Repositioning Gliptins for Parkinson's Disease Treatment

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dipeptidyl protease-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors - also known as gliptins - are widely used in the effective treatment of type 2 diabetes to safely regulate bloo glucose levels. DPP-4 is the key enzyme responsible for the metabolism of the endogenous incretins, glucagon-like peptide-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) whose elevated levels in brain, we hypothesized, would provide neurotrophic/neuroprotective actions in cellular and in vivo rodent models of Parkinson's disease (PD). On evaluating several DPP-4 inhibitors, brain and plasma incretin levels were, indeed, substantially elevated in rodents, and this resulted in amelioration of Parkinsonism and elevations in brain dopamine levels in a well- characterized acute rodent PD model as well as reducing toxicity in vitro cellular model. Our proposed studies will extend our evaluation of dipeptidyl protease-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors as a new treatment strategy for Parkinson's disease by assessing the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin in chronic toxin and genetics rodent PD models. In these chronic rodent PD models, we will evaluate neurorestorative activity of sitagliptin by measuring behavioral, biochemical, and immunocytochemical parameters. In addition, mechanistic studies will be carried out to correlate sitagliptin efficacy with analysis of ER stress/unfolded protein responses, mitochondrial function and neuroinflammation.