Neurochemical Research

, Volume 32, Issue 10, pp 1720–1725 | Cite as

Neuroprotective Effects of Natural Products: Interaction with Intracellular Kinases, Amyloid Peptides and a Possible Role for Transthyretin

  • Stéphane Bastianetto
  • Jonathan Brouillette
  • Rémi Quirion
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Various studies reported on the neuroprotective effects of natural products, particularly polyphenols, widely present in food and beverages. For example, we have shown that resveratrol, a polyphenol contained present in red wine and other foods, activates the phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC), this effect being involved in its neuroprotective action against Aß-induced toxicity. Moreover, tea-derived catechin gallate esters inhibit the formation Aß oligomers/fibrils, suggesting that this action likely contributes to their neuroprotective effects. Interestingly, the effects of polyphenols may be attributable, at least in part, to the presence of specific binding sites. Autoradiographic studies revealed that these binding sites are particularly enriched in choroids plexus in the rat brain. Interestingly, the choroid plexus secretes transthyretin, a protein that has been shown to prevent Aβ aggregation and that may be critical to the maintenance of normal learning capacities in aging. Taken together, these data suggest that polyphenols target multiple enzymes/proteins leading to their neuroprotective actions.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease Aß peptides Resveratrol Tea catechins Transthyretin Polyphenols Neuroprotection Beta-amyloid PKC 
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Notes

Acknowldgments

This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to R.Q. and a student scholarship from CIHR to J.B.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Stéphane Bastianetto
    • 1
  • Jonathan Brouillette
    • 1
  • Rémi Quirion
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research CentreMcGill UniversityVerdun, MontrealCanada

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