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Lu J, He AX, Jin ZY, Zhang M, Li ZX, Zhou F, Ma L, Jin HM, Wang JY, Shen X. Desloratadine alleviates ALS-like pathology in hSOD1 G93A mice via targeting 5HTR 2A on activated spinal astrocytes. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:926-944. [PMID: 38286832 PMCID: PMC11053015 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01223-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, cerebral cortex and brain stem. ALS is characterized by gradual muscle atrophy and dyskinesia. The limited knowledge on the pathology of ALS has impeded the development of therapeutics for the disease. Previous studies have shown that autophagy and astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of ALS, while 5HTR2A participates in the early stage of astrocyte activation, and 5HTR2A antagonism may suppress astrocyte activation. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of desloratadine (DLT), a selective 5HTR2A antagonist, in human SOD1G93A (hSOD1G93A) ALS model mice, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. HSOD1G93A mice were administered DLT (20 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) from the age of 8 weeks for 10 weeks or until death. ALS onset time and lifespan were determined using rotarod and righting reflex tests, respectively. We found that astrocyte activation accompanying with serotonin receptor 2 A (5HTR2A) upregulation in the spinal cord was tightly associated with ALS-like pathology, which was effectively attenuated by DLT administration. We showed that DLT administration significantly delayed ALS symptom onset time, prolonged lifespan and ameliorated movement disorders, gastrocnemius injury and spinal motor neuronal loss in hSOD1G93A mice. Spinal cord-specific knockdown of 5HTR2A by intrathecal injection of adeno-associated virus9 (AAV9)-si-5Htr2a also ameliorated ALS pathology in hSOD1G93A mice, and occluded the therapeutic effects of DLT administration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DLT administration promoted autophagy to reduce mutant hSOD1 levels through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK pathway, suppressed oxidative stress through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK/Nrf2-HO-1/NQO-1 pathway, and inhibited astrocyte neuroinflammation through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in the spinal cord of hSOD1G93A mice. In summary, 5HTR2A antagonism shows promise as a therapeutic strategy for ALS, highlighting the potential of DLT in the treatment of the disease. DLT as a 5HTR2A antagonist effectively promoted autophagy to reduce mutant hSOD1 level through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK pathway, suppressed oxidative stress through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK/Nrf2-HO-1/NQO-1 pathway, and inhibited astrocytic neuroinflammation through 5HTR2A/cAMP/AMPK/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in the spinal cord of hSOD1G93A mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - An-Xu He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhuo-Ying Jin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhong-Xin Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hong-Ming Jin
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jia-Ying Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xu Shen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Target and Drug for Degenerative Diseases, School of Medicine & Holistic Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Yan W, Guo T, Liu N, Cui X, Wei X, Sun Y, Hu H, Chen L. Erythropoietin ameliorates cognitive deficits by improving hippocampal and synaptic damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Cell Signal 2023; 106:110614. [PMID: 36739954 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that erythropoietin (EPO) is an effective neuroprotective and neurotrophic agent for neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease. However, the effectiveness of EPO administration against diabetic cognitive impairments has rarely been examined. In this study, we investigated the effects of EPO on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced male C57BL/6 J mice. Then, we sought to clarify the mechanisms of EPO-mediated neuroprotection in high-glucose (HG)-stimulated HT22 cells. In vivo, we found that STZ-induced diabetic mice showed impaired spatial learning and memory, which was alleviated by EPO treatment. EPO also significantly lowered elevated fasting blood glucose levels, improved pancreatic and hippocampal damage, and restored oxidative stress in the STZ-induced diabetic mice. In vitro, EPO markedly increased cell viability, restrained the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, enhanced the expression of pro-caspase 3, anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD-95), and attenuated the upregulation of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor subunits NR1, NR2A and NR2B in HG-induced HT22 cells. The protective effects of EPO was obviously abolished by treatment with an NMDA receptor agonist. Our findings revealed that EPO impedes hippocampal and synaptic damage and neuronal apoptosis by regulating BDNF and PSD-95 expression through NMDA receptors, thereby ameliorating cognitive impairments in mice with T1DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Yan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Tingli Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xin Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xiaotong Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yuzhuo Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Lina Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; International Obesity and Metabolic Disease Research Center (IIOMC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
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Shin SH, Hur G, Kim NR, Park JHY, Lee KW, Yang H. A machine learning-integrated stepwise method to discover novel anti-obesity phytochemicals that antagonize the glucocorticoid receptor. Food Funct 2023; 14:1869-1883. [PMID: 36723137 DOI: 10.1039/d2fo03466b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
As a type of stress hormone, glucocorticoids (GCs) affect numerous physiological pathways by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and regulating the transcription of various genes. However, when GCs are dysregulated, the resulting hypercortisolism may contribute to various metabolic disorders, including obesity. Thus, attempts have been made to discover potent GR antagonists that can reverse excess-GC-related metabolic diseases. Phytochemicals are a collection of valuable bioactive compounds that are known for their wide variety of chemotypes. Recently, various computational methods have been developed to obtain active phytochemicals that can modulate desired target proteins. In this study, we developed a workflow comprising two consecutive quantitative structure-activity relationship-based machine learning models to discover novel GR-antagonizing phytochemicals. These two models collectively identified 65 phytochemicals that bind to and antagonize GR. Of these, nine commercially available phytochemicals were validated for GR-antagonist and anti-obesity activities. In particular, we confirmed that demethylzeylasteral, a phytochemical of the Tripterygium wilfordii Radix, exhibits potent anti-obesity activity in vitro through GR antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo Hyun Shin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Gihyun Hur
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Na Ra Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung Han Yoon Park
- Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea. .,Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon, 16229, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Yang
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea.
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Zhang Y, Yuan Y, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Fu J. Astragaloside IV supplementation attenuates cognitive impairment by inhibiting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1004557. [PMID: 36247985 PMCID: PMC9557080 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1004557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Although diabetic cognitive impairment is one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), optimized therapeutic strategies are not available yet. Astragalosides IV (AS-IV) is a traditional Chinese medicine possessing diverse pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, the effects of AS-IV on diabetes-related cognitive impairment and its precise mechanisms remain largely unknown. T2DM mice, induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and an intraperitoneal injection of low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) were administrated with AS-IV every other day for eight consecutive weeks. Learning and memory abilities were assessed subsequently using the Ymaze test and the anxious behavior was evaluated using an open field test. Then, the morphology and number of neurons and microglia were observed by HE staining or immunohistochemistry. Oxidative stress biomarkers and pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined using relevant kits. In addition, the expression levels of Nrf2, Keap1, HO-1, and NQO1 were determined by Western blot analyses. The results indicated that AS-IV administration significantly improved neuronal damage and cognitive deficit in T2DM mice. Meanwhile, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation were also ameliorated in T2DM mice, which might be attributed to the regulation of Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1/NQO1 pathway in T2DM mice. Taken together, these data suggested that AS-IV ameliorates cognitive impairment in T2DM mice by attenuating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, possibly through modulating the Nrf2/Keap1/HO1/NQO1 pathway.
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