gnetin-c and Alzheimer-Disease

The lack of effective Alzheimer's disease treatment is becoming a challenge for researchers and prompts numerous attempts to search for and develop better therapeutic solutions. Compounds that affect several routes of the neurodegeneration cascade leading to the development of disease are of particular interest. An example of such substances is resveratrol and its synthetic and natural derivatives, which have gained popularity in recent years and show promise as a possible new therapeutic option in the approach to Alzheimer's disease treatment. In this article, the state of the art evidence on the role of resveratrol (RSV) in neuroprotection is presented; research results are summarized and the importance of resveratrol and its derivatives in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are underlined. It also focuses on various modifications of the resveratrol molecule that should be taken into account in the design of future research on drugs against Alzheimer's disease.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Benzofurans; Blood-Brain Barrier; Central Nervous System Diseases; Humans; Inflammation; Metabolic Diseases; Neuroprotection; Oxidative Stress; Resveratrol; Stilbenes; tau Proteins

Accumulation and oligomerization of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides have been known to be a potent cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). To expand the possibilities of preventing AD, we investigated the effects of resveratrol dimers, gnetin C and ε-viniferin, on Aβ 1-42 (Aβ42) production and the reduced cell viability observed after Aβ42 treatment (monomers, 10 μM) in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Among them, addition of gnetin C (20 μM) into the media reduced Aβ42 production most efficiently. Gnetin C suppressed the expression of β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1, β-secretase). Furthermore, gnetin C ameliorated the Aβ42-reduced cell viability most significantly. Concomitantly, gnetin C reduced intracellular Aβ oligomers (ca. 15 and 130 kDa) and elevated both levels of intracellular and extracellular Aβ monomers. Under the treatment with or without Aβ42, gnetin C upregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) which is assumed to be an Aβ-decomposing enzyme. Gnetin C may thereby prevent Aβ toxicity by suppressing BACE1 and enhancing MMP-14, together with reducing both internalization and oligomerization of exogenous Aβ monomers. The use of gnetin C may lead to the prevention of Aβ-mediated diseases, particularly AD.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Benzofurans; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Neoplasm Proteins; Neuroblastoma; Peptide Fragments; Resveratrol; Stilbenes