1. Academic Validation
  2. Peripheral modulation of antidepressant targets MAO-B and GABAAR by harmol induces mitohormesis and delays aging in preclinical models

Peripheral modulation of antidepressant targets MAO-B and GABAAR by harmol induces mitohormesis and delays aging in preclinical models

  • Nat Commun. 2023 May 15;14(1):2779. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38410-y.
Luis Filipe Costa-Machado 1 2 3 Esther Garcia-Dominguez 4 Rebecca L McIntyre 5 Jose Luis Lopez-Aceituno 1 Álvaro Ballesteros-Gonzalez 6 Andrea Tapia-Gonzalez 7 David Fabregat-Safont 8 9 Tobias Eisenberg 10 11 12 Jesús Gomez 13 Adrian Plaza 1 Aranzazu Sierra-Ramirez 1 Manuel Perez 13 David Villanueva-Bermejo 14 Tiziana Fornari 14 María Isabel Loza 2 3 Gonzalo Herradon 15 Sebastian J Hofer 10 11 12 Christoph Magnes 16 Frank Madeo 10 11 12 Janet S Duerr 17 Oscar J Pozo 8 Maximo-Ibo Galindo 6 18 19 Isabel Del Pino 7 20 Riekelt H Houtkooper 5 Diego Megias 13 Jose Viña 4 Mari Carmen Gomez-Cabrera 4 Pablo J Fernandez-Marcos 21
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Metabolic Syndrome Group - BIOPROMET. Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies - IMDEA Food, CEI UAM + CSIC, E28049, Madrid, Spain.
  • 2 Kaertor Foundation, EMPRENDIA Building, Floor 2, Office 4, Campus Vida, E-15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, E-15706, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
  • 3 BioFarma Research Group, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
  • 4 Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, CIBERFES, Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico Universitario/INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
  • 5 Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 6 Developmental Biology and Disease Models Group, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, 46012, Valencia, Spain.
  • 7 Neural Plasticity Group, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, 46012, Valencia, Spain.
  • 8 Applied Metabolomics Research Group, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute - (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
  • 9 Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, 12006, Castelló de la Plana, Castellón, Spain.
  • 10 Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstraße 50, 8010, Graz, Austria.
  • 11 BioTechMed Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria.
  • 12 Field of Excellence BioHealth - University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
  • 13 Confocal Microscopy Unit, Biotechnology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
  • 14 Department of Production and Characterization of Novel Foods, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL UAM-CSIC), C/ Nicolás Cabrera, 9, P.O. Box. 28049, Madrid, Spain.
  • 15 Lab. Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Urb. Montepríncipe, 28668, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
  • 16 HEALTH-Institute for Biomedicine and Health Sciences, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, 8010, Graz, Austria.
  • 17 Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
  • 18 Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Universitat de València, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
  • 19 UPV-CIPF Joint Research Unit "Disease Mechanisms and Nanomedicine". Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, 46012, Valencia, Spain.
  • 20 Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Sant Joan, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
  • 21 Metabolic Syndrome Group - BIOPROMET. Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies - IMDEA Food, CEI UAM + CSIC, E28049, Madrid, Spain. pablojose.fernandez@imdea.org.
Abstract

Reversible and sub-lethal stresses to the mitochondria elicit a program of compensatory responses that ultimately improve mitochondrial function, a conserved Anti-aging mechanism termed mitohormesis. Here, we show that harmol, a member of the beta-carbolines family with anti-depressant properties, improves mitochondrial function and metabolic parameters, and extends healthspan. Treatment with harmol induces a transient mitochondrial depolarization, a strong Mitophagy response, and the AMPK compensatory pathway both in cultured C2C12 myotubes and in male mouse liver, brown adipose tissue and muscle, even though harmol crosses poorly the blood-brain barrier. Mechanistically, simultaneous modulation of the targets of harmol monoamine-oxidase B and GABA-A receptor reproduces harmol-induced mitochondrial improvements. Diet-induced pre-diabetic male mice improve their glucose tolerance, liver steatosis and Insulin sensitivity after treatment with harmol. Harmol or a combination of Monoamine Oxidase B and GABA-A receptor modulators extend the lifespan of hermaphrodite Caenorhabditis elegans or female Drosophila melanogaster. Finally, two-year-old male and female mice treated with harmol exhibit delayed frailty onset with improved glycemia, exercise performance and strength. Our results reveal that peripheral targeting of Monoamine Oxidase B and GABA-A receptor, common antidepressant targets, extends healthspan through mitohormesis.

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