scholarly journals Anti–Na+/K+-ATPase immunotherapy ameliorates α-synuclein pathology through activation of Na+/K+-ATPase α1–dependent autophagy

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. eabc5062
Author(s):  
Lei Cao ◽  
Siping Xiong ◽  
Zhiyuan Wu ◽  
Lei Ding ◽  
Yebo Zhou ◽  
...  

Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) plays important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Conversely, reduced NKA activity has been reported in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. However, little is known about the function of NKA in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we report that reduction of NKA activity in NKAα1+/− mice aggravates α-synuclein–induced pathology, including a reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and deficits in behavioral tests for memory, learning, and motor function. To reverse this effect, we generated an NKA-stabilizing monoclonal antibody, DR5-12D, against the DR region (897DVEDSYGQQWTYEQR911) of the NKAα1 subunit. We demonstrate that DR5-12D can ameliorate α-synuclein–induced TH loss and behavioral deficits by accelerating α-synuclein degradation in neurons. The underlying mechanism for the beneficial effects of DR5-12D involves activation of NKAα1-dependent autophagy via increased AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway signaling. Cumulatively, this work demonstrates that NKA activity is neuroprotective and that pharmacological activation of this pathway represents a new therapeutic strategy for PD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Ortiz-Romero ◽  
Gustavo Egea ◽  
Luis A Pérez-Jurado ◽  
Victoria Campuzano

AbstractWilliams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a distinctive cognitive phenotype for which there currently are not any effective treatments. We investigated the progression of behavioral deficits present in CD (complete deletion) mice, a rodent model of WBS, after chronic treatment with curcumin, verapamil and a combination of both. These compounds have been proven to have beneficial effects over different cognitive aspects of various murine models and thus, may have neuroprotective effects in WBS. Treatment was administered orally dissolved in drinking water. A set of behavioral tests demonstrated the efficiency of combinatorial treatment. Some histological and molecular analyses were performed to analyze the effects of treatment and its underlying mechanism in CD mice. Behavioral improvement correlates with the molecular recovery of several affected pathways regarding MAPK signaling, in tight relation with the control of synaptic transmission. Moreover, CD mice showed an increased activated microglia density in different brain regions, which was prevented by treatment. Therefore, results show that treatment prevented behavioral deficits by recovering altered gene expression in cortex of CD mice, reducing activated microglia and normalizing Bdnf expression levels. These findings unravel the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of this novel treatment on behavioral deficits observed in CD mice, and suggest that the combination of curcumin and verapamil could be a potential candidate to treat the cognitive impairments in WBS patients.



2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Ortiz-Romero ◽  
Alejandro González-Simón ◽  
Gustavo Egea ◽  
Luis A. Pérez-Jurado ◽  
Victoria Campuzano

Williams–Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a distinctive cognitive phenotype for which there are currently no effective treatments. We investigated the progression of behavioral deficits present in WBS complete deletion (CD) mice, after chronic treatment with curcumin, verapamil, and a combination of both. These compounds have been proven to have beneficial effects over different cognitive aspects of various murine models and, thus, may have neuroprotective effects in WBS. Treatment was administered orally dissolved in drinking water. A set of behavioral tests demonstrated the efficiency of combinatorial treatment. Some histological and molecular analyses were performed to analyze the effects of treatment and its underlying mechanism. CD mice showed an increased density of activated microglia in the motor cortex and CA1 hippocampal region, which was prevented by co-treatment. Behavioral improvement correlated with the molecular recovery of several affected pathways regarding MAPK signaling, in tight relation to the control of synaptic transmission, and inflammation. Therefore, the results show that co-treatment prevented behavioral deficits by recovering altered gene expression in the cortex of CD mice and reducing activated microglia. These findings unravel the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of this novel treatment on behavioral deficits observed in CD mice and suggest that the combination of curcumin and verapamil could be a potential candidate to treat the cognitive impairments in WBS patients.



2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5795
Author(s):  
Banseok Lee ◽  
Myeongcheol Shin ◽  
Youngjae Park ◽  
So-Yoon Won ◽  
Kyoung Sang Cho

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of the nervous system. Currently, there is no disease-modifying treatments for most NDs. Meanwhile, numerous studies conducted on human and animal models over the past decades have showed that exercises had beneficial effects on NDs. Inter-tissue communication by myokine, a peptide produced and secreted by skeletal muscles during exercise, is thought to be an important underlying mechanism for the advantages. Here, we reviewed studies about the effects of myokines regulated by exercise on NDs and their mechanisms. Myokines could exert beneficial effects on NDs through a variety of regulatory mechanisms, including cell survival, neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, proteostasis, oxidative stress, and protein modification. Studies on exercise-induced myokines are expected to provide a novel strategy for treating NDs, for which there are no adequate treatments nowadays. To date, only a few myokines have been investigated for their effects on NDs and studies on mechanisms involved in them are in their infancy. Therefore, future studies are needed to discover more myokines and test their effects on NDs.



2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1251-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Octavio Binvignat ◽  
Jordi Olloquequi

: The global burden of neurodegenerative diseases is alarmingly increasing in parallel to the aging of population. Although the molecular mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration are not completely understood, excitotoxicity, defined as the injury and death of neurons due to excessive or prolonged exposure to excitatory amino acids, has been shown to play a pivotal role. The increased release and/or decreased uptake of glutamate results in dysregulation of neuronal calcium homeostasis, leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions, disturbances in protein turn-over and neuroinflammation. : Despite the anti-excitotoxic drug memantine has shown modest beneficial effects in some patients with dementia, to date, there is no effective treatment capable of halting or curing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This has led to a growing body of research focusing on understanding the mechanisms associated with the excitotoxic insult and on uncovering potential therapeutic strategies targeting these mechanisms. : In the present review, we examine the molecular mechanisms related to excitotoxic cell death. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive and updated state of the art of preclinical and clinical investigations targeting excitotoxic- related mechanisms in order to provide an effective treatment against neurodegeneration.



2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 1666-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyang Dong ◽  
Jiaqi Lei ◽  
Bingkun Zhang

Background: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease is rapidly increasing around the world. Quercetin is a flavonoid commonly found in vegetables and fruits and has been reported to exert numerous pharmacological activities such as enhancing antioxidant capacity or suppressing inflammation. Objective: We aimed to explore whether quercetin was effective for IBD and the underlying mechanism of quercetin for the ameliorative effects on the DSS-induced colitis in mice. Methods: Thirty-six mice were randomly assigned to three treatments, including the control group (Ctr), DSS-induced colitis group (DSS) and DSS-induced colitis supplemented with 500 ppm quercetin (DQ500). Colitis was induced by DSS intake, and body weight was recorded every day. After six days administration of DSS, intestinal permeability was measured, and the liver was taken for antioxidant enzyme tests. Colonic tissue was taken for the histopathlogical score and RNA-sequencing analysis. Results: In this experiment, dietary quercetin for 500ppm alleviated the DSS-induced colitis, possibly by strengthening intestinal integrity, liver antioxidant capacity. Based on the results of the transcriptome of colon tissue, several key genes were modulated by quercetin. ERK1/2-FKBP pathway and RXR-STAT3 pathway were involved in the development of IBD, furthermore, in the down-regulation of S100a8/9, FBN2 contributed to lowering the risk of colongenesis. Conclusion: We demonstrated that dietary quercetin alleviated the DSS-induced colitis in mice. This is most likely due to its beneficial effects on intestinal integrity and modulation of several key pathways. Based on our research, quercetin was a promising candidate for IBD and its pharmaceutical effects on both IBD and colongenesis need further research.



Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 4574
Author(s):  
Mei Chou Lai ◽  
Wayne Young Liu ◽  
Shorong-Shii Liou ◽  
I-Min Liu

Moscatilin can protect rat pheochromocytoma cells against methylglyoxal-induced damage. Elimination of the effect of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) but activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are the potential therapeutic targets for the neurodegenerative diseases. Our study aimed to clarify AMPK signaling’s role in the beneficial effects of moscatilin on the diabetic/hyperglycemia-associated neurodegenerative disorders. AGEs-induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells was used as an in vitro neurodegenerative model. AGEs stimulation resulted in cellular viability loss and reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse. It was observed that the cleaved forms of caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase increased in SH-SY5Y cells following AGEs exposure. AGEs decreased Bcl-2 but increased Bax and p53 expression and nuclear factor kappa-B activation in SH-SY5Y cells. AGEs also attenuated the phosphorylation level of AMPK. These AGEs-induced detrimental effects were ameliorated by moscatilin, which was similar to the actions of metformin. Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK, abolished the beneficial effects of moscatilin on the regulation of SH-SY5Y cells’ function, indicating the involvement of AMPK. In conclusion, moscatilin offers a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce the neurotoxicity or AMPK dysfunction of AGEs. It provides a potential beneficial effect with AGEs-related neurodegenerative diseases.



2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dannii Y. Yeung ◽  
Edwin K. H. Chung ◽  
Alfred H. K. Lam ◽  
Alvin K. K. Ho

Abstract Background Middle-aged and older adults are more vulnerable to hospitalization and mortality if they are infected with the COVID-19 virus. The present study investigates the longitudinal effects of subjective successful aging on middle-aged and older adults’ emotional and coping responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and explores an underlying mechanism through perceived time limitation during the pandemic. Methods A sample of 311 Hong Kong Chinese middle-aged and older adults (Mage = 64.58, SD = 10.14, Range = 45–90 years) were recruited from an Adult Development and Aging Project and participated in a questionnaire study via an online platform or phone interview. Their levels of subjective successful aging, perceived time limitation, and emotional and coping responses to the pandemic were measured. Results The respondents who perceived themselves as more successful in aging process reported more positive and fewer negative emotions compared with their counterparts with lower levels of subjective successful aging. The mediation analysis showed that perceived time limitation could partially account for the effects of subjective successful aging on emotional and coping responses. Conclusions Findings of this study unveil the beneficial effects of subjective views of successful aging on emotional and coping responses to the pandemic through alleviating their perception of time limitation.



1997 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer T. Trevitt ◽  
Maureen Lyons ◽  
Juliet Aberman ◽  
Debra Carriero ◽  
Marianne Finn ◽  
...  


2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graciela Cristina dos Santos ◽  
Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes ◽  
Antonio Cardozo dos Santos ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Pires Bianchi

According to clinical and pre-clinical studies, oxidative stress and its consequences may be the cause or, at least, a contributing factor, to a large number of neurodegenerative diseases. These diseases include common and debilitating disorders, characterized by progressive and irreversible loss of neurons in specific regions of the brain. The most common neurodegenerative diseases are Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has been extensively studied since its discovery in 1957. It is a component of the electron transportation chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration, generating energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The property of CoQ10 to act as an antioxidant or a pro-oxidant, suggests that it also plays an important role in the modulation of redox cellular status under physiological and pathological conditions, also performing a role in the ageing process. In several animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, CoQ10 has shown beneficial effects in reducing disease progression. However, further studies are needed to assess the outcome and effectiveness of CoQ10 before exposing patients to unnecessary health risks at significant costs.



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