Administration of 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl isothiocyanate delays disease phenotype in SOD1(G93A) rats: a transgenic model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Biomed Res Int. 2015:2015:259417. doi: 10.1155/2015/259417. Epub 2015 May 5.

Abstract

4-(α-L-Rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl glucosinolate (glucomoringin, GMG) is a compound found in Moringa oleifera seeds. Myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis at neutral pH of GMG releases the biologically active compound 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl isothiocyanate (GMG-ITC). The present study was designed to test the potential therapeutic effectiveness of GMG-ITC to counteract the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using SOD1tg rats, which physiologically develops SOD1(G93A) at about 16 weeks of life, and can be considered a genetic model of disease. Rats were treated once a day with GMG (10 mg/Kg) bioactivated with myrosinase (20 µL/rat) via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for two weeks before disease onset and the treatment was prolonged for further two weeks before the sacrifice. Immune-inflammatory markers as well as apoptotic pathway were investigated to establish whether GMG-ITC could represent a new promising tool in clinical practice to prevent ALS. Achieved data display clear differences in molecular and biological profiles between treated and untreated SOD1tg rats leading to guessing that GMG-ITC can interfere with the pathophysiological mechanisms at the basis of ALS development. Therefore, GMG-ITC produced from myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis of pure GMG could be a candidate for further studies aimed to assess its possible use in clinical practice for the prevention or to slow down this disease.

MeSH terms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / genetics*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / physiopathology
  • Animals
  • Biotransformation
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Isothiocyanates / administration & dosage
  • Isothiocyanates / pharmacokinetics
  • Isothiocyanates / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats, Transgenic
  • Rhamnose / administration & dosage
  • Rhamnose / analogs & derivatives*
  • Rhamnose / pharmacokinetics
  • Rhamnose / therapeutic use
  • Superoxide Dismutase / genetics*

Substances

  • 4-((alpha-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl)isothiocyanate
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Mutant Proteins
  • SOD1 G93A protein
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Glycoside Hydrolases
  • thioglucosidase
  • Rhamnose