Article

Testosterone stimulates rapid secretory amyloid precursor protein release from rat hypothalamic cells via the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

Independent Research Group Neurodegeneration, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, D-80804, Munich, Germany.
Neuroscience Letters (impact factor: 2.11). 01/2001; 296(1):49-52.
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) has become a major focus of research into Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, repeated doses of testosterone have been shown to enhance the secretion of the product of the alpha-cleavage pathway of APP (sAPPalpha) over a period of days. Here, the time course of secretion of sAPPalpha after a single physiological dose of testosterone using an immortalized rat hypothalamic cell line (GT1-7) and the signalling pathways involved was analyzed. Testosterone was found to increase the amount of APP secretion rapidly after treatment without effecting the overall amount of cellular APP. The species of APP secreted was found to be predominantly the product of the non-amyloidogenic alpha-secretory pathway. Further, this event is regulated via aromatase-mediated conversion of testosterone to estrogen and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) signalling pathway. Taken together these data partially elucidates the cellular cascade by which testosterone stimulates sAPP secretion.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
20 Views
  • Source
    Article: Protective actions of sex steroid hormones in Alzheimer's disease.
    Christian J Pike, Jenna C Carroll, Emily R Rosario, Anna M Barron
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with age-related loss of sex steroid hormones in both women and men. In post-menopausal women, the precipitous depletion of estrogens and progestogens is hypothesized to increase susceptibility to AD pathogenesis, a concept largely supported by epidemiological evidence but refuted by some clinical findings. Experimental evidence suggests that estrogens have numerous neuroprotective actions relevant to prevention of AD, in particular promotion of neuron viability and reduction of beta-amyloid accumulation, a critical factor in the initiation and progression of AD. Recent findings suggest neural responsiveness to estrogen can diminish with age, reducing neuroprotective actions of estrogen and, consequently, potentially limiting the utility of hormone therapies in aged women. In addition, estrogen neuroprotective actions are also modulated by progestogens. Specifically, continuous progestogen exposure is associated with inhibition of estrogen actions whereas cyclic delivery of progestogens may enhance neural benefits of estrogen. In recent years, emerging literature has begun to elucidate a parallel relationship of sex steroid hormones and AD risk in men. Normal age-related testosterone loss in men is associated with increased risk to several diseases including AD. Like estrogen, testosterone has been established as an endogenous neuroprotective factor that not only increases neuronal resilience against AD-related insults, but also reduces beta-amyloid accumulation. Androgen neuroprotective effects are mediated both directly by activation of androgen pathways and indirectly by aromatization to estradiol and initiation of protective estrogen signaling mechanisms. The successful use of hormone therapies in aging men and women to delay, prevent, and or treat AD will require additional research to optimize key parameters of hormone therapy and may benefit from the continuing development of selective estrogen and androgen receptor modulators.
    Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 06/2009; 30(2):239-58. · 11.43 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: APP processing in Alzheimer's disease.
    Yun-wu Zhang, Robert Thompson, Han Zhang, Huaxi Xu
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: An important pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of extracellular senile plaques in the brain. Senile plaques are composed of aggregations of small peptides called β-amyloid (Aβ). Multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that overproduction/aggregation of Aβ in the brain is a primary cause of AD and inhibition of Aβ generation has become a hot topic in AD research. Aβ is generated from β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) through sequential cleavages first by β-secretase and then by γ-secretase complex. Alternatively, APP can be cleaved by α-secretase within the Aβ domain to release soluble APPα and preclude Aβ generation. Cleavage of APP by caspases may also contribute to AD pathologies. Therefore, understanding the metabolism/processing of APP is crucial for AD therapeutics. Here we review current knowledge of APP processing regulation as well as the patho/physiological functions of APP and its metabolites.
    Molecular Brain 01/2011; 4:3.
  • Source
    Article: Sex hormones, aging, and Alzheimer's disease.
    Anna M Barron, Christian J Pike
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: A promising strategy to delay and perhaps prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to identify the age-related changes that put the brain at risk for the disease. A significant normal age change known to result in tissue-specific dysfunction is the depletion of sex hormones. In women, menopause results in a relatively rapid loss of estradiol and progesterone. In men, aging is associated with a comparatively gradual yet significant decrease in testosterone. We review a broad literature that indicates age-related losses of estrogens in women and testosterone in men are risk factors for AD. Both estrogens and androgens exert a wide range of protective actions that improve multiple aspects of neural health, suggesting that hormone therapies have the potential to combat AD pathogenesis. However, translation of experimental findings into effective therapies has proven challenging. One emerging treatment option is the development of novel hormone mimetics termed selective estrogen and androgen receptor modulators. Continued research of sex hormones and their roles in the aging brain is expected to yield valuable approaches to reducing the risk of AD.
    Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition) 01/2012; 4:976-97.

Show more

Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

alpha-cleavage pathway
 
Alzheimer's disease
 
amyloid precursor protein
 
APP secretion
 
aromatase-mediated conversion
 
cellular APP
 
cellular cascade
 
estrogen
 
immortalized rat hypothalamic cell line
 
major focus
 
non-amyloidogenic alpha-secretory pathway
 
sAPPalpha
 
secretion
 
signalling pathways
 
single physiological dose
 
testosterone stimulates sAPP secretion
 
time course