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Boruch AE, Barhorst EE, Rayne TJ, Roberge GA, Brukardt SM, Leitel ZT, Coe CL, Fleshner M, Falvo MJ, Cook DB, Lindheimer JB. Exercise does not cause post-exertional malaise in Veterans with Gulf War Illness: A randomized, controlled, dose-response, crossover study. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 120:221-230. [PMID: 38777281 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long-COVID, and Gulf War Illness (GWI) are associated with an elevated risk of post-exertional malaise (PEM), an acute exacerbation of symptoms and other related outcomes following exercise. These individuals may benefit from personalized exercise prescriptions which prioritize risk minimization, necessitating a better understanding of dose-response effects of exercise intensity on PEM. METHODS Veterans with GWI (n = 40) completed a randomized controlled crossover experiment comparing 20 min of seated rest to light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity cycling conditions over four separate study visits. Symptoms, pain sensitivity, cognitive performance, inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and plasma cytokines) were measured before and within 1 h after exercise and seated rest. Physical activity behavior was measured ≥ 7 days following each study visit via actigraphy. Linear mixed effects regression models tested the central hypothesis that higher intensity exercise would elicit greater exacerbation of negative outcomes, as indicated by a significant condition-by-time interaction for symptom, pain sensitivity, cognitive performance, and inflammatory marker models and a significant main effect of condition for physical activity models. RESULTS Significant condition-by-time interactions were not observed for primary or secondary measures of symptoms, pain sensitivity, cognitive performance, and a majority of inflammatory markers. Similarly, a significant effect of condition was not observed for primary or secondary measures of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Undesirable effects such as symptom exacerbation were observed for some participants, but the group-level risk of PEM following light-, moderate-, or vigorous-intensity exercise was no greater than seated rest. These findings challenge several prior views about PEM and lend support to a broader body of literature showing that the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Boruch
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Gunnar A Roberge
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Zoie T Leitel
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Michael J Falvo
- VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Dane B Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob B Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
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Stussman B, Calco B, Norato G, Gavin A, Chigurupati S, Nath A, Walitt B. Mixed methods system for the assessment of post-exertional malaise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an exploratory study. BMJ Neurol Open 2024; 6:e000529. [PMID: 38352048 PMCID: PMC10862339 DOI: 10.1136/bmjno-2023-000529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A central feature of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is post-exertional malaise (PEM), which is an acute worsening of symptoms after a physical, emotional and/or mental exertion. Dynamic measures of PEM have historically included scaled questionnaires, which have not been validated in ME/CFS. To enhance our understanding of PEM and how best to measure it, we conducted semistructured qualitative interviews (QIs) at the same intervals as visual analogue scale (VAS) measures after a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Methods Ten ME/CFS and nine healthy volunteers participated in a CPET. For each volunteer, PEM symptom VAS (12 symptoms) and semistructured QIs were administered at six timepoints over 72 hours before and after a single CPET. QI data were used to plot the severity of PEM at each time point and identify the self-described most bothersome symptom for each ME/CFS volunteer. Performance of QI and VAS data was compared with each other using Spearman correlations. Results Each ME/CFS volunteer had a unique PEM experience, with differences noted in the onset, severity, trajectory over time and most bothersome symptom. No healthy volunteers experienced PEM. QI and VAS fatigue data corresponded well an hour prior to exercise (pre-CPET, r=0.7) but poorly at peak PEM (r=0.28) and with the change from pre-CPET to peak (r=0.20). When the most bothersome symptom identified from QIs was used, these correlations improved (r=0.0.77, 0.42. and 0.54, respectively) and reduced the observed VAS scale ceiling effects. Conclusion In this exploratory study, QIs were able to capture changes in PEM severity and symptom quality over time, even when VAS scales failed to do so. Measurement of PEM can be improved by using a quantitative-qualitative mixed model approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Stussman
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brice Calco
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gina Norato
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Angelique Gavin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Snigdha Chigurupati
- The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Avindra Nath
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Walitt
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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3
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Sultana E, Shastry N, Kasarla R, Hardy J, Collado F, Aenlle K, Abreu M, Sisson E, Sullivan K, Klimas N, Craddock TJA. Disentangling the effects of PTSD from Gulf War Illness in male veterans via a systems-wide analysis of immune cell, cytokine, and symptom measures. Mil Med Res 2024; 11:2. [PMID: 38167090 PMCID: PMC10759613 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00505-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One-third of veterans returning from the 1990-1991 Gulf War reported a myriad of symptoms including cognitive dysfunction, skin rashes, musculoskeletal discomfort, and fatigue. This symptom cluster is now referred to as Gulf War Illness (GWI). As the underlying mechanisms of GWI have yet to be fully elucidated, diagnosis and treatment are based on symptomatic presentation. One confounding factor tied to the illness is the high presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous research efforts have demonstrated that both GWI and PTSD are associated with immunological dysfunction. As such, this research endeavor aimed to provide insight into the complex relationship between GWI symptoms, cytokine presence, and immune cell populations to pinpoint the impact of PTSD on these measures in GWI. METHODS Symptom measures were gathered through the Multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI) and 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) scales and biological measures were obtained through cytokine & cytometry analysis. Subgrouping was conducted using Davidson Trauma Scale scores and the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5, into GWI with high probability of PTSD symptoms (GWIH) and GWI with low probability of PTSD symptoms (GWIL). Data was analyzed using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical analysis along with correlation graph analysis. We mapped correlations between immune cells and cytokine signaling measures, hormones and GWI symptom measures to identify patterns in regulation between the GWIH, GWIL, and healthy control groups. RESULTS GWI with comorbid PTSD symptoms resulted in poorer health outcomes compared with both Healthy control (HC) and the GWIL subgroup. Significant differences were found in basophil levels of GWI compared with HC at peak exercise regardless of PTSD symptom comorbidity (ANOVA F = 4.7, P = 0.01,) indicating its potential usage as a biomarker for general GWI from control. While the unique identification of GWI with PTSD symptoms was less clear, the GWIL subgroup was found to be delineated from both GWIH and HC on measures of IL-15 across an exercise challenge (ANOVA F > 3.75, P < 0.03). Additional differences in natural killer (NK) cell numbers and function highlight IL-15 as a potential biomarker of GWI in the absence of PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION We conclude that disentangling GWI and PTSD by defining trauma-based subgroups may aid in the identification of unique GWI biosignatures that can help to improve diagnosis and target treatment of GWI more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esha Sultana
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Nandan Shastry
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Rishabh Kasarla
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Jacob Hardy
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
| | - Fanny Collado
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
| | - Kristina Aenlle
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
| | - Maria Abreu
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
| | - Emily Sisson
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
| | - Travis J A Craddock
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
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Burzynski HE, Ayala KE, Frick MA, Dufala HA, Woodruff JL, Macht VA, Eberl BR, Hollis F, McQuail JA, Grillo CA, Fadel JR, Reagan LP. Delayed cognitive impairments in a rat model of Gulf War Illness are stimulus-dependent. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:248-258. [PMID: 37437820 PMCID: PMC10530066 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) collectively describes the multitude of central and peripheral disturbances affecting soldiers who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. While the mechanisms responsible for GWI remain elusive, the prophylactic use of the reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, pyridostigmine bromide (PB), and war-related stress have been identified as chief factors in GWI pathology. Post-deployment stress is a common challenge faced by veterans, and aberrant cholinergic and/or immune responses to these psychological stressors may play an important role in GWI pathology, especially the cognitive impairments experienced by many GWI patients. Therefore, the current study investigated if an immobilization stress challenge would produce abnormal responses in PB-treated rats three months later. Results indicate that hippocampal cholinergic responses to an immobilization stress challenge are impaired three months after PB administration. We also assessed if an immune or stress challenge reveals deficits in PB-treated animals during hippocampal-dependent learning and memory tasks at this delayed timepoint. Novel object recognition (NOR) testing paired with either acute saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 µg/kg, i.p.), as well as Morris water maze (MWM) testing was conducted approximately three months after PB administration and/or repeated restraint stress. Rats with a history of PB treatment exhibited 24-hour hippocampal-dependent memory deficits when challenged with LPS, but not saline, in the NOR task. Similarly, in the same cohort, PB-treated rats showed 24-hour memory deficits in the MWM task. Ultimately, these studies highlight the long-term effects of PB treatment on hippocampal function and provide insight into the progressive cognitive deficits observed in veterans with GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- H E Burzynski
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States.
| | - K E Ayala
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - M A Frick
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - H A Dufala
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - J L Woodruff
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - V A Macht
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - B R Eberl
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - F Hollis
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - J A McQuail
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - C A Grillo
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - J R Fadel
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
| | - L P Reagan
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC 29208, United States; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC 29208, United States
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Golomb BA, Han JH. Adverse effect propensity: A new feature of Gulf War illness predicted by environmental exposures. iScience 2023; 26:107363. [PMID: 37554469 PMCID: PMC10405325 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A third of 1990-1 Gulf-deployed personnel developed drug/chemical-induced multisymptom illness, "Gulf War illness" (GWI). Veterans with GWI (VGWI) report increased drug/exposure adverse effects (AEs). Using previously collected data from a case-control study, we evaluated whether the fraction of exposures that engendered AEs ("AE Propensity") is increased in VGWI (it was); whether AE Propensity is related to self-rated "chemical sensitivity" (it did); and whether specific exposures "predicted" AE Propensity (they did). Pesticides and radiation exposure were significant predictors, with copper significantly "protective"-in the total sample (adjusted for GWI-status) and separately in VGWI and controls, on multivariable regression. Mitochondrial impairment and oxidative stress (OS) underlie AEs from many exposures irrespective of nominal specific mechanism. We hypothesize that mitochondrial toxicity and interrelated OS from pesticides and radiation position people on the steep part of the curve of mitochondrial impairment and OS versus symptom/biological disruption, amplifying impact of new exposures. Copper, meanwhile, is involved in critical OS detoxification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice A. Golomb
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jun Hee Han
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Boruch AE, Lindheimer JB, Ninneman JV, Wylie GR, Alexander T, Klein-Adams JC, Stegner AJ, Gretzon NP, Samy B, Falvo MJ, Cook DB. Exercise-induced changes in gene expression do not mediate post exertional malaise in Gulf War illness. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 29:100612. [PMID: 36950022 PMCID: PMC10027470 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is considered a characteristic feature of chronic multi-symptom illnesses (CMI) like Gulf War illness (GWI); however, its pathophysiology remains understudied. Previous investigations in other CMI populations (i.e., Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) have reported associations between PEM and expression of genes coding for adrenergic, metabolic, and immune function. Objectives To investigate whether PEM is meditated by gene expression in Veterans with GWI. Methods Veterans with GWI (n = 37) and healthy control Gulf War Veterans (n = 25) provided blood samples before and after 30-min of cycling at 70% of age-predicted heart rate reserve. Relative quantification of gene expression, symptom measurements, and select cardiopulmonary parameters were compared between groups at pre-, 30 minpost-, and 24 hpost-exercise using a doubly multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA). Mediation analyses were used to test indirect effects of changes in gene expression on symptom responses (i.e., PEM) to the standardized exercise challenge. Results Veterans with GWI experienced large symptom exacerbations following exercise compared to controls (Cohen's d: 1.65; p < 0.05). Expression of β -actin (ACTB), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) decreased in Veterans with GWI at 30 min (p < 0.05) and 24 h post-exercise (p < 0.05). Changes in gene expression did not mediate post-exercise symptom exacerbation in GWI (Indirect Effect Slope Coefficient: 0.06 - 0.02; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.12). Conclusion An acute bout of moderate intensity cycling reduced the expression of select structural, adrenergic, and immune genes in Veterans with GWI, but the pathophysiological relevance to PEM is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Boruch
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob B. Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob V. Ninneman
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Glenn R. Wylie
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas Alexander
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Jacquelyn C. Klein-Adams
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Aaron J. Stegner
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Gretzon
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bishoy Samy
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author. Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Avenue, Room 335, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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7
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Stussman B, Calco B, Norato G, Gavin A, Chigurupati S, Nath A, Walitt B. A Mixed Methods System for the Assessment of Post Exertional Malaise in Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.24.23288821. [PMID: 37205352 PMCID: PMC10187342 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.24.23288821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Background A central feature of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is post exertional malaise (PEM), which is an acute worsening of symptoms after a physical, emotional and/or mental exertion. PEM is also a feature of Long COVID. Dynamic measures of PEM have historically included scaled questionnaires which have not been validated in ME/CFS. To enhance our understanding of PEM and how best to measure it, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews (QIs) at the same intervals as Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measures after a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET). Methods Ten ME/CFS and nine healthy volunteers participated in a CPET. For each participant, PEM symptom VAS (7 symptoms) and semi-structured QIs were administered at six timepoints over 72 hours before and after a single CPET. QI data were used to plot the severity of PEM at each time point and identify the self-described most bothersome symptom for each patient. QI data were used to determine the symptom trajectory and peak of PEM. Performance of QI and VAS data were compared to each other using Spearman correlations. Results QIs documented that each ME/CFS volunteer had a unique PEM experience, with differences noted in the onset, severity, trajectory over time, and most bothersome symptom. No healthy volunteers experienced PEM. Scaled QI data were able to identify PEM peaks and trajectories, even when VAS scales were unable to do so due to known ceiling and floor effects. QI and VAS fatigue data corresponded well prior to exercise (baseline, r=0.7) but poorly at peak PEM (r=0.28) and with the change from baseline to peak (r=0.20). When the most bothersome symptom identified from QIs was used, these correlations improved (r=.0.77, 0.42. and 0.54 respectively) and reduced the observed VAS scale ceiling and floor effects. Conclusion QIs were able to capture changes in PEM severity and symptom quality over time in all the ME/CFS volunteers, even when VAS scales failed to do so. Information collected from QIs also improved the performance of VAS. Measurement of PEM can be improved by using a quantitative-qualitative mixed model approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Stussman
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brice Calco
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Gina Norato
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Angelique Gavin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Snigdha Chigurupati
- George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington D.C., United States
| | - Avindra Nath
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brian Walitt
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
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Sharma A, Muresanu DF, Tian ZR, Nozari A, Lafuente JV, Buzoianu AD, Sjöquist PO, Feng L, Wiklund L, Sharma HS. Co-Administration of Nanowired Monoclonal Antibodies to Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Together with Antioxidant H-290/51 Reduces SiO 2 Nanoparticles-Induced Exacerbation of Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord Trauma. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 32:195-229. [PMID: 37480462 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-32997-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Military personnel are often exposed to silica dust during combat operations across the globe. Exposure to silica dust in US military or service personnel could cause Desert Strom Pneumonitis also referred to as Al Eskan disease causing several organs damage and precipitate autoimmune dysfunction. However, the effects of microfine particles of sand inhalation-induced brain damage on the pathophysiology of traumatic brain or spinal cord injury are not explored. Previously intoxication of silica nanoparticles (50-60 nm size) is shown to exacerbates spinal cord injury induces blood-spinal cord barrier breakdown, edema formation and cellular changes. However, the mechanism of silica nanoparticles-induced cord pathology is still not well known. Spinal cord injury is well known to alter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) metabolism and induce oxidative stress including upregulation of nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor alpha. This suggests that these agents are involved in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury. In this review, we examined the effects of combined nanowired delivery of monoclonal antibodies to neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) together with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) antibodies and a potent antioxidant H-290/51 to induce neuroprotection in spinal cord injury associated with silica nanoparticles intoxication. Our results for the first time show that co-administration of nanowired delivery of antibodies to nNOS and TNF-α with H-290/51 significantly attenuated silica nanoparticles-induced exacerbation of spinal cord pathology, not reported earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruna Sharma
- International Experimental Central Nervous System Injury & Repair (IECNSIR), Department of Surgical Sciences, Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dafin F Muresanu
- Department Clinical Neurosciences, University of Medicine & Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- "RoNeuro" Institute for Neurological Research and Diagnostic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Z Ryan Tian
- Department Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Ala Nozari
- Anesthesiology & Intensive Care, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - José Vicente Lafuente
- LaNCE, Department Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Anca D Buzoianu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Per-Ove Sjöquist
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lianyuan Feng
- Department of Neurology, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Zhongshan, Hebei Province, China
| | - Lars Wiklund
- International Experimental Central Nervous System Injury & Repair (IECNSIR), Department of Surgical Sciences, Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hari Shanker Sharma
- International Experimental Central Nervous System Injury & Repair (IECNSIR), Department of Surgical Sciences, Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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9
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Carpenter JM, Brown KA, Veltmaat L, Ludwig HD, Clay KB, Norberg T, Harn DA, Wagner JJ, Filipov NM. Evaluation of delayed LNFPIII treatment initiation protocol on improving long-term behavioral and neuroinflammatory pathology in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100553. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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10
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Cook DB, VanRiper S, Dougherty RJ, Lindheimer JB, Falvo MJ, Chen Y, Lin JMS, Unger ER. Cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and perceptual responses during exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265315. [PMID: 35290404 PMCID: PMC8923458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cardiopulmonary exercise testing has demonstrated clinical utility in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). However, to what extent exercise responses are independent of, or confounded by, aerobic fitness remains unclear. Purpose To characterize and compare exercise responses in ME/CFS and controls with and without matching for aerobic fitness. Methods As part of the Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) study, 403 participants (n = 214 ME/CFS; n = 189 controls), across six ME/CFS clinics, completed ramped cycle ergometry to volitional exhaustion. Metabolic, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. Ventilatory equivalent ( V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2), metrics of ventilatory efficiency, and chronotropic incompetence (CI) were calculated. Exercise variables were compared using Hedges’ g effect size with 95% confidence intervals. Differences in cardiopulmonary and perceptual features during exercise were analyzed using linear mixed effects models with repeated measures for relative exercise intensity (20–100% peak V˙O2). Subgroup analyses were conducted for 198 participants (99 ME/CFS; 99 controls) matched for age (±5 years) and peak V˙O2 (~1 ml/kg/min-1). Results Ninety percent of tests (n = 194 ME/CFS, n = 169 controls) met standard criteria for peak effort. ME/CFS responses during exercise (20–100% peak V˙O2) were significantly lower for ventilation, breathing frequency, HR, measures of efficiency, and CI and significantly higher for V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2 and RPE (p<0.05adjusted). For the fitness-matched subgroup, differences remained for breathing frequency, V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2, and RPE (p<0.05adjusted), and higher tidal volumes were identified for ME/CFS (p<0.05adjusted). Exercise responses at the gas exchange threshold, peak, and for measures of ventilatory efficiency (e.g., V˙E/V˙CO2nadir) were generally reflective of those seen throughout exercise (i.e., 20–100%). Conclusion Compared to fitness-matched controls, cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in ME/CFS are characterized by inefficient exercise ventilation and augmented perception of effort. These data highlight the importance of distinguishing confounding fitness effects to identify responses that may be more specifically associated with ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephanie VanRiper
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Dougherty
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jacob B. Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Yang Chen
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jin-Mann S. Lin
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R. Unger
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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11
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In Vivo Evaluation of the Acute Systemic Toxicity of (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-Cembratriene-4,6-diol (4R) in Sprague Dawley Rats. NUTRACEUTICALS 2022; 2:60-70. [PMID: 35855209 PMCID: PMC9291268 DOI: 10.3390/nutraceuticals2020005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The tobacco cembranoid (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-2,7,11-cembratriene-4,6-diol (4R) interacts with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which results in neuroprotection against organophosphate toxicity, brain ischemia, and Parkinson’s disease. The present study is a continuation of our previous research in which we applied a single dose of 4R 1 h before or 24 h after exposure to diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) (analog of the nerve agent sarin). The 4R dose robustly decreased neuroinflammation and neuronal death at both timepoints. Here, we investigated the toxicity of a single dose of 4R in male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats after a subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of 6, 24, or 98 mg/kg. Body weight was not affected by 4R during the 7-day observation period. No histopathologic changes in the organs were attributed to 4R. Minor hematological and blood composition variations were detected on Day 3 in the mid- and the high-dose males, but these were resolved by Day 8. At the area of the s.c. injection site, alopecia and dry skin were detected in both the 4R-treated males and females and in the female controls.
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12
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Burzynski H, Macht V, Woodruff J, Crawford J, Erichsen J, Piroli G, Grillo C, Fadel J, Reagan L. Pyridostigmine bromide elicits progressive and chronic impairments in the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of male rats. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100446. [PMID: 35573808 PMCID: PMC9095881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a multi-symptom illness that continues to affect over 250,000 American Gulf War veterans. The causes of GWI remain equivocal; however, prophylactic use of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide (PB), and the stress of combat have been identified as two potential causative factors. Both PB and stress alter acetylcholine (ACh), which mediates both cognition and anti-inflammatory responses. As inflammation has been proposed to contribute to the cognitive deficits and immune dysregulation in GWI, the goal of this study was to determine the long-term effects of PB and stress on the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in the central nervous system and periphery. We used our previously established rat model of GWI and in vivo microdialysis to assess cholinergic neurochemistry in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus following a mild immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide; LPS). We then examined LPS-induced changes in inflammatory markers in PFC and hippocampal homogenates. We found that PB treatment produces a long-lasting potentiation of the cholinergic response to LPS in both the PFC and hippocampus. Interestingly, this prolonged effect of PB treatment enhancing cholinergic responses to LPS was accompanied by paradoxical increases in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in these brain regions. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that neuroinflammation resulting from dysregulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is a mechanistic mediator in the progression of the neurochemical and neurocognitive deficits in GWI and more broadly suggest that dysregulation of this pathway may contribute to neuroinflammatory processes in stress-related neurological disorders. Inflammation is thought to contribute to the progressive nature of GWI pathology. PB potentiates the central cholinergic response to LPS over time in model of GWI. PB progressively exacerbates the neuroinflammatory response to LPS. GWI may result from the dysregulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.
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13
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Shastry N, Sultana E, Jeffrey M, Collado F, Kibler J, DeLucia C, Fletcher MA, Klimas N, Craddock TJA. The impact of post-traumatic stress on quality of life and fatigue in women with Gulf War Illness. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:42. [PMID: 35216624 PMCID: PMC8876751 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptomatic disorder characterized by fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, insomnia, rashes, and gastrointestinal issues affecting an estimated 30% of the ~ 750,000 returning military Veterans of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. Female Veterans deployed to combat in this war report medical symptoms, like cognition and respiratory troubles, at twice the rate compared to non-deployed female Veterans of the same era. The heterogeneity of GWI symptom presentation complicates diagnosis as well as the identification of effective treatments. This is exacerbated by the presence of co-morbidities. Defining subgroups of the illness may help alleviate these complications. One clear grouping is along the lines of gender. Our aim is to determine if women with GWI can be further subdivided into distinct subgroups based on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom presentation. Methods Veterans diagnosed with GWI (n = 35) and healthy sedentary controls (n = 35) were recruited through the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Health Center. Symptoms were assessed via the RAND short form health survey, the multidimensional fatigue inventory, and the Davidson trauma scale. Hierarchal regression modeling was performed on measures of health and fatigue with PTSD symptoms as a covariate. This was followed by univariate analyses conducted with two separate GWI groups based on a cut-point of 70 for their total Davidson trauma scale value and performing heteroscedastic t-tests across all measures. Results Based on the distinct differences found in PTSD symptomology regarding all health and trauma symptoms, two subgroups were derived within female GWI Veterans. Hierarchical regression models displayed the comorbid effects of GWI and PTSD, as both conditions had measurable impacts on quality of life and fatigue (ΔR2 = 0.08–0.672), with notable differences in mental and emotional measures. Overall, a cut point analysis indicated poorer quality of life and greater fatigue within all measures for women with GWI and PTSD symptoms in comparison to those women with GWI without PTSD symptoms and healthy controls. Conclusions Our current findings support the understanding that comorbid symptoms of GWI and PTSD subsequently result in poorer quality of life and fatigue, along with establishing the possibility of varying clinical presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandan Shastry
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Esha Sultana
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Mary Jeffrey
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA
| | - Fanny Collado
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kibler
- Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Christian DeLucia
- Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Mary Ann Fletcher
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Travis J A Craddock
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Computer Science, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
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14
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Kozlova EV, Carabelli B, Bishay AE, Liu R, Denys ME, Macbeth JC, Piamthai V, Crawford MS, McCole DF, Zur Nieden NI, Hsiao A, Curras-Collazo MC. Induction of distinct neuroinflammatory markers and gut dysbiosis by differential pyridostigmine bromide dosing in a chronic mouse model of GWI showing persistent exercise fatigue and cognitive impairment. Life Sci 2022; 288:120153. [PMID: 34801513 PMCID: PMC9048156 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To characterize neuroinflammatory and gut dysbiosis signatures that accompany exaggerated exercise fatigue and cognitive/mood deficits in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness (GWI). METHODS Adult male C57Bl/6N mice were exposed for 28 d (5 d/wk) to pyridostigmine bromide (P.O.) at 6.5 mg/kg/d, b.i.d. (GW1) or 8.7 mg/kg/d, q.d. (GW2); topical permethrin (1.3 mg/kg), topical N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (33%) and restraint stress (5 min). Animals were phenotypically evaluated as described in an accompanying article [124] and sacrificed at 6.6 months post-treatment (PT) to allow measurement of brain neuroinflammation/neuropathic pain gene expression, hippocampal glial fibrillary acidic protein, brain Interleukin-6, gut dysbiosis and serum endotoxin. KEY FINDINGS Compared to GW1, GW2 showed a more intense neuroinflammatory transcriptional signature relative to sham stress controls. Interleukin-6 was elevated in GW2 and astrogliosis in hippocampal CA1 was seen in both GW groups. Beta-diversity PCoA using weighted Unifrac revealed that gut microbial communities changed after exposure to GW2 at PT188. Both GW1 and GW2 displayed systemic endotoxemia, suggesting a gut-brain mechanism underlies the neuropathological signatures. Using germ-free mice, probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri produced less gut permeability than microbiota transplantation using GW2 feces. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings demonstrate that GW agents dose-dependently induce differential neuropathology and gut dysbiosis associated with cognitive, exercise fatigue and mood GWI phenotypes. Establishment of a comprehensive animal model that recapitulates multiple GWI symptom domains and neuroinflammation has significant implications for uncovering pathophysiology, improving diagnosis and treatment for GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Kozlova
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Bruno Carabelli
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Anthony E Bishay
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Maximillian E Denys
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - John C Macbeth
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Varadh Piamthai
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Meli'sa S Crawford
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Declan F McCole
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Nicole I Zur Nieden
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ansel Hsiao
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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15
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Bryant JD, Kodali M, Shuai B, Menissy SS, Graves PJ, Phan TT, Dantzer R, Shetty AK, Ciaccia West L, West AP. Neuroimmune mechanisms of cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Gulf War illness. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 97:204-218. [PMID: 34333111 PMCID: PMC8453129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptom disorder affecting approximately 30 percent of the nearly 700,000 Veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. GWI-related chemical (GWIC) exposure promotes immune activation that correlates with cognitive impairment and other symptoms of GWI. However, the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways linking GWIC to inflammation and neurological symptoms remain unclear. Here we show that acute exposure of murine macrophages to GWIC potentiates innate immune signaling and inflammatory cytokine production. Using an established mouse model of GWI, we report that neurobehavioral changes and neuroinflammation are attenuated in mice lacking the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) and NOD-, LRR- or pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) innate immune pathways. In addition, we report sex differences in response to GWIC, with female mice showing more pronounced cognitive impairment and hippocampal astrocyte hypertrophy. In contrast, male mice display a GWIC-dependent upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in the plasma that is not present in female mice. Our results indicate that STING and NLRP3 are key mediators of the cognitive impairment and inflammation observed in GWI and provide important new information on sex differences in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Bryant
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Maheedhar Kodali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bing Shuai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Saeed S. Menissy
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Paige J. Graves
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Thien Trong Phan
- Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robert Dantzer
- Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ashok K. Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Laura Ciaccia West
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA.
| | - A. Phillip West
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA,Corresponding authors. (L. Ciaccia West), (A.P. West)
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16
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Carpenter JM, Brown KA, Diaz AN, Dockman RL, Benbow RA, Harn DA, Norberg T, Wagner JJ, Filipov NM. Delayed treatment with the immunotherapeutic LNFPIII ameliorates multiple neurological deficits in a pesticide-nerve agent prophylactic mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 87:107012. [PMID: 34256162 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Residual effects of the 1990-1991 Gulf War (GW) still plague veterans 30 years later as Gulf War Illness (GWI). Thought to stem mostly from deployment-related chemical overexposures, GWI is a disease with multiple neurological symptoms with likely immunological underpinnings. Currently, GWI remains untreatable, and the long-term neurological disease manifestation is not characterized fully. The present study sought to expand and evaluate the long-term implications of prior GW chemicals exposure on neurological function 6-8 months post GWI-like symptomatology induction. Additionally, the beneficial effects of delayed treatment with the glycan immunotherapeutic lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII) were evaluated. Male C57BL/6J mice underwent a 10-day combinational exposure (i.p.) to GW chemicals, the nerve agent prophylactic pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and the insecticide permethrin (PM; 0.7 and 200 mg/kg, respectively). Beginning 4 months after PB/PM exposure, a subset of the mice were treated twice a week until study completion with LNFPIII. Evaluation of cognition/memory, motor function, and mood was performed beginning 1 month after LNFPIII treatment initiation. Prior exposure to PB/PM produced multiple locomotor, neuromuscular, and sensorimotor deficits across several motor tests. Subtle anxiety-like behavior was also present in PB/PM mice in mood tests. Further, PB/PM-exposed mice learned at a slower rate, mostly during early phases of the learning and memory tests employed. LNFPIII treatment restored or improved many of these behaviors, particularly in motor and cognition/memory domains. Electrophysiology data collected from hippocampal slices 8 months post PB/PM exposure revealed modest aberrations in basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus that were improved by LNFPIII treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a dopaminergic marker, did not detect major PB/PM effects along the nigrostriatal pathway, but LNFPIII increased striatal TH. Additionally, neuroinflammatory cells were increased in PB/PM mice, an effect reduced by LNFPIII. Collectively, long-term neurobehavioral and neurobiological dysfunction associated with prior PB/PM exposure was characterized; delayed LNFPIII treatment provided multiple behavioral and biological beneficial effects in the context of GWI, highlighting its potential as a GWI therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Carpenter
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Kyle A Brown
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Alexa N Diaz
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Rachel L Dockman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Robert A Benbow
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Donald A Harn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Center for Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Thomas Norberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John J Wagner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
| | - Nikolay M Filipov
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
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17
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Carrera Arias FJ, Aenlle K, Abreu M, Holschbach MA, Michalovicz LT, Kelly KA, Klimas N, O’Callaghan JP, Craddock TJA. Modeling Neuroimmune Interactions in Human Subjects and Animal Models to Predict Subtype-Specific Multidrug Treatments for Gulf War Illness. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168546. [PMID: 34445252 PMCID: PMC8395153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a persistent chronic neuroinflammatory illness exacerbated by external stressors and characterized by fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cognitive, and neurological problems linked to underlying immunological dysfunction for which there is no known treatment. As the immune system and the brain communicate through several signaling pathways, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, it underlies many of the behavioral and physiological responses to stressors via blood-borne mediators, such as cytokines, chemokines, and hormones. Signaling by these molecules is mediated by the semipermeable blood–brain barrier (BBB) made up of a monocellular layer forming an integral part of the neuroimmune axis. BBB permeability can be altered and even diminished by both external factors (e.g., chemical agents) and internal conditions (e.g., acute or chronic stress, or cross-signaling from the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis). Such a complex network of regulatory interactions that possess feed-forward and feedback connections can have multiple response dynamics that may include several stable homeostatic states beyond normal health. Here we compare immune and hormone measures in the blood of human clinical samples and mouse models of Gulf War Illness (GWI) subtyped by exposure to traumatic stress for subtyping this complex illness. We do this via constructing a detailed logic model of HPA–HPG–Immune regulatory behavior that also considers signaling pathways across the BBB to neuronal–glial interactions within the brain. We apply conditional interactions to model the effects of changes in BBB permeability. Several stable states are identified in the system beyond typical health. Following alignment of the human and mouse blood profiles in the context of the model, mouse brain sample measures were used to infer the neuroinflammatory state in human GWI and perform treatment simulations using a genetic algorithm to optimize the Monte Carlo simulations of the putative treatment strategies aimed at returning the ill system back to health. We identify several ideal multi-intervention strategies and potential drug candidates that may be used to treat chronic neuroinflammation in GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Carrera Arias
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (F.J.C.A.); (K.A.); (M.A.); (N.K.)
| | - Kristina Aenlle
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (F.J.C.A.); (K.A.); (M.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Clinical Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Maria Abreu
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (F.J.C.A.); (K.A.); (M.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Clinical Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Mary A. Holschbach
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA;
| | - Lindsay T. Michalovicz
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; (L.T.M.); (K.A.K.); (J.P.O.)
| | - Kimberly A. Kelly
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; (L.T.M.); (K.A.K.); (J.P.O.)
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (F.J.C.A.); (K.A.); (M.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Clinical Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - James P. O’Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; (L.T.M.); (K.A.K.); (J.P.O.)
| | - Travis J. A. Craddock
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (F.J.C.A.); (K.A.); (M.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Clinical Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA;
- Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computing, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-954-262-2868
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Circulating HMGB1 is elevated in veterans with Gulf War Illness and triggers the persistent pro-inflammatory microglia phenotype in male C57Bl/6J mice. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:390. [PMID: 34253711 PMCID: PMC8275600 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01517-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptom peripheral and CNS condition with persistent microglial dysregulation, but the mechanisms driving the continuous neuroimmune pathology are poorly understood. The alarmin HMGB1 is an autocrine and paracrine pro-inflammatory signal, but the role of circulating HMGB1 in persistent neuroinflammation and GWI remains largely unknown. Using the LPS model of the persistent microglial pro-inflammatory response, male C57Bl/6J mice injected with LPS (5 mg/kg IP) exhibited persistent changes in microglia morphology and elevated pro-inflammatory markers in the hippocampus, cortex, and midbrain 7 days after LPS injection, while the peripheral immune response had resolved. Ex vivo serum analysis revealed an augmented pro-inflammatory response to LPS when microglia cells were cultured with the 7-day LPS serum, indicating the presence of bioactive circulating factors that prime the microglial pro-inflammatory response. Elevated circulating HMGB1 levels were identified in the mouse serum 7 days after LPS administration and in the serum of veterans with GWI. Tail vein injection of rHMGB1 in male C57Bl/6 J mice elevated TNFα mRNA levels in the liver, hippocampus, and cortex, demonstrating HMGB1-induced peripheral and CNS effects. Microglia isolated at 7 days after LPS injection revealed a unique transcriptional profile of 17 genes when compared to the acute 3 H LPS response, 6 of which were also upregulated in the midbrain by rHMGB1, highlighting a distinct signature of the persistent pro-inflammatory microglia phenotype. These findings indicate that circulating HMGB1 is elevated in GWI, regulates the microglial neuroimmune response, and drives chronic neuroinflammation that persists long after the initial instigating peripheral stimulus.
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19
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Qian W, Klein-Adams JC, Ndirangu DS, Chen Y, Falvo MJ, Condon MR. Hemorheological responses to an acute bout of maximal exercise in Veterans with Gulf War Illness. Life Sci 2021; 280:119714. [PMID: 34146554 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered red blood cell (RBC) deformability has been reported in Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) who endorse exercise-induced symptom exacerbation and fatigue. However, it is unknown whether altered RBC deformability is worsened secondary to exercise. OBJECTIVE To evaluate RBC deformability in response to maximal exercise in individuals with and without GWI. METHODS Seventeen Veterans with GWI and 11 controls performed maximal exercise and provided blood samples (pre-, immediately post- and 60-min post-exercise). We calculated RBC deformation at infinite stress (EIMAX), shear stress for half-deformation (SS1/2) and their ratio (SS1/2/EIMAX) via repeated measures ANOVA with group and time as factors. RESULTS A moderate interaction effect (p = 0.08, η2p = 0.10), large main effect for group (p = 0.02, η2p = 0.19) and moderate main effect for time (p = 0.20, η2p = 0.06) were observed for EIMAX, but only the main effect for group reached statistical significance. Changes in SS1/2 and SS1/2/EIMAX over time were similar between cases and controls as were main effects. CONCLUSIONS Veterans with GWI had more deformable RBCs in comparison to controls that was unaffected by maximal exercise. Future studies to confirm our findings and identify associated mechanisms are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qian
- Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA; New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jacquelyn C Klein-Adams
- Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Duncan S Ndirangu
- Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Yang Chen
- Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA; New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J Falvo
- Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA; New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA.
| | - Michael R Condon
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA; Surgical Services, Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
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20
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Van Booven D, Zarnowski O, Perez M, Sarria L, Collado F, Hansotia K, Riegle S, Finger T, Fletcher MA, Klimas NG, Nathanson L. The effect of stress on the transcriptomes of circulating immune cells in patients with Gulf War Illness. Life Sci 2021; 281:119719. [PMID: 34144055 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS In an effort to gain further insight into the underlying mechanisms tied to disease onset and progression of Gulf War Illness (GWI), our team evaluated GWI patient response to stress utilizing RNA-Seq. MAIN METHODS The protocol included blood collection before exercise challenge (baseline), at maximal exertion, and after exercise challenge (recovery - four hours post-exercise challenge). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomics data were analyzed to understand why GWI patients process stressors differently from their healthy counterparts. KEY FINDINGS Our findings validate previously identified dysregulation of immune and inflammatory pathways among GWI patients as well as highlight novel immune and inflammatory markers of disease activity. These results provide a foundation for future research efforts in understanding GWI pathophysiology and creating targeted treatments. SIGNIFICANCE Gulf War Illness is a complex, chronic, and debilitating multi-system illness impacting 25%-30% of the U.S. troops deployed to the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The condition is characterized by medically unexplained fatigue and affects multiple organ systems. Because the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, patients receive symptom-based treatment, rather than targeting fundamental biological processes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that applies RNA-Seq to analyze the effect of GWI, and the response to stressors in GWI, on the transcriptomic changes in circulating immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Van Booven
- Dr. J. P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics Miller School of Medicine University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Oskar Zarnowski
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America; Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Melanie Perez
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America; Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Leonor Sarria
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Fanny Collado
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami VA Healthcare System, Research Service, Miami, FL, United States of America; South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Kyle Hansotia
- Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America; Farquhar Honors College, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Sean Riegle
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Tali Finger
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America
| | - Mary Ann Fletcher
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America; Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami VA Healthcare System, Research Service, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Nancy G Klimas
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America; Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami VA Healthcare System, Research Service, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Lubov Nathanson
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States of America.
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21
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Boruch AE, Lindheimer JB, Klein-Adams JC, Stegner AJ, Wylie GR, Ninneman JV, Alexander T, Gretzon NP, Samy B, Van Riper SM, Falvo MJ, Cook DB. Predicting post-exertional malaise in Gulf War Illness based on acute exercise responses. Life Sci 2021; 280:119701. [PMID: 34119538 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is poorly understood in Gulf War Illness (GWI). Exercise challenges have emerged as stimuli to study PEM; however, little attention has been paid to unique cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses during exercise. This study tested whether select exercise parameters explained variability in PEM responses. MAIN METHODS Visual analog scale (0-100) versions of the Kansas questionnaire were used for daily symptom measurements one week before and one week after 30-min of cycling at 70% heart rate reserve in 43 Veterans with GWI and 31 Veteran controls (CON). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) methods were used to measure oxygen (VO2), carbon dioxide (VCO2), ventilation (VE), heart rate, work rate, and leg muscle pain. Symptom changes and CPET parameters were compared between groups with independent samples t-tests. Linear regression (GLM) with VE/VCO2, cumulative work, leg muscle pain, and self-reported physical function treated as independent variables and peak symptom response as the dependent variable tested whether exercise responses predicted PEM. KEY FINDINGS Compared to CON, Veterans with GWI had greater ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2), peak leg muscle pain, fatigue, and lower VCO2, VO2, power, and cumulative work during exercise (p < 0.05), and greater peak symptom responses (GWI = 38.90 ± 29.06, CON = 17.84 ± 28.26, g = 0.70, p < 0.01). The final GLM did not explain significant variance in PEM (Pooled R2 = 0.15, Adjusted R2 = 0.03, p = 0.34). SIGNIFICANCE The PEM response was not related to the selected combination of cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Boruch
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Jacob B Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Jacquelyn C Klein-Adams
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America
| | - Aaron J Stegner
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Glenn R Wylie
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America; Kessler Foundation, The Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center, West Orange, NJ, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jacob V Ninneman
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Thomas Alexander
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America
| | - Nicholas P Gretzon
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Bishoy Samy
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America
| | - Stephanie M Van Riper
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Michael J Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dane B Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America.
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22
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Lacagnina MJ, Li J, Lorca S, Rice KC, Sullivan K, O’Callaghan JP, Grace PM. A role for neuroimmune signaling in a rat model of Gulf War Illness-related pain. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:418-428. [PMID: 33127584 PMCID: PMC7749855 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
More than a quarter of veterans of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic, multi-symptom illness that commonly includes musculoskeletal pain. Exposure to a range of toxic chemicals, including sarin nerve agent, are a suspected root cause of GWI. Moreover, such chemical exposures induce a neuroinflammatory response in rodents, which has been linked to several GWI symptoms in rodents and veterans with GWI. To date, a neuroinflammatory basis for pain associated with GWI has not been investigated. Here, we evaluated development of nociceptive hypersensitivity in a model of GWI. Male Sprague Dawley rats were treated with corticosterone in the drinking water for 7 days, to mimic high physiological stress, followed by a single injection of the sarin nerve agent surrogate, diisopropyl fluorophosphate. These exposures alone were insufficient to induce allodynia. However, an additional sub-threshold challenge (a single intramuscular injection of pH 4 saline) induced long-lasting, bilateral allodynia. Such allodynia was associated with elevation of markers for activated microglia/macrophages (CD11b) and astrocytes/satellite glia (GFAP) in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Additionally, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA was elevated in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord, while IL-1β and IL-6 were elevated in the lumbar dorsal spinal cord, DRG, and gastrocnemius muscle. Demonstrating a casual role for such neuroinflammatory signaling, allodynia was reversed by treatment with either minocycline, the TLR4 inhibitor (+)-naltrexone, or IL-10 plasmid DNA. Together, these results point to a role for neuroinflammation in male rats in the model of musculoskeletal pain related to GWI. Therapies that alleviate persistent immune dysregulation may be a strategy to treat pain and other symptoms of GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Lacagnina
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiahe Li
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sabina Lorca
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kenner C. Rice
- Drug Design and Synthesis Section, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James P. O’Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Peter M. Grace
- Laboratories of Neuroimmunology, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Corresponding author: Peter M. Grace, PhD, 6565 MD Anderson Blvd, Houston TX, 77030, T: 713-792-6673,
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23
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Assessing the Beneficial Effects of the Immunomodulatory Glycan LNFPIII on Gut Microbiota and Health in a Mouse Model of Gulf War Illness. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197081. [PMID: 32992640 PMCID: PMC7579323 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The microbiota’s influence on host (patho) physiology has gained interest in the context of Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic disorder featuring dysregulation of the gut–brain–immune axis. This study examined short- and long-term effects of GWI-related chemicals on gut health and fecal microbiota and the potential benefits of Lacto-N-fucopentaose-III (LNFPIII) treatment in a GWI model. Male C57BL/6J mice were administered pyridostigmine bromide (PB; 0.7 mg/kg) and permethrin (PM; 200 mg/kg) for 10 days with concurrent LNFPIII treatment (35 μg/mouse) in a short-term study (12 days total) and delayed LNFPIII treatment (2×/week) beginning 4 months after 10 days of PB/PM exposure in a long-term study (9 months total). Fecal 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on all samples post-LNFPIII treatment to assess microbiota effects of GWI chemicals and acute/delayed LNFPIII administration. Although PB/PM did not affect species composition on a global scale, it affected specific taxa in both short- and long-term settings. PB/PM elicited more prominent long-term effects, notably, on the abundances of bacteria belonging to Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families and the genus Allobaculum. LNFPIII improved a marker of gut health (i.e., decreased lipocalin-2) independent of GWI and, importantly, increased butyrate producers (e.g., Butyricoccus, Ruminococcous) in PB/PM-treated mice, indicating a positive selection pressure for these bacteria. Multiple operational taxonomic units correlated with aberrant behavior and lipocalin-2 in PB/PM samples; LNFPIII was modulatory. Overall, significant and lasting GWI effects occurred on specific microbiota and LNFPIII treatment was beneficial.
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Stussman B, Williams A, Snow J, Gavin A, Scott R, Nath A, Walitt B. Characterization of Post-exertional Malaise in Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Neurol 2020; 11:1025. [PMID: 33071931 PMCID: PMC7530890 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by persistent and disabling fatigue, exercise intolerance, cognitive difficulty, and musculoskeletal/joint pain. Post-exertional malaise is a worsening of these symptoms after a physical or mental exertion and is considered a central feature of the illness. Scant observations in the available literature provide qualitative assessments of post-exertional malaise in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. To enhance our understanding, a series of outpatient focus groups were convened. Methods: Nine focus groups totaling 43 patients who reported being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome were held between November 2016 and August 2019. Focus groups queried post-exertional malaise in daily life and participants' retrospective memory of post-exertional malaise that followed an exercise provocation with a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Data analysis followed the grounded theory method to systematically code and categorize the data to find meaningful patterns. A qualitative software package was used to move text into categories during data coding. Results: A wide range of symptoms were attributed to exertion both in daily lives and following cardiopulmonary exercise testing. While three core symptoms emerged (exhaustion, cognitive difficulties, and neuromuscular complaints), participants' descriptions were notable for their unique individual variations. Of 18 participants who responded to questions centered around symptoms following a cardiopulmonary exercise test, 17 reported that symptoms started within 24 h and peaked in severity within 72 h following the cardiopulmonary exercise test. Patients described post-exertional malaise as interfering with their ability to lead a "normal" life. Conclusion: The experience of post-exertional malaise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome varies greatly between individuals and leads to a diminished quality of life. myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients describe post-exertional malaise as all-encompassing with symptoms affecting every part of the body, difficult to predict or manage, and requiring complete bedrest to fully or partially recover. Given the extensive variability in patients, further research identifying subtypes of post-exertional malaise could lead to better targeted therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Stussman
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ashley Williams
- Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, United States
| | - Joseph Snow
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Angelique Gavin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Remle Scott
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Avindra Nath
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brian Walitt
- National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
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Lindheimer JB, Alexander T, Qian W, Klein‐Adams JC, Lange G, H. Natelson B, Cook DB, Hill HZ, Falvo MJ. An analysis of 2-day cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess unexplained fatigue. Physiol Rep 2020; 8:e14564. [PMID: 32889791 PMCID: PMC7507580 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Two consecutive maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) performed 24 hr apart (2-day CPET protocol) are increasingly used to evaluate post-exertional malaise (PEM) and related disability among individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This protocol may extend to other fatiguing illnesses with similar characteristics to ME/CFS; however, 2-day CPET protocol reliability and minimum change required to be considered clinically meaningful (i.e., exceeding the standard error of the measure) are not well characterized. To address this gap, we evaluated the 2-day CPET protocol in Gulf War Illness (GWI) by quantifying repeatability of seven CPET parameters, establishing their thresholds of clinically significant change, and determining whether changes differed between veterans with GWI and controls. Excluding those not attaining peak effort criteria (n = 15), we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), the smallest real difference (SRD%), and repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and peak exercise in 15 veterans with GWI and eight controls. ICC values at peak ranged from moderate to excellent for veterans with GWI (mean [range]; 0.84 [0.65 - 0.92]) and were reduced at the VAT (0.68 [0.37 - 0.78]). Across CPET variables, the SRD% at peak exercise for veterans with GWI (18.8 [8.8 - 28.8]) was generally lower than at the VAT (28.1 [9.5 - 34.8]). RM-ANOVAs did not detect any significant group-by-time interactions (all p > .05). The methods and findings reported here provide a framework for evaluating 2-day CPET reliability, and reinforce the importance of carefully considering measurement error in the population of interest when interpreting findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B. Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans HospitalMadisonWIUSA
- Department of KinesiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Thomas Alexander
- VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of ExcellenceWar Related Illness and Injury Study CenterVA New Jersey Health Care SystemEast OrangeNJUSA
| | - Wei Qian
- VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of ExcellenceWar Related Illness and Injury Study CenterVA New Jersey Health Care SystemEast OrangeNJUSA
- New Jersey Medical SchoolRutgers Biomedical and Health SciencesNewarkNJUSA
| | - Jacquelyn C. Klein‐Adams
- VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of ExcellenceWar Related Illness and Injury Study CenterVA New Jersey Health Care SystemEast OrangeNJUSA
| | - Gudrun Lange
- Department of NeurologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNYUSA
| | | | - Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans HospitalMadisonWIUSA
- Department of KinesiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWIUSA
| | - Helene Z. Hill
- New Jersey Medical SchoolRutgers Biomedical and Health SciencesNewarkNJUSA
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of ExcellenceWar Related Illness and Injury Study CenterVA New Jersey Health Care SystemEast OrangeNJUSA
- New Jersey Medical SchoolRutgers Biomedical and Health SciencesNewarkNJUSA
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26
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Vashishtha S, Broderick G, Craddock TJA, Barnes ZM, Collado F, Balbin EG, Fletcher MA, Klimas NG. Leveraging Prior Knowledge to Recover Characteristic Immune Regulatory Motifs in Gulf War Illness. Front Physiol 2020; 11:358. [PMID: 32411011 PMCID: PMC7198798 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Potentially linked to the basic physiology of stress response, Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a debilitating condition presenting with complex immune, endocrine and neurological symptoms. Here we interrogate the immune response to physiological stress by measuring 16 blood-borne immune markers at 8 time points before, during and after maximum exercise challenge in n = 12 GWI veterans and n = 11 healthy veteran controls deployed to the same theater. Immune markers were combined into functional sets and the dynamics of their joint expression described as classical rate equations. These empirical networks were further informed structurally by projection onto prior knowledge networks mined from the literature. Of the 49 literature-informed immune signaling interactions, 21 were found active in the combined exercise response data. However, only 4 signals were common to both subject groups while 7 were uniquely active in GWI and 10 uniquely active in healthy veterans. Feedforward mediation of IL-23 and IL-17 by IL-6 and IL-10 emerged as distinguishing control elements that were characteristically active in GWI versus healthy subjects. Simulated restructuring of the regulatory circuitry in GWI as a result of applying an IL-6 receptor antagonist in combination with either a Th1 (IL-2, IFNγ, and TNFα) or IL-23 receptor antagonist predicted a partial rescue of immune response elements previously associated with illness severity. Overall, results suggest that pharmacologically altering the topology of the immune response circuitry identified as active in GWI can inform on strategies that while not curative, may nonetheless deliver a reduction in symptom burden. A lasting and more complete remission in GWI may therefore require manipulation of a broader physiology, namely one that includes endocrine oversight of immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Vashishtha
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Center for Clinical Systems Biology, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Gordon Broderick
- Center for Clinical Systems Biology, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Travis J A Craddock
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience, Computer Science and Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
| | - Zachary M Barnes
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States.,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Fanny Collado
- Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Elizabeth G Balbin
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Mary Ann Fletcher
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience, Computer Science and Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Nancy G Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience, Computer Science and Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
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27
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Michalovicz LT, Kelly KA, Sullivan K, O'Callaghan JP. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor exposures as an initiating factor in the development of Gulf War Illness, a chronic neuroimmune disorder in deployed veterans. Neuropharmacology 2020; 171:108073. [PMID: 32247728 PMCID: PMC7398580 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder, characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, pain, cognitive and memory impairment, respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal problems, that is experienced by approximately one-third of 1991 Gulf War veterans. Over the nearly three decades since the end of the war, investigators have worked to elucidate the initiating factors and underlying causes of GWI. A significant portion of this research has indicated a strong correlation between GWI and exposure to a number of different acetycholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in theater, such as sarin and cyclosarin nerve agents, chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos pesticides, and the anti-nerve agent prophylactic pyridostigmine bromide. Through studying these exposures and their relationship to the symptoms presented by ill veterans, it has become increasingly apparent that GWI is the likely result of an underlying neuroimmune disorder. While evidence indicates that AChEIs are a key exposure in the development of GWI, particularly organophosphate AChEIs, the mechanism(s) by which these chemicals instigate illness appears to be related to "off-target", non-cholinergic effects. In this review, we will discuss the role of AChEI exposure in the development and persistence of GWI; in particular, how these chemicals, combined with other exposures, have led to a chronic neuroimmune disorder. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: From Bench to Bedside to Battlefield'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay T Michalovicz
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kimberly A Kelly
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | - James P O'Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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28
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Carpenter JM, Gordon HE, Ludwig HD, Wagner JJ, Harn DA, Norberg T, Filipov NM. Neurochemical and neuroinflammatory perturbations in two Gulf War Illness models: Modulation by the immunotherapeutic LNFPIII. Neurotoxicology 2019; 77:40-50. [PMID: 31866310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) manifests a multitude of symptoms, including neurological and immunological, and approximately a third of the 1990-1991 Gulf War (GW) veterans suffer from it. This study sought to characterize the acute neurochemical (monoamine) and neuroinflammatory profiles of two established GWI animal models and examine the potential modulatory effects of the novel immunotherapeutic Lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII). In Model 1, male C57BL/6 J mice were treated for 10 days with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and permethrin (PM). In Model 2, a separate cohort of mice were treated for 14 days with PB and N,N-Diethyl-methylbenzamide (DEET), plus corticosterone (CORT) via drinking water on days 8-14 and diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) on day 15. LNFPIII was administered concurrently with GWI chemicals treatments. Brain and spleen monoamines and hippocampal inflammatory marker expression were examined by, respectively, HPLC-ECD and qPCR, 6 h post treatment cessation. Serotonergic (5-HT) and dopaminergic (DA) dyshomeostasis caused by GWI chemicals was apparent in multiple brain regions, primarily in the nucleus accumbens (5-HT) and hippocampus (5-HT, DA) for both models. Splenic levels of 5-HT (both models) and norepinephrine (Model 2) were also disrupted by GWI chemicals. LNFPIII treatment prevented many of the GWI chemicals induced monoamine alterations. Hippocampal inflammatory cytokines were increased in both models, but the magnitude and spread of inflammation was greater in Model 2; LNFPIII was anti-inflammatory, more so in the apparently milder Model 1. Overall, in both models, GWI chemicals led to monoamine disbalance and neuroinflammation. LNFPIII co-treatment prevented many of these disruptions in both models, which is indicative of its promise as a potential GWI therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Carpenter
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Athens, GA, United States
| | - H E Gordon
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Athens, GA, United States
| | - H D Ludwig
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Athens, GA, United States
| | - J J Wagner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Athens, GA, United States
| | - D A Harn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Athens, GA, United States; Center for Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - T Norberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - N M Filipov
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Athens, GA, United States.
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29
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Lindheimer JB, Stegner AJ, Wylie GR, Klein-Adams JC, Almassi NE, Ninneman JV, Van Riper SM, Dougherty RJ, Falvo MJ, Cook DB. Post-exertional malaise in veterans with gulf war illness. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 147:202-212. [PMID: 31786249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a potentially debilitating aspect of Gulf War Illness (GWI) that has received limited research attention. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine symptom severity changes following exercise in Veterans with GWI compared to control Veterans without GWI (CO). Sixty-seven Veterans (n = 39 GWI; n = 28 CO) underwent a 30-minute submaximal exercise challenge at 70% of heart rate reserve. Symptom measurements (e.g. fatigue, pain) occurred pre-, immediately post-, and 24-hour post-exercise. Self-reported physical and mental health, and physiological and perceptual responses to exercise were compared between groups using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests and repeated measures Analysis of Variance (RM-ANOVA). Post-exertional malaise was modeled using Group by Time (2 × 3) doubly-multivariate, RM-MANOVAs for (1) mood, (2) pain and (3) GWI-related symptoms, respectively (α = 0.05). Data were analyzed for the full sample of Veterans with GWI (n = 39) compared to CO (n = 28) and a subsample of Veterans (n = 18) who endorsed "feeling unwell after physical exercise or exertion" ("PEM endorsers") during screening. Veterans with GWI reported significantly lower physical and mental health. Groups exercised at similar relative exercise intensities, but GWI perceived exercise as more painful and fatiguing. Group-by-Time interactions were not significant for the entire sample for the three PEM models, however limiting the GWI sample to "PEM endorsers" resulted in significant interactions for Pain- and GWI-related PEM models. These results indicate that not all GVs with GWI experience PEM 24 h after exercise, and that more research is needed to determine the extent that exercise worsens symptoms in GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Aaron J Stegner
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Glenn R Wylie
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, 385 Tremont Ave, East Orange, NJ 07018, United States of America; Kessler Foundation, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052, United States of America; New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, United States of America
| | - Jacquelyn C Klein-Adams
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, 385 Tremont Ave, East Orange, NJ 07018, United States of America
| | - Neda E Almassi
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Jacob V Ninneman
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Stephanie M Van Riper
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Ryan J Dougherty
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Michael J Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, 385 Tremont Ave, East Orange, NJ 07018, United States of America; New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, United States of America
| | - Dane B Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, United States of America; Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000 Observatory Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America.
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Shetty AK, Attaluri S, Kodali M, Shuai B, Shetty GA, Upadhya D, Hattiangady B, Madhu LN, Upadhya R, Bates A, Rao X. Monosodium luminol reinstates redox homeostasis, improves cognition, mood and neurogenesis, and alleviates neuro- and systemic inflammation in a model of Gulf War Illness. Redox Biol 2019; 28:101389. [PMID: 31778892 PMCID: PMC6888767 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Enduring brain dysfunction is amid the highly manifested symptoms in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI). Animal studies have established that lasting brain dysfunction in GWI is concomitant with augmented oxidative stress, inflammation, and declined neurogenesis in the brain, and systemic inflammation. We hypothesize that drugs capable of restoring redox homeostasis in GWI will improve cognitive and mood function with modulation of neuroinflammation and neurogenesis. We examined the efficacy of monosodium luminol-GVT (MSL), a drug that promotes redox homeostasis, for improving cognitive and mood function in GWI rats. Young rats were exposed to GWI-related chemicals and moderate restraint stress for four weeks. Four months later, GWI rats received different doses of MSL or vehicle for eight weeks. Behavioral analyses in the last three weeks of treatment revealed that GWI rats receiving higher doses of MSL displayed better cognitive and mood function associated with reinstatement of redox homeostasis. Such restoration was evident from the normalized expression of multiple genes encoding proteins involved in combating oxidative stress in the brain and the return of several oxidative stress markers to control levels in the brain and the circulating blood. Sustained redox homeostasis by MSL also resulted in antiinflammatory and pro-neurogenic effects, which were apparent from reduced densities of hypertrophied astrocytes and activated microglia, and increased neurogenesis with augmented neural stem cell proliferation. Moreover, MSL treatment normalized the concentration of multiple proinflammatory markers in the circulating blood. Thus, MSL treatment reinstated redox homeostasis in an animal model of GWI, which resulted in alleviation of both brain and systemic inflammation, improved neurogenesis, and better cognitive and mood function. Brain dysfunction in an animal model of Gulf War Illness is linked with persistently elevated oxidative stress. Monosodium Luminol treatment reinstated redox homeostasis in a model of Gulf War Illness. Reinstatement of redox balance improved cognitive and mood function. Restoration of redox balance modulated reactive astrocytes and activated microglia in the brain. Return of redox homeostasis enhanced neurogenesis and suppressed systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Sahithi Attaluri
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Maheedhar Kodali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bing Shuai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Geetha A Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Dinesh Upadhya
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bharathi Hattiangady
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leelavathi N Madhu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Raghavendra Upadhya
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adrian Bates
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
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Lindheimer JB, Cook DB, Klein-Adams JC, Qian W, Hill HZ, Lange G, Ndirangu DS, Wylie GR, Falvo MJ. Veterans with Gulf War Illness exhibit distinct respiratory patterns during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224833. [PMID: 31714907 PMCID: PMC6850551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The components of minute ventilation, respiratory frequency and tidal volume, appear differentially regulated and thereby afford unique insight into the ventilatory response to exercise. However, respiratory frequency and tidal volume are infrequently reported, and have not previously been considered among military veterans with Gulf War Illness. Our purpose was to evaluate respiratory frequency and tidal volume in response to a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test in individuals with and without Gulf War Illness. MATERIALS AND METHODS 20 cases with Gulf War Illness and 14 controls participated in this study and performed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Ventilatory variables (minute ventilation, respiratory frequency and tidal volume) were obtained and normalized to peak exercise capacity. Using mixed-design analysis of variance models, with group and time as factors, we analyzed exercise ventilatory patterns for the entire sample and for 11 subjects from each group matched for race, age, sex, and height. RESULTS Despite similar minute ventilation (p = 0.57, η2p = 0.01), tidal volume was greater (p = 0.02, η2p = 0.16) and respiratory frequency was lower (p = 0.004, η2p = 0.24) in Veterans with Gulf War Illness than controls. The findings for respiratory frequency remained significant in the matched subgroup (p = 0.004, η2p = 0.35). CONCLUSION In our sample, veterans with Gulf War Illness adopt a unique exercise ventilatory pattern characterized by reduced respiratory frequency, despite similar ventilation relative to controls. Although the mechanism(s) by which this pattern is achieved remains unresolved, our findings suggest that the components of ventilation should be considered when evaluating clinical conditions with unexplained exertional symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob B. Lindheimer
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jacquelyn C. Klein-Adams
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Wei Qian
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Helene Z. Hill
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Gudrun Lange
- Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, New York, Unites States of America
| | - Duncan S. Ndirangu
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Glenn R. Wylie
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
- Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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Joshi U, Pearson A, Evans JE, Langlois H, Saltiel N, Ojo J, Klimas N, Sullivan K, Keegan AP, Oberlin S, Darcey T, Cseresznye A, Raya B, Paris D, Hammock B, Vasylieva N, Hongsibsong S, Stern LJ, Crawford F, Mullan M, Abdullah L. A permethrin metabolite is associated with adaptive immune responses in Gulf War Illness. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 81:545-559. [PMID: 31325531 PMCID: PMC7155744 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI), affecting 30% of veterans from the 1991 Gulf War (GW), is a multi-symptom illness with features similar to those of patients with autoimmune diseases. The objective of the current work is to determine if exposure to GW-related pesticides, such as permethrin (PER), activates peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) adaptive immune responses. In the current study, we focused on a PER metabolite, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), as this is a common metabolite previously shown to form adducts with endogenous proteins. We observed the presence of 3-PBA and 3-PBA modified lysine of protein peptides in the brain, blood and liver of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and PER (PB+PER) exposed mice at acute and chronic post-exposure timepoints. We tested whether 3-PBA-haptenated albumin (3-PBA-albumin) can activate immune cells since it is known that chemically haptenated proteins can stimulate immune responses. We detected autoantibodies against 3-PBA-albumin in plasma from PB + PER exposed mice and veterans with GWI at chronic post-exposure timepoints. We also observed that in vitro treatment of blood with 3-PBA-albumin resulted in the activation of B- and T-helper lymphocytes and that these immune cells were also increased in blood of PB + PER exposed mice and veterans with GWI. These immune changes corresponded with elevated levels of infiltrating monocytes in the brain and blood of PB + PER exposed mice which coincided with alterations in the markers of blood-brain barrier disruption, brain macrophages and neuroinflammation. These studies suggest that pesticide exposure associated with GWI may have resulted in the activation of the peripheral and CNS adaptive immune responses, possibly contributing to an autoimmune-type phenotype in veterans with GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utsav Joshi
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andrew Pearson
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - James E. Evans
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Heather Langlois
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Nicole Saltiel
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Joseph Ojo
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- NOVA Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA,Miami VAMC, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Sarah Oberlin
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Teresa Darcey
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Adam Cseresznye
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Balaram Raya
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Daniel Paris
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Bruce Hammock
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Natalia Vasylieva
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Surat Hongsibsong
- Environment and Health Research Unit, Research Institute for Health Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang, Thailand
| | - Lawrence J. Stern
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Fiona Crawford
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Michael Mullan
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA,Open University, Milton Keynes, UK,James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Laila Abdullah
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, USA; Open University, Milton Keynes, UK; James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
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Strawbridge R, Sartor ML, Scott F, Cleare AJ. Inflammatory proteins are altered in chronic fatigue syndrome-A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:69-83. [PMID: 31465778 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Immune dysfunction has been posited as a key element in the aetiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) since the illness was first conceived. However, systematic reviews have yet to quantitatively synthesise inflammatory biomarkers across the literature. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify available data on circulating inflammatory proteins, examining studies recruiting patients with a CFS diagnosis and a non-affected control group. Results were meta-analysed from 42 studies. Patients with CFS had significantly elevated tumour necrosis factor (ES = 0.274, p < 0.001), interleukin-2 (ES = 0.203, p = 0.006), interleukin-4 (ES = 0.373, p = 0.004), transforming growth factor-β (ES = 0.967, p < 0.001) and c-reactive protein (ES = 0.622, p = 0.019). 12 proteins did not differ between groups. These data provide some support for an inflammatory component in CFS, although inconsistency of results indicates that inflammation is unlikely to be a primary feature in all those suffering from this disorder. It is hoped that further work will elucidate whether there are subgroups of patients with clinically-relevant inflammatory dysfunction, and whether inflammatory cytokines may provide a prognostic biomarker or moderate treatment effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Strawbridge
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Maria-Laura Sartor
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Fraser Scott
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony J Cleare
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Pyridostigmine bromide and stress interact to impact immune function, cholinergic neurochemistry and behavior in a rat model of Gulf War Illness. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 80:384-393. [PMID: 30953774 PMCID: PMC6790976 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is characterized by a constellation of symptoms that includes cognitive dysfunction. While the causes for GWI remain unknown, prophylactic use of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide (PB) in combination with the stress of deployment has been proposed to be among the causes of the cognitive dysfunction in GWI. Mechanistically, clinical studies suggest that altered immune function may be an underlying factor in the neurochemical and neurobehavioral complications of GWI. Accordingly, the goal of this study was to determine how responses to an immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) or stress impacts inflammation, acetylcholine (ACh) neurochemistry and behavior in an experimental model of GWI. Rats with a history of PB treatment exhibited potentiated increases in C-reactive protein levels in response to a submaximal LPS challenge compared to control rats, indicating that prior treatment with this cholinesterase inhibitor leads to exacerbated inflammatory responses to a subsequent immune challenge. ACh responses to LPS administration were decreased in the hippocampus, but not prefrontal cortex (PFC), in rats with a prior history of PB treatment or stress exposure. Additionally, ACh release in response to acute immobilization stress was attenuated in the PFC and hippocampus in these groups. These attenuated cholinergic responses were accompanied by impairments in contextual and cue-based fear learning. The results of this study suggest that stress and LPS challenges adversely affect central ACh neurochemistry in a rodent model of GWI and support the hypothesis that dysregulated immune responses are mechanistically linked to the neurological complications of GWI.
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Trivedi MS, Abreu MM, Sarria L, Rose N, Ahmed N, Beljanski V, Fletcher MA, Klimas NG, Nathanson L. Alterations in DNA Methylation Status Associated with Gulf War Illness. DNA Cell Biol 2019; 38:561-571. [DOI: 10.1089/dna.2018.4469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Malav S. Trivedi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Maria M. Abreu
- Miami VAMC, Miami, Florida
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Leonor Sarria
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Natasha Rose
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Nida Ahmed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Vladimir Beljanski
- Cell Therapy Institute, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Mary A. Fletcher
- Miami VAMC, Miami, Florida
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Nancy G. Klimas
- Miami VAMC, Miami, Florida
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| | - Lubov Nathanson
- Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Using a Consensus Docking Approach to Predict Adverse Drug Reactions in Combination Drug Therapies for Gulf War Illness. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113355. [PMID: 30373189 PMCID: PMC6274917 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multisymptom illness characterized by fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and gastrointestinal and cognitive dysfunction believed to stem from chemical exposures during the 1990⁻1991 Persian Gulf War. There are currently no treatments; however, previous studies have predicted a putative multi-intervention treatment composed of inhibiting Th1 immune cytokines followed by inhibition of the glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) to treat GWI. These predictions suggest the use of specific monoclonal antibodies or suramin to target interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor α , followed by mifepristone to inhibit the GCR. In addition to this putative treatment strategy, there exist a variety of medications that target GWI symptomatology. As pharmaceuticals are promiscuous molecules, binding to multiple sites beyond their intended targets, leading to off-target interactions, it is key to ensure that none of these medications interfere with the proposed treatment avenue. Here, we used the drug docking programs AutoDock 4.2, AutoDock Vina, and Schrödinger's Glide to assess the potential off-target immune and hormone interactions of 43 FDA-approved drugs commonly used to treat GWI symptoms in order to determine their putative polypharmacology and minimize adverse drug effects in a combined pharmaceutical treatment. Several of these FDA-approved drugs were predicted to be novel binders of immune and hormonal targets, suggesting caution for their use in the proposed GWI treatment strategy symptoms.
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Macht VA, Woodruff JL, Grillo CA, Wood CS, Wilson MA, Reagan LP. Pathophysiology in a model of Gulf War Illness: Contributions of pyridostigmine bromide and stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:195-202. [PMID: 30041099 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
During the Gulf War, prophylactic treatment with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) along with the stress of deployment may have caused unexpected alterations in neural and immune function, resulting in a host of cognitive deficits which have become clinically termed Gulf War Illness (GWI). In order to test this interaction between PB and stress, the following study used a rodent model of GWI to examine how combinations of repeated restraint stress and PB induced alterations of peripheral cholinesterase (ChE) activity, corticosterone (CORT) levels, and cytokines on the last day of treatment, and then 10 days and three months post-treatment. Results indicate that PB decreases ChE activity acutely but sensitizes it by three months post-treatment selectively in rats subjected to stress. Similarly, while stress increased CORT levels acutely, rats in the PB/stressed condition continued to exhibit elevations in CORT at the delayed time point, indicating that PB and stress interact to progressively disrupt homeostasis in several peripheral measures. Because memory deficits are also common in clinical populations with GWI, we examined the effects of PB and stress on contextual fear conditioning. PB exacerbates stress-induced impairments in contextual fear conditioning ten days post-treatment, but protects against stress-induced augmentation of contextual fear conditioning at three months post-treatment. Collectively, these results provide critical insight as to how PB and stress may interact to contribute to the pathophysiological progression of GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Macht
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - J L Woodruff
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - C A Grillo
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - C S Wood
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - M A Wilson
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology, Columbia, SC, USA; Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - L P Reagan
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA.
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Ashbrook DG, Hing B, Michalovicz LT, Kelly KA, Miller JV, de Vega WC, Miller DB, Broderick G, O'Callaghan JP, McGowan PO. Epigenetic impacts of stress priming of the neuroinflammatory response to sarin surrogate in mice: a model of Gulf War illness. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:86. [PMID: 29549885 PMCID: PMC5857314 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1113-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gulf War illness (GWI) is an archetypal, medically unexplained, chronic condition characterised by persistent sickness behaviour and neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory components. An estimated 25–32% of the over 900,000 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War fulfil the requirements of a GWI diagnosis. It has been hypothesised that the high physical and psychological stress of combat may have increased vulnerability to irreversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors leading to a priming of the neuroimmune system. A number of studies have linked high levels of psychophysiological stress and toxicant exposures to epigenetic modifications that regulate gene expression. Recent research in a mouse model of GWI has shown that pre-exposure with the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) causes an increase in expression of specific chemokines and cytokines in response to diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), a sarin surrogate and irreversible AChE inhibitor. Methods C57BL/6J mice were exposed to CORT for 4 days, and exposed to DFP on day 5, before sacrifice 6 h later. The transcriptome was examined using RNA-seq, and the epigenome was examined using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and H3K27ac ChIP-seq. Results We show transcriptional, histone modification (H3K27ac) and DNA methylation changes in genes related to the immune and neuronal system, potentially relevant to neuroinflammatory and cognitive symptoms of GWI. Further evidence suggests altered proportions of myelinating oligodendrocytes in the frontal cortex, perhaps connected to white matter deficits seen in GWI sufferers. Conclusions Our findings may reflect the early changes which occurred in GWI veterans, and we observe alterations in several pathways altered in GWI sufferers. These close links to changes seen in veterans with GWI indicates that this model reflects the environmental exposures related to GWI and may provide a model for biomarker development and testing future treatments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-018-1113-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ashbrook
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development and Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Present address: Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Benjamin Hing
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development and Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Present address: Department of Psychiatry, Medical Laboratories, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52246, USA
| | | | | | - Julie V Miller
- CDC-NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - Wilfred C de Vega
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development and Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Diane B Miller
- CDC-NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - Gordon Broderick
- Center for Clinical Systems Biology, Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Patrick O McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development and Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Scarborough campus, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Georgopoulos AP, Tsilibary EPC, Souto EP, James LM, Engdahl BE, Georgopoulos A. Adverse effects of Gulf War Illness (GWI) serum on neural cultures and their prevention by healthy serum. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 3:19-27. [PMID: 31032476 DOI: 10.29245/2572.942x/2018/2.1177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic debilitating disease of unknown etiology that affects the brain and has afflicted many veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War (GW). Here we tested the hypothesis that brain damage may be caused by circulating harmful substances to which GW veterans were exposed but which could not be eliminated due to lack of specific immunity. We assessed the effects of serum from GWI patients on function and morphology of brain cultures in vitro, including cultures of embryonic mouse brain and neuroblastoma N2A line. Blood serum from GWI and healthy GW veterans was added, alone and in combination, to the culture and its effects on the function and morphology of the culture assessed. Neural network function was assessed using electrophysiological recordings from multielectrode arrays in mouse brain cultures, whereas morphological assessments (neural growth and cell apoptosis) were done in neuroblastoma cultures. In contrast to healthy serum, the addition of GWI serum disrupted neural network communication and caused reduced cell growth and increased apoptosis. All of these detrimental effects were prevented or ameliorated by the concomitant addition of serum from healthy GW veterans. These findings indicate that GWI serum contains neuropathogenic factors that can be neutralized by healthy serum. We hypothesize that these factors are persistent antigens circulating in GWI blood that can be neutralized, possibly by specific antibodies present in the healthy serum, as proposed earlier1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos P Georgopoulos
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Effie-Photini C Tsilibary
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Eric P Souto
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Lisa M James
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Brian E Engdahl
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Brain Sciences Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Angeliki Georgopoulos
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Anxiety, neuroinflammation, cholinergic and GABAergic abnormalities are early markers of Gulf War illness in a mouse model of the disease. Brain Res 2017; 1681:34-43. [PMID: 29277710 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic disease that affects the 1991 Gulf War (GW) veterans for which treatment is lacking. It has been hypothesized that drugs used to protect military personnel from chemical attacks and insects during the war: pyridostigmine bromide (PB),N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), and permethrin (PER) together with stress may have contributed collectively and synergistically to generate GWI. There is a need to find markers of pathology to be used in pre-clinical trials. For this purpose we employed a previously validated mouse model of GWI evoked by daily exposure to PB (1.3 mg/kg), DEET (40 mg/kg), PER (0.13 mg/kg), and 5 min of restraint stress for 28 days to analyze behavior, brain pathology and neurochemical outcomes three months later. GWI-model mice were characterized by increased anxiety, decreased hippocampal levels of N-acetyl aspartate, GABA, the GABA-producing enzyme GAD-67 and microglial activation. We also observed that GWI model was sexually dimorphic on some measures: males had increased while females had decreased protein levels of the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase, in the septum and hippocampus and decreased levels of the receptor for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, TrkB140, in the hippocampus. Increased hippocampal levels of nerve growth factor were detected in males only. Together the data show behavioral and neuropathological abnormalities detected at 3 months post-exposure and that some of them are sexually dimorphic. Future preclinical studies for GWI may take advantage of this short latency model and should include both males and females as their response to treatment may differ.
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Abstract
Several studies have implicated immune system disruption in the pathophysiology of GWI. In addition, alterations in brain structure and functioning have been associated with specific exposures in theater, including pyridostigmine bromide and nerve gas agents. Recent studies conducted up to 25 years after the 1991 conflict have examined factors associated with the continuation or worsening of GWI. Drawing upon published studies of neural and immune system abnormalities in veterans with GWI, this paper proposes a model of GWI that takes into account neurologic and immunologic pathways, neuroimmune mechanisms of disease pathophysiology, individual predisposition due to sex and genetic background, and comorbid factors including neurological conditions such as neuritis/neuralgia and epilepsy that may occur along a continuum with GWI. The proposed neuroimmune model of GWI is likely to be useful for designing new research studies, clarifying factors involved in the continuation or worsening of GWI, and identifying biomarker screening algorithms for the illness. The proposed model goes beyond previously proposed frameworks for GWI by taking into account potential differences in risk based upon female vs. male sex, time elapsed since exposure to neurotoxicants, duration and severity of illness, comorbid conditions, and genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven S Coughlin
- Department of Clinical and Digital Health Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA.,Research Service, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA
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West AP. Mitochondrial dysfunction as a trigger of innate immune responses and inflammation. Toxicology 2017; 391:54-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2017.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Shetty GA, Hattiangady B, Upadhya D, Bates A, Attaluri S, Shuai B, Kodali M, Shetty AK. Chronic Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Nrf2 Activation and Inflammation in the Hippocampus Accompany Heightened Systemic Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in an Animal Model of Gulf War Illness. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:182. [PMID: 28659758 PMCID: PMC5469946 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory and mood dysfunction are the key symptoms of Gulf war illness (GWI), a lingering multi-symptom ailment afflicting >200,000 veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War-1. Research probing the source of the disease has demonstrated that concomitant exposures to anti-nerve gas agent pyridostigmine bromide (PB), pesticides, and war-related stress are among the chief causes of GWI. Indeed, exposures to GWI-related chemicals (GWIR-Cs) and mild stress in animal models cause memory and mood impairments alongside reduced neurogenesis and chronic low-level inflammation in the hippocampus. In the current study, we examined whether exposure to GWIR-Cs and stress causes chronic changes in the expression of genes related to increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in the hippocampus. We also investigated whether GWI is linked with chronically increased activation of Nrf2 (a master regulator of antioxidant response) in the hippocampus, and inflammation and enhanced oxidative stress at the systemic level. Adult male rats were exposed daily to low-doses of PB and pesticides (DEET and permethrin), in combination with 5 min of restraint stress for 4 weeks. Analysis of the hippocampus performed 6 months after the exposure revealed increased expression of many genes related to oxidative stress response and/or antioxidant activity (Hmox1, Sepp1, and Srxn1), reactive oxygen species metabolism (Fmo2, Sod2, and Ucp2) and oxygen transport (Ift172 and Slc38a1). Furthermore, multiple genes relevant to mitochondrial respiration (Atp6a1, Cox6a1, Cox7a2L, Ndufs7, Ndufv1, Lhpp, Slc25a10, and Ucp1) and neuroinflammation (Nfkb1, Bcl6, Csf2, IL6, Mapk1, Mapk3, Ngf, N-pac, and Prkaca) were up-regulated, alongside 73–88% reduction in the expression of anti-inflammatory genes IL4 and IL10, and nuclear translocation and increased expression of Nrf2 protein. These hippocampal changes were associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (Tnfa, IL1b, IL1a, Tgfb, and Fgf2) and lipid peroxidation byproduct malondialdehyde in the serum, suggesting the presence of an incessant systemic inflammation and elevated oxidative stress. These results imply that chronic oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus, and heightened systemic inflammation and oxidative stress likely underlie the persistent memory and mood dysfunction observed in GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetha A Shetty
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Bharathi Hattiangady
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Dinesh Upadhya
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Adrian Bates
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Sahithi Attaluri
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Bing Shuai
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Maheedhar Kodali
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
| | - Ashok K Shetty
- Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, TempleTX, United States.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College StationTX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College StationTX, United States
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Zakirova Z, Reed J, Crynen G, Horne L, Hassan S, Mathura V, Mullan M, Crawford F, Ait-Ghezala G. Complementary proteomic approaches reveal mitochondrial dysfunction, immune and inflammatory dysregulation in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Proteomics Clin Appl 2017; 11. [PMID: 28371386 PMCID: PMC5637931 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201600190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Long‐term consequences of combined pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and permethrin (PER) exposure in C57BL6/J mice using a well‐characterized mouse model of exposure to these Gulf War (GW) agents were explored at the protein level. Experimental design We used orthogonal proteomic approaches to identify pathways that are chronically impacted in the mouse CNS due to semiacute GW agent exposure early in life. These analyses were performed on soluble and membrane‐bound protein fractions from brain samples using two orthogonal isotopic labeling LC‐MS/MS proteomic approaches—stable isotope dimethyl labeling and iTRAQ. Results The use of these approaches allowed for greater coverage of proteins than was possible by either one alone and revealed both distinct and overlapping datasets. This combined analysis identified changes in several mitochondrial, as well as immune and inflammatory pathways after GW agent exposure. Conclusions and clinical relevance The work discussed here provides insight into GW agent exposure dependent mechanisms that adversely affect mitochondrial function and immune and inflammatory regulation. Collectively, our work identified key pathways which were chronically impacted in the mouse CNS following acute GW agent exposure, this may lead to the identification of potential targets for therapeutic intervention in the future. Long‐term consequences of combined PB and PER exposure in C57BL6/J mice using a well‐characterized mouse model of exposure to these GW agents were explored at the protein level. Expanding on earlier work, we used orthogonal proteomic approaches to identify pathways that are chronically impacted in the mouse CNS due to semiacute GW agent exposure early in life. These analyses were performed on soluble and membrane‐bound protein fractions from brain samples using two orthogonal isotopic labeling LC‐MS/MS proteomic approaches—stable isotope dimethyl labeling and iTRAQ. The use of these approaches allowed for greater coverage of proteins than was possible by either one alone and revealed both distinct and overlapping datasets. This combined analysis identified changes in several mitochondrial, as well as immune and inflammatory pathways after GW agent exposure. The work discussed here provides insight into GW agent exposure dependent mechanisms that adversely affect mitochondrial function and immune and inflammatory regulation at 5 months postexposure to PB + PER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuchra Zakirova
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jon Reed
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.,Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, USA
| | - Gogce Crynen
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Lauren Horne
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Samira Hassan
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.,University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA
| | | | - Michael Mullan
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Fiona Crawford
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.,James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ghania Ait-Ghezala
- Department of Genomics, The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.,James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
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Phospholipid profiling of plasma from GW veterans and rodent models to identify potential biomarkers of Gulf War Illness. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176634. [PMID: 28453542 PMCID: PMC5409146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI), which affects at least one fourth of the 700,000 veterans deployed to the Gulf War (GW), is characterized by persistent and heterogeneous symptoms, including pain, fatigue and cognitive problems. As a consequence, this illness remains difficult to diagnose. Rodent models have been shown to exhibit different symptomatic features of GWI following exposure to particular GW agents (e.g. pyridostigmine bromide, permethrin and DEET) and/or stress. Preclinical analyses have shown the activation of microglia and astroglia as a pathological hallmark in these mouse and rat models. Although much has been learned in recent years from these different rodent models and independent clinical studies, characterization studies to identify overlapping features of GWI in animals and humans have been missing. Thus, we aimed to identify biomarkers that co-occur in the plasma of rodent models of GWI and human GWI patients. We observed increases of multiple phospholipid (PL) species across all studied cohorts. Furthermore, these data suggested dysfunction within ether and docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid containing PL species in relation to GWI. As these PL species play a role in inflammatory processes, these findings suggest a possible role for inflammatory imbalance in GWI. Overall, we show that the peripheral lipid disturbances are present both in human GWI patients and in the preclinical rodent models of GWI, highlighting the importance of lipidomics as a potential platform for further biomarker discovery and supporting the value of GW agent exposed models of GWI.
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Abdullah L, Evans JE, Joshi U, Crynen G, Reed J, Mouzon B, Baumann S, Montague H, Zakirova Z, Emmerich T, Bachmeier C, Klimas N, Sullivan K, Mullan M, Ait-Ghezala G, Crawford F. Translational potential of long-term decreases in mitochondrial lipids in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Toxicology 2016; 372:22-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Supporting a Neuroimmune Basis of Gulf War Illness. EBioMedicine 2016; 13:5-6. [PMID: 27806904 PMCID: PMC5264477 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Johnson GJ, Slater BCS, Leis LA, Rector TS, Bach RR. Blood Biomarkers of Chronic Inflammation in Gulf War Illness. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157855. [PMID: 27352030 PMCID: PMC4924830 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than twenty years following the end of the 1990-1991 Gulf War it is estimated that approximately 300,000 veterans of this conflict suffer from an unexplained chronic, multi-system disorder known as Gulf War Illness (GWI). The etiology of GWI may be exposure to chemical toxins, but it remains only partially defined, and its case definition is based only on symptoms. Objective criteria for the diagnosis of GWI are urgently needed for diagnosis and therapeutic research. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to determine if blood biomarkers could provide objective criteria to assist diagnosis of GWI. DESIGN A surveillance study of 85 Gulf War Veteran volunteers identified from the Department of Veterans Affairs Minnesota Gulf War registry was performed. All subjects were deployed to the Gulf War. Fifty seven subjects had GWI defined by CDC criteria, and 28 did not have symptomatic criteria for a diagnosis of GWI. Statistical analyses were performed on peripheral blood counts and assays of 61 plasma proteins using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test to compare biomarker distributions and stepwise logistic regression to formulate a diagnostic model. RESULTS Lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts were higher in GWI subjects. Six serum proteins associated with inflammation were significantly different in GWI subjects. A diagnostic model of three biomarkers-lymphocytes, monocytes, and C reactive protein-had a predicted probability of 90% (CI 76-90%) for diagnosing GWI when the probability of having GWI was above 70%. SIGNIFICANCE The results of the current study indicate that inflammation is a component of the pathobiology of GWI. Analysis of the data resulted in a model utilizing three readily measurable biomarkers that appears to significantly augment the symptom-based case definition of GWI. These new observations are highly relevant to the diagnosis of GWI, and to therapeutic trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard J. Johnson
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States of America
| | - Billie C. S. Slater
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417, United States of America
| | - Linda A. Leis
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417, United States of America
| | - Thomas S. Rector
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States of America
| | - Ronald R. Bach
- Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55417, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States of America
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Nijs J, Malfliet A. Rehabilitation for patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: time to extent the boundaries of this field. J Intern Med 2016; 279:265-7. [PMID: 26374087 DOI: 10.1111/joim.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J Nijs
- Pain in Motion International Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Malfliet
- Pain in Motion International Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.,Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Golier JA, Caramanica K, Michaelides AC, Makotkine I, Schmeidler J, Harvey PD, Yehuda R. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of mifepristone in Gulf War veterans with chronic multisymptom illness. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 64:22-30. [PMID: 26600007 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
No pharmacological treatments have been demonstrated to effectively treat chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) in Gulf War veterans (GWV). This study assessed the effect of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone in GWV with CMI. A randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial of mifepristone, with two six-week treatment phases separated by a one-month washout period, was conducted at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital between 2008 and 2011. Participants were randomized to receive either 200mg of mifepristone per day or matched placebo first. The primary clinical outcome measure was change in self-reported physical health. Neurocognitive functioning and self-reported measures of depression, PTSD, and fatigue were secondary outcomes. Sixty-five participants enrolled, of whom 36 were randomized and 32 (mean age, 49.1 (7.2) years) completed the study. Physical and mental health status and neurocognitive functioning were poor at baseline. Mifepristone treatment was not associated with improvement in self-reported physical health (p=0.838) or in other self-reported measures of mental health. Mifepristone treatment was significantly associated with improvements in verbal learning (p=0.008, d=0.508), in the absence of improvement in other cognitive measures (working memory (p=0.914), visual learning (p=0.643) and a global composite measure (p=0.937). Baseline morning cortisol levels and lysozyme IC50-DEX, a measure of peripheral glucocorticoid sensitivity, displayed a significant relationship with endpoint verbal learning scores (p=0.012 and p=0.007, respectively). The magnitude of cortisol change during treatment mediated the improvement in verbal learning. This study was negative for the primary and secondary clinical outcomes. However, the data suggest a moderate dose of mifepristone may have circumscribed cognitive-enhancing effects in CMI. Further study is warranted to determine whether and through which mechanisms mifepristone treatment can yield clinically meaningful improvement in cognitive function in CMI or other neuropsychiatric conditions associated with HPA axis dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Golier
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States.
| | - Kimberly Caramanica
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, United States
| | - Andreas C Michaelides
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, United States
| | - Iouri Makotkine
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - James Schmeidler
- Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Philip D Harvey
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave #1140, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, United States; Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, United States
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