pharmacological approach is based on the improvement of cholinergic neurotransmission by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with AChE inhibitors. The disease is also characterized by the accelerated accumulation of β-amyloid plaques around neurons. Furthermore, in vitro studies revealed that AChE can induce β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) aggregation. METHODOLOGY Computer-aided molecular design by virtual screening was here employed to discover novel potential AChE inhibitors, with antifibrillogenic properties, in other words, inhibiting Aβ aggregation. RESULTS Compounds 1, 4 and 6 showed interesting AChE inhibition. In addition, they particularly inhibit Aβ aggregation in vitro, indicating to be promising novel anti-Alzheimer agents.
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Andhare NH, Thopate Y, Shamsuzzama, Kumar L, Sharma T, Siddiqi M, Sinha AK, Nazir A. A facile tandem double-dehydrative-double-Heck olefination strategy for pot-economic synthesis of ( E )-distyrylbenzenes as multi-target-directed ligands against Alzheimer's disease employing C. elegans model. Tetrahedron 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2018.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Saima, Kumar L, Lavekar AG, Sharma T, Shamsuzzama, Equbal D, Siddiqi MI, Sinha AK, Nazir A. Chemo‐Biocatalytic Oxidative Condensation of Natural Arylpropene with 2‐Aminobenzothiazole into Schiff‐Bases as Potent Anti‐Amyloid Agents: Studies Employing Transgenic
C. elegans. ChemistrySelect 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201800243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Saima
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Jankipuram extension Sitapur Road Lucknow, U.P. India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research New Delhi India
| | - Lalit Kumar
- Toxicology divisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Aditya G. Lavekar
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Jankipuram extension Sitapur Road Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Tanuj Sharma
- Molecular and Structural Biology DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Shamsuzzama
- Toxicology divisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Danish Equbal
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Jankipuram extension Sitapur Road Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Mohammad Imran Siddiqi
- Molecular and Structural Biology DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, U.P. India
| | - Arun K. Sinha
- Medicinal and Process Chemistry DivisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Jankipuram extension Sitapur Road Lucknow, U.P. India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research New Delhi India
| | - Aamir Nazir
- Toxicology divisionCSIR-Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, U.P. India
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Nuriev VN, Fedorov OV, Moiseeva AA, Freidzon AY, Kurchavov NA, Vedernikov AI, Medved’ko AV, Pod’yacheva ES, Vatsadze SZ, Gromov SP. Synthesis, structure, spectral properties, and electrochemistry of bis(crown ether) containing 1,3-distyrylbenzenes. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1070428017110203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Protective effects of a dimeric derivative of ferulic acid in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Pharmacol 2016; 782:30-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Biflavonoids as Potential Small Molecule Therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015; 863:55-77. [PMID: 26092626 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-18365-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Flavonoids are naturally occurring phytochemicals found in a variety of fruits and vegetables and offer color, flavor, aroma, nutritional and health benefits. Flavonoids have been found to play a neuroprotective role by inhibiting and/or modifying the self-assembly of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide into oligomers and fibrils, which are linked to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The neuroprotective efficacy of flavonoids has been found to strongly depend on their structure and functional groups. Flavonoids may exist in monomeric, as well as di-, tri-, tetra- or polymeric form through C-C or C-O-C linkages. It has been shown that flavonoids containing two or more units, e.g., biflavonoids, exert greater biological activity than their respective monoflavonoids. For instance, biflavonoids have the ability to distinctly alter Aβ aggregation and more effectively reduce the toxicity of Aβ oligomers compared to the monoflavonoid moieties. Although the molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated, flavonoids have been shown to alter the Aβ aggregation pathway to yield non-toxic, unstructured Aβ aggregates, as well as directly exerting a neuroprotective effect to cells. In this chapter, we review biflavonoid-mediated Aβ aggregation and toxicity, and highlight the beneficial roles biflavonoids can potentially play in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Bäcklund FG, Solin N. Development and application of methodology for rapid screening of potential amyloid probes. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2014; 16:721-9. [PMID: 25383488 DOI: 10.1021/co5001212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we demonstrate that it is possible to rapidly screen hydrophobic fluorescent aromatic molecules with regards to their properties as amyloid probes. By grinding the hydrophobic molecule with the amyloidogenic protein insulin, we obtained a water-soluble composite material. When this material is dissolved and exposed to conditions promoting amyloid formation, the protein aggregates into amyloid fibrils incorporating the hydrophobic molecule. As a result, changes in the fluorescence spectra of the hydrophobic molecule can be correlated to the formation of amyloid fibrils, and the suitability of the hydrophobic molecular skeleton as an amyloid probe can thus be assessed. As a result, we discovered two new amyloid probes, of which one is the well-known laser dye DCM. The grinding method can also be used for rapid preparation of novel composite materials between dyes and proteins, which can be used in materials science applications such as organic electronics and photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik G. Bäcklund
- Department of Physics, Chemistry,
and Biology; Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Niclas Solin
- Department of Physics, Chemistry,
and Biology; Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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Abstract
Amylin is a peptide that aggregates into species that are toxic to pancreatic beta cells, leading to type II diabetes. This study has for the first time quantified amylin association and dissociation kinetics (association constant (ka ) = 28.7 ± 5.1 L mol-1 s-1 and dissociation constant (kd ) = 2.8 ± 0.6 ×10-4 s-1) using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Thus far, techniques used for the sizing of amylin aggregates do not cater for the real-time monitoring of unconstrained amylin in solution. In this regard we evaluated recently innovated nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). In addition, both SPR and NTA were used to study the effect of previously synthesized amylin derivatives on amylin aggregation and to evaluate their potential as a cell-free system for screening potential inhibitors of amylin-mediated cytotoxicity. Results obtained from NTA highlighted a predominance of 100-300 nm amylin aggregates and correlation to previously published cytotoxicity results suggests the toxic species of amylin to be 200-300 nm in size. The results seem to indicate that NTA has potential as a new technique to monitor the aggregation potential of amyloid peptides in solution and also to screen potential inhibitors of amylin-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Pillay
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Patrick Govender
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Murakoshi Y, Takahashi T, Mihara H. Modification of a Small β-Barrel Protein, To Give Pseudo-Amyloid Structures, Inhibits Amyloid β-Peptide Aggregation. Chemistry 2013; 19:4525-31. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201202762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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13
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Vitamin D-binding protein interacts with Aβ and suppresses Aβ-mediated pathology. Cell Death Differ 2012; 20:630-8. [PMID: 23257976 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2012.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The level of vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) is increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting a relationship with its pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether and how DBP is related to AD using several different approaches. A pull-down assay and a surface plasmon resonance binding assay indicated direct interactions between purified DBP and amyloid beta (Aβ), which was confirmed in the brain of AD patients and transgenic AD model mice by immunoprecipitation assay and immunohistochemical double-staining method. Moreover, atomic force microscopic examination revealed that DBP reduced Aβ aggregation in vitro. DBP also prevented Aβ-mediated death in cultured mouse hippocampal HT22 cell line. Finally, DBP decreased Aβ-induced synaptic loss in the hippocampus and rescued memory deficits in mice after injection of Aβ into the lateral ventricle. These results provide converging evidence that DBP attenuates the harmful effects of Aβ by a direct interaction, and suggest that DBP is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of AD.
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14
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Lee YS, Kim HY, Kim Y, Seo JH, Roh EJ, Han H, Shin KJ. Small molecules that protect against β-amyloid-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting aggregation of β-amyloid. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:4921-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.06.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Tacrine-6-ferulic acid, a novel multifunctional dimer, inhibits amyloid-β-mediated Alzheimer's disease-associated pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31921. [PMID: 22384101 PMCID: PMC3285653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously synthesized a series of hybrid compounds by linking ferulic acid to tacrine as multifunctional agents based on the hypotheses that Alzheimer's disease (AD) generates cholinergic deficiency and oxidative stress. Interestingly, we found that they may have potential pharmacological activities for treating AD. Here we report for the first time that tacrine-6-ferulic acid (T6FA), one of these compounds, can prevent amyloid-β peptide (Aβ)-induced AD-associated pathological changes in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that T6FA significantly inhibited auto- and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-induced aggregation of Aβ1–40in vitro and blocked the cell death induced by Aβ1–40 in PC12 cells. In an AD mouse model by the intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ1–40, T6FA significantly improved the cognitive ability along with increasing choline acetyltransferase and superoxide dismutase activity, decreasing AChE activity and malondialdehyde level. Based on our findings, we conclude that T6FA may be a promising multifunctional drug candidate for AD.
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Chen SY, Chen Y, Li YP, Chen SH, Tan JH, Ou TM, Gu LQ, Huang ZS. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of curcumin analogues as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Bioorg Med Chem 2011; 19:5596-604. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2011.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Revised: 07/16/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Alzheimer's disease drug candidates stabilize A-β protein native structure by interacting with the hydrophobic core. Biophys J 2011; 100:1076-82. [PMID: 21320453 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.12.3741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2010] [Revised: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/22/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Deposition of amyloid fibrils, consisting primarily of Aβ(40) and Aβ(42) peptides, in the extracellular space in the brain is a major characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently developed new (to our knowledge) drug candidates for AD that inhibit the fibril formation of Aβ peptides and eliminate their neurotoxicity. We performed all-atom molecular-dynamics simulations on the Aβ(42) monomer at its α-helical conformation and a pentamer fibril fragment of Aβ(42) peptide with or without LRL and fluorene series compounds to investigate the mechanism of inhibition. The results show that the active drug candidates, LRL22 (EC(50) = 0.734 μM) and K162 (EC(50) = 0.080 μM), stabilize hydrophobic core I of Aβ(42) peptide (residues 17-21) to its α-helical conformation by interacting specifically in this region. The nonactive drug candidates, LRL27 (EC(50) > 10 μM) and K182 (EC(50) > 5 μM), have little to no similar effect. This explains the different behavior of the drug candidates in experiments. Of more importance, this phenomenon indicates that hydrophobic core I of the Aβ(42) peptide plays a major mechanistic role in the formation of amyloid fibrils, and paves the way for the development of new drugs against AD.
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Thapa A, Woo ER, Chi EY, Sharoar MG, Jin HG, Shin SY, Park IS. Biflavonoids are superior to monoflavonoids in inhibiting amyloid-β toxicity and fibrillogenesis via accumulation of nontoxic oligomer-like structures. Biochemistry 2011; 50:2445-55. [PMID: 21322641 DOI: 10.1021/bi101731d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Polymerization of monomeric amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) into soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils is one of the major pathways triggering the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using small molecules to prevent the polymerization of Aβ peptides can, therefore, be an effective therapeutic strategy for AD. In this study, we investigate the effects of mono- and biflavonoids in Aβ42-induced toxicity and fibrillogenesis and find that the biflavonoid taiwaniaflavone (TF) effectively and specifically inhibits Aβ toxicity and fibrillogenesis. Compared to TF, the monoflavonoid apigenin (AP) is less effective and less specific. Our data show that differential effects of the mono- and biflavonoids in Aβ fibrillogenesis correlate with their varying cytoprotective efficacies. We also find that other biflavonoids, namely, 2',8''-biapigenin, amentoflavone, and sumaflavone, can also effectively inhibit Aβ toxicity and fibrillogenesis, implying that the participation of two monoflavonoids in a single biflavonoid molecule enhances their activity. Biflavonoids, while strongly inhibiting Aβ fibrillogenesis, accumulate nontoxic Aβ oligomeric structures, suggesting that these are off-pathway oligomers. Moreover, TF abrogates the toxicity of preformed Aβ oligomers and fibrils, indicating that TF and other biflavonoids may also reduce the toxicity of toxic Aβ species. Altogether, our data clearly show that biflavonoids, possibly because of the possession of two Aβ binders separated by an appropriate size linker, are likely to be promising therapeutics for suppressing Aβ toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Thapa
- Department of Biomaterials Engineering, Chosun University, Gwanju 501-759, Republic of Korea
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Zhou Y, Jiang C, Zhang Y, Liang Z, Liu W, Wang L, Luo C, Zhong T, Sun Y, Zhao L, Xie X, Jiang H, Zhou N, Liu D, Liu H. Structural Optimization and Biological Evaluation of Substituted Bisphenol A Derivatives as β-Amyloid Peptide Aggregation Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2010; 53:5449-66. [DOI: 10.1021/jm1000584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
| | | | - Yaping Zhang
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | | | - Wenfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Liefeng Wang
- Laboratory of Receptor-Based Bio-Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
| | - Tingting Zhong
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Xin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
| | | | - Naiming Zhou
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | | | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
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Yang F, Zhou BR, Zhang P, Zhao YF, Chen J, Liang Y. Binding of ferulic acid to cytochrome c enhances stability of the protein at physiological pH and inhibits cytochrome c-induced apoptosis. Chem Biol Interact 2007; 170:231-43. [PMID: 17875304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2007.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2007] [Revised: 07/21/2007] [Accepted: 08/08/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ferulic acid (FA) is one of the most effective components of a traditional Chinese medicine, angelica, and cytochrome c plays a vital role in apoptosis. Here we report the application of fluorescence spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and circular dichroism (CD) to investigate the mechanism for the interaction of bovine heart cytochrome c with FA and the effect of the binding on native state stability of the protein at physiological pH. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies together with ITC measurements indicate that FA binds to cytochrome c with moderate affinity and quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of the protein in a static way. ITC experiments show that the interaction of cytochrome c with FA is driven by a moderately favorable entropy increase in combination with a less favorable enthalpy decrease for the first binding site of the protein. The melting temperature of cytochrome c in the presence of FA measured by DSC and CD increases 4.0 and 5.0 degrees C, respectively, compared with that in the absence of FA. Taken together, these results indicate that FA binds to and stabilizes cytochrome c at physiological pH. Furthermore, binding of FA to cytochrome c inhibits cytochrome c-induce apoptosis of human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721. Our data provide insight into the mechanism of drug-protein interactions, and will be helpful to the understanding of the mechanism for FA-inhibited and cytochrome c-induced apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Abstract
The Abeta peptide assembles into a variety of distinct types of structures in vitro and in the brain which have different biological consequences. Differential effects of inhibitory small molecules suggest that a sequential monomer - oligomer - fibril mechanism is overly simplistic and that soluble toxic oligomers and fibrils can be formed in common or separate pathways depending on the local environment. As a result, the effects of inhibitors are often assay-dependent because multiple pathways are operating. This review discusses strategies for teasing apart the intricate protein-protein interactions that result in Abeta assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry LeVine
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Chandler School of Medicine and the Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, KY, USA.
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Reinke AA, Gestwicki JE. Structure?activity Relationships of Amyloid Beta-aggregation Inhibitors Based on Curcumin: Influence of Linker Length and Flexibility. Chem Biol Drug Des 2007; 70:206-15. [PMID: 17718715 DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-0285.2007.00557.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Self-assembly of amyloid beta into fibrillar plaques is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and oligomers of this peptide are believed to be involved in neurodegeneration. Natural organic dyes, such as congo red and curcumin, bind tightly to amyloid beta and, at higher concentrations, block its self-assembly. The ability of these molecules to prevent amyloid accumulation has generated interest in understanding which of their structural features contribute to inhibitory potency. In general, amyloid beta ligands tend to be flat, planar molecules with substituted aromatic end groups; however, a comprehensive structure-activity study has not been reported. To better understand these ligands, we surveyed the effect of three prominent features on inhibition of amyloid aggregation: the presence of two aromatic end groups, the substitution pattern of these aromatics, and the length and flexibility of the linker region. We found that modification of any one of the modules has profound effects on activity. Further, we report that the optimal length of the linker lies within a surprisingly narrow regime (6-19 A). These results offer insight into the key chemical features required for inhibiting amyloid beta aggregation. In turn, these findings help define the nature of the docking site for small molecules on the amyloid beta surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Reinke
- Department of Pathology and the Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2216, USA
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Byeon SR, Lee JH, Sohn JH, Kim DC, Shin KJ, Yoo KH, Mook-Jung I, Lee WK, Kim DJ. Bis-styrylpyridine and bis-styrylbenzene derivatives as inhibitors for Aβ fibril formation. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2007; 17:1466-70. [PMID: 17270435 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2006.10.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2006] [Revised: 10/25/2006] [Accepted: 10/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
New bis-styrylpyridine and bis-styrylbenzene derivatives were designed and synthesized. These 34 compounds were evaluated by Abeta fibril formation inhibitory assay using thioflavin T as a dye (named ThT assay). Most of them showed excellent inhibitory activities for Abeta fibril formation at IC50 of 0.1-2.7 microM which is comparable to curcumin (IC50 of 0.8 microM). Among them, nine compounds were screened for their cytotoxicities on HT-22 cell by MTT assay at 1, 10, and 50 microM. In particular, I-7 and II-2 exhibited the best combination of inhibitory activity and compound cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Rim Byeon
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 131, Cheongryang, Seoul 130-650, Republic of Korea
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25
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Abstract
Computational and experimental high-throughput screening are frequently used to discover new leads for drug design. Although novel ligands have been identified by these methods, it has become clear that screening hit lists are plagued by false positives. These nuisance compounds are ultimately found to be developmental dead-ends and are abandoned, often after considerable effort has been invested in them. Much work over the last decade has been devoted to exploring the origins of false-positive screening hits, and ligand promiscuity has emerged as one such cause. Well-known mechanisms of promiscuity include reactive species and privileged substructures. More recently, it has been found that some nonspecific screening hits form aggregates of 30–1000 nm in diameter. It has been proposed that these aggregate particles are responsible for the promiscuous behavior of many false positives and that aggregate-forming compounds may be widespread among screening hits. This chapter will review the known mechanisms of ligand promiscuity with an emphasis on the recently described model of aggregation. Experimental and computational methods for identifying promiscuous compounds will be described, and some outstanding questions in the field will be considered.
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Masters CL, Cappai R, Barnham KJ, Villemagne VL. Molecular mechanisms for Alzheimer's disease: implications for neuroimaging and therapeutics. J Neurochem 2006; 97:1700-25. [PMID: 16805778 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03989.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the gradual onset of dementia. The pathological hallmarks of the disease are beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss and reactive gliosis. The current therapeutic effort is directed towards developing drugs that reduce Abeta burden or toxicity by inhibiting secretase cleavage, Abeta aggregation, Abeta toxicity, Abeta metal interactions or by promoting Abeta clearance. A number of clinical trials are currently in progress based on these different therapeutic strategies and they should indicate which, if any, of these approaches will be efficacious. Current diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is made by clinical, neuropsychologic and neuroimaging assessments. Routine structural neuroimaging evaluation with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is based on non-specific features such as atrophy, a late feature in the progression of the disease, hence the crucial importance of developing new approaches for early and specific recognition at the prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease. Functional neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography, possibly in conjunction with other related Abeta biomarkers in plasma and CSF, could prove to be valuable in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, as well as in assessing prognosis. With the advent of new therapeutic strategies there is increasing interest in the development of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography radioligands that will permit the assessment of Abeta burden in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin L Masters
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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27
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Abstract
We identified 1113 articles (103 reviews, 1010 primary research articles) published in 2005 that describe experiments performed using commercially available optical biosensors. While this number of publications is impressive, we find that the quality of the biosensor work in these articles is often pretty poor. It is a little disappointing that there appears to be only a small set of researchers who know how to properly perform, analyze, and present biosensor data. To help focus the field, we spotlight work published by 10 research groups that exemplify the quality of data one should expect to see from a biosensor experiment. Also, in an effort to raise awareness of the common problems in the biosensor field, we provide side-by-side examples of good and bad data sets from the 2005 literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Rich
- Center for Biomolecular Interaction Analysis, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
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