scholarly journals GDNF receptor agonist supports dopamine neurons in vitro and protects their function in animal model of Parkinson’s

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Mahato ◽  
Juho-Matti Renko ◽  
Jaakko Kopra ◽  
Tanel Visnapuu ◽  
Ilari Korhonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Properties ◽  
Nigrostriatal Dopamine ◽  
6 Hydroxydopamine ◽  
Nigrostriatal Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Excellent Tool

AbstractMotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are caused by degeneration and progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons. Currently no cure for this disease is available. Existing drugs alleviate PD symptoms, but fail to halt neurodegeneration. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is able to protect and repair dopamine neurons in vitro and in animal models of PD, but its clinical use is complicated by pharmacokinetic properties. In the present study we demonstrate the ability of a small molecule agonist of GDNF receptor RET to support the survival of cultured dopamine neurons only when they express GDNF receptors. In addition, BT13 activates intracellular signaling cascades in vivo, stimulates release of dopamine and protect the function of dopaminergic neurons in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of PD. In contrast to GDNF, BT13 is able to penetrate through the blood-brain-barrier. Thus, BT13 serves as an excellent tool compound for the development of novel disease-modifying treatments against PD.

scholarly journals Neuroprotective Potential of a Small Molecule RET Agonist in Cultured Dopamine Neurons and Hemiparkinsonian Rats

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Juho-Matti Renko ◽  
Arun Kumar Mahato ◽  
Tanel Visnapuu ◽  
Konsta Valkonen ◽  
Mati Karelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Dopamine Depletion ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Immortalized Cells ◽  
Midbrain Dopamine ◽  
6 Hydroxydopamine

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder where loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra and dopamine depletion in the striatum cause characteristic motor symptoms. Currently, no treatment is able to halt the progression of PD. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) rescues degenerating dopamine neurons both in vitro and in animal models of PD. When tested in PD patients, however, the outcomes from intracranial GDNF infusion paradigms have been inconclusive, mainly due to poor pharmacokinetic properties. Objective: We have developed drug-like small molecules, named BT compounds that activate signaling through GDNF’s receptor, the transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase RET, both in vitro and in vivo and are able to penetrate through the blood-brain barrier. Here we evaluated the properties of BT44, a second generation RET agonist, in immortalized cells, dopamine neurons and rat 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD. Methods: We used biochemical, immunohistochemical and behavioral methods to evaluate the effects of BT44 on dopamine system in vitro and in vivo. Results: BT44 selectively activated RET and intracellular pro-survival AKT and MAPK signaling pathways in immortalized cells. In primary midbrain dopamine neurons cultured in serum-deprived conditions, BT44 promoted the survival of the neurons derived from wild-type, but not from RET knockout mice. BT44 also protected cultured wild-type dopamine neurons from MPP +-induced toxicity. In a rat 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD, BT44 reduced motor imbalance and could have protected dopaminergic fibers in the striatum. Conclusion: BT44 holds potential for further development into a novel, possibly disease-modifying therapy for PD.

scholarly journals Prospects for use of peptides and their derivatives, structurally corresponding to the G protein-coupled receptors, in medicine

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.O. Shpakov ◽  
E.A. Shpakova
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
G Protein Coupled

The regulation of signaling pathways involved in the control of many physiological functions is carried out via the heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). The search of effective and selective regulators of GPCR and intracellular signaling cascades coupled with them is one of the important problems of modern fundamental and clinical medicine. Recently data suggest that synthetic peptides and their derivatives, structurally corresponding to the intracellular and transmembrane regions of GPCR, can interact with high efficiency and selectivity with homologous receptors and influence, thus, the functional activity of intracellular signaling cascades and fundamental cellular processes controlled by them. GPCR-peptides are active in both in vitro and in vivo. They regulate hematopoiesis, angiogenesis and cell proliferation, inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, and prevent the inflammatory diseases and septic shock. These data show greatest prospects in the development of the new generations of drugs based on GPCR-derived peptides, capable of regulating the important functions of the organism.

scholarly journals Functional Crosstalk between CB and TRPV1 Receptors Protects Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons in the MPTP Model of Parkinson’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Rayul Wi ◽  
Young Cheul Chung ◽  
Byung Kwan Jin ◽  
Lihua Duan
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Glial Activation ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Nigrostriatal Dopamine ◽  
Nigrostriatal Dopamine Neurons

The present study examined whether crosstalk between cannabinoid (CB) and transient potential receptor vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) could contribute to the survival of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). MPTP induced a significant loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons and glial activation in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum (STR) as visualized by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or macrophage antigen complex-1 (MAC-1) or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry, respectively. RT-PCR analysis shows the upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α in microglia in the SN in vivo, indicating the activation of the inflammatory system. By contrast, treatment with capsaicin (a specific TRPV1 agonist) increased the survival of dopamine neurons in the SN and their fibers and dopamine levels in the STR in MPTP mice. Capsaicin neuroprotection is accompanied by inhibiting MPTP-induced glial activation and production of inflammatory cytokines. Treatment with AM251 and AM630 (CB1/2 antagonists) abolished capsaicin-induced beneficial effects, indicating the existence of a functional crosstalk between CB and TRPV1. Moreover, treatment with anandamide (an endogenous agonist for both CB and TRVP1) rescued nigrostriatal dopamine neurons and reduced gliosis-derived neuroinflammatory responses in MPTP mice. These results suggest that the cannabinoid and vanilloid system may be beneficial for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD, that are associated with neuroinflammation.

scholarly journals TAK1 kinase switches cell fate from apoptosis to necrosis following TNF stimulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sho Morioka ◽  
Peter Broglie ◽  
Emily Omori ◽  
Yuka Ikeda ◽  
Giichi Takaesu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Signaling Cascades ◽  
Caspase 8 ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Cellular Context ◽  
Biological Event ◽  
Apoptosis And Necrosis

TNF activates three distinct intracellular signaling cascades leading to cell survival, caspase-8–mediated apoptosis, or receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)–dependent necrosis, also called necroptosis. Depending on the cellular context, one of these pathways is activated upon TNF challenge. When caspase-8 is activated, it drives the apoptosis cascade and blocks RIPK3-dependent necrosis. Here we report the biological event switching to activate necrosis over apoptosis. TAK1 kinase is normally transiently activated upon TNF stimulation. We found that prolonged and hyperactivation of TAK1 induced phosphorylation and activation of RIPK3, leading to necrosis without caspase activation. In addition, we also demonstrated that activation of RIPK1 and RIPK3 promoted TAK1 activation, suggesting a positive feedforward loop of RIPK1, RIPK3, and TAK1. Conversely, ablation of TAK1 caused caspase-dependent apoptosis, in which Ripk3 deletion did not block cell death either in vivo or in vitro. Our results reveal that TAK1 activation drives RIPK3-dependent necrosis and inhibits apoptosis. TAK1 acts as a switch between apoptosis and necrosis.

scholarly journals Norfluoxetine Prevents Degeneration of Dopamine Neurons by Inhibiting Microglia-Derived Oxidative Stress in an MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Kyung In Kim ◽  
Young Cheul Chung ◽  
Byung Kwan Jin
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Microglial Activation ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Activated Microglia ◽  
Nigrostriatal Dopamine Neurons

Neuroinflammation is the neuropathological feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and causes microglial activation and activated microglia-derived oxidative stress in the PD patients and PD animal models, resulting in neurodegeneration. The present study examined whether norfluoxetine (a metabolite of fluoxetine) could regulate neuroinflammation in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropypridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD and rescue dopamine neurons. Analysis by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry demonstrated that norfluoxetine prevents degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in vivo in MPTP-lesioned mice compared to vehicle-treated MPTP-lesioned control mice. MAC-1 immunostaining and hydroethidine histochemical staining showed that norfluoxetine neuroprotection is accompanied by inhibiting MPTP-induced microglial activation and activated microglia-derived reactive oxygen species production in vivo, respectively. In the separate experiments, treatment with norfluoxetine inhibited NADPH oxidase activation and nitrate production in LPS-treated cortical microglial cultures in vitro. Collectively, these in vivo and in vitro results suggest that norfluoxetine could be employed as a novel therapeutic agent for treating PD, which is associated with neuroinflammation and microglia-derived oxidative stress.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document