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Islam R, Noman H, Azimi A, Siu R, Chinchalongporn V, Schuurmans C, Morshead CM. Primitive and Definitive Neural Precursor Cells Are Present in Human Cerebral Organoids. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6549. [PMID: 38928255 PMCID: PMC11203442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Activation of neural stem cells (NSCs) correlates with improved functional outcomes in mouse models of injury. In the murine brain, NSCs have been extensively characterized and comprise (1) primitive NSCs (pNSCs) and (2) definitive NSCs (dNSCs). pNSCs are the earliest cells in the NSC lineage giving rise to dNSCs in the embryonic and adult mouse brain. pNSCs are quiescent under baseline conditions and can be activated upon injury. Herein, we asked whether human pNSCs and dNSCs can be isolated during the maturation of human cerebral organoids (COs) and activated by drugs known to regulate mouse NSC behavior. We demonstrate that self-renewing, multipotent pNSC and dNSC populations are present in human COs and express genes previously characterized in mouse NSCs. The drug NWL283, an inhibitor of apoptosis, reduced cell death in COs but did not improve NSC survival. Metformin, a drug used to treat type II diabetes that is known to promote NSC activation in mice, was found to expand human NSC pools. Together, these findings are the first to identify and characterize human pNSCs, advancing our understanding of the human NSC lineage and highlighting drugs that enhance their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rehnuma Islam
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Humna Noman
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Ashkan Azimi
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 149 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | - Ricky Siu
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 149 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | | | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Cindi M. Morshead
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, 149 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P5, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
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Xia QQ, Singh A, Wang J, Xuan ZX, Singer JD, Powell CM. Autism risk gene Cul3 alters neuronal morphology via caspase-3 activity in mouse hippocampal neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1320784. [PMID: 38803442 PMCID: PMC11129687 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1320784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in which children display differences in social interaction/communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviors along with variable associated features. Cul3, a gene linked to ASD, encodes CUL3 (CULLIN-3), a protein that serves as a key component of a ubiquitin ligase complex with unclear function in neurons. Cul3 homozygous deletion in mice is embryonic lethal; thus, we examine the role of Cul3 deletion in early synapse development and neuronal morphology in hippocampal primary neuronal cultures. Homozygous deletion of Cul3 significantly decreased dendritic complexity and dendritic length, as well as axon formation. Synaptic spine density significantly increased, mainly in thin and stubby spines along with decreased average spine volume in Cul3 knockouts. Both heterozygous and homozygous knockout of Cul3 caused significant reductions in the density and colocalization of gephyrin/vGAT puncta, providing evidence of decreased inhibitory synapse number, while excitatory synaptic puncta vGulT1/PSD95 density remained unchanged. Based on previous studies implicating elevated caspase-3 after Cul3 deletion, we demonstrated increased caspase-3 in our neuronal cultures and decreased neuronal cell viability. We then examined the efficacy of the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK to rescue the decrease in neuronal cell viability, demonstrating reversal of the cell viability phenotype with caspase-3 inhibition. Studies have also implicated caspase-3 in neuronal morphological changes. We found that caspase-3 inhibition largely reversed the dendrite, axon, and spine morphological changes along with the inhibitory synaptic puncta changes. Overall, these data provide additional evidence that Cul3 regulates the formation or maintenance of cell morphology, GABAergic synaptic puncta, and neuronal viability in developing hippocampal neurons in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang-qiang Xia
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Anju Singh
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Zhong Xin Xuan
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jeffrey D. Singer
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Craig M. Powell
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Holota R, Dečmanová V, Alexovič Matiašová A, Košuth J, Slovinská L, Pačut L, Tomori Z, Daxnerová Z, Ševc J. Cleaved caspase-3 is present in the majority of glial cells in the intact rat spinal cord during postnatal life. Histochem Cell Biol 2024; 161:269-286. [PMID: 37938347 PMCID: PMC10912154 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02249-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Cell death is an essential process that occurs during the development of the central nervous system. Despite the availability of a wide range of commercially produced antibodies against various apoptotic markers, data regarding apoptosis in intact spinal cord during postnatal development and adulthood are mostly missing. We investigated apoptosis in rat spinal cord at different stages of ontogenesis (postnatal days 8, 29, and 90). For this purpose, we applied immunofluorescent detection of two widely used apoptotic markers, cleaved caspase-3 (cC3) and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (cPARP). Surprisingly, we found significant discrepancy between the number of cC3+ cells and PARP+ cells, with a ratio between 500:1 and 5000:1 in rat spinal cord at all postnatal time points. The majority of cC3+ cells were glial cells and did not exhibit an apoptotic phenotype. In contrast with in vivo results, in vitro analysis of primary cell cultures derived from neonatal rat spinal cord and treated with the apoptotic inductor staurosporine revealed a similar onset of occurrence of both cC3 and cPARP in cells subjected to apoptosis. Gene expression analysis of spinal cord revealed elevated expression of the Birc4 (XIAP), Birc2, and Birc5 (Survivin) genes, which are known potent inhibitors of apoptosis. Our data indicate that cC3 is not an exclusive marker of apoptosis, especially in glial cells, owing its possible presence in inhibited forms and/or its participation in other non-apoptotic roles. Therefore, cPARP appears to be a more appropriate marker to detect apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Holota
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - V Dečmanová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - A Alexovič Matiašová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic.
| | - J Košuth
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - L Slovinská
- Associated Tissue Bank, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice and L. Pasteur University Hospital, Tr. SNP 1, 04011, Košice, Slovak Republic
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy, Institute of Neurobiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4, 04001, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - L Pačut
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Z Tomori
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 04001, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Z Daxnerová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - J Ševc
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic
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Chan ASY, Tun SBB, Lynn MN, Ho C, Tun TA, Girard MJA, Sultana R, Barathi VA, Aung T, Aihara M. Intravitreal Neuroglobin Mitigates Primate Experimental Glaucomatous Structural Damage in Association with Reduced Optic Nerve Microglial and Complement 3-Astrocyte Activation. Biomolecules 2023; 13:961. [PMID: 37371541 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Current management of glaucomatous optic neuropathy is limited to intraocular pressure control. Neuroglobin (Ngb) is an endogenous neuroprotectant expressed in neurons and astrocytes. We recently showed that exogenous intravitreal Ngb reduced inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation in a rodent model of hypoxia. We thus hypothesised that IVT-Ngb may also be neuroprotective in experimental glaucoma (EG) by mitigating optic nerve (ON) astrogliosis and microgliosis as well as structural damage. In this study using a microbead-induced model of EG in six Cynomolgus primates, optical coherence imaging showed that Ngb-treated EG eyes had significantly less thinning of the peripapillary minimum rim width, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, and ON head cupping than untreated EG eyes. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that ON astrocytes overexpressed Ngb following Ngb treatment. A reduction in complement 3 and cleaved-caspase 3 activated microglia and astrocytes was also noted. Our findings in higher-order primates recapitulate the effects of neuroprotection by Ngb treatment in rodent EG studies and suggest that Ngb may be a potential candidate for glaucoma neuroprotection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita S Y Chan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 168751, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Sai B B Tun
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Myoe N Lynn
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Candice Ho
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Tin A Tun
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Michaël J A Girard
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Ophthalmic Engineering & Innovation Laboratory (OEIL), Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | | | - Veluchamy A Barathi
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Tin Aung
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore 168751, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Makoto Aihara
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
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De Simone U, Pignatti P, Villani L, Russo LA, Sargenti A, Bonetti S, Buscaglia E, Coccini T. Human Astrocyte Spheroids as Suitable In Vitro Screening Model to Evaluate Synthetic Cannabinoid MAM2201-Induced Effects on CNS. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021421. [PMID: 36674936 PMCID: PMC9861655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing concern about the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances, its consequence on human health (general population and workers), and the continuous placing of new SCs on the market. Although drug-induced alterations in neuronal function remain an essential component for theories of drug addiction, accumulating evidence indicates the important role of activated astrocytes, whose essential and pleiotropic role in brain physiology and pathology is well recognized. The study aims to clarify the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by one of the most potent SCs, named MAM-2201 (a naphthoyl-indole derivative), by applying a novel three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model, mimicking the physiological and biochemical properties of brain tissues better than traditional two-dimensional in vitro systems. Specifically, human astrocyte spheroids, generated from the D384 astrocyte cell line, were treated with different MAM-2201 concentrations (1-30 µM) and exposure times (24-48 h). MAM-2201 affected, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, the cell growth and viability, size and morphological structure, E-cadherin and extracellular matrix, CB1-receptors, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and caspase-3/7 activity. The findings demonstrate MAM-2201-induced cytotoxicity to astrocyte spheroids, and support the use of this human 3D cell-based model as species-specific in vitro tool suitable for the evaluation of neurotoxicity induced by other SCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uliana De Simone
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Toxicology, and Pavia Poison Centre-National Toxicology Information Centre, Toxicology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pignatti
- Allergy and Immunology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Villani
- Pathology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Simone Bonetti
- CNR-ISMN, Institute for Nanostructured Materials, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Eleonora Buscaglia
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Toxicology, and Pavia Poison Centre-National Toxicology Information Centre, Toxicology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Teresa Coccini
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Toxicology, and Pavia Poison Centre-National Toxicology Information Centre, Toxicology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0382-592416
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Teo EJ, Chand KK, Miller SM, Wixey JA, Colditz PB, Bjorkman ST. Early evolution of glial morphology and inflammatory cytokines following hypoxic-ischemic injury in the newborn piglet brain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:282. [PMID: 36609414 PMCID: PMC9823001 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27034-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of hypoxic-ischemic injury and can be characterized by the activation of glial cells and the expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α are among the best-characterized early response cytokines and are often expressed concurrently. Several types of central nervous system cells secrete IL-1β and TNFα, including microglia, astrocytes, and neurons, and these cytokines convey potent pro-inflammatory actions. Chemokines also play a central role in neuroinflammation by controlling inflammatory cell trafficking. Our aim was to characterise the evolution of early neuroinflammation in the neonatal piglet model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Piglets (< 24 h old) were exposed to HI insult, and recovered to 2, 4, 8, 12 or 24H post-insult. Brain tissue from the frontal cortex and basal ganglia was harvested for assessment of glial cell activation profiles and transcription levels of inflammatory markers in HI piglets with comparison to a control group of newborn piglets. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe microglia, astrocytes, neurons, degenerating neurons and possibly apoptotic cells, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure gene expression of several cytokines and chemokines. HI injury was associated with microglial activation and morphological changes to astrocytes at all time points examined. Gene expression analyses of inflammation-related markers revealed significantly higher expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), chemokines cxc-chemokine motif ligand (CXCL)8 and CXCL10, and anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)β in every HI group, with some region-specific differences noted. No significant difference was observed in the level of C-X-C chemokine receptor (CCR)5 over time. This high degree of neuroinflammation was associated with a reduction in the number of neurons in piglets at 12H and 24H in the frontal cortex, and the putamen at 12H. This reduction of neurons was not associated with increased numbers of degenerating neurons or potentially apoptotic cells. HI injury triggered a robust early neuroinflammatory response associated with a reduction in neurons in cortical and subcortical regions in our piglet model of HIE. This neuroinflammatory response may be targeted using novel therapeutics to reduce neuropathology in our piglet model of neonatal HIE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot J. Teo
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Kirat. K. Chand
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Stephanie M. Miller
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Julie A. Wixey
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - Paul B. Colditz
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
| | - S. Tracey. Bjorkman
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Building 71/918 RBWH Herston, Brisbane City, QLD 4029 Australia ,grid.416100.20000 0001 0688 4634Perinatal Research Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD Australia
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Natrus L, Osadchuk Y, Lisakovska O, Roch T, Babel N, Klys Y, Labudzynskyi D, Chaikovsky Y. Regulation of the apoptosis/autophagy switch by propionic acid in ventromedial hypothalamus of rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11529. [PMID: 36439719 PMCID: PMC9681650 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hypothalamic dysregulation may cause abnormal glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The balance between autophagy and apoptosis is important for maintaining cellular/tissue homeostasis and may be disrupted in T2DM. Objectives Since propionic acid (PA) exerts neuroprotective effects, the aim was to investigate its effects on apoptosis/autophagy switch in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of T2DM rats. Materials and methods Male Wistar rats were divided: 1) control; 2) T2DM; groups that received (14 days, orally): 3) metformin (60 mg/kg); 4) sodium salt of PA (60 mg/kg); 5) PA + metformin. Western blotting (Bax, Bcl-xl, LC3, Beclin-1, caspase-3), RT-PCR (Bax, Bcl-xl, LC3, Beclin-1), transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining (Bax, Bcl-xl) were performed on the VMH samples. Results T2DM-induced apoptosis and mitoptosis, enlarged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tubules/cisterns were observed in VMH, and accompanied by an imbalance of pro- and anti-apoptotic factors: elevation of pro-apoptotic markers Bax and caspase-3, decrease in autophagy protein LC3 and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xl. Metformin and PA administration partially improved VMH ultrastructural changes by reducing mitochondrial swelling and diminishing the number of apoptotic neurons. Metformin inhibited neuronal apoptosis, however, caused reactive astrogliosis and accumulation of lipofuscin granules. Elevated number of autophagosomes was associated with the LC3, Beclin-1 and Bcl-xl increase and decrease in Bax and caspase-3 vs. T2DM. PA switched cell fate from apoptosis to autophagy by elevating LC3 and Beclin-1 levels, increasing Bcl-xl content that altogether may represent adaptive response to T2DM-induced apoptosis. PA + metformin administration lowered relative area of ER membranes/cisterns vs. control, T2DM and metformin, and was optimal considering ratio between the pro-apoptotic, anti-apoptotic and autophagy markers. Conclusion T2DM was associated with apoptosis activation leading to impairments in VMH. PA in combination with metformin may be effective against diabetes-induced cell death by switching apoptosis to autophagy in VMH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larysa Natrus
- Department of Modern Technologies of Medical Diagnostics & Treatment, Bogomolets National Medical University, 34 Peremoha Avenue, Kyiv 03115, Ukraine
| | - Yuliia Osadchuk
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Bogomolets National Medical University, 34 Peremoha Avenue, Kyiv 03115, Ukraine
| | - Olha Lisakovska
- Department of Biochemistry of Vitamins and Coenzymes, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, 9 Leontovicha Str., Kyiv 01054, Ukraine
| | - Toralf Roch
- Center for Translational Medicine and Immune Diagnostics Laboratory, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, 44625 Herne, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Babel
- Center for Translational Medicine and Immune Diagnostics Laboratory, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, 44625 Herne, Germany
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuliia Klys
- Department of Modern Technologies of Medical Diagnostics & Treatment, Bogomolets National Medical University, 34 Peremoha Avenue, Kyiv 03115, Ukraine
| | - Dmytro Labudzynskyi
- Department of Biochemistry of Vitamins and Coenzymes, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, 9 Leontovicha Str., Kyiv 01054, Ukraine
| | - Yuri Chaikovsky
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Bogomolets National Medical University, 34 Peremoha Avenue, Kyiv 03115, Ukraine
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Bravo L, Mariscal P, Llorca-Torralba M, López-Cepero JM, Nacher J, Berrocoso E. Altered expression of vesicular glutamate transporter-2 and cleaved caspase-3 in the locus coeruleus of nerve-injured rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:918321. [PMID: 35966012 PMCID: PMC9363707 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.918321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating chronic condition provoked by a lesion in the nervous system and it induces functional alterations to the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC), affecting distinct dimensions of pain, like sensorial hypersensitivity, pain-induced depression, and anxiety. However, the neurobiological changes induced by nerve damage in the LC remain unclear. Here, we analyzed excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the LC, as well as the possible damage that noradrenergic neurons suffer after the induction of neuropathic pain through chronic constriction injury (CCI). Neuropathic pain was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and the expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 or 2 (VGLUT1 or VGLUT2), vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), and cleaved caspase-3 (CC3) was analyzed by immunofluorescence 7 (CCI7d) or 28 days after the original lesion (CCI28d). While no significant differences in the density of VGLUT1 puncta were evident, CCI7d induced a significant increase in the perisomatic VGLUT2/VGAT ratio relative to Sham-operated and CCI28d animals. By contrast, when the entire region of LC is evaluated, there was a significant reduction in the density of VGLUT2 puncta in CCI28d animals, without changes in VGLUT2/VGAT ratio relative to the CCI7d animals. Additionally, changes in the noradrenergic soma size, and a lower density of mitochondria and lysosomes were evident in CCI28d animals. Interestingly, enhanced expression of the apoptotic marker CC3 was also evident in the CCI28d rats, mainly co-localizing with glial fibrillary acidic protein but not with any neuronal or noradrenergic marker. Overall, short-term pain appears to lead to an increase of markers of excitatory synapses in the perisomatic region of noradrenergic cells in the LC, an effect that is lost after long-term pain, which appears to activate apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Bravo
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Mariscal
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Meritxell Llorca-Torralba
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Jose María López-Cepero
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INiBICA, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
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9
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Fieblinger T, Li C, Espa E, Cenci MA. Non-Apoptotic Caspase-3 Activation Mediates Early Synaptic Dysfunction of Indirect Pathway Neurons in the Parkinsonian Striatum. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105470. [PMID: 35628278 PMCID: PMC9141690 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-apoptotic caspase-3 activation is critically involved in dendritic spine loss and synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. It is, however, not known whether caspase-3 plays similar roles in other pathologies. Using a mouse model of clinically manifest Parkinson’s disease, we provide the first evidence that caspase-3 is transiently activated in the striatum shortly after the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections. This caspase-3 activation concurs with a rapid loss of dendritic spines and deficits in synaptic long-term depression (LTD) in striatal projection neurons forming the indirect pathway. Interestingly, systemic treatment with a caspase inhibitor prevents both the spine pruning and the deficit of indirect pathway LTD without interfering with the ongoing dopaminergic degeneration. Taken together, our data identify transient and non-apoptotic caspase activation as a critical event in the early plastic changes of indirect pathway neurons following dopamine denervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Fieblinger
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (C.L.); (E.E.)
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Synaptic Physiology, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.A.C.)
| | - Chang Li
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (C.L.); (E.E.)
| | - Elena Espa
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (C.L.); (E.E.)
| | - M. Angela Cenci
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; (C.L.); (E.E.)
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.A.C.)
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10
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Barclay WE, Aggarwal N, Deerhake ME, Inoue M, Nonaka T, Nozaki K, Luzum NA, Miao EA, Shinohara ML. The AIM2 inflammasome is activated in astrocytes during the late phase of EAE. JCI Insight 2022; 7:155563. [PMID: 35451371 PMCID: PMC9089781 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes are a class of innate immune signaling platforms that activate in response to an array of cellular damage and pathogens. Inflammasomes promote inflammation under many circumstances to enhance immunity against pathogens and inflammatory responses through their effector cytokines, IL-1β and IL-18. Multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), are autoimmune conditions influenced by inflammasomes. Despite work investigating inflammasomes during EAE, little remains known concerning the role of inflammasomes in the central nervous system (CNS) during the disease. Here, we used multiple genetically modified mouse models to monitor activated inflammasomes in situ based on oligomerization of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) in the spinal cord. Using inflammasome reporter mice, we found heightened inflammasome activation in astrocytes after the disease peak. In contrast, microglia and CNS-infiltrated myeloid cells had few activated inflammasomes in the CNS during EAE. Astrocyte inflammasome activation during EAE was dependent on absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), but low IL-1β release and no significant signs of cell death were found. Thus, the AIM2 inflammasome activation in astrocytes may have a distinct role from traditional inflammasome-mediated inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William E. Barclay
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nupur Aggarwal
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - M. Elizabeth Deerhake
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Makoto Inoue
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Toshiaki Nonaka
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kengo Nozaki
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nathan A. Luzum
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Edward A. Miao
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mari L. Shinohara
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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11
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Hagemann TL. Alexander disease: models, mechanisms, and medicine. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 72:140-147. [PMID: 34826654 PMCID: PMC8901527 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Alexander disease is a primary disorder of astrocytes caused by gain-of-function mutations in the gene for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which lead to protein aggregation and a reactive astrocyte response, with devastating effects on the central nervous system. Over the past two decades since the discovery of GFAP as the culprit, several cellular and animal models have been generated, and much has been learned about underlying mechanisms contributing to the disease. Despite these efforts, many aspects of Alexander disease have remained enigmatic, particularly the initiating events in GFAP accumulation and astrocyte pathology, the relation between astrocyte dysfunction and myelin deficits, and the variability in age of onset and disease severity. More recent work in both old and new models has begun to address these complex questions and identify new therapeutics that finally offer the promise of effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L. Hagemann
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705
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12
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Hagemann TL, Powers B, Lin NH, Mohamed AF, Dague KL, Hannah SC, Bachmann G, Mazur C, Rigo F, Olsen AL, Feany MB, Perng MD, Berman RF, Messing A. Antisense therapy in a rat model of Alexander disease reverses GFAP pathology, white matter deficits, and motor impairment. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabg4711. [PMID: 34788075 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg4711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Hagemann
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | | | - Ni-Hsuan Lin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Life Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ahmed F Mohamed
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Katerina L Dague
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Seth C Hannah
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | | | - Curt Mazur
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Abby L Olsen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mel B Feany
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ming-Der Perng
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Life Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Robert F Berman
- Department of Neurological Surgery and M.I.N.D Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Albee Messing
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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13
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Abstract
Fifty years have passed since the discovery of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) by Lawrence Eng and colleagues. Now recognized as a member of the intermediate filament family of proteins, it has become a subject for study in fields as diverse as structural biology, cell biology, gene expression, basic neuroscience, clinical genetics and gene therapy. This review covers each of these areas, presenting an overview of current understanding and controversies regarding GFAP with the goal of stimulating continued study of this fascinating protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albee Messing
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Michael Brenner
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama-Birmingham
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14
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Lin NH, Yang AW, Chang CH, Perng MD. Elevated GFAP isoform expression promotes protein aggregation and compromises astrocyte function. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21614. [PMID: 33908669 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100087r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Alexander disease (AxD) caused by mutations in the coding region of GFAP is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by astrocyte dysfunction, GFAP aggregation, and Rosenthal fiber accumulation. Although how GFAP mutations cause disease is not fully understood, Rosenthal fibers could be induced by forced overexpression of human GFAP and this could be lethal in mice implicate that an increase in GFAP levels is central to AxD pathogenesis. Our recent studies demonstrated that intronic GFAP mutations cause disease by altering GFAP splicing, suggesting that an increase in GFAP isoform expression could lead to protein aggregation and astrocyte dysfunction that typify AxD. Here we test this hypothesis by establishing primary astrocyte cultures from transgenic mice overexpressing human GFAP. We found that GFAP-δ and GFAP-κ were disproportionately increased in transgenic astrocytes and both were enriched in Rosenthal fibers of human AxD brains. In vitro assembly studies showed that while the major isoform GFAP-α self-assembled into typical 10-nm filaments, minor isoforms including GFAP-δ, -κ, and -λ were assembly-compromised and aggregation prone. Lentiviral transduction showed that expression of these minor GFAP isoforms decreased filament solubility and increased GFAP stability, leading to the formation of Rosenthal fibers-like aggregates that also disrupted the endogenous intermediate filament networks. The aggregate-bearing astrocytes lost their normal morphology and glutamate buffering capacity, which had a toxic effect on neighboring neurons. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that links elevated GFAP isoform expression with GFAP aggregation and impaired glutamate transport, and suggest a potential non-cell-autonomous mechanism underlying neurodegeneration through astrocyte dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni-Hsuan Lin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Wen Yang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsuan Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Der Perng
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Science, College of Life Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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15
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Voss TD, Gerget M, Linkus B, von Einem B, Landwehrmeyer GB, Lewerenz J. Ubiquitination and the proteasome rather than caspase-3-mediated C-terminal cleavage are involved in the EAAT2 degradation by staurosporine-induced cellular stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:1284-1299. [PMID: 33180957 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Diminished glutamate (Glu) uptake via the excitatory amino acid transporter EAAT2, which normally accounts for ~90% of total forebrain EAAT activity, may contribute to neurodegeneration via Glu-mediated excitotoxicity. C-terminal cleavage by caspase-3 (C3) was reported to mediate EAAT2 inactivation and down-regulation in the context of neurodegeneration. For a detailed analysis of C3-dependent EAAT2 degradation, we employed A172 glioblastoma as well as hippocampal HT22 cells and murine astrocytes over-expressing VSV-G-tagged EAAT2 constructs. C3 activation was induced by staurosporine (STR). In HT22 cells, STR-induced C3 activation-induced rapid EAAT2 protein degradation. The mutation of asparagine 504 to aspartate (D504N), which should inactivate the putative C3 cleavage site, increased EAAT2 activity in A172 cells. In contrast, the D504N mutation did not protect EAAT2 protein against STR-induced degradation in HT22 cells, whereas inhibition of caspases, ubiquitination and the proteasome did. Similar results were obtained in astrocytes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C-terminal ubiquitin acceptor sites-but not the putative C3 cleavage site-exhibit a high degree of conservation. Moreover, C-terminal truncation mimicking C3 cleavage increased rather than decreased EAAT2 activity and stability as well as protected EAAT2 against STR-induced ubiquitination-dependent degradation. We conclude that cellular stress associated with endogenous C3 activation degrades EAAT2 via a pathway involving ubiquitination and the proteasome but not direct C3-mediated cleavage. In addition, C3 cleavage of EAAT2, described to occur in other models, is unlikely to inactivate EAAT2. However, mutation of the highly conserved D504 within the putative C3 cleavage site increases EAAT2 activity via an unknown mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Gerget
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Birgit Linkus
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Jan Lewerenz
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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16
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Zaer H, Glud AN, Schneider BM, Lukacova S, Vang Hansen K, Adler JR, Høyer M, Jensen MB, Hansen R, Hoffmann L, Worm ES, Sørensen JCH, Orlowski D. Radionecrosis and cellular changes in small volume stereotactic brain radiosurgery in a porcine model. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16223. [PMID: 33004849 PMCID: PMC7529917 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72876-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has proven an effective tool for the treatment of brain tumors, arteriovenous malformation, and functional conditions. However, radiation-induced therapeutic effect in viable cells in functional SRS is also suggested. Evaluation of the proposed modulatory effect of irradiation on neuronal activity without causing cellular death requires the knowledge of radiation dose tolerance at very small tissue volume. Therefore, we aimed to establish a porcine model to study the effects of ultra-high radiosurgical doses in small volumes of the brain. Five minipigs received focal stereotactic radiosurgery with single large doses of 40–100 Gy to 5–7.5 mm fields in the left primary motor cortex and the right subcortical white matter, and one animal remained as unirradiated control. The animals were followed-up with serial MRI,
PET scans, and histology 6 months post-radiation. We observed a dose-dependent relation of the histological and MRI changes at 6 months post-radiation. The necrotic lesions were seen in the grey matter at 100 Gy and in white matter at 60 Gy. Furthermore, small volume radiosurgery at different dose levels induced vascular, as well as neuronal cell changes and glial cell remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Zaer
- Centre for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE), Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, indgang J, Plan 1, J118-125, (Krydspunkt 116), 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark. .,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Andreas Nørgaard Glud
- Centre for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE), Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, indgang J, Plan 1, J118-125, (Krydspunkt 116), 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bret M Schneider
- Zap Surgical Systems, Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Slávka Lukacova
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kim Vang Hansen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - John R Adler
- Zap Surgical Systems, Inc., San Carlos, CA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Morten Høyer
- Danish Center for Particle Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Morten Bjørn Jensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rune Hansen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lone Hoffmann
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Esben Schjødt Worm
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Chr Hedemann Sørensen
- Centre for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE), Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, indgang J, Plan 1, J118-125, (Krydspunkt 116), 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dariusz Orlowski
- Centre for Experimental Neuroscience (CENSE), Department of Neurosurgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, indgang J, Plan 1, J118-125, (Krydspunkt 116), 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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17
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Ahad MA, Kumaran KR, Ning T, Mansor NI, Effendy MA, Damodaran T, Lingam K, Wahab HA, Nordin N, Liao P, Müller CP, Hassan Z. Insights into the neuropathology of cerebral ischemia and its mechanisms. Rev Neurosci 2020; 31:521-538. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2019-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCerebral ischemia is a result of insufficient blood flow to the brain. It leads to limited supply of oxygen and other nutrients to meet metabolic demands. These phenomena lead to brain damage. There are two types of cerebral ischemia: focal and global ischemia. This condition has significant impact on patient’s health and health care system requirements. Animal models such as transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and permanent occlusion of extracranial vessels have been established to mimic the conditions of the respective type of cerebral ischemia and to further understand pathophysiological mechanisms of these ischemic conditions. It is important to understand the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia in order to identify therapeutic strategies for prevention and treatment. Here, we review the neuropathologies that are caused by cerebral ischemia and discuss the mechanisms that occur in cerebral ischemia such as reduction of cerebral blood flow, hippocampal damage, white matter lesions, neuronal cell death, cholinergic dysfunction, excitotoxicity, calcium overload, cytotoxic oedema, a decline in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), malfunctioning of Na+/K+-ATPase, and the blood-brain barrier breakdown. Altogether, the information provided can be used to guide therapeutic strategies for cerebral ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Anuar Ahad
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Kesevan Rajah Kumaran
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Tiang Ning
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Nur Izzati Mansor
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Thenmoly Damodaran
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Kamilla Lingam
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Habibah Abdul Wahab
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- USM-RIKEN Centre for Aging Science (URICAS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Norshariza Nordin
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ping Liao
- Calcium Signaling Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore 308433, Singapore
| | - Christian P. Müller
- Section of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Zurina Hassan
- Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
- USM-RIKEN Centre for Aging Science (URICAS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
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18
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Romeo-Guitart D, Marcos-DeJuana C, Marmolejo-Martínez-Artesero S, Navarro X, Casas C. Novel neuroprotective therapy with NeuroHeal by autophagy induction for damaged neonatal motoneurons. Theranostics 2020; 10:5154-5168. [PMID: 32308774 PMCID: PMC7163445 DOI: 10.7150/thno.43765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Protective mechanisms allow healthy neurons to cope with diverse stresses. Excessive damage as well as aging can lead to defective functioning of these mechanisms. We recently designed NeuroHeal using artificial intelligence with the goal of bolstering endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. Understanding the key nodes involved in neuroprotection will allow us to identify even more effective strategies for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: We used a model of peripheral nerve axotomy in rat pups, that induces retrograde apoptotic death of motoneurons. Nourishing mothers received treatment with vehicle, NeuroHeal or NeuroHeal plus nicotinamide, an inhibitor of sirtuins, and analysis of the pups were performed by immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and immunoblotting. In vitro, the post-translational status of proteins of interest was detailed using organotypic spinal cord cultures and genetic modifications in cell lines to unravel the neuroprotective mechanisms involved. Results: We found that the concomitant activation of the NAD+-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway converge to increase the presence of deacetylated and phosphorylated FOXO3a, a transcription factor, in the nucleus. This favors the activation of autophagy, a pro-survival process, and prevents pro-apoptotic PARP1/2 cleavage. Major conclusion: NeuroHeal is a neuroprotective agent for neonatal motoneurons that fine-tunes autophagy on by converging SIRT1/AKT/FOXO3a axis. NeuroHeal is a combo of repurposed drugs that allow its readiness for prospective pediatric use.
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19
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Jonesco DS, Hassager C, Frydland M, Kjærgaard J, Karsdal M, Henriksen K. A caspase-6-cleaved fragment of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein as a potential serological biomarker of CNS injury after cardiac arrest. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224633. [PMID: 31693684 PMCID: PMC6834260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood levels of Glial Fibrillary Acidic protein (GFAP) reflect processes associated with different types of CNS injury. Evidence suggests that GFAP is cleaved by caspases during CNS injury, hence positioning GFAP fragments as potential biomarkers of injury-associated processes. We set out to develop an assay detecting the neo-epitope generated by caspase-6 cleavage of GFAP (GFAP-C6), and to assess the ability of GFAP-C6 to reflect pathological processes in patients suffering a cardiac arrest and subsequent global cerebral ischemia. Anti-GFAP-C6 antibodies recognized their specific target sequence, and dilution and spike recoveries in serum were within limits of ±20% reflecting high precision and accuracy of measurements. Intra- and inter-assay CVs were below limits of 10% and 15%, respectively. Serological levels of GFAP-C6 were significantly elevated 72 hours after CA (Mean±SD) (20.39±10.59 ng/mL) compared to time of admission (17.79±10.77 ng/mL, p<0.0001), 24 hours (17.40±7.99 ng/mL, p<0.0001) and 48 hours (17.87±8.56 ng/mL, p<0.0001) after CA, but were not related to neurological outcome at day 180. GFAP-C6 levels at admission, 24, 48, and 72 hours after cardiac arrest correlated with two proteolytic fragments of tau, tau-A (r = 0.30, r = 0.40, r = 0.50, r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) and tau-C (r = 54, r = 0.48, r = 0.55, r = 0.54, p < 0.0001), respectively. GFAP-C6 levels did not correlate with other markers of CNS damage; total tau, NSE and S100B. In conclusion, we developed the first assay detecting a caspase-6 cleaved fragment of GFAP in blood. Increased levels at 72 hours after cardiac arrest as well as moderate correlations between GFAP-C6 and two other blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration suggest the ability of GFAP-C6 to reflect pathological processes of the injured brain. Investigations into the potential of GFAP-C6 in other types of CNS injury are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte S. Jonesco
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian Hassager
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Frydland
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper Kjærgaard
- Department of Cardiology B, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Karsdal
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Kim Henriksen
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
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20
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Espinosa-Oliva AM, García-Revilla J, Alonso-Bellido IM, Burguillos MA. Brainiac Caspases: Beyond the Wall of Apoptosis. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:500. [PMID: 31749689 PMCID: PMC6848387 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last two decades, caspases, a family of cysteine-aspartic proteases, have evolved from being considered solely as regulators of apoptosis or inflammation to having a wider range of functions. In this mini review, we focus on the most recent “non-apoptotic” roles of caspases in the CNS, particularly in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Non-apoptotic caspase functions in microglia have already been reviewed extensively elsewhere. Here we discuss the involvement of caspases in the activation of the inflammasome, autophagy, and non-apoptotic forms of cell death such as necroptosis and pyroptosis. Also, we review the involvement of caspases in synapses and the processing of aggregates key to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases. Likewise, we mention the recently described involvement of caspases in mitochondrial biogenesis, which is a function independent of the enzymatic activity. We conclude discussing the relevance that “new” functions of caspases have in the CNS and the future of this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana María Espinosa-Oliva
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan García-Revilla
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Isabel María Alonso-Bellido
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Burguillos
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Seville, Spain
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Kirici M, Nedzvetsky VS, Agca CA, Gasso VY. Sublethal doses of copper sulphate initiate deregulation of glial cytoskeleton, NF-kB and PARP expression in Capoeta umbla brain tissue. REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN BIOSYSTEMS 2019. [DOI: 10.15421/021916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4∙5H2O) is widely used as a pesticide not only in agricultural but in aquaculture farming as well. Copper sulphate is a cheap chemical and able to contaminate the environment, especially water sources, which is crucial for fish harvesting and farming. The copper contamination in some areas is caused over decades because this pesticide has long been used everywhere. Copper ions inhibit invasive aquatic plants and many microorganisms but contaminate soil and natural water resources. The family of copper-containing chemicals is frequently used as algaecides in swimming pools. Despite the high toxicity of copper ions for fish in freshwater ponds, copper sulphate remains one of the prevalent pesticides in fish farming everywhere. High cytotoxicity and accumulation of the copper ions in sediments require study and calculation of the optimal dosage for its use as an antiseptic agent which will not have a detrimental effect on various tissue types of aquatic organisms. The main recognized mechanism which accompanies the toxic effect of copper ions is the generation of oxidative stress. Neural tissue cells are extremely susceptible to oxidative damage and the functions of the CNS are critical to the vitality of organisms. Glial cells maintain the structure and many vital functions of neurons. The cytoskeleton glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), transcriptional nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) and Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) are critical participants in a cellular response to a toxic agent impact. As this takes place, it could be applied in biomarking of heavy metal toxicity. In the presented study, we investigated the effects of copper ions on PARP, NF-kB, and GFAP expression in the Tigris scraper Capoeta umbla brain tissue. For 96 hours the fish were exposed to copper sulphate at sublethal concentrations, namely 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of the LD50 value. Western blot analysis of GFAP and PARP was used to assess further effects in the brain tissue. Every studied dose of copper significantly downregulated the expression of GFAP after 72 hours of treatment. In spite of the common increment in the GFAP content, 48 hours exposure to copper initiated the upregulation of that cytoskeleton marker. Moreover, treatment with copper sulphate induced several changes in the β-actin level, especially in the fish group treated for 72 hours. The observed effect of copper in the fish brain evidences the unspecific toxic effect of the copper ions in the brain tissue cells. The obtained results demonstrated meaningful disturbance in the expression of transcriptional factor NF-kB in the brain of the fish group exposed to copper. The changes found in the fish brain indicate the dose-dependent effect in a concentration range 185–740 µg/L of copper sulphate during 72 hours. However, the exposure to low dose of copper ions showed no effect in the fish group treated for 24 hours. Comparative analyses of the PARP content in the brain of fish exposed to copper for 72 hours was significantly less than in the groups treated with copper for both 24 and 48 hours. Thus, the copper ions in the dose range 185–740 µg/L can suppress PARP expression in a time-dependent manner. The results showed that copper ions could induce astroglial response accompanied by modulations of NF-kB and PARP-1 expression. The data obtained in this study suggest that copper sulphate has a significant effect on astrogliosis and DNA damage in the fish brain.
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22
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Caspases orchestrate microglia instrumental functions. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 171:50-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Stopnicki B, Blain M, Cui QL, Kennedy TE, Antel JP, Healy LM, Darlington PJ. Helper CD4 T cells expressing granzyme B cause glial fibrillary acidic protein fragmentation in astrocytes in an MHCII-independent manner. Glia 2018; 67:582-593. [PMID: 30444064 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
During inflammatory processes of the central nervous system, helper T cells have the capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier and injure or kill neural cells through cytotoxic mechanisms. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament protein that is part of the astrocyte cytoskeleton that can become fragmented in neuroinflammatory conditions. The mechanism of action by which helper T cells with cytotoxic properties injure astrocytes is not completely understood. Primary human astrocytes were obtained from fetal brain tissue. Human helper (CD4+ ) T cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and activated with the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin E (SEE). Granzyme B was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and intracellular flow cytometry. GFAP fragmentation was monitored by western blotting. Cell death was monitored by lactic acid dehydrogenase release and terminal biotin-dUTP nick labeling (TUNEL). Astrocyte migration was monitored by scratch assay. Adult human oligodendrocytes were cultured with sublethally injured astrocytes to determine support function. Helper T cells activated with SEE expressed granzyme B but not perforin. Helper T cells released granzyme B upon contact with astrocytes and caused GFAP fragmentation in a caspase-dependent, MHCII-independent manner. Sublethally injured astrocytes were not apoptotic; however, their processes were thin and elongated, their migration was attenuated, and their ability to support oligodendrocytes was reduced in vitro. Helper T cells can release granzyme B causing sublethal injury to astrocytes, which compromises the supportive functions of astrocytes. Blocking these pathways may lead to improved resolution of neuroinflammatory lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Stopnicki
- Department of Exercise Science, Department of Biology, PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manon Blain
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Neuroimmunology Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Qiao-Ling Cui
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Neuroimmunology Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothy E Kennedy
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jack P Antel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Neuroimmunology Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Luke M Healy
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Neuroimmunology Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Peter J Darlington
- Department of Exercise Science, Department of Biology, PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Stevenson ME, Lensmire NA, Swain RA. Astrocytes and radial glia-like cells, but not neurons, display a nonapoptotic increase in caspase-3 expression following exercise. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01110. [PMID: 30240148 PMCID: PMC6192401 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exercise induces plasticity in the hippocampus, which includes increases in neurogenesis, the proliferation of new neurons, and angiogenesis, the sprouting of new capillaries from preexisting blood vessels. Following exercise, astrocytes also undergo morphological changes that parallel the events occurring in the neurovascular system. Interestingly, there have also been reports of apoptosis in the hippocampus following aerobic exercise. This experiment aimed to identify which population of hippocampal cells undergoes apoptosis after an acute bout of exercise. METHODS Cleaved caspase-3, a terminal protein in the apoptotic cascade, was initially used to identify apoptotic cells in the hippocampus after rats completed an acute bout of exercise. Next, the proportion of immature neurons, adult neurons, astrocytes, or radial glia-like cells expressing cleaved caspase-3 was quantified. TUNEL staining was completed as a second measure of apoptosis. RESULTS Following exercise, cleaved caspase-3 expression was increased in the CA1 and DG regions of the hippocampus. Cleaved caspase-3 was not highly expressed in neuronal populations, and expression was not increased in these cells postexercise. Instead, cleaved caspase-3 was predominantly expressed in astrocytes. Following exercise, there was an increased number of cleaved caspase-3 positive astrocytes in DG and CA1, and cleaved caspase-3 positive radial glia-like cells located in the subgranular zone. To determine whether cleaved caspase-3 expression in these glial cells was associated with apoptosis, a TUNEL assay was completed. TUNEL staining was negligible in all groups and did not mirror the pattern of caspase-3 labeling. CONCLUSIONS Cleaved caspase-3 expression was detected largely in non-neuronal cell populations, and the pattern of cleaved caspase-3 expression did not match that of TUNEL. This suggests that after exercise, cleaved caspase-3 expression may serve a nonapoptotic role in these hippocampal astrocytes and radial glia-like cells. It will be important to identify the function of exercise-induced cleaved caspase-3 expression in the future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole A. Lensmire
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MilwaukeeMilwaukeeWisconsin
| | - Rodney A. Swain
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MilwaukeeMilwaukeeWisconsin
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Neuronal Loss in the Developing Cerebral Cortex of Normal and Bax-Deficient Mice: Effects of Ethanol Exposure. Neuroscience 2018; 369:278-291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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26
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Yin R, Zhang C, Hou Y, Wang X. MicroRNA Let-7g and Atherosclerosis Plaque Stabilization. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.4236/wjcd.2017.72003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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27
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Jiang H, Wang X, Zhang H, Chang Y, Feng M, Wu S. Loss-of-function mutation of serine racemase attenuates excitotoxicity by intravitreal injection of N
-methyl-D-aspartate. J Neurochem 2015; 136:186-93. [PMID: 26485193 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Jiang
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Xianwei Wang
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - He Zhang
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Yuhua Chang
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Meiling Feng
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Shengzhou Wu
- School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and the Eye Hospital; Wenzhou Medical University; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base and Key Laboratory of Vision Science; Ministry of Health and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Optometry; Wenzhou Zhejiang China
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Saha P, Biswas SC. Amyloid-β induced astrocytosis and astrocyte death: Implication of FoxO3a-Bim-caspase3 death signaling. Mol Cell Neurosci 2015; 68:203-11. [PMID: 26260111 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, the main element of the homeostatic system in the brain, are affected in various neurological conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD). A common astrocytic reaction in pathological state is known as astrocytosis which is characterized by a specific change in astrocyte shape due to cytoskeletal remodeling, cytokine secretion and cellular proliferation. Astrocytes also undergo apoptosis in various neurological conditions or in response to toxic insults. AD is pathologically characterized by progressive deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) in senile plaques, intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic dysfunction and neuron death. Astrocytosis and astrocyte death have been reported in AD brain as well as in response to Aβ in vitro. However, how astrocytes undergo both proliferation and death in response to Aβ remains elusive. In this study, we used primary cultures of cortical astrocytes and exposed them to various doses of oligomeric Aβ. We found that cultured astrocytes proliferate and manifest all signs of astrocytosis at a low dose of Aβ. However, at high dose of Aβ the activated astrocytes undergo apoptosis. Astrocytosis was also noticed in vivo in response to Aβ in the rat brain. Next, we investigated the mechanism of astrocyte apoptosis in response to a high dose of Aβ. We found that death of astrocyte induced by Aβ requires a set of molecules that are instrumental for neuron death in response to Aβ. It involves activation of Forkhead transcription factor Foxo3a, induction of its pro-apoptotic target Bim and activation of its downstream molecule, caspase3. Hence, this study demonstrates that the concentration of Aβ decides whether astrocytes do proliferate or undergo apoptosis via a mechanism that is required for neuron death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pampa Saha
- Cell Biology and Physiology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Subhas Chandra Biswas
- Cell Biology and Physiology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700 032, India.
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Continuous neurodegeneration and death pathway activation in neurons and glia in an experimental model of severe chronic epilepsy. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 83:54-66. [PMID: 26264964 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether seizures might determine the activation of cell death pathways and what could be the relevance of seizure-induced cell death in epilepsy are still highly debated issues. We recently developed an experimental model of acquired focal cortical dysplasia (the MAM-pilocarpine or MP rat) in which the occurrence of status epilepticus--SE--and subsequent seizures induced progressive cellular/molecular abnormalities and neocortical/hippocampal atrophy. Here, we exploited the same model to verify when, where, and how cell death occurred in neurons and glia during epilepsy course. We analyzed Fluoro Jade (FJ) staining and the activation of c-Jun- and caspase-3-dependent pathways during epilepsy, from few hours post-SE up to six months of spontaneous recurrent seizures. FJ staining revealed that cell injury in MP rats was not temporally restricted to SE, but extended throughout the different epileptic stages. The region-specific pattern of FJ staining changed during epilepsy, and FJ(+) neurons became more prominent in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal CA at chronic epilepsy stages. Phospho-c-Jun- and caspase-3-dependent pathways were selectively activated respectively in neurons and glia, at early but even more conspicuously at late chronic stages. Phospho-c-Jun activation was associated with increased cytochrome-c staining, particularly at chronic stages, and the staining pattern of cytochrome-c was suggestive of its release from the mitochondria. Taken together, these data support the content that at least in the MP rat model the recurrence of seizures can also sustain cell death mechanisms, thus continuously contributing to the pathologic process triggered by the occurrence of SE.
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Sarvothaman S, Undi RB, Pasupuleti SR, Gutti U, Gutti RK. Apoptosis: role in myeloid cell development. Blood Res 2015; 50:73-9. [PMID: 26157776 PMCID: PMC4486162 DOI: 10.5045/br.2015.50.2.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematopoiesis is the process that generates blood cells in an organism from the pluripotent stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells are characterized by their ability to undergo self-renewal and differentiation. The self-renewing ability ensures that these pluripotent cells are not depleted from the bone marrow niche. A proper balance between cell death and cell survival is necessary to maintain a homeostatic condition, hence, apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an essential step in hematopoiesis. Recent studies, however, have introduced a new aspect to this process, citing the significance of the apoptosis mediator, caspase, in cell development and differentiation. Extensive research has been carried out to study the possible role of caspases and other apoptosis related factors in the developmental processes. This review focuses on the various apoptotic factors involved in the development and differentiation of myeloid lineage cells: erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, and macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpa Sarvothaman
- Stem Cells and Haematological Disorders Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Ram Babu Undi
- Stem Cells and Haematological Disorders Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Satya Ratan Pasupuleti
- Stem Cells and Haematological Disorders Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Usha Gutti
- Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Science, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Ravi Kumar Gutti
- Stem Cells and Haematological Disorders Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
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31
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Petzold A. Glial fibrillary acidic protein is a body fluid biomarker for glial pathology in human disease. Brain Res 2015; 1600:17-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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32
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Castro-Torres RD, Chaparro-Huerta V, Flores-Soto ME, Jave-Suárez L, Camins A, Armendáriz-Borunda J, Beas-Zárate C, Mena-Munguía S. Pirfenidone Attenuates Microglial Reactivity and Reduces Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase mRNA Expression After Kainic Acid-Mediated Excitotoxicity in Pubescent Rat Hippocampus. J Mol Neurosci 2015; 56:245-54. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-015-0509-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Yahya SMM, Elsayed GH. A summary for molecular regulations of miRNAs in breast cancer. Clin Biochem 2014; 48:388-96. [PMID: 25541018 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are naturally-occurring, non-coding small RNA molecules that can modulate protein coding-genes, which makes it contributing to nearly all the physiological and pathological processes. Progression of breast cancer and resistance to endocrine therapies have been attributed to the possibility of hormone-responsive miRNAs involved in the regulation of certain signaling pathways. METHODOLOGY This review introduces better understanding of miRNAs to provide promising advances for treatment. miRNAs have multiple targets, and they were found to regulate different signaling pathways; consequently it is important to characterize their mechanisms of action and their cellular targets in order to introduce miRNAs as novel and promising therapies. RESULTS This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in TGF-beta signaling, apoptosis, metastasis, cell cycle, ER-signaling, and drug resistance. CONCLUSION Finally, miRNAs will be introduced as promising molecules to be used in the fight against breast cancer and its developed drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaymaa M M Yahya
- Hormones Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ghada H Elsayed
- Hormones Department, Medical Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
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Increased levels and activity of cathepsins B and D in kainate-induced toxicity. Neuroscience 2014; 284:360-373. [PMID: 25307300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Revised: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Administration of kainic acid induces acute seizures that result in the loss of neurons, gliosis and reorganization of mossy fiber pathways in the hippocampus resembling those observed in human temporal lobe epilepsy. Although these structural changes have been well characterized, the mechanisms underlying the degeneration of neurons following administration of kainic acid remain unclear. Since the lysosomal enzymes, cathepsins B and D, are known to be involved in the loss of neurons and clearance of degenerative materials in a variety of experimental conditions, we evaluated their potential roles in kainic acid-treated rats. In parallel, we also measured the levels and expression of insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose 6-phosphate (IGF-II/M6P) receptors, which mediate the intracellular trafficking of these enzymes, in kainic acid-treated rats. Our results showed that systemic administration of kainic acid evoked severe loss of neurons along with hypertrophy of astrocytes and microglia in the hippocampus of the adult rat brain. The levels and activity of cathepsins B and D increased with time in the hippocampus of kainic acid-treated rats compared to the saline-injected control animals. The expression of both cathepsins B and D, as evident by immunolabeling studies, was also markedly increased in activated astrocytes and microglia of the kainic acid-treated rats. Additionally, cytosolic levels of the cathepsins were enhanced along with cytochrome c and to some extent Bax in the hippocampus in kainic acid-treated rats. These changes were accompanied by appearance of cleaved caspase-3-positive neurons in the hippocampus of kainic acid-treated animals. The levels of IGF-II/M6P receptors, on the other hand, were not significantly altered, but these receptors were found to be present in a subset of reactive astrocytes following administration of kainic acid. These results, taken together, suggest that enhanced levels/expression and activity of lysosomal enzymes may have a role in the loss of neurons and/or clearance of degenerative materials observed in kainic acid-treated rats.
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Tong J, Fitzmaurice P, Furukawa Y, Schmunk GA, Wickham DJ, Ang LC, Sherwin A, McCluskey T, Boileau I, Kish SJ. Is brain gliosis a characteristic of chronic methamphetamine use in the human? Neurobiol Dis 2014; 67:107-18. [PMID: 24704312 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2014.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal data show that high doses of the stimulant drug methamphetamine can damage brain dopamine neurones; however, it is still uncertain whether methamphetamine, at any dose, is neurotoxic to human brain. Since gliosis is typically associated with brain damage and is observed in animal models of methamphetamine exposure, we measured protein levels (intact protein and fragments, if any) of markers of microgliosis (glucose transporter-5, human leukocyte antigens HLA-DRα [TAL.1B5] and HLA-DR/DQ/DPβ [CR3/43]) and astrogliosis (glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, and heat shock protein-27) in homogenates of autopsied brain of chronic methamphetamine users (n=20) and matched controls (n=23). Intact protein levels of all markers were, as expected, elevated (+28%-1270%, P<0.05) in putamen of patients with the neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy (as a positive control) as were concentrations of fragments of glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin and heat shock protein-27 (+170%-4700%, P<0.005). In contrast, intact protein concentrations of the markers were normal in dopamine-rich striatum (caudate, putamen) and in the frontal cortex of the drug users. However, striatal levels of cleaved vimentin and heat shock protein-27 were increased (by 98%-211%, P<0.05), with positive correlations (r=0.41-0.60) observed between concentrations of truncated heat shock protein-27 and extent of dopamine loss (P=0.006) and levels of lipid peroxidation products 4-hydroxynonenal (P=0.046) and malondialdehyde (P=0.11). Our failure to detect increased intact protein levels of commonly used markers of microgliosis and astrogliosis could be explained by exposure to methamphetamine insufficient to cause a toxic process associated with overt gliosis; however, about half of the subjects had died of drug intoxication suggesting that "high" drug doses might have been used. Alternatively, drug tolerance to toxic effects might have occurred in the subjects, who were all chronic methamphetamine users. Nevertheless, the finding of above-normal levels of striatal vimentin and heat shock protein-27 fragments (which constituted 10-28% of the intact protein), for which changes in the latter correlated with those of several markers possibly suggestive of damage, does suggest that some astrocytic "disturbance" had occurred, which might in principle be related to methamphetamine neurotoxicity or to a neuroplastic remodeling process. Taken together, our neurochemical findings do not provide strong evidence for either marked microgliosis or astrogliosis in at least a subgroup of human recreational methamphetamine users who used the drug chronically and shortly before death. However, a logistically more difficult quantitative histopathological study is needed to confirm whether glial changes occur or do not occur in brain of human methamphetamine (and amphetamine) users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchao Tong
- Human Brain Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Addiction Imaging Research Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Paul Fitzmaurice
- ESR Institute of Environmental Science & Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yoshiaki Furukawa
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, University & Postgraduate University of Juntendo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Lee-Cyn Ang
- Division of Neuropathology, London Health Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Allan Sherwin
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tina McCluskey
- Human Brain Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabelle Boileau
- Addiction Imaging Research Group, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen J Kish
- Human Brain Laboratory, Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Caspase 3 involves in neuroplasticity, microglial activation and neurogenesis in the mice hippocampus after intracerebral injection of kainic acid. J Biomed Sci 2013; 20:90. [PMID: 24313976 PMCID: PMC4028745 DOI: 10.1186/1423-0127-20-90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The roles of caspase 3 on the kainic acid-mediated neurodegeneration, dendritic plasticity alteration, neurogenesis, microglial activation and gliosis are not fully understood. Here, we investigate hippocampal changes using a mouse model that receive a single kainic acid-intracerebral ventricle injection. The effects of caspase 3 inhibition on these changes were detected during a period of 1 to 7 days post kainic acid injection. RESULT Neurodegeneration was assessed by Fluoro-Jade B staining and neuronal nuclei protein (NeuN) immunostaining. Neurogenesis, gliosis, neuritic plasticity alteration and caspase 3 activation were examined using immunohistochemistry. Dendritic plasticity, cleavvage-dependent activation of calcineurin A and glial fibrillary acidic protein cleavage were analyzed by immunoblotting. We found that kainic acid not only induced neurodegeneration but also arouse several caspase 3-mediated molecular and cellular changes including dendritic plasticity, neurogenesis, and gliosis. The acute caspase 3 activation occurred in pyramidal neurons as well as in hilar interneurons. The delayed caspase 3 activation occurred in astrocytes. The co-injection of caspase 3 inhibitor did not rescue kainic acid-mediated neurodegeneration but seriously and reversibly disturb the structural integrity of axon and dendrite. The kainic acid-induced events include microglia activation, the proliferation of radial glial cells, neurogenesis, and calcineurin A cleavage were significantly inhibited by the co-injection of caspase 3 inhibitor, suggesting the direct involvement of caspase 3 in these events. Alternatively, the kainic acid-mediated astrogliosis is not caspase 3-dependent, although caspase 3 cleavage of glial fibrillary acidic protein occurred. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide the first direct evidence of a causal role of caspase 3 activation in the cellular changes during kainic acid-mediated excitotoxicity. These findings may highlight novel pharmacological strategies to arrest disease progression and control seizures that are refractory to classical anticonvulsant treatment.
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Battaglia G, Colciaghi F, Finardi A, Nobili P. Intrinsic epileptogenicity of dysplastic cortex: converging data from experimental models and human patients. Epilepsia 2013; 54 Suppl 6:33-6. [PMID: 24001068 DOI: 10.1111/epi.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a brain malformation associated with particularly severe drug-resistant epilepsy that often requires surgery for seizure control. The molecular basis for such enhanced propensity to seizure generation in FCD is not as yet elucidated. To investigate cellular and molecular bases of epileptogenic mechanisms and possible effect of severe epilepsy on the malformed cortex we have here performed a parallel analysis of a rat model of acquired cortical dysplasia previously established in our laboratory, i.e., the methylazoxymethanol/pilocarpine (MAM-PILO) rats, and surgical samples from patients with type IIB FCD. Data from the MAM-PILO rat model and human FCD samples reveal in both conditions: (1) that status epilepticus (SE) and/or seizures can further modify the cellular and molecular settings of the malformed cortex; (2) excitation/inhibition imbalance, and dysregulation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate/ membrane-associated guanylate kinase (NMDA/MAGUK) expression; (3) activation of cell death in neurons and glia. The data therefore highlight the mechanistic relevance of glutamate/NMDA hyperactivation in FCD epileptogenesis and suggest that epilepsy is a pathologic process capable of affecting structure and function of both neurons and glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Battaglia
- Molecular Neuroanatomy and Pathogenesis Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Via Libero Temolo 4, Milan, Italy.
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Hsa-let-7g miRNA targets caspase-3 and inhibits the apoptosis induced by ox-LDL in endothelial cells. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:22708-20. [PMID: 24252910 PMCID: PMC3856086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms141122708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been well confirmed ox-LDL plays key roles in the development of atherosclerosis via binding to LOX-1 and inducing apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. Recent studies have shown ox-LDL can suppress microRNA has-let-7g, which in turn inhibits the ox-LDL induced apoptosis. However, details need to be uncovered. To determine the anti-atherosclerosis effect of microRNA has-let-7g, and to evaluate the possibility of CASP3 as an anti-atherosclerotic drug target by has-let-7g, the present study determined the role of hsa-let-7g miRNA in ox-LDL induced apoptosis in the vascular endothelial cells. We found that miRNA has-let-7g was suppressed during the ox-LDL-induced apoptosis in EAhy926 endothelial cells. In addition, overexpression of has-let-7g negatively regulated apoptosis in the endothelial cells by targeting caspase-3 expression. Therefore, miRNA let-7g may play important role in endothelial apoptosis and atherosclerosis.
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Romero J, Muñiz J, Logica Tornatore T, Holubiec M, González J, Barreto GE, Guelman L, Lillig CH, Blanco E, Capani F. Dual role of astrocytes in perinatal asphyxia injury and neuroprotection. Neurosci Lett 2013; 565:42-6. [PMID: 24172702 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal asphyxia represents an important cause of severe neurological deficits including delayed mental and motor development, epilepsy, major cognitive deficits and blindness. However, at the moment, most of the therapeutic strategies were not well targeted toward the processes that induced the brain injury during perinatal asphyxia. Traditionally, experimental research focused on neurons, whereas astrocytes have been more related with the damage mechanisms of perinatal asphyxia. In this work, we propose to review possible protective as well as deleterious roles of astrocytes in the asphyctic brain with the aim to stimulate further research in this area of perinatal asphyxia still not well studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Romero
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J Muñiz
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - T Logica Tornatore
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Holubiec
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J González
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - G E Barreto
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia
| | - L Guelman
- Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina-UBA and CEFYBO-UBA-CONICET, Argentina
| | - C H Lillig
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Universitätsmedizin Greifswald Ernst-Moritz Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Germany
| | - E Blanco
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, 29071 Málaga, Spain; Departament de Pedagogia i Psicologia, Facultat de Ciències de l'Educació, Universitat de Lleida. Av. de l'Estudi General, 4, 25001, Lleida, Spain
| | - F Capani
- Laboratorio de Citoarquitectura y Plasticidad Neuronal, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas "Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini" (ININCA), UBA-CONICET, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270, C1122AAJ, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Biología Universidad Argentina John F Kennedy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Lin YF, Lai TC, Chang CK, Chen CL, Huang MS, Yang CJ, Liu HG, Dong JJ, Chou YA, Teng KH, Chen SH, Tian WT, Jan YH, Hsiao M, Liang PH. Targeting the XIAP/caspase-7 complex selectively kills caspase-3-deficient malignancies. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:3861-75. [PMID: 23979166 DOI: 10.1172/jci67951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspase-3 downregulation (CASP3/DR) in tumors frequently confers resistance to cancer therapy and is significantly correlated with a poor prognosis in cancer patients. Because CASP3/DR cancer cells rely heavily on the activity of caspase-7 (CASP7) to initiate apoptosis, inhibition of activated CASP7 (p19/p12-CASP7) by X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a potential mechanism by which apoptosis is prevented in those cancer cells. Here, we identify the pocket surrounding the Cys246 residue of p19/p12-CASP7 as a target for the development of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitor of the XIAP:p19/p12-CASP7 complex. Interrupting this PPI directly triggered CASP7-dependent apoptotic signaling that bypassed the activation of the apical caspases and selectively killed CASP3/DR malignancies in vitro and in vivo without adverse side effects in nontumor cells. Importantly, CASP3/DR combined with p19/p12-CASP7 accumulation correlated with the aggressive evolution of clinical malignancies and a poor prognosis in cancer patients. Moreover, targeting of this PPI effectively killed cancer cells with multidrug resistance due to microRNA let-7a-1-mediated CASP3/DR and resensitized cancer cells to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. These findings not only provide an opportunity to treat CASP3/DR malignancies by targeting the XIAP:p19/p12-CASP7 complex, but also elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying CASP3/DR in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Feng Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Singh J, Khan M, Pujol A, Baarine M, Singh I. Histone deacetylase inhibitor upregulates peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation and inhibits apoptotic cell death in abcd1-deficient glial cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70712. [PMID: 23923017 PMCID: PMC3724778 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In X-ALD, mutation/deletion of ALD gene (ABCD1) and the resultant very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) derangement has dramatically opposing effects in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. While loss of Abcd1 in astrocytes produces a robust inflammatory response, the oligodendrocytes undergo cell death leading to demyelination in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The mechanisms of these distinct pathways in the two cell types are not well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of Abcd1-knockdown and the subsequent alteration in VLCFA metabolism in human U87 astrocytes and rat B12 oligodendrocytes. Loss of Abcd1 inhibited peroxisomal β-oxidation activity and increased expression of VLCFA synthesizing enzymes, elongase of very long chain fatty acids (ELOVLs) (1 and 3) in both cell types. However, higher induction of ELOVL's in Abcd1-deficient B12 oligodendrocytes than astrocytes suggests that ELOVL pathway may play a prominent role in oligodendrocytes in X-ALD. While astrocytes are able to maintain the cellular homeostasis of anti-apoptotic proteins, Abcd1-deletion in B12 oligodendrocytes downregulated the anti-apototic (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and cell survival (phospho-Erk1/2) proteins, and upregulated the pro-apoptotic proteins (Bad, Bim, Bax and Bid) leading to cell loss. These observations provide insights into different cellular signaling mechanisms in response to Abcd1-deletion in two different cell types of CNS. The apoptotic responses were accompanied by activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 suggesting the involvement of mitochondrial-caspase-9-dependent mechanism in Abcd1-deficient oligodendrocytes. Treatment with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) corrected the VLCFA derangement both in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited the oligodendrocytes loss. These observations provide a proof-of principle that HDAC inhibitor SAHA may have a therapeutic potential for X-ALD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaspreet Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mushfiquddin Khan
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Aurora Pujol
- Neurometabolic Diseases Laboratory, Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mauhamad Baarine
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Inderjit Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Darby Children Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Guyenet SJ, Nguyen HT, Hwang BH, Schwartz MW, Baskin DG, Thaler JP. High-fat diet feeding causes rapid, non-apoptotic cleavage of caspase-3 in astrocytes. Brain Res 2013; 1512:97-105. [PMID: 23548599 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Revised: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes respond to multiple forms of central nervous system (CNS) injury by entering a reactive state characterized by morphological changes and a specific pattern of altered protein expression. Termed astrogliosis, this response has been shown to strongly influence the injury response and functional recovery of CNS tissues. This pattern of CNS inflammation and injury associated with astrogliosis has recently been found to occur in the energy homeostasis centers of the hypothalamus during diet-induced obesity (DIO) in rodent models, but the characterization of the astrocyte response remains incomplete. Here, we report that astrocytes in the mediobasal hypothalamus respond robustly and rapidly to purified high-fat diet (HFD) feeding by cleaving caspase-3, a protease whose cleavage is often associated with apoptosis. Although obesity develops in HFD-fed rats by day 14, caspase-3 cleavage occurs by day 3, prior to the development of obesity, suggesting the possibility that it could play a causal role in the hypothalamic neuropathology and fat gain observed in DIO. Caspase-3 cleavage is not associated with an increase in the rate of apoptosis, as determined by TUNEL staining, suggesting it plays a non-apoptotic role analogous to the response to excitotoxic neuron injury. Our results indicate that astrocytes in the mediobasal hypothalamus respond rapidly and robustly to HFD feeding, activating caspase-3 in the absence of apoptosis, a process that has the potential to influence the course of DIO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan J Guyenet
- Department of Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Diabetes and Obesity Center of Excellence, University of Washington, UW Medicine at South Lake Union, 850 Republican Street, Box 358055, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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Loureiro SO, Heimfarth L, Scherer EB, da Cunha MJ, de Lima BO, Biasibetti H, Pessoa-Pureur R, Wyse AT. Cytoskeleton of cortical astrocytes as a target to proline through oxidative stress mechanisms. Exp Cell Res 2013; 319:89-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Brehmer F, Bendix I, Prager S, van de Looij Y, Reinboth BS, Zimmermanns J, Schlager GW, Brait D, Sifringer M, Endesfelder S, Sizonenko S, Mallard C, Bührer C, Felderhoff-Mueser U, Gerstner B. Interaction of inflammation and hyperoxia in a rat model of neonatal white matter damage. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49023. [PMID: 23155446 PMCID: PMC3498343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine infection and inflammation are major reasons for preterm birth. The switch from placenta-mediated to lung-mediated oxygen supply during birth is associated with a sudden rise of tissue oxygen tension that amounts to relative hyperoxia in preterm infants. Both infection/inflammation and hyperoxia have been shown to be involved in brain injury of preterm infants. Hypothesizing that they might be additive or synergistic, we investigated the influence of a systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) application on hyperoxia-induced white matter damage (WMD) in newborn rats. Three-day-old Wistar rat pups received 0.25 mg/kg LPS i.p. and were subjected to 80% oxygen on P6 for 24 h. The extent of WMD was assessed by immunohistochemistry, western blots, and diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, the effects of LPS and hyperoxia were studied in an in vitro co-culture system of primary rat oligodendrocytes and microglia cells. Both noxious stimuli, hyperoxia, and LPS caused hypomyelination as revealed by western blot, immunohistochemistry, and altered WM microstructure on DT-MRI. Even so, cellular changes resulting in hypomyelination seem to be different. While hyperoxia induces cell death, LPS induces oligodendrocyte maturity arrest without cell death as revealed by TUNEL-staining and immunohistological maturation analysis. In the two-hit scenario cell death is reduced compared with hyperoxia treated animals, nevertheless white matter alterations persist. Concordantly with these in vivo findings we demonstrate that LPS pre-incubation reduced premyelinating-oligodendrocyte susceptibility towards hyperoxia in vitro. This protective effect might be caused by upregulation of interleukin-10 and superoxide dismutase expression after LPS stimulation. Reduced expression of transcription factors controlling oligodendrocyte development and maturation further indicates oligodendrocyte maturity arrest. The knowledge about mechanisms that triggered hypomyelination contributes to a better understanding of WMD in premature born infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Brehmer
- Department of Neonatology, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany.
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Aras R, Barron AM, Pike CJ. Caspase activation contributes to astrogliosis. Brain Res 2012; 1450:102-15. [PMID: 22436850 PMCID: PMC3319728 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.02.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2011] [Revised: 01/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, are widely activated in neurons and glia in the injured brain, a response thought to induce apoptosis. However, caspase activation in astrocytes following injury is not strongly associated with apoptosis. The present study investigates the potential role of caspase activation in astrocytes with another characteristic response to neural injury, astrogliosis. Caspase activity and morphological and biochemical indices of astrogliosis and apoptosis were assessed in (i) cultured neonatal rat astrocytes treated with astrogliosis-inducing stimuli (dibutryl cAMP, β-amyloid peptide), and (ii) cultures of adult rat hippocampal astrocytes generated from control and kainate-lesioned rats. The effects of broad spectrum and specific pharmacological caspase inhibitors were assessed on indicators of astrogliosis, including stellate morphology and expression of glutamine synthetase and fibroblast growth factor-2. Reactive neonatal and adult astrocytes demonstrated an increase in total caspase activity with a corresponding increase in the expression of active caspase-3 in the absence of cell death. Broad spectrum caspase inhibition with zVAD significantly attenuated increases in glutamine synthetase and fibroblast growth factor-2 in the reactive astrocytes. In the reactive neonatal astrocyte cultures, specific inhibition of caspases-3 and -11 also attenuated glutamine synthetase and fibroblast growth factor-2 expression, but did not reverse the morphological reactive phenotype. Astrogliosis is observed in all forms of brain injury and despite extensive study, its molecular triggers remain largely unknown. While previous studies have demonstrated active caspases in astrocytes following acute brain injury, here we present evidence functionally implicating the caspases in astrogliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radha Aras
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Anna M. Barron
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Christian J. Pike
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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Lööv C, Hillered L, Ebendal T, Erlandsson A. Engulfing astrocytes protect neurons from contact-induced apoptosis following injury. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33090. [PMID: 22461890 PMCID: PMC3312890 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clearing of dead cells is a fundamental process to limit tissue damage following brain injury. Engulfment has classically been believed to be performed by professional phagocytes, but recent data show that non-professional phagocytes are highly involved in the removal of cell corpses in various situations. The role of astrocytes in cell clearance following trauma has however not been studied in detail. We have found that astrocytes actively collect and engulf whole dead cells in an in vitro model of brain injury and thereby protect healthy neurons from bystander cell death. Time-lapse experiments showed that migrating neurons that come in contact with free-floating cell corpses induced apoptosis, while neurons that migrate through groups of dead cells, garnered by astrocytes, remain unaffected. Furthermore, apoptotic cells are present within astrocytes in the mouse brain following traumatic brain injury (TBI), indicating a possible role for astrocytes in engulfment of apoptotic cells in vivo. qRT-PCR analysis showed that members of both ced pathways and Megf8 are expressed in the cell culture, indicating their possible involvement in astrocytic engulfment. Moreover, addition of dead cells had a positive effect on the protein expression of MEGF10, an ortholog to CED1, known to initiate phagocytosis by binding to phosphatidylserine. Although cultured astrocytes have an immense capacity for engulfment, seemingly without adverse effects, the ingested material is stored rather than degraded. This finding might explain the multinuclear astrocytes that are found at the lesion site in patients with various brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Erlandsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Penas C, Font-Nieves M, Forés J, Petegnief V, Planas A, Navarro X, Casas C. Autophagy, and BiP level decrease are early key events in retrograde degeneration of motoneurons. Cell Death Differ 2011; 18:1617-27. [PMID: 21436843 PMCID: PMC3172115 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2011.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Disconnection of the axon from the soma of spinal motoneurons (MNs) leads either to a retrograde degenerative process or to a regenerative reaction, depending on the severity and the proximity to the soma of the axonal lesion. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a continuous membranous network that extends from the nucleus to the entire cytoplasm of the neuronal soma, axon and dendrites. We investigated whether axonal injury is sensed by the ER and triggers the activation of protective mechanisms, such as the unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy. We found early (at 3 days) accumulation of beclin1, LC3II and Lamp-1, hallmarks of autophagy, in both degenerating MNs after spinal root avulsion and in non-degenerating MNs after distal nerve section, although Lamp-1 disappeared by 5 days only in the former. In contrast, only degenerating MNs presented early activation of IRE1α, revealed by an increase of the spliced isoform of Xbp1 and accumulation of ATF4 in their nucleus, two branches of the UPR, and late BiP downregulation in association with cytoskeletal and organelle disorganization. We conclude that BiP decrease is a signature of the degenerating process, as its overexpression led to an increase in MN survival after root avulsion. Besides, Bcl2 is strongly implicated in the survival pathway activated by BiP overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Penas
- Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration, Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - M Font-Nieves
- Department of Brain Ischemia and Neurodegeneration, Institute for Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Forés
- Hand and Peripheral Nerve Unit, Hospital Clínic i Provincial, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - V Petegnief
- Department of Brain Ischemia and Neurodegeneration, Institute for Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Planas
- Department of Brain Ischemia and Neurodegeneration, Institute for Biomedical Research of Barcelona (IIBB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - X Navarro
- Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration, Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - C Casas
- Group of Neuroplasticity and Regeneration, Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
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48
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Abstract
Activation of microglia and inflammation-mediated neurotoxicity are suggested to have key roles in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. We recently published an article in Nature revealing an unexpected role for executioner caspases in the microglia activation process. We showed that caspases 8 and 3/7, commonly known to have executioner roles for apoptosis, can promote microglia activation in the absence of death. We found these caspases to be activated in microglia of PD and AD subjects. Inhibition of this signaling pathway hindered microglia activation and importantly reduced neurotoxicity in cell and animal models of disease. Here we review evidence suggesting that microglia can have a key role in the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss possible underlying mechanisms regulating their activation and neurotoxic effect. We focus on the provocative hypothesis that caspase inhibition can be neuroprotective by targeting the microglia rather than the neurons themselves.
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49
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Glucocorticoid regulation of astrocytic fate and function. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22419. [PMID: 21811605 PMCID: PMC3141054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial loss in the hippocampus has been suggested as a factor in the pathogenesis of stress-related brain disorders that are characterized by dysregulated glucocorticoid (GC) secretion. However, little is known about the regulation of astrocytic fate by GC. Here, we show that astrocytes derived from the rat hippocampus undergo growth inhibition and display moderate activation of caspase 3 after exposure to GC. Importantly, the latter event, observed both in situ and in primary astrocytic cultures is not followed by either early- or late-stage apoptosis, as monitored by stage I or stage II DNA fragmentation. Thus, unlike hippocampal granule neurons, astrocytes are resistant to GC-induced apoptosis; this resistance is due to lower production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a greater buffering capacity against the cytotoxic actions of ROS. We also show that GC influence hippocampal cell fate by inducing the expression of astrocyte-derived growth factors implicated in the control of neural precursor cell proliferation. Together, our results suggest that GC instigate a hitherto unknown dialog between astrocytes and neural progenitors, adding a new facet to understanding how GC influence the cytoarchitecture of the hippocampus.
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50
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Foran E, Bogush A, Goffredo M, Roncaglia P, Gustincich S, Pasinelli P, Trotti D. Motor neuron impairment mediated by a sumoylated fragment of the glial glutamate transporter EAAT2. Glia 2011; 59:1719-31. [PMID: 21769946 DOI: 10.1002/glia.21218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of glutamate handling ensuing downregulation of expression and activity levels of the astroglial glutamate transporter EAAT2 is implicated in excitotoxic degeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We previously reported that EAAT2 (a.k.a. GLT-1) is cleaved by caspase-3 at its cytosolic carboxy-terminus domain. This cleavage results in impaired glutamate transport activity and generates a proteolytic fragment (CTE) that we found to be post-translationally conjugated by SUMO1. We show here that this sumoylated CTE fragment accumulates in the nucleus of spinal cord astrocytes of the SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS at symptomatic stages of disease. Astrocytic expression of CTE, artificially tagged with SUMO1 (CTE-SUMO1) to mimic the native sumoylated fragment, recapitulates the nuclear accumulation pattern of the endogenous EAAT2-derived proteolytic fragment. Moreover, in a co-culture binary system, expression of CTE-SUMO1 in spinal cord astrocytes initiates extrinsic toxicity by inducing caspase-3 activation in motor neuron-derived NSC-34 cells or axonal growth impairment in primary motor neurons. Interestingly, prolonged nuclear accumulation of CTE-SUMO1 is intrinsically toxic to spinal cord astrocytes, although this gliotoxic effect of CTE-SUMO1 occurs later than the indirect, noncell autonomous toxic effect on motor neurons. As more evidence on the implication of SUMO substrates in neurodegenerative diseases emerges, our observations strongly suggest that the nuclear accumulation in spinal cord astrocytes of a sumoylated proteolytic fragment of the astroglial glutamate transporter EAAT2 could participate to the pathogenesis of ALS and suggest a novel, unconventional role for EAAT2 in motor neuron degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Foran
- Weinberg Unit for ALS Research, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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