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Biomedical subjects

Debomoy K Lahiri

Publications and source records attributed to Debomoy K Lahiri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

An analog of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is neuroprotective against glutamate-induced toxicity in fetal rat hippocampal neurons in vitro.

TRH has been found to be efficacious in treating certain neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, neurotrauma and depression, however, its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Since glutamate (Glu) toxicity has been implicated in these disorders, we utilized primary enriched cultures of rat fetal (E 17) hippocampal neurons to test the hypothesis that an analog of TRH, 3-Methyl-Histidine TRH (3Me-H TRH), given concurrently with Glu would protect such neurons against cell damage and cell death. Cell viability was assessed via Trypan Blue exclusion cell counts, and neuronal damage was determined by assaying lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the conditioned media. Fetal hippocampal neurons were cultured in neurobasal media for 7 days. On day 7, neurons (10(6)/well) were treated with: control media, 10 microM 3Me-H TRH, 500 microM Glu or 500 microM Glu with either 10, 1, 0.1, 0.01 or 0.001 microM 3Me-H TRH. Both media and neurons were harvested 16 h after treatment. Prolonged exposure to 10 microM 3Me-H TRH was not toxic to the cells, whereas neurons exposed to 500 microM Glu resulted in maximal cell death. Notably, 10, 1 and 0.1 microM 3Me-H TRH, when co-treated with 500 microM Glu, protected fetal neurons against cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. These results provide support for an important neuroprotective effect of TRH/analogs against glutamate toxicity in primary hippocampal neuronal culture and implicate a potentially beneficial role of TRH/analogs in neurodegenerative diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The experimental Alzheimer's disease drug posiphen [(+)-phenserine] lowers amyloid-beta peptide levels in cell culture and mice.

Major characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are synaptic loss, cholinergic dysfunction, and abnormal protein depositions in the brain. The amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta), a proteolytic fragment of amyloid beta precursor protein (APP), aggregates to form neuritic plaques and has a causative role in AD. A present focus of AD research is to develop safe Abeta-lowering drugs. A selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, phenserine, in current human trials lowers both APP and Abeta. Phenserine is dose-limited in animals by its cholinergic actions; its cholinergically inactive enantiomer, posiphen (+)-[phenserine], was assessed. In cultured human neuroblastoma cells, posiphen, like phenserine, dose- and time-dependently lowered APP and Abeta levels by reducing the APP synthesis rate. This action translated to an in vivo system. Posiphen administration to mice (7.5-75 mg/kg daily, 21 consecutive days) significantly decreased levels of total APP (tissue mass-adjusted) in a dose-dependent manner. Abeta40 and Abeta42 levels were significantly lowered by posiphen (> or =15 mg/kg) compared with controls. The activities of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-secretases were assessed in the same brain samples, and beta-secretase activity was significantly reduced. Posiphen, like phenserine, can lower Abeta via multiple mechanisms and represents an interesting drug candidate for AD treatment.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

Aluminum and copper in drinking water enhance inflammatory or oxidative events specifically in the brain.

Inflammatory and oxidative events are up-regulated in the brain of AD patients. It has been reported that in animal models of AD, exposure to aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu) enhanced oxidative events and accumulation of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of a 3-month exposure of mice to copper sulfate (8 microM), aluminum lactate (10 or 100 microM), or a combination of the salts. Results suggest that although Al or Cu may independently initiate inflammatory or oxidative events, they may function cooperatively to increase APP levels.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2006

Identification of novel small molecule inhibitors of amyloid precursor protein synthesis as a route to lower Alzheimer's disease amyloid-beta peptide.

A wealth of independent research with transgenic mice, antibodies, and vaccines has pointed to a causative role of the amyloid-beta peptide (A beta) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on these and earlier associative studies, A beta represents a promising target for development of therapeutics focused on AD disease progression. Interestingly, a cholinesterase inhibitor currently in clinical trials, phenserine, has been shown to inhibit production of both amyloid precursor protein (APP) and A beta. We have shown that this inhibition occurs at the post-transcriptional level with a specific blocking of the synthesis of APP relative to total protein synthesis (Shaw et al., 2001). However, the dose of phenserine necessary to block APP production is far higher than that needed to elicit its anticholinesterase activity, and it is these latter actions that are dose limiting in vivo. The focus of this study was to screen 144 analogs of phenserine to identify additional small molecules that inhibit APP protein synthesis, and thereby A beta production, without possessing potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to identify analogs capable of suppressing APP production following treatment of human neuroblastoma cells with 20 muM of compound. Eight analogs were capable of dose dependently reducing APP and A beta production without causing cell toxicity in further studies. Several of these analogs had little to no AChE activities. Translation of APP and A beta actions to mice was demonstrated with one agent. They thus represent interesting lead molecules for assessment in animal models, to define their tolerance and utility as potential AD therapeutics.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

Inhibition of human acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase by novel carbamates of (-)- and (+)-tetrahydrofurobenzofuran and methanobenzodioxepine.

A new enantiomeric synthesis utilizing classical resolution provided two novel series of optically active inhibitors of cholinesterase: (-)- and (+)-O-carbamoyl phenols of tetrahydrofurobenzofuran and methanobenzodioxepine. An additional two series of (-)- and (+)-O-carbamoyl phenols of pyrroloindole and furoindole were obtained by known procedures, and their anticholinesterase actions were similarly quantified against freshly prepared human acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Both enantiomeric forms of each series demonstrated potent cholinesterase inhibitory activity (with IC(50) values as low as 10 nM for AChE and 3 nM for BChE), with the exception of the (+)-O-carbamoyl phenols of pyrroloindole, which lacked activity (IC(50) values >1 microM). Based on the biological data of these four series, a structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was provided by molecular volume calculations. In addition, a probable transition-state model was established according to the known X-ray structure of a transition-state complex of Torpedo californica AChE-m-(N,N,N-trimethylammonio)-2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone (TcAChE-TMTFA). This model proved valuable in explaining the enantioselectivity and enzyme subtype selectivity of each series. These carbamates are more potent than, or similarly potent to, anticholinesterases in current clinical use, providing not only inhibitors of potential clinical relevance but also pharmacological tools to define drug-enzyme binding interactions within an enzyme crucial in the maintenance of cognition and numerous systemic physiological functions in health, aging, and disease.

Acetophenones↗
PubMed2006

Exposure to lead and the developmental origin of oxidative DNA damage in the aging brain.

Oxidative damage to DNA has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Developmental exposure to lead (Pb) has been shown to elevate the Alzheimer's disease (AD) related beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta), which is known to generate reactive oxygen species in the aging brain. This study measures the lifetime cerebral 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (oxo8dG) levels and the activity of the DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (Ogg1) in rats developmentally exposed to Pb. Oxo8dG was transiently modulated early in life (Postnatal day 5), but was later elevated 20 months after exposure to Pb had ceased, while Ogg1 activity was not altered. Furthermore, an age-dependent loss in the inverse correlation between Ogg1 activity and oxo8dG accumulation was observed. The effect of Pb on oxo8dG levels did not occur if animals were exposed to Pb in old age. These increases in DNA damage occurred in the absence of any Pb-induced changes in copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), manganese-SOD (SOD2), and reduced-form glutathion (GSH). These data suggest that oxidative damage and neurodegeneration in the aging brain could be impacted by the developmental disturbances.

8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine↗
PubMed2006

A single copy of carbonic anhydrase 2 restores wild-type circadian period to carbonic anhydrase II-deficient mice.

Carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II)-deficient mice have long circadian periods compared to their siblings with normal CA-II levels. The CA-II-deficient mice differ genetically from their siblings at proximal chromosome three, where the mutated carbonic anhydrase 2 gene sits on a small insert of DNA from the DBA/2J strain. The rest of the genome is that of the C57BL/6J strain. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that the null mutation in carbonic anhydrase 2 and the long circadian period phenotype were linked. In order to separate the effect of the null mutation in carbonic anhydrase 2 from the effect of DBA/2J alleles of other genes on the insert, two new lines of mice were studied. The first line, Kar, was developed from a CA-II-deficient mouse that had a fortuitous recombination restoring functional CA-II without affecting the rest of the DBA/2J insert. The second line was generated by breeding DBA/2J mice and C57BL/6J mice until they had the genomic composition of CA-II-deficient mice without the null mutation. Both lines of mice had circadian periods not different from C57BL/6J mice and shorter than CA-II-deficient mice. The phenotype of the new lines showed that the long circadian period characteristic of the CA-II-deficient mice arises when functional CA-II is absent, not when DBA/2J alleles are present on proximal chromosome three.

Alleles↗
PubMed2006

High levels of Alzheimer beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in children with severely autistic behavior and aggression.

Autism is characterized by restricted, repetitive behaviors and impairment in socialization and communication. Although no neuropathologic substrate underlying autism has been found, the findings of brain overgrowth via neuroimaging studies and increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in neuropathologic and blood studies favor an anabolic state. We examined acetylcholinesterase, plasma neuronal proteins, secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), and amyloid-beta 40 and amyloid-beta 42 peptides in children with and without autism. Children with severe autism and aggression expressed secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein at two or more times the levels of children without autism and up to four times more than children with mild autism. There was a trend for children with autism to show higher levels of secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein and nonamyloidogenic secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein and lower levels of amyloid-beta 40 compared with controls. This favors an increased alpha-secretase pathway in autism (anabolic), opposite to what is seen in Alzheimer disease. Additionally, a complex relationship between age, acetylcholinesterase, and plasma neuronal markers was found.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2006

Neuronal differentiation is accompanied by increased levels of SNAP-25 protein in fetal rat primary cortical neurons: implications in neuronal plasticity and Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is accompanied by progressive memory loss and decline in general cognitive abilities. Neuropathological hallmarks include amyloid plaque formation, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal and synaptic loss. To improve research models in AD, we have characterized several aspects of the primary rat neuronal cell culture model, which relate directly to the study of neuroexocytosis, neuronal plasticity, and amyloidosis. We have attempted to isolate and assess the neuronal enrichment of a primary cortical cell culture by morphological and molecular techniques, following progress of these cultured cells for up to 18 days in culture to identify the optimum timeframe for the manipulation and data collection in these cells. We observed maximum neuronal differentiation around day 15, which was in decline by day 18, thus, the critical window for manipulations in these cultures seems to be between days 12-15. The substantial increase in neuritic length and density was apparent at very early time points and peaked at day 15. In parallel to morphological assessments, we measured levels of a group of selected neuronally important proteins, including cytoskeletal and synaptic proteins. Change in the levels of cell-associated APP and synaptophysin were not as dramatic as that of SNAP-25 or secreted APP. Notably, this increased differentiation is accompanied by a dramatic increase in levels of SNAP-25 protein, which peaked at day 15 and declined thereafter. These results suggest that this neuronal population contains quantifiable presynaptic terminals. Thus, the establishment and molecular characterization of this neuronal model would have many implications in neuroscience research including synaptic differentiation and neuronal plasticity and for the evaluation of pharmacological interventions in the disease process.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

BACE1 gene promoter is differentially regulated: detection of a novel promoter region for its cell type-specific regulation.

The amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide, the proteolytic fragment of Abeta precursor protein (APP), aggregates and forms neuritic plaques, a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The limiting step in generating the Abeta peptide from APP is cleavage by the beta-secretase enzyme, BACE1. Regulation of the BACE1 gene is likely to play an important role in AD etiology and treatment. We therefore studied the activity of a 4.1-kb 5'-flanking region (-3765/+364, +1 being the transcription start site) of the BACE1 gene, both in 5'- and 3'-deletion series and through Northern blotting. We show that the BACE1 promoter has regulatory activity throughout the 4.1-kb length, both positive and negative, and that this activity can be quantitatively modeled according to promoter sequence length, with the specific model depending on the presence of negative regulatory elements as the 5'- most portion of the sequence. We also examined a previously identified 141-bp proximal fragment (+224/+364) of the BACE1 promoter and two constituent (91- and 50-bp) subfragments. We report that the 91-bp fragment (+224/+314) is the most likely seat of neuronal expression of the BACE1 gene and that it is the portion of the 141-bp fragment that accounts for observed DNA-protein interactions in brain extracts. The 50-bp fragment (+315/+364), which showed significant reporter gene activity from the empty vector, binds nuclear proteins in a cell type-specific manner and contains the AP2 site as shown by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Overall, the 141-bp fragment had no strong matches within GenBank, and the 91-bp fragment is predicted to have several potential stem-loop sites. Taken together, BACE1 gene promoter activity is differentially regulated, and the 91-bp fragment represents a novel promoter region for cell type-specific regulation. This fragment might be a useful target to regulate BACE1 expression leading to Abeta production and to understand the neuropathogenesis of AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

Functional domains of the BACE1 and BACE2 promoters and mechanisms of transcriptional suppression of the BACE2 promoter in normal neuronal cells.

The beta-amyloid (Abeta) protein present in the neuritic plaques of Alzheimer's disease is cleaved from Abeta precursor protein (APP) by beta- and gamma-secretases. Following identification of beta-APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) as the beta-secretase, a homologous beta-secretase 2 (BACE2) was described. Our goal is to characterize the regulatory region of the BACE genes. We compare functional domains within the BACE1 and BACE2 regulatory regions. Both BACE genes lack canonical TATAand CAAT boxes, but they contain distinguishing transcription start sites and transcription factor-binding sites. The BACE1 sequence contains more repetitive elements than does BACE2 (no elements). Regulatory domains do not overlap strongly between the two promoter regions. The BACE1upstream sequence contains both negative and positive domains, separated from the transcription seat by a long neutral domain. The corresponding BACE2sequence consists of a weakly positive domain directly upstream of a strongly positive domain, near a functionally active domain. DNA-protein interaction was corroborated by functional data. In primary rat cortical cultures, BACE1-driven reporter protein's expression was twice that of BACE2- driven reporter. The BACE2 gene promoter relatively reduced function in neuronal cells compared with BACE1. The BACE1 gene might operate through a single transcriptional control site. BACE2 operates through dual transcriptional control sites. Two (or more) regulatory pathways might control transcription in BACE2. Thus, BACE2 is partially suppressed in normal neuronal cells and likely to be a highly regulated gene expressed in a particularly tissue-specific fashion.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases↗
PubMed2006

Characterization of the human beta-secretase 2 (BACE2) 5'-flanking region: identification of a 268-bp region as the basal BACE2 promoter.

The main characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is brain deposition of the beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptide, generated endoproteolytically from Abeta precursor protein (APP) by beta- and gamma-secretases. A transmembrane aspartyl protease, beta-APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE1), was identified as beta-secretase. Although BACE1 cleaves APP at the beta-secretase site, the role of its homolog, beta-secretase 2 (BACE2) is poorly understood. We report the mRNA expression profile, DNA sequence, and molecular characterization of the BACE2 gene, located on chromosome 21q22.3. The BACE2 gene expresses more strongly in peripheral tissues, although BACE2 mRNA is found in the majority of brain regions, including the postcentral gyrus and temporal lobe. Characterization of 2932 bp of the BACE2 5'-flanking region (GC content of 55%), reveals the absence of canonical CCAAT and TATA boxes within 1 kb of the transcription start site (TSS). The sequence lacks significant internal repeats and has a housekeeping gene structure. Two active regions of the BACE2 promoter determine its basal expression and cell-type specificity. The proximal region (-31/+238) likely determines general basal expression, and the distal region (-2618/-1513), cell-type specificity. Several putative transcription factor sites, particularly SP1, Oct-1, and HES-1, are predicted to be within 1 kb of the TSS. On either side of the proximal promoter region, two negative regulatory domains might reduce BACE2 expression under an induced condition. The BACE2 5'-flanking region is likely to be highly regulated and expressed in a tissue type-specific manner.

5' Flanking Region↗
PubMed2006

A partial failure of membrane protein turnover may cause Alzheimer's disease: a new hypothesis.

The amyloid hypothesis has dominated the thinking in our attempts to understand, diagnose and develop drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This article presents a new hypothesis that takes into account the numerous familial AD (FAD) mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its processing pathways, but suggests a new perspective beyond toxicity of forms of the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). Clearly, amyloid deposits are an invariable feature of AD. Moreover, although APP is normally processed to secreted and membrane-bound fragments, sAPPbeta and CTFbeta, by BACE, and the latter is subsequently processed by gamma-secretase to Abeta and CTFgamma, this pathway mostly yields Abeta of 40 residues, and increases in the levels of the amyloidogenic 42-residue Abeta (Abeta42) are seen in the majority of the mutations linked to the disease. The resulting theory is that the disease is caused by amyloid toxicity, which impairs memory and triggers deposition of the microtubule associated protein, Tau, as neurofibrillary tangles. Nevertheless, a few exceptional FAD mutations and the presence of large amounts of amyloid deposits in a group of cognitively normal elderly patients suggest that the disease process is more complex. Indeed, it has been hard to demonstrate the toxicity of Abeta42 and the actual target has been shifted to small oligomers of the peptide, named Abeta derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs). Our hypothesis is that the disease is more complex and caused by a failure of APP metabolism or clearance, which simultaneously affects several other membrane proteins. Thus, a traffic jam is created by failure of important pathways such as gamma-secretase processing of residual intramembrane domains released from the metabolism of multiple membrane proteins, which ultimately leads to a multiple system failure. In this theory, toxicity of Abeta42 will only contribute partially, if at all, to neurodegeneration in AD. More significantly, this theory would predict that focussing on specific reagents such as gamma-secretase inhibitors that hamper metabolism of APP, may initially show some beneficial effects on cognitive performance by elimination of acutely toxic ADDLs, but over the longer term may exacerbate the disease process by reducing membrane protein turnover.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

Taking down the unindicted co-conspirators of amyloid beta-peptide-mediated neuronal death: shared gene regulation of BACE1 and APP genes interacting with CREB, Fe65 and YY1 transcription factors.

Major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include brain deposition of the amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta), which is proteolytically cleaved from a large Abeta precursor protein (APP) by beta and gamma- secretases. A transmembrane aspartyl protease, beta-APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1), has been recognized as the beta-secretase. We review the structure and function of the BACE1 protein, and of 4129 bp of the 5'-flanking region sequence of the BACE1 gene and its interaction with various transcription factors involved in cell signaling. The promoter region and 5'-untranslated region (UTR) contain multiple transcription factor binding sites, such as AP-1, CREB and MEF2. A 91 bp fragment is the shortest region with significant reporter gene activity and constitutes the minimal promoter element for BACE1. The BACE1 promoter contains six unique functional domains and three structural domains of increasing sequence complexity as the "ATG" start codon is approached. Notably, the BACE1 gene promoter contains basal regulatory elements, inducible features and sites for regulation by various important transcription factors. Herein, we also discuss and speculate how the interaction of these transcription factors with the BACE1 promoter can modulate synaptic plasticity, neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress, which are pertinent to the pathogenesis and progression of AD.

Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases↗
PubMed2006

Neurine, an acetylcholine autolysis product, elevates secreted amyloid-beta protein precursor and amyloid-beta peptide levels, and lowers neuronal cell viability in culture: a role in Alzheimer's disease?

Classical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are a synaptic loss, cholinergic neuron death, and abnormal protein deposition, particularly of toxic amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) that is derived from amyloid-beta protein precursor (AbetaPP) by the action of beta- and gamma-secretases. The trigger(s) initiating the biochemical cascades that underpin these hallmarks have yet to be fully elucidated. The typical forebrain cholinergic cell demise associated with AD brain results in a loss of presynaptic cholinergic markers and acetylcholine (ACh). Neurine (vinyl-trimethyl-ammonium hydroxide) is a breakdown product of ACh, consequent to autolysis and is an organic poison found in cadavre brain. The time- and concentration-dependent actions of neurine were assessed in human neuroblastoma (NB, SK-N-SH) cells in culture by quantifying cell viability by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and MTS assay, and AbetaPP and Abeta levels by Western blot and ELISA. NB cells displayed evidence of toxicity to neurine at > or = 3 mg/ml, as demonstrated by elevated LDH levels in the culture media and a reduced cell viability shown by the MTS assay. Using subtoxic concentrations of neurine, elevations in AbetaPP and Abeta1-40 peptide levels were detected in conditioned media samples.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2005

Selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibition elevates brain acetylcholine, augments learning and lowers Alzheimer beta-amyloid peptide in rodent.

Like acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inactivates the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) and is hence a viable therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by a cholinergic deficit. Potent, reversible, and brain-targeted BChE inhibitors (cymserine analogs) were developed based on binding domain structures to help elucidate the role of this enzyme in the central nervous system. In rats, cymserine analogs caused long-term inhibition of brain BChE and elevated extracellular ACh levels, without inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase. In rat brain slices, selective BChE inhibition augmented long-term potentiation. These compounds also improved the cognitive performance (maze navigation) of aged rats. In cultured human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells, intra- and extracellular beta-amyloid precursor protein, and secreted beta-amyloid peptide levels were reduced without affecting cell viability. Treatment of transgenic mice that overexpressed human mutant amyloid precursor protein also resulted in lower beta-amyloid peptide brain levels than controls. Selective, reversible inhibition of brain BChE may represent a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, improving cognition and modulating neuropathological markers of the disease.

Acetylcholine↗