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Chongtham A, Sharma A, Nath B, Murtha K, Gorbachev K, Ramakrishnan A, Schmidt EF, Shen L, Pereira AC. Common and divergent pathways in early stages of glutamate and tau-mediated toxicities in neurodegeneration. Exp Neurol 2024; 382:114967. [PMID: 39326823 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
It has been shown that excitotoxicity and tau-mediated toxicities are major contributing factors to neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2 or GLT-1), the major glutamate transporter in the brain that regulates glutamate levels synaptically and extrasynaptically, has been shown to be deficient in AD brains, leading to excitotoxicity and subsequent cell death. Similarly, buildup of neurofibrillary tangles, which consist of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, correlates with cognitive decline and neuronal atrophy in AD. However, common genes and pathways that are critical in the aforementioned toxicities have not been well elucidated. To investigate the impact of glutamate dyshomeostasis and tau accumulation on translational profiles of affected hippocampal neurons, we used mouse models of excitotoxicity and tau-mediated toxicities (GLT-1-/- and P301S, respectively) in conjunction with BAC-TRAP technology. Our data show that GLT-1 deficiency in CA3 pyramidal neurons leads to translational signatures characterized by dysregulation of pathways associated with synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival, while the P301S mutation induces changes in endocytic pathways and mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, the commonly dysregulated pathways include impaired ion homeostasis and metabolic pathways. These common pathways may shed light on potential therapeutic targets for ameliorating glutamate and tau-mediated toxicities in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjalika Chongtham
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Abhijeet Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Banshi Nath
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Kaitlin Murtha
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Kirill Gorbachev
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Eric F Schmidt
- The Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Li Shen
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Ana C Pereira
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America.
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2
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Escamilla S, Sáez-Valero J, Cuchillo-Ibáñez I. NMDARs in Alzheimer's Disease: Between Synaptic and Extrasynaptic Membranes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:10220. [PMID: 39337704 PMCID: PMC11431980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms251810220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate receptors with key roles in synaptic communication and plasticity. The activation of synaptic NMDARs initiates plasticity and stimulates cell survival. In contrast, the activation of extrasynaptic NMDARs can promote cell death underlying a potential mechanism of neurodegeneration occurring in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The distribution of synaptic versus extrasynaptic NMDARs has emerged as an important parameter contributing to neuronal dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases including AD. Here, we review the concept of extrasynaptic NMDARs, as this population is present in numerous neuronal cell membranes but also in the membranes of various non-neuronal cells. Previous evidence regarding the membranal distribution of synaptic versus extrasynaptic NMDRs in relation to AD mice models and in the brains of AD patients will also be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Escamilla
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Sáez-Valero
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Cuchillo-Ibáñez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 03550 Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
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3
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Cortés Malagón EM, López Ornelas A, Olvera Gómez I, Bonilla Delgado J. The Kynurenine Pathway, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, and Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Sci 2024; 14:950. [PMID: 39335444 PMCID: PMC11429728 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14090950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2024] [Revised: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, mainly affecting elderly individuals. AD is characterized by β-amyloid plaques, abnormal tau tangles, neuronal loss, and metabolic disruptions. Recent studies have revealed the involvement of the kynurenine (KP) pathway and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in AD development. The KP pathway metabolizes tryptophan to produce neuroactive substances like kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and quinolinic acid. In AD, high levels of kynurenine and the neurotoxic quinolinic acid are associated with increased neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity; conversely, reduced levels of kynurenic acid, which acts as a glutamate receptor antagonist, compromise neuroprotection. Research has indicated elevated KP metabolites and enzymes in the hippocampus of AD patients and other tissues such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine. However, the finding that KP metabolites are AD biomarkers in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine has been controversial. This controversy, stemming from the lack of consideration of the specific stage of AD, details of the patient's treatment, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric comorbidities, underscores the need for more comprehensive research. AhR, a ligand-activated transcription factor, regulates immune response, oxidative stress, and xenobiotic metabolism. Various ligands, including tryptophan metabolites, can activate it. Some studies suggest that AhR activation contributes to AD, while others propose that it provides neuroprotection. This discrepancy may be explained by the specific ligands that activate AhR, highlighting the complex relationship between the KP pathway, AhR activation, and AD, where the same pathway can produce both neuroprotective and harmful effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enoc Mariano Cortés Malagón
- Research Division, Hospital Juárez de México, Mexico City 07760, Mexico; (E.M.C.M.); (A.L.O.); (I.O.G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Hospital Nacional Homeopático, Mexico City 06800, Mexico
| | - Adolfo López Ornelas
- Research Division, Hospital Juárez de México, Mexico City 07760, Mexico; (E.M.C.M.); (A.L.O.); (I.O.G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Hospital Nacional Homeopático, Mexico City 06800, Mexico
| | - Irlanda Olvera Gómez
- Research Division, Hospital Juárez de México, Mexico City 07760, Mexico; (E.M.C.M.); (A.L.O.); (I.O.G.)
- Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Norte, Estado de México 52786, Mexico
| | - José Bonilla Delgado
- Research Unit, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, IMSS-BINESTAR, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico
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4
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Buchanan RA, Wang Y, May JM, Harrison FE. Ascorbate insufficiency disrupts glutamatergic signaling and alters electroencephalogram phenotypes in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 199:106602. [PMID: 39004234 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106602] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies have reported that increased epileptiform and subclinical epileptiform activity can be detected in many patients with an Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis using electroencephalogram (EEG) and this may correlate with poorer cognition. Ascorbate may have a specific role as a neuromodulator in AD as it is released concomitantly with glutamate reuptake following excitatory neurotransmission. Insufficiency may therefore result in an exacerbated excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in neuronal signaling. Using a mouse model of AD that requires dietary ascorbate (Gulo-/-APPswe/PSEN1dE9), EEG was recorded at baseline and during 4 weeks of ascorbate depletion in young (5-month-old) and aged (20-month-old) animals. Data were scored for changes in quantity of spike trains, individual spikes, sleep-wake rhythms, sleep fragmentation, and brainwave power bands during light periods each week. We found an early increase in neuronal spike discharges with age and following ascorbate depletion in AD model mice and not controls, which did not correlate with brain amyloid load. Our data also show more sleep fragmentation with age and with ascorbate depletion. Additionally, changes in brain wave activity were observed within different vigilance states in both young and aged mice, where Gulo-/-APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice had shifts towards higher frequency bands (alpha, beta, and gamma) and ascorbate depletion resulted in shifts towards lower frequency bands (delta and theta). Microarray data supported ascorbate insufficiency altering glutamatergic transmission through the decreased expression of glutamate related genes, however no changes in protein expression of glutamate reuptake transporters were observed. These data suggest that maintaining optimal brain ascorbate levels may support normal brain electrical activity and sleep patterns, particularly in AD patient populations where disruptions are observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Buchanan
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Yuhan Wang
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - James M May
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Fiona E Harrison
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.
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5
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Scaduto P, Marcatti M, Bhatt N, Kayed R, Taglialatela G. Calcineurin inhibition prevents synaptic plasticity deficit induced by brain-derived tau oligomers. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae277. [PMID: 39239152 PMCID: PMC11375858 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence suggests that cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease is associated with the accumulation and aggregation of tau protein, with the most toxic aggregates being in the form of oligomers. This underscores the necessity for direct isolation and analysis of brain-derived tau oligomers from patients with Alzheimer's disease, potentially offering novel perspectives into tau toxicity. Alzheimer's brain-derived tau oligomers are potent inhibitors of synaptic plasticity; however, the involved mechanism is still not fully understood. We previously reported a significantly reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease in ageing humans chronically treated with a Food and Drug Administration-approved calcineurin inhibitor, FK506 (tacrolimus), used as an immunosuppressant after solid organ transplant. Using a combination of electrophysiological and RNA-sequencing techniques, we provide here evidence that FK506 has the potential to block the acute toxic effect of brain-derived tau oligomers on synaptic plasticity, as well as to restore the levels of some key synaptic mRNAs. These results further support FK506 as a promising novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Scaduto
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Michela Marcatti
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Nemil Bhatt
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
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6
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Soares C, Da Ros LU, Machado LS, Rocha A, Lazzarotto G, Carello-Collar G, De Bastiani MA, Ferrari-Souza JP, Lussier FZ, Souza DO, Rosa-Neto P, Pascoal TA, Bellaver B, Zimmer ER. The glutamatergic system in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:2261-2273. [PMID: 38366114 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02473-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Glutamatergic neurotransmission system dysregulation may play an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, reported results on glutamatergic components across brain regions are contradictory. Here, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to examine whether there are consistent glutamatergic abnormalities in the human AD brain. We searched PubMed and Web of Science (database origin-October 2023) reports evaluating glutamate, glutamine, glutaminase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate reuptake, aspartate, excitatory amino acid transporters, vesicular glutamate transporters, glycine, D-serine, metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors in the AD human brain (PROSPERO #CDRD42022299518). The studies were synthesized by outcome and brain region. We included cortical regions, the whole brain (cortical and subcortical regions combined), the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus. Pooled effect sizes were determined with standardized mean differences (SMD), random effects adjusted by false discovery rate, and heterogeneity was examined by I2 statistics. The search retrieved 6 936 articles, 63 meeting the inclusion criteria (N = 709CN/786AD; mean age 75/79). We showed that the brain of AD individuals presents decreased glutamate (SMD = -0.82; I2 = 74.54%; P < 0.001) and aspartate levels (SMD = -0.64; I2 = 89.71%; P = 0.006), and reuptake (SMD = -0.75; I2 = 83.04%; P < 0.001. We also found reduced α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPAR)-GluA2/3 levels (SMD = -0.63; I2 = 95.55%; P = 0.046), hypofunctional N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) (SMD = -0.60; I2 = 91.47%; P < 0.001) and selective reduction of NMDAR-GluN2B subunit levels (SMD = -1.07; I2 = 41.81%; P < 0.001). Regional differences include lower glutamate levels in cortical areas and aspartate levels in cortical areas and in the hippocampus, reduced glutamate reuptake, reduced AMPAR-GluA2/3 in the entorhinal cortex, hypofunction of NMDAR in cortical areas, and a decrease in NMDAR-GluN2B subunit levels in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Other parameters studied were not altered. Our findings show depletion of the glutamatergic system and emphasize the importance of understanding glutamate-mediated neurotoxicity in AD. This study has implications for the development of therapies and biomarkers in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Soares
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lucas Uglione Da Ros
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luiza Santos Machado
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Andreia Rocha
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Lazzarotto
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Carello-Collar
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marco A De Bastiani
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - João Pedro Ferrari-Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Firoza Z Lussier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Diogo O Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, The McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Research Institute, Le Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tharick A Pascoal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bruna Bellaver
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Eduardo R Zimmer
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Department of Biochemistry, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Department of Pharmacology, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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7
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Salcedo C, Pozo Garcia V, García-Adán B, Ameen AO, Gegelashvili G, Waagepetersen HS, Freude KK, Aldana BI. Increased glucose metabolism and impaired glutamate transport in human astrocytes are potential early triggers of abnormal extracellular glutamate accumulation in hiPSC-derived models of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem 2024; 168:822-840. [PMID: 38063257 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Glutamate recycling between neurons and astrocytes is essential to maintain neurotransmitter homeostasis. Disturbances in glutamate homeostasis, resulting in excitotoxicity and neuronal death, have been described as a potential mechanism in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. However, glutamate neurotransmitter metabolism in different human brain cells, particularly astrocytes, has been poorly investigated at the early stages of AD. We sought to investigate glucose and glutamate metabolism in AD by employing human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes and neurons carrying mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) or presenilin-1 (PSEN-1) gene as found in familial types of AD (fAD). Methods such as live-cell bioenergetics and metabolic mapping using [13C]-enriched substrates were used to examine metabolism in the early stages of AD. Our results revealed greater glycolysis and glucose oxidative metabolism in astrocytes and neurons with APP or PSEN-1 mutations, accompanied by an elevated glutamate synthesis compared to control WT cells. Astrocytes with APP or PSEN-1 mutations exhibited reduced expression of the excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2), and glutamine uptake increased in mutated neurons, with enhanced glutamate release specifically in neurons with a PSEN-1 mutation. These results demonstrate a hypermetabolic phenotype in astrocytes with fAD mutations possibly linked to toxic glutamate accumulation. Our findings further identify metabolic imbalances that may occur in the early phases of AD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Salcedo
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Victoria Pozo Garcia
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bernat García-Adán
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Aishat O Ameen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Georgi Gegelashvili
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Helle S Waagepetersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristine K Freude
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Blanca I Aldana
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Spanos F, Gerenu G, Goikolea J, Latorre-Leal M, Balleza-Tapia H, Gomez K, Álvarez-Jiménez L, Piras A, Gómez-Galán M, Fisahn A, Cedazo-Minguez A, Maioli S, Loera-Valencia R. Impaired astrocytic synaptic function by peripheral cholesterol metabolite 27-hydroxycholesterol. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1347535. [PMID: 38650656 PMCID: PMC11034371 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1347535] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes represent the most abundant cell type in the brain, where they play critical roles in synaptic transmission, cognition, and behavior. Recent discoveries show astrocytes are involved in synaptic dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD patients have imbalanced cholesterol metabolism, demonstrated by high levels of side-chain oxidized cholesterol known as 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OH). Evidence from our laboratory has shown that elevated 27-OH can abolish synaptic connectivity during neuromaturation, but its effect on astrocyte function is currently unclear. Our results suggest that elevated 27-OH decreases the astrocyte function in vivo in Cyp27Tg, a mouse model of brain oxysterol imbalance. Here, we report a downregulation of glutamate transporters in the hippocampus of CYP27Tg mice together with increased GFAP. GLT-1 downregulation was also observed when WT mice were fed with high-cholesterol diets. To study the relationship between astrocytes and neurons, we have developed a 3D co-culture system that allows all the cell types from mice embryos to differentiate in vitro. We report that our 3D co-cultures reproduce the effects of 27-OH observed in 2D neurons and in vivo. Moreover, we found novel degenerative effects in astrocytes that do not appear in 2D cultures, together with the downregulation of glutamate transporters GLT-1 and GLAST. We propose that this transporter dysregulation leads to neuronal hyperexcitability and synaptic dysfunction based on the effects of 27-OH on astrocytes. Taken together, these results report a new mechanism linking oxysterol imbalance in the brain and synaptic dysfunction through effects on astrocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fokion Spanos
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gorka Gerenu
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Physiology, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute - Ikerbasque Basque foundation for Science and University of Basque Country, San Sebastian, Spain
- CIBERNED (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Institute Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julen Goikolea
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - María Latorre-Leal
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hugo Balleza-Tapia
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karen Gomez
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Álvarez-Jiménez
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonio Piras
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marta Gómez-Galán
- Anestesiologi Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - André Fisahn
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angel Cedazo-Minguez
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silvia Maioli
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raúl Loera-Valencia
- Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Alzheimer Research, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Chihuahua, Mexico
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9
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Mishra S, Stany B, Das A, Kanagavel D, Vijayan M. A Comprehensive Review of Membrane Transporters and MicroRNA Regulation in Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04135-2. [PMID: 38558361 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a distressing neurodegenerative condition characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau tangles within the brain. The interconnectedness between membrane transporters (SLCs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in AD pathogenesis has gained increasing attention. This review explores the localization, substrates, and functions of SLC transporters in the brain, emphasizing the roles of transporters for glutamate, glucose, nucleosides, and other essential compounds. The examination delves into the significance of SLCs in AD, their potential for drug development, and the intricate realm of miRNAs, encompassing their transcription, processing, functions, and regulation. MiRNAs have emerged as significant players in AD, including those associated with mitochondria and synapses. Furthermore, this review discusses the intriguing nexus of miRNAs targeting SLC transporters and their potential as therapeutic targets in AD. Finally, the review underscores the interaction between SLC transporters and miRNA regulation within the context of Alzheimer's disease, underscoring the need for further research in this area. This comprehensive review aims to shed light on the complex mechanisms underlying the causation of AD and provides insights into potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shatakshi Mishra
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - B Stany
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Anushka Das
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Deepankumar Kanagavel
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
| | - Murali Vijayan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA.
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10
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Zhang J, Cui X, Zhao S, Chang Z, Zhang J, Chen Y, Liu J, Sun G, Wang Y, Liu Y. Establishment of a pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics model of Schisandra lignans against hippocampal neurotransmitters in AD rats based on microdi-alysis liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1342121. [PMID: 38529184 PMCID: PMC10961592 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1342121] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: Our previous studies substantiated that the biological activity of Schisandra chinensis lignans during the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was mediated by neurotransmitter levels, and 15 of its active components were identified. However, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic relationship of Schisandra chinensis lignans has been less studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Schisandra chinensis lignans in the treatment of AD, and to establish a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model. Methods and Results: Herein, we established a microdialysis-ultra performance liquid chromatography-triple quadruple mass spectrometry (MD-LC-TQ-MS) technique that could simultaneously and continuously collect and quantitatively analyze the active compounds and neurotransmitters related to the therapeutic effects of Schisandra chinensis in awake AD rats. Eight lignans were detected in the hippocampus, and a PK-PD model was established. The fitted curves highlighted a temporal lag between the maximum drug concentration and the peak drug effect. Following treatment, the levels of four neurotransmitters tended to converge with those observed in the sham operation group. Conclusion: By establishing a comprehensive concentration-time-effect relationship for Schisandra chinensis lignans in AD treatment, our study provides novel insights into the in vivo effects of these lignans in AD rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinpeng Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
- Qian Xi Nan Maternal and Child Care Hospital, Xingyi, China
| | - Xinyuan Cui
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Shuo Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Zenghui Chang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Junshuo Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Yufeng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Jiale Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Guohao Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Yiyuan Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
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11
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Vicente M, Addo-Osafo K, Vossel K. Latest advances in mechanisms of epileptic activity in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy Bodies. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1277613. [PMID: 38390593 PMCID: PMC10882721 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1277613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) stand as the prevailing sources of neurodegenerative dementia, impacting over 55 million individuals across the globe. Patients with AD and DLB exhibit a higher prevalence of epileptic activity compared to those with other forms of dementia. Seizures can accompany AD and DLB in early stages, and the associated epileptic activity can contribute to cognitive symptoms and exacerbate cognitive decline. Aberrant neuronal activity in AD and DLB may be caused by several mechanisms that are not yet understood. Hyperexcitability could be a biomarker for early detection of AD or DLB before the onset of dementia. In this review, we compare and contrast mechanisms of network hyperexcitability in AD and DLB. We examine the contributions of genetic risk factors, Ca2+ dysregulation, glutamate, AMPA and NMDA receptors, mTOR, pathological amyloid beta, tau and α-synuclein, altered microglial and astrocytic activity, and impaired inhibitory interneuron function. By gaining a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause neuronal hyperexcitability, we might uncover therapeutic approaches to effectively ease symptoms and slow down the advancement of AD and DLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariane Vicente
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kwaku Addo-Osafo
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Keith Vossel
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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12
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Bornstein R, Mulholland MT, Sedensky M, Morgan P, Johnson SC. Glutamine metabolism in diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 126:103887. [PMID: 37586651 PMCID: PMC10773532 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction can arise from genetic defects or environmental exposures and impact a wide range of biological processes. Among these are metabolic pathways involved in glutamine catabolism, anabolism, and glutamine-glutamate cycling. In recent years, altered glutamine metabolism has been found to play important roles in the pathologic consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction. Glutamine is a pleiotropic molecule, not only providing an alternate carbon source to glucose in certain conditions, but also playing unique roles in cellular communication in neurons and astrocytes. Glutamine consumption and catabolic flux can be significantly altered in settings of genetic mitochondrial defects or exposure to mitochondrial toxins, and alterations to glutamine metabolism appears to play a particularly significant role in neurodegenerative diseases. These include primary mitochondrial diseases like Leigh syndrome (subacute necrotizing encephalopathy) and MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy with encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes), as well as complex age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Pharmacologic interventions targeting glutamine metabolizing and catabolizing pathways appear to provide some benefits in cell and animal models of these diseases, indicating glutamine metabolism may be a clinically relevant target. In this review, we discuss glutamine metabolism, mitochondrial disease, the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on glutamine metabolic processes, glutamine in neurodegeneration, and candidate targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Bornstein
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Michael T Mulholland
- Department of Applied Sciences, Translational Bioscience, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Margaret Sedensky
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Phil Morgan
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Simon C Johnson
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Department of Applied Sciences, Translational Bioscience, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.
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13
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Pereira MJ, Ayana R, Holt MG, Arckens L. Chemogenetic manipulation of astrocyte activity at the synapse- a gateway to manage brain disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1193130. [PMID: 37534103 PMCID: PMC10393042 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1193130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are the major glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS). Initially regarded as supportive cells, it is now recognized that this highly heterogeneous cell population is an indispensable modulator of brain development and function. Astrocytes secrete neuroactive molecules that regulate synapse formation and maturation. They also express hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that, once activated by neurotransmitters, trigger intracellular signalling pathways that can trigger the release of gliotransmitters which, in turn, modulate synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Considering this, it is not surprising that astrocytic dysfunction, leading to synaptic impairment, is consistently described as a factor in brain diseases, whether they emerge early or late in life due to genetic or environmental factors. Here, we provide an overview of the literature showing that activation of genetically engineered GPCRs, known as Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), to specifically modulate astrocyte activity partially mimics endogenous signalling pathways in astrocytes and improves neuronal function and behavior in normal animals and disease models. Therefore, we propose that expressing these genetically engineered GPCRs in astrocytes could be a promising strategy to explore (new) signalling pathways which can be used to manage brain disorders. The precise molecular, functional and behavioral effects of this type of manipulation, however, differ depending on the DREADD receptor used, targeted brain region and timing of the intervention, between healthy and disease conditions. This is likely a reflection of regional and disease/disease progression-associated astrocyte heterogeneity. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the effects of such astrocyte manipulation(s) must be conducted considering the specific cellular and molecular environment characteristic of each disease and disease stage before this has therapeutic applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria João Pereira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rajagopal Ayana
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew G. Holt
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Laboratory of Synapse Biology, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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14
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Yu SP, Jiang MQ, Shim SS, Pourkhodadad S, Wei L. Extrasynaptic NMDA receptors in acute and chronic excitotoxicity: implications for preventive treatments of ischemic stroke and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:43. [PMID: 37400870 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00636-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) are risk factors for each other; the comorbidity of these brain disorders in aging individuals represents a significant challenge in basic research and clinical practice. The similarities and differences between stroke and AD in terms of pathogenesis and pathophysiology, however, have rarely been comparably reviewed. Here, we discuss the research background and recent progresses that are important and informative for the comorbidity of stroke and late-onset AD and related dementia (ADRD). Glutamatergic NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activity and NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ influx are essential for neuronal function and cell survival. An ischemic insult, however, can cause rapid increases in glutamate concentration and excessive activation of NMDARs, leading to swift Ca2+ overload in neuronal cells and acute excitotoxicity within hours and days. On the other hand, mild upregulation of NMDAR activity, commonly seen in AD animal models and patients, is not immediately cytotoxic. Sustained NMDAR hyperactivity and Ca2+ dysregulation lasting from months to years, nevertheless, can be pathogenic for slowly evolving events, i.e. degenerative excitotoxicity, in the development of AD/ADRD. Specifically, Ca2+ influx mediated by extrasynaptic NMDARs (eNMDARs) and a downstream pathway mediated by transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member (TRPM) are primarily responsible for excitotoxicity. On the other hand, the NMDAR subunit GluN3A plays a "gatekeeper" role in NMDAR activity and a neuroprotective role against both acute and chronic excitotoxicity. Thus, ischemic stroke and AD share an NMDAR- and Ca2+-mediated pathogenic mechanism that provides a common receptor target for preventive and possibly disease-modifying therapies. Memantine (MEM) preferentially blocks eNMDARs and was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for symptomatic treatment of moderate-to-severe AD with variable efficacy. According to the pathogenic role of eNMDARs, it is conceivable that MEM and other eNMDAR antagonists should be administered much earlier, preferably during the presymptomatic phases of AD/ADRD. This anti-AD treatment could simultaneously serve as a preconditioning strategy against stroke that attacks ≥ 50% of AD patients. Future research on the regulation of NMDARs, enduring control of eNMDARs, Ca2+ homeostasis, and downstream events will provide a promising opportunity to understand and treat the comorbidity of AD/ADRD and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan P Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Center for Visual & Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA.
| | - Michael Q Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Center for Visual & Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA
| | - Seong S Shim
- Center for Visual & Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA
| | - Soheila Pourkhodadad
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Center for Visual & Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, 30033, USA
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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15
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Liu LZ, Fan SJ, Gao JX, Li WB, Xian XH. Ceftriaxone ameliorates hippocampal synapse loss by inhibiting microglial/macrophages activation in glial glutamate transporter-1 dependent manner in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Brain Res Bull 2023:110683. [PMID: 37301482 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Synapse loss is a major contributor to cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Impairments in the expression and/or glutamate uptake activity of glia glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) contribute to synapse loss in AD. Hence, targeting the restoration of GLT-1 activity may have potential for alleviating synapse loss in AD. Ceftriaxone (Cef) can upregulate the expression and glutamate uptake activity of GLT-1 in many disease models, including those for AD. The present study investigated the effects of Cef on synapse loss and the role of GLT-1 using APP/PS1 transgenic and GLT-1 knockdown APP/PS1 AD mice. Furthermore, the involvement of microglia in the process was investigated due to its important role in synapse loss in AD. We found that Cef treatment significantly ameliorated synapse loss and dendritic degeneration in APP/PS1 AD mice, evidenced by an increased dendritic spine density, decreased dendritic beading density, and upregulated levels of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin. The effects of Cef were suppressed by GLT-1 knockdown in GLT-1+/-/APP/PS1 AD mice. Simultaneously, Cef treatment inhibited ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) expression, decreased the proportion of CD11b+CD45hi cells, declined interleukin-6 (IL-6) content, and reduced the co-expression of Iba1 with PSD95 or synaptophysin in APP/PS1 AD mice. In conclusion, Cef treatment ameliorated synapse loss and dendritic degeneration in APP/PS1 AD mice in a GLT-1-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of Cef on the activation of microglia/macrophages and their phagocytosis for synaptic elements contributed to the mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Zhe Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, P.R. China; Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China.
| | - Shu-Juan Fan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, P.R. China; Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China.
| | - Jun-Xia Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, P.R. China; Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China.
| | - Wen-Bin Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, P.R. China; Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China.
| | - Xiao-Hui Xian
- Department of Pathophysiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, P.R. China; Department of Pathophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 361 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang, 050017, P. R. China.
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16
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Tang Y, Yan Y, Mao J, Ni J, Qing H. The hippocampus associated GABAergic neural network impairment in early-stage of Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101865. [PMID: 36716975 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest neurodegenerative disease with slow progression. Pieces of evidence suggest that the GABAergic system is impaired in the early stage of AD, leading to hippocampal neuron over-activity and further leading to memory and cognitive impairment in patients with AD. However, the precise impairment mechanism of the GABAergic system on the pathogenesis of AD is still unclear. The impairment of neural networks associated with the GABAergic system is tightly associated with AD. Therefore, we describe the roles played by hippocampus-related GABAergic circuits and their impairments in AD neuropathology. In addition, we give our understand on the process from GABAergic circuit impairment to cognitive and memory impairment, since recent studies on astrocyte in AD plays an important role behind cognition dysfunction caused by GABAergic circuit impairment, which helps better understand the GABAergic system and could open up innovative AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jian Mao
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Institute of China National Tobacco Company, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, China.
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17
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Zott B, Konnerth A. Impairments of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in Alzheimer's disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 139:24-34. [PMID: 35337739 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is structural cell damage and neuronal death in the brains of affected individuals. As these changes are irreversible, it is important to understand their origins and precursors in order to develop treatment strategies against AD. Here, we review evidence for AD-specific impairments of glutamatergic synaptic transmission by relating evidence from human AD subjects to functional studies in animal models of AD. The emerging picture is that early in the disease, the accumulation of toxic β-amyloid aggregates, particularly dimers and low molecular weight oligomers, disrupts glutamate reuptake, which leads to its extracellular accumulation causing neuronal depolarization. This drives the hyperactivation of neurons and might facilitate neuronal damage and degeneration through glutamate neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Zott
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Technical University of Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany; Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Arthur Konnerth
- Institute of Neuroscience, Technical University of Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Technical University of Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
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18
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Spitznagel BD, Buchanan RA, Consoli DC, Thibert MK, Bowman AB, Nobis WP, Harrison FE. Acute manganese exposure impairs glutamatergic function in a young mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurotoxicology 2023; 95:1-11. [PMID: 36621467 PMCID: PMC9998360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) is an essential metal that serves as a cofactor for metalloenzymes important in moderating oxidative stress and the glutamate/glutamine cycle. Mn is typically obtained through the diet, but toxic overexposure can occur through other environmental or occupational exposure routes such as inhalation. Mn is known to accumulate in the brain following exposure and may contribute to the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) even in the absence of acute neurotoxicity. In the present study, we used in vitro primary cell culture, ex vivo slice electrophysiology and in vivo behavioral approaches to determine if Mn-induced changes in glutamatergic signaling may be altered by genetic risk factors for AD neuropathology. Primary cortical astrocytes incubated with Mn exhibited early rapid clearance of glutamate compared to saline treated astrocytes but decreased clearance over longer time periods, with no effect of the AD genotype. Further, we found that in vivo exposure to a subcutaneous subacute, high dose of Mn as manganese chloride tetrahydrate (3 ×50 mg/kg MnCl2·4(H2O) over 7 days) resulted in increased expression of cortical GLAST protein regardless of genotype, with no changes in GLT-1. Hippocampal long-term potentiation was not altered in APP/PSEN1 mice at this age and neither was it disrupted following Mn exposure. Mn exposure did increase sensitivity to seizure onset following treatment with the excitatory agonist kainic acid, with differing responses between APP/PSEN1 and control mice. These results highlight the sensitivity of the glutamatergic system to Mn exposure. Experiments were performed in young adult APP/PSEN1 mice, prior to cognitive decline or accumulation of hallmark amyloid plaque pathology and following subacute exposure to Mn. The data support a role of Mn in pathophysiology of AD in early stages of the disease and support the need to better understand neurological consequences of Mn exposure in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany D Spitznagel
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - David C Consoli
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Megan K Thibert
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - William P Nobis
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Fiona E Harrison
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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19
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Chakraborty P, Dey A, Gopalakrishnan AV, Swati K, Ojha S, Prakash A, Kumar D, Ambasta RK, Jha NK, Jha SK, Dewanjee S. Glutamatergic neurotransmission: A potential pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 85:101838. [PMID: 36610558 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, glutamate is regarded to be the primary excitatory neurotransmitter due to its widespread distribution and wide range of metabolic functions. Glutamate plays key roles in regulating neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, neurite outgrowth, and neuron survival in the brain. Ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, neurotransmitters, neurotensin, neurosteroids, and others co-ordinately formulate a complex glutamatergic network in the brain that maintains optimal excitatory neurotransmission. Cognitive activities are potentially synchronized by the glutamatergic activities in the brain via restoring synaptic plasticity. Dysfunctional glutamate receptors and other glutamatergic components are responsible for the aberrant glutamatergic activity in the brain that cause cognitive impairments, loss of synaptic plasticity, and neuronal damage. Thus, controlling the brain's glutamatergic transmission and modifying glutamate receptor function could be a potential therapeutic strategy for cognitive disorders. Certain drugs that regulate glutamate receptor activities have shown therapeutic promise in improving cognitive functions in preclinical and clinical studies. However, several issues regarding precise functional information of glutamatergic activity are yet to be comprehensively understood. The present article discusses the scope of developing glutamatergic systems as prospective pharmacotherapeutic targets to treat cognitive disorders. Special attention has been given to recent developments, challenges, and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Chakraborty
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014, India
| | - Kumari Swati
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anand Prakash
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, UP, India; School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India.
| | - Saurabh Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, UP, India; Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali 140413, India; Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India.
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India.
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20
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Fontana IC, Souza DG, Souza DO, Gee A, Zimmer ER, Bongarzone S. A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective on Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Med Chem 2023; 66:2330-2346. [PMID: 36787643 PMCID: PMC9969404 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) plays a key role in the clearance and recycling of glutamate - the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. EAAT2 loss/dysfunction triggers a cascade of neurodegenerative events, comprising glutamatergic excitotoxicity and neuronal death. Nevertheless, our current knowledge regarding EAAT2 in neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), is restricted to post-mortem analysis of brain tissue and experimental models. Thus, detecting EAAT2 in the living human brain might be crucial to improve diagnosis/therapy for ALS and AD. This perspective article describes the role of EAAT2 in physio/pathological processes and provides a structure-activity relationship of EAAT2-binders, bringing two perspectives: therapy (activators) and diagnosis (molecular imaging tools).
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor C Fontana
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Blickagången 16 - Neo floor seventh, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Débora G Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diogo O Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Antony Gee
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Eduardo R Zimmer
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500, sala, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry (PPGBioq), and Pharmacology and Therapeutics (PPGFT), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500, sala, 305 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre, Brazil.,McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Salvatore Bongarzone
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, St Thomas' Hospital, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
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21
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Brymer KJ, Hurley EP, Barron JC, Mukherjee B, Barnes JR, Nafar F, Parsons MP. Asymmetric dysregulation of glutamate dynamics across the synaptic cleft in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:27. [PMID: 36788598 PMCID: PMC9926626 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Most research on glutamate spillover focuses on the deleterious consequences of postsynaptic glutamate receptor overactivation. However, two decades ago, it was noted that the glial coverage of hippocampal synapses is asymmetric: astrocytic coverage of postsynaptic sites exceeds coverage of presynaptic sites by a factor of four. The fundamental relevance of this glial asymmetry remains poorly understood. Here, we used the glutamate biosensor iGluSnFR, and restricted its expression to either CA3 or CA1 neurons to visualize glutamate dynamics at pre- and postsynaptic microenvironments, respectively. We demonstrate that inhibition of the primarily astrocytic glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) slows glutamate clearance to a greater extent at presynaptic compared to postsynaptic membranes. GLT-1 expression was reduced early in a mouse model of AD, resulting in slower glutamate clearance rates at presynaptic but not postsynaptic membranes that opposed presynaptic short-term plasticity. Overall, our data demonstrate that the presynapse is particularly vulnerable to GLT-1 dysfunction and may have implications for presynaptic impairments in a variety of brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. Brymer
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Emily P. Hurley
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Jessica C. Barron
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Bandhan Mukherjee
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Jocelyn R. Barnes
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Firoozeh Nafar
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Matthew P. Parsons
- grid.25055.370000 0000 9130 6822Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6 Canada
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22
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Ghatak S, Nakamura T, Lipton SA. Aberrant protein S-nitrosylation contributes to hyperexcitability-induced synaptic damage in Alzheimer's disease: Mechanistic insights and potential therapies. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1099467. [PMID: 36817649 PMCID: PMC9932935 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1099467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is arguably the most common cause of dementia in the elderly and is marked by progressive synaptic degeneration, which in turn leads to cognitive decline. Studies in patients and in various AD models have shown that one of the early signatures of AD is neuronal hyperactivity. This excessive electrical activity contributes to dysregulated neural network function and synaptic damage. Mechanistically, evidence suggests that hyperexcitability accelerates production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that contribute to neural network impairment and synapse loss. This review focuses on the pathways and molecular changes that cause hyperexcitability and how RNS-dependent posttranslational modifications, represented predominantly by protein S-nitrosylation, mediate, at least in part, the deleterious effects of hyperexcitability on single neurons and the neural network, resulting in synaptic loss in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagata Ghatak
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Tomohiro Nakamura
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Tomohiro Nakamura,
| | - Stuart A. Lipton
- Neurodegeneration New Medicines Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States,Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Stuart A. Lipton,
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23
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Modifiable risk factors of dementia linked to excitation-inhibition imbalance. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 83:101804. [PMID: 36410620 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence identifies 12 potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia to which 40% of dementia cases are attributed. While the recognition of these risk factors has paved the way for the development of new prevention measures, the link between these risk factors and the underlying pathophysiology of dementia is yet not well understood. A growing number of recent clinical and preclinical studies support a role of Excitation-Inhibition (E-I) imbalance in the pathophysiology of dementia. In this review, we aim to propose a conceptual model on the links between the modifiable risk factors and the E-I imbalance in dementia. This model, which aims to address the current gap in the literature, is based on 12 mediating common mechanisms: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cerebral hypo-perfusion, blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, beta-amyloid deposition, elevated homocysteine level, impaired neurogenesis, tau tangles, GABAergic dysfunction, and glutamatergic dysfunction. We believe this model serves as a framework for future studies in this field and facilitates future research on dementia prevention, discovery of new biomarkers, and developing new interventions.
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24
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Alijanpour S, Miryounesi M, Ghafouri-Fard S. The role of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) in epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Metab Brain Dis 2023; 38:1-16. [PMID: 36173507 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-022-01091-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) have important roles in the uptake of glutamate and termination of glutamatergic transmission. Up to now, five EAAT isoforms (EAAT1-5) have been identified in mammals. The main focus of this review is EAAT2. This protein has an important role in the pathoetiology of epilepsy. De novo dominant mutations, as well as inherited recessive mutation in this gene, have been associated with epilepsy. Moreover, dysregulation of this protein is implicated in a range of neurological diseases, namely amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and autism. In this review, we summarize the role of EAAT2 in epilepsy and other neurological disorders, then provide an overview of the therapeutic modulation of this protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Alijanpour
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Miryounesi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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25
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Bi W, Lei T, Cai S, Zhang X, Yang Y, Xiao Z, Wang L, Du H. Potential of astrocytes in targeting therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109368. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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26
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Dogra S, Putnam J, Conn PJ. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 as a potential therapeutic target for psychiatric and neurological disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 221:173493. [PMID: 36402243 PMCID: PMC9729465 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) and abnormalities in the glutamatergic system underlie various CNS disorders. As metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGlu3 receptor) regulates glutamatergic transmission in various brain areas, emerging literature suggests that targeting mGlu3 receptors can be a novel approach to the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. For example, mGlu3 receptor negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) induce rapid antidepressant-like effects in both acute and chronic stress models. Activation of mGlu3 receptors can enhance cognition in the rodents modeling schizophrenia-like pathophysiology. The mGlu3 receptors expressed in the astrocytes induce neuroprotective effects. Although polymorphisms in GRM3 have been shown to be associated with addiction, there is not significant evidence about the efficacy of mGlu3 receptor ligands in rodent models of addiction. Collectively, drugs targeting mGlu3 receptors may provide an alternative approach to fill the unmet clinical need for safer and more efficacious therapeutics for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Dogra
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jason Putnam
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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27
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Seillier C, Lesept F, Toutirais O, Potzeha F, Blanc M, Vivien D. Targeting NMDA Receptors at the Neurovascular Unit: Past and Future Treatments for Central Nervous System Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810336. [PMID: 36142247 PMCID: PMC9499580 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The excitatory neurotransmission of the central nervous system (CNS) mainly involves glutamate and its receptors, especially N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs). These receptors have been extensively described on neurons and, more recently, also on other cell types. Nowadays, the study of their differential expression and function is taking a growing place in preclinical and clinical research. The diversity of NMDAR subtypes and their signaling pathways give rise to pleiotropic functions such as brain development, neuronal plasticity, maturation along with excitotoxicity, blood-brain barrier integrity, and inflammation. NMDARs have thus emerged as key targets for the treatment of neurological disorders. By their large extracellular regions and complex intracellular structures, NMDARs are modulated by a variety of endogenous and pharmacological compounds. Here, we will present an overview of NMDAR functions on neurons and other important cell types involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative, neurovascular, mental, autoimmune, and neurodevelopmental diseases. We will then discuss past and future development of NMDAR targeting drugs, including innovative and promising new approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Seillier
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM, GIP Cyceron, Institute Blood and Brain @Caen-Normandie (BB@C), UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), 14000 Caen, France
| | - Flavie Lesept
- Lys Therapeutics, Cyceron, Boulevard Henri Becquerel, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Olivier Toutirais
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM, GIP Cyceron, Institute Blood and Brain @Caen-Normandie (BB@C), UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), 14000 Caen, France
- Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility (HLA), Caen University Hospital, CHU, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Fanny Potzeha
- Lys Therapeutics, Cyceron, Boulevard Henri Becquerel, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Manuel Blanc
- Lys Therapeutics, Cyceron, Boulevard Henri Becquerel, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Denis Vivien
- Normandie University, UNICAEN, INSERM, GIP Cyceron, Institute Blood and Brain @Caen-Normandie (BB@C), UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), 14000 Caen, France
- Department of Clinical Research, Caen University Hospital, CHU, 14000 Caen, France
- Correspondence:
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28
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Wood OWG, Yeung JHY, Faull RLM, Kwakowsky A. EAAT2 as a therapeutic research target in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:952096. [PMID: 36033606 PMCID: PMC9399514 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.952096] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system, responsible for a wide variety of normal physiological processes. Glutamatergic metabolism and its sequestration are tightly regulated in the normal human brain, and it has been demonstrated that dysregulation of the glutamatergic system can have wide-ranging effects both in acute brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. The excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is the dominant glutamatergic transporter in the human brain, responsible for efficient removal of glutamate from the synaptic cleft for recycling within glial cells. As such, it has a key role in maintaining excitatory-inhibitory homeostasis. Animal studies have demonstrated dysregulation or alterations of EAAT2 expression can have implications in neurodegenerative disorders. Despite extensive research into glutamatergic alterations in AD mouse models, there is a lack of studies examining the expression of EAAT2 within the AD human brain. In this systematic review, 29 articles were identified that either analyzed EAAT2 expression in the AD human brain or used a human-derived cell culture. Studies were inconclusive as to whether EAAT2 was upregulated or downregulated in AD. However, changes in localization and correlation between EAAT2 expression and symptomatology was noted. These findings implicate EAAT2 alterations as a key process in AD progression and highlight the need for further research into the characterization of EAAT2 processes in normal physiology and disease in human tissue and to identify compounds that can act as EAAT2 neuromodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W. G. Wood
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jason H. Y. Yeung
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Kwakowsky
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Medicine, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- *Correspondence: Andrea Kwakowsky
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29
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Oxidative Stress as a Potential Mechanism Underlying Membrane Hyperexcitability in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11081511. [PMID: 36009230 PMCID: PMC9405356 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11081511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by gradually progressive, selective loss of anatomically or physiologically related neuronal systems that produce brain damage from which there is no recovery. Despite the differences in clinical manifestations and neuronal vulnerability, the pathological processes appear to be similar, suggesting common neurodegenerative pathways. It is well known that oxidative stress and the production of reactive oxygen radicals plays a key role in neuronal cell damage. It has been proposed that this stress, among other mechanisms, could contribute to neuronal degeneration and might be one of the factors triggering the development of these pathologies. Another common feature in most neurodegenerative diseases is neuron hyperexcitability, an aberrant electrical activity. This review, focusing mainly on primary motor cortex pyramidal neurons, critically evaluates the idea that oxidative stress and inflammation may be involved in neurodegeneration via their capacity to increase membrane excitability.
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30
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Bioactive human Alzheimer brain soluble Aβ: pathophysiology and therapeutic opportunities. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3182-3191. [PMID: 35484241 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01589-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) plays an early role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The precise mechanism of how Aβ accumulation leads to synaptic dysfunction and cognitive impairment remains unclear but is likely due to small soluble oligomers of Aβ (oAβ). Most studies have used chemical synthetic or cell-secreted Aβ oligomers to study their pathogenic mechanisms, but the Aβ derived from human AD brain tissue is less well characterized. Here we review updated knowledge on the extraction and characterization of bioactive human AD brain oAβ and the mechanisms by which they cause hippocampal synaptic dysfunction. Human AD brain-derived oAβ can impair hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and enhance long-term depression (LTD). Many studies suggest that oAβ may directly disrupt neuronal NMDA receptors, AMPA receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). oAβ also impairs astrocytic synaptic functions, including glutamate uptake, D-serine release, and NMDA receptor function. We also discuss oAβ-induced neuronal hyperexcitation. These results may suggest a multi-target approach for the treatment of AD, including both oAβ neutralization and reversal of glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity.
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31
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Andersen JV, Schousboe A, Verkhratsky A. Astrocyte energy and neurotransmitter metabolism in Alzheimer's disease: integration of the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 217:102331. [PMID: 35872221 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes contribute to the complex cellular pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurons and astrocytes function in close collaboration through neurotransmitter recycling, collectively known as the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle, which is essential to sustain neurotransmission. Neurotransmitter recycling is intimately linked to astrocyte energy metabolism. In the course of AD, astrocytes undergo extensive metabolic remodeling, which may profoundly affect the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle. The consequences of altered astrocyte function and metabolism in relation to neurotransmitter recycling are yet to be comprehended. Metabolic alterations of astrocytes in AD deprive neurons of metabolic support, thereby contributing to synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. In addition, several astrocyte-specific components of the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle, including glutamine synthesis and synaptic neurotransmitter uptake, are perturbed in AD. Integration of the complex astrocyte biology within the context of AD is essential for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of the disease, while restoring astrocyte metabolism may serve as an approach to arrest or even revert clinical progression of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens V Andersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Arne Schousboe
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, 48011 Bilbao, Spain; Department of Stem Cell Biology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-01102 Vilnius, Lithuania.
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32
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Targa Dias Anastacio H, Matosin N, Ooi L. Neuronal hyperexcitability in Alzheimer's disease: what are the drivers behind this aberrant phenotype? Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:257. [PMID: 35732622 PMCID: PMC9217953 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02024-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to loss of cognitive abilities and ultimately, death. With no cure available, limited treatments mostly focus on symptom management. Identifying early changes in the disease course may provide new therapeutic targets to halt or reverse disease progression. Clinical studies have shown that cortical and hippocampal hyperactivity are a feature shared by patients in the early stages of disease, progressing to hypoactivity during later stages of neurodegeneration. The exact mechanisms causing neuronal excitability changes are not fully characterized; however, animal and cell models have provided insights into some of the factors involved in this phenotype. In this review, we summarize the evidence for neuronal excitability changes over the course of AD onset and progression and the molecular mechanisms underpinning these differences. Specifically, we discuss contributors to aberrant neuronal excitability, including abnormal levels of intracellular Ca2+ and glutamate, pathological amyloid β (Aβ) and tau, genetic risk factors, including APOE, and impaired inhibitory interneuron and glial function. In light of recent research indicating hyperexcitability could be a predictive marker of cognitive dysfunction, we further argue that the hyperexcitability phenotype could be leveraged to improve the diagnosis and treatment of AD, and present potential targets for future AD treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Targa Dias Anastacio
- grid.510958.0Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia ,grid.1007.60000 0004 0486 528XMolecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Natalie Matosin
- grid.510958.0Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia ,grid.1007.60000 0004 0486 528XMolecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia. .,Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia.
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Cox MF, Hascup ER, Bartke A, Hascup KN. Friend or Foe? Defining the Role of Glutamate in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:929474. [PMID: 35821835 PMCID: PMC9261322 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.929474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a naturally occurring decline of physiological processes and biological pathways that affects both the structural and functional integrity of the body and brain. These physiological changes reduce motor skills, executive function, memory recall, and processing speeds. Aging is also a major risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Identifying a biomarker, or biomarkers, that signals the transition from physiological to pathological aging would aid in earlier therapeutic options or interventional strategies. Considering the importance of glutamate signaling in synaptic plasticity, motor movement, and cognition, this neurotransmitter serves as a juncture between cognitive health and disease. This article discusses glutamatergic signaling during physiological aging and the pathological changes observed in AD patients. Findings from studies in mouse models of successful aging and AD are reviewed and provide a biological context for this transition. Finally, current techniques to monitor brain glutamate are highlighted. These techniques may aid in elucidating time-point specific therapeutic windows to modify disease outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaKayla F. Cox
- Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Neurosciences Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
| | - Erin R. Hascup
- Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Neurosciences Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
| | - Andrzej Bartke
- Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Neurosciences Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
| | - Kevin N. Hascup
- Dale and Deborah Smith Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Neurosciences Institute, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Kevin N. Hascup,
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Hulshof LA, van Nuijs D, Hol EM, Middeldorp J. The Role of Astrocytes in Synapse Loss in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:899251. [PMID: 35783099 PMCID: PMC9244621 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.899251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting 35 million people worldwide. One pathological feature of progressing AD is the loss of synapses. This is the strongest correlate of cognitive decline. Astrocytes, as an essential part of the tripartite synapse, play a role in synapse formation, maintenance, and elimination. During AD, astrocytes get a reactive phenotype with an altered gene expression profile and changed function compared to healthy astrocytes. This process likely affects their interaction with synapses. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the scientific literature including information on how astrocytes affect synapse formation and elimination in the brain of AD patients and in animal models of the disease. We review molecular and cellular changes in AD astrocytes and conclude that these predominantly result in lower synapse numbers, indicative of decreased synapse support or even synaptotoxicity, or increased elimination, resulting in synapse loss, and consequential cognitive decline, as associated with AD. Preventing AD induced changes in astrocytes might therefore be a potential therapeutic target for dementia. Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=148278, identifier [CRD148278].
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne A. Hulshof
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Danny van Nuijs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Elly M. Hol
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jinte Middeldorp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department Neurobiology and Aging, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Jinte Middeldorp
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Xia D, Lianoglou S, Sandmann T, Calvert M, Suh JH, Thomsen E, Dugas J, Pizzo ME, DeVos SL, Earr TK, Lin CC, Davis S, Ha C, Leung AWS, Nguyen H, Chau R, Yulyaningsih E, Lopez I, Solanoy H, Masoud ST, Liang CC, Lin K, Astarita G, Khoury N, Zuchero JY, Thorne RG, Shen K, Miller S, Palop JJ, Garceau D, Sasner M, Whitesell JD, Harris JA, Hummel S, Gnörich J, Wind K, Kunze L, Zatcepin A, Brendel M, Willem M, Haass C, Barnett D, Zimmer TS, Orr AG, Scearce-Levie K, Lewcock JW, Di Paolo G, Sanchez PE. Novel App knock-in mouse model shows key features of amyloid pathology and reveals profound metabolic dysregulation of microglia. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:41. [PMID: 35690868 PMCID: PMC9188195 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00547-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic mutations underlying familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) were identified decades ago, but the field is still in search of transformative therapies for patients. While mouse models based on overexpression of mutated transgenes have yielded key insights in mechanisms of disease, those models are subject to artifacts, including random genetic integration of the transgene, ectopic expression and non-physiological protein levels. The genetic engineering of novel mouse models using knock-in approaches addresses some of those limitations. With mounting evidence of the role played by microglia in AD, high-dimensional approaches to phenotype microglia in those models are critical to refine our understanding of the immune response in the brain. METHODS We engineered a novel App knock-in mouse model (AppSAA) using homologous recombination to introduce three disease-causing coding mutations (Swedish, Arctic and Austrian) to the mouse App gene. Amyloid-β pathology, neurodegeneration, glial responses, brain metabolism and behavioral phenotypes were characterized in heterozygous and homozygous AppSAA mice at different ages in brain and/ or biofluids. Wild type littermate mice were used as experimental controls. We used in situ imaging technologies to define the whole-brain distribution of amyloid plaques and compare it to other AD mouse models and human brain pathology. To further explore the microglial response to AD relevant pathology, we isolated microglia with fibrillar Aβ content from the brain and performed transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses and in vivo brain imaging to measure energy metabolism and microglial response. Finally, we also characterized the mice in various behavioral assays. RESULTS Leveraging multi-omics approaches, we discovered profound alteration of diverse lipids and metabolites as well as an exacerbated disease-associated transcriptomic response in microglia with high intracellular Aβ content. The AppSAA knock-in mouse model recapitulates key pathological features of AD such as a progressive accumulation of parenchymal amyloid plaques and vascular amyloid deposits, altered astroglial and microglial responses and elevation of CSF markers of neurodegeneration. Those observations were associated with increased TSPO and FDG-PET brain signals and a hyperactivity phenotype as the animals aged. DISCUSSION Our findings demonstrate that fibrillar Aβ in microglia is associated with lipid dyshomeostasis consistent with lysosomal dysfunction and foam cell phenotypes as well as profound immuno-metabolic perturbations, opening new avenues to further investigate metabolic pathways at play in microglia responding to AD-relevant pathogenesis. The in-depth characterization of pathological hallmarks of AD in this novel and open-access mouse model should serve as a resource for the scientific community to investigate disease-relevant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Xia
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Steve Lianoglou
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Thomas Sandmann
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Meredith Calvert
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Jung H. Suh
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Elliot Thomsen
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Jason Dugas
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Michelle E. Pizzo
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Sarah L. DeVos
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Timothy K. Earr
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Chia-Ching Lin
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Sonnet Davis
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Connie Ha
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Amy Wing-Sze Leung
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Hoang Nguyen
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Roni Chau
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Ernie Yulyaningsih
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Isabel Lopez
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Hilda Solanoy
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Shababa T. Masoud
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Chun-chi Liang
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Karin Lin
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Giuseppe Astarita
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Nathalie Khoury
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Joy Yu Zuchero
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Robert G. Thorne
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, 9-177 Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Kevin Shen
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - Stephanie Miller
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | - Jorge J. Palop
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158 USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Selina Hummel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Gnörich
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lea Kunze
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Artem Zatcepin
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Willem
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Haass
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig- Maximilians-Universität, München, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Barnett
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Till S. Zimmer
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Anna G. Orr
- Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Kimberly Scearce-Levie
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Joseph W. Lewcock
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Gilbert Di Paolo
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
| | - Pascal E. Sanchez
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., 161 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California, 94080 USA
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36
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Durai P, Beeraka NM, Ramachandrappa HVP, Krishnan P, Gudur P, Raghavendra NM, Ravanappa PKB. Advances in PPARs Molecular Dynamics and Glitazones as a Repurposing Therapeutic Strategy through Mitochondrial Redox Dynamics against Neurodegeneration. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:893-915. [PMID: 34751120 PMCID: PMC9881103 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666211109141330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) activity has significant implications for the development of novel therapeutic modalities against neurodegenerative diseases. Although PPAR-α, PPAR-β/δ, and PPAR-γ nuclear receptor expressions are significantly reported in the brain, their implications in brain physiology and other neurodegenerative diseases still require extensive studies. PPAR signaling can modulate various cell signaling mechanisms involved in the cells contributing to on- and off-target actions selectively to promote therapeutic effects as well as the adverse effects of PPAR ligands. Both natural and synthetic ligands for the PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARβ/δ have been reported. PPARα (WY 14.643) and PPARγ agonists can confer neuroprotection by modulating mitochondrial dynamics through the redox system. The pharmacological effect of these agonists may deliver effective clinical responses by protecting vulnerable neurons from Aβ toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Therefore, the current review delineated the ligands' interaction with 3D-PPARs to modulate neuroprotection, and also deciphered the efficacy of numerous drugs, viz. Aβ aggregation inhibitors, vaccines, and γ-secretase inhibitors against AD; this review elucidated the role of PPAR and their receptor isoforms in neural systems, and neurodegeneration in human beings. Further, we have substantially discussed the efficacy of PPREs as potent transcription factors in the brain, and the role of PPAR agonists in neurotransmission, PPAR gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and mitochondrial dynamics in neuroprotection during AD conditions. This review concludes with the statement that the development of novel PPARs agonists may benefit patients with neurodegeneration, mainly AD patients, which may help mitigate the pathophysiology of dementia, subsequently improving overall the patient's quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Durai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru 570 015, India and JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | - Narasimha M. Beeraka
- Center of Excellence in Regenerative Medicine and Molecular Biology (CEMR), Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570 015, Karnataka, India;,I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow 119146, Russia
| | - Hemanth Vikram Poola Ramachandrappa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru 570 015, India and JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Pranesh Gudur
- Swamy Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana Deemed University, Bengaluru 560 105, India
| | | | - Prashantha Kumar Bommenahally Ravanappa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru 570 015, India and JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India;,Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru 570 015, India and JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru, Karnataka, India; E-mail:
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37
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Brain Metabolic Alterations in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073785. [PMID: 35409145 PMCID: PMC8998942 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is one of the most energy-consuming organs in the body. Satisfying such energy demand requires compartmentalized, cell-specific metabolic processes, known to be complementary and intimately coupled. Thus, the brain relies on thoroughly orchestrated energy-obtaining agents, processes and molecular features, such as the neurovascular unit, the astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling, and the cellular distribution of energy substrate transporters. Importantly, early features of the aging process are determined by the progressive perturbation of certain processes responsible for adequate brain energy supply, resulting in brain hypometabolism. These age-related brain energy alterations are further worsened during the prodromal stages of neurodegenerative diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease (AD), preceding the onset of clinical symptoms, and are anatomically and functionally associated with the loss of cognitive abilities. Here, we focus on concrete neuroenergetic features such as the brain's fueling by glucose and lactate, the transporters and vascular system guaranteeing its supply, and the metabolic interactions between astrocytes and neurons, and on its neurodegenerative-related disruption. We sought to review the principles underlying the metabolic dimension of healthy and AD brains, and suggest that the integration of these concepts in the preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies for AD is key to improving the precision of these interventions.
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38
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Kenanoglu S, Kandemir N, Akalin H, Gokce N, Gol MF, Gultekin M, Koseoglu E, Mirza M, Dundar M. Evaluation of Utilizing the Distinct Genes as Predictive Biomarkers in Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Glob Med Genet 2022; 9:110-117. [PMID: 35707770 PMCID: PMC9192179 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1743570] [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: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by a devastating decline in cognitive activities among all types of dementia, and it severely affects the quality of life. Late-onset AD (LOAD) occurs after the age of 65 years and develops sporadically. Although aging comes first along the main risk factors underlying LOAD, disease-causing susceptibility genes have been associated with disease pathogenesis. In our study, we included the genes
PARP1
,
POLB
,
HTRA2
,
SLC1A2
,
HS1BP3
, and
DRD3
to be investigated in LOAD patients based on their expression levels. Within this framework, we aimed to determine the possible functions of these genes in the pathophysiology of the disease. We investigated whether the utilization of these genes as biomarkers in the early diagnosis of LOAD may help the treatment scheme to be applied in the clinic. We involved 50 individuals in the study and collected peripheral blood samples from the patients and control groups for molecular genetic analysis. Subsequently, RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples, and expression analyzes were performed using qualitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results obtained were evaluated by using proper statistical methods. Our results demonstrated that there was no difference between patient and control groups in terms of
HTRA2
,
DRD3
,
HS1BP3
, and
POLB
genes. The expression levels of the
SLC1A2
and
PARP1
genes were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group. In conclusion, we presume that the
PARP1
and
SLC1A2
genes can be utilized as molecular biomarkers for LOAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sercan Kenanoglu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Nefise Kandemir
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Department of Medical Genetics, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hilal Akalin
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Nuriye Gokce
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Mehmet F. Gol
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Murat Gultekin
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Emel Koseoglu
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Meral Mirza
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Munis Dundar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
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Hirschberg S, Dvorzhak A, Rasooli-Nejad SMA, Angelov S, Kirchner M, Mertins P, Lättig-Tünnemann G, Harms C, Schmitz D, Grantyn R. Uncoupling the Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 From Its C-Terminal Interactome Restores Synaptic Glutamate Clearance at Corticostriatal Synapses and Alleviates Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Hypokinesia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:792652. [PMID: 35173582 PMCID: PMC8841566 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.792652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid removal of glutamate from the sites of glutamate release is an essential step in excitatory synaptic transmission. However, despite many years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying the intracellular regulation of glutamate transport at tripartite synapses have not been fully uncovered. This limits the options for pharmacological treatment of glutamate-related motor disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD). We therefore investigated the possible binding partners of transgenic EAAT2 and their alterations under the influence of mutant huntingtin (mHTT). Mass spectrometry analysis after pull-down of striatal YFP-EAAT2 from wild-type (WT) mice and heterozygote (HET) Q175 mHTT-knock-in mice identified a total of 148 significant (FDR < 0.05) binders to full-length EAAT2. Of them 58 proteins exhibited mHTT-related differences. Most important, in 26 of the 58 mHTT-sensitive cases, protein abundance changed back toward WT levels when the mice expressed a C-terminal-truncated instead of full-length variant of EAAT2. These findings motivated new attempts to clarify the role of astrocytic EAAT2 regulation in cortico-basal movement control. Striatal astrocytes of Q175 HET mice were targeted by a PHP.B vector encoding EAAT2 with different degree of C-terminal modification, i.e., EAAT2-S506X (truncation at S506), EAAT2-4KR (4 lysine to arginine substitutions) or EAAT2 (full-length). The results were compared to HET and WT injected with a tag-only vector (CTRL). It was found that the presence of a C-terminal-modified EAAT2 transgene (i) increased the level of native EAAT2 protein in striatal lysates and perisynaptic astrocyte processes, (ii) enhanced the glutamate uptake of transduced astrocytes, (iii) stimulated glutamate clearance at individual corticostriatal synapses, (iv) increased the glutamate uptake of striatal astrocytes and (iv) alleviated the mHTT-related hypokinesia (open field indicators of movement initiation). In contrast, over-expression of full-length EAAT2 neither facilitated glutamate uptake nor locomotion. Together, our results support the new hypothesis that preventing abnormal protein-protein interactions at the C-terminal of EAAT2 could eliminate the mHTT-related deficits in corticostriatal synaptic glutamate clearance and movement initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Hirschberg
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anton Dvorzhak
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Seyed M. A. Rasooli-Nejad
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Svilen Angelov
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marieluise Kirchner
- Proteomics Platform, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Mertins
- Proteomics Platform, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Gilla Lättig-Tünnemann
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Harms
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rosemarie Grantyn
- Synaptic Dysfunction Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Rosemarie Grantyn,
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40
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Mayorga-Weber G, Rivera FJ, Castro MA. Neuron-glia (mis)interactions in brain energy metabolism during aging. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:835-854. [PMID: 35085408 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Life expectancy in humans is increasing, resulting in a growing aging population, that is accompanied by an increased disposition to develop cognitive deterioration. Hypometabolism is one of the multiple factors related to inefficient brain function during aging. This review emphasizes the metabolic interactions between glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia) and neurons, particularly, during aging. Glial cells provide support and protection to neurons allowing adequate synaptic activity. We address metabolic coupling from the expression of transporters, availability of substrates, metabolic pathways, and mitochondrial activity. In aging, the main metabolic exchange machinery is altered with inefficient levels of nutrients and detrimental mitochondrial activity that results in high reactive oxygen species levels and reduced ATP production, generating a highly inflammatory environment that favors deregulated cell death. Here, we provide an overview of the glial-to-neuron mechanisms, from the molecular components to the cell types, emphasizing aging as the crucial risk factor for developing neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Mayorga-Weber
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Francisco J Rivera
- Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System (CISNe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Instituto de Anatomía, Histología y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Maite A Castro
- Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on the Nervous System (CISNe), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
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41
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APOE2, E3, and E4 differentially modulate cellular homeostasis, cholesterol metabolism, and inflammatory response in isogenic iPSC-derived astrocytes. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 17:110-126. [PMID: 34919811 PMCID: PMC8758949 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) variant is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD), while the APOE2 allele is protective. A major question is how different APOE genotypes affect the physiology of astrocytes, the main APOE-producing brain cells. Here, we differentiated human APOE-isogenic induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (APOE4, E3, E2, and APOE knockout [APOE-KO]) to functional “iAstrocytes”. Mass-spectrometry-based proteomic analysis showed genotype-dependent reductions of cholesterol and lipid metabolic and biosynthetic pathways (reduction: APOE4 > E3 > E2). Cholesterol efflux and biosynthesis were reduced in APOE4 iAstrocytes, while subcellular localization of cholesterol in lysosomes was elevated. An increase in immunoregulatory proteomic pathways (APOE4 > E3 > E2) was accompanied by elevated cytokine release in APOE4 cells (APOE4 > E3 > E2 > KO). Activation of iAstrocytes exacerbated proteomic changes and cytokine secretion mostly in APOE4 iAstrocytes, while APOE2 and APOE-KO iAstrocytes were least affected. Taken together, APOE4 iAstrocytes reveal a disease-relevant phenotype, causing dysregulated cholesterol/lipid homeostasis, increased inflammatory signaling, and reduced β-amyloid uptake, while APOE2 iAstrocytes show opposing effects. Human astrocytes show strong proteomic differences depending on their APOE genotype Aβ uptake is highest in APOE-KO and lowest in APOE4 astrocytes (KO > E2 > E3 > E4) APOE4 astrocytes show exacerbated pro-inflammatory reactions (APOE4 > E3 > E2 > KO) Cholesterol synthesis and efflux are reduced in APOE4 astrocytes
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42
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Fairless R, Bading H, Diem R. Pathophysiological Ionotropic Glutamate Signalling in Neuroinflammatory Disease as a Therapeutic Target. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:741280. [PMID: 34744612 PMCID: PMC8567076 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.741280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate signalling is an essential aspect of neuronal communication involving many different glutamate receptors, and underlies the processes of memory, learning and synaptic plasticity. Despite neuroinflammatory diseases covering a range of maladies with very different biological causes and pathophysiologies, a central role for dysfunctional glutamate signalling is becoming apparent. This is not just restricted to the well-described role of glutamate in mediating neurodegeneration, but also includes a myriad of other influences that glutamate can exert on the vasculature, as well as immune cell and glial regulation, reflecting the ability of neurons to communicate with these compartments in order to couple their activity with neuronal requirements. Here, we discuss the role of pathophysiological glutamate signalling in neuroinflammatory disease, using both multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease as examples, and how current steps are being made to harness our growing understanding of these processes in the development of neuroprotective strategies. This review focuses in particular on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisooxazol-4-yl) propionate (AMPA) type ionotropic glutamate receptors, although metabotropic, G-protein-coupled glutamate receptors may also contribute to neuroinflammatory processes. Given the indispensable roles of glutamate-gated ion channels in synaptic communication, means of pharmacologically distinguishing between physiological and pathophysiological actions of glutamate will be discussed that allow deleterious signalling to be inhibited whilst minimising the disturbance of essential neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Fairless
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilmar Bading
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Diem
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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43
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Piubelli L, Murtas G, Rabattoni V, Pollegioni L. The Role of D-Amino Acids in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:475-492. [PMID: 33554911 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the main cause of dementia worldwide, is characterized by a complex and multifactorial etiology. In large part, excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system is mediated by glutamate and its receptors are involved in synaptic plasticity. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which require the agonist glutamate and a coagonist such as glycine or the D-enantiomer of serine for activation, play a main role here. A second D-amino acid, D-aspartate, acts as agonist of NMDA receptors. D-amino acids, present in low amounts in nature and long considered to be of bacterial origin, have distinctive functions in mammals. In recent years, alterations in physiological levels of various D-amino acids have been linked to various pathological states, ranging from chronic kidney disease to neurological disorders. Actually, the level of NMDA receptor signaling must be balanced to promote neuronal survival and prevent neurodegeneration: this signaling in AD is affected mainly by glutamate availability and modulation of the receptor's functions. Here, we report the experimental findings linking D-serine and D-aspartate, through NMDA receptor modulation, to AD and cognitive functions. Interestingly, AD progression has been also associated with the enzymes related to D-amino acid metabolism as well as with glucose and serine metabolism. Furthermore, the D-serine and D-/total serine ratio in serum have been recently proposed as biomarkers of AD progression. A greater understanding of the role of D-amino acids in excitotoxicity related to the pathogenesis of AD will facilitate novel therapeutic treatments to cure the disease and improve life expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Piubelli
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Giulia Murtas
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Valentina Rabattoni
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Loredano Pollegioni
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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44
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Bao Y, Yang X, Fu Y, Li Z, Gong R, Lu W. NMDAR-dependent somatic potentiation of synaptic inputs is correlated with β amyloid-mediated neuronal hyperactivity. Transl Neurodegener 2021; 10:34. [PMID: 34496956 PMCID: PMC8424869 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-021-00260-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND β Amyloid (Aβ)-mediated neuronal hyperactivity, a key feature of the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is recently proposed to be initiated by the suppression of glutamate reuptake. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism by which the impaired glutamate reuptake causes neuronal hyperactivity remains unclear. Chronic suppression of the glutamate reuptake causes accumulation of ambient glutamate that could diffuse from synaptic sites at the dendrites to the soma to elevate the tonic activation of somatic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). However, less attention has been paid to the potential role of tonic activity change in extrasynaptic glutamate receptors (GluRs) located at the neuronal soma on generation of neuronal hyperactivity. METHODS Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on CA1 pyramidal neurons in acute hippocampal slices exposed to TFB-threo-β-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA) or human Aβ1-42 peptide oligomer. A series of dendritic patch-clamp recordings were made at different distances from the soma to identify the location of the changes in synaptic inputs. Moreover, single-channel recording in the cell-attached mode was performed to investigate the activity changes of single NMDARs at the soma. RESULTS Blocking glutamate uptake with either TBOA or the human Aβ1-42 peptide oligomer elicited potentiation of synaptic inputs in CA1 hippocampal neurons. Strikingly, this potentiation specifically occurred at the soma, depending on the activation of somatic GluN2B-containing NMDARs (GluN2B-NMDARs) and accompanied by a substantial and persistent increment in the open probability of somatic NMDARs. Blocking the activity of GluN2B-NMDARs at the soma completely reversed both the TBOA-induced or the Aβ1-42-induced somatic potentiation and neuronal hyperactivity. CONCLUSIONS The somatic potentiation of synaptic inputs may represent a novel amplification mechanism that elevates cell excitability and thus contributes to neuronal hyperactivity initiated by impaired glutamate reuptake in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Bao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Xin Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yi Fu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Zhengyan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Ru Gong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Wei Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China. .,Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
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45
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Mather M. Noradrenaline in the aging brain: Promoting cognitive reserve or accelerating Alzheimer's disease? Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 116:108-124. [PMID: 34099360 PMCID: PMC8292227 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many believe that engaging in novel and mentally challenging activities promotes brain health and prevents Alzheimer's disease in later life. However, mental stimulation may also have risks as well as benefits. As neurons release neurotransmitters, they often also release amyloid peptides and tau proteins into the extracellular space. These by-products of neural activity can aggregate into the tau tangle and amyloid plaque signatures of Alzheimer's disease. Over time, more active brain regions accumulate more pathology. Thus, increasing brain activity can have a cost. But the neuromodulator noradrenaline, released during novel and mentally stimulating events, may have some protective effects-as well as some negative effects. Via its inhibitory and excitatory effects on neurons and microglia, noradrenaline sometimes prevents and sometimes accelerates the production and accumulation of amyloid-β and tau in various brain regions. Both α2A- and β-adrenergic receptors influence amyloid-β production and tau hyperphosphorylation. Adrenergic activity also influences clearance of amyloid-β and tau. Furthermore, some findings suggest that Alzheimer's disease increases noradrenergic activity, at least in its early phases. Because older brains clear the by-products of synaptic activity less effectively, increased synaptic activity in the older brain risks accelerating the accumulation of Alzheimer's pathology more than it does in the younger brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Department of Psychology, & Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
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46
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S1P 2-Gα 12 Signaling Controls Astrocytic Glutamate Uptake and Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0040-21.2021. [PMID: 33893167 PMCID: PMC8287876 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0040-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain. Following neurotransmission, astrocytes remove excess extracellular glutamate to prevent neurotoxicity. Glutamate neurotoxicity has been reported in multiple neurologic diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), representing a shared neurodegenerative mechanism. A potential modulator of glutamate neurotoxicity is the bioactive lysophospholipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) that signals through five cognate G-protein-coupled receptors, S1P1-S1P5; however, a clear link between glutamate homeostasis and S1P signaling has not been established. Here, S1P receptor knock-out mice, primary astrocyte cultures, and receptor-selective chemical tools were used to examine the effects of S1P on glutamate uptake. S1P inhibited astrocytic glutamate uptake in a dose-dependent manner and increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption, primarily through S1P2 Primary cultures of wild-type mouse astrocytes expressed S1P1,2,3 transcripts, and selective deletion of S1P1 and/or S1P3 in cerebral cortical astrocytes, did not alter S1P-mediated, dose-dependent inhibition of glutamate uptake. Pharmacological antagonists, S1P2-null astrocytes, and Gα12 hemizygous-null astrocytes indicated that S1P2-Gα12-Rho/ROCK signaling was primarily responsible for the S1P-dependent inhibition of glutamate uptake. In addition, S1P exposure increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) in wild-type astrocytes and reduced OCRs in S1P2-null astrocytes, implicating receptor selective metabolic consequences of S1P-mediated glutamate uptake inhibition. Astrocytic S1P-S1P2 signaling increased extracellular glutamate, which could contribute to neurotoxicity. This effect was not observed with the FDA-approved S1P receptor modulators, siponimod and fingolimod. Development and use of S1P2-selective antagonists may provide a new approach to reduce glutamate neurotoxicity in neurologic diseases.
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47
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Andersen JV, Markussen KH, Jakobsen E, Schousboe A, Waagepetersen HS, Rosenberg PA, Aldana BI. Glutamate metabolism and recycling at the excitatory synapse in health and neurodegeneration. Neuropharmacology 2021; 196:108719. [PMID: 34273389 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter of the brain. Cellular homeostasis of glutamate is of paramount importance for normal brain function and relies on an intricate metabolic collaboration between neurons and astrocytes. Glutamate is extensively recycled between neurons and astrocytes in a process known as the glutamate-glutamine cycle. The recycling of glutamate is closely linked to brain energy metabolism and is essential to sustain glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, a considerable amount of glutamate is also metabolized and serves as a metabolic hub connecting glucose and amino acid metabolism in both neurons and astrocytes. Disruptions in glutamate clearance, leading to neuronal overstimulation and excitotoxicity, have been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the link between brain energy homeostasis and glutamate metabolism is gaining attention in several neurological conditions. In this review, we provide an overview of the dynamics of synaptic glutamate homeostasis and the underlying metabolic processes with a cellular focus on neurons and astrocytes. In particular, we review the recently discovered role of neuronal glutamate uptake in synaptic glutamate homeostasis and discuss current advances in cellular glutamate metabolism in the context of Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Understanding the intricate regulation of glutamate-dependent metabolic processes at the synapse will not only increase our insight into the metabolic mechanisms of glutamate homeostasis, but may reveal new metabolic targets to ameliorate neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens V Andersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Kia H Markussen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Emil Jakobsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arne Schousboe
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helle S Waagepetersen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paul A Rosenberg
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Blanca I Aldana
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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48
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Gasiorowska A, Wydrych M, Drapich P, Zadrozny M, Steczkowska M, Niewiadomski W, Niewiadomska G. The Biology and Pathobiology of Glutamatergic, Cholinergic, and Dopaminergic Signaling in the Aging Brain. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:654931. [PMID: 34326765 PMCID: PMC8315271 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.654931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The elderly population is growing worldwide, with important health and socioeconomic implications. Clinical and experimental studies on aging have uncovered numerous changes in the brain, such as decreased neurogenesis, increased synaptic defects, greater metabolic stress, and enhanced inflammation. These changes are associated with cognitive decline and neurobehavioral deficits. Although aging is not a disease, it is a significant risk factor for functional worsening, affective impairment, disease exaggeration, dementia, and general disease susceptibility. Conversely, life events related to mental stress and trauma can also lead to accelerated age-associated disorders and dementia. Here, we review human studies and studies on mice and rats, such as those modeling human neurodegenerative diseases, that have helped elucidate (1) the dynamics and mechanisms underlying the biological and pathological aging of the main projecting systems in the brain (glutamatergic, cholinergic, and dopaminergic) and (2) the effect of defective glutamatergic, cholinergic, and dopaminergic projection on disabilities associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of age-related diseases can be an important element in the development of effective ways of treatment. In this context, we briefly analyze which adverse changes associated with neurodegenerative diseases in the cholinergic, glutaminergic and dopaminergic systems could be targeted by therapeutic strategies developed as a result of our better understanding of these damaging mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gasiorowska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Wydrych
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Patrycja Drapich
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Zadrozny
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Steczkowska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktor Niewiadomski
- Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grazyna Niewiadomska
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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49
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Ebersole J, Rose G, Eid T, Behar K, Patrylo P. Altered hippocampal astroglial metabolism is associated with aging and preserved spatial learning and memory. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:188-199. [PMID: 33774381 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
An age-related decrease in hippocampal metabolism correlates with cognitive decline. Hippocampus-dependent learning and memory requires glutamatergic neurotransmission supported by glutamate-glutamine (GLU-GLN) cycling between neurons and astrocytes. We examined whether GLU-GLN cycling in hippocampal subregions (dentate gyrus and CA1) in Fischer 344 rats was altered with age and cognitive status. Hippocampal slices from young adult, aged cognitively-unimpaired (AU) and aged cognitively-impaired (AI) rats were incubated in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) containing 1-13C-glucose to assess neural metabolism. Incorporation of 13C-glucose into glutamate and glutamine, measured by mass spectroscopy/liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy, did not significantly differ between groups. However, when 13C-acetate, a preferential astrocytic metabolite, was used, a significant increase in 13C-labeled glutamate was observed in slices from AU rats. Taken together, the data suggest that resting state neural metabolism and GLU-GLN cycling may be preserved during aging when sufficient extracellular glucose is available, but that enhanced astroglial metabolism can occur under resting state conditions. This may be an aging-related compensatory change to maintain hippocampus-dependent cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Ebersole
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Gregory Rose
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA; Department of Anatomy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA; Center for Integrated Research in the Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Tore Eid
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin Behar
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; MRRC Neurometabolism Research Laboratory, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter Patrylo
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA; Department of Anatomy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA; Center for Integrated Research in the Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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50
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Rodríguez-Campuzano AG, Ortega A. Glutamate transporters: Critical components of glutamatergic transmission. Neuropharmacology 2021; 192:108602. [PMID: 33991564 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. Once released, it binds to specific membrane receptors and transporters activating a wide variety of signal transduction cascades, as well as its removal from the synaptic cleft in order to avoid its extracellular accumulation and the overstimulation of extra-synaptic receptors that might result in neuronal death through a process known as excitotoxicity. Although neurodegenerative diseases are heterogenous in clinical phenotypes and genetic etiologies, a fundamental mechanism involved in neuronal degeneration is excitotoxicity. Glutamate homeostasis is critical for brain physiology and Glutamate transporters are key players in maintaining low extracellular Glutamate levels. Therefore, the characterization of Glutamate transporters has been an active area of glutamatergic research for the last 40 years. Transporter activity its regulated at different levels: transcriptional and translational control, transporter protein trafficking and membrane mobility, and through extensive post-translational modifications. The elucidation of these mechanisms has emerged as an important piece to shape our current understanding of glutamate actions in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada G Rodríguez-Campuzano
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 14-740, Ciudad de México, 07000, Mexico
| | - Arturo Ortega
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Apartado Postal 14-740, Ciudad de México, 07000, Mexico.
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