Administration of miR-195 Inhibitor Enhances Memory Function Through Improving Synaptic Degradation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction of the Hippocampal Neurons in SAMP8 Mice

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Gao, Zhaoyu^{a; b; c; 1} | Zhang, Rui^{a; b; c; 1} | Jiang, Lei^{a; b; c; 1} | Zhou, Huimin^{a; b; c; d} | Wang, Qian^a | Ma, Yingxin^{a; b; c} | Zhang, Di^{a; b; c} | Qin, Yushi^{a; b; c} | Tian, Pei^{a; b; c} | Zhang, Nan^{a; b; c} | Shi, Zhongli^{a; b; c; *} | Xu, Shunjiang^{a; b; c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P. R. China | [b] Hebei International Joint Research Center for Brain Science, Shijiazhuang, P. R. China | [c] Hebei Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Psychiatric-Psychologic Disease, Shijiazhuang, P. R. China | [d] Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P. R. China

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Shunjiang Xu and Zhongli Shi, Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No.89, Donggang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China. Tel.: +86 311 8591 7257; Fax: +86 311 8591 7290; E-mails: sjxu66@hotmail.com, shizhongli1963@sina.cn.

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is an early feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and miR-195 is involved in mitochondrial disorder through targeting MFN-2 protein in hippocampal neurons of AD. Objective: To clarify if administration of miR-195 inhibitor could enhance the memory deficits through improving hippocampal neuron mitochondrial dysfunction in SAMP8 mice. Methods: The expression of miR-195 was detected by RT-qPCR in primary hippocampal neurons and HT-22 cells treated with Aβ1–42. Morris water maze (MWM) was used to assess the learning and memory function in SAMP8 mice administrated with antagomir-195. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to determine the morphological changes of synapses and mitochondria of hippocampus in SAMP8 mice. Mitochondrial respiration was measured using a high-resolution oxygraph. Results: The expression of miR-195 were upregulated in the primary hippocampal neurons and HT-22 cells induced by Aβ1–42. Inhibition of miR-195 ameliorated the mitochondrial dysfunction in HT-22 cells induced by Aβ1–42, including mitochondrial morphologic damages, mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration function, and ATP production. Administration of antagomir-195 by the third ventricle injection markedly ameliorated the cognitive function, postsynaptic density thickness, length of synaptic active area, mitochondrial aspect ratio, and area in hippocampus of SAMP8 mice. Finally, antagomir-195 was able to promote an increase in the activity of respiratory chain complex CI and II in SAMP8 mice. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that miR-195 inhibitor ameliorated the cognitive impairment of AD mice by improving mitochondrial structure damages and dysfunction in the hippocampal neurons, which provide an experimental basis for further exploring the treatment strategy of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive dysfunction, microRNA-195, mitochondria, synaptic membranes

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-215301

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 85, no. 4, pp. 1495-1509, 2022