scholarly journals Reactive astrogliosis: A friend or foe in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Igor C. Fontana ◽  
Agneta Nordberg
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Xiaoyuan Liu ◽  
Shuqing Ma ◽  
Dichen Yang ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), activation of astrocyte participates in the development of neurodegenerative diseases through neuroinflammation and disturbs glia-neuron interaction. Cancerous Inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) is an endogenous PP2A inhibitor. CIP2A upregulation specifically in astrocytes causes reactive astrogliosis, synaptic degeneration and cognitive deficits. However, the underlying mechanism of CIP2A upregulation remains unclear. Methods: In 3xTg-AD mice, we determined ChK1 was activated and related to DNA damage upregulating CIP2A by WB. We transfected EGFP-ChK1 plasmid into HEK293-T cell to determine ChK1 induces CIP2A upregulation and PP2A inhibition. We incubated Aβ and infected GFAP-ChK1-LV into primary astrocytes to confirm the signaling pathway in astrocytes and astrogliosis in AD. GFAP-ChK1-AAV was injected into C57/BL6 mice to induce specific expression of target protein in astrocytes. ChK1 inhibitor (SB) was performed to reverse the ChK1 activity. Outcomes were assessed using molecular (immunofluorescent staining, Western Blot and Golgi staining) measures to estimate symptomatic pathology and behavioral (NORT, OLT, MWM and FCT) measures to assess cognitive function. For most experiments, subjects were randomly assigned to experimental groups, and data were collected under blinded experimental conditions.Results: We demonstrated that DNA damage related Checkpoint kinase 1 (ChK1) was activated in 3xTg-AD mice. ChK1-mediated CIP2A overexpression drove inhibition of PP2A and activated STAT3, then led to reactive astrogliosis and neurodegeneration in vitro. Infection of mouse brain with GFAP-ChK1-AAV induced AD-like cognitive deficits and exacerbated AD pathologies in vivo. In conclusion, we showed that ChK1 activation induced reactive astrogliosis, degeneration of neurons and deterioration of AD through CIP2A-PP2A-STAT3 pathway, and inhibiting ChK1 might be a potential therapeutic approach for AD treatment.Conclusions: These results suggest that ChK1 is upregulated in 3xTg-AD mice, ChK1-mediated CIP2A overexpression drives inhibition of PP2A and activates STAT3, then leads to reactive astrogliosis, neurodegeneration and AD-like cognitive deficits in vitro and in vivo.


Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Niina A. Koistinen ◽  
Mona-Lisa Malarte ◽  
Inger Nennesmo ◽  
Martin Ingelsson ◽  
...  

AbstractWith reactive astrogliosis being established as one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is high interest in developing novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracers to detect early astrocyte reactivity. BU99008, a novel astrocytic PET ligand targeting imidazoline-2 binding sites (I2BS) on astrocytes, might be a suitable candidate. Here we demonstrate for the first time that BU99008 could visualise reactive astrogliosis in postmortem AD brains and propose a multiple binding site [Super-high-affinity (SH), High-affinity (HA) and Low-affinity (LA)] model for BU99008, I2BS specific ligands (2-BFI and BU224) and deprenyl in AD and control (CN) brains. The proportion (%) and affinities of these sites varied significantly between the BU99008, 2-BFI, BU224 and deprenyl in AD and CN brains. Regional binding studies demonstrated significantly higher 3H-BU99008 binding in AD brain regions compared to CN. Comparative autoradiography studies reinforced these findings, showing higher specific binding for 3H-BU99008 than 3H-Deprenyl in sporadic AD brain compared to CN, implying that they might have different targets. The data clearly shows that BU99008 could detect I2BS expressing reactive astrocytes with good selectivity and specificity and hence be a potential attractive clinical astrocytic PET tracer for gaining further insight into the role of reactive astrogliosis in AD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 872-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priti Jain ◽  
Pankaj Wadhwa ◽  
Hemant Jadhav

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli ◽  
Roberta Facchinetti ◽  
Luca Steardo ◽  
Adele Romano ◽  
Claudia Stecca ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder responsible for the majority of dementia cases in elderly people. It is widely accepted that the main hallmarks of AD are not only senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles but also reactive astrogliosis, which often precedes detrimental deposits and neuronal atrophy. Such phenomenon facilitates the regeneration of neural networks; however, under some circumstances, like in AD, reactive astrogliosis is detrimental, depriving neurons of the homeostatic support, thus contributing to neuronal loss. We investigated the presence of reactive astrogliosis in 3×Tg-AD mice and the effects of palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a well-documented anti-inflammatory molecule, by in vitro and in vivo studies. In vitro results revealed a basal reactive state in primary cortical 3×Tg-AD-derived astrocytes and the ability of PEA to counteract such phenomenon and improve viability of 3×Tg-AD-derived neurons. In vivo observations, performed using ultramicronized- (um-) PEA, a formulation endowed with best bioavailability, confirmed the efficacy of this compound. Moreover, the schedule of treatment, mimicking the clinic use (chronic daily administration), revealed its beneficial pharmacological properties in dampening reactive astrogliosis and promoting the glial neurosupportive function. Collectively, our results encourage further investigation on PEA effects, suggesting it as an alternative or adjunct treatment approach for innovative AD therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Kelley ◽  
Larry L. Jacoby

Abstract Cognitive control constrains retrieval processing and so restricts what comes to mind as input to the attribution system. We review evidence that older adults, patients with Alzheimer's disease, and people with traumatic brain injury exert less cognitive control during retrieval, and so are susceptible to memory misattributions in the form of dramatic levels of false remembering.


Author(s):  
J. Metuzals ◽  
D. F. Clapin ◽  
V. Montpetit

Information on the conformation of paired helical filaments (PHF) and the neurofilamentous (NF) network is essential for an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the primary lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tangles and plaques. The structural and chemical relationships between the NF and the PHF have to be clarified in order to discover the etiological factors of this disease. We are investigating by stereo electron microscopic and biochemical techniques frontal lobe biopsies from patients with AD and squid giant axon preparations. The helical nature of the lesion in AD is related to pathological alterations of basic properties of the nervous system due to the helical symmetry that exists at all hierarchic structural levels in the normal brain. Because of this helical symmetry of NF protein assemblies and PHF, the employment of structure reconstruction techniques to determine the conformation, particularly the handedness of these structures, is most promising. Figs. 1-3 are frontal lobe biopsies.


Author(s):  
Mark Ellisman ◽  
Maryann Martone ◽  
Gabriel Soto ◽  
Eleizer Masliah ◽  
David Hessler ◽  
...  

Structurally-oriented biologists examine cells, tissues, organelles and macromolecules in order to gain insight into cellular and molecular physiology by relating structure to function. The understanding of these structures can be greatly enhanced by the use of techniques for the visualization and quantitative analysis of three-dimensional structure. Three projects from current research activities will be presented in order to illustrate both the present capabilities of computer aided techniques as well as their limitations and future possibilities.The first project concerns the three-dimensional reconstruction of the neuritic plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. We have developed a software package “Synu” for investigation of 3D data sets which has been used in conjunction with laser confocal light microscopy to study the structure of the neuritic plaque. Tissue sections of autopsy samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease were double-labeled for tau, a cytoskeletal marker for abnormal neurites, and synaptophysin, a marker of presynaptic terminals.


Author(s):  
D.F. Clapin ◽  
V.J.A. Montpetit

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal filamentous proteins. The most important of these are amyloid fibrils and paired helical filaments (PHF). PHF are located intraneuronally forming bundles called neurofibrillary tangles. The designation of these structures as "tangles" is appropriate at the light microscopic level. However, localized domains within individual tangles appear to demonstrate a regular spacing which may indicate a liquid crystalline phase. The purpose of this paper is to present a statistical geometric analysis of PHF packing.


Author(s):  
V.J.A. Montpetit ◽  
S. Dancea ◽  
S.W. French ◽  
D.F. Clapin

A continuing problem in Alzheimer research is the lack of a suitable animal model for the disease. The absence of neurofibrillary tangles of paired helical filaments is the most critical difference in the processes by which the central nervous system ages in most species other than man. However, restricting consideration to single phenomena, one may identify animal models for specific aspects of Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal fibers resembling PHF have been observed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons of rats in a study of chronic ethanol intoxication and spontaneously in aged rats. We present in this report evidence that PHF-like filaments occur in ethanol-treated rats of young age. In control animals lesions similar in some respects to our observations of cytoskeletal pathology in pyridoxine induced neurotoxicity were observed.Male Wistar BR rats (Charles River Labs) weighing 350 to 400 g, were implanted with a single gastrostomy cannula and infused with a liquid diet containing 30% of total calories as fat plus ethanol or isocaloric dextrose.


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