Discovery of a novel small molecule PT109 with multi-targeted effects against Alzheimer's disease in vitro and in vivo

Eur J Pharmacol. 2020 Sep 15:883:173361. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173361. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by impairment of cognitive functions, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the elderly. Currently available anti-AD drugs can only offer limited symptom-relieving effects. "One-compound-Multitargeted Strategy" have been recognized as the promising way to win the war against AD. Herein we report a potential anti-AD agent PT109 with multi-functions. First, an 81-kinase screening was carried out and results showed that PT109 potently inhibited c-Jun N-terminal kinases and Serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1, which are the important signaling molecules involved in neurogenesis, neuroprotection and neuroinflammation and mildly inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3β as well as protein kinase C gamma, both are involved in AD pathological processes. In addition, invitro studies of immunofluorescent staining and Western blot showed that PT109 might promote the neurogenesis of C17.2 cells and induce synaptogenesis in primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We detected and confirmed the neuroprotective effect of PT109 in cultured HT22 cells by MTT assay, dehydrogenase assay, glutathione assay and reactive oxygen species assay. Furthermore, the results of Western blot, ELISA assay and immunofluorescent staining indicated that PT109 attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV2 cells and primary astrocytes. The results of Morris water maze and Step-through test indicated that PT109 improved the spatial learning ability in APP/PS1 mice. More importantly, the invivo pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that PT109 had better medicinal properties. Taken together, our findings suggest that PT109 may be a promising candidate for treating AD through multiple targets although further studies are ought to be conducted.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Anti-inflammation; Multi-kinase inhibitor; Neuroprotection; PT109.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / drug effects
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Astrocytes / pathology
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Immediate-Early Proteins / metabolism
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Locomotion / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microglia / drug effects
  • Microglia / metabolism
  • Microglia / pathology
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Morris Water Maze Test / drug effects
  • Neurogenesis / drug effects*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Presenilin-1 / genetics
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • APP protein, human
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Cytokines
  • Immediate-Early Proteins
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • PSEN1 protein, human
  • Presenilin-1
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • serum-glucocorticoid regulated kinase
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases