Rapamycin reduces neuronal mutant huntingtin aggregation and ameliorates locomotor performance in Drosophila.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by movement and cognitive dysfunction. HD is caused by a CAG expansion in exon 1 of the HTT gene that leads to a polyglutamine (PQ) repeat in the huntingtin protein, which aggregates in the brain and periphery. Previously, we used Drosophila models to determine that Htt-PQ aggregation in the heart causes shortened lifespan and cardiac dysfunction that is ameliorated by promoting chaperonin function or reducing oxidative stress. Here, we further study the role of neuronal mutant huntingtin and how it affects peripheral function. We overexpressed normal (Htt-PQ25) or expanded mutant (Htt-PQ72) exon 1 of huntingtin in Drosophila neurons and found that mutant huntingtin caused age-dependent Htt-PQ aggregation in the brain and could cause a loss of synapsin. To determine if this neuronal dysfunction led to peripheral dysfunction, we performed a negative geotaxis assay to measure locomotor performance and found that neuronal mutant huntingtin caused an age-dependent decrease in locomotor performance. Next, we found that rapamycin reduced Htt-PQ aggregation in the brain. These results demonstrate the role of neuronal Htt-PQ in dysfunction in models of HD, suggest that brain-periphery crosstalk could be important to the pathogenesis of HD, and show that rapamycin reduces mutant huntingtin aggregation in the brain.

Promising new pharmacological targets for depression: The search for efficacy.

Pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) still relies on the use of serotonergic drugs, despite their limited efficacy. A few mechanistically new drugs have been developed in recent years, but many fail in clinical trials. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain MDD pathophysiology, indicating that physiological processes such as neuroplasticity, circadian rhythms, and metabolism are potential targets. Here, we review the current state of pharmacological treatments for MDD, as well as the preclinical and clinical evidence for an antidepressant effect of molecules that target non-serotonergic systems. We offer some insights into the challenges facing the development of new antidepressant drugs, and the prospect of finding more effectiveness for each target discussed.

Circadian-mediated regulation of cardiometabolic disorders and aging with time-restricted feeding.

Circadian rhythms are present throughout biology, from the molecular level to complex behaviors such as eating and sleeping. They are driven by molecular clocks within cells, and different tissues can have unique rhythms. Circadian disruption can trigger obesity and other common metabolic disorders such as aging, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and circadian genes control metabolism. At an organismal level, feeding and fasting rhythms are key drivers of circadian rhythms. This underscores the bidirectional relationship between metabolism and circadian rhythms, and many metabolic disorders have circadian disruption or misalignment. Therefore, studying circadian rhythms may offer new avenues for understanding the etiology and management of obesity. This review describes how circadian rhythm dysregulation is linked with cardiometabolic disorders and how the lifestyle intervention of time-restricted feeding (TRF) regulates them. TRF reinforces feeding-fasting rhythms without reducing caloric intake and ameliorates metabolic disorders such as obesity and associated cardiac dysfunction, along with reducing inflammation. TRF optimizes the expression of genes and pathways related to normal metabolic function, linking metabolism with TRF's benefits and demonstrating the molecular link between metabolic disorders and circadian rhythms. Thus, TRF has tremendous therapeutic potential that could be easily adopted to reduce obesity-linked dysfunction and cardiometabolic disorders.

Benfotiamine protects against hypothalamic dysfunction in a STZ-induced model of neurodegeneration in rats.

The neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects not only brain structures associate with cognition early in the progression of the disease, but other areas such as the hypothalamus, a region involved in the control of metabolism and appetite. In this context, we evaluated the effects of benfotiamine (BFT), a vitamin B1 analog that is being proposed as a therapeutical approach for AD-related cognitive alterations, which were induced by intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ). In addition to the already described effect of STZ on cognition, we show that this drug also causes metabolic changes which are linked to changes in hypothalamic insulin signaling and orexigenic and anorexigenic circuitries, as well as a decreased cellular integrated stress response. As expected, the supplementation with 150 mg/kg of BFT for 30 days increased blood concentrations of thiamine and its phosphate esters. This led to the prevention of body weight and fat loss in STZ-ICV-treated animals. In addition, we also found an improvement in food consumption, despite hypothalamic gene expression linked to anorexia after STZ exposure. Additionally, decreased apoptosis signaling was observed in the hypothalamus. In in vitro experiments, we noticed a high ability of BFT to increase insulin sensitivity in hypothalamic neurons. Furthermore, we also observed that BFT decreases the mitochondrial unfolded stress response damage by preventing the loss of HSP60 and reversed the mitochondria dysfunction caused by STZ. Taken together, these results suggest that benfotiamine treatment is a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of hypothalamic dysfunction and metabolic disturbances associated with sporadic AD.

The Symbiotic Effect of a New Nutraceutical with Yeast ß-Glucan, Prebiotics, Minerals, and Silybum marianum (Silymarin) for Recovering Metabolic Homeostasis via Pgc-1α, Il-6, and Il-10 Gene Expression in a Type-2 Diabetes Obesity Model.

The use of natural products and derivatives for the prevention and control of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and hepatic steatosis is a way to achieve homeostasis through different metabolic pathways. Thus, male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the following groups: high-fat diet (HFD) vehicle, HFD + Supplemented, HFD + Supplemented_S, and isolated compounds. The vehicle and experimental formulations were administered orally by gavage once a day over the four weeks of the diet (28 consecutive days). We evaluated the energy homeostasis, cytokines, and mitochondrial gene expression in these groups of mice. After four weeks of supplementation, only the new nutraceutical group (HFD + Supplemented) experienced reduced fasting glycemia, insulin, HOMA index, HOMA-ß, dyslipidemia, ectopic fat deposition, and hepatic fibrosis levels. Additionally, the PPARγ coactivator 1 α (Pgc-1α), interleukin-6 (Il-6), and interleukin-10 (Il-10) gene expression were augmented, while hepatic steatosis decreased and liver parenchyma was recovered. The glutathione-S-transferase activity status was found to be modulated by the supplement. We discovered that the new nutraceutical was able to improve insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis mainly by regulating IL-6, IL-10, and Pgc-1α gene expression.

Activation of the Adipose Tissue NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway in Cancer Cachexia.

Background: Cachexia is a paraneoplastic syndrome that accompanies and compromises cancer treatment, especially in advanced stages, affecting the metabolism and function of several organs. The adipose tissue is the first to respond to the presence of the tumor, contributing to the secretion of factors which drive the systemic inflammation, a hallmark of the syndrome. While inflammation is a defensive innate response, the control mechanisms have been reported to be disrupted in cachexia. On the other hand, little is known about the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in this scenario, a multiprotein complex involved in caspase-1 activation and the processing of the cytokines IL-1ß and IL-18. Aim: based on the evidence from our previous study with a rodent model of cachexia, we examined the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in two adipose tissue depots obtained from patients with colorectal cancer and compared with that another inflammatory pathway, NF-κB. Results: For CC we found opposite modulation in ScAT and PtAT for the gene expression of TLR4, Caspase-1 (cachectic group) and for NF-κB p50, NF-κB p65, IL-1ß. CD36, expression was decreased in both depots while that of NLRP3 and IL-18 was higher in both tissues, as compared with controls and weight stable patients (WSC). Caspase-1 basal protein levels in the ScAT culture supernatant were higher in WSC and (weight stable patients) CC, when compared to controls. Basal ScAT explant culture medium IL-1ß and IL-18 protein content in ScAT supernatant was decreased in the WSC and CC as compared to CTL explants. Conclusions: The results demonstrate heterogeneous responses in the activation of genes of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in the adipose tissue of patients with cancer cachexia, rendering this pathway a potential target for therapy aiming at decreasing chronic inflammation in cancer.

A novel supplement with yeast ß-glucan, prebiotic, minerals and Silybum marianum synergistically modulates metabolic and inflammatory pathways and improves steatosis in obese mice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the synergic effects of a novel oral supplement formulation, containing prebiotics, yeast ß-glucans, minerals and silymarin (Silybum marianum), on lipid and glycidic metabolism, inflammatory and mitochondrial proteins of the liver, in control and high-fat diet-induced obese mice. METHODS: After an acclimation period, 32 male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the following groups: nonfat diet (NFD) vehicle, NFD supplemented, high-fat diet (HFD) vehicle and HFD supplemented. The vehicle and experimental formulation were administered orally by gavage once a day during the last four weeks of the diet (28 consecutive days). We then evaluated energy homeostasis, inflammation, and mitochondrial protein expression in these groups of mice. RESULTS: After four weeks of supplementation, study groups experienced reduced glycemia, dyslipidemia, fat, and hepatic fibrosis levels. Additionally, proliferator-activated receptor-α, AMP-activated protein kinase-1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator-1α, and mitochondrial transcription factor A expression levels were augmented; however, levels of inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB kinase subunit α and p65 nuclear factor-κB expression, and oxidative markers were reduced. Notably, the cortisol/C-reactive protein ratio, a well-characterized marker of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis immune interface status, was found to be modulated by the supplement. CONCLUSION: We discovered that the novel supplement was able to modify different antioxidant, metabolic and inflammatory pathways, improving the energy homeostasis and inflammatory status, and consequently alleviated hepatic steatosis.

Oral benfotiamine reverts cognitive deficit and increase thiamine diphosphate levels in the brain of a rat model of neurodegeneration.

It is well known that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have imbalances in blood thiamine concentrations and lower activity of thiamine-dependent enzymes. Benfotiamine, a more bioavailable thiamine analog, has been proposed as an alternative to counteract these changes related to thiamine metabolism. Thus, our study aimed to analyze the effects of benfotiamine supplementation on brain thiamine absorption, as well as on parameters related to neuronal energy metabolism and disease progression in an experimental model of sporadic AD induced by intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in rats. The supplementation with 150 mg/kg of benfotiamine for 30 days increased the concentrations of thiamine diphosphate in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. This led to an improvement in mitochondria enzymes and insulin signaling pathway, with inactivation of GSK3α/ß and ERK1/2, which are two tau-kinases related to the progression of AD, which could decrease tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis signaling. Besides, we observed an increased amount of Glun2b subunit of NMDA receptors, decreased inflammation, and improvement of cognitive deficit. Together, these results suggest that benfotiamine could be a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of sporadic AD.

NO-Dependent Akt Inactivation by S-Nitrosylation as a Possible Mechanism of STZ-Induced Neuronal Insulin Resistance.

Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) is associated with energy metabolism deficiency and impairment of insulin receptor (IR) signaling in the brain. In this context, low doses of intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in rodents has been used as an experimental model of sAD which leads to an insulin-resistant brain state and neurodegeneration. However, the STZ effects on brain insulin signaling-related proteins it is not appropriately elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beginning and progression of alterations in the brain IR pathway of rats after 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of STZ injection and investigate intracellular signaling involved on STZ induced insulin resistance. We observed that STZ injection causes cognitive impairment in the animals, a temporal variation of the insulin signaling-related proteins and apoptosis cell death in the hippocampus. We also have shown that STZ causes insulin resistance and impairment on phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity in the Neuro-2a cells through protein kinase B (Akt) inactivation by S-nitrosylation, which could upregulate GSK3-ß activity. STZ ability to cause an insulin-resistant neuron state involves NO production and ROS production which may play an important role in the mechanism linked to STZ-induced neurotoxicity. The icv injection of STZ model and STZ exposed Neuro-2a cells may be potential experimental models for assessing molecules related to the pathogenesis of sAD.

Effects of intermittent fasting and chronic swimming exercise on body composition and lipid metabolism.

Intermittent fasting protocol (IFP) has been suggested as a strategy to change body metabolism and improve health. The effects of IFP seem to be similar to aerobic exercise, having a hormetic adaptation according to intensity and frequency. However, the effects of combining both interventions are still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of IFP with and without endurance-exercise training on body composition, food behavior, and lipid metabolism. Twenty-week-old Wistar rats were kept under an inverted circadian cycle of 12 h with water ad libitum and assigned to 4 different groups: control group (ad libitum feeding and sedentary), exercise group (ad libitum feeding and endurance training), intermittent fasting group (IF; intermittent fasting and sedentary), and intermittent fasting and exercise group (IFEX; intermittent fasting and endurance training). After 6 weeks, the body weight of IF and IFEX animals decreased without changes in food consumption. Yet, the body composition between the 2 groups was different, with the IFEX animals containing higher total protein and lower total fat content than the IF animals. The IFEX group also showed increases in total high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased intramuscular lipid content. The amount of brown adipose tissue was higher in IF and IFEX groups; however, the IFEX group showed higher expression levels of uncoupling protein 1 in this tissue, indicating a greater thermogenesis. The IFP combined with endurance training is an efficient method for decreasing body mass and altering fat metabolism, without inflicting losses in protein content.

Effects of the supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid on muscular antioxidant biomarkers of trained mice / Efeitos da suplementação com ácido alfa-lipóico sobre biomarcadores antioxidantes musculares de camundongos treinados

BACKGROUND: Performing high intensity or exhaustive exercise can lead to muscle damage such as injuries, chronic fatigue and overtraining, partly due to the high synthesis of reactive oxygen species. The α-lipoic acid (ALA) and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, act as potent antioxidant and eliminate free radicals. Although this response depends on the type of exercise and supplementation, animal and human studies have shown the benefits of antioxidant supplementation on the recovery of damages caused by exhaustive exercise, either by restoring antioxidant levels or by decreasing the damage. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effect of ALA supplementation on muscular biomarkers of oxidative stress following exhaustive exercise of trained mice. METHODS: Sixty mice were trained to swim for 6 weeks. On the last week, half of the animals were supplemented daily with 100 mg/kg of oral gavage of ALA in soy oil as a vehicle. The other half received just the vehicle. On the last day 20 animals from each group were submitted to an exhaustion protocol with 10% overweight attached to tail. Animals were euthanized on 3 moments: basal, just after the exhaustive protocol (0 h) and, 4 h after the exhaustive protocol. The gastrocnemius muscle was promptly excised and homogenized. The homogenates were used to estimate oxidative stress biomarkers. RESULTS: There was a simultaneous decrease of non-protein thiols and vitamin E after 4 h of exhaustive exercise in the ALA group (p<0.05) compared to the control group, suggesting the consumption of these compounds in the process of lipid peroxidation. Interestingly, there was an increase of nitrate and nitrite in ALA group (p<0.05) and a decrease in the control (p<0.05) compared to basal moment, possibly by activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. The total antioxidant capacity remained unchanged in the ALA group. CONCLUSION: The supplementation with ALA resulted in a protection against oxidative stress caused by exhaustive exercise.

CONTEXTO: A realização de exercício de alta intensidade ou exaustivo pode levar a danos musculares, como lesões, fadiga crônica e overtraining, em parte devido à alta síntese de espécies reativas de oxigênio. O ácido α-lipóico e sua forma reduzida, o ácido dihidrolipóico, atuam como potentes antioxidantes e eliminam os radicais livres. Apesar de depender do tipo de exercício e suplementação, estudos com animais e humanos mostram benefícios da suplementação com antioxidante na recuperação de danos causados pelo exercício exaustivo, seja restaurando os níveis de antioxidantes ou diminuindo os danos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito da suplementação com ácido α-lipóico sobre biomarcadores musculares de estresse oxidativo após o exercício exaustivo de camundongos treinados. METODOLOGIA: Os camundongos (n = 60) foram treinados em natação por 6 semanas. Na última semana, metade dos animais foram suplementados diariamente com gavagem oral de 100 mg / kg de ácido α-lipóico em óleo de soja como veículo. A outra metade recebeu apenas o veículo. No último dia 20 animais de cada grupo foram submetidos ao protocolo de exaustão com 10% de sobrepeso atado à cauda. Os animais foram eutanasiados em 3 momentos: basal, logo após o protocolo de exaustão (0 h) e 4 h após o protocolo de exaustão. O músculo gastrocnêmio foi imediatamente coletado e homogeneizado. Os homogeneizados foram usados para acessar os biomarcadores de estresse oxidativo. RESULTADOS: Houve diminuição simultânea de tióis não protéicos e vitamina E após 4 h de exercício exaustivo no grupo ácido α-lipóico (p <0,05) em relação ao grupo controle, sugerindo o consumo destes compostos no processo de peroxidação lipídica. Interessantemente, houve aumento de nitrato e nitrito no grupo ácido α-lipóico (p <0,05) e diminuição no controle (p <0,05) em relação ao momento basal, possivelmente pela ativação da óxido nítrico sintase endotelial. A capacidade antioxidante total permaneceu inalterada no grupo ácido α-lipóico. CONCLUSÃO: A suplementação com ácido α-lipóico resultou em proteção contra o estresse oxidativo causado pelo exercício exaustivo.

Use of murinometrics indices and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) in the determination of experimental obesity in oophorectomized rats / Uso de índices murinométricos e impedância bioelétrica (BIA) na determinação de obesidade experimental em ratas ooforectomizadas

In this study, we tested the use of murinometric indices and bioimpedance (BIA) to determine obesity in rats. Female Wistar rats (8 weeks/130-160 g) were divided into control and oophorectomy group. The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Lee index (LI) were used as anthropometric techniques to determine obesity, and the determination of body composition by BIA, as a way to partition body weight into fat mass and lean mass components. The dissection of muscle tissues and adipose deposits was used as a direct determination of body fat content. The groups had body weight gain (p <0.05) after the trial period, with a differential gain in body fat (p <0.05) observed by the dissection of tissue in the oophorectomy group. This gain in body fat was detected more accurately by BIA, due to the greater ability of this method to distinguish lean from fat mass. BIA was able to measure the differential gain of body fat in a BMI considered as eutrophic by murinometric indices.

Neste estudo, foi testado o uso de índices murinométricos e da bioimpedância (BIA) na determinação da obesidade em ratos. Ratas Wistar (8 semanas/130-160g) foram divididas em dois grupos: controle e ooforectomia. O Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) e o índice de Lee (IL) foram utilizados como técnicas antropométricas para a determinação da obesidade e da composição corporal por BIA, como um meio de fracionamento do peso corporal em sua massa de gordura e componentes de massa magra. A dissecação dos tecidos musculares e depósitos adiposos foi utilizada como uma forma direta de determinação do teor de gordura corporal. Os grupos tiveram ganho de peso corporal (p <0,05) após o período experimental, com o grupo ooforectomia com ganho diferencial na gordura corporal (p <0,05), observada na dissecação do tecido adiposo. Esse ganho de gordura corporal foi percebido com maior precisão pela BIA devido à maior capacidade de diferenciação da massa corporal magra e da massa de gordura no peso corporal por meio do método. A BIA foi capaz de perceber o ganho diferencial da fração de gordura corporal em um IMC proposto como eutrófico pelos índices murinométricos.