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Pakavathkumar P, Noël A, Lecrux C, Tubeleviciute-Aydin A, Hamel E, Ahlfors JE, LeBlanc AC. Caspase vinyl sulfone small molecule inhibitors prevent axonal degeneration in human neurons and reverse cognitive impairment in Caspase-6-overexpressing mice. Mol Neurodegener 2017; 12:22. [PMID: 28241839 PMCID: PMC5329948 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-017-0166-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The activation of the aspartate-specific cysteinyl protease, Caspase-6, is proposed as an early pathogenic event of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Huntington's disease. Caspase-6 inhibitors could be useful against these neurodegenerative diseases but most Caspase-6 inhibitors have been exclusively studied in vitro or show acute liver toxicity in humans. Here, we assessed vinyl sulfone small molecule peptide caspase inhibitors for potential use in vivo. METHODS The IC50 of NWL vinyl sulfone small molecule caspase inhibitors were determined on Caspase-1 to 10, and Caspase-6-transfected human colon carcinoma HCT116 cells. Inhibition of Caspase-6-mediated axonal degeneration was assessed in serum-deprived or amyloid precursor protein-transfected primary human CNS neurons. Cellular toxicity was measured by phase contrast microscopy, mitochondrial and lactate dehydrogenase colorimetric activity assays, or flow cytometry. Caspase inhibition was measured by fluorogenic activity assays, fluorescence microscopy, and western blot analyses. The effect of inhibitors on age-dependent cognitive deficits in Caspase-6 transgenic mice was assessed by the novel object recognition task. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry assessed the blood-brain barrier permeability of inhibitors in Caspase-6 mice. RESULTS Vinyl sulfone NWL-117 caspase inhibitor has a higher selectivity against Caspase-6, -4, -8, -9, and -10 whereas NWL-154 has higher selectivity against Caspase-6, -8, and -10. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of NWL-117 and NWL-154 is 192 nM and 100 nM against Caspase-6 in vitro, and 4.82 μM and 3.63 μM in Caspase-6-transfected HCT116 cells, respectively. NWL inhibitors are not toxic to HCT116 cells or to human primary neurons. NWL-117 and NWL-154 inhibit serum deprivation-induced Caspase-6 activity and prevent amyloid precursor protein-mediated neurite degeneration in human primary CNS neurons. NWL-117 crosses the blood brain barrier and reverses age-dependent episodic memory deficits in Caspase-6 mice. CONCLUSIONS NWL peptidic vinyl methyl sulfone inhibitors are potent, non-toxic, blood-brain barrier permeable, and irreversible caspase inhibitors with neuroprotective effects in HCT116 cells, in primary human CNS neurons, and in Caspase-6 mice. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of vinyl sulfone inhibitors as caspase inhibitors against neurodegenerative diseases and sanction additional work to improve their selectivity against different caspases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateep Pakavathkumar
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Anastasia Noël
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Clotilde Lecrux
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Agne Tubeleviciute-Aydin
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Edith Hamel
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Jan-Eric Ahlfors
- New World Laboratories, 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest, Laval, QC, H7V 5B7, Canada
| | - Andrea C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada.
- Molecular and Regenerative Medicine Axis, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B Davis Jewish General Hospital, 3755 ch. Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
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Pakavathkumar P, Sharma G, Kaushal V, Foveau B, LeBlanc AC. Methylene Blue Inhibits Caspases by Oxidation of the Catalytic Cysteine. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13730. [PMID: 26400108 PMCID: PMC4585840 DOI: 10.1038/srep13730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylene blue, currently in phase 3 clinical trials against Alzheimer Disease, disaggregates the Tau protein of neurofibrillary tangles by oxidizing specific cysteine residues. Here, we investigated if methylene blue can inhibit caspases via the oxidation of their active site cysteine. Methylene blue, and derivatives, azure A and azure B competitively inhibited recombinant Caspase-6 (Casp6), and inhibited Casp6 activity in transfected human colon carcinoma cells and in serum-deprived primary human neuron cultures. Methylene blue also inhibited recombinant Casp1 and Casp3. Furthermore, methylene blue inhibited Casp3 activity in an acute mouse model of liver toxicity. Mass spectrometry confirmed methylene blue and azure B oxidation of the catalytic Cys163 cysteine of Casp6. Together, these results show a novel inhibitory mechanism of caspases via sulfenation of the active site cysteine. These results indicate that methylene blue or its derivatives could (1) have an additional effect against Alzheimer Disease by inhibiting brain caspase activity, (2) be used as a drug to prevent caspase activation in other conditions, and (3) predispose chronically treated individuals to cancer via the inhibition of caspases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateep Pakavathkumar
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gyanesh Sharma
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vikas Kaushal
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bénédicte Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea C. LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Kaushal V, Dye R, Pakavathkumar P, Foveau B, Flores J, Hyman B, Ghetti B, Koller BH, LeBlanc AC. Neuronal NLRP1 inflammasome activation of Caspase-1 coordinately regulates inflammatory interleukin-1-beta production and axonal degeneration-associated Caspase-6 activation. Cell Death Differ 2015; 22:1676-86. [PMID: 25744023 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2015.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal active Caspase-6 (Casp6) is associated with Alzheimer disease (AD), cognitive impairment, and axonal degeneration. Caspase-1 (Casp1) can activate Casp6 but the expression and functionality of Casp1-activating inflammasomes has not been well-defined in human neurons. Here, we show that primary cultures of human CNS neurons expressed functional Nod-like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1), absent in melanoma 2, and ICE protease activating factor, but not the NLRP3, inflammasome receptor components. NLRP1 neutralizing antibodies in a cell-free system, and NLRP1 siRNAs in neurons hampered stress-induced Casp1 activation. NLRP1 and Casp1 siRNAs also abolished stress-induced Casp6 activation in neurons. The functionality of the NLRP1 inflammasome in serum-deprived neurons was also demonstrated by NLRP1 siRNA-mediated inhibition of speck formation of the apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain conjugated to green fluorescent protein. These results indicated a novel stress-induced intraneuronal NLRP1/Casp1/Casp6 pathway. Lipopolysaccharide induced Casp1 and Casp6 activation in wild-type mice brain cortex, but not in that of Nlrp1(-/-) and Casp1(-/-) mice. NLRP1 immunopositive neurons were increased 25- to 30-fold in AD brains compared with non-AD brains. NLRP1 immunoreactivity in these neurons co-localized with Casp6 activity. Furthermore, the NLRP1/Casp1/Casp6 pathway increased amyloid beta peptide 42 ratio in serum-deprived neurons. Therefore, CNS human neurons express functional NLRP1 inflammasomes, which activate Casp1 and subsequently Casp6, thus revealing a fundamental mechanism linking intraneuronal inflammasome activation to Casp1-generated interleukin-1-β-mediated neuroinflammation and Casp6-mediated axonal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Kaushal
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T1E2, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - R Dye
- Department of Genetics, 120 Mason Farm Road 5000 D, Genetic Medicine Building CB#7264 UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7264, USA
| | - P Pakavathkumar
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T1E2, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - B Foveau
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T1E2, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - J Flores
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T1E2, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - B Hyman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Institute for Neurodegeneration, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA 2129, USA
| | - B Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5120, USA
| | - B H Koller
- Department of Genetics, 120 Mason Farm Road 5000 D, Genetic Medicine Building CB#7264 UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7264, USA
| | - A C LeBlanc
- Bloomfield Center for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Ch. Cote Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T1E2, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, 3775 University St., Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
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