Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, ameliorated streptozotocin-induced learning and memory deficits via neurochemical alterations in male rats
Loading...
Date
2018-10-29
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Everolimus (EVR), as a rapamycin analog, is a selective inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)
kinase and its associated signaling pathway. mTOR is a serine/threonine protein kinase and its hyperactivity is
involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and associated cognitive deficits. The present study
evaluated the impact of EVR, on cognitive functions, hippocampal cell loss, and neurochemical parameters in the
intracerebroventricular streptozotocin (icv-STZ) model of AD rats. EVR (1 and 5 mg/kg) was administered for 21
days following the single administration of STZ (3 mg/kg, icv) or for 7 days on days 21-28 post-STZ injection
after establishment of cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive deficits (passive avoidance and spatial memory), oxidative
stress parameters, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and percentage of cell loss were evaluated in the hippocampus.
Chronic administration (1 and 5 mg/kg for 21 days from the day of surgery and icv-STZ infusion) or acute
injection (5 mg/kg for 7 days after establishment of cognitive impairment) of EVR significantly attenuated cognitive
dysfunction, neuronal loss, oxidative stress and AChE activity in the hippocampus of STZ-AD rats. In conclusion,
our study showed that EVR could prevent or improve deteriorations in behavioral, biochemical and histopathological
features of the icv-STZ rat model of AD. Therefore, inhibition of the hyperactivated mTOR may
be an important therapeutic target for AD.
Description
Table of contents
Keywords
Everolimus, mTOR, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Oxidative stress, Acetylcholinesterase, Streptozotocin