Mustafa Aya M, Rabie Mostafa A, Zaki Hala F, Shaheen Aya M
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Front Pharmacol. 2021 Dec 22;12:740966. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.740966. eCollection 2021.
GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I) is the rate-limiting enzyme for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis; the latter is an essential factor for iNOS activation that contributes neuronal loss in Huntington's disease (HD). The aim of the study was to investigate the neuroprotective effect of 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (DAHP), GTPCH I enzyme inhibitor, against neuronal loss in 3-nitropropinic acid (3-NP)-induced HD in rats and to reveal the possible involved mechanisms mediated through PI3K/Akt axis and its correlation to Mas receptor (MasR). Rats received 3-NP (10 mg/kg/day; i.p.) with or without administration of DAHP (0.5 g/kg/day; i.p.) or wortmannin (WM), a PI3K inhibitor, (15 μg/kg/day; i.v.) for 14 days. DAHP improved cognitive, memory, and motor abnormalities induced by 3-NP, as confirmed by striatal histopathological specimens and immunohistochemical examination of GFAP. Moreover, DAHP treatment inhibited GTPCH I activity, resulting in decreased BH4 levels and iNOS activation. Also, DAHP upregulated the protein expression of survival protein; p85/p55 (pY458/199)-PI3K and pS473-Akt that, in turn, boosted the activation of striatal neurotrophic factors and receptor, pS133-CREB, BDNF and pY515-TrKB, which positively affect MasR protein expression and improve mitochondrial dysfunction, as indicated by enhancing both SDH and PGC-1α levels. Indeed, DAHP attenuates oxidative stress by increasing SOD activity and Nrf2 expression in addition to reducing neuro-inflammatory status by inhibiting NF-κB p65 and TNF-α expression. Interestingly, all the previous effects were blocked by co-administration of WM with DAHP. In conclusion, DAHP exerts neuroprotective effect against neuronal loss induced by 3-NP administration inhibition of GTPCH I and iNOS activity and activation of MasR/PI3K/Akt/CREB/BDNF/TrKB axis besides its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.
GTP环化水解酶I(GTPCH I)是四氢生物蝶呤(BH4)生物合成的限速酶;后者是诱导型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)激活的必需因子,其在亨廷顿舞蹈病(HD)中导致神经元损失。本研究旨在探讨GTPCH I酶抑制剂2,4-二氨基-6-羟基嘧啶(DAHP)对3-硝基丙酸(3-NP)诱导的大鼠HD模型中神经元损失的神经保护作用,并揭示其可能通过PI3K/Akt轴介导的机制及其与Mas受体(MasR)的相关性。大鼠接受3-NP(10mg/kg/天;腹腔注射),同时给予或不给予DAHP(0.5g/kg/天;腹腔注射)或渥曼青霉素(WM),一种PI3K抑制剂,(15μg/kg/天;静脉注射),持续14天。纹状体组织病理学标本和GFAP免疫组化检查证实,DAHP改善了3-NP诱导的认知、记忆和运动异常。此外,DAHP治疗抑制了GTPCH I活性,导致BH4水平降低和iNOS激活。同时,DAHP上调了存活蛋白的表达;p85/p55(pY458/199)-PI3K和pS473-Akt,进而增强了纹状体神经营养因子和受体、pS133-CREB、脑源性神经营养因子(BDNF)和pY515-TrKB的激活,这对MasR蛋白表达有积极影响,并改善线粒体功能障碍,如琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)和过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ共激活因子-1α(PGC-1α)水平升高所示。实际上,DAHP通过增加超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性和Nrf2表达减轻氧化应激,此外还通过抑制核因子κB p65(NF-κB p65)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)表达降低神经炎症状态。有趣的是,WM与DAHP共同给药可阻断上述所有作用。总之,DAHP除了具有抗氧化和抗炎作用外,还通过抑制GTPCH I和iNOS活性以及激活MasR/PI3K/Akt/CREB/BDNF/TrKB轴,对3-NP诱导的神经元损失发挥神经保护作用。