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Keane SP, Chadman KK, Gomez AR, Hu W. Pros and cons of narrow- versus wide-compartment rotarod apparatus: An experimental study in mice. Behav Brain Res 2024; 463:114901. [PMID: 38341101 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114901] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The rotarod test, a sensorimotor assessment that allows for quantitative evaluation of motor coordination in rodents, has extensive application in many research fields. The test results exhibit extreme between-study variability, sometimes making it challenging to conclude the validity of certain disease models and related therapeutic effects. Although the variation in test paradigms may account for this disparity, some features of rotarod apparatus including rod diameter make differences. However, it is unknown whether the width of animal compartment has a role in rotarod performance. Here we comprehensively evaluated the active rotarod performance and adverse incidents in multiple strains of mice on an 11-cm- or a 5-cm-wide compartment apparatus. We found that mouse behaviors on these apparatuses were surprisingly different. It took a markedly longer time to train mice on the narrow- than wide-compartment rotarod. Further, non-transgenic B6129S and tau knockout mice aged 11 months and beyond showed different levels of improvement based on the compartment width. These mice had no overt improvements on accelerating rotarod over 4-5 training sessions on the narrow compartment, contrary to marked progress on the wide counterpart. The incidents of mice passively somersaulting round and fragmented running occurred significantly more on the wide than narrow compartment during accelerating rotarod sessions. Mice fell off rod more frequently on narrow than wide compartments upon attempt to turn around and when moving backward on rod. The pros and cons of narrow versus wide compartments are informative as to how to choose a rotarod apparatus that best fits the animal models used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachiko P Keane
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn K Chadman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Andres R Gomez
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.
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2
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Duggan MR, Steinberg Z, Peterson T, Francois TJ, Parikh V. Cognitive trajectories in longitudinally trained 3xTg-AD mice. Physiol Behav 2024; 275:114435. [PMID: 38103626 PMCID: PMC10872326 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114435] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical studies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) often rely on cognitively naïve animal models in cross-sectional designs that can fail to reflect the cognitive exposures across the lifespan and heterogeneous neurobehavioral features observed in humans. To determine whether longitudinal cognitive training may affect cognitive capacities in a well-characterized AD mouse model, 3xTg and wild-type mice (n = 20) were exposed daily to a training variant of the Go-No-Go (GNG) operant task from 3 to 9 months old. At 3, 6, and 9 months, performance on a testing variant of the GNG task and anxiety-like behaviors were measured, while long-term recognition memory was also assessed at 9 months. In general, GNG training improved performance with increasing age across genotypes. At 3 months old, 3xTg mice showed slight deficits in inhibitory control that were accompanied by minor improvements in signal detection and decreased anxiety-like behavior, but these differences did not persist at 6 and 9 months old. At 9 months old, 3xTg mice displayed minor deficits in signal detection, and long-term recognition memory capacity was comparable with wild-type subjects. Our findings indicate that longitudinal cognitive training can render 3xTg mice with cognitive capacities that are on par with their wild-type counterparts, potentially reflecting functional compensation in subjects harboring AD genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Duggan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Zoe Steinberg
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Tara Peterson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Tara-Jade Francois
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States.
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3
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Que Z, Yang K, Wang N, Li S, Li T. Functional Role of RBP in Osteosarcoma: Regulatory Mechanism and Clinical Therapy. Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) 2023; 2023:9849719. [PMID: 37426488 PMCID: PMC10328736 DOI: 10.1155/2023/9849719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant bone neoplasms can be represented by osteosarcoma (OS), which accounts for 36% of all sarcomas. To reduce tumor malignancy, extensive efforts have been devoted to find an ideal target from numerous candidates, among which RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have shown their unparalleled competitiveness. With the special structure of RNA-binding domains, RBPs have the potential to establish relationships with RNAs or small molecules and are considered regulators of different sections of RNA processes, including splicing, transport, translation, and degradation of RNAs. RBPs have considerable significant roles in various cancers, and experiments revealed that there was a strong association of RBPs with tumorigenesis and tumor cell progression. Regarding OS, RBPs are a new orientation, but achievements in hand are noteworthy. Higher or lower expression of RBPs was first found in tumor cells compared to normal tissue. By binding to different molecules, RBPs are capable of influencing tumor cell phenotypes through different signaling pathways or other axes, and researches on medical treatment have been largely inspired. Exploring the prognostic and therapeutic values of RBPs in OS is a hotspot where diverse avenues on regulating RBPs have achieved dramatical effects. In this review, we briefly summarize the contribution of RBPs and their binding molecules to OS oncogenicity and generally introduce distinctive RBPs as samples. Moreover, we focus on the attempts to differentiate RBP's opposite functions in predicting prognosis and collect possible strategies for treatment. Our review provides forwards insight into improving the understanding of OS and suggests RBPs as potential biomarkers for therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyuan Que
- Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Kang Yang
- Department of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shuying Li
- Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang, China
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4
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. Alzheimer's Disease: Challenges and a Therapeutic Opportunity to Treat It with a Neurotrophic Compound. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12101409. [PMID: 36291618 PMCID: PMC9599095 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an insidious onset and multifactorial nature. A deficit in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity are considered the early pathological features associated with neurofibrillary tau and amyloid β pathologies and neuroinflammation. The imbalance of neurotrophic factors with an increase in FGF-2 level and a decrease in brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 4 (NT-4) in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and parietal cortex and disruption of the brain micro-environment are other characteristics of AD. Neurotrophic factors are crucial in neuronal differentiation, maturation, and survival. Several attempts to use neurotrophic factors to treat AD were made, but these trials were halted due to their blood-brain barrier (BBB) impermeability, short-half-life, and severe side effects. In the present review we mainly focus on the major etiopathology features of AD and the use of a small neurotrophic and neurogenic peptide mimetic compound; P021 that was discovered in our laboratory and was found to overcome the difficulties faced in the administration of the whole neurotrophic factor proteins. We describe pre-clinical studies on P021 and its potential as a therapeutic drug for AD and related neurodegenerative disorders. Our study is limited because it focuses only on P021 and the relevant literature; a more thorough investigation is required to review studies on various therapeutic approaches and potential drugs that are emerging in the AD field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Biology Department, College of Sciences and Arts Muhayil Assir, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-718-494-5259; Fax: +1-718-494-1080
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5
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Hu W, Dai CL, Niu J, Iqbal K. Heightened Tameness and Accelerated Handling-Habituation in 3×Tg-AD Mice on a B6;129 Genetic Background. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2022; 6:245-255. [PMID: 35719714 PMCID: PMC9198767 DOI: 10.3233/adr-220007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (3×Tg-AD) has gained popularity in Alzheimer’s research owing to the progressive development of both amyloid-β and tau pathologies in its brain. Prior handling-habituation, a necessary preparation procedure that reduces anxiety and stress in rodents, was seldom described in the literature involving these mice and needs to be addressed. Objective: We sought to determine whether 3×Tg-AD mice differ from B6;129 genetic control mice in terms of tameness and prior habituation to handling. Methods: We devised hand-staying and hand-boarding assays to evaluate tameness in 3×Tg-AD and B6;129 genetic control mice at 2.5, 7, and 11.5 months of age, representing cognitively pre-symptomatic, early symptomatic and advanced symptomatic stages of the disease, respectively. We monitored the progress of handling-habituation across 8–15 daily handling sessions and assessed the animal behaviors in elevated plus maze. Results: We found that 3×Tg-AD mice were markedly tamer than age-matched control mice at the baseline. Whereas it took 2–3 days for 3×Tg-AD mice to reach the criteria for full tameness, it took an average of 7–9 days for young genetic control mice to do so. Prior handling-habituation enhanced risk assessment and coping strategy in mice in elevated plus maze. Completely handling-habituated mice exhibited comparable anxiety indices in the maze regardless of genotype and age. Conclusion: These findings collectively point to inherently heightened tameness and accelerated handling-habituation in 3×Tg-AD mice on a B6;129 genetic background. These traits should be carefully considered when behaviors are compared between 3×Tg-AD and the genetic control mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Jiahui Niu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
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Ilina A, Khavinson V, Linkova N, Petukhov M. Neuroepigenetic Mechanisms of Action of Ultrashort Peptides in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084259. [PMID: 35457077 PMCID: PMC9032300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is necessary for maintaining higher-order cognitive functions (learning and memory). The current understanding of the role of epigenetics in the mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is focused on DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone modifications, and regulation of non-coding RNAs. The pathogenetic links of this disease are the misfolding and aggregation of tau protein and amyloid peptides, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired energy metabolism, destruction of the blood–brain barrier, and neuroinflammation, all of which lead to impaired synaptic plasticity and memory loss. Ultrashort peptides are promising neuroprotective compounds with a broad spectrum of activity and without reported side effects. The main aim of this review is to analyze the possible epigenetic mechanisms of the neuroprotective action of ultrashort peptides in AD. The review highlights the role of short peptides in the AD pathophysiology. We formulate the hypothesis that peptide regulation of gene expression can be mediated by the interaction of short peptides with histone proteins, cis- and transregulatory DNA elements and effector molecules (DNA/RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNA). The development of therapeutic agents based on ultrashort peptides may offer a promising addition to the multifunctional treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Ilina
- Department of Biogerontology, Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 19711 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (V.K.); (N.L.)
- Department of General Pathology and Pathological Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-(953)145-89-58
| | - Vladimir Khavinson
- Department of Biogerontology, Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 19711 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (V.K.); (N.L.)
- Group of Peptide Regulation of Aging, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Linkova
- Department of Biogerontology, Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 19711 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (V.K.); (N.L.)
| | - Mikhael Petukhov
- Department of Molecular Radiation Biophysics, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute Named after B.P. Konstantinov, NRC “Kurchatov Institute”, 188300 Gatchina, Russia;
- Group of Biophysics, Higher Engineering and Technical School, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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7
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Gascon S, Jann J, Langlois-Blais C, Plourde M, Lavoie C, Faucheux N. Peptides Derived from Growth Factors to Treat Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116071. [PMID: 34199883 PMCID: PMC8200100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive neuron losses in memory-related brain structures. The classical features of AD are a dysregulation of the cholinergic system, the accumulation of amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Unfortunately, current treatments are unable to cure or even delay the progression of the disease. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies have emerged, such as the exogenous administration of neurotrophic factors (e.g., NGF and BDNF) that are deficient or dysregulated in AD. However, their low capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier and their exorbitant cost currently limit their use. To overcome these limitations, short peptides mimicking the binding receptor sites of these growth factors have been developed. Such peptides can target selective signaling pathways involved in neuron survival, differentiation, and/or maintenance. This review focuses on growth factors and their derived peptides as potential treatment for AD. It describes (1) the physiological functions of growth factors in the brain, their neuronal signaling pathways, and alteration in AD; (2) the strategies to develop peptides derived from growth factor and their capacity to mimic the role of native proteins; and (3) new advancements and potential in using these molecules as therapeutic treatments for AD, as well as their limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Gascon
- Laboratory of Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, 2500 Boulevard Université, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada; (S.G.); (J.J.)
| | - Jessica Jann
- Laboratory of Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, 2500 Boulevard Université, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada; (S.G.); (J.J.)
| | - Chloé Langlois-Blais
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada;
| | - Mélanie Plourde
- Centre de Recherche sur le Vieillissement, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et Services Sociaux de l’Estrie–Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1G 1B1, Canada;
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Christine Lavoie
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada;
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, 3001 12th Avenue, N., Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
- Correspondence: (C.L.); (N.F.); Tel.: +1-819-821-8000 (ext. 72732) (C.L.); +1-819-821-8000 (ext. 61343) (N.F.)
| | - Nathalie Faucheux
- Laboratory of Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, 2500 Boulevard Université, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada; (S.G.); (J.J.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, 3001 12th Avenue, N., Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
- Correspondence: (C.L.); (N.F.); Tel.: +1-819-821-8000 (ext. 72732) (C.L.); +1-819-821-8000 (ext. 61343) (N.F.)
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8
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Lazarov O, Minshall RD, Bonini MG. Harnessing neurogenesis in the adult brain-A role in type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 155:235-269. [PMID: 32854856 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Some metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are risk factors for the development of cognitive deficits and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Epidemiological studies suggest that in people with T2DM, the risk of developing dementia is 2.5 times higher than that in the non-diabetic population. The signaling pathways that underlie the increased risk and facilitate cognitive deficits are not fully understood. In fact, the cause of memory deficits in AD is not fully elucidated. The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus plays an important role in memory formation. Hippocampal neurogenesis is the generation of new neurons and glia in the adult brain throughout life. New neurons incorporate in the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus and play a role in learning and memory and hippocampal plasticity. A large body of studies suggests that hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in mouse models of AD and T2DM. Recent evidence shows that hippocampal neurogenesis is also impaired in human patients exhibiting mild cognitive impairment or AD. This review discusses the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in the development of cognitive deficits and AD, and considers inflammatory and endothelial signaling pathways in T2DM that may compromise hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive function, leading to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Lazarov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Richard D Minshall
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Marcelo G Bonini
- Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University and Basic Sciences Research, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Chicago, IL, United States
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Wei W, Wang Y, Liu Y, Dai CL, Tung YC, Liu F, Iqbal K. Prenatal to early postnatal neurotrophic treatment prevents Alzheimer-like behavior and pathology in mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:102. [PMID: 32854771 PMCID: PMC7450938 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00666-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of middle-aged to old individuals. The pathophysiological process of AD is believed to begin many years before the emergence of clinical symptoms. The important influence of congenital genetic aberrations on the development of AD provides a novel opportunity to initiate prenatal to early postnatal pharmacological treatment to address the role of this critical period of brain development in the disease. METHODS We investigated for the first time the effect of oral treatment during prenatal to early postnatal development with a neurotrophic compound, P021 (Ac-DGGLAG-NH2), on neurobehavior and AD-like pathology in 3xTg-AD, a transgenic mouse model of AD. The transgenic and control wild-type female mice were treated from prenatal day 8 to postnatal day 21 with a custom-made diet containing P021 or a vehicle diet, followed by a standard diet. AD-type cognitive function and pathological features were studied during adulthood and old age. RESULTS The P021 treatment rescued cognitive deficits at 4 months, reduced abnormal hyperphosphorylation and accumulation of tau at known major AD neurofibrillary pathology-associated sites, and decreased Aβ plaque load at 22 months in 3xTg-AD mice. Prenatal to early postnatal treatment with P021 also ameliorated certain markers of postsynaptic deficits, including PSD-95 levels and CREB activity, and decreased one measure of neuroinflammation, GFAP level in the brain at 4 and 22 months in 3xTg mice. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that neurotrophic impairment during early development can be one of the etiopathogenic factors of AD and that the neurotrophic peptide mimetic is a potential early prevention strategy for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.,Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Institute of Brain Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Yinghua Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Yunn-Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.
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10
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Guillemaud O, Ceyzériat K, Saint-Georges T, Cambon K, Petit F, Ben Haim L, Carrillo-de Sauvage MA, Guillermier M, Bernier S, Hérard AS, Joséphine C, Bémelmans AP, Brouillet E, Hantraye P, Bonvento G, Escartin C. Complex roles for reactive astrocytes in the triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 90:135-146. [PMID: 32171592 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In Alzheimer disease (AD), astrocytes undergo complex changes and become reactive. The consequences of this reaction are still unclear. To evaluate the net impact of reactive astrocytes in AD, we developed viral vectors targeting astrocytes that either activate or inhibit the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2-STAT3) pathway, a central cascade controlling astrocyte reaction. We aimed to evaluate whether reactive astrocytes contribute to tau as well as amyloid pathologies in the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD mice, an AD model that develops tau hyper-phosphorylation and amyloid deposition. JAK2-STAT3 pathway-mediated modulation of reactive astrocytes in 25% of the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD mice did not significantly influence tau phosphorylation or amyloid processing and deposition at early, advanced, and terminal disease stage. Interestingly, inhibition of the JAK2-STAT3 pathway in hippocampal astrocytes did not improve spatial memory in the Y maze but it did reduce anxiety in the elevated plus maze. Our unique approach to specifically manipulate reactive astrocytes in situ show they may impact behavioral outcomes without influencing tau or amyloid pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Océane Guillemaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Kelly Ceyzériat
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Thomas Saint-Georges
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Karine Cambon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Fanny Petit
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Lucile Ben Haim
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - Martine Guillermier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Sueva Bernier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Hérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alexis Pierre Bémelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Carole Escartin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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11
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Simanaviciute U, Ahmed J, Brown RE, Connor-Robson N, Farr TD, Fertan E, Gambles N, Garland H, Morton AJ, Staiger JF, Skillings EA, Trueman RC, Wade-Martins R, Wood NI, Wong AA, Grant RA. Recommendations for measuring whisker movements and locomotion in mice with sensory, motor and cognitive deficits. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 331:108532. [PMID: 31785300 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have measured whisker movements and locomotion to characterise mouse models of neurodegenerative disease. However, these studies have always been completed in isolation, and do not involve standardized procedures for comparisons across multiple mouse models and background strains. NEW METHOD We present a standard method for conducting whisker movement and locomotion studies, by carrying out qualitative scoring and quantitative measurement of whisker movements from high-speed video footage of mouse models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Cerebellar Ataxia, Somatosensory Cortex Development and Ischemic stroke. RESULTS Sex, background strain, source breeder and genotype all affected whisker movements. All mouse models, apart from Parkinson's disease, revealed differences in whisker movements during locomotion. R6/2 CAG250 Huntington's disease mice had the strongest behavioural phenotype. Robo3R3-5-CKO and RIM-DKOSert mouse models have abnormal somatosensory cortex development and revealed significant changes in whisker movements during object exploration. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Our results have good agreement with past studies, which indicates the robustness and reliability of measuring whisking. We recommend that differences in whisker movements of mice with motor deficits can be captured in open field arenas, but that mice with impairments to sensory or cognitive functioning should also be filmed investigating objects. Scoring clips qualitatively before tracking will help to structure later analyses. CONCLUSIONS Studying whisker movements provides a quantitative measure of sensing, motor control and exploration. However, the effect of background strain, sex and age on whisker movements needs to be better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugne Simanaviciute
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Manchester University, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jewel Ahmed
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Natalie Connor-Robson
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Tracy D Farr
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Emre Fertan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nikki Gambles
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK; Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L2 2QP, UK
| | - Huw Garland
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Jochen F Staiger
- Institute for Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Elizabeth A Skillings
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Rebecca C Trueman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Nigel I Wood
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Aimee A Wong
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Robyn A Grant
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK.
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12
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High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Causes Sex-Specific Deficits in Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0391-19.2019. [PMID: 31871124 PMCID: PMC6946541 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0391-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is suppressed by high-fat (HF) diet and metabolic disease, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Deficits in AHN may contribute to cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia and mood disorders, which have higher prevalence in women. However, sex differences in the effects of HF diet/metabolic disease on AHN have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Herein, male and female C57BL/6J mice were fed an HF or control (CON) diet from ∼2 to 6 months of age. After 3 months on the diet, mice were injected with 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) then killed 4 weeks later. Cell proliferation, differentiation/maturation, and survival of new neurons in the dentate gyrus were assessed with immunofluorescence for EdU, Ki67, doublecortin (DCX), and NeuN. CON females had more proliferating cells (Ki67+) and neuroblasts/immature neurons (DCX+) compared with CON males; however, HF diet reduced these cells in females to the levels of males. Diet did not affect neurogenesis in males. Further, the numbers of proliferating cells and immature neurons were inversely correlated with both weight gain and glucose intolerance in females only. These effects were robust in the dorsal hippocampus, which supports cognitive processes. Assessment of microglia in the dentate gyrus using immunofluorescence for Iba1 and CD68 uncovered sex-specific effects of diet, which may contribute to observed differences in neurogenesis. These findings demonstrate sex-specific effects of HF diet/metabolic disease on AHN, and highlight the potential for targeting neurogenic deficits to treat cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia associated with these conditions, particularly in females.
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13
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Syeda T, Sanchez-Tapia M, Pinedo-Vargas L, Granados O, Cuervo-Zanatta D, Rojas-Santiago E, Díaz-Cintra SA, Torres N, Perez-Cruz C. Bioactive Food Abates Metabolic and Synaptic Alterations by Modulation of Gut Microbiota in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 66:1657-1682. [PMID: 30475761 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent investigations have demonstrated an important role of gut microbiota (GM) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). GM modulates a host's health and disease by production of several substances, including lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), among others. Diet can modify the composition and diversity of GM, and ingestion of a healthy diet has been suggested to lower the risk to develop AD. We have previously shown that bioactive food (BF) ingestion can abate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress and improve cognition in obese rats, effects associated with GM composition. Therefore, BF can impact the gut-brain axis and improved behavior. In this study, we aim to explore if inclusion of BF in the diet may impact central pathological markers of AD by modulation of the GM. Triple transgenic 3xTg-AD (TG) female mice were fed a combination of dried nopal, soy, chia oil, and turmeric for 7 months. We found that BF ingestion improved cognition and reduced Aβ aggregates and tau hyperphosphorylation. In addition, BF decreased MDA levels, astrocyte and microglial activation, PSD-95, synaptophysin, GluR1 and ARC protein levels in TG mice. Furthermore, TG mice fed BF showed increased levels of pGSK-3β. GM analysis revealed that pro-inflammatory bacteria were more abundant in TG mice compared to wild-type, while BF ingestion was able to restore the GM's composition, LPS, and propionate levels to control values. Therefore, the neuroprotective effects of BF may be mediated, in part, by modulation of GM and the release of neurotoxic substances that alter brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tauqeerunnisa Syeda
- Departmento de Farmacología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N. 2508, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mónica Sanchez-Tapia
- Departamento de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Laura Pinedo-Vargas
- Instituto Nacional de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla-Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Omar Granados
- Departamento de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Cuervo-Zanatta
- Departmento de Farmacología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N. 2508, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Sof A Díaz-Cintra
- Instituto Nacional de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla-Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Nimbe Torres
- Departamento de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia Perez-Cruz
- Departmento de Farmacología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N. 2508, Mexico City, Mexico
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14
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Liu Y, Wei W, Baazaoui N, Liu F, Iqbal K. Inhibition of AMD-Like Pathology With a Neurotrophic Compound in Aged Rats and 3xTg-AD Mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:309. [PMID: 31803044 PMCID: PMC6877482 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-associated macular degeneration (AMD), which leads to loss of vision at its end stage, is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases among the elderly. However, to date, no effective drug therapy is available for the prevention of AMD. Here, we report the occurrence of AMD pathology and its prevention by chronic treatment with the neurotrophic peptidergic compound P021, in aged rats and 3xTg-AD mice. We found photoreceptor degeneration, lipofuscin granules, vacuoles, and atrophy in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as well as Bruch’s membrane (BM) thickening; in aged rats, we even found rosette-like structure formation. Microgliosis and astrogliosis were observed in different retinal layers. In addition, we also found that total tau, phosphorylated tau, Aβ/APP, and VEGF were widely distributed in the sub-retina of aged rats and 3xTg mice. Importantly, chronic treatment with P021 for 3 months in rats and for 18 months in 3xTg mice ameliorated the pathological changes above. These findings indicate the therapeutic potential of P021 for prevention and treatment of AMD and retinal changes associated with aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Clinical Pharmacology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States.,Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Institute of Brain Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
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15
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Romo-Araiza A, Ibarra A. Prebiotics and probiotics as potential therapy for cognitive impairment. Med Hypotheses 2019; 134:109410. [PMID: 31627123 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive functions, such as learning and memory, may be impaired during aging. Age-related cognitive impairment is associated with selective neuronal loss, oxidative changes that lead to microglia activation and neuroinflammation. In addition, it is associated to alteration reduction in trophic factors affecting neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. In recent years, attention has been paid to the relationship between gut microbiota and brain. In aging, there is an alteration in microbiota, gut microbiota diversity is perturbed with an increase in pathogenic bacteria at the expense of beneficial ones. Dysbiosis may lead to chronic inflammation, and a decrease in bacteria metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids which have been related to an upregulation of neurotrophic factors. Supplementation with prebiotics and probiotics can modulate gut microbiota, returning it to a more physiological state; thus, they may be considered as a possible treatment for age-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Romo-Araiza
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac México Campus Norte, Huixquilucan, Estado de México C.P. 52786, Mexico
| | - Antonio Ibarra
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac México Campus Norte, Huixquilucan, Estado de México C.P. 52786, Mexico.
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16
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Treat Alzheimer's Disease by Neurotrophic Support During the Period of Synaptic Compensation. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 62:1211-1218. [PMID: 29562539 PMCID: PMC5870029 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), at present, is considered an incurable disease and a major dilemma with no drug to stop or slow down its progression. Drugs that are currently available in the market are able to only transiently improve the clinical symptoms. The repeated failures in developing an effective drug has led to the suggestion that the medical intervention was probably too late to be effective since the pathology starts many years before the appearance of the clinical symptoms. Probably, at the time of the appearance of clinical symptoms the brain has undergone major neuronal and synaptic loss. Because of the uncertainty on when to use a prevention therapy, especially targeting amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies, interventions that rely on the regenerative capacity of the brain such as the modulation of the inherent neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity represent a promising therapeutic strategy. Such an approach can act both at early as well as late stages of the disease and remove the barrier of the time of intervention. In this article, we review studies mainly from our laboratory that show the merit of early intervention during the synaptic and neuronal compensation period where the brain still has the capacity to self-repair by offering neurotrophic support in reversing cognitive impairment, neuronal and synaptic deficits, Aβ, and tau pathologies and decreasing mortality in a transgenic mouse model of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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17
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Li L, Jiang Y, Hu W, Tung YC, Dai C, Chu D, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Pathological Alterations of Tau in Alzheimer's Disease and 3xTg-AD Mouse Brains. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6168-6183. [PMID: 30734228 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1507-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is hyperphosphorylated, truncated, and aggregated into neurofibrillary tangles. Oligomeric and hyperphosphorylated tau (Oligo-tau) isolated from AD brain captures and templates normal tau into filaments both in vitro and in vivo; this prion-like activity is believed to be responsible for the progression of neurofibrillary pathology in AD. The 3xTg-AD mouse model develops both Aβ and tau pathologies and thus gains popularity in preclinical studies of AD. Despite the histopathological similarity of the 3xTg-AD model to AD, biochemical authenticity of tau alterations in this model remains elusive. To investigate the biochemical basis of tau pathology in 3xTg-AD brain, we here compared pathological alterations of tau in the aged 3xTg-AD brain to those in AD brain. We found that in contrast to substantial high molecular weight smear tau (HMW-tau) lacking the N-terminal portion and hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites in AD brain, tau in 3xTg-AD mouse brain showed no detectable HMW-tau or truncation but slightly increased phosphorylation when normalized with total tau. In addition, AT8 immunostaining exhibited filamentous tau inclusions in AD brain, but predominantly truffle-like morphology in aged 3xTg-AD mouse brain. Further, Oligo-tau isolated from 3xTg-AD mice showed minimal potency in capturing tau in vitro and seeding tau aggregation in cultured cells when compared to AD Oligo-tau. These findings suggest that the alterations of tau in 3xTg-AD mouse brain differ from those in AD brain. In 3xTg-AD mice, the lack of N-terminal truncation, scarce SDS/reducing reagent-resistant HMW-tau, and minimal hyperphosphorylation may collectively result in low potency in prion-like activity of the Oligo-tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Li
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Yanli Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Chunling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
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18
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Creighton SD, Mendell AL, Palmer D, Kalisch BE, MacLusky NJ, Prado VF, Prado MAM, Winters BD. Dissociable cognitive impairments in two strains of transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice revealed by a battery of object-based tests. Sci Rep 2019; 9:57. [PMID: 30635592 PMCID: PMC6329782 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37312-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Object recognition tasks detect cognitive deficits in transgenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models. Object recognition, however, is not a unitary process, and there are many uncharacterized facets of object processing with relevance to AD. We therefore systematically evaluated object processing in 5xFAD and 3xTG AD mice to clarify the nature of object recognition-related deficits. Twelve-month-old male and female 5xFAD and 3xTG mice were assessed on tasks for object identity recognition, spatial recognition, and multisensory object perception. Memory and multisensory perceptual impairments were observed, with interesting dissociations between transgenic AD strains and sex that paralleled neuropathological changes. Overreliance on the widespread "object recognition" task threatens to slow discovery of potentially significant and clinically relevant behavioural effects related to this multifaceted cognitive function. The current results support the use of carefully designed object-based test batteries to clarify the relationship between "object recognition" impairments and specific aspects of AD pathology in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha D Creighton
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Ari L Mendell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel Palmer
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Bettina E Kalisch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Neil J MacLusky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Vania F Prado
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco A M Prado
- Molecular Medicine Research Group, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Boyer D Winters
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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19
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Murphy K, Llewellyn K, Wakser S, Pontasch J, Samanich N, Flemer M, Hensley K, Kim DS, Park J. Mini-GAGR, an intranasally applied polysaccharide, activates the neuronal Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense system. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:18242-18269. [PMID: 30282635 PMCID: PMC6254342 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress triggers and exacerbates neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Various antioxidants reduce oxidative stress, but these agents have little efficacy due to poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Additionally, single-modal antioxidants are easily overwhelmed by global oxidative stress. Activating nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream antioxidant system are considered very effective for reducing global oxidative stress. Thus far, only a few BBB-permeable agents activate the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant system. Here, we discovered a BBB-bypassing Nrf2-activating polysaccharide that may attenuate AD pathogenesis. Mini-GAGR, a 0.7-kDa cleavage product of low-acyl gellan gum, increased the levels and activities of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzymes, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) under oxidative stress in mouse cortical neurons, and robustly protected mitochondria from oxidative insults. Moreover, mini-GAGR increased the nuclear localization and transcriptional activity of Nrf2 similarly to known Nrf2 activators. Mechanistically, mini-GAGR increased the dissociation of Nrf2 from its inhibitor, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in a protein kinase C (PKC)- and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR1)-dependent manner. Finally, 20-day intranasal treatment of 3xTg-AD mice with 100 nmol of mini-GAGR increased nuclear p-Nrf2 and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) levels in hippocampal neurons, reduced p-tau and β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide-stained neurons, and improved memory. The BBB-bypassing Nrf2-activating polysaccharide reported here may be effective in reducing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kenneth Hensley
- Pathology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43614 and
| | - Dong-Shik Kim
- the Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43607
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20
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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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Snow WM, Dale R, O'Brien-Moran Z, Buist R, Peirson D, Martin M, Albensi BC. In Vivo Detection of Gray Matter Neuropathology in the 3xTg Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease with Diffusion Tensor Imaging. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 58:841-853. [PMID: 28505976 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder accompanied by severe functional and cognitive decline, is based on clinical findings, with final confirmation of the disease at autopsy by the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Given that microstructural brain alterations occur years prior to clinical symptoms, efforts to detect brain changes early could significantly enhance our ability to diagnose AD sooner. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a type of MRI that characterizes the magnitude, orientation, and anisotropy of the diffusion of water in tissues, has been used to infer neuropathological changes in vivo. Its utility in AD, however, is still under investigation. The current study used DTI to examine brain regions susceptible to AD-related pathology; the cerebral cortex, entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus, in 12-14-month-old 3xTg AD mice that possess both Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Mean diffusivity did not differ between 3xTg and control mice in any region. Decreased fractional anisotropy (p < 0.01) and axial diffusivity (p < 0.05) were detected only in the hippocampus, in which both congophilic Aβ plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau accumulation, consistent with neurofibrillary tangle formation, were detected. Pathological tau accumulation was seen in the cortex. The entorhinal cortex was largely spared from AD-related neuropathology. This is the first study to demonstrate DTI abnormalities in gray matter in a mouse model of AD in which both pathological hallmarks are present, suggesting the feasibility of DTI as a non-invasive means of detecting brain pathology in vivo in early-stage AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanda M Snow
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Ryan Dale
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Richard Buist
- Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Danial Peirson
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Melanie Martin
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Physics, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Benedict C Albensi
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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22
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. Prevention of Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies, Associated Neurodegeneration, and Cognitive Deficit by Early Treatment with a Neurotrophic Compound. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 58:215-230. [PMID: 28387677 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
To date, neither any effective treatment nor prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major dementia causing disorder, are available. Herein, we investigated the secondary prevention of neurodegeneration, amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies with a neurotrophic compound P021 in 3xTg-AD mice. Previous work found that P021 can rescue at mild to moderate stages Aβ and tau pathologies in 3xTg-AD mice. To determine its potential clinical application, we sought to test the preventive effect of P021 on Aβ and tau pathologies by starting the treatment during the period of synaptic compensation several months before the appearance of any overt pathology in 3xTg-AD mice. We started a continuous treatment with P021 in 3-month-old female animals and followed its effect at 9-, 15- and 18-months post-treatment. Neurodegeneration at the above time points was studied using Fluorojade C staining, and tau and Aβ pathologies both immunohistochemically and by Western blots. Cognitive performance was studied by assessing episodic memory with Novel Object Recognition task at 16-17-months post-treatment. We found that P021 treatment initiated during the synaptic compensation period can prevent neurodegeneration, Aβ and tau pathologies, rescue episodic memory impairment, and markedly reduce mortality rate. These findings for the first time show effective prevention of AD changes with a neurotrophic compound that targets neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, suggesting that improving the health of the neuronal network can prevent AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Graduate Program in Biology (Neuroscience), College of Staten Island, City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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23
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Baazaoui N, Flory M, Iqbal K. Synaptic Compensation as a Probable Cause of Prolonged Mild Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease: Implications from a Transgenic Mouse Model of the Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 56:1385-1401. [PMID: 28222506 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slow, progressive neurodegenerative disease in which cognitive decline takes place over a period of several years with a very variable period of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and, in some cases, relatively long period before progression to dementia. The cognitive deficit during MCI is probably due to neuronal loss, an intermediate level of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and synaptosis, which is interrupted with a transient compensatory increase. We found impairment in reference memory accompanied by a decrease in the expression of synaptophysin, β-III tubulin, and MAP2 and a trend for GluR1, at 12 weeks of age in 3xTg-AD mice (hAPPSwe, P301L tau, PS1 [M146V] knock-in), a widely used transgenic model of AD. Past 12 weeks, the cross-sectional analysis of different age groups showed a compensatory increase in synaptic markers relative to that in wild type animals in a topographic and time-dependent manner. When studied across time we found that in 3xTg-AD mice, the compensatory phenomenon occurred in parallel in different regions of the brain. However, this attempt of the brain to repair itself was able to only partially rescue cognitive impairment. These findings for the first time raise the intriguing possibility that AD causing mutated transgenes may initially cause an increase in synaptic and dendritic markers as a compensatory mechanism for synaptic deficit, and this phenomenon, though transient, could be the biological basis of the period of MCI seen in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, NY, USA.,Graduate Program in Biology (Neuroscience), College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Flory
- Research Design and Analysis Service, New York State Institute for Basic Research in DevelopmentalDisabilities, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, NY, USA
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24
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Dai CL, Hu W, Tung YC, Liu F, Gong CX, Iqbal K. Tau passive immunization blocks seeding and spread of Alzheimer hyperphosphorylated Tau-induced pathology in 3 × Tg-AD mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2018; 10:13. [PMID: 29386065 PMCID: PMC5793372 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence indicates that Tau pathology can spread from neuron to neuron by intake and coaggregation of the hyperphosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) seeds with the host neuron protein. Thus, clearance of Tau seeds by immunization with Tau antibodies could provide a potential therapeutic opportunity to block the spread of the pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies. We report prevention of the seeding and spread of tau pathology with mouse monoclonal antibody 43D against the N-terminal projection domain of Tau (Tau 6–18) in triple-transgenic AD (3 × Tg-AD) mice. Methods Female 11- to 12-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice were intravenously immunized weekly for 6 weeks with 15 μg/injection of mouse monoclonal antibody 43D or with mouse immunoglobulin G as a control. AD p-Tau isolated from a frozen autopsied AD brain was unilaterally injected into the right hippocampus on the day of the second dose of immunization. Tau pathology and its effect on Aβ pathology were assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Results We found that the injection of AD p-Tau into the hippocampus of 11- to 12-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice time-dependently induced Tau aggregation in the hippocampus and promoted the spread of Tau pathology to the contralateral hippocampus. Tau pathology was observed as early as 6 weeks after AD p-Tau injection. Tau pathology templated by AD p-Tau was thioflavin-S-positive and was about two-fold greater than that seen in naive 18-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice; Tau pathology in the latter was thioflavin-S-negative. Immunization with Tau antibody 43D dramatically blocked AD p-Tau seeding in the ipsilateral hippocampus and inhibited its propagation to the contralateral side in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Furthermore, AD p-Tau injection enhanced the amyloid plaque load in the ipsilateral side, and immunization with 43D showed a tendency to attenuate it. Conclusions These findings indicate that AD p-Tau-injected 3 × Tg-AD mice represent a practical model to study the seeding and spread of Tau pathology, their effect on Aβ pathology, and the effect of Tau immunotherapy on both Tau and Aβ pathologies. Immunization with Tau antibody 43D to Tau 6–18 can prevent the seeding and spread of Tau pathology, making it a potential therapeutic treatment for AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
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25
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The microtubule-associated protein Tau plays a role in neurodegeneration as well as neurogenesis. Previous work has shown that the expression of the pro-aggregant mutant Tau repeat domain causes strong aggregation and pronounced neuronal loss in the hippocampus whereas the anti-aggregant form has no deleterious effects. These two proteins differ mainly in their propensity to form ß structure and hence to aggregate. METHODS To elucidate the basis of these contrasting effects, we analyzed organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) from transgenic mice expressing the repeat domain (RD) of Tau with the anti-aggregant mutation (TauRDΔKPP) and compared them with slices containing pro-aggregant TauRDΔK. Transgene expression in the hippocampus was monitored via a sensitive bioluminescence reporter gene assay (luciferase). RESULTS The expression of the anti-aggregant TauRDΔKPP leads to a larger volume of the hippocampus at a young age due to enhanced neurogenesis, resulting in an increase in neuronal number. There were no signs of activation of microglia and astrocytes, indicating the absence of an inflammatory reaction. Investigation of signaling pathways showed that Wnt-5a was strongly decreased whereas Wnt3 was increased. A pronounced increase in hippocampal stem cell proliferation (seen by BrdU) was observed as early as P8, in the CA regions where neurogenesis is normally not observed. The increase in neurons persisted up to 16 months of age. CONCLUSION The data suggest that the expression of anti-aggregant TauRDΔKPP enhances hippocampal neurogenesis mediated by the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, without an inflammatory reaction. This study points to a role of tau in brain development and neurogenesis, in contrast to its detrimental role in neurodegeneration at later age.
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. Prevention of dendritic and synaptic deficits and cognitive impairment with a neurotrophic compound. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2017; 9:45. [PMID: 28655344 PMCID: PMC5488423 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-017-0273-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Background The use of neurotrophic factors to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is hindered by their blood–brain barrier impermeability, short half-life, and severe side effects. Peptide 021 (P021) is a neurotrophic/neurogenic tetra-peptide that was derived from the most active region of the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) by epitope mapping. Admantylated glycine was added to its C-terminal to increase its blood–brain barrier permeability and decrease its degradation by exopeptidases to make it druggable. Here, we report on the preventive effect of P021 in 3 × Tg-AD, a transgenic mouse model of AD. Methods P021 was administered in the diet at 3 months, i.e., 6–9 months before any overt amyloid beta (Aβ) or tau pathology, and during the period of synaptic compensation, and was continued until 21 months in 3 × Tg-AD mice. The 3 × Tg-AD mice and wild-type (WT) mice were treated identically but with a vehicle-only diet serving as controls. The effects of P021 on neurogenesis, dendritic and synaptic markers, and cognitive performance were investigated. Results We found that P021 treatment was able to rescue dendritic and synaptic deficits, boost neurogenesis, and reverse cognitive impairment in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Conclusions Availability of appropriate neurotrophic support during the period of synaptic compensation can prevent synaptic deficit and cognitive impairment, and P021 is a promising neurotrophic compound for this purpose. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13195-017-0273-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, IngeGrundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.,Graduate Program in Biology (Neuroscience), College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016-4309, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, IngeGrundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
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27
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Zheng X, Zhang C, Guo Q, Wan X, Shao X, Liu Q, Zhang Q. Dual-functional nanoparticles for precise drug delivery to Alzheimer’s disease lesions: Targeting mechanisms, pharmacodynamics and safety. Int J Pharm 2017; 525:237-248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2017.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Kazim SF, Blanchard J, Bianchi R, Iqbal K. Early neurotrophic pharmacotherapy rescues developmental delay and Alzheimer's-like memory deficits in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45561. [PMID: 28368015 PMCID: PMC5377379 DOI: 10.1038/srep45561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), caused by trisomy 21, is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and is associated with a greatly increased risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Ts65Dn mouse model of DS exhibits several key features of the disease including developmental delay and AD-like cognitive impairment. Accumulating evidence suggests that impairments in early brain development caused by trisomy 21 contribute significantly to memory deficits in adult life in DS. Prenatal genetic testing to diagnose DS in utero, provides the novel opportunity to initiate early pharmacological treatment to target this critical period of brain development. Here, we report that prenatal to early postnatal treatment with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small-molecule peptide mimetic, Peptide 021 (P021), rescued developmental delay in pups and AD-like hippocampus-dependent memory impairments in adult life in Ts65Dn mice. Furthermore, this treatment prevented pre-synaptic protein deficit, decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3β) activity, and increased levels of synaptic plasticity markers including brain derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and phosphorylated CREB, both in young (3-week-old) and adult (~ 7-month-old) Ts65Dn mice. These findings provide novel evidence that providing neurotrophic support during early brain development can prevent developmental delay and AD-like memory impairments in a DS mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Faraz Kazim
- Department of Neurochemistry, and SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Institute for Basic Research (NYSIBR), Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.,The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.,Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Julie Blanchard
- Department of Neurochemistry, and SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Institute for Basic Research (NYSIBR), Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Riccardo Bianchi
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, and SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Institute for Basic Research (NYSIBR), Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
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29
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Colin J, Thomas MH, Gregory-Pauron L, Pinçon A, Lanhers MC, Corbier C, Claudepierre T, Yen FT, Oster T, Malaplate-Armand C. Maintenance of membrane organization in the aging mouse brain as the determining factor for preventing receptor dysfunction and for improving response to anti-Alzheimer treatments. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 54:84-93. [PMID: 28347928 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the "aging" parameter is not systematically considered in preclinical validation of anti-AD drugs. To explore how aging affects neuronal reactivity to anti-AD agents, the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)-associated pathway was chosen as a model. Comparison of the neuroprotective properties of CNTF in 6- and 18-month old mice revealed that CNTF resistance in the older animals is associated with the exclusion of the CNTF-receptor subunits from rafts and their subsequent dispersion to non-raft cortical membrane domains. This age-dependent membrane remodeling prevented both the formation of active CNTF-receptor complexes and the activation of prosurvival STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways, demonstrating that age-altered membranes impaired the reactivity of potential therapeutic targets. CNTF-receptor distribution and CNTF signaling responses were improved in older mice receiving dietary docosahexaenoic acid, with CNTF-receptor functionality being similar to those of younger mice, pointing toward dietary intervention as a promising adjuvant strategy to maintain functional neuronal membranes, thus allowing the associated receptors to respond appropriately to anti-AD agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Colin
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Mélanie H Thomas
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Lynn Gregory-Pauron
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Anthony Pinçon
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Marie-Claire Lanhers
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Catherine Corbier
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Thomas Claudepierre
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Frances T Yen
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Thierry Oster
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Catherine Malaplate-Armand
- UR AFPA - INRA USC 340, EA 3998, Équipe Biodisponibilité et Fonctionnalité des Lipides Alimentaires (BFLA), Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France; Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, UF Oncologie - Endocrinologie - Neurobiologie, Hôpital Central, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Nancy, France.
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Dai CL, Tung YC, Liu F, Gong CX, Iqbal K. Tau passive immunization inhibits not only tau but also Aβ pathology. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2017; 9:1. [PMID: 28073379 PMCID: PMC5225540 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-016-0227-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Background Accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein is a histopathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Currently, there is no effective treatment available for these progressive neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, tau immunotherapy has shown great potential in animal models. We report the effect of immunization with tau antibodies 43D against tau 6–18 and 77E9 against tau 184–195 on tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) pathologies and cognition in triple-transgenic (3×Tg)-AD mice at mild to moderate stages of the disease. Methods We immunized 12-month-old female 3×Tg-AD mice with two to six or seven intravenous weekly doses of 15 μg of mouse monoclonal antibody 43D, 77E9, a combination of one-half dose each of 43D and 77E9, or as control of mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG). Age-matched wild-type mice treated with mouse IgG or a mixture of 43D and 77E9 were also used as controls. The effect of immunization with tau antibodies on tau and Aβ pathologies was assessed by Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis, and the effect on cognition was analyzed by using Morris water maze, one-trial novel object recognition, and novel object location tasks. Results We found that two doses of 43D and 77E9 reduced total tau but had no significant impact on hyperphosphorylation of tau. However, six doses of 43D reduced levels of both total tau and tau hyperphosphorylated at Ser262/356 and Ser396/404 sites in the hippocampus. Importantly, both 43D and 77E9 antibodies rescued spatial memory and short-term memory impairments in 3×Tg-AD mice. The beneficial effect of 43D and 77E9 antibodies on cognitive performance was sustained up to 3 months after the last dose. Six doses of immunization with 43D also decreased amyloid precursor protein (APP) level in CA1 and amyloid plaques in subiculum, and showed a trend toward reducing Aβ40 and Aβ42 in the forebrain. Immunization with 43D increased levels of complement components C1 and C9 and resulted in activation of microglia, especially surrounding Aβ plaques. Conclusions These findings suggest the potential of passive immunization targeting proximal N-terminal domain tau 6–18 as a disease-modifying approach to AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
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31
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Kazim SF, Iqbal K. Neurotrophic factor small-molecule mimetics mediated neuroregeneration and synaptic repair: emerging therapeutic modality for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:50. [PMID: 27400746 PMCID: PMC4940708 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0119-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable and debilitating chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. AD is a heterogeneous and multifactorial disorder, histopathologically characterized by the presence of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of Aβ peptides and abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau protein, respectively. Independent of the various etiopathogenic mechanisms, neurodegeneration is a final common outcome of AD neuropathology. Synaptic loss is a better correlate of cognitive impairment in AD than Aβ or tau pathologies. Thus a highly promising therapeutic strategy for AD is to shift the balance from neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration and synaptic repair. Neurotrophic factors, by virtue of their neurogenic and neurotrophic activities, have potential for the treatment of AD. However, the clinical therapeutic usage of recombinant neurotrophic factors is limited because of the insurmountable hurdles of unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties, poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and severe adverse effects. Neurotrophic factor small-molecule mimetics, in this context, represent a potential strategy to overcome these short comings, and have shown promise in preclinical studies. Neurotrophic factor small-molecule mimetics have been the focus of intense research in recent years for AD drug development. Here, we review the relevant literature regarding the therapeutic beneficial effect of neurotrophic factors in AD, and then discuss the recent status of research regarding the neurotrophic factor small-molecule mimetics as therapeutic candidates for AD. Lastly, we summarize the preclinical studies with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small-molecule peptide mimetic, Peptide 021 (P021). P021 is a neurogenic and neurotrophic compound which enhances dentate gyrus neurogenesis and memory processes via inhibiting leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) signaling pathway and increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. It robustly inhibits tau abnormal hyperphosphorylation via increased BDNF mediated decrease in glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β, major tau kinase) activity. P021 is a small molecular weight, BBB permeable compound with suitable pharmacokinetics for oral administration, and without adverse effects associated with native CNTF or BDNF molecule. P021 has shown beneficial therapeutic effect in several preclinical studies and has emerged as a highly promising compound for AD drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Faraz Kazim
- />Department of Neurochemistry, and SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Program in Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Institute for Basic Research (NYSIBR), 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314 USA
- />Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Science, and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203 USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- />Department of Neurochemistry, and SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Program in Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Institute for Basic Research (NYSIBR), 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314 USA
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Rockenstein E, Desplats P, Ubhi K, Mante M, Florio J, Adame A, Winter S, Brandstaetter H, Meier D, Moessler H, Masliah E. Neuropeptide Treatment with Cerebrolysin Enhances the Survival of Grafted Neural Stem Cell in an α-Synuclein Transgenic Model of Parkinson's Disease. J Exp Neurosci 2016; 9:131-40. [PMID: 27429559 PMCID: PMC4938121 DOI: 10.4137/jen.s25521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal stem cell (NSC) grafts have been investigated as a potential neuro-restorative therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but their use is compromised by the death of grafted cells. We investigated the use of Cerebrolysin (CBL), a neurotrophic peptide mixture, as an adjunct to NSC therapy in the α-synuclein (α-syn) transgenic (tg) model of PD. In vehicle-treated α-syn tg mice, there was decreased survival of NSCs. In contrast, CBL treatment enhanced the survival of NSCs in α-syn tg groups and ameliorated behavioral deficits. The grafted NSCs showed lower levels of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling positive cells in the CBL-treated mice when compared with vehicle-treated α-syn tg mice. No evidence of tumor growth was detected. Levels of α-syn were similar in the vehicle in CBL-treated tg mice. In conclusion, CBL treatment might be a potential adjuvant for therapeutic NSC grafting in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Paula Desplats
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kiren Ubhi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Winter
- Clinical Research and Pharmacology, EVER Neuro Pharma GmbH, Unterach, Austria
| | - Hemma Brandstaetter
- Clinical Research and Pharmacology, EVER Neuro Pharma GmbH, Unterach, Austria
| | - Dieter Meier
- Clinical Research and Pharmacology, EVER Neuro Pharma GmbH, Unterach, Austria
| | - Herbert Moessler
- Clinical Research and Pharmacology, EVER Neuro Pharma GmbH, Unterach, Austria
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.; Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Khatoon S, Chalbot S, Bolognin S, Puoliväli J, Iqbal K. Elevated Tau Level in Aged Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid Reduced by Treatment with a Neurotrophic Compound. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 47:557-64. [PMID: 26401692 DOI: 10.3233/jad-142799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the single major cause of dementia in middle- to old-age individuals, and, as of yet, no disease-modifying therapeutic drug is available for its treatment. A major obstacle in the successful development of disease-modifying therapeutic drugs has been the lack of suitable animal models of the sporadic form of AD as well as a biomarker that can be used both for therapeutic preclinical studies and for human clinical trials. Previously we showed neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity deficits and cognitive impairment and their rescue with a neurotrophic peptidergic compound, DGGLAG named P021, in aged Fisher rats. Here we show that P021 is blood-brain-barrier-permeable, and chronic oral treatment with this compound can reduce the brain level of total tau in the aged rats. Furthermore, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of both tau and Aβ/AβPP are elevated in the aged animals, and chronic treatment with P021 can reduce tau but not Aβ/AβPP to that of the levels found in young adult rats. Importantly, P021 does not induce any detectable immune reaction in rats. Collectively, these studies show the therapeutic potential of P021 as a disease-modifying compound and the suitability of the aged Fisher rats as a model of cerebral aging in which the therapeutic efficacy of a tau-reducing compound can be monitored in the CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabiha Khatoon
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Sonia Chalbot
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Bolognin
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | | | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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Ryan SM, Kelly ÁM. Exercise as a pro-cognitive, pro-neurogenic and anti-inflammatory intervention in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2016; 27:77-92. [PMID: 27039886 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is now well established, at least in animal models, that exercise elicits potent pro-cognitive and pro-neurogenic effects. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of dementia and represents one of the greatest burdens on healthcare systems worldwide, with no effective treatment for the disease to date. Exercise presents a promising non-pharmacological option to potentially delay the onset of or slow down the progression of AD. Exercise interventions in mouse models of AD have been explored and have been found to reduce amyloid pathology and improve cognitive function. More recent studies have expanded the research question by investigating potential pro-neurogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of exercise. In this review we summarise studies that have examined exercise-mediated effects on AD pathology, cognitive function, hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroinflammation in transgenic mouse models of AD. Furthermore, we attempt to identify the optimum exercise conditions required to elicit the greatest benefits, taking into account age and pathology of the model, as well as type and duration of exercise.
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Makani V, Jang YG, Christopher K, Judy W, Eckstein J, Hensley K, Chiaia N, Kim DS, Park J. BBB-Permeable, Neuroprotective, and Neurotrophic Polysaccharide, Midi-GAGR. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149715. [PMID: 26939023 PMCID: PMC4777489 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An enormous amount of efforts have been poured to find an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Among those, neurotrophic peptides that regenerate neuronal structures and increase neuron survival show a promise in slowing neurodegeneration. However, the short plasma half-life and poor blood-brain-barrier (BBB)-permeability of neurotrophic peptides limit their in vivo efficacy. Thus, an alternative neurotrophic agent that has longer plasma half-life and better BBB-permeability has been sought for. Based on the recent findings of neuroprotective polysaccharides, we searched for a BBB-permeable neuroprotective polysaccharide among natural polysaccharides that are approved for human use. Then, we discovered midi-GAGR, a BBB-permeable, long plasma half-life, strong neuroprotective and neurotrophic polysaccharide. Midi-GAGR is a 4.7kD cleavage product of low acyl gellan gum that is approved by FDA for human use. Midi-GAGR protected rodent cortical neurons not only from the pathological concentrations of co-/post-treated free reactive radicals and Aβ42 peptide but also from activated microglial cells. Moreover, midi-GAGR showed a good neurotrophic effect; it enhanced neurite outgrowth and increased phosphorylated cAMP-responsive element binding protein (pCREB) in the nuclei of primary cortical neurons. Furthermore, intra-nasally administered midi-GAGR penetrated the BBB and exerted its neurotrophic effect inside the brain for 24 h after one-time administration. Midi-GAGR appears to activate fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and its downstream neurotrophic signaling pathway for neuroprotection and CREB activation. Additionally, 14-day intranasal administration of midi-GAGR not only increased neuronal activity markers but also decreased hyperphosphorylated tau, a precursor of neurofibrillary tangle, in the brains of the AD mouse model, 3xTg-AD. Taken together, midi-GAGR with good BBB-permeability, long plasma half-life, and strong neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects has a great therapeutic potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, especially AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishruti Makani
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Yong-gil Jang
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kevin Christopher
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Wesley Judy
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jacob Eckstein
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Hensley
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Chiaia
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Dong-Shik Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Joshua Park
- Department of Neurosciences, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Radomska KJ, Sager J, Farnsworth B, Tellgren-Roth Å, Tuveri G, Peuckert C, Kettunen P, Jazin E, Emilsson LS. Characterization and Expression of the Zebrafish qki Paralogs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146155. [PMID: 26727370 PMCID: PMC4699748 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Quaking (QKI) is an RNA-binding protein involved in post-transcriptional mRNA processing. This gene is found to be associated with several human neurological disorders. Early expression of QKI proteins in the developing mouse neuroepithelium, together with neural tube defects in Qk mouse mutants, suggest the functional requirement of Qk for the establishment of the nervous system. As a knockout of Qk is embryonic lethal in mice, other model systems like the zebrafish could serve as a tool to study the developmental functions of qki. In the present study we sought to characterize the evolutionary relationship and spatiotemporal expression of qkia, qki2, and qkib; zebrafish homologs of human QKI. We found that qkia is an ancestral paralog of the single tetrapod Qk gene that was likely lost during the fin-to-limb transition. Conversely, qkib and qki2 are orthologs, emerging at the root of the vertebrate and teleost lineage, respectively. Both qki2 and qkib, but not qkia, were expressed in the progenitor domains of the central nervous system, similar to expression of the single gene in mice. Despite having partially overlapping expression domains, each gene has a unique expression pattern, suggesting that these genes have undergone subfunctionalization following duplication. Therefore, we suggest the zebrafish could be used to study the separate functions of qki genes during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna J. Radomska
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonathan Sager
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bryn Farnsworth
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åsa Tellgren-Roth
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giulia Tuveri
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christiane Peuckert
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala Biomedical Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petronella Kettunen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neuropathology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Jazin
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lina S. Emilsson
- Department of Evolution and Development, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
In 1975, tau protein was isolated as a microtubule-associated factor from the porcine brain. In the previous year, a paired helical filament (PHF) protein had been identified in neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD), but it was not until 1986 that the PHF protein and tau were discovered to be one and the same. In the AD brain, tau was found to be abnormally hyperphosphorylated, and it inhibited rather than promoted in vitro microtubule assembly. Almost 80 disease-causing exonic missense and intronic silent mutations in the tau gene have been found in familial cases of frontotemporal dementia but, to date, no such mutation has been found in AD. The first phase I clinical trial of an active tau immunization vaccine in patients with AD was recently completed. Assays for tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma are now available, and tau radiotracers for PET are under development. In this article, we provide an overview of the pivotal discoveries in the tau research field over the past 40 years. We also review the current status of the field, including disease mechanisms and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, New York 10314, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, New York 10314, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, New York 10314, USA
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Gramowski-Voß A, Schwertle HJ, Pielka AM, Schultz L, Steder A, Jügelt K, Axmann J, Pries W. Enhancement of Cortical Network Activity in vitro and Promotion of GABAergic Neurogenesis by Stimulation with an Electromagnetic Field with a 150 MHz Carrier Wave Pulsed with an Alternating 10 and 16 Hz Modulation. Front Neurol 2015; 6:158. [PMID: 26236278 PMCID: PMC4500930 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, various stimuli were identified capable of enhancing neurogenesis, a process which is dysfunctional in the senescent brain and in neurodegenerative and certain neuropsychiatric diseases. Applications of electromagnetic fields to brain tissue have been shown to affect cellular properties and their importance for therapies in medicine is recognized. In this study, differentiating murine cortical networks on multiwell microelectrode arrays were repeatedly exposed to an extremely low-electromagnetic field (ELEMF) with alternating 10 and 16 Hz frequencies piggy backed onto a 150 MHz carrier frequency. The ELEMF exposure stimulated the electrical network activity and intensified the structure of bursts. Further, the exposure to electromagnetic fields within the first 28 days in vitro of the differentiation of the network activity induced also reorganization within the burst structure. This effect was already most pronounced at 14 days in vitro after 10 days of exposure. Overall, the development of cortical activity under these conditions was accelerated. These functional electrophysiological changes were accompanied by morphological ones. The percentage of neurons in the neuron glia co-culture was increased without affecting the total number of cells, indicating an enhancement of neurogenesis. The ELEMF exposure selectively promoted the proliferation of a particular population of neurons, evidenced by the increased proportion of GABAergic neurons. The results support the initial hypothesis that this kind of ELEMF stimulation could be a treatment option for specific indications with promising potential for CNS applications, especially for degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luise Schultz
- Division of Electrophysiology, NeuroProof GmbH , Rostock , Germany ; Division of Molecular Biology, NeuroProof GmbH , Rostock , Germany
| | - Anne Steder
- Division of Electrophysiology, NeuroProof GmbH , Rostock , Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Axmann
- Engineering Office for Bioresonance and Environmental Technology , Werder/Havel , Germany
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Chohan MO, Bragina O, Kazim SF, Statom G, Baazaoui N, Bragin D, Iqbal K, Nemoto E, Yonas H. Enhancement of neurogenesis and memory by a neurotrophic peptide in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. Neurosurgery 2015; 76:201-14; discussion 214-5. [PMID: 25255260 DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000000577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD), a neurocognitive disorder with similar cellular abnormalities. We recently discovered a small molecule (Peptide 6) corresponding to an active region of human ciliary neurotrophic factor, with neurogenic and neurotrophic properties in mouse models of AD and Down syndrome. OBJECTIVE To describe hippocampal abnormalities in a mouse model of mild to moderate TBI and their reversal by Peptide 6. METHODS TBI was induced in adult C57Bl6 mice using controlled cortical impact with 1.5 mm of cortical penetration. The animals were treated with 50 nmol/d of Peptide 6 or saline solution for 30 days. Dentate gyrus neurogenesis, dendritic and synaptic density, and AD biomarkers were quantitatively analyzed, and behavioral tests were performed. RESULTS Ipsilateral neuronal loss in CA1 and the parietal cortex and increase in Alzheimer-type hyperphosphorylated tau and A-β were seen in TBI mice. Compared with saline solution, Peptide 6 treatment increased the number of newborn neurons, but not uncommitted progenitor cells, in dentate gyrus by 80%. Peptide 6 treatment also reversed TBI-induced dendritic and synaptic density loss while increasing activity in tri-synaptic hippocampal circuitry, ultimately leading to improvement in memory recall on behavioral testing. CONCLUSION Long-term treatment with Peptide 6 enhances the pool of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus, prevents neuronal loss in CA1 and parietal cortex, preserves the dendritic and synaptic architecture in the hippocampus, and improves performance on a hippocampus-dependent memory task in TBI mice. These findings necessitate further inquiry into the therapeutic potential of small molecules based on neurotrophic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Omar Chohan
- *Department of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico; ‡Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York; §Neural and Behavioral Science Graduate Program, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
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Neuro-peptide treatment with Cerebrolysin improves the survival of neural stem cell grafts in an APP transgenic model of Alzheimer disease. Stem Cell Res 2015. [PMID: 26209890 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural stem cells (NSCs) have been considered as potential therapy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but their use is hampered by the poor survival of grafted cells. Supply of neurotrophic factors to the grafted cells has been proposed as a way to augment survival of the stem cells. In this context, we investigated the utility of Cerebrolysin (CBL), a peptidergic mixture with neurotrophic-like properties, as an adjunct to stem cell therapy in an APP transgenic (tg) model of AD. We grafted murine NSCs into the hippocampus of non-tg and APP tg that were treated systemically with CBL and analyzed after 1, 3, 6 and 9months post grafting. Compared to vehicle-treated non-tg mice, in the vehicle-treated APP tg mice there was considerable reduction in the survival of the grafted NSCs. Whereas, CBL treatment enhanced the survival of NSCs in both non-tg and APP tg with the majority of the surviving NSCs remaining as neuroblasts. The NSCs of the CBL treated mice displayed reduced numbers of caspase-3 and TUNEL positive cells and increased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and furin immunoreactivity. These results suggest that CBL might protect grafted NSCs and as such be a potential adjuvant therapy when combined with grafting.
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Early detection of cognitive deficits in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2015; 289:29-38. [PMID: 25896362 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Which behavioral test is the most sensitive for detecting cognitive deficits in the 3xTg-AD at 6.5 months of age? The 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has three transgenes (APPswe, PS1M146V, and Tau P301L) which cause the development of amyloid beta plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and cognitive deficits with age. In order to determine which task is the most sensitive in the early detection of cognitive deficits, we compared male and female 3xTg-AD and B6129SF2 wildtype mice at 6.5 months of age on a test battery including spontaneous alternation in the Y-Maze, novel object recognition, spatial memory in the Barnes maze, and cued and contextual fear conditioning. The 3xTg-AD mice had impaired learning and memory in the Barnes maze but performed better than B6129SF2 wildtype mice in the Y-Maze and in contextual fear conditioning. Neither genotype demonstrated a preference in the novel object recognition task nor was there a genotype difference in cued fear conditioning but females performed better than males. From our results we conclude that the 3xTg-AD mice have mild cognitive deficits in spatial learning and memory and that the Barnes maze was the most sensitive test for detecting these cognitive deficits in 6.5-month-old mice.
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Kazim SF, Cardenas-Aguayo MDC, Arif M, Blanchard J, Fayyaz F, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K. Sera from children with autism induce autistic features which can be rescued with a CNTF small peptide mimetic in rats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118627. [PMID: 25769033 PMCID: PMC4359103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized clinically by impairments in social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as restricted interests and repetitive behavior. It has been hypothesized that altered brain environment including an imbalance in neurotrophic support during early development contributes to the pathophysiology of autism. Here we report that sera from children with autism which exhibited abnormal levels of various neurotrophic factors induced cell death and oxidative stress in mouse primary cultured cortical neurons. The effects of sera from autistic children were rescued by pre-treatment with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small peptide mimetic, Peptide 6 (P6), which was previously shown to exert its neuroprotective effect by modulating CNTF/JAK/STAT pathway and LIF signaling and by enhancing brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Similar neurotoxic effects and neuroinflammation were observed in young Wistar rats injected intracerebroventricularly with autism sera within hours after birth. The autism sera injected rats demonstrated developmental delay and deficits in social communication, interaction, and novelty. Both the neurobiological changes and the behavioral autistic phenotype were ameliorated by P6 treatment. These findings implicate the involvement of neurotrophic imbalance during early brain development in the pathophysiology of autism and a proof of principle of P6 as a potential therapeutic strategy for autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Faraz Kazim
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- Neural and Behavioral Science Graduate Program, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience (CDN), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria del Carmen Cardenas-Aguayo
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Mohammad Arif
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Julie Blanchard
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Fatima Fayyaz
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Inge Grundke-Iqbal
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience (CDN), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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44
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Stover KR, Campbell MA, Van Winssen CM, Brown RE. Analysis of motor function in 6-month-old male and female 3xTg-AD mice. Behav Brain Res 2014; 281:16-23. [PMID: 25486177 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The 3xTg-AD mouse has high validity as a model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) because it develops both amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Human patients with AD typically develop motor deficits, which worsen as the disease progresses, but 3xTg-AD mice have been reported to show enhanced motor abilities. We investigated the motor behaviour phenotype of male and female 3xTg-AD and B6129SF2 wildtype mice on a battery of motor behaviours at 6 months of age. Compared to wildtype mice, the 3xTg-AD mice had enhanced motor performance on the Rotarod, but worse performance on the grid suspension task. In gait analysis 3xTg-AD mice had a longer stride length and made more foot slips on the balance beam than wildtype mice. There was no overall difference in voluntary wheel-running activity between genotypes, but there was a disruption in circadian activity rhythm in 3xTg-AD mice. In some motor tasks, such as the Rotarod and balance beam, females appeared to perform better than males, but this sex differences was accounted for by differences in body weight. Our results indicate that while the 3xTg-AD mice show enhanced performance on the Rotarod, they have poorer performance on other motor behaviour tasks, indicating that their motor behaviour phenotype is more complex than previously reported. The presence of the P301L transgene may explain the enhancement of Rotarod performance but the poorer performance on other motor behaviour tasks may be due to other transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt R Stover
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, PO Box 1500, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Mackenzie A Campbell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, PO Box 1500, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Christine M Van Winssen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, PO Box 1500, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, PO Box 1500, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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45
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Iqbal K, Kazim SF, Bolognin S, Blanchard J. Shifting balance from neurodegeneration to regeneration of the brain: a novel therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions. Neural Regen Res 2014; 9:1518-9. [PMID: 25317168 PMCID: PMC4192968 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.139477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Syed Faraz Kazim
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Bolognin
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Julie Blanchard
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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46
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Arif M, Wei J, Zhang Q, Liu F, Basurto-Islas G, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K. Cytoplasmic retention of protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor 2 (I2PP2A) induces Alzheimer-like abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:27677-91. [PMID: 25128526 PMCID: PMC4183805 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.565358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau leads to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, a hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD), and related tauopathies. The phosphorylation of Tau is regulated by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), which in turn is modulated by endogenous inhibitor 2 (I2 (PP2A)). In AD brain, I2 (PP2A) is translocated from neuronal nucleus to cytoplasm, where it inhibits PP2A activity and promotes abnormal phosphorylation of Tau. Here we describe the identification of a potential nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the C-terminal region of I2 (PP2A) containing a conserved basic motif, (179)RKR(181), which is sufficient for directing its nuclear localization. The current study further presents an inducible cell model (Tet-Off system) of AD-type abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau by expressing I2 (PP2A) in which the NLS was inactivated by (179)RKR(181) → AAA along with (168)KR(169) → AA mutations. In this model, the mutant NLS (mNLS)-I2 (PP2A) (I2 (PP2A)AA-AAA) was retained in the cell cytoplasm, where it physically interacted with PP2A and inhibited its activity. Inhibition of PP2A was associated with the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of Tau, which resulted in microtubule network instability and neurite outgrowth impairment. Expression of mNLS-I2 (PP2A) activated CAMKII and GSK-3β, which are Tau kinases regulated by PP2A. The immunoprecipitation experiments showed the direct interaction of I2 (PP2A) with PP2A and GSK-3β but not with CAMKII. Thus, the cell model provides insights into the nature of the potential NLS and the mechanistic relationship between I2 (PP2A)-induced inhibition of PP2A and hyperphosphorylation of Tau that can be utilized to develop drugs preventing Tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Arif
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Jianshe Wei
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Qi Zhang
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Fei Liu
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Gustavo Basurto-Islas
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Inge Grundke-Iqbal
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- From the Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314
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47
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Yu Y, Li X, Blanchard J, Li Y, Iqbal K, Liu F, Gong CX. Insulin sensitizers improve learning and attenuate tau hyperphosphorylation and neuroinflammation in 3xTg-AD mice. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 122:593-606. [PMID: 25113171 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1294-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial metabolic brain disorder characterized by progressive neurodegeneration. Decreased brain energy and glucose metabolism occurs before the appearance of AD symptoms and worsens while the disease progresses. Deregulated brain insulin signaling has also been found in AD recently. To restore brain insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, two insulin sensitizers commonly used for treating type 2 diabetes, have been studied and shown to have some beneficial effects in AD mouse models. However, the molecular mechanisms of the beneficial effects remain elusive. In the present study, we treated the 3xTg-AD mice, a widely used mouse model of AD, with pioglitazone and rosiglitazone for 4 months and studied the effects of the treatments on cognitive performance and AD-related brain alterations. We found that the chronic treatment improved spatial learning, enhanced AKT signaling, and attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation and neuroinflammation. These findings shed new light on the possible mechanisms by which these two insulin sensitizers might be useful for treating AD and support further clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314-6399, USA
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48
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Disease modifying effect of chronic oral treatment with a neurotrophic peptidergic compound in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2014; 71:110-30. [PMID: 25046994 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides the presence of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity are markedly impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) possibly contributing to cognitive impairment. In this context, neurotrophic factors serve as a promising therapeutic approach via utilization of regenerative capacity of brain to shift the balance from neurodegeneration to neural regeneration. However, besides more conventional "bystander" effect, to what extent can neurotrophic compounds affect underlying AD pathology remains questionable. Here we investigated the effect of chronic oral treatment with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) derived peptidergic compound, P021 (Ac-DGGL(A)G-NH2), on disease pathology both at moderate and severe stages in a transgenic mouse model of AD. 3xTg-AD and wild type female mice were treated for 12months with P021 or vehicle diet starting at 9-10months of age. A significant reduction in abnormal hyperphosphorylation and accumulation of tau at known major AD neurofibrillary pathology associated sites was observed. The effect of P021 on Aβ pathology was limited to a significant decrease in soluble Aβ levels and a trend towards reduction in Aβ plaque load in CA1 region of hippocampus, consistent with reduction in Aβ generation and not clearance. This disease modifying effect was probably via increased brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression mediated decrease in glycogen synthase kinase-3-β (GSK3β) activity we found in P021 treated 3xTg-AD mice. P021 treatment also rescued deficits in cognition, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity in 3xTg-AD mice. These findings demonstrate the potential of the neurotrophic peptide mimetic as a disease modifying therapy for AD.
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49
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Chen Y, Run X, Liang Z, Zhao Y, Dai CL, Iqbal K, Liu F, Gong CX. Intranasal insulin prevents anesthesia-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau in 3xTg-AD mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:100. [PMID: 24910612 PMCID: PMC4038959 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: It is well documented that elderly individuals are at increased risk of cognitive decline after anesthesia. General anesthesia is believed to be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent studies suggest that anesthesia may increase the risk for cognitive decline and AD through promoting abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, which is crucial to neurodegeneration seen in AD. Methods: We treated 3xTg-AD mice, a commonly used transgenic mouse model of AD, with daily intranasal administration of insulin (1.75 U/day) for one week. The insulin- and control-treated mice were then anesthetized with single intraperitoneal injection of propofol (250 mg/kg body weight). Tau phosphorylation and tau protein kinases and phosphatases in the brains of mice 30 min and 2 h after propofol injection were then investigated by using Western blots and immunohistochemistry. Results: Propofol strongly promoted hyperphosphorylation of tau at several AD-related phosphorylation sites. Intranasal administration of insulin attenuated propofol-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau, promoted brain insulin signaling, and led to up-regulation of protein phosphatase 2A, a major tau phosphatase in the brain. Intranasal insulin also resulted in down-regulation of several tau protein kinases, including cyclin-dependent protein kinase 5, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that pretreatment with intranasal insulin prevents AD-like tau hyperphosphorylation. These findings provide the first evidence supporting that intranasal insulin administration might be used for the prevention of anesthesia-induced cognitive decline and increased risk for AD and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxing Chen
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA ; Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoqin Run
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhihou Liang
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA ; Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University Changchun, China
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities Staten Island, NY, USA
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50
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Bolognin S, Buffelli M, Puoliväli J, Iqbal K. Rescue of cognitive-aging by administration of a neurogenic and/or neurotrophic compound. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 35:2134-46. [PMID: 24702821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Aging is characterized by a progressive decline of cognitive performance, which has been partially attributed to structural and functional alterations of hippocampus. Importantly, aging is the major risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. An important therapeutic approach to counteract the age-associated memory dysfunctions is to maintain an appropriate microenvironment for successful neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. In this study, we show that chronic oral administration of peptide 021 (P021), a small peptidergic neurotrophic compound derived from the ciliary neurotrophic factor, significantly reduced the age-dependent decline in learning and memory in 22 to 24-month-old Fisher rats. Treatment with P021 inhibited the deficit in neurogenesis in the aged rats and increased the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, P021 restored synaptic deficits both in the cortex and the hippocampus. In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed age-dependent alterations in hippocampal content of several metabolites. Remarkably, P021 was effective in significantly reducing myoinositol (INS) concentration, which was increased in aged compared with young rats. These findings suggest that stimulating endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms is a potential therapeutic approach to cognitive aging, Alzheimer's disease, and associated neurodegenerative disorders and P021 is a promising compound for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Bolognin
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Mario Buffelli
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Jukka Puoliväli
- Department of Behavioral Studies, Charles River Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.
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