Background:Chronic Gulf War Illness(GWI)is characterized by cognitive and mood impairments,as well as persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Epidiolex®,a...Background:Chronic Gulf War Illness(GWI)is characterized by cognitive and mood impairments,as well as persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Epidiolex®,a Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved cannabidiol(CBD),in improving brain function in a rat model of chronic GWI.Methods:Six months after exposure to low doses of GWI-related chemicals[pyridostigmine bromide,N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide(DEET),and permethrin(PER)]along with moderate stress,rats with chronic GWI were administered either vehicle(VEH)or CBD(20 mg/kg,oral)for 16 weeks.Neurobehavioral tests were conducted on 11 weeks after treatment initiation to evaluate the performance of rats in tasks related to associative recognition memory,object location memory,pattern separation,and sucrose preference.The effect of CBD on hyperalgesia was also examined.The brain tissues were processed for immunohistochemical and molecular studies following behavioral tests.Results:GWI rats treated with VEH exhibited impairments in all cognitive tasks and anhedonia,whereas CBD-treated GWI rats showed improvements in all cognitive tasks and no anhedonia.Additionally,CBD treatment alleviated hyperalgesia in GWI rats.Analysis of hippocampal tissues from VEH-treated rats revealed astrocyte hypertrophy and increased percentages of activated microglia presenting NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3)complexes as well as elevated levels of proteins involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription(JAK/STAT)signaling.Furthermore,there were increased concentrations of proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers along with decreased neurogenesis.In contrast,the hippocampus from CBD-treated GWI rats displayed reduced levels of proteins mediating the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and JAK/STAT signaling,normalized concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers,and improved neurogenesis.Notably,CBD treatment did not alter the concentration of endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in the hippocampus.Conclusions:The use of an FDA-approved CBD(Epidiolex®)has been shown to effectively alleviate cognitive and mood impairments as well as hyperalgesia associated with chronic GWI.Importantly,the improvements observed in rats with chronic GWI in this study were attributed to the ability of CBD to significantly suppress signaling pathways that perpetuate chronic neuroinflammation.展开更多
The present study established a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia （CIH） to simulate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. CIH rats were evaluated for cognitive function using the Morris water maze, and neuronal ...The present study established a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia （CIH） to simulate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. CIH rats were evaluated for cognitive function using the Morris water maze, and neuronal pathology in the hippocampus was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. In addition, hippocampal choline acetyl transferase （CHAT） and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor （nAChR） expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed necrotic hippocampal neurons, decreased ChAT and nAChR expression, as well as cognitive impairment in CIH rats. These results suggest that hippocampal neuronal necrosis and decreased cholinerqic activity may be involved in CIH-induced cognitive impairment in rats.展开更多
Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） is the most common form of dementia in the older population, however, the precise cause of the disease is unknown. The neuropathology is characterized by the presence of aggregates formed by...Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） is the most common form of dementia in the older population, however, the precise cause of the disease is unknown. The neuropathology is characterized by the presence of aggregates formed by amyloid-β（Aβ） peptide and phosphorylated tau; which is accompanied by progressive impairment of memory. Diverse signaling pathways are linked to AD, and among these the Wnt signaling pathway is becoming increasingly relevant, since it plays essential roles in the adult brain. Initially, Wnt signaling activation was proposed as a neuroprotective mechanism against Aβ toxicity. Later, it was reported that it participates in tau phosphorylation and processes of learning and memory. Interestingly, in the last years we demonstrated that Wnt signaling is fundamental in amyloid precursor protein（APP） processing and that Wnt dysfunction results in Aβ production and aggregation in vitro. Recent in vivo studies reported that loss of canonical Wnt signaling exacerbates amyloid deposition in a transgenic（Tg） mouse model of AD. Finally, we showed that inhibition of Wnt signaling in a Tg mouse previously at the appearance of AD signs, resulted in memory loss, tau phosphorylation and Aβ formation and aggregation; indicating that Wnt dysfunction accelerated the onset of AD. More importantly, Wnt signaling loss promoted cognitive impairment, tau phosphorylation and Aβ1–42 production in the hippocampus of wild-type（WT） mice, contributing to the development of an Alzheimer＇s-like neurophatology. Therefore, in this review we highlight the importance of Wnt/β-catenin signaling dysfunction in the onset of AD and propose that the loss of canonical Wnt signaling is a triggering factor of AD.展开更多
基金supported by grants from Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.the Texas A&M University of School of Medicine to AKS
文摘Background:Chronic Gulf War Illness(GWI)is characterized by cognitive and mood impairments,as well as persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Epidiolex®,a Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved cannabidiol(CBD),in improving brain function in a rat model of chronic GWI.Methods:Six months after exposure to low doses of GWI-related chemicals[pyridostigmine bromide,N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide(DEET),and permethrin(PER)]along with moderate stress,rats with chronic GWI were administered either vehicle(VEH)or CBD(20 mg/kg,oral)for 16 weeks.Neurobehavioral tests were conducted on 11 weeks after treatment initiation to evaluate the performance of rats in tasks related to associative recognition memory,object location memory,pattern separation,and sucrose preference.The effect of CBD on hyperalgesia was also examined.The brain tissues were processed for immunohistochemical and molecular studies following behavioral tests.Results:GWI rats treated with VEH exhibited impairments in all cognitive tasks and anhedonia,whereas CBD-treated GWI rats showed improvements in all cognitive tasks and no anhedonia.Additionally,CBD treatment alleviated hyperalgesia in GWI rats.Analysis of hippocampal tissues from VEH-treated rats revealed astrocyte hypertrophy and increased percentages of activated microglia presenting NOD-,LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3)complexes as well as elevated levels of proteins involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription(JAK/STAT)signaling.Furthermore,there were increased concentrations of proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers along with decreased neurogenesis.In contrast,the hippocampus from CBD-treated GWI rats displayed reduced levels of proteins mediating the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and JAK/STAT signaling,normalized concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers,and improved neurogenesis.Notably,CBD treatment did not alter the concentration of endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in the hippocampus.Conclusions:The use of an FDA-approved CBD(Epidiolex®)has been shown to effectively alleviate cognitive and mood impairments as well as hyperalgesia associated with chronic GWI.Importantly,the improvements observed in rats with chronic GWI in this study were attributed to the ability of CBD to significantly suppress signaling pathways that perpetuate chronic neuroinflammation.
文摘The present study established a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia （CIH） to simulate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. CIH rats were evaluated for cognitive function using the Morris water maze, and neuronal pathology in the hippocampus was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. In addition, hippocampal choline acetyl transferase （CHAT） and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor （nAChR） expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed necrotic hippocampal neurons, decreased ChAT and nAChR expression, as well as cognitive impairment in CIH rats. These results suggest that hippocampal neuronal necrosis and decreased cholinerqic activity may be involved in CIH-induced cognitive impairment in rats.
基金supported by grants PFB (Basal Financing Program) 12/2007 from the Basal Centre for Excellence in Science and Technology and FONDECYT,No.1120156(to NCI)a pre-doctoral fellowship from the National Commission of Science and Technology of Chile(CONICYT)(to CTR)
文摘Alzheimer＇s disease（AD） is the most common form of dementia in the older population, however, the precise cause of the disease is unknown. The neuropathology is characterized by the presence of aggregates formed by amyloid-β（Aβ） peptide and phosphorylated tau; which is accompanied by progressive impairment of memory. Diverse signaling pathways are linked to AD, and among these the Wnt signaling pathway is becoming increasingly relevant, since it plays essential roles in the adult brain. Initially, Wnt signaling activation was proposed as a neuroprotective mechanism against Aβ toxicity. Later, it was reported that it participates in tau phosphorylation and processes of learning and memory. Interestingly, in the last years we demonstrated that Wnt signaling is fundamental in amyloid precursor protein（APP） processing and that Wnt dysfunction results in Aβ production and aggregation in vitro. Recent in vivo studies reported that loss of canonical Wnt signaling exacerbates amyloid deposition in a transgenic（Tg） mouse model of AD. Finally, we showed that inhibition of Wnt signaling in a Tg mouse previously at the appearance of AD signs, resulted in memory loss, tau phosphorylation and Aβ formation and aggregation; indicating that Wnt dysfunction accelerated the onset of AD. More importantly, Wnt signaling loss promoted cognitive impairment, tau phosphorylation and Aβ1–42 production in the hippocampus of wild-type（WT） mice, contributing to the development of an Alzheimer＇s-like neurophatology. Therefore, in this review we highlight the importance of Wnt/β-catenin signaling dysfunction in the onset of AD and propose that the loss of canonical Wnt signaling is a triggering factor of AD.
