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Wang X, Shi Z, Qiu Y, Sun D, Zhou H. Peripheral GFAP and NfL as early biomarkers for dementia: longitudinal insights from the UK Biobank. BMC Med 2024; 22:192. [PMID: 38735950 PMCID: PMC11089788 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03418-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are sensitive markers of neuroinflammation and neuronal damage. Previous studies with highly selected participants have shown that peripheral GFAP and NfL levels are elevated in the pre-clinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia. However, the predictive value of GFAP and NfL for dementia requires more evidence from population-based cohorts. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study to evaluate UK Biobank participants enrolled from 2006 to 2010 using plasma GFAP and NfL measurements measured by Olink Target Platform and prospectively followed up for dementia diagnosis. Primary outcome was the risk of clinical diagnosed dementia. Secondary outcomes were cognition. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between peripheral GFAP and NfL with cognition. Cox proportional hazard models with cross-validations were used to estimate associations between elevated GFAP and NfL with risk of dementia. All models were adjusted for covariates. RESULTS A subsample of 48,542 participants in the UK Biobank with peripheral GFAP and NfL measurements were evaluated. With an average follow-up of 13.18 ± 2.42 years, 1312 new all-cause dementia cases were identified. Peripheral GFAP and NfL increased up to 15 years before dementia diagnosis was made. After strictly adjusting for confounders, increment in NfL was found to be associated with decreased numeric memory and prolonged reaction time. A greater annualized rate of change in GFAP was significantly associated with faster global cognitive decline. Elevation of GFAP (hazard ratio (HR) ranges from 2.25 to 3.15) and NfL (HR ranges from 1.98 to 4.23) increased the risk for several types of dementia. GFAP and NfL significantly improved the predictive values for dementia using previous models (area under the curve (AUC) ranges from 0.80 to 0.89, C-index ranges from 0.86 to 0.91). The AD genetic risk score and number of APOE*E4 alleles strongly correlated with GFAP and NfL levels. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that peripheral GFAP and NfL are potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of dementia. In addition, anti-inflammatory therapies in the initial stages of dementia may have potential benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.28 Dianxin Nan Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ziyan Shi
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.28 Dianxin Nan Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yuhan Qiu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.28 Dianxin Nan Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Dongren Sun
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.28 Dianxin Nan Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hongyu Zhou
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.28 Dianxin Nan Street, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Munafó JP, Biscussi B, Obiol D, Costabel M, Bouzat C, Murray AP, Antollini S. New Multitarget Molecules Derived from Caffeine as Potentiators of the Cholinergic System. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:994-1009. [PMID: 38407056 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00710] [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] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic deficit is a characteristic factor of several pathologies, such as myasthenia gravis, some types of congenital myasthenic syndromes, and Alzheimer's Disease. Two molecular targets for its treatment are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). In previous studies, we found that caffeine behaves as a partial nAChR agonist and confirmed that it inhibits AChE. Here, we present new bifunctional caffeine derivatives consisting of a theophylline ring connected to amino groups by different linkers. All of them were more potent AChE inhibitors than caffeine. Furthermore, although some of them also activated muscle nAChR as partial agonists, not all of them stabilized nAChR in its desensitized conformation. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying these results, we performed docking studies on AChE and nAChR. The nAChR agonist behavior of the compounds depends on their accessory group, whereas their ability to stabilize the receptor in a desensitized state depends on the interactions of the linker at the binding site. Our results show that the new compounds can inhibit AChE and activate nAChR with greater potency than caffeine and provide further information on the modulation mechanisms of pharmacological targets for the design of novel therapeutic interventions in cholinergic deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Munafó
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Camino La Carrindanga km 7, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Brunella Biscussi
- Instituto de Química del Sur, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avda. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Diego Obiol
- Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avda. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Costabel
- Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur, Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avda. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Bouzat
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Camino La Carrindanga km 7, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Ana Paula Murray
- Instituto de Química del Sur, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avda. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Silvia Antollini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Camino La Carrindanga km 7, Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
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Grewal A, Sheokand D, Chauhan R, Saini V, Kumar A. Insights into amyloid precursor protein target through PPI network analysis. Bioinformation 2024; 20:140-145. [PMID: 38497073 PMCID: PMC10941771 DOI: 10.6026/973206300200140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide with therapeutic lacunae till date. The beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation triggers AD pathogenesis, though clinical trials lowering Aβ have not altered disease outcomes suggesting other interacting factors to be identified for drug design of AD. Therefore, it is of interest to identify potential hub proteins interlinked with disease-driving pathways using a network-based approach for AD therapeutic designing. Literature mining was done to identify proteins implicated in AD etiology. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) were retrieved from the STRING database and merged into a single network using Cytoscape 3.10.1. The hub proteins involved in AD etiology were predicted based on the topological algorithms of CytoHubba. Six major proteins, with STRING database identifiers - APP, BACE1, PSEN1, MAPT, APOE4 and TREM2, were identified to be involved in AD pathogenesis. The merged network of PPIs of these proteins contained 51 nodes and 211 edges, as predicted by Analyzer module of Cytoscape. The Amyloid precursor protein (APP) emerged as the highest-scoring hub protein across multiple centrality measures and topological algorithms. Thus, current data provides evidence to support the ongoing investigation of APP's multifaceted functions and therapeutic potential for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annu Grewal
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001
| | - Deepak Sheokand
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001
| | - Raveena Chauhan
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001
| | - Vandana Saini
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001
| | - Ajit Kumar
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India, 124001
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Li Z, Dang Q, Wang P, Zhao F, Huang J, Wang C, Liu X, Min W. Food-Derived Peptides: Beneficial CNS Effects and Cross-BBB Transmission Strategies. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:20453-20478. [PMID: 38085598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Food-derived peptides, as dietary supplements, have significant effects on promoting brain health and relieving central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) greatly limits their in-brain bioavailability. Thus, overcoming the BBB to target the CNS is a major challenge for bioactive peptides in the prevention and treatment of CNS diseases. This review discusses improvement in the neuroprotective function of food-derived active peptides in CNS diseases, as well as the source of BBB penetrating peptides (BBB-shuttles) and the mechanism of transmembrane transport. Notably, this review also discusses various peptide modification methods to overcome the low permeability and stability of the BBB. Lipification, glycosylation, introduction of disulfide bonds, and cyclization are effective strategies for improving the penetration efficiency of peptides through the BBB. This review provides a new prospective for improving their neuroprotective function and developing treatments to delay or even prevent CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehui Li
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, ChangChun, Jilin 130118, P.R. China
| | - Qiao Dang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, ChangChun, Jilin 130118, P.R. China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
| | - Fanrui Zhao
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, P.R. China
| | - Jianqin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, P.R. China
| | - Chongchong Wang
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, P.R. China
| | - Xingquan Liu
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
| | - Weihong Min
- College of Food and Health, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, P.R. China
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Du H, Song J, Ma F, Gao H, Zhao X, Mao R, He X, Yan Y. Novel harmine derivatives as potent acetylcholinesterase and amyloid beta aggregation dual inhibitors for management of Alzheimer's disease. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2281893. [PMID: 37965884 PMCID: PMC10653770 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2281893] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, a series of potential ligands for the treatment of AD were synthesised and characterised as novel harmine derivatives modified at position 9 with benzyl piperazinyl. In vitro studies revealed that the majority of the derivatives exhibited moderate to potent inhibition against hAChE and Aβ1 - 42 aggregation. Notably, compounds 13 and 17d displayed potent drug - likeness and ADMET properties, demonstrating remarkable inhibitory activities towards AChE (IC50 = 58.76 nM and 89.38 nM, respectively) as well as Aβ aggregation (IC50 = 9.31 μM and 13.82 μM, respectively). More importantly, compounds 13 and 17d showed exceptional neuroprotective effects against Aβ1 - 42-induced SH - SY5Y damage, while maintaining low toxicity in SH - SY5Y cells. Further exploration of the mechanism through kinetic studies and molecular modelling confirmed that compound 13 could interact with both the CAS and the PAS of AChE. These findings suggested that harmine derivatives hold great potential as dual - targeted candidates for treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtao Du
- School of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan'an, China
- Shaanxi Qi Yuan Kang Bo Biotechnology Co. LTD, Tongchuan Shaanxi, China
| | - Jinzhi Song
- Shaanxi Horticultural Technology workstation, Xi’an Shaanxi, China
| | - Fang Ma
- Shaanxi Qi Yuan Kang Bo Biotechnology Co. LTD, Tongchuan Shaanxi, China
- Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University, Xianyang, China
| | - Hongxin Gao
- School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Second School of Clinical Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang Shaanxi, China
| | - Renjun Mao
- School of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan'an, China
- Shaanxi Horticultural Technology workstation, Xi’an Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaolong He
- School of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan'an, China
| | - Yan Yan
- School of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan'an, China
- Shaanxi Qi Yuan Kang Bo Biotechnology Co. LTD, Tongchuan Shaanxi, China
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