scholarly journals Radiochemical examination of transthyretin (TTR) brain penetration assisted by iododiflunisal, a TTR tetramer stabilizer and a new candidate drug for AD

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xabier Rios ◽  
Vanessa Gómez-Vallejo ◽  
Abraham Martín ◽  
Unai Cossío ◽  
Miguel Ángel Morcillo ◽  
...  

Abstract It is well settled that the amyloidogenic properties of the plasma protein transporter transthyretin (TTR) can be modulated by compounds that stabilize its native tetrameric conformation. TTR is also present in cerebrospinal fluid where it can bind to Aβ-peptides and prevent Aβ aggregation. We have previously shown that treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) model mice with iododiflunisal (IDIF), a TTR tetramer stabilizing compound, prevents AD pathologies. This evidence positioned IDIF as a new lead drug for AD. In dissecting the mechanism of action of IDIF, we disclose here different labeling strategies for the preparation of 131I-labeled IDIF and 131I- and 124I-labeled TTR, which have been further used for the preparation of IDIF-TTR complexes labeled either on the compound or the protein. The biodistribution of all labeled species after intravenous administration has been investigated in mice using ex vivo and in vivo techniques. Our results confirm the capacity of TTR to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and suggest that the formation of TTR-IDIF complexes enhances BBB permeability of both IDIF and TTR. The increased TTR and IDIF brain concentrations may result in higher Aβ-peptide sequestration capacity with the subsequent inhibition of AD symptoms as we have previously observed in mice.

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 543-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Augutis ◽  
Markus Axelsson ◽  
Erik Portelius ◽  
Gunnar Brinkmalm ◽  
Ulf Andreasson ◽  
...  

Background: Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are intensely studied in neuroscience and their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements may be used to track the metabolic pathways of APP in vivo. Reduced CSF levels of Aβ and soluble APP (sAPP) fragments are reported in inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS); but in MS, the precise pathway of APP metabolism and whether it can be affected by disease-modifying treatments remains unclear. Objective: To characterize the CSF biomarkers of APP degradation in MS, including the effects of disease-modifying therapy. Methods: CSF samples from 87 MS patients (54 relapsing–remitting (RR) MS; 33 secondary progressive (SP) MS and 28 controls were analyzed for sAPP and Aβ peptides by immunoassays, plus a subset of samples was analyzed by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP-MS). Patients treated with natalizumab or mitoxantrone were examined at baseline, and after 1–2 years of treatment. Results: CSF sAPP and Aβ peptide levels were reduced in MS patients; but they increased again towards normal, after natalizumab treatment. A multivariate model of IP-MS-measured Aβ species separated the SPMS patients from controls, with RRMS patients having intermediate levels. Conclusions: We confirmed and extended our previous observations of altered CSF sAPP and Aβ peptide levels in MS patients. We found that natalizumab therapy may be able to counteract the altered APP metabolism in MS. The CSF Aβ isoform distribution was found to be distinct in SPMS patients, as compared to the controls.


Author(s):  
Naresh Damuka ◽  
Miranda Orr ◽  
Paul W. Czoty ◽  
Jeffrey L. Weiner ◽  
Thomas J. Martin ◽  
...  

AbstractMicrotubules (MTs) are structural units in the cytoskeleton. In brain cells they are responsible for axonal transport, information processing, and signaling mechanisms. Proper function of these processes is critical for healthy brain functions. Alcohol and substance use disorders (AUD/SUDs) affects the function and organization of MTs in the brain, making them a potential neuroimaging marker to study the resulting impairment of overall neurobehavioral and cognitive processes. Our lab reported the first brain-penetrant MT-tracking Positron Emission Tomography (PET) ligand [11C]MPC-6827 and demonstrated its in vivo utility in rodents and non-human primates. To further explore the in vivo imaging potential of [11C]MPC-6827, we need to investigate its mechanism of action. Here, we report preliminary in vitro binding results in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells exposed to ethanol (EtOH) or cocaine in combination with multiple agents that alter MT stability. EtOH and cocaine treatments increased MT stability and decreased free tubulin monomers. Our initial cell-binding assay demonstrated that [11C]MPC-6827 may have high affinity to free/unbound tubulin units. Consistent with this mechanism of action, we observed lower [11C]MPC-6827 uptake in SH-SY5Y cells after EtOH and cocaine treatments (e.g., fewer free tubulin units). We are currently performing in vivo PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies in rodent and nonhuman primate models of AUD and SUDs and Alzheimer's disease.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1833
Author(s):  
Shannon Morgan McCabe ◽  
Ningning Zhao

Manganese (Mn) is a trace nutrient necessary for life but becomes neurotoxic at high concentrations in the brain. The brain is a “privileged” organ that is separated from systemic blood circulation mainly by two barriers. Endothelial cells within the brain form tight junctions and act as the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which physically separates circulating blood from the brain parenchyma. Between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the choroid plexus (CP), which is a tissue that acts as the blood–CSF barrier (BCB). Pharmaceuticals, proteins, and metals in the systemic circulation are unable to reach the brain and spinal cord unless transported through either of the two brain barriers. The BBB and the BCB consist of tightly connected cells that fulfill the critical role of neuroprotection and control the exchange of materials between the brain environment and blood circulation. Many recent publications provide insights into Mn transport in vivo or in cell models. In this review, we will focus on the current research regarding Mn metabolism in the brain and discuss the potential roles of the BBB and BCB in maintaining brain Mn homeostasis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 171 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew W Trexler ◽  
Gabriel A Knudsen ◽  
Sascha C T Nicklisch ◽  
Linda S Birnbaum ◽  
Ronald E Cannon

Abstract 2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP, CAS No. 118-79-6) is a brominated chemical used in the production of flame-retardant epoxy resins and as a wood preservative. In marine environments, TBP is incorporated into shellfish and consumed by predatory fish. Food processing and water treatment facilities produce TBP as a byproduct. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol has been detected in human blood and breast milk. Biologically, TBP interferes with estrogen and thyroid hormone signaling, which regulate important transporters of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a selectively permeable barrier characterized by brain microvessels which are composed of endothelial cells mortared by tight-junction proteins. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters on the luminal membrane facilitate the removal of unwanted endobiotics and xenobiotics from the brain. In this study, we examined the in vivo and ex vivo effects of TBP on two important transporters of the BBB: P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) and Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein 2 (MRP2, ABCC2), using male and female rats and mice. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol exposure ex vivo resulted in a time- (1–3 h) and dose- (1–100 nM) dependent decrease in P-gp transport activity. MRP2 transport activity was unchanged under identical conditions. Immunofluorescence and western blotting measured decreases in P-gp expression after TBP treatment. ATPase assays indicate that TBP is not a substrate and does not directly interact with P-gp. In vivo dosing with TBP (0.4 µmol/kg) produced decreases in P-gp transport. Co-treatment with selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors prevented the TBP-mediated decreases in P-gp transport activity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidmantas Petraitis ◽  
Ruta Petraitiene ◽  
Jessica M. Valdez ◽  
Vasilios Pyrgos ◽  
Martin J. Lizak ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Hematogenous Candida meningoencephalitis (HCME) is a life-threatening complication of neonates and immunocompromised children. Amphotericin B (AmB) shows poor permeation and low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations but is effective in the treatment of HCME. In order to better understand the mechanism of CNS penetration of AmB, we hypothesized that AmB may achieve focally higher concentrations in infected CNS lesions. An in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model was serially infected with Candida albicans. Liposomal AmB (LAMB) or deoxycholate AmB (DAMB) at 5 μg/ml was then provided, and the vascular and CNS compartments were sampled 4 h later. For in vivo correlation, rabbits with experimental HCME received a single dose of DAMB at 1 mg/kg of body weight or LAMB at 5 mg/kg and were euthanized after 1, 3, 6, and 24 h. Evans blue dye solution (2%, 2 ml/kg) administered intravenously (i.v.) at 1 h prior to euthanasia stained infected regions of tissue but not histologically normal areas. AmB concentrations in stained and unstained tissue regions were measured using ultraperformance liquid chromatography. For selected rabbits, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans performed on days 1 to 7 postinoculation were acquired before and after i.v. bolus administration of gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) at 15-min intervals through 2 h postinjection. The greatest degree of penetration of DAMB and LAMB through the in vitro BBB occurred after 24 h of exposure (P = 0.0022). In vivo the concentrations of LAMB and DAMB in brain abscesses were 4.35 ± 0.59 and 3.14 ± 0.89 times higher, respectively, than those in normal tissue (P ≤ 0.019). MRI scans demonstrated that Gd-DTPA accumulated in infected areas with a disrupted BBB. Localized BBB disruption in HCME allows high concentrations of AmB within infected tissues, despite the presence of low cerebrospinal fluid concentrations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi96-vi96
Author(s):  
Benjamin Umlauf ◽  
Paul Clark ◽  
Jason Lajoie ◽  
Julia Georgieva ◽  
Samantha Bremner ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION The median survival of glioblastoma (GBM) patients remains less than two years even with state-of-the-art treatment. Current targeted GBM therapies demonstrate initial therapeutic benefit; however, patients relapse due to therapeutic selection of treatment resistant GBM cellular populations. Therefore, we propose targeting pathologic disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) via exposure of neural ECM, rather than disease markers, to overcome therapy-resistant GBM. METHODS We identify Variable Lymphocyte Receptors (VLRs, the antigen recognition system used by lamprey) that demonstrate high specificity for neural ECM. Candidate VLRs underwent further refinement using in vitro binding assays and ex vivo tissue staining. Utilizing pathologic disruption of BBB as an approach for targeting GBM was confirmed in vivo using intracranial murine glioblastoma models. RESULTS The lead neural ECM-binding VLR candidate, named P1C10, demonstrates diffuse binding to parenchymal neural ECM, without detectable binding to other tissues. P1C10 demonstrates nanomolar affinity for in vitro derived neural ECM, and preferentially accumulates at intracranial GL261 and U87 lesions in murine GBM models. Finally, administration of P1C10-targeted doxorubicin-loaded liposomes significantly extends the survival of mice bearing intracranial U87 GBM. CONCLUSIONS We identified VLRs that bind neural ECM, and demonstrate their utility for delivering compounds and nanoparticles to sites of GBM induced blood brain barrier disruption. This novel strategy allows for targeting therapeutics via the underlying physiology of GBM rather than relying on cellular disease markers that are often lost in patients that relapse after targeting therapies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Fischer ◽  
Mohammed Ullah ◽  
Cecile C de la Cruz ◽  
Thomas Hunsaker ◽  
Claudia Senn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Studies evaluating the CNS penetration of a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor, entrectinib, proved challenging, particularly due to discrepancies across earlier experiments regarding P-glycoprotein (P-gp) interaction and brain distribution. To address this question, we used a novel “apical efflux ratio” (AP-ER) model to assess P-gp interaction with entrectinib, crizotinib, and larotrectinib, and compared their brain-penetration properties. Methods AP-ER was designed to calculate P-gp interaction with the 3 drugs in vitro using P-gp–overexpressing cells. Brain penetration was studied in rat plasma, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples after intravenous drug infusion. Unbound brain concentrations were estimated through kinetic lipid membrane binding assays and ex vivo experiments, while the antitumor activity of entrectinib was evaluated in a clinically relevant setting using an intracranial tumor mouse model. Results Entrectinib showed lower AP-ER (1.1–1.15) than crizotinib and larotrectinib (≥2.8). Despite not reaching steady-state brain exposures in rats after 6 hours, entrectinib presented a more favorable CSF-to-unbound concentration in plasma (CSF/Cu,p) ratio (>0.2) than crizotinib and larotrectinib at steady state (both: CSF/Cu,p ~0.03). In vivo experiments validated the AP-ER approach. Entrectinib treatment resulted in strong tumor inhibition and full survival benefit in the intracranial tumor model at clinically relevant systemic exposures. Conclusions Entrectinib, unlike crizotinib and larotrectinib, is a weak P-gp substrate that can sustain CNS exposure based on our novel in vitro and in vivo experiments. This is consistent with the observed preclinical and clinical efficacy of entrectinib in neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) and ROS1 fusion-positive CNS tumors and secondary CNS metastases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Bothwell ◽  
Daniel Omileke ◽  
Rebecca J. Hood ◽  
Debbie-Gai Pepperall ◽  
Sara Azarpeykan ◽  
...  

Oedema-independent intracranial pressure (ICP) rise peaks 20–22-h post-stroke in rats and may explain early neurological deterioration. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume changes may be involved. Cranial CSF clearance primarily occurs via the cervical lymphatics and movement into the spinal portion of the cranio-spinal compartment. We explored whether impaired CSF clearance at these sites could explain ICP rise after stroke. We recorded ICP at baseline and 18-h post-stroke, when we expect changes contributing to peak ICP to be present. CSF clearance was assessed in rats receiving photothrombotic stroke or sham surgery by intraventricular tracer infusion. Tracer concentration was quantified in the deep cervical lymph nodes ex vivo and tracer transit to the spinal subarachnoid space was imaged in vivo. ICP rose significantly from baseline to 18-h post-stroke in stroke vs. sham rats [median = 5 mmHg, interquartile range (IQR) = 0.1–9.43, n = 12, vs. −0.3 mmHg, IQR = −1.9–1.7, n = 10], p = 0.03. There was a bimodal distribution of rats with and without ICP rise. Tracer in the deep cervical lymph nodes was significantly lower in stroke with ICP rise (0 μg/mL, IQR = 0–0.11) and without ICP rise (0 μg/mL, IQR = 0–4.47) compared with sham rats (4.17 μg/mL, IQR = 0.74–8.51), p = 0.02. ICP rise was inversely correlated with faster CSF transit to the spinal subarachnoid space (R = −0.59, p = 0.006, Spearman’s correlation). These data suggest that reduced cranial clearance of CSF via cervical lymphatics may contribute to post-stroke ICP rise, partially compensated via increased spinal CSF outflow.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiran Huang ◽  
Hanah Na ◽  
Liang Sun ◽  
Karna Terpstra ◽  
Kai Gui ◽  
...  

The aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides is a significant hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and the inhibition and detection of Aβ aggregates are important for the treatment and diagnosis of AD. Herein, a series of benzothiazole-based luminescent Ir(III) complexes <b>HN-1</b> to <b>HN-8</b> were reported, which exhibit appreciable Aβ aggregation inhibition ability <i>in vitro</i> and in living cells. In addition, they are capable of inducing a fluorescence turn-on effect when binding to Aβ fibrils and oligomers. Most importantly, compared to previously reported cationic metal complexes, the neutral Ir complexes reported here show optimal Log D values, which suggest these compounds should have enhanced blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Most importantly, <i>in vivo</i> studies show that the neutral Ir complexes <b>HN-2</b>, <b>HN-3</b>, and <b>HN-8</b> successfully penetrate the BBB and stain amyloid plaques in AD mice brains after a 10-day treatment via i.p. injection, which is unprecedented for Ir(III) complexes, and thus can be used as lead compounds for AD therapeutics development.


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