Blockade of voltage-gated potassium channels ameliorates diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction in vivo and in vitro

Wenhui Yan, Meng Zhang, Ye Yu, Xinyao Yi, Tingli Guo, Hao Hu, Qiang Sun, Mingxia Chen, Huangui Xiong, Lina Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel blockers tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) have shown beneficial effects on some neurological disorders. But their involvements in diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction are still unknown. The present study aims to investigate whether the blockade of Kv channels by TEA and 4-AP alleviate cognitive decline in diabetes. In vivo, the effects of TEA and 4-AP (5 mg/kg body weight per day, 1 mg/kg body weight per day intraperitoneal injected for 4 weeks, respectively) were investigated in streptozotocin-induced C57BL/6 diabetic mice. In vitro study, we investigated the effects of TEA and 4-AP on the high glucose (HG) -stimulated primary cortical neurons. The results showed that TEA and 4-AP ameliorated the cognitive decline of diabetic mice in the Morris water maze test, improved the ultrastructure of pancreatic β cells, hippocampal neurons and synapses, decreased oxidative stress, modulated apoptosis-related proteins, and activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ Protein kinase-B (PKB or Akt) signaling pathway. In the HG-stimulated primary cultured cortical neurons, TEA and 4-AP increased the cell viability, decreased oxidative stress; prevented apoptosis and activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 partially abolished the effects of TEA and 4-AP. These findings indicate that the blockade of Kv channels by TEA and 4-AP ameliorates the diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction via PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting that targeting Kv channels could be a promising strategy for the treatments of cognitive impairments in diabetes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number112988
JournalExperimental Neurology
Volume320
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2019

Keywords

  • 4-Aminopyridine
  • Apoptosis
  • Diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction
  • Hippocampus
  • Oxidative stress
  • Tetraethylammonium

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Developmental Neuroscience

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