chiniofon and Parkinson-Disease

The concept of chelation therapy as a valuable therapeutic approach in neurological disorders led us to develop multi-target, non-toxic, lipophilic, brain-permeable compounds with iron chelation and anti-apoptotic properties for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), age-related dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Herein, we reviewed our two most effective such compounds, M30 and HLA20, based on a multimodal drug design paradigm. The compounds have been tested for their mechanisms of action using animal and cellular models such as APP/PS1 AD transgenic (Tg) mice, G93A-SOD1 mutant ALS Tg mice, C57BL/6 mice, Neuroblastoma × Spinal Cord-34 (NSC-34) hybrid cells, a battery of behavior tests, and various immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques. These novel iron chelators exhibit neuroprotective activities by attenuating relevant neurodegenerative pathology, promoting positive behavior changes, and up-regulating neuroprotective signaling pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that our multifunctional iron-chelating compounds can upregulate several neuroprotective-adaptive mechanisms and pro-survival signaling pathways in the brain and might function as ideal drugs for neurodegenerative disorders, such as PD, AD, ALS, and aging-related cognitive decline, in which oxidative stress and iron-mediated toxicity and dysregulation of iron homeostasis have been implicated.

Topics: Aging; Alzheimer Disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Animals; Hydroxyquinolines; Iron; Iron Chelating Agents; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Parkinson Disease

The therapeutic use of enzyme inhibitors in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has its origin in the anti Parkinson action of the selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) B inhibitor, l-deprenyl (selegiline ), a failed anti depressant in 1975. This led to further development of MAO- A and B, catechol-O-methyltansferase and cholinestrerase inhibitors as anti Parkinson and Alzheimer drugs. One of the main reasons for the cognitive deficit in dementia of the Alzheimer' type (AD) and in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is degeneration of cholinergic cortical neurones and synaptic plasticity. This led to a correlation that similar to Parkinson's Disease (PD), cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) may also have therapeutic activity in AD. Significant percentage of AD and DLB subjects also nigrostriatal dopaminergic, locus ceruleous noradrenergic and raphe nucleus serotoninergic neurones. The present ChEI anti AD drugs have limited symptomatic activity and devoid of neuroprotective property that is needed for disease modifying action. It is becoming clear that there are no magic bullets for neurodegenerative disorders and shut gun approach is needed either as polypharmacology or drugs with multiple activity at different target sites in the CNS. The complex pathology of AD as well as cascade of events that leads to the neurodegenerative process has led us to develop several multifunctional neuroprotective drugs with several CNS targets with possible disease modifying activity. Employing the pharamcophore of our antiparkinson drug rasagiline (Azilect, Agilect, N-propagrgyl-1R-aminoindan) we have developed a novel multifunctional neuroprotective drug, ladostigil [TV-3326 (N-propargyl-3R-aminoindan-5yl)-ethyl methylcarbamate)], with both cholinesterase-butyrylesterase (Ch-BuE) and brain selective monoamine-oxidase (MAO) AB inhibitory activities possessing the neuroprotective-neurescue propargyl moiety, as potential treatment of AD and DLB and PD with dementias. Since brain MAO and iron increase in AD, PD and ageing, that could lead to iron dependent oxidative stress neurodegeneration, we have developed another series of multifunctional drugs (M30 HLA-20 series) which are brain permeable iron chelators- brain selective MAO inhibitors and possess the propargyl neuroprotective moiety. These series of drugs have the ability of regulating and processing APP (amyloid precursor protein) and reducing Abeta peptide, since APP is a metaloprotein, with an iron responsive element 5d'UT

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Antiparkinson Agents; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Indans; Models, Biological; Neuroprotective Agents; Parkinson Disease; Selegiline

Recently, we have designed and synthesized a novel multipotent, brain-permeable iron-chelating drug, VAR10303 (VAR), possessing both propargyl and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory moieties. The present study was undertaken to determine the multiple pharmacological activities of VAR in neurodegenerative preclinical models. We demonstrate that VAR affords iron chelating/iron-induced lipid-peroxidation inhibitory potency and brain selective MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitory effects, with only limited tyramine-cardiovascular potentiation of blood pressure. The results show that in 6-hydroxydopamine rat (neuroprotection) and in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse (neurorescue) Parkinson's disease models, VAR significantly attenuated the loss of striatal dopamine levels, markedly reduced dopamine turnover, and increased tyrosine-hydroxylase levels. Furthermore, chronic systemic treatment of aged rats with VAR improved cognitive behavior deficits and enhanced the expression levels of neurotrophic factors (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, and nerve growth factor), Bcl-2 family members and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Our study indicates that the multitarget compound VAR exerted neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease and aging, further suggesting that a drug that can regulate multiple brain targets could be an ideal treatment-strategy for age-associated neurodegenerative disorders.

Topics: Aging; Animals; Cognition; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine; Hydroxyquinolines; Iron Chelating Agents; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Monoamine Oxidase; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; Nerve Growth Factors; Neuronal Plasticity; Neuroprotective Agents; Parkinson Disease; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Iron and monoamine oxidase activity are increased in brain of Parkinson's disease (PD). They are associated with autoxidation and oxidative deamination of dopamine by MAO resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species and the onset of oxidative stress to induce neurodegeneration. Iron chelators (desferal, Vk-28 and clioquinol) but not copper chelators have been shown to be neuroprotective in the 6-hydroxydoapmine and MPTP models of Parkinson's disease (PD), as are monoamine oxidase B inhibitors such as selegiline and rasagiline. These findings prompted the development of multifunctional anti PD drugs possessing iron chelating phamacophore of VK-28 and the propargylamine MAO inhibitory activity of rasagiline. M30 is a potent iron chelator, radical scavenger and brain selective irreversible MAO-A and B inhibitor, with little inhibition of peripheral MAO. It has neuroprotective activity in in vitro and in vivo models of PD and unlike selective MAO-B inhibitors it increases brain dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. These findings indicate beside its anti PD action, it may also possess antidepressant activity, similar to selective MAO-A and nonselective MAO inhibitors. These properties make it an ideal anti PD drug for which it is being developed.

Topics: 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine; Animals; Brain; Dopamine; Dopamine Agents; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Iron Chelating Agents; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; Neuroprotective Agents; Parkinson Disease; Synaptic Transmission