Shigeki Moriguchi

Nobiletin improves brain ischemia-induced learning and memory deficits through stimulation of CaMKII and CREB phosphorylation.

Decreased cerebral blood flow causes cognitive impairments and neuronal injury in the progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers disease (AD) and vascular dementia. In the present study, we for the first time found that nobiletin, a novel leading compound for AD therapy, improved cerebral ischemia-induced memory deficits in vivo. Treatment with 50 mg/kg of nobiletin (i.p.) for the consecutive 7 days before and after brain ischemia significantly inhibited delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 neurons in a 20-min bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAO) ischemia. However, the contextual memory assessed by passive avoidance task was not improved. On the other hand, a 5-min BCCAO-induced contextual memory deficit was significantly improved by the nobiletin treatment. In the 5-min BCCAO mice, Western blot analysis evidently showed that the levels of synaptic proteins, including calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1), significantly decreased in the hippocampal CA1 region. The nobiletin treatment prevented the reduction in CaMKII, MAP2 and GluR1 protein levels in the hippocampal CA1 region, accompanied by restoration of both ERK and CREB phosphorylation and CaMKII autophosphorylation. Consistent with the restored CaMKII and ERK phosphorylation, an electrophysiological study showed that the impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) observed in the 5-min ischemic mice was significantly improved by the nobiletin treatment. These findings suggest that the activation of CaMKII and ERK signaling in part mediates improvement of ischemia-induced learning and memory deficits by nobiletin.

Generation of constitutively active calcineurin by calpain contributes to delayed neuronal death following mouse brain ischemia.

Calpain, a Ca2+‐dependent cysteine protease, in vitro converts calcineurin (CaN) to constitutively active forms of 45 kDa and 48 kDa by cleaving the autoinhibitory domain of the 60 kDa subunit. In a mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, calpain converted the CaN A subunit to the constitutively active form with 48 kDa in vivo. We also confirmed increased Ca2+/CaM‐independent CaN activity in brain extracts. The generation of constitutively active and Ca2+/CaM‐independent activity of CaN peaked 2 h after reperfusion in brain extracts. Increased constitutively active CaN activity was associated with dephosphorylation of dopamine‐regulated phosphoprotein‐32 in the brain. Generation of constitutively active CaN was accompanied by translocation of nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFAT) into nuclei of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. In addition, a novel calmodulin antagonist, DY‐9760e, blocked the generation of constitutively active CaN by calpain, thereby inhibiting NFAT nuclear translocation. Together with previous studies indicating that NFAT plays a critical role in apoptosis, we propose that calpain‐induced CaN activation in part mediates delayed neuronal death in brain ischemia.

Constitutively active calcineurin mediates delayed neuronal death through Fas‐ligand expression via activation of NFAT and FKHR transcriptional activities in mouse brain ischemia

We recently demonstrated that a constitutively active form of calcineurin (CaN) is generated by calpain‐mediated limited proteolysis following brain ischemia. The calpain‐induced CaN activation mediated delayed neuronal death through translocation of nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFAT) into nuclei after brain ischemia. We also previously demonstrated that activation of forkhead in rhabdomyosarcoma (FKHR), a forkhead transcription factor and substrate of protein kinase‐B (Akt), mediated ischemia‐induced neuronal death through Fas‐ligand expression in gerbil hippocampus. FKHR activation occurred through decreased Akt activity and concomitant dephosphorylation mediated by undefined phosphatases. In this study, we show that phosphorylated Ser‐256 of FKHR is dephosphorylated by constitutively active CaN and that in turn FKHR forms a complex with CaN that is translocated into nuclei after brain ischemia. After nuclear translocation of NFAT and FKHR, both NFAT and FKHR stimulated expression of Fas‐ligand by binding to its promoter region. Consistent with activation of the Fas‐ligand promoter by FKHR dephosphorylation, Fas‐ligand expression increased 2 days after ischemia/reperfusion, and treatment with the CaN inhibitor FK506 inhibited that expression. These results suggest that FKHR is a downstream target of CaN and that constitutively active CaN mediates delayed neuronal death through Fas‐ligand expression via up‐regulation of both NFAT and FKHR transcriptional activity in brain ischemia.

Decreased calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinase C activities mediate impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation in the olfactory bulbectomized mice.

Olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice showed significant impairment of learning and memory‐related behaviors 14 days after olfactory bulbectomy, as measured by passive avoidance and Y‐maze tasks. We here observed a large impairment of hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the OBX mice. Concomitant with decreased acetylcholinesterase expression, protein kinase C (PKC)α autophosphorylation and NR1(Ser‐896) phosphorylation significantly decreased in the hippocampal CA1 region of OBX mice. Both PKCα and NR1(Ser‐896) phosphorylation significantly increased following LTP in the control mice, whereas increases were not observed in OBX mice. Like PKC activities, calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) autophosphorylation significantly decreased in the hippocampal CA1 region of OBX mice as compared with that of control mice. In addition, increased CaMKII autophosphorylation following LTP was not observed in OBX mice. Finally, the impairment of CaMKII autophosphorylation was closely associated with reduced pGluR1(Ser‐831) phosphorylation, without change in synapsin I (site 3) phosphorylation in the hippocampal CA1 region of OBX mice. Taken together, in OBX mice NMDA receptor hypofunction, possibly through decreased PKCα activity, underlies decreased CaMKII activity in the post‐synaptic regions, thereby impairing LTP induction in the hippocampal CA1 region. Both decreased PKC and CaMKII activities with concomitant LTP impairment account for the learning disability observed in OBX mice.

Essential Role of Neuron-Enriched Diacylglycerol Kinase (DGK), DGKβ in Neurite Spine Formation, Contributing to Cognitive Function

Background Diacylglycerol (DG) kinase (DGK) phosphorylates DG to produce phosphatidic acid (PA). Of the 10 subtypes of mammalian DGKs, DGKβ is a membrane-localized subtype and abundantly expressed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and caudate-putamen. However, its physiological roles in neurons and higher brain function have not been elucidated. Methodology/Principal Findings We, therefore, developed DGKβ KO mice using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system, and found that its long-term potentiation in the hippocampal CA1 region was reduced, causing impairment of cognitive functions including spatial and long-term memories in Y-maze and Morris water-maze tests. The primary cultured hippocampal neurons from KO mice had less branches and spines compared to the wild type. This morphological impairment was rescued by overexpression of DGKβ. In addition, overexpression of DGKβ in SH-SY5Y cells or primary cultured mouse hippocampal neurons resulted in branch- and spine-formation, while a splice variant form of DGKβ, which has kinase activity but loses membrane localization, did not induce branches and spines. In the cells overexpressing DGKβ but not the splice variant form, DGK product, PA, was increased and the substrate, DG, was decreased on the plasma membrane. Importantly, lower spine density and abnormality of PA and DG contents in the CA1 region of the KO mice were confirmed. Conclusions/Significance These results demonstrate that membrane-localized DGKβ regulates spine formation by regulation of lipids, contributing to the maintenance of neural networks in synaptic transmission of cognitive processes including memory.

Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway by a vanadyl compound mediates its neuroprotective effect in mouse brain ischemia

We previously reported that orthovanadate composed of vanadate (V(5+)) activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling through inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases, thereby eliciting neuroprotection in brain ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, therapeutic doses of orthovanadate are associated with diarrhea due to inhibition of ATPase. By contrast, vanadyl (V(4+)) organic compounds show low cytotoxicity. Since both vanadate and vanadyl inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatases, we tested whether bis(1-oxy-2-pyridinethiolato)oxovanadium(IV) [VO(OPT)] in a vanadyl form elicits a neuroprotection in brain ischemia. In a mouse transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, pre- and post-treatments with VO(OPT) significantly reduced infarct volume in a dose-dependent manner. Like orthovanadate, activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway mediated neuroprotective action. VO(OPT) treatment inhibited reduced Akt phosphorylation at Ser-473 following brain ischemia and restored decreased phosphorylation of forkhead box class O (FOXO) family members such as FKHR, FKHRL1, and AFX. Consistent with inhibition of FOXO dephosphorylation, VO(OPT) treatment blocked elevated expression of Fas-ligand, Bim and active caspase-3 24 h after ischemia/reperfusion. Taken together, a vanadyl compound, VO(OPT) elicits neuroprotective effects on brain ischemia/reperfusion injury without apparent side effects.

The vanadium (IV) compound rescues septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurons from neurodegeneration in olfactory bulbectomized mice

The bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) mouse exhibits neurodegeneration of cholinergic neurons in the medial septum with concomitant cognitive deficits. Consistent with our previous observations, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) protein levels in the medial septum decreased by 43.5% 2 weeks after OBX without changes in glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) levels. Interestingly, levels of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), which is localized at cholinergic neuron terminals, decreased both in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions following OBX. Confocal microscopy showed that VAChT expression was more severely reduced in CA3 14 days after OBX compared with CA1. Intriguingly, chronic treatment with a vanadium (IV) compound, VO(OPT) [bis(1-N-oxide-pyridine-2-thiolato)oxovanadium(IV)] (0.5-1 mg as vanadium (V)/kg/day, i.p.), significantly rescued cholinergic neurons in the medial septum in a dose-dependent manner. VO(OPT) treatment also prevented decreased VAChT immunoreactivity both in CA1 and CA3 regions in the hippocampus. Consistent with these findings, an impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory deficits seen in OBX mice were significantly prevented by VO(OPT) treatment. Taken together, OBX induces neurodegeneration of septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurons and impairment of memory-related behaviors. The neuroprotective effect of VO(OPT) could lead to novel therapeutic strategies to ameliorate cognitive deficits associated with cholinergic neuron degeneration in Alzheimers disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Sigma-1 receptor stimulation by dehydroepiandrosterone ameliorates cognitive impairment through activation of CaM kinase II, protein kinase C and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in olfactory bulbectomized mice

J. Neurochem. (2011) 117, 879–891.

A Novel Cognitive Enhancer, ZSET1446/ST101, Promotes Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Ameliorates Depressive Behavior in Olfactory Bulbectomized Mice

In the adult brain, neurogenesis persistently occurs in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), and impaired neurogenesis is implicated in depressive behaviors and poor learning memory. Here, we investigated the effects of oral administration of spiro[imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3,2-indan]-2(3H)-one (ZSET1446/ST101), a novel cognitive enhancer stimulating acetylcholine release, on adult neurogenesis in olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice. OBX mice showed significant decreases in the number of newborn cells in the DG by immunohistochemical analysis of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine incorporation. Impaired neurogenesis observed in OBX mice was significantly improved by chronic administration with ZSET1446. We confirmed that administration with mecamylamine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, inhibits ZSET1446-enhanced neurogenesis in the DG. ZSET1446 administration also restored decreased phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the DG of OBX mice. Consistent with restored neurogenesis, chronic but not single ZSET1446 administration promoted significant decreases in immobility in tail suspension tests and improved cognitive behaviors in OBX mice. Taken together, chronic ZSET1446 administration antagonized impaired neurogenesis seen in OBX mice, an effect closely associated with improvement of depressive behavior.

Lithium-induced activation of Akt and CaM kinase II contributes to its neuroprotective action in a rat microsphere embolism model.

Lithium used in bipolar mood disorder therapy protects neurons from brain ischemic cell death. Here, we documented that lithium administration under microsphere-embolism (ME)-induced brain ischemia restored decreased protein kinase B (Akt) and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activities 24 h after ischemia in rat brain. Akt activation was associated with increased phosphorylation of its potential targets forkhead transcription factor (FKHR) and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). In parallel with decreased CaMKII autophosphorylation, we also found marked dephosphorylation of tau proteins 24-72 h after ME. Increased protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity was found 24 h after ME. Inhibition of increased PP2A activity by lithium treatment apparently mediated restored tau phosphorylation. Taken together, activation of Akt and CaMKII by lithium was associated with neuroprotective activity in ME-induced neuronal injury.