Tackling neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation is particularly challenging due to the complexity of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, as well as the limited drug accessibility to the brain. The activation of tropomyosin-related kinase A (TRKA) receptor signaling by the nerve growth factor (NGF) or the neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may combat neurodegeneration and regulate microglial function. In the present study, we synthesized a C-17-spiro-cyclopropyl DHEA derivative (ENT-A010), which was capable of activating TRKA. ENT-A010 protected PC12 cells against serum starvation-induced cell death, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons against NGF deprivation-induced apoptosis and hippocampal neurons against Aβ-induced apoptosis. In addition, ENT-A010 pretreatment partially restored homeostatic features of microglia in the hippocampus of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice, enhanced Aβ phagocytosis, and increased Ngf expression in microglia in vitro. In conclusion, the small molecule ENT-A010 elicited neuroprotective effects and modulated microglial function, thereby emerging as an interesting compound, which merits further study in the treatment of CNS disorders.
由于中枢神经系统(CNS)疾病的复杂性以及药物进入大脑的限制,处理神经退行性和神经炎症特别具有挑战性。通过神经生长因子(NGF)或神经类固醇去氢表雄酮(DHEA)激活肌动蛋白相关激酶A(TRKA)受体信号传导可能对抗神经退行性和调节微胶质细胞功能。在本研究中,我们合成了一种C-17-螺环丙基DHEA衍生物(ENT-A010),能够激活TRKA。ENT-A010保护PC12细胞免受血清饥饿引起的细胞死亡,保护脊神经节(DRG)神经元免受NGF剥夺引起的凋亡和海马神经元免受Aβ引起的凋亡。此外,ENT-A010预处理部分恢复了LPS处理小鼠海马区微胶质细胞的稳态特征,增强了Aβ吞噬作用,并增加了体外微胶质细胞中Ngf表达。总之,这种小分子ENT-A010产生了神经保护作用并调节了微胶质细胞功能,因此成为一种有趣的化合物,值得在CNS疾病治疗中进一步研究。