Neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) slows down Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in amyloid precursor protein-transgenic mice.

Rat, Dorothea;Schmitt, Ulrich;Tippmann, Frank;Dewachter, Ilse;Kojro, Elzbieta;et.al.
(2011) FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology — Vol. 25, n° 9, p. 3208-3218 (2011)

Files

Neuropeptidepituitaryadenylatecyclase-activating.pdf
  • Open Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 560.82 KB

Details

Authors
  • Rat, Dorothea
    Author
  • Schmitt, Ulrich
    Author
  • Tippmann, Frank
    Author
  • Dewachter, IlseUCLouvain
    Author
  • Kojro, Elzbieta
    Author
Show more
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties and is a potent α-secretase activator. As PACAP peptides and their specific receptor PAC1 are localized in central nervous system areas affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), this study aims to examine the role of the natural peptide PACAP as a valuable approach in AD therapy. We investigated the effect of PACAP in the brain of an AD transgenic mouse model. The long-term intranasal daily PACAP application stimulated the nonamyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and increased expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. In addition, it caused a strong reduction of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) transporter receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) mRNA level. PACAP, by activation of the somatostatin-neprilysin cascade, also enhanced expression of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin in the mouse brain. Furthermore, daily PAC1-receptor activation via PACAP resulted in an increased mRNA level of both the PAC1 receptor and its ligand PACAP. Our behavioral studies showed that long-term PACAP treatment of APP[V717I]-transgenic mice improved cognitive function in animals. Thus, nasal application of PACAP was effective, and our results indicate that PACAP could be of therapeutic value in treating AD.
Affiliations

Citations

Rat, D., Schmitt, U., Tippmann, F., Dewachter, I., Theunis, C., Wieczerzak, E., Postina, R., van Leuven, F., Fahrenholz, F., & Kojro, E. (2011). Neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) slows down Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in amyloid precursor protein-transgenic mice. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 25(9), 3208-3218. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.10-180133 (Original work published 2011)