Adrenergic β receptor activation reduces amyloid β1-42-mediated intracellular Zn2+ toxicity in dentate granule cells followed by rescuing impairment of dentate gyrus LTP

Adrenergic β receptor activation prevents human soluble amyloid β (Aβ)-induced impairment of long-term potentiation (LTP) in slices. On the basis of the evidence that human Aβ_1-42-induced impairment of LTP is due to Aβ_1-42-mediated Zn²⁺ toxicity, we postulated that adrenergic β receptor activation reduces Aβ_1-42-mediated intracellular Zn²⁺ toxicity followed by rescuing Aβ_1-42 toxicity. To test the effect of adrenergic β receptor activation, LTP was recorded at perforant pathway-dentate granule cell synapses of anesthetized rats 60 min after Aβ_1-42 injection into the dentate granule cell layer. Human Aβ_1-42-induced impairment of LTP was rescued by co-injection of isoproterenol, an adrenergic β receptor agonist, but not by co-injection of phenylephrine, an adrenergic α₁ receptor agonist. Isoproterenol did not reduce Aβ_1-42 uptake into dentate granule cells, but reduced increase in intracellular Zn²⁺ in dentate granule cells induced by Aβ_1-42. In contrast, phenylephrine did not reduce both Aβ_1-42 uptake and increase in intracellular Zn²⁺ by Aβ_1-42. In the case of human Aβ_1-40 and rat Aβ_1-42, which do not increase intracellular Zn²⁺, human Aβ_1-40- and rat Aβ_1-42-induced impairments of LTP were not rescued by co-injection of isoproterenol. The present study indicates that adrenergic β receptor activation reduces Aβ_1-42-mediated increase in intracellular Zn²⁺ in dentate granule cells, resulting in rescuing Aβ_1-42-induced impairment of LTP. It is likely that noradrenergic neuron activation by stimulating the locus coeruleus is effective for rescuing Aβ_1-42-induced cognitive decline that is caused by intracellular Zn²⁺ dysregulation in the hippocampus.

Extracellular Zn2+-independently attenuated LTP by human amyloid β1-40 and rat amyloid β1-42

Human amyloid-β_1-40 (Aβ_1-40) and rat Aβ_1-42 have lower affinity for extracellular Zn²⁺ than human Aβ_1-42. Here we report extracellular Zn²⁺-independent attenuation of dentate gyrus long-term potentiation (LTP) by human Aβ_1-40 and rat Aβ_1-42. On the basis of the data that dentate gyrus LTP is extracellular Zn²⁺-dependently attenuated after local injection of human Aβ_1-42 (25 pmol, 1 μl) into the dentate gyrus, which increases intracellular Zn²⁺ in the dentate gyrus, the toxicity of human Aβ_1-40 and rat Aβ_1-42 was compared in the in vivo system with human Aβ_1-42. Dentate gyrus LTP was attenuated after injection of human Aβ_1-40 and rat Aβ_1-42 (25 pmol, 1 μl) into the dentate gyrus, which did not increase intracellular Zn²⁺ in the dentate gyrus. The attenuated LTP was not rescued by co-injection of CaEDTA, an extracellular Zn²⁺ chelator. The present study suggests that human Aβ_1-40 and rat Aβ_1-42 affect cognitive activity via extracellular Zn²⁺-independent mechanism at low micromolar concentration.

Adrenergic β receptor activation in the basolateral amygdala, which is intracellular Zn2+-dependent, rescues amyloid β1-42-induced attenuation of dentate gyrus LTP

On the basis of the evidence that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) modulates hippocampal memory processes via synaptic plasticity, here we report that adrenergic β receptor activation in the BLA rescues amyloid β_1-42 (Aβ_1-42)-induced attenuation of long-term potentiation (LTP) at perforant pathway-dentate granule cell (DGC) synapses. When 500 μM isoproterenol (2 μl), an adrenergic β receptor agonist, was injected into the BLA 20 min before LTP induction, LTP was enhanced. Isoproterenol-mediated enhancement of LTP was blocked by co-injection with 100 μM ZnAF-2DA, an intracellular Zn²⁺ chelator, suggesting that intracellular Zn²⁺ is required for the intracellular signaling cascade after adrenergic β receptor activation in the BLA. Aβ_1-42-induced attenuation of LTP, which was induced by Aβ_1-42 injection into the dentate gyrus 60 min before LTP induction, was rescued by isoproterenol injection into the BLA 20 min before LTP induction, but not by 500 μM phenylephrine (2 μl), an adrenergic α₁ receptor agonist, injection into the BLA, which did not enhance LTP unlike the case of isoproterenol injection. Interestingly, Aβ_1-42-induced attenuation of LTP was also rescued by 100 μM isoproterenol injection into the BLA 20 min before LTP induction, which did not enhance LTP. The present study demonstrates that adrenergic β receptor activation in the BLA, which is linked with intracellular Zn²⁺ signaling, rescues Aβ_1-42-induced attenuation of dentate gyrus LTP. It is likely that adrenergic β receptor activation in the BLA is a strategy for rescuing Aβ_1-42-induced cognitive decline that is associated with hippocampal synaptic plasticity.