Amyloid precursor protein metabolism is regulated toward alpha-secretase pathway by Ginkgo biloba extracts

Bibliographic Details
Title: Amyloid precursor protein metabolism is regulated toward alpha-secretase pathway by Ginkgo biloba extracts
Authors: Francesca Colciaghi, Barbara Borroni, Martina Zimmermann, Camilla Bellone, Annalisa Longhi, Alessandro Padovani, Flaminio Cattabeni, Yves Christen, Monica Di Luca
Source: Neurobiology of Disease, Vol 16, Iss 2, Pp 454-460 (2004)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2004.
Publication Year: 2004
Collection: LCC:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Subject Terms: Alzheimer disease, Ginkgo biloba, Amyloid precursor protein, Alpha-secretase activity, PKC, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
More Details: Clinical trials report that Ginkgo biloba extracts (e.g., EGb761) reduce cognitive symptoms in age-associated memory impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the mechanisms behind their neuroprotective ability remain to be fully established.In this study, the effect of EGb761 on the amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism has been investigated by both in vitro and in vivo models. To this aim, alpha-secretase, the enzyme regulating the non-amyloidogenic processing of APP and the release of alphaAPPs, the alpha-secretase metabolite, were studied in superfusates of hippocampal slices after EGb761 incubation, and in hippocampi and cortices of EGb761-treated rats. PKC translocation state was evaluated as well.EGb761 increases alphaAPPs release through a PKC-independent manner. This effect is not accompanied by a modification of either APP forms or alpha-secretase expression. Moreover, EGb761 influence on alphaAPPs release was strictly dependent on treatment dosage.Our findings suggest that the benefit of EGb761 reported by previous clinical studies is underscored by a specific biological mechanism of this compound on APP metabolism, directly affecting the release of the non-amyloidogenic metabolite. Additional research will be needed to clearly define the effective clinical relevance, thus considering EGb761 as a possible supplementary treatment in dementing diseases.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1095-953X
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996104000683; https://doaj.org/toc/1095-953X
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2004.03.011
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/0be1be7f3e7d437eb3678d1f9cee568a
Accession Number: edsdoj.0be1be7f3e7d437eb3678d1f9cee568a
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:1095953X
DOI:10.1016/j.nbd.2004.03.011
Published in:Neurobiology of Disease
Language:English