Liver-specific adiponectin gene therapy suppresses microglial NLRP3-inflammasome activation for treating Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

<p>Adiponectin (APN) is an adipokine which predominantly expresses in adipocytes with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. We have recently indicated that circulatory trimeric APN can enter the brain by crossing the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and modulate microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Here, we found that the microglial NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-inflammasome activation was exacerbated in <em>APN</em>^{<em>−/−</em>}5xFAD mice in age-dependent manner. The focus of this study was to develop a new and tractable therapeutic approach for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related pathology in 5xFAD mice using peripheral APN gene therapy. We have generated and transduced adeno-associated virus (AAV2/8) expressing the mouse mutated <em>APN</em> gene (APN^C39S) into the liver of 5xFAD mice that generated only low-molecular-weight trimeric APN (APN^Tri). Single dose of AAV2/8-APN^C39S in the liver increased circulatory and cerebral APN levels indicating the overexpressed APN^Tri was able to cross the BBB. Overexpression of APN^Tri decreased both the soluble and fibrillar Aβ in the brains of 5xFAD mice. AAV2/8-APN^Tri treatment reduced Aβ-induced IL-1β and IL-18 secretion by suppressing microglial NLRP3-inflammasome activation. The memory functions improved significantly in AAV-APN^Tri-treated 5xFAD mice with reduction of dystrophic neurites. These findings demonstrate that peripheral gene delivery to overexpress trimeric APN can be a potential therapy for AD.</p>