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Vidas-Guscic N, van Rijswijk J, Van Audekerke J, Jeurissen B, Nnah I, Tang H, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Pustina D, Cachope R, Van der Linden A, Bertoglio D, Verhoye M. Diffusion MRI marks progressive alterations in fiber integrity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106438. [PMID: 38365045 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor and cognitive abilities. Multiple studies have found white matter anomalies in HD-affected humans and animal models of HD. The identification of sensitive white-matter-based biomarkers in HD animal models will be important in understanding disease mechanisms and testing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Here we investigated the progression of white matter deficits in the knock-in zQ175DN heterozygous (HET) mouse model of HD at 3, 6 and 11 months of age (M), reflecting different states of phenotypic progression. We compared findings from traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced fixel-based analysis (FBA) diffusion metrics for their sensitivity in detecting white matter anomalies in the striatum, motor cortex, and segments of the corpus callosum. FBA metrics revealed progressive and widespread reductions of fiber cross-section and fiber density in myelinated bundles of HET mice. The corpus callosum genu was the most affected structure in HET mice at 6 and 11 M based on the DTI and FBA metrics, while the striatum showed the earliest progressive differences starting at 3 M based on the FBA metrics. Overall, FBA metrics detected earlier and more prominent alterations in myelinated fiber bundles compared to the DTI metrics. Luxol fast blue staining showed no loss in myelin density, indicating that diffusion anomalies could not be explained by myelin reduction but diffusion anomalies in HET mice were accompanied by increased levels of neurofilament light chain protein at 11 M. Altogether, our findings reveal progressive alterations in myelinated fiber bundles that can be measured using diffusion MRI, representing a candidate noninvasive imaging biomarker to study phenotype progression and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in zQ175DN mice. Moreover, our study exposed higher sensitivity of FBA than DTI metrics, suggesting a potential benefit of adopting these advanced metrics in other contexts, including biomarker development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Vidas-Guscic
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Joëlle van Rijswijk
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ben Jeurissen
- μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Israel Nnah
- Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury, MA, United states
| | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Dorian Pustina
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Daniele Bertoglio
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Pérot JB, Brouillet E, Flament J. The contribution of preclinical magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to Huntington's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1306312. [PMID: 38414634 PMCID: PMC10896846 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1306312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and motor symptoms due to degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the striatum. A prodromal phase precedes the onset, lasting decades. Current biomarkers include clinical score and striatal atrophy using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These markers lack sensitivity for subtle cellular changes during the prodromal phase. MRI and MR spectroscopy offer different contrasts for assessing metabolic, microstructural, functional, or vascular alterations in the disease. They have been used in patients and mouse models. Mouse models can be of great interest to study a specific mechanism of the degenerative process, allow better understanding of the pathogenesis from the prodromal to the symptomatic phase, and to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. Mouse models can be divided into three different constructions: transgenic mice expressing exon-1 of human huntingtin (HTT), mice with an artificial chromosome expressing full-length human HTT, and knock-in mouse models with CAG expansion inserted in the murine htt gene. Several studies have used MRI/S to characterized these models. However, the multiplicity of modalities and mouse models available complicates the understanding of this rich corpus. The present review aims at giving an overview of results obtained using MRI/S for each mouse model of HD, to provide a useful resource for the conception of neuroimaging studies using mouse models of HD. Finally, despite difficulties in translating preclinical protocols to clinical applications, many biomarkers identified in preclinical models have already been evaluated in patients. This review also aims to cover this aspect to demonstrate the importance of MRI/S for studying HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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Pérot JB, Niewiadomska-Cimicka A, Brouillet E, Trottier Y, Flament J. Longitudinal MRI and 1H-MRS study of SCA7 mouse forebrain reveals progressive multiregional atrophy and early brain metabolite changes indicating early neuronal and glial dysfunction. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296790. [PMID: 38227598 PMCID: PMC10790999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
SpinoCerebellar Ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an inherited disorder caused by CAG triplet repeats encoding polyglutamine expansion in the ATXN7 protein, which is part of the transcriptional coactivator complex SAGA. The mutation primarily causes neurodegeneration in the cerebellum and retina, as well as several forebrain structures. The SCA7140Q/5Q knock-in mouse model recapitulates key disease features, including loss of vision and motor performance. To characterize the temporal progression of brain degeneration of this model, we performed a longitudinal study spanning from early to late symptomatic stages using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in vivo 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Compared to wild-type mouse littermates, MRI analysis of SCA7 mice shows progressive atrophy of defined brain structures, with the striatum, thalamus and cortex being the first and most severely affected. The volume loss of these structures coincided with increased motor impairments in SCA7 mice, suggesting an alteration of the sensory-motor network, as observed in SCA7 patients. MRI also reveals atrophy of the hippocampus and anterior commissure at mid-symptomatic stage and the midbrain and brain stem at late stage. 1H-MRS of hippocampus, a brain region previously shown to be dysfunctional in patients, reveals early and progressive metabolic alterations in SCA7 mice. Interestingly, abnormal glutamine accumulation precedes the hippocampal atrophy and the reduction in myo-inositol and total N-acetyl-aspartate concentrations, two markers of glial and neuronal damage, respectively. Together, our results indicate that non-cerebellar alterations and glial and neuronal metabolic impairments may play a crucial role in the development of SCA7 mouse pathology, particularly at early stages of the disease. Degenerative features of forebrain structures in SCA7 mice correspond to current observations made in patients. Our study thus provides potential biomarkers that could be used for the evaluation of future therapeutic trials using the SCA7140Q/5Q model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
- Institut du Cerveau–Paris Brain Institute–ICM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Anna Niewiadomska-Cimicka
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
| | - Yvon Trottier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7104, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch, 67404, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92260, France
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Jia Q, Bai D, Zheng X, Zhu L, Ou K, Wang X, Tong H, Zhang Y, Wang J, Zeng J, Yan S, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Comparing HD knockin pigs and mice reveals the pathological role of IL-17. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113443. [PMID: 37979175 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous work has established a knockin (KI) pig model of Huntington's disease (HD) that can replicate the typical pathological features of HD, including selective striatal neuronal loss, reactive gliosis, and axonal degeneration. However, HD KI mice exhibit milder neuropathological phenotypes and lack overt neurodegeneration. By performing RNA sequencing to compare the gene expression profiles between HD KI pigs and mice, we find that genes related to interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling are upregulated in the HD pig brains compared to the mouse brains. Delivery of IL-17 into the brain striatum of HD KI mice causes greater reactive gliosis and synaptic deficiency compared to HD KI mice that received PBS. These findings suggest that the upregulation of genes related to IL-17 signaling in HD pig brains contributes to severe glial pathology in HD and identify this as a potential therapeutic target for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Jia
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Dazhang Bai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Institute of Neurological Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Longhong Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Kaili Ou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Huichun Tong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yiran Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jing Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Jun Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Sen Yan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Peng Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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Manivannan A, Foley LM, Hitchens TK, Rattray I, Bates GP, Modo M. Ex vivo 100 μm isotropic diffusion MRI-based tractography of connectivity changes in the end-stage R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease. NEUROPROTECTION 2023; 1:66-83. [PMID: 37745674 PMCID: PMC10516267 DOI: 10.1002/nep3.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Brain atrophy, as measured by volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a downstream consequence of neurodegeneration, but microstructural changes within brain tissue are expected to precede this volumetric decline. The tissue microstructure can be assayed non-invasively using diffusion MRI, which also allows a tractographic analysis of brain connectivity. Methods We here used ex vivo diffusion MRI (11.7 T) to measure microstructural changes in different brain regions of end-stage (14 weeks of age) wild type and R6/2 mice (male and female) modeling Huntington's disease. To probe the microstructure of different brain regions, reduce partial volume effects and measure connectivity between different regions, a 100 μm isotropic voxel resolution was acquired. Results Although fractional anisotropy did not reveal any difference between wild-type controls and R6/2 mice, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity were increased in female R6/2 mice and decreased in male R6/2 mice. Whole brain streamlines were only reduced in male R6/2 mice, but streamline density was increased. Region-to-region tractography indicated reductions in connectivity between the cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus with the striatum, as well as within the basal ganglia (striatum-globus pallidus-subthalamic nucleus-substantia nigra-thalamus). Conclusions Biological sex and left/right hemisphere affected tractographic results, potentially reflecting different stages of disease progression. This proof-of-principle study indicates that diffusion MRI and tractography potentially provide novel biomarkers that connect volumetric changes across different brain regions. In a translation setting, these measurements constitute a novel tool to assess the therapeutic impact of interventions such as neuroprotective agents in transgenic models, as well as patients with Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwinee Manivannan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lesley M. Foley
- Animal Imaging Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - T. Kevin Hitchens
- Animal Imaging Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ivan Rattray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gillian P. Bates
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Huntington’s Disease Centre and UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michel Modo
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Wang N, Maharjan S, Tsai AP, Lin PB, Qi Y, Wallace A, Jewett M, Liu F, Landreth GE, Oblak AL. Integrating multimodality magnetic resonance imaging to the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4887. [PMID: 36454009 PMCID: PMC10106385 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affords unique image contrasts to nondestructively probe the tissue microstructure; validation of MRI findings with conventional histology is essential to better understand the MRI contrasts. However, the dramatic difference in the spatial resolution and image contrast of these two techniques impedes accurate comparison between MRI metrics and traditional histology. To better validate various MRI metrics, we acquired whole mouse brain multigradient recalled-echo and multishell diffusion MRI datasets at 25-μm isotropic resolution. The recently developed Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework (CCFv3) provides opportunities to integrate multimodal and multiscale datasets of the whole mouse brain in a common three-dimensional (3D) space. The T2*, quantitative susceptibility mapping, diffusion tensor imaging, and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging parameters were compared with both serial two-photon tomography images and 3D Nissl staining images in the CCFv3 at the same spatial resolution. The correlation between MRI and Nissl staining strongly depends on different metrics and different regions of the brain. Integrating different imaging modalities to the same space may substantially improve our understanding of the complexity of the brain at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Wang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Surendra Maharjan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Andy P. Tsai
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Peter B. Lin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Yi Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abigail Wallace
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Megan Jewett
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Gary E. Landreth
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Adrian L. Oblak
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Pepe G, Capocci L, Marracino F, Realini N, Lenzi P, Martinello K, Bovier TF, Bichell TJ, Scarselli P, Di Cicco C, Bowman AB, Digilio FA, Fucile S, Fornai F, Armirotti A, Parlato R, Di Pardo A, Maglione V. Treatment with THI, an inhibitor of sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase, modulates glycosphingolipid metabolism and results therapeutically effective in experimental models of Huntington's disease. Mol Ther 2023; 31:282-299. [PMID: 36116006 PMCID: PMC9840122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no effective cure currently available. Over the past few years our research has shown that alterations in sphingolipid metabolism represent a critical determinant in HD pathogenesis. In particular, aberrant metabolism of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) has been reported in multiple disease settings, including human postmortem brains from HD patients. In this study, we investigate the potential therapeutic effect of the inhibition of S1P degradative enzyme SGPL1, by the chronic administration of the 2-acetyl-5-tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole (THI) inhibitor. We show that THI mitigated motor dysfunctions in both mouse and fly models of HD. The compound evoked the activation of pro-survival pathways, normalized levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, preserved white matter integrity, and stimulated synaptic functions in HD mice. Metabolically, THI restored normal levels of hexosylceramides and stimulated the autophagic and lysosomal machinery, facilitating the reduction of nuclear inclusions of both wild-type and mutant huntingtin proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Natalia Realini
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Lenzi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Tiziana Francesca Bovier
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), UOS Naples-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy; Department of Pediatrics Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Host-Pathogen Interaction, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032, NY, USA
| | - Terry Jo Bichell
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | | | | | - Aaron B Bowman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, USA
| | - Filomena A Digilio
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), UOS Naples-CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Fucile
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) 86077, Italy; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS) 86077, Italy; Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Rosanna Parlato
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University, Mannheim 68167, Germany
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Jia Q, Li S, Li XJ, Yin P. Neuroinflammation in Huntington's disease: From animal models to clinical therapeutics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1088124. [PMID: 36618375 PMCID: PMC9815700 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1088124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by preferential loss of neurons in the striatum in patients, which leads to motor and cognitive impairments and death that often occurs 10-15 years after the onset of symptoms. The expansion of a glutamine repeat (>36 glutamines) in the N-terminal region of huntingtin (HTT) has been defined as the cause of HD, but the mechanism underlying neuronal death remains unclear. Multiple mechanisms, including inflammation, may jointly contribute to HD pathogenesis. Altered inflammation response is evident even before the onset of classical symptoms of HD. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on immune and inflammatory changes, from HD animal models to clinical phenomenon of patients with HD. The understanding of the impact of inflammation on HD would help develop novel strategies to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peng Yin
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Jiang Li, ; Peng Yin,
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Dinamarca MC, Colombo L, Tousiaki NE, Müller M, Pecho-Vrieseling E. Synaptic and functional alterations in the development of mutant huntingtin expressing hiPSC‐derived neurons. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:916019. [PMID: 35928225 PMCID: PMC9343803 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.916019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenic disease that results in a combination of motor, psychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. It is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which results in the production of a mutant HTT protein (mHTT) with an extended polyglutamine tract (PolyQ). Severe motor symptoms are a hallmark of HD and typically appear during middle age; however, mild cognitive and personality changes often occur already during early adolescence. Wild-type HTT is a regulator of synaptic functions and plays a role in axon guidance, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic vesicle trafficking. These functions are important for proper synapse assembly during neuronal network formation. In the present study, we assessed the effect of mHTT exon1 isoform on the synaptic and functional maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons. We used a relatively fast-maturing hiPSC line carrying a doxycycline-inducible pro-neuronal transcription factor, (iNGN2), and generated a double transgenic line by introducing only the exon 1 of HTT, which carries the mutant CAG (mHTTEx1). The characterization of our cell lines revealed that the presence of mHTTEx1 in hiPSC-derived neurons alters the synaptic protein appearance, decreases synaptic contacts, and causes a delay in the development of a mature neuronal activity pattern, recapitulating some of the developmental alterations observed in HD models, nonetheless in a shorted time window. Our data support the notion that HD has a neurodevelopmental component and is not solely a degenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Colombo
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Matthias Müller
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eline Pecho-Vrieseling
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Eline Pecho-Vrieseling,
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Ge Y, Zheng W, Li Y, Dou W, Ren S, Chen Z, Wang Z. Altered Brain Volume, Microstructure Metrics and Functional Connectivity Features in Multiple System Atrophy. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:799251. [PMID: 35663568 PMCID: PMC9162384 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.799251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to deeply understand the specific patterns of volume, microstructure, and functional changes in Multiple System Atrophy patients with cerebellar ataxia syndrome (MSA-c), we perform the current study by simultaneously applying structural (T1-weighted imaging), Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), functional (BOLD fMRI) and extended Network-Based Statistics (extended-NBS) analysis. Twenty-nine MSA-c type patients and twenty-seven healthy controls (HCs) were involved in this study. First, we analyzed the whole brain changes of volume, microstructure, and functional connectivity (FC) in MSA-c patients. Then, we explored the correlations between significant multimodal MRI features and the total Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) scores. Finally, we searched for sensitive imaging biomarkers for the diagnosis of MSA-c using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Results showed significant grey matter atrophy in cerebellum and white matter microstructural abnormalities in cerebellum, left fusiform gyrus, right precentral gyrus and lingual gyrus. Extended-NBS analysis found two significant different connected components, featuring altered functional connectivity related to left and right cerebellar sub-regions, respectively. Moreover, the reduced fiber bundle counts at right Cerebellum_3 (Cbe3) and decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values at bilateral Cbe9 were negatively associated with total UMSARS scores. Finally, the significant features at left Cbe9, Cbe1, and Cbe7b were found to be useful as sensitive biomarkers to differentiate MSA-c from HCs according to the SVM analysis. These findings advanced our understanding of the neural pathophysiological mechanisms of MSA from the perspective of multimodal neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiang Ge
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yujia Li
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Weibei Dou
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Weibei Dou,
| | - Shan Ren
- Department of Neurology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhigang Chen
- Department of Neurology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Zhigang Chen,
| | - Zhiqun Wang
- Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
- Zhiqun Wang,
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11
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Diffusion tractography of superior cerebellar peduncle and dentatorubrothalamic tracts in two autopsy confirmed progressive supranuclear palsy variants: Richardson syndrome and the speech-language variant. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103030. [PMID: 35597031 PMCID: PMC9123268 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Different changes in DTI metrics in SCP and DRTT can be seen across PSP subtypes. DRTT tractography reconstructions demonstrated specific changes in PSP-RS. DTI and clinical PSP scores are specifically linked across each PSP variant.
Background Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a 4-repeat tauopathy with neurodegeneration typically observed in the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) and dentatorubrothalamic tracts (DRTT). However, it is unclear how these tracts are differentially affected in different clinical variants of PSP. Objectives To determine whether diffusion tractography of the SCP and DRTT can differentiate autopsy-confirmed PSP with Richardson’s syndrome (PSP-RS) and PSP with predominant speech/language disorder (PSP-SL). Methods We studied 22 autopsy-confirmed PSP patients that included 12 with PSP-RS and 10 with PSP-SL. We compared these two groups to 11 patients with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease with SL problems, i.e., logopenic progressive aphasia (AD-LPA) (disease controls) and 10 healthy controls. Whole brain tractography was performed to identify the SCP and DRTT, as well as the frontal aslant tract and superior longitudinal fasciculus. We assessed fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity for each tract. Hierarchical linear modeling was used for statistical comparisons, and correlations were assessed with clinical disease severity, ocular motor impairment, and parkinsonism. DRTT connectomics matrix analysis was also performed across groups. Results The SCP showed decreased fractional anisotropy for PSP-RS and PSP-SL and increased mean diffusivity in PSP-RS, compared to controls and AD-LPA. Right DRTT fibers showed lower fractional anisotropy in PSP-RS and PSP-SL compared to controls and AD-LPA, with PSP-RS also showing lower values compared to PSP-SL. Reductions in connectivity were observed in infratentorial DRTT regions in PSP-RS vs cortical regions in PSP-SL. PSP-SL showed greater abnormalities in the frontal aslant tract and superior longitudinal fasciculus compared to controls, PSP-RS, and AD-LPA. Significant correlations were observed between ocular motor impairment and SCP in PSP-RS (p = 0.042), and DRTT in PSP-SL (p = 0.022). In PSP-SL, the PSP Rating Scale correlated with the SCP (p = 0.045) and DRTT (p = 0.008), and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale correlated with the DRTT (p = 0.014). Conclusions Degeneration of the SCP and DRTT are diagnostic features of both PSP-RS and PSP-SL and associations with clinical metrics validate the role of these tracts in PSP-related clinical features, particularly in PSP-SL.
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13
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Gatto RG, Weissmann C. Preliminary examination of early neuroconnectivity features in the R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease by ultra-high field diffusion MRI. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:983-986. [PMID: 34558512 PMCID: PMC8552860 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.324831] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decades, advances in the understanding of genetic, cellular, and microstructural alterations associated to Huntington's disease (HD) have improved the understanding of this progressive and fatal illness. However, events related to early neuropathological events, neuroinflammation, deterioration of neuronal connectivity and compensatory mechanisms still remain vastly unknown. Ultra-high field diffusion MRI (UHFD-MRI) techniques can contribute to a more comprehensive analysis of the early microstructural changes observed in HD. In addition, it is possible to evaluate if early imaging microstructural parameters might be linked to histological biomarkers. Moreover, qualitative studies analyzing histological complexity in brain areas susceptible to neurodegeneration could provide information on inflammatory events, compensatory increase of neuroconnectivity and mechanisms of brain repair and regeneration. The application of ultra-high field diffusion-MRI technology in animal models, particularly the R6/1 mice (a common preclinical mammalian model of HD), provide the opportunity to analyze alterations in a physiologically intact model of the disease. Although some disparities in volumetric changes across different brain structures between preclinical and clinical models has been documented, further application of different diffusion MRI techniques used in combination like diffusion tensor imaging, and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging have proved effective in characterizing early parameters associated to alteration in water diffusion exchange within intracellular and extracellular compartments in brain white and grey matter. Thus, the combination of diffusion MRI imaging techniques and more complex neuropathological analysis could accelerate the discovery of new imaging biomarkers and the early diagnosis and neuromonitoring of patients affected with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carina Weissmann
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Cui B, Zheng W, Ren S, Chen Z, Wang Z. Differentiation of Cerebellum-Type and Parkinson-Type of Multiple System Atrophy by Using Multimodal MRI Parameters. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:687649. [PMID: 34413766 PMCID: PMC8369927 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.687649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated the structural and functional changes in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). However, little is known about the different parameter changes of the most vulnerable regions in different types of MSA. In this study, we collected resting-state structure, perfusion, and patients with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of cerebellum-type of MSA (MSA-c) and Parkinson-type of MSA (MSA-p). First, by simultaneously using voxel-based morphology (VBM), arterial spin labeling (ASL), and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), we analyzed the whole brain differences of structure, perfusion, and functional activation between patients with MSA-c and MSA-p. Second, we explored the relationships among structure, perfusion, function, and the clinical variables in patients with MSA. Finally, we extracted the MRI parameters of a specific region to separate the two groups and search for a sensitive imaging biomarker. As a result, compared with patients with MSA-p type, patients with MSA-c type showed decreased structure atrophy in several cerebella and vermis subregions, reduced perfusion in bilateral cerebellum_4_5 and vermis_4_5, and an decreased ALFF values in the right lingual gyrus (LG) and fusiform (FFG). Subsequent analyses revealed the close correlations among structure, perfusion, function, and clinical variables in both MSA-c and MSA-p. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of bilateral cerebellum_4_5/vermis_4_5 could differentiate the two groups at a relatively high accuracy, yielding the sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 79.2%, and the area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.936. These findings have important implications for understanding the underlying neurobiology of different types of MSA and added the new evidence for the disrupted rCBF, structure, and function of MSA, which may provide the potential biomarker for accurately detecting different types of patients with MSA and new ideas for the treatment of different types of MSA in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Cui
- Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Ren
- Department of Neurology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhigang Chen
- Department of Neurology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqun Wang
- Department of Radiology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
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