Conditioned media from activated lymphocytes maintain sympathetic neurons in culture

Putative Blood Somatic Mutations in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Symptomatic Soldiers: High Impact of Cytoskeletal and Inflammatory Proteins

Background: We recently discovered autism/intellectual disability somatic mutations in postmortem brains, presenting higher frequency in Alzheimer’s disease subjects, compared with the controls. We further revealed high impact cytoskeletal gene mutations, coupled with potential cytoskeleton-targeted repair mechanisms. Objective: The current study was aimed at further discerning if somatic mutations in brain diseases are presented only in the most affected tissue (the brain), or if blood samples phenocopy the brain, toward potential diagnostics. Methods: Variant calling analyses on an RNA-seq database including peripheral blood samples from 85 soldiers (58 controls and 27 with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) was performed. Results: High (e.g., protein truncating) as well as moderate impact (e.g., single amino acid change) germline and putative somatic mutations in thousands of genes were found. Further crossing the mutated genes with autism, intellectual disability, cytoskeleton, inflammation, and DNA repair databases, identified the highest number of cytoskeletal-mutated genes (187 high and 442 moderate impact). Most of the mutated genes were shared and only when crossed with the inflammation database, more putative high impact mutated genes specific to the PTSD-symptom cohorts versus the controls (14 versus 13) were revealed, highlighting tumor necrosis factor specifically in the PTSD-symptom cohorts. Conclusion: With microtubules and neuro-immune interactions playing essential roles in brain neuroprotection and Alzheimer-related neurodegeneration, the current mutation discoveries contribute to mechanistic understanding of PTSD and brain protection, as well as provide future diagnostics toward personalized military deployment strategies and drug design.

VIP, from gene to behavior and back: summarizing my 25 years of research

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an interesting example of a 28-amino acid neuropeptide that is abundantly expressed in discrete brain regions/neurons and hence may contribute to brain function. This short review summarizes my own point of view and encompasses 25 years of work and over 100 publications targeting the understanding of VIP production and biological activity. The review starts with our original cloning of the VIP gene, it then continues to discoveries of regulation of VIP synthesis and the establishment of the first VIP transgenic mice. The review ends with the identification of novel VIP analogs that helped decipher VIP's important role during development, in regulation of the biological clock(s) and diurnal rhythms, sexual activity, learning and memory as well as social behavior, and cancer. This review cites only articles that I have coauthored and gives my own perspective of this exciting ever-growing field.

Psychosocial vs. "physical" stress situations in rodents and humans: role of neurotrophins

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are well-studied polypeptide growth factors involved in the development and maintenance of specific peripheral and central populations of neuronal cells. In addition to its role as a neurotrophic agent, NGF controls very complex functions in vertebrate physiology. A variety of cells outside the nervous system are in fact able to synthesize NGF including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and macrophages. NGF target cells have been identified in the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems, suggesting that NGF may operate through multiple paths to ultimately regulate physiological homeostasis and behavioral coping. We used a mouse model of social stress to demonstrate that NGF levels increase both in plasma and in the hypothalamus following intermale aggressive interactions. The investigation has been extended to other species, including humans, to show that labour, lactation, and the anticipation of the first jump with a parachute also result in increased NGF plasma levels and in changes in the distribution of NGF receptors on lymphocytes. BDNF activation is caused by both physical and social stress events. The aim of this review is to (1) outline the current understanding of the roles of NGF and BDNF in stress-related physiological changes in vertebrates, in particular for physical vs. psychological stressors, which may activate both similar and different neurobiological pathways, and (2) summarize recent efforts to derive pharmacological strategies from the increasing body of BDNF and NGF neurobehavioral data.

Conditioned medium from activated spleen cells supports the survival of rat retinal cells in vitro

Cytokines are a heterogeneous group of molecules that have been associated with several functions in the nervous system, such as survival and differentiation of neuronal and glial cells. In the present study, we demonstrated that conditioned medium from spleen cells activated with concanavalin A increased neuritogenesis and survival of retinal cells, as measured by biochemical and morphological criteria. Our data showed that conditioned medium induced a five-fold increase in the amount of protein after 120 h in vitro. This effect was not inhibited by the blockade of voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels with 5.0 microM nifedipine. However, the use of an intracellular calcium chelator (15.0 microM BAPTA-AM) inhibited this effect. Our results support the idea that factors secreted by activated lymphocytes, such as cytokines, can modulate the maintenance and the differentiation of rat retinal cells in vitro, indicating a possible role of these molecules in the development of retinal cells, as well as in its protection against pathological conditions.

NGF regulatory role in stress and coping of rodents and humans

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a polypeptide growth factor which exerts trophic and differentiative effects on specific peripheral and central populations of neurons. Recent data showing that various cellular types of the endocrine and immune systems are able to synthesize and release NGF have suggested that this neurotrophic factor may also play an important role in vertebrate physiologic homeostasis. Previous studies using a mouse model of aggressive behavior have shown that NGF levels increase in both plasma and the CNS following intermale agonistic encounters. More recently, we have extended this research area to include other species: in particular, humans. The data now available indicate that labour and lactation, or the occurrence of a stressful event such as the very first jump with a parachute causes in NGF plasma levels as well as changes in the distribution of NGF receptors on lymphocytes. This review aimed to outline the current understanding of NGF role in vertebrates in stress-related events.

Neural-immune interactions in sympathetic ganglia

Effects of immune cytokines on neuronal gene expression have recently been examined in cultured superior cervical (sympathetic) ganglia, a widely used model system for the study of neurotransmitter plasticity. Following deafferentation and explantation into culture, interleukin-1 causes an up-regulation of the neuropeptide substance P as well as of choline acetyltransferase. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha has a similar, though less potent, action. Since interleukin-1 was ineffective in raising the concentration of substance P in pure neuronal cultures, the existence of a non-neuronally derived intermediate was postulated and found to exist in interleukin-1-conditioned medium. Antibody neutralization of either nerve growth factor or ciliary neurotrophic factor failed to affect the ability of interleukin-1 to induce substance P. Inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis was equally ineffective. However, immunoprecipitation of leukemia inhibitory factor from interleukin-1-conditioned medium eliminated substance-P-inducing activity, suggesting leukemia inhibitory factor as a possible interleukin-1-induced intermediate. The ability of interleukin-1 to induce leukemia inhibitory factor mRNA strengthens this conclusion. Glucocorticoid hormones block the interleukin-1 induction of leukemia inhibitory factor, which explains why they block the interleukin-1 induction of substance P.

Nerve growth factor in the synovial fluid of patients with chronic arthritis

Cytokines regulate nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis during inflammatory processes. Since cytokines are also involved in the inflammatory processes of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, we examined levels of NGF in patients with rheumatoid or other types of chronic arthritis. NGF was present in the synovial fluid and synovium of patients with chronic arthritis, but was undetectable in control fluids. We conclude that NGF might be involved in the pathogenesis of arthritis.

Cytokine regulation of neuronal survival

Interleukin-1 is a cytokine involved in the immune response to infection and inflammation as well as a growth promotor for several cell types. Interleukin-1-like immunoreactive material has been found in the nervous system. We now show that antisera, which blocked the T-cell proliferative effects of interleukin-1 alpha, decreased neuronal cell counts (to 40% of control) in dissociated spinal cord cultures derived from fetal mice. This neuronal loss was prevented by addition of interleukin-1 alpha, and to a lesser extent by interleukin-1 beta. Exogenous interleukin-1 alpha increased the survival of neurons when added to cultures in which the electrical activity was blocked with tetrodotoxin, whereas no such cytokine-related increase in neuronal survival was observed in electrically active cultures. The antiserum-induced death could also be prevented by cotreatment of the cultures with 0.1 nM vasoactive intestinal peptide, a substance that induces the secretion of neuronal trophic factors from nonneuronal spinal cord cells and thereby increases neuronal survival in electrically inactive cultures. These studies indicate that the cytokine interleukin-1, or an immunologically cross-reactive protein, can increase neuronal survival.

Chick sympathetic neurons in culture respond differentially to nerve growth factor and conditioned medium from activated splenic lymphocytes

Chicken splenic cells, stimulated by concanavalin A, secreted a factor or factors into the culture medium which supported the survival of neurons from sympathetic ganglia of chick embryos. The effect of this conditioned medium (CM) was similar to the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF). However, the enhanced survival effect of CM was unaffected by K-252a, a protein kinase inhibitor which completely abolished the effect of NGF. 6-Thioguanine, an inhibitor of NGF-activated protein kinase N, blocked the survival effects of both NGF and CM on sympathetic neurons, but a dose required for the half-maximal inhibition for the survival effect of CM was 10 times higher than that for NGF. H-7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, did not block the effect of either CM or NGF. On the other hand, the survival effect of both CM and NGF was blocked to the same extent by 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine and LiCl. These results suggest that activated splenic cells secreted neuronal survival-promoting factor(s) into CM and that the cellular mechanisms promoting neuronal survival by CM are different from those promoting neuronal survival induced by NGF.

Physiological basis for neuroimmunomodulation

A large number of clinical and experimental observations indicate that immune responses may be modulated by the central nervous system (CNS). The immune system (IS) and CNS are known to communicate via the endocrine and the autonomic nervous systems. In this overview, we will focus on the immunomodulating role of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Immune cells appear to express membrane antigens similar to those of neural cells. Similarities re-enforce analogies between CNS and IS cells. The concept that the CNS modulates immune functions implies that the immune system feeds back information to the CNS. In fact, interleukins have neuroendocrine functions whether they are produced at the periphery by immune cells or at the CNS level by glial cells. Finally, the possible endocrine functions of lymphocytes are described and it is suggested that a complete regulatory loop between immune and neuro-endocrine systems exists. Studies in neuro-immunomodulation are of great importance from a theoretical point of view, the CNS-IS inter-relationships may not be considered only between the CNS and the periphery but also at the level of the immune micro-environment which may be considered as an immune-neuro-endocrine complex.

The cholinergic neuronal differentiation factor from heart cells is identical to leukemia inhibitory factor

A protein secreted by cultured rat heart cells can direct the choice of neurotransmitter phenotype made by cultured rat sympathetic neurons. Structural analysis and biological assays demonstrated that this protein is identical to a protein that regulates the growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cells and myeloid cells, and that stimulates bone remodeling and acute-phase protein synthesis in hepatocytes. This protein has been termed D factor, DIA, DIF, DRF, HSFIII, and LIF. Thus, this cytokine, like IL-6 and TGF beta, regulates growth and differentiation in the embryo and in the adult in many tissues, now including the nervous system.

Receptors for nerve growth factor on rat spleen mononuclear cells

Considerable evidence is mounting to support the concept of a modulatory role for the brain and neuroendocrine system on the immune response. This neuroimmunomodulation occurs in part through the interaction of specific neurosubstances with receptors on lymphocytes and monocytes. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neuronotrophic factor necessary for the development and maintenance of sympathetic and embryonic sensory neurons. This trophic effect is initiated through binding of NGF at specific cell surface receptor sites on NGF-responsive cells. Several recent studies suggest that NGF may interact with cells of the immune system and may play a role in the regulation of some immunologic reactions. In this study we report on the presence of specific receptors for NGF on the surface of mononuclear cells from rat spleens. The NGF-binding sites are of the low-affinity type with Kd's in the 10(-9) M range. These receptors migrate on SDS-PAGE as two molecular species of approximately 190 and 125 kilodaltons. Our findings of receptors for NGF on lymphocytes and accessory cells support other evidence that NGF may influence immunoreactivity in vivo.

Central nervous system-directed neuronotrophic activity present in red blood cells

A new neuronotrophic factor has been identified in extracts of vertebrate red blood cells. The factor supports the survival in culture of neurons from vertebrate central nervous systems, and does not support the survival of several peripheral ganglionic neurons. The active molecule appears to be a slightly acidic protein of 30,000-100,000 daltons.