title: Chronic nicotine restores normal Aβ levels and prevents short-term memory and E-LTP impairment in Aβ rat model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by increased deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides and progressive cholinergic dysfunction in regions of the brain involved in learning and memory processing. In AD, progressive accumulation of Aβ peptide impairs nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) function by an unknown mechanism believed to involve α(7)- and α(4)β(2)-nAChR blockade. The three approaches of the current study evaluated the effects of chronic nicotine treatment in the prevention of Aβ-induced impairment of learning and short-term memory. Rat AD model was induced by 14-day i.c.v. osmotic pump infusion of a 1:1 mixture of 300 pmol/day Aβ(1-40)/Aβ(1-42) or Aβ(40-1) (inactive peptide, control). The effect of nicotine (2 mg/(kg day)) on Aβ-induced spatial learning and memory impairments was assessed by evaluation of performance in the radial arm water maze (RAWM), in vivo electrophysiological recordings of early-phase long-term potentiation (E-LTP) in urethane-anesthetized rats, and immunoblot analysis to determine changes in the levels of beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)-cleaving enzyme (BACE), Aβ and memory-related proteins. The results indicate that 6 weeks of nicotine treatment reduced the levels of Aβ(1-40) and BACE1 peptides in hippocampal area CA1 and prevented Aβ-induced impairment of learning and short-term memory. Chronic nicotine also prevented the Aβ-induced inhibition of basal synaptic transmission and LTP in hippocampal area CA1. Furthermore, chronic nicotine treatment prevented the Aβ-induced reduction of α(7)- and α(4)-nAChR. These effects of nicotine may be due, at least in part, to upregulation of brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srivareerat
authors.forename: Trinh T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.forename: Abdulaziz M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aleisa
authors.forename: Karim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Alkadhi
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509281:Bace1 protein, rat