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Kotańska M, Łanocha M, Bednarski M, Marcinkowska M. MM165 - A Small Hybrid Molecule Modulates the Kynurenine Pathway and Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Memory Deficits and Inflammation. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:1200-1211. [PMID: 38381245 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04105-z] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions are now recognized as core symptoms of various psychiatric disorders e.g., major depressive disorder. Sustained immune activation may leads to cognitive dysfunctions. Proinflammatory cytokines shunt the metabolism of tryptophan towards kynurenine and quinolinic acid may accumulate at toxic concentrations. This acid triggers an increase in neuronal nitric oxide synthase function and promotes oxidative stress. The searching for small molecules that can regulate tryptophan metabolites produced in the kynurenic pathway has become an important goal in developing treatments for various central nervous system diseases with an inflammatory component. Previously we have identified a small hybrid molecule - MM165 which significantly reduces depressive-like symptoms caused by inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide administration. In the present study, we investigated whether this compound would mitigate cognitive deficits induced by lipopolysaccharide administration and whether treatment with it would affect the plasma or brain levels of quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid. Neuroinflammation was induced in rats by administering lipopolysaccharide at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. We conducted two tests: novel object recognition and object location, to assess the effect on memory impairment in animals previously treated with lipopolysaccharide. In plasma collected from rats, the concentrations of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alfa were determined. The concentrations of kynurenic acid and quinolinic acid were determined in plasma and homogenates obtained from the cerebral cortex of rats. Interleukin 6 in the cerebral cortex of rats was determined. Additionally, the body and spleen mass and spontaneous activity were measured in rats. Our study shows that MM165 may mitigate cognitive deficits induced by inflammation after administration of lipopolysaccharide and alter the concentrations of tryptophan metabolites in the brain. Compounds exhibiting a mechanism of action analogous to that of MM165 may serve as foundational structures for the development of a new class of antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Kotańska
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Michał Łanocha
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marek Bednarski
- Department of Pharmacological Screening, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
| | - Monika Marcinkowska
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna, 30-688, Krakow, Poland
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Phing AH, Makpol S, Nasaruddin ML, Wan Zaidi WA, Ahmad NS, Embong H. Altered Tryptophan-Kynurenine Pathway in Delirium: A Review of the Current Literature. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5580. [PMID: 36982655 PMCID: PMC10056900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Delirium, a common form of acute brain dysfunction, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially in older patients. The underlying pathophysiology of delirium is not clearly understood, but acute systemic inflammation is known to drive delirium in cases of acute illnesses, such as sepsis, trauma, and surgery. Based on psychomotor presentations, delirium has three main subtypes, such as hypoactive, hyperactive, and mixed subtype. There are similarities in the initial presentation of delirium with depression and dementia, especially in the hypoactive subtype. Hence, patients with hypoactive delirium are frequently misdiagnosed. The altered kynurenine pathway (KP) is a promising molecular pathway implicated in the pathogenesis of delirium. The KP is highly regulated in the immune system and influences neurological functions. The activation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and specific KP neuroactive metabolites, such as quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, could play a role in the event of delirium. Here, we collectively describe the roles of the KP and speculate on its relevance in delirium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Hui Phing
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Suzana Makpol
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.M.)
| | - Muhammad Luqman Nasaruddin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (S.M.)
| | - Wan Asyraf Wan Zaidi
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Saadah Ahmad
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Hashim Embong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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Lipopolysaccharide Tolerance Enhances Murine Norovirus Reactivation: An Impact of Macrophages Mainly Evaluated by Proteomic Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031829. [PMID: 36768154 PMCID: PMC9916340 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031829] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of endotoxemia during sepsis (a severe life-threatening infection), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tolerance (the reduced responses to the repeated LPS stimulation) might be one of the causes of sepsis-induced immune exhaustion (the increased susceptibility to secondary infection and/or viral reactivation). In LPS tolerance macrophage (twice-stimulated LPS, LPS/LPS) compared with a single LPS stimulation (N/LPS), there was (i) reduced energy of the cell in both glycolysis and mitochondrial activities (extracellular flux analysis), (ii) decreased abundance of the following proteins (proteomic analysis): (a) complex I and II of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, (b) most of the glycolysis enzymes, (c) anti-viral responses with Myxovirus resistance protein 1 (Mx1) and Ubiquitin-like protein ISG15 (Isg15), (d) antigen presentation pathways, and (iii) the down-regulated anti-viral genes, such as Mx1 and Isg15 (polymerase chain reaction). To test the correlation between LPS tolerance and viral reactivation, asymptomatic mice with and without murine norovirus (MNV) infection as determined in feces were tested. In MNV-positive mice, MNV abundance in the cecum, but not in feces, of LPS/LPS mice was higher than that in N/LPS and control groups, while MNV abundance of N/LPS and control were similar. Additionally, the down-regulated Mx1 and Isg15 were also demonstrated in the cecum, liver, and spleen in LPS/LPS-activated mice, regardless of MNV infection, while N/LPS more prominently upregulated these genes in the cecum of MNV-positive mice compared with the MNV-negative group. In conclusion, defects in anti-viral responses after LPS tolerance, perhaps through the reduced energy status of macrophages, might partly be responsible for the viral reactivation. More studies on patients are of interest.
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Millischer V, Heinzl M, Faka A, Resl M, Trepci A, Klammer C, Egger M, Dieplinger B, Clodi M, Schwieler L. Intravenous administration of LPS activates the kynurenine pathway in healthy male human subjects: a prospective placebo-controlled cross-over trial. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:158. [PMID: 34273987 PMCID: PMC8286561 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02196-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria, also known as the human endotoxemia model, is a standardized and safe model of human inflammation. Experimental studies have revealed that peripheral administration of LPS leads to induction of the kynurenine pathway followed by depressive-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction in animals. The aim of the present study is to investigate how acute intravenous LPS administration affects the kynurenine pathway in healthy male human subjects. Methods The present study is a prospective, single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study to investigate the effects of intravenously administered LPS (Escherichia coli O113, 2 ng/kg) on tryptophan and kynurenine metabolites over 48 h and their association with interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The study included 10 healthy, non-smoking men (18–40 years) free from medication. Statistical differences in tryptophan and kynurenine metabolites as well as associations with IL-6 and CRP in LPS and placebo treated subjects were assessed with linear mixed-effects models. Results Systemic injection of LPS was associated with significantly lower concentrations of plasma tryptophan and kynurenine after 4 h, as well as higher concentrations of quinolinic acid (QUIN) after 48 h compared to the placebo injection. No differences were found in kynurenic acid (KYNA) or picolinic acid plasma concentrations between LPS or placebo treatment. The KYNA/kynurenine ratio peaked at 6 h post LPS injection while QUIN/kynurenine maintained significantly higher from 3 h post LPS injection until 24 h. The kynurenine/tryptophan ratio was higher at 24 h and 48 h post LPS treatment. Finally, we report an association between the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio and CRP. Conclusions Our findings strongly support the concept that an inflammatory challenge with LPS induces the kynurenine pathway in humans, activating both the neurotoxic (QUIN) and neuroprotective (KYNA) branch of the kynurenine pathway. Trial registration This study is based on a study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03392701. Registered 21 December 2017. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02196-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Millischer
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Translational Psychiatry, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Heinzl
- Department of Internal Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Seilerstaette 2, 4021, Linz, Austria.,ICMR-Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, JKU Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Anthi Faka
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Neuropsychoimmunology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Resl
- Department of Internal Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Seilerstaette 2, 4021, Linz, Austria.,ICMR-Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, JKU Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Ada Trepci
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Neuropsychoimmunology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carmen Klammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Seilerstaette 2, 4021, Linz, Austria.,ICMR-Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, JKU Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Margot Egger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Linz, Austria
| | - Benjamin Dieplinger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Linz, Austria
| | - Martin Clodi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder (St. John of God Hospital), Seilerstaette 2, 4021, Linz, Austria. .,ICMR-Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, JKU Linz, Linz, Austria.
| | - Lilly Schwieler
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sec. Neuropsychoimmunology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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