RESUMO
Neuroinflammation is important in the pathogenesis and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the AD brain, microglial activation and upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators both induce amyloid beta (Aß) accumulation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling have been implicated in AD development through their effects on neuroinflammation and microglial activation. The bee venom soluble phospholipase A2 (bv-sPLA2) enzyme is known to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-immune effects. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of bv-sPLA2 on memory deficiency in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of AD. We examined whether bv-sPLA2 (0.02, 0.2, and 2 mg/kg by i.p. injection three times for 1 week) could inhibit neuroinflammation and memory impairment in LPS-treated mice (250 µg/kg by i.p. injection daily for 1 week). We also assessed the effects of bv-sPLA2 administration (0.01, 0.1, and 1 µg/ml) on LPS (1 µg/ml)-treated microglial BV-2 cells. In the LPS-injected mouse brain, sPLA2 treatment rescued memory dysfunction and decreased Aß levels, through the downregulation of amyloidogenic proteins, and decreased the expression of inflammatory proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, the LPS-mediated increase in inflammatory protein expression was attenuated bv-sPLA2 treatment in BV-2 cells. Treatment with bv-sPLA2 also downregulated signaling by NF-κB, which is considered to be an important factor in the regulation of neuroinflammatory and amyloidogenic responses, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, co-treatment with NF-κB (5 µM) and bv-sPLA2 (0.1 µg/ml) exerted more marked anti-inflammatory effects, compared to bv-sPLA2 treatment alone. These results indicate that bv-sPLA2 inhibits LPS-induced neuroinflammation and amyloidogenesis via inhibition of NF-κB.
RESUMO
This study was designed to characterize vasorelaxant effects of BMS-180448 ((3S-trans)-N-(4-chlorophenyl)-N'-cyano-N"-(6-cyano-3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-4-yl)), a prototype cardioselective ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, in rat aorta. BMS-180448 relaxed phenylephrine-precontracted endothelium-intact aortic rings (IC(50): 0.97 +/- 0.29 micro M), the effect being significantly attenuated by removal of functional endothelium (IC(50): 1.95 +/- 0.23 micro M) and pretreatment with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or methylene blue. BMS-180448 completely relaxed endothelium-denuded aorta contracted with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, PGF(2)(alpha), and U46619 with a significantly greater potency (IC(50): 0.069 +/- 0.002, 0.055 +/- 0.002, and 0.068 +/- 0.008 micro M, respectively, P<0.05) than that contracted with phenylephrine (1.95 +/- 0.23 micro M) or KCl (0.25 +/- 0.08 micro M), indicating potency change with the type of vasoconstrictor. BMS-180448 (1 - 3 micro M) inhibited Ca(2+) (0.5 - 2.5 mM)-induced contraction of endothelium-denuded aorta evoked in the presence of high KCl (65.4 mM), but had no effect on contraction induced by phenylephrine in Ca(2+)-free buffer. BMS-180448 (10 micro M) increased cAMP level in aorta by approximately two-fold compared with the control, comparable to forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator. These findings suggest that cardioselective BMS-180448 still exerts significant vasorelaxant activity in rat aorta contracted with various vasoconstrictors via multiple mechanisms including the blockade of extracellular Ca(2+) influx through voltage-dependent channels and activation of the adenylate cyclase and nitric oxide pathway, with the possibility of hemodynamic implications in certain clinical conditions such as myocardial infarction and hypertension.
