Frontiers in Pharmacology (Feb 2022)

Meridianins Rescue Cognitive Deficits, Spine Density and Neuroinflammation in the 5xFAD Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Ened Rodríguez-Urgellés,
  • Ened Rodríguez-Urgellés,
  • Ened Rodríguez-Urgellés,
  • Anna Sancho-Balsells,
  • Anna Sancho-Balsells,
  • Anna Sancho-Balsells,
  • Wanqi Chen,
  • Wanqi Chen,
  • Wanqi Chen,
  • Laura López-Molina,
  • Laura López-Molina,
  • Laura López-Molina,
  • Ivan Ballasch,
  • Ivan Ballasch,
  • Ivan Ballasch,
  • Ignacio del Castillo,
  • Ignacio del Castillo,
  • Ignacio del Castillo,
  • Conxita Avila,
  • Jordi Alberch,
  • Jordi Alberch,
  • Jordi Alberch,
  • Jordi Alberch,
  • Albert Giralt,
  • Albert Giralt,
  • Albert Giralt,
  • Albert Giralt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.791666
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is a core protein, with a relevant role in many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease. The enzyme has been largely studied as a potential therapeutic target for several neurological diseases. Unfortunately, preclinical and clinical studies with several GSK3β inhibitors have failed due to many reasons such as excessive toxicity or lack of effects in human subjects. We previously reported that meridianins are potent GSK3β inhibitors without altering neuronal viability. In the present work, we examine whether meridianins are capable to inhibit neural GSK3β in vivo and if such inhibition induces improvements in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease. Direct administration of meridianins in the third ventricle of 5xFAD mice induced robust improvements of recognition memory and cognitive flexibility as well as a rescue of the synaptic loss and an amelioration of neuroinflammatory processes. In summary, our study points out meridianins as a potential compound to treat neurodegenerative disorders associated with an hyperactivation of GSK3β such as Alzheimer’s disease.

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