Deregulation of purine metabolism in Alzheimer's disease
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
Authors: Ansoleaga, Belen; Jove, Mariona; Schlueter, Agatha; Garcia-Esparcia, Paula; Moreno, Jesus; Pujol, Aurora; Pamplona, Reinald; Portero-Otin, Manuel; Ferrer, Isidre
Abstract
The neuroprotective role of adenosine and the deregulation of adenosine receptors in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been extensively studied in recent years. However, little is known about the involvement of purine metabolism in AD. We started by analyzing gene expression in the entorhinal cortex of human controls and AD cases with whole-transcript expression arrays. Once we identified deregulation of the cluster purine metabolism, messenger RNA expression levels of 23 purine metabolism genes were analyzed with qRT-PCR in the entorhinal cortex, frontal cortex area 8, and precuneus at stages I-II, III-IV, and V-VI of Braak and Braak and controls. APRT, DGUOK, POLR3B, ENTPD3, AK5, NME1, NME3, NME5, NME7, and ENTPD2 messenger RNAs were deregulated, with regional variations, in AD cases when compared with controls. In addition, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry based metabolomics in the entorhinal cortex identified altered levels of dGMP, glycine, xanthosine, inosine diphosphate, guanine, and deoxyguanosine, all implicated in this pathway. Our results indicate stage- and region-dependent deregulation of purine metabolism in AD. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Investigation into effects of antipsychotics on ectonucleotidase and adenosine deaminase in zebrafish brain
FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
Authors: Seibt, Kelly Juliana; Oliveira, Renata da Luz; Bogo, Mauricio Reis; Senger, Mario Roberto; Bonan, Carla Denise
Abstract
Antipsychotic agents are used for the treatment of psychotic symptoms in patients with several brain disorders, such as schizophrenia. Atypical and typical antipsychotics differ regarding their clinical and side-effects profile. Haloperidol is a representative typical antipsychotic drug and has potent dopamine receptor antagonistic functions; however, atypical antipsychotics have been developed and characterized an important advance in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Purine nucleotides and nucleosides, such as ATP and adenosine, constitute a ubiquitous class of extracellular signaling molecules crucial for normal functioning of the nervous system. Indirect findings suggest that changes in the purinergic system, more specifically in adenosinergic activity, could be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We investigated the effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics on ectonucleotidase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities, followed by an analysis of gene expression patterns in zebrafish brain. Haloperidol treatment (9 A mu M) was able to decrease ATP hydrolysis (35 %), whereas there were no changes in hydrolysis of ADP and AMP in brain membranes after antipsychotic exposure. Adenosine deamination in membrane fractions was inhibited (38 %) after haloperidol treatment when compared to the control; however, no changes were observed in ADA soluble fractions after haloperidol exposure. Sulpiride (250 A mu M) and olanzapine (100 A mu M) did not alter ectonucleotidase and ADA activities. Haloperidol also led to a decrease in entpd2_mq, entpd3 and adal mRNA transcripts. These findings demonstrate that haloperidol is an inhibitor of NTPDase and ADA activities in zebrafish brain, suggesting that purinergic signaling may also be a target of pharmacological effects promoted by this drug.