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Sharma R, Sharma A, Kambhampati SP, Reddy RR, Zhang Z, Cleland JL, Kannan S, Kannan RM. Scalable synthesis and validation of PAMAM dendrimer- N-acetyl cysteine conjugate for potential translation. Bioeng Transl Med 2018; 3:87-101. [PMID: 30065965 PMCID: PMC6063872 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrimer-N-acetyl cysteine (D-NAC) conjugate has shown significant promise in multiple preclinical models of brain injury and is undergoing clinical translation. D-NAC is a generation-4 hydroxyl-polyamidoamine dendrimer conjugate where N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is covalently bound through disulfide linkages on the surface of the dendrimer. It has shown remarkable potential to selectively target and deliver NAC to activated microglia and astrocytes at the site of brain injury in several animal models, producing remarkable improvements in neurological outcomes at a fraction of the free drug dose. Here we present a highly efficient, scalable, greener, well-defined route to the synthesis of D-NAC, and validate the structure, stability and activity to define the benchmarks for this compound. This newly developed synthetic route has significantly reduced the synthesis time from three weeks to one week, uses industry-friendly solvents/reagents, and involves simple purification procedures, potentially enabling efficient scale up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishi Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
| | - Anjali Sharma
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
| | - Siva P. Kambhampati
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
| | - Rajsekar Rami Reddy
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
| | | | - Sujatha Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
- Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc.BaltimoreMD21205
- Kennedy Krieger Institute – Johns Hopkins University for Cerebral Palsy Research ExcellenceBaltimoreMD21287
| | - Rangaramanujam M. Kannan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of OphthalmologyWilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMD21287
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc.BaltimoreMD21205
- Kennedy Krieger Institute – Johns Hopkins University for Cerebral Palsy Research ExcellenceBaltimoreMD21287
- Dept.of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMD21218
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Hester MS, Tulina N, Brown A, Barila G, Elovitz MA. Intrauterine inflammation reduces postnatal neurogenesis in the hippocampal subgranular zone and leads to accumulation of hilar ectopic granule cells. Brain Res 2018; 1685:51-59. [PMID: 29448014 PMCID: PMC5880291 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal inflammation is associated with poor neurobehavioral outcomes in exposed offspring. A common route of exposure for the fetus is intrauterine infection, which is often associated with preterm birth. Hippocampal development may be particularly vulnerable to an inflammatory insult during pregnancy as this region remains highly neurogenic both prenatally and postnatally. These studies sought to determine if intrauterine inflammation specifically altered hippocampal neurogenesis and migration of newly produced granule neurons during the early postnatal period. Microglial and astroglial cell populations known to play a role in the regulation of postnatal neurogenesis were also examined. We show that intrauterine inflammation significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis between postnatal days 7 (P7) and P14 as well as decreased granule cell density at P28. Ectopic migration of granule cells was observed in LPS-exposed mice at P14, but not at P28. Intrauterine inflammation had no effect on hippocampal astrocyte or microglia density or on apoptosis rate at the postnatal time points examined. Thus, exposure to intrauterine inflammation disrupts early postnatal neurogenesis and leads to aberrant migration of newly born granule cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Hester
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Natalia Tulina
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Amy Brown
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Guillermo Barila
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michal A Elovitz
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Su X, Yuan H, Cui H, Zhu H, Yun X, Tang W, Chen J, Luan Z. Effect of T helper cell 1/T helper cell 2 balance and nuclear factor-κB on white matter injury in premature neonates. Mol Med Rep 2018; 17:5552-5556. [PMID: 29393452 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.8511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Incidence of white matter injury (WMI), which is featured as softening of white matter tissues, has recently increased. Previous studies have demonstrated a close correlation between T helper cell 1 and T helper cell 2 (Th1/Th2) imbalance and nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) with brain disease. Their role in premature WMI, however, remains to be illustrated. Serum samples were collected from 60 premature WMI neonates, plus another control group of 60 premature babies without WMI. Patients were further divided into mild, moderate and severe WMI groups. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to test mRNA expression levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines, including interleukin 2 (IL)‑2, tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α), IL‑4, IL‑10 and nuclear factor (NF)‑κB, whilst their serum levels were measured by ELISA. Their correlation with disease occurrence and progression were further analysed, to illustrate the effect of Th1/Th2 balance and NF‑κB on pathology of premature WMI. Serum levels of IL‑4 and IL‑10 were significantly decreased in premature WMI babies, whilst IL‑2, TNF‑α and NF‑κB were upregulated (P<0.05 vs. control group). With aggravated disease, IL‑4 and IL‑10 expression was further decreased while IL‑2, TNF‑α and NF‑κB were increased (P<0.05 vs. mild WMI group). Th1 cytokines IL‑2 and TNF‑α and NF‑κB were negatively correlated with Th2 cytokines IL‑4 and IL‑10. Disease severity was positively correlated with IL‑2, TNF‑α and NF‑κB expression, and was negatively correlated with IL‑4 and IL‑10 (P<0.05). Th1/Th2 imbalance and NF‑κB upregulation were observed in WMI pathogenesis, with elevated secretion of Th1 cytokines and decreased Th2 cytokines, suggesting that Th1/Th2 imbalance and NF‑κB upregulation may be a potential indicator for the early diagnosis and treatment of WMI pathogenesis and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewen Su
- Department of Paediatrics, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010017, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Yuan
- Department of Paediatrics, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010017, P.R. China
| | - Hongwei Cui
- Department of Paediatrics, Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010010, P.R. China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Paediatrics, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010017, P.R. China
| | - Xia Yun
- Department of Paediatrics, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010017, P.R. China
| | - Wenyan Tang
- Department of Paediatrics, Affiliated Navy General Hospital of Southern Medical University, Haidian, Beijing 100048, P.R. China
| | - Junlong Chen
- Department of Paediatrics, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Huhehot, Inner Mongolia 010017, P.R. China
| | - Zu Luan
- Department of Paediatrics, An Hui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, Anhui 230001, P.R. China
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54
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Microglia and Neonatal Brain Injury. Neuroscience 2018; 405:68-76. [PMID: 29352997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Microglial cells are now recognized as the "gate-keepers" of healthy brain microenvironment with their disrupted functions adversely affecting neurovascular integrity, neuronal homeostasis, and network connectivity. The perception that these cells are purely toxic under neurodegenerative conditions has been challenged by a continuously increasing understanding of their complexity, the existence of a broad array of microglial phenotypes, and their ability to rapidly change in a context-dependent manner to attenuate or exacerbate injuries of different nature. Recent studies have demonstrated that microglial cells exert crucial physiological functions during embryonic and postnatal brain development, some of these functions being unique to particular stages of development, and extending far beyond sensing dangerous signals and serving as antigen presenting cells. In this focused review we cover the roles of microglial cells in regulating embryonic vasculogenesis, neurogenesis, and establishing network connectivity during postnatal brain development. We further discuss context-dependent microglial contribution to neonatal brain injuries associated with prenatal and postnatal infection and inflammation, in relation to neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as perinatal hypoxia-ischemia and arterial focal stroke. We also emphasize microglial phenotypic diversity, notably at the ultrastructural level, and their sex-dependent influence on the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Date AA, Rais R, Babu T, Ortiz J, Kanvinde P, Thomas AG, Zimmermann SC, Gadiano AJ, Halpert G, Slusher BS, Ensign LM. Local enema treatment to inhibit FOLH1/GCPII as a novel therapy for inflammatory bowel disease. J Control Release 2017; 263:132-138. [PMID: 28159515 PMCID: PMC5661937 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Here we evaluate the potential for local administration of a small molecule FOLH1/GCPII inhibitor 2-phosphonomethyl pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) as a novel treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We found that FOLH1/GCPII enzyme activity was increased in the colorectal tissues of mice with TNBS-induced colitis, and confirmed that 2-PMPA inhibited FOLH1/GCPII enzyme activity ex vivo. In order to maximize local enema delivery of 2-PMPA, we studied the effect of vehicle tonicity on the absorption of 2-PMPA in the colon. Local administration of 2-PMPA in a hypotonic enema vehicle resulted in increased colorectal tissue absorption at 30min compared to 2-PMPA administered in an isotonic enema vehicle. Furthermore, local delivery of 2-PMPA in hypotonic enema vehicle resulted in prolonged drug concentrations for at least 24h with minimal systemic exposure. Finally, daily treatment with the hypotonic 2-PMPA enema ameliorated macroscopic and microscopic symptoms of IBD in the TNBS-induced colitis mouse model, indicating the potential of FOLH1/GCPII inhibitors for the local treatment of IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit A Date
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Taarika Babu
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jairo Ortiz
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Pranjali Kanvinde
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sarah C Zimmermann
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alexandra J Gadiano
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gilad Halpert
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medicine, and Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Laura M Ensign
- The Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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56
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Williams M, Zhang Z, Nance E, Drewes JL, Lesniak WG, Singh S, Chugani DC, Rangaramanujam K, Graham DR, Kannan S. Maternal Inflammation Results in Altered Tryptophan Metabolism in Rabbit Placenta and Fetal Brain. Dev Neurosci 2017; 39:399-412. [PMID: 28490020 DOI: 10.1159/000471509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal inflammation has been linked to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders such as cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, and autism. We had previously shown that intrauterine inflammation resulted in a decrease in serotonin, one of the tryptophan metabolites, and a decrease in serotonin fibers in the sensory cortex of newborns in a rabbit model of cerebral palsy. In this study, we hypothesized that maternal inflammation results in alterations in tryptophan pathway enzymes and metabolites in the placenta and fetal brain. We found that intrauterine endotoxin administration at gestational day 28 (G28) resulted in a significant upregulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in both the placenta and fetal brain at G29 (24 h after treatment). This endotoxin-mediated IDO induction was also associated with intense microglial activation, an increase in interferon gamma expression, and increases in kynurenine and the kynurenine pathway metabolites kynurenine acid and quinolinic acid, as well as a significant decrease in 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (a precursor of serotonin) levels in the periventricular region of the fetal brain. These results indicate that maternal inflammation shunts tryptophan metabolism away from the serotonin to the kynurenine pathway, which may lead to excitotoxic injury along with impaired development of serotonin-mediated thalamocortical fibers in the newborn brain. These findings provide new targets for prevention and treatment of maternal inflammation-induced fetal and neonatal brain injury leading to neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University SOM, Baltimore, MD, USA
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57
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Rais R, Jiang W, Zhai H, Wozniak KM, Stathis M, Hollinger KR, Thomas AG, Rojas C, Vornov JJ, Marohn M, Li X, Slusher BS. FOLH1/GCPII is elevated in IBD patients, and its inhibition ameliorates murine IBD abnormalities. JCI Insight 2016; 1. [PMID: 27536732 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent gene-profiling analyses showed significant upregulation of the folate hydrolase (FOLH1) gene in the affected intestinal mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The FOLH1 gene encodes a type II transmembrane glycoprotein termed glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII). To establish that the previously reported increased gene expression was functional, we quantified the glutamate carboxypeptidase enzymatic activity in 31 surgical specimens and report a robust 2.8- to 41-fold increase in enzymatic activity in the affected intestinal mucosa of IBD patients compared with an uninvolved area in the same patients or intestinal mucosa from healthy controls. Using a human-to-mouse approach, we next showed a similar enzymatic increase in two well-validated IBD murine models and evaluated the therapeutic effect of the potent FOLH1/ GCPII inhibitor 2-phosphonomethyl pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) (IC50 = 300 pM). In the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis model, 2-PMPA inhibited the GCPII activity in the colonic mucosa by over 90% and substantially reduced the disease activity. The significance of the target was confirmed in FOLH1-/- mice who exhibited resistance to DSS treatment. In the murine IL-10-/- model of spontaneous colitis, daily 2-PMPA treatment also significantly reduced both macroscopic and microscopic disease severity. These results provide the first evidence of FOLH1/GCPII enzymatic inhibition as a therapeutic option for IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Rais
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Weiwei Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huihong Zhai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Kristen R Hollinger
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ajit G Thomas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Michael Marohn
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xuhang Li
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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