Mpz gene suppression by shRNA increases Schwann cell apoptosis in vitro

Proteome profiling of different rat brain regions reveals the modulatory effect of prolonged maternal separation on proteins involved in cell death-related processes

Background

Early-life stress in the form of maternal separation can be associated with alterations in offspring neurodevelopment and brain functioning. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential impact of prolonged maternal separation on proteomic profiling of prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of juvenile and young adult rats. A special attention was devoted to proteins involved in the process of cell death and redox state maintenance.

Methods

Long-Evans pups were separated from their mothers for 3 h daily over the first 3 weeks of life (during days 2–21 of age). Brain tissue samples collected from juvenile (22-day-old) and young adult (90-day-old) rats were used for label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomic analysis. In parallel, selected oxidative stress markers and apoptosis-related proteins were assessed biochemically and by Western blot, respectively.

Results

In total, 5526 proteins were detected in our proteomic analysis of rat brain tissue. Approximately one tenth of them (586 proteins) represented those involved in cell death processes or regulation of oxidative stress balance. Prolonged maternal separation caused changes in less than half of these proteins (271). The observed alterations in protein expression levels were age-, sex- and brain region-dependent. Interestingly, the proteins detected by mass spectrometry that are known to be involved in the maintenance of redox state were not markedly altered. Accordingly, we did not observe any significant differences between selected oxidative stress markers, such as the levels of hydrogen peroxide, reduced glutathione, protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation in brain samples from rats that underwent maternal separation and from the corresponding controls. On the other hand, a number of changes were found in cell death-associated proteins, mainly in those involved in the apoptotic and autophagic pathways. However, there were no detectable alterations in the levels of cleaved products of caspases or Bcl-2 family members. Taken together, these data indicate that the apoptotic and autophagic cell death pathways were not activated by maternal separation either in adolescent or young adult rats.

Conclusion

Prolonged maternal separation can distinctly modulate expression profiles of proteins associated with cell death pathways in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of juvenile rats and the consequences of early-life stress may last into adulthood and likely participate in variations in stress reactivity.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40659-021-00327-5.

Stem cell-based approaches to improve nerve regeneration: potential implications for reconstructive transplantation?

Reconstructive transplantation has become a viable option to restore form and function after devastating tissue loss. Functional recovery is a key determinant of overall success and critically depends on the quality and pace of nerve regeneration. Several molecular and cell-based therapies have been postulated and tested in pre-clinical animal models to enhance nerve regeneration. Schwann cells remain the mainstay of research focus providing neurotrophic support and signaling cues for regenerating axons. Alternative cell sources such as mesenchymal stem cells and adipose-derived stromal cells have also been tested in pre-clinical animal models and in clinical trials due to their relative ease of harvest, rapid expansion in vitro, minimal immunogenicity, and capacity to integrate and survive within host tissues, thereby overcoming many of the challenges faced by culturing of human Schwann cells and nerve allografting. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived Schwann cells are of particular interest since they can provide abundant, patient-specific autologous Schwann cells. The majority of experimental evidence on cell-based therapies, however, has been generated using stem cell-seeded nerve guides that were developed to enhance nerve regeneration across "gaps" in neural repair. Although primary end-to-end repair is the preferred method of neurorrhaphy in reconstructive transplantation, mechanistic studies elucidating the principles of cell-based therapies from nerve guidance conduits will form the foundation of further research employing stem cells in end-to-end repair of donor and recipient nerves. This review presents key components of nerve regeneration in reconstructive transplantation and highlights the pre-clinical studies that utilize stem cells to enhance nerve regeneration.