title: Biliverdin reductase-A: a novel drug target for atorvastatin in a dog pre-clinical model of Alzheimer disease.
abstract: Biliverdin reductase-A (BVR-A) is a pleiotropic enzyme involved in cellular stress responses. It not only transforms biliverdin-IX alpha into the antioxidant bilirubin-IX alpha but through its serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase activity is able to modulate cell signaling networks. BVR-A's involvement in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment was previously described. Statins have been proposed to reduce risk of AD. In this study we evaluated the effect of atorvastatin treatment (80 mg/day for 14.5 months) on BVR-A in the parietal cortex, cerebellum and liver of a well characterized pre-clinical model of AD, the aged beagle. We found that atorvastatin significantly increased BVR-A protein levels, phosphorylation and activity only in parietal cortex. Additionally, we found significant negative correlations between BVR-A and oxidative stress indices, as well as discrimination learning error scores. Furthermore, BVR-A up-regulation and post-translational modifications significantly correlated with β-secretase protein levels in the brain, suggesting a possible role for BVR-A in Aβ formation.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Center of Membrane Sciences, and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, USA.
authors: Eugenio
authors: E
authors: Barone
authors: Cesare
authors: C
authors: Mancuso
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Di Domenico
authors: Rukhsana
authors: R
authors: Sultana
authors: M Paul
authors: MP
authors: Murphy
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Head
authors: D Allan
authors: DA
authors: Butterfield
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; C019789:biliverdin reductase