title: NAP (davunetide) modifies disease progression in a mouse model of severe neurodegeneration: protection against impairments in axonal transport.
abstract: NAP (davunetide) is a novel neuroprotective compound with mechanism of action that appears to involve microtubule (MT) stabilization and repair. To evaluate, for the first time, the impact of NAP on axonal transport in vivo and to translate it to neuroprotection in a severe neurodegeneration, the SOD1-G93A mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was used. Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), estimating axonal transport rates, revealed a significant reduction of the anterograde axonal transport in the ALS mice compared to healthy control mice. Acute NAP treatment normalized axonal transport rates in these ALS mice. Tau hyperphosphorylation, associated with MT dysfunction and defective axonal transport, was discovered in the brains of the ALS mice and was significantly reduced by chronic NAP treatment. Furthermore, in healthy wild type (WT) mice, NAP reversed axonal transport disruption by colchicine, suggesting drug-dependent protection against axonal transport impairment through stabilization of the neuronal MT network. Histochemical analysis showed that chronic NAP treatment significantly protected spinal cord motor neurons against ALS-like pathology. Sequential MRI measurements, correlating brain structure with ALS disease progression, revealed a significant damage to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), indicative of impairments to the dopaminergic pathways relative to healthy controls. Chronic daily NAP treatment of the SOD1-G93A mice, initiated close to disease onset, delayed degeneration of the trigeminal, facial and hypoglossal motor nuclei as was significantly apparent at days 90-100 and further protected the VTA throughout life. Importantly, protection of the VTA was significantly correlated with longevity and overall, NAP treatment significantly prolonged life span in the ALS mice.
authors: Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Adams Super Center for Brain Studies, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Jouroukhin
authors: Regina
authors: R
authors: Ostritsky
authors: Yaniv
authors: Y
authors: Assaf
authors: Galit
authors: G
authors: Pelled
authors: Eliezer
authors: E
authors: Giladi
authors: Illana
authors: I
authors: Gozes
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000473:pathology; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D014404:Tubulin; D016875:tau Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; D008345:Manganese; C425904:davunetide