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Gholami M, Sadegh M, Koroush-Arami M, Norouzi S, Arismani RJ, Asadi E, Amini M, Khodayari N. Targeting memory loss with aspirin, a molecular mechanism perspective for future therapeutic approaches. Inflammopharmacology 2023; 31:2827-2842. [PMID: 37924473 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01347-1] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), also known as aspirin, was discovered in 1897 as an acetylated form of salicylate. It has been widely used for its anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet effects. It is commonly used for its cardiovascular benefits and is prescribed as secondary prophylaxis after a heart attack. Furthermore, low-dose, long-term ASA is used to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in individuals without prior cardiovascular disease. Acetylsalicylic acid acts as a non-selective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX), which inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins and prevents pro-inflammatory cytokines. Findings suggest that targeting cytokines and growth factors could be a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing neuroinflammation and slowing down the progression of dementia. Additionally, prostaglandins contribute to synaptic plasticity and can act as retrograde messengers in synapses. Research has implicated COX-1, one of the isoforms of the enzyme, in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. The inhibition of COX-1 might potentially prevent impairments in working memory and reduce neuroinflammation caused by beta-amyloid proteins in some conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cyclooxygenase-2, an inducible form of the enzyme, is expressed in cortical and hippocampal neurons and is associated with long-term synaptic plasticity. The inhibition or knockout of COX-2 has been shown to decrease long-term potentiation, a process involved in memory formation. Studies have also demonstrated that the administration of COX-2 inhibitors impairs cognitive function and memory acquisition and recall in animal models. There remains a debate regarding the effects of aspirin on dementia and cognitive decline. Although some studies suggest a possible protective effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin, against the development of AD, others have shown inconsistent evidence. This review provides an overview of the effects of ASA or its active metabolite salicylate on learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Gholami
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Sadegh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Koroush-Arami
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Rasoul Jafari Arismani
- Department of Urologic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Erfan Asadi
- Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amini
- Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Nahid Khodayari
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
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Guan PP, Ding WY, Wang P. Molecular mechanism of acetylsalicylic acid in improving learning and memory impairment in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by inhibiting the abnormal cell cycle re-entry of neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1006216. [PMID: 36263378 PMCID: PMC9575964 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1006216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder accompanied by the loss and apoptosis of neurons. Neurons abnormally enter the cell cycle, which results in neuronal apoptosis during the course of AD development and progression. However, the mechanisms underlying cell cycle re-entry have been poorly studied. Using neuroblastoma (N) 2aSW and APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mice as in vitro and in vivo AD models, we found that the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)1/2/4 and cyclin A2/B1/D3/E1 was increased while the protein expression of p18 and p21 was decreased, which led to enhanced cell cycle re-entry in a β-amyloid protein (Aβ)-dependent mechanism. By preparing and treating with the temperature-sensitive chitosan-encapsulated drug delivery system (CS), the abnormal expression of CDK1/2/4, cyclin A2/B1/D3/E1 and p18/21 was partially restored by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), which decreased the apoptosis of neurons in APP/PS1 Tg mice. Moreover, CDK4 and p21 mediated the effects of ASA on activating transcription factor (TF) EB via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α, thus leading to the uptake of Aβ by astrocytes in a low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr)-dependent mechanism. Moreover, the mechanisms of Aβ-degrading mechanisms are activated, including the production of microtubule-associated protein light chain (LC) 3II and Lamp2 protein by ASA in a PPARα-activated TFEB-dependent manner. All these actions contribute to decreasing the production and deposition of Aβ, thus leading to improved cognitive decline in APP/PS1 Tg mice.
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Deep learning prediction of chemical-induced dose-dependent and context-specific multiplex phenotype responses and its application to personalized alzheimer’s disease drug repurposing. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010367. [PMID: 35951653 PMCID: PMC9398009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Predictive modeling of drug-induced gene expressions is a powerful tool for phenotype-based compound screening and drug repurposing. State-of-the-art machine learning methods use a small number of fixed cell lines as a surrogate for predicting actual expressions in a new cell type or tissue, although it is well known that drug responses depend on a cellular context. Thus, the existing approach has limitations when applied to personalized medicine, especially for many understudied diseases whose molecular profiles are dramatically different from those characterized in the training data. Besides the gene expression, dose-dependent cell viability is another important phenotype readout and is more informative than conventional summary statistics (e.g., IC50) for characterizing clinical drug efficacy and toxicity. However, few computational methods can reliably predict the dose-dependent cell viability. To address the challenges mentioned above, we designed a new deep learning model, MultiDCP, to predict cellular context-dependent gene expressions and cell viability on a specific dosage. The novelties of MultiDCP include a knowledge-driven gene expression profile transformer that enables context-specific phenotypic response predictions of novel cells or tissues, integration of multiple diverse labeled and unlabeled omics data, the joint training of the multiple prediction tasks, and a teacher-student training procedure that allows us to utilize unreliable data effectively. Comprehensive benchmark studies suggest that MultiDCP outperforms state-of-the-art methods with unseen cell lines that are dissimilar from the cell lines in the supervised training in terms of gene expressions. The predicted drug-induced gene expressions demonstrate a stronger predictive power than noisy experimental data for downstream tasks. Thus, MultiDCP is a useful tool for transcriptomics-based drug repurposing and compound screening that currently rely on noisy high-throughput experimental data. We applied MultiDCP to repurpose individualized drugs for Alzheimer’s disease in terms of efficacy and toxicity, suggesting that MultiDCP is a potentially powerful tool for personalized drug discovery. Conventional target-based compound screening that follows the one-drug-one-gene drug discovery paradigm has a low success rate in tackling multi-genic systemic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. A systems pharmacology strategy is needed to target gene regulatory networks. To enable systems pharmacology-oriented phenotypic screening, it is critical to utilize a mechanistic phenotype readout to link drug responses in a model system to drug toxicity and efficacy in an individual. Chemical-induced dose-dependent gene expression profiles provide critical information on drug mode of action and off-target effects and can identify drug candidates that reverse disease phenotypes. However, state-of-the-art machine learning methods for predicting chemical-induced gene expressions are all trained using data from a limited number of cancer cell lines and can only achieve suboptimal performance when applied to new cell types or patient samples. Here, we have developed a new deep learning framework to address this challenge and demonstrated its potential in personalized drug repurposing using Alzheimer’s disease as a case study.
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Mocanu CS, Niculaua M, Zbancioc G, Mangalagiu V, Drochioiu G. Novel Design of Neuropeptide-Based Drugs with β-Sheet Breaking Potential in Amyloid-Beta Cascade: Molecular and Structural Deciphers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052857. [PMID: 35269999 PMCID: PMC8911100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Our work discusses the investigation of 75 peptide-based drugs with the potential ability to break the β-sheet structures of amyloid-beta peptides from senile plaques. Hence, this study offers a unique insight into the design of neuropeptide-based drugs with β-sheet breaker potential in the amyloid-beta cascade for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We started with five peptides (15QKLVFF20, 16KLVFF20, 17LVFF20, 16KLVF19 and 15QKLV18), to which 14 different organic acids were attached at the N-terminal. It was necessary to evaluate the physiochemical features of these sequences due to the biological correlation with our proposal. Hence, the preliminary analysis of different pharmacological features provided the necessary data to select the peptides with the best biocompatibility for administration purposes. Our approaches demonstrated that the peptides 17LVFF20, NA-17LVFF20, 16KLVF19 and NA-16KLVF19 (NA-nicotinic acid) have the ability to interfere with fibril formation and hence improve the neuro and cognitive functions. Moreover, the peptide conjugate NA-16KLVF19 possesses attractive pharmacological properties, demonstrated by in silico and in vitro studies. Tandem mass spectrometry showed no fragmentation for the spectra of 16KLVF19. Such important results suggest that under the action of protease, the peptide cleavage does not occur at all. Additionally, circular dichroism confirmed docking simulations and showed that NA-16KLVF19 may improve the β-sheet breaker mechanism, and thus the entanglement process of amyloid-beta peptides can be more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosmin Stefan Mocanu
- Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Bd., 700506 Iasi, Romania; (C.S.M.); (G.Z.)
| | - Marius Niculaua
- Research Centre for Oenology Iași, Romanian Academy Iași Branch, 8 Carol I, 700505 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Gheorghita Zbancioc
- Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Bd., 700506 Iasi, Romania; (C.S.M.); (G.Z.)
| | - Violeta Mangalagiu
- Department of Exact and Natural Sciences–CERNESIM Center, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Bd., 700506 Iasi, Romania;
- Faculty of Food Engineering, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 13 Universitatii Str., 720229 Suceava, Romania
| | - Gabi Drochioiu
- Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 11 Carol I Bd., 700506 Iasi, Romania; (C.S.M.); (G.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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The Interaction of Possible Anti-AD ASA-NAP Peptide Conjugate with Tubulin: A Theoretical and Experimental Insight. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10267-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wu Y, Smith AD, Refsum H, Kwok T. Effectiveness of B Vitamins and Their Interactions with Aspirin in Improving Cognitive Functioning in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Pooled Post-Hoc Analyses of Two Randomized Trials. J Nutr Health Aging 2021; 25:1154-1160. [PMID: 34866142 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-021-1708-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES A randomized placebo-controlled trial found a significant negative interaction between aspirin and B vitamins in cognitive functioning in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). To validate this finding, we pooled data of this trial with that of a similar B-vitamin trial (VITACOG) to examine the effectiveness of B vitamins and their interactions with aspirin in improving global cognitive functioning and slowing brain atrophy in older people with MCI. DESIGN Pooled post-hoc analyses of two randomized placebo-controlled trials. PARTICIPANTS In total, 545 older people with MCI were included in the study. INTERVENTION Placebo or B-vitamin supplements (vitamin B12, folic acid with or without vitamin B6) for 24 months. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was the Clinical Dementia Rating scale-global score (CDR-global). The secondary outcomes were CDR-sum of box score (CDR-SOB), memory Z-score, executive function Z-score, and whole brain atrophy rate. RESULTS 71 (26.2%) and 83 (30.3%) subjects in the active and placebo group respectively were aspirin users. Overall, B vitamins reduced whole brain atrophy rate significantly (P = 0.003), but did not have significant effect on CDR-global, CDR-SOB, memory and executive function. Aspirin use had significant negative interaction effects on B vitamins in CDR-global and CDR-SOB (Beta = 0.993, P = 0.038, and Beta = 0.583, P = 0.009, respectively), but not in memory or executive function Z-scores. Among aspirin non-users, B-vitamin group subjects had more favourable changes in CDR-global and CDR-SOB (P = 0.019 and 0.057, respectively). B vitamins significantly slowed brain atrophy in aspirin non-users (P = 0.001), but not in aspirin users, though the interaction term was not significant (Beta = 0.192, P = 0.276). CONCLUSION In older people with MCI, B vitamins had significantly favourable effects on global cognitive functioning and whole brain atrophy rate in those who were not taking aspirin, but not in aspirin users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Wu
- Professor Timothy Kwok, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China, Tel: (852) 3505 3145; Fax: (852) 2637 3852.
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Hybiak J, Broniarek I, Kiryczyński G, Los LD, Rosik J, Machaj F, Sławiński H, Jankowska K, Urasińska E. Aspirin and its pleiotropic application. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 866:172762. [PMID: 31669590 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), the oldest synthetic drug, was originally used as an anti-inflammatory medication. Being an irreversible inhibitor of COX (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase) enzymes that produce precursors for prostaglandins and thromboxanes, it has gradually found several other applications. Sometimes these applications are unrelated to its original purpose for example its use as an anticoagulant. Applications such as these have opened opportunities for new treatments. In this case, it has been tested in patients with cardiovascular disease to reduce the risk of myocardial infarct. Its function as an anticoagulant has also been explored in the prophylaxis and treatment of pre-eclampsia, where due to its anti-inflammatory properties, aspirin intake may be used to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. It is important to always consider both the risks and benefits of aspirin's application. This is especially important for proposed use in the prevention and treatment of neurologic ailments like Alzheimer's disease, or in the prophylaxis of myocardial infarct. In such cases, the decision if aspirin should be applied, and at what dose may be guided by specific molecular markers. In this revived paper, the pleiotropic application of aspirin is summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanta Hybiak
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Izabela Broniarek
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan, Poland
| | - Gerard Kiryczyński
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Laura D Los
- Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Jakub Rosik
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Filip Machaj
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Hubert Sławiński
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kornelia Jankowska
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Urasińska
- Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
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Domingues C, Cruz e Silva OA, Henriques AG. Impact of Cytokines and Chemokines on Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathological Hallmarks. Curr Alzheimer Res 2017; 14:870-882. [PMID: 28317487 PMCID: PMC5543563 DOI: 10.2174/1567205014666170317113606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, neuropathologically characterized by aggregates of β-amyloid peptides, which deposit as senile plaques, and of TAU protein, which forms neurofibrillary tangles. It is now widely accepted that neuroinflammation is implicated in AD pathogenesis. METHOD Indeed, inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) can impact on the Alzheimer´s amyloid precursor protein by affecting its expression levels and amyloidogenic processing and/or β -amyloid aggregation. Additionally, cytokines and chemokines can influence kinases' activities, leading to abnormal TAU phosphorylation. To date there is no cure for AD, but several therapeutic strategies have been directed to prevent neuroinflammation. Anti-inflammatory, but also anti-amyloidogenic compounds, such as flavonoids were shown to favourably modulate some pathological events associated with neurodegeneration. CONCLUSION This review focuses on the role of cytokines and chemokines in AD-associated pathologies, and summarizes the potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches aimed at preventing or slowing down disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Domingues
- Neurosciences and Signalling Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Odete A.B. Cruz e Silva
- Neurosciences and Signalling Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana Gabriela Henriques
- Neurosciences and Signalling Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine - iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193Aveiro, Portugal
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Rizwan S, Idrees A, Ashraf M, Ahmed T. Memory-enhancing effect of aspirin is mediated through opioid system modulation in an AlCl 3-induced neurotoxicity mouse model. Exp Ther Med 2016; 11:1961-1970. [PMID: 27168835 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2016.3147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers disease (AD) are multifaceted and there are currently a limited number of therapeutic strategies available to treat them. Aspirin is known to act on multiple therapeutic targets and is a successful anti-inflammatory agent in various tissues. The present study aimed to ascertain the performance of aspirin when employed as a therapeutic agent to treat neurodegeneration on novel targets, including opioid system genes, in an AlCl3-induced neurotoxicity mouse model. The effects of two doses of aspirin (5 and 20 mg/kg aspirin for 12 days) were investigated in an AlCl3-induced neurotoxicity mouse model (150 mg/kg AlCl3 for 12 days). Neurological improvements were assessed through different behavioral tests and the effects of aspirin on opioid system gene expression levels were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Both doses resulted in improvements in cognitive behavior. A 5 mg/kg dose of aspirin was revealed to be effective for spatial memory improvement (7.14±0.84 sec), whilst a 20 mg/kg dose was superior for improving extinction learning (7.63±4.04%). Aspirin (5 mg/kg) also significantly improved contextual memory (48.05±10.6%) when compared with the AlCl3-treated group (1.49±0.62%; P<0.001). Aspirin was also observed to significantly decrease δ-opioid receptor expression in the cortex (1.09±0.08 and 1.27±0.08, respectively) at both doses (5 and 20 mg/kg) when compared with the AlCl3-treated group (3.69±1.43; P<0.05). Furthermore, aspirin at 5 mg/kg significantly reduced expression of prodynorphin in the cortex (0.57±0.20) when compared with the AlCl3-treated group (1.95±0.84; P<0.05). Notably, the effect of aspirin was significant in the cortex but not in the hippocampus. In summary, aspirin was effective in ameliorating the AD-like symptoms via the modulation of opioid systems. However, additional studies are required to determine the long term effects of aspirin on such conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Rizwan
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Idrees
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ashraf
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
| | - Touqeer Ahmed
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
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Doherty GH. Nitric oxide in neurodegeneration: potential benefits of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Neurosci Bull 2011; 27:366-82. [PMID: 22108814 PMCID: PMC5560384 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-011-1530-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2011] [Accepted: 09/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular messenger nitric oxide (NO) has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders due to the increased expression of the enzymes that catalyze its synthesis in postmortem tissues derived from sufferers of these diseases. Nitrated proteins have also been detected in these samples, revealing that NO is biologically active in regions damaged during neurodegeneration. Modulation of NO levels has been reported not only in the neurons of the central nervous system, but also in the glial cells (microglia and astroglia) activated during the neuroinflammatory response. Neuroinflammation has been found in some neurodegenerative conditions, and inhibition of these neuroinflammatory signals has been shown to delay the progress of such disorders. Thus NO and the pathways triggering its release are emerging as an important research focus in the search for strategies to prevent, halt or cure neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayle Helane Doherty
- School of Biology, St Andrews University, St Andrews, Fife KY169TS, United Kingdom.
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Jen CY, Lin CY, Huang BM, Leu SF. Cordycepin Induced MA-10 Mouse Leydig Tumor Cell Apoptosis through Caspase-9 Pathway. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2010; 2011:984537. [PMID: 19131393 PMCID: PMC3137878 DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nen084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2008] [Accepted: 12/05/2008] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the apoptotic effect of cordycepin on MA-10 cells, a mouse Leydig tumor cell line, was investigated. Results demonstrated that the number of rounding-up cell increased by cordycepin (10 μM to 5 mM for 24 h), and cells with plasma membrane blebbing could be observed by 100 μM cordycepin. In viability test, MA-10 cell surviving rate significantly decreased as the dosage (10 μM to 5 mM) and duration (3–24 h) of cordycepin treatment increased (P < 0.05). Cordycepin at 100 μM and 1 mM for 24 h treatment induced significant DNA fragmentation (P < 0.05). In addition, the percentage of G1 and G2/M phase cell significantly declined by cordycepin (100 μM and 1 mM) for 24 h treatment, while the percentages of subG1 phase cell increased by 100 μM and/or 1 mM cordycepin in 6, 12 and 24 h treatments (P < 0.05), respectively, which highly suggested that cordycepin induced MA-10 cell apoptosis. In mechanism study with the treatments of caspases, c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK) or reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitors plus cordycepin for 24 h, only caspases inhibitor suppressed subG1 phase in MA-10 cells. Moreover, western blotting results showed that cordycepin induced caspase-9, -3 and -7 protein expressions, but not caspase-8, in time- and dose-dependent manners. In conclusion, cordycepin induced apoptosis in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells through a caspase-9 and -3 and -7 dependent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yi Jen
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Bentham P, Gray R, Sellwood E, Hills R, Crome P, Raftery J. Aspirin in Alzheimer's disease (AD2000): a randomised open-label trial. Lancet Neurol 2008; 7:41-9. [PMID: 18068522 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(07)70293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular risk factors and a history of vascular disease can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is less common in aspirin users than non-users, and there are plausible biological mechanisms whereby aspirin might slow the progression of either vascular or Alzheimer-type pathology. We assessed the benefits of aspirin in patients with AD. METHODS 310 community-resident patients who had AD and who had no potential indication or definite contraindication for aspirin were randomly assigned to receive open-label aspirin (n=156; one 75-mg enteric-coated tablet per day, to continue indefinitely) or to avoid aspirin (n=154). Primary outcome measures were cognition (assessed with the mini-mental state examination [MMSE]) and functional ability (assessed with the Bristol activities of daily living scale [BADLS]). Secondary outcomes were time to formal domiciliary or institutional care, progress of disability, behavioural symptoms, caregiver wellbeing, and care time. Patients were assessed at 12-week intervals in the first year and once each year thereafter. Analysis of the primary outcome measures was by intention to treat. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN96337233. FINDINGS Patients had a median age of 75 years; 156 patients had mild AD, 154 had moderate AD, and 18 had concomitant vascular dementia. Over the 3 years after randomisation, in patients who took aspirin, mean MMSE score was 0.10 points higher (95% CI -0.37 to 0.57; p=0.7) and mean BADLS score was 0.62 points lower (-1.37 to 0.13; p=0.11) than in patients assigned to aspirin avoidance. There were no obvious differences between the groups in any other outcome measurements. 13 (8%) patients on aspirin and two (1%) patients in the control group had bleeds that led to admission to hospital (relative risk=4.4, 95% CI 1.5-12.8; p=0.007); three (2%) patients in the aspirin group had fatal cerebral bleeds. INTERPRETATION Although aspirin is commonly used in dementia, in patients with typical AD 2 years of treatment with low-dose aspirin has no worthwhile benefit and increases the risk of serious bleeds.
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Spencer B, Rockenstein E, Crews L, Marr R, Masliah E. Novel strategies for Alzheimer's disease treatment. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007; 7:1853-67. [PMID: 18034651 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.7.12.1853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in recent years towards better understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a dementing neurodegenerative disorder that affects > 10 million individuals in the US and Europe combined. Recent studies suggest that alterations in the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), resulting in the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein (Abeta) and the formation of oligomers leads to synaptic damage and neurodegeneration. Therefore, strategies for treatment development have been focused on reducing Abeta accumulation using, among other approaches, antiaggregation molecules, regulators of the APP proteolysis and processing, reducing APP production (e.g., small-interfering RNA), and increasing Abeta clearance with antibodies, apolipoprotein E and Abeta-degrading enzymes (e.g., neprilysin). The main focus of this review is on novel treatments for AD with a special emphasis on delivering neuroprotective and antiamyloidogenic molecules by gene therapy and by promoting neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Spencer
- University of California, Department of Neurosciences, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, USA
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Qin ZH, Tao LY, Chen X. Dual roles of NF-kappaB in cell survival and implications of NF-kappaB inhibitors in neuroprotective therapy. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2007; 28:1859-72. [PMID: 18031598 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7254.2007.00741.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
NF-kappaB is a well-characterized transcription factor with multiple physiological and pathological functions. NF-kappaB plays important roles in the development and maturation of lymphoids, regulation of immune and inflammatory response, and cell death and survival. The influence of NF-kappaB on cell survival could be protective or destructive, depending on types, developmental stages of cells, and pathological conditions. The complexity of NF-kappaB in cell death and survival derives from its multiple roles in regulating the expression of a broad array of genes involved in promoting cell death and survival. The activation of NF-kappaB has been found in many neurological disorders, but its actual roles in pathogenesis are still being debated. Many compounds with neuroprotective actions are strongly associated with the inhibition of NF-kappaB, leading to speculation that blocking the pathological activation of NF-kappaB could offer neuroprotective effects in certain neurodegenerative conditions. This paper reviews the recent developments in understanding the dual roles of NF-kappaB in cell death and survival and explores its possible usefulness in treating neurological diseases. This paper will summarize the genes regulated by NF-kappaB that are involved in cell death and survival to elucidate why NF-kappaB promotes cell survival in some conditions while facilitating cell death in other conditions. This paper will also focus on the effects of various NF-kappaB inhibitors on neuroprotection in certain pathological conditions to speculate if NF-kappaB is a potential target for neuroprotective therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-hong Qin
- Department of Pharmacology, Soochow University School of Medicine, Suzhou 215123, China.
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Rojo LE, Fernández JA, Maccioni AA, Jimenez JM, Maccioni RB. Neuroinflammation: implications for the pathogenesis and molecular diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Arch Med Res 2007; 39:1-16. [PMID: 18067990 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2007.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2007] [Accepted: 05/31/2007] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
During the past few years, an increasing set of evidence has supported the major role of deregulation of the interaction patterns between glial cells and neurons in the pathway toward neuronal degeneration. Neurons and glial cells, together with brain vessels, constitute an integrated system for brain function. Inflammation is a process related with the onset of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several hypotheses have been postulated to explain the pathogenesis of AD, but none provides insight into the early events that trigger metabolic and cellular alterations in neuronal degeneration. The amyloid hypothesis was sustained on the basis that Abeta-peptide deposition into senile plaques is responsible for neurodegeneration. However, recent findings point to Abeta oligomers as responsible for synaptic impairment in neuronal degeneration. Amyloid is only one among many other major factors affecting the quality of neuronal cells. Another explanation derives from the tau hypothesis, supported by the observations that tau hyperphosphorylations constitute a common feature of most of the altered signaling pathways in degenerating neurons. Altered tau patterns have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluids of AD patients, and a close correlation was observed between the levels of hyperphosphorylated tau isoforms and the degree of cognitive impairment. On the other hand, the anomalous effects of cytokines and trophic factors share in common the activation of tau hyperphosphorylation patterns. In this context, a neuroimmunological approach to AD becomes relevant. When glial cells that normally provide neurotrophic factors essential for neurogenesis are activated by a set of stressing events, they overproduce cytokines and NGF, thus triggering altered signaling patterns in the etiopathogenesis of AD. A solid set of discoveries has strengthened the idea that altered patterns in the glia-neuron interactions constitute early molecular events within the cascade of cellular signals that lead to neurodegeneration in AD. A direct correlation has been established between the Abeta-induced neurodegeneration and cytokine production and its subsequent release. In effect, neuroinflammation is responsible for an abnormal secretion of proinflammatory cytokines that trigger signaling pathways that activate brain tau hyperphosphorylation in residues that are not modified under normal physiological conditions. Other cytokines such as IL-3 and TNF-alpha seem to display neuroprotective activities. Elucidation of the events that control the transitions from neuroprotection to neurodegeneration should be a critical point toward elucidation of AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonel E Rojo
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurosciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW One hundred years after the first description by Alois Alzheimer and with the advent of first pharmacological treatments, most researchers concentrate on Alzheimer's disease. Millions of patients, however, suffer from other dementias and search for help beyond diagnosis. RECENT FINDINGS New clinical data concerning the treatment of non-Alzheimer dementias mainly relate to the clinical use of antidementiva that is already approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Few studies test new pharmacological paradigmata. For some forms like vascular dementias, the possibility of prevention is the most valuable approach that should be enforced more aggressively. For other savaging dementias new unconventional treatment trials should be encouraged. SUMMARY Research for non-Alzheimer dementias lags behind those for the Alzheimer field. For many patients, we still have nothing but words. At the same time, probably with regard to cost constraints, some acteurs like health insurances and legislators are inclined to nurture therapeutic nihilism and cultivate ethical qualms and demurs instead of supporting clinical trials or at least not blocking them with bureaucratic hand-cuffs, whereas pharmaceutical companies contemplate naturally over questions like return of investment. The clinical researchers should fight this fatigue and look for ways out of this quagmire for our patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sönke Arlt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
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