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Mu R, Hou X, Liu Q, Wang W, Qin C, Li H. Up-regulation of GPR139 in the medial septum ameliorates cognitive impairment in two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 130:111786. [PMID: 38447415 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111786] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest class of cell surface receptors and present prominent drug targets. GPR139 is an orphan GPCR detected in the septum of the brain. However, its roles in cognition are still unclear. Here we first established a mouse model of cognitive impairment by a single intracerebroventricular injection of aggregated amyloid-beta peptide 1-42 (Aβ1-42). RNA-sequencing data analysis showed that Aβ1-42 induced a significant decrease of GPR139 mRNA in the basal forebrain. Using GPR139 agonist JNJ-63533054 and behavioral tests, we found that GPR139 activation in the brain ameliorated Aβ1-42-induced cognitive impairment. Using western blot, TUNEL apoptosis and Golgi staining assays, we showed that GPR139 activation alleviated Aβ1-42-induced apoptosis and synaptotoxicity in the basal forebrain rather than prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The further study identified that GPR139 was widely expressed in cholinergic neurons of the medial septum (MS). Using the overexpression virus and transgenic animal model, we showed that up-regulation of GPR139 in MS cholinergic neurons ameliorated cognitive impairment, apoptosis and synaptotoxicity in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. These findings reveal that GPR139 of MS cholinergic neurons could be a critical node in cognition and potentially provides insight into the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghao Mu
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; Department of Child Developmental Behavior, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Xiaoying Hou
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Child Developmental Behavior, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Wan Wang
- Department of Child Developmental Behavior, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Chi Qin
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Huixian Li
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
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Llambrich S, Tielemans B, Saliën E, Atzori M, Wouters K, Van Bulck V, Platt M, Vanherp L, Gallego Fernandez N, Grau de la Fuente L, Poptani H, Verlinden L, Himmelreich U, Croitor A, Attanasio C, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Gsell W, Martínez-Abadías N, Vande Velde G. Pleiotropic effects of trisomy and pharmacologic modulation on structural, functional, molecular, and genetic systems in a Down syndrome mouse model. eLife 2024; 12:RP89763. [PMID: 38497812 PMCID: PMC10948151 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89763] [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] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by skeletal and brain structural malformations, cognitive impairment, altered hippocampal metabolite concentration and gene expression imbalance. These alterations were usually investigated separately, and the potential rescuing effects of green tea extracts enriched in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (GTE-EGCG) provided disparate results due to different experimental conditions. We overcame these limitations by conducting the first longitudinal controlled experiment evaluating genotype and GTE-EGCG prenatal chronic treatment effects before and after treatment discontinuation. Our findings revealed that the Ts65Dn mouse model reflected the pleiotropic nature of DS, exhibiting brachycephalic skull, ventriculomegaly, neurodevelopmental delay, hyperactivity, and impaired memory robustness with altered hippocampal metabolite concentration and gene expression. GTE-EGCG treatment modulated most systems simultaneously but did not rescue DS phenotypes. On the contrary, the treatment exacerbated trisomic phenotypes including body weight, tibia microarchitecture, neurodevelopment, adult cognition, and metabolite concentration, not supporting the therapeutic use of GTE-EGCG as a prenatal chronic treatment. Our results highlight the importance of longitudinal experiments assessing the co-modulation of multiple systems throughout development when characterizing preclinical models in complex disorders and evaluating the pleiotropic effects and general safety of pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Llambrich
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Birger Tielemans
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Ellen Saliën
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Marta Atzori
- Department of Human Genetics, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Kaat Wouters
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Mark Platt
- Centre for Preclinical Imaging, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | - Laure Vanherp
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Nuria Gallego Fernandez
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Laura Grau de la Fuente
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Harish Poptani
- Centre for Preclinical Imaging, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | - Lieve Verlinden
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Anca Croitor
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | | | - Willy Gsell
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Neus Martínez-Abadías
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
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Sidiropoulou GA, Metaxas A, Kourti M. Natural antioxidants that act against Alzheimer's disease through modulation of the NRF2 pathway: a focus on their molecular mechanisms of action. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1217730. [PMID: 37465125 PMCID: PMC10351420 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1217730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterized by a complex pathophysiology that includes the intraneuronal formation of neurofibrillary tangles and the extracellular deposition of β-amyloid plaques, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease that causes dementia in older adults. Oxidative stress in the brain is considered as one of the contributing factors to the pathogenesis of AD, and thus, antioxidants have attracted much interest as potential therapeutic agents against the disorder. Natural antioxidants are typically characterized by low acute and chronic toxicity, which facilitates their potential therapeutic application. One important molecular target for the beneficial effects of natural antioxidants is the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2/NRF2). NRF2 is a key transcription factor that orchestrates the cellular antioxidant response through regulating the expression of oxidative stress-related genes harboring the antioxidant response element (ARE) in their promoters. Indeed, in the case of excessive oxidative damage, NRF2 migrates to the nucleus and binds to ARE, activating the transcription of antioxidant protector genes. There is increasing evidence that NRF2 is implicated in AD pathology through dysfunction and altered localization, which renders it as a potential therapeutic target for AD. Thus, this review summarizes the most recent (2018-2023) advances on the NRF2-modulating activity of natural antioxidants observed in vitro and in AD animal models. This information will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing the antioxidant activity of such phytochemicals to highlight their therapeutic potential against common neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grammatiki Alexandra Sidiropoulou
- Angiogenesis and Cancer Drug Discovery Group, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Centre, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Athanasios Metaxas
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Malamati Kourti
- Angiogenesis and Cancer Drug Discovery Group, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Centre, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Pathological trajectory in the Ts65Dn model of Down syndrome. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:295-297. [PMID: 36707069 PMCID: PMC9925689 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Farrell C, Mumford P, Wiseman FK. Rodent Modeling of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome: In vivo and ex vivo Approaches. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:909669. [PMID: 35747206 PMCID: PMC9209729 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.909669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There are an estimated 6 million people with Down syndrome (DS) worldwide. In developed countries, the vast majority of these individuals will develop Alzheimer's disease neuropathology characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles within the brain, which leads to the early onset of dementia (AD-DS) and reduced life-expectancy. The mean age of onset of clinical dementia is ~55 years and by the age of 80, approaching 100% of individuals with DS will have a dementia diagnosis. DS is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21 (Hsa21) thus an additional copy of a gene(s) on the chromosome must cause the development of AD neuropathology and dementia. Indeed, triplication of the gene APP which encodes the amyloid precursor protein is sufficient and necessary for early onset AD (EOAD), both in people who have and do not have DS. However, triplication of other genes on Hsa21 leads to profound differences in neurodevelopment resulting in intellectual disability, elevated incidence of epilepsy and perturbations to the immune system. This different biology may impact on how AD neuropathology and dementia develops in people who have DS. Indeed, genes on Hsa21 other than APP when in three-copies can modulate AD-pathogenesis in mouse preclinical models. Understanding this biology better is critical to inform drug selection for AD prevention and therapy trials for people who have DS. Here we will review rodent preclinical models of AD-DS and how these can be used for both in vivo and ex vivo (cultured cells and organotypic slice cultures) studies to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the early development of AD in people who have DS and test the utility of treatments to prevent or delay the development of disease.
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