Regional distribution of somatostatin receptor binding and modulation of adenylyl cyclase activity in Alzheimer's disease brain

Somatostatin: Linking Cognition and Alzheimer Disease to Therapeutic Targeting

Over 4 decades of research support the link between Alzheimer disease (AD) and somatostatin [somatotropin-releasing inhibitory factor (SRIF)]. SRIF and SRIF-expressing neurons play an essential role in brain function, modulating hippocampal activity and memory formation. Loss of SRIF and SRIF-expressing neurons in the brain rests at the center of a series of interdependent pathological events driven by amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), culminating in cognitive decline and dementia. The connection between the SRIF and AD further extends to the neuropsychiatric symptoms, seizure activity, and inflammation, whereas preclinical AD investigations show SRIF or SRIF receptor agonist administration capable of enhancing cognition. SRIF receptor subtype-4 activation in particular presents unique attributes, with the potential to mitigate learning and memory decline, reduce comorbid symptoms, and enhance enzymatic degradation of Aβ in the brain. Here, we review the links between SRIF and AD along with the therapeutic implications. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Somatostatin and somatostatin-expressing neurons in the brain are extensively involved in cognition. Loss of somatostatin and somatostatin-expressing neurons in Alzheimer disease rests at the center of a series of interdependent pathological events contributing to cognitive decline and dementia. Targeting somatostatin-mediated processes has significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Recent Advances in the Modeling of Alzheimer's Disease

Since 1995, more than 100 transgenic (Tg) mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been generated in which mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) or APP/presenilin 1 (PS1) cDNA is overexpressed ( 1st generation models ). Although many of these models successfully recapitulate major pathological hallmarks of the disease such as amyloid β peptide (Aβ) deposition and neuroinflammation, they have suffered from artificial phenotypes in the form of overproduced or mislocalized APP/PS1 and their functional fragments, as well as calpastatin deficiency-induced early lethality, calpain activation, neuronal cell death without tau pathology, endoplasmic reticulum stresses, and inflammasome involvement. Such artifacts bring two important uncertainties into play, these being (1) why the artifacts arise, and (2) how they affect the interpretation of experimental results. In addition, destruction of endogenous gene loci in some Tg lines by transgenes has been reported. To overcome these concerns, single App knock-in mouse models harboring the Swedish and Beyreuther/Iberian mutations with or without the Arctic mutation (AppNL-G-F and AppNL-F mice) were developed ( 2nd generation models ). While these models are interesting given that they exhibit Aβ pathology, neuroinflammation, and cognitive impairment in an age-dependent manner, the model with the Artic mutation, which exhibits an extensive pathology as early as 6 months of age, is not suitable for investigating Aβ metabolism and clearance because the Aβ in this model is resistant to proteolytic degradation and is therefore prone to aggregation. Moreover, it cannot be used for preclinical immunotherapy studies owing to the discrete affinity it shows for anti-Aβ antibodies. The weakness of the latter model (without the Arctic mutation) is that the pathology may require up to 18 months before it becomes sufficiently apparent for experimental investigation. Nevertheless, this model was successfully applied to modulating Aβ pathology by genome editing, to revealing the differential roles of neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme in Aβ metabolism, and to identifying somatostatin receptor subtypes involved in Aβ degradation by neprilysin. In addition to discussing these issues, we also provide here a technical guide for the application of App knock-in mice to AD research. Subsequently, a new double knock-in line carrying the AppNL-F and Psen1 P117L/WT mutations was generated, the pathogenic effect of which was found to be synergistic. A characteristic of this 3rd generation model is that it exhibits more cored plaque pathology and neuroinflammation than the AppNL-G-F line, and thus is more suitable for preclinical studies of disease-modifying medications targeting Aβ. Furthermore, a derivative AppG-F line devoid of Swedish mutations which can be utilized for preclinical studies of β-secretase modifier(s) was recently created. In addition, we introduce a new model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy that may be useful for analyzing amyloid-related imaging abnormalities that can be caused by anti-Aβ immunotherapy. Use of the App knock-in mice also led to identification of the α-endosulfine-K ATP channel pathway as components of the somatostatin-evoked physiological mechanisms that reduce Aβ deposition via the activation of neprilysin. Such advances have provided new insights for the prevention and treatment of preclinical AD. Because tau pathology plays an essential role in AD pathogenesis, knock-in mice with human tau wherein the entire murine Mapt gene has been humanized were generated. Using these mice, the carboxy-terminal PDZ ligand of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (CAPON) was discovered as a mediator linking tau pathology to neurodegeneration and showed that tau humanization promoted pathological tau propagation. Finally, we describe and discuss the current status of mutant human tau knock-in mice and a non-human primate model of AD that we have successfully created.

Somatostatinergic systems: an update on brain functions in normal and pathological aging

Somatostatin is highly expressed in mammalian brain and is involved in many brain functions such as motor activity, sleep, sensory, and cognitive processes. Five somatostatin receptors have been described: sst(1), sst(2) (A and B), sst(3), sst(4), and sst(5), all belonging to the G-protein-coupled receptor family. During the recent years, numerous studies contributed to clarify the role of somatostatin systems, especially long-range somatostatinergic interneurons, in several functions they have been previously involved in. New advances have also been made on the alterations of somatostatinergic systems in several brain diseases and on the potential therapeutic target they represent in these pathologies.

Somatostatin and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the cerebral deposition of senile plaques that are mainly composed of a set of peptides referred to as amyloid beta-peptides (Abeta). Among the numerous neuropeptides produced in intrinsic cortical and hippocampal neurons, somatostatin (SRIF) has been found to be the most consistently reduced in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. SRIF receptors (SSTR), which mediate the neuromodulatory signals of SRIF, are also markedly depleted in the AD brain, there being subtype-selective alterations in cortical areas. In the rat temporal cortex, we have shown that intracerebroventricular infusion of Abeta25-35 results in a decrease in SRIF-like immunoreactivity and in SRIF receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2) mRNA and protein levels, in correlation with a decrease in SSTR functionality. Insulin-like growth factor-I prevents the reduction in these parameters induced by Abeta25-35. Abeta has recently been demonstrated to be degraded primarily by a neutral endopeptidase, neprilysin, in the brain. SRIF regulates brain Abeta levels via modulation of neprilysin activity. Because SRIF expression in the brain declines upon aging in various mammals, including rodents, apes and humans, the aging-dependent reduction of SRIF has been hypothesized to trigger accumulation of Abeta in the brain by suppressing neprilysin action. Here we present an overview of recent advances on the role of SRIF in AD and its relationship with Abeta peptides.

Alteration of the somatostatinergic system in the striatum of rats with acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

To date, the neurochemical basis underlying the motor and cognitive deficits described in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. Since the neuropeptide somatostatin (SRIF) and the striatum have been implicated in movement control and implicit memory, the aim of this study was to analyze the striatal somatostatinergic system in an animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Female Lewis rats were immunized with an emulsion containing myelin basic protein (MBP) in complete Freund's adjuvant to induce the disease. The animals were decapitated when limp tail (grade 1) or severe hind limb paralysis (grade 3) was observed. Acute EAE in grade 3 did not modify striatal somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SRIF-LI) content but decreased the overall SRIF receptor density, without affecting the apparent affinity, in the rat striatal membranes. A selective reduction in the protein levels of the SRIF receptor subtype sst2, analyzed by Western blotting, was detected in the EAE rats, which correlated with decreased sst2 mRNA levels. The expression of the receptor subtypes sst1, sst3 or sst4 was unaltered by the disease. The decrease in the SRIF receptor density was accompanied by an attenuated capacity of SRIF to inhibit both basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. No significant changes, however, were found in the protein levels of Gi proteins (G(ialpha1), G(ialpha2) or G(ialpha3)) nor in those of the G-protein-coupled receptor kinase subtypes GRK2, GRK5 or GRK6. Acute EAE in grade 1 did not modify any of the parameters studied. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that acute EAE, in grade 3, disrupts the rat striatal SRIF receptor-effector system. These findings provide new insight into the molecular basis of EAE which might contribute to a better understanding of multiple sclerosis in humans.

Chronic but not acute intracerebroventricular administration of amyloid beta-peptide(25-35) decreases somatostatin content, adenylate cyclase activity, somatostatin-induced inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity, and adenylate cyclase I levels in the rat hippocampus

Although alterations in adenylate cyclase (AC) activity and somatostatin (SRIF) receptor density have been reported in Alzheimer's disease, the effects of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) on these parameters in the hippocampus are unknown. Our aim was to investigate whether the peptide fragment Abeta(25-35) can affect the somatostatinergic system in the rat hippocampus. Hence, Abeta(25-35) was injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to Wistar rats in a single dose or infused via an osmotic minipump connected to a cannula implanted in the right lateral ventricle during 14 days. The animals were decapitated 7 or 14 days after the single injection and 14 days after chronic infusion of the peptide. Chronic i.c.v. infusion of Abeta(25-35) decreased SRIF-like immunoreactive content without modifying the SRIF receptor density, SRIF receptor expression, or the Gialpha(1), Gialpha(2), and Gialpha(3) protein levels in the hippocampus. This treatment, however, caused a decrease in basal and forskolin-stimulated AC activity as well as in the capacity of SRIF to inhibit AC activity. Furthermore, the protein levels of the neural-specific AC type I were significantly decreased in the hippocampus of the treated rats, whereas an increase in the levels of AC V/VI was found, with no alterations in type VIII AC. A single i.c.v. dose of Abeta(25-35) exerted no effect on SRIF content or SRIF receptors but induced a slight decrease in forskolin-stimulated AC activity and its inhibition by SRIF. Because chronic Abeta(25-35) infusion impairs learning and memory whereas SRIF facilitates these functions, the alterations described here might be physiologically important given the decreased cognitive behavior previously reported in Abeta-treated rats.

Effects of single and continuous administration of amyloid beta-peptide (25-35) on adenylyl cyclase activity and the somatostatinergic system in the rat frontal and parietal cortex

It is unknown whether the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta), a principal component found in extracellular neuritic plaques in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), is capable of altering adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity and the somatostatin (SRIF) receptor-effector system in the cerebral cortex of the patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the beta fragment, beta (25-35), on AC activity and the somatostatinergic system in the rat frontoparietal cortex. A single dose of beta (25-35) (10microg) injected intracerebroventricularly significantly decreased the density of SRIF receptors (27.4%) and increased their affinity (32.2%) in the frontoparietal cortex. The inhibitory effect of SRIF on basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated AC activity was significantly lower in the beta (25-35)-treated rats when compared with controls. beta (25-35) did not modify Gialpha1, Gialpha2 nor Gialpha3 levels in membranes from the frontoparietal cortex. Continuous infusion of the peptide induced a decrease in the SRIF receptor density in this brain area to a similar extent as that observed 14 days after the single administration of the peptide. Likewise, this treatment decreased the SRIF receptor density in the frontal cortex (15.3%) and parietal cortex (27.2%). This effect was accompanied by a decrease in the SRIF-mediated inhibition of FK-stimulated AC activity (from 41.6% to 25.6%) in the frontal cortex as well by a decrease in basal AC activity (from 36.9% to 31.6%) and FK-stimulated AC activity (from 35.6% to 27.1%) in the parietal cortex. Continuous infusion of Abeta (25-35) had no effect on Gialpha1, Gialpha2 or Gialpha3 levels in membranes from frontal and parietal cortex. However, this treatment caused a decrease in SRIF-like immunoreactivity content in the parietal (38.9%) and frontal (20.4%) cortex. These results suggest that Abeta might be involved in the alterations of somatostatinergic system reported in AD.

Somatostatin and Alzheimer's disease

One of the most consistent neurochemical deficits in Alzheimer's disease is a reduction in cortical somatostatin concentrations. The probability of a predominant regulatory change is heightened by the finding that 90% of somatostatin positive nonpyramidal neurons are also positive for NADPH, and NADPH neurons are 'protected' in Alzheimer's disease and do not appear to be lost. The first evidence that somatostatin influences learning and memory processes in experimental animals was published more than a decade ago. These reports of somatostatin effects on cognitive functions in rats were later confirmed by several other studies. The somatostatin depleting substance cysteamine inhibited the learning and memory performance of rats in active and passive avoidance behavior tests. Post-mortem human studies suggest that although somatostatin concentration is reduced, the somatostatin receptors are less affected in the brain in Alzheimer's disease. These findings may be of importance for possible therapeutic approaches using somatostatin-receptor-influencing compounds.

Protective effects of insulin-like growth factor-I on the somatostatinergic system in the temporal cortex of beta-amyloid-treated rats

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has protective effects against beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced neuronal cell death. Because alterations of the somatostatinergic system have been described in Alzheimer's disease, we investigated the effects of the Abeta peptide and the possible protective role of IGF-I on the somatostatinergic system of the rat temporal cortex and on cell death and phosphorylated (p)-Akt levels in this area. Abeta25-35 was administered intracerebroventricularly to male rats via an osmotic minipump over 14 days (300 pmol/day). Another group received a subcutaneous IGF-I infusion (50 microg/kg/day), concomitant with Abeta25-35 administration, whereas a third group received IGF-I alone. Abeta25-35 significantly decreased the somatostatin (SRIF)-like immunoreactive content and the SRIF receptor density, as a result of a decrease in the levels of the SRIF receptor subtype 2. The inhibitory effect of SRIF on adenylyl cyclase activity was significantly lower after Abeta25-35 infusion, whereas the levels of the inhibitory G protein subunit Gialpha1, Gialpha2 or Gialpha3 were unaltered. Cell death was increased and p-Akt levels decreased in Abeta25-35-treated animals. IGF-I administration increased immunoreactive IGF-I levels in the temporal cortex and restored all parameters affected by Abeta25-35 to baseline values. These findings suggest that IGF-I prevents the deleterious effect of Abeta25-35 on the somatostatinergic system.

Modulation of somatostatin receptors, somatostatin content and Gi proteins by substance P in the rat frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus

Substance P (SP) and somatostatin (SRIF) are widely spread throughout the CNS where they play a role as neurotransmitters and/or neuromodulators. A colocalization of both neuropeptides has been demonstrated in several rat brain areas and SP receptors have been detected in rat cortical and hippocampal somatostatinergic cells. The present study was thus undertaken to determine whether SP could modulate SRIF signaling pathways in the rat frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus. A single intraperitoneal injection of SP (50, 250 or 500 micro g/kg) induced an increase in the density of SRIF receptors in membranes from the rat frontoparietal cortex at 24 h of its administration, with no change in the hippocampus. The functionality of the SRIF receptors was next investigated. Western blot analysis of Gi proteins demonstrated a significant decrease in Gialpha1 levels in frontoparietal cortical membranes from rats treated acutely (24 h) with 250 micro g/kg of SP, which correlated with a decrease in functional Gi activity, as assessed by use of the non-hydrolyzable GTP analog 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate. SRIF-mediated inhibition of basal or forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was also significantly lower in the frontoparietal cortex of the SP-treated group, with no alterations in the catalytic subunit of the enzyme. SRIF-like immunoreactivity content was increased in the frontoparietal cortex after acute (24 h) SP administration (250 or 500 micro g/kg) as well as in the hippocampus in response to 7 days of SP (250 micro g/kg) administration. All these SP-mediated effects were prevented by pretreatment with the NK1 receptor antagonist RP-67580. Although the physiologic significance of these results are unknown, the increase in SRIF receptor density together with the desensitization of the SRIF inhibitory signaling pathway might be a mechanism to potentiate the stimulatory pathway of SRIF, inducing a preferential coupling of the receptors to PLC.

Dendritic changes in Alzheimer's disease and factors that may underlie these changes

It seems likely that the Alzheimer disease (AD)-related dendritic changes addressed in this article are induced by two principally different processes. One process is linked to the plastic response associated with deafferentation, that is, long-lasting transneuronally induced regressive changes in dendritic geometry and structure. The other process is associated with severe alterations of the dendritic- and perikaryal cytoskeleton as seen in neurons with the neurofibrillary pathology of AD, that is, the formation of paired helical filaments formed by hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau. As the development of dendritic and cytoskeletal abnormalities are at least mediated by alterations in signal transduction, this article also reviews changes in signal pathways in AD. We also discuss transgenic approaches developed to model and understand cytoskeletal abnormalities.

Influence of fluoxetine and p-chloroamphetamine on the somatostatin receptor-adenylyl cyclase system in the rat frontoparietal cortex

There is evidence that suggests a reciprocal functional link between the serotonergic and the somatostatinergic system in the rat frontoparietal cortex. However, to date, the role of endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) on the regulation of the somatostatin (SS) receptor-adenylyl cyclase (AC) system remains unclear. In the present study, the administration of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg i.p.), a 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake inhibitor in a single dose or administered daily for 14 days increased the number of specific [125I]Tyr11-SS receptors, with no change in the receptor affinity, in rat frontoparietal cortical membranes. However, the capacity of SS to inhibit forskolin (FK)-stimulated AC activity in these membranes was lower than in the control groups. The ability of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes was also decreased in rats acutely and chronically treated with fluoxetine. p-Chloroamphetamine (5 mg/kg i.p.), which leads to a lasting reduction of 5-hydroxytryptamine innervation, administered on days 1, 3 and 5 and the rats sacrificed 1 or 3 weeks after the first injection, decreased the number of SS receptors without changing the receptor affinity. In this experimental group, SS also caused a significantly lower inhibition of FK-stimulated AC activity. p-Chloroamphetamine had no effect on the ability of Gpp(NH)p to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes at all the time periods studied. The present results suggest that under normal circumstances some SS receptors are under a tonic stimulatory control through the serotonergic system.

Histamine H1-receptors modulate somatostatin receptors coupled to the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase in the rat frontoparietal cortex

Since exogenous histamine has been previously shown to increase the somatostatin (SS) receptor-effector system in the rat frontoparietal cortex and both histamine H1-receptor agonists and SS modulate higher nervous activity and have anticonvulsive properties, it was of interest to determine the participation of the H1-histaminergic system in this response. The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the specific histamine H1-receptor agonist 2-pyridylethylamine (PEA) (10 micrograms) to rats 2 h before decapitation increased the number of SS receptors (599 +/- 40 vs 401 +/- 31 femtomoles/mg protein, p < 0.01) and decreased their apparent affinity for SS (0.41 +/- 0.03 vs 0.26 +/- 0.02 nM, p < 0.01) in rat frontoparietal cortical membranes. No significant differences were seen for the basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activities in the frontoparietal cortex of PEA-treated rats when compared to the control group. In the PEA group, however, the capacity of SS (10(-4) M) to inhibit basal and FK (10(-5) M)-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes was significantly higher than in the control group (34 +/- 1% vs 20 +/- 2%, p < 0.001). The ability of low concentrations of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical membranes was similar in the PEA-treated and control animals. These results suggest that the increased SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity in the frontoparietal cortex of PEA-treated rats may be due to the increase of the number of SS receptors induced by PEA. Pretreatment with the H1-receptor antagonist mepyramine (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP) prevented the PEA-induced changes in SS binding and SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity. Mepyramine (30 mg/kg, IP) alone had no observable effect on the somatostatinergic system. The in vitro addition of PEA or mepyramine to frontoparietal cortical membranes obtained from untreated rats did not affect the SS binding parameters. Altogether, these results suggest that the H1-histaminergic system modulates the somatostatinergic system in the rat frontoparietal cortex.

Neurotransmitters, signal transduction and second-messengers in Alzheimer's disease

It has long been assumed that widespread changes in postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor function are not a feature of the disrupted neurotransmission seen in the brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, recent evidence from postmortem brain and fibroblast studies suggests that both the neurotransmitter receptor/G-protein-modulated adenylyl cyclase and the phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis signal transduction cascades are disrupted in AD. Such disruptions may severely limit the functional integrity of key receptor types and undermine pharmacological attempts to ameliorate disease symptomatology through neurotransmitter replacement strategies. The involvement of some signalling mechanisms in the regulation of beta-amyloid precursor protein metabolism suggests also that disrupted signal transduction may exacerbate AD pathology.

Modulation by 5-hydroxytryptamine of the somatostatin receptor-effector system and somatostatin levels in rat brain

The role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the acute regulation of the rat brain somatostatin (SS) receptor-effector system and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) content was examined. 5-HT administered i.c.v. in a volume of 10 microliters at a dose of 0.5 microgram (pH 3.4) increased the SSLI concentration at 60 min in the Wistar rat frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus (60%, P < 0.05; 72%, P < 0.01; respectively). These changes were associated with a significant increase in the total number of specific SS receptors in the frontoparietal cortex (24%, P < 0.05) and hippocampus (20%, P < 0.05), without changes in the affinity constant as compared with the control group. No significant differences were seen in the basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) activities in both brain areas of 5-HT-treated rats when compared to the control group. The capacity of SS to inhibit the FK-stimulated AC activity in the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus of 5-HT-treated rats was lower than in the control groups. The ability of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortical and hippocampal membranes was markedly decreased in 5-HT-treated rats. To determine if the above-mentioned changes were related to the 5-HT activation of central 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptors, a non-selective 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, methysergide, was administered 60 min before the 5-HT injection. Pretreatment with methysergide (5 mg/kg i.p. in a volume of 400 microliters) prevented the 5-HT-induced changes in the SS receptor-effector system and in SSLI levels in both brain areas. Methysergide alone had no observable effect on the somatostatinergic system. These results suggest that the frontoparietal cortical and hippocampal somatostatinergic system can be regulated by 5-HT receptors.

Correlations between water maze performance and cortical somatostatin mRNA and high-affinity binding sites during ageing in rats

Somatostatin levels and high-affinity (somatostatin-1) binding sites are decreased in post-mortem cortical samples of Alzheimer's disease patients but the relationships between such modifications and the cognitive deficits remain to be established. We investigated these relationships in the ageing rat. Three age groups (3-4, 14-15 and 26-27 months) were tested in a modified version of the Morris water maze. Somatostatin mRNA levels were quantified by in situ hybridization and somatostatin binding sites by radioautography using the selective agonist octreotide (SMS 201995) as a competing drug to evaluate high-affinity (somatostatin-1) and low-affinity (somatostatin-2) binding sites. The number of somatostatin mRNA-containing cells was not modified with age or memory performance in cortical, hippocampal and hypothalamic regions, but somatostatin mRNA densities were significantly decreased with age and with memory performance in the frontal and parietal cortex. In the frontal cortex somatostatin mRNA densities were already decreased in 14- to 15-month-old rats, whereas the decrease was observed only in 26- to 27-month-old rats in the parietal cortex. A decrease in somatostatin-1 binding was observed with memory performance, independently of age, in the basolateral amygdala only, while somatostatin-2 binding sites were not affected. In the frontal and parietal cortex, a significant correlation occurred between the latency to find the invisible platform in the water maze and somatostatin mRNA (r = -0.54 and 0.59 respectively, P < 0.02). These results indicate that ageing rats with memory impairments display some of the features of the somatostatinergic deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease.

Glycine increases the number of somatostatin receptors and somatostatin-mediated inhibition of the adenylate cyclase system in the rat hippocampus

The glycine and somatostatin (SS) neurotransmission systems in the brain have been implicated in the function of sensory, motor, and nociceptive pathways. To investigate a possible relationship between these two components, we studied the influence of glycine on the binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS to its receptors and on SS-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) levels in the rat hippocampus and frontoparietal cortex. An intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) dose of 16 or 160 nmol of glycine induced an increase in the total number of specific SS receptors in the hippocampus but not in the frontoparietal cortex at 15 min following injection, with no changes in the affinity constant. This effect seems to be mediated by inhibitory strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors since pretreatment with the antagonist strychnine (80 micrograms/100 g body weight, intravenously) abolished this response. No significant changes in SSLI content were detected in either brain region of glycine- and strychnine plus glycine-treated rats as compared to control values. Since SS receptors are coupled via guanine nucleotide-binding G proteins to the adenylyl cyclase (AC) system, we also examined the inhibitory effects of SS and the guanine nucleotide Gpp(NH)p on AC activity in hippocampal membranes of control, glycine- and strychnine plus glycine-treated rats since the increase in SS receptors was observed only in this brain area. No significant differences were observed for the forskolin (FK)-stimulated AC enzyme activities in hippocampal membranes from all the experimental groups studied. In the hippocampus of the glycine- (160 nmol) treated group, however, basal AC activity was significantly lower, and the capacity of SS to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity was increased as compared to the control group. Pretreatment with strychnine prevented the increase in SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity. The functional activity of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gi, as determined by the inhibitory effect of the stable GTP analogue Gpp(NH)p on FK-stimulated AC activity, was significantly higher in hippocampal membranes of glycine- (160 nmol) treated rats as compared to controls. This suggests that the increased inhibition of AC activity by SS in the glycine-treated group may be due to the increase in Gi activity and/or the increase in the number of SS receptors observed. Alternatively, the greater Gi activity may be responsible for the increased binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS to its receptors observed after glycine administration. Altogether, these data suggest that the hippocampal somatostatinergic system can be regulated by strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors in the rat.

Hippocampal somatostatin receptors and modulation of adenylyl cyclase activity in histamine-treated rats

In the present study, the effects of an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) dose of histamine (0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 micrograms) on the hippocampal somatostatin (SS) receptor/effector system in Wistar rats were investigated. In view of the rapid onset of histamine action, the effects of histamine on the somatostatinergic system were studied 2 h after its administration. Hippocampal SS-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) levels were not modified by any of the histamine doses studied. SS-mediated inhibition of basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity was markedly increased in hippocampal membranes from rats treated with 10 micrograms of histamine (23% +/- 1% vs. 17% +/- 1% and 37% +/- 2% vs. 23% +/- 1%, respectively). In contrast, neither the basal nor the FK-stimulated enzyme activities were affected by histamine administration. The functional activity of the hippocampal guanine-nucleotide binding inhibitory protein (Gi protein), as assessed by the capacity of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity, was not modified by histamine administration. These data suggest that the increased response of the enzyme to SS was not related to an increased functional activity of Gi proteins. In fact, the increased AC response to SS in hippocampal membranes from histamine (10 micrograms)-treated rats was associated with quantitative changes in the SS receptors. Equilibrium binding data obtained with [125I]Tyr11-SS indicate an increase in the number with specific SS receptors (541 +/- 24 vs. 365 +/- 16 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.001) together with a decrease in their apparent affinity (0.57 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.03 nM, P < 0.05) in rat hippocampal membranes from histamine (10 micrograms)-treated rats as compared to control animals. With the aim of determining if these changes were related to histamine binding to its specific receptor sites, the histaminergic H1 and H2 receptor antagonists mepyramine and cimetidine, respectively, were administered 1 h before histamine injection. The pretreatment with mepyramine or cimetidine induced an increase in the number and affinity constant of the SS receptors whereas the simultaneous pretreatment with both histamine antagonists prevented the histamine-induced changes in SS binding to its receptors. Since the hippocampal SS receptor/effector system is modulated by histamine, it is tempting to speculate that in the hippocampus, SS could be involved as a mediator of the histamine effects on behaviors such as learning and memory.

alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine influences somatostatin content, binding and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity in the rat frontoparietal cortex

Slow-wave sleep, wakefulness, locomotor activity and learning and memory are regulated in similar ways by somatostatin (SS) and histamine. To clarify the possible role of endogenous histamine on the somatostatinergic system of the rat frontoparietal cortex, we studied the effect of 50 micrograms of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH), a specific inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) at 1, 4 and 6 h, on somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) content and the SS receptor/effector system. The histamine content in the frontoparietal cortex decreased to about 67, 60 and 72% of control values at 1, 4 and 6 h after alpha-FMH administration, respectively. At 6 h after alpha-FMH injection, there was an increase in SSLI content and a decrease in the number of SS receptors, with no change in the apparent affinity. No significant differences were seen for the basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activities in the frontoparietal cortex of alpha-FMH-treated rats when compared to the control group at all times studied. At 6 h after alpha-FMH administration, however, the capacity of SS to inhibit basal and FK-stimulated AC activity in the frontoparietal cortex was significantly lower than in the control group. The ability of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity in frontoparietal cortex membranes was the same in the alpha-FMH-treated (6 h) and control animals. Therefore, the decreased SS-mediated inhibition of AC activity observed in the alpha-FMH-treated rats is not due to an alteration at the guanine nucleotide-binding inhibitory protein (Gi) level but rather may be due to the decrease in the number of SS receptors. Taken together, these data suggest that alpha-FMH influences the sensitivity to SS in the rat frontoparietal cortex.

Brain somatostatin receptors in a rat model of acute liver failure

The present study examines the effect of acute liver failure induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of D-galactosamine-HCl (3 g/kg) on somatostatin (SS) binding and levels in the rat frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus. Neurobehavioural changes were evaluated by the method of Zieve et al. [(1984) J. Lab. Clin. Med., 104:655-664]. The rats were decapitated as soon as they reached neurobehavioural stage I or II. In stage I, rats had lethargy and in stage II they showed mild ataxia, mainly in the hind limbs. The administration of D-galactosamine elevated serum transaminase levels (mean peak level 2,242 IU/1) but hypoglycemia, gross cerebral edema, or signs of sepsis were not detected in any of the animals studied. In addition, D-galactosamine did not affect somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SSLI) levels in either brain area in any of the experimental groups as compared to the control groups. The rats sacrificed in stage I showed no change in the number or affinity of specific 125I-Tyr11-somatostatin (125I-Tyr11-SS) receptors in synaptosomes from the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus. The rats sacrificed in stage II showed a decrease in the number of specific 125I-Tyr11-SS receptors in synaptosomes from both brain areas, with no change in receptor affinity. Binding studies were also conducted on synaptosomes from the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus of rats that received D-galactosamine but did not develop acute liver failure and consequently did not develop neurobehavioural changes. The SS receptors in these synaptosomes did not change in comparison with controls, indicating that the D-galactosamine was not directly responsible for the changes in the cerebral SS receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Preservation of acetylcholine muscarinic M2 receptor G-protein interactions in the neocortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease

The efficacy of acetylcholine muscarinic M2 receptor-G protein coupling was investigated in Alzheimer's disease and control neocortical membranes by measuring the effects of MgCl2 and 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) on high-affinity [3H]oxotremorine-M ([3H]OXO-M) binding. MgCl2 gave similar enhancements of [3H]OXO-M binding in Alzheimer's disease and control occipital cortex. In contrast, MgCl2 enhanced [3H]OXO-M binding was significantly higher in Alzheimer's disease superior temporal cortex, compared to controls. MgCl2 enhanced [3H]OXO-M binding in both the occipital and temporal cortices of the Alzheimer's disease cases was reversed to control levels by Gpp[NH]p. It is concluded that the number of high-affinity muscarinic M2 sites is increased in Alzheimer's disease superior temporal, but not occipital, cortex and that M2 sites in both regions maintain an efficient G-protein coupling.

Preservation of kappa 1 opioid receptor recognition site density and regulation by G-proteins in the temporal cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease

The pharmacological properties of the kappa 1 opioid receptor were investigated in human post-mortem temporal cortical membranes from control and Alzheimer's disease brains, using the kappa 1-selective radioligand [3H]U69593. [3H]U69593 bound to a single high affinity site population with no significant difference between control (Bmax 31 +/- 4.14 fmol/mg protein, KD 1.01 +/- 0.26 nM) and Alzheimer's disease brains (Bmax 37 +/- 4.63 fmol/mg protein, KD 0.86 +/- 0.08 nM). Competition studies with dynorphin B and alpha-neoendorphin gave flat inhibition curves with Hill coefficients of 0.31 +/- 0.04 and 0.49 +/- 0.09 in the control brains and 0.38 +/- 0.05 and 0.48 +/- 0.08 in the Alzheimer's disease brains, respectively. The pI50 values for dynorphin B and alpha-neoendorphin were 8.73 +/- 0.17 and 8.48 +/- 0.09, respectively, in the control brains and 9.30 +/- 0.22 and 8.70 +/- 0.15 in the Alzheimer's disease brains. The guanine nucleotide analogue Gpp(NH)p inhibited binding by ca. 70% in both the control and Alzheimer's disease brains, the residual binding being sensitive to NaCl in both cases. These results indicate that the pharmacological properties and the functional integrity of G-protein coupling of the kappa 1 receptor recognition site are preserved in Alzheimer's disease temporal cortex.

Attenuation of muscarinic receptor-G-protein interaction in Alzheimer disease

Cortical M1 muscarinic receptor-G-protein coupling, high-affinity, guanine nucleotide-sensitive agonist binding (Flynn et al., 1991; Warpman et al., 1993) and muscarinic receptor-stimulated [3H]PIP2 hydrolysis (Ferrari-DiLeo and Flynn, 1993) are known to be defective in Alzheimer disease. Whether this defect reflects an alteration in the M1 muscarinic receptor, its respective guanine nucleotide binding (G) protein or both is not known. This study compares the number and both basal and muscarinic receptor-mediated function of G-proteins in synaptosomal membranes from cerebral cortical samples of age-matched control subjects and Alzheimer disease patients. Immunoblotting with anti-G alpha q/11 and anti-G beta antibodies demonstrated no alteration in the number of these G-protein subunits in Alzheimer disease. Basal [35S]GTP gamma S binding and hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]GTP by high-affinity GTPase also were not significantly altered in Alzheimer disease compared to control membrane samples. However, muscarinic agonist-stimulated GTP gamma S binding and GTP hydrolysis were significantly reduced (80-100%) in Alzheimer disease cortical samples. Diminished agonist-stimulated GTP gamma S binding and GTP hydrolysis correlated with the loss of guanine nucleotide-sensitive, high-affinity agonist binding (KL/KH) ratio) to the M1 receptor subtype. These data provide further evidence for the loss of muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling in Alzheimer disease and support the hypothesis that muscarinic receptor-mediated cortical activation may be compromised in Alzheimer disease.

Changes in alpha 1-adrenergic neurotransmission alter the number of somatostatin receptors in the rat hippocampus

The administration of an i.p. dose of phenylephrine (2 mg/kg) increased the number of [125I]Tyr11-somatostatin ([125I]Tyr11-SS) receptors and decreased their apparent affinity in rat hippocampal membranes 7 h after its injection. Prazosin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) administered 1 h before phenylephrine reversed effects of the latter on SS binding. Prazosin alone decreased the number of SS receptors without changing the affinity. The addition of phenylephrine or prazosin (10(-5) M) to the incubation medium did not change the SS binding characteristics. The present results support the notion that the alpha 1-adrenergic system regulates the binding of SS to its specific receptors in rat hippocampus.

Adenylyl cyclase activity in Alzheimer's disease brain: stimulatory and inhibitory signal transduction pathways are differently affected

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity was studied in post mortem hippocampus and cerebellum from eight patients with Alzheimer's disease/senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD/SDAT) and seven non-demented control patients. AC was stimulated via stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding proteins (Gs) using guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and GppNHp (both 10(-4) M) or directly with either forskolin (10(-4) M) or Mn2+ (10(-2) M). Inhibition of AC via A1-receptors was performed with N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) under basal conditions and in the presence of forskolin (10(-5) M). In both brain regions AC activity was significantly reduced in AD/SDAT when compared to controls. Under basal conditions and after stimulation via Gs mean reduction in hippocampus and cerebellum was 47.7% and 58.2%, respectively. The reduction was less pronounced after direct activation of the AC, amounting to 21.8% in hippocampus and 28.1% in cerebellum. CHA inhibited basal and forskolin-stimulated AC concentration-dependently by about 20% (basal) and 30% (forskolin). Inhibition by CHA was similar in hippocampus and cerebellum and tended to be more pronounced in AD/SDAT than in controls. Since the reduction of AC activity in AD/SDAT is greater after stimulation via Gs than after direct activation of the catalytic subunit, we suggest that both Gs and the catalytic subunit seem to be impaired. The fact that CHA-mediated inhibition of AC is not significantly different in AD/SDAT and controls, indicates that in contrast to Gs-, inhibitory G-proteins (Gi) coupling to AC remains intact in Alzheimer's disease.

Somatostatin receptor-GTP binding regulatory protein-adenylyl cyclase system in hippocampal membranes of strychnine-treated rats

Wistar rats were injected with either a non-convulsive dose (37.5 micrograms/100 g body weight (b.wt.), intravenously (i.v.)) or a convulsive dose (50 or 80 micrograms/100 g b.w.t, i.v.) of strychnine. Binding of 125I-Tyr11-somatostatin (125I-Tyr11-SS) to its specific receptors was measured in hippocampal membranes 15 min after strychnine injection at these three doses. The non-convulsive dose of strychnine did not affect binding of SS in the hippocampus whereas both convulsive doses decreased the number of specific SS receptors without influencing their apparent affinity. Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SSLI), SS-modulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity and the inhibitory guanine-nucleotide binding regulatory protein were also measured in rats treated with 80 micrograms/100 g b.wt. of strychnine. SSLI content remained stable. No significant differences were seen for the basal and forskolin (FK)-stimulated AC enzyme activities in the hippocampus of strychnine-treated rats when compared to the control group. The capacity of SS to inhibit basal and FK-stimulated AC activity in the hippocampus was significantly lower in the strychnine group than in the control group. The ability of the stable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity was also decreased in hippocampal membranes from strychnine-treated rats. These results suggest that the attenuated inhibition of AC by SS in hippocampal membranes from strychnine-treated rats may be caused by decreases in both Gi activity and in the number of SS receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regionally selective alterations in G protein subunit levels in the Alzheimer's disease brain

In the present study the relative densities of a number of G protein subunits were quantified in membranes prepared from the hippocampus, temporal cortex and angular gyrus of Alzheimer's disease and control post-mortem brain by immunoblotting with specific polyclonal antisera against Gs alpha, Gi alpha, Gi alpha-1, G(o) alpha and G beta protein subunits. In addition, basal, Gs-stimulated and Gi-inhibited adenylyl cyclase activities were measured in the same hippocampal membrane samples. Densitometric analysis of the immunoblot data revealed a 58% reduction in the levels of Gi alpha, and a 75% reduction in the levels of Gi alpha-1, in the Alzheimer's disease temporal cortex. Gi alpha levels were reduced, by 37% in the angular gyrus of the Alzheimer's disease cases. The ratio of large to small molecular weight isoforms of the Gs alpha subunit was significantly increased in both the hippocampus and the angular gyrus of the Alzheimer's disease samples when compared to control values, although the difference in individual Gs alpha isoform levels did not attain statistical significance when comparing groups. No statistically significant differences were observed in G(o) alpha or G beta levels when comparing control and Alzheimer's disease cases. Gs-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was significantly reduced in the Alzheimer's disease samples compared to controls, whereas Gi-inhibited adenylyl cyclase activity was unchanged. No significant differences were observed between the control and Alzheimer's disease samples for either basal or forskolin stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. The ratio of hippocampal Gs-stimulated to basal adenylyl cyclase activity correlated significantly with the large to small Gs alpha subunit ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differential alterations of ion channel binding sites in temporal and occipital regions of the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease

Three ion channel binding sites were examined by means of quantitative ligand binding autoradiography in temporal and occipital cortex from 9 patients with neuropathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 7 matched control subjects. The following ligands were used: 125I-apamin to label a population of Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ channels; [3H]PN200-110 to label L-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels and [3H]glibenclamide to label ATP-sensitive K+ channels. Ion channel binding sites were compared to: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and plaque densities measured in the same tissue. In the temporal cortex in AD 125I-apamin binding was increased compared to controls (e.g. superficial layers: control = 0.71 +/- 0.07; AD = 1.02 +/- 0.07, mean +/- S.E.M. pmol/g tissue). In contrast, in adjacent sections [3H]glibenclamide binding was reduced in AD compared to controls (e.g. superficial layers: control = 25.3 +/- 1.7; AD = 17.9 +/- 1.4 pmol/g tissue). [3H]PN200-110 binding in temporal cortex was not altered in AD compared to controls. In the occipital cortex 125I-apamin binding was increased in AD while both [3H]glibenclamide and [3H]PN-200-110 binding sites in this cortical area were not different from controls. Plaque density (per mm2) was higher in temporal (e.g. layers I-III, 43 +/- 6) than in occipital cortex (layers I-III, 27 +/- 4) in the AD patients while ChAT activity was reduced by 40% in temporal cortex and by 50% in occipital cortex compared to controls. The results suggest that the three ion channel binding sites are located on structural elements in the brain which are differentially affected by the pathophysiology of AD.

Decrease of somatostatin receptor binding in the rat cerebral cortex after ibotenic acid lesion of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis: a quantitative autoradiographic study

The specific binding of 125I-Tyr11-somatostatin-14 (125I-Tyr11-SS-14) was measured in different cortical regions after unilateral ibotenic acid lesion of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). A marked loss of acetylcholinesterase-positive fibers was observed in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices ipsilateral to the lesion. The loss of cholinergic cell bodies in the NBM was further investigated with choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry which indeed demonstrated a loss of ChAT-positive magnocellular perikarya. Autoradiographic analyses of specific binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 demonstrated a significant reduction in binding density in the denervated parts of the neocortex. The decrease in specific binding was most pronounced (40-50%) in the superficial layers (I-III) of the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices 2 and 4 weeks after lesion. A significant loss in 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 binding in the deeper layers was only observed in the frontal cortex after 2 and 4 weeks. In the occipital cortex a significant decrease was measured in the superficial layers only after 4 weeks. The specific binding in all cortical regions returned to normal after 6 weeks. The results suggested that 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 binding sites are localized on cholinergic afferents in the rat neocortex and that an up-regulation of number of binding sites, alternatively an increased binding affinity occurred with time after lesion.

Alterations in the activity of adenylate cyclase and high affinity GTPase in Alzheimer's disease

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Alzheimer's disease has on the functional integrity of several signal transduction proteins. The relative levels of the G-protein alpha subunits Gs alpha-L, Gs alpha-S, Gi alpha-2 and G(o) alpha were measured by western blotting and found to be unchanged in membranes prepared from Alzheimer-diseased frontal cortex or hippocampus compared to control brains. However the activity of the G-protein associated enzyme, high affinity GTPase, was found to be reduced in the frontal cortex (reduced by 25%) and by a similar magnitude in the hippocampus (reduced by 27%) of Alzheimer subjects. The same membrane preparations were also assayed for the activity of adenylate cyclase. Basal enzyme activity was not significantly altered in Alzheimer diseased hippocampus, but was markedly reduced (by 45%) in the frontal cortex. The ability of fluoride and aluminium ions to stimulate adenylate cyclase was not significantly changed in either brain region. This suggests that G-proteins, especially Gs, are still able to interact with this enzyme. These results indicate that although the presence of Alzheimer's disease does not significantly alter G-protein levels, changes have taken place in the overall activity of these proteins. However this alteration does not affect their ability to stimulate adenylate cyclase activity.

Disrupted beta 1-adrenoceptor-G protein coupling in the temporal cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease

The efficacy of beta 1-adrenoceptor-G protein coupling was studied in postmortem temporal cortex synaptic membranes from a series of control and Alzheimer's disease subjects. For the control cases, the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) gave a significant reduction in the affinity of the agonist isoprenaline to displace binding of the radiolabelled antagonist (+/)-4-(3-t-butylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)[5,7-3H]benzimidazol-2-one ([3H]CGP-12177). This effect was attributed to the conversion of high agonist-affinity sites to a lower-affinity state and was not found for the Alzheimer's disease cases. These data indicate that a disruption of beta 1-adrenoceptor-G protein coupling occurs in the temporal cortex of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Coupling of muscarinic receptors to GTP proteins in postmortem human brain--alterations in Alzheimer's disease

The coupling of muscarinic agonist receptors to guanine nucleotide-binding (G) proteins was investigated in the frontal, temporal cortices and thalamus of control and Alzheimer brains by using carbachol in competition experiments with [3H]QNB. In the presence of GppNHp, the carbachol/[3H]QNB competition binding data showed a 6-fold increase in the high-affinity muscarinic agonist coefficient (Ki high) in the thalami of control brains and a significantly increased proportion of low-affinity agonist binding sites (Bmax low) in the temporal cortices of control brains, while no significant effect of GppNHp was observed in Alzheimer brains. The results suggest a disturbance of the muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling in Alzheimer's disease.

Diminished muscarinic receptor-stimulated [3H]-PIP2 hydrolysis in Alzheimer's disease

The functional integrity of the cortical muscarinic receptor (MR)-mediated phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-specific phospholipase C signalling pathway was assessed in Alzheimer disease (AD) and age-matched control subjects. There was no difference in the basal hydrolysis of [3H]-PIP2 to [3H]-inositol phosphates between control and AD membrane preparations. However, muscarinic agonist-stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis was significantly diminished in the AD cases. Diminished agonist-stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis correlated with the loss in high affinity agonist binding (KL/KH ratio) to the M1 muscarinic receptor subtype in the disease. These data further support the hypothesis that muscarinic receptor-mediated signal transduction is altered in AD, and that the defect lies at the level of muscarinic receptor-G protein/effector coupling.

Preservation of Gi-protein inhibited adenylyl cyclase activity in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease

The coupling of inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding (Gi) proteins to the adenylyl cyclase signal transduction complex was compared in 4 brain regions from a series of Alzheimer's disease and matched control subjects by measuring the inhibition of membrane enzyme activities in response to guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]diphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) and aluminium fluoride (AlF4-). Basal adenylyl cyclase activities were significantly lower in preparations of angular gyrus and frontal and temporal cortices, but not cerebellum, from the Alzheimer's disease cases compared to controls. Gpp[NH]p and AlF4- gave significant inhibitions of adenylyl cyclase activity in all brain regions. The magnitude of these inhibitions, when corrected for altered basal activities, were similar for the Alzheimer's disease and control cases. These results indicate that there is no impairment of Gi-protein mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity in Alzheimer's disease brain.

Neurotransmitter-mediated inhibition of post-mortem human brain adenylyl cyclase

The effects of a range of neurotransmitter agonists showing selectivity for receptor types inhibitorily coupled to adenylyl cyclase were compared in membrane preparations of hippocampus, frontal cortex and caudate nucleus/striatum from previously frozen post-mortem human and rat brain. Agonists were tested against basal and forskolin stimulated activities, forskolin being a potent activator of the catalytic sub-unit of the enzyme. Of those agonists tested, only somatostatin (100 microM) and neuropeptide Y (10 microM) gave consistent inhibitions of basal and forskolin stimulated enzyme activities in all three regions of both human and rat brain. Somatostatin-mediated inhibition of human brain adenylyl cyclase was reduced in the absence of GTP and in the presence of the guanine nucleotide partial agonist, guanosine 5'-O-thiodiposphate, consistent with a G-protein-linked receptor. No such GTP-dependence was found for the neuropeptide Y-mediated adenylyl cyclase inhibition. GTP-dependent somatostatin mediated inhibitions of human brain adenylyl cyclase activity were of highest magnitude in the thalamus, intermediate magnitude in the hippocampus and caudate nucleus and lowest magnitude in the frontal cortex. It is concluded that of a range of neurotransmitter receptor agonists tested, only somatostatin gives robust, GTP-dependent responses that are reproducible enough to be used with post-mortem tissue for the comparison of receptor function in human brain disorders.

Somatostatin in Alzheimer's disease and depression

Somatostatin (somatotropin release-inhibiting factor, SRIF) was originally discovered (1) during the purification of growth hormone-releasing factor from rat hypothalamus and was subsequently isolated and characterized (2) in 1972 from ovine hypothalamus. Since its initial characterization, SRIF has been shown to fulfill criteria for a neurotransmitter and to directly modulate neuronal activity as well as acting as an inhibitory factor regulating endocrine and exocrine secretion. Alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of SRIF have been reported in several diseases exhibiting prominent cognitive dysfunction, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), major depression, Huntington's chorea, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, while evidence for regional brain tissue concentration deficits in SRIF are more specific for AD. This mini-review will focus on the studies reporting alterations in CSF and postmortem tissue concentrations of SRIF in AD and depression.