scholarly journals L-Norvaline, a New Therapeutic Agent against Alzheimer’s disease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baruh Polis ◽  
Kolluru D Srikanth ◽  
Vyacheslav Gurevich ◽  
Hava Gil-Henn ◽  
Abraham O. Samson
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Biological Pathways ◽  
Arginase Activity ◽  
Insidious Onset ◽  
Polymerase Chain

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an insidious onset. The disease is characterized by cognitive impairment and a distinct pathology with neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.Growing evidence highlights the role of arginase activity in the manifestation of AD. Upregulation of arginase was shown to contribute to endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Regulation of arginase activity appears to be a promising approach for interfering with the pathogenesis of AD and other metabolic disorders. Therefore, the enzyme represents a novel therapeutic target.Here, we administer an arginase inhibitor L-norvaline to a mouse model of AD. Then, we evaluate the neuroprotective effect of L-norvaline using immunohistochemistry, proteomics, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays. Finally, we identify the biological pathways activated by the treatment.Remarkably, we find that L-norvaline treatment reverses the cognitive decline in AD mice. We show the treatment is neuroprotective as indicated by reduced beta-amyloidosis, alleviated microgliosis, and TNFα transcription levels. Moreover, elevated levels of neuroplasticity related protein PSD-95 were detected in the hippocampi of mice treated with L-norvaline. Furthermore, we disclose several biological pathways, which are involved in cell survival and neuroplasticity and are activated by the treatment.Through these modes of action, L-norvaline has the potential to improve the symptoms of AD and even interfere with its pathogenesis. As such, L-norvaline is a promising neuroprotective molecule that might be tailored for the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative disorders.

Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Süß ◽  
Johannes C.M. Schlachetzki
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Transcriptomic Signature

: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disorder. Although proteinaceous aggregates of extracellular Amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated microtubule- associated tau have long been identified as characteristic neuropathological hallmarks of AD, a disease- modifying therapy against these targets has not been successful. An emerging concept is that microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, are major players in AD pathogenesis. Microglia are longlived tissue-resident professional phagocytes that survey and rapidly respond to changes in their microenvironment. Subpopulations of microglia cluster around Aβ plaques and adopt a transcriptomic signature specifically linked to neurodegeneration. A plethora of molecules and pathways associated with microglia function and dysfunction has been identified as important players in mediating neurodegeneration. However, whether microglia exert either beneficial or detrimental effects in AD pathology may depend on the disease stage. : In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the stage-dependent role of microglia in AD, including recent insights from genetic and gene expression profiling studies as well as novel imaging techniques focusing on microglia in human AD pathology and AD mouse models.

The role of monoamines in the development of Alzheimer's disease and neuroprotective effect of a proline rich polypeptide

2018 ◽  
Vol 86 ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Yenkoyan ◽  
Katarine Fereshetyan ◽  
Senik Matinyan ◽  
Vergine Chavushyan ◽  
Michail Aghajanov
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect

scholarly journals Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Resveratrol in Alzheimer’s Disease: Role of SIRT1

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Alexandre Quadros Gomes ◽  
João Paulo Bastos Silva ◽  
Camila Fernanda Rodrigues Romeiro ◽  
Sávio Monteiro dos Santos ◽  
Caroline Azulay Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Hippocampal Damage ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Amyloid A ◽  
Silent Information Regulator 1 ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and neurodegenerative disorder of the cortex and hippocampus, which eventually leads to cognitive impairment. Although the etiology of AD remains unclear, the presence ofβ-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in these learning and memory regions is a hallmark of AD. Therefore, the inhibition of Aβpeptide aggregation has been considered the primary therapeutic strategy for AD treatment. Many studies have shown that resveratrol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties and can decrease the toxicity and aggregation of Aβpeptides in the hippocampus of AD patients, promote neurogenesis, and prevent hippocampal damage. In addition, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol plays an important role in neuronal differentiation through the activation of silent information regulator-1 (SIRT1). SIRT1 plays a vital role in the growth and differentiation of neurons and prevents the apoptotic death of these neurons by deacetylating and repressing p53 activity; however, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Resveratrol also has anti-inflammatory effects as it suppresses M1 microglia activation, which is involved in the initiation of neurodegeneration, and promotes Th2 responses by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines and SIRT1 expression. This review will focus on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotective effects of resveratrol, specifically on its role in SIRT1 and the association with AD pathophysiology.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of taurine in Alzheimer’s disease using functional molecular imaging

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Se Jong Oh ◽  
Hae-June Lee ◽  
Ye Ji Jeong ◽  
Kyung Rok Nam ◽  
Kyung Jun Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Molecular Imaging ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Brain Uptake ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Taurine Treatment

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, but therapeutic treatment options are limited. Taurine has been reported to have neuroprotective properties against dementia, including AD. The present study aimed to investigate the treatment effect of taurine in AD mice by functional molecular imaging. To elucidate glutamate alterations by taurine, taurine was administered to 5xFAD transgenic mice from 2 months of age, known to apear amyloid deposition. Then, we performed glutamate positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies for three groups (wild-type, AD, and taurine-treated AD, n = 5 in each group). As a result, brain uptake in the taurine-treated AD group was 31–40% higher than that in the AD group (cortex: 40%, p < 0.05; striatum: 32%, p < 0.01; hippocampus: 36%, p < 0.01; thalamus: 31%, p > 0.05) and 3–14% lower than that in the WT group (cortex: 10%, p > 0.05; striatum: 15%, p > 0.05; hippocampus: 14%, p > 0.05; thalamus: 3%, p > 0.05). However, we did not observe differences in Aβ pathology between the taurine-treated AD and AD groups in immunohistochemistry experiments. Our results reveal that although taurine treatment did not completely recover the glutamate system, it significantly increased metabolic glutamate receptor type 5 brain uptake. Therefore, taurine has therapeutic potential against AD.

scholarly journals The Neuroprotective Effect of the Association of Aquaporin-4/Glutamate Transporter-1 against Alzheimer’s Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Long Lan ◽  
Shuang Zou ◽  
Jian-Jiao Chen ◽  
Jie Zhao ◽  
Shao Li
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Ion Homeostasis ◽  
Water Channel ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Aquaporin 4 ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Glutamate Transporter 1

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), which is primarily expressed in astrocytes, is the major water channel expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). This protein plays an important role in water and ion homeostasis in the normal brain and in various brain pathological conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that AQP4 deficiency impairs learning and memory and that this may be related to the expression of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1). Moreover, the colocalization of AQP4 and GLT-1 has long been studied in brain tissue; however, far less is known about the potential influence that the AQP4/GLT-1 complex may have on AD. Research on the functional interaction of AQP4 and GLT-1 has been demonstrated to be of great significance in the study of AD. Here, we review the interaction of AQP4 and GLT-1 in astrocytes, which might play a pivotal role in the regulation of distinct cellular responses that involve neuroprotection against AD. The association of AQP4 and GLT-1 could greatly supplement previous research regarding neuroprotection against AD.

scholarly journals Prostacyclin Promotes Degenerative Pathology in a Model of Alzheimer’s disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tasha R. Womack ◽  
Craig Vollert ◽  
Odochi Nwoko ◽  
Monika Schmitt ◽  
Sagi Montazari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Chronic Neuroinflammation ◽  
Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Amyloid Accumulation ◽  
Prostaglandin H ◽  
The Brain

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is the most common cause of dementia in aged populations. A substantial amount of data demonstrates that chronic neuroinflammation can accelerate neurodegenerative pathologies, while epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests that the use of anti-inflammatory agents may be neuroprotective. In AD, chronic neuroinflammation results in the upregulation of cyclooxygenase and increased production of prostaglandin H2, a precursor for many vasoactive prostanoids. While it is well-established that many prostaglandins can modulate the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, the role of prostacyclin (PGI2) in the brain is poorly understood. We have conducted studies to assess the effect of elevated prostacyclin biosynthesis in a mouse model of AD. Upregulated prostacyclin expression significantly worsened multiple measures associated with amyloid disease pathologies. Mice overexpressing both amyloid and PGI2 exhibited impaired learning and memory and increased anxiety-like behavior compared with non-transgenic and PGI2 control mice. PGI2 overexpression accelerated the development of amyloid accumulation in the brain and selectively increased the production of soluble amyloid-β 42. PGI2 damaged the microvasculature through alterations in vascular length and branching; amyloid expression exacerbated these effects. Our findings demonstrate that chronic prostacyclin expression plays a novel and unexpected role that hastens the development of the AD phenotype.

scholarly journals Role of Oxidative Damage in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration: From Pathogenic Mechanisms to Biomarker Discovery

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1353
Author(s):  
Francesca Romana Buccellato ◽  
Marianna D’Anca ◽  
Chiara Fenoglio ◽  
Elio Scarpini ◽  
Daniela Galimberti
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Oxidative Damage ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biomarker Discovery ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Antioxidant Defenses ◽  
Ageing Population

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder accounting for over 50% of all dementia patients and representing a leading cause of death worldwide for the global ageing population. The lack of effective treatments for overt AD urges the discovery of biomarkers for early diagnosis, i.e., in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or prodromal AD. The brain is exposed to oxidative stress as levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are increased, whereas cellular antioxidant defenses are decreased. Increased ROS levels can damage cellular structures or molecules, leading to protein, lipid, DNA, or RNA oxidation. Oxidative damage is involved in the molecular mechanisms which link the accumulation of amyloid-β and neurofibrillary tangles, containing hyperphosphorylated tau, to microglia response. In this scenario, microglia are thought to play a crucial role not only in the early events of AD pathogenesis but also in the progression of the disease. This review will focus on oxidative damage products as possible peripheral biomarkers in AD and in the preclinical phases of the disease. Particular attention will be paid to biological fluids such as blood, CSF, urine, and saliva, and potential future use of molecules contained in such body fluids for early differential diagnosis and monitoring the disease course. We will also review the role of oxidative damage and microglia in the pathogenesis of AD and, more broadly, in neurodegeneration.

The role of ubiquitin proteasomal system and autophagy-lysosome pathway in Alzheimer’s disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Xu Chen ◽  
Yanfang Zhao ◽  
Murugavel Ponnusamy ◽  
Ying Liu
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Protein Degradation ◽  
Molecular Chaperones ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Pathological Process ◽  
Β Amyloid

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia in the elderly population. AD is associated with the buildup of β-amyloid and tau, which aggregate into extracellular plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Although the exact mechanism of pathological process of AD is unclear, the dysfunction of protein degradation mechanisms has been proposed to play an important role in AD. The cellular degradation of abnormal or misfolded proteins consists of three different mechanisms: the ubiquitin proteasomal system (UPS), autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP), and interaction of molecular chaperones with UPS or ALP. Any disturbance to these systems causes proteins to accumulate, resulting in pathological process of AD. In this review, we summarize the knowledge of protein degradation pathways in the pathogenesis of AD in light of the current literature. In the future, the regulation UPS or ALP machineries could be the cornerstones of the treatment of AD.

scholarly journals Ceramides in Alzheimer’s Disease: Key Mediators of Neuronal Apoptosis Induced by Oxidative Stress and AβAccumulation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Jazvinšćak Jembrek ◽  
Patrick R. Hof ◽  
Goran Šimić
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neuronal Apoptosis ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Sphingolipid Metabolism ◽  
Cytochrome C Release ◽  
Biochemical Alterations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by extracellular deposits of amyloidβ-peptides (Aβ) and intracellular deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau (phospho-tau) protein. Ceramides, the major molecules of sphingolipid metabolism and lipid second messengers, have been associated with AD progression and pathology via Aβgeneration. Enhanced levels of ceramides directly increase Aβthrough stabilization ofβ-secretase, the key enzyme in the amyloidogenic processing of Aβprecursor protein (APP). As a positive feedback loop, the generated oligomeric and fibrillar Aβinduces a further increase in ceramide levels by activating sphingomyelinases that catalyze the catabolic breakdown of sphingomyelin to ceramide. Evidence also supports important role of ceramides in neuronal apoptosis. Ceramides may initiate a cascade of biochemical alterations, which ultimately leads to neuronal death by diverse mechanisms, including depolarization and permeabilization of mitochondria, increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytochrome c release, Bcl-2 depletion, and caspase-3 activation, mainly by modulating intracellular signalling, particularly along the pathways related to Akt/PKB kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). This review summarizes recent findings related to the role of ceramides in oxidative stress-driven neuronal apoptosis and interplay with Aβin the cascade of events ending in neuronal degeneration.

scholarly journals Getting to NO Alzheimer’s Disease: Neuroprotection versus Neurotoxicity Mediated by Nitric Oxide

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachelle Balez ◽  
Lezanne Ooi
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Ionic Mechanisms

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving the loss of neurons in the brain which leads to progressive memory loss and behavioral changes. To date, there are only limited medications for AD and no known cure. Nitric oxide (NO) has long been considered part of the neurotoxic insult caused by neuroinflammation in the Alzheimer’s brain. However, focusing on early developments, prior to the appearance of cognitive symptoms, is changing that perception. This has highlighted a compensatory, neuroprotective role for NO that protects synapses by increasing neuronal excitability. A potential mechanism for augmentation of excitability by NO is via modulation of voltage-gated potassium channel activity (Kv7 and Kv2). Identification of the ionic mechanisms and signaling pathways that mediate this protection is an important next step for the field. Harnessing the protective role of NO and related signaling pathways could provide a therapeutic avenue that prevents synapse loss early in disease.

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