Bach1 derepression is neuroprotective in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Mounting evidence suggests that Nrf2 is a promising target for neuroprotective interventions in PD. However, electrophilic chemical properties of the canonical Nrf2-based drugs cause irreversible alkylation of cysteine residues on cellular proteins resulting in side effects. Bach1 is a known transcriptional repressor of the Nrf2 pathway. We report that Bach1 levels are up-regulated in PD postmortem brains and preclinical models. Bach1 knockout (KO) mice were protected against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity and associated oxidative damage and neuroinflammation. Functional genomic analysis demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects in Bach1 KO mice was due to up-regulation of Bach1-targeted pathways that are associated with both Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response element (ARE) and Nrf2-independent non-ARE genes. Using a proprietary translational technology platform, a drug library screen identified a substituted benzimidazole as a Bach1 inhibitor that was validated as a nonelectrophile. Oral administration of the Bach1 inhibitor attenuated MPTP neurotoxicity in pre- and posttreatment paradigms. Bach1 inhibitor–induced neuroprotection was associated with the up-regulation of Bach1-targeted pathways in concurrence with the results from Bach1 KO mice. Our results suggest that genetic deletion as well as pharmacologic inhibition of Bach1 by a nonelectrophilic inhibitor is a promising therapeutic approach for PD.

Download Full-text

Protective Effects and Mechanisms of Procyanidins on Parkinson’s Disease In Vivo and In Vitro

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26185558 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (18) ◽

pp. 5558

Author(s):

Juan Chen ◽

Yixuan Chen ◽

Yangfan Zheng ◽

Jiawen Zhao ◽

Huilin Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Pc12 Cells ◽

Antioxidant Activities ◽

Antioxidant Response ◽

Related Factor ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Neuroprotective Effects

This research assessed the molecular mechanism of procyanidins (PCs) against neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and its metabolite 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) induced Parkinson’s disease (PD) models. In vitro, PC12 cells were incubated with PCs or deprenyl for 24 h, and then exposed to 1.5 mM MPP+ for 24 h. In vivo, zebrafish larvae (AB strain) 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) were incubated with deprenyl or PCs in 400 μM MPTP for 4 days. Compared with MPP+/MPTP alone, PCs significantly improved antioxidant activities (e.g., glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, PCs significantly increased nuclear Nrf2 accumulation in PC12 cells and raised the expression of NQO1, HO-1, GCLM, and GCLC in both PC12 cells and zebrafish compared to MPP+/MPTP alone. The current study shows that PCs have neuroprotective effects, activate the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway and alleviate oxidative damage in MPP+/MPTP-induced PD models.

Download Full-text

Neuroprotective mechanisms of red clover and soy isoflavones in Parkinson’s disease models

10.1101/2020.12.01.391268 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Aurélie de Rus Jacquet ◽

Abeje Ambaw ◽

Mitali Arun Tambe ◽

Sin Ying Ma ◽

Michael Timmers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Trifolium Pratense ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Red Clover ◽

Antioxidant Response ◽

Motor Dysfunction ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Dietary Polyphenols

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by nigrostriatal degeneration and the spreading of aggregated forms of the presynaptic protein α-synuclein (aSyn) throughout the brain. PD patients are currently only treated with symptomatic therapies, and strategies to slow or stop the progressive neurodegeneration underlying the disease’s motor and cognitive symptoms are greatly needed. The time between the first neurobiochemical alterations and the initial presentation of symptoms is thought to span several years, and early neuroprotective dietary interventions could delay the disease onset or slow PD progression. This study aimed at characterizing the neuroprotective effects of isoflavones, a class of dietary polyphenols found in soy products and in the medicinal plant red clover (Trifolium pratense). We found that isoflavone-rich extracts and individual isoflavones rescued the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the shortening of neurites in primary mesencephalic cultures exposed to two PD-related insults, the environmental toxin rotenone and an adenovirus encoding the A53T aSyn mutant. The extracts and individual isoflavones also activated the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response in astrocytes via a mechanism involving inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and they alleviated deficits in mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, an isoflavone-enriched soy extract reduced motor dysfunction exhibited by rats lesioned with the PD-related neurotoxin 6-OHDA. These findings suggest that plant-derived isoflavones could serve as dietary supplements to delay PD onset in at-risk individuals and mitigate neurodegeneration in the brains of patients.

Download Full-text

Nanoemulsion Improves the Neuroprotective Effects of Curcumin in an Experimental Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Neurotoxicity Research ◽

10.1007/s12640-021-00362-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Osmar Vieira Ramires Júnior ◽

Barbara da Silva Alves ◽

Paula Alice Bezerra Barros ◽

Jamile Lima Rodrigues ◽

Shana Pires Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Experimental Model ◽

Neuroprotective Effects

Download Full-text

Effectiveness and mechanisms of adipose-derived stem cell therapy in animal models of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Translational Neurodegeneration ◽

10.1186/s40035-021-00238-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Keya Li ◽

Xinyue Li ◽

Guiying Shi ◽

Xuepei Lei ◽

Yiying Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Animal Models ◽

Therapeutic Option ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Future Application ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Standard Mean Difference ◽

Study Characteristics

AbstractAnimal models provide an opportunity to assess the optimal treatment way and the underlying mechanisms of direct clinical application of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Previous studies have evaluated the effects of primitive and induced ADSCs in animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, eight databases were systematically searched for studies on the effects and in vivo changes caused by ADSC intervention. Quality assessment was conducted using a 10-item risk of bias tool. For the subsequent meta-analysis, study characteristics were extracted and effect sizes were computed. Ten out of 2324 published articles (n = 169 animals) were selected for further meta-analysis. After ADSC therapy, the rotation behavior (10 experiments, n = 156 animals) and rotarod performance (3 experiments, n = 54 animals) were improved (P < 0.000 01 and P = 0.000 3, respectively). The rotation behavior test reflected functional recovery, which may be due to the neurogenesis from neuronally differentiated ADSCs, resulting in a higher pooled effect size of standard mean difference (SMD) (− 2.59; 95% CI, − 3.57 to − 1.61) when compared to that of primitive cells (− 2.18; 95% CI, − 3.29 to − 1.07). Stratified analyses by different time intervals indicated that ADSC intervention exhibited a long-term effect. Following the transplantation of ADSCs, tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons recovered in the lesion area with pooled SMD of 13.36 [6.85, 19.86]. Transplantation of ADSCs is a therapeutic option that shows long-lasting effects in animal models of PD. The potential mechanisms of ADSCs involve neurogenesis and neuroprotective effects. The standardized induction of neural form of transplanted ADSCs can lead to a future application in clinical practice.

Download Full-text

Neuroprotective Effects of a GLP-2 Analogue in the MPTP Parkinson’s Disease Mouse Model

Journal of Parkinson s Disease ◽

10.3233/jpd-202318 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Zijuan Zhang ◽

Li Hao ◽

Ming Shi ◽

Ziyang Yu ◽

Simai Shao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Substantia Nigra ◽

Mouse Model ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Expression Levels ◽

Dual Agonist

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is a peptide hormone derived from the proglucagon gene expressed in the intestines, pancreas and brain. Some previous studies showed that GLP-2 improved aging and Alzheimer’s disease related memory impairments. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and to date, there is no particular medicine reversed PD symptoms effectively. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate neuroprotective effects of a GLP-2 analogue in the 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) PD mouse model. Methods: In the present study, the protease resistant Gly(2)-GLP-2 (50 nmol/kg ip.) analogue has been tested for 14 days by behavioral assessment, transmission electron microscope, immunofluorescence histochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot in an acute PD mouse model induced by MPTP. For comparison, the incretin receptor dual agonist DA5-CH was tested in a separate group. Results: The GLP-2 analogue treatment improved the locomotor and exploratory activity of mice, and improved bradykinesia and movement imbalance of mice. Gly(2)-GLP-2 treatment also protected dopaminergic neurons and restored tyrosine hydroxylase expression levels in the substantia nigra. Gly(2)-GLP-2 furthermore reduced the inflammation response as seen in lower microglia activation, and decreased NLRP3 and interleukin-1β pro-inflammatory cytokine expression levels. In addition, the GLP-2 analogue improved MPTP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in the substantia nigra. The protective effects were comparable to those of the dual agonist DA5-CH. Conclusion: The present results demonstrate that Gly(2)-GLP-2 can attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation and mitochondrial damage in the substantia nigra induced by MPTP, and Gly(2)-GLP-2 shows neuroprotective effects in this PD animal model.

Download Full-text

Recent Insights into the Interplay of Alpha-Synuclein and Sphingolipid Signaling in Parkinson’s Disease

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22126277 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (12) ◽

pp. 6277

Author(s):

Joanna A. Motyl ◽

Joanna B. Strosznajder ◽

Agnieszka Wencel ◽

Robert P. Strosznajder

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Cell Fate ◽

Neuronal Death ◽

Neurological Diseases ◽

Alpha Synuclein ◽

Lipid Mediator ◽

Cell Defense ◽

Promising Therapeutic Approach ◽

S1p Receptor

Molecular studies have provided increasing evidence that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a protein conformational disease, where the spread of alpha-synuclein (ASN) pathology along the neuraxis correlates with clinical disease outcome. Pathogenic forms of ASN evoke oxidative stress (OS), neuroinflammation, and protein alterations in neighboring cells, thereby intensifying ASN toxicity, neurodegeneration, and neuronal death. A number of evidence suggest that homeostasis between bioactive sphingolipids with opposing function—e.g., sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide—is essential in pro-survival signaling and cell defense against OS. In contrast, imbalance of the “sphingolipid biostat” favoring pro-oxidative/pro-apoptotic ceramide-mediated changes have been indicated in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, we focused on the role of sphingolipid alterations in ASN burden, as well as in a vast range of its neurotoxic effects. Sphingolipid homeostasis is principally directed by sphingosine kinases (SphKs), which synthesize S1P—a potent lipid mediator regulating cell fate and inflammatory response—making SphK/S1P signaling an essential pharmacological target. A growing number of studies have shown that S1P receptor modulators, and agonists are promising protectants in several neurological diseases. This review demonstrates the relationship between ASN toxicity and alteration of SphK-dependent S1P signaling in OS, neuroinflammation, and neuronal death. Moreover, we discuss the S1P receptor-mediated pathways as a novel promising therapeutic approach in PD.

Download Full-text