Hormesis/Adaptive Stress Responses and Aging

我们开发了一种生物测定方法来筛选一组植物性杀虫剂，以确定那些在亚毒性剂量下激活神经元适应性应激反应的杀虫剂。许多植物化学物质具有保护植物免受昆虫和其他有害生物侵害的有害作用。然而，在亚毒性剂量下，相同的植物化学物质可能激活适应性细胞应激反应途径，从而保护细胞免受各种不利条件的影响。我们使用培养的人类和啮齿动物神经细胞模型筛选了一组植物性农药，并鉴定出白杨桃苷是核因子e2相关因子2 (Nrf2)/抗氧化反应元件（ARE）途径的有效激活剂。在人神经母细胞瘤细胞中，亚毒性浓度的白桃素增加了Nrf2的核定位和转录活性，并诱导Nrf2/ are依赖性基因血红素加氧酶1 （HO-1）的表达。白花楸苷特异性激活ARE-human placental alkaline phosphatase （hPAP）报告小鼠原代皮质神经元的Nrf2/ARE通路。RNA干扰介导的Nrf2表达下调可消除ARE的激活和HO-1的诱导。神经母细胞瘤细胞和初级皮质神经元暴露于白桦素中，可保护其免受随后的氧化和代谢损伤。白丹素对HO-1的诱导和神经保护作用涉及Nrf2激活上游的PI3K/Akt信号通路。在局灶性缺血性脑卒中小鼠模型中，静脉注射白桦素可显著减少脑损伤的数量并改善相关的神经功能缺陷。我们的研究结果为基于激活适应性细胞应激反应途径的神经保护植物化学物质的识别和表征建立了优先级。

We developed a bioassay to screen a panel of botanical insecticides to identify those that activate adaptive stress responses in neurons at subtoxic doses. Many phytochemicals function as noxious agents that protect plants against insects and other damaging organisms. However, at subtoxic doses the same phytochemicals may activate adaptive cellular stress response pathways that can protect cells against a variety of adverse conditions. We screened a panel of botanical pesticides using cultured human and rodent neural cell models, and identified plumbagin as a potent activator of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. Subtoxic concentrations of plumbagin increase nuclear localization and transcriptional activity of Nrf2 and induce the expression of the Nrf2/ARE-dependent gene heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in human neuroblastoma cells. Plumbagin specifically activates the Nrf2/ARE pathway in primary cortical neurons from ARE-human placental alkaline phosphatase (hPAP) reporter mice. The activation of the ARE and the induction of HO-1 are abolished by RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Nrf2 expression. Exposure of neuroblastoma cells and primary cortical neurons to plumbagin provides protection against subsequent oxidative and metabolic insults. The induction of HO-1 and the neuroprotective effects of plumbagin involve the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway upstream of Nrf2 activation. Intravenous administration of plumbagin significantly reduces the amount of brain damage and ameliorates associated neurological deficits in a mouse model of focal ischemic stroke. Our findings establish precedence for the identification and characterization of neuroprotective phytochemicals based upon their ability to activate adaptive cellular stress response pathways. Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded polyglutamine repeats in the huntingtin (Htt) protein. Because electroconvulsive shock (ECS) can stimulate the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and protect neurons against stress, we determined whether ECS treatment would modify the disease process and provide a therapeutic benefit in a mouse model of HD. ECS (50 mA for 0.2 s) or sham treatment was administered once weekly to male N171-82Q Htt mutant mice beginning at 2 months of age. Endpoints measured included motor function, striatal and cortical pathology, and levels of protein chaperones and BDNF. ECS treatment delayed the onset of motor symptoms and body weight loss and extended the survival of HD mice. Striatal neurodegeneration was attenuated and levels of protein chaperones (Hsp70 and Hsp40) and BDNF were elevated in striatal neurons of ECS-treated compared with sham-treated HD mice. Our findings demonstrate that ECS can increase the resistance of neurons to mutant Htt resulting in improved functional outcome and extended survival. The potential of ECS as an intervention in subjects that inherit the mutant Htt gene merits further consideration. In related studies we found that overexpression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), a mediator of the beneficial metabolic effects of calorie restriction, protects neurons against mutant HTT toxicity, whereas reduction of Sirt1 exacerbates mutant HTT toxicity. Overexpression of Sirt1 improves motor function, reduces brain atrophy and attenuates mutant-HTT-mediated metabolic abnormalities in Huntington's disease mice. Further mechanistic studies suggested that Sirt1 prevents the mutant-HTT-induced decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations and the signaling of its receptor, TrkB, and restores dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, 32 kDa (DARPP32) concentrations in the striatum. Sirt1 deacetylase activity is required for Sirt1-mediated neuroprotection in Huntington's disease cell models. Notably, we show that mutant HTT interacts with Sirt1 and inhibits Sirt1 deacetylase activity, which results in hyperacetylation of Sirt1 substrates such as forkhead box O3A (Foxo3a), thereby inhibiting its pro-survival function. Overexpression of Sirt1 counteracts the mutant-HTT-induced deacetylase deficit, enhances the deacetylation of Foxo3a and facilitates cell survival. These findings show a neuroprotective role for Sirt1 in mammalian Huntington's disease models and open new avenues for the development of neuroprotective strategies in Huntington's disease. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway is an important cellular stress response pathway involved in neuroprotection. We previously screened several natural phytochemicals and identified plumbagin as a novel activator of the Nrf2/ARE pathway that can protect neurons against ischemic injury. Here we extended our studies to natural and synthetic derivatives of plumbagin. We found that 5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (naphthazarin) is a potent activator of the Nrf2/ARE pathway, up-regulates the expression of Nrf2-driven genes in primary neuronal and glial cultures, and protects neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Glucocorticoids (GC)--corticosterone (CORT) in rodents and cortisol in primates--are stress-induced hormones secreted by adrenal glands that interact with the hypothalamic pituitary axis. High levels of cortisol in humans are observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as in diabetes, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and major depression. Experimental models of diabetes in rats and mice have demonstrated that reduction of CORT reduces learning and memory deficits and attenuates loss of neuronal viability and plasticity. In contrast to the negative associations of elevated GC levels, CORT is moderately elevated in dietary restriction (DR) paradigms which are associated with many healthy anti-aging effects including neuroprotection. We demonstrate here in rats that ablating CORT by adrenalectomy (ADX) with replenishment to relatively low levels (30% below that of controls) prior to the onset of a DR regimen (ADX-DR) followed by central administration of the neurotoxin, kainic acid (KA), significantly attenuates learning deficits in a 14-unit T-maze task. The performance of the ADX-DR KA group did not differ from a control group (CON) that did not receive KA and was fed ad libitum (AL). By contrast, the sham-operated DR (SHAM-DR KA) group, SHAM-AL KA group, and ADX-AL KA group demonstrated poorer learning behavior in this task compared to the CON group. Stereological analysis revealed equivalent DR-induced neuroprotection in the SH-DR KA and ADX-DR KA groups, as measured by cell loss in the CA2/CA3 region of the hippocampus, while substantial cell loss was observed in SH-AL and ADX-AL rats. A separate set of experiments was conducted with similar dietary and surgical treatment conditions but without KA administration to examine markers of neurotrophic activity, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), transcriptions factors (pCREB), and chaperone proteins (HSP-70). Under these conditions, we noted elevations in both BDNF and pCREB in ADX DR rats compared to the other groups; whereas, HSP-70, was equivalently elevated in ADX-DR and SH-DR groups and was higher than observed in both SH-AL and ADX-AL groups. These results support findings that DR protects hippocampal neurons against KA-induced cellular insult. However, this neuroprotective effect was further enhanced in rats with a lower-than control level of CORT resulting from ADX and maintained by exogenous CORT supplementation. Our results then suggest that DR-induced physiological elevation of GC may have negative functional consequences to DR-induced beneficial effects. These negative effects, however, can be compensated by other DR-produced cellular and molecular protective mechanisms.