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Palma JA, Kaufmann H. Novel therapeutic approaches in multiple system atrophy. Clin Auton Res 2014; 25:37-45. [PMID: 24928797 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-014-0249-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic, adult onset, relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by autonomic abnormalities associated with parkinsonism, cerebellar dysfunction, pyramidal signs, or combinations thereof. Treatments that can halt or reverse the progression of MSA have not yet been identified. MSA is neuropathologically defined by the presence of α-synuclein-containing inclusions, particularly in the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes (glial cytoplasmic inclusions, GCIs), which are associated with neurodegeneration. The mechanisms by which oligodendrocytic α-synuclein inclusions cause neuronal death in MSA are not completely understood. The MSA neurodegenerative process likely comprises cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein in a prion-like manner, α-synuclein aggregation, increased oxidative stress, abnormal expression of tubulin proteins, decreased expression of neurotrophic factors, excitotoxicity and microglial activation, and neuroinflammation. In an attempt to block each of these pathogenic mechanisms, several pharmacologic approaches have been tried and shown to exert neuroprotective effects in transgenic mouse or cellular models of MSA. These include sertraline, paroxetine, and lithium, which hamper arrival of α-synuclein to oligodendroglia; rifampicin, lithium, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which inhibit α-synuclein aggregation in oligodendrocytes; riluzole, rasagiline, fluoxetine and mesenchymal stem cells, which exert neuroprotective actions; and minocycline and intravenous immunoglobulins, which reduce neuroinflammation and microglial activation. These and other potential therapeutic strategies for MSA are summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose-Alberto Palma
- Department of Neurology, Dysautonomia Center, New York University School of Medicine, 530 First Av, Suite 9Q, New York, NY, 10016, USA
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Asi YT, Ling H, Ahmed Z, Lees AJ, Revesz T, Holton JL. Neuropathological features of multiple system atrophy with cognitive impairment. Mov Disord 2014; 29:884-8. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.25887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 03/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Y. T. Asi
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
| | - Helen Ling
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
| | - Z. Ahmed
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
| | - A. J. Lees
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
| | - T. Revesz
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
| | - J. L. Holton
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Molecular Neuroscience; UCL Institute of Neurology; London UK
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Abstract
Common cellular and molecular mechanisms including protein aggregation and inclusion body formation are involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. α-Synuclein is a major component of Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as in glial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy (MSA). Tau is a principal component of neurofibrillary and glial tangles in tauopathies. Recently, TDP-43 was identified as a component of ubiquitinated inclusions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. PD is traditionally considered a movement disorder with hallmark lesions in the brainstem pigmented nuclei. However, pathological changes occur in widespread regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems in this disease. Furthermore, primary glial involvement ("gliodegeneration") can be observed in PD and MSA as well as in tauopathy. The present article reviews abnormal protein accumulation and inclusion body formation inside and outside the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Wakabayashi
- Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
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Smith BR, Santos MB, Marshall MS, Cantuti-Castelvetri L, Lopez-Rosas A, Li G, van Breemen R, Claycomb KI, Gallea JI, Celej SM, Crocker S, Givogri MI, Bongarzone ER. Neuronal inclusions of α-synuclein contribute to the pathogenesis of Krabbe disease. J Pathol 2014; 232:509-21. [PMID: 24415155 PMCID: PMC3977150 DOI: 10.1002/path.4328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Demyelination is a major contributor to the general decay of neural functions in children with Krabbe disease. However, recent reports have indicated a significant involvement of neurons and axons in the neuropathology of the disease. In this study, we have investigated the nature of cellular inclusions in the Krabbe brain. Brain samples from the twitcher mouse model for Krabbe disease and from patients affected with the infantile and late-onset forms of the disease were examined for the presence of neuronal inclusions. Our experiments demonstrated the presence of cytoplasmic aggregates of thioflavin-S-reactive material in both human and murine mutant brains. Most of these inclusions were associated with neurons. A few inclusions were detected to be associated with microglia and none were associated with astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. Thioflavin-S-reactive inclusions increased in abundance, paralleling the development of neurological symptoms, and distributed throughout the twitcher brain in areas of major involvement in cognition and motor functions. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of aggregates of stereotypic β-sheet folded proteinaceous material. Immunochemical analyses identified the presence of aggregated forms of α-synuclein and ubiquitin, proteins involved in the formation of Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. In vitro assays demonstrated that psychosine, the neurotoxic sphingolipid accumulated in Krabbe disease, accelerated the fibrillization of α-synuclein. This study demonstrates the occurrence of neuronal deposits of fibrillized proteins including α-synuclein, identifying Krabbe disease as a new α-synucleinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R. Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Marta B. Santos
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Michael S. Marshall
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Ludovico Cantuti-Castelvetri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Aurora Lopez-Rosas
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Guanan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Richard van Breemen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Kumiko I. Claycomb
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
| | - Jose I. Gallea
- Departamento de Quimica Biologica, CIQUIBIC, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Soledad M. Celej
- Departamento de Quimica Biologica, CIQUIBIC, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Stephen Crocker
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
| | - Maria I. Givogri
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
| | - Ernesto R. Bongarzone
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago Il 60612
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May VEL, Ettle B, Poehler AM, Nuber S, Ubhi K, Rockenstein E, Winner B, Wegner M, Masliah E, Winkler J. α-Synuclein impairs oligodendrocyte progenitor maturation in multiple system atrophy. Neurobiol Aging 2014; 35:2357-68. [PMID: 24698767 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA), an atypical parkinsonian disorder, is characterized by α-synuclein (α-syn(+)) cytoplasmatic inclusions in mature oligodendrocytes. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) represent a distinct cell population with the potential to replace dysfunctional oligodendrocytes. However, the role of OPCs in MSA and their potential to replace mature oligodendrocytes is still unclear. A postmortem analysis in MSA patients revealed α-syn within OPCs and an increased number of striatal OPCs. In an MSA mouse model, an age-dependent increase of dividing OPCs within the striatum and the cortex was detected. Despite of myelin loss, there was no reduction of mature oligodendrocytes in the corpus callosum or the striatum. Dissecting the underlying molecular mechanisms an oligodendroglial cell line expressing human α-syn revealed that α-syn delays OPC maturation by severely downregulating myelin-gene regulatory factor and myelin basic protein. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was reduced in MSA models and its in vitro supplementation partially restored the phenotype. Taken together, efficacious induction of OPC maturation may open the window to restore glial and neuronal function in MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena E L May
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Ettle
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anne-Maria Poehler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Silke Nuber
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kiren Ubhi
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Beate Winner
- Junior Research Group III, Interdisciplinary Centre of Clinical Research, Nikolaus Fiebiger Centre for Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Wegner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil-Fischer-Zentrum, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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56
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Ubhi K, Rockenstein E, Kragh C, Inglis C, Spencer B, Michael S, Mante M, Adame A, Galasko D, Masliah E. Widespread microRNA dysregulation in multiple system atrophy - disease-related alteration in miR-96. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1026-1041. [PMID: 24304186 PMCID: PMC4052839 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2013] [Revised: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short sequences of RNA that function as post-transcriptional regulators by binding to target mRNA transcripts resulting in translational repression. A number of recent studies have identified miRNA as being involved in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. However, the role of miRNA in multiple system atrophy (MSA), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by oligodendroglial accumulation of alpha-synuclein remains unexamined. In this context, this study examined miRNA profiles in MSA cases compared with controls and in transgenic (tg) models of MSA compared with non-tg mice. The results demonstrate a widespread dysregulation of miRNA in MSA cases, which is recapitulated in the murine models. The study employed a cross-disease, cross-species approach to identify miRNA that were either specifically dysregulated in MSA or were commonly dysregulated in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration or the tg mouse model equivalents of these disorders. Using this approach we identified a number of miRNA that were commonly dysregulated between disorders and those that were disease-specific. Moreover, we identified miR-96 as being up-regulated in MSA. Consistent with the up-regulation of miR-96, mRNA and protein levels of members of the solute carrier protein family SLC1A1 and SLC6A6, miR-96 target genes, were down-regulated in MSA cases and a tg model of MSA. These results suggest that miR-96 dysregulation may play a role in MSA and its target genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiren Ubhi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Christine Kragh
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Chandra Inglis
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Sarah Michael
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0624, USA
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Low PA, Robertson D, Gilman S, Kaufmann H, Singer W, Biaggioni I, Freeman R, Perlman S, Hauser RA, Cheshire W, Lessig S, Vernino S, Mandrekar J, Dupont WD, Chelimsky T, Galpern WR. Efficacy and safety of rifampicin for multiple system atrophy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13:268-75. [PMID: 24507091 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70301-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND No available treatments slow or halt progression of multiple system atrophy, which is a rare, progressive, fatal neurological disorder. In a mouse model of multiple system atrophy, rifampicin inhibited formation of α-synuclein fibrils, the neuropathological hallmark of the disease. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of rifampicin in patients with multiple system atrophy. METHODS In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we recruited participants aged 30-80 years with possible or probable multiple system atrophy from ten US medical centres. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) via computer-generated permuted block randomisation to rifampicin 300 mg twice daily or matching placebo (50 mg riboflavin capsules), stratified by subtype (parkinsonian vs cerebellar), with a block size of four. The primary outcome was rate of change (slope analysis) from baseline to 12 months in Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) I score, analysed in all participants with at least one post-baseline measurement. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01287221. FINDINGS Between April 22, 2011, and April 19, 2012, we randomly assigned 100 participants (50 to rifampicin and 50 to placebo). Four participants in the rifampicin group and five in the placebo group withdrew from study prematurely. Results of the preplanned interim analysis (n=15 in each group) of the primary endpoint showed that futility criteria had been met, and the trial was stopped (the mean rate of change [slope analysis] of UMSARS I score was 0.62 points [SD 0.85] per month in the rifampicin group vs 0.47 points [0.48] per month in the placebo group; futility p=0.032; efficacy p=0.76). At the time of study termination, 49 participants in the rifampicin group and 50 in the placebo group had follow-up data and were included in the final analysis. The primary endpoint was 0.5 points (SD 0.7) per month for rifampicin and 0.5 points (0.5) per month for placebo (difference 0.0, 95% CI -0.24 to 0.24; p=0.82). Three (6%) of 50 participants in the rifampicin group and 12 (24%) of 50 in the placebo group had one or more serious adverse events; none was thought to be related to treatment. INTERPRETATION Our results show that rifampicin does not slow or halt progression of multiple system atrophy. Despite the negative result, the trial does provide information that could be useful in the design of future studies assessing potential disease modifying therapies in patients with multiple system atrophy. FUNDING National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities, and Mayo Funds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sid Gilman
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Roy Freeman
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan Perlman
- University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Steven Vernino
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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58
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Kragh CL, Gysbers AM, Rockenstein E, Murphy K, Halliday GM, Masliah E, Jensen PH. Prodegenerative IκBα expression in oligodendroglial α-synuclein models of multiple system atrophy. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 63:171-83. [PMID: 24361600 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by parkinsonism, ataxia, autonomic dysfunction, and accumulation of α-synuclein in oligodendrocytes. To understand how α-synuclein aggregates impact oligodendroglial homeostasis, we investigated an oligodendroglial cell model of α-synuclein dependent degeneration and identified responses linked to the NF-κB transcription factor stress system. Coexpression of human α-synuclein and the oligodendroglial protein p25α increased the expression of IκBα mRNA and protein early during the degenerative process and this was dependent on both aggregation and Ser129 phosphorylation of α-synuclein. This response was prodegenerative because blocking IκBα expression by siRNA rescued the cells. IκBα is an inhibitor of NF-κB and acts by binding and retaining NF-κB p65 in the cytoplasm. The protection obtained by silencing IκBα was accompanied by a strong increase in nuclear p65 translocation indicating that NF-κB activation protects against α-synuclein aggregate stress. In the cellular model, two different phenotypes were observed; degenerating cells retracting their microtubules and resilient cells tolerating the coexpression of α-synuclein and p25α. The resilient cells displayed a significant higher nuclear translocation of p65 and activation of the NF-κB system relied on stress elicited by aggregated and Ser129 phosphorylated α-synuclein. To validate the relationship between oligodendroglial α-synuclein expression and IκBα, we analyzed two different lines of transgenic mice expressing human α-synuclein under the control of the oligodendrocytic MBP promotor (intermediate-expresser line 1 and high-expresser line 29). IκBα mRNA expression was increased in both lines and immunofluorescence microscopy and in situ hybridization revealed that IκBα mRNA and protein is expressed in oligodendrocytes. IκBα mRNA expression was demonstrated prior to activation of microglia and astrocytes in line 1. Human brain tissue affected by MSA displayed increased expression of IκBα and NF-κB p65 in some oligodendrocytes containing glial cytoplasmic inclusions. Our data suggest that oligodendroglial IκBα expression and NF-κB are activated early in the course of MSA and their balance contributes to the decision of cellular demise. Favoring oligodendroglial NF-κB activation may represent a therapeutic strategy for this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Kragh
- Department of Biomedicine & Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Amanda M Gysbers
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, USA
| | - Karen Murphy
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences and Pathology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, USA
| | - Poul Henning Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine & Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience-DANDRITE, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
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59
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Valera E, Ubhi K, Mante M, Rockenstein E, Masliah E. Antidepressants reduce neuroinflammatory responses and astroglial alpha-synuclein accumulation in a transgenic mouse model of multiple system atrophy. Glia 2013; 62:317-37. [PMID: 24310907 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the pathological accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) within oligodendroglial cells. This accumulation is accompanied by neuroinflammation with astrogliosis and microgliosis, that leads to neuronal death and subsequent parkinsonism and dysautonomia. Antidepressants have been explored as neuroprotective agents as they normalize neurotrophic factor levels, increase neurogenesis and reduce neurodegeneration, but their anti-inflammatory properties have not been fully characterized. We analyzed the anti-inflammatory profiles of three different antidepressants (fluoxetine, olanzapine and amitriptyline) in the MBP1-hα-syn transgenic (tg) mouse model of MSA. We observed that antidepressant treatment decreased the number of α-syn-positive cells in the basal ganglia of 11-month-old tg animals. This reduction was accompanied with a similar decrease in the colocalization of α-syn with astrocyte markers in this brain structure. Consistent with these results, antidepressants reduced astrogliosis in the hippocampus and basal ganglia of the MBP1-hα-syn tg mice, and modulated the expression levels of key cytokines that were dysregulated in the tg mouse model, such as IL-1β. In vitro experiments in the astroglial cell line C6 confirmed that antidepressants inhibited NF-κB translocation to the nucleus and reduced IL-1β protein levels. We conclude that the anti-inflammatory properties of antidepressants in the MBP1-hα-syn tg mouse model of MSA might be related to their ability to inhibit α-syn propagation from oligodendrocytes to astroglia and to regulate transcription factors involved in cytokine expression. Our results suggest that antidepressants might be of interest as anti-inflammatory and α-syn-reducing agents for MSA and other α-synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Valera
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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60
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Hasegawa T, Kikuchi A, Takeda A. Pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ncn3.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Hasegawa
- Division of Neurology; Department of Neuroscience & Sensory Organs; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine; Sendai Miyagi Japan
| | - Akio Kikuchi
- Division of Neurology; Department of Neuroscience & Sensory Organs; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine; Sendai Miyagi Japan
| | - Atsushi Takeda
- Division of Neurology; Department of Neuroscience & Sensory Organs; Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine; Sendai Miyagi Japan
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61
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Chen S, Tan HY, Wu ZH, Sun CP, He JX, Li XC, Shao M. Imaging of olfactory bulb and gray matter volumes in brain areas associated with olfactory function in patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. Eur J Radiol 2013; 83:564-70. [PMID: 24360232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2013.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED We explored if magnetic resonance imaging sequences might aid in the clinical differential diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). We measured the volumes of the olfactory bulb, the olfactory tract, and olfaction-associated cortical gray matter in 20 IPD patients, 14 MSA patients, and 12 normal subjects, using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging sequences in combination with voxel-based statistical analysis. We found that, compared to normal subjects and MSA patients, the volumes of the olfactory bulb and tract were significantly reduced in IPD patients. The gray matter volume of IPD patients decreased in the following order: the olfactory area to the right of the piriform cortex, the right amygdala, the left entorhinal cortex, and the left occipital lobe. Further, the total olfactory bulb volume of IPD patients was associated with the duration of disease. The entorhinal cortical gray matter volume was negatively associated with the UPDRS III score. CONCLUSION Structural volumes measured by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging may potentially be used for differential diagnosis of IPD from MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Hong-yu Tan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Zhuo-hua Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Chong-peng Sun
- Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Jian-xun He
- Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Xin-chun Li
- Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
| | - Ming Shao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, China.
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Pukass K, Richter-Landsberg C. Oxidative stress promotes uptake, accumulation, and oligomerization of extracellular α-synuclein in oligodendrocytes. J Mol Neurosci 2013; 52:339-52. [PMID: 24217795 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-013-0154-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in glial cytoplasmic inclusions originating in oligodendrocytes is a characteristic hallmark of multiple system atrophy, a progressive adult onset neurodegenerative disorder. The origin of α-Syn deposition in oligodendrocytes in multiple system atrophy is still unclear, but the uptake of α-Syn from the environment after neuronal secretion has been discussed. The present study was undertaken to investigate the consequences of α-Syn uptake from the environment in cultured oligodendroglial cells and its localization and potential to form intracellular aggregates in the absence or presence of the microtubule-associated protein tau, which has been demonstrated to act synergistically with α-Syn. Primary rat brain oligodendrocytes and clonal oligodendroglial OLN-93 cells were incubated with human recombinant soluble and pre-aggregated α-Syn. The data show that oligodendrocytes are capable to take up and internalize soluble and pre-aggregated α-Syn from their growth medium. In a time-dependent manner, α-Syn oligomerizes and small intracellular aggregates are formed. These do not exert cytotoxic responses or mitochondrial impairment. Oxidative stress exerted by hydrogen peroxide further promotes α-Syn oligomer formation and leads to an enlargement of the aggregates. This process is not affected or modified by the presence of tau in OLN-93 cells. Furthermore, membrane lipid modification by docosahexaenoic acid promotes α-Syn uptake and oligomerization, indicating that changing the membrane lipid composition and structure contributes to the protein aggregation process and pathological events. Hence, although α-Syn taken up by oligodendrocytes from the environment is not toxic per se, under conditions of oxidative stress, which might occur during chronic disease progression and aging, aggregates are enlarged and eventually may contribute to cytotoxicity and cellular death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Pukass
- Department of Biology, Molecular Neurobiology, University of Oldenburg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany
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63
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Chapados C, Petrides M. Impairment only on the fluency subtest of the Frontal Assessment Battery after prefrontal lesions. Brain 2013; 136:2966-78. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
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Meijer FJA, Bloem BR, Mahlknecht P, Seppi K, Goraj B. Update on diffusion MRI in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism. J Neurol Sci 2013; 332:21-9. [PMID: 23866820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2013.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Differentiating Parkinson's disease (PD) from other types of neurodegenerative atypical parkinsonism (AP) can be challenging, especially in early disease stages. Routine brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can show atrophy or signal changes in several parts of the brain with fairly high specificity for particular forms of AP, but the overall diagnostic value of routine brain MRI is limited. In recent years, various advanced MRI sequences have become available, including diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Here, we review available literature on the value of diffusion MRI for identifying and quantifying different patterns of neurodegeneration in PD and AP, in relation to what is known of underlying histopathologic changes and clinical presentation of these diseases. Next, we evaluate the value of diffusion MRI to differentiate between PD and AP and the potential value of serial diffusion MRI to monitor disease progression. We conclude that diffusion MRI may quantify patterns of neurodegeneration which could be of additional value in clinical use. Future prospective clinical cohort studies are warranted to assess the added diagnostic value of diffusion MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick J A Meijer
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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65
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Abstract
α-Synuclein (AS)-positive inclusions are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), all belonging to the category of α-synucleinopathies. α-Synucleinopathies represent progressive neurodegenerative disorders characterised by increasing incidences in the population over the age of 65. The relevance of glial reactivity and dysfunction in α-synucleinopathies is highlighted by numerous experimental evidences. Glial AS inclusion pathology is prominent in oligodendroglia of MSA (glial cytoplasmic inclusions) and is a common finding in astroglial cells of PD and DLB, resulting in specific dysfunctional responses. Involvement of AS-dependent astroglial and microglial activation in neurodegenerative mechanisms, and therefore in disease initiation and progression, has been suggested. The aim of this review is to summarise and discuss the multifaceted responses of glial cells in α-synucleinopathies. The beneficial, as well as detrimental, effects of glial cells on neuronal viability are taken into consideration to draw an integrated picture of glial roles in α-synucleinopathies. Furthermore, an overview on therapeutic approaches outlines the difficulties of translating promising experimental studies into successful clinical trials targeting candidate glial pathomechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Fellner
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nadia Stefanova
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Valera E, Masliah E. Immunotherapy for neurodegenerative diseases: focus on α-synucleinopathies. Pharmacol Ther 2013; 138:311-22. [PMID: 23384597 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is currently being intensively explored as much-needed disease-modifying treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. While Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been the focus of numerous immunotherapeutic studies, less attention has been paid to Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The reason for this difference is that the amyloid beta (Aβ) protein in AD is a secreted molecule that circulates in the blood and is readably recognized by antibodies. In contrast, α-synuclein (α-syn), tau, huntingtin and other proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases have been considered to be exclusively of intracellular nature. However, the recent discovery that toxic oligomeric versions of α-syn and tau accumulate in the membrane and can be excreted to the extracellular environment has provided a rationale for the development of immunotherapeutic approaches for PD, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal accumulation of these proteins. Active immunization, passive immunization, and T cell-mediated cellular immunotherapeutic approaches have been developed targeting Aβ, α-syn and tau. Most advanced studies, including results from phase III clinical trials for passive immunization in AD, have been recently reported. Results suggest that immunotherapy might be a promising therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases that progress with the accumulation and propagation of toxic protein aggregates. In this manuscript we provide an overview on immunotherapeutic advances for neurodegenerative disorders, with special emphasis on α-synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Valera
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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67
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Kragh CL, Fillon G, Gysbers A, Hansen HD, Neumann M, Richter-Landsberg C, Haass C, Zalc B, Lubetzki C, Gai WP, Halliday GM, Kahle PJ, Jensen PH. FAS-dependent cell death in α-synuclein transgenic oligodendrocyte models of multiple system atrophy. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55243. [PMID: 23372841 PMCID: PMC3555893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy is a parkinsonian neurodegenerative disorder. It is cytopathologically characterized by accumulation of the protein p25α in cell bodies of oligodendrocytes followed by accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein in so-called glial cytoplasmic inclusions. p25α is a stimulator of α-synuclein aggregation, and coexpression of α-synuclein and p25α in the oligodendroglial OLN-t40-AS cell line causes α-synuclein aggregate-dependent toxicity. In this study, we investigated whether the FAS system is involved in α-synuclein aggregate dependent degeneration in oligodendrocytes and may play a role in multiple system atrophy. Using rat oligodendroglial OLN-t40-AS cells we demonstrate that the cytotoxicity caused by coexpressing α-synuclein and p25α relies on stimulation of the death domain receptor FAS and caspase-8 activation. Using primary oligodendrocytes derived from PLP-α-synuclein transgenic mice we demonstrate that they exist in a sensitized state expressing pro-apoptotic FAS receptor, which makes them sensitive to FAS ligand-mediated apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis shows an increase in FAS in brain extracts from multiple system atrophy cases. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced FAS expression in multiple system atrophy brains notably in oligodendrocytes harboring the earliest stages of glial cytoplasmic inclusion formation. Oligodendroglial FAS expression is an early hallmark of oligodendroglial pathology in multiple system atrophy that mechanistically may be coupled to α-synuclein dependent degeneration and thus represent a potential target for protective intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gwenaëlle Fillon
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Amanda Gysbers
- Neuroscience Research Australia and University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hanne D. Hansen
- Laboratory of Functional Neurogenetics, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Manuela Neumann
- Institute for Neuropathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian Haass
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernard Zalc
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Lubetzki
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Wei-Ping Gai
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University School of Medicine, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Glenda M. Halliday
- Neuroscience Research Australia and University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Philipp J. Kahle
- Laboratory of Functional Neurogenetics, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (PHJ); (PJK)
| | - Poul H. Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- * E-mail: (PHJ); (PJK)
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Lu CF, Soong BW, Wu HM, Teng S, Wang PS, Wu YT. Disrupted cerebellar connectivity reduces whole-brain network efficiency in multiple system atrophy. Mov Disord 2013; 28:362-9. [PMID: 23325625 DOI: 10.1002/mds.25314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type is a sporadic neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. We hypothesized that the white matter degeneration of the cerebellum and pons in this disease may cause a breakdown of cerebellar structural networks and further reduce the network efficiency of cerebellar-connected cerebral regions. Diffusion tensor tractography was used to construct the structural networks of 19 cerebellar-type multiple system atrophy patients, who were compared with 19 age- and sex-matched controls. Graph theory was used to assess the small-world properties and topological organization of structure networks in both the control and patient groups. Our results showed that the cerebellar-type multiple system atrophy patients exhibited altered small-world architecture with significantly increased characteristic shortest path lengths and decreased clustering coefficients. We also found that white matter degeneration in the cerebellum was characterized by reductions in network strength (number and integrity of fiber connections) of the cerebellar regions, which further induced extensively decreased network efficiency for numerous cerebral regions. Finally, we found that the reductions in nodal efficiency of the cerebellar lobules and bilateral sensorimotor, prefrontal, and basal ganglia regions negatively correlated with the severity of ataxia for the cerebellar-type multiple system atrophy patients. This study demonstrates for the first time that the brains of cerebellar-type multiple system atrophy patients exhibit disrupted topological organization of white matter structural networks. Thus, this study provides structural evidence of the relationship between abnormalities of white matter integrity and network efficiency that occurs in cerebellar-type multiple system atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Feng Lu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
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Nair SR, Tan LK, Mohd Ramli N, Lim SY, Rahmat K, Mohd Nor H. A decision tree for differentiating multiple system atrophy from Parkinson's disease using 3-T MR imaging. Eur Radiol 2013; 23:1459-66. [PMID: 23300042 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-012-2759-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2012] [Revised: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop a decision tree based on standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging to differentiate multiple system atrophy (MSA) from Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS 3-T brain MRI and DTI (diffusion tensor imaging) were performed on 26 PD and 13 MSA patients. Regions of interest (ROIs) were the putamen, substantia nigra, pons, middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP) and cerebellum. Linear, volumetry and DTI (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) were measured. A three-node decision tree was formulated, with design goals being 100 % specificity at node 1, 100 % sensitivity at node 2 and highest combined sensitivity and specificity at node 3. RESULTS Nine parameters (mean width, fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of MCP; anteroposterior diameter of pons; cerebellar FA and volume; pons and mean putamen volume; mean FA substantia nigra compacta-rostral) showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) differences between MSA and PD with mean MCP width, anteroposterior diameter of pons and mean FA MCP chosen for the decision tree. Threshold values were 14.6 mm, 21.8 mm and 0.55, respectively. Overall performance of the decision tree was 92 % sensitivity, 96 % specificity, 92 % PPV and 96 % NPV. Twelve out of 13 MSA patients were accurately classified. CONCLUSION Formation of the decision tree using these parameters was both descriptive and predictive in differentiating between MSA and PD. KEY POINTS • Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy can be distinguished on MR imaging. • Combined conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging improves the accuracy of diagnosis. • A decision tree is descriptive and predictive in differentiating between clinical entities. • A decision tree can reliably differentiate Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Rajandran Nair
- Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya Research Imaging Centre, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Verina T, Schneider JS, Guilarte TR. Manganese exposure induces α-synuclein aggregation in the frontal cortex of non-human primates. Toxicol Lett 2012; 217:177-83. [PMID: 23262390 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the brain is a defining pathological feature of neurodegenerative disorders classified as synucleinopathies. They include Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Occupational and environmental exposure to manganese (Mn) is associated with a neurological syndrome consisting of psychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment and parkinsonism. In this study, we examined α-syn immunoreactivity in the frontal cortex of Cynomolgus macaques as part of a multidisciplinary assessment of the neurological effects produced by exposure to moderate levels of Mn. We found increased α-syn-positive cells in the gray matter of Mn-exposed animals, typically observed in pyramidal and medium-sized neurons in deep cortical layers. Some of these neurons displayed loss of Nissl staining with α-syn-positive spherical aggregates. In the white matter we also observed α-syn-positive glial cells and in some cases α-syn-positive neurites. These findings suggest that Mn exposure promotes α-syn aggregation in neuronal and glial cells that may ultimately lead to degeneration in the frontal cortex gray and white matter. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Mn-induced neuronal and glial cell α-syn accumulation and aggregation in the frontal cortex of non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Verina
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Novak P, Williams A, Ravin P, Zurkiya O, Abduljalil A, Novak V. Treatment of multiple system atrophy using intravenous immunoglobulin. BMC Neurol 2012; 12:131. [PMID: 23116538 PMCID: PMC3551813 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-12-131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology, manifesting as combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar syndrome and dysautonomia. Disease-modifying therapies are unavailable. Activation of microglia and production of toxic cytokines suggest a role of neuroinflammation in MSA pathogenesis. This pilot clinical trial evaluated safety and tolerability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in MSA. Methods This was a single-arm interventional, single-center, open-label pilot study. Interventions included monthly infusions of the IVIG preparation Privigen®, dose 0.4 gram/kg, for 6 months. Primary outcome measures evaluated safety and secondary outcome measures evaluated preliminary efficacy of IVIG. Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS) was measured monthly. Quantitative brain imaging using 3T MRI was performed before and after treatment. Results Nine subjects were enrolled, and seven (2 women and 5 men, age range 55–64 years) completed the protocol. There were no serious adverse events. Systolic blood pressure increased during IVIG infusions (p<0.05). Two participants dropped out from the study because of a non-threatening skin rash. The UMSARS-I (activities of daily living) and USMARS-II (motor functions) improved significantly post-treatment. UMSARS-I improved in all subjects (pre-treatment 23.9 ± 6.0 vs. post-treatment 19.0±5.9 (p=0.01). UMSARS-II improved in 5 subjects, was unchanged in 1 and worsened in 1 (pre-treatment 26.1±7.5 vs. post-treatment 23.3±7.3 (p=0.025). The MR imaging results were not different comparing pre- to post-treatment. Conclusions Treatment with IVIG appears to be safe, feasible and well tolerated and may improve functionality in MSA. A larger, placebo-controlled study is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Novak
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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Low PA, Gilman S. Are trials of intravascular infusions of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in patients with multiple system atrophy currently justified, and are they effective? Ann Neurol 2012; 72:4-5. [PMID: 22829263 DOI: 10.1002/ana.23655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Neuronal to oligodendroglial α-synuclein redistribution in a double transgenic model of multiple system atrophy. Neuroreport 2012; 23:259-64. [PMID: 22314685 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0b013e3283509842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy is a sporadic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by an oligodendroglial accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). The mechanisms underlying the oligodendroglial accumulation of α-syn in the brains of patients with multiple system atrophy have attracted a great deal of interest, given the primarily neuronal role reported for this protein. We examined the interactions between neuronal and oligodendroglial α-syn in the progeny of crosses between parental transgenic (tg) mouse lines that express α-syn either under the oligodendroglial-specific myelin-basic protein promoter (MBP1-hα-syn tg) or under the neuronal platelet-derived growth factor promoter (PDGF-hα-syn tg). Our results demonstrate that progeny from the cross [hα-syn double (dbl) tg mice] displayed a robust redistribution of α-syn accumulation, with a relocalization from a neuronal or a mixed neuronal/oligodendroglial α-syn expression to a more oligodendroglial pattern in both the neocortex and the basal ganglia that closely resembled the parental MBP-hα-syn tg line. The hα-syn dbl tg mice also displayed motor deficits, concomitant with reduced levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and augmented neuropathological alterations in the basal ganglia. These results suggest that the central nervous system milieu in the hα-syn dbl tg mice favors an oligodendroglial accumulation of α-syn. This model represents an important tool to examine the interactions between neuronal and oligodendrocytic α-syn in diseases such as multiple system atrophy.
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Abstract
Dementias are a varied group of disorders typically associated with memory loss, impaired judgment and/or language and by symptoms affecting other cognitive and social abilities to a degree that interferes with daily functioning. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of a progressive dementia, followed by dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), (VaD) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The pathogenesis of this group of disorders has been linked to the abnormal accumulation of proteins in the brains of affected individuals, which in turn has been related to deficits in protein clearance. Autophagy is a key cellular protein clearance pathway with proteolytic cleavage and degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway representing another important clearance mechanism. Alterations in the levels of autophagy and the proteins associated with the autophagocytic pathway have been reported in various types of dementias. This review will examine recent literature across these disorders and highlight a common theme of altered autophagy across the spectrum of the dementias.
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Ahmed Z, Asi YT, Sailer A, Lees AJ, Houlden H, Revesz T, Holton JL. The neuropathology, pathophysiology and genetics of multiple system atrophy. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2012; 38:4-24. [PMID: 22074330 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2011.01234.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is an unrelenting, sporadic, adult-onset, neurodegenerative disease of unknown aetiology. Its clinically progressive course is characterized by a variable combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia and/or autonomic dysfunction. Neuropathological examination often reveals gross abnormalities of the striatonigral and/or olivopontocerebellar systems, which upon microscopic examination are associated with severe neuronal loss, gliosis, myelin pallor and axonal degeneration. MSA is a member of a diverse group of neurodegenerative disorders termed α-synucleinopathies, due to the presence of abnormal α-synuclein positive cytoplasmic inclusions in oligodendrocytes, termed glial cytoplasmic inclusions. These are the hallmark neuropathological lesion of MSA and are thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this review, neuropathological features of MSA are described in detail, along with recent advances in the pathophysiology and genetics of the disease. Our current knowledge of the expression and accumulation of α-synuclein, and efforts to model the disease in vitro and in vivo, are emphasized in this paper and have helped formulate a working hypothesis for the pathogenesis of MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Ahmed
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
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Ubhi K, Inglis C, Mante M, Patrick C, Adame A, Spencer B, Rockenstein E, May V, Winkler J, Masliah E. Fluoxetine ameliorates behavioral and neuropathological deficits in a transgenic model mouse of α-synucleinopathy. Exp Neurol 2012; 234:405-16. [PMID: 22281106 PMCID: PMC3897235 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2011] [Revised: 12/18/2011] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The term α-synucleinopathies refers to a group of age-related neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) that display an abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). In contrast to the neuronal α-syn accumulation observed in PD and DLB, MSA is characterized by a widespread oligodendrocytic α-syn accumulation. Transgenic mice expressing human α-syn under the oligodendrocyte-specific myelin basic protein promoter (MBP1-hαsyn tg mice) model many of the behavioral and neuropathological alterations observed in MSA. Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has been shown to be protective in toxin-induced models of PD, however its effects in an in vivo transgenic model of α-synucleinopathy remain unclear. In this context, this study examined the effect of fluoxetine in the MBP1-hαsyn tg mice, a model of MSA. Fluoxetine administration ameliorated motor deficits in the MBP1-hαsyn tg mice, with a concomitant decrease in neurodegenerative pathology in the basal ganglia, neocortex and hippocampus. Fluoxetine administration also increased levels of the neurotrophic factors, GDNF (glial-derived neurotrophic factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in the MBP1-hαsyn tg mice compared to vehicle-treated tg mice. This fluoxetine-induced increase in GDNF and BDNF protein levels was accompanied by activation of the ERK signaling pathway. The effects of fluoxetine administration on myelin and serotonin markers were also examined. Collectively these results indicate that fluoxetine may represent a novel therapeutic intervention for MSA and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiren Ubhi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Chandra Inglis
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christina Patrick
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Verena May
- Division of Molecular Neurology, University of Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juergen Winkler
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
- Division of Molecular Neurology, University of Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Brain monoamine systems in multiple system atrophy: a positron emission tomography study. Neurobiol Dis 2012; 46:130-6. [PMID: 22266105 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2011.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 12/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem studies of multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients have shown widespread subcortical neurodegeneration. In this study, we have used 18F-dopa PET, a marker of monoaminergic nerve terminal function, to explore in vivo changes in striatal and extrastriatal dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin transmission for a cohort of patients with MSA with predominant parkinsonism. Fourteen patients with MSA, ten patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) matched for disease duration, and ten healthy controls were studied with 18F-dopa PET. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed to sample 18F-dopa uptake in thirteen structures and mean activity was compared between groups. The MSA patients showed significantly decreased 18F-dopa uptake in putamen, caudate nucleus, ventral striatum, globus pallidus externa and red nucleus compared to controls, whereas PD patients only had decreased 18F-dopa uptake in putamen, caudate nucleus, and ventral striatum. MSA cases with orthostatic hypotension had lower 18F-dopa uptake in the locus coeruleus than patients without this symptom. In conclusion, 18F-dopa PET showed more widespread basal ganglia dysfunction in MSA than in PD with similar disease duration, and extrastriatal loss of monoaminergic innervation could be detected in the red nucleus and locus coeruleus. In contrast to PD, there was no evidence of early compensatory increases in regional 18F-dopa uptake.
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Vivacqua G, Casini A, Vaccaro R, Salvi EP, Pasquali L, Fornai F, Yu S, D’Este L. Spinal cord and parkinsonism: Neuromorphological evidences in humans and experimental studies. J Chem Neuroanat 2011; 42:327-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2011.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Revised: 02/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Rodriguez-Diehl R, Rey MJ, Gironell A, Martinez-Saez E, Ferrer I, Sánchez-Valle R, Jagüe J, Nos C, Gelpi E. "Preclinical" MSA in definite Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neuropathology 2011; 32:158-63. [PMID: 21692862 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01232.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic alpha-synucleinopathy clinically characterized by variable degrees of parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia and autonomic dysfunction. The histopathological hallmark of MSA is glial cytoplasmic inclusion (GCI). It is considered to represent the earliest stage of the degenerative process in MSA and to precede neuronal degeneration. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a fatal, rapidly progressive dementia generally associated with ataxia, pyramidal and extrapyramidal symptoms and myoclonus. Definite diagnosis needs neuropathological demonstration of variable degrees of spongiform degeneration of neuropil, neuronal loss, astro- and microgliosis, and the presence of abnormal deposits of the misfolded prion protein PrP(res) . Both diseases, CJD and MSA are infrequent among neurodegenerative diseases. In the present report we describe clinical and neuropathological findings of a previously healthy 64-year-old woman who developed symptoms of classical CJD. At post mortem examination, the brain showed in addition to classical methionine/methionine PrP(res) type 1 (MM1) sCJD changes and moderate Alzheimer-type pathology, features of "preclinical" MSA with minimal histopathological changes. These were characterized by discrete amounts of alpha-synuclein immunoreacive glial cytoplasmic inclusions in the striato-nigral system, isolated intraneuronal inclusions in pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra, as well as some vermiform intranuclear inclusions. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the coexistence of definite sCJD and "minimal changes" MSA in the same patient.
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Glial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of α-synucleinopathies: emerging concepts. Acta Neuropathol 2011; 121:675-93. [PMID: 21562886 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-011-0833-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Revised: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are adult onset neurodegenerative disorders characterised by prominent intracellular α-synuclein aggregates (α-synucleinopathies). The glial contribution to neurodegeneration in α-synucleinopathies was largely underestimated until recently. However, brains of PD and DLB patients exhibit not only neuronal inclusions such as Lewy bodies or Lewy neurites but also glial α-synuclein aggregates. Accumulating experimental evidence in PD models suggests that astrogliosis and microgliosis act as important mediators of neurodegeneration playing a pivotal role in both disease initiation and progression. In MSA, oligodendrocytes are intriguingly affected by aberrant cytoplasmic accumulation of α-synuclein (glial cytoplasmic inclusions, Papp-Lantos bodies). Converging evidence from human postmortem studies and transgenic MSA models suggests that oligodendroglial dysfunction both triggers and exacerbates neuronal degeneration. This review summarises the wide range of responsibilities of astroglia, microglia and oligodendroglia in the healthy brain and the changes in glial function associated with ageing. We then provide a critical analysis of the role of glia in α-synucleinopathies including putative mechanisms promoting a chronically diseased glial microenvironment which can lead to detrimental neuronal changes, including cell loss. Finally, major therapeutic strategies targeting glial pathology in α-synucleinopathies as well as current pitfalls for disease-modification in clinical trials are discussed.
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81
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Ziemssen T, Fuchs G, Greulich W, Reichmann H, Schwarz M, Herting B. Treatment of dysautonomia in extrapyramidal disorders. J Neurol 2011; 258:S339-45. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-011-5946-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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82
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Miki Y, Mori F, Tanji K, Kakita A, Takahashi H, Wakabayashi K. Accumulation of histone deacetylase 6, an aggresome-related protein, is specific to Lewy bodies and glial cytoplasmic inclusions. Neuropathology 2011; 31:561-8. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01200.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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83
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Nagaishi M, Yokoo H, Nakazato Y. Tau-positive glial cytoplasmic granules in multiple system atrophy. Neuropathology 2010; 31:299-305. [PMID: 21062361 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2010.01159.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a sporadic neurodegenerative disease that is pathologically characterized by the filamentous aggregation of α-synuclein. We report a case of MSA showing unusual neuropathological findings and review six autopsied cases of MSA. The patient progressively developed parkinsonism and ataxia for the 9 years prior to her death at the age of 72 years. Neuropathological examinations revealed neuronal loss restricted to the olivopontocerebellar and striatonigral region, which was more severe in the putamen. Staining with anti-α-synuclein antibody demonstrated widespread occurrence of glial cytoplasmic inclusions, which mainly accumulated in oligodendroglial cells and corresponded closely to the degree of disease progression. In addition, tau-positive granules were detected within the glial cytoplasm in the neurodegenerative region, which was especially prominent in the putamen and internal capsule. Tau accumulation was also clearly recognized by staining with specific antibodies against three-repeat or four-repeat tau. The glia that demonstrated deposition of tau-positive granules were distinguished from α-synuclein-positive oligodendroglia by double immunohistochemical staining. These characteristic glial accumulations of tau were also present in all six cases of MSA. These results indicate that tau-positive granules in glia are common findings in MSA and that tau aggregation might be another pathway to neurodegeneration in MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaya Nagaishi
- Department of Human Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
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84
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Hasegawa T, Baba T, Kobayashi M, Konno M, Sugeno N, Kikuchi A, Itoyama Y, Takeda A. Role of TPPP/p25 on α-synuclein-mediated oligodendroglial degeneration and the protective effect of SIRT2 inhibition in a cellular model of multiple system atrophy. Neurochem Int 2010; 57:857-66. [PMID: 20849899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2010] [Revised: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 09/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder presenting variable combinations of parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, corticospinal and autonomic dysfunction. Alpha-synuclein (α-SYN)-immunopositive glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) represent the neuropathological hallmark of MSA, and tubulin polymerization promoting protein (TPPP)/p25 in oligodendroglia has been known as a potent stimulator of α-SYN aggregation. To gain insight into the molecular pathomechanisms of GCI formation and subsequent oligodendroglial degeneration, we ectopically expressed α-SYN and TPPP in HEK293T and oligodendroglial KG1C cell lines. Here we showed that TPPP specifically accelerated α-SYN oligomer formation and co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the specific interaction of TPPP and α-SYN. Moreover, phosphorylation of α-SYN at Ser-129 facilitated the TPPP-mediated α-SYN oligomerization. TPPP facilitated α-SYN-positive cytoplasmic perinuclear inclusions mimicking GCI in both cell lines; however, apoptotic cell death was only observed in KG1C cells. This apoptotic cell death was partly rescued by sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) inhibition. Together, our results provide further insight into the molecular pathogenesis of MSA and potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Hasegawa
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1, Seiryomachi, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan.
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85
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Wang PS, Wu HM, Lin CP, Soong BW. Use of diffusion tensor imaging to identify similarities and differences between cerebellar and Parkinsonism forms of multiple system atrophy. Neuroradiology 2010; 53:471-81. [PMID: 20737142 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-010-0757-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We performed diffusion tensor imaging to determine if multiple system atrophy (MSA)-cerebellar (C) and MSA-Parkinsonism (P) show similar changes, as shown in pathological studies. METHODS Nineteen patients with MSA-C, 12 patients with MSA-P, 20 patients with Parkinson disease, and 20 healthy controls were evaluated with the use of voxel-based morphometry analysis of diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS There was an increase in apparent diffusion coefficient values in the middle cerebellar peduncles and cerebellum and a decrease in fractional anisotropy in the pyramidal tract, middle cerebellar peduncles, and white matter of the cerebellum in patients with MSA-C and MSA-P compared to the controls (P < 0.001). In addition, isotropic diffusion-weighted image values were reduced in the cerebellar cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei in patients with MSA-C and increased in the basal ganglia in patients with MSA-P. CONCLUSION These results indicate that despite their disparate clinical manifestations, patients with MSA-C and MSA-P share similar diffusion tensor imaging features in the infratentorial region. Further, the combination of FA, ADC and iDWI images can be used to distinguish between MSA (either form) and Parkinson disease, which has potential therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shan Wang
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, #155, Sec.2, Linung St., Peitou District, 112 Taipei, Taiwan
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86
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Yamamoto A, Simonsen A. The elimination of accumulated and aggregated proteins: a role for aggrephagy in neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2010; 43:17-28. [PMID: 20732422 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2010] [Revised: 08/11/2010] [Accepted: 08/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of ubiquitinated protein inclusions is a hallmark of most adult onset neurodegenerative disorders. Although the toxicity of these structures remains controversial, their prolonged presence in neurons is indicative of some failure in fundamental cellular processes. It therefore may be possible that driving the elimination of inclusions can help re-establish normal cellular function. There is growing evidence that macroautophagy has two roles; first, as a non-selective degradative response to cellular stress such as starvation, and the other as a highly selective quality control mechanism whose basal levels are important to maintain cellular health. One particular form of macroautophagy, aggrephagy, may have particular relevance in neurodegeneration, as it is responsible for the selective elimination of accumulated and aggregated ubiquitinated proteins. In this review, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms and role of protein aggregation in neurodegeneration, as well as the molecular mechanism of aggrephagy and how it may impact disease. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Autophagy and protein degradation in neurological diseases."
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Yamamoto
- Dept of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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87
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Wakabayashi K, Mori F, Tanji K, Orimo S, Takahashi H. Involvement of the peripheral nervous system in synucleinopathies, tauopathies and other neurodegenerative proteinopathies of the brain. Acta Neuropathol 2010; 120:1-12. [PMID: 20532896 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0706-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2010] [Revised: 05/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Involvement of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is relatively common in some neurodegenerative proteinopathies of the brain and may be pathogenetically and diagnostically important. In Parkinson's disease, neuronal alpha-synuclein aggregates are distributed throughout the nervous system, including the central nervous system (CNS), sympathetic ganglia, enteric nervous system, cardiac and pelvic plexuses, submandibular gland, adrenal medulla and skin. The pathological process may target the PNS and CNS at the same time. In multiple system atrophy, numerous glial cytoplasmic inclusions composed of filamentous alpha-synuclein are widely distributed in the CNS, while alpha-synuclein accumulation is minimal in the sympathetic ganglia and is restricted to neurons. Neurofibrillary tangles can occur in the sympathetic and spinal ganglia in tauopathy, although they appear to develop independently of cerebral Alzheimer's disease pathology. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neuronal loss with TDP-43-positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the spinal ganglia is more frequent than previously thought. Peripheral ganglia and visceral organs are also involved in polyglutamine diseases. Further elucidation and characterization of PNS lesions will have implications for intravital biopsy diagnosis in neurodegenerative proteinopathy, particularly in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Wakabayashi
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
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88
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Neurodegeneration in a transgenic mouse model of multiple system atrophy is associated with altered expression of oligodendroglial-derived neurotrophic factors. J Neurosci 2010; 30:6236-46. [PMID: 20445049 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0567-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by striatonigral degeneration and olivo-pontocerebellar atrophy. Neuronal degeneration is accompanied by primarily oligodendrocytic accumulation of alpha-synuclein (alphasyn) as opposed to the neuronal inclusions more commonly found in other alpha-synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease. It is unclear how alphasyn accumulation in oligodendrocytes may lead to the extensive neurodegeneration observed in MSA; we hypothesize that the altered expression of oligodendrocyte-derived neurotrophic factors by alphasyn may be involved. In this context, the expression of a number neurotrophic factors reportedly expressed by oligodendrocytes [glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), as well as basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (bFGF2), reportedly astrocyte derived] were examined in transgenic mouse models expressing human alphasyn (halphasyn) under the control of either neuronal (PDGFbeta or mThy1) or oligodendrocytic (MBP) promoters. Although protein levels of BDNF and IGF-1 were altered in all the alphasyn transgenic mice regardless of promoter type, a specific decrease in GDNF protein expression was observed in the MBP-halphasyn transgenic mice. Intracerebroventricular infusion of GDNF improved behavioral deficits and ameliorated neurodegenerative pathology in the MBP-halphasyn transgenic mice. Consistent with the studies in the MBP-halphasyn transgenic mice, analysis of GDNF expression levels in human MSA samples demonstrated a decrease in the white frontal cortex and to a lesser degree in the cerebellum compared with controls. These results suggest a mechanism in which alphasyn expression in oligodendrocytes impacts on the trophic support provided by these cells for neurons, perhaps contributing to neurodegeneration.
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89
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Papp-Lantos inclusions and the pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy: an update. Acta Neuropathol 2010; 119:657-67. [PMID: 20309568 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0672-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Revised: 03/11/2010] [Accepted: 03/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Multiple systemic atrophy (MSA) is a progressive, adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder of undetermined aetiology characterized by a distinctive oligodendrogliopathy with argyrophilic glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) and selective neurodegeneration. GCIs or Papp-Lantos inclusions, described more than 20 years ago, are now accepted as the hallmarks for the definite neuropathological diagnosis of MSA and suggested to play a central role in the pathogenesis of this disorder. GCIs are composed of hyperphosphorylated alpha-synuclein (alphaSyn), ubiquitin, LRRK2 (leucin-rich repeat serine/threonine-protein) and many other proteins, suggesting that MSA represents an invariable synucleinopathy of non-neuronal type, a specific form of proteinopathies. The origin of alphaSyn deposition in GCIs is not yet fully understood, but recent findings of dysregulation in the metabolism of myelin basic protein (MBP) and p25alpha, a central nervous system-specific protein, also called TPPP (tubulin polymerization promoting protein), strengthened the working model of MSA as a primary glial disorder and may explain frequent alterations of myelin in MSA. However, it is unknown whether these changes represent an early event or myelin dysregulation occurs further downstream in MSA pathogenesis. The association between polymorphisms at the SNCA gene locus and the risk for developing MSA also points to a primary role of alphaSyn in its pathogenesis, while in a MBP promoter-driven alphaSyn transgenic mouse model gliosis accompanied the neurodegenerative process originating in oligodendrocytes. Because alphaSyn represents a major component in both oligodendroglial and neuronal inclusions in MSA, some authors suggested both a primary oligodendrogliopathy and a neuronal synucleinopathy, but current biomolecular data and animal models support a crucial role of the Papp-Lantos inclusions and of aberrant alphaSyn accumulation as their main constituent, causing oligodendroglial pathology, myelin disruption and, finally, neuronal degeneration in MSA. The relationship between oligodendrocytes involved by Papp-Lantos inclusions and those in degenerating neurons in the course of MSA needs further elucidation.
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90
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Tha KK, Terae S, Yabe I, Miyamoto T, Soma H, Zaitsu Y, Fujima N, Kudo K, Sasaki H, Shirato H. Microstructural White Matter Abnormalities of Multiple System Atrophy: In Vivo Topographic Illustration by Using Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging. Radiology 2010; 255:563-9. [DOI: 10.1148/radiol.10090988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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91
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Kikuchi A, Takeda A, Okamura N, Tashiro M, Hasegawa T, Furumoto S, Kobayashi M, Sugeno N, Baba T, Miki Y, Mori F, Wakabayashi K, Funaki Y, Iwata R, Takahashi S, Fukuda H, Arai H, Kudo Y, Yanai K, Itoyama Y. In vivo visualization of alpha-synuclein deposition by carbon-11-labelled 2-[2-(2-dimethylaminothiazol-5-yl)ethenyl]-6-[2-(fluoro)ethoxy]benzoxazole positron emission tomography in multiple system atrophy. Brain 2010; 133:1772-8. [PMID: 20430832 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awq091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The histopathological hallmark of multiple system atrophy is the appearance of intracellular inclusion bodies, named glial cytoplasmic inclusions, which are mainly composed of alpha-synuclein fibrils. In vivo visualization of alpha-synuclein deposition should be used for the diagnosis and assessment of therapy and severity of pathological progression in multiple system atrophy. Because 2-[2-(2-dimethylaminothiazol-5-yl)ethenyl]-6-[2-(fluoro)ethoxy] benzoxazole could stain alpha-synuclein-containing glial cytoplasmic inclusions in post-mortem brains, we compared the carbon-11-labelled 2-[2-(2-dimethylaminothiazol-5-yl)ethenyl]-6-[2-(fluoro)ethoxy] benzoxazole positron emission tomography findings of eight multiple system atrophy cases to those of age-matched normal controls. The positron emission tomography data demonstrated high distribution volumes in the subcortical white matter (uncorrected P < 0.001), putamen and posterior cingulate cortex (uncorrected P < 0.005), globus pallidus, primary motor cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (uncorrected P < 0.01), and substantia nigra (uncorrected P < 0.05) in multiple system atrophy cases compared to the normal controls. They were coincident with glial cytoplasmic inclusion-rich brain areas in multiple system atrophy and thus, carbon-11-labelled 2-[2-(2-dimethylaminothiazol-5-yl)ethenyl]-6-[2-(fluoro)ethoxy] benzoxazole positron emission tomography is a promising surrogate marker for monitoring intracellular alpha-synuclein deposition in living brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Kikuchi
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8574 Japan
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92
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Protein coding of neurodegenerative dementias: the neuropathological basis of biomarker diagnostics. Acta Neuropathol 2010; 119:389-408. [PMID: 20198481 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0658-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Revised: 02/12/2010] [Accepted: 02/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathological diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias evolved by adapting the results of neuroanatomy, biochemistry, and cellular and molecular biology. Milestone findings of intra- and extracellular argyrophilic structures, visualizing protein deposition, initiated a protein-based classification. Widespread application of immunohistochemical and biochemical investigations revealed that (1) there are modifications of proteins intrinsic to disease (species that are phosphorylated, nitrated, oligomers, proteinase-resistant, with or without amyloid characteristics; cleavage products), (2) disease forms characterized by the accumulation of a single protein only are rather the exception than the rule, and (3) some modifications of proteins elude present neuropathological diagnostic procedures. In this review, we summarize how neuropathology, together with biochemistry, contributes to disease typing, by demonstrating a spectrum of disorders characterized by the deposition of various modifications of various proteins in various locations. Neuropathology may help to elucidate how brain pathologies alter the detectability of proteins in body fluids by upregulation of physiological forms or entrapment of different proteins. Modifications of at least the five most relevant proteins (amyloid-beta, prion protein, tau, alpha-synuclein, and TDP-43), aided by analysis of further "attracted" proteins, are pivotal to be evaluated simultaneously with different methods. This should complement the detection of biomarkers associated with pathogenetic processes, and also neuroimaging and genetic analysis, in order to obtain a highly personalized diagnostic profile. Defining clusters of patients based on the patterns of protein deposition and immunohistochemically or biochemically detectable modifications of proteins ("codes") may have higher prognostic predictive value, may be useful for monitoring therapy, and may open new avenues for research on pathogenesis.
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93
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Nakajima M, Kojima H, Takazawa Y, Yahagi N, Harada K, Takahashi K, Unuma K, Yoshida K. An autopsy report on multiple system atrophy diagnosed immunohistochemically despite severe ischaemic damage: a new approach for investigation of medical practice associated deaths in Japan. J Clin Pathol 2010; 62:1029-33. [PMID: 19861562 PMCID: PMC2771852 DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2009.065060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A 60-year old man with a 10-year history of multiple system atrophy (MSA) was found in respiratory arrest. After 4 months of respiratory support with two episodes of septic shock, he died. Autopsy disclosed severe atrophy of the mesencephalon, brainstem, medulla oblongata and cerebellum. Gallyas–Braak, α-synuclein and ubiquitin-positive inclusions in the cytoplasm of glial cells were evident, despite the severe ischaemic damage due to respiratory arrest and subsequent respiratory support for 4 months. The cause of respiratory arrest was not identified, but could be explained by the natural history of MSA. The bereaved family, who had suspected malpractice, was satisfied with the explanation based on the investigation performed by eight expert doctors, one expert nurse, two coordinator nurses and two lawyers in the model project promoted by the Japanese government.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nakajima
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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94
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Abstract
Although extrapyramidal diseases are commonly thought to solely affect the extrapyramidal motor system, nonmotor symptoms such as behavioural abnormalities, dysautonomia, sleep disturbances and sensory dysfunctions are also frequently observed. Autonomic dysfunction as an important clinical component of extrapyramidal disease (idiopathic Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, dementia with Lewy bodies) is often not formally assessed and thus frequently misdiagnosed. Symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in general impact more on quality of life than motor symptoms. Appropriate symptom-oriented diagnosis and symptomatic treatment as part of an interdisciplinary approach can greatly benefit the patient. Unfortunately, double-blind, randomized, controlled studies are scarce with the consequence that most recommendations are not based on the highest level of evidence. This review elaborates a limited overview on the treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital and sudomotor autonomic dysfunction in various extrapyramidal syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjalf Ziemssen
- ANF Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
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Pountney DL, Dickson TC, Power JHT, Vickers JC, West AJ, Gai WP. Association of Metallothionein-III with Oligodendroglial Cytoplasmic Inclusions in Multiple System Atrophy. Neurotox Res 2009; 19:115-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-009-9146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2009] [Revised: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 12/15/2009] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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96
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Uversky VN, Eliezer D. Biophysics of Parkinson's disease: structure and aggregation of alpha-synuclein. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2009; 10:483-99. [PMID: 19538146 PMCID: PMC3786709 DOI: 10.2174/138920309789351921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2009] [Accepted: 02/05/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slowly progressive movement disorder that results from the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, a small area of cells in the mid-brain. PD is a multifactorial disorder with unknown etiology, in which both genetic and environmental factors play important roles. Substantial evidence links alpha-synuclein, a small highly conserved presynaptic protein with unknown function, to both familial and sporadic PD. Rare familial cases of PD are associated with missense point mutations in alpha-synuclein, or with the hyper-expression of the wild type protein due to its gene duplication/triplication. Furthermore, alpha-synuclein was identified as the major component of amyloid fibrils found in Lewy body and Lewy neurites, the characteristic proteinaceous deposits that are the diagnostic hallmarks of PD. alpha-Synuclein is abundant in various regions of the brain and has two closely related homologs, beta-synuclein and gamma-synuclein. When isolated in solution, the protein is intrinsically disordered, but in the presence of lipid surfaces alpha-synuclein adopts a highly helical structure that is believed to mediate its normal function(s). A number of different conformational states of alpha-synuclein have been observed. Besides the membrane-bound form, other critical conformations include a partially-folded state that is a key intermediate in aggregation and fibrillation, various oligomeric species, and fibrillar and amorphous aggregates. A number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that either accelerate or inhibit the rate of alpha-synuclein aggregation and fibrillation in vitro are known. There is a strong correlation between the conformation of alpha-synuclein (induced by various factors) and its rate of fibrillation. The aggregation process appears to be branched, with one pathway leading to fibrils and another to oligomeric intermediates that may ultimately form amorphous deposits. The molecular basis of Parkinson's disease appears to be tightly coupled to the aggregation of alpha-synuclein and the factors that affect its conformation. This review focuses on the contributions of Prof. Anthony L. Fink to the field and presents some recent developments in this exciting area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N. Uversky
- Institite for Intrinsically Disordered Protein Research, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - David Eliezer
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA
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Wenning GK, Stefanova N. Recent developments in multiple system atrophy. J Neurol 2009; 256:1791-808. [PMID: 19471850 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-009-5173-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2009] [Revised: 04/29/2009] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare late onset neurodegenerative disorder which presents with autonomic failure and a complicated motor syndrome including atypical parkinsonism, ataxia and pyramidal signs. MSA is a glial alpha-synucleinopathy with rapid progression and currently poor therapeutic management. This paper reviews the clinical features, natural history and novel diagnostic criteria for MSA as well as contemporary knowledge on pathogenesis based on evidence from neuropathological studies and experimental models. An outline of the rationale for managing symptomatic deterioration in MSA is provided together with a summary of novel experimental therapeutic approaches to decrease disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor K Wenning
- Section of Clinical Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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Kitayama M, Wada-Isoe K, Irizawa Y, Nakashima K. Assessment of dementia in patients with multiple system atrophy. Eur J Neurol 2009; 16:589-94. [PMID: 19236466 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2009.02544.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We investigated dementia in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) in order to characterize the prevalence and nature of impairments in these patients. METHODS Fifty-eight MSA patients were recruited in our institution between April 1996 and December 2006 and investigated. RESULTS Of 58 patients, 10 were diagnosed with dementia. There were no significant differences in age at onset, gender, duration of disease, or severity of cerebellar dysfunction between patients with and without dementia. The early and delayed heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratios obtained with (123)I-metaidobenylguanidine (MIBG) cardiac scintigraphy were significantly decreased in patients with dementia compared with those without dementia. Of the 10 patients with dementia, three were found to have cognitive decline that preceded onset of motor symptoms. White matter lesions were evident in these patients, whilst frontal atrophy was prominent in patients whose cognitive decline was preceded by onset of motor symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Dementia in patients with MSA may be more common than previously thought, furthermore, we speculate that clinical features of dementia in these patients might be heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kitayama
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
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Kragh CL, Lund LB, Febbraro F, Hansen HD, Gai WP, El-Agnaf O, Richter-Landsberg C, Jensen PH. Alpha-synuclein aggregation and Ser-129 phosphorylation-dependent cell death in oligodendroglial cells. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:10211-22. [PMID: 19203998 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m809671200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by accumulation of aggregated Ser-129-phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in oligodendrocytes. p25alpha is an oligodendroglial protein that potently stimulates alpha-synuclein aggregation in vitro. To model multiple system atrophy, we coexpressed human p25alpha and alpha-synuclein in the rat oligodendroglial cell line OLN-93 and observed a cellular response characterized by a fast retraction of microtubules from the cellular processes to the perinuclear region followed by a protracted development of apoptosis. This response was dependent on phosphorylation at Ser-129 in alpha-synuclein as demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis. Treatment of the cells with the kinase inhibitor 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H benzimidazole that targets kinases like casein kinase 2, and polo-like kinases abrogated the toxicity. The polo-like kinase inhibitor BI 2536 caused apoptosis in the model. Ser-129 phosphorylation was linked to the formation of phosphorylated oligomers detectable by immunoblotting, and their formation was inhibited by 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H benzimidazole. The process of microtubule retraction was also dependent on aggregation as demonstrated by the protective effect of treating the cells with the specific peptide inhibitor of alpha-synuclein aggregation ASI1D and the non-selective inhibitors Congo Red and baicalein. The fast microtubule retraction was followed by the development of the apoptotic markers: activated caspase-3, phosphatidylserine externalization, nuclear condensation, and fragmentation. These markers could all be blocked by the inhibitors of phosphorylation, aggregation, and caspase-3. Hence, the model predicts that both Ser-129 phosphorylation and aggregation control the toxic alpha-syn pathway in oligodendroglial cells and may represent therapeutic intervention points in multiple system atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Kragh
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark, Lundbeck A/S, DK-2500 Valby, Denmark
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Tzarouchi LC, Astrakas LG, Konitsiotis S, Tsouli S, Margariti P, Zikou A, Argyropoulou MI. Voxel-based morphometry and Voxel-based relaxometry in parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy. J Neuroimaging 2009; 20:260-6. [PMID: 19187475 DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2008.00343.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder divided into a parkinsonian (MSA-P) and a cerebellar variant. The purpose of this study was to assess regional brain atrophy and iron content using Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and Voxel-based relaxometry (VBR) respectively, in MSA-P. METHODS Using biological parametric mapping the effect of brain atrophy was evaluated in T2 relaxation time (T2) measurements by applying analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and correlation analysis to the VBM and VBR data. Eleven patients with MSA-P (aged 61.9 +/- 11.7 years, disease duration 5.42 +/- 2.5 years) and 11 controls were studied. RESULTS In comparison to the controls the patients showed decreased gray matter in the putamen, the caudate nuclei, the thalami, the anterior cerebellar lobes, and the cerebral cortex, and white matter atrophy in the pons, midbrain, and peduncles. VBR analysis showed prolonged T2 in various cortical regions. On ANCOVA, when controlling for gray and white matter volume, these regions of prolonged T2 were shrunk. Negative correlation was demonstrated between T2 and gray and white matter volume. CONCLUSIONS Diffuse brain atrophy, mainly in the motor circuitry is observed in MSA-P. Normalization for atrophy should always be performed in T2 measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loukia C Tzarouchi
- Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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