NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by metabolic dysregulation, oxidative stress, amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, metal dyshomeostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Current treatments provide only symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for novel the...

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Main Authors: Arian Kola, Filippo Costanti, Jordan Kahfi, Abdul-Hamid Emwas, Mariusz Jaremko, Daniela Valensin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Cells
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/7/525
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author Arian Kola
Filippo Costanti
Jordan Kahfi
Abdul-Hamid Emwas
Mariusz Jaremko
Daniela Valensin
author_facet Arian Kola
Filippo Costanti
Jordan Kahfi
Abdul-Hamid Emwas
Mariusz Jaremko
Daniela Valensin
author_sort Arian Kola
collection DOAJ
description Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by metabolic dysregulation, oxidative stress, amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, metal dyshomeostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Current treatments provide only symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study investigates the metabolic effects of the alkaloids galantamine (GAL) and lycorine (LYC) in differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, an established in vitro model for AD, which acquire a neuronal phenotype upon differentiation. Using untargeted and targeted NMR-based metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis, we analyzed extracellular metabolic profiles under basal conditions and following Aβ42 exposure, both in the presence and absence of GAL and LYC. Our findings reveal distinct metabolic responses to Aβ toxicity, with significant alterations in pyruvate and glutamine metabolism. Both GAL and LYC contributed to the restoration of glutamine and lysine homeostasis, but LYC had a more pronounced effect, better sustaining cellular energy balance and mitochondrial function. Unlike LYC, GAL treatment was associated with pyruvate accumulation, highlighting a distinct metabolic response between the two compounds. These variations may reflect distinct mechanisms of action, potentially influencing their therapeutic roles in counteracting Aβ-induced toxicity. This study highlights the value of metabolic profiling for assessing neuroprotective agents and reinforces the potential of natural alkaloids in this context.
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spelling doaj-art-6a98cc3b014d47e1a8082219620b23152025-08-20T02:17:00ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-04-0114752510.3390/cells14070525NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and LycorineArian Kola0Filippo Costanti1Jordan Kahfi2Abdul-Hamid Emwas3Mariusz Jaremko4Daniela Valensin5Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Information Engineering and Mathematics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, ItalyDivision of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaKAUST Core Laboratories, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaDivision of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by metabolic dysregulation, oxidative stress, amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation, metal dyshomeostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Current treatments provide only symptomatic relief, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study investigates the metabolic effects of the alkaloids galantamine (GAL) and lycorine (LYC) in differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, an established in vitro model for AD, which acquire a neuronal phenotype upon differentiation. Using untargeted and targeted NMR-based metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis, we analyzed extracellular metabolic profiles under basal conditions and following Aβ42 exposure, both in the presence and absence of GAL and LYC. Our findings reveal distinct metabolic responses to Aβ toxicity, with significant alterations in pyruvate and glutamine metabolism. Both GAL and LYC contributed to the restoration of glutamine and lysine homeostasis, but LYC had a more pronounced effect, better sustaining cellular energy balance and mitochondrial function. Unlike LYC, GAL treatment was associated with pyruvate accumulation, highlighting a distinct metabolic response between the two compounds. These variations may reflect distinct mechanisms of action, potentially influencing their therapeutic roles in counteracting Aβ-induced toxicity. This study highlights the value of metabolic profiling for assessing neuroprotective agents and reinforces the potential of natural alkaloids in this context.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/7/525galantaminelycorineSH-SY5Yamyloid-βAlzheimer’s diseasealkaloids
spellingShingle Arian Kola
Filippo Costanti
Jordan Kahfi
Abdul-Hamid Emwas
Mariusz Jaremko
Daniela Valensin
NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
Cells
galantamine
lycorine
SH-SY5Y
amyloid-β
Alzheimer’s disease
alkaloids
title NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
title_full NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
title_fullStr NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
title_full_unstemmed NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
title_short NMR Metabolomic Profiling of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cells: Amyloid-β Toxicity and Protective Effects of Galantamine and Lycorine
title_sort nmr metabolomic profiling of differentiated sh sy5y neuronal cells amyloid β toxicity and protective effects of galantamine and lycorine
topic galantamine
lycorine
SH-SY5Y
amyloid-β
Alzheimer’s disease
alkaloids
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/7/525
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