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Stem cell transplantation therapy is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of ischemic stroke, and several beneficial aspects have been reported. Similarly, in Alzheimer's disease (AD), stem cell therapy is expected to provide an efficient therapeutic approach. Indeed, the intracerebral transplantation of stem cells reduced amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and rescued memory deficits in AD model mice. Here, we show that intravenous transplantation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMCs) improves cognitive function in two different AD mouse models, DAL and APP mice, and prevents neurodegeneration. GFP-positive BMMCs were isolated from tibiae and femurs of 4-week-old mice and then transplanted intravenously into DAL and APP mice. Transplantation of BMMCs suppressed neuronal loss and restored memory impairment of DAL mice to almost the same level as in wild-type mice. Transplantation of BMMCs to APP mice reduced Aβ deposition in the brain. APP mice treated with BMMCs performed significantly better on behavioral tests than vehicle-injected mice. Moreover, the effects were observed even with transplantation after the onset of cognitive impairment in DAL mice. Together, our results indicate that intravenous transplantation of BMMCs has preventive effects against the cognitive decline in AD model mice and suggest a potential therapeutic effect of BMMC transplantation therapy., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We describe in vitro properties and in vivo neuroprotective effects of a newly synthesized, high-affinity, selective allosteric metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1 (mGluR(1)) antagonist, N-cyclohexyl-6-{[(2-methoxyethyl)(methyl)amino]methyl}-N-methylthiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazole-2-carboxamide (YM-202074). YM-202074 bound an allosteric site of rat mGluR(1) with a K(i) value of 4.8+/-0.37 nM. YM-202074 also inhibited the mGluR(1)-mediated inositol phosphates production in rat cerebellar granule cells with an IC(50) value of 8.6+/-0.9 nM, while showing selectivity over mGluR(2-7). When YM-202074 was infused intravenously at an initial dose of 20 mg/kg/h for 0.5 h followed by a dose of 5 mg/kg/h for 7.5 h, the free concentration of YM-202074 in the brain rapidly (<12 min) reached approximately 0.3 microM, reaching a steady-state phase within 1.5 h. We first treated rats such that they developed transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Results clearly demonstrate a dose-dependent improvement of neurological deficit and reduction of the infarct volume in both the hemisphere and cortex when YM-202074 was infused intravenously immediately after occlusion at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg/h for 0.5 h followed by a dose of 2.5 or 5 mg/kg/h for 23.5 h, respectively. Significant neuroprotection was maintained even when the administration of drugs was delayed by up to 2 h following the onset of ischemia. Furthermore, the improvement of neurological deficit and the reduction of infarct volume were sustained for 1 week following the onset of ischemia. These results suggest that YM-202074 exhibits great potential as a novel neuroprotective agent for the treatment of stroke.