Uncovering CNS access of lipidated exendin-4 analogues by quantitative whole-brain 3D light sheet imaging

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Grethe Skovbjerg
  • Urmas Roostalu
  • Casper G. Salinas
  • Jacob L. Skytte
  • Johanna Perens
  • Clemmensen, Christoffer
  • Lisbeth Elster
  • Camilla K. Frich
  • Henrik H. Hansen
  • Jacob Hecksher-Sørensen

Peptide-based drug development for CNS disorders is challenged by poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrability of peptides. While acylation protractions (lipidation) have been successfully applied to increase circulating half-life of therapeutic peptides, little is known about the CNS accessibility of lipidated peptide drugs. Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) has emerged as a powerful method to visualize whole-brain 3D distribution of fluorescently labelled therapeutic peptides at single-cell resolution. Here, we applied LSFM to map CNS distribution of the clinically relevant GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) exendin-4 (Ex4) and lipidated analogues following peripheral administration. Mice received an intravenous dose (100 nmol/kg) of IR800 fluorophore-labelled Ex4 (Ex4), Ex4 acylated with a C16-monoacid (Ex4_C16MA) or C18-diacid (Ex4_C18DA). Other mice were administered C16MA-acylated exendin 9-39 (Ex9-39_C16MA), a selective GLP-1R antagonist, serving as negative control for GLP-1R mediated agonist internalization. Two hours post-dosing, brain distribution of Ex4 and analogues was predominantly restricted to the circumventricular organs, notably area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract. However, Ex4_C16MA and Ex9-39_C16MA also distributed to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and medial habenula. Notably, Ex4_C18DA was detected in deeper-lying brain structures such as dorsomedial/ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei and the dentate gyrus. Similar CNS distribution maps of Ex4_C16MA and Ex9-39_C16MA suggest that brain access of lipidated Ex4 analogues is independent on GLP-1 receptor internalization. The cerebrovasculature was devoid of specific labelling, hence not supporting a direct role of GLP-1 RAs in BBB function. In conclusion, peptide lipidation increases CNS accessibility of Ex4. Our fully automated LSFM pipeline is suitable for mapping whole-brain distribution of fluorescently labelled drugs.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer109637
TidsskriftNeuropharmacology
Vol/bind238
ISSN0028-3908
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2023

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
Christoffer Clemmensen is associate professor at Centre for Basic Metabolic Research. The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research is an independent Research Center, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and partially funded by an unconditional donation from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant NNF18CC0034900 ). Camilla Kaas Frich was employed by Gubra and is presently employed by Novo Nordisk. All other authors are employed by Gubra.

Funding Information:
The work was funded by Innovation Fund Denmark (Grethe Skovbjerg, grant number 9065-00237 B).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd

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