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Formolo DA, Yu J, Lin K, Tsang HWH, Ou H, Kranz GS, Yau SY. Leveraging the glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems as therapeutic strategies in Alzheimer's disease: an updated overview of nonpharmacological therapies. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:26. [PMID: 37081555 PMCID: PMC10116684 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00618-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding and treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been a remarkable challenge for both scientists and physicians. Although the amyloid-beta and tau protein hypothesis have largely explained the key pathological features of the disease, the mechanisms by which such proteins accumulate and lead to disease progression are still unknown. Such lack of understanding disrupts the development of disease-modifying interventions, leaving a therapeutic gap that remains unsolved. Nonetheless, the recent discoveries of the glymphatic pathway and the meningeal lymphatic system as key components driving central solute clearance revealed another mechanism underlying AD pathogenesis. In this regard, this narrative review integrates the glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems as essential components involved in AD pathogenesis. Moreover, it discusses the emerging evidence suggesting that nutritional supplementation, non-invasive brain stimulation, and traditional Chinese medicine can improve the pathophysiology of the disease by increasing glymphatic and/or meningeal lymphatic function. Given that physical exercise is a well-regarded preventive and pro-cognitive intervention for dementia, we summarize the evidence suggesting the glymphatic system as a mediating mechanism of the physical exercise therapeutic effects in AD. Targeting these central solute clearance systems holds the promise of more effective treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A Formolo
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R, China
- Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
- Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
| | - Jiasui Yu
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R, China
- Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
- Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
| | - Kangguang Lin
- Department of Affective Disorders, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Hector W H Tsang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R, China
- Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
| | - Haining Ou
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R, China
- Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health (C3NMH), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, China
| | - Suk-Yu Yau
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R, China.
- Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China.
- Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, China.
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Wang K, Yang R, Chen TT, Qin MR, Wang P, Kong MW. Therapeutic Mechanism of Kai Xin San on Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation. Chin J Integr Med 2022; 29:413-423. [PMID: 36474082 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-022-3589-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the specific pharmacological molecular mechanisms of Kai Xin San (KXS) on treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on network pharmacology and experimental validation. METHODS The chemical compounds of KXS and their corresponding targets were screened using the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM) database. AD-related target proteins were obtained from MalaCards database and DisGeNET databases. Key compounds and targets were identified from the compound-target-disease network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Functional enrichment analysis predicted the potential key signaling pathways involved in the treatment of AD with KXS. The binding affinities between key ingredients and targets were further verified using molecular docking. Finally, the predicted key signaling pathway was validated experimentally. Positioning navigation and space search experiments were conducted to evaluate the cognitive improvement effect of KXS on AD rats. Western blot was used to further examine and investigate the expression of the key target proteins related to the predicted pathway. RESULTS In total, 38 active compounds and 469 corresponding targets of KXS were screened, and 264 target proteins associated with AD were identified. The compound-target-disease and PPI networks identified key active ingredients and protein targets. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis suggested a potential effect of KXS in the treatment of AD via the amyloid beta (A β)-glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3 β)-Tau pathway. Molecular docking revealed a high binding affinity between the key ingredients and targets. In vivo, KXS treatment significantly improved cognitive deficits in AD rats induced by Aβ1-42, decreased the levels of Aβ, p-GSK3β, p-Tau and cyclin-dependent kinase 5, and increased the expressions of protein phosphatase 1 alpha (PP1A) and PP2A (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION KXS exerted neuroprotective effects by regulating the Aβ -GSK3β-Tau signaling pathway, which provides novel insights into the therapeutic mechanism of KXS and a feasible pharmacological strategy for the treatment of AD.
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