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Etazolate, a neuroprotective drug linking GABA(A) receptor pharmacology to amyloid precursor protein processing
Marcade M, Bourdin J, Loiseau N, Peillon H, Rayer A, Drouin D, Schweighoffer F, Désiré L.. Journal of neurochemistry, 2008-07-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Pharmacological modulation of the GABA(A) receptor has gained increasing attention as a potential treatment for central processes affected in Alzheimer disease (AD), including neuronal survival and cognition. The proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through the alpha-secretase pathway decreases in AD, concurrent with cognitive impairment. This APP cleavage occurs within the beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) sequence, precluding formation of amyloidogenic peptides and leading to the release of the soluble N-terminal APP fragment (sAPPalpha) which is neurotrophic and procognitive.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Marcade, M., Bourdin, J., Loiseau, N., Peillon, H., Rayer, A., Drouin, D., et al. (2008). Etazolate, a neuroprotective drug linking GABA(A) receptor pharmacology to amyloid precursor protein processing. Journal of neurochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05396.x
Vancouver
Marcade M, Bourdin J, Loiseau N, Peillon H, Rayer A, Drouin D, et al. Etazolate, a neuroprotective drug linking GABA(A) receptor pharmacology to amyloid precursor protein processing. Journal of neurochemistry. 2008. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05396.x. PMID: 18397369.
BibTeX
@article{marcade2008-18397369,
author = {Marcade, M. and Bourdin, J. and Loiseau, N. and Peillon, H. and Rayer, A. and Drouin, D. and Schweighoffer, F. and Désiré, L.},
title = {{Etazolate, a neuroprotective drug linking GABA(A) receptor pharmacology to amyloid precursor protein processing}},
journal = {Journal of neurochemistry},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05396.x},
pmid = {18397369},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05396.x}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through the alpha-secretase pathway decreases in AD, concurrent with cognitive impairment.
- This APP cleavage occurs within the beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) sequence, precluding formation of amyloidogenic peptides and leading to the release of the soluble N-terminal APP fragment (sAPPalpha) which is neurotrophic and procognitive.
- In this study, we show that at nanomolar-low micromolar concentrations, etazolate, a selective GABA(A) receptor modulator, stimulates sAPPalpha production in rat cortical neurons and in guinea pig brains.
- Etazolate (20 nM-2 microM) dose-dependently protected rat cortical neurons against Abeta-induced toxicity.
Why it matters
In laboratory work, the drug etazolate acted through GABA(A) receptors to increase the nonamyloidogenic alpha-secretase pathway and release sAPPalpha. This is early pharmacological research and does not yet show a treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on institution's track record, so that was left out: it earned 40 of the 97 points we could judge it on, which is 41 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurochemistry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Neurochemistry: journal h-index 349 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 154 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.7 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 15 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Laurent Désiré: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18397369) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 40 / 97 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 40 of the 97 points we could judge it on is 41 out of 100. |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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