The protection of novel 2-arylethenylquinoline derivatives against impairment of associative learning memory induced by neural Aβ in C. elegans Alzheimer’s disease model

Harnessing the power of ginger leaf polysaccharide: A potential strategy to combat Aβ-induced toxicity through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is prevalent in the elderly, with amyloid-β (Aβ) playing a critical role in its progression. Polysaccharides have garnered increasing attention due to their low toxicity and diverse applications in alleviating AD-like symptoms. However, the potential of ginger leaf polysaccharide in mitigating AD-like symptoms has been rarely investigated. In this study, we isolated a polysaccharide (GLP1) from ginger leaf and evaluated its efficacy and underlying mechanisms in alleviating AD-like symptoms using Caenorhabditis elegans and PC12 cells. GLP1 ameliorated AD-like symptoms in C. elegans, as evidenced by a 41.50 % increase in head thrashing frequency and an 87.13 % increase in body bending frequency. Furthermore, GLP1 mitigated cognitive decline by 76.51 %. Additionally, GLP1 enhanced the activity of acetylcholinesterase in C. elegans and maintained the integrity of neural system function. Moreover, GLP1 improved the survival rate of PC12 cells under Aβ induction by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which also resulted in a reduction in the release of inflammatory factors, specifically IL-1β by 21.15 %, IL-6 by 39.98 %, and TNF-α by 19.66 %. Notably, FITC-labeled GLP1 could be absorbed by PC12 cells. These compelling findings underscored the therapeutic potential of GLP1 in alleviating Aβ-induced AD-like symptoms and supported the advancement of ginger leaf resource utilization.

Pongamol Prevents Neurotoxicity via the Activation of MAPKs/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in H2O2-Induced Neuronal PC12 Cells and Prolongs the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans

Despite tremendous advances in modern medicine, effective prevention or therapeutic strategies for age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain limited. Growing evidence now suggests that oxidative stress and apoptosis are increasingly associated with AD as promising therapeutic targets. Pongamol, a flavonoid, is the main constituent of pongamia pinnata and possesses a variety of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant effects and mechanisms of pongamol in H2O2-induced PC12 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our findings revealed that pongamol reduced cellular damage and apoptosis in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Furthermore, pongamol reduced levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Cyto C, Cleaved Caspase-3, and Cleaved PARP1, and increased the level of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Pongamol also effectively attenuated the level of oxidative stress markers such as glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Additionally, pongamol possessed antioxidant activity in H2O2-induced PC12 cells through the MAPKs/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, pongamol exerted neuroprotective and anti-aging effects in C. elegans. All together, these results suggested that pongamol has a potential neuroprotective effect through the modulation of MAPKs/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system to evaluate neuroprotective potential of nano formulations

The impact of neurodegenerative illnesses on society is significant, but the mechanisms leading to neuronal malfunction and death in these conditions remain largely unknown despite identifying essential disease genes. To pinpoint the mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, several researchers have turned to nematode C. elegans instead of using mammals. Since C. elegans is transparent, free-living, and amenable to culture, it has several benefits. As a result, all the neurons in C. elegans can be easily identified, and their connections are understood. Human proteins linked to Neurodegeneration can be made to express in them. It is also possible to analyze how C. elegans orthologs of the genes responsible for human neurodegenerative diseases function. In this article, we focused at some of the most important C. elegans neurodegeneration models that accurately represent many elements of human neurodegenerative illness. It has been observed that studies using the adaptable C. elegans have helped us in better understanding of human diseases. These studies have used it to replicate several aspects of human neurodegeneration. A nanotech approach involves engineering materials or equipments interacting with biological systems at the molecular level to trigger physiological responses by increasing stimulation, responding, and interacting with target sites while minimizing side effects, thus revolutionizing the treatment and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Nanotechnologies are being used to treat neurological disorders and deliver nanoscale drugs. This review explores the current and future uses of these nanotechnologies as innovative therapeutic modalities in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using C elegans as an experimental model.

Activation of Microbiota Sensing - Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 Signaling Ameliorates Amyloid-β Induced Neurotoxicity by Modulating Proteolysis-Senescence Axis

Multiple emerging evidence indicates that the gut microbiota contributes to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-a debilitating public health problem in older adults. However, strategies to beneficially modulate gut microbiota and its sensing signaling pathways remain largely unknown. Here, we screened, validated, and established the agonists of free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2) signaling, which senses beneficial signals from short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by microbiota. The abundance of SCFAs, is often low in the gut of older adults with AD. We demonstrated that inhibition of FFAR2 signaling increases amyloid-beta (Aβ) stimulated neuronal toxicity. Thus, we screened FFAR2 agonists using an in-silico library of more than 144,000 natural compounds and selected 15 of them based on binding with FFAR2-agonist active sites. Fenchol (a natural compound commonly present in basil) was recognized as a potential FFAR2 stimulator in neuronal cells and demonstrated protective effects against Aβ-stimulated neurodegeneration in an FFAR2-dependent manner. In addition, Fenchol reduced AD-like phenotypes, such as Aβ-accumulation, and impaired chemotaxis behavior in Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans and mice models, by increasing Aβ-clearance via the promotion of proteolysis and reduced senescence in neuronal cells. These results suggest that the inhibition of FFAR2 signaling promotes Aβ-induced neurodegeneration, while the activation of FFAR2 by Fenchol ameliorates these abnormalities by promoting proteolytic Aβ-clearance and reducing cellular senescence. Thus, stimulation of FFAR2 signaling by Fenchol as a natural compound can be a therapeutic approach to ameliorate AD pathology.

Rosa x hybrida extracts with dual actions: Antiproliferative effects against tumour cells and inhibitor of Alzheimer disease

Edible flowers are being used as a new ingredient in modern gastronomy. Recently, these products have also gained interest as an important source of phenolic compounds with potential for biomedical applications. The present work studied a methanolic extract of Rosa x hybrida in which 35 individual phenolic compounds were identified. The extract has been evaluated for its antiproliferative properties in ovarian carcinoma cells. Results showed that the antiproliferative effect was associated with the induction of autophagy and apoptosis with the concomitant ROS increase probably related to mitochondria dysfunction. These antiproliferative effects might be associated with some components of the extract such as quercetin. The extract did not induce damage in healthy cells and that it was able to improve the wound healing activity. The present study also evaluated the properties of the mentioned extract in vivo in C. elegans. Tests demonstrated a lack of toxicity in the worm model. Promising results have been obtained in transgenic strains of C. elegans that produce human beta amyloid peptide, suggesting the possible utility of the extract from the point of view of Alzheimer disease. Altogether, results suggest that Rosa x hybrida extracts could be a new tool for the development of functional foods.

Harnessing endophenotypes and network medicine for Alzheimer's drug repurposing

Following two decades of more than 400 clinical trials centered on the "one drug, one target, one disease" paradigm, there is still no effective disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The inherent complexity of AD may challenge this reductionist strategy. Recent observations and advances in network medicine further indicate that AD likely shares common underlying mechanisms and intermediate pathophenotypes, or endophenotypes, with other diseases. In this review, we consider AD pathobiology, disease comorbidity, pleiotropy, and therapeutic development, and construct relevant endophenotype networks to guide future therapeutic development. Specifically, we discuss six main endophenotype hypotheses in AD: amyloidosis, tauopathy, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, vascular dysfunction, and lysosomal dysfunction. We further consider how this endophenotype network framework can provide advances in computational and experimental strategies for drug-repurposing and identification of new candidate therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from or at risk for AD. We highlight new opportunities for endophenotype-informed, drug discovery in AD, by exploiting multi-omics data. Integration of genomics, transcriptomics, radiomics, pharmacogenomics, and interactomics (protein-protein interactions) are essential for successful drug discovery. We describe experimental technologies for AD drug discovery including human induced pluripotent stem cells, transgenic mouse/rat models, and population-based retrospective case-control studies that may be integrated with multi-omics in a network medicine methodology. In summary, endophenotype-based network medicine methodologies will promote AD therapeutic development that will optimize the usefulness of available data and support deep phenotyping of the patient heterogeneity for personalized medicine in AD.

The Antioxidant Capacity In Vitro and In Vivo of Polysaccharides From Bergenia emeiensis

Polysaccharides from Bergenia emeiensis (PBE) showed a robust antioxidant ability on scavenging free radicals in vitro. However, the further antioxidant potential in cell level and in vivo was still unknown. Therefore, in this present study, the protective effect of PBE on human cervical carcinoma cell (Hela) cells and Caenorhabditis elegans against oxidative stress was evaluated. The results showed PBE could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in Hela cells and promote the mitochondrial membrane potential. Then, the cell apoptosis was reduced. Moreover, PBE could enhance the survival of C. elegans under thermal stress to 13.44%, and significantly reduce the ROS level, which was connected with the overexpression of sod-3 and the increased nuclear localization of daf-16 transcription factor. Therefore, PBE exhibited a strong antioxidant capacity in the cellular level and for a whole organism. Thus, polysaccharides from B. emeiensis have natural potential to be a safe antioxidant.

Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside Delays the Progression of Aging-Related Diseases and Extends the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans via DAF-16 and HSF-1

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is a phytoestrogen and rich in food flaxseed, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Among the beneficial pharmacological activities of SDG on health, many are age related, such as anticancer, antidiabetes, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Thus, we investigated if SDG had an effect on antiaging in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our results showed that SDG could extend the lifespan of C. elegans by up to 22.0%, delay age-related decline of body movement, reduce the lethality of heat and oxidative stress, alleviate dopamine neurodegeneration induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), and decrease the toxicity of Aβ protein in C. elegans. SDG could increase the expression of the downstream genes of DAF-16, DAF-12, NHR-80, and HSF-1 at mRNA level. SDG could not extend the lifespan of mutants from genes daf-16, hsf-1, nhr-80, daf-12, glp-1, eat-2, and aak-2. The above results suggested that SDG might enhance the stress resistance, delay the progression of aging-related diseases, and extend the lifespan of C. elegans via DAF-16 and HSF-1.

Tectochrysin increases stress resistance and extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans via FOXO/DAF-16

Aging is related to the lowered overall functioning and increased risk for various age-related diseases in humans. Tectochrysin is a flavonoid compound and rich in a traditional Chinese Medicine Alpinia oxyphylla Miq., which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-diarrhea, hepatoprotective, and neuro-protective effects. Therefore, we tested if tectochrysin had an effect on aging in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Our results showed that tectochrysin could extend the lifespan of C. elegans by up to 21.0%, delay the age-related decline of body movement, improve high temperature-stress resistance and anti-infection capacity, and protected worms against Aβ1-42-induced toxicity. Tectochrysin could not extend the lifespan of the mutants from genes daf-2, daf-16, eat-2, aak-2, skn-1, and hsf-1. Tectochrysin could increase the expression of DAF-16 regulated genes. The extension of lifespan by tectochrysin requires FOXO/DAF-16 and HSF-1. Overall, our findings suggest that tectochrysin may have a potential effect on extending lifespan and age-related diseases.

6‴-Feruloylspinosin alleviated beta-amyloid induced toxicity by promoting mitophagy in Caenorhabditis elegans (GMC101) and PC12 cells

This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of 6‴-feruloylspinosin (6-FS), one of the main active flavonoid components in Sour Jujube seeds, on beta-amyloid (Aβ) protein transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (GMC101) and PC12 cells, and determine the molecular mechanism of its action. We found that 6-FS could ameliorate the progression of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) phenotype by delaying the aging, decreasing the rate of paralysis, enhancing resistance to heat stress, and increasing the chemotaxis ability, and promotes autophagy activity though autophagy/lysosome pathway in GMC101. Furthermore, 6-FS reduced Aβ-induced toxicity by inhibiting the deposition of Aβ and the aggregated proteins, increasing the level of mitophagy in PC12 through promoting the expression of Pink1/Parkin in the mitophagy pathway. Our findings suggest that 6-FS may be used as a medicinal supplement for treating AD.

Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for target identification and drug screening against neurodegenerative diseases

Over the past decades, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been widely used as a model system because of its small size, transparent body, short generation time and lifespan (~3 days and 3 weeks, respectively), completely sequenced genome and tractability to genetic manipulation. Protein misfolding and aggregation are key pathological features in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Animal models, including C. elegans, have been extensively used to discover and validate new drugs against neurodegenerative diseases. The well-defined and genetically tractable nervous system of C. elegans offers an effective model to explore basic mechanistic pathways of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent progress in high-throughput drug screening also provides a powerful approach for identifying chemical modulators of biological processes. Here, we summarize the latest progress of using C. elegans as a model system for target identification and drug screening in neurodegenerative diseases.