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Lambert MR, Spinazzola JM, Widrick JJ, Pakula A, Conner JR, Chin JE, Owens JM, Kunkel LM. PDE10A Inhibition Reduces the Manifestation of Pathology in DMD Zebrafish and Represses the Genetic Modifier PITPNA. Mol Ther 2020; 29:1086-1101. [PMID: 33221436 PMCID: PMC7934586 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe genetic disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Absence of dystrophin protein leads to progressive degradation of skeletal and cardiac function and leads to premature death. Over the years, zebrafish have been increasingly used for studying DMD and are a powerful tool for drug discovery and therapeutic development. In our study, a birefringence screening assay led to identification of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitors that reduced the manifestation of dystrophic muscle phenotype in dystrophin-deficient sapje-like zebrafish larvae. PDE10A has been validated as a therapeutic target by pde10a morpholino-mediated reduction in muscle pathology and improvement in locomotion, muscle, and vascular function as well as long-term survival in sapje-like larvae. PDE10A inhibition in zebrafish and DMD patient-derived myoblasts were also associated with reduction of PITPNA expression that has been previously identified as a protective genetic modifier in two exceptional dystrophin-deficient golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dogs that escaped the dystrophic phenotype. The combination of a phenotypic assay and relevant functional assessments in the sapje-like zebrafish enhances the potential for the prospective discovery of DMD therapeutics. Indeed, our results suggest a new application for a PDE10A inhibitor as a potential DMD therapeutic to be investigated in a mouse model of DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias R Lambert
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Janelle M Spinazzola
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Widrick
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anna Pakula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James R Conner
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Janice E Chin
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jane M Owens
- Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Louis M Kunkel
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Dombernowsky NW, Ölmestig JNE, Witting N, Kruuse C. Role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies - Still a possible treatment modality? Neuromuscul Disord 2018; 28:914-926. [PMID: 30352768 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is involved in nitric oxide (NO) production and suggested to play a crucial role in blood flow regulation of skeletal muscle. During activation of the muscle, NO helps attenuate the sympathetic vasoconstriction to accommodate increased metabolic demands, a phenomenon known as functional sympatholysis. In inherited myopathies such as the dystrophinopathies Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophies (DMD and BMD), nNOS is lost from the sarcolemma. The loss of nNOS may cause functional ischemia contributing to skeletal and cardiac muscle cell injury. Effects of NO is augmented by inhibiting degradation of the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) using sildenafil and tadalafil, both of which inhibit the enzyme phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5). In animal models of DMD, PDE5-inhibitors prevent functional ischemia, reduce post-exercise skeletal muscle pathology and fatigue, show amelioration of cardiac muscle cell damage and increase cardiac performance. However, effect on clinical outcomes in DMD and BMD patients have been disappointing with minor effects on upper limb performance and none on ambulation. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of nNOS function related to functional sympatholysis in skeletal muscle and studies on PDE5-inhibitor treatment in nNOS-deficient animal models and patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna W Dombernowsky
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joakim N E Ölmestig
- Department of Neurology, Neurovascular Research Unit, Herlev Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nanna Witting
- Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christina Kruuse
- Department of Neurology, Neurovascular Research Unit, Herlev Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; PDE Research Group, Lundbeck Foundation Center for Neurovascular Research (LUCENS), Denmark.
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Stupka N, Michell BJ, Kemp BE, Lynch GS. Differential calcineurin signalling activity and regeneration efficacy in diaphragm and limb muscles of dystrophic mdx mice. Neuromuscul Disord 2006; 16:337-46. [PMID: 16621557 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2006.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2005] [Revised: 02/07/2006] [Accepted: 03/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin activity is essential for successful skeletal muscle regeneration in young mdx mice and in wild type mice following myotoxic injury and cryodamage. In mature myofibres of adult mdx mice, calcineurin stimulation can ameliorate the dystrophic pathology. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the more severe dystrophic pathology of the diaphragm compared with hindlimb muscles of mdx mice could be attributed to aberrant calcineurin signalling and that due to ongoing regeneration calcineurin activity would be greater in muscles of adult mdx than wild type mice. Differences in markers of regeneration between tibialis anterior and diaphragm muscles were also characterised, to determine whether there was an association between regeneration efficacy and calcineurin activity in dystrophic muscles. In diaphragm muscles of adult mdx mice, the proportion of centrally nucleated fibres and developmental myosin heavy chain protein expression was lower and myogenin protein expression was higher than in tibialis anterior muscles. Calcineurin and activated NFATc1 protein content and calcineurin phosphatase activity were higher in muscles from mdx than wild type mice and calcineurin activation was greater in diaphragm than tibialis anterior muscles of mdx mice. Thus, despite greater calcineurin activity in diaphragm compared to hindlimb muscles, regeneration events downstream of myoblast differentiation and mediated by the injured myofibre were severely compromised.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Calcineurin/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation/genetics
- Diaphragm/metabolism
- Diaphragm/pathology
- Diaphragm/physiopathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Extremities/physiopathology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred mdx
- Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/genetics
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/metabolism
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/physiopathology
- Myogenin/metabolism
- Myosin Heavy Chains/metabolism
- NFATC Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Regeneration/genetics
- Signal Transduction/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Stupka
- Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia
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Bloom TJ. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase isozymes expressed in mouse skeletal muscle. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2002; 80:1132-5. [PMID: 12564638 DOI: 10.1139/y02-149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
To understand changes in cyclic nucleotide metabolism in muscle disease states, the expression of phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes in normal mouse leg muscle was examined. Four subcellular fractions were generated by differential centrifugation at 10,000 x g and 100,000 x g. cAMP PDE activity was found predominately in the soluble fractions, while cGMP PDE activity was more evenly distributed amongst soluble and particulate fractions. Pharmacological inhibitors demonstrate that PDE4 represents the major cAMP hydrolyzing activity and PDE2 represents the major cGMP hydrolyzing activity in mouse leg muscle. PDE1 is expressed at low levels, while PDE3 and PDE5 are intermediate. Between 20 and 40% of total PDE activity remained in the presence of inhibitors for PDE1-PDE5, indicating that other PDE families contribute to the total PDE pool. Reverse-transcription PCR with family-specific primers showed expression of mRNA for PDE7-PDE9, supporting this conclusion. Total PDE activity was found to be elevated in tissue extracts from a mouse model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.
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MESH Headings
- 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases/antagonists & inhibitors
- 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases/biosynthesis
- 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases/genetics
- Animals
- Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 1
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/physiology
- Isoenzymes/antagonists & inhibitors
- Isoenzymes/biosynthesis
- Isoenzymes/genetics
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred mdx
- Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects
- Muscle, Skeletal/enzymology
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/enzymology
- Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases/biosynthesis
- Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Bloom
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campbell University School of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 1090, Buies Creek, NC 27506, USA.
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Blake DJ. Dystrobrevin dynamics in muscle-cell signalling: a possible target for therapeutic intervention in Duchenne muscular dystrophy? Neuromuscul Disord 2002; 12 Suppl 1:S110-7. [PMID: 12206805 DOI: 10.1016/s0960-8966(02)00091-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The dystrophin-protein complex forms one of the connections between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton of muscle. This link is disrupted in patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Dystrobrevin is a component of the dystrophin-protein complex that binds to the C-terminus of dystrophin and also to syntrophin. As its name suggests, dystrobrevin is a relative of dystrophin participating in similar intermolecular interactions. Dystrobrevin-deficient mice have a form of muscular dystrophy that leaves the sarcolemma and dystrophin-protein complex intact but affects an as yet unidentified signalling pathway in muscle. Given that the up-regulation of several genes has a beneficial effect on the muscle in some dystrophic mouse models, alpha-dystrobrevin has a number of properties that might be protective in muscular dystrophy. This article discusses the function of dystrobrevin in muscle and reviews its suitability as a therapeutic target for treating patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J Blake
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK.
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