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Hagihara H, Shoji H, Hattori S, Sala G, Takamiya Y, Tanaka M, Ihara M, Shibutani M, Hatada I, Hori K, Hoshino M, Nakao A, Mori Y, Okabe S, Matsushita M, Urbach A, Katayama Y, Matsumoto A, Nakayama KI, Katori S, Sato T, Iwasato T, Nakamura H, Goshima Y, Raveau M, Tatsukawa T, Yamakawa K, Takahashi N, Kasai H, Inazawa J, Nobuhisa I, Kagawa T, Taga T, Darwish M, Nishizono H, Takao K, Sapkota K, Nakazawa K, Takagi T, Fujisawa H, Sugimura Y, Yamanishi K, Rajagopal L, Hannah ND, Meltzer HY, Yamamoto T, Wakatsuki S, Araki T, Tabuchi K, Numakawa T, Kunugi H, Huang FL, Hayata-Takano A, Hashimoto H, Tamada K, Takumi T, Kasahara T, Kato T, Graef IA, Crabtree GR, Asaoka N, Hatakama H, Kaneko S, Kohno T, Hattori M, Hoshiba Y, Miyake R, Obi-Nagata K, Hayashi-Takagi A, Becker LJ, Yalcin I, Hagino Y, Kotajima-Murakami H, Moriya Y, Ikeda K, Kim H, Kaang BK, Otabi H, Yoshida Y, Toyoda A, Komiyama NH, Grant SGN, Ida-Eto M, Narita M, Matsumoto KI, Okuda-Ashitaka E, Ohmori I, Shimada T, Yamagata K, Ageta H, Tsuchida K, Inokuchi K, Sassa T, Kihara A, Fukasawa M, Usuda N, Katano T, Tanaka T, Yoshihara Y, Igarashi M, Hayashi T, Ishikawa K, Yamamoto S, Nishimura N, Nakada K, Hirotsune S, Egawa K, Higashisaka K, Tsutsumi Y, Nishihara S, Sugo N, Yagi T, Ueno N, Yamamoto T, Kubo Y, Ohashi R, Shiina N, Shimizu K, Higo-Yamamoto S, Oishi K, Mori H, Furuse T, Tamura M, Shirakawa H, Sato DX, Inoue YU, Inoue T, Komine Y, Yamamori T, Sakimura K, Miyakawa T. Large-scale animal model study uncovers altered brain pH and lactate levels as a transdiagnostic endophenotype of neuropsychiatric disorders involving cognitive impairment. eLife 2024; 12:RP89376. [PMID: 38529532 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89376] [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] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased levels of lactate, an end-product of glycolysis, have been proposed as a potential surrogate marker for metabolic changes during neuronal excitation. These changes in lactate levels can result in decreased brain pH, which has been implicated in patients with various neuropsychiatric disorders. We previously demonstrated that such alterations are commonly observed in five mouse models of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism, suggesting a shared endophenotype among these disorders rather than mere artifacts due to medications or agonal state. However, there is still limited research on this phenomenon in animal models, leaving its generality across other disease animal models uncertain. Moreover, the association between changes in brain lactate levels and specific behavioral abnormalities remains unclear. To address these gaps, the International Brain pH Project Consortium investigated brain pH and lactate levels in 109 strains/conditions of 2294 animals with genetic and other experimental manipulations relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders. Systematic analysis revealed that decreased brain pH and increased lactate levels were common features observed in multiple models of depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and some additional schizophrenia models. While certain autism models also exhibited decreased pH and increased lactate levels, others showed the opposite pattern, potentially reflecting subpopulations within the autism spectrum. Furthermore, utilizing large-scale behavioral test battery, a multivariate cross-validated prediction analysis demonstrated that poor working memory performance was predominantly associated with increased brain lactate levels. Importantly, this association was confirmed in an independent cohort of animal models. Collectively, these findings suggest that altered brain pH and lactate levels, which could be attributed to dysregulated excitation/inhibition balance, may serve as transdiagnostic endophenotypes of debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive impairment, irrespective of their beneficial or detrimental nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Hagihara
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Satoko Hattori
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Giovanni Sala
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Takamiya
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Mika Tanaka
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Masafumi Ihara
- Department of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan
| | - Mihiro Shibutani
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Izuho Hatada
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Kei Hori
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Mikio Hoshino
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Akito Nakao
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuo Mori
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shigeo Okabe
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Matsushita
- Department of Molecular Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - Anja Urbach
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Yuta Katayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akinobu Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shota Katori
- Laboratory of Mammalian Neural Circuits, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Takuya Sato
- Laboratory of Mammalian Neural Circuits, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Takuji Iwasato
- Laboratory of Mammalian Neural Circuits, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Haruko Nakamura
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoshio Goshima
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Matthieu Raveau
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tatsukawa
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Yamakawa
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Disorder Genetics, Institute of Brain Sciences, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Noriko Takahashi
- Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Haruo Kasai
- Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Johji Inazawa
- Research Core, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ikuo Nobuhisa
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Kagawa
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Taga
- Department of Stem Cell Regulation, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mohamed Darwish
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | | | - Keizo Takao
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kiran Sapkota
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, United States
| | - Kazutoshi Nakazawa
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, United States
| | - Tsuyoshi Takagi
- Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Developmental Disability Center, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Haruki Fujisawa
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Sugimura
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Yamanishi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hyogo Medical University School of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Lakshmi Rajagopal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Nanette Deneen Hannah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Herbert Y Meltzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, United States
| | - Tohru Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kita-gun, Japan
| | - Shuji Wakatsuki
- Department of Peripheral Nervous System Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Araki
- Department of Peripheral Nervous System Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Tabuchi
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Numakawa
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kunugi
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Freesia L Huang
- Program of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Atsuko Hayata-Takano
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hashimoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
- Division of Bioscience, Institute for Datability Science, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Transdimensional Life Imaging Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Kota Tamada
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Toru Takumi
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takaoki Kasahara
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Tadafumi Kato
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Isabella A Graef
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Gerald R Crabtree
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Nozomi Asaoka
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hikari Hatakama
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shuji Kaneko
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takao Kohno
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mitsuharu Hattori
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshio Hoshiba
- Laboratory of Medical Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Ryuhei Miyake
- Laboratory for Multi-scale Biological Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Kisho Obi-Nagata
- Laboratory for Multi-scale Biological Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Akiko Hayashi-Takagi
- Laboratory of Medical Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
- Laboratory for Multi-scale Biological Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Léa J Becker
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ipek Yalcin
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yoko Hagino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Yuki Moriya
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hyopil Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hikari Otabi
- College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Ami, Japan
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
| | - Yuta Yoshida
- College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Ami, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Ami, Japan
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Japan
- Ibaraki University Cooperation between Agriculture and Medical Science (IUCAM), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Noboru H Komiyama
- Genes to Cognition Program, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Seth G N Grant
- Genes to Cognition Program, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Michiru Ida-Eto
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Mie University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Masaaki Narita
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine, Mie University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Matsumoto
- Department of Biosignaling and Radioisotope Experiment, Interdisciplinary Center for Science Research, Organization for Research and Academic Information, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan
| | - Emiko Okuda-Ashitaka
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Iori Ohmori
- Department of Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tadayuki Shimada
- Child Brain Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanato Yamagata
- Child Brain Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ageta
- Division for Therapies Against Intractable Diseases, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kunihiro Tsuchida
- Division for Therapies Against Intractable Diseases, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kaoru Inokuchi
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Takayuki Sassa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Akio Kihara
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Motoaki Fukasawa
- Department of Anatomy II, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Nobuteru Usuda
- Department of Anatomy II, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Tayo Katano
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Tanaka
- Department of Developmental Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Yoshihara
- Laboratory for Systems Molecular Ethology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Michihiro Igarashi
- Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Transdiciplinary Research Program, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takashi Hayashi
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kaori Ishikawa
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamamoto
- Integrated Technology Research Laboratories, Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Naoya Nishimura
- Integrated Technology Research Laboratories, Pharmaceutical Research Division, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Kazuto Nakada
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shinji Hirotsune
- Department of Genetic Disease Research, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Egawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuma Higashisaka
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tsutsumi
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Shoko Nishihara
- Glycan & Life Systems Integration Center (GaLSIC), Soka University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Sugo
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yagi
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Naoto Ueno
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tomomi Yamamoto
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kubo
- Division of Biophysics and Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Rie Ohashi
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Shiina
- Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Kimiko Shimizu
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Higo-Yamamoto
- Healthy Food Science Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Katsutaka Oishi
- Healthy Food Science Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
- School of Integrative and Global Majors (SIGMA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hisashi Mori
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tamio Furuse
- Mouse Phenotype Analysis Division, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masaru Tamura
- Mouse Phenotype Analysis Division, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hisashi Shirakawa
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daiki X Sato
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yukiko U Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Yuriko Komine
- Young Researcher Support Group, Research Enhancement Strategy Office, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institute of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
- Division of Brain Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamamori
- Division of Brain Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
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Sofińska K, Batys P, Cernescu A, Ghosh D, Skirlińska-Nosek K, Barbasz J, Seweryn S, Wilkosz N, Riek R, Szymoński M, Lipiec E. Nanoscale insights into the local structural rearrangements of amyloid-β induced by bexarotene. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:14606-14614. [PMID: 37614107 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr01608k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
A better understanding of the abnormal protein aggregation and the effect of anti-aggregation agents on the fibrillation pathways and the secondary structure of aggregates can determine strategies for the early treatment of dementia. Herein, we present a combination of experimental and theoretical studies providing new insights into the influence of the anti-aggregation drug bexarotene on the secondary structure of individual amyloid-β aggregates and its primary aggregation. The molecular rearrangements and the spatial distribution of β-sheets within individual aggregates were monitored at the nanoscale with infrared nanospectroscopy. We observed that bexarotene limits the parallel β-sheets formation, known to be highly abundant in fibrils at later phases of the amyloid-β aggregation composed of in-register cross-β structure. Moreover, we applied molecular dynamics to provide molecular-level insights into the investigated system. Both theoretical and experimental results revealed that bexarotene slows down the protein aggregation process via steric effects, largely prohibiting the antiparallel to parallel β-sheet rearrangement. We also found that bexarotene interacts not only via the single hydrogen bond formation with the peptide backbone but also with the amino acid side residue via a hydrophobic effect. The studied model of the drug-amyloid-β interaction contributes to a better understanding of the inhibition mechanism of the amyloid-β aggregation by the small molecule drugs. However, our nanoscale findings need to meet in vivo research requiring different analytical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Sofińska
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Piotr Batys
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Dhiman Ghosh
- ETH Zürich, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Skirlińska-Nosek
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
- Jagiellonian University, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Jakub Barbasz
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
| | - Sara Seweryn
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
- Jagiellonian University, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Natalia Wilkosz
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
- AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Reymonta 19, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Roland Riek
- ETH Zürich, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marek Szymoński
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Ewelina Lipiec
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science, M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland.
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3
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Liu Y, Wang P, Jin G, Shi P, Zhao Y, Guo J, Yin Y, Shao Q, Li P, Yang P. The novel function of bexarotene for neurological diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102021. [PMID: 37495118 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102021] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Bexarotene, a retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist, is approved by FDA to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. However, it has also demonstrated promising therapeutic potential for neurological diseases such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, and particularly Alzheimer's disease(AD). In AD, bexarotene inhibits the production and aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ), activates Liver X Receptor/RXR heterodimers to increase lipidated apolipoprotein E to remove Aβ, mitigates the negative impact of Aβ, regulates neuroinflammation, and ultimately improves cognitive function. For other neurological diseases, its mechanisms of action include inhibiting inflammatory responses, up-regulating microglial phagocytosis, and reducing misfolded protein aggregation, all of which aid in alleviating neurological damage. Here, we briefly discuss the characteristics, applications, and adverse effects of bexarotene, summarize its pharmacological mechanisms and therapeutic results in various neurological diseases, and elaborate on the problems encountered in preclinical research, with the aim of providing help for the further application of bexarotene in central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangtao Liu
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China; College of Third Clinical, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Pengwei Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China
| | - Guofang Jin
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China
| | - Peijie Shi
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang First People's Hospital, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yonghui Zhao
- Xinxiang First People's Hospital, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jiayi Guo
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yaling Yin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Sino-UK Joint Laboratory of Brain Function and Injury and Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Qianhang Shao
- Department of Pharmacy, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Peng Li
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China.
| | - Pengfei Yang
- College of Pharamacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China; Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Vascular Remodeling Intervention and Molecular Targeted Therapy Drug Development, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Drug Intervention, Xinxiang, China.
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4
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Neha, Parvez S. Emerging therapeutics agents and recent advances in drug repurposing for Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 85:101815. [PMID: 36529440 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101815] [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: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multivariate and diversified disease and affects the most sensitive areas of the brain, the cerebral cortex, and the hippocampus. AD is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disease most often associated with memory deficits and cognition that get more worsen over time. The central theory on the pathophysiological hallmark features of AD is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, also associated with tau proteins (τ) dysfunctioning which leads to distorted microtubular structure, affects the cholinergic system, and mitochondrial biogenesis. This review emphasizes how simple it is to find novel treatments for AD and focuses on several recently developed medications through repurposing that can speed up traditional drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha
- Department of Toxicology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Suhel Parvez
- Department of Toxicology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India.
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5
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Fu H, Chu L, Jiao H, Lin L, Liu Y, Chen G, Zou L, Wang X, Di X. A highly sensitive and rapid LC-MS/MS method for quantification of bexarotene in mouse plasma and brain tissue: Application to mice pharmacokinetic study. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1189:123025. [PMID: 34840083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.123025] [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: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence has suggested that bexarotene, a nearly 20-year-old skin cancer drug, may be a potential drug candidate to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. As described in this study, a highly sensitive and rapid method, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine bexarotene in mouse plasma and brain tissue, was established and validated for the first time. Single-step protein precipitation utilizing methanol solution (containing 0.05 % acetic acid) as precipitation agent was employed to prepare the samples of plasma and brain tissue. Chromatographic separation in gradient elution mode was conducted via an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) employing methanol-ammonium acetate buffer (5 mM, pH adjusted to 4.6 with acetic acid) as mobile phase which flowed at 0.45 mL/min. The total run time was 6 min for each sample. Detection through mass spectrometric technique was operated by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in negative electrospray ionization mode. The method was linear within the range of 10.0-15000 ng/mL for plasma and 10.0-600 ng/mL for brain tissue homogenate with the lower limit of quantification of 10.0 ng/ml. The plasma or tissue homogenate was only required 20 μL. The intra- and inter-day precision were less than 13.8 %, and the RE was between -7.4 % and 3.4 %. The method was applied to investigate the plasma pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of bexarotene in mice after being intragastrically administered with bexarotene at the dosage of 100 mg/kg. The results showed that both brain and plasma concentrations of bexarotene peaked at 1.0 h. Bexarotene was rapidly eliminated with a half-life of 2.0 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimei Fu
- Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Lijuan Chu
- Beijing SPXD-Pharm Research Co., Ltd., No. 13 Xinzhong West Lane, Beijing 100027, PR China
| | - He Jiao
- Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Longyi Lin
- Faculty of life science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Youping Liu
- Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Libo Zou
- Faculty of life science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China
| | - Xin Wang
- Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China.
| | - Xin Di
- Laboratory of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, PR China.
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6
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Papazoglou A, Arshaad MI, Henseler C, Daubner J, Broich K, Haenisch B, Weiergräber M. The Janus-like Association between Proton Pump Inhibitors and Dementia. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 18:453-469. [PMID: 34587884 PMCID: PMC8778640 DOI: 10.2174/1567205018666210929144740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Early pharmacoepidemiological studies suggested that Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) might increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and non-AD related dementias. These findings were supported by preclinical studies, specifically stressing the proamyloidogenic and indirect anticholinergic effects of PPIs. However, further large-scale pharmacoepidemiological studies showed inconsistent results on the association between PPIs and dementia. Pharmacodynamically, these findings might be related to the LXR/RXR-mediated amyloid clearance effect and anti-inflammatory action of PPIs. Further aspects that influence PPI effects on AD are related to patient-specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenomic characteristics. In conclusion, a personalized (individualized) medicinal approach is necessary to model and predict the potential harmful or beneficial effects of PPIs in AD and non-AD-related dementias in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Papazoglou
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Muhammad I Arshaad
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christina Henseler
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Johanna Daubner
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Karl Broich
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM) 53127, Kurt-Georg- Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Britta Haenisch
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM) 53127, Kurt-Georg- Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marco Weiergräber
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger-Allee 3, 53175 Bonn, Germany
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7
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Zhang XQ, Xu L, Yang SY, Hu LB, Dong FY, Sun BG, Shen HW. Reduced Synaptic Transmission and Intrinsic Excitability of a Subtype of Pyramidal Neurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 84:129-140. [PMID: 34487044 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal morphology and function of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are associated with cognitive deficits in rodent models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly in cortical layer-5 pyramidal neurons that integrate inputs from different sources and project outputs to cortical or subcortical structures. Pyramidal neurons in layer-5 of the PFC can be classified as two subtypes depending on the inducibility of prominent hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (h-current). However, the differences in the neurophysiological alterations between these two subtypes in rodent models of AD remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To investigate the neurophysiological alterations between two subtypes of pyramidal neurons in hAPP-J20 mice, a transgenic model for early onset AD. METHODS The synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of pyramidal neurons were investigated using whole-cell patch recordings. The morphological complexity of pyramidal neurons was detected by biocytin labelling and subsequent Sholl analysis. RESULTS We found reduced synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of the prominent h-current (PH) cells but not the non-PH cells in hAPP-J20 mice. Furthermore, the function of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels which mediated h-current was disrupted in the PH cells of hAPP-J20 mice. Sholl analysis revealed that PH cells had less dendritic intersections in hAPP-J20 mice comparing to control mice, implying that a lower morphological complexity might contribute to the reduced neuronal activity. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the PH cells in the medial PFC may be more vulnerable to degeneration in hAPP-J20 mice and play a sustainable role in frontal dysfunction in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Le Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Si-Yu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin-Bo Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fei-Yuan Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bing-Gui Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hao-Wei Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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8
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Kryczyk-Poprawa A, Zupkó I, Bérdi P, Żmudzki P, Piotrowska J, Pękala E, Berdys A, Muszyńska B, Opoka W. Photodegradation of Bexarotene and Its Implication for Cytotoxicity. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13081220. [PMID: 34452181 PMCID: PMC8401567 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13081220] [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: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A detailed understanding of the stability of an active pharmaceutical ingredient and a pharmaceutical dosage form is essential for the drug-development process and for safe and effective use of medicines. Photostability testing as an inherent part of stability studies provides valuable knowledge on degradation pathways and structures of products generated under UV irradiation. Photostability is particularly important for topically administered drugs, as they are more exposed to UV radiation. Bexarotene is a more recent third-generation retinoid approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency as a topically applied anticancer agent. The present study aimed to assess bexarotene photostability, including the presence of UV filters, which have been permitted to be used in cosmetic products in Europe and the USA. The bexarotene photostability testing was performed in ethanol solutions and in formulations applied on PMMA plates. The UPLC-MS/MS technique was used to determine the tested substance. The presence of photocatalysts such as TiO2 or ZnO, as well as the organic UV filters avobenzone, benzophenone-3, meradimate, and homosalate, could contribute to degradation of bexarotene under UV irradiation. Four photocatalytic degradation products of bexarotene were identified for the first time. The antiproliferative properties of the degradation products of bexarotene were assessed by MTT assay on a panel of human adherent cancer cells, and concentration-dependent growth inhibition was evidenced on all tested cell lines. The cytotoxicity of the formed products after 4 h of UV irradiation was significantly higher than that of the parent compound (p < 0.05). Furthermore non-cancerous murine fibroblasts exhibited marked concentration-dependent inhibition by bexarotene, while the degradation products elicited more pronounced antiproliferative action only at the highest applied concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kryczyk-Poprawa
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (J.P.); (W.O.)
- Correspondence:
| | - István Zupkó
- Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (I.Z.); (P.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Natural Products, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Bérdi
- Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary; (I.Z.); (P.B.)
| | - Paweł Żmudzki
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Joanna Piotrowska
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (J.P.); (W.O.)
| | - Elżbieta Pękala
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland;
| | | | - Bożena Muszyńska
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, 30-688 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Włodzimierz Opoka
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland; (J.P.); (W.O.)
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9
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Jin N, Babiloni C, Drinkenburg WH, Hajós M, Nygaard HB, Tanila H. Recommendations for Preclinical Testing of Treatments Against Alzheimer's Disease-Related Epileptiform Spikes in Transgenic Rodent Models. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 88:849-865. [PMID: 34092642 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that about 30%of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) without a known diagnosis of epilepsy may display epileptiform spikes during electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. These abnormal discharges occur predominantly during sleep and may be associated with accelerated disease progression. Subclinical spikes may represent a relevant target for clinical drug interventions, and there is a clear unmet need for preclinical testing of novel disease modifying agents in suitable animal models. Transgenic rodent models of AD pathology exhibit various forms of epileptiform EEG activity related to the abnormal levels of amyloid species in the brain. Among them, large-amplitude cortical and hippocampal EEG spikes in mouse and rat AD models may be reminiscent of the subclinical epileptiform EEG spikes recorded in some AD patients. This article reports the recommendations of a multidisciplinary panel of experts on optimal EEG markers and experimental designs to measure and report epileptiform activities and their response to symptomatic and disease-modifying drugs in transgenic AD model rodents. These recommendations may harmonize future preclinical EEG studies in the drug discovery research and may increase the comparability of experimental outcomes and their translational clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanxiang Jin
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Claudio Babiloni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Hospital San Raffaele Cassino, Cassino (FR), Italy
| | - Wilhelmus H Drinkenburg
- Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mihály Hajós
- Cognito Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Haakon B Nygaard
- Division of Neurology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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10
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Retinoid X Receptor α Regulates DHA-Dependent Spinogenesis and Functional Synapse Formation In Vivo. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107649. [PMID: 32433958 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated intracellular and extracellular signaling is critical to synapse development and functional neural circuit wiring. Here, we report that unesterified docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) regulates functional synapse formation in vivo via retinoid X receptor α (Rxra) signaling. Using Rxra conditional knockout (cKO) mice and virus-mediated transient gene expression, we show that endogenous Rxra plays important roles in regulating spinogenesis and excitatory synaptic transmission in cortical pyramidal neurons. We further show that the effects of RXRA are mediated through its DNA-binding domain in a cell-autonomous and reversible manner. Moreover, unesterified DHA increases spine formation and excitatory synaptic transmission in vivo in an Rxra-dependent fashion. Rxra cKO mice generally behave normally but show deficits in behavior tasks associated with social memory. Together, these results demonstrate that unesterified DHA signals through RXRA to regulate spinogenesis and functional synapse formation, providing insight into the mechanism through which DHA promotes brain development and cognitive function.
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11
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Vidal V, Puente A, García-Cerro S, García Unzueta MT, Rueda N, Riancho J, Martínez-Cué C. Bexarotene Impairs Cognition and Produces Hypothyroidism in a Mouse Model of Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:613211. [PMID: 33935706 PMCID: PMC8082148 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.613211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
All individuals with Down syndrome (DS) eventually develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology, including neurodegeneration, increases in β-amyloid (Aβ) expression, and aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles, between the third and fourth decade of their lives. There is currently no effective treatment to prevent AD neuropathology and the associated cognitive degeneration in DS patients. Due to evidence that the accumulation of Aβ aggregates in the brain produces the neurodegenerative cascade characteristic of AD, many strategies which promote the clearance of Aβ peptides have been assessed as potential therapeutics for this disease. Bexarotene, a member of a subclass of retinoids that selectively activates retinoid receptors, modulates several pathways essential for cognitive performance and Aβ clearance. Consequently, bexarotene might be a good candidate to treat AD-associated neuropathology. However, the effects of bexarotene treatment in AD remain controversial. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate whether chronic bexarotene treatment administered to the most commonly used murine model of DS, the Ts65Dn (TS) mouse could reduce Aβ expression in their brains and improve their cognitive abilities. Chronic administration of bexarotene to aged TS mice and their CO littermates for 9 weeks diminished the reference, working, and spatial learning and memory of TS mice, and the spatial memory of CO mice in the Morris water maze. This treatment also produced marked hypoactivity in the plus maze, open field, and hole board tests in TS mice, and in the open field and hole board tests in CO mice. Administration of bexarotene reduced the expression of Aβ1-40, but not of Aβ1-42, in the hippocampi of TS mice. Finally, bexarotene increased Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in TS mice and reduced Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in CO mice, while animals of both karyotypes displayed reduced thyroxine levels after bexarotene administration. The bexarotene-induced hypothyroidism could be responsible for the hypoactivity of TS and CO mice and their diminished performance in the Morris water maze. Together, these results do not provide support for the use of bexarotene as a potential treatment of AD neuropathology in the DS population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Vidal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Alba Puente
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Susana García-Cerro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.,CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Noemí Rueda
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Javier Riancho
- Neurology Service, Hospital Sierrallana-IDIVAL, Torrelavega, Spain.,Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.,CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Martínez-Cué
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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12
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Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Disease: Potential mechanisms for an association. Brain Res Bull 2020; 160:107-120. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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13
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Casillas‐Espinosa PM, Ali I, O'Brien TJ. Neurodegenerative pathways as targets for acquired epilepsy therapy development. Epilepsia Open 2020; 5:138-154. [PMID: 32524040 PMCID: PMC7278567 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of clinical and experimental evidence that neurodegenerative diseases and epileptogenesis after an acquired brain insult may share common etiological mechanisms. Acquired epilepsy commonly develops as a comorbid condition in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, although it is likely much under diagnosed in practice. Progressive neurodegeneration has also been described after traumatic brain injury, stroke, and other forms of brain insults. Moreover, recent evidence has shown that acquired epilepsy is often a progressive disorder that is associated with the development of drug resistance, cognitive decline, and worsening of other neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Therefore, new pharmacological therapies that target neurobiological pathways that underpin neurodegenerative diseases have potential to have both an anti-epileptogenic and disease-modifying effect on the seizures in patients with acquired epilepsy, and also mitigate the progressive neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Here, we review the neurodegenerative pathways that are plausible targets for the development of novel therapies that could prevent the development or modify the progression of acquired epilepsy, and the supporting published experimental and clinical evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M. Casillas‐Espinosa
- Departments of Neuroscience and MedicineCentral Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
- Department of MedicineThe Royal Melbourne HospitalThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVic.Australia
| | - Idrish Ali
- Departments of Neuroscience and MedicineCentral Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
- Department of MedicineThe Royal Melbourne HospitalThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVic.Australia
| | - Terence J. O'Brien
- Departments of Neuroscience and MedicineCentral Clinical SchoolMonash UniversityMelbourneVic.Australia
- Department of MedicineThe Royal Melbourne HospitalThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVic.Australia
- Department of NeurologyThe Alfred HospitalMelbourneVic.Australia
- Department of NeurologyThe Royal Melbourne HospitalParkvilleVic.Australia
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14
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Scearce-Levie K, Sanchez PE, Lewcock JW. Leveraging preclinical models for the development of Alzheimer disease therapeutics. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020; 19:447-462. [PMID: 32612262 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-0065-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A large number of mouse models have been engineered, characterized and used to advance biomedical research in Alzheimer disease (AD). Early models simply damaged the rodent brain through toxins or lesions. Later, the spread of genetic engineering technology enabled investigators to develop models of familial AD by overexpressing human genes such as those encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP) or presenilins (PSEN1 or PSEN2) carrying mutations linked to early-onset AD. Recently, more complex models have sought to explore the impact of multiple genetic risk factors in the context of different biological challenges. Although none of these models has proven to be a fully faithful reproduction of the human disease, models remain essential as tools to improve our understanding of AD biology, conduct thorough pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses, discover translatable biomarkers and evaluate specific therapeutic approaches. To realize the full potential of animal models as new technologies and knowledge become available, it is critical to define an optimal strategy for their use. Here, we review progress and challenges in the use of AD mouse models, highlight emerging scientific innovations in model development, and introduce a conceptual framework for use of preclinical models for therapeutic development.
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15
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Bexarotene Improve Depression-Like Behaviour in Mice by Protecting Against Neuro-inflammation and Synaptic Damage. Neurochem Res 2020; 45:1500-1509. [PMID: 32170675 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03012-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The growing number of evidences suggest that neuroinflammation and synaptic damage are closely related to the onset of depression. Bexarotene (Bex), a retinoid X receptor agonist, is an U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma that has recently been reported to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in several models of neurological disease including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and so forth. However, the effect of Bex on depression remains unclear. In this study, we investigated effect of Bex on depression-like behaviour in mice induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or corticosterone (CORT). Our results showed that treatment with Bex for 15 days significantly improved LPS-induced depression-like behaviour in social interaction test and CORT-induced depression-like behaviour in forced swimming test and tail suspension test in mice. We found that the Bex treatment depressed the increase in the number of activated microglia and astrocytes in the frontal cortex, and the increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in LPS-injected mice. Furthermore, Bex treatment also rescued the decrease in the expression of BDNF, and inhibition of CREB/BDNF/ERK pathway, and improved the expression of synaptic related protein in CORT-induced mice. Based on these results, it is possible that Bex reversed depression-like behaviour in mice by reducing neuroinflammation and protecting against synaptic damage induced by LPS or CORT.
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16
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Versele R, Corsi M, Fuso A, Sevin E, Businaro R, Gosselet F, Fenart L, Candela P. Ketone Bodies Promote Amyloid-β 1-40 Clearance in a Human in Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Model. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030934. [PMID: 32023814 PMCID: PMC7037612 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain. The pathological process has not yet been clarified, although dysfunctional transport of Aβ across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) appears to be integral to disease development. At present, no effective therapeutic treatment against AD exists, and the adoption of a ketogenic diet (KD) or ketone body (KB) supplements have been investigated as potential new therapeutic approaches. Despite experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that KBs reduce the Aβ load in the AD brain, little information is available about the effect of KBs on BBB and their effect on Aβ transport. Therefore, we used a human in vitro BBB model, brain-like endothelial cells (BLECs), to investigate the effect of KBs on the BBB and on Aβ transport. Our results show that KBs do not modify BBB integrity and do not cause toxicity to BLECs. Furthermore, the presence of KBs in the culture media was combined with higher MCT1 and GLUT1 protein levels in BLECs. In addition, KBs significantly enhanced the protein levels of LRP1, P-gp, and PICALM, described to be involved in Aβ clearance. Finally, the combined use of KBs promotes Aβ efflux across the BBB. Inhibition experiments demonstrated the involvement of LRP1 and P-gp in the efflux. This work provides evidence that KBs promote Aβ clearance from the brain to blood in addition to exciting perspectives for studying the use of KBs in therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Versele
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
| | - Mariangela Corsi
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy;
| | - Andrea Fuso
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Dip. di Chirurgia “P. Valdoni”, Via A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Emmanuel Sevin
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
| | - Rita Businaro
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy;
| | - Fabien Gosselet
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
| | - Laurence Fenart
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
| | - Pietra Candela
- Laboratoire de la Barrière Hémato-Encéphalique (LBHE), UR 2465, Université d'Artois, F-62300 Lens, France; (R.V.); (M.C.); (E.S.); (F.G.); (L.F.)
- Correspondence:
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17
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Peña-Ortega F. Brain Arrhythmias Induced by Amyloid Beta and Inflammation: Involvement in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Inflammation-related Pathologies. Curr Alzheimer Res 2020; 16:1108-1131. [DOI: 10.2174/1567205017666191213162233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A variety of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), involve amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and/or neuroinflammation, which can alter synaptic and neural circuit functions. Consequently, these pathological conditions induce changes in neural network rhythmic activity (brain arrhythmias), which affects many brain functions. Neural network rhythms are involved in information processing, storage and retrieval, which are essential for memory consolidation, executive functioning and sensory processing. Therefore, brain arrhythmias could have catastrophic effects on circuit function, underlying the symptoms of various neurological diseases. Moreover, brain arrhythmias can serve as biomarkers for a variety of brain diseases. The aim of this review is to provide evidence linking Aβ and inflammation to neural network dysfunction, focusing on alterations in brain rhythms and their impact on cognition and sensory processing. I reviewed the most common brain arrhythmias characterized in AD, in AD transgenic models and those induced by Aβ. In addition, I reviewed the modulations of brain rhythms in neuroinflammatory diseases and those induced by immunogens, interleukins and microglia. This review reveals that Aβ and inflammation produce a complex set of effects on neural network function, which are related to the induction of brain arrhythmias and hyperexcitability, both closely related to behavioral alterations. Understanding these brain arrhythmias can help to develop therapeutic strategies to halt or prevent these neural network alterations and treat not only the arrhythmias but also the symptoms of AD and other inflammation-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Peña-Ortega
- Departamento de Neurobiologia del Desarrollo y Neurofisiologia, Instituto de Neurobiologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Queretaro, Qro., 76230, Mexico
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18
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Nasoohi S, Parveen K, Ishrat T. Metabolic Syndrome, Brain Insulin Resistance, and Alzheimer's Disease: Thioredoxin Interacting Protein (TXNIP) and Inflammasome as Core Amplifiers. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 66:857-885. [PMID: 30372683 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Empirical evidence indicates a strong association between insulin resistance and pathological alterations related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in different cerebral regions. While cerebral insulin resistance is not essentially parallel with systemic metabolic derangements, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been established as a risk factor for AD. The circulating "toxic metabolites" emerging in metabolic syndrome may engage several biochemical pathways to promote oxidative stress and neuroinflammation leading to impair insulin function in the brain or "type 3 diabetes". Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) as an intracellular amplifier of oxidative stress and inflammasome activation may presumably mediate central insulin resistance. Emerging data including those from our recent studies has demonstrated a sharp TXNIP upregulation in stroke, aging and AD and well underlining the significance of this hypothesis. With the main interest to illustrate TXNIP place in type 3 diabetes, the present review primarily briefs the potential mechanisms contributing to cerebral insulin resistance in a metabolically deranged environment. Then with a particular focus on plausible TXNIP functions to drive and associate with AD pathology, we present the most recent evidence supporting TXNIP as a promising therapeutic target in AD as an age-associated dementia.
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Bexarotene Attenuates Focal Cerebral Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury via the Suppression of JNK/Caspase-3 Signaling Pathway. Neurochem Res 2019; 44:2809-2820. [DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02902-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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20
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Frere S, Slutsky I. Alzheimer's Disease: From Firing Instability to Homeostasis Network Collapse. Neuron 2019; 97:32-58. [PMID: 29301104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) starts from pure cognitive impairments and gradually progresses into degeneration of specific brain circuits. Although numerous factors initiating AD have been extensively studied, the common principles underlying the transition from cognitive deficits to neuronal loss remain unknown. Here we describe an evolutionarily conserved, integrated homeostatic network (IHN) that enables functional stability of central neural circuits and safeguards from neurodegeneration. We identify the critical modules comprising the IHN and propose a central role of neural firing in controlling the complex homeostatic network at different spatial scales. We hypothesize that firing instability and impaired synaptic plasticity at early AD stages trigger a vicious cycle, leading to dysregulation of the whole IHN. According to this hypothesis, the IHN collapse represents the major driving force of the transition from early memory impairments to neurodegeneration. Understanding the core elements of homeostatic control machinery, the reciprocal connections between distinct IHN modules, and the role of firing homeostasis in this hierarchy has important implications for physiology and should offer novel conceptual approaches for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Frere
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.
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21
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Martín-Maestro P, Sproul A, Martinez H, Paquet D, Gerges M, Noggle S, Starkov AA. Autophagy Induction by Bexarotene Promotes Mitophagy in Presenilin 1 Familial Alzheimer's Disease iPSC-Derived Neural Stem Cells. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:8220-8236. [PMID: 31203573 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01665-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis defects have been demonstrated in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The neurogenesis impairment is an early critical event in the course of familiar AD (FAD) associated with neuronal loss. It was suggested that neurologic dysfunction in AD may be caused by impaired functioning of hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs). Multiple metabolic and structural abnormalities in neural mitochondria have long been suspected to play a critical role in AD pathophysiology. We hypothesize that the cause of such abnormalities could be defective elimination of damaged mitochondria. In the present study, we evaluated mitophagy efficacy in a cellular AD model, hiPSC-derived NSCs harboring the FAD-associated PS1 M146L mutation. We found several mitochondrial respiratory chain defects such as lower expression levels of cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), cytochrome c reductase (complex III), succinate dehydrogenase (complex II), NADH:CoQ reductase (complex I), and also ATP synthase (complex V), most of which had been previously associated with AD. The mitochondrial network morphology and abundance in these cells was aberrant. This was associated with a marked mitophagy failure stemming from autophagy induction blockage, and deregulation of the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics. We show that treating these cells with autophagy-stimulating drug bexarotene restored autophagy and compensated mitochondrial anomalies in PS1 M146L NSCs, by enhancing the clearance of mitochondria. Our data support the hypothesis that pharmacologically induced mitophagy enhancement is a relevant and novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Sproul
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Dominik Paquet
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Meri Gerges
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott Noggle
- The New York Stem Cell Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anatoly A Starkov
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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22
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Zhang Z, Zhao G, Liu L, He J, Darwazeh R, Liu H, Chen H, Zhou C, Guo Z, Sun X. Bexarotene Exerts Protective Effects Through Modulation of the Cerebral Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Transformation by Regulating PPARγ/FLAP/LTB 4 After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats. Cell Transplant 2019; 28:1161-1172. [PMID: 31010302 PMCID: PMC6767892 DOI: 10.1177/0963689719842161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role after a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The changes in VSMCs following bexarotene treatment after SAH are unknown. In the present study, neurological impairment, decreased cerebral cortical blood flow and transformation of cerebral VSMCs from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype were observed after SAH. Bexarotene reduced neurological impairment, improved cerebral cortical blood flow, inhibited VSMC phenotypic transformation and suppressed the expression of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), which was partly reversed by GW9662, an inhibitor of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Mechanistically, sh-PPARγ-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs was partially suppressed by MK886, an antagonist of FLAP. Therefore, we conclude that bexarotene reduced neurological impairment, improved cerebral cortical blood flow and inhibited the VSMC phenotypic transformation after SAH, which was achieved by activating PPARγ-mediated inhibition of FLAP/LTB4 in VSMCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaosi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guosheng Zhao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liu Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junchi He
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rami Darwazeh
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Han Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zongduo Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaochuan Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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23
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Ameen-Ali KE, Simpson JE, Wharton SB, Heath PR, Sharp PS, Brezzo G, Berwick J. The Time Course of Recognition Memory Impairment and Glial Pathology in the hAPP-J20 Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 68:609-624. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-181238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kamar E. Ameen-Ali
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Julie E. Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stephen B. Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Paul R. Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Paul S. Sharp
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Gaia Brezzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jason Berwick
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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24
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Dheer Y, Chitranshi N, Gupta V, Sharma S, Pushpitha K, Abbasi M, Mirzaei M, You Y, Graham SL, Gupta V. Retinoid x receptor modulation protects against ER stress response and rescues glaucoma phenotypes in adult mice. Exp Neurol 2019; 314:111-125. [PMID: 30703361 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) play an important role in transcription, are involved in numerous cellular networks from cell proliferation to lipid metabolism and are essential for normal eye development. RXRs form homo or heterodimers with other nuclear receptors, bind to DNA response elements and regulate several biological processes including neurogenesis. Mounting evidence suggests that RXR activation by selective RXR modulators (sRXRms) may be neuroprotective in the central nervous system. However, their potential neuroprotective role in the retina and specifically in glaucoma remains unexplored. This study investigated changes in RXR expression in the human and mouse retina under glaucomatous stress conditions and investigated the effect of RXR modulation on the RGCs using pharmacological approaches. RXR protein levels in retina were downregulated in both human glaucoma and experimental RGC injury models while RXR agonist, bexarotene treatment resulted in upregulation of RXR expression particularly in the inner retinal layers. Retinal electrophysiological recordings and histological analysis indicated that inner retinal function and retinal laminar structure were preserved upon treatment with bexarotene. These protective effects were associated with downregulation of ER stress marker response upon bexarotene treatment under glaucoma conditions. Overall, retinal RXR modulation by bexarotene significantly protected RGCs in vivo in both acute and chronic glaucoma models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogita Dheer
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Veer Gupta
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Samridhi Sharma
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Kanishka Pushpitha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Mojdeh Abbasi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Molecular Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Yuyi You
- Save Sight Institute, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia; Save Sight Institute, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
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25
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Ameen-Ali KE, Wharton SB, Simpson JE, Heath PR, Sharp P, Berwick J. Review: Neuropathology and behavioural features of transgenic murine models of Alzheimer's disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2018; 43:553-570. [PMID: 28880417 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the underlying biology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been steadily progressing; however, this is yet to translate into a successful treatment in humans. The use of transgenic mouse models has helped to develop our understanding of AD, not only in terms of disease pathology, but also with the associated cognitive impairments typical of AD. Plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are often among the last pathological changes in AD mouse models, after neuronal loss and gliosis. There is a general consensus that successful treatments need to be applied before the onset of these pathologies and associated cognitive symptoms. This review discusses the different types of AD mouse models in terms of the temporal progression of the disease, how well they replicate the pathological changes seen in human AD and their cognitive defects. We provide a critical assessment of the behavioural tests used with AD mice to assess cognitive changes and decline, and discuss how successfully they correlate with cognitive impairments in humans with AD. This information is an important tool for AD researchers when deciding on appropriate mouse models, and when selecting measures to assess behavioural and cognitive change.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Ameen-Ali
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - S B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J E Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - P R Heath
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - P Sharp
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J Berwick
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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26
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Mondal S, Hegarty E, Sahn JJ, Scott LL, Gökçe SK, Martin C, Ghorashian N, Satarasinghe PN, Iyer S, Sae-Lee W, Hodges TR, Pierce JT, Martin SF, Ben-Yakar A. High-Content Microfluidic Screening Platform Used To Identify σ2R/Tmem97 Binding Ligands that Reduce Age-Dependent Neurodegeneration in C. elegans SC_APP Model. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1014-1026. [PMID: 29426225 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, with tractable genetics and a well-defined nervous system, provides a unique whole-animal model system to identify novel drug targets and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Large-scale drug or target screens in models that recapitulate the subtle age- and cell-specific aspects of neurodegenerative diseases are limited by a technological requirement for high-throughput analysis of neuronal morphology. Recently, we developed a single-copy model of amyloid precursor protein (SC_APP) induced neurodegeneration that exhibits progressive degeneration of select cholinergic neurons. Our previous work with this model suggests that small molecule ligands of the sigma 2 receptor (σ2R), which was recently cloned and identified as transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97), are neuroprotective. To determine structure-activity relationships for unexplored chemical space in our σ2R/Tmem97 ligand collection, we developed an in vivo high-content screening (HCS) assay to identify potential drug leads. The HCS assay uses our recently developed large-scale microfluidic immobilization chip and automated imaging platform. We discovered norbenzomorphans that reduced neurodegeneration in our C. elegans model, including two compounds that demonstrated significant neuroprotective activity at multiple doses. These findings provide further evidence that σ2R/Tmem97-binding norbenzomorphans may represent a new drug class for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
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27
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Dheer Y, Chitranshi N, Gupta V, Abbasi M, Mirzaei M, You Y, Chung R, Graham SL, Gupta V. Bexarotene Modulates Retinoid-X-Receptor Expression and Is Protective Against Neurotoxic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response and Apoptotic Pathway Activation. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:9043-9056. [PMID: 29637440 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1041-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Retinoid X-receptors (RXRs) are members of the ligand-dependent transcription factor family of nuclear receptors that have gained recent research focus as potential targets for neurodegenerative disorders. Bexarotene is an RXR pharmacological agonist that is shown to be neuroprotective through its effects in promoting amyloid beta (Aβ) uptake by the glial cells in the brain. This study aimed to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of bexarotene on RXR expression in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and validate the drug effects in the brain in vivo. The protein expression studies were carried out using a combination of various drug treatment paradigms followed by expression analysis using Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our study demonstrated that bexarotene promoted the expression of RXR α, β and γ isoforms at optimal concentrations in the cells and in the mice brain. Interestingly, a decreased RXR expression was identified in Alzheimer's disease mouse model and in the cells that were treated with Aβ. Bexarotene treatment not only rescued the RXR expression loss caused by Aβ treatment (p < 0.05) but also protected the cells against Aβ-induced ER stress (p < 0.05) and pro-apoptotic BAD protein activation (p < 0.05). In contrast, higher concentrations of bexarotene upregulated the ER stress proteins and led to BAD activation. Our study revealed that these downstream neurotoxic effects of high drug concentrations could be prevented by pharmacological targeting of the TrkB receptor. The ER stress and BAD activation induced by high concentrations of bexarotene were rescued by the TrkB agonist, 7,8 dihydroxyflavone (p < 0.05) while TrkB inhibitor CTX-B treatment further exacerbated these effects. Together, these findings suggest a cross-talk of TrkB signalling with downstream effects of bexarotene toxicity and indicate that therapeutic targeting of RXRs could prevent the Aβ-induced molecular neurotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogita Dheer
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Veer Gupta
- School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
| | - Mojdeh Abbasi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Yuyi You
- Save Sight Institute, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Save Sight Institute, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, F10A, 2 Technology Place, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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Yin Y, Zhao Y, Han S, Zhang N, Chen H, Wang X. Autophagy-ERK1/2-Involved Disinhibition of Hippocampal Neurons Contributes to the Pre-Synaptic Toxicity Induced by Aβ42 Exposure. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 59:851-869. [PMID: 28697568 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most frequent cause of progressive cognitive decline in the elderly population. To date, there is still no effective treatment for AD, requiring more underlying mechanisms. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Aβ42 on the inhibitory synaptic transmission in the cultured hippocampal neurons, and explored the possible mechanism. The frequency, but not amplitude, of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents was significantly suppressed by Aβ42, indicating that Aβ42 played its role in inhibitory transmitter release at the pre-synaptic sites. Aβ42 had no effect on miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents, suggesting GABAergic synapses are more susceptible to Aβ42 exposure. However, the number of GABAergic neurons or synapses was not influenced, suggesting the corresponding stage may be a preclinical one. The effect of Aβ42 can be mimicked by PD98059 (an inhibitor of ERK1/2) and blocked by curcumin (an activator of MEK), which reveals Aβ-involved influence is via the decreased phosphorylation of MAPK-ERK1/2. In addition, synaptophysin is confirmed to be a downstream protein of MAPK-ERK1/2 at the pre-synaptic site. At the same time, suppressed autophagy was observed after Aβ42 exposure, and the activation of autophagy increased pERK1/2 level and salvaged the disinhibition of hippocampal neurons. These data suggest that diminished GABAergic tone likely starts from the preclinical stage of AD, so some GABAergic stress test may be effective for identifying cognitively normal elder adults. Strategies against the dysfunction of autophagy should be adopted in the early stage of AD because of its initial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Yin
- Department of Neurobiology and Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhao
- Core Facility Center, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Song Han
- Department of Neurobiology and Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PRChina
| | - Hanyu Chen
- Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School, Kingston, PA, USA
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China
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Monacelli F, Cea M, Borghi R, Odetti P, Nencioni A. Do Cancer Drugs Counteract Neurodegeneration? Repurposing for Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 55:1295-1306. [PMID: 27834781 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In spite of in depth investigations in the field of the amyloid cascade hypothesis, so far, no disease modifying therapy has been developed for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The pathophysiology provides some evidence of the inverse correlation between cancer and AD. Both AD and cancer are characterized by abnormal cellular behaviors; trigger factors along with a meta synchronously action is expected to drive cancer or neurodegeneration, supporting, respectively, progressive neuronal loss or uncontrolled cell proliferation in cancer cells. So far, cancer and AD are seemingly two opposite ends of the same biological spectrum. Basic science increasingly indicates shared molecular mechanisms between cancer and AD and gives weight to key relevant biological theories; according to them, the inverse tuning of clustered gene expression, the sharing of mutual independent pathway or the deregulated unfolded proteins system (UPR) may count for this inverse association. Additionally, the common biological background gave credibility to the recent discovery of a repurposing role for cancer drugs in AD. It refers to the development of new uses for existing pharmaceuticals having the same role as the original mechanism or to the discovery of a new drug action with disease modifying effects. The present review summarizes the most important biological theories that link neurodegeneration and cancer and provides an up-to-date revision of the repurposing cancer agents for AD. The review also addresses the gap of knowledge, since drug cancer repositioning holds an important promise but further investigations are warranted to ascertain the clinical relevance of such attractive clinical candidate compounds for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Monacelli
- Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Cea
- Section of Haematology, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberta Borghi
- Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Patrizio Odetti
- Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessio Nencioni
- Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Vogler EC, Flynn DT, Busciglio F, Bohannan RC, Tran A, Mahavongtrakul M, Busciglio JA. Low Cost Electrode Assembly for EEG Recordings in Mice. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:629. [PMID: 29184480 PMCID: PMC5694541 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wireless electroencephalography (EEG) of small animal subjects typically utilizes miniaturized EEG devices which require a robust recording and electrode assembly that remains in place while also being well-tolerated by the animal so as not to impair the ability of the animal to perform normal living activities or experimental tasks. We developed simple and fast electrode assembly and method of electrode implantation using electrode wires and wire-wrap technology that provides both higher survival and success rates in obtaining recordings from the electrodes than methods using screws as electrodes. The new wire method results in a 51% improvement in the number of electrodes that successfully record EEG signal. Also, the electrode assembly remains affixed and provides EEG signal for at least a month after implantation. Screws often serve as recording electrodes, which require either drilling holes into the skull to insert screws or affixing screws to the surface of the skull with adhesive. Drilling holes large enough to insert screws can be invasive and damaging to brain tissue, using adhesives may interfere with conductance and result in a poor signal, and soldering screws to wire leads results in fragile connections. The methods presented in this article provide a robust implant that is minimally invasive and has a significantly higher success rate of electrode implantation. In addition, the implant remains affixed and produces good recordings for over a month, while using economical, easily obtained materials and skills readily available in most animal research laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Vogler
- Institute for Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daniel T Flynn
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Federico Busciglio
- Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Ryan C Bohannan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Alison Tran
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Matthew Mahavongtrakul
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jorge A Busciglio
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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31
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Di Battista AM, Heinsinger NM, Rebeck GW. Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk Factor APOE-ε4 Also Affects Normal Brain Function. Curr Alzheimer Res 2017; 13:1200-1207. [PMID: 27033053 DOI: 10.2174/1567205013666160401115127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
APOE-ε4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is associated with an increase in the levels of amyloid deposition and an early age of onset. Recent data demonstrate that AD pathological changes occur decades before clinical symptoms, raising questions about the precise onset of the disease. Now a convergence of approaches in mice and humans has demonstrated that APOE-ε4 affects normal brain function even very early in life in the absence of gross AD pathological changes. Normal mice expressing APOE4 have task-specific spatial learning deficits, as well as reduced NMDAR-dependent signaling and structural changes to presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments in neurons, particularly in hippocampal regions. Young humans possessing APOE-ε4 are more adept than APOE-ε4 negative individuals at some behavioral tasks, and functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown that inheritance of APOE-ε4 has specific effects on medial temporal brain activities. These findings suggest that inheritance of APOE-ε4 causes life long changes to the brain that may be related to the late risk of AD. Several possible mechanisms of how APOE-ε4 could affect brain neurochemistry, structure, and function are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - G William Rebeck
- New Research Building, WP- 13, 3970 Reservoir Rd, NW, Washington, DC 20007; USA
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32
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Vossel KA, Tartaglia MC, Nygaard HB, Zeman AZ, Miller BL. Epileptic activity in Alzheimer's disease: causes and clinical relevance. Lancet Neurol 2017; 16:311-322. [PMID: 28327340 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(17)30044-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Epileptic activity is frequently associated with Alzheimer's disease; this association has therapeutic implications, because epileptic activity can occur at early disease stages and might contribute to pathogenesis. In clinical practice, seizures in patients with Alzheimer's disease can easily go unrecognised because they usually present as non-motor seizures, and can overlap with other symptoms of the disease. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, seizures can hasten cognitive decline, highlighting the clinical relevance of early recognition and treatment. Some evidence indicates that subclinical epileptiform activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease, detected by extended neurophysiological monitoring, can also lead to accelerated cognitive decline. Treatment of clinical seizures in patients with Alzheimer's disease with select antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), in low doses, is usually well tolerated and efficacious. Moreover, studies in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease suggest that certain classes of AEDs that reduce network hyperexcitability have disease-modifying properties. These AEDs target mechanisms of epileptogenesis involving amyloid β and tau. Clinical trials targeting network hyperexcitability in patients with Alzheimer's disease will identify whether AEDs or related strategies could improve their cognitive symptoms or slow decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Vossel
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | | | - Haakon B Nygaard
- Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Adam Z Zeman
- Cognitive Neurology Research Group, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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33
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Calcineurin/NFAT Signaling in Activated Astrocytes Drives Network Hyperexcitability in Aβ-Bearing Mice. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6132-6148. [PMID: 28559377 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0877-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperexcitable neuronal networks are mechanistically linked to the pathologic and clinical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Astrocytes are a primary defense against hyperexcitability, but their functional phenotype during AD is poorly understood. Here, we found that activated astrocytes in the 5xFAD mouse model were strongly associated with proteolysis of the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN) and the elevated expression of the CN-dependent transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells 4 (NFAT4). Intrahippocampal injections of adeno-associated virus vectors containing the astrocyte-specific promoter Gfa2 and the NFAT inhibitory peptide VIVIT reduced signs of glutamate-mediated hyperexcitability in 5xFAD mice, measured in vivo with microelectrode arrays and ex vivo brain slices, using whole-cell voltage clamp. VIVIT treatment in 5xFAD mice led to increased expression of the astrocytic glutamate transporter GLT-1 and to attenuated changes in dendrite morphology, synaptic strength, and NMDAR-dependent responses. The results reveal astrocytic CN/NFAT4 as a key pathologic mechanism for driving glutamate dysregulation and neuronal hyperactivity during AD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuronal hyperexcitability and excitotoxicity are increasingly recognized as important mechanisms for neurodegeneration and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Astrocytes are profoundly activated during AD and may lose their capacity to regulate excitotoxic glutamate levels. Here, we show that a highly active calcineurin (CN) phosphatase fragment and its substrate transcription factor, nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT4), appear in astrocytes in direct proportion to the extent of astrocyte activation. The blockade of astrocytic CN/NFAT signaling in a common mouse model of AD, using adeno-associated virus vectors normalized glutamate signaling dynamics, increased astrocytic glutamate transporter levels and alleviated multiple signs of neuronal hyperexcitability. The results suggest that astrocyte activation drives hyperexcitability during AD through a mechanism involving aberrant CN/NFAT signaling and impaired glutamate transport.
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34
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Boyce G, Button E, Soo S, Wellington C. The pleiotropic vasoprotective functions of high density lipoproteins (HDL). J Biomed Res 2017; 32:164. [PMID: 28550271 PMCID: PMC6265396 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.31.20160103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pleiotropic functions of circulating high density lipoprotein (HDL) on peripheral vascular health are well established. HDL plays a pivotal role in reverse cholesterol transport and is also known to suppress inflammation, endothelial activation and apoptosis in peripheral vessels. Although not expressed in the central nervous system, HDL has nevertheless emerged as a potential resilience factor for dementia in multiple epidemiological studies. Animal model data specifically support a role for HDL in attenuating the accumulation of β-amyloid within cerebral vessels concomitant with reduced neuroinflammation and improved cognitive performance. As the vascular contributions to dementia are increasingly appreciated, this review seeks to summarize recent literature focused on the vasoprotective properties of HDL that may extend to cerebral vessels, discuss potential roles of HDL in dementia relative to brain-derived lipoproteins, identify gaps in current knowledge, and highlight new opportunities for research and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilaine Boyce
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Emily Button
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sonja Soo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Cheryl Wellington
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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35
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Zolezzi JM, Santos MJ, Bastías-Candia S, Pinto C, Godoy JA, Inestrosa NC. PPARs in the central nervous system: roles in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 92:2046-2069. [PMID: 28220655 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Over 25 years have passed since peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors (PPARs), were first described. Like other members of the nuclear receptors superfamily, PPARs have been defined as critical sensors and master regulators of cellular metabolism. Recognized as ligand-activated transcription factors, they are involved in lipid, glucose and amino acid metabolism, taking part in different cellular processes, including cellular differentiation and apoptosis, inflammatory modulation and attenuation of acute and chronic neurological damage in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, PPAR activation can simultaneously reprogram the immune response, stimulate metabolic and mitochondrial functions, promote axonal growth, induce progenitor cells to differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes, and improve brain clearance of toxic molecules such as β-amyloid peptide. Although the molecular mechanisms and cross-talk with different molecular pathways are still the focus of intense research, PPARs are considered potential therapeutic targets for several neuropathological conditions, including degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. This review considers recent advances regarding PPARs, as well as new PPAR agonists. We focus on the mechanisms behind the neuroprotective effects exerted by PPARs and summarise the roles of PPARs in different pathologies of the central nervous system, especially those associated with degenerative and inflammatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Zolezzi
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), P. Catholic University of Chile, PO Box 114-D, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Manuel J Santos
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sussy Bastías-Candia
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Tarapacá, Gral. Velásquez 1775, 1000007, Arica, Chile
| | - Claudio Pinto
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), P. Catholic University of Chile, PO Box 114-D, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan A Godoy
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), P. Catholic University of Chile, PO Box 114-D, 8331150, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nibaldo C Inestrosa
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE-UC), P. Catholic University of Chile, PO Box 114-D, 8331150, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile.,Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Avoca Street Randwick NSW 2031, Sydney, Australia.,Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, PO Box 113-D, Avenida Bulnes 01855, 6210427, Punta Arenas, Chile
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36
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Neuronally-directed effects of RXR activation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42270. [PMID: 28205585 PMCID: PMC5311933 DOI: 10.1038/srep42270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by extensive neuron loss that accompanies profound impairments in memory and cognition. We examined the neuronally directed effects of the retinoid X receptor agonist bexarotene in an aggressive model of AD. We report that a two week treatment of 3.5 month old 5XFAD mice with bexarotene resulted in the clearance of intraneuronal amyloid deposits. Importantly, neuronal loss was attenuated by 44% in the subiculum in mice 4 months of age and 18% in layer V of the cortex in mice 8 months of age. Moreover, bexarotene treatment improved remote memory stabilization in fear conditioned mice and improved olfactory cross habituation. These improvements in neuron viability and function were correlated with significant increases in the levels of post-synaptic marker PSD95 and the pre-synaptic marker synaptophysin. Moreover, bexarotene pretreatment improved neuron survival in primary 5XFAD neurons in vitro in response to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. The salutary effects of bexarotene were accompanied by reduced plaque burden, decreased astrogliosis, and suppression of inflammatory gene expression. Collectively, these data provide evidence that bexarotene treatment reduced neuron loss, elevated levels of markers of synaptic integrity that was linked to improved cognition and in an aggressive model of AD.
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37
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Lee JB, Zgair A, Kim TH, Kim MG, Yoo SD, Fischer PM, Gershkovich P. Simple and sensitive HPLC-UV method for determination of bexarotene in rat plasma. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2017; 1040:73-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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38
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Bexarotene targets autophagy and is protective against thromboembolic stroke in aged mice with tauopathy. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33176. [PMID: 27624652 PMCID: PMC5021977 DOI: 10.1038/srep33176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke is a highly debilitating, often fatal disorder for which current therapies are suitable for only a minor fraction of patients. Discovery of novel, effective therapies is hampered by the fact that advanced age, primary age-related tauopathy or comorbidities typical to several types of dementing diseases are usually not taken into account in preclinical studies, which predominantly use young, healthy rodents. Here we investigated for the first time the neuroprotective potential of bexarotene, an FDA-approved agent, in a co-morbidity model of stroke that combines high age and tauopathy with thromboembolic cerebral ischemia. Following thromboembolic stroke bexarotene enhanced autophagy in the ischemic brain concomitantly with a reduction in lesion volume and amelioration of behavioral deficits in aged transgenic mice expressing the human P301L-Tau mutation. In in vitro studies bexarotene increased the expression of autophagy markers and reduced autophagic flux in neuronal cells expressing P301L-Tau. Bexarotene also restored mitochondrial respiration deficits in P301L-Tau neurons. These newly described actions of bexarotene add to the growing amount of compelling data showing that bexarotene is a potent neuroprotective agent, and identify a novel autophagy-modulating effect of bexarotene.
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39
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Neuronal activity enhances tau propagation and tau pathology in vivo. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:1085-92. [PMID: 27322420 PMCID: PMC4961585 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 508] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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40
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Zhong J, Cheng C, Liu H, Huang Z, Wu Y, Teng Z, He J, Zhang H, Wu J, Cao F, Jiang L, Sun X. Bexarotene protects against traumatic brain injury in mice partially through apolipoprotein E. Neuroscience 2016; 343:434-448. [PMID: 27235741 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Bexarotene has been proved to have neuroprotective effects in many animal models of neurological diseases. However, its neuroprotection in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is still unknown. This study aims to explore the neuroprotective effects of bexarotene on TBI and its possible mechanism. Controlled cortical impact (CCI) model was used to simulate TBI in C57BL/6 mice as well as APOE gene knockout (APOE-KO) mice. After CCI, mice were daily dosed with bexarotene or vehicle solution intraperitoneally. The motor function, learning and memory, inflammatory factors, microglia amount, apoptosis condition around injury site and main side-effects were all measured. The results showed that, after CCI, bexarotene treatment markedly improved the motor function and spatial memory in C57BL/6 compare to APOE-KO mice which showed no improvement. The inflammatory cytokines, microglia amount, cell apoptosis rate, and protein of cleaved caspase-3 around the injury site were markedly upregulated after TBI in both C57BL/6 and APOE-KO mice, and all these upregulation were significantly mitigated by bexarotene treatment in C57BL/6 mice, but not in APOE-KO mice. No side-effects were detected after consecutive administration. Taken together, bexarotene inhibits the inflammatory response as well as cell apoptosis and improves the neurological function of mice after TBI partially through apolipoprotein E. This may make it a promising candidate for the therapeutic treatment after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Chongjie Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Han Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Zhijian Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Zhipeng Teng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Junchi He
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Hongrong Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jinchuan Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Fang Cao
- Department of Cerebrovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou 653000, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xiaochuan Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
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Habchi J, Arosio P, Perni M, Costa AR, Yagi-Utsumi M, Joshi P, Chia S, Cohen SIA, Müller MBD, Linse S, Nollen EAA, Dobson CM, Knowles TPJ, Vendruscolo M. An anticancer drug suppresses the primary nucleation reaction that initiates the production of the toxic Aβ42 aggregates linked with Alzheimer's disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501244. [PMID: 26933687 PMCID: PMC4758743 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The conversion of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide into pathogenic aggregates is linked to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Although this observation has prompted an extensive search for therapeutic agents to modulate the concentration of Aβ or inhibit its aggregation, all clinical trials with these objectives have so far failed, at least in part because of a lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of aggregation and its inhibition. To address this problem, we describe a chemical kinetics approach for rational drug discovery, in which the effects of small molecules on the rates of specific microscopic steps in the self-assembly of Aβ42, the most aggregation-prone variant of Aβ, are analyzed quantitatively. By applying this approach, we report that bexarotene, an anticancer drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, selectively targets the primary nucleation step in Aβ42 aggregation, delays the formation of toxic species in neuroblastoma cells, and completely suppresses Aβ42 deposition and its consequences in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Aβ42-mediated toxicity. These results suggest that the prevention of the primary nucleation of Aβ42 by compounds such as bexarotene could potentially reduce the risk of onset of Alzheimer's disease and, more generally, that our strategy provides a general framework for the rational identification of a range of candidate drugs directed against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny Habchi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Paolo Arosio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Michele Perni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Priyanka Joshi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Sean Chia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | | | - Martin B. D. Müller
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, 9700 AD Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Lund University, PO Box 124, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ellen A. A. Nollen
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, European Research Institute for the Biology of Aging, 9700 AD Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Corresponding author. E-mail: (M.V.); (T.P.J.K.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Corresponding author. E-mail: (M.V.); (T.P.J.K.); (C.M.D.)
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Corresponding author. E-mail: (M.V.); (T.P.J.K.); (C.M.D.)
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Relaunching an old drug: the potential role of bexarotene in neurodegenerative diseases. J Neurol 2016; 263:177-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-015-8004-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Bexarotene-Activated Retinoid X Receptors Regulate Neuronal Differentiation and Dendritic Complexity. J Neurosci 2015; 35:11862-76. [PMID: 26311769 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1001-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Bexarotene-activated retinoid X receptors (RXRs) ameliorate memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease mouse models, including mice expressing human apolipoprotein E (APOE) isoforms. The goal of this study was to gain further insight into molecular mechanisms whereby ligand-activated RXR can affect or restore cognitive functions. We used an unbiased approach to discover genome-wide changes in RXR cistrome (ChIP-Seq) and gene expression profile (RNA-Seq) in response to bexarotene in the cortex of APOE4 mice. Functional categories enriched in both datasets revealed that bexarotene-liganded RXR affected signaling pathways associated with neurogenesis and neuron projection development. To further validate the significance of RXR for these functions, we used mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, primary neurons, and APOE3 and APOE4 mice treated with bexarotene. In vitro data from ES cells confirmed that bexarotene-activated RXR affected neuronal development at different levels, including proliferation of neural progenitors and neuronal differentiation, and stimulated neurite outgrowth. This effect was validated in vivo by demonstrating an increased number of neuronal progenitors after bexarotene treatment in the dentate gyrus of APOE3 and APOE4 mice. In primary neurons, bexarotene enhanced the dendritic complexity characterized by increased branching, intersections, and bifurcations. This effect was confirmed by in vivo studies demonstrating that bexarotene significantly improved the compromised dendritic structure in the hippocampus of APOE4 mice. We conclude that bexarotene-activated RXRs promote genetic programs involved in the neurogenesis and development of neuronal projections and these results have significance for the improvement of cognitive deficits. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bexarotene-activated retinoid X receptors (RXRs) ameliorate memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease mouse models, including mice expressing human apolipoprotein E (APOE) isoforms. The goal of this study was to gain further insight into molecular mechanisms whereby ligand-activated RXR can affect or restore cognitive functions. We used an unbiased approach to discover genome-wide changes in RXR cistrome (ChIP-Seq) and gene expression profile (RNA-Seq) in response to bexarotene in the cortex of APOE4 mice. Functional categories enriched in both datasets revealed that liganded RXR affected signaling pathways associated with neurogenesis and neuron projection development. The significance of RXR for these functions was validated in mouse embryonic stem cells, primary neurons, and APOE3 and APOE4 mice treated with bexarotene.
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Gautier NM, Glasscock E. Spontaneous seizures in Kcna1-null mice lacking voltage-gated Kv1.1 channels activate Fos expression in select limbic circuits. J Neurochem 2015; 135:157-64. [PMID: 26112121 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Mice lacking voltage-gated Kv1.1 channels as a result of deletion of the Kcna1 gene are an extensively utilized genetic model of human epilepsy and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy because of their frequent seizures and genotypic-phenotypic similarity to the human condition. Ictal behaviors, electrophysiological recordings, and gene expression studies suggest limbic circuits are critical for epilepsy in Kcna1-null mice, but the exact brain networks recruited by seizures remain unknown. In this study, Fos protein expression patterns were used to map limbic brain regions with increased neuronal activity at baseline and during spontaneous seizures in Kcna1-null mice by comparing seizing and non-seizing knockouts and wild-type controls. Basal Fos levels were unchanged in non-seizing knockout mice compared to wild types for all brain regions examined except the dentate gyrus granule cell layer which exhibited a significant decrease in Fos-positive cells. Following seizures, Kcna1-null brains exhibited significantly increased Fos labeling in the basolateral amygdala and the dentate hilus region, but not in other principal cell layers of the hippocampal formation. The selective Fos activation in the amygdala following seizures suggests that extra hippocampal limbic circuits may be critically involved with seizure generation or spread in Kcna1-null mice. Fos protein expression patterns were analyzed using immunohistochemistry to provide the first map of brain regions recruited by spontaneous seizures in mice lacking Kv1.1 channels, an extensively used genetic model of epilepsy. Seizures significantly increased Fos expression in the amygdala and hilus by about fourfold, suggesting an important contribution by extrahippocampal networks to epilepsy in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Gautier
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Edward Glasscock
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
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Balducci C, Paladini A, Micotti E, Tolomeo D, La Vitola P, Grigoli E, Richardson JC, Forloni G. The Continuing Failure of Bexarotene in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 46:471-82. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-150029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Balducci
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Paladini
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Edoardo Micotti
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniele Tolomeo
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Pietro La Vitola
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuele Grigoli
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
| | - Jill C. Richardson
- Neurosciences Therapeutic Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Herts, UK
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Laboratory of Biology of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milano, Italy
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Nygaard HB, Kaufman AC, Sekine-Konno T, Huh LL, Going H, Feldman SJ, Kostylev MA, Strittmatter SM. Brivaracetam, but not ethosuximide, reverses memory impairments in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2015; 7:25. [PMID: 25945128 PMCID: PMC4419386 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-015-0110-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Recent studies have shown that several strains of transgenic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice overexpressing the amyloid precursor protein (APP) have cortical hyperexcitability, and their results have suggested that this aberrant network activity may be a mechanism by which amyloid-β (Aβ) causes more widespread neuronal dysfunction. Specific anticonvulsant therapy reverses memory impairments in various transgenic mouse strains, but it is not known whether reduction of epileptiform activity might serve as a surrogate marker of drug efficacy for memory improvement in AD mouse models. Methods Transgenic AD mice (APP/PS1 and 3xTg-AD) were chronically implanted with dural electroencephalography electrodes, and epileptiform activity was correlated with spatial memory function and transgene-specific pathology. The antiepileptic drugs ethosuximide and brivaracetam were tested for their ability to suppress epileptiform activity and to reverse memory impairments and synapse loss in APP/PS1 mice. Results We report that in two transgenic mouse models of AD (APP/PS1 and 3xTg-AD), the presence of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) correlated with impairments in spatial memory. Both ethosuximide and brivaracetam reduce mouse SWDs, but only brivaracetam reverses memory impairments in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusions Our data confirm an intriguing therapeutic role of anticonvulsant drugs targeting synaptic vesicle protein 2A across AD mouse models. Chronic ethosuximide dosing did not reverse spatial memory impairments in APP/PS1 mice, despite reduction of SWDs. Our data indicate that SWDs are not a reliable surrogate marker of appropriate target engagement for reversal of memory dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13195-015-0110-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haakon B Nygaard
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ; Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Program (CNNR), Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536 USA ; Division of Neurology, The University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Adam C Kaufman
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Program (CNNR), Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536 USA
| | - Tomoko Sekine-Konno
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ; Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Program (CNNR), Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536 USA
| | - Linda L Huh
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ; Division of Pediatric Neurology, The University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4 Canada
| | - Hilary Going
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Samantha J Feldman
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Mikhail A Kostylev
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ; Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Program (CNNR), Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536 USA
| | - Stephen M Strittmatter
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 800 Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT 06510 USA ; Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Program (CNNR), Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536 USA
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Bexarotene reduces blood-brain barrier permeability in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122744. [PMID: 25844636 PMCID: PMC4386818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) over-expression disrupts the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the ischemic brain. The retinoid X receptor agonist bexarotene suppresses MMP-9 expression in endothelial cells and displays neuroprotective effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that bexarotene may have a beneficial effect on I/R-induced BBB dysfunction. METHODS A total of 180 rats were randomized into three groups (n = 60 each): (i) a sham-operation group, (ii) a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) group, and (iii) an I/R+bexarotene group. Brain water content was measured by the dry wet weight method. BBB permeability was analyzed by Evans Blue staining and the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent Omniscan. MMP-9 mRNA expression, protein expression, and activity were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and gelatin zymography, respectively. Apolipoprotein E (apoE), claudin-5, and occludin expression were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS After 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-I/R, several effects were observed with bexarotene administration: (i) brain water content and BBB permeability were significantly reduced; (ii) MMP-9 mRNA and protein expression as well as activity were significantly decreased; (iii) claudin-5 and occludin expression were significantly increased; and (iv) apoE expression was significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS Bexarotene decreases BBB permeability in rats with cerebral I/R injury. This effect may be due in part to bexarotene's upregulation of apoE expression, which has been previously shown to reduce BBB permeability through suppressing MMP-9-mediated degradation of the tight junction proteins claudin-5 and occludin. This work offers insight to aid future development of therapeutic agents for cerebral I/R injury in human patients.
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Tousi B. The emerging role of bexarotene in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: current evidence. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2015; 11:311-5. [PMID: 25709453 PMCID: PMC4327563 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s61309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2012, a novel approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease was introduced, heralding a wave of excitement in the field of dementia. Bexarotene, a retinoid X receptor agonist, was shown to reverse neurodegeneration, improve cognition, and decrease levels of amyloid-β in transgenic mice expressing familial Alzheimer disease mutations. Since then, there has been widespread discussion about bexarotene, as well as a number of follow-up studies. Bexarotene is a unique compound, as it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for other purposes and there are reasonable data to justify its mechanism of action in dementia. This review discusses these studies and the emerging role of bexarotene in the clinical field of Alzheimer's dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Tousi
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brian Health, Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Born HA. Seizures in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience 2014; 286:251-63. [PMID: 25484360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases the risk for late-onset seizures and neuronal network abnormalities. An elevated co-occurrence of AD and seizures has been established in the more prevalent sporadic form of AD. Recent evidence suggests that nonconvulsive network abnormalities, including seizures and other electroencephalographic abnormalities, may be more commonly found in patients than previously thought. Patients with familial AD are at an even greater risk for seizures, which have been found in patients with mutations in PSEN1, PSEN2, or APP, as well as with APP duplication. This review also provides an overview of seizure and electroencephalography studies in AD mouse models. The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide has been identified as a possible link between AD and seizures, and while Aβ is known to affect neuronal activity, the full-length amyloid precursor protein (APP) and other APP cleavage products may be important for the development and maintenance of cortical network hyperexcitability. Nonconvulsive epileptiform activity, such as seizures or network abnormalities that are shorter in duration but may occur with higher frequency, may contribute to cognitive impairments characteristic of AD, such as amnestic wandering. Finally, the review discusses recent studies using antiepileptic drugs to rescue cognitive deficits in AD mouse models and human patients. Understanding the mechanistic link between epileptiform activity and AD is a research area of growing interest. Further understanding of the connection between neuronal hyperexcitability and Alzheimer's as well as the potential role of epileptiform activity in the progression of AD will be beneficial for improving treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H A Born
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 72 Pt A:92-103. [PMID: 25237037 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin is a key hormone regulating metabolism. Insulin binding to cell surface insulin receptors engages many signaling intermediates operating in parallel and in series to control glucose, energy, and lipids while also regulating mitogenesis and development. Perturbations in the function of any of these intermediates, which occur in a variety of diseases, cause reduced sensitivity to insulin and insulin resistance with consequent metabolic dysfunction. Chronic inflammation ensues which exacerbates compromised metabolic homeostasis. Since insulin has a key role in learning and memory as well as directly regulating ERK, a kinase required for the type of learning and memory compromised in early Alzheimer's disease (AD), insulin resistance has been identified as a major risk factor for the onset of AD. Animal models of AD or insulin resistance or both demonstrate that AD pathology and impaired insulin signaling form a reciprocal relationship. Of note are human and animal model studies geared toward improving insulin resistance that have led to the identification of the nuclear receptor and transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as an intervention tool for early AD. Strategic targeting of alternate nodes within the insulin signaling network has revealed disease-stage therapeutic windows in animal models that coalesce with previous and ongoing clinical trial approaches. Thus, exploiting the connection between insulin resistance and AD provides powerful opportunities to delineate therapeutic interventions that slow or block the pathogenesis of AD.
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