Brain targeting of 9c,11t-Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a natural calpain inhibitor, preserves memory and reduces Aβ and P25 accumulation in 5XFAD mice

Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 5;9(1):18437. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54971-9.

Abstract

Deregulation of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) by binding to the activated calpain product p25, is associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a calpain inhibitor, is a metabolite of Punicic Acid (PA), the main component of Pomegranate seed oil (PSO). We have shown recently that long-term administration of Nano-PSO, a nanodroplet formulation of PSO, delays mitochondrial damage and disease advance in a mouse model of genetic Creutzfeldt Jacob disease (CJD). In this project, we first demonstrated that treatment of mice with Nano-PSO, but not with natural PSO, results in the accumulation of CLA in their brains. Next, we tested the cognitive, biochemical and pathological effects of long-term administration of Nano-PSO to 5XFAD mice, modeling for Alzheimer's disease. We show that Nano-PSO treatment prevented age-related cognitive deterioration and mitochondrial oxidative damage in 5XFAD mice. Also, brains of the Nano-PSO treated mice presented reduced accumulation of Aβ and of p25, a calpain product, and increased expression of COX IV-1, a key mitochondrial enzyme. We conclude that administration of Nano-PSO results in the brain targeting of CLA, and suggest that this treatment may prevent/delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and CJD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Animals
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / pathology
  • Calpain / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Calpain / metabolism
  • Cognition / drug effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Carriers / administration & dosage
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Female
  • Glycoproteins / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Linoleic Acids, Conjugated / administration & dosage*
  • Male
  • Memory / drug effects*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Phosphotransferases / metabolism
  • Plant Oils / administration & dosage*
  • Plant Oils / chemistry
  • Presenilin-1 / genetics

Substances

  • APP protein, human
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Cdk5r1 protein, mouse
  • Drug Carriers
  • Glycoproteins
  • Linoleic Acids, Conjugated
  • Nano-PSO
  • PSEN1 protein, human
  • Plant Oils
  • Presenilin-1
  • calpain inhibitors
  • Phosphotransferases
  • Calpain