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Clearance of cerebral A? in Alzheimer's disease: reassessing the role of microglia and monocytes.

ABSTRACT: Deficiency in cerebral amyloid ?-protein (A?) clearance is implicated in the pathogenesis of the common late-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of misfolded A? in the brain is believed to be a net result of imbalance between its production and removal. This in turn may trigger neuroinflammation, progressive synaptic loss, and ultimately cognitive decline. Clearance of cerebral A? is a complex process mediated by various systems and cell types, including vascular transport across the blood-brain barrier, glymphatic drainage, and engulfment and degradation by resident microglia and infiltrating innate immune cells. Recent studies have highlighted a new, unexpected role for peripheral monocytes and macrophages in restricting cerebral A? fibrils, and possibly soluble oligomers. In AD transgenic (ADtg) mice, monocyte ablation or inhibition of their migration into the brain exacerbated A? pathology, while blood enrichment with monocytes and their increased recruitment to plaque lesion sites greatly diminished A? burden. Profound neuroprotective effects in ADtg mice were further achieved through increased cerebral recruitment of myelomonocytes overexpressing A?-degrading enzymes. This review summarizes the literature on cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebral A? clearance with an emphasis on the role of peripheral monocytes and macrophages in A? removal.

SUBMITTER: Zuroff L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5425508 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Clearance of cerebral Aβ in Alzheimer's disease: reassessing the role of microglia and monocytes.

Zuroff Leah L Daley David D Black Keith L KL Koronyo-Hamaoui Maya M

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 20170214 12

Deficiency in cerebral amyloid β-protein (Aβ) clearance is implicated in the pathogenesis of the common late-onset forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of misfolded Aβ in the brain is believed to be a net result of imbalance between its production and removal. This in turn may trigger neuroinflammation, progressive synaptic loss, and ultimately cognitive decline. Clearance of cerebral Aβ is a complex process mediated by various systems and cell types, including vascular transport acro ...[more]

PMID: 28197669

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Project description:BackgroundAstrocytes, one of the most resilient cells in the brain, transform into reactive astrocytes in response to toxic proteins such as amyloid beta (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, reactive astrocyte-mediated non-cell autonomous neuropathological mechanism is not fully understood yet. We aimed our study to find out whether Aβ-induced proteotoxic stress affects the expression of autophagy genes and the modulation of autophagic flux in astrocytes, and if yes, how Aβ-induced autophagy-associated genes are involved Aβ clearance in astrocytes of animal model of AD.MethodsWhole RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to detect gene expression patterns in Aβ-treated human astrocytes in a time-dependent manner. To verify the role of astrocytic autophagy in an AD mouse model, we developed AAVs expressing shRNAs for MAP1LC3B/LC3B (LC3B) and Sequestosome1 (SQSTM1) based on AAV-R-CREon vector, which is a Cre recombinase-dependent gene-silencing system. Also, the effect of astrocyte-specific overexpression of LC3B on the neuropathology in AD (APP/PS1) mice was determined. Neuropathological alterations of AD mice with astrocytic autophagy dysfunction were observed by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Behavioral changes of mice were examined through novel object recognition test (NOR) and novel object place recognition test (NOPR).ResultsHere, we show that astrocytes, unlike neurons, undergo plastic changes in autophagic processes to remove Aβ. Aβ transiently induces expression of LC3B gene and turns on a prolonged transcription of SQSTM1 gene. The Aβ-induced astrocytic autophagy accelerates urea cycle and putrescine degradation pathway. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in astrocytes. Astrocyte-specific knockdown of LC3B and SQSTM1 significantly increases Aβ plaque formation and GFAP-positive astrocytes in APP/PS1 mice, along with a significant reduction of neuronal marker and cognitive function. In contrast, astrocyte-specific overexpression of LC3B reduced Aβ aggregates in the brain of APP/PS1 mice. An increase of LC3B and SQSTM1 protein is found in astrocytes of the hippocampus in AD patients.ConclusionsTaken together, our data indicates that Aβ-induced astrocytic autophagic plasticity is an important cellular event to modulate Aβ clearance and maintain cognitive function in AD mice.

Project description:Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), defined as the accumulation of amyloid-beta (A?) on the vascular wall, is a major pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has been thought to be caused by the failure of A? clearance. Although two types of perivascular clearance mechanisms, intramural periarterial drainage (IPAD) and the perivascular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) influx, have been identified, the exact contribution of CAA on perivascular clearance is still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of CAA on the structure and function of perivascular clearance systems in the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model. To investigate the pathological changes accompanied by CAA progression, the key elements of perivascular clearance such as the perivascular basement membrane, vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs), and vascular pulsation were evaluated in middle-aged (7-9 months) and old-aged (19-21 months) mice using in vivo imaging and immunofluorescence staining. Changes in IPAD and perivascular CSF influx were identified by ex vivo fluorescence imaging after dextran injection into the parenchyma or cisterna magna. Amyloid deposition on the vascular wall disrupted the integrity and morphology of the arterial basement membrane. With CAA progression, vascular pulsation was augmented, and conversely, vSMC coverage was decreased. These pathological changes were more pronounced in the surface arteries with earlier amyloid accumulation than in penetrating arteries. IPAD and perivascular CSF influx were impaired in the middle-aged APP/PS1 mice and further aggravated in old age, showing severely impaired tracer influx and efflux patterns. Reduced clearance was also observed in old wild-type mice without changing the tracer distribution pattern in the influx and efflux pathway. These findings suggest that CAA is not merely a consequence of perivascular clearance impairment, but rather a contributor to this process, causing changes in arterial function and structure and increasing AD severity.

Dataset Information

Clearance of cerebral A? in Alzheimer's disease: reassessing the role of microglia and monocytes.

Publications

Clearance of cerebral Aβ in Alzheimer's disease: reassessing the role of microglia and monocytes.

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