Characterization of novel kainic acid analogs as inhibitors of select microglial functions

The immunometabolic reprogramming of microglia in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder (NDD). In the central nervous system (CNS), immune cells like microglia could reprogram intracellular metabolism to alter or exert cellular immune functions in response to environmental stimuli. In AD, microglia could be activated and differentiated into pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory phenotypes, and these differences in cellular phenotypes resulted in variance in cellular energy metabolism. Considering the enormous energy requirement of microglia for immune functions, the changes in mitochondria-centered energy metabolism and substrates of microglia are crucial for the cellular regulation of immune responses. Here we reviewed the mechanisms of microglial metabolic reprogramming by analyzing their flexible metabolic patterns and changes that occurred in their metabolism during the development of AD. Further, we summarized the role of drugs in modulating immunometabolic reprogramming to prevent neuroinflammation, which may shed light on a new research direction for AD treatment.

The Role of Aldose Reductase in Beta-Amyloid-Induced Microglia Activation

The occurrence of Alzheimer's disease has been associated with the accumulation of beta-amyloid (β-amyloid) plaques. These plaques activate microglia to secrete inflammatory molecules, which damage neurons in the brain. Thus, understanding the underlying mechanism of microglia activation can provide a therapeutic strategy for alleviating microglia-induced neuroinflammation. The aldose reductase (AR) enzyme catalyzes the reduction of glucose to sorbitol in the polyol pathway. In addition to mediating diabetic complications in hyperglycemic environments, AR also helps regulate inflammation in microglia. However, little is known about the role of AR in β-amyloid-induced inflammation in microglia and subsequent neuronal death. In this study, we confirmed that AR inhibition attenuates increased β-amyloid-induced reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor α secretion by suppressing ERK signaling in BV₂ cells. In addition, we are the first to report that AR inhibition reduced the phagocytotic capability and cell migration of BV₂ cells in response to β-amyloid. To further investigate the protective role of the AR inhibitor sorbinil in neurons, we co-cultured β-amyloid-induced microglia with stem cell-induced neurons. sorbinil ameliorated neuronal damage in both cells in the co-culture system. In summary, our findings reveal AR regulation of microglia activation as a novel therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.

Regulation of microglia by glutamate and its signal pathway in neurodegenerative diseases

Microglia are an essential component of the central nervous system (CNS) and are involved in the primary response to microorganisms, neuroinflammation, homeostasis, and tissue regeneration, as well as contributing to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Research has shown that microglial diversity, multifunctionality, and their relationship with glutamate are crucial to determining their roles in these diseases. In this review, we focus on recent progress in determining microglial characteristics and the role of glutamate and its receptors in microglia regulation, which could be a novel therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Pyrazole Ethandiamide Compounds as Inhibitors of Human THP-1 Monocytic Cell Neurotoxicity

Neuroinflammation and microglia-mediated neurotoxicity contribute to the pathogenesis of a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases; therefore, identifying novel compounds that can suppress adverse activation of glia is an important goal. We have previously identified a class of trisubstituted pyrazoles that possess neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we describe a second generation of pyrazole analogs that were designed to improve their neuroprotective activity toward neurons under inflammatory conditions. Pyrazolyl oxalamide derivatives were designed to explore the effects of steric and electronic factors. Three in vitro assays were performed to evaluate the compounds' anti-neurotoxic, neuroprotective, and cytotoxic activity using human THP-1, PC-3, and SH-SY5Y cells. Five compounds significantly reduced the neurotoxic secretions from immune-stimulated microglia-like human THP-1 monocytic cells. One of these compounds was also found to protect SH-SY5Y neuronal cells when they were exposed to cytotoxic THP-1 cell supernatants. While one of the analogs was discarded due to its interference with the cell viability assay, most compounds were innocuous to the cultured cells at the concentrations used (1-100 μM). The new compounds reported herein provide a design template for the future development of lead candidates as novel inhibitors of neuroinflammation and neuroprotective drugs.