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Mey M, Bhatta S, Suresh S, Labrador LM, Piontkivska H, Casadesus G. Therapeutic benefits of central LH receptor agonism in the APP/PS1 AD model involve trophic and immune regulation and are reproductive status dependent. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167165. [PMID: 38653355 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167165] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The mechanisms that underly reproductive hormone effects on cognition, neuronal plasticity, and AD risk, particularly in relation to gonadotropin LH receptor (LHCGR) signaling, remain poorly understood. To address this gap in knowledge and clarify the impact of circulating steroid hormones on the therapeutic effects of CNS LHCGR activation, we delivered the LHCGR agonist human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) intracerebroventricularly (ICV) and evaluated functional, structural, plasticity-related signaling cascades, Aβ pathology, and transcriptome differences in reproductively intact and ovariectomized (OVX) APP/PS1 AD female mice. Here we demonstrate that CNS hCG delivery restored function to wild-type levels only in OVX APP/PS1 mice. Spine density was increased in all hCG treated groups independently of reproductive status. Notably, increases in BDNF signaling and cognition, were selectively upregulated only in the OVX hCG-treated group. RNA sequencing analyses identified a significant increase in peripheral myeloid and pro-inflammatory genes within the hippocampi of the OVX group that were completely reversed by hCG treatment, identifying a potential mechanism underlying the selective therapeutic effect of LHCGR activation. Interestingly, in intact mice, hCG administration mimicked the effects of gonadectomy. Together, our findings indicate that CNS LHCGR agonism in the post-menopausal context is beneficial through trophic and immune mechanisms. Our findings also underscore the presence of a steroid-LHCGR mechanistic interaction that is unexplored yet potentially meaningful to fully understand "post-menopausal" brain function and CNS hormone treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Mey
- Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, United States of America
| | - Sabina Bhatta
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States of America
| | - Sneha Suresh
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, United States of America
| | | | | | - Gemma Casadesus
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32606, United States of America.
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2
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Zhang YN, Chen XL, Guo LY, Jiang PR, Lu H, Pan K, Guo L, Hu YT, Bao AM. Downregulation of peripheral luteinizing hormone rescues ovariectomy-associated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 135:60-69. [PMID: 38185053 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.12.007] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is more prevalent in women than men, supposing due to the decline of estrogens in menopause, accompanied by increased gonadotropins such as luteinizing hormone (LH). We and others found that the transcription factor early growth response-1 (EGR1) regulates cholinergic function including the expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plays a significant role in cognitive decline of AD. Here we investigated in APP/PS1 mice by ovariectomy (OVX) and estradiol (E2) supplementation or inhibition of LH the effect on hippocampus-related cognition and related molecular changes. We found that OVX-associated cognitive impairment was accompanied by increased dorsal hippocampal EGR1 expression, which was rescued by downregulating peripheral LH rather than by supplementing E2. We also found in postmortem AD brains a higher expression of pituitary LH-mRNA and higher EGR1 expression in the posterior hippocampus. Both, in human and mice, there was a significant positive correlation between respectively posterior/dorsal hippocampal EGR1 and peripheral LH expression. We conclude that peripheral increased LH and increased posterior hippocampal EGR1 plays a significant role in AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, East Qingchun Road 3#, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Ling-Yu Guo
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Ran Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Brain Bank for Health and Disease, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Lu
- National Brain Bank for Health and Disease, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kai Pan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ting Hu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Min Bao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, East Qingchun Road 3#, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.
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3
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Frolinger T, Korkmaz F, Sims S, Sen F, Sultana F, Laurencin V, Cullen L, Pallapati AR, Liu A, Rojekar S, Pevnev G, Cheliadinova U, Vasilyeva D, Burganova G, Macdonald A, Saxena M, Goosens K, Rosen C, Barak O, Lizneva D, Gumerova A, Ye K, Ryu V, Yuen T, Zaidi M. Gene-Dose-Dependent Reduction Fshr Expression Improves Spatial Memory Deficits in Alzheimer's Mice. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3964789. [PMID: 38463956 PMCID: PMC10925392 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3964789/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the aging population. High post-menopausal levels of the pituitary gonadotropin follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are strongly associated with the onset of AD, and we have shown recently that FSH directly activates the hippocampal Fshr to drive AD-like pathology and memory loss in mice. To establish a role for FSH in memory loss, we used female 3xTg;Fshr+/+, 3xTg;Fshr+/- and 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice that were either left unoperated or underwent sham surgery or ovariectomy at 8 weeks of age. Unoperated and sham-operated 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice were implanted with 17β-estradiol pellets to normalize estradiol levels. Morris Water Maze and Novel Object Recognition behavioral tests were performed to study deficits in spatial and recognition memory, respectively, and to examine the effects of Fshr depletion. 3xTg;Fshr+/+ mice displayed impaired spatial memory at 5 months of age; both the acquisition and retrieval of the memory were ameliorated in 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice and, to a lesser extent, in 3xTg;Fshr+/- mice- -thus documenting a clear gene-dose-dependent prevention of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory impairment. At 5 and 10 months, sham-operated 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice showed better memory performance during the acquasition and/or retrieval phases, suggesting that Fshr deletion prevented the progression of spatial memory deficits with age. However, this prevention was not seen when mice were ovariectomized, except in the 10-month-old 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice. In the Novel Object Recognition test performed at 10 months, all groups of mice, except ovariectomized 3xTg;Fshr-/- mice showed a loss of recognition memory. Consistent with the neurobehavioral data, there was a gene-dose-dependent reduction mainly in the amyloid β40 isoform in whole brain extracts. Finally, serum FSH levels < 8 ng/mL in 16-month-old APP/PS1 mice were associated with better retrieval of spatial memory. Collectively, the data provide compelling genetic evidence for a protective effect of inhibiting FSH signaling on the progression of spatial and recognition memory deficits in mice, and lay a firm foundation for the use of an FSH-blocking agent for the early prevention of cognitive decline in postmenopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Avi Liu
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Keqiang Ye
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology
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Mey M, Bhatta S, Suresh S, Montero Labrador L, Piontkivska H, Casadesus G. The LH receptor regulates hippocampal spatial memory and restores dendritic spine density in ovariectomized APP/PS1 AD mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573087. [PMID: 38187770 PMCID: PMC10769359 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Activation of the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHCGR) rescues spatial memory function and spine density losses associated with gonadectomy and high circulating gonadotropin levels in females. However, whether this extends to the AD brain or the mechanisms that underlie these benefits remain unknown. To address this question, we delivered the LHCGR agonist human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) intracerebroventricularly (ICV), under reproductively intact and ovariectomized conditions to mimic the post-menopausal state in the APP/PS1mouse brain. Cognitive function was tested using the Morris water maze task, and hippocampal dendritic spine density, Aβ pathology, and signaling changes associated with these endpoints were determined to address mechanisms. Here we show that central LHCGR activation restored function in ovariectomized APP/PS1 female mice to wild-type levels without altering Aβ pathology. LHCGR activation increased hippocampal dendritic spine density regardless of reproductive status, and this was mediated by BDNF-dependent and independent signaling. We also show that ovariectomy in the APP/PS1 brain elicits an increase in peripherally derived pro-inflammatory genes which are inhibited by LHCGR activation. This may mediate reproductive status specific effects of LHCGR agonism on cognitive function and BDNF expression. Together, this work highlights the relevance of the LHCGR on cognition and its therapeutic potential in the "menopausal" AD brain.
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Khairy EY, Salama OA. Effect of exercise on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14300. [PMID: 37653057 PMCID: PMC10471618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41415-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis dysregulation was suggested to play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the effects of exercise on HPG hormones in an AD rat model, as a possible mechanism underlying the favorable effect of exercise on AD. Forty male Wistar albino rats 2-3 months old were subdivided randomly into two groups (n = 20 each): AD group (injected intraperitoneally with aluminum chloride (70 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks) and Control group. Each group was subdivided into exercised or non-exercised group (n = 10 each). Exercised groups were subjected to a swimming protocol (60 min/day, 5 days/week, 4 weeks). Serum HPG hormones, hippocampal β-amyloid levels and Morris water-maze cognition were assessed. Results demonstrated higher levels of β-amyloid, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) together with lower testosterone levels and cognitive impairment in the AD rats compared to controls. Β-amyloid levels negatively correlated with testosterone levels and positively correlated with GnRH, LH and FSH among the AD rats. Higher testosterone and lower GnRH, LH, FSH and β-amyloid levels, as well as cognitive improvement, were observed in the exercised compared to non-exercised AD rats, suggesting a modulatory role of exercise training on AD-associated HPG axis dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Y Khairy
- Department of Physiology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, 165, Horreya Avenue, Hadara, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Ola A Salama
- Department of Physiology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, 165, Horreya Avenue, Hadara, Alexandria, Egypt
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Sims S, Barak O, Ryu V, Miyashita S, Kannangara H, Korkmaz F, Wizman S, Macdonald A, Gumerova A, Goosens K, Zaidi M, Yuen T, Lizneva D, Frolinger T. Absent LH signaling rescues the anxiety phenotype in aging female mice. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3324-3331. [PMID: 37563278 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02209-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies and experimental data together support a role for pituitary gonadotropins, including luteinizing hormone (LH), otherwise considered solely as fertility hormones, in age-related cognitive decline. Furthermore, rising levels of LH in post-menopausal women have been implicated in the high prevalence of mood disorders. This study was designed to examine the effect of deficient LH signaling on both cognitive and emotional behavior in 12-month-old Lhcgr-/- mice. For this, we established and validated a battery of five tests, including Dark-Light Box (DLB), Y-Maze Spontaneous Alternation, Novel Object Recognition (NOR), and contextual and cued Fear Conditioning (FCT) tests. We found that 12-month-old female wild type mice display a prominent anxiety phenotype on DLB and FCT. This phenotype was not seen in 12-month-old female Lhcgr-/- mice, indicating full phenotypic rescue. Furthermore, there was no effect of LHCGR depletion on recognition memory or working spatial memory on NOR and Y-maze testing, respectively, in 12-month-old mice, notwithstanding the absence of a basal phenotype in wild type littermates. The latter data do not exclude an effect of LH on cognition documented in previous studies. Finally, 12-month-old male mice and 3-month-old male and female mice did not consistently display deficits on any test. The data collectively document, for the first time, that loss of LH signaling reverses age-related emotional disturbances, a prelude to future targeted therapies that block LH action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Sims
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Orly Barak
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Vitaly Ryu
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sari Miyashita
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Hasni Kannangara
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Funda Korkmaz
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Soleil Wizman
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Anne Macdonald
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Anisa Gumerova
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ki Goosens
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Mone Zaidi
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Tony Yuen
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Daria Lizneva
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Tal Frolinger
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Xiong J, Zhang Z, Ye K. C/EBPβ/AEP Signaling Drives Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1173-1185. [PMID: 36735152 PMCID: PMC10313643 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01025-w] [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: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. Almost two-thirds of patients with AD are female. The reason for the higher susceptibility to AD onset in women is unclear. However, hormone changes during the menopausal transition are known to be associated with AD. Most recently, we reported that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) promotes AD pathology and enhances cognitive dysfunctions via activating the CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBPβ)/asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) pathway. This review summarizes our current understanding of the crucial role of the C/EBPβ/AEP pathway in driving AD pathogenesis by cleaving multiple critical AD players, including APP and Tau, explaining the roles and the mechanisms of FSH in increasing the susceptibility to AD in postmenopausal females. The FSH-C/EBPβ/AEP pathway may serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xiong
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Shenzhen, 518034, China.
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Hu YT, Chen XL, Zhang YN, McGurran H, Stormmesand J, Breeuwsma N, Sluiter A, Zhao J, Swaab D, Bao AM. Sex differences in hippocampal β-amyloid accumulation in the triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and the potential role of local estrogens. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1117584. [PMID: 36968493 PMCID: PMC10030503 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1117584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Epidemiological studies show that women have a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) than men. Peripheral estrogen reduction during aging in women is proposed to play a key role in this sex-associated prevalence, however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. We previously found that transcription factor early growth response-1 (EGR1) significantly regulates cholinergic function. EGR1 stimulates acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene expression and is involved in AD pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate whether the triple-transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mice harboring PS1 M146V , APP Swe , and Tau P301L show sex differences in β-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau), the two primary AD hallmarks, and how local 17β-estradiol (E2) may regulate the expression of EGR1 and AChE. Methods We first sacrificed male and female 3xTg-AD mice at 3-4, 7-8, and 11-12 months and measured the levels of Aβ, p-Tau, EGR1, and AChE in the hippocampal complex. Second, we infected SH-SY5Y cells with lentivirus containing the amyloid precursor protein construct C99, cultured with or without E2 administration we measured the levels of extracellular Aβ and intracellular EGR1 and AChE. Results Female 3xTg-AD mice had higher levels of Aβ compared to males, while no p-Tau was found in either group. In SH-SY5Y cells infected with lentivirus containing the amyloid precursor protein construct C99, we observed significantly increased extracellular Aβ and decreased expression of intracellular EGR1 and AChE. By adding E2 to the culture medium, extracellular Aβ(l-42) was significantly decreased while intracellular EGR1 and AChE expression were elevated. Discussion This data shows that the 3xTg-AD mouse model can be useful for studying the human sex differences of AD, but only in regards to Ap. Furthermore, in vitro data shows local E2 may be protective for EGR1 and cholinergic functions in AD while suppressing soluble Aβ(1-42) levels. Altogether, this study provides further in vivo and in vitro data supporting the human epidemiological data indicating a higher prevalence of AD in women is related to changes in brain estrogen levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Hu
- Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ya-Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hugo McGurran
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jochem Stormmesand
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nicole Breeuwsma
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arja Sluiter
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Juan Zhao
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dick Swaab
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Dick Swaab,
| | - Ai-Min Bao
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Ai-Min Bao,
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Cunliffe G, Lim YT, Chae W, Jung S. Alternative Pharmacological Strategies for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Neuromodulator Function. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123064. [PMID: 36551821 PMCID: PMC9776382 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, comprising 70% of dementia diagnoses worldwide and affecting 1 in 9 people over the age of 65. However, the majority of its treatments, which predominantly target the cholinergic system, remain insufficient at reversing pathology and act simply to slow the inevitable progression of the disease. The most recent neurotransmitter-targeting drug for AD was approved in 2003, strongly suggesting that targeting neurotransmitter systems alone is unlikely to be sufficient, and that research into alternate treatment avenues is urgently required. Neuromodulators are substances released by neurons which influence neurotransmitter release and signal transmission across synapses. Neuromodulators including neuropeptides, hormones, neurotrophins, ATP and metal ions display altered function in AD, which underlies aberrant neuronal activity and pathology. However, research into how the manipulation of neuromodulators may be useful in the treatment of AD is relatively understudied. Combining neuromodulator targeting with more novel methods of drug delivery, such as the use of multi-targeted directed ligands, combinatorial drugs and encapsulated nanoparticle delivery systems, may help to overcome limitations of conventional treatments. These include difficulty crossing the blood-brain-barrier and the exertion of effects on a single target only. This review aims to highlight the ways in which neuromodulator functions are altered in AD and investigate how future therapies targeting such substances, which act upstream to classical neurotransmitter systems, may be of potential therapeutic benefit in the sustained search for more effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Cunliffe
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Yi Tang Lim
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore
- Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Woori Chae
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangyong Jung
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
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Zeng M, Feng A, Zhao C, Zhang B, Guo P, Liu M, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Fan R, Lyu J, Zheng X. Adenosine ameliorated Aβ 25-35-induced brain injury through the inhibition of apoptosis and oxidative stress via an ERα pathway. Brain Res 2022; 1788:147944. [PMID: 35568086 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that adenosine has estrogen-like activity mediated by estrogen receptor α (ERɑ). This study aimed to examine the effects of adenosine on Aβ25-35-induced brain injury and the underlying mechanisms involved. Adenosine (Ade, 20 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for four weeks, followed by the induction of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by Aβ25-35 (200 µM, 3 µL/20 g, i.c.v.). Furthermore, a specific ERα blocker (MPP, 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 30 min before the treatments of adenosine to evaluate whether the observed effects elicited by adenosine were mediated via ERα. In addition, the learning and memory ability, neuronal damage, and the levels of amyloid β-protein (Aβ), phosphorylated Tau Protein (p-Tau), apoptosis, oxidative stress, immune cells, and ERα were examined. The antagonistic effect of MPP (1 µM) against adenosine (5 µM) in Aβ25-35 (20 µM, 24 h)-induced N9 and PC-12 cells was also investigated. Adenosine improved learning and memory ability, reduced neuronal damage, downregulated Aβ42/Aβ40, p-Tau, apoptosis, and oxidative stress, transformed immune cells, and increased the expression of ERα following Aβ25-35 challenge. MPP could block these effects. Moreover, MPP also blocked the effects of adenosine on the levels of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Aβ25-35-induced N9 and PC-12 cells. Adenosine ameliorated Aβ25-35-induced brain injury by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress, possibly via an ERα pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengnan Zeng
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Aozi Feng
- Department of Clinical Research, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chenxin Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pengli Guo
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Meng Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qinqin Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruyi Fan
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jun Lyu
- Department of Clinical Research, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiaoke Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China; The Engineering and Technology Center for Chinese Medicine Development of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China.
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11
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Farkas S, Szabó A, Török B, Sólyomvári C, Fazekas CL, Bánrévi K, Correia P, Chaves T, Zelena D. Ovariectomy-induced hormone deprivation aggravates Aβ 1-42 deposition in the basolateral amygdala and cholinergic fiber loss in the cortex but not cognitive behavioral symptoms in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:985424. [PMID: 36303870 PMCID: PMC9596151 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.985424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, being highly prevalent in elderly women. The advanced progression may be due to decreased hormone synthesis during post-menopause as estradiol and progesterone both have neuroprotective potentials. We aimed to confirm that female hormone depletion aggravates the progression of dementia in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD). As pathological hallmarks are known to appear in 6-month-old animals, we expected to see disease-like changes in the 4-month-old 3xTg-AD mice only after hormone depletion. Three-month-old female 3xTg-AD mice were compared with their age-matched controls. As a menopause model, ovaries were removed (OVX or Sham surgery). After 1-month recovery, the body composition of the animals was measured by an MRI scan. The cognitive and anxiety parameters were evaluated by different behavioral tests, modeling different aspects (Y-maze, Morris water maze, open-field, social discrimination, elevated plus maze, light-dark box, fox odor, operant conditioning, and conditioned fear test). At the end of the experiment, uterus was collected, amyloid-β accumulation, and the cholinergic system in the brain was examined by immunohistochemistry. The uterus weight decreased, and the body weight increased significantly in the OVX animals. The MRI data showed that the body weight change can be due to fat accumulation. Moreover, OVX increased anxiety in control, but decreased in 3xTg-AD animals, the later genotype being more anxious by default based on the anxiety z-score. In general, 3xTg-AD mice moved less. In relation to cognition, neither the 3xTg-AD genotype nor OVX surgery impaired learning and memory in general. Despite no progression of dementia-like behavior after OVX, at the histological level, OVX aggravated the amyloid-β plaque deposition in the basolateral amygdala and induced early cholinergic neuronal fiber loss in the somatosensory cortex of the transgenic animals. We confirmed that OVX induced menopausal symptoms. Removal of the sexual steroids aggravated the appearance of AD-related alterations in the brain without significantly affecting the behavior. Thus, the OVX in young, 3-month-old 3xTg-AD mice might be a suitable model for testing the effect of new treatment options on structural changes; however, to reveal any beneficial effect on behavior, a later time point might be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szidónia Farkas
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Szabó
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csenge Sólyomvári
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Csilla Lea Fazekas
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Bánrévi
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Pedro Correia
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tiago Chaves
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Dóra Zelena,
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12
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Geddes RI, Kapoor A, Hayashi K, Rauh R, Wehber M, Bongers Q, Jansen AD, Anderson IM, Farquhar G, Vadakkadath‐Meethal S, Ziegler TE, Atwood CS. Hypogonadism induced by surgical stress and brain trauma is reversed by human chorionic gonadotropin in male rats: A potential therapy for surgical and TBI-induced hypogonadism? Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 2021; 4:e00239. [PMID: 34277964 PMCID: PMC8279618 DOI: 10.1002/edm2.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is an almost universal, yet underappreciated, endocrinological complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal of this study was to determine whether the developmental hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment could reverse HH induced by a TBI. METHODS Plasma samples were collected at post-surgery/post-injury (PSD/PID) days -10, 1, 11, 19 and 29 from male Sprague-Dawley rats (5- to 6-month-old) that had undergone a Sham surgery (craniectomy alone) or CCI injury (craniectomy + bilateral moderate-to-severe CCI injury) and treatment with saline or hCG (400 IU/kg; i.m.) every other day. RESULTS Both Sham and CCI injury significantly decreased circulating testosterone (T), 11-deoxycorticosterone (11-DOC) and corticosterone concentrations to a similar extent (79.1% vs. 80.0%; 46.6% vs. 48.4%; 56.2% vs. 32.5%; respectively) by PSD/PID 1. hCG treatment returned circulating T to baseline concentrations by PSD/PID 1 (8.9 ± 1.5 ng/ml and 8.3 ± 1.9 ng/ml; respectively) and was maintained through PSD/PID 29. hCG treatment significantly, but transiently, increased circulating progesterone (P4) ~3-fold (30.2 ± 10.5 ng/ml and 24.2 ± 5.8 ng/ml) above that of baseline concentrations on PSD 1 and PID 1, respectively. hCG treatment did not reverse hypoadrenalism following either procedure. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data indicate that (1) craniectomy is sufficient to induce persistent hypogonadism and hypoadrenalism, (2) hCG can reverse hypogonadism induced by a craniectomy or craniectomy +CCI injury, suggesting that (3) craniectomy and CCI injury induce a persistent hypogonadism by decreasing hypothalamic and/or pituitary function rather than testicular function in male rats. The potential role of hCG as a cheap, safe and readily available treatment for reversing surgery or TBI-induced hypogonadism is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rastafa I. Geddes
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Assay Services Unit and Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Core LaboratoryNational Primate Research CenterUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Kentaro Hayashi
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Ryan Rauh
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Marlyse Wehber
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Quinn Bongers
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Alex D. Jansen
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Icelle M. Anderson
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Gabrielle Farquhar
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Sivan Vadakkadath‐Meethal
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Assay Services Unit and Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Core LaboratoryNational Primate Research CenterUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Craig S. Atwood
- Division of Geriatrics and GerontologyDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadisonWIUSA
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical CenterVeterans Administration HospitalMadisonWIUSA
- School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health SciencesEdith Cowan UniversityJoondalupAustralia
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13
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Kara F, Belloy ME, Voncken R, Sarwari Z, Garima Y, Anckaerts C, Langbeen A, Leysen V, Shah D, Jacobs J, Hamaide J, Bols P, Van Audekerke J, Daans J, Guglielmetti C, Kantarci K, Prevot V, Roßner S, Ponsaerts P, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Long-term ovarian hormone deprivation alters functional connectivity, brain neurochemical profile and white matter integrity in the Tg2576 amyloid mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:139-150. [PMID: 33765427 PMCID: PMC8312737 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Premenopausal bilateral ovariectomy is considered to be one of the risk factors of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate long-term neurological consequences of ovariectomy in a rodent AD model, TG2576 (TG), and wild-type mice (WT) that underwent an ovariectomy or sham-operation, using in vivo MRI biomarkers. An increase in osmoregulation and energy metabolism biomarkers in the hypothalamus, a decrease in white matter integrity, and a decrease in the resting-state functional connectivity was observed in ovariectomized TG mice compared to sham-operated TG mice. In addition, we observed an increase in functional connectivity in ovariectomized WT mice compared to sham-operated WT mice. Furthermore, genotype (TG vs. WT) effects on imaging markers and GFAP immunoreactivity levels were observed, but there was no effect of interaction (Genotype × Surgery) on amyloid-beta-and GFAP immunoreactivity levels. Taken together, our results indicated that both genotype and ovariectomy alters imaging biomarkers associated with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firat Kara
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Michael E Belloy
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rick Voncken
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Zahra Sarwari
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Yadav Garima
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Cynthia Anckaerts
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - An Langbeen
- Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Valerie Leysen
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences and Cognition, UMR-S1172, DistalZ, Lille, France
| | - Disha Shah
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jules Jacobs
- University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Bols
- Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jasmijn Daans
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Kejal Kantarci
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neurosciences and Cognition, UMR-S1172, DistalZ, Lille, France
| | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Ponsaerts
- Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-imaging Lab- Member of INMIND consortium, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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14
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Hu YT, Boonstra J, McGurran H, Stormmesand J, Sluiter A, Balesar R, Verwer R, Swaab D, Bao AM. Sex differences in the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease: focus on cognitively intact elderly individuals. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 47:958-966. [PMID: 33969531 PMCID: PMC9290663 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Women are more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease (AD) than men. We investigated (i) whether and at what age the AD hallmarks, that is, β-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) show sex differences; and (ii) whether such sex differences may occur in cognitively intact elderly individuals. METHODS We first analysed the entire post-mortem brain collection of all non-demented 'controls' and AD donors from our Brain Bank (245 men and 403 women), for the presence of sex differences in AD hallmarks. Second, we quantitatively studied possible sex differences in Aβ, Aβ42 and p-Tau in the entorhinal cortex of well-matched female (n = 31) and male (n = 21) clinically cognitively intact elderly individuals. RESULTS Women had significantly higher Braak stages for tangles and amyloid scores than men, after 80 years. In the cognitively intact elderly, women showed higher levels of p-Tau, but not Aβ or Aβ42, in the entorhinal cortex than men, and a significant interaction of sex with age was found only for p-Tau but not Aβ or Aβ42. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced p-Tau in the entorhinal cortex may play a major role in the vulnerability to AD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Hu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Jackson Boonstra
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hugo McGurran
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jochem Stormmesand
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arja Sluiter
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rawien Balesar
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald Verwer
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick Swaab
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ai-Min Bao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
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15
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Targeting impaired nutrient sensing with repurposed therapeutics to prevent or treat age-related cognitive decline and dementia: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 67:101302. [PMID: 33609776 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia is a debilitating syndrome that significantly impacts individuals over the age of 65 years. There are currently no disease-modifying treatments for dementia. Impairment of nutrient sensing pathways has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia, and may offer a novel treatment approach for dementia. AIMS This systematic review collates all available evidence for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapeutics that modify nutrient sensing in the context of preventing cognitive decline or improving cognition in ageing, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia populations. METHODS PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using key search terms focusing on available therapeutics such as 'metformin', 'GLP1', 'insulin' and the dementias including 'Alzheimer's disease' and 'Parkinson's disease'. Articles were screened using Covidence systematic review software (Veritas Health Innovation, Melbourne, Australia). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool v 2.0 for human studies and SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies. RESULTS Out of 2619 articles, 114 were included describing 31 different 'modulation of nutrient sensing pathway' therapeutics, 13 of which specifically were utilized in human interventional trials for normal ageing or dementia. Growth hormone secretagogues improved cognitive outcomes in human mild cognitive impairment, and potentially normal ageing populations. In animals, all investigated therapeutic classes exhibited some cognitive benefits in dementia models. While the risk of bias was relatively low in human studies, this risk in animal studies was largely unclear. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of nutrient sensing pathway therapeutics, particularly growth hormone secretagogues, have the potential to improve cognitive outcomes. Overall, there is a clear lack of translation from animal models to human populations.
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16
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Tzoupis H, Nteli A, Androutsou ME, Tselios T. Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone and GnRH Receptor: Structure, Function and Drug Development. Curr Med Chem 2021; 27:6136-6158. [PMID: 31309882 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190712165444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) is a key element in sexual maturation and regulation of the reproductive cycle in the human organism. GnRH interacts with the pituitary cells through the activation of the Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Receptors (GnRHR). Any impairments/dysfunctions of the GnRH-GnRHR complex lead to the development of various cancer types and disorders. Furthermore, the identification of GnRHR as a potential drug target has led to the development of agonist and antagonist molecules implemented in various treatment protocols. The development of these drugs was based on the information derived from the functional studies of GnRH and GnRHR. OBJECTIVE This review aims at shedding light on the versatile function of GnRH and GnRH receptor and offers an apprehensive summary regarding the development of different agonists, antagonists and non-peptide GnRH analogues. CONCLUSION The information derived from these studies can enhance our understanding of the GnRH-GnRHR versatile nature and offer valuable insight into the design of new more potent molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agathi Nteli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Rion GR-26504, Greece
| | - Maria-Eleni Androutsou
- Vianex S.A., Tatoiou Str., 18th km Athens-Lamia National Road, Nea Erythrea 14671, Greece
| | - Theodore Tselios
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Rion GR-26504, Greece
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17
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Mey M, Bhatta S, Casadesus G. Luteinizing hormone and the aging brain. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2021; 115:89-104. [PMID: 33706966 PMCID: PMC9853463 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Fluctuations in luteinizing hormone (LH) release contribute to the development and maintenance of the reproductive system and become dysregulated during aging. Of note, increasing evidence supports extra-gonadal roles for LH within the CNS, particularly as it relates to cognition and plasticity in aging and age-related degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, despite increasing evidence that supports a link between this hormone and CNS function, the mechanisms underlying LH action within the brain and how they influence cognition and plasticity during the lifespan is poorly understood and, in fact, often in conflict. This chapter aims to provide an up-to-date review of the literature addressing the role of LH signaling in the context of CNS aging and disease and put forward a unifying hypothesis that may explain currently conflicting theories regarding the role of LHCGR signaling in CNS function and dysfunction in aging and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Mey
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kent State University, Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Sabina Bhatta
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kent State University, Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Biological Science, School of Arts and Sciences, Kent State University, Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, United States,Corresponding author: ;
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18
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Agca C, Klakotskaia D, Stopa EG, Schachtman TR, Agca Y. Ovariectomy Influences Cognition and Markers of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 73:529-541. [PMID: 31796679 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most devastating and costly diseases, and prevalence of AD increases with age. Furthermore, females are twice as likely to suffer from AD compared to males. The cessation of reproductive steroid hormone production during menopause is hypothesized to cause this difference. Two rodent AD models, APP21 and APP+PS1, and wild type (WT) rats underwent an ovariectomy or sham surgery. Changes in learning and memory, brain histology, amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, levels of mRNAs involved in Aβ production and clearance, and synaptic and cognitive function were determined. Barnes maze results showed that regardless of ovariectomy status, APP+PS1 rats learned slower and had poor memory retention. Ovariectomy caused learning impairment only in the APP21 rats. High levels of Aβ42 and very low levels of Aβ40 were observed in the brain cortices of APP+PS1 rats indicating limited endogenous PS1. The APP+PS1 rats had 43-fold greater formic acid soluble Aβ42 than Aβ40 at 17 months. Furthermore, levels of formic acid soluble Aβ42 increased 57-fold in ovariectomized APP+PS1 rats between 12 and 17 months of age. The mRNA encoding Grin1 significantly decreased due to ovariectomy whereas levels of Bace1, Chat, and Prkcb all decreased with age. The expression levels of mRNAs involved in Aβ degradation and AβPP cleavage (Neprilysin, Ide, Adam9, and Psenen) were found to be highly correlated with each other as well as hippocampal Aβ deposition. Taken together, these results indicate that both ovariectomy and genotype influence AD markers in a complex manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cansu Agca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Diana Klakotskaia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Edward G Stopa
- Departments of Pathology and Neurosurgery, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Todd R Schachtman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Yuksel Agca
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Mariani MM, Mojziszek K, Curley E, Thornton JE. Lowering luteinizing hormone (LH) reverses spatial memory deficits associated with neurotoxin infusion into the hippocampus of ovx rats. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104631. [PMID: 31759942 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Monica M Mariani
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA.
| | - Kirsten Mojziszek
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Emily Curley
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Janice E Thornton
- Neuroscience Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
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20
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Bohm-Levine N, Goldberg AR, Mariani M, Frankfurt M, Thornton J. Reducing luteinizing hormone levels after ovariectomy improves spatial memory: Possible role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104590. [PMID: 31593698 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline are significantly more prevalent in post-menopausal women. Decreased estrogen levels, due to menopause or ovariectomy, may contribute to memory impairments and neurodegeneration. Another result of decreased estrogen levels is elevated luteinizing hormone (LH). Elevated LH after menopause/ovariectomy has been shown to impair cognition in both human and animal studies. Lowering LH levels rescues spatial memory in ovariectomized (ovx) rodents, yet the mechanisms of these effects are still unclear. Estrogens appear to exert some of their effects on memory by increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. In these studies, we explored whether lowering LH may act by increasing BDNF. Ovx rats were treated with Antide, a gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonist that lowers LH levels, or with estradiol. Both Antide and estradiol treatment enhanced spatial memory in ovx females. Both were found to be ineffective when a BDNF receptor antagonist was administered. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both Antide and estradiol increased BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Dendritic spine density on pyramidal cells in CA1 was unchanged by any treatment. These results provide evidence for a relationship between LH and BDNF in the hippocampus and demonstrate that estrogen-increasing and LH-lowering treatments may both require BDNF signaling in order to improve spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Bohm-Levine
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Alexander R Goldberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Monica Mariani
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Maya Frankfurt
- Department of Science Education, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Janice Thornton
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA.
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21
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Honarpisheh P, McCullough LD. Sex as a biological variable in the pathology and pharmacology of neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:4173-4192. [PMID: 30950038 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of dementia, most commonly caused by cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, continues to grow as our population ages. Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) are responsible for more than 80% of all cases of dementia. There are few effective, long-term treatments for AD and VCI-related conditions (e.g., stroke and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)). This review focuses on AD (as the most common "neurodegenerative" cause of dementia), CAA (as an "emerging" cause of dementia), and stroke (as the most common cause of "vascular" dementia). We will discuss the available literature on the pharmacological therapies that demonstrate sex differences, which refer to any combination of structural, chromosomal, gonadal, or hormonal differences between males and females. We will emphasize the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in the design of preclinical and clinical studies that investigate underlying pathologies or response to pharmacological interventions in dementia. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on The Importance of Sex Differences in Pharmacology Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.21/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Honarpisheh
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas
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22
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Blair JA, Bhatta S, Casadesus G. CNS luteinizing hormone receptor activation rescues ovariectomy-related loss of spatial memory and neuronal plasticity. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 78:111-120. [PMID: 30925299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Ovariectomy (OVX), a menopause model, leads to cognition and neuronal plasticity deficits that are rescued by estrogen administration or downregulation of pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH). LH is present in the brain. However, whether LH levels differ across brain regions, change across reproductive stages, or whether brain-specific LHR signaling play a role in OVX-related cognitive and neuroplasticity losses is completely unknown. To address this, we measured brain LH in cycling and OVX C57Bl/6 across brain regions and determined whether OVX-related functional and plasticity deficits could be rescued by intracerebroventricular administration of the LHR agonist (hCG). Here, we show that while pituitary LH is increased in OVX, brain LH is decreased, primarily in spatial memory and navigation areas. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular hCG delivery after OVX rescued dendritic spine density and spatial memory. In vitro, we show that hCG increased neurite outgrowth in primary hippocampal neurons in a receptor-specific manner. Taken together, our data suggest that loss of brain LH signaling is involved in cognitive and plasticity losses associated with OVX and loss of ovarian hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Blair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Sabina Bhatta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
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23
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Huber CM, Yee C, May T, Dhanala A, Mitchell CS. Cognitive Decline in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid-Beta versus Tauopathy. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 61:265-281. [PMID: 29154274 PMCID: PMC5734131 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We perform a large-scale meta-analysis of 51 peer-reviewed 3xTg-AD mouse publications to compare Alzheimer’s disease (AD) quantitative clinical outcome measures, including amyloid-β (Aβ), total tau, and phosphorylated tau (pTau), with cognitive performance in Morris water maze (MWM) and Novel Object Recognition (NOR). “High” levels of Aβ (Aβ40, Aβ42) showed significant but weak trends with cognitive decline (MWM: slope = 0.336, R2 = 0.149, n = 259, p < 0.001; NOR: slope = 0.156, R2 = 0.064, n = 116, p < 0.05); only soluble Aβ or directly measured Aβ meaningfully contribute. Tau expression in 3xTg-AD mice was within 10–20% of wild type and not associated with cognitive decline. In contrast, increased pTau is directly and significantly correlated with cognitive decline in MWM (slope = 0.408, R2 = 0.275, n = 371, p < < 0.01) and NOR (slope = 0.319, R2 = 0.176, n = 113, p < 0.05). While a variety of pTau epitopes (AT8, AT270, AT180, PHF-1) were examined, AT8 correlated most strongly with cognition (slope = 0.586, R2 = 0.521, n = 185, p < < 0.001). Multiple linear regression confirmed pTau is a stronger predictor of MWM performance than Aβ. Despite pTau’s lower physical concentration than Aβ, pTau levels more directly and quantitatively correlate with 3xTg-AD cognitive decline. pTau’s contribution to neurofibrillary tangles well after Aβ levels plateau makes pTau a viable treatment target even in late-stage clinical AD. Principal component analysis, which included hyperphosphorylation induced by kinases (pGSK3β, GSK3β, CDK5), identified phosphorylated ser9 GSK3β as the primary contributor to MWM variance. In summary, meta-analysis of cognitive decline in preclinical AD finds tauopathy more impactful than Aβ. Nonetheless, complex AD interactions dictate successful therapeutics harness synergy between Aβ and pTau, possibly through the GSK3 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Huber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Connor Yee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Taylor May
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Apoorva Dhanala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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24
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Christensen A, Pike CJ. TSPO ligand PK11195 improves Alzheimer-related outcomes in aged female 3xTg-AD mice. Neurosci Lett 2018; 683:7-12. [PMID: 29925037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis is a multifactorial process that involves numerous pathways within the central nervous system. Thus, interventions that interact with several disease-related pathways may offer an increased opportunity for successful prevention and treatment of AD. Translocator protein 18 kD (TSPO) is a mitochondrial protein that is associated with regulation of many cellular processes including inflammation, steroid synthesis, apoptosis, and mitochondrial respiration. Although TSPO ligands have been shown to be protective in several neurodegenerative paradigms, little work has been done to assess their potential as treatments for AD. Female 3xTg-AD mice were administered the TSPO ligand PK11195 once weekly for 5 weeks beginning at 16 months, an age characterized by extensive β-amyloid pathology and behavioral impairments. Animals treated with PK11195 showed improvements in behavior and modest reductions of in both soluble and deposited β-amyloid. The finding that short-term PK11195 treatment was effective in improving both behavioral and pathological outcomes in a model of late-stage AD supports further investigation of TSPO ligands as potential therapeutics for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Christensen
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Christian J Pike
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA USA.
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25
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Bhatta S, Blair JA, Casadesus G. Luteinizing Hormone Involvement in Aging Female Cognition: Not All Is Estrogen Loss. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:544. [PMID: 30319538 PMCID: PMC6165885 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pervasive age-related dysfunction in hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is associated with cognitive impairments in aging as well as pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as the Alzheimer's disease (AD). As a major regulator of the HPG axis, the steroid hormone estrogen has been widely studied for its role in regulation of memory. Although estrogen modulates both cognition as well as cognition associated morphological components in a healthy state, the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy on cognition and disease seem to diminish with advancing age. Emerging data suggests an important role for luteinizing hormone (LH) in CNS function, which is another component of the HPG axis that becomes dysregulated during aging, particularly in menopause. The goal of this review is to highlight the current existing literature on LH and provide new insights on possible mechanisms of its action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Bhatta
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Jeffrey A. Blair
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Gemma Casadesus
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26
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Kyriazis M. Four Principles Regarding an Effective Treatment of Aging. Curr Aging Sci 2018; 11:149-154. [PMID: 30362423 PMCID: PMC6388426 DOI: 10.2174/1874609811666181025170059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The question whether aging is a disease or not, has been asked by many professionals who are involved in the study of age-related degeneration. However, not only an agreement on this remains elusive, but also effective clinical treatments against human aging have not been forthcoming. In this Opinion paper I suggest that the complexity involved in aging is such that we need to remodel our thinking to involve a much more 'systems-oriented' approach. I explore four main principles which should be employed by those who are working on finding treatments against agerelated degeneration. First, I discuss the problems encountered in translating laboratory research into effective therapies for humans. Second, I propose that a 'systems-thinking' method needs to be more extensively employed, instead of relying exclusively on the current reductionist one. Third, it is submitted that we must learn from the history of life-extension research, and not blindly follow contemporary paradigms, which may lead us into yet more 'dead ends' with regards to therapies. Finally, I suggest that, we may need to employ certain universal notions and use these in order to gain insights into the mechanics of a possible therapy against age-related degeneration. Examples may be the principle of hormesis, those of degeneracy, exaptation, and others from cybernetic or systems science domains. By using this four-pronged approach we liberate our thinking from the shackles of existing common mistakes and fallacies, and we open the way for a fresh approach that may lead us towards entirely new paradigms for providing clinically effective therapies against agerelated degeneration.
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27
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Pike CJ. Sex and the development of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:671-680. [PMID: 27870425 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Men and women exhibit differences in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The factors underlying the sex differences in AD are not well understood. This Review emphasizes the contributions of sex steroid hormones to the relationship between sex and AD. In women, events that decrease lifetime exposure to estrogens are generally associated with increased AD risk, whereas estrogen-based hormone therapy administered near the time of menopause may reduce AD risk. In men, estrogens do not exhibit age-related reduction and are not significantly associated with AD risk. Rather, normal age-related depletions of testosterone in plasma and brain predict enhanced vulnerability to AD. Both estrogens and androgens exert numerous protective actions in the adult brain that increase neural functioning and resilience as well as specifically attenuating multiple aspects of AD-related neuropathology. Aging diminishes the activational effects of sex hormones in sex-specific manners, which is hypothesized to contribute to the relationship between aging and AD. Sex steroid hormones may also drive sex differences in AD through their organizational effects during developmental sexual differentiation of the brain. Specifically, sex hormone actions during early development may confer inherent vulnerability of the female brain to development of AD in advanced age. The combined effects of organizational and activational effects of sex steroids yield distinct sex differences in AD pathogenesis, a significant variable that must be more rigorously considered in future research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Pike
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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28
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Age-dependent regulation of obesity and Alzheimer-related outcomes by hormone therapy in female 3xTg-AD mice. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178490. [PMID: 28575011 PMCID: PMC5456100 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Depletion of ovarian hormones at menopause is associated with increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. Hormone loss also increases central adiposity, which promotes AD development. One strategy to improve health outcomes in postmenopausal women is estrogen-based hormone therapy (HT), though its efficacy is controversial. The window of opportunity hypothesis posits that HT is beneficial only if initiated near the onset of menopause. Here, we tested this hypothesis by assessing the efficacy of HT against diet-induced obesity and AD-related pathology in female 3xTg-AD mice at early versus late middle-age. HT protected against obesity and reduced β-amyloid burden only at early middle-age. One mechanism that contributes to AD pathogenesis is microglial activation, which is increased by obesity and reduced by estrogens. In parallel to its effects on β-amyloid accumulation, we observed that HT reduced morphological evidence of microglial activation in early but not late middle-age. These findings suggest that HT may be effective during human perimenopause in reducing indices of obesity and AD-related pathology, a conclusion consistent with the window of opportunity hypothesis.
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Arfa-Fatollahkhani P, Nahavandi A, Abtahi H, Anjidani S, Borhani S, Jameie SB, Shabani M, Mehrzadi S, Shahbazi A. The Effect of Luteinizing Hormone Reducing Agent on Anxiety and Novel Object Recognition Memory in Gonadectomized Rats. Basic Clin Neurosci 2017; 8:113-119. [PMID: 28539995 PMCID: PMC5440920 DOI: 10.18869/nirp.bcn.8.2.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are common following menopause and andropause. Lack of sex steroid hormones is suggested as the primary cause of these disturbances. The level of luteinizing hormone (LH) would also rise 3-4 times than normal in these people. The potential effects of LH on mood and cognitive symptoms following menopause and andropause are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of increased LH on novel object discrimination (NOD) memory and anxiety like behavior in gonadectomized rats. METHODS Four-month-old male and female Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups (in each sex): control rats (Cont), gonadectomized without treatment (GnX), gonadectomized treated with triptorelin, a GnRH agonist which reduces LH release eventually, (GnX+Tr), gonadectomized treated with triptorelin plus sex steroid hormone, estradiol in female and testosterone in male rats (GnX+Tr+S/T). After 4 weeks treatment, anxiety score (elevated plus maze) and NOD were measured. Data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA, and P-values less than 0.05 were considered as significant. RESULTS Gonadectomy increased anxiety like behaviors (decrease of presence time in the open arms) in female rats (P=0.012), but not in male ones (P=0.662). Additionally, triptorelin alone reduced the increased anxiety score in gonadectomized female rats, compared to group treated with both triptorelin and estradiol. Furthermore, it was shown that gonadectomy and or treatment with triptorelin and sex steroids had no significant effect on novel object recognition memory in both female (P=0.472) and male rats (P=0.798). CONCLUSION Findings of this study revealed that increased level of LH following menopause or andropause should be considered as a possible cause for increased anxiety. Also, this study showed that LH reducing agents would reduce anxiety like behavior in gonadectomized female rats. The effect of increased LH on cognitive functions such as novel object recognition memory was not evident in this study and needs further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paria Arfa-Fatollahkhani
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arezo Nahavandi
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Abtahi
- Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Shabnam Anjidani
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Borhani
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Behnam Jameie
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Mehrzadi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Shahbazi
- Physiology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Burnham V, Sundby C, Laman-Maharg A, Thornton J. Luteinizing hormone acts at the hippocampus to dampen spatial memory. Horm Behav 2017; 89:55-63. [PMID: 27847314 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Luteinizing hormone (LH) rises dramatically during and after menopause, and has been correlated with an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease and decreased memory performance in humans and animal models. To test whether LH acts directly on the dorsal hippocampus to affect memory, ovariectomized female rats were infused with either the LH-homologue human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or the LH receptor antagonist deglycosylated-hCG (dg-hCG). Infusion of hCG into either the lateral ventricle or the dorsal hippocampus caused significant memory impairments in ovariectomized estradiol-treated females. Consistent with this, infusion of the LH antagonist dg-hCG into the dorsal hippocampus caused an amelioration of memory deficits in ovariectomized females. Furthermore, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist Antide, failed to act in the hippocampus to affect memory. These findings demonstrate a significant role for LH action in the dorsal hippocampus in spatial memory dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Burnham
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Christopher Sundby
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Abigail Laman-Maharg
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Janice Thornton
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA.
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31
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Koebele SV, Bimonte-Nelson HA. The endocrine-brain-aging triad where many paths meet: female reproductive hormone changes at midlife and their influence on circuits important for learning and memory. Exp Gerontol 2016; 94:14-23. [PMID: 27979770 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Female mammals undergo natural fluctuations in sex steroid hormone levels throughout life. These fluctuations span from early development, to cyclic changes associated with the menstrual or estrous cycle and pregnancy, to marked hormone flux during perimenopause, and a final decline at reproductive senescence. While the transition to reproductive senescence is not yet fully understood, the vast majority of mammals experience this spontaneous, natural phenomenon with age, which has broad implications for long-lived species. Indeed, this post-reproductive life stage, and its transition, involves significant and enduring physiological changes, including considerably altered sex steroid hormone and gonadotropin profiles that impact multiple body systems, including the brain. The endocrine-brain-aging triad is especially noteworthy, as many paths meet and interact. Many of the brain regions affected by aging are also sensitive to changes in ovarian hormone levels, and aging and reproductive senescence are both associated with changes in memory performance. This review explores how menopause is related to cognitive aging, and discusses some of the key neural systems and molecular factors altered with age and reproductive hormone level changes, with an emphasis on brain regions important for learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie V Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, United States
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85006, United States.
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32
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Osmanovic-Barilar J, Salkovic-Petrisi M. Evaluating the Role of Hormone Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Alzheimer’s Disease. Drugs Aging 2016; 33:787-808. [DOI: 10.1007/s40266-016-0407-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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33
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Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a slow progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects more elderly women than elderly men. It impairs memory, typically progresses into multidomain cognitive decline that destroys the quality of life, and ultimately leads to death. About 5.3 million older Americans are now living with this disease, and this number is projected to rise to 14 million by 2050. Annual health-care costs in the United States alone are projected to increase to about US$1.1 trillion by 2050. The initial theory that decreasing estrogen levels leads to AD development in postmenopausal women has been proven inconclusive. For example, Women's Health Research Initiative Memory Study and the population-based nested case-control study have failed to demonstrate that estrogen/progesterone (hormone replacement therapy [HRT]) or estrogen replacement therapy could prevent the cognitive decline or reduce the risk of AD. This led to the realization that AD development could be due to a progressive increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in postmenopausal women. Accordingly, a large number of studies have demonstrated that an increase in LH levels is positively correlated with neuropathological, behavioral, and cognitive changes in AD. In addition, LH has been shown to promote amyloidogenic pathway of precursor protein metabolism and deposition of amyloid β plaques in the hippocampus, a region involved in AD. Cognate receptors that mediate LH effects are abundantly expressed in the hippocampus. Reducing the LH levels by treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists could provide therapeutic benefits. Despite these advances, many questions remain and require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- C V Rao
- 1 Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, Reproduction and Development Program, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.,2 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Reproduction and Development Program, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.,3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproduction and Development Program, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Anukulthanakorn K, Parhar IS, Jaroenporn S, Kitahashi T, Watanbe G, Malaivijitnond S. Neurotherapeutic Effects of Pueraria mirifica Extract in Early- and Late-Stage Cognitive Impaired Rats. Phytother Res 2016; 30:929-39. [PMID: 26915634 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2015] [Revised: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We determined the neurotherapeutic effects of Pueraria mirifica extract (PME) and pure puerarin (PU) in comparison with 17β-estradiol (E2 ) in early- and late-stage cognitive impaired rats. Rats were ovariectomized (OVX), kept for 2 and 4 months to induce early- and late-stage cognitive impairment, respectively, and divided into four groups that were treated daily with (i) distilled water, (ii) 100 mg/kg of PME, (iii) 7 mg/kg of PU, and (iv) 80 µg/kg of E2 for 4 months. The estrogen deficiency symptoms of OVX rats were abrogated by treatment with E2 or PME, but not by treatment with PU. The mRNA level of genes associated with amyloid production (App and Bace1) and hyperphosphorylated Tau (Tau4) were upregulated together with the level of impaired cognition in the 2- and 4-month OVX rats. Treatment with E2 reduced the level of cognitive impairment more than that with PME and PU, and 2-month OVX rats were more responsive than 4-month OVX rats. All treatments down-regulated the Bace1 mRNA level in 2-month OVX rats, while PU and PME also decreased the App mRNA level in 2- and 4-month OVX rats, respectively. Only PU suppressed Tau4 expression in 2-month OVX rats. Thus, PME and PU elicit neurotherapeutic effects in different pathways, and earlier treatment is optimal. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanya Anukulthanakorn
- Biological Sciences Program, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, PJ46150, Malaysia
| | - Sukanya Jaroenporn
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Takashi Kitahashi
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, PJ46150, Malaysia
| | - Gen Watanbe
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
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Blair JA, Palm R, Chang J, McGee H, Zhu X, Wang X, Casadesus G. Luteinizing hormone downregulation but not estrogen replacement improves ovariectomy-associated cognition and spine density loss independently of treatment onset timing. Horm Behav 2016; 78:60-6. [PMID: 26497249 PMCID: PMC4718885 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Age-related changes in reproductive hormone levels are a well-known risk factor for the development of cognitive dysfunction and dementia in women. We and others have shown an important contribution of gonadotropins in this process. Lowering serum gonadotropin levels is able to rescue cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease and menopause models, but whether this is time-dependent and the exact mechanism through which gonadotropins regulate cognitive function is unknown. We show that pharmacologically lowering serum levels of luteinizing hormone lead to cognitive improvement immediately after ovariectomy and with a 4month interval after ovariectomy, when the benefits of 17β-estradiol are known to disappear in rodents. Importantly, we show that these improvements are associated with spine density changes at both time points. These findings suggest a role of luteinizing hormone in learning and memory and neuroplasticity processes as well as provide an alternative therapeutic strategy of menopause associated cognitive loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Blair
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Russell Palm
- College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, United States
| | - Jaewon Chang
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Henry McGee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Xiongwei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Xinglong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.
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Blair JA, Bhatta S, McGee H, Casadesus G. Luteinizing hormone: Evidence for direct action in the CNS. Horm Behav 2015; 76:57-62. [PMID: 26172857 PMCID: PMC4741372 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Hormonal dysfunction due to aging, especially during menopause, plays a substantial role in cognitive decline as well as the progression and development of neurodegenerative diseases. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis has long been implicated in changes in behavior and neuronal morphology. Most notably, estrogens have proven beneficial in the healthy brain through a host of different mechanisms. Recently, luteinizing hormone (LH) has emerged as a candidate for further investigation for its role in the CNS. The basis of this is that both LH and the LH receptor are expressed in the brain, and serum levels of LH correlate with cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence. The study of LH in cognition and AD primarily focuses on evaluating the effects of downregulation of this peptide. This literature has shown that decreasing peripheral LH, through a variety of pharmacological interventions, reduces cognitive deficits in ovariectomy and AD models. However, few studies have researched the direct actions of LH on neurons and glial cells. Here we summarize the role of luteinizing hormone in modulating cognition, and we propose a mechanism that underlies a role for brain LH in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Blair
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Sabina Bhatta
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Henry McGee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
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Atwood CS, Bowen RL. The endocrine dyscrasia that accompanies menopause and andropause induces aberrant cell cycle signaling that triggers re-entry of post-mitotic neurons into the cell cycle, neurodysfunction, neurodegeneration and cognitive disease. Horm Behav 2015; 76:63-80. [PMID: 26188949 PMCID: PMC4807861 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Sex hormones are physiological factors that promote neurogenesis during embryonic and fetal development. During childhood and adulthood these hormones support the maintenance of brain structure and function via neurogenesis and the formation of dendritic spines, axons and synapses required for the capture, processing and retrieval of information (memories). Not surprisingly, changes in these reproductive hormones that occur with menopause and during andropause are strongly correlated with neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. In this connection, much evidence now indicates that Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves aberrant re-entry of post-mitotic neurons into the cell cycle. Cell cycle abnormalities appear very early in the disease, prior to the appearance of plaques and tangles, and explain the biochemical, neuropathological and cognitive changes observed with disease progression. Intriguingly, a recent animal study has demonstrated that induction of adult neurogenesis results in the loss of previously encoded memories while decreasing neurogenesis after memory formation during infancy mitigated forgetting. Here we review the biochemical, epidemiological and clinical evidence that alterations in sex hormone signaling associated with menopause and andropause drive the aberrant re-entry of post-mitotic neurons into an abortive cell cycle that leads to neurite retraction, neuron dysfunction and neuron death. When the reproductive axis is in balance, gonadotropins such as luteinizing hormone (LH), and its fetal homolog, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), promote pluripotent human and totipotent murine embryonic stem cell and neuron proliferation. However, strong evidence supports menopausal/andropausal elevations in the LH:sex steroid ratio as driving aberrant mitotic events. These include the upregulation of tumor necrosis factor; amyloid-β precursor protein processing towards the production of mitogenic Aβ; and the activation of Cdk5, a key regulator of cell cycle progression and tau phosphorylation (a cardinal feature of both neurogenesis and neurodegeneration). Cognitive and biochemical studies confirm the negative consequences of a high LH:sex steroid ratio on dendritic spine density and human cognitive performance. Prospective epidemiological and clinical evidence in humans supports the premise that rebalancing the ratio of circulating gonadotropins:sex steroids reduces the incidence of AD. Together, these data support endocrine dyscrasia and the subsequent loss of cell cycle control as an important etiological event in the development of neurodegenerative diseases including AD, stroke and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig S Atwood
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Administration Hospital, Madison, WI 53705, USA; School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027 WA, Australia.
| | - Richard L Bowen
- OTB Research, 217 Calhoun St, Unit 1, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
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Burnham VL, Thornton JE. Luteinizing hormone as a key player in the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease. Horm Behav 2015; 76:48-56. [PMID: 26031357 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Alzheimer's disease is one of the most prevalent and costly neurological diseases in the world. Although decades of research have focused on understanding Alzheimer's disease pathology and progression, there is still a great lack of clinical treatments for those who suffer from it. One of the factors most commonly associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease is a decrease in levels of gonadal hormones, such as estrogens and androgens. Despite the correlational and experimental data which support the role of these hormones in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease, clinical trials involving their reintroduction through hormone therapy have had varied results and these gonadal hormones often have accompanying health risks. More recently, investigation has turned toward other hormones in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that are disrupted by age-related decreases in gonadal hormones. Specifically, luteinizing hormone, which is increased with age in both men and women (in response to removal of negative feedback), has surfaced as a potentially powerful player in the risk and onset of Alzheimer's disease. Mounting evidence in basic research and epidemiological studies supports the role of elevated luteinizing hormone in exacerbating age-related cognitive decline in both males and females. This review summarizes the recent developments involving luteinizing hormone in increasing the cognitive deficits and molecular pathology characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica L Burnham
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Janice E Thornton
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA.
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Verdile G, Asih PR, Barron AM, Wahjoepramono EJ, Ittner LM, Martins RN. The impact of luteinizing hormone and testosterone on beta amyloid (Aβ) accumulation: Animal and human clinical studies. Horm Behav 2015; 76:81-90. [PMID: 26122291 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "SBN 2014". Hormonal changes associated with ageing have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. Reductions in serum testosterone and increases in luteinizing hormone (LH) are established AD risk factors for dementia in men and have important roles in modulating AD pathogenesis. One of the defining features of AD is the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain, which has a key role in the neurodegenerative cascade. Both testosterone and LH have been shown to modulate CNS Aβ accumulation in animal studies, and associations with cerebral amyloid load in human studies have supported this. The underlying mechanisms by which these hormones modulate Aβ accumulation and contribute to neurodegeneration are not completely understood, however they have been shown to regulate Aβ metabolism, enhance its clearance and alter the processing of its parent molecule, the amyloid precursor protein. This review will discuss underlying mechanisms by which testosterone and LH modulate Aβ and provide an update on therapeutic approaches targeting these hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Verdile
- School of Biomedical Sciences, CHIRI Biosciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia; Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia; Sir James McCusker Alzheimer's disease Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Prita R Asih
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia; Dementia Research Unit, Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Anna M Barron
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Eka J Wahjoepramono
- Sir James McCusker Alzheimer's disease Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Medical Faculty, Pelita Harapan University - Neuroscience Centre, Siloam Hospital, Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, Indonesia
| | - Lars M Ittner
- Dementia Research Unit, Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2036, Australia
| | - Ralph N Martins
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia; Sir James McCusker Alzheimer's disease Research Unit, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, CHIRI Biosciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
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40
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Blair JA, McGee H, Bhatta S, Palm R, Casadesus G. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis involvement in learning and memory and Alzheimer's disease: more than "just" estrogen. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:45. [PMID: 25859241 PMCID: PMC4373369 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating studies affirm the effects of age-related endocrine dysfunction on cognitive decline and increasing risk of neurodegenerative diseases. It is well known that estrogens can be protective for cognitive function, and more recently androgens and luteinizing hormone have also been shown to modulate learning and memory. Understanding the mechanisms underlying hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis-associated cognitive dysfunction is crucial for therapeutic advancement. Here, we emphasize that reproductive hormones are influential in maintaining neuronal health and enhancing signaling cascades that lead to cognitive impairment. We summarize and critically evaluate age-related changes in the endocrine system, their implications in the development of Alzheimer's disease, and the therapeutic potential of endocrine modulation in the prevention of age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Blair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Henry McGee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Sabina Bhatta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Russell Palm
- University of Toledo School of Medicine, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
- *Correspondence: Gemma Casadesus, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH 44242, USA e-mail:
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