Have a personal or library account? Click to login
H3 relaxin mediated neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease pathology induced by streptozotocin in mouse models: Impact on memory improvement, autophagy and PI3K/Akt-mTOR signalling pathway Cover

H3 relaxin mediated neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease pathology induced by streptozotocin in mouse models: Impact on memory improvement, autophagy and PI3K/Akt-mTOR signalling pathway

Open Access
|Mar 2026

References

  1. P. T. Kamatham, R. Shukla, D. K. Khatri and L. K. Vora, Pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease: Breaking the memory barrier, Ageing Res. Rev. 101 (2024) Article ID 102481 (23 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102481
  2. X. Xia, Q. Jiang, J. McDermott and J. J. Han, Aging and Alzheimer’s disease: Comparison and associations from molecular to system level, Aging Cell 17(5) (2018) e12802 (14 pages); https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12802
  3. Alzheimer’s Association, 2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures, Alzheimers Dement. 20(5) (2024) 3708–3821; https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13809
  4. A. A. Rostagno, Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24(1) (2023) Article ID 107 (4 pages); https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010107
  5. S. Tiwari, V. Atluri, A. Kaushik, A. Yndart and M. Nair, Alzheimer’s disease: Pathogenesis, diagnostics, and therapeutics, Int. J. Nanomed. 14 (2019) 5541–5554; https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S200490
  6. N. Guo, X. Wang, M. Xu, J. Bai, H. Yu and Z. Le, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential in depression, Pharmacol. Res. 206 (2024) Article ID 107300 (12 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107300
  7. J. Pan, Q. Yao, Y. Wang, S. Chang, C. Li, Y. Wu, J. Shen and R. Yang, The role of PI3K signaling pathway in Alzheimer’s disease, Front. Aging Neurosci. 16 (2024) Article ID 1459025 (17 pages); https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1459025
  8. S. Davoody, A. Asgari Taei, P. Khodabakhsh and L. Dargahi, mTOR signaling and Alzheimer’s disease: What we know and where we are?, CNS Neurosci. Ther. 30(4) (2024) e14463 (17 pages); https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.14463
  9. W. Li, P. He, Y. Huang, Y. F. Li, J. Lu, M. Li, H. Kurihara, Z. Luo, T. Meng, M. Onishi, C. Ma, L. Jiang, Y. Hu, Q. Gong, D. Zhu, Y. Xu, R. Liu, L. Liu, C. Yi, Y. Zhu, N. Ma, K. Okamoto, Z. Xie, J. Liu, R. R. He and D. Feng, Selective autophagy of intracellular organelles: Recent research advances, Theranostics 11(1) (2021) 222–256; https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.49860
  10. Y. Zhao, Y. Zhang, J. Zhang, X. Zhang and G. Yang, Molecular mechanism of autophagy: Its role in the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease, Curr. Neuropharmacol. 18(8) (2020) 720–739; https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X18666200114163636
  11. M. Eshraghi, A. Adlimoghaddam, A. Mahmoodzadeh, F. Sharifzad, H. Yasavoli-Sharahi, S. Lorzadeh, B. C. Albensi and S. Ghavami, Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis: Role of autophagy and mitophagy focusing on microglia, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22(7) (2021) Article ID 3330 (36 pages); https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073330
  12. Z. Zhang, X. Yang, Y. Q. Song and J. Tu, Autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis: Therapeutic potential and future perspectives, Ageing Res. Rev. 72 (2021) Article ID 101464 (15 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101464
  13. N. Mizushima, Autophagic flux measurement: Cargo degradation versus generation of degradation products, Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 93 (2025) Article ID 102463 (8 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceb.2025.102463
  14. L. Gomez-Virgilio, M. D. Silva-Lucero, D. S. Flores-Morelos, J. Gallardo-Nieto, G. Lopez-Toledo, A. M. Abarca-Fernandez, A. E. Zacapala-Gomez, J. Luna-Munoz, F. Montiel-Sosa, L. O. Soto-Rojas, M. Pacheco-Herrero and M. D. Cardenas-Aguayo, Autophagy: A key regulator of homeostasis and disease – An overview of molecular mechanisms and modulators, Cells 11(15) (2022) Article ID 2262 (40 pages); https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11152262
  15. Z. Deng, Y. Dong, X. Zhou, J. H. Lu and Z. Yue, Pharmacological modulation of autophagy for Alzheimer’s disease therapy: Opportunities and obstacles, Acta Pharm. Sin. B 12(4) (2022) 1688–1706; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2021.12.009
  16. H. Leysen, D. Walter, L. Clauwaert, L. Hellemans, J. van Gastel, L. Vasudevan, B. Martin and S. Maudsley, The relaxin-3 receptor RXFP3 is a modulator of aging-related disease, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23(8) (2022) Article ID 4387 (22 pages); https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23084387
  17. S. Ma, C. M. Smith, A. Blasiak and A. L. Gundlach, Distribution, physiology and pharmacology of relaxin-3/RXFP3 systems in brain, Br. J. Pharmacol. 174(10) (2017) 1034–1048; https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13659
  18. D. J. Scott, K. J. Rosengren and R. A. Bathgate, The different ligand-binding modes of relaxin family peptide receptors RXFP1 and RXFP2, Mol. Endocrinol. 26(11) (2012) 1896–1906; https://doi.org/10.1210/me.2012-1188
  19. J. R. Kumar, R. Rajkumar, T. Jayakody, S. Marwari, J. M. Hong, S. Ma, A. L. Gundlach, M. K. P. Lai and G. S. Dawe, Relaxin’ the brain: Targeting the nucleus incertus network and relaxin-3/RXFP3 system in neuropsychiatric disorders, Br. J. Pharmacol. 174(10) (2016) 1061–1076; https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13564
  20. M. E. S. Sorial, R. M. Abdelghany and N. El Sayed, Modulation of the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease by valproic acid: Possible drug repurposing, Inflammopharmacology 33(4) (2025) 2083–2094; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-025-01695-0
  21. M. Levin-Arama, L. Abraham, T. Waner, A. Harmelin, D. M. Steinberg, T. Lahav and M. Harlev, Subcutaneous compared with intraperitoneal ketamine-xylazine for anesthesia of mice, J. Am. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci. 55(6) (2016) 794–800.
  22. D. Kaur, A. K. Grewal, S. H. Almasoudi, A. H. Almehmadi, B. A. Alsfouk, A. Kumar, V. Singh, A. Alexiou, M. Papadakis, N. N. Welson, T. G. Singh and G. E.-S. Batiha, Neuroprotective effect of tozasertib in streptozotocin-induced Alzheimer’s mice model, Sci. Rep. 15 (2025) Article ID 28963 (16 pages); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13920-5
  23. G. M. Shankar, M. A. Leissring, A. Adame, X. Sun, E. Spooner, E. Masliah, D. J. Selkoe, C. A. Le-mere and D. M. Walsh, Biochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model reveals multiple cerebral amyloid-β assembly forms, Neurobiol. Dis. 36(2) (2009) 293–302; https://10.1016/j.nbd.2009.07.021
  24. L. J. Lissner, K. M. Wartchow, A. P. Toniazzo, C. A. Goncalves and L. Rodrigues, Object recognition and Morris water maze to detect cognitive impairment from mild hippocampal damage in rats, Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 210 (2021) Article ID 173273 (9 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173273
  25. A. Vogel-Ciernia and M. A. Wood, Examining object location and object recognition memory in mice, Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 69 (2014) 8.31.1-8.31.17; https://doi.org/10.1002/0471142301.ns0831s69
  26. R. Rajmohan and P. H. Reddy, Amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau accumulations cause synaptic abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease neurons, J. Alzheimer’s Dis. 57(4) (2017) 975–999; https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-160612
  27. H. Dong, C. M. Yuede, C. A. Coughlan, K. M. Murphy and J. G. Csernansky, Effects of donepezil on amyloid-β and synapse density in the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, Brain Res. 1303 (2009) 169–178; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.097
  28. K. Dasuri, L. Zhang, S. O. Kim, A. J. Bruce-Keller and J. N. Keller, Dietary and donepezil modulation of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling and neuroinflammation in the brain, Biochim. Biophys. Acta Mol. Basis Dis. 1862(2) (2016) 274–283; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2015.11.002
  29. S. Bathina and U. N. Das, Dysregulation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway in the brain of streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats, Lipids Health Dis. 17 (2018) Article ID 168 (11 pages); https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-018-0809-2
  30. Y. Fu, J. Zhang, R. Qin, Y. Ren, T. Zhou, B. Han and B. Liu, Activating autophagy to eliminate toxic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases, Pharmacol. Rev. 77(3) (2025) Article ID 100053 (50 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmr.2025.100053
  31. Q. Wang, Y. Wang, S. Li and J. Shi, PACAP-sirtuin-3 alleviates cognitive impairment through autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimers Res. Ther. 15(1) (2023) Article ID 184 (20 pages); https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01334-2
  32. S. Guo, L. Yi, M. Luo, Z. Dong and Y. Du, Parishin A ameliorates cognitive decline by promoting PS1 autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease, Front. Aging Neurosci. 17 (2025) Article ID 1516190 (16 pages); https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1516190
  33. F. Islam, M. H. Nafady, M. R. Islam, S. Saha, S. Rashid, S. Akter, M. H. Or-Rashid, M. F. Akhtar, A. Perveen, G. M. Ashraf, H. M. Rahman and S. H. Sweilam, Resveratrol and neuroprotection against Alzheimer’s disease, Mol. Neurobiol. 59(7) (2022) 4384–4404; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-022-02859-7
  34. Y. Chen and Y. Yu, Tau and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: Interplay mechanisms and clinical translation, J. Neuroinflammation 20(1) (2023) Article ID 165 (21 pages); https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-023-02853-3
  35. P. J. Ryan, E. Buchler, F. Shabanpoor, M. A. Hossain, J. D. Wade, A. J. Lawrence and A. L. Gundlach, Central RXFP3 activation decreases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours in rats, Behav. Brain Res. 244 (2013) 142–151; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2013.01.034
  36. S. W. Jere, N. N. Houreld and H. Abrahamse, Role of PI3K/AKT (mTOR and GSK-3β) signaling in diabetic wound healing, Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 50 (2019) 52–59; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cytogfr.2019.03.001
  37. C. Z. Yang, S. H. Wang, R. H. Zhang, J. H. Lin, Y. H. Tian, Y. Q. Yang, J. Liu and Y. X. Ma, Neuro-protective effect of astragalin via activating PI3K/Akt-mTOR-mediated autophagy on APP/PS1 mice, Cell Death Discov. 9 (2023) Article ID 15 (13 pages); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-023-01324-1
  38. S. A. El-Maraghy, A. Reda, R. M. Essam and M. A. Kortam, The citrus flavonoid “Nobiletin” impedes STZ-induced Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model through regulating autophagy mastered by SIRT1/FoxO3a mechanism, Inflammopharmacology 31(5) (2023) 2701–2717; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-023-01292-z
  39. Q. Qiu, X. Lei, Y. Wang, H. Xiong, Y. Xu, H. Sun, H. Xu and N. Zhang, Naringin protects against tau hyperphosphorylation via ER, PI3K/Akt and GSK-3β signaling, Behav. Neurol. 2023 (2023) Article ID 1857330 (16 pages); https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1857330
  40. M. A. Salem, B. Budzynska, J. Kowalczyk, N. S. El Sayed and S. M. Mansour, Tadalafil and bergapten mitigate STZ-induced sporadic Alzheimer’s disease via PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin and AMPK/mTOR pathways, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 429 (2021) Article ID 115697 (14 pages); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2021.115697
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acph-2026-0009 | Journal eISSN: 1846-9558 | Journal ISSN: 1330-0075
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 18
Accepted on: Mar 6, 2026
|
Published on: Mar 25, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Related subjects:

© 2026 Huiyu Zhao, Yuhong Sun, Shaik Althaf Hussain, Hua Gao, published by Croatian Pharmaceutical Society
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.