8-bromocyclic-gmp and Alzheimer-Disease

Amyloid-beta (Abeta), a peptide thought to play a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), has many targets that, in turn, activate different second-messenger cascades. Interestingly, Abeta has been found to markedly impair hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). To identify a new pathway that might be responsible for such impairment, we analyzed the role of the nitric oxide (NO)/soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK)/cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) cascade because of its involvement in LTP. The use of the NO donor 2-(N,N-dethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide diethylammonium salt (DEA/NO), the sGC stimulator 3-(4-amino-5-cyclopropylpyrimidine-2-yl)-1-(2-fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine, or the cGMP-analogs 8-bromo-cGMP and 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cGMP reversed the Abeta-induced impairment of CA1-LTP through cGK activation. Furthermore, these compounds reestablished the enhancement of CREB phosphorylation occurring during LTP in slices exposed to Abeta. We also found that Abeta blocks the increase in cGMP immunoreactivity occurring immediately after LTP and that DEA/NO counteracts the effect of Abeta. These results strongly suggest that, when modulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity, Abeta downregulates the NO/cGMP/cGK/CREB pathway; thus, enhancement of the NO/cGMP signaling may provide a novel approach to the treatment of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases with elevated production of Abeta.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; Cyclic GMP; Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Guanylate Cyclase; Hippocampus; Hydrazines; Long-Term Potentiation; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neuronal Plasticity; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Donors; Nitrogen Oxides; Organ Culture Techniques; Peptide Fragments; Phosphorylation; Up-Regulation

The Alzheimer's disease (AD) beta-amyloid precursor proteins (beta APPs) are large membrane-spanning proteins that give rise to the beta A4 peptide deposited in AD amyloid plaques. beta APPs can also yield soluble forms (APPss) that are potently neuroprotective against glucose deprivation and glutamate toxicity, perhaps through their ability to lower the intraneuronal calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). We have investigated the mechanism through which APPss exert these effects on cultured hippocampal neurons. The ability of APPss to lower rapidly [Ca2+]i was mimicked by membrane-permeable analogues of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP), as well as agents that elevate endogenous levels of these cyclic nucleotides. However, only cGMP content was increased by APPs treatment, and specific inhibition of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (but not cAMP-dependent kinase) blocked the activity of APPss. A membrane-permeable analogue of cGMP (8-bromo-cGMP) also mimicked the ability of APPss to attenuate the elevation of [Ca2+]i by glutamate, apparently through inhibition of NMDA receptor activity. In addition, 8-bromo-cGMP afforded protection against glucose deprivation and glutamate toxicity, and the protection by APPss against glucose deprivation was blocked by an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent kinase. Together, these data suggest that APPss mediate their [Ca2+]i-lowering and excitoprotective effects on target neurons through increases in cGMP levels.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; Animals; Calcium; Cells, Cultured; Colforsin; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Glutamic Acid; Hippocampus; Neurons; Rats