glycyl-prolyl-glutamic-acid and Disease-Models--Animal

Brain ischemia induces the IGF-1 system in damaged regions, and exogenous administration of IGF-1 after injury is neuroprotective and improves long-term neurological function. The short treatment window can be extended by mild hypothermia, probably due to delayed apoptosis. Nevertheless, the poor central uptake of IGF-1 and its mitogenic potential preclude clinical application. The N-terminal tripeptide of IGF-1 (glycine-proline-glutamate, GPE) is neuroprotective after central administration. Central uptake of GPE is injury dependent, and it is rapidly degraded in the plasma. Intravenous infusion of GPE prevents brain injury and improves long-term functional recovery, with a broad effective dose range and a 3-7 hour therapeutic window. GPE does not interact with IGF receptors. G-2meth-PE, a GPE analogue with improved stability, has a prolonged plasma half life and is neuroprotective after ischemic injury. Neuroprotection by GPE and its analogue may involve modulating inflammation, promoting astrocytosis and inhibiting apoptosis, and the analogue may have a vascular effect. Cyclo-glycyl-proline (cGP) is an endogenous diketopiperazine possibly derived from GPE. Cyclic GP and its analogue cyclo-L-glycyl-L-2-allylproline (cG-2allylP) are neuroprotective after ischemic injury. cG-2allylP crosses the BBB independent of injury and remains detectable several hours after a single administration. Repeated peripheral administration of cG-2allyP improves somatosensory-motor function and long-term histological outcome.

Topics: Animals; Brain Injuries; Brain Ischemia; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Oligopeptides; Peptide Fragments

Down syndrome (DS) is a developmental disorder that results from the trisomy of chromosome 21. DS patients show several abnormalities including cognitive deficits. Here, we show enhanced activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), a kinase that critically regulates synaptic plasticity and memory, in a hippocampal cell line derived from trisomy 16 mouse foetus. In addition, these cells show enhanced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). The hyper-activation of ERK and p38 MAPK is significantly reduced by a small peptide, Gly-Pro-Glu (GPE), derived from insulin-like growth factor-1. In addition, the trisomic cells show reduced level of inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), which is enhanced by GPE. Furthermore, the trisomic cells do not show ERK activation in response to KCl depolarization or forskolin treatment. Importantly, ERK activation by these stimuli is observed after GPE treatment of the cells. These results suggest that GPE may help reduce aberrant signalling in the trisomic neurons by affecting MAPK and GSK-3β activation.

Topics: Animals; Cell Line; Disease Models, Animal; Down Syndrome; Fetus; Glycogen Synthase Kinases; Hippocampus; Humans; Mice; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Oligopeptides; Signal Transduction

Glycine-proline-glutamate (GPE) is an N-terminal tripeptide endogenously cleaved from insulin-like growth factor-1 in the brain and is neuroprotective against hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and neurodegeneration. NNZ-2566 is an analog of GPE designed to have improved bioavailability. In this study, we tested NNZ-2566 in a rat model of penetrating ballistic-type brain injury (PBBI) and assessed its effects on injury-induced histopathology, behavioral deficits, and molecular and cellular events associated with inflammation and apoptosis. In the initial dose-response experiments, NNZ-2566 (0.01-3 mg/kg/h x 12 h intravenous infusion) was given at 30 min post-injury and the therapeutic time window was established by delaying treatments 2-4 h post-injury, but with the addition of a 10- or 30-mg/kg bolus dose. All animals survived 72 h. Neuroprotection was evaluated by balance beam testing and histopathology. The effects of NNZ-2566 on injury-induced changes in Bax and Bcl-2 proteins, activated microgliosis, neutrophil infiltration, and astrocyte reactivity were also examined. Behavioral results demonstrated that NNZ-2566 dose-dependently reduced foot faults by 19-66% after acute treatments, and 35-55% after delayed treatments. Although gross lesion volume was not affected, NNZ-2566 treatment significantly attenuated neutrophil infiltration and reduced the number of activated microglial cells in the peri-lesion regions of the PBBI. PBBI induced a significant upregulation in Bax expression (36%) and a concomitant downregulation in Bcl-2 expression (33%), both of which were significantly reversed by NNZ-2566. Collectively, these results demonstrated that NNZ-2566 treatment promoted functional recovery following PBBI, an effect related to the modulation of injury-induced neural inflammatory and apoptotic mechanisms.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Astrocytes; Brain; Brain Injuries; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Encephalitis; Gliosis; Injections, Intravenous; Microglia; Movement Disorders; Nerve Degeneration; Neuroprotective Agents; Oligopeptides; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Recovery of Function; Treatment Outcome

The N-terminal cleavage product of human insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the brain is the tripeptide molecule Glypromate (Gly-Pro-Glu). Glypromate has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in numerous in vitro and in vivo models of brain injury and is in clinical trials for the prevention of cognitive impairment following cardiac surgery. NNZ-2566 is a structural analogue of Glypromate, resulting from alpha-methylation of the proline moiety, which has improved the elimination half-life and oral bioavailability over the parent peptide. In vivo, NNZ-2566 reduces injury size in rats subjected to focal stroke. An intravenous infusion of NNZ-2566 of 4 h duration (3-10 mg/kg/h), initiated 3 h after endothelin-induced middle-cerebral artery constriction, significantly reduced infarct area as assessed on day 5. Neuroprotective efficacy in the MCAO model was also observed following oral administration of the drug (30-60 mg/kg), when formulated as a microemulsion. In vitro, NNZ-2566 significantly attenuates apoptotic cell death in primary striatal cultures, suggesting attenuation of apoptosis is one mechanism of action underlying its neuroprotective effects. NNZ-2566 is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of cognitive deficits following traumatic brain injury, and these data further support the development of the drug as a neuroprotective agent for acute brain injury.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Apoptosis; Blood Chemical Analysis; Brain; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Microdialysis; Neuroprotective Agents; Okadaic Acid; Oligopeptides; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Stroke

Glycine 2-methyl proline glutamate (G-2mPE) is a proline-modified analogue to the naturally existing N-terminal tripeptide glycine-proline-glutamate that is a cleaved product from insulin-like growth factor-1. G-2mPE is designed to be more enzymatically resistant than glycine-proline-glutamate and to increase its bioavailability. The current study has investigated the protective effects of G-2mPE following hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the neonatal brain. On postnatal day 7, Wistar rats were exposed to hypoxia-ischemia (HI). HI was induced by unilateral ligation of the left carotid artery followed by hypoxia (7.7% O2, 36 degrees C) for 60 min. The drug treatment started 2 h after the insult, and the pups were given either 1.2 mg/kg (bolus), 1.2 mg/ml once a day for 7 days, or vehicle. The degree of brain damage was determined histochemically by thionin/acid fuchsin staining. G-2mPE's anti-inflammatory properties were investigated by IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-18 ELISA, and effects on apoptosis by caspase 3 activity. Vascularization was determined immunohistochemically by the total length of isolectin-positive blood vessels. Effect on astrocytosis was also determined in the hippocampus. Animals treated with multiple doses of G-2mPE demonstrated reduced overall brain injury 7 days after HI, particularly in the hippocampus and thalamus compared to vehicle-treated rats. The expression of IL-6 was decreased in G-2mPE-treated animals compared to vehicle-treated pups, and both the capillary length and astrogliosis were increased in the drug-treated animals. There was no effect on caspase 3 activity. This study indicates that peripheral administration of G-2mPE, starting 2 h after a hypoxic-ischemic insult, reduces the degree of brain injury in the immature rat brain. The normalization of IL-6 levels and the promotion of both neovascularization and reactive astrocytosis may be potential mechanisms that underlie its protective effects.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis; Astrocytes; Birth Injuries; Brain; Caspase 3; Cerebral Arteries; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Administration Schedule; Encephalitis; Gliosis; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain; Interleukins; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Nerve Degeneration; Neuroprotective Agents; Oligopeptides; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

Central administration of N-terminal tripeptide of IGF-1 (GPE) prevents the loss of dopamine neurons. We now examine effects of GPE administered peripherally, on long-term functional recovery after 6-OHDA lesion in rats. GPE treatment (3 mg/kg, i.p.), 3 days after the lesion reduced the number of rotations (p<0.005) and the time over meter (p<0.005) compared to vehicle treatment. Step length and number of adjusting steps were increased in the GPE group (p<0.005), particularly at 12 weeks post lesion. However, GPE treatment did not prevent the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the striatum. The study suggests that peripheral administration of GPE after onset of nigrostriatal dopamine depletion improves long-term Parkinsonian motor deficits, independent of neuronal outcome.

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Cell Count; Corpus Striatum; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Functional Laterality; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Male; Motor Activity; Neuroprotective Agents; Oligopeptides; Oxidopamine; Parkinson Disease; Psychomotor Performance; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rotation; Substantia Nigra; Sympatholytics; Time Factors; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

Huntington's disease is an incurable genetic neurological disorder characterized by the relatively selective degeneration of the striatum. Lesioning of the striatum in rodents using the excitatory amino acid agonist, quinolinic acid (QA), effectively mimics the human neuropathology seen in Huntington's disease. Using this animal model of Huntington's disease, we investigated the ability of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) amino-terminal tripeptide glycine-proline-glutamate (GPE) to protect striatal neurons from degeneration. Adult rats received a single unilateral intrastriatal injection of QA (100 nmol) and then daily injection of either vehicle or GPE (0.3 microgram/microliter/day) into the striatum for 7 days. QA at this dose resulted in a partial lesioning of the striatum after 7 days to approximately 50% of cells of unlesioned levels in vehicle-treated animals. The major striatal neuronal phenotype, GABAergic projection neurons, were identified by immunocytochemical labeling of either glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD(67)) or the calcium binding protein calbindin in alternate sections. Treatment with GPE for 7 days reversed the loss in projection neurons when assessed by counts of calbindin-stained cells; however, these rescued cells did not regain immunologically detectable levels of GAD(67). GPE also significantly reversed the phenotypic degeneration of cholinergic interneurons identified by immunolabeling for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and NADPH diaphorase interneurons identified histochemically. GPE treatment failed to rescue the calcium binding protein interneuron populations of parvalbumin and calretinin neurons. These findings reveal that exogenous administration of GPE selectively prevents excitotoxin induced phenotypic degeneration of striatal projection neurons and cholinergic and NADPH diaphorase interneurons in an animal model of Huntington's disease.

Topics: Animals; Calbindin 2; Calbindins; Cell Count; Choline O-Acetyltransferase; Cholinergic Fibers; Corpus Striatum; Denervation; Disease Models, Animal; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; Glutamate Decarboxylase; Huntington Disease; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Interneurons; Male; NADPH Dehydrogenase; Nerve Degeneration; Neuroprotective Agents; Oligopeptides; Parvalbumins; Phenotype; Quinolinic Acid; Rats; Rats, Wistar; S100 Calcium Binding Protein G