Evidence indicates altered neurogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases associated with inflammation, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuroinflammation and its propagation have a critical role in the degeneration of hippocampal neurons, cognitive impairment, and altered neurogenesis. Particularly, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays a central role in initiating and regulating the cytokine cascade during an inflammatory response and is up-regulated in brain of AD patients. In this study, we investigated the effects of a novel thalidomide-based TNF-α lowering drug, 3,6'-dithiothalidomide, on hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation, neurogenesis and, memory tasks after intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid (Aß)(1-42) peptide. Seven days after Aβ(1-42) injection, a significant proliferation of hippocampal progenitor cells and memory impairment were evident. Four weeks after Aβ(1-42) peptide injection, elevated numbers of surviving 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine cells and newly formed neurons were detected. Treatment with 3,6'-dithiothalidomide attenuated these Aβ(1-42) provoked effects. Our data indicate that although treatment with 3,6'-dithiothalidomide in part attenuated the increase in hippocampal neurogenesis caused by Aβ(1-42) -induced neuroinflammation, the drug prevented memory deficits associated with increased numbers of activated microglial cells and inflammatory response. Therefore, 3,6'-dithiothalidomide treatment likely reduced neuronal tissue damage induced by neuroinflammation following Aβ(1-42) injection. Understanding the modulation of neurogenesis, and its relationship with memory function could open new therapeutic interventions for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders with an inflammatory component.
Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.