RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is caused by mutations in one or more of 3 genes known as A ß PP, PSEN1, and PSEN2. There are currently no effective therapies for FAD. Hence, novel therapeutics are needed. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of treatment with a combination of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, aMT) in a cerebral spheroid (CS) 3D in vitro model of PSEN 1 E280A FAD. METHODS: We developed a CS in vitro model based on menstrual stromal cells derived from wild-type (WT) and mutant PSEN1 E280A menstrual blood cultured in Fast-N-Spheres V2 medium. RESULTS: Beta-tubulin III, choline acetyltransferase, and GFAP in both WT and mutant CSs spontaneously expressed neuronal and astroglia markers when grown in Fast-N-Spheres V2 medium for 4 or 11 days. Mutant PSEN1 CSs had significantly increased levels of intracellular AßPP fragment peptides and concomitant appearance of oxidized DJ-1 as early as 4 days, and phosphorylated tau, decreased ΔΨm, and increased caspase-3 activity were observed on Day 11. Moreover, mutant CSs were unresponsive to acetylcholine. Treatment with a combination of EGCG and aMT decreased the levels of all typical pathological markers of FAD more efficiently than did EGCG or aMT alone, but aMT failed to restore Ca2 + influx in mutant CSs and decreased the beneficial effect of EGCG on Ca2 + influx in mutant CSs. CONCLUSION: Treatment with a combination of EGCG and aMT can be of high therapeutic value due to the high antioxidant capacity and anti-amyloidogenic effect of both compounds.