Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine-Induced Neuronal Exosomes Modulate the Activity of Rab7a via PTEN to Exert an Influence on the Disordered Autophagic Flux Induced in Neurons

Autophagy is a critical mechanism by which methamphetamine (METH) induces neuronal damage and neurotoxicity. Prolonged METH exposure can result in the accumulation of autophagosomes within cells. The autophagy process encompasses several essential vesicle-related biological steps, collectively referred to as the autophagic flux. However, the precise mechanisms by which METH modulates the autophagic flux and the underlying pathways remain to be elucidated. In this study, we utilized a chronic METH exposure mouse model and cell model to demonstrate that METH treatment leads to an increase in p62 and LC3B-II and the accumulation of autophagosomes in striatal neurons and SH-SY5Y cells. To assess autophagic flux, this study utilized autophagy inhibitors and inducers. The results demonstrated that the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine exacerbated autophagosome accumulation; however, blocking autophagosome formation with 3-methyladenine did not prevent METH-induced autophagosome accumulation. Compared to the autophagy activator rapamycin, METH significantly reduced autophagosome–lysosome fusion, leading to autophagosome accumulation. Rab7a is a critical regulator of autophagosome–lysosome fusion. Although Rab7a expression was upregulated in SH-SY5Y cells and brain tissues after METH treatment, immunoprecipitation experiments revealed weakened interactions between Rab7a and the lysosomal protein RILP. Overexpression of active Rab7a (Rab7a Q67L) significantly alleviated the METH-induced upregulation of LC3-II and p62. PTEN, a key regulator of Rab7a dephosphorylation, was downregulated following METH treatment, resulting in decreased Rab7a dephosphorylation and reduced Rab7a activity, thereby contributing to autophagosome accumulation. We further investigated the role of neuronal exosomes in the autophagy process. Our results demonstrated that the miRNA expression profiles in exosomes released by METH-induced SH-SY5Y cells were significantly altered, with 122 miRNAs upregulated and 151 miRNAs downregulated. KEGG and GO enrichment analyses of these differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes revealed significant associations with the autophagy pathway and potential regulation of PTEN expression. Our experiments confirmed that METH-induced exosomes reduced PTEN expression levels and decreased Rab7a dephosphorylation, thereby exacerbating autophagic flux impairment and autophagosome accumulation. In conclusion, our study indicated that METH and its induced neuronal exosomes downregulate PTEN expression, leading to reduced Rab7a dephosphorylation. This, in turn, hinders the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, ultimately resulting in autophagic flux impairment and neuronal damage.