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Prakash N. Developmental pathways linked to the vulnerability of adult midbrain dopaminergic neurons to neurodegeneration. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1071731. [PMID: 36618829 PMCID: PMC9815185 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1071731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The degeneration of dopaminergic and other neurons in the aging brain is considered a process starting well beyond the infantile and juvenile period. In contrast to other dopamine-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and drug addiction, typically diagnosed during adolescence or young adulthood and, thus, thought to be rooted in the developing brain, Parkinson's Disease (PD) is rarely viewed as such. However, evidences have accumulated suggesting that several factors might contribute to an increased vulnerability to death of the dopaminergic neurons at an already very early (developmental) phase in life. Despite the remarkable ability of the brain to compensate such dopamine deficits, the early loss or dysfunction of these neurons might predispose an individual to suffer from PD because the critical threshold of dopamine function will be reached much earlier in life, even if the time-course and strength of naturally occurring and age-dependent dopaminergic cell death is not markedly altered in this individual. Several signaling and transcriptional pathways required for the proper embryonic development of the midbrain dopaminergic neurons, which are the most affected in PD, either continue to be active in the adult mammalian midbrain or are reactivated at the transition to adulthood and under neurotoxic conditions. The persistent activity of these pathways often has neuroprotective functions in adult midbrain dopaminergic neurons, whereas the reactivation of silenced pathways under pathological conditions can promote the survival and even regeneration of these neurons in the lesioned or aging brain. This article summarizes our current knowledge about signaling and transcription factors involved in midbrain dopaminergic neuron development, whose reduced gene dosage or signaling activity are implicated in a lower survival rate of these neurons in the postnatal or aging brain. It also discusses the evidences supporting the neuroprotection of the midbrain dopaminergic system after the external supply or ectopic expression of some of these secreted and nuclear factors in the adult and aging brain. Altogether, the timely monitoring and/or correction of these signaling and transcriptional pathways might be a promising approach to a much earlier diagnosis and/or prevention of PD.
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2
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Cui W, Gao N, Dong Z, Shen C, Zhang H, Luo B, Chen P, Comoletti D, Jing H, Wang H, Robinson H, Xiong WC, Mei L. In trans neuregulin3-Caspr3 interaction controls DA axonal bassoon cluster development. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3330-3342.e7. [PMID: 34143959 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) transmission is critical to motivation, movement, and emotion. Unlike glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses, the development of DA synapses is less understood. We show that bassoon (BSN) clusters along DA axons in the core of nucleus accumbens (NAcc) were increased in neonatal stages and reduced afterward, suggesting DA synapse elimination. Remarkably, DA neuron-specific ablating neuregulin 3 (NRG3), a protein whose levels correlate with BSN clusters, increased the clusters and impaired DA release and behaviors related to DA transmission. An unbiased screen of transmembrane proteins with the extracellular domain (ECD) of NRG3 identified Caspr3 (contactin associate-like protein 3) as a binding partner. Caspr3 was enriched in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). NRG3 and Caspr3 interact in trans, which was blocked by Caspr3-ECD. Caspr3 null mice displayed phenotypes similar to those in DAT-Nrg3f/f mice in DA axonal BSN clusters and DA transmission. Finally, in vivo disruption of the NRG3-Caspr3 interaction increased BSN clusters. Together, these results demonstrate that DA synapse development is controlled by trans interaction between NRG3 in DA neurons and Caspr3 in MSNs, identifying a novel pair of cell adhesion molecules for brain circuit wiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanpeng Cui
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Nannan Gao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhaoqi Dong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Chen Shen
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Bin Luo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Davide Comoletti
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand; Child Health Institute of New Jersey, and Departments of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Hongyang Jing
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Heath Robinson
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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3
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Conway JA, Ince S, Black S, Kramer ER. GDNF/RET signaling in dopamine neurons in vivo. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:135-146. [PMID: 32870383 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03268-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and its canonical receptor Ret can signal both in tandem and separately to exert many vital functions in the midbrain dopamine system. It is known that Ret has effects on maintenance, physiology, protection and regeneration in the midbrain dopamine system, with the physiological functions of GDNF still somewhat unclear. Notwithstanding, Ret ligands, such as GDNF, are considered as promising candidates for neuroprotection and/or regeneration in Parkinson's disease, although data from clinical trials are so far inconclusive. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of GDNF/Ret signaling in the dopamine system in vivo as well as crosstalk with pathology-associated proteins and their signaling in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Conway
- Peninsula Medical School, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Selvi Ince
- Peninsula Medical School, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Edgar R Kramer
- Peninsula Medical School, Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
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4
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Maldonado O, Jenkins A, Belalcazar HM, Hernandez-Cuervo H, Hyman KM, Ladaga G, Padilla L, de Erausquin GA. Age-dependent neuroprotective effect of an SK3 channel agonist on excitotoxity to dopaminergic neurons in organotypic culture. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0223633. [PMID: 32701951 PMCID: PMC7377472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Small conductance, calcium-activated (SK3) potassium channels control the intrinsic excitability of dopaminergic neurons (DN) in the midbrain and modulate their susceptibility to toxic insults during development. Methods We evaluated the age-dependency of the neuroprotective effect of an SK3 agonist, 1-Ethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (1-EBIO), on Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) excitotoxicity to DN in ventral mesencephalon (VM) organotypic cultures. Results Most tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)+ neurons were also SK3+; SK3+/TH- cells (DN+) were common at each developmental stage but more prominently at day in vitro (DIV) 8. Young DN+ neurons were small bipolar and fusiform, whereas mature ones were large and multipolar. Exposure of organotypic cultures to AMPA (100 μm, 16 h) had no effect on the survival of DN+ at DIV 8, but caused significant toxicity at DIV 15 (n = 15, p = 0.005) and DIV 22 (n = 15, p<0.001). These results indicate that susceptibility of DN to AMPA excitotoxicity is developmental stage-dependent in embryonic VM organotypic cultures. Immature DN+ (small, bipolar) were increased after AMPA (100 μm, 16 h) at DIV 8, at the expense of the number of differentiated (large, multipolar) DN+ (p = 0.039). This effect was larger at DIV 15 (p<<<0.0001) and at DIV 22 (p<<<0.0001). At DIV 8, 30 μM 1-EBIO resulted in a large increase in DN+. At DIV 15, AMPA toxicity was prevented by exposure to 30 μM, but not 100 μM 1-EBIO. At DIV 22, excitotoxicity was unaffected by 30 μM 1-EBIO, and partially reduced by 100 μM 1-EBIO. Conclusion The effects of the SK3 channel agonist 1-EBIO on the survival of SK3-expressing dopaminergic neurons were concentration-dependent and influenced by neuronal developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Maldonado
- Laboratory of Brain Development, and Repair, Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Jenkins
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Helen M. Belalcazar
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Helena Hernandez-Cuervo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Katelynn M. Hyman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Giannina Ladaga
- Laboratory of Brain Development, and Repair, Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lucia Padilla
- Laboratory of Brain Development, and Repair, Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gabriel A. de Erausquin
- Laboratory of Brain Development, and Repair, Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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5
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Hassani OK, Rymar VV, Nguyen KQ, Huo L, Cloutier JF, Miller FD, Sadikot AF. The noradrenergic system is necessary for survival of vulnerable midbrain dopaminergic neurons: implications for development and Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 85:22-37. [PMID: 31734438 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The cause of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neuron loss in sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) is multifactorial, involving cell autonomous factors, cell-cell interactions, and the effects of environmental toxins. Early loss of neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), the main source of ascending noradrenergic (NA) projections, is an important feature of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. We hypothesized that NA afferents provide trophic support for vulnerable mDA neurons. We demonstrate that depriving mDA neurons of NA input increases postnatal apoptosis and decreases cell survival in young adult rodents, with relative sparing of calbindin-positive subpopulations known to be resistant to degeneration in PD. As a mechanism, we propose that the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates anterograde survival effects of LC inputs to mDA neurons. We demonstrate that the LC is rich in BDNF mRNA in postnatal and young adult brains. Early postnatal NA denervation reduces both BDNF protein and activation of TrkB receptors in the ventral midbrain. Furthermore, overexpression of BDNF in NA afferents in transgenic mice increases mDA neuronal survival. Finally, increasing NA activity in primary cultures of mDA neurons improves survival, an effect that is additive or synergistic in the presence of different concentrations of BDNF. Taken together, our results point to a novel mechanism whereby LC afferents couple BDNF effects and NA activity to provide anterograde trophic support for vulnerable mDA neurons. Early loss of NA activity and anterograde neurotrophin support may contribute to degeneration of vulnerable neurons in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oum Kaltoum Hassani
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vladimir V Rymar
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Khanh Q Nguyen
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lia Huo
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-François Cloutier
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Freda D Miller
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Microbiology & Physiology, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abbas F Sadikot
- Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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6
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Enduring, Sexually Dimorphic Impact of In Utero Exposure to Elevated Levels of Glucocorticoids on Midbrain Dopaminergic Populations. Brain Sci 2016; 7:brainsci7010005. [PMID: 28042822 PMCID: PMC5297294 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) released from the fetal/maternal glands during late gestation are required for normal development of mammalian organs and tissues. Accordingly, synthetic glucocorticoids have proven to be invaluable in perinatal medicine where they are widely used to accelerate fetal lung maturation when there is risk of pre-term birth and to promote infant survival. However, clinical and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that inappropriate exposure of the developing brain to elevated levels of GCs, either as a result of clinical over-use or after stress-induced activation of the fetal/maternal adrenal cortex, is linked with significant effects on brain structure, neurological function and behaviour in later life. In order to understand the underlying neural processes, particular interest has focused on the midbrain dopaminergic systems, which are critical regulators of normal adaptive behaviours, cognitive and sensorimotor functions. Specifically, using a rodent model of GC exposure in late gestation (approximating human brain development at late second/early third trimester), we demonstrated enduring effects on the shape and volume of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) (origins of the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways) on the topographical organisation and size of the dopaminergic neuronal populations and astrocytes within these nuclei and on target innervation density and neurochemical markers of dopaminergic transmission (receptors, transporters, basal and amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release at striatal and prefrontal cortical sites) that impact on the adult brain. The effects of antenatal GC treatment (AGT) were both profound and sexually-dimorphic, not only in terms of quantitative change but also qualitatively, with several parameters affected in the opposite direction in males and females. Although such substantial neurobiological changes might presage marked behavioural effects, in utero GC exposure had only a modest or no effect, depending on sex, on a range of conditioned and unconditioned behaviours known to depend on midbrain dopaminergic transmission. Collectively, these findings suggest that apparent behavioural normality in certain tests, but not others, arises from AGT-induced adaptations or compensatory mechanisms within the midbrain dopaminergic systems, which preserve some, but not all functions. Furthermore, the capacities for molecular adaptations to early environmental challenge are different, even opponent, in males and females, which may account for their differential resilience or failure to perform adequately in behavioural tests. Behavioural "normality" is thus achieved by the midbrain dopaminergic network operating outside its normal limits (in a state of allostasis), rendering it at greater risk to malfunction when challenged in later life. Sex-specific neurobiological programming of midbrain dopaminergic systems may, therefore, have psychopathological relevance for the sex bias commonly found in brain disorders associated with these systems, and which have a neurodevelopmental component, including schizophrenia, ADHD (attention/deficit hyperactivity disorders), autism, depression and substance abuse.
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7
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Kim S, Kwok S, Mayes LC, Potenza MN, Rutherford HJV, Strathearn L. Early adverse experience and substance addiction: dopamine, oxytocin, and glucocorticoid pathways. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1394:74-91. [PMID: 27508337 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Substance addiction may follow a chronic, relapsing course and critically undermine the physical and psychological well-being of the affected individual and the social units of which the individual is a member. Despite the public health burden associated with substance addiction, treatment options remain suboptimal, with relapses often seen. The present review synthesizes growing insights from animal and human research to shed light upon developmental and neurobiological pathways that may increase susceptibility to addiction. We examine the dopamine system, the oxytocin system, and the glucocorticoid system, as they are particularly relevant to substance addiction. Our aim is to delineate how early adverse experience may induce long-lasting alterations in each of these systems at molecular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral levels and ultimately lead to heightened vulnerability to substance addiction. We further discuss how substance addiction in adulthood may increase the risk of suboptimal caregiving for the next generation, perpetuating the intergenerational cycle of early adverse experiences and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephanie Kwok
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASAColumbia), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Lane Strathearn
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
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8
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Botsakis K, Theodoritsi S, Grintzalis K, Angelatou F, Antonopoulos I, Georgiou C, Margarity M, Matsokis N, Panagopoulos N. 17β-Estradiol/N-acetylcysteine interaction enhances the neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons in the weaver model of dopamine deficiency. Neuroscience 2016; 320:221-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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9
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Increased innervation of forebrain targets by midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the absence of FGF-2. Neuroscience 2016; 314:134-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.11.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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10
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Kramer ER, Liss B. GDNF-Ret signaling in midbrain dopaminergic neurons and its implication for Parkinson disease. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3760-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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11
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Jensen P, Ducray AD, Widmer HR, Meyer M. Effects of Forskolin on Trefoil factor 1 expression in cultured ventral mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons. Neuroscience 2015; 310:699-708. [PMID: 26459015 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Trefoil factor 1 (TFF1) belongs to a family of secreted peptides that are mainly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract. Notably, TFF1 has been suggested to operate as a neuropeptide, however, its specific cellular expression, regulation and function remain largely unknown. We have previously shown that TFF1 is expressed in developing and adult rat ventral mesencephalic tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) dopaminergic neurons. Here, we investigated the expression of TFF1 in rat ventral mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons (embryonic day 14) grown in culture for 5, 7 or 10 days in the absence (controls) or presence of either glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), Forskolin or the combination. No TFF1-ir cells were identified at day 5 and only a few at day 7, whereas TH was markedly expressed at both time points. At day 10, several TFF1-ir cells were detected, and their numbers were significantly increased after the addition of GDNF (2.2-fold) or Forskolin (4.1-fold) compared to controls. Furthermore, the combination of GDNF and Forskolin had an additive effect and increased the number of TFF1-ir cells by 5.6-fold compared to controls. TFF1 expression was restricted to neuronal cells, and the percentage of TH/TFF1 co-expressing cells was increased to the same extent in GDNF and Forskolin-treated cultures (4-fold) as compared to controls. Interestingly, the combination of GDNF and Forskolin resulted in a significantly increased co-expression (8-fold) of TH/TFF1, which could indicate that GDNF and Forskolin targeted different subpopulations of TH/TFF1 neurons. Short-term treatment with Forskolin resulted in an increased number of TFF1-ir cells, and this effect was significantly reduced by the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 or the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89, suggesting that Forskolin induced TFF1 expression through diverse signaling pathways. In conclusion, distinct populations of cultured dopaminergic neurons express TFF1, and their numbers can be increased by factors known to influence survival and differentiation of dopaminergic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Jensen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Winsløwparken 21, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter and Regenerative Neuroscience Cluster, University of Berne, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.
| | - A D Ducray
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter and Regenerative Neuroscience Cluster, University of Berne, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.
| | - H R Widmer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter and Regenerative Neuroscience Cluster, University of Berne, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.
| | - M Meyer
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Winsløwparken 21, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
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12
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McArthur S, Pienaar IS, Siddiqi SM, Gillies GE. Sex-specific disruption of murine midbrain astrocytic and dopaminergic developmental trajectories following antenatal GC treatment. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:2459-75. [PMID: 25944572 PMCID: PMC4884206 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1049-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian midbrain dopaminergic systems arising in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are critical for coping behaviours and are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders where early life challenges comprise significant risk factors. Here, we aimed to advance our hypothesis that glucocorticoids (GCs), recognised key players in neurobiological programming, target development within these systems, with a novel focus on the astrocytic population. Mice received antenatal GC treatment (AGT) by including the synthetic GC, dexamethasone, in the mothers' drinking water on gestational days 16-19; controls received normal drinking water. Analyses of regional shapes and volumes of the adult SNc and VTA demonstrated that AGT induced long-term, dose-dependent, structural changes that were accompanied by profound effects on astrocytes (doubling/tripling of numbers and/or density). Additionally, AGT induced long-term changes in the population size and distribution of SNc/VTA dopaminergic neurons, confirming and extending our previous observations made in rats. Furthermore, glial/neuronal structural remodelling was sexually dimorphic and depended on the AGT dose and sub-region of the SNc/VTA. Investigations within the neonatal brain revealed that these long-term organisational effects of AGT depend, at least in part, on targeting perinatal processes that determine astrocyte density and programmed cell death in dopaminergic neurons. Collectively, our characterisation of enduring, AGT-induced, sex-specific cytoarchitectural disturbances suggests novel mechanistic links for the strong association between early environmental challenge (inappropriate exposure to excess GCs) and vulnerability to developing aberrant behaviours in later life, with translational implications for dopamine-associated disorders (such as schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, depression), which typically show a sex bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon McArthur
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Ilse S Pienaar
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sindhu M Siddiqi
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Glenda E Gillies
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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13
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Kesby JP, Cui X, Burne THJ, Eyles DW. Altered dopamine ontogeny in the developmentally vitamin D deficient rat and its relevance to schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:111. [PMID: 23882183 PMCID: PMC3713405 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous group of disorders with unknown etiology. Although abnormalities in multiple neurotransmitter systems have been linked to schizophrenia, alterations in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission remain central to the treatment of this disorder. Given that schizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder we have hypothesized that abnormal DA signaling in the adult patient may result from altered DA signaling during fetal brain development. Environmental and genetic risk factors can be modeled in rodents to allow for the investigation of early neurodevelopmental pathogenesis that may lead to clues into the etiology of schizophrenia. To address this we created an animal model of one such risk factor, developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency. DVD-deficient adult rats display an altered behavioral profile in response to DA releasing and blocking agents that are reminiscent of that seen in schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, developmental studies revealed that DVD deficiency also altered cell proliferation, apoptosis, and neurotransmission across the embryonic brain. In particular, DVD deficiency reduces the expression of crucial dopaminergic specification factors and alters DA metabolism in the developing brain. We speculate such alterations in fetal brain development may change the trajectory of DA neuron ontogeny to induce the behavioral abnormalities observed in adult offspring. The widespread evidence that both dopaminergic and structural changes are present in people who develop schizophrenia prior to onset also suggest that early alterations in development are central to the disease. Taken together, early alterations in DA ontogeny may represent a core feature in the pathology of schizophrenia. Such a mechanism could bring together evidence from multiple risk factors and genetic vulnerabilities to form a convergent pathway in disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Kesby
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San DiegoLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoying Cui
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas H. J. Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental HealthWacol, QLD, Australia
| | - Darryl W. Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental HealthWacol, QLD, Australia
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14
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Baron O, Ratzka A, Grothe C. Fibroblast growth factor 2 regulates adequate nigrostriatal pathway formation in mice. J Comp Neurol 2013; 520:3949-61. [PMID: 22592787 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is an important neurotrophic factor that promotes survival of adult mesencephalic dopaminergic (mDA) neurons and regulates their adequate development. Since mDA neurons degenerate in Parkinson's disease, a comprehensive understanding of their development and maintenance might contribute to the development of causative therapeutic approaches. The current analysis addressed the role of FGF-2 in mDA axonal outgrowth, pathway formation, and innervation of respective forebrain targets using organotypic explant cocultures of ventral midbrain (VM) and forebrain (FB). An enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic mouse strain was used for the VM explants, which allowed combining and distinguishing of individual VM and FB tissue from wildtype and FGF-2-deficient embryonic day (E)14.5 embryos, respectively. These cocultures provided a suitable model to study the role of target-derived FB and intrinsic VM-derived FGF-2. In fact, we show that loss of FGF-2 in both FB and VM results in significantly increased mDA fiber outgrowth compared to wildtype cocultures, proving a regulatory role of FGF-2 during nigrostriatal wiring. Further, we found in heterogeneous cocultures deficient for FGF-2 in FB and VM, respectively, similar phenotypes with wider fiber tracts compared to wildtype cocultures and shorter fiber outgrowth distance than cocultures completely deficient for FGF-2. Additionally, the loss of target-derived FGF-2 in FB explants resulted in decreased caudorostral glial migration. Together these findings imply an intricate interplay of target-derived and VM-derived FGF signaling, which assures an adequate nigrostriatal pathway formation and target innervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Baron
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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15
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Lovic V, Belay H, Walker CD, Burton CL, Meaney MJ, Sokolowski M, Fleming AS. Early postnatal experience and DRD2 genotype affect dopamine receptor expression in the rat ventral striatum. Behav Brain Res 2012; 237:278-82. [PMID: 23036844 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Revised: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine systems can be altered by experiences such as early life adversity. The intensity of these effects seems to vary as a function of interactions between genetic and environmental influences. In a series of experiments we have investigated the effects of genetic variants and early life adversity on several biobehavioral outcomes. Here we investigated the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene coding for dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) and the interaction between these variants with early life adversity on the expression of D2 receptors in the striatum. Time-mated pregnant female rats underwent restraint stress (gestational days 10-21) or were left undisturbed. Following parturition rat pups were maternally reared (MR) or artificially reared (AR). Subsequent to adult behavioral testing, rats were genotyped and their brains were processed (autoradiography) for D2 receptor expression. We found three variants in the DRD2 gene and these variants interacted with early adversity to affect D2 receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens. Specifically, artificially reared rats with AG DRD2 variant showed significantly higher D2 expression compared to mother reared rats with the AG DRD2 variant as well as the artificially reared rats with a GG DRD2 variant. These findings show that adult D2 expression is significantly influenced by the interaction of DRD2 SNPs and early developmental factors. These finding may explain why there are significant individual differences in the impact of early life adversity on dopamine-dependent processes and disorder vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vedran Lovic
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada.
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16
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Ratzka A, Baron O, Stachowiak MK, Grothe C. Fibroblast growth factor 2 regulates dopaminergic neuron development in vivo. J Neurochem 2012; 122:94-105. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07768.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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17
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Morrow BA, Roth RH, Redmond DE, Diano S, Elsworth JD. Susceptibility to a parkinsonian toxin varies during primate development. Exp Neurol 2012; 235:273-81. [PMID: 22366325 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Revised: 01/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease typically emerge later in life when loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neuron function exceeds the threshold of compensatory mechanisms in the basal ganglia. Although nigrostriatal dopamine neurons are lost during aging, in Parkinson's disease other detrimental factors must play a role to produce greater than normal loss of these neurons. Early development has been hypothesized to be a potentially vulnerable period when environmental or genetic abnormalities may compromise central dopamine neurons. This study uses a specific parkinsonian neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), to probe the relative vulnerability of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons at different stages of primate development. Measures of dopamine, homovanillic acid, 1-methyl-pyridinium concentrations and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons indicated that at mid-gestation dopamine neurons are relatively vulnerable to MPTP, whereas later in development or in the young primate these neurons are resistant to the neurotoxin. These studies highlight a potentially greater risk to the fetus of exposure during mid-gestation to environmental agents that cause oxidative stress. In addition, the data suggest that uncoupling protein-2 may be a target for retarding the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons that occurs in Parkinson's disease and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Morrow
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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18
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Tereshchenko Y, Morellini F, Dityatev A, Schachner M, Irintchev A. Neural cell adhesion molecule ablation in mice causes hippocampal dysplasia and loss of septal cholinergic neurons. J Comp Neurol 2011; 519:2475-92. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.22636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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19
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Domanskyi A, Geiβler C, Vinnikov IA, Alter H, Schober A, Vogt MA, Gass P, Parlato R, Schütz G. Pten
ablation in adult dopaminergic neurons is neuroprotective in Parkinson's disease models. FASEB J 2011; 25:2898-910. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-181958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrii Domanskyi
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
| | - Christin Geiβler
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
| | - Ilya A. Vinnikov
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
| | - Heike Alter
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
| | - Andreas Schober
- Department of Molecular EmbryologyInstitute for Anatomy and Cell Biology IIUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Miriam A. Vogt
- Central Institute of Mental HealthRG Animal Models in PsychiatryUniversity of HeidelbergMannheimGermany
| | - Peter Gass
- Central Institute of Mental HealthRG Animal Models in PsychiatryUniversity of HeidelbergMannheimGermany
| | - Rosanna Parlato
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
| | - Günther Schütz
- Division of Molecular Biology of the Cell IGerman Cancer Research CenterHeidelbergGermany
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20
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Rodrigues AJ, Leão P, Carvalho M, Almeida OFX, Sousa N. Potential programming of dopaminergic circuits by early life stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 214:107-20. [PMID: 21088961 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-2085-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2010] [Accepted: 10/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Stress and high levels of glucocorticoids during pre- and early postnatal life seem to alter developmental programs that assure dopaminergic transmission in the mesolimbic, mesocortical, and nigrostriatal systems. The induced changes are likely to be determined by the ontogenetic state of development of these brain regions at the time of stress exposure and their stability is associated with increased lifetime susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. This article is intended to serve as a starting point for future studies aimed at the attenuation or reversal of the effects of adverse early life events on dopamine-regulated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
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21
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Granholm AC, Zaman V, Godbee J, Smith M, Ramadan R, Umphlet C, Randall P, Bhat NR, Rohrer B, Middaugh LD, Boger HA. Prenatal LPS increases inflammation in the substantia nigra of Gdnf heterozygous mice. Brain Pathol 2010; 21:330-48. [PMID: 20969653 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2010.00457.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal systemic inflammation has been implicated in neurological diseases, but optimal animal models have not been developed. We investigated whether a partial genetic deletion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf(+/-)) increased vulnerability of dopamine (DA) neurons to prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS [0.01 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)] or saline was administered to wild-type (WT) or Gdnf(+/-) pregnant mice on gestational day 9.5. Male offspring were examined at 3 weeks, 3 and 12 months of age. There was a progressive degeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) with age in Gdnf(+/-) but not in WT mice, with no observed effects on locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons or DA neurons of the ventral tegmental area. Inflammatory markers were elevated in SN of LPS treated offspring, with exacerbation in Gdnf(+/-) mice. Intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) immunoreactivity in DA neurons of SN was observed in all groups of Gdnf(+/-) and in WT mice with prenatal LPS, with altered distribution between pars reticulata (pr) and pars compacta (pc). The findings suggest that prenatal LPS leads to accelerated neuropathology in the SN with age, and that a partial loss of GDNF exacerbates these effects, providing a novel model for age-related neuropathology of the nigrostriatal DA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Charlotte Granholm
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Center on Aging, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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22
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Functional reduction of SK3-mediated currents precedes AMPA-receptor-mediated excitotoxicity in dopaminergic neurons. Neuropharmacology 2010; 60:1176-86. [PMID: 21044638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2010] [Revised: 09/28/2010] [Accepted: 10/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In primary cultures of mesencephalon small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK) are expressed in dopaminergic neurons. We characterized SK-mediated currents (I(SK)) in this system and evaluated their role on homeostasis against excitotoxicity. I(SK) amplitude was reduced by the glutamatergic agonist AMPA through a reduction in SK channel number in the membrane. Blockade of I(SK) for 12 h with apamin or NS8593 reduced the number of dopaminergic neurons in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of apamin was not additive to AMPA toxicity. On the other hand, two I(SK) agonists, 1-EBIO and CyPPA, caused a significant reduction of spontaneous loss of dopaminergic neurons. 1-EBIO reversed the effects of both AMPA and apamin as well. Thus, I(SK) influences survival and differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in vitro, and is part of protective homeostatic responses, participating in a rapidly acting negative feedback loop coupling calcium levels, neuron excitability and cellular defenses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Trends in neuropharmacology: in memory of Erminio Costa'.
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23
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Lindholm P, Saarma M. Novel CDNF/MANF family of neurotrophic factors. Dev Neurobiol 2010; 70:360-71. [PMID: 20186704 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Current therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative diseases alleviate only disease symptoms, while treatments that could stop or reverse actual degenerative processes are not available. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder with characteristic degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Few neurotrophic factors (NTFs) that promote survival, maintenance, and differentiation of affected brain neurons are considered as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, it is important to search and study new NTFs that could also be used in therapy. In this review, we discuss novel evolutionary conserved family of NTFs consisting of two members in the vertebrates, cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) and mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF). Invertebrates, including Drosophila and Caenorhabditis have a single protein homologous to vertebrate CDNF/MANF. Characteristic feature of these proteins is eight structurally conserved cysteine residues, which determine the protein fold. The crystal structure analysis revealed that CDNF and MANF consist of two domains; an amino-terminal saposin-like domain that may interact with lipids or membranes, and a presumably unfolded carboxy-terminal domain that may protect cells against endoplasmic reticulum stress. CDNF and MANF protect midbrain dopaminergic neurons and restore motor function in 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of PD in vivo. In line, Drosophila MANF is needed for the maintenance of dopaminergic neurites and dopamine levels in the fly, suggesting that the function of CDNF/MANF proteins is evolutionary conserved. Future studies will reveal the receptors and mode of action of these novel factors, which are potential therapeutic proteins for the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi Lindholm
- Institute of Biotechnology, Viikinkaari 9, Viikki Biocenter, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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24
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Kuhn C, Johnson M, Thomae A, Luo B, Simon SA, Zhou G, Walker QD. The emergence of gonadal hormone influences on dopaminergic function during puberty. Horm Behav 2010; 58:122-37. [PMID: 19900453 PMCID: PMC2883625 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 10/22/2009] [Accepted: 10/27/2009] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is the developmental epoch during which children become adults-intellectually, physically, hormonally and socially. Brain development in critical areas is ongoing. Adolescents are risk-taking and novelty-seeking and they weigh positive experiences more heavily and negative experiences less than adults. This inherent behavioral bias can lead to risky behaviors like drug taking. Most drug addictions start during adolescence and early drug-taking is associated with an increased rate of drug abuse and dependence. The hormonal changes of puberty contribute to physical, emotional, intellectual and social changes during adolescence. These hormonal events do not just cause maturation of reproductive function and the emergence of secondary sex characteristics. They contribute to the appearance of sex differences in non-reproductive behaviors as well. Sex differences in drug use behaviors are among the latter. The male predominance in overall drug use appears by the end of adolescence, while girls develop the rapid progression from first use to dependence (telescoping) that represent a female-biased vulnerability. Sex differences in many behaviors including drug use have been attributed to social and cultural factors. A narrowing gap in drug use between adolescent boys and girls supports this thesis. However, some sex differences in addiction vulnerability reflect biologic differences in brain circuits involved in addiction. The purpose of this review is to summarize the contribution of sex differences in the function of ascending dopamine systems that are critical to reinforcement, to briefly summarize the behavioral, neurochemical and anatomical changes in brain dopaminergic functions related to addiction that occur during adolescence and to present new findings about the emergence of sex differences in dopaminergic function during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Kuhn
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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25
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Boger HA, Granholm AC, McGinty JF, Middaugh LD. A dual-hit animal model for age-related parkinsonism. Prog Neurobiol 2010; 90:217-29. [PMID: 19853012 PMCID: PMC3991553 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 06/08/2009] [Accepted: 10/09/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder which afflicts an increasing number of individuals. If the wider complex of extrapyramidal symptoms referred to as "age-related parkinsonism" is included, the incidence is near 50% of the population above 80 years of age. This review summarizes recent studies from our laboratories as well as other research groups in the quest to explore the multi-faceted etiology of age-related neurodegeneration, in general, and degeneration of the substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, in particular. Our work during recent years has focused on assessment of potential interactive effects of a reduction in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and the aging process (intrinsic factors) and early neurotoxin exposure (an extrinsic factor) on dopamine (DA) systems and the behaviors they mediate. The guiding hypothesis directing the research to be described was that a combination of the two factors would exacerbate the decline in the DA transmitter system function that occurs during aging. The results obtained were consistent with the well-established aging-related decline in function and structure of neurons utilizing DA as a transmitter and motor function, and extended knowledge by establishing that the genetic reduction of Gdnf exacerbated these aging related changes. Thus, GDNF reduction appears to increase the vulnerability of the DA neurons to the many different challenges associated with the aging process. Assessment of methamphetamine effects on young Gdnf(+/-) mice indicated that reduced GDNF availability increased the vulnerability of DA systems to this well-established neurotoxin. The work discussed in this review is consistent with earlier work demonstrating the importance of GDNF for maintenance of DA neurons and also provides a novel model for progressive DA degeneration and motor dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather A Boger
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
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26
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Papanikolaou T, Amano T, Lennington J, Sink K, Farrar AM, Salamone J, Yang X, Conover JC. In-vitro analysis of Pitx3 in mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neuron maturation. Eur J Neurosci 2009; 29:2264-75. [PMID: 19508691 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06784.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factor Pitx3 is expressed exclusively by mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons; however, ablation of Pitx3 results in selective degeneration of primarily dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta, the neuronal population that is most vulnerable in Parkinson's disease. Although the exact molecular mechanisms of the action of Pitx3 are unclear, roles in both terminal maturation and/or survival of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons have been suggested. To investigate the connection between Pitx3 and selective neurodegeneration, we generated embryonic stem cells from a Pitx3-deficient mouse (aphakia) for in-vitro differentiation to dopaminergic neurons. This 'loss of function'in-vitro system allowed us to examine characteristic features in dopaminergic neuron development and to assess the role that Pitx3 plays in the differentiation/maturation process. We found that aphakia embryonic stem cells generated 50% fewer tyrosine hydroxylase-positive/microtubule-associated protein (Map)2-positive mature neurons compared with control cultures. The expression of dopamine transport regulators and vesicle release proteins was reduced and dopamine release was unregulated in the Pitx3-deficient tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons generated. Treatment of aphakia embryonic stem cell cultures with retinoic acid resulted in a significant increase in mesodiencephalic tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons, providing further support for the role of Pitx3 in dopaminergic neuron specification through the retinoic acid pathway. Our study, using Pitx3-deficient embryonic stem cells in an in-vitro differentiation culture system, allowed us to assess the role of Pitx3 in the specification and final maturation of dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Papanikolaou
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-4243, USA
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27
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Ries V, Cheng HC, Baohan A, Kareva T, Oo TF, Rzhetskaya M, Bland RJ, During MJ, Kholodilov N, Burke RE. Regulation of the postnatal development of dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra in vivo by Akt/protein kinase B. J Neurochem 2009; 110:23-33. [PMID: 19490361 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06101.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Following mitosis, specification and migration during embryogenesis, dopamine neurons of the mesencephalon undergo a postnatal naturally occurring cell death event that determines their final adult number, and a period of axonal growth that determines pattern and extent of target contacts. While a number of neurotrophic factors have been suggested to regulate these developmental events, little is known, especially in vivo, of the cell signaling pathways that mediate these effects. We have examined the possible role of Akt/Protein Kinase B by transduction of these neurons in vivo with adeno-associated viral vectors to express either a constitutively active or a dominant negative form of Akt/protein kinase B. We find that Akt regulates multiple features of the postnatal development of these neurons, including the magnitude of the apoptotic developmental cell death event, neuron size, and the extent of target innervation of the striatum. Given the diversity and magnitude of its effects, the regulation of the development of these neurons by Akt may have implications for the many psychiatric and neurologic diseases in which these neurons may play a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Ries
- Klinik für Neurologie, Universitätsklinikum Giessen und Marburg GmbH, Marburg, Germany
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28
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Mellios K, Zacharaki T, Sophou S, Latsari M, Antonopoulos J, Dinopoulos A, Parnavelas J, Dori I. Natural and lesion-induced apoptosis in the rat striatum during development. Brain Res 2009; 1252:30-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2008] [Revised: 09/17/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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29
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Correia AS, Anisimov SV, Li JY, Brundin P. Growth factors and feeder cells promote differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into dopaminergic neurons: a novel role for fibroblast growth factor-20. Front Neurosci 2008; 2:26-34. [PMID: 18982104 PMCID: PMC2570076 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.01.011.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2008] [Accepted: 05/21/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a potential source of dopaminergic neurons for treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic neurons can be derived from hESCs and display a characteristic midbrain phenotype. Once transplanted, they can induce partial behavioral recovery in animal models of PD. However, the potential research field faces several challenges that need to be overcome before clinical application of hESCs in a transplantation therapy in PD can be considered. These include low survival of the hESC-derived, grafted dopaminergic neurons after transplantation; unclear functional integration of the grafted neurons in the host brain; and, the risk of teratoma/tumor formation from the transplanted cells. This review is focused on our recent efforts to improve the survival of hESC-dervied dopaminergic neurons. In a recent study, we examined the effect of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-20 in the differentiation of hESCs into dopaminergic neurons. We supplemented cultures of hESCs with FGF-20 during differentiation on PA6 mouse stromal cells for 3 weeks. When we added FGF-20 the yield of neurons expressing tyrosine hydroxylase increased. We demonstrated that at least part of the effect is contributed by enhanced cell differentiation towards the dopaminergic phenotype as well as reduced cell death. We compare our results with those obtained in other published protocols using different sets of growth factors. Taken together, our data indicate that FGF-20 has potent effects to generate large number of dopaminergic neurons derived from hESCs, which may be useful for hESC-based therapy in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Correia
- Neuronal Survival Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center Lund, Sweden. Sofi
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30
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Correia AS, Anisimov SV, Roybon L, Li JY, Brundin P. Fibroblast growth factor-20 increases the yield of midbrain dopaminergic neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells. Front Neuroanat 2007; 1:4. [PMID: 18958198 PMCID: PMC2525922 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.05.004.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Accepted: 12/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-20 has been reported to act preferentially on midbrain dopaminergic neurons. It also promotes the dopaminergic differentiation of stem cells. We have analyzed the effects of FGF-20 on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiation into dopaminergic neurons. We induced neuronal differentiation of hESCs by co-culturing those with PA6 mouse stromal cells for 3 weeks. When we supplemented the culture medium with FGF-20, the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing neurons increased fivefold, from 3% to 15% of the hESC-derived cells. The cultured cells also expressed other midbrain dopaminergic markers (PITX3, En1, Msx1, and Aldh1), suggesting that some had differentiated into midbrain dopaminergic neurons. We observed no effect of FGF-20 on the size of the soma area or neurite length of the TH-immunopositive neurons. Regardless of whether FGF-20 had been added or not, 17% of the hESC-derived cells expressed the pan-neuronal marker b-III-Tubulin. The proportion of proliferating cells positive for Ki-67 was also not affected by FGF-20 (7% of the hESC-derived cells). By contrast, after 3 weeks in culture FGF-20 significantly reduced the proportion of cells undergoing cell death, as revealed by immunoreactivity for cleaved caspase-8, Bcl-2 associated X protein (BAX) and cleaved caspase-3 (2.5% to 1.2% of cleaved caspase-3-positive cells out of the hESC-derived cells). Taken together, our results indicate that FGF-20 specifically increases the yield of dopaminergic neurons from hESCs grown on PA6 feeder cells and at least part of this effect is due to a reduction in cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Correia
- Neuronal Survival Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund Sweden
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31
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McArthur S, McHale E, Gillies GE. The size and distribution of midbrain dopaminergic populations are permanently altered by perinatal glucocorticoid exposure in a sex- region- and time-specific manner. Neuropsychopharmacology 2007; 32:1462-76. [PMID: 17164817 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Central dopaminergic (DA) systems appear to be particularly vulnerable to disruption by exposure to stressors in early life, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. As endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) are implicated in other aspects of neurobiological programming, this study aimed to characterize the effects of perinatal GC exposure on the cytoarchitecture of DA populations in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Dexamethasone was administered non-invasively to rat pups via the mothers' drinking water during embryonic days 16-19 or postnatal days 1-7, with a total oral intake circa 0.075 or 0.15 mg/kg/day, respectively; controls received normal drinking water. Analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell counts and regional volumes in adult offspring identified notable sex differences in the shape and volume of the SNc and VTA, as well as the topographical organization and size of the DA populations. Perinatal GC treatments increased the DA population size and altered the shape of the SNc and VTA as well as the organization of the DA neurons by expanding and/or shifting them in a caudal direction. This response was sexually dimorphic and included a feminization or demasculinization of the three-dimensional cytoarchitecture in males, and subtle differences that were dependent on the window of exposure. These findings demonstrate that inappropriate perinatal exposure to GCs have enduring effects on the organization of midbrain DA systems that are critically important for normal brain function throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon McArthur
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Imperial College, London, UK
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Consales C, Volpicelli F, Greco D, Leone L, Colucci-D'Amato L, Perrone-Capano C, di Porzio U. GDNF signaling in embryonic midbrain neurons in vitro. Brain Res 2007; 1159:28-39. [PMID: 17574220 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.04.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2006] [Revised: 04/24/2007] [Accepted: 04/25/2007] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) exerts trophic actions on a number of cell types, including mesencephalic dopaminergic (mDA) neurons. Using rat mesencephalic primary cultures enriched in mDA neurons, we show that protracted GDNF stimulation increases their survival and neurite outgrowth. It modulates the expression of genes essential for DA function (tyrosine hydroxylase, TH and dopamine transporter, dat) and of DA high affinity uptake. To identify genes involved in GDNF signaling pathways, we have used DNA microarray on mDA cultures stimulated with GDNF for 3 h. Here we show that GDNF signaling sequentially activates the genes encoding for the transcription factors EGR1 and TIEG. In addition, it increases the expression of cav1, which encodes for the major component of caveolae. GDNF also modulates the expression of the genes encoding for the Calcineurin subunits ppp3R1 and ppp3CB, and inhibits calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II beta isoform (CaMKIIbeta) gene expression. These proteins are involved in neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, GDNF stimulation down regulates the expression of the glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (gsk3beta) gene, involved in neuronal apoptosis. Using inhibitors of specific intracellular signal transduction pathways we show that changes of egr1, tieg, cav1, CaMkIIbeta and gsk3beta genes expression are extracellular-signal regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK)-dependent, while the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) pathway influences the up-regulation of ppp3R1 and ppp3CB gene expression. These results demonstrate that GDNF stimulation results in the transcriptional modulation of genes involved in neuronal plasticity and survival and in mDA function, mediated in part by ERK and PKA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Consales
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics A. Buzzati-Traverso, CNR, via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Martí J, Santa-Cruz MC, Bayer SA, Ghetti B, Hervás JP. Generation and survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in weaver mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2007; 25:299-307. [PMID: 17582722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2007.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2006] [Revised: 05/02/2007] [Accepted: 05/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation and survival of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons were investigated using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry combined with tritiated thymidine autoradiography at appropriate anatomical levels throughout the anteroposterior (A/P) axes of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The wild-type (+/+) and homozygous weaver (wv/wv) mice used here were the offspring of pregnant dams injected with the radioactive precursor when the mesencephalic neurons were being produced (gestational days 11-15). Data reveal that, at postnatal day 90, depletion of TH-stained cells in the wv/wv presented an A/P pattern of increasing severity and, therefore, the DA cells located in posterior parts of the SNc or the VTA appear to be more vulnerable than the settled anterior neurons. When the time of neuron origin is inferred for each level of these cell groups, it is found that the neurogenesis span is similar for both experimental groups, although significant deficits in the frequency of wv/wv late-generated neurons were observed in any level considered. On the other hand, it has been found that TH-positive neurons were settled along the extent of the SNc and the VTA following precise and differential neurogenetic gradients. Thus, the acute rostrocaudal increase in the proportion of late-generated neurons detected in both+/+DA-cell groups is disturbed in the weaver homozygotes due to the indicated A/P depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Martí
- Unidad de Citología e Histología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Burke RE. Programmed cell death in Parkinson's disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2007; 83:591-605. [DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(07)83029-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Jain S, Golden JP, Wozniak D, Pehek E, Johnson EM, Milbrandt J. RET is dispensable for maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in adult mice. J Neurosci 2006; 26:11230-8. [PMID: 17065462 PMCID: PMC6674643 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1876-06.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-mediated RET tyrosine kinase signaling is implicated in the survival of several PNS and CNS neuronal populations that are important in the pathogenesis of several disorders including Parkinson's disease and drug addiction. However, it has been difficult to study these processes and the physiological importance of this pathway in adult mice because of the neonatal lethality of Gdnf and Ret null mice. We report successful creation of RET conditional reporter mice to investigate postnatal physiologic roles of RET and monitor the fate of RET-expressing cell types. To delete RET specifically in dopaminergic neurons and determine the physiologic requirement of RET in the maintenance of substantia nigra compacta (SNC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), we bred the RET conditional mice with mice that specifically express Cre from the dopamine transporter (Dat) locus. A detailed morphometric and biochemical analysis including dopaminergic neuron number and size in SNC and VTA, and fiber density in the striatum and nucleus accumbens, and dopamine levels indicate that RET is not required for providing global trophic support to midbrain dopaminergic neurons in adult mice. Furthermore, RET deficiency in these neurons does not cause major sensorimotor abnormalities. Hence our results support the idea that RET signaling is not critical for the normal physiology of the SNC and VTA in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Elizabeth Pehek
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Eugene M. Johnson
- Departments of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology
- Pathology, and Neurology and HOPE Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, and
| | - Jeffrey Milbrandt
- Pathology, and Neurology and HOPE Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, and
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Kesby JP, Burne THJ, McGrath JJ, Eyles DW. Developmental vitamin D deficiency alters MK 801-induced hyperlocomotion in the adult rat: An animal model of schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2006; 60:591-6. [PMID: 16697353 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2005] [Revised: 02/21/2006] [Accepted: 02/22/2006] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency has been proposed as a risk factor for schizophrenia. The behavioral phenotype of adult rats subjected to transient low prenatal vitamin D is characterized by spontaneous hyperlocomotion but normal prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI). The aim of this study was to examine the impact of selected psychotropic agents and one well-known antipsychotic agent on the behavioral phenotype of DVD deplete rats. METHODS Control versus DVD deplete adult rats were assessed on holeboard, open field and PPI. In the open field, animals were given MK-801 and/or haloperidol. For PPI, the animals were given apomorphine or MK-801. RESULTS DVD deplete rats had increased baseline locomotion on the holeboard task and increased locomotion in response to MK-801 compared to control rats. At low doses, haloperidol antagonized the MK-801 hyperactivity of DVD deplete rats preferentially and, at a high dose, resulted in a more pronounced reduction in spontaneous locomotion in DVD deplete rats. DVD depletion did not affect either baseline or drug-mediated PPI response. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that DVD deficiency is associated with a persistent alteration in neuronal systems associated with motor function but not those associated with sensory motor gating. In light of the putative association between low prenatal vitamin D and schizophrenia, the discrete behavioral differences associated with the DVD model may help elucidate the neurobiological correlates of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Kesby
- School of Biomedical Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Abstract
The programmed cell death (PCD) of developing cells is considered an essential adaptive process that evolved to serve diverse roles. We review the putative adaptive functions of PCD in the animal kingdom with a major focus on PCD in the developing nervous system. Considerable evidence is consistent with the role of PCD in events ranging from neurulation and synaptogenesis to the elimination of adult-generated CNS cells. The remarkable recent progress in our understanding of the genetic regulation of PCD has made it possible to perturb (inhibit) PCD and determine the possible repercussions for nervous system development and function. Although still in their infancy, these studies have so far revealed few striking behavioral or functional phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R Buss
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
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Nielsen BS, Larsen EH, Ladefoged O, Lam HR. Neurotoxic effect of maneb in rats as studied by neurochemical and immunohistochemical parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2006; 21:268-275. [PMID: 21783668 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2005.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2005] [Accepted: 09/14/2005] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological investigations document that workers in agriculture, horticulture and people living near areas with frequent use of pesticides have increased risk of developing symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This study investigated the neurotoxic effect of the fungicide maneb by morphological, immunohistochemical and neurochemical methods applying young Sprague-Dawley male rat as the model. Intraperitoneal dosing (7.5, 15 or 30mg maneb/kg bodyweight/week for 12 weeks) demonstrated dose-related increased manganese concentration in corpus striatum. The striatal concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) increased in a dose-related manner, as did the 5-HT concentrations in the rest of the brain indicating early sign of neurotoxicity. Striatal acetylcholinesterase activity was not affected. The concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine, neurotransmitter amino acids and the levels of the proteins α-synuclein and synaptophysin in corpus striatum and the rest of the brain were not changed. No histological parameter was affected when studied in corpus striatum and substantia nigra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Svend Nielsen
- The Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research (DFVF), Department of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark
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Jakobsen B, Gramsbergen JB, Møller Dall A, Rosenblad C, Zimmer J. Characterization of organotypic ventral mesencephalic cultures from embryonic mice and protection against MPP toxicity by GDNF. Eur J Neurosci 2005; 21:2939-48. [PMID: 15978005 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04138.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We characterized organotypic ventral mesencephalic (VM) cultures derived from embryonic day 12 (E12) mice (CBL57/bL6) in terms of number of dopaminergic neurons, cell soma size and dopamine production in relation to time in vitro and tested the effects of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) and glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to validate this novel culture model. Dopamine production and dopaminergic neuron soma size increased dramatically with time in vitro, whereas the number of dopamine neurons declined by approximately 30% between week 1 and week 2, which was further reduced after week 4. GDNF treatment (100 ng/mL) increased dopaminergic neuron soma size (up to 43%) and DOPAC production (approximately three-fold), but not the number of dopamine neurons in control cultures. One-week-old cultures were more vulnerable to MPP(+), than three-week-old cultures. The EC(50) for dopamine depletion after 2 days exposure and 15 days of recovery were 0.6 and 7 microm, respectively. Both pre-treatment and post-treatment with GDNF are important to obtain maximal protection against MPP(+) toxicity. In one-week-old cultures (5 microm MPP(+), 2 days) GDNF provided potent neuroprotection with dopamine contents reaching control levels and number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)(+) cells up to 80% of control, but in three-week-old cultures (10 microm MPP(+), 2 days) the protective potential of GDNF was markedly reduced. Long recovery periods after MPP(+) exposure are required to distinguish between reversible or irreversible toxic and/or trophic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Jakobsen
- Anatomy & Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Winsløwparken 21, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
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Krieglstein K. Factors promoting survival of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons. Cell Tissue Res 2004; 318:73-80. [PMID: 15300492 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-004-0920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2004] [Accepted: 05/11/2004] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Growth factors promoting survival of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons are discussed in the context of their requirement during development and adulthood. The expression of growth factors should be detectable in the nigrostriatal system during critical periods of development, i.e., during the period of ontogenetic cell death and synaptogenesis and during neurite extension and neurotransmitter synthesis. Growth factors discussed include members of the family of glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factors (GDNF), neurotrophins, transforming growth factors beta, and low molecular compounds mimicking growth factor activities. To date, the available data support the notion that GDNF is a highly promising candidate, although GDNF-null mice lack a dopaminergic phenotype. There remains a possibility that endogenous dopaminotrophic factors remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Krieglstein
- Department Neuroanatomy, Medical Faculty, Center for Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University of Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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