A Combination Therapy of Urolithin A plus EGCG Has Stronger Protective Effects than Single Drug Urolithin A in a Humanized Amyloid Beta Knockin Mice for Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

In the current study, for the first time, we study mitophagy enhancer urolithin A and a combination of urolithin A+green tea extract EGCG against human A beta peptide-induced mitochondrial and synaptic, dendritic, inflammatory toxicities and behavioral changes in humanized homozygous amyloid beta knockin (hAbKI) mice of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our findings reveal significantly increased positive effects of urolithin A and a combination treatment of urolithin A+EGCG in hAbKI mice for phenotypic behavioral changes including motor coordination, locomotion/exploratory activity, spatial learning and working memory. mRNA and protein levels of mitochondrial fusion, synaptic, mitophagy and autophagy genes were upregulated, and mitochondrial fission genes are downregulated in urolithin A and combine treatment in hAbKI mice; however, the effect is stronger in combined treatment. Immunofluorescence analysis of hippocampal brain sections shows similar findings of mRNA and protein levels. Mitochondrial dysfunction is significantly reduced in both treatment groups, but a stronger reduction is observed in combined treatment. Dendritic spines and lengths are significantly increased in both treatment groups, but the effect is stronger in combined treatment. The fragmented number of mitochondria is reduced, and mitochondrial length is increased, and mitophagosomal formations are increased in both the groups, but the effect is stronger in the combined treatment. The levels of amyloid beta (A beta) 40 and A beta 42 are reduced in both treatments, however, the reduction is higher for combined treatment. These observations suggest that urolithin A is protective against human A beta peptide-induced toxicities; however, combined treatment of urolithin A+EGCG is effective and stronger, indicating that combined therapy is promising to treat late-onset AD patients.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of mitophagy enhancer urolithin A and a combination of urolithin A+green tea extract EGCG on mitochondrial and synaptic, dendritic, inflammatory toxicities, as well as behavioral changes induced by human A beta peptide in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice. Results showed that the combination treatment had significantly stronger positive effects compared to urolithin A alone. It upregulated mitochondrial fusion, synaptic, mitophagy and autophagy genes, reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, increased dendritic spines and lengths, and reduced amyloid beta levels. These findings suggest that the combined therapy shows promise in treating late-onset AD.