PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Mari Paz Serrano AU - Raquel Herrero-Labrador AU - Hunter S. Futch AU - Julia Serrano AU - Alejandro Romero AU - Ana Patricia Fernandez AU - Abdelouahid Samadi AU - Mercedes Unzeta AU - Jose Marco-Contelles AU - Ricardo Martínez-Murillo TI - The proof-of-concept of ASS234: Peripherally administered ASS234 enters the central nervous system and reduces pathology in a male mouse model of Alzheimer disease AID - 10.1503/jpn.150209 DP - 2017 Jan 01 TA - Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience PG - 59--69 VI - 42 IP - 1 4099 - http://jpn.ca/content/42/1/59.short 4100 - http://jpn.ca/content/42/1/59.full SO - J Psychiatry Neurosci2017 Jan 01; 42 AB - Background: The heterogeneity of Alzheimer disease requires the development of multitarget drugs for treating the symptoms of the disease and its progression. Both cholinergic and monoamine oxidase dysfunctions are involved in the pathological process. Thus, we hypothesized that the development of therapies focused on these targets might be effective. We have developed and assessed a new product, coded ASS234, a multipotent acetyl and butyrylcholinesterase/monoamine oxidase A–B inhibitor with a potent inhibitory effect on amyloid-β aggregation as well as antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. But there is a need to reliably correlate in vitro and in vivo drug release data.Methods: We examined the effect of ASS234 on cognition in healthy adult C57BL/6J mice in a model of scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment that often accompanies normal and pathological aging. Also, in a characterized transgenic APPswe/PS1ΔE9 mouse model of Alzheimer disease, we examined the effects of short-term ASS234 treatment on plaque deposition and gliosis using immunohistochemistry. Toxicology of ASS234 was assessed using a quantitative high-throughput in vitro cytotoxicity screening assay following the MTT assay method in HepG2 liver cells.Results: In vivo, ASS234 significantly decreased scopolamine-induced learning deficits in C57BL/6J mice. Also, reduction of amyloid plaque burden and gliosis in the cortex and hippocampus was assessed. In vitro, ASS234 exhibited lesser toxicity than donepezil and tacrine.Limitations: The study was conducted in male mice only. Although the Alzheimer disease model does not recapitulate all features of the human disease, it exhibits progressive monoaminergic neurodegeneration.Conclusion: ASS234 is a promising alternative drug of choice to treat the cognitive decline and neurodegeneration underlying Alzheimer disease.