Chronic glucocorticoids consumption triggers and worsens experimental Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology by detrimental immune-modulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Canet ◽  
Charleine Zussy ◽  
Célia Hernandez ◽  
Nathalie Chevallier ◽  
Nicola Marchi ◽  
...  

Introduction: Among the risk factors identified in the sporadic forms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), environmental and lifestyle elements are of growing interest. Clinical observations suggest that stressful events can anticipate AD onset, while stress-related disorders can promote AD. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a chronic treatment with glucocorticoids, is sufficient to trigger or exacerbate AD molecular hallmarks. Methods: We first validated a rat model of experimental chronic glucocorticoids consumption (corticosterone in drinking water for 4 weeks). Then, to evaluate the consequences of chronic glucocorticoids consumption on the onset of amyloid-β (Aβ) toxicity, animals chronically treated with glucocorticoids were intracerebroventricularly injected with an oligomeric solution of Aβ25-35 (oAβ) (acute model of AD). We evaluated AD-related cognitive deficits and pathogenic mechanisms, with a special emphasis on neuroinflammatory markers. Results: Chronic corticosterone consumption caused the inhibition of the non-amyloidogenic pathways, the impairment of Aβ clearance processes and the induction of amyloidogenic pathways in the hippocampus. The principal enzymes involved in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation and Tau phosphorylation were upregulated. Importantly, the AD-like phenotype triggered by chronic corticosterone was analogous to the one caused by oAβ. These molecular commonalities across models were independent from inflammation, as chronic corticosterone was immunosuppressive while oAβ was pro-inflammatory. When chronic corticosterone consumption anticipated the induction of the oAβ pathology, we found a potentiation of neuroinflammatory processes associated with an exacerbation of synaptic and memory deficits but also an aggravation of AD-related hallmarks. Discussion/Conclusion: This study unravels new functional outcomes identifying chronic corticosterone consumption as a main risk factor for AD and suggests that glucocorticoid-based therapies should be prescribed with caution in populations with AD risk.

Brain ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Dávila-Bouziguet ◽  
Arnau Casòliba-Melich ◽  
Georgina Targa-Fabra ◽  
Lorena Galera-López ◽  
Andrés Ozaita ◽  
...  

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease comprises amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated Tau accumulation, imbalanced neuronal activity, aberrant oscillatory rhythms, and cognitive deficits. Non-Demented with Alzheimer’s disease Neuropathology (NDAN) defines a novel clinical entity with amyloid-β and Tau pathologies but preserved cognition. The mechanisms underlying such neuroprotection remain undetermined and animal models of NDAN are currently unavailable. We demonstrate that J20/VLW mice (accumulating amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated Tau) exhibit preserved hippocampal rhythmic activity and cognition, as opposed to J20 and VLW animals, which show significant alterations. Furthermore, we show that the overexpression of mutant human Tau in coexistence with amyloid-β accumulation renders a particular hyperphosphorylated Tau signature in hippocampal interneurons. The GABAergic septohippocampal pathway, responsible for hippocampal rhythmic activity, is preserved in J20/VLW mice, in contrast to single mutants. Our data highlight J20/VLW mice as a suitable animal model in which to explore the mechanisms driving cognitive preservation in NDAN. Moreover, they suggest that a differential Tau phosphorylation pattern in hippocampal interneurons prevents the loss of GABAergic septohippocampal innervation and alterations in local field potentials, thereby avoiding cognitive deficits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evandro F. Fang ◽  
Yujun Hou ◽  
Konstantinos Palikaras ◽  
Bryan A. Adriaanse ◽  
Jesse S. Kerr ◽  
...  

Gut ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Soo Kim ◽  
Yoonhee Kim ◽  
Hyunjung Choi ◽  
Woojin Kim ◽  
Sumyung Park ◽  
...  

ObjectiveCerebral amyloidosis and severe tauopathy in the brain are key pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite a strong influence of the intestinal microbiota on AD, the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and AD pathophysiology is still elusive.DesignUsing a recently developed AD-like pathology with amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles (ADLPAPT) transgenic mouse model of AD, which shows amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and reactive gliosis in their brains along with memory deficits, we examined the impact of the gut microbiota on AD pathogenesis.ResultsComposition of the gut microbiota in ADLPAPT mice differed from that of healthy wild-type (WT) mice. Besides, ADLPAPT mice showed a loss of epithelial barrier integrity and chronic intestinal and systemic inflammation. Both frequent transfer and transplantation of the faecal microbiota from WT mice into ADLPAPT mice ameliorated the formation of amyloid β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, glial reactivity and cognitive impairment. Additionally, the faecal microbiota transfer reversed abnormalities in the colonic expression of genes related to intestinal macrophage activity and the circulating blood inflammatory monocytes in the ADLPAPT recipient mice.ConclusionThese results indicate that microbiota-mediated intestinal and systemic immune aberrations contribute to the pathogenesis of AD in ADLPAPT mice, providing new insights into the relationship between the gut (colonic gene expression, gut permeability), blood (blood immune cell population) and brain (pathology) axis and AD (memory deficits). Thus, restoring gut microbial homeostasis may have beneficial effects on AD treatment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 550-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingyou Yang ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Yan Liu ◽  
Hua Han ◽  
Haixue Kuang

The volatile oil (VO), extracted from the stems of Schisandra chinensis Baill. (SCS), was separated and identified by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The study was devised to investigate the effects of VO on oxidative stress and cognitive deficits induced by amyloid-β (Aβ(1-42)). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models were established by injecting Aβ(1-42) into the rat hippocampus and the effects of learning and memory were observed by a Morris water maze test, immunohistological alterations, and correlative indicators covering nerve growth (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-cell-derived trophic factor, and nerve growth factor), interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and microglial CD11b in AD rats. And activities of SOD, MDA, and GSH-Px were ameliorated by VO. The neurotrophic factors GFAP and microglial CD11b were noticeably improved in histopathologic changes. These data suggested that VO from SCS had potential activities for the prevention and treatment of AD.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1351-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Dobarro ◽  
Lourdes Orejana ◽  
Norberto Aguirre ◽  
Maria J. Ramírez

Abstract Chronic exposure to glucocorticoids might result not only in insulin resistance or cognitive deficits, but it is also considered as a risk factor for pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. Propranolol is a β-adrenergic antagonist commonly used in the treatment of hypertension or acute anxiety. The effects of propranolol (5 mg/kg) have been tested in a model of chronic corticosterone administration (100 µg/ml, 4 wk) in drinking water. Corticosterone administration led to cognitive impairment in the novel object recognition test that was reversed by propranolol. Increased levels of Aβ in the hippocampus of corticosterone-treated mice were counteracted by propranolol treatment, purportedly through an increased IDE expression. Chronic corticosterone treatment induced responses characteristic of insulin resistance, as increased peripheral insulin levels, decreased activation of the insulin receptor (pIR) and decreased associated intracellular pathways (pAkt). These effects might be related to a decreased c-Jun N terminal kinase 1 expression. Again, propranolol was able to counteract all corticosterone-induced effects. One of the main kinases involved in tau phosphorylation, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), which is inactivated by phosphorylation by pAkt, was found to be decreased after corticosterone and increased after propranolol treatment. Concomitant changes in pTau expression were found. Overall, these data further strengthen the potential of propranolol as a therapeutic agent for pathologies associated with the interaction glucocorticoids-insulin resistance and the development of relevant cellular processes for Alzheimer's disease.


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