Cited by 300Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsAutophagy in Disease and TherapyNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Methylthioninium chloride (methylene blue) induces autophagy and attenuates tauopathy in vitro and in vivo

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Congdon, Erin E., Wu, Jessica W., Myeku, Natura, Figueroa, Yvette H., Herman, Mathieu, Marinec, Paul S., Gestwicki, Jason E., Dickey, Chad A. +2 more·2012·Autophagy

Abstract

More than 30 neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease (AD), frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD), and some forms of Parkinson disease (PD) are characterized by the accumulation of an aggregated form of the microtubule-binding protein tau in neurites and as intracellular lesions called neurofibrillary tangles. Diseases with abnormal tau as part of the pathology are collectively known as the tauopathies. Methylthioninium chloride, also known as methylene blue (MB), has been shown to reduce tau levels in vitro and in vivo and several different mechanisms of action have been proposed. Herein we demonstrate that autophagy is a novel mechanism by which MB can reduce tau levels. Incubation with nanomolar concentrations of MB was sufficient to significantly reduce levels of tau both in organotypic brain slice cultures from a mouse model of FTD, and in cell models. Concomitantly, MB treatment altered the levels of LC3-II, cathepsin D, BECN1, and p62 suggesting that it was a potent inducer of autophagy. Further analysis of the signaling pathways induced by MB suggested a mode of action similar to rapamycin. Results were recapitulated in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy administered MB orally at three different doses for two weeks. These data support the use of this drug as a therapeutic agent in neurodegenerative diseases.

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  • Any putative benefit of methylene blue has been thought secondary to reduced tau fibrillization and aggregation and induction of autophagy, leading to reduced tau pathology and neuron death in mouse tauopathy models.

    “Any putative benefit attributed to methylene blue has been thought to be secondary to reduced tau fibrillization and aggregation and induction of autophagy, which leads to reduced tau pathology and neuron death in mouse models of tauopathy (Congdon et al., 2012; Crowe et al., 2013; Wischik et al., 1996).”

    From Alzheimer Disease: An Update on Pathobiology and Treatment Strategies (2019) · cites this paper as Congdon et al., 2012

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Authors
Congdon, E. E., Wu, J. W., Myeku, N., Figueroa, Y. H., Herman, M., Marinec, P. S., Gestwicki, J. E., Dickey, C. A., Yu, W. H., & Duff, K. E.
Affiliations
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • University of South Florida (US)
Corresponding author
Duff, Karen E.
Venue
Autophagy
Published
2012-04
Volume
8
Issue
4
Pages
609-622
ISSN
  • 1554-8627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1554-8635
OpenAlex
W2090455820
Cited by
297
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 10
FWCI
18.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Autophagy (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • American Health Assistance Foundation
  • Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R00AG031291)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS074593, NS074593, R01NS073899)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
methylene blue, tauopathy, tau aggregation, neurofibrillary tangles, frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, LC3-II, cathepsin D, Beclin-1, p62, neurodegenerative disease treatment, organotypic brain slice culture
MeSH terms
Animals, Autophagy, Brain, Cells, Cultured, Cricetinae, Humans, Lysosomes, Methylene Blue, Mice, Transgenic, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Models, Biological, Neurons, Phosphorylation, Vacuoles, Biomarkers, CHO Cells, tau Proteins, Protein Transport, Tauopathies, Mice, Gene Knockdown Techniques

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