title: Up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-target genes in cortical neurons by the novel multifunctional iron chelator anti-Alzheimer drug, M30.
abstract: Based on a multimodal drug design paradigm, we have synthesized a multifunctional non-toxic, brain permeable iron chelator, M30, possessing the neuroprotective propargylamine moiety of the anti-Parkinsonian drug, rasagiline (Azilect) and antioxidant-iron chelator moiety of an 8-hydroxyquinoline derivative of our iron chelator, VK28. M30 was recently found to confer potential neuroprotective effects in vitro and in various preclinical neurodegenerative models and regulate the levels and processing of the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein and its toxic amyloidogenic derivative, Abeta. Here, we show that M30 activates the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha signaling pathway, thus promoting HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein expression levels, as well as increasing transcription of HIF-1alpha-dependent genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor, erythropoietin, enolase-1, p21 and tyrosine hydroxylase in rat primary cortical cells. In addition, M30 also increased the expression levels of the transcripts of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43). Regarding aspects of relevance to Alzheimer's disease (AD), western blotting analysis of glycogen synthase kinase- 3beta (GSK-3beta) signaling pathway revealed that M30 enhanced the levels of phospho-AKT (Ser473) and phospho- GSK-3beta (Ser9) and attenuated Tau phosphorylation. M30 was also shown to protect cultured cortical neurons against Abeta(25-35) toxicity. All these multimodal pharmacological activities of M30 might be beneficial for its potent efficacy in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson's disease and AD in which oxidative stress and iron-mediated toxicity are involved.
authors.affiliation: Eve Topf Centers of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research and Department of Pharmacology, Rappaport Family Research Institute, Technion-Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Avramovich-Tirosh
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bar-Am
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amit
authors.forename: M B H
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Youdim
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weinreb
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006912:Hydroxyquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000819:agonists / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: C517687:5-(N-methyl-N-propargylaminomethyl)-8-hydroxyquinoline; D002614:Chelating Agents; C497444:Hif1a protein, rat; D006912:Hydroxyquinolines; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents