Translationally controlled tumor protein restores impaired memory and altered synaptic protein expression in animal models of dementia

Eun Jung Na, Yejin Jeon, Hyunju Kim, Hye Sun Kim, Kyunglim Lee, Hwa Jung Kim

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1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study describes the effects of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) on mice with memory impairment caused by scopolamine (SCO) administration. Specifically, memory functions and expression levels of hippocampal synaptic proteins in 7- to 12-month-old SCO-treated wild-type (WT-SCO) mice were compared to those of TCTP-overexpressing (TG) and TCTP knocked-down (KD) mice similarly treated with SCO. Passive-avoidance tasks were performed with WT, TG, and KD mice for four weeks after intraperitoneal injection of SCO or saline followed by an acquisition test. After completing behavioral studies, hippocampi of all mice groups were collected and their synaptic protein contents were subjected to Western blotting or immunohistochemical analyses, and compared with those of 5x familial Alzheimer's disease (5xFAD) mice and postmortem AD patients. Results of passive avoidance tests revealed that SCO-induced memory impairment was repaired in TCTP-TG mice, but not in TCTP-KD mice. Hippocampal expression levels of synaptophysin, synapsin-1, and PSD-95 were increased in TCTP-TG mice treated with SCO (TG-SCO) but decreased in TCTP-KD mice treated with SCO (KD-SCO). Decreased levels of TCTP, synaptophysin, and PSD-95 were also found in hippocampi of 5xFAD mice and AD patients. Expression levels of p-CREB/CREB and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in TCTP-TG and TG-SCO mice were similar to or increased compared to those in WT mice, but decreased in TCTP-KD and KD-SCO mice. BDNF immunoreactivity was restored in CA1 regions of hippocampi of TG-SCO mice, but not in KD-SCO mice. These results suggest that TCTP can restore damaged memory in mice possibly through restored synaptic protein expression.

Original languageEnglish
Article number114357
JournalBiomedicine and Pharmacotherapy
Volume160
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education ( 2019R1F1A1057931 ) to H.-J. Kim and ( 2020R1A6A1A03043528 and 2021R1A2C2003629 ) to K. Lee.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023

Keywords

  • Memory
  • Scopolamine-induced dementia
  • Synaptic proteins
  • TCTP knockdown
  • TCTP transgenic

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