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Wu GH, Smith-Geater C, Galaz-Montoya JG, Gu Y, Gupte SR, Aviner R, Mitchell PG, Hsu J, Miramontes R, Wang KQ, Geller NR, Hou C, Danita C, Joubert LM, Schmid MF, Yeung S, Frydman J, Mobley W, Wu C, Thompson LM, Chiu W. CryoET reveals organelle phenotypes in huntington disease patient iPSC-derived and mouse primary neurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:692. [PMID: 36754966 PMCID: PMC9908936 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36096-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene, yielding a Huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine tract. While experiments with patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can help understand disease, defining pathological biomarkers remains challenging. Here, we used cryogenic electron tomography to visualize neurites in HD patient iPSC-derived neurons with varying CAG repeats, and primary cortical neurons from BACHD, deltaN17-BACHD, and wild-type mice. In HD models, we discovered sheet aggregates in double membrane-bound organelles, and mitochondria with distorted cristae and enlarged granules, likely mitochondrial RNA granules. We used artificial intelligence to quantify mitochondrial granules, and proteomics experiments reveal differential protein content in isolated HD mitochondria. Knockdown of Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT1 ameliorated aberrant phenotypes in iPSC- and BACHD neurons. We show that integrated ultrastructural and proteomic approaches may uncover early HD phenotypes to accelerate diagnostics and the development of targeted therapeutics for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong-Her Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Charlene Smith-Geater
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jesús G Galaz-Montoya
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Yingli Gu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Sanket R Gupte
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ranen Aviner
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Patrick G Mitchell
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Joy Hsu
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Keona Q Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA
| | - Nicolette R Geller
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA
| | - Cathy Hou
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cristina Danita
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lydia-Marie Joubert
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Michael F Schmid
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Serena Yeung
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - William Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0662, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA. .,Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 96267, USA. .,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA.
| | - Wah Chiu
- Department of Bioengineering, James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Dickson E, Fryklund C, Soylu-Kucharz R, Sjögren M, Stenkula KG, Björkqvist M. Altered Adipocyte Cell Size Distribution Prior to Weight Loss in the R6/2 Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2023; 12:253-266. [PMID: 37718850 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-230587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic alterations contribute to disease onset and prognosis of Huntington's disease (HD). Weight loss in the R6/2 mouse model of HD is a consistent feature, with onset in mid-to-late stage of disease. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we aimed to investigate molecular and functional changes in white adipose tissue (WAT) that occur at weight loss in R6/2 mice. We further elaborated on the effect of leptin-deficiency and early obesity in R6/2 mice. METHODS We performed analyses at 12 weeks of age; a time point that coincides with the start of weight loss in our R6/2 mouse colony. Gonadal (visceral) and inguinal (subcutaneous) WAT depot weights were monitored, as well as adipocyte size distribution. Response to isoprenaline-stimulated glycerol release and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes from gonadal WAT was assessed. RESULTS In R6/2 mice, WAT depot weights were comparable to wildtype (WT) mice, and the response to insulin and isoprenaline in gonadal adipocytes was unaltered. Leptin-deficient R6/2 mice exhibited distinct changes compared to leptin-deficient WT mice. At 12 weeks, female leptin-deficient R6/2 mice had reduced body weight accompanied by an increased proportion of smaller adipocytes, while in contrast; male mice displayed a shift towards larger adipocyte sizes without a significant body weight reduction at this timepoint. CONCLUSIONS We here show that there are early sex-specific changes in adipocyte cell size distribution in WAT of R6/2 mice and leptin-deficient R6/2 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elna Dickson
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Claes Fryklund
- Glucose Transport and Protein Trafficking, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Sjögren
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin G Stenkula
- Glucose Transport and Protein Trafficking, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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3
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Dickson E, Dwijesha AS, Andersson N, Lundh S, Björkqvist M, Petersén Å, Soylu-Kucharz R. Microarray profiling of hypothalamic gene expression changes in Huntington’s disease mouse models. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1027269. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1027269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural changes and neuropathology in the hypothalamus have been suggested to contribute to the non-motor manifestations of Huntington’s disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. In this study, we investigated whether hypothalamic HTT expression causes transcriptional changes. Hypothalamic RNA was isolated from two different HD mouse models and their littermate controls; BACHD mice with ubiquitous expression of full-length mutant HTT (mHTT) and wild-type mice with targeted hypothalamic overexpression of either wild-type HTT (wtHTT) or mHTT fragments. The mHTT and wtHTT groups showed the highest number of differentially expressed genes compared to the BACHD mouse model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with leading-edge analysis showed that suppressed sterol- and cholesterol metabolism were shared between hypothalamic wtHTT and mHTT overexpression. Most distinctive for mHTT overexpression was the suppression of neuroendocrine networks, in which qRT-PCR validation confirmed significant downregulation of neuropeptides with roles in feeding behavior; hypocretin neuropeptide precursor (Hcrt), tachykinin receptor 3 (Tacr3), cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) and catecholamine-related biological processes; dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), histidine decarboxylase (Hdc), tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip). In BACHD mice, few hypothalamic genes were differentially expressed compared to age-matched WT controls. However, GSEA indicated an enrichment of inflammatory- and gonadotropin-related processes at 10 months. In conclusion, we show that both wtHTT and mHTT overexpression change hypothalamic transcriptome profile, specifically mHTT, altering neuroendocrine circuits. In contrast, the ubiquitous expression of full-length mHTT in the BACHD hypothalamus moderately affects the transcriptomic profile.
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Dickson E, Soylu-Kucharz R, Petersén Å, Björkqvist M. Hypothalamic expression of huntingtin causes distinct metabolic changes in Huntington's disease mice. Mol Metab 2022; 57:101439. [PMID: 35007790 PMCID: PMC8814380 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In Huntington's disease (HD), the disease-causing huntingtin (HTT) protein is ubiquitously expressed and causes both central and peripheral pathology. In clinical HD, a higher body mass index has been associated with slower disease progression, indicating the role of metabolic changes in disease pathogenesis. Underlying mechanisms of metabolic changes in HD remain poorly understood, but recent studies suggest the involvement of hypothalamic dysfunction. The present study aimed to investigate whether modulation of hypothalamic HTT levels would affect metabolic phenotype and disease features in HD using mouse models. METHODS We used the R6/2 and BACHD mouse models that express different lengths of mutant HTT to develop lean- and obese phenotypes, respectively. We utilized adeno-associated viral vectors to overexpress either mutant or wild-type HTT in the hypothalamus of R6/2, BACHD, and their wild-type littermates. The metabolic phenotype was assessed by body weight measurements over time and body composition analysis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the endpoint. R6/2 mice were further characterized using behavioral analyses, including rotarod, nesting-, and hindlimb clasping tests during early- and late-time points of disease progression. Finally, gene expression analysis was performed in R6/2 mice and wild-type littermates in order to assess transcriptional changes in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue. RESULTS Hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT induced significant gender-affected body weight gain in all models, including wild-type mice. In R6/2 females, early weight gain shifted to weight loss during the corresponding late stage of disease despite increased fat accumulation. Body weight changes were accompanied by behavioral alterations. During the period of early weight gain, R6/2 mice displayed a comparable locomotor capacity to wild-type mice. When assessing behavior just prior to weight loss onset in R6/2 mice, decreased locomotor performance was observed in R6/2 females with hypothalamic overexpression of mutant HTT. Transcriptional downregulation of beta-3 adrenergic receptor (B3AR), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) in gonadal white adipose tissue was accompanied by distinct alterations in hypothalamic gene expression profiles in R6/2 females after mutant HTT overexpression. No significant effect on metabolic phenotype in R6/2 was seen in response to wild-type HTT overexpression. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings provide further support for the role of HTT in metabolic control via hypothalamic neurocircuits. Understanding the specific central neurocircuits and their peripheral link underlying metabolic imbalance in HD may open up avenues for novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elna Dickson
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC D11, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
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Klonarakis M, De Vos M, Woo E, Ralph L, Thacker JS, Gil-Mohapel J. The three sisters of fate: Genetics, pathophysiology and outcomes of animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104541. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Henningsen JB, Soylu-Kucharz R, Björkqvist M, Petersén Å. Effects of excitotoxicity in the hypothalamus in transgenic mouse models of Huntington disease. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07808. [PMID: 34458633 PMCID: PMC8379469 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene (HTT). The mutant huntingtin protein is ubiquitously expressed, but only certain brain regions are affected. The hypothalamus has emerged as an important area of pathology with selective loss of neurons expressing the neuropeptides orexin (hypocretin), oxytocin and vasopressin in human postmortem HD tissue. Hypothalamic changes in HD may have implications for early disease manifestations affecting the regulation of sleep, emotions and metabolism. The underlying mechanisms of selective vulnerability of certain neurons in HD are not fully understood, but excitotoxicity has been proposed to play a role. Further understanding of mechanisms rendering neurons sensitive to mutant huntingtin may reveal novel targets for therapeutic interventions. In the present study, we wanted to examine whether transgenic HD mice display altered sensitivity to excitotoxicity in the hypothalamus. We first assessed effects of hypothalamic injections of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA) into wild-type (WT) mice. We show that neuronal populations expressing melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) display a dose-dependent sensitivity to QA. In contrast, neuronal populations expressing orexin, oxytocin, vasopressin as well as tyrosine hydroxylase in the A13 area are resistant to QA-induced toxicity. We demonstrate that the R6/2 transgenic mouse model expressing a short fragment of mutant HTT displays hypothalamic neuropathology with discrete loss of the neuronal populations expressing orexin, MCH, CART, and orexin at 12 weeks of age. The BACHD mouse model expressing full-length mutant HTT does not display any hypothalamic neuropathology at 2 months of age. There was no effect of hypothalamic injections of QA on the neuronal populations expressing orexin, MCH, CART or oxytocin in neither HD mouse model. In conclusion, we find no support for a role of excitotoxicity in the loss of hypothalamic neuronal populations in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo B. Henningsen
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184, Lund, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Corresponding author.
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184, Lund, Sweden
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184, Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184, Lund, Sweden
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Khan W, Alusi S, Tawfik H, Hussain A. The relationship between non-motor features and weight-loss in the premanifest stage of Huntington's disease. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253817. [PMID: 34197537 PMCID: PMC8248657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Weight-loss is an integral part of Huntington's disease (HD) that can start before the onset of motor symptoms. Investigating the underlying pathological processes may help in the understanding of this devastating disease as well as contribute to its management. However, the complex behavior and associations of multiple biological factors is impractical to be interpreted by the conventional statistics or human experts. For the first time, we combine a clinical dataset, expert knowledge and machine intelligence to model the multi-dimensional associations between the potentially relevant factors and weight-loss activity in HD, specifically at the premanifest stage. The HD dataset is standardized and transformed into required knowledge base with the help of clinical HD experts, which is then processed by the class rule mining and self-organising maps to identify the significant associations. Statistical results and experts' report indicate a strong association between severe weight-loss in HD at the premanifest stage and measures of certain cognitive, psychiatric functional ability factors. These results suggest that the mechanism underlying weight-loss in HD is, at least partly related to dysfunction of certain areas of the brain, a finding that may have not been apparent otherwise. These associations will aid the understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and its progression and may in turn help in HD treatment trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasiq Khan
- School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Sundus Alusi
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hissam Tawfik
- School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Abir Hussain
- School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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van Wamelen DJ, Aziz NA. Hypothalamic pathology in Huntington disease. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 182:245-255. [PMID: 34266596 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00017-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder associated with the accumulation of mutant huntingtin, is classically associated with cognitive decline and motor symptoms, notably chorea. However, growing evidence suggests that nonmotor symptoms are equally prevalent and debilitating. Some of these symptoms may be linked to hypothalamic pathology, demonstrated by findings in HD animal models and HD patients showing specific changes in hypothalamic neuropeptidergic populations and their associated functions. At least some of these alterations are likely due to local mutant huntingtin expression and toxicity, while others are likely caused by disturbed hypothalamic circuitry. Common problems include circadian rhythm disorders, including desynchronization of daily hormone excretion patterns, which could be targeted by novel therapeutic interventions, such as timed circadian interventions with light therapy or melatonin. However, translation of these findings from bench-to-bedside is hampered by differences in murine HD models and HD patients, including mutant huntingtin trinucleotide repeat length, which is highly heterogeneous across the various models. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge regarding hypothalamic alterations in HD patients and animal models, and the potential for these findings to be translated into clinical practice and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J van Wamelen
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Parkinson's Foundation Centre of Excellence, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - N Ahmad Aziz
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Abstract
Since the discovery of functionally competent, energy-consuming brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans, much effort has been devoted to exploring this tissue as a means for increasing energy expenditure to counteract obesity. However, despite promising effects on metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity, no convincing evidence for weight-loss effects of cold-activated human BAT exists to date. Indeed, increasing energy expenditure would naturally induce compensatory feedback mechanisms to defend body weight. Interestingly, BAT is regulated by multiple interactions with the hypothalamus from regions overlapping with centers for feeding behavior and metabolic control. Therefore, in the further exploration of BAT as a potential source of novel drug targets, we discuss the hypothalamic orchestration of BAT activity and the relatively unexplored BAT feedback mechanisms on neuronal regulation. With a holistic view on hypothalamic-BAT interactions, we aim to raise ideas and provide a new perspective on this circuit and highlight its clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo B Henningsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Camilla Scheele
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
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10
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Bozzi M, Sciandra F. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Muscle Wasting in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218314. [PMID: 33167595 PMCID: PMC7664236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic expansions of the triplet cytosine-adenosine-guanosine (CAG) within the Huntingtin gene. These expansions lead to a prolongation of the poly-glutamine stretch at the N-terminus of Huntingtin causing protein misfolding and aggregation. Huntingtin and its pathological variants are widely expressed, but the central nervous system is mainly affected, as proved by the wide spectrum of neurological symptoms, including behavioral anomalies, cognitive decline and motor disorders. Other hallmarks of HD are loss of body weight and muscle atrophy. This review highlights some key elements that likely provide a major contribution to muscle atrophy, namely, alteration of the transcriptional processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, which is strictly correlated to loss of energy homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis and defects in the processes responsible for the protein quality control. The improvement of muscular symptoms has proven to slow the disease progression and extend the life span of animal models of HD, underlining the importance of a deep comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving deterioration of muscular tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Bozzi
- Dipartimento Universitario di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Sezione di Biochimica e Biochimica Clinica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Sciandra
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”– SCITEC Sede di Roma, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Roma, Italy;
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11
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Cozzolino F, Landolfi A, Iacobucci I, Monaco V, Caterino M, Celentano S, Zuccato C, Cattaneo E, Monti M. New label-free methods for protein relative quantification applied to the investigation of an animal model of Huntington Disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238037. [PMID: 32886703 PMCID: PMC7473538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spectral Counts approaches (SpCs) are largely employed for the comparison of protein expression profiles in label-free (LF) differential proteomics applications. Similarly, to other comparative methods, also SpCs based approaches require a normalization procedure before Fold Changes (FC) calculation. Here, we propose new Complexity Based Normalization (CBN) methods that introduced a variable adjustment factor (f), related to the complexity of the sample, both in terms of total number of identified proteins (CBN(P)) and as total number of spectral counts (CBN(S)). Both these new methods were compared with the Normalized Spectral Abundance Factor (NSAF) and the Spectral Counts log Ratio (Rsc), by using standard protein mixtures. Finally, to test the robustness and the effectiveness of the CBNs methods, they were employed for the comparative analysis of cortical protein extract from zQ175 mouse brains, model of Huntington Disease (HD), and control animals (raw data available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD017471). LF data were also validated by western blot and MRM based experiments. On standard mixtures, both CBN methods showed an excellent behavior in terms of reproducibility and coefficients of variation (CVs) in comparison to the other SpCs approaches. Overall, the CBN(P) method was demonstrated to be the most reliable and sensitive in detecting small differences in protein amounts when applied to biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Cozzolino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
| | - Alfredo Landolfi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
| | - Ilaria Iacobucci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marianna Caterino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Zuccato
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Monti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, Naples, Italy
- * E-mail:
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12
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Flores-Dorantes MT, Díaz-López YE, Gutiérrez-Aguilar R. Environment and Gene Association With Obesity and Their Impact on Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:863. [PMID: 32982666 PMCID: PMC7483585 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which environmental conditions and several genes play an important role in the development of this disease. Obesity is associated with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington diseases) and with neurodevelopmental diseases (autism disorder, schizophrenia, and fragile X syndrome). Some of the environmental conditions that lead to obesity are physical activity, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, parent feeding behavior, and diet. Interestingly, some of these environmental conditions are shared with neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Obesity impairs neurodevelopment abilities as memory and fine-motor skills. Moreover, maternal obesity affects the cognitive function and mental health of the offspring. The common biological mechanisms involved in obesity and neurodegenerative/neurodevelopmental diseases are insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative damage, among others, leading to impaired brain development or cell death. Obesogenic environmental conditions are not the only factors that influence neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. In fact, several genes implicated in the leptin-melanocortin pathway (LEP, LEPR, POMC, BDNF, MC4R, PCSK1, SIM1, BDNF, TrkB, etc.) are associated with obesity and neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Moreover, in the last decades, the discovery of new genes associated with obesity (FTO, NRXN3, NPC1, NEGR1, MTCH2, GNPDA2, among others) and with neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental diseases (APOE, CD38, SIRT1, TNFα, PAI-1, TREM2, SYT4, FMR1, TET3, among others) had opened new pathways to comprehend the common mechanisms involved in these diseases. In conclusion, the obesogenic environmental conditions, the genes, and the interaction gene-environment would lead to a better understanding of the etiology of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Flores-Dorantes
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Farmacogenómica, Centro de Investigación de Ciencia y Tecnología Aplicada de Tabasco, División Académica de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico
| | - Yael Efren Díaz-López
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Metabólicas: Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez,”Mexico City, Mexico
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ruth Gutiérrez-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Enfermedades Metabólicas: Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez,”Mexico City, Mexico
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
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13
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Cheong RY, Gabery S, Petersén Å. The Role of Hypothalamic Pathology for Non-Motor Features of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2020; 8:375-391. [PMID: 31594240 PMCID: PMC6839491 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-190372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal genetic neurodegenerative disorder. It has mainly been considered a movement disorder with cognitive symptoms and these features have been associated with pathology of the striatum and cerebral cortex. Importantly, individuals with the mutant huntingtin gene suffer from a spectrum of non-motor features often decades before the motor disorder manifests. These symptoms and signs include a range of psychiatric symptoms, sleep problems and metabolic changes with weight loss particularly in later stages. A higher body mass index at diagnosis is associated with slower disease progression. The common psychiatric symptom of apathy progresses with the disease. The fact that non-motor features are present early in the disease and that they show an association to disease progression suggest that unravelling the underlying neurobiological mechanisms may uncover novel targets for early disease intervention and better symptomatic treatment. The hypothalamus and the limbic system are important brain regions that regulate emotion, social cognition, sleep and metabolism. A number of studies using neuroimaging, postmortem human tissue and genetic manipulation in animal models of the disease has collectively shown that the hypothalamus and the limbic system are affected in HD. These findings include the loss of neuropeptide-expressing neurons such as orexin (hypocretin), oxytocin, vasopressin, somatostatin and VIP, and increased levels of SIRT1 in distinct nuclei of the hypothalamus. This review provides a summary of the results obtained so far and highlights the potential importance of these changes for the understanding of non-motor features in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Y Cheong
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sanaz Gabery
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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14
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Brás IC, König A, Outeiro TF. Glycation in Huntington's Disease: A Possible Modifier and Target for Intervention. J Huntingtons Dis 2020; 8:245-256. [PMID: 31322580 PMCID: PMC6839463 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-190366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Glycation is the non-enzymatic reaction between reactive dicarbonyls and amino groups, and gives rise to a variety of different reaction products known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Accumulation of AGEs on proteins is inevitable, and is associated with the aging process. Importantly, glycation is highly relevant in diabetic patients that experience periods of hyperglycemia. AGEs also play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Huntington’s disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene. The resulting expanded polyglutamine stretch in the huntingtin (HTT) protein induces its misfolding and aggregation, leading to neuronal dysfunction and death. HD patients exhibit chorea and psychiatric disturbances, along with abnormalities in glucose and energy homeostasis. Interestingly, an increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been reported in HD and in other CAG triplet repeat disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying the connection between glycation and HD progression remain unclear. In this review, we explore the possible connection between glycation and proteostasis imbalances in HD, and posit that it may contribute to disease progression, possibly by accelerating protein aggregation and deposition. Finally, we review therapeutic interventions that might be able to alleviate the negative impact of glycation in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Caldeira Brás
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Annekatrin König
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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15
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Morton AJ, Middleton B, Rudiger S, Bawden CS, Kuchel TR, Skene DJ. Increased plasma melatonin in presymptomatic Huntington disease sheep (Ovis aries): Compensatory neuroprotection in a neurodegenerative disease? J Pineal Res 2020; 68:e12624. [PMID: 31742766 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Melatonin is a pleiotrophic hormone, synthesised primarily by the pineal gland under the control of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). It not only provides a hormonal signal of darkness but also has neuroprotective properties. Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by abnormal motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. There is growing evidence, particularly from animal models, that circadian rhythms may also be disturbed in HD. We measured two circadian-regulated hormones, melatonin and cortisol, in plasma samples collected around-the-clock from normal and presymptomatic transgenic HD sheep (Ovis aries) at 5 and 7 years of age, to assess SCN-driven rhythms and the effect of genotype, sex and age. Melatonin-related precursors and metabolites (tryptophan, serotonin, kynurenine) were also measured by liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS). At 5 years of age in both rams and ewes, plasma melatonin levels were significantly elevated in HD sheep. In ewes measured 2 years later, there was still a significant elevation of nocturnal melatonin. Furthermore, the daytime baseline levels of melatonin were significantly higher in HD sheep. Since increased melatonin could have global beneficial effects on brain function, we suggest that the increased melatonin measured in presymptomatic HD sheep is part of an autoprotective response to mutant huntingtin toxicity that may account, at least in part, for the late onset of disease that characterises HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Benita Middleton
- Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Skye Rudiger
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - C Simon Bawden
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Timothy R Kuchel
- Preclinical, Imaging and Research Laboratories (PIRL), SAHMRI, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Debra J Skene
- Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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16
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Gubert C, Kong G, Renoir T, Hannan AJ. Exercise, diet and stress as modulators of gut microbiota: Implications for neurodegenerative diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 134:104621. [PMID: 31628992 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decade has witnessed an exponentially growing interest in gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis in health and disease. Accumulating evidence from preclinical and clinical research indicate that gut microbiota, and their associated microbiomes, may influence pathogenic processes and thus the onset and progression of various diseases, including neurological and psychiatric disorders. In fact, gut dysbiosis (microbiota dysregulation) has been associated with a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and motor neuron disease, as well as multiple sclerosis. The gut microbiota constitutes a dynamic microbial system constantly challenged by many biological variables, including environmental factors. Since the gut microbiota constitute a changeable and experience-dependent ecosystem, they provide potential therapeutic targets that can be modulated as new interventions for dysbiosis-related disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. This article reviews the evidence for environmental modulation of gut microbiota and its relevance to brain disorders, exploring in particular the implications for neurodegenerative diseases. We will focus on three major environmental factors that are known to influence the onset and progression of those diseases, namely exercise, diet and stress. Further exploration of environmental modulation, acting via both peripheral (e.g. gut microbiota and associated metabolic dysfunction or 'metabolopathy') and central (e.g. direct effects on CNS neurons and glia) mechanisms, may lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches, such as enviromimetics, for a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Gubert
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geraldine Kong
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thibault Renoir
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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17
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Sjögren M, Soylu-Kucharz R, Dandunna U, Stan TL, Cavalera M, Sandelius Å, Zetterberg H, Björkqvist M. Leptin deficiency reverses high metabolic state and weight loss without affecting central pathology in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104560. [PMID: 31419548 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Body weight has been shown to be a predictor of clinical progression in Huntington's disease (HD). Alongside widespread neuronal pathology, both HD patients and the R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibit weight loss and increased energy expenditure, providing a rationale for targeting whole-body energy metabolism in HD. Leptin-deficient mice display low energy expenditure and increased body weight. We therefore hypothesized that normalizing energy metabolism in R6/2 mice, utilizing leptin- deficiency, would lead to a slower disease progression in the R6/2 mouse. In this study, we show that R6/2 mice on a leptin-deficient genetic background display increased body weight and increased fat mass compared to R6/2 mice, as well as wild type littermates. The increased body weight was accompanied by low energy expenditure, illustrated by a reduction in respiratory exchange rate. Leptin-deficient R6/2 mice had large white adipocytes with white adipocyte gene expression characteristics, in contrast to white adipose tissue in R6/2 mice, where white adipose tissue showed signs of browning. Leptin-deficient R6/2 mice did not exhibit improved neuropathological measures. Our results indicate that lowering energy metabolism in HD, by increasing fat mass and reducing respiratory exchange rate, is not sufficient to affect neuropathology. Further studies targeting energy metabolism in HD are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Sjögren
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Rana Soylu-Kucharz
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Unali Dandunna
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tiberiu Loredan Stan
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michele Cavalera
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cardiovascular Research, Translational Studies, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Åsa Sandelius
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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18
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Lakra P, Aditi K, Agrawal N. Peripheral Expression of Mutant Huntingtin is a Critical Determinant of Weight Loss and Metabolic Disturbances in Huntington's Disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10127. [PMID: 31300691 PMCID: PMC6626032 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Deteriorating weight loss in patients with Huntington's disease (HD) is a complicated peripheral manifestation and the cause remains poorly understood. Studies suggest that body weight strongly influences the clinical progression rate of HD and thereby offers a valuable target for therapeutic interventions. Mutant huntingtin (mHTT) is ubiquitously expressed and could induce toxicity by directly acting in the peripheral tissues. We investigated the effects of selective expression of mHTT exon1 in fat body (FB; functionally equivalent to human adipose tissue and liver) using transgenic Drosophila. We find that FB-autonomous expression of mHTT exon1 is intrinsically toxic and causes chronic weight loss in the flies despite progressive hyperphagia, and early adult death. Moreover, flies exhibit loss of intracellular lipid stores, and decline in the systemic levels of lipids and carbohydrates which aggravates over time, representing metabolic defects. At the cellular level, besides impairment, cell death also occurs with the formation of mHTT aggregates in the FB. These findings indicate that FB-autonomous expression of mHTT alone is sufficient to cause metabolic abnormalities and emaciation in vivo without any neurodegenerative cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Lakra
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Kumari Aditi
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Namita Agrawal
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
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19
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Rudenko O, Springer C, Skov LJ, Madsen AN, Hasholt L, Nørremølle A, Holst B. Ghrelin-mediated improvements in the metabolic phenotype in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12699. [PMID: 30776164 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a heritable neurodegenerative disorder, characterised by metabolic disturbances, along with cognitive and psychiatric impairments. Targeting metabolic HD dysfunction via the maintenance of body weight and fat mass and restoration of peripheral energy metabolism can improve the progression of neurological symptoms. In this respect, we focused on the therapeutic potential of the orexigenic peptide hormone ghrelin, which plays an important role in promoting a positive energy balance. In the present study, we found a significant disruption of circadian metabolic regulation in a R6/2 mouse HD model in the late stage of disease. Daily circadian rhythms of activity, energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio and feeding were strongly attenuated in R6/2 mice. During the rest phase, R6/2 mice had a higher total activity, elevated energy expenditure and excessive water consumption compared to control mice. We also found that, in the late stage of disease, R6/2 mice had ghrelin axis deficiency as a result of low circulating ghrelin levels, in addition to down-regulation of the ghrelin receptor and several key signalling molecules in the hypothalamus, as well as a reduced responsiveness to exogenous peripheral ghrelin. We demonstrated that, in pre-symptomatic mice, responsiveness to ghrelin is preserved. Chronic ghrelin treatment efficiently increased lean body mass and decreased the energy expenditure and fat utilisation of R6/2 mice in the early stage of disease. In addition, ghrelin treatment was also effective in the normalisation of drinking behaviour and the rest activity of these mice. Ghrelin treatment could provide a novel therapeutic possibility for delaying disease progression; however, deficiency in ghrelin receptor expression could limit its therapeutic potential in the late stage of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Rudenko
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Metabolic Receptology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Cecilie Springer
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Metabolic Receptology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louisa J Skov
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Metabolic Receptology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas N Madsen
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Metabolic Receptology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lis Hasholt
- Medical Genetics Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Nørremølle
- Medical Genetics Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Holst
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Metabolic Receptology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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20
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21
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Normalizing glucocorticoid levels attenuates metabolic and neuropathological symptoms in the R6/2 mouse model of huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 121:214-229. [PMID: 30292559 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal genetic neurological disorder caused by a mutation in the human Huntingtin (HTT) gene. This mutation confers a toxic gain of function of the encoded mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein, leading to widespread neuropathology including the formation of mHTT-positive inclusion bodies, gene dysregulation, reduced levels of adult dentate gyrus neurogenesis and neuron loss throughout many regions of the brain. Additionally, because HTT is ubiquitously expressed, several peripheral tissues are also affected. HD patients suffer from progressive motor, cognitive, psychiatric, and metabolic symptoms, including weight loss and skeletal muscle wasting. HD patients also show neuroendocrine changes including a robust, significant elevation in circulating levels of the glucocorticoid, cortisol. Previously, we confirmed that the R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibits elevated corticosterone (the rodent homolog of cortisol) levels and demonstrated that experimentally elevated corticosterone exacerbates R6/2 HD symptomology, resulting in severe and rapid weight loss and a shorter latency to death. Given that efficacious therapeutics are lacking for HD, here we investigated whether normalizing glucocorticoid levels could serve as a viable therapeutic approach for this disease. We tested the hypothesis that normalizing glucocorticoids to wild-type levels would ameliorate HD symptomology. Wild-type (WT) and transgenic R6/2 mice were allocated to three treatment groups: 1) adrenalectomy with normalized, WT-level corticosterone replacement (10 μg/ml), 2) adrenalectomy with high HD-level corticosterone replacement (35 μg/ml), or 3) sham surgery with no corticosterone replacement. Normalizing corticosterone to WT levels led to an improvement in metabolic rate in male R6/2 mice, as indicated by indirect calorimetry, including a reduction in oxygen consumption and normalization of respiratory exchange ratio values (p < .05 for both). Normalizing corticosterone also ameliorated brain atrophy in female R6/2 mice and skeletal muscle wasting in both male and female R6/2 mice (p < .05 for all). Female R6/2 mice given WT-level corticosterone replacement also showed a reduction in HD neuropathological markers, including a reduction in mHTT inclusion burden in the striatum, cortex, and hippocampus (p < .05 for all). This data illustrates that ameliorating glucocorticoid dysregulation leads to a significant improvement in HD symptomology in the R6/2 mouse model and suggests that cortisol-reducing therapeutics may be of value in improving HD patient quality of life.
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22
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Costa de Miranda R, Di Lorenzo N, Andreoli A, Romano L, De Santis GL, Gualtieri P, De Lorenzo A. Body composition and bone mineral density in Huntington's disease. Nutrition 2018; 59:145-149. [PMID: 30468934 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Understanding the body composition (BC) of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) could help to delay disease progression and improve treatment efficacy. The aim of this study was to assess BC parameters, including bone mineral density (BMD), and to find new biomarkers that can be early indicators for weight loss in patients with HD. METHODS Twenty-one age- and sex-matched patients with HD and 29 healthy controls (CT) were enrolled. For each patient, body weight (BW), height, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. BC and BMD were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Subsamples were created according to sex and percent fat mass (FM) (obese and nonobese). All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 23. RESULTS In all comparisons, BMD and T-score were lower in the HD group, but were not correlated with lean body mass (LBM) or FM. In the HD group, LBM and truncal fat were mostly reduced, except in women with HD whose BC appeared to be less affected by the disease than men. Furthermore, LBM (r = 0.80) and truncal fat (r = 0.68) were better correlated with BW than BMI (r = 0.56). CONCLUSION Complete BC assessment can be crucial for preventive interventions and prognosis definition in patients with HD. New biomarkers such as BMD, LBM, and truncal fat can be early indicators of weight loss in patients with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Costa de Miranda
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Nicola Di Lorenzo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Tor Vergata, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Andreoli
- Department of System Medicine, Human Physiology and Nutrition Unit, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Romano
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Lou De Santis
- Specialisation School of Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Gualtieri
- PhD School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino De Lorenzo
- Section of Clinical Nutrition and Nutrigenomic, Department of Biomedicine and prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Casa di Cura Madonna dello Scoglio, Cotronei, Italy.
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23
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Duarte AI, Sjögren M, Santos MS, Oliveira CR, Moreira PI, Björkqvist M. Dual Therapy with Liraglutide and Ghrelin Promotes Brain and Peripheral Energy Metabolism in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8961. [PMID: 29895889 PMCID: PMC5997749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27121-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal loss alongside altered energy metabolism, are key features of Huntington’s disease (HD) pathology. The orexigenic gut-peptide hormone ghrelin is known to stimulate appetite and affect whole body energy metabolism. Liraglutide is an efficient anti-type 2 diabetes incretin drug, with neuroprotective effects alongside anorectic properties. Combining liraglutide with the orexigenic peptide ghrelin may potentially promote brain/cognitive function in HD. The R6/2 mouse model of HD exhibits progressive central pathology, weight loss, deranged glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using a co-administration of liraglutide and ghrelin. We investigated their effect on brain cortical hormone-mediated intracellular signalling pathways, metabolic and apoptotic markers, and the impact on motor function in HD. We here demonstrate that liraglutide, alone or together with ghrelin (subcutaneous daily injections of 150 µg/kg (ghrelin) and 0.2 mg/kg (liraglutide), for 2 weeks), normalized glucose homeostatic features in the R6/2 mouse, without substantially affecting body weight or body composition. Liraglutide alone decreased brain cortical active GLP-1 and IGF-1 levels in R6/2 mice, alongside higher ADP levels. Liraglutide plus ghrelin decreased brain insulin, lactate, AMP and cholesterol levels in R6/2 mice. Taken together, our findings encourage further studies targeting energy metabolism in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Duarte
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Marie Sjögren
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria S Santos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Life Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Catarina R Oliveira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula I Moreira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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24
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Vercruysse P, Vieau D, Blum D, Petersén Å, Dupuis L. Hypothalamic Alterations in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Their Relation to Abnormal Energy Metabolism. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:2. [PMID: 29403354 PMCID: PMC5780436 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are disorders characterized by progressive deterioration of brain structure and function. Selective neuronal populations are affected leading to symptoms which are prominently motor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Huntington’s disease (HD), or cognitive in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). Besides the common existence of neuronal loss, NDDs are also associated with metabolic changes such as weight gain, weight loss, loss of fat mass, as well as with altered feeding behavior. Importantly, preclinical research as well as clinical studies have demonstrated that altered energy homeostasis influences disease progression in ALS, AD and HD, suggesting that identification of the pathways leading to perturbed energy balance might provide valuable therapeutic targets Signals from both the periphery and central inputs are integrated in the hypothalamus, a major hub for the control of energy balance. Recent research identified major hypothalamic changes in multiple NDDs. Here, we review these hypothalamic alterations and seek to identify commonalities and differences in hypothalamic involvement between the different NDDs. These hypothalamic defects could be key in the development of perturbations in energy homeostasis in NDDs and further understanding of the underlying mechanisms might open up new avenues to not only treat weight loss but also to ameliorate overall neurological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Vercruysse
- UMR-S 1118, Faculté de Médecine, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Strasbourg, France.,UMR-S1118, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Didier Vieau
- UMR-S 1172-JPArc, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille (CHRU de Lille), Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Lille, France
| | - David Blum
- UMR-S 1172-JPArc, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille (CHRU de Lille), Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Lille, France
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit (TNU), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Luc Dupuis
- UMR-S 1118, Faculté de Médecine, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Strasbourg, France.,UMR-S1118, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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25
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Abstract
The limitations of using small-brained rodents to model diseases that affect large-brain humans are becoming increasingly obvious as novel therapies emerge. Huntington's disease (HD) is one such disease. In recent years, the desirability of a large-brained, long-lived animal model of HD for preclinical testing has changed into a necessity. Treatment involving gene therapy in particular presents delivery challenges that are currently unsolved. Models using long-lived, large-brained animals would be useful, not only for refining methods of delivery (particularly for gene and other therapies that do not involve small molecules) but also for measuring long-term "off-target" effects, and assessing the efficacy of therapies. With their large brains and convoluted cortices, sheep are emerging as feasible experimental subjects that can be used to bridge the gap between rodents and humans in preclinical drug development. Sheep are readily available, economical to use, and easy to care for in naturalistic settings. With brains of a similar size to a large rhesus macaque, they have much to offer. The only thing that was missing until recently was the means of testing their neurological function and behavior using approaches and methods that are relevant to HD. In this chapter, I will outline the present and future possibilities of using sheep and testing as large animal models of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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26
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Sjögren M, Duarte AI, McCourt AC, Shcherbina L, Wierup N, Björkqvist M. Ghrelin rescues skeletal muscle catabolic profile in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13896. [PMID: 29066728 PMCID: PMC5654969 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13713-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests altered energy metabolism as a key feature in Huntington’s disease (HD) pathology. Hyper-catabolism, including weight loss and muscle atrophy, is seen in HD patients and HD mouse models. Metabolic hormones are key players, not only in energy metabolism, but also in neurodegenerative processes. Ghrelin, a gut peptide-hormone, plays an important role in regulating energy metabolism, stimulating appetite, and affects brain function and increases neuronal survival. The R6/2 mouse model of HD has previously been shown to exhibit progressive weight loss, dysregulated glucose metabolism, skeletal muscle atrophy and altered body composition. In this study, we targeted energy metabolism in R6/2 mice using ghrelin administration, with the primary aim to delay weight loss and reduce muscle atrophy. We also evaluated glucose metabolism and behaviour. We here demonstrate that ghrelin administration (subcutaneous 150 μg/kg daily injections) for 4 weeks, reversed the catabolic gene expression profile (increased expression of Caspase 8, Traf-5 and Creb1) seen in R6/2 mouse skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle morphology was also improved with ghrelin, and importantly, ghrelin administration normalized behavioural deficits in R6/2 mice. Taken together, our findings encourage further studies targeting metabolism in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Sjögren
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Ana I Duarte
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine (Pólo 1, 1st Floor), University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Casa Costa Alemão - Pólo II, Rua D. Francisco de Lemos, 3030-789, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Andrew C McCourt
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Liliya Shcherbina
- Lund University Diabetes Centre, Neuroendocrine Cell Biology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Clinical research center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Nils Wierup
- Lund University Diabetes Centre, Neuroendocrine Cell Biology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Clinical research center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Department of Experimental Medical Sciences, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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27
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Yhnell E, Dunnett SB, Brooks SP. A Longitudinal Motor Characterisation of the HdhQ111 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2017; 5:149-61. [PMID: 27258586 PMCID: PMC4942729 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion with the first exon of the huntingtin gene. Numerous knock-in mouse models are currently available for modelling HD. However, before their use in scientific research, these models must be characterised to determine their face and predictive validity as models of the disease and their reliability in recapitulating HD symptoms. Objective: Manifest HD is currently diagnosed upon the onset of motor symptoms, thus we sought to longitudinally characterise the progression and severity of motor signs in the HdhQ111 knock-in mouse model of HD, in heterozygous mice. Methods: An extensive battery of motor tests including: rotarod, inverted lid test, balance beam, spontaneous locomotor activity and gait analysis were applied longitudinally to a cohort of HdhQ111 heterozygous mice in order to progressively assess motor function. Results: A progressive failure to gain body weight was demonstrated from 11 months of age and motor problems in all measures of balance beam performance were shown in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type control animals from 9 months of age. A decreased latency to fall from the rotarod was demonstrated in HdhQ111 heterozygous animals in comparison to wild type animals, although this was not progressive with time. No genotype specific differences were demonstrated in any of the other motor tests included in the test battery. Conclusions: The HdhQ111 heterozygous mouse demonstrates a subtle and progressive motor phenotype that begins at 9 months of age. This mouse model represents an early disease stage and would be ideal for testing therapeutic strategies that require elongated lead-in times, such as viral gene therapies or striatal transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Yhnell
- Correspondence to: Emma Yhnell, The Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir
Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK. Tel.: +44 0 2920 874112; Fax: +44 0 2920 876749; E-mail:
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28
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van der Burg JMM, Gardiner SL, Ludolph AC, Landwehrmeyer GB, Roos RAC, Aziz NA. Body weight is a robust predictor of clinical progression in Huntington disease. Ann Neurol 2017; 82:479-483. [PMID: 28779551 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Unintended weight loss is a hallmark of Huntington disease (HD), but it is unknown to what extent weight loss impacts the rate of disease progression. Therefore, using longitudinal data from the Enroll-HD study, we assessed the association between baseline body mass index (BMI) and the rate of clinical progression in 5,821 HD mutation carriers. We found that high baseline BMI was associated with a significantly slower rate of functional, motor, and cognitive deterioration (all p < 0.001), independent of mutant HTT CAG repeat size. Our findings provide strong rationale for exploration of systemic metabolism as a therapeutic target in HD. Ann Neurol 2017;82:479-483.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorien M M van der Burg
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sarah L Gardiner
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - N Ahmad Aziz
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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29
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Skillings EA, Morton AJ. Delayed Onset and Reduced Cognitive Deficits through Pre-Conditioning with 3-Nitropropionic Acid is Dependent on Sex and CAG Repeat Length in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 5:19-32. [PMID: 27031731 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in energy metabolism are implicated in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. Reduced levels of the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), the main element of complex II, are observed post mortem in the brains of HD patients, and energy metabolism defects have been identified in both presymptomatic and symptomatic HD patients. OBJECTIVE Chemical preconditioning with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), an irreversible inhibitor of SDH, has been shown to increase tolerance against experimental hypoxia in both heart and brain. Here we studied the effect of chronic preconditioning in the R6/2 mouse model of HD using mice carrying CAG repeat lengths of either 250 or 400 repeats. Both are transgenic fragment models, with 250CAG mice having a more rapid disease progression than 400CAG mice. METHODS Low doses of 3-NP (24 mg/kg) were administered via the drinking water and the effect on phenotype progression and cognition function assessed. RESULTS After 3-NP treatment there were significant improvements in all aspects of the behavioural phenotype, apart from body weight, with timing and magnitude of improvements dependent on both CAG repeat length and sex. Specifically, a delay in the deterioration of general health (as shown by delayed onset of glycosuria and increased survival) was seen in both male and female 400CAG mice and in female 250CAG mice and was consistent with improved appearance of 3-NP treated R6/2 mice. Male 250CAG mice showed improvements but these were short term, and 3-NP treatment eventually had deleterious effects on their survival rate. When cognitive performance of 250CAG mice was assessed using a two-choice discrimination touchscreen task, we found that female mice showed significant improvements. DISCUSSION Together, our results support the idea that energy metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of HD, and suggest that improving energy deficits might be a therapeutically useful target.
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30
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Prolonged day length exposure improves circadian deficits and survival in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2016; 2:27-38. [PMID: 31236493 PMCID: PMC6575567 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian disruption seen in patients of Huntington's disease (HD) is recapitulated in the R6/2 mouse model. As the disease progresses, the activity of R6/2 mice increases dramatically during the rest (light) period and decreases during the active (dark) period, eventually leading to a complete disintegration of rest-activity rhythms by the age of ~16 weeks. The suprachiasmatic nucleus controls circadian rhythms by entraining the rest-activity rhythms to the environmental light-dark cycle. Since R6/2 mice can shift their rest-activity rhythms in response to a jet-lag paradigm and also respond positively to bright light therapy (1000 lx), we investigated whether or not a prolonged day length exposure could reduce their daytime activity and improve their behavioural circadian rhythms. We found that a long-day photoperiod (16 h light/8 h dark cycle; 100 lx) significantly improved the survival of R6/2 female mice by 2.4 weeks, compared to mice kept under standard conditions (12 h light/12 h dark cycle). Furthermore, a long-day photoperiod improved the nocturnality of R6/2 female mice. Mice kept under long-day photoperiod also maintained acrophase in activity rhythms (a parameter of rhythmicity strength) in phase with that of WT mice, even if they were symptomatic. By contrast, a short-day photoperiod (8 h light/16 h dark cycle) was deleterious to R6/2 female mice and further reduced the survival by ~1 week. Together, our results support the idea that light therapy may be beneficial for improving circadian dysfunction in HD patients. Chronic exposure to a long day (16:8 LD) is beneficial to R6/2 female mice. The 16:8 LD cycle slowed body weight loss and improved survival of R6/2 mice. Lifespan of R6/2 female mice was extended by ~2.4 weeks under 16:8 LD cycle. R6/2 female mice under 16:8 LD had stabilised acrophase in activity rhythms. Lifespan of R6/2 female mice was reduced by chronic exposure to a short day (8:16 LD).
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Key Words
- ANOVA, analysis of variance
- DD, constant darkness
- Depression
- EEG, electroencephalography
- Estrogen
- HD, Huntington's disease
- HPA axis, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- L-DOPA, levodopa
- LD, light-dark
- Lifespan
- REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep
- SCN, suprachiasmatic nucleus
- Sleep
- Transgenic mouse
- WT, wild type
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31
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Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in astrocytes - Beneficial effects of glatiramer acetate in the R6/2 and YAC128 mouse models of Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol 2016; 285:12-23. [PMID: 27587303 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glatiramer acetate (GA) is a FDA-approved drug which is licensed for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and which may exert neuroprotective effects via brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In this study, we investigate effects of GA on BDNF expression especially in astrocytes in vitro and in vivo in brains of R6/2 and YAC128 transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) where a pathogenic role of astroglial cells has recently been shown. We show that GA increases the expression of functionally active BDNF in astrocyte culture and in astrocytes of GA treated HD mice. In the brains of these mice, GA decreases neurodegeneration and restores BDNF levels. The beneficial effect of GA in R6/2 mice also comprises reduced weight loss and prolonged life span and, for both models, also improved motor performance. Further studies with this safe and effective drug in HD are warranted.
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32
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McCourt AC, Jakobsson L, Larsson S, Holm C, Piel S, Elmér E, Björkqvist M. White Adipose Tissue Browning in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159870. [PMID: 27486903 PMCID: PMC4972251 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal, autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder, characterised not only by progressive cognitive, motor and psychiatric impairments, but also of peripheral pathology. In both human HD and in mouse models of HD there is evidence of increased energy expenditure and weight loss, alongside altered body composition. Unlike white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), as well as brown-like cells within WAT, expresses the mitochondrial protein, uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). UCP1 enables dissociation of cellular respiration from ATP utilization, resulting in the release of stored energy as heat. Hyperplasia of brown/beige cells in WAT has been suggested to enhance energy expenditure. In this study, we therefore investigated the gene expression profile, histological appearance, response to cold challenge and functional aspects of WAT in the R6/2 HD mouse model and selected WAT gene expression in the full-length Q175 mouse model of HD. WAT from R6/2 mice contained significantly more brown-like adipocyte regions and had a gene profile suggestive of the presence of brown-like adipocytes, such as higher Ucp1 expression. Cold exposure induced Ucp1 expression in R6/2 inguinal WAT to a markedly higher degree as compared to the thermogenic response in WT WAT. Alongside this, gene expression of transcription factors (Zfp516 and Pparα), important inducers of WAT browning, were increased in R6/2 inguinal WAT, and Creb1 was highlighted as a key transcription factor in HD. In addition to increased WAT Ucp1 expression, a trend towards increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption due to enhanced uncoupling activity was found in inguinal R6/2 WAT. Key gene expressional changes (increased expression of (Zfp516 and Pparα)) were replicated in inguinal WAT obtained from Q175 mice. In summary, for the first time, we here show that HD mouse WAT undergoes a process of browning, resulting in molecular and functional alterations that may contribute to the weight loss and altered metabolism observed with disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. McCourt
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Jakobsson
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Larsson
- Section for Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C11, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Holm
- Section for Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC C11, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sarah Piel
- Mitochondrial Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, BMC A13, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Eskil Elmér
- Mitochondrial Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, BMC A13, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC A10, 22184 Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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33
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Dufour BD, McBride JL. Corticosterone dysregulation exacerbates disease progression in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol 2016; 283:308-17. [PMID: 27381424 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurological disorder that causes severe and progressive motor, cognitive, psychiatric, and metabolic symptoms. There is a robust, significant elevation in circulating levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in HD patients; however, the causes and consequences of this elevation are largely uncharacterized. Here, we evaluated whether elevated levels of corticosterone, the rodent homolog of cortisol, contributed to the development of symptomology in transgenic HD mice. Wild-type (WT) and transgenic R6/2 mice were given either 1) adrenalectomy with WT-level corticosterone replacement (10ng/ml), 2) adrenalectomy with high HD-level corticosterone replacement (60ng/ml), or 3) sham surgery without replacement. R6/2 mice on HD-level replacement showed severe and rapid weight loss (p<0.05) and a shorter latency to death (p<0.01) relative to the HD mice on WT-level replacement. We further evaluated basal and stress-induced levels of circulating corticosterone in R6/2 mice throughout the course of their life. We found that R6/2 transgenic HD mice display a spontaneous elevation in circulating corticosterone levels that became significant at 10weeks of age. Furthermore, we identified significant dysregulation of circadian rhythmicity of corticosterone release measured over a 24h period compared to wild-type controls. Unexpectedly, we found that R6/2 transgenic mice show a blunted corticosterone response to restraint stress, compared to wild-type mice. Together, these data provide further evidence that HPA-axis activity is abnormal in R6/2 mice, and highlight the important role that cortisol plays in HD symptom development. Our findings suggest that cortisol-reducing therapeutics may be of value in improving HD patient quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett D Dufour
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA.
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Brustovetsky N. Mutant Huntingtin and Elusive Defects in Oxidative Metabolism and Mitochondrial Calcium Handling. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 53:2944-2953. [PMID: 25941077 PMCID: PMC4635103 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9188-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Elongation of a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch in huntingtin protein (Htt) is linked to Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. The mutation in Htt correlates with neuronal dysfunction in the striatum and cerebral cortex and eventually leads to neuronal cell death. The exact mechanisms of the injurious effect of mutant Htt (mHtt) on neurons are not completely understood but might include aberrant gene transcription, defective autophagy, abnormal mitochondrial biogenesis, anomalous mitochondrial dynamics, and trafficking. In addition, deficiency in oxidative metabolism and defects in mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling are considered essential contributing factors to neuronal dysfunction in HD and, consequently, in HD pathogenesis. Since the discovery of the mutation in Htt, the questions whether mHtt affects oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling and, if it does, what mechanisms could be involved were in focus of numerous investigations. However, despite significant research efforts, the detrimental effect of mHtt and the mechanisms by which mHtt might impair oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling remain elusive. In this paper, I will briefly review studies aimed at clarifying the consequences of mHtt interaction with mitochondria and discuss experimental results supporting or arguing against the mHtt effects on oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickolay Brustovetsky
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Dr., Medical Science Bldg 547, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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35
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Cheng ML, Chang KH, Wu YR, Chen CM. Metabolic disturbances in plasma as biomarkers for Huntington's disease. J Nutr Biochem 2016; 31:38-44. [PMID: 27133422 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD), caused by expanded CAG repeats encoding a polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein, presents with a predominant degeneration of neurons in the striatum and cortex. Although a few studies have identified substantial metabolite alterations in plasma, the picture of plasma metabolomics of HD has not been clearly depicted yet. Using a global metabolomics screening for plasma from 15 HD patients and 17 controls, HD patient group was separated from the control group by a panel of metabolites belonging to carnitine, amino acid and phosphatidylcholine species. The quantification of 184 related metabolites (including carnitine, amino acid and phosphatidylcholine species) in 29 HD patients, 9 presymptomatic HD carriers and 44 controls further showed one up-regulated (glycine) and 9 down-regulated metabolites (taurine, serotonin, valine, isoleucine, phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C36:0 and C34:0 and lysophosphatidylcholine acyl C20:3). To understand the biosynthetic alterations of phosphatidylcholine in HD, we examined the expression levels and activities of a panel of key enzymes responsible for phosphatidylcholine metabolism. The results showed down-regulation of PCYT1A and increased activity of phospholipase A2 in HD leukocytes. These metabolic profiles strongly indicate that disturbed metabolism is involved in pathogenesis of HD and provide clue for the development of novel treatment strategies for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Ling Cheng
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Metabolomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Ru Wu
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Mei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center and College of Medicine, Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
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36
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van Wamelen DJ, Roos RA, Aziz NA. Therapeutic strategies for circadian rhythm and sleep disturbances in Huntington disease. Neurodegener Dis Manag 2015; 5:549-59. [PMID: 26621387 DOI: 10.2217/nmt.15.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Aside from the well-known motor, cognitive and psychiatric signs and symptoms, Huntington disease (HD) is also frequently complicated by circadian rhythm and sleep disturbances. Despite the observation that these disturbances often precede motor onset and have a high prevalence, no studies are available in HD patients which assess potential treatments. In this review, we will briefly outline the nature of circadian rhythm and sleep disturbances in HD and subsequently focus on potential treatments based on findings in other neurodegenerative diseases with similarities to HD, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer disease. The most promising treatment options to date for circadian rhythm and sleep disruption in HD include melatonin (agonists) and bright light therapy, although further corroboration in clinical trials is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J van Wamelen
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, K5-Q 110, PO Box 9600, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Raymund Ac Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, K5-Q 110, PO Box 9600, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nasir A Aziz
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, K5-Q 110, PO Box 9600, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
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The power of automated behavioural homecage technologies in characterizing disease progression in laboratory mice: A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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McCourt AC, Parker J, Silajdžić E, Haider S, Sethi H, Tabrizi SJ, Warner TT, Björkqvist M. Analysis of White Adipose Tissue Gene Expression Reveals CREB1 Pathway Altered in Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2015; 4:371-82. [PMID: 26756592 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-150172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to classical neurological symptoms, Huntington's disease (HD) is complicated by peripheral pathology and both the mutant gene and the protein are found in cells and tissues throughout the body. Despite the adipose tissue gene expression alterations described in HD mouse models, adipose tissue and its gene expression signature have not been previously explored in human HD. OBJECTIVE We investigated gene expression signatures in subcutaneous adipose tissue obtained from control subjects, premanifest HD gene carriers and manifest HD subjects with the aim to identify gene expression changes and signalling pathway alterations in adipose tissue relevant to HD. METHODS Gene expression was assessed using Affymetrix GeneChip® Human Gene 1.0 ST Array. Target genes were technically validated using real-time quantitative PCR and the expression signature was validated in an independent subject cohort. RESULTS In subcutaneous adipose tissue, more than 500 genes were significantly different in premanifest HD subjects as compared to healthy controls. Pathway analysis suggests that the differentially expressed genes found here in HD adipose tissue are involved in fatty acid metabolism pathways, angiotensin signalling pathways and immune pathways. Transcription factor analysis highlights CREB1. Using RT-qPCR, we found that MAL2, AGTR2, COBL and the transcription factor CREB1 were significantly upregulated, with CREB1 and AGT also being significantly upregulated in a separate cohort. CONCLUSIONS Distinct gene expression profiles can be seen in HD subcutaneous adipose tissue, with CREB1 highlighted as a key transcription factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Christopher McCourt
- Brain Disease Biomarker unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Parker
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL, London, UK
- Magnus Life Science, Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London, UK
| | - Edina Silajdžić
- Brain Disease Biomarker unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Salman Haider
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL, London, UK
| | - Huma Sethi
- Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL, London, UK
| | - Thomas T Warner
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Brain Disease Biomarker unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Dietrich P, Dragatsis I. Use of Genetically Engineered Mice to Study the Biology of Huntingtin. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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van Wamelen DJ, Aziz NA, Roos RAC, Swaab DF. Hypothalamic alterations in Huntington's disease patients: comparison with genetic rodent models. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:761-75. [PMID: 25074766 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Revised: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Unintended weight loss, sleep and circadian disturbances and autonomic dysfunction are prevalent features of Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat sequence in the HTT gene. These features form a substantial contribution to disease burden in HD patients and appear to be accompanied by a number of neuroendocrine and metabolic changes, pointing towards hypothalamic pathology as a likely underlying mechanism. Neuronal inclusion bodies of mutant huntingtin, which are hallmarks of the disease, occur throughout the hypothalamus, and indicate local mutant huntingtin expression that could interfere with hypothalamic neuropeptide production. Also, several genetic rodent models of HD show features that could be related to hypothalamic pathology, such as weight loss and circadian rhythm disturbances. In these rodents, several hypothalamic neuropeptide populations are affected. In the present review, we summarise the changes in genetic rodent models of HD for individual hypothalamic nuclei, compare these observations to the hypothalamic changes that occur in HD patients, and make an inventory of the work that still needs to be done. Surprisingly, there is only limited overlap in the hypothalamic changes reported in HD patients and genetic rodent models. At present, the only similarity between the hypothalamic alterations in HD patients and genetic rodent models is a decrease in the number of orexin-expressing neurones in the lateral hypothalamus. Possible reasons for these discrepancies, as well as potential consequences for the development of novel therapeutic strategies, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J van Wamelen
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam ZO, The Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Skillings EA, Wood NI, Morton AJ. Beneficial effects of environmental enrichment and food entrainment in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Brain Behav 2014; 4:675-86. [PMID: 25328844 PMCID: PMC4107380 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to their cognitive and motor deficits, R6/2 mice show a progressive disintegration in circadian rhythms that mirrors the problems associated with sleep-wake disturbances experienced by patients with Huntington's disease (HD). It has been shown previously that motor and cognitive performance, as well as survival, can be improved in transgenic mouse models of HD through the provision of environmental enrichment. METHODS We compared the effect of two different overnight entrainment paradigms presented either separately or in combination. The first was environmental enrichment, the second was temporal food-entrainment. Environmental enrichment was provided in the dark period (the natural active period for mice) in the form of access to a Perspex playground containing running wheels, tunnels, climbing frame, ropes and chew blocks. Food entrainment was imposed by allowing access to food only during the dark period. We assessed a number of different aspects of function in the mice, measuring general health (by SHIRPA testing, body temperature and body weight measurements), cognitive performance in the touchscreen and locomotor behavior in the open field. RESULTS There were no significant differences in cognitive performance between groups on different schedules. Environmental enrichment delayed the onset of general health deterioration, while food entrainment slowed the loss of body weight, aided the maintenance of body temperature and improved locomotor behavior. Effects were limited however, and in combination had deleterious effects on survival. CONCLUSIONS Our results support previous studies showing that environmental enrichment can be beneficial and might be used to enhance the quality of life of HD patients. However, improvements are selective and 'enrichment' per se is likely to only be useful as an adjunct to a more direct therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Skillings
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Nigel I Wood
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - A Jennifer Morton
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
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Activation of IGF-1 and Insulin Signaling Pathways Ameliorate Mitochondrial Function and Energy Metabolism in Huntington’s Disease Human Lymphoblasts. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:331-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8735-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Early deficits in glycolysis are specific to striatal neurons from a rat model of huntington disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81528. [PMID: 24303051 PMCID: PMC3841140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In Huntington disease (HD), there is increasing evidence for a link between mutant huntingtin expression, mitochondrial dysfunction, energetic deficits and neurodegeneration but the precise nature, causes and order of these events remain to be determined. In this work, our objective was to evaluate mitochondrial respiratory function in intact, non-permeabilized, neurons derived from a transgenic rat model for HD compared to their wild type littermates by measuring oxygen consumption rates and extracellular acidification rates. Although HD striatal neurons had similar respiratory capacity as those from their wild-type littermates when they were incubated in rich medium containing a supra-physiological glucose concentration (25 mM), pyruvate and amino acids, respiratory defects emerged when cells were incubated in media containing only a physiological cerebral level of glucose (2.5 mM). According to the concept that glucose is not the sole substrate used by the brain for neuronal energy production, we provide evidence that primary neurons can use lactate as well as pyruvate to fuel the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In contrast to glucose, we found no major deficits in HD striatal neurons’ capacity to use pyruvate as a respiratory substrate compared to wild type littermates. Additionally, we used extracellular acidification rates to confirm a reduction in anaerobic glycolysis in the same cells. Interestingly, the metabolic disturbances observed in striatal neurons were not seen in primary cortical neurons, a brain region affected in later stages of HD. In conclusion, our results argue for a dysfunction in glycolysis, which might precede any defects in the respiratory chain itself, and these are early events in the onset of disease.
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Fisher SP, Black SW, Schwartz MD, Wilk AJ, Chen TM, Lincoln WU, Liu HW, Kilduff TS, Morairty SR. Longitudinal analysis of the electroencephalogram and sleep phenotype in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 136:2159-72. [PMID: 23801738 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in sleep and circadian organization have been identified as common early features in patients with Huntington's disease that correlate with symptom severity and may be instrumental in disease progression. Studies in Huntington's disease gene carriers suggest that alterations in the electroencephalogram may reflect underlying neuronal dysfunction that is present in the premanifest stage. We conducted a longitudinal characterization of sleep/wake and electroencephalographic activity in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease to determine whether analogous electroencephalographic 'signatures' could be identified early in disease progression. R6/2 and wild-type mice were implanted for electroencephalographic recordings along with telemetry for the continuous recording of activity and body temperature. Diurnal patterns of activity and core body temperature were progressively disrupted in R6/2 mice, with a large reduction in the amplitude of these rhythms apparent by 13 weeks of age. The diurnal variation in sleep/wake states was gradually attenuated as sleep became more fragmented and total sleep time was reduced relative to wild-type mice. These genotypic differences were augmented at 17 weeks and evident across the entire 24-h period. Quantitative electroencephalogram analysis revealed anomalous increases in high beta and gamma activity (25-60 Hz) in all sleep/wake states in R6/2 mice, along with increases in theta activity during both non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep and a reduction of delta power in non-rapid eye movement sleep. These dramatic alterations in quantitative electroencephalographic measures were apparent from our earliest recording (9 weeks), before any major differences in diurnal physiology or sleep/wake behaviour occurred. In addition, the homeostatic response to sleep deprivation was greatly attenuated with disease progression. These findings demonstrate the sensitivity of quantitative electroencephalographic analysis to identify early pathophysiological alterations in the R6/2 model of Huntington's disease and suggest longitudinal studies in other preclinical Huntington's disease models are needed to determine the generality of these observations as a potential adjunct in therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Fisher
- Center for Neuroscience, Biosciences Division, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
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Petr GT, Schultheis LA, Hussey KC, Sun Y, Dubinsky JM, Aoki C, Rosenberg PA. Decreased expression of GLT-1 in the R6/2 model of Huntington's disease does not worsen disease progression. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2477-90. [PMID: 23586612 PMCID: PMC3735860 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Excitotoxicity is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). Glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and excess activation of glutamate receptors can cause neuronal dysfunction and death. Glutamate transporters regulate the extracellular concentration of glutamate. GLT-1 is the most abundant glutamate transporter, and accounts for most of the glutamate transport in the brain. Administration of ceftriaxone, an antibiotic that increases the functional expression of GLT-1, can improve the behavioral phenotype of the R6/2 mouse model of HD. To test the hypothesis that GLT-1 expression critically affects the HD disease process, we generated a novel mouse model that is heterozygous for the null allele of GLT-1 and carries the R6/2 transgene (double mutation). We demonstrated that the protein expression of total GLT-1, as well as two of its isoforms, is decreased within the cortex and striatum of 12-week-old R6/2 mice, and that the expression of EAAC1 was decreased in the striatum. Protein expression of GLT-1 was further decreased in the cortex and striatum of the double mutation mice compared with the R6/2 mice at 11 weeks. However, the effects of the R6/2 transgene on weight loss, accelerating rotarod, climbing and paw-clasping were not exacerbated in these double mutants. Na(+) -dependent glutamate uptake into synapatosomes isolated from the striatum and cortex of 11-week-old R6/2 mice was unchanged compared with controls. These results suggest that changes in GLT-1 expression or function per se are unlikely to potentiate or ameliorate the progression of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine T. Petr
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Laurel A. Schultheis
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Kayla C. Hussey
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Janet M. Dubinsky
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Chiye Aoki
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY
| | - Paul A. Rosenberg
- Department of Neurology and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Aziz NA, Roos RAC. Characteristics, pathophysiology and clinical management of weight loss in Huntington’s disease. Neurodegener Dis Manag 2013. [DOI: 10.2217/nmt.13.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene. Clinically, the disease is characterized by motor impairment, cognitive deterioration and behavioral disturbances. Unintended weight loss is also a hallmark of the disease and frequently leads to general weakening and a decline in the quality of life of HD patients. Moreover, a higher BMI has been associated with a slower rate of disease progression. In this review, the authors first delineate the characteristics of weight loss in both HD patients and genetic models of the disease. Subsequently, they discuss the pathophysiological processes underlying weight loss in HD and highlight the implications for management and care of HD patients with, or at risk of, unintended weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ahmad Aziz
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Raymund AC Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Kelp A, Koeppen AH, Petrasch-Parwez E, Calaminus C, Bauer C, Portal E, Yu-Taeger L, Pichler B, Bauer P, Riess O, Nguyen HP. A novel transgenic rat model for spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 recapitulates neuropathological changes and supplies in vivo imaging biomarkers. J Neurosci 2013; 33:9068-81. [PMID: 23699518 PMCID: PMC6705027 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5622-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia 17 (SCA17) is an autosomal-dominant, late-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat in the TATA-box-binding protein (TBP). To further investigate this devastating disease, we sought to create a first transgenic rat model for SCA17 that carries a full human cDNA fragment of the TBP gene with 64 CAA/CAG repeats (TBPQ64). In line with previous observations in mouse models for SCA17, TBPQ64 rats show a severe neurological phenotype including ataxia, impairment of postural reflexes, and hyperactivity in early stages followed by reduced activity, loss of body weight, and early death. Neuropathologically, the severe phenotype of SCA17 rats was associated with neuronal loss, particularly in the cerebellum. Degeneration of Purkinje, basket, and stellate cells, changes in the morphology of the dendrites, nuclear TBP-positive immunoreactivity, and axonal torpedos were readily found by light and electron microscopy. While some of these changes are well recapitulated in existing mouse models for SCA17, we provide evidence that some crucial characteristics of SCA17 are better mirrored in TBPQ64 rats. Thus, this SCA17 model represents a valuable tool to pursue experimentation and therapeutic approaches that may be difficult or impossible to perform with SCA17 transgenic mice. We show for the first time positron emission tomography (PET) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data of a SCA animal model that replicate recent PET studies in human SCA17 patients. Our results also confirm that DTI are potentially useful correlates of neuropathological changes in TBPQ64 rats and raise hope that DTI imaging could provide a biomarker for SCA17 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Kelp
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arnulf H. Koeppen
- Department of Neuropathology and Neurology, Albany, New York 12208, and
| | - Elisabeth Petrasch-Parwez
- Department of Neuroanatomy and Molecular Brain Research, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44787 Bochum, Germany
| | - Carsten Calaminus
- Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, and
| | - Claudia Bauer
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Esteban Portal
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Libo Yu-Taeger
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bernd Pichler
- Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, and
| | - Peter Bauer
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics
- Centre for Rare Diseases Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Portal E, Riess O, Nguyen HP. Automated home cage assessment shows behavioral changes in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17. Behav Brain Res 2013; 250:157-65. [PMID: 23665119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 17 (SCA17) is an autosomal dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative disease characterized by ataxia, involuntary movements, and dementia. A novel SCA17 mouse model having a 71 polyglutamine repeat expansion in the TATA-binding protein (TBP) has shown age related motor deficit using a classic motor test, yet concomitant weight increase might be a confounding factor for this measurement. In this study we used an automated home cage system to test several motor readouts for this same model to confirm pathological behavior results and evaluate benefits of automated home cage in behavior phenotyping. Our results confirm motor deficits in the Tbp/Q71 mice and present previously unrecognized behavioral characteristics obtained from the automated home cage, indicating its use for high-throughput screening and testing, e.g. of therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Portal
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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van Wamelen DJ, Aziz NA, Anink JJ, Roos RAC, Swaab DF. Neuropeptide alterations in the infundibular nucleus of Huntington's disease patients. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:198-205. [PMID: 22928483 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02379.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Data from transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) suggest that dysfunction of the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus (INF) (in rodents, the arcuate nucleus) may contribute to unintended weight loss and insatiable appetite among HD patients. Using post-mortem paraffin-embedded tissue, we assessed the total number of INF neurones by thionin staining and four major regulatory neuropeptides in the INF of HD patients by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridisation. In HD patients, the total number of neurones in the INF was unchanged compared to control subjects (P = 0.92), whereas it contained over 30% less neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive (IR) neurones (P = 0.016), as well as reduced peptide levels, in fibres to the paraventricular and ventromedial nucleus (P = 0.003, P = 0.005, respectively). Conversely, neuropeptide Y mRNA expression levels were increased three-fold (P = 0.047). No changes were observed in the number of neurones immunoreactive for α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, agouti-related peptide, and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (P ≥ 0.17). Our findings suggest changes in the pathology of the INF neuropeptide Y-expressing neurones in HD patients without changes in other (an)orexigenic neuropeptides and without neuronal cell loss. These findings indicate that unintended weight loss in patients suffering from this disease may be partly a result of neuropeptidergic alterations in the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J van Wamelen
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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