Two structurally defined Aß polymorphs promote different pathological changes in susceptible mice.

Misfolded Aß is involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of its polymorphic variants or conformational strains in AD pathogenesis is not fully understood. Here, we study the seeding properties of two structurally defined synthetic misfolded Aß strains (termed 2F and 3F) using in vitro and in vivo assays. We show that 2F and 3F strains differ in their biochemical properties, including resistance to proteolysis, binding to strain-specific dyes, and in vitro seeding. Injection of these strains into a transgenic mouse model produces different pathological features, namely different rates of aggregation, formation of different plaque types, tropism to specific brain regions, differential recruitment of Aß40 /Aß42 peptides, and induction of microglial and astroglial responses. Importantly, the aggregates induced by 2F and 3F are structurally different as determined by ssNMR. Our study analyzes the biological properties of purified Aß polymorphs that have been characterized at the atomic resolution level and provides relevant information on the pathological significance of misfolded Aß strains.

Insulin regulates neurovascular coupling through astrocytes.

Mice with insulin receptor (IR)-deficient astrocytes (GFAP-IR knockout [KO] mice) show blunted responses to insulin and reduced brain glucose uptake, whereas IR-deficient astrocytes show disturbed mitochondrial responses to glucose. While exploring the functional impact of disturbed mitochondrial function in astrocytes, we observed that GFAP-IR KO mice show uncoupling of brain blood flow with glucose uptake. Since IR-deficient astrocytes show higher levels of reactive oxidant species (ROS), this leads to stimulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and, consequently, of the vascular endothelial growth factor angiogenic pathway. Indeed, GFAP-IR KO mice show disturbed brain vascularity and blood flow that is normalized by treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC ameliorated high ROS levels, normalized angiogenic signaling and mitochondrial function in IR-deficient astrocytes, and normalized neurovascular coupling in GFAP-IR KO mice. Our results indicate that by modulating glucose uptake and angiogenesis, insulin receptors in astrocytes participate in neurovascular coupling.

Age-related immune alterations and cerebrovascular inflammation.

Aging is associated with chronic systemic inflammation, which contributes to the development of many age-related diseases, including vascular disease. The world's population is aging, leading to an increasing prevalence of both stroke and vascular dementia. The inflammatory response to ischemic stroke is critical to both stroke pathophysiology and recovery. Age is a predictor of poor outcomes after stroke. The immune response to stroke is altered in aged individuals, which contributes to the disparate outcomes between young and aged patients. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the effects of aging on the immune system and the cerebral vasculature and how these changes alter the immune response to stroke and vascular dementia in animal and human studies. Potential implications of these age-related immune alterations on chronic inflammation in vascular disease outcome are highlighted.

Generation of Periventricular Reactive Astrocytes Overexpressing Aquaporin 4 Is Stimulated by Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy.

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) plays a crucial role in brain water circulation and is considered a therapeutic target in hydrocephalus. Congenital hydrocephalus is associated with a reaction of astrocytes in the periventricular white matter both in experimental models and human cases. A previous report showed that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) transplanted into the lateral ventricles of hyh mice exhibiting severe congenital hydrocephalus are attracted by the periventricular astrocyte reaction, and the cerebral tissue displays recovery. The present investigation aimed to test the effect of BM-MSC treatment on astrocyte reaction formation. BM-MSCs were injected into the lateral ventricles of four-day-old hyh mice, and the periventricular reaction was detected two weeks later. A protein expression analysis of the cerebral tissue differentiated the BM-MSC-treated mice from the controls and revealed effects on neural development. In in vivo and in vitro experiments, BM-MSCs stimulated the generation of periventricular reactive astrocytes overexpressing AQP4 and its regulatory protein kinase D-interacting substrate of 220 kDa (Kidins220). In the cerebral tissue, mRNA overexpression of nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF1α), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFß1) could be related to the regulation of the astrocyte reaction and AQP4 expression. In conclusion, BM-MSC treatment in hydrocephalus can stimulate a key developmental process such as the periventricular astrocyte reaction, where AQP4 overexpression could be implicated in tissue recovery.

Amyloid-beta impairs TOM1-mediated IL-1R1 signaling.

Defects in interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)-mediated cellular responses contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To decipher the mechanism associated with its pathogenesis, we investigated the molecular events associated with the termination of IL-1ß inflammatory responses by focusing on the role played by the target of Myb1 (TOM1), a negative regulator of the interleukin-1ß receptor-1 (IL-1R1). We first show that TOM1 steady-state levels are reduced in human AD hippocampi and in the brain of an AD mouse model versus respective controls. Experimentally reducing TOM1 affected microglia activity, substantially increased amyloid-beta levels, and impaired cognition, whereas enhancing its levels was therapeutic. These data show that reparation of the TOM1-signaling pathway represents a therapeutic target for brain inflammatory disorders such as AD. A better understanding of the age-related changes in the immune system will allow us to craft therapies to limit detrimental aspects of inflammation, with the broader purpose of sharply reducing the number of people afflicted by AD.

Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease: An Integrative Analysis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes the most prominent form of dementia among elderly individuals worldwide. Disease modeling using murine transgenic mice was first initiated thanks to the discovery of heritable mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins (PS) genes. However, due to the repeated failure of translational applications from animal models to human patients, along with the recent advances in genetic susceptibility and our current understanding on disease biology, these models have evolved over time in an attempt to better reproduce the complexity of this devastating disease and improve their applicability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview about the major pathological elements of human AD (plaques, tauopathy, synaptic damage, neuronal death, neuroinflammation and glial dysfunction), discussing the knowledge that available mouse models have provided about the mechanisms underlying human disease. Moreover, we highlight the pros and cons of current models, and the revolution offered by the concomitant use of transgenic mice and omics technologies that may lead to a more rapid improvement of the present modeling battery.

Amyloid-ß impairs the phagocytosis of dystrophic synapses by astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease.

Reactive astrocytes and dystrophic neurites, most aberrant presynaptic elements, are found surrounding amyloid-ß plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have previously shown that reactive astrocytes enwrap, phagocytose, and degrade dystrophic synapses in the hippocampus of APP mice and AD patients, but affecting less than 7% of dystrophic neurites, suggesting reduced phagocytic capacity of astrocytes in AD. Here, we aimed to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms by analyzing the capacity of primary astrocyte cultures to phagocytose and degrade isolated synapses (synaptoneurosomes, SNs) from APP (containing dystrophic synapses and amyloid-ß peptides), Tau (containing AT8- and AT100-positive phosphorylated Tau) and WT (controls) mice. We found highly reduced phagocytic and degradative capacity of SNs-APP, but not AT8/AT100-positive SNs-Tau, as compared with SNs-WT. The reduced astrocyte phagocytic capacity was verified in hippocampus from 12-month-old APP mice, since only 1.60 ± 3.81% of peri-plaque astrocytes presented phagocytic structures. This low phagocytic capacity did not depend on microglia-mediated astrocyte reactivity, because removal of microglia from the primary astrocyte cultures abrogated the expression of microglia-dependent genes in astrocytes, but did not affect the phagocytic impairment induced by oligomeric amyloid-ß alone. Taken together, our data suggest that amyloid-ß, but not hyperphosphorylated Tau, directly impairs the capacity of astrocytes to clear the pathological accumulation of oligomeric amyloid-ß, as well as of peri-plaque dystrophic synapses containing amyloid-ß, perhaps by reducing the expression of phagocytosis receptors such as Mertk and Megf10, thus increasing neuronal damage in AD. Therefore, the potentiation or recovery of astrocytic phagocytosis may be a novel therapeutic avenue in AD.

Should We Open Fire on Microglia? Depletion Models as Tools to Elucidate Microglial Role in Health and Alzheimer's Disease.

Microglia play a critical role in both homeostasis and disease, displaying a wide variety in terms of density, functional markers and transcriptomic profiles along the different brain regions as well as under injury or pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The generation of reliable models to study into a dysfunctional microglia context could provide new knowledge towards the contribution of these cells in AD. In this work, we included an overview of different microglial depletion approaches. We also reported unpublished data from our genetic microglial depletion model, Cx3cr1CreER/Csf1rflx/flx, in which we temporally controlled microglia depletion by either intraperitoneal (acute model) or oral (chronic model) tamoxifen administration. Our results reported a clear microglial repopulation, then pointing out that our model would mimic a context of microglial replacement instead of microglial dysfunction. Next, we evaluated the origin and pattern of microglial repopulation. Additionally, we also reviewed previous works assessing the effects of microglial depletion in the progression of Aß and Tau pathologies, where controversial data are found, probably due to the heterogeneous and time-varying microglial phenotypes observed in AD. Despite that, microglial depletion represents a promising tool to assess microglial role in AD and design therapeutic strategies.

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cells as a Relevant Platform for Drug Screening in Alzheimer's Disease.

Extracellular amyloid-beta deposition and intraneuronal Tau-laden neurofibrillary tangles are prime features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The pathology of AD is very complex and still not fully understood, since different neural cell types are involved in the disease. Although neuronal function is clearly deteriorated in AD patients, recently, an increasing number of evidences have pointed towards glial cell dysfunction as one of the main causative phenomena implicated in AD pathogenesis. The complex disease pathology together with the lack of reliable disease models have precluded the development of effective therapies able to counteract disease progression. The discovery and implementation of human pluripotent stem cell technology represents an important opportunity in this field, as this system allows the generation of patient-derived cells to be used for disease modeling and therapeutic target identification and as a platform to be employed in drug discovery programs. In this review, we discuss the current studies using human pluripotent stem cells focused on AD, providing convincing evidences that this system is an excellent opportunity to advance in the comprehension of AD pathology, which will be translated to the development of the still missing effective therapies.

Galectin-3, a novel endogenous TREM2 ligand, detrimentally regulates inflammatory response in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which the formation of extracellular aggregates of amyloid beta (Aß) peptide, fibrillary tangles of intraneuronal tau and microglial activation are major pathological hallmarks. One of the key molecules involved in microglial activation is galectin-3 (gal3), and we demonstrate here for the first time a key role of gal3 in AD pathology. Gal3 was highly upregulated in the brains of AD patients and 5xFAD (familial Alzheimer's disease) mice and found specifically expressed in microglia associated with Aß plaques. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the LGALS3 gene, which encodes gal3, were associated with an increased risk of AD. Gal3 deletion in 5xFAD mice attenuated microglia-associated immune responses, particularly those associated with TLR and TREM2/DAP12 signaling. In vitro data revealed that gal3 was required to fully activate microglia in response to fibrillar Aß. Gal3 deletion decreased the Aß burden in 5xFAD mice and improved cognitive behavior. Interestingly, a single intrahippocampal injection of gal3 along with Aß monomers in WT mice was sufficient to induce the formation of long-lasting (2 months) insoluble Aß aggregates, which were absent when gal3 was lacking. High-resolution microscopy (stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy) demonstrated close colocalization of gal3 and TREM2 in microglial processes, and a direct interaction was shown by a fluorescence anisotropy assay involving the gal3 carbohydrate recognition domain. Furthermore, gal3 was shown to stimulate TREM2-DAP12 signaling in a reporter cell line. Overall, our data support the view that gal3 inhibition may be a potential pharmacological approach to counteract AD.

Phagocytic clearance of presynaptic dystrophies by reactive astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease.

Reactive astrogliosis, a complex process characterized by cell hypertrophy and upregulation of components of intermediate filaments, is a common feature in brains of Alzheimer's patients. Reactive astrocytes are found in close association with neuritic plaques; however, the precise role of these glial cells in disease pathogenesis is unknown. In this study, using immunohistochemical techniques and light and electron microscopy, we report that plaque-associated reactive astrocytes enwrap, engulf and may digest presynaptic dystrophies in the hippocampus of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) mice. Microglia, the brain phagocytic population, was apparently not engaged in this clearance. Phagocytic reactive astrocytes were present in 35% and 67% of amyloid plaques at 6 and 12 months of age, respectively. The proportion of engulfed dystrophic neurites was low, around 7% of total dystrophies around plaques at both ages. This fact, along with the accumulation of dystrophic neurites during disease course, suggests that the efficiency of the astrocyte phagocytic process might be limited or impaired. Reactive astrocytes surrounding and engulfing dystrophic neurites were also detected in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's patients by confocal and ultrastructural analysis. We posit that the phagocytic activity of reactive astrocytes might contribute to clear dysfunctional synapses or synaptic debris, thereby restoring impaired neural circuits and reducing the inflammatory impact of damaged neuronal parts and/or limiting the amyloid pathology. Therefore, potentiation of the phagocytic properties of reactive astrocytes may represent a potential therapy in Alzheimer's disease.

N370S-GBA1 mutation causes lysosomal cholesterol accumulation in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Heterozygous mutations in the GBA1 gene, which encodes the lysosomal enzyme ß-glucocerebrosidase-1, increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the N370S-GBA1 mutation on cellular homeostasis and vulnerability in a patient-specific cellular model of PD. METHODS: We isolated fibroblasts from 4 PD patients carrying the N370S/wild type GBA1 mutation and 6 controls to study the autophagy-lysosome pathway, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and Golgi apparatus structure by Western blot, immunofluorescence, LysoTracker and Filipin stainings, mRNA analysis, and electron microscopy. We evaluated cell vulnerability by apoptosis, reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential with flow cytometry. RESULTS: The N370S mutation produced a significant reduction in ß-glucocerebrosidase-1 protein and enzyme activity and ß-glucocerebrosidase-1 retention within the endoplasmic reticulum, which interrupted its traffic to the lysosome. This led to endoplasmic reticulum stress activation and triggered unfolded protein response and Golgi apparatus fragmentation. Furthermore, these alterations resulted in autophagosome and p62/SQSTM1 accumulation. This impaired autophagy was a result of dysfunctional lysosomes, indicated by multilamellar body accumulation probably caused by increased cholesterol, enlarged lysosomal mass, and reduced enzyme activity. This phenotype impaired the removal of damaged mitochondria and reactive oxygen species production and enhanced cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support a connection between the loss of ß-glucocerebrosidase-1 function, cholesterol accumulation, and the disruption of cellular homeostasis in GBA1-PD. Our work reveals new insights into the cellular pathways underlying PD pathogenesis, providing evidence that GBA1-PD shares common features with lipid-storage diseases. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Soluble phospho-tau from Alzheimer's disease hippocampus drives microglial degeneration.

The role of microglial cells in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been elucidated. Here, we demonstrated the existence of a weak microglial response in human AD hippocampus which is in contrast to the massive microglial activation observed in APP-based models. Most importantly, microglial cells displayed a prominent degenerative profile (dentate gyrus > CA3 > CA1 > parahippocampal gyrus), including fragmented and dystrophic processes with spheroids, a reduced numerical density, and a significant decrease in the area of surveillance ("microglial domain"). Consequently, there was a substantial decline in the area covered by microglia which may compromise immune protection and, therefore, neuronal survival. In vitro experiments demonstrated that soluble fractions (extracellular/cytosolic) from AD hippocampi were toxic for microglial cells. This toxicity was abolished by AT8 and/or AT100 immunodepletion, validating that soluble phospho-tau was the toxic agent. These results were reproduced using soluble fractions from phospho-tau-positive Thy-tau22 hippocampi. Cultured microglial cells were not viable following phagocytosis of SH-SY5Y cells expressing soluble intracellular phospho-tau. Because the phagocytic capacity of microglial cells is highly induced by apoptotic signals in the affected neurons, we postulate that accumulation of intraneuronal soluble phospho-tau might trigger microglial degeneration in the AD hippocampus. This microglial vulnerability in AD pathology provides new insights into the immunological mechanisms underlying the disease progression and highlights the need to improve or develop new animal models, as the current models do not mimic the microglial pathology observed in the hippocampus of AD patients.

Expression of Gls and Gls2 glutaminase isoforms in astrocytes.

The expression of glutaminase in glial cells has been a controversial issue and matter of debate for many years. Actually, glutaminase is essentially considered as a neuronal marker in brain. Astrocytes are endowed with efficient and high capacity transport systems to recapture synaptic glutamate which seems to be consistent with the absence of glutaminase in these glial cells. In this work, a comprehensive study was devised to elucidate expression of glutaminase in neuroglia and, more concretely, in astrocytes. Immunocytochemistry in rat and human brain tissues employing isoform-specific antibodies revealed expression of both Gls and Gls2 glutaminase isozymes in glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal populations as well as in astrocytes. Nevertheless, there was a different subcellular distribution: Gls isoform was always present in mitochondria while Gls2 appeared in two different locations, mitochondria and nucleus. Confocal microscopy and double immunofluorescence labeling in cultured astrocytes confirmed the same pattern previously seen in brain tissue samples. Astrocytic glutaminase expression was also assessed at the mRNA level, real-time quantitative RT-PCR detected transcripts of four glutaminase isozymes but with marked differences on their absolute copy number: the predominance of Gls isoforms over Gls2 transcripts was remarkable (ratio of 144:1). Finally, we proved that astrocytic glutaminase proteins possess enzymatic activity by in situ activity staining: concrete populations of astrocytes were labeled in the cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus of rat brain demonstrating functional catalytic activity. These results are relevant for the stoichiometry of the Glu/Gln cycle at the tripartite synapse and suggest novel functions for these classical metabolic enzymes.

Increased levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) but not transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFß1) are associated with the severity of congenital hydrocephalus in the hyh mouse.

AIMS: Here, we tested the hypothesis that glial responses via the production of cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFß1) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), which play important roles in neurodegenerative diseases, are correlated with the severity of congenital hydrocephalus in the hyh mouse model. We also searched for evidence of this association in human cases of primary hydrocephalus. METHODS: Hyh mice, which exhibit either severe or compensated long-lasting forms of hydrocephalus, were examined and compared with wild-type mice. TGFß1, TNFα and TNFαR1 mRNA levels were quantified using real-time PCR. TNFα and TNFαR1 were immunolocalized in the brain tissues of hyh mice and four hydrocephalic human foetuses relative to astroglial and microglial reactions. RESULTS: The TGFß1 mRNA levels were not significantly different between hyh mice exhibiting severe or compensated hydrocephalus and normal mice. In contrast, severely hydrocephalic mice exhibited four- and two-fold increases in the mean levels of TNFα and TNFαR1, respectively, compared with normal mice. In the hyh mouse, TNFα and TNFαR1 immunoreactivity was preferentially detected in astrocytes that form a particular periventricular reaction characteristic of hydrocephalus. However, these proteins were rarely detected in microglia, which did not appear to be activated. TNFα immunoreactivity was also detected in the glial reaction in the small group of human foetuses exhibiting hydrocephalus that were examined. CONCLUSIONS: In the hyh mouse model of congenital hydrocephalus, TNFα and TNFαR1 appear to be associated with the severity of the disease, probably mediating the astrocyte reaction, neurodegenerative processes and ischaemia.

Bidirectional modulation of synaptic transmission by insulin-like growth factor-I.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a key role in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and is an essential factor in learning and memory processes. However, during aging, IGF-I levels are decreased, and the effect of this decrease in the induction of synaptic plasticity remains unknown. Here we show that the induction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) at layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons (PNs) of the mouse barrel cortex is favored or prevented by IGF-I (10 nM) or IGF-I (7 nM), respectively, when IGF-I is applied 1 h before the induction of Hebbian LTP. Analyzing the cellular basis of this bidirectional control of synaptic plasticity, we observed that while 10 nM IGF-I generates LTP (LTPIGF-I) of the post-synaptic potentials (PSPs) by inducing long-term depression (LTD) of the inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs), 7 nM IGF-I generates LTD of the PSPs (LTDIGF-I) by inducing LTD of the excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs). This bidirectional effect of IGF-I is supported by the observation of IGF-IR immunoreactivity at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Therefore, IGF-I controls the induction of Hebbian NMDAR-dependent plasticity depending on its concentration, revealing novel cellular mechanisms of IGF-I on synaptic plasticity and in the learning and memory machinery of the brain.

Adipose tissue as a therapeutic target for vascular damage in Alzheimer's disease.

Adipose tissue has recently been recognized as an important endocrine organ that plays a crucial role in energy metabolism and in the immune response in many metabolic tissues. With this regard, emerging evidence indicates that an important crosstalk exists between the adipose tissue and the brain. However, the contribution of adipose tissue to the development of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, remains poorly defined. New studies suggest that the adipose tissue modulates brain function through a range of endogenous biologically active factors known as adipokines, which can cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the target areas in the brain or to regulate the function of the blood-brain barrier. In this review, we discuss the effects of several adipokines on the physiology of the blood-brain barrier, their contribution to the development of Alzheimer's disease and their therapeutic potential. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue From Alzheimer's Disease to Vascular Dementia: Different Roads Leading to Cognitive Decline. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.6/issuetoc.

Monocyte-derived cells invade brain parenchyma and amyloid plaques in human Alzheimer's disease hippocampus.

Microglia are brain-resident myeloid cells and play a major role in the innate immune responses of the CNS and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the contribution of nonparenchymal or brain-infiltrated myeloid cells to disease progression remains to be demonstrated. Here, we show that monocyte-derived cells (MDC) invade brain parenchyma in advanced stages of AD continuum using transcriptional analysis and immunohistochemical characterization in post-mortem human hippocampus. Our findings demonstrated that a high proportion (60%) of demented Braak V-VI individuals was associated with up-regulation of genes rarely expressed by microglial cells and abundant in monocytes, among which stands the membrane-bound scavenger receptor for haptoglobin/hemoglobin complexes or Cd163. These Cd163-positive MDC invaded the hippocampal parenchyma, acquired a microglial-like morphology, and were located in close proximity to blood vessels. Moreover, and most interesting, these invading monocytes infiltrated the nearby amyloid plaques contributing to plaque-associated myeloid cell heterogeneity. However, in aged-matched control individuals with hippocampal amyloid pathology, no signs of MDC brain infiltration or plaque invasion were found. The previously reported microglial degeneration/dysfunction in AD hippocampus could be a key pathological factor inducing MDC recruitment. Our data suggest a clear association between MDC infiltration and endothelial activation which in turn may contribute to damage of the blood brain barrier integrity. The recruitment of monocytes could be a consequence rather than the cause of the severity of the disease. Whether monocyte infiltration is beneficial or detrimental to AD pathology remains to be fully elucidated. These findings open the opportunity to design targeted therapies, not only for microglia but also for the peripheral immune cell population to modulate amyloid pathology and provide a better understanding of the immunological mechanisms underlying the progression of AD.

Age-dependent accumulation of soluble amyloid beta (Abeta) oligomers reverses the neuroprotective effect of soluble amyloid precursor protein-alpha (sAPP(alpha)) by modulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt-GSK-3beta pathway in Alzheimer mouse model.

Neurotrophins, activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, control neuronal survival and plasticity. Alterations in NGF, BDNF, IGF-1, or insulin signaling are implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. We have previously characterized a bigenic PS1×APP transgenic mouse displaying early hippocampal Aß deposition (3 to 4 months) but late (17 to 18 months) neurodegeneration of pyramidal cells, paralleled to the accumulation of soluble Aß oligomers. We hypothesized that PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß signaling pathway could be involved in this apparent age-dependent neuroprotective/neurodegenerative status. In fact, our data demonstrated that, as compared with age-matched nontransgenic controls, the Ser-9 phosphorylation of GSK-3ß was increased in the 6-month PS1×APP hippocampus, whereas in aged PS1×APP animals (18 months), GSK-3ß phosphorylation levels displayed a marked decrease. Using N2a and primary neuronal cell cultures, we demonstrated that soluble amyloid precursor protein-α (sAPPα), the predominant APP-derived fragment in young PS1×APP mice, acting through IGF-1 and/or insulin receptors, activated the PI3K/Akt pathway, phosphorylated the GSK-3ß activity, and in consequence, exerted a neuroprotective action. On the contrary, several oligomeric Aß forms, present in the soluble fractions of aged PS1×APP mice, inhibited the induced phosphorylation of Akt/GSK-3ß and decreased the neuronal survival. Furthermore, synthetic Aß oligomers blocked the effect mediated by different neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, insulin, and IGF-1) and sAPPα, displaying high selectivity for NGF. In conclusion, the age-dependent appearance of APP-derived soluble factors modulated the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3ß signaling pathway through the major neurotrophin receptors. sAPPα stimulated and Aß oligomers blocked the prosurvival signaling. Our data might provide insights into the selective vulnerability of specific neuronal groups in Alzheimer disease.