aconitine and Alzheimer-Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most general, chronic, and progressive neurodegenerative senile disorder characterized clinically by progressive cognitive deterioration and memory impairment. Neoline is effective against neuropathic pain models, but the effects of neoline against AD-like phenotypes have not been investigated.. We offer the investigation of the effects of neoline in AD.. In this study, a Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9 AD mouse model was treated orally with neoline at a concentration of 0.5 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/kg starting at 7.5 months and administered for three months, and its anti-AD effects were evaluated.. Neoline improved memory and cognition impairments and reduced the number of amyloid-beta plaque and the amount of amyloid-β in the brain of AD mice. Furthermore, neoline reduced the anxiety behavior in the AD mouse model. The chronic administration of neoline also induced AMPK phosphorylation and decreased tau, amyloid-β, and BACE1 expression in the hippocampus. These findings indicate that chronic administration of neoline has therapeutic effects via AMPK activation, and BACE1 downregulation resulted in a decrease in the amyloid-β levels in the brain of Tg-APPswe/PS1dE9 AD mice.. Our results suggest that neoline is a therapeutic agent for the cure of neurodegenerative diseases like AD.

Topics: Aconitine; Alzheimer Disease; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Memory; Memory Disorders; Mice, Transgenic; tau Proteins

Since westernized diet-induced insulin resistance is a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD) development, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) coexists with amyloid β (Aβ)1-42 in these patients, our AD novel model was developed to resemble sporadic AD by injecting LPS into high fat/fructose diet (HFFD)-fed rats. The neuroprotective potential of palonosetron and/or methyllycaconitine, 5-HT3 receptor and α7 nAChR blockers, respectively, was evaluated after 8 days of daily administration in HFFD/LPS rats. All regimens improved histopathological findings and enhanced spatial memory (Morris Water Maze); however, palonosetron alone or with methyllycaconitine promoted animal performance during novel object recognition tests. In the hippocampus, all regimens reduced the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and skewed microglia M1 to M2 phenotype, indicated by the decreased M1 markers and the enhanced M2 related parameters. Additionally, palonosetron and its combination regimen downregulated the expression of ASC/TMS1, as well as levels of inflammasome downstream molecules and abated cleaved caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18 and caspase-11. Furthermore, ACh and 5-HT were augmented after being hampered by the insult. Our study speculates that blocking 5-HT3 receptor using palonosetron overrides methyllycaconitine to combat AD-induced neuroinflammation and inflammasome cascade, as well as to restore microglial function in a HFFD/LPS novel model for sporadic AD.

Topics: Aconitine; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; Cognition; Diet, Western; Disease Models, Animal; Hippocampus; Humans; Inflammasomes; Inflammation; Insulin Resistance; Interleukin-18; Lipopolysaccharides; Microglia; Palonosetron; Peptide Fragments; Pyroptosis; Rats; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3; Risk Factors; Spatial Memory

One of the most challenging issues in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) caused by HIV-1 virotoxins and drug abuse is the lack of understanding the underlying mechanisms that are commonly associated with disorders of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which mainly consists of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC). Here, we hypothesized that Glycoprotein 120 (gp120), methamphetamine (METH) and nicotine (NT) can enhance amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation in BMEC through Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR). Both in vitro (human BMEC) (HBMEC) and in vivo (mice) models of BBB were used to dissect the role of α7 nAChR in up-regulation of Aβ induced by gp120, METH and NT. Aβ release from and transport across HBMEC were significantly increased by these factors. Methyllycaconitine (MLA), an antagonist of α7 nAChR, could efficiently block these pathogenic effects. Furthermore, our animal data showed that these factors could significantly increase the levels of Aβ, Tau and Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) in mouse cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and Aβ in the mouse brains. These pathogenicities were significantly reduced by MLA, suggesting that α7 nAChR may play an important role in neuropathology caused by gp120, METH and NT, which are the major pathogenic factors contributing to the pathogenesis of HAND.

Topics: Aconitine; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Biomarkers; Blood-Brain Barrier; Brain; Cell Movement; Cellular Senescence; Endothelial Cells; HIV Envelope Protein gp120; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Methamphetamine; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Monocytes; Nicotine; Protein Transport; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; S100 Proteins; Time Factors

Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is a form of synaptic plasticity used as a cellular model of memory. Beta amyloid (A beta) is involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurode-generative disorder leading to cognitive deficits. Nicotine is also claimed to act as a cognitive enhancer. A beta is known to bind with high affinity to the alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Here we have investigated the effect of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of the endogenous peptide A beta 1-40 on LTP in area CA1 of urethananesthetized rats. We also examined the effect of A beta 12-28 (i.c.v.), which binds with high affinity to the alpha 7-nAChR and the specific alpha 7-nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA) on LTP. We found that A beta 12-28 had no effect on LTP, whereas MLA depressed significantly LTP, suggesting that activation of the alpha 7-nAChR is a requirement for LTP. Within the in vivo environment, where other factors may compete with A beta 12-28 for binding to alpha 7-nAChR, it does not appear to modulate LTP. To determine if the depressive action of A beta 1-40 on LTP could be modulated by nicotine, these agents were also co-applied. Injection of 1 or 10 nmol A beta 1-40 caused a significant depression of LTP, whereas nicotine alone (3 mg/kg) had no effect on LTP. Co-injection of nicotine with A beta 1-40 1 h prior to LTP induction caused a further significant depression of LTP compared with A beta 1-40 alone. These results demonstrate that nicotine enhances the deficit in LTP produced by A beta 1-40. This then suggests that nicotine may exacerbate the depressive actions of A beta on synaptic plasticity in AD.

Topics: Aconitine; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Electrophysiology; Hippocampus; Injections, Intraventricular; Long-Term Potentiation; Male; Neuronal Plasticity; Nicotine; Nicotinic Agonists; Nicotinic Antagonists; Peptide Fragments; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Nicotinic

While a variety of hypotheses have been proposed for the cause of Alzheimer's disease, our knowledge is far from complete to explain the disease making it difficult to develop the methods for treatment. In the brain of Alzheimer's patients, both neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors and NMDA receptors are known to be down-regulated. Thus four anticholinesterases have been developed and approved for the treatment in the U.S.A. However, these are not ideal drugs considering their side effects and limited effectiveness. Nefiracetam is being developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's and other patients with dementia, and has unique actions in potentiating the activity of both nACh and NMDA receptors as demonstrated by in vitro patch clamp experiments using rat cortical neurons in primary culture. Nefiracetam potentiated alpha4beta2-like ACh- and NMDA-induced currents at nanomolar concentrations forming bell-shaped dose-response curves with the maximum potentiation occurring at 1 and 10 nM, respectively. Nefiracetam potentiated nACh receptor currents via G(s) proteins, but not G(i)/G(o) proteins, PKA or PKC. Nefiracetam potentiation of NMDA currents occurred via interactions with the glycine binding site of the NMDA receptor. The nefiracetam potentiation of both nACh and NMDA receptors in a potent and efficacious manner is deemed responsible for its cognitive enhancing action.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Aconitine; Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Brain Chemistry; Bungarotoxins; Dihydro-beta-Erythroidine; Female; GTP-Binding Proteins; Hexamethonium; Mecamylamine; Nicotinic Agonists; Nicotinic Antagonists; Nootropic Agents; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Pregnancy; Protein Kinases; Pyrrolidinones; Rats; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Receptors, Nicotinic

Nicotine and other nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists have been shown to exert neuroprotective actions in vivo and in vitro by an as yet unknown mechanism. Even the identification of the subtype of nicotinic receptor(s) mediating this action has not been determined. In neural cell lines, the induction of cytoprotection often requires exposure to nicotine for up to 24 hr to produce a full protective effect. One phenomenon associated with chronic exposure of neural cells to nAChR agonists is the increased expression of nAChRs (upregulation), possibly as a response to desensitization. Because nicotinic receptors desensitize rapidly in the continuous presence of agonist, we investigated whether the neuroprotective actions produced by different nicotinic receptor agonists was related to their ability to induce nicotinic receptor upregulation. Differentiated PC12 cells were preincubated for 24 hr with various nAChR ligands, and the cells were subsequently deprived of both NGF and serum to induce cytotoxicity. Under control conditions cell viability was reduced to 66.5 +/- 5.4% of control by trophic factor withdrawal. For those cells pretreated with nicotine (1 nM-100 microM) cell viability increased from 74.2 +/- 1.5 to 97.3 +/- 4%. The neuroprotective action of nicotine was blocked by co-treatment with either 5 microM mecamylamine or 10 nM methyllycaconitine (MLA). The high potency blockade by MLA suggested that neuroprotection was mediated through the alpha7 nicotinic receptor subtype. For the seven agonists examined for neuroprotective activity, only nicotine was capable of evoking a near maximal (near 100% cell viability) neuroprotective action. The next most effective group included epibatidine, 4OHGTS-21, methycarbamylcholine, and 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenyl-piperazinium iodide. These least effective group included cytisine and tetraethylammonium. Incubation of differentiated PC12 cells with 10 microM nicotine increased the number of [(125)I]alpha bungarotoxin ([(125)I]alphaBGTbinding sites by 41% from 82.6 +/- 3.67 to 117 +/- 10.3 fmol/mg protein). Under similar conditions of incubation, the nicotinic receptor agonist cytisine (that was least effective in terms of neuroprotection) failed to increase the number of [(125)I]alphaBGT binding sites. Cells expressing increased levels of cell surface [(125)I]alphaBGT binding sites received added neuroprotective benefit from nicotine. Thus the induced upregulation of the alpha7 subtype of nicotinic receptors du

Topics: Acetylcholine; Aconitine; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Basal Nucleus of Meynert; Binding Sites; Binding, Competitive; Bungarotoxins; Cell Survival; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Insecticides; Iodine Radioisotopes; Models, Biological; Nerve Growth Factors; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Nicotinic Agonists; Nicotinic Antagonists; PC12 Cells; Rats; Receptors, Nicotinic; Up-Regulation