The cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil has antidepressant-like properties in the mouse forced swim test

Eplingiella fruticosa leaf essential oil complexed with β-cyclodextrin exerts a neuroprotective effect in an Alzheimer's disease animal model induced by Streptozotocin

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is physiopathologically marked by an accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ), hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the brain tissue. While new drugs for AD have been approved, novel treatments are still needed. Eplingiella fruticosa (EF) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial against AD. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of EF leaf essential oil complexed with β-cyclodextrin in a sporadic AD model induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Male Wistar rats (5-6 months old) received an intracerebroventricular STZ injection (3 mg/kg) or vehicle, and were orally treated with vehicle, EF (5 mg/kg), or donepezil (5 mg/kg) for 14 days. Behavioral tests included olfactory discrimination, open field, novel object recognition, sucrose preference, and spontaneous alternation. Upon completion, rats were euthanatized, and their brains were analyzed for Aβ, tau, and IL-1β via immunohistochemistry, and for oxidative stress markers. STZ-treated rats showed memory deficits and anhedonia, accompanied by increased Aβ, tau, and IL-1β immunoreactivity in the olfactory bulb, cortex, hippocampus, and increased TBARS levels in the hippocampus. On the other hand, EF treatment improved short-term and working memory (p < 0.001), and reduced depressive-like behavior (p = 0.02). Additionally, EF treatment decreased Aβ, tau, and IL-1β immunoreactivity in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus and cortex (p < 0.05), and reduced TBARS levels (p = 0.04) and total oxidant status in the hippocampus (p = 0.03), and increased total antioxidant status in the cortex (p = 0.04). These findings suggest EF has neuroprotective effects against STZ-induced damage, indicating its potential as a novel compound for AD treatment.

An Integrated Computational Approaches for Designing of Potential Piperidine based Inhibitors of Alzheimer Disease by Targeting Cholinesterase and Monoamine Oxidases Isoenzymes

The study aimed to evaluate the potential of piperidine-based 2H chromen-2-one derivatives against targeted enzymes, i.e., cholinesterase's and monoamine oxidase enzymes. The compounds were divided into three groups, i.e., 4a-m ((3,4-dimethyl-7-((1-methylpiperidin-4-yl)oxy)-2H-chromen-2-one derivatives), 5a-e (3,4-dimethyl-7-((1-methypipridin-3-yl)methoxy)-2H-chromen-2-one derivatives), and 7a-b (7-(3-(3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)propoxy)-3,4-dimethyl-2H-chromen-2-one derivatives) with slight difference in the basic structure. The comprehensive computational investigations were conducted including density functional theories studies (DFTs), 2D-QSAR studies, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. The QSAR equation revealed that the activity of selected chromen-2-one-based piperidine derivatives is being affected by the six descriptors, i.e., Nitrogens Count, SdssCcount, SssOE-Index, T-2-2-7, ChiV6chain, and SssCH2E-Index. These descriptor values were further used for the preparation of chromen-2-one based piperidine derivatives. Based on this, 83 new derivatives were created from 7 selected parent compounds. The QSAR model predicted their IC50 values, with compound 4 k and 4kk as the most potent multi-targeted derivative. Molecular docking results exhibited these compounds as the best inhibitors; however, 4kk exhibited greater activity than the parent compounds. The results were further validated by molecular dynamic simulation studies along with the suitable physicochemical properties. These results prove to be an essential guide for the further design and development of new piperidine based chromen-2-one derivatives having better activity against neurodegenerative disorder.

Drugs to Treat Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Neuroinflammation is associated with disorders of the nervous system, and it is induced in response to many factors, including pathogen infection, brain injury, toxic substances, and autoimmune diseases. Astrocytes and microglia have critical roles in neuroinflammation. Microglia are innate immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), which are activated in reaction to neuroinflammation-inducing factors. Astrocytes can have pro- or anti-inflammatory responses, which depend on the type of stimuli presented by the inflamed milieu. Microglia respond and propagate peripheral inflammatory signals within the CNS that cause low-grade inflammation in the brain. The resulting alteration in neuronal activities leads to physiological and behavioral impairment. Consequently, activation, synthesis, and discharge of various pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors occur. These events lead to many neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis discussed in this study. After understanding neuroinflammation mechanisms and the involvement of neurotransmitters, this study covers various drugs used to treat and manage these neurodegenerative illnesses. The study can be helpful in discovering new drug molecules for treating neurodegenerative disorders.

Sex-specific effects of neuromodulatory drugs on normal and stress-induced social dominance and aggression in rats

BACKGROUND

Social hierarchies are important for individual's well-being, professional and domestic growth, harmony of the society, as well as survival and morbidity. Studies have revealed sexual dimorphism in the social abilities; however, data is limited on the sex-specific effects of various drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders and social deficits.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed at evaluating the sex-dependent effects of Risperidone (antipsychotic that targets D2 dopaminergic, 5HT2A serotonergic, and α-adrenergic receptors), Donepezil (a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor), and Paroxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) on social hierarchy in rats under normal and stressed states.

METHODS

8-12 weeks old male and female Wistar rats were divided into sex-wise 4-4 groups, i.e., 1. control group, 2. Risperidone treated group (3 mg/kg/day), 3. Donepezil treated group (5 mg/kg/day), and Paroxetine treated group (10 mg/kg/day). Rats were treated with these drugs in phase I for 21 days in distilled drinking water, followed by a no (drugs) treatment break of 10 days. After the break phase II started with the administration of drugs (same as in phase I) along with tilt-cage stress for 21 days. Home cage activity assessment was performed once a week during both phases (I & II), while tube dominance and resident intruder tests were performed at the end of each phase.

RESULTS

In phase I in both sexes, Risperidone treatment decreased social interaction and motor activity while Paroxetine treatment increased these in both sexes compared to their respective control groups. Social dominance and aggression were reduced after treatment with both of these drugs. In contrast, Donepezil treatment caused an increase in motor activity in females whereas reduced motor activity in males. Furthermore, Donepezil treatment caused reduction in interaction but increased social dominance and aggression were observed in both sexes. In phase II, stress led to an overall decrease in motor activity and social interaction of animals. Treatment with Risperidone, Paroxetine, and Donepezil caused a sex-specific effect on, motor activity, social interaction, and social exploration.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that Risperidone has stronger effects on male social behavior whereas Paroxetine and Donepezil differentially affect social abilities in both sexes during normal and stressed situations.

Sexually Dimorphic Effects of Neuromodulatory Drugs on Normal and Stress-Induced Social Interaction in Rats

Social behavior is a complex term which involves different interactions between various individuals of a community. It is controlled by different neurotransmitter systems in a sexually dimorphic way. Certain environmental factors, like stress, cause various neurological disorders with associated social abnormalities in a sexually dimorphic way. Multiple drugs are used in clinical settings to treat behavioral disorders. However, the sexually dimorphic effects of these drugs, particularly on social behavior, still need to be studied. The present study was designed to investigate the sex-dependent effects of Risperidone, Donepezil, and Paroxetine in 8-12 weeks old male and female rats under normal and stressed conditions. There were four male and four female groups, i.e., control group (no drug treatment), Risperidone (3 mg/kg/day) treated group, Donepezil (5 mg/kg/day) treated group, and Paroxetine (10 mg/kg/day) treated group. Each group received its respective drug during phase 1 for 21 days, followed by a 10-day break with no drug treatment. After the break, same groups received the same drugs along with tilt-cage stress for an additional 21 days during phase 2. A social preference and novelty test was performed at the end of both phases (1 and 2). During phase 1, Risperidone treatment caused impaired social behavior and reduced locomotion in the male group only, compared to its control group. Donepezil treatment caused a reduction in social interaction, while Paroxetine treatment caused increased social interaction and locomotion in a sex-dependent manner. During phase 2, social novelty was affected in both male and female stress groups. Treatment with drugs along with stress showed differential sex-dependent effects. The study showed a predominant effect of Risperidone on males while there were differential effects of Donepezil and Paroxetine on both sexes. This study has paved the way for the development of more targeted and effective neuromodulatory drugs for use against various psychiatric and social deficits.

Nattokinase prevents β-amyloid peptide (Aβ1-42) induced neuropsychiatric complications, neuroinflammation and BDNF signalling disruption in mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by abnormal accumulation of extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neuronal damage. Although AD is typically considered a cognitive neurodegenerative disorder, almost all people diagnosed with AD develop neuropsychiatric complications at some stage in their life span. The present study investigated the effect of chronic Nattokinase (NK) administration on β-Amyloid peptide (Aβ1-42) induced neuropsychiatric conditions (depression-like behaviour, anxiety, and memory impairment) in mice. Aβ1-42 peptide injected mice demonstrated depression, anxiety, and impairment of cognitive abilities evaluated as increased immobility time in forced swim test (FST), decreased open arm time/entries in elevated plus maze (EPM) and reference and working memory error in radial arm maze (RAM) respectively with elevation in Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), reduction in Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) immunocontent within the hippocampus. Chronic administration of NK (50-100 mg/kg, i.p.) from day 8-27, prevented depression-like behaviour, anxiety, and memory impairment and normalized the neurochemical alteration within the hippocampus of mice injected with Aβ1-42 peptide. The effect of NK on psychiatric complications, learning, and memory was comparable to peripheral donepezil treatment. This study suggests that NK improves learning, memory impairment, and neuropsychiatric complications possibly through the downregulation of neuroinflammatory pathways and restoring BDNF signalling in AD.

Donepezil Beyond Alzheimer's Disease? A Narrative Review of Therapeutic Potentials of Donepezil in Different Diseases

Donepezil hydrochloride is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor studied and approved to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, this drug can have positive therapeutic potential in treating different conditions, including various neurodegenerative disorders such as other types of dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, psychiatric and mood disorders, and even infectious diseases. Hence, this study reviewed the therapeutic potential of this drug in treating Alzheimer's and other diseases by reviewing the articles from databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, and Science Direct. It was shown that donepezil could affect the pathophysiology of these diseases via mechanisms such as increasing the concentration of acetylcholine, modulating local and systemic inflammatory processes, affecting acetylcholine receptors like nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, and activating various cellular signaling via receptors like sigma-1 receptors. Despite many therapeutic potentials, this drug has not yet been approved for treating non-Alzheimer's diseases, and more comprehensive studies are needed.

Rosmarinus officinalis and Methylphenidate Exposure Improves Cognition and Depression and Regulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in AlCl3-Induced Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological illness that causes severe cognitive impairment. AD patients also experience at least one of the neuropsychiatric symptoms including apathy, depression, and anxiety during the course of their life. Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the available treatment options to alleviate cognitive deficits, whereas methylphenidate (MPH), a psychostimulant, is considered for the treatment of apathy in AD patients. Rosmarinus officinalis, a perennial herb, has been potentially known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the potential effects of MPH and R. officinalis in comparison with the standard drug, Donepezil, on cognition, anxiety, and depression in the AlCl₃-induced mouse model of AD. The animals were divided into eight groups (n = 8, each). The results revealed that the MPH- and R. officinalis-treated groups significantly improved memory impairment, whereas R. officinalis substantially reduced depression and anxiety as compared with other treatment groups. MPH treatment induced an antidepressant effect and increased anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, the AlCl₃ exposure led to the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in mice hippocampus; however, none of the tested drugs caused a significant reduction in amyloid burden at the selected doses. The present study suggested the potential of R. officinalis to improve memory as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD. Although R. officinalis improved cognitive abilities, it did not reduce the amyloid plaque burden, which indicates that the memory-enhancing effects of R. officinalis are due to some alternate mechanism that needs to be explored further.

LPS-induced impairment of Na+/K+-ATPase activity: ameliorative effect of tannic acid in mice

Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that modulates synaptic plasticity and communication, and it is essential for learning and memory processes. This neurotransmitter is hydrolyzed by acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which plays other cellular roles in processes such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Ion pumps, such as Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-ATPase, are highly expressed channels that derive energy for their functions from ATP hydrolysis. Impairment of the cholinergic system and ion pumps is associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an example of a complex disease with high morbidity and a heterogenous etiology. Polyphenols have been investigated for their therapeutic effects, and tannic acid (TA) has been reported to show neuroprotective and antidepressant-like activities. Animal models of depression-like behavior, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced models of depression, are useful for investigating the pathophysiology of MDD. In this context, effects of TA were evaluated in an LPS-induced mouse model of depression-like behavior. Animals received TA for 7 days, and on the last day of treatment, LPS (830 μg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. In vitro exposure of healthy brain to TA decreased the AChE activity. Additionally, this enzyme activity was decreased in cerebral cortex of LPS-treated mice. LPS injection increased the activity of Ca²⁺-ATPase in the cerebral cortex but decreased the enzyme activity in the hippocampus. LPS administration decreased Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and striatum; however, TA administration prevented these changes. In conclusion, tannins may affect Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-ATPase activities, which is interesting in the context of MDD.

Affective Antidepressant, Cytotoxic Activities, and Characterization of Phyto-Assisted Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Sanvitalia procumbens Aqueous Extract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has emerged as an effective and environmentally friendly method. Therefore, the current investigation is based on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using plant extract of Sanvitalia procumbens (S. procumbens) that act as a capping and reducing agent. S. procumbens is a fast-growing shrub and densely available plant and may have potential to synthesize ZnO-NPs. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were characterized by different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible (UV-Vis), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The UV-Vis spectrum at 350 nm revealed an absorption peak for the synthesis of ZnO-NPs. In addition, photoactive biomolecules of the prepared ZnO-NPs were identified by using FT-IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the spherical geometry of ZnO-NPs was evaluated by SEM images. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were also used to enhance the antidepressant activity and exhibited a remarkable reduction in the time of immobility in tail suspension tests (TST) and forced swim tests (FST), as well as increased the BDNF levels in the brain and plasma. ZnO-NPs have a low risk of biocompatibility (cell visibility) at a concentration of 7 g/mL or below. The nanoparticles were biologically compatible when the concentrations were increased up to 11 μg/mL. It was concluded that ZnO-NPs were investigated as a possible carrier for antidepressant drug delivery into the brain, and their excellent cytotoxic activity was evaluated by using the MTT assay to determine their biocompatibility.

High-Throughput Strategy for Profiling Sequential Section With Multiplex Staining of Mouse Brain

The brain modulates specific functions in its various regions. Understanding the organization of different cells in the whole brain is crucial for investigating brain functions. Previous studies have focused on several regions and have had difficulty analyzing serial tissue samples. In this study, we introduced a pipeline to acquire anatomical and histological information quickly and efficiently from serial sections. First, we developed a serial brain-slice-staining method to stain serial sections and obtained more than 98.5% of slices with high integrity. Subsequently, using the self-developed analysis software, we registered and quantified the signals of imaged sections to the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework, which is compatible with multimodal images and slant section planes. Finally, we validated the pipeline with immunostaining by analyzing the activity variance in the whole brain during acute stress in aging and young mice. By removing the problems resulting from repeated manual operations, this pipeline is widely applicable to serial brain slices from multiple samples in a rapid and convenient manner, which benefits to facilitate research in life sciences.

Voluntary alcohol binge-drinking in adolescent C57Bl6 mice induces delayed appearance of behavioural defects in both males and females

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by significant changes in brain architecture and behaviour. The immaturity of the adolescent brain is associated with heightened vulnerability to exogenous agents, including alcohol. Alcohol is the most consumed drug among teenagers, and binge‐drinking during adolescence is a major public health concern. Studies have suggested that adolescent alcohol exposure may interfere with the maturation of frontal brain regions and lead to long‐lasting behavioural consequences. In this study, by using a slightly modified version of the Drinking in the Dark paradigm, adolescent C57Bl6 mice reach high blood alcohol concentration after voluntary binge‐drinking. In order to assess short‐ and long‐term consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure (AAE), a battery of behavioural tests was performed during late adolescence and during adulthood. We showed that AAE had no short‐term effect on young mice behaviour but rather increased anxiety‐ and depressive‐like behaviours, as well as alcohol consumption during adulthood. Moreover, alcohol binge‐drinking during adolescence dramatically decreased recognition memory performances and behavioural flexibility in both adult males and females. Furthermore, we showed that voluntary consumption of alcohol during adolescence did not trigger any major activation of the innate immune system in the prefrontal cortex. Together, our data suggest that voluntary alcohol binge‐drinking in adolescent mice induces a delayed appearance of behavioural impairments in adulthood.

Association between depressive symptoms and diagnosis of diabetes and its complications: A network analysis in electronic health records

OBJECTIVES

Diabetes and its complications are commonly associated with depressive symptoms, and few studies have investigated the diagnosis effect of depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes. The present study used a network-based approach to explore the association between depressive symptoms, which are annotated from electronic health record (EHR) notes by a deep learning model, and the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications.

METHODS

In this study, we used anonymous admission notes of 52,139 inpatients diagnosed with T2DM at the first affiliated hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2008 to 2016 as input for a symptom annotation model named T5-depression based on transformer architecture which helps to annotate depressive symptoms from present illness. We measured the performance of the model by using the F1 score and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). We constructed networks of depressive symptoms to examine the connectivity of these networks in patients diagnosed with T2DM, including those with certain complications.

RESULTS

The T5-depression model achieved the best performance with an F1-score of 91.71 and an AUROC of 96.25 compared with the benchmark models. The connectivity of depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with T2DM (p = 0.025) and hypertension (p = 0.013) showed a statistically significant increase 2 years after the diagnosis, which is consistent with the number of patients diagnosed with depression.

CONCLUSION

The T5-depression model proposed in this study can effectively annotate depressive symptoms in EHR notes. The connectivity of annotated depressive symptoms is associated with the diagnosis of T2DM and hypertension. The changes in the network of depressive symptoms generated by the T5-depression model could be used as an indicator for screening depression.

Antidepressant effects of curcumin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles in a rat model of depression

The antidepressant effect of curcumin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Cur-IONPs) was investigated in the current study using depression rat model induced by reserpine. IONPs were synthesized by curcumin as a reducing agent producing Cur-IONPs. Rats were divided into control, depression rat model, and depressed rats treated with Cur-IONPs. After treatment rat behavior was evaluated using forced swimming test (FST). Serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), monoamine oxidase (MAO), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), Na+, K+, ATPase, lipid peroxidation (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in the cortex and hippocampus. In depressed rats, FST showed increased immobilization time and reduced swimming time. This was associated with a significant decrease in 5-HT, NE, DA and GSH and a significant increase in MDA and NO levels and GST, MAO, AchE and Na+, K+, ATPase activities in the cortex and hippocampus. Treatment with Cur-NONPs for two weeks increased the swimming time reduced the immobility time, and elevated 5-HT, NE and DA levels. Cur-IONPs attenuated the oxidative stress induced by reserpine and restored the MAO, AchE and Na+, K+, ATPase. The present green method used curcumin in the IONPs synthesis and has several merits; obtaining nanoform of iron oxide, increasing the bioavailability of curcumin and reducing the oxidative stress induced by iron. The present antidepressant effect of Cur-IONPs could be attributed to the ability of Cur-IONPs to restore monoamine neurotransmitter levels by increasing their synthesis and reducing their metabolism. In addition, the antioxidant activity of curcumin prevented oxidative stress in the depressed rats.

An electrophysiological model of major depression: Relevance to clinical subtyping and pharmacological management

We present a neurochemical model of unipolar major depressive disorder that makes predictions for optimizing pharmacological treatment of this debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder. We suggest that there are two principal electrophysiological subtypes of depression, with the more common one involving a high excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) electrophysiological ratio, and a less common low E/I subtype. The high E/I subtype is paradoxically a variant of previous conceptions of atypical depression, whereas the low E/I subtype is a variant of melancholic depression. We focus on the ratio of norepinephrine (NE) to serotonin (5HT) as primary determinants of E/I ratio, which have opposing effects on mood regulation. We suggest that high NE/5HT (or E/I) ratio depressions should be treated with pharmacological agents that boost 5HT (such as SSRIs) and/or drugs that reduce noradrenergic transmission (such as clonidine, guanfacine, propranolol, prazosin). In contrast, low NE/5HT (or E/I) depressions should be treated with agents that boost NE (such as most tricyclics) and/or drugs that reduce serotonergic transmission. Our model predicts that the rapidly acting antidepressant ketamine (and possibly scopolamine), which has an acutely excitatory electrophysiological profile that may be followed by sustained increased inhibition, should improve the high NE/5HT subtype and worsen the low subtype.

Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Role of Acetylcholinesterase in their Pathogenesis

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases by influencing the inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress and aggregation of pathological proteins. There is a search for new compounds that can prevent the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases and slow down their course. The aim of this review is to present the role of AChE in the pathomechanism of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this review aims to reveal the benefits of using AChE inhibitors to treat these diseases. The selected new AChE inhibitors were also assessed in terms of their potential use in the described disease entities. Designing and searching for new drugs targeting AChE may in the future allow the discovery of therapies that will be effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Norepinephrine May Oppose Other Neuromodulators to Impact Alzheimer's Disease

While much of biomedical research since the middle of the twentieth century has focused on molecular pathways inside the cell, there is increasing evidence that extracellular signaling pathways are also critically important in health and disease. The neuromodulators norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT), dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (ACH), and melatonin (MT) are extracellular signaling molecules that are distributed throughout the brain and modulate many disease processes. The effects of these five neuromodulators on Alzheimer's disease (AD) are briefly examined in this paper, and it is hypothesized that each of the five molecules has a u-shaped (or Janus-faced) dose-response curve, wherein too little or too much signaling is pathological in AD and possibly other diseases. In particular it is suggested that NE is largely functionally opposed to 5HT, ACH, MT, and possibly DA in AD. In this scenario, physiological "balance" between the noradrenergic tone and that of the other three or four modulators is most healthy. If NE is largely functionally opposed to other prominent neuromodulators in AD, this may suggest novel combinations of pharmacological agents to counteract this disease. It is also suggested that the majority of cases of AD and possibly other diseases involve an excess of noradrenergic tone and a collective deficit of the other four modulators.

Disease-modifying treatment with I2 imidazoline receptor ligand LSL60101 in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model: a comparative study with donepezil

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The development of effective therapeutic strategies against Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a challenge. I₂ imidazoline receptor ligands have a neuroprotective role in AD. Moreover, co-treatment of AChE inhibitors with neuroprotective agents have shown better effects on the prevention of dementia. Here, we assessed the potential therapeutic effect of the I₂ ligand, donepezil and their combination in 5XFAD mice.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

5XFAD female mice were treated with low doses (1 mg·kg^-1 ·day^-1 ) of LSL60101, donepezil and donepezil plus LSL60101, during 4 weeks per os. Novel object recognition, Morris water maze, open field, elevated plus maze and three-chamber tests were used to evaluate the cognitive and behavioural status after treatment. The effects on AD-like pathology were assessed with immunohistochemistry, western blot, ELISA and qPCR.

KEY RESULTS

Chronic low-dose treatment with LSL60101 and donepezil reversed cognitive deficits and impaired social behaviour. LSL60101 treatment did not affect anxiety-like behaviour in contrast to donepezil. In the 5XFAD brains, LSL60101 and donepezil/LSL60101 treatments attenuated amyloid-β pathology by decreasing amyloid-β₄₀ and amyloid-β₄₂ levels, amyloid-β plaque number and tau hyperphosphorylation. These alterations were accompanied by reduced microglia marker Iba-1 levels and increased Trem2 gene expression. LSL60101 and donepezil decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytic marker reactivity. However, only LSL60101 and donepezil/LSL60101 treatments significantly increased the synaptic marker levels of post-synaptic density protein 95 and synaptophysin.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Chronic low-dose treatment with selective I₂ - ligands can be an effective treatment for AD and provide insights into combination treatments for symptomatic and disease-modifying drugs.

Multiple cholinesterase inhibitors have antidepressant-like properties in the mouse forced swim test

There is high clinical interest in improving the pharmacological treatment of individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This neuropsychiatric disorder continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, where existing pharmaceutical treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors often have limited efficacy. In a recent publication, we demonstrated an antidepressant-like role for the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) donepezil in the C57BL/6J mouse forced swim test (FST). Those data added to a limited literature in rodents and human subjects which suggests AChEIs have antidepressant properties, but added the novel finding that donepezil only showed antidepressant-like properties at lower doses (0.02, 0.2 mg/kg). At a high dose (2.0 mg/kg), donepezil tended to promote depression-like behavior, suggesting a u-shaped dose-response curve for FST immobility. Here we investigate the effects of three other AChEIs with varying molecular structures: galantamine, physostigmine, and rivastigmine, to test whether they also exhibit antidepressant-like effects in the FST. We find that these drugs do exhibit therapeutic-like effects at low but not high doses, albeit at lower doses for physostigmine. Further, we find that their antidepressant-like effects are not mediated by generalized hyperactivity in the novel open field test, and are also not accompanied by anxiolytic-like properties. These data further support the hypothesis that acetylcholine has a u-shaped dose-response relationship with immobility in the C57BL/6J mouse FST, and provide a rationale for more thoroughly investigating whether reversible AChEIs as a class can be repurposed for the treatment of MDD in human subjects.

Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase deficiency induces depression-like behavior via enhanced antagonism of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by kynurenic acid

Tryptophan (TRP) is metabolized via the kynurenine (KYN) pathway, which is related to the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) is a pivotal enzyme in the metabolism of KYN to 3-hydroxykynurenine. In rodents, KMO deficiency induces a depression-like behavior and increases the levels of kynurenic acid (KA), a KYN metabolite formed by kynurenine aminotransferases (KATs). KA antagonizes α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). Here, we investigated the involvement of KA in depression-like behavior in KMO knockout (KO) mice. KYN, KA, and anthranilic acid but not TRP or 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid were elevated in the prefrontal cortex of KMO KO mice. The mRNA levels of KAT1 and α7nAChR but not KAT2-4, α4nAChR, or β2nAChR were elevated in the prefrontal cortex of KMO KO mice. Nicotine blocked increase in locomotor activity, decrease in social interaction time, and prolonged immobility in a forced swimming test, but it did not decrease sucrose preference in the KMO KO mice. Methyllycaconitine (an α7nAChR antagonist) antagonized the effect of nicotine on decreased social interaction time and prolonged immobility in the forced swimming test, but not increased locomotor activity. Galantamine (an α7nAChR allosteric agonist) blocked the increased locomotor activity and prolonged immobility in the forced swimming test, but not the decreased social interaction time in the KMO KO mice. In conclusion, elevation of KA levels contributes to depression-like behaviors in KMO KO mice by α7nAChR antagonism. The ameliorating effects of nicotine and galantamine on depression-like behaviors in KMO KO mice are associated with the activation of α7nAChR.

Repurposing Cholinesterase Inhibitors as Antidepressants? Dose and Stress-Sensitivity May Be Critical to Opening Possibilities

When stress becomes chronic it can trigger lasting brain and behavioral changes including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). There is conflicting evidence regarding whether acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) may have antidepressant properties. In a recent publication, we demonstrated a strong dose-dependency of the effect of AChEIs on antidepressant-related behavior in the mouse forced swim test: whereas the AChEI donepezil indeed promotes depression-like behavior at a high dose, it has antidepressant-like properties at lower doses in the same experiment. Our data therefore suggest a Janus-faced dose-response curve for donepezil in depression-related behavior. In this review, we investigate the mood-related properties of AChEIs in greater detail, focusing on both human and rodent studies. In fact, while there have been many studies showing pro-depressant activity by AChEIs and this is a major concept in the field, a variety of other studies in both humans and rodents show antidepressant effects. Our study was one of the first to systematically vary dose to include very low concentrations while measuring behavioral effects, potentially explaining the apparent disparate findings in the field. The possibility of antidepressant roles for AChEIs in rodents may provide hope for new depression treatments. Importantly, MDD is a psychosocial stress-linked disorder, and in rodents, stress is a major experimental manipulation for studying depression mechanisms, so an important future direction will be to determine the extent to which these depression-related effects are stress-sensitive. In sum, gaining a greater understanding of the potentially therapeutic mood-related effects of low dose AChEIs, both in rodent models and in human subjects, should be a prioritized topic in ongoing translational research.

Cholinergic drugs bind at the minor groove and reverse induced oxidative stress of calf thymus DNA: a new perspective towards an unexplored therapeutic efficacy

Four FDA approved cholinesterase inhibitors reverse the hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative damage of ct-DNA.