Y040-7904 is a potential mitochondrial autophagy activator. It enhances mitochondrial autophagy by facilitating the transport of mitochondria to autophagosomes and promoting the fusion of autophagosomes with autolysosomes. Y040-7904 induces mitochondrial autophagy through the SIRT1/FoxO3 pathway and upregulates the levels of Parkin, PINK1, and LC3II/I. Additionally, Y040-7904 reduces Aβ accumulation in both in vitro and in vivo Alzheimer's disease models.

Y040-7904, at a concentration of 20 μM for 24 hours, significantly increases the number of mitochondria-lysosome interactions in HT22 cells and elevates the percentages of mitochondria-associated autophagosomes (9%) and mitochondria-lysosomes (18%), outperforming known mitophagy inducers Urolithin A and UMI-77. When administered at 5-20 μM for 24 hours, Y040-7904 promotes the expression of mitophagy-related proteins PINK1 and Parkin via the SIRT1-FoxO3a axis, enhancing mitophagy in both HT22 and N2a/APPswe cells. Additionally, Y040-7904 increases mitochondrial biogenesis in HT22 cells by upregulating MFN2, TIM23, and TOM20 proteins and reduces APP and Aβ1-42 accumulation in N2a/APPswe cells. It also raises levels of Parkin, PINK1, and LC3II/I in N2a/APPswe cells when administered at 5-20 μM over 24 hours.

Y040-7904, at concentrations of 500-1000 μM over 96 hours, shows therapeutic potential in alleviating Alzheimer's disease in CL4176 and CL2006 nematodes.