1
|
The Effects of Statins on Neurotransmission and Their Neuroprotective Role in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26102838. [PMID: 34064670 PMCID: PMC8150718 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Statins are among the most widely used drug classes in the world. Apart from their basic mechanism of action, which is lowering cholesterol levels, many pleiotropic effects have been described so far, such as anti-inflammatory and antiatherosclerotic effects. A growing number of scientific reports have proven that these drugs have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system. The first reports proving that lipid-lowering therapy can influence the development of neurological and psychiatric diseases appeared in the 1990s. Despite numerous studies about the mechanisms by which statins may affect the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS), there are still no clear data explaining this effect. Most studies have focused on the metabolic effects of this group of drugs, however authors have also described the pleiotropic effects of statins, pointing to their probable impact on the neurotransmitter system and neuroprotective effects. The aim of this paper was to review the literature describing the impacts of statins on dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and glutamate neurotransmission, as well as their neuroprotective role. This paper focuses on the mechanisms by which statins affect neurotransmission, as well as on their impacts on neurological and psychiatric diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), stroke, and depression. The pleiotropic effects of statin usage could potentially open floodgates for research in these treatment domains, catching the attention of researchers and clinicians across the globe.
Collapse
|
2
|
Rivas-Santisteban R, Lillo J, Muñoz A, Rodríguez-Pérez AI, Labandeira-García JL, Navarro G, Franco R. Novel Interactions Involving the Mas Receptor Show Potential of the Renin-Angiotensin system in the Regulation of Microglia Activation: Altered Expression in Parkinsonism and Dyskinesia. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:998-1016. [PMID: 33474655 PMCID: PMC7817140 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00986-4] [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] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) not only plays an important role in controlling blood pressure but also participates in almost every process to maintain homeostasis in mammals. Interest has recently increased because SARS viruses use one RAS component (ACE2) as a target-cell receptor. The occurrence of RAS in the basal ganglia suggests that the system may be targeted to improve the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. RAS-related data led to the hypothesis that RAS receptors may interact with each other. The aim of this paper was to find heteromers formed by Mas and angiotensin receptors and to address their functionality in neurons and microglia. Novel interactions were discovered by using resonance energy transfer techniques. The functionality of individual and interacting receptors was assayed by measuring levels of the second messengers cAMP and Ca2+ in transfected human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293T) and primary cultures of striatal cells. Receptor complex expression was assayed by in situ proximity ligation assay. Functionality and expression were assayed in parallel in primary cultures of microglia treated or not with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The proximity ligation assay was used to assess heteromer expression in parkinsonian and dyskinetic conditions. Complexes formed by Mas and the angiotensin AT1 or AT2 receptors were identified in both a heterologous expression system and in neural primary cultures. In the heterologous system, we showed that the three receptors-MasR, AT1R, and AT2R-can interact to form heterotrimers. The expression of receptor dimers (AT1R-MasR or AT2R-MasR) was higher in microglia than in neurons and was differentially affected upon microglial activation with lipopolysaccharide and IFN-γ. In all cases, agonist-induced signaling was reduced upon coactivation, and in some cases just by coexpression. Also, the blockade of signaling of two receptors in a complex by the action of a given (selective) receptor antagonist (cross-antagonism) was often observed. Differential expression of the complexes was observed in the striatum under parkinsonian conditions and especially in animals rendered dyskinetic by levodopa treatment. The negative modulation of calcium mobilization (mediated by AT1R activation), the multiplicity of possibilities on RAS affecting the MAPK pathway, and the disbalanced expression of heteromers in dyskinesia yield new insight into the operation of the RAS system, how it becomes unbalanced, and how a disbalanced RAS can be rebalanced. Furthermore, RAS components in activated microglia warrant attention in drug-development approaches to address neurodegeneration.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Angiotensin II/pharmacology
- Animals
- Corpus Striatum/drug effects
- Corpus Striatum/metabolism
- Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced/metabolism
- HEK293 Cells
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Microglia/drug effects
- Microglia/metabolism
- Oxidopamine/toxicity
- Parkinsonian Disorders/chemically induced
- Parkinsonian Disorders/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Mas/agonists
- Proto-Oncogene Mas/metabolism
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/agonists
- Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/metabolism
- Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/agonists
- Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/metabolism
- Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects
- Renin-Angiotensin System/physiology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Rivas-Santisteban
- Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
| | - Jaume Lillo
- Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
| | - Ana Muñoz
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - Ana I Rodríguez-Pérez
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - José Luís Labandeira-García
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - Gemma Navarro
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIberNed), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid, Madrid, 28031, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain
| | - Rafael Franco
- Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Franco R, Reyes-Resina I, Navarro G. Dopamine in Health and Disease: Much More Than a Neurotransmitter. Biomedicines 2021; 9:109. [PMID: 33499192 PMCID: PMC7911410 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is derived from an amino acid, phenylalanine, which must be obtained through the diet. Dopamine, known primarily to be a neurotransmitter involved in almost any higher executive action, acts through five types of G-protein-coupled receptors. Dopamine has been studied extensively for its neuronal handling, synaptic actions, and in relation to Parkinson's disease. However, dopamine receptors can be found extra-synaptically and, in addition, they are not only expressed in neurons, but in many types of mammalian cells, inside and outside the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies show a dopamine link between the gut and the CNS; the mechanisms are unknown, but they probably require cells to act as mediators and the involvement of the immune system. In fact, dopamine receptors are expressed in almost any cell of the immune system where dopamine regulates various processes, such as antigen presentation, T-cell activation, and inflammation. This likely immune cell-mediated linkage opens up a new perspective for the use of dopamine-related drugs, i.e., agonist-antagonist-allosteric modulators of dopamine receptors, in a variety of diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Franco
- Neurodegenerative Diseases, CiberNed. Network Research Center, Spanish National Health Institute Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, 28031 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Reyes-Resina
- Neurodegenerative Diseases, CiberNed. Network Research Center, Spanish National Health Institute Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, 28031 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Gemma Navarro
- Neurodegenerative Diseases, CiberNed. Network Research Center, Spanish National Health Institute Carlos III, Valderrebollo 5, 28031 Madrid, Spain;
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lillo A, Martínez-Pinilla E, Reyes-Resina I, Navarro G, Franco R. Adenosine A 2A and A 3 Receptors Are Able to Interact with Each Other. A Further Piece in the Puzzle of Adenosine Receptor-Mediated Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21145070. [PMID: 32709103 PMCID: PMC7404137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to check the possible interaction of two of the four purinergic P1 receptors, the A2A and the A3. Discovery of the A2A-A3 receptor complex was achieved by means of immunocytochemistry and of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer. The functional properties and heteromer print identification were addressed by combining binding and signaling assays. The physiological role of the novel heteromer is to provide a differential signaling depending on the pre-coupling to signal transduction components and/or on the concentration of the endogenous agonist. The main feature was that the heteromeric context led to a marked decrease of the signaling originating at A3 receptors. Interestingly from a therapeutic point of view, A2A receptor antagonists overrode the blockade, thus allowing A3 receptor-mediated signaling. The A2A-A3 receptor heteromer print was detected in primary cortical neurons. These and previous results suggest that all four adenosine receptors may interact with each other. Therefore, each adenosine receptor could form heteromers with distinct properties, expanding the signaling outputs derived from the binding of adenosine to its cognate receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Lillo
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.L.); (I.R.-R.); (G.N.)
| | - Eva Martínez-Pinilla
- Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Asturias, Spain;
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), 33006 Asturias, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33006 Asturias, Spain
| | - Irene Reyes-Resina
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.L.); (I.R.-R.); (G.N.)
| | - Gemma Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.L.); (I.R.-R.); (G.N.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Franco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- School of Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +34-934021208
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Guo D, Heitman LH, IJzerman AP. Kinetic Aspects of the Interaction between Ligand and G Protein-Coupled Receptor: The Case of the Adenosine Receptors. Chem Rev 2016; 117:38-66. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Guo
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Laura H. Heitman
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan P. IJzerman
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry,
Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|