Estrogen prevents β-amyloid inhibition of sympathetic α7-nAChR-mediated nitrergic neurogenic dilation in porcine basilar arteries

Soy flavonoids prevent cognitive deficits induced by intra-gastrointestinal administration of beta-amyloid

BACKGROUND

In Alzheimer's diseases, beta-amyloid may act as prion-like protein and migrate from the gastrointestinal tract towards the brain. Soy flavonoids have been identified as neuroprotective against cognitive loss in human. Diet with soy flavonoids may be used to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's diseases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed in-vitro tissue culture experiments using myenteric plexus longitudinal muscle layers isolated from the ileum and colon of ICR mice. Beta-amyloid can be taken up into myenteric neurons and induce neuron degeneration, which is protected by flavonoids compounds, including daidzein, genistein, glycitein and luteolin. We also administered oligomeric beta-amyloid (1-42) (total dose: 8 μg) into the gastrointestinal walls of ICR mice and conducted memory tests and gastrointestinal function assessments after 6 and 12 months. Mice treated with beta-amyloid exhibited minor learning deficits in a T-maze memory test at 6 months and significant memory impairment in a novel object recognition task at 12 months. These impairments were prevented by soy flavonoids. Tracking studies performed using fluorescently tagged beta-amyloid found that, beta-amyloid injected at the stomach can aggregate within the layer of myenteric neurons and migrate to the jejunum or via the vagus nerves to the brain after 1 month. Reductions in the gastrointestinal tissue weight and the spontaneous ileal contraction frequency were also observed at 6 and 12 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that beta-amyloid can migrate from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain to induce cognitive impairments. Furthermore, chronic soy flavonoids in drinking water have protective actions.

Blockade of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors inhibit nicotine-induced tumor growth and vimentin expression in non-small cell lung cancer through MEK/ERK signaling way

Nicotine can stimulate the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The persistent proliferation of cancer cells is one of the key effects of nicotinic signaling. The present study aimed to clarify the mechanism of nicotine-induced proliferation in NSCLCs at the receptor subtype level. We have previously reported that there are various subtypes of nicotinic receptors expressed in NSCLC cell lines. In the present study, we demonstrated that blocking α7nAChRs agonized by nicotine could suppress the proliferation of H1299 cells in vitro and decrease H1299 tumor xenograft growth in nude mice. During this process, the expression of vimentin was also markedly attenuated, concomitant with the decreased expression of α7nAChR. These results were ascertained by knocking down the α7nAChR gene to abolish receptor functioning. Furthermore, under the stimulation of nicotine, the MEK/ERK signaling pathway was found to be inhibited when cells were treated with an antagonist of α7nAChR or an inhibitor of MEK. Collectively the results indicate that the changes in proliferation and vimentin expression of H1299 cells in response to α7nAChR stimulation are mediated by the MEK/ERK pathway. These findings demonstrate that α7nAChR plays an important role in H1299 cell proliferation, tumor growth and expression of vimentin. Therefore, blocking α7nAChRs in NSCLC may be a potential adjuvant therapy for the targeted treatment of NSCLC.

Overexpression of estrogen receptor beta alleviates the toxic effects of beta-amyloid protein on PC12 cells via non-hormonal ligands

After binding to the estrogen receptor, estrogen can alleviate the toxic effects of beta-amyloid protein, and thereby exert a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's disease patients. Estrogen can increase the incidence of breast carcinoma and endometrial cancer in post-menopausal women, so it is not suitable for clinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease. There is recent evidence that the estrogen receptor can exert its neuroprotective effects without estrogen dependence. Real-time quantitative PCR and flow cytometry results showed that, compared with non-transfected PC12 cells, adenovirus-mediated estrogen receptor β gene-transfected PC12 cells exhibited lower expression of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β under stimulation with beta-amyloid protein and stronger protection from apoptosis. The Akt-specific inhibitor Abi-2 decreased the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of estrogen receptor β gene-transfection. These findings suggest that overexpression of estrogen receptor β can alleviate the toxic effect of beta-amyloid protein on PC12 cells, without estrogen dependence. The Akt pathway is one of the potential means for the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of the estrogen receptor.

Pharmacological characterization of the mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxation induced by progesterone and 17β-estradiol on isolated canine basilar and internal carotid arteries

Progesterone and 17β-estradiol induce vasorelaxation through non-genomic mechanisms in several isolated blood vessels; however, no study has systematically evaluated the mechanisms involved in the relaxation induced by 17β-estradiol and progesterone in the canine basilar and internal carotid arteries that play a key role in cerebral circulation. Thus, relaxant effects of progesterone and 17β-estradiol on KCl- and/or PGF2α-pre-contracted arterial rings were investigated in absence or presence of several antagonists/inhibitors/blockers; the effect on the contractile responses to CaCl2 was also determined. In both arteries progesterone (5.6-180 μM) and 17β-estradiol (1.8-180 μM): (1) produced concentration-dependent relaxations of KCl- or PGF2α-pre-contracted arterial rings; (2) the relaxations were unaffected by actinomycin D (10 μM), cycloheximide (10 μM), SQ 22,536 (100 μM) or ODQ (30 μM), potassium channel blockers and ICI 182,780 (only for 17β-estradiol). In the basilar artery the vasorelaxation induced by 17β-estradiol was slightly blocked by tetraethylammonium (10mM) and glibenclamide (KATP; 10 μM). In both arteries, progesterone (10-100 μM), 17β-estradiol (3.1-31 μM) and nifedipine (0.01-1 μM) produced a concentration-dependent blockade of the contraction to CaCl2 (10 μM-10mM). These results suggest that progesterone and 17β-estradiol produced relaxation in the basilar and internal carotid arteries by blockade of L-type voltage dependent Ca(2+) channel but not by genomic mechanisms or production of cAMP/cGMP. Potassium channels did not play a role in the relaxation to progesterone in both arteries or in the effect of 17β-estradiol in the internal carotid artery; meanwhile KATP channels play a minor role on the effect of 17β-estradiol in the basilar artery.

Estrogen receptor beta treats Alzheimer's disease

In vitro studies have shown that estrogen receptor β can attenuate the cytotoxic effect of amyloid β protein on PC12 cells through the Akt pathway without estrogen stimulation. In this study, we aimed to observe the effect of estrogen receptor β in Alzheimer's disease rat models established by intraventricular injection of amyloid β protein. Estrogen receptor β lentiviral particles delivered via intraventricular injection increased Akt content in the hippocampus, decreased interleukin-1β mRNA, tumor necrosis factor α mRNA and amyloid β protein levels in the hippocampus, and improved the learning and memory capacities in Alzheimer's disease rats. Estrogen receptor β short hairpin RNA lentiviral particles delivered via intraventricular injection had none of the above impacts on Alzheimer's disease rats. These experimental findings indicate that estrogen receptor β, independent from estrogen, can reduce inflammatory reactions and amyloid β deposition in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease rats, and improve learning and memory capacities. This effect may be mediated through activation of the Akt pathway.

L-type calcium channels in sympathetic α3β2-nAChR-mediated cerebral nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation

AIM

Nicotine stimulation of α3β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α3β2-nAChRs) located on sympathetic nerves innervating basilar arteries causes calcium-dependent noradrenaline release, leading to activation of parasympathetic nitrergic nerves and dilation of basilar arteries. This study aimed to investigate the major subtype of calcium channels located on cerebral peri-vascular sympathetic nerves, which is involved in nicotine-induced α3β2-nAChR-mediated nitrergic vasodilation in basilar arteries.

METHODS

Nicotine- and transmural nerve stimulation (TNS)-induced dilation of isolated porcine basilar arteries was examined using in vitro tissue bath. Nicotine-induced calcium influx, nicotine-induced noradrenaline release and nicotine-induced inward currents were evaluated in rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurones, peri-vascular sympathetic nerves of porcine basilar arteries and α3β2-nAChRs-expressing oocytes respectively. mRNA and protein expression of Cav 1.2 and Cav 1.3 channels were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Nicotine-induced vasodilation was not affected by ω-agatoxin TK (selective P/Q-type calcium channel blocker) or ω-conotoxin GVIA (N-type calcium channel blocker). The vasodilation, however, was inhibited by nicardipine (L-type calcium channel blocker) in concentrations which did not affect TNS-induced vasodilation, suggesting the specific blockade. Nicardipine concentration-dependently inhibited nicotine-induced calcium influx in rat SCG neurones and reduced nicotine-induced noradrenaline release from peri-vascular sympathetic nerves of porcine basilar arteries. Nicardipine (10 μm), which significantly blocked nicotine-induced vasorelaxation by 70%, did not appreciably affect nicotine-induced inward currents in α3β2-nAChRs-expressing oocytes. Furthermore, the mRNAs and proteins of Cav 1.2 and Cav 1.3 channels were expressed in porcine SCG and peri-vascular nerve terminals.

CONCLUSION

The sympathetic neuronal calcium influx through L-type calcium channels is modulated by α3β2-nAChRs. This calcium influx causes noradrenaline release, initiating sympathetic-parasympathetic (axo-axonal) interaction-induced nitrergic dilation of porcine basilar arteries.

Axo-axonal interaction in autonomic regulation of the cerebral circulation

Noradrenaline (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) released from the sympathetic and parasympathetic neurones in cerebral blood vessels were suggested initially to be the respective vasoconstricting and dilating transmitters. Both substances, however, are extremely weak post-synaptic transmitters. Compelling evidence indicates that nitric oxide (NO) which is co-released with ACh from same parasympathetic nerves is the major transmitter for cerebral vasodilation, and its release is inhibited by ACh. NE released from the sympathetic nerve, acting on presynaptic β2-adrenoceptors located on the neighbouring parasympathetic nitrergic nerves, however, facilitates NO release with enhanced vasodilation. This axo-axonal interaction mediating NE transmission is supported by close apposition between sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve terminals, and has been shown in vivo at the base of the brain and the cortical cerebral circulation. This result reveals the physiological need for increased regional cerebral blood flow in 'fight-or-flight response' during acute stress. Furthermore, α7- and α3β2-nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) on sympathetic nerve terminals mediate release of NE, leading to cerebral nitrergic vasodilation. α7-nAChR-mediated but not α3β2-nAChR-mediated cerebral nitrergic vasodilation is blocked by β-amyloid peptides (Aβs). This may provide an explanation for cerebral hypoperfusion seen in patients with Alzheimer's disease. α7- and α3β2-nAChR-mediated nitrergic vasodilation is blocked by cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) which are widely used for treating Alzheimer's disease, leading to possible cerebral hypoperfusion. This may contribute to the limitation of clinical use of ChEIs. ChEI blockade of nAChR-mediated dilation like that by Aβs is prevented by statins pretreatment, suggesting that efficacy of ChEIs may be improved by concurrent use of statins.