22R-Hydroxycholesterol protects neuronal cells from beta-amyloid-induced cytotoxicity by binding to beta-amyloid peptide

22R-hydroxycholesterol, a steroid intermediate in the pathway of pregnenolone formation from cholesterol, was found at lower levels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) hippocampus and frontal cortex tissue specimens compared to age-matched controls. beta-Amyloid (Abeta) peptide has been shown to be neurotoxic and its presence in brain has been linked to AD pathology. 22R-hydroxycholesterol was found to protect, in a dose-dependent manner, against Abeta-induced rat sympathetic nerve pheochromocytoma (PC12) and differentiated human Ntera2/D1 teratocarcinoma (NT2N) neuron cell death. Other steroids tested were either inactive or acted on rodent neurons only. The effect of 22R-hydroxycholesterol was found to be stereospecific because its enantiomer 22S-hydroxycholesterol failed to protect the neurons from Abeta-induced cell death. Moreover, the effect of 22R-hydroxycholesterol was specific for Abeta-induced cell death because it did not protect against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. The neuroprotective effect of 22R-hydroxycholesterol was seen when using Abeta1-42 but not the Abeta25-35 peptide. To investigate the mechanism of action of 22R-hydroxycholesterol we examined the direct binding of this steroid to Abeta using a novel cholesterol-protein binding blot assay. Using this method the direct specific binding, under native conditions, of 22R-hydroxycholesterol to Abeta1-42 and Abeta17-40, but not Abeta25-35, was observed. These data suggest that 22R-hydroxycholesterol binds to Abeta and the formed 22R-hydroxycholesterol/Abeta complex is not toxic to rodent and human neurons. We propose that 22R-hydroxycholesterol offers a new means of neuroprotection against Abeta toxicity by inactivating the peptide.     

Amyloid beta-protein (Abeta)1-40 protects neurons from damage induced by Abeta1-42 in culture and in rat brain

Previously, we found that amyloid beta-protein (Abeta)1-42 exhibits neurotoxicity, while Abeta1-40 serves as an antioxidant molecule by quenching metal ions and inhibiting metal-mediated oxygen radical generation. Here, we show another neuroprotective action of nonamyloidogenic Abeta1-40 against Abeta1-42-induced neurotoxicity in culture and in vivo. Neuronal death was induced by Abeta1-42 at concentrations higher than 2 microm, which was prevented by concurrent treatment with Abeta1-40 in a dose-dependent manner. However, metal chelators did not prevent Abeta1-42-induced neuronal death. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that Abeta1-40 inhibited the beta-sheet transformation of Abeta1-42. Thioflavin-T assay and electron microscopy analysis revealed that Abeta1-40 inhibited the fibril formation of Abeta1-42. In contrast, Abeta1-16, Abeta25-35, and Abeta40-1 did not inhibit the fibril formation of Abeta1-42 nor prevent Abeta1-42-induced neuronal death. Abeta1-42 injection into the rat entorhinal cortex (EC) caused the hyperphosphorylation of tau on both sides of EC and hippocampus and increased the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes in the ipsilateral EC, which were prevented by the concurrent injection of Abeta1-40. These results indicate that Abeta1-40 protects neurons from Abeta1-42-induced neuronal damage in vitro and in vivo, not by sequestrating metals, but by inhibiting the beta-sheet transformation and fibril formation of Abeta1-42. Our data suggest a mechanism by which elevated Abeta1-42/Abeta1-40 ratio accelerates the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in familial AD.     

Overexpression of glutathione peroxidase increases the resistance of neuronal cells to Abeta-mediated neurotoxicity

Senile plaques are neuropathological manifestations in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are composed mainly of extracellular deposits of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). Various data suggest that the accumulation of Abeta may contribute to neuronal degeneration and that Abeta neurotoxicity could be mediated by oxygen free radicals. Removal of free radicals by antioxidant scavengers or enzymes was found to protect neuronal cells in culture from Abeta toxicity. However, the nature of the free radicals involved is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether the neuronal overexpression of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), the major hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-de-grading enzyme in neurons, could increase their survival in a cellular model of Abeta-induced neurotoxicity. We infected pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and rat embryonic cultured cortical neurons with an adenoviral vector encoding GPx (Ad-GPx) prior to exposure to toxic concentrations of Abeta(25-35) or (1-40). Both PC12 and cortical Ad-GPx-infected cells were significantly more resistant to Abeta-induced injury. These data strengthen the hypothesis of a role of H2O2 in the mechanism of Abeta toxicity and highlight the potential of Ad-GPx to reduce Abeta-induced damage to neurons. These findings may have applications in gene therapy for AD.     

Puerarin protects PC12 cells against beta-amyloid-induced cell injury

beta-Amyloid protein (Abeta), a major protein component of brain senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease, is known to be directly responsible for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induction of apoptosis. In this study, the protective effect of puerarin, an isoflavone purified from the radix of the Chinese herb Pueraria lobata, on Abeta-induced rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cultures was investigated. Although exposure of PC12 cells to 50 microM Abeta25-35 caused significant viability loss and apoptotic rate increase, pretreatment of the cells with puerarin for 24h reduced the viability loss and apoptotic rate. Puerarin (1 microM) significantly inhibited Abeta25-35-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells. Preincubation of the cell with puerarin also restored the ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential levels that had been altered as a result of Abeta25-35 treatment. Puerarin was also found to increase the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and reduce caspase-3 activation. These results suggest that puerarin could attenuate Abeta25-35-induced PC12 cell injure and apoptosis and could also promote the survival of PC12 cells. Therefore, puerarin may act as an intracellular ROS scavenger, and its antioxidant properties may protect against Abeta25-35-induced cell injury.     

Amyloid-beta is an antioxidant for lipoproteins in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma

Amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide, a major constituent of senile plaques and a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is normally secreted by neurons and can be found in low concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma, where it is associated with lipoproteins. However, the physiological role of Abeta secretion remains unknown. Here we show that at the concentrations measured in biological fluids (0.1-1.0 nM), Abeta(1-40) strongly inhibits autooxidation of CSF lipoproteins and plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL). At higher concentrations of the peptide its antioxidant action was abolished. Abeta(1-40) also inhibited copper-catalyzed LDL oxidation when added in molar excess of copper, but did not influence oxidation induced by an azo-initiator. Other Abeta peptides also possessed antioxidant activity in the order Abeta(1-40) > Abeta(1-42) > Abeta(25-35), whereas Abeta(35-25) was inactive. These data suggest that Abeta(1-40) may act as a physiological antioxidant in CSF and plasma lipoproteins, functioning by chelating transition metal ions.     

Genistein ameliorates beta-amyloid peptide (25-35)-induced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis

beta-Amyloid protein (Abeta), a major component of senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, causes elevation of the intracellular free Ca2+ level and the production of robust free radicals, both of which contribute greatly to the AD-associated cascade including severe neuronal loss in the hippocampus. Genistein, the most active molecule of soy isoflavones, protects diverse kinds of cells from damage caused by a variety of toxic stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of genistein against Abeta25-35-induced apoptosis in cultured hippocampal neurons, as well as the underlying mechanism. Abeta25-35-induced apoptosis, characterized by decreased cell viability, neuronal DNA condensation, and fragmentation, is associated with an increase in intracellular free Ca2+ level, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the activation of caspase-3. All these phenotypes induced by Abeta25-35 are reversed by genistein. Our results further show that at the nanomolar (100 nM) level, genistein protects neurons from Abeta25-35-induced damage largely via the estrogen receptor-mediated pathway, and at the micromolar (40 microM) level, the neuroprotective effect of genistein is mediated mainly by its antioxidative properties. Our data suggest that genistein attenuates neuronal apoptosis induced by Abeta25-35 via various mechanisms.     

Protective effect of quercetin in primary neurons against Abeta(1-42): relevance to Alzheimer's disease

Quercetin, a flavonoid found in various foodstuffs, has antioxidant properties and increases glutathione (GSH) levels and antioxidant enzyme function. Considerable attention has been focused on increasing the intracellular GSH levels in many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid beta-peptide [Abeta(1-42)], elevated in AD brain, is associated with oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of quercetin on Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative cell toxicity in cultured neurons in the present study. Decreased cell survival in neuronal cultures treated with Abeta(1-42) correlated with increased free radical production measured by dichlorofluorescein fluorescence and an increase in protein oxidation (protein carbonyl, 3-nitrotyrosine) and lipid peroxidation (protein-bound 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal). Pretreatment of primary hippocampal cultures with quercetin significantly attenuated Abeta(1-42)-induced cytotoxicity, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and apoptosis. A dose-response study suggested that quercetin showed protective effects against Abeta(1-42) toxicity by modulating oxidative stress at lower doses, but higher doses were not only non-neuroprotective but also toxic. These findings provide motivation to test the hypothesis that quercetin may provide a promising approach for the treatment of AD and other oxidative-stress-related neurodegenerative diseases.     

Phosphatidylinositol and PI-4-monophosphate recover amyloid beta protein-induced inhibition of Cl- -ATPase activity

The neuronal Cl- -ATPase/pump is a candidate for an outwardly directed active Cl- transport system, which requires phosphatidylinositol-4-monophosphate (PI4P) for its optimal activity. We previously reported that low concentrations (1-10 nM) of amyloid beta proteins (Abetas, Abeta1-42, Abeta25-35), the neurotoxic peptides in Alzheimer's disease, reduced Cl- -ATPase activity in cultured rat hippocampal neurons without any changes in the activities of Na+/K+-ATPase or anion-insensitive Mg(2+)-ATPase, and decreased PI, PIP, and PIP2 levels in neuronal plasma membranes (Journal of Neurochemistry 2001, 78, 569-579). In this study, we examined the effects of exogenously applied PI and PI4P on the Abeta25-35-induced changes in Cl- -ATPase activity, the intracellular concentration of Cl- ([Cl- ]i), and glutamate neurotoxicity using primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The Abeta decreased Cl- -ATPase activity to 47% of control and increased [Cl- ]i in hippocampal pyramidal cell-like neurons to a level 3 times higher than the control. The addition of PI (50-750 nM) or PI4P (50-150 nM) dose-dependently blocked the inhibitory effects of Abeta on Cl- -ATPase activity. High doses of PI (750 nM) and PI4P (100-150 nM) reduced Na+/K+-ATPase activity to 41% and 35% of control, respectively, but this inhibition was attenuated by the co-application of phosphatidylserine (PS, 1 micro M). PI or PI4P (75 nM each) reversed the Abeta-induced increase in [Cl-]i. In the Abeta-exposed culture, stimulation by glutamate (10 micro M, 10 min) resulted in an increase in DNA fragmentation and decreases in cell viability. Addition of PI or PI4P prevented the Abeta-induced aggravation of glutamate neurotoxicity. Thus, PI and PI4P were demonstrated to prevent Abeta-induced decreases in Cl- -ATPase activity and increases in neuronal [Cl- ]i in parallel with the attenuation of Abeta-induced aggravation of glutamate neurotoxicity.     

Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity: implications for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease brain. A review

Oxidative stress, manifested by protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, DNA oxidation and 3-nitrotyrosine formation, among other indices, is observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) [Abeta(1-42)] may be central to the pathogenesis of AD. Our laboratory and others have implicated Abeta(1-42)-induced free radical oxidative stress in the neurodegeneration observed in AD brain. This paper reviews some of these studies from our laboratory. Recently, we showed both in-vitro and in-vivo that methionine residue 35 (Met-35) of Abeta(1-42) was critical to its oxidative stress and neurotoxic properties. Because the C-terminal region of Abeta(1-42) is helical, and invoking the i + 4 rule of helices, we hypothesized that the carboxyl oxygen of lle-31, known to be within a van der Waals distance of the S atom of Met-35, would interact with the latter. This interaction could alter the susceptibility for oxidation of Met-35, i.e. free radical formation. Consistent with this hypothesis, substitution of lle-31 by the helix-breaking amino acid, proline, completely abrogated the oxidative stress and neurotoxic properties of Abeta(1-42). Removal of the Met-35 residue from the lipid bilayer by substitution of the negatively charged Asp for Gly-37 abrogated oxidative stress and neurotoxic properties of Abeta(1-42). The free radical scavenger vitamin E prevented A(beta (1-42)-induced ROS formation, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and neurotoxicity in hippocampal neurons, consistent with our model for Abeta-associated free radical oxidative stress induced neurodegeneration in AD. ApoE, allele 4, is a risk factor for AD. Synaptosomes from apoE knock-out mice are more vulnerable to Abeta-induced oxidative stress (protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and ROS generation) than are those from wild-type mice. We also studied synaptosomes from allele-specific human apoE knock-in mice. Brain membranes from human apoE4 mice have greater vulnerability to Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative stress than brain membranes from apoE2 or E3, assessed by the same indices, consistent with the notion of a coupling of the oxidative environment in AD brain and increased risk of developing this disorder. Using immunoprecipitation of proteins from AD and control brain obtained no longer than 4h PMI, selective oxidized proteins were identified in the AD brain. Creatine kinase (CK) and beta-actin have increased carbonyl groups, an index of protein oxidation, and Glt-1, the principal glutamate transporter, has increased binding of the lipid peroxidation product, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). Abeta inhibits CK and causes lipid peroxidation, leading to HNE formation. Implications of these findings relate to decreased energy utilization, altered assembly of cytoskeletal proteins, and increased excitotoxicity to neurons by glutamate, all reported for AD. Other oxidatively modified proteins have been identified in AD brain by proteomics analysis, and these oxidatively-modified proteins may be related to increased excitotoxicity (glutamine synthetase), aberrant proteasomal degradation of damaged or aggregated proteins (ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L-1), altered energy production (alpha-enolase), and diminished growth cone elongation and directionality (dihydropyrimindase-related protein 2). Taken together, these studies outlined above suggest that Met-35 is key to the oxidative stress and neurotoxic properties of Abeta(1-42) and may help explain the apoE allele dependence on risk for AD, some of the functional and structural alterations in AD brain, and strongly support a causative role of Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in AD.     

MGLuR5 activation reduces beta-amyloid-induced cell death in primary neuronal cultures and attenuates translocation of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been shown to reduce caspase-dependent apoptosis in primary neuronal cultures induced by staurosporine and etoposide. beta-Amyloid (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity in culture appears to be in part caspase mediated. In the present studies the effects of treatment with an mGluR5 agonist or antagonist on Abeta-induced neuronal apoptosis were examined in rat cortical neuronal cultures. Pretreatment with the selective mGluR5 agonist (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG) markedly reduced the number of apoptotic cells after exposure to Abeta (25-35), as well as associated LDH release. Blockade of mGluR5 by the selective antagonist, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) attenuated these effects of CHPG. A similar neuroprotective effect of mGluR5 activation by CHPG was observed in cultures treated with full-length Abeta peptide (1-42). CHPG attenuated Abeta (25-35)-induced cytochrome c release and decreased levels of active caspase-3 protein. CHPG also reduced translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) induced by Abeta (25-35). Thus, mGluR5 activation limits the release of mitochondrial proteins associated with induction of both caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis.     

The amyloid beta peptide abeta (25-35) induces apoptosis independent of p53

Apoptosis of neuronal cells apparently plays a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide derived from beta-amyloid precursor protein is found in AD brain in vivo and can induce apoptosis in vitro. While p53 accumulates in cells of AD brain, it is not known if p53 plays an active role in Abeta-induced apoptosis. We show here that inactivation of p53 in two experimental cell lines, either by expression of the papillomavirus E6 protein or by a shift to restrictive temperature, does not affect apoptosis induction by Abeta (25-35), indicating that Abeta induces apoptosis in a p53-independent manner.     

Ferulic acid ethyl ester protects neurons against amyloid beta- peptide(1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity: relationship to antioxidant activity

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is neuropathologically characterized by depositions of extracellular amyloid and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, associated with loss of neurons in the brain. Amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is the major component of senile plaques and is considered to have a causal role in the development and progress of AD. Several lines of evidence suggest that enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation play important roles in the pathogenesis or progression of AD. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of ethyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (FAEE), a phenolic compound which shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, on Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. We hypothesized that the structure of FAEE would facilitate radical scavenging and may induce protective proteins. Abeta(1-42) decreases cell viability, which was correlated with increased free radical formation, protein oxidation (protein carbonyl, 3-nitrotyrosine), lipid peroxidation (4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal) and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Pre-treatment of primary hippocampal cultures with FAEE significantly attenuated Abeta(1-42)-induced cytotoxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Treatment of neurons with Abeta(1-42) increases levels of heme oxygenase-1 and heat shock protein 72. Consistent with a cellular stress response to the Abeta(1-42)-induced oxidative stress, FAEE treatment increases the levels of heme oxygenase-1 and heat shock protein 72, which may be regulated by oxidative stresses in a coordinated manner and play a pivotal role in the cytoprotection of neuronal cells against Abeta(1-42)-induced toxicity. These results suggest that FAEE exerts protective effects against Abeta(1-42) toxicity by modulating oxidative stress directly and by inducing protective genes. These findings suggest that FAEE could potentially be of importance for the treatment of AD and other oxidative stress-related diseases.     

Beta-amyloid increases somatostatin expression in cultured cortical neurons

In beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity, activation of the NMDA receptor, increased Ca2+ and oxidative stress are intimately associated with neuronal cell death as normally seen in NMDA-induced neurotoxicity. We have recently shown selective sparing of somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons and increased SST expression in NMDA agonist-induced neurotoxicity. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to determine the effect of Abeta25-35-induced neurotoxicity on the expression of SST in cultured cortical neurons. Cultured cortical cells were exposed to Abeta25-35 and processed to determine the cellular content and release of SST into medium by radioimmunoassay and SST mRNA by RT-PCR. Abeta25-35 induces neuronal cell death in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion, increases SST mRNA synthesis and induces an augmentation in the cellular content of SST. No significant changes were seen on SST release at any concentration of Abeta25-35 after 24 h of treatment. However, Abeta25-35 induces a significant increase of SST release into medium only after 12 h in comparison with other time points. Most significantly, SST-positive neurons are selectively spared in the presence of a lower concentration of Abeta25-35, whereas, in the presence of higher concentrations of Abeta25-35 for extended time periods, SST-positive neurons decrease gradually. Furthermore, Abeta25-35 induces apoptosis at lower concentrations (5 and 10 micromol/L) and necrosis at higher concentrations (20 and 40 micromol/L). Consistent with the increased accumulation of SST, these data suggest that Abeta25-35 impairs cell membrane permeability. Selective sparing of SST-positive neurons at lower concentrations of Abeta25-35 at early time points directly correlates with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease.     

A Cdk5 inhibitory peptide reduces tau hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis in neurons

The extracellular aggregation of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides and the intracellular hyperphosphorylation of tau at specific epitopes are pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cdk5 phosphorylates tau at AD-specific phospho-epitopes when it associates with p25. p25 is a truncated activator, which is produced from the physiological Cdk5 activator p35 upon exposure to Abeta peptides. We show that neuronal infections with Cdk5 inhibitory peptide (CIP) selectively inhibit p25/Cdk5 activity and suppress the aberrant tau phosphorylation in cortical neurons. Furthermore, Abeta(1-42)-induced apoptosis of these cortical neurons was also reduced by coinfection with CIP. Of particular importance is our finding that CIP did not inhibit endogenous or transfected p35/Cdk5 activity, nor did it inhibit the other cyclin-dependent kinases such as Cdc2, Cdk2, Cdk4 and Cdk6. These results, therefore, provide a strategy to address, and possibly ameliorate, the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases that may be a consequence of aberrant p25 activation of Cdk5, without affecting 'normal' Cdk5 activity.     

The critical role of methionine 35 in Alzheimer's amyloid beta-peptide (1-42)-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity

Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) [Abeta(1-42)] has been proposed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive decline and aging. AD brain is under extensive oxidative stress, and Abeta(1-42) has been shown to induce protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species formation in neurons and synaptosomes, all of which are inhibited by the antioxidant vitamin E. Additional studies have shown that Abeta(1-42) induces oxidative stress when expressed in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans, but when methionine 35 is replaced by cysteine, the oxidative stress is attenuated. This finding coupled with in vitro studies using mutant peptides have demonstrated a critical role for methionine 35 in the oxidative stress and neurotoxic properties of Abeta(1-42). In this review, we discuss the role of methionine 35 in the oxidative stress and neurotoxicity induced by Abeta(1-42) and the implications of these findings in the pathogenesis of AD.     

Single chain Fv antibodies against the 25-35 Abeta fragment inhibit aggregation and toxicity of Abeta42

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of amyloid-beta (Abeta) protein in the brain. Immunization studies have demonstrated that anti-Abeta antibodies reduce Abeta deposition and improve clinical symptoms seen in AD. However, conventional antibody-based therapies risk an inflammatory response that can result in meningoencephalitis and cerebral hemorrhage. Here we report on the development of human-based single chain variable domain antibody fragments (scFvs) directed against the Abeta 25-35 region as potential therapeutics for AD that do not risk an inflammatory response. The 25-35 region of Abeta represents a promising therapeutic target since it promotes aggregation and is highly toxic. Two scFvs with differing affinities for Abeta were studied, and both inhibited aggregation of Abeta42 as determined by thioflavin T binding assay and atomic force microscopy analysis and blocked Abeta-induced toxicity toward human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells as determined by MTT and LDH release assays. These results provide additional evidence that scFvs against Abeta provide an attractive alternative to more conventional antibody-based therapeutics for controlling aggregation and toxicity of Abeta.     

Enhanced G-protein activation by a mixture of Abeta(25-35), Abeta(1-40/42) and zinc

Beta-amyloid peptides (Abetas) bind to several G-protein coupled receptor proteins and stimulate GTPase activity in neurons. In this study we determined the effects of Abeta(1-42), Abeta(1-40), Abeta(25-35) and their mixtures on [(35)S]GTP binding in rat brain cortical membranes in the absence and presence of zinc. We found that the Abetas alone induced a concentration-dependent activation of G-proteins (IC50 approximately 10(-6) m), while aggregated Abeta fibrils only affected GTP binding at concentrations above 10(-5) m. Mixing Abeta(25-35) with Abeta(1-42) or Abeta(1-40) induced a several-fold increase in GTP-binding. This potentiation followed a bell shaped curve with a maximum at 50 : 50 ratios. No potentiating effect could be seen by mixing Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42) or highly aggregated Abetas. Zinc had no effect on Abeta(1-40/42) but strongly potentiated the Abeta(25-35) or the mixed peptides-induced GTP-binding. Changes in secondary structure accompanied the mixed peptides or the peptide/zinc complexes induced potentiation, revealing that structural alterations are behind the increased biological action. These concentration dependent potentiating effects of zinc and the peptide mixtures could be physiologically important at brain regions where peptide fragments and/or zinc are present at elevated concentrations.     

Reactivity of apolipoprotein E4 and amyloid beta peptide: lysosomal stability and neurodegeneration

We previously demonstrated that apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) potentiates lysosomal leakage and apoptosis induced by amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide in cultured Neuro-2a cells and hypothesized that the low pH of lysosomes accentuates the conversion of apoE4 to a molten globule, inducing reactive intermediates capable of destabilizing cellular membranes. Here we report that neutralizing lysosomal pH with bafilomycin or NH4Cl abolished the apoE4 potentiation of Abeta-induced lysosomal leakage and apoptosis in Neuro-2a cells. Consistent with these results, apoE4 at acidic pH bound more avidly to phospholipid vesicles and disrupted them to a greater extent than at pH 7.4. Comparison of "Arctic" mutant Abeta, which forms multimers, and GM6 mutant Abeta, which remains primarily monomeric, showed that aggregation is essential for apoE4 to potentiate Abeta-induced lysosomal leakage and apoptosis. Both apoE4 and Abeta1-42 had to be internalized to exert these effects. Blocking the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein with small interfering RNA abolished the enhanced effects of apoE4 and Abeta on lysosomes and apoptosis. In cultured Neuro-2a cells, Abeta1-42 increased lysosome formation to a greater extent in apoE3- or apoE4-transfected cells than in Neo-transfected cells, as shown by immunostaining for lysosome-associated membrane protein 1. Similarly, in transgenic mice expressing apoE and amyloid precursor protein, hippocampal neurons displayed increased numbers of lysosomes. Thus, apoE4 and Abeta1-42 may work in concert in neurons to increase lysosome formation while increasing the susceptibility of lysosomal membranes to disruption, release of lysosomal enzymes into the cytosol, and neuronal degeneration.     

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibits caspase-3 activity but does not protect cerebellar granule neurons against beta-amyloid (25-35)-induced apoptosis

The beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide Abeta25-35 provokes apoptosis of cerebellar granule cells through activation of caspase-3 while the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) promotes granule cell survival by inhibiting caspase-3 activation through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The aim of the present study was to determine whether PACAP could prevent Abeta25-35 neurotoxicity by inhibiting caspase-3 activity. A 24-h exposure of cultured cerebellar granule cells to Abeta25-35 induced shrinkage of cell bodies, neurite retraction and alteration of mitochondrial activity. Administration of graded concentrations (10-80 microM) of Abeta25-35 induced a dose-related decrease of the number of living cells, and the neurotoxic effect was highly significant after a 24-h exposure to 80 microM Abeta25-35. Exposure of cerebellar granule cells to Abeta25-35 markedly enhanced caspase-3 but not caspase-9 activity. Co-incubation with 1 microM PACAP significantly reduced Abeta25-35-evoked caspase-3 activation. In contrast, PACAP did not prevent the deleterious effects of Abeta25-35 on mitochondrial potential and granule cell survival. Taken together, these data suggest that caspase-3 activation is not the main pathway activated by Abeta25-35 that leads to granule cell death. The results also demonstrate that PACAP cannot be considered as a potent neuroprotective factor against Abeta25-35-induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons.