Glucagon-like peptide-1 decreases endogenous amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) levels and protects hippocampal neurons from death induced by Aβ and iron
✍ Scribed by TracyAnn Perry; Debomoy K. Lahiri; Kumar Sambamurti; Demao Chen; Mark P. Mattson; Josephine M. Egan; Nigel H. Greig
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2003
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 199 KB
- Volume
- 72
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0360-4012
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Glucagon‐like peptide‐1(7–36)‐amide (GLP‐1) is an endogenous insulinotropic peptide that is secreted from the gastrointestinal tract in response to food. It enhances pancreatic islet β‐cell proliferation and glucose‐dependent insulin secretion and lowers blood glucose and food intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. GLP‐1 receptors, which are coupled to the cyclic AMP second messenger pathway, are expressed throughout the brains of rodents and humans. It was recently reported that GLP‐1 and exendin‐4, a naturally occurring, more stable analogue of GLP‐1 that binds at the GLP‐1 receptor, possess neurotrophic properties and can protect neurons against glutamate‐induced apoptosis. We report here that GLP‐1 can reduce the levels of amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ) in the brain in vivo and can reduce levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cultured neuronal cells. Moreover, GLP‐1 and exendin‐4 protect cultured hippocampal neurons against death induced by Aβ and iron, an oxidative insult. Collectively, these data suggest that GLP‐1 can modify APP processing and protect against oxidative injury, two actions that suggest a novel therapeutic target for intervention in Alzheimer's disease. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.