Lamotrigine protects against cognitive deficits, synapse and nerve cell damage, and hallmark neuropathologies in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Lamotrigine (LTG) is a widely used drug for the treatment of epilepsy. Emerging clinical evidence suggests that LTG may improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice were used as a model of Alzheimer's disease. Five-month-old APP/PS1 mice were intragastrically administered 30 mg/kg LTG or vehicle once per day for 3 successive months. The cognitive functions of animals were assessed using Morris water maze. Hyperphosphorylated tau and markers of synapse and glial cells were detected by western blot assay. The cell damage in the brain was investigated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of amyloid-ß and the concentrations of interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the brain were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Differentially expressed genes in the brain after LTG treatment were analyzed by high-throughput RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction. We found that LTG substantially improved spatial cognitive deficits of APP/PS1 mice; alleviated damage to synapses and nerve cells in the brain; and reduced amyloid-ß levels, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, and inflammatory responses. High-throughput RNA sequencing revealed that the beneficial effects of LTG on Alzheimer's disease-related neuropathologies may have been mediated by the regulation of Ptgds, Cd74, Map3k1, Fosb, and Spp1 expression in the brain. These findings revealed potential molecular mechanisms by which LTG treatment improved Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, these data indicate that LTG may be a promising therapeutic drug for Alzheimer's disease.

A Non-Peptidic MAS1 Agonist AVE0991 Alleviates Hippocampal Synaptic Degeneration in Rats with Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is a contributing factor for neurodegenerative diseases. As a recently identified heptapeptide of the brain renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin-(1-7) has been revealed to activate its receptor MAS1 and thus ameliorated cognitive impairments in rats with CCH. Since hippocampal synaptic degeneration represents an important pathological basis of cognitive deficits, we hypothesize that activating MAS1-mediated signaling may alleviate CCH-induced synaptic degeneration in the hippocampus. METHODS: In this study, we tested this hypothesis and uncovered the underlying mechanisms in a rat model of CCH induced by bilateral common carotid artery ligation surgery. At one week after the surgery, rats received a daily intraperitoneal vehicle injection or a non-peptidic MAS1 agonist AVE0991 for 8 weeks. During this procedure, Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) was recorded. The levels of MAS1, amyloid-ß (Aß), neuroinflammatory cytokines, glial cell markers, and synaptophysin in the hippocampus were assessed at the end of the treatment period. RESULTS: We showed that AVE0991 significantly alleviated hippocampal synaptic degeneration in rats with CCH. This protection might be achieved by facilitating CBF recovery, reducing hippocampal Aß levels, and suppressing neuroinflammatory responses. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that MAS1-mediated signaling may represent a novel therapeutic target for CCH-related neurodegenerative diseases.

ACE2 activator diminazene aceturate ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathology and rescues cognitive impairment in SAMP8 mice.

Previously, we revealed that brain Ang-(1-7) deficiency was involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). We speculated that restoration of brain Ang-(1-7) levels might have a therapeutic effect against AD. However, the relatively short duration of biological effect limited the application of Ang-(1-7) in animal experiments. Since Ang-(1-7) is generated by its metabolic enzyme ACE2, we then tested the efficacy of an ACE2 activator diminazene aceturate (DIZE) on AD-like neuropathology and cognitive impairment in senescence-accelerated mouse prone substrain 8 (SAMP8) mice, an animal model of sporadic AD. Eight-month-old SAMP8 mice were injected intraperitoneally with vehicle or DIZE once a day for 30 consecutive days. DIZE markedly elevated brain Ang-(1-7) and MAS1 levels. Meanwhile, DIZE significantly reduced the levels of Aß1-42, hyperphosphorylated tau and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain. The synaptic and neuronal losses in the brain were ameliorated by DIZE. Importantly, DIZE improved spatial cognitive functions in the Morris water maze test. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that DIZE ameliorates AD-like neuropathology and rescues cognitive impairment in SAMP8 mice. These beneficial effects of DIZE may be achieved by activating brain ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MAS1 axis. These findings highlight brain ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MAS1 axis as a potential target for the treatment of sporadic AD.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of autoimmune encephalitis patients associated with anti-glutamate decarboxylase antibody 65.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) associated with anti-Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 65 (GAD65). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From Jan 2016 to Aug 2018, three patients diagnosed as anti-GAD65 AE in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed for their general demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, brain imaging, EEG, treatment and prognosis. RESULTS: We found that Anti-GAD65 AE may be more common in young and middle-aged women, with initial presentations of refractory status epilepticus or cognitive decline following the disease progresses, but with less psychiatric symptoms than other types of AEs. The abnormal signals of MRI may be obvious in bilateral frontal, temporal lobe and hippocampus. CONCLUSION: The production of anti-GAD65 may have a certain latency period, and it is usually negative at the onset stage. More studies need to be performed on larger populations and further understand the potential mechanisms underlying the above clinical features of anti-GAD65 AE.

Differential Diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis from Infectious Lymphocytic Encephalitis by Analysing the Lymphocyte Subsets of Cerebrospinal Fluid.

This study is aimed at investigating the lymphocyte subsets of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to provide possible differential diagnostic values and better understand the pathophysiological mechanism underlying autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and infectious lymphocytic encephalitis. A series of CD markers, including CD3/4/8/20 representing different types and developmental stages of lymphocytes, were used to count the corresponding subpopulations of CSF from clinical and laboratory confirmed cases of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor AE (NMDAR-AE), herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE), and tuberculous meningitis (TBM). The percentages of lymphocytes observed and the CD4 : CD8 ratios were compared between the three groups. There were no significant differences of the percentage of total lymphocytes, CD3 cells, and CD4 cells of CSF among each group. However, there were strongly statistical differences of the CD4 : CD8 ratio in CSF of each group with 0.6 : 1 in NMDAR-AE, 0.9 : 1 in HSVE, and 3.2 : 1 in TBM. The percentage of CD20 B lymphocytes in NMDAR-AE was statistically higher than that of other groups. The distinct percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations of CSF appeared to be characteristic and could potentially serve as diagnostic indicators. Further verification and research will be necessary to clarify the significance and nature of CD4 : CD8 ratios and B lymphocytes in CSF between AE and the infectious lymphocytic encephalitis.

Comparative study of CD4 and CD45RO T cells and CD20 B cells in cerebrospinal fluid of syphilitic meningitis and tuberculous meningitis patients.

This study was to investigate the differences of lymphocyte in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with syphilis meningitis (SM) and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) for new diagnostic insights. Totally, 79 cases of SM and 45 cases of TBM were enrolled. In the CSF, the CD4, CD45RO or CD20 positive lymphocytes were detected by immunohistochemistry. The proportion of CD4 T cells in the CSF lymphocytes in patients with SM was significantly higher than that in patients with TBM (p < 0.05). After medical therapy, there was a significantly decline trend of the CD4 T-cell proportion in both groups (p < 0.05). The proportion of CD45RO T cells in CSF lymphocytes of patients with SM was less than that of patients with TBM (p < 0.05). After medical therapy, the positive ratio of CD45RO T cells was increased in the CSF of both group patients (p < 0.05). The proportion of CD20B cells in the CSF lymphocytes was not obviously different between the two groups during every stage. In conclusion, there are strong differences of CD4 and CD45RO T-cell ratio, but not the CD20 B cells in the meningitis. CD4 and CD45RO T cells in CSF are a useful complement in differentially diagnosing SM and TBM; it contributes to further understand the pathogenesis and prognosis of SM and TBM.

Common Polymorphisms Within QPCT Gene Are Associated with the Susceptibility of Schizophrenia in a Han Chinese Population.

A recent genome-wide association study conducted in Caucasians has identified glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase (QPCT) gene as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, as its common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2373000 was significantly associated with the risk of this disease. To date, this finding has not been validated in other populations or ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of common SNPs spanning QPCT gene with the susceptibility of schizophrenia in a Han Chinese population comprising 440 schizophrenia patients and 450 control subjects. A total of 6 tagSNPs including rs2373000 was selected and then genotyped in our sample. Although the relation between rs2373000 and the risk of schizophrenia was not successfully replicated, we showed for the first time that the minor allele (C) of rs3770752 was associated with a reduced risk of schizophrenia (odds ratio (OR) = 0.645; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.486-0.855; P corrected = 0.012) in our cohorts. Meanwhile, this allele seemed to modify the schizophrenia risk through a dominant manner (CC + CT vs. TT, OR = 0.625; 95 % CI 0.457-0.854; P corrected = 0.03). In addition, we found that the minor allele (T) of rs3770748 remarkably reduced the schizophrenia risk via a recessive manner (TT vs. TC + CC, OR = 0.618; 95 % CI: 0.449-0.851; P corrected = 0.03). Taken together, these findings demonstrate a significant association between common SNPs within QPCT gene and schizophrenia risk in a Han Chinese population, suggesting QPCT gene may represent a susceptibility gene for this disease.

Ischemic preconditioning provides neuroprotection by induction of AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent autophagy in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

Accumulating evidence suggests that ischemic preconditioning (IPC) increases cerebral tolerance to the subsequent ischemic exposure. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent autophagy contributed to the neuroprotection of IPC in rats with permanent cerebral ischemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with vehicle, compound C (an AMPK inhibitor), or 3-methyladenine (3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor) and then were subjected to IPC induced by a 10-min middle cerebral artery occlusion. Afterward, the brain AMPK activity and autophagy biomarkers were measured. At 24 h after IPC, permanent cerebral ischemia was induced in these rats, and infarct volume, neurological deficits as well as cell apoptosis were evaluated 24 h later. We demonstrated that IPC activated AMPK and induced autophagy in the brain, which was accompanied by a reduction of infract volume, neurological deficits, and cell apoptosis after cerebral ischemia. Meanwhile, the IPC-induced autophagy was inhibited by compound C while the neuroprotection of IPC was abolished by compound C or 3-MA. These findings suggest that AMPK-mediated autophagy contributes to the neuroprotection of IPC, highlighting AMPK as a therapeutic target for stroke prevention and treatment.

Chronic Metformin Preconditioning Provides Neuroprotection via Suppression of NF-κB-Mediated Inflammatory Pathway in Rats with Permanent Cerebral Ischemia.

Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic metformin preconditioning offers potent neuroprotective effects against ischemic stroke. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that chronic preconditioning with metformin conferred neuroprotection via suppression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-mediated inflammatory pathway. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with vehicle or metformin (50 mg/kg daily, i.p.) for 3 weeks and were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). At 24 h (acute phase) and 96 h (subacute phase) after pMCAO, infarct volume and neurological deficits were evaluated. Meanwhile, the activity of NF-κB and the levels of its downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected at 24 h after pMCAO. Our results showed that chronic metformin preconditioning significantly reduced infarct volume and improved neurological deficits at 24 and 96 h after pMCAO. It also suppressed brain NF-κB activity, which was accompanied by a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and induced nitric oxide synthase in the peri-infarct regions at 24 h after pMCAO. Moreover, the microgliosis and astrocytosis induced by pMCAO were also ameliorated by chronic metformin preconditioning. Collectively, the present study provides the first evidence that suppression of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathway may represent one potential mechanism underlying the neuroprotection of chronic metformin preconditioning. In addition, our findings suggest that metformin, a first-line drug for glycemic control, has a practical clinical use for stroke prevention and treatment.

Upregulation of TREM2 ameliorates neuropathology and rescues spatial cognitive impairment in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) gene is a recently identified susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease (AD), as its low-frequency variants increase the risk of this disease with an odds ratio similar to that of an APOE ɛ4 allele. To date, the expression and biologic functions of TREM2 under AD context remain largely unknown. Using APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, a transgenic model of AD, we showed that TREM2 was upregulated in microglia during disease progression. For the first time, we provided in vitro and in vivo evidence that this upregulation was attributed to the increased amyloid-ß (Aß)(1-42) levels in the brain. By knockdown and overexpression of TREM2 in cultured primary microglia, we revealed that TREM2 modulated microglial functions under AD context, as it facilitated Aß(1-42) phagocytosis and inhibited Aß(1-42)-triggered proinflammatory responses. Meanwhile, this modulation was dependent on DAP12, the adapter protein of TREM2. More importantly, overexpression of TREM2 in the brain of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice markedly ameliorated AD-related neuropathology including Aß deposition, neuroinflammation, and neuronal and synaptic losses, which was accompanied by an improvement in spatial cognitive functions. Taken together, our data suggest that the upregulation of TREM2 serves as a compensatory response to Aß(1-42) and subsequently protects against AD progression by modulation of microglia functions. These findings provide insights into the role of TREM2 in AD pathogenesis, and highlight TREM2 as a potential therapeutic target for this disease.

Temsirolimus attenuates tauopathy in vitro and in vivo by targeting tau hyperphosphorylation and autophagic clearance.

In a variety of neurodegenerative tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and some types of Parkinson's disease, tau protein is abnormally hyperphosphorylated by several kinases and eventually aggregates to form neurofibrillary tangles, a neurotoxic pathological characteristic that closely correlates with cognitive impairments. Hence, targeting hyperphosphorylated tau protein has now been considered as a valid therapeutic approach for these neurodegenerative tauopathies. As a newly developed analog of rapamycin, temsirolimus was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Recent findings suggested that temsirolimus also provided beneficial effects in animal models of Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, two neurodegenerative diseases caused by accumulation of aberrant proteins within brain. To date, the therapeutic potentials of temsirolimus in neurodegenerative tauopathies have not been determined. Herein, we demonstrated for the first time that temsirolimus treatment effectively enhanced autophagic clearance of hyperphosphorylated tau in okadaic acid-incubated SH-SY5Y cells and in brain of P301S transgenic mice. Meanwhile, we showed that inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß, the most important tau kinase, might contribute to the temsirolimus-induced reduction of tau hyperphosphorylation in these two tauopathy models. More importantly, temsirolimus administration rescued spatial learning and memory impairments in P301S transgenic mice. These findings highlight temsirolimus administration as a potential therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative tauopathies.

Angiotensin-(1-7) induces cerebral ischaemic tolerance by promoting brain angiogenesis in a Mas/eNOS-dependent pathway.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: As a newer component of the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7) ] has been shown to facilitate angiogenesis and protect against ischaemic damage in peripheral tissues. However, the role of Ang-(1-7) in brain angiogenesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Ang-(1-7) could promote angiogenesis in brain, thus inducing tolerance against focal cerebral ischaemia. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were i.c.v. infused with Ang-(1-7), A-779 (a Mas receptor antagonist), L-NIO, a specific endothelial NOS (eNOS) inhibitor, endostatin (an anti-angiogenic compound) or vehicle, alone or simultaneously, for 1-4 weeks. Capillary density, endothelial cell proliferation and key components of eNOS pathway in the brain were evaluated. Afterwards, rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO), and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), infarct volume and neurological deficits were measured 24 h later. KEY RESULTS: Infusion of Ang-(1-7) for 4 weeks significantly increased brain capillary density via promoting endothelial cell proliferation, which was accompanied by eNOS activation and up-regulation of NO and VEGF in brain. These effects were abolished by A-779 or L-NIO. More importantly, Ang-(1-7) improved rCBF and decreased infarct volume and neurological deficits after pMCAO, which could be reversed by A-779, L-NIO or endostatin. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first evidence that Ang-(1-7) promotes brain angiogenesis via a Mas/eNOS-dependent pathway, which enhances tolerance against subsequent cerebral ischaemia. These findings highlight brain Ang-(1-7)/Mas signalling as a potential target in stroke prevention.

Temsirolimus promotes autophagic clearance of amyloid-ß and provides protective effects in cellular and animal models of Alzheimer's disease.

Accumulation of amyloid-ß peptides (Aß) within brain is a major pathogenic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Emerging evidence suggests that autophagy, an important intracellular catabolic process, is involved in Aß clearance. Here, we investigated whether temsirolimus, a newly developed compound approved by Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for renal cell carcinoma treatment, would promote autophagic clearance of Aß and thus provide protective effects in cellular and animal models of AD. HEK293 cells expressing the Swedish mutant of APP695 (HEK293-APP695) were treated with vehicle or 100nM temsirolimus for 24h in the presence or absence of 3-methyladenine (5mM) or Atg5-siRNA, and intracellular Aß levels as well as autophagy biomarkers were measured. Meanwhile, APP/PS1 mice received intraperitoneal injection of temsirolimus (20mg/kg) every 2 days for 60 days, and brain Aß burden, autophagy biomarkers, cellular apoptosis in hippocampus, and spatial cognitive functions were assessed. Our results showed that temsirolimus enhanced Aß clearance in HEK293-APP695 cells and in brain of APP/PS1 mice in an autophagy-dependent manner. Meanwhile, temsirolimus attenuated cellular apoptosis in hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice, which was accompanied by an improvement in spatial learning and memory abilities. In conclusion, our study provides the first evidence that temsirolimus promotes autophagic Aß clearance and exerts protective effects in cellular and animal models of AD, suggesting that temsirolimus administration may represent a new therapeutic strategy for AD treatment. Meanwhile, these findings emphasize the notion that many therapeutic agents possess pleiotropic actions aside from their main applications.

Acute metformin preconditioning confers neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischaemia by pre-activation of AMPK-dependent autophagy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent clinical trials report that metformin, an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) used to treat type 2 diabetes, significantly reduces the risk of stroke by actions that are independent of its glucose-lowering effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. Here, we tested the possibility that acute metformin preconditioning confers neuroprotection by pre-activation of AMPK-dependent autophagy in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with either vehicle, an AMPK inhibitor, Compound C, or an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, and were injected with a single dose of metformin (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.). Then, AMPK activity and autophagy biomarkers in the brain were assessed. At 24 h after metformin treatment, rats were subjected to pMCAO; infarct volume, neurological deficits and cell apoptosis were evaluated 24 and 96 h later. KEY RESULTS: A single dose of metformin significantly activated AMPK and induced autophagy in the brain. The enhanced autophagic activity was inhibited by Compound C pretreatment. Furthermore, acute metformin preconditioning significantly reduced infarct volume, neurological deficits and cell apoptosis during a subsequent focal cerebral ischaemia. The neuroprotection mediated by metformin preconditioning was fully abolished by Compound C and partially inhibited by 3-methyladenine. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These results provide the first evidence that acute metformin preconditioning induces autophagy by activation of brain AMPK, which confers neuroprotection against subsequent cerebral ischaemia. This suggests that metformin, a well-known hypoglycaemic drug, may have a practical clinical use for stroke prevention.

Anti-TNF-α reduces amyloid plaques and tau phosphorylation and induces CD11c-positive dendritic-like cell in the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse brains.

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Overexpression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) occurs in the AD brain. Recent clinical studies have shown that the anti-TNF-α therapy improves cognition function of AD patients rapidly. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. The present study investigates the effects of intracerebroventricular injection of the monoclonal TNF-α antibody, Infliximab, on the pathological features of AD in the APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. We found that Infliximab administration reduced the levels of TNF-α, amyloid plaques, and tau phosphorylation as early as three days after daily injection of 150 µg Infliximab for three days. The number of CD11c-positive dendritic-like cells and the expression of CD11c were found to be increased concurrently after Infliximab injection. These data suggested that the CD11c-positive dendritic-like cells might contribute to the Infliximab-induced reduction of AD-like pathology. Furthermore, our results support the use of anti-TNF-α for the treatment of AD.