Aminopyridazines inhibit β-amyloid-induced glial activation and neuronal damage in vivo

The critical role of chronic inflammation in disease progression continues to be increasingly appreciated across multiple disease areas, especially in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. We report that late intervention with a recently discovered aminopyridazine suppressor of glial activation, developed to inhibit both oxidative and inflammatory cytokine pathways, attenuates human amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced glial activation in a murine model. Peripheral administration of the aminopyridazine MW01-070C, beginning 3 weeks after the start of intracerebroventricular infusion of human Aβ1-42, decreased the number of activated astrocytes and microglia and the levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and S100B in the hippocampus. Inhibition of neuroinflammation correlated with a decreased neuron loss, restoration towards control levels of synaptic dysfunction biomarkers in the hippocampus, and diminished amyloid plaque deposition. The results from this in vivo chemical biology approach provide a proof of concept that targeting of key glia inflammatory cytokine pathways can suppress Aβ-induced neuroinflammation in vivo, with resultant attenuation of neuronal damage.