Carbon monoxide attenuates amyloidogenesis via down ‐regulation of NF‐κB‐mediated BACE1 gene expression

AbstractAmyloid ‐β (Aβ) peptides, the major constituent of plaques, are generated by sequential proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) via β‐secretase (BACE1) and the γ‐secretase complex. It has been proposed that the abnormal secretion and accumulation of Aβ are the initial causativ e events in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Drugs modulating this pathway could be used for AD treatment. Previous studies indicated that carbon monoxide (CO), a product of heme oxygenase (HO)‐1, protects against Aβ‐induced toxicity and promotes neuroprotection. However, the mechan ism underlying the mitigative effect of CO on Aβ levels and BACE1 expression is unclear. Here, we show that CO modulates cleavage of APP and Aβ production by decreasing BACE1 expression in vivo and in vitro. CO reduces Aβ levels and improves memory deficits in AD transgenic mice. The regulation o f BACE1 expression by CO is dependent on nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB). Consistent with the negative role of SIRT1 in the NF‐κB activity, CO fails to evoke significant decrease in BACE1 expression in the presence of the SIRT1 inhibitor. Furthermore, CO attenuates elevation of BACE1 level in brains of 3xTg‐AD mouse model as well as mice fed high‐fat, high‐cholesterol diets. CO reduces the NF‐κB‐mediated transcription of BACE1 induced by the cholesterol oxidation product 27‐hydroxycholesterol or hydrogen peroxide. These data suggest that CO reduces the NF...
Source: Aging Cell - Category: Cytology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research