Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains are characterized by increased levels of the pathogenic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, which accumulates into extracellular plaques. Finding a way to lower Aβ levels is fundamental for the prevention and treatment of AD. Neprilysin is the major Aβ degrading enzyme which is regulated by the neuropeptide somatostatin.
Objective
We here aimed at identifying the subtype specificity of the five somatostatin receptors (SSTs) expressed in the brain, involved in the regulation of neprilysin.
Methods
We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches using a battery of generated Sst double knockout (dKO) mice. We investigated SST specificity of neprilysin regulation using primary neuronal cultures in combination with SST agonist treatments and neprilysin activity measurements. Brains from Sst dKO mice were analyzed for neprilysin and Aβ by biochemical and immunohistological means. Amyloid-beta precursor protein (App) knock-in mice were treated with SST1,4 agonist and its effects on neprilysin and Aβ were assessed by immunostaining and ELISA.
Results
We show that neprilysin is regulated by SST1 and SST4 in a redundant manner. Sst1 and Sst4 dKO mice exhibit a specific decrease of presynaptic neprilysin in the Lacunosum molecular layer. Moreover, a genetic deficiency of Sst1 and Sst4 in App knock-in mice aggravates the Aβ pathology in hippocampus. As a first proof of concept towards an Aβ-lowering strategy involving neprilysin, we demonstrate that treatment with an SST1,4 agonist ameliorates the Aβ pathology.
Conclusions
SST1 and SST4 redundantly regulate neprilysin in the hippocampus where it controls Aβ metabolism.
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