The Neurovascular Unit Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Histopathologically, AD presents with two hallmarks: neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and aggregates of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) both in the brain parenchyma as neuritic plaques, and around blood vessels as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). According to the vascular hypothesis of AD, vascular risk factors can result in dysregulation of the neurovascular unit (NVU) and hypoxia. Hypoxia may reduce Aβ clearance from the brain and increase its production, leading to both parenchymal and vascular accumulation of Aβ. An increase in Aβ amplifies neuronal dysfunction, NFT formation, and accelerates neurodegeneration, resulting in dementia. In recent decades, therapeutic approaches have attempted to decrease the levels of abnormal Aβ or tau levels in the AD brain. However, several of these approaches have either been associated with an inappropriate immune response triggering inflammation, or have failed to improve cognition. Here, we review the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets associated with dysfunction of the NVU in AD.     

Biflavonoid-Induced Disruption of Hydrogen Bonds Leads to Amyloid-β Disaggregation

Deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils in the brain is a key pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. A class of polyphenolic biflavonoids is known to have anti-amyloidogenic effects by inhibiting aggregation of Aβ and promoting disaggregation of Aβ fibrils. In the present study, we further sought to investigate the structural basis of the Aβ disaggregating activity of biflavonoids and their interactions at the atomic level. A thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay revealed that amentoflavone-type biflavonoids promote disaggregation of Aβ fibrils with varying potency due to specific structural differences. The computational analysis herein provides the first atomistic details for the mechanism of Aβ disaggregation by biflavonoids. Molecular docking analysis showed that biflavonoids preferentially bind to the aromatic-rich, partially ordered N-termini of Aβ fibril via the π–π interactions. Moreover, docking scores correlate well with the ThT EC₅₀ values. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that biflavonoids decrease the content of β-sheet in Aβ fibril in a structure-dependent manner. Hydrogen bond analysis further supported that the substitution of hydroxyl groups capable of hydrogen bond formation at two positions on the biflavonoid scaffold leads to significantly disaggregation of Aβ fibrils. Taken together, our data indicate that biflavonoids promote disaggregation of Aβ fibrils due to their ability to disrupt the fibril structure, suggesting biflavonoids as a lead class of compounds to develop a therapeutic agent for Alzheimer’s disease.     

Insoluble Vascular Amyloid Deposits Trigger Disruption of the Neurovascular Unit in Alzheimer’s Disease Brains

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized histopathologically by intra-neuronal tau-related lesions and by the accumulation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in the brain parenchyma and around cerebral blood vessels. According to the vascular hypothesis of AD, an alteration in the neurovascular unit (NVU) could lead to Aβ vascular accumulation and promote neuronal dysfunction, accelerating neurodegeneration and dementia. To date, the effects of insoluble vascular Aβ deposits on the NVU and the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are unknown. In this study, we analyze different Aβ species and their association with the cells that make up the NVU. We evaluated post-mortem AD brain tissue. Multiple immunofluorescence assays were performed against different species of Aβ and the main elements that constitute the NVU. Our results showed that there are insoluble vascular deposits of both full-length and truncated Aβ species. Besides, insoluble aggregates are associated with a decrease in the phenotype of the cellular components that constitute the NVU and with BBB disruption. This approach could help identify new therapeutic targets against key molecules and receptors in the NVU that can prevent the accumulation of vascular fibrillar Aβ in AD.     

Current Understanding of the Structure,Stability and Dynamic Properties of Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are supramolecular protein assemblies represented by a cross-β structure and fibrous morphology, whose structural architecture has been previously investigated. While amyloid fibrils are basically a main-chain-dominated structure consisting of a backbone of hydrogen bonds, side-chain interactions also play an important role in determining their detailed structures and physicochemical properties. In amyloid fibrils comprising short peptide segments, a steric zipper where a pair of β-sheets with side chains interdigitate tightly is found as a fundamental motif. In amyloid fibrils comprising longer polypeptides, each polypeptide chain folds into a planar structure composed of several β-strands linked by turns or loops, and the steric zippers are formed locally to stabilize the structure. Multiple segments capable of forming steric zippers are contained within a single protein molecule in many cases, and polymorphism appears as a result of the diverse regions and counterparts of the steric zippers. Furthermore, the β-solenoid structure, where the polypeptide chain folds in a solenoid shape with side chains packed inside, is recognized as another important amyloid motif. While side-chain interactions are primarily achieved by non-polar residues in disease-related amyloid fibrils, the participation of hydrophilic and charged residues is prominent in functional amyloids, which often leads to spatiotemporally controlled fibrillation, high reversibility, and the formation of labile amyloids with kinked backbone topology. Achieving precise control of the side-chain interactions within amyloid structures will open up a new horizon for designing useful amyloid-based nanomaterials.     

Alzheimer’s Disease Animal Models: Elucidation of Biomarkers and Therapeutic Approaches for Cognitive Impairment

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is widely accepted that AD is mainly caused by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tau tangles. Aβ begins to accumulate years before the onset of cognitive impairment, suggesting that the benefit of currently available interventions would be greater if they were initiated in the early phases of AD. To understand the mechanisms of AD pathogenesis, various transgenic mouse models with an accelerated accumulation of Aβ and tau tangles have been developed. However, none of these models exhibit all pathologies present in human AD. To overcome these undesirable phenotypes, APP knock-in mice, which were presented with touchscreen-based tasks, were developed to better evaluate the efficacy of candidate therapeutics in mouse models of early-stage AD. This review assesses several AD mouse models from the aspect of biomarkers and cognitive impairment and discusses their potential as tools to provide novel AD therapeutic approaches.     

人血清淀粉样蛋白A1原核表达及胶体金检测方法的建立

通过胶体金免疫层析技术建立一种特异、便捷、快速的SAA1定量检测新方法.利用大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)原核表达人血清淀粉样蛋白A1(SAA1),根据BL21(DE3)表达偏好性设计并合成SAA1蛋白基因片段,构建表达载体pET-28a-SAA1,采用CaCl2法制备BL21(DE3)感受态,热激转化法将pET-28a-SAA1转入到BL21(DE3).经表达条件优化,获得重组蛋白最佳诱导表达条件:温度30℃,时间6h,转速180rpm/min,培养基pH 7.0,IPTG浓度0.4mM,诱导表达后目的蛋白经SDS-PAGE电泳鉴定,Ni柱纯化、透析、浓缩从而获得浓度为8.09mg/ml,纯度为85%的SAA1.同时,结合胶体金标记技术,建立了SAA1胶体金免疫层析试纸检测方法,线性范围0.16~500μg/ml,最低检测限0.16μg/ml,该研究为临床体外诊断SAA1快速检测提供技术基础.     

阿尔茨海默病药物治疗的研究进展

综述了阿尔茨海默病的药物治疗研究进展,包括乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂,NMDA受体拮抗剂,非甾体类抗炎药,抗氧化剂,免疫治疗以及针对Aβ的其它治疗手段等.     

β-淀粉样多肽自聚集抑制剂的电化学筛选方法研究

β-淀粉样多肽（Amyloidbeta,Aβ）的聚集物具有神经细胞毒性,可导致神经元凋亡,从而诱导阿尔茨海默症（Alzheimer’s disease,AD）的发生。能够抑制AB自聚集行为的化合物称为AB自聚集抑制剂。该抑制剂可抑制Aβ有毒聚集物的产生,从而降低Aβ所引起的神经细胞毒性,对AD病有一定的治疗效果。因此。筛选AB自聚集抑制剂对于AD的治疗有着重要的意义。在数以千万计的化合物中,要筛选出对Aβ自聚集有抑制效果的化合物需要借助众多的仪器和研究方法。该文总结了筛选AB自聚集抑制剂的几种方法．重点综述了几种低成本、快速、灵敏的电化学筛选方法。Aβ自聚集抑制剂的筛选对临床上AD病的治疗提供了理论基础,为治疗AD病这一复杂科学问题的研究起到了促进作用。     

Carbon Nanodot‐Sensitized Modulation of Alzheimer's β‐Amyloid Self‐Assembly,Disassembly, and Toxicity

The self‐assembly of amyloidogenic peptides into β‐sheet‐rich aggregates is a general feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, which signifies the need for the effective attenuation of amyloid aggregation toward alleviating amyloid‐associated neurotoxicity. This study reports that photoluminescent carbon nanodots (CDs) can effectively suppress Alzheimer's β‐amyloid (Aβ) self‐assembly and function as a β‐sheet breaker disintegrating preformed Aβ aggregates. This study synthesizes CDs using ammonium citrate through one‐pot hydrothermal treatment and passivates their surface with branched polyethylenimine (bPEI). The bPEI‐coated CDs (bPEI@CDs) exhibit hydrophilic and cationic surface characteristics, which interact with the negatively charged residues of Aβ peptides, suppressing the aggregation of Aβ peptides. Under light illumination, bPEI@CDs display a more pronounced effect on Aβ aggregation and on the dissociation of β‐sheet‐rich assemblies through the generation of reactive oxygen species from photoactivated bPEI@CDs. The light‐triggered attenuation effect of Aβ aggregation using a series of experiments, including photochemical and microscopic analysis, is verified. Furthermore, the cell viability test confirms the ability of photoactivated bPEI@CDs for the suppression of Aβ‐mediated cytotoxicity, indicating bPEI@CDs' potency as an effective anti‐Aβ neurotoxin agent.