Ligand for translocator protein reverses pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

J Neurosci. 2013 May 15;33(20):8891-7. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1350-13.2013.

Abstract

Ligands of the translocator protein (TSPO) elicit pleiotropic neuroprotective effects that represent emerging treatment strategies for several neurodegenerative conditions. To investigate the potential of TSPO as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the current study assessed the effects of the TSPO ligand Ro5-4864 on the development of neuropathology in 3xTgAD mice. The effects of the TSPO ligand on neurosteroidogenesis and AD-related neuropathology, including β-amyloid accumulation, gliosis, and behavioral impairment, were examined under both early intervention (7-month-old young-adult male mice with low pathology) and treatment (24-month-old, aged male mice with advanced neuropathology) conditions. Ro5-4864 treatment not only effectively attenuated development of neuropathology and behavioral impairment in young-adult mice but also reversed these indices in aged 3xTgAD mice. Reduced levels of soluble β-amyloid were also observed by the combination of TSPO ligands Ro5-4864 and PK11195 in nontransgenic mice. These findings suggest that TSPO is a promising target for the development of pleiotropic treatment strategies for the management of AD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Animals
  • Benzodiazepinones / therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Isoquinolines / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Orchiectomy
  • Presenilin-1 / genetics
  • Receptors, GABA / metabolism*
  • Steroids / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Benzodiazepinones
  • Bzrp protein, mouse
  • Isoquinolines
  • PSEN1 protein, human
  • Presenilin-1
  • Receptors, GABA
  • Steroids
  • tau Proteins
  • 4'-chlorodiazepam
  • PK 11195