中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (9): 1987-1988.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.335153

• 观点:退行性病与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

内源性大麻素代谢与阿尔茨海默病

  

  • 出版日期:2022-09-15 发布日期:2022-03-05

Endocannabinoid metabolism and Alzheimer’s disease

Chu Chen*   

  1. Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
  • Online:2022-09-15 Published:2022-03-05
  • Contact: Chu Chen, PhD, chenc7@uthscsa.edu or chen502@gmail.com.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01NS076815, R01MH113535, and R01AG058621 (to CC).

摘要: 改善阿尔茨海默病认知功能和缓解神经病理学变化:增强2-花生四烯酰甘油信号的作用
阿尔茨海默病是老年人痴呆症的最常见原因。不幸的是,目前没有有效的疗法可用于预防和治疗阿尔茨海默病。阿尔茨海默病的发展与多种机制或信号通路有关,并且阿尔茨海默病的单靶点治疗可能不足以实现治疗目标。理想的阿尔茨海默病疗法应该能够通过多种信号通路来改变疾病。最近研究结果表明,抑制 2-花生四烯酰甘油降解可减少神经炎症和 tau 磷酸化,保持突触完整性,并改善阿尔茨海默病小鼠模型的长期突触可塑性和认知功能。抑制2-花生四烯酰甘油代谢产生的这些有益作用可能是由于 2-花生四烯酰甘油信号传导增强,同时由于2-花生四烯酰甘油和类二十烷酸介导多种信号通路而导致类花生酸水平降低,这表明限制大脑中的 2-花生四烯酰甘油代谢会导致是治疗阿尔茨海默病的理想疗法。    
来自美国德克萨斯大学健康科学中心的Chu Chen认为,目前没有选择性 MAGL 抑制剂的先导化合物进入阿尔茨海默病疗法的人体临床试验。这意味着 MAGL 作为阿尔茨海默病治疗靶点,从基础科学研究到床边仍然存在差距。对 MAGL 失活引起的神经病理学缓解和阿尔茨海默病动物突触和认知功能改善的机制的理解仍然有限。MAGL 诱导的抗炎和神经保护作用的破坏显然不是通过 CB1R 或 CB2R 介导的,因为药理抑制或基因敲除 CB1R 或 CB2R 不会阻止 MAGL 失活产生的有益作用。导致 MAGL 失活影响的确切信号机制需要进一步阐明。阿尔茨海默病中 MAGL 的表达升高表明大脑中2-花生四烯酰甘油代谢的增加促进了神经病理学。由于神经炎症是阿尔茨海默病背景下的重要神经病理学特征之一,星形胶质细胞中的2-花生四烯酰甘油代谢可能在阿尔茨海默病的神经发病机制中发挥独特的作用。因此,破译2-花生四烯酰甘油代谢在阿尔茨海默病中的细胞类型特异性作用将进一步了解 MAGL 失活在阿尔茨海默病中产生的神经保护作用的机制,并为阿尔茨海默病提供更好的治疗策略。  
文章在《中国神经再生研究(英文版)》杂志2022年9 月 9 期发表。

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.  Unfortunately, there are no effective therapies currently available for prevention and treatment of AD. As it is clear now, the etiology of AD is multifactorial and complex. This means that development of AD is linked to multiple mechanisms or signaling pathways and that a single-target therapy for AD is likely insufficient to achieve therapeutic goals. Therefore, an ideal therapy for AD should be able to modify the disease through multiple signaling pathways.  2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is an endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) displaying anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, while its metabolites are arachidonic acid (AA) and AA-derived prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are proinflammatory and neurotoxic (Figure 1). The results from recent studies show that restraining 2-AG degradation reduces neuroinflammation, Aβ formation and tau phosphorylation, maintains the synaptic integrity, and improves long-term synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in mouse models of AD (Chen et al., 2012; Piro et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2014; Zhang and Chen, 2018; Hashem et al., 2021). These beneficial effects produced by inhibition of 2-AG metabolism result likely from enhanced 2-AG signaling and concurrently decreased eicosanoid levels as 2-AG and eicosanoids mediate multiple signaling pathways (Figure 1), suggesting that limiting 2-AG metabolism in the brain would be an ideal therapy for AD.