title: Steroids as γ-secretase modulators.
abstract: Aggregation and accumulation of Aβ42 play an initiating role in Alzheimer's disease (AD); thus, selective lowering of Aβ42 by γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) remains a promising approach to AD therapy. Based on evidence suggesting that steroids may influence Aβ production, we screened 170 steroids at 10 μM for effects on Aβ42 secreted from human APP-overexpressing Chinese hamster ovary cells. Many acidic steroids lowered Aβ42, whereas many nonacidic steroids actually raised Aβ42. Studies on the more potent compounds showed that Aβ42-lowering steroids were bonafide GSMs and Aβ42-raising steroids were inverse GSMs. The most potent steroid GSM identified was 5β-cholanic acid (EC50=5.7 μM; its endogenous analog lithocholic acid was virtually equipotent), and the most potent inverse GSM identified was 4-androsten-3-one-17β-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (EC50=6.25 μM). In addition, we found that both estrogen and progesterone are weak inverse GSMs with further complex effects on APP processing. These data suggest that certain endogenous steroids may have the potential to act as GSMs and add to the evidence that cholesterol, cholesterol metabolites, and other steroids may play a role in modulating Aβ production and thus risk for AD. They also indicate that acidic steroids might serve as potential therapeutic leads for drug optimization/development.
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Joo In
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ladd
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kukar
authors.forename: Ashleigh R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Brenda D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Edward H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Todd E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Golde
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Felsenstein
mesh_terms: D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D004967:Estrogens; D013256:Steroids; D011374:Progesterone; D002784:Cholesterol; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Aβ; amyloid; cholesterol metabolites