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Zhao X, Zhang S, Sanders AR, Duan J. Brain Lipids and Lipid Droplet Dysregulation in Alzheimer's Disease and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Complex Psychiatry 2023; 9:154-171. [PMID: 38058955 PMCID: PMC10697751 DOI: 10.1159/000535131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lipids are essential components of the structure and for the function of brain cells. The intricate balance of lipids, including phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and triglycerides, is crucial for maintaining normal brain function. The roles of lipids and lipid droplets and their relevance to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) remain largely unknown. Summary Here, we reviewed the basic role of lipid components as well as a specific lipid organelle, lipid droplets, in brain function, highlighting the potential impact of altered lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and NDPs. Key Messages Brain lipid dysregulation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative and NPDs including AD and schizophrenia. Understanding the cell type-specific mechanisms of lipid dysregulation in these diseases is crucial for identifying better diagnostic biomarkers and for developing therapeutic strategies aiming at restoring lipid homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Zhao
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Siwei Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alan R. Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Gaitán JM, Moon HY, Stremlau M, Dubal DB, Cook DB, Okonkwo OC, van Praag H. Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training on Systemic Biomarkers and Cognition in Late Middle-Aged Adults at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:660181. [PMID: 34093436 PMCID: PMC8173166 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.660181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that physical activity and exercise training may delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, systemic biomarkers that can measure exercise effects on brain function and that link to relevant metabolic responses are lacking. To begin to address this issue, we utilized blood samples of 23 asymptomatic late middle-aged adults, with familial and genetic risk for AD (mean age 65 years old, 50% female) who underwent 26 weeks of supervised treadmill training. Systemic biomarkers implicated in learning and memory, including the myokine Cathepsin B (CTSB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and klotho, as well as metabolomics were evaluated. Here we show that aerobic exercise training increases plasma CTSB and that changes in CTSB, but not BDNF or klotho, correlate with cognitive performance. BDNF levels decreased with exercise training. Klotho levels were unchanged by training, but closely associated with change in VO2peak. Metabolomic analysis revealed increased levels of polyunsaturated free fatty acids (PUFAs), reductions in ceramides, sphingo- and phospholipids, as well as changes in gut microbiome metabolites and redox homeostasis, with exercise. Multiple metabolites (~30%) correlated with changes in BDNF, but not CSTB or klotho. The positive association between CTSB and cognition, and the modulation of lipid metabolites implicated in dementia, support the beneficial effects of exercise training on brain function. Overall, our analyses indicate metabolic regulation of exercise-induced plasma BDNF changes and provide evidence that CTSB is a marker of cognitive changes in late middle-aged adults at risk for dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian M. Gaitán
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hyo Youl Moon
- Lab of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging (NIA), Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Sport Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute on Aging, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Matthew Stremlau
- Lab of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging (NIA), Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Dena B. Dubal
- Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Dane B. Cook
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin School of Education, Madison, WI, United States
- Research Service, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Ozioma C. Okonkwo
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Henriette van Praag
- Lab of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging (NIA), Baltimore, MD, United States
- Brain Institute and Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
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Hussain G, Anwar H, Rasul A, Imran A, Qasim M, Zafar S, Imran M, Kamran SKS, Aziz N, Razzaq A, Ahmad W, Shabbir A, Iqbal J, Baig SM, Ali M, Gonzalez de Aguilar JL, Sun T, Muhammad A, Muhammad Umair A. Lipids as biomarkers of brain disorders. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2019; 60:351-374. [DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1529653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ghulam Hussain
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Haseeb Anwar
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Azhar Rasul
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Imran
- Institute of Home and Food Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shamaila Zafar
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- University Institute of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Syed Kashif Shahid Kamran
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nimra Aziz
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Aroona Razzaq
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Waseem Ahmad
- Department of Physiology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Asghar Shabbir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Javed Iqbal
- Department of Neurology, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Mahmood Baig
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), PIEAS, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ali
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Jose-Luis Gonzalez de Aguilar
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Mécanismes Centraux et Péripheriques de la Neurodégénérescence, INSERM, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tao Sun
- Center for Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
| | - Atif Muhammad
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
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Kornhuber J, Müller CP, Becker KA, Reichel M, Gulbins E. The ceramide system as a novel antidepressant target. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2014; 35:293-304. [PMID: 24793541 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Major depression is a systems disorder which impairs not only central nervous system aspects of mood and behavior but also peripheral organ systems. Current views on the pathogenesis and treatment of depression are predominantly based on proteins and transmitters and thus are difficult to reconcile central with peripheral pathomechanisms. Recent research showed that there is also a lipid-based pathway involved in the pathology of depression, which is activated by psychosocial stress, oxidative stress, or inflammation. Inducible dysfunction of the ceramide pathway, which is abundant in the brain as well as in peripheral organs, may account for mood disorder, behavioral symptoms, and further promote inflammation and oxidative stress in peripheral systems. As such, the lipid ceramide pathway may provide the missing link between brain dysfunction and somatic symptoms of depression. Pharmacological interventions that reduce ceramide abundance also show antidepressant action and may promise a better treatment of major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katrin Anne Becker
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Martin Reichel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Erich Gulbins
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Kornhuber J, Tripal P, Gulbins E, Muehlbacher M. Functional inhibitors of acid sphingomyelinase (FIASMAs). Handb Exp Pharmacol 2013:169-186. [PMID: 23579455 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-1368-4_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are not only structural components of biological membranes, but also play an important role in cellular signalling and, thus, are involved in cell proliferation and differentiation but also stress and cell death. It is therefore of great clinical relevance to define inhibitors of the enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism. Here, we describe the state of the art of functional inhibitors of the acid sphingomyelinase. The acid sphingomyelinase converts sphingomyelin to ceramide, a compound often involved in cell stress. We describe the structural and physicochemical properties, the distribution, the pharmacokinetics, the pharmocodynamics and the clinical use of direct and functional inhibitors of the acid sphingomyelinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, D 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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Mühle C, Reichel M, Gulbins E, Kornhuber J. Sphingolipids in psychiatric disorders and pain syndromes. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2013:431-456. [PMID: 23563670 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-1511-4_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence and devastating impact of psychiatric disorders, little is known about their etiopathology. In this review, we provide an overview on the participation of sphingolipids and enzymes responsible for their metabolism in mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. We focus on the pathway from sphingomyelin to proapoptotic ceramide and the subsequent metabolism of ceramide to sphingosine, which is in turn phosphorylated to yield anti-apoptotic sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P).The sphingomyelinase/ceramide system has been linked to effects of reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system as well as to synaptic transmission. Compared to ubiquitously expressed acid sphingomyelinase, acid and neutral ceramidase and neutral sphingomyelinase are highly active in brain regions. Depressed patients show elevated plasma ceramide levels and increased activities of acid sphingomyelinase which is functionally inhibited by many anti-depressive drugs. Exposure to alcohol is associated with an activation of acid and neutral sphingomyelinase observed in cell culture, mouse models and in alcohol-dependent patients and with increased concentrations of ceramide in various organs.Levels of sphingomyelin and ceramide are altered in erythrocytes and post-mortem brain tissues of schizophrenic patients in addition to changes in expression patterns for serine palmitoyltransferase and acid ceramidase leading to impaired myelination. After induction of anxiety-like behavior in animal models, higher serum levels of S1P were reported to lead to neurodegeneration. Correspondingly, S1P infusion appeared to increase anxiety-like behavior. Significantly upregulated levels of the endogenous ceramide catabolite N,N-dimethylsphingosine were observed in rat models of allodynia. Conversely, rats injected intrathecally with N,N-dimethylsphingosine developed mechanical allodynia. Moreover, S1P has been implicated in spinal nociceptive processing.The increasing interest in lipidomics and improved analytical methods led to growing insight into the connection between psychiatric and neurological disorders and sphingolipid metabolism and may once provide new targets and strategies for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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