Anti-inflammatory and protective effects of MT-031, a novel multitarget MAO-A and AChE/BuChE inhibitor in scopolamine mouse model and inflammatory cells

- MT-031 is a novel hybrid molecule of rasagiline and rivastigmine.
- This anti-AD drug candidate is a brain AChE/BuChE and MAO-A inhibitor.
- MT-031 antagonized scopolamine-induced memory and cognitive impairments in mice.
- MT-031 exerted protection/anti-inflammation in scopolamine-induced mice.
- Anti-inflammatory effects of MT-031 were shown in anti-CD3 and LPS-activated cells.

Previous study demonstrated that the novel multitarget compound, MT-031 preserved in one molecule entity the beneficial properties of its parent drugs, rasagiline and rivastigmine, and exerted high dual potencies of monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition in acute-treated mice and neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The present study aimed to further investigate the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of MT-031 in scopolamine mouse model and inflammatory cell cultures. Our findings demonstrated that once daily chronic administration of MT-031 (5-10 mg/kg) to mice antagonized scopolamine-induced memory and cognitive impairments, displayed brain selective MAO-A and AChE/BuChE inhibition, increased the levels of striatal dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine and prevented the metabolism of DA and 5-HT. In addition, MT-031 upregulated mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2, the neurotrophic factors, (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF)), the antioxidant enzyme catalase and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor (Ntrk), and down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of the pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 in scopolamine-induced mice. In accordance, MT-031 was shown to reduce reactive oxygen species accumulation, increase the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and decrease the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in activated mouse splenocytes and microglial cells. Taken together, these pharmacological properties of MT-031 can be of clinical importance for developing this novel multitarget compound as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.