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Grønbæk-Thygesen M, Hartmann-Petersen R. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of aspartoacylase and its role in Canavan disease. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:45. [PMID: 38582917 PMCID: PMC10998430 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Canavan disease is an autosomal recessive and lethal neurological disorder, characterized by the spongy degeneration of the white matter in the brain. The disease is caused by a deficiency of the cytosolic aspartoacylase (ASPA) enzyme, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), an abundant brain metabolite, into aspartate and acetate. On the physiological level, the mechanism of pathogenicity remains somewhat obscure, with multiple, not mutually exclusive, suggested hypotheses. At the molecular level, recent studies have shown that most disease linked ASPA gene variants lead to a structural destabilization and subsequent proteasomal degradation of the ASPA protein variants, and accordingly Canavan disease should in general be considered a protein misfolding disorder. Here, we comprehensively summarize the molecular and cell biology of ASPA, with a particular focus on disease-linked gene variants and the pathophysiology of Canavan disease. We highlight the importance of high-throughput technologies and computational prediction tools for making genotype-phenotype predictions as we await the results of ongoing trials with gene therapy for Canavan disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Grønbæk-Thygesen
- The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200N, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen
- The Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200N, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Lu S, Ge Q, Yang M, Zhuang Y, Xu X, Niu F, Liu B, Tian R. Decoupling the mutual promotion of inflammation and oxidative stress mitigates cognitive decline and depression-like behavior in rmTBI mice by promoting myelin renewal and neuronal survival. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116419. [PMID: 38479178 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116419] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) can lead to somatic, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that persist for years after the initial injury. Although the ability of various treatments to promote recovery after rmTBI has been explored, the optimal time window for early intervention after rmTBI is unclear. Previous research has shown that hydrogen-rich water (HRW) can diffuse through the blood-brain - barrier, attenuate local oxidative stress, and reduce neuronal apoptosis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. However, research on the effect of HRW on rmTBI is scarce. AIMS The objectives of this study were to explore the following changes after rmTBI and HRW treatment: (i) temporal changes in inflammasome activation and oxidative stress-related protein expression through immunoblotting, (ii) temporal changes in neuron/myelin-related metabolite concentrations in vivo through magnetic resonance spectroscopy, (iii) myelin structural changes in late-stage rmTBI via immunofluorescence, and (iv) postinjury anxiety/depression-like behaviors and spatial learning and memory impairment. RESULTS NLRP-3 expression in the rmTBI group was elevated at 7 and 14 DPI, and inflammasome marker levels returned to normal at 30 DPI. Oxidative stress persisted throughout the first month postinjury. HRW replacement significantly decreased Nrf2 expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal CA2 region at 14 and 30 DPI, respectively. Edema and local gliosis in the hippocampus and restricted diffusion in the thalamus were observed on MR-ADC images. The tCho/tCr ratio in the rmTBI group was elevated, and the tNAA/tCr ratio was decreased at 30 DPI. Compared with the mice in the other groups, the mice in the rmTBI group spent more time exploring the open arms in the elevated plus maze (P < 0.05) and were more active in the maze (longer total distance traveled). In the sucrose preference test, the rmTBI group exhibited anhedonia. In the Morris water maze test, the latency to find the hidden platform in the rmTBI group was longer than that in the sham and HRW groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Early intervention with HRW can attenuate inflammasome assembly and reduce oxidative stress after rmTBI. These changes may restore local oligodendrocyte function, promote myelin repair, prevent axonal damage and neuronal apoptosis, and alleviate depression-like behavior and cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghua Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - QianQian Ge
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - MengShi Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Zhuang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojian Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Niu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Baiyun Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Center for Nerve Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
| | - Runfa Tian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Center for Nerve Injury and Repair, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.
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Shen X. Research progress on pathogenesis and clinical treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs). Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2023; 231:107850. [PMID: 37390569 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.107850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are characteristically referred to as various central nervous system (CNS)-based inflammatory and astrocytopathic disorders, often manifested by the axonal damage and immune-mediated demyelination targeting optic nerves and the spinal cord. This review article presents a detailed view of the etiology, pathogenesis, and prescribed treatment options for NMOSD therapy. Initially, we present the epidemiology of NMOSDs, highlighting the geographical and ethnical differences in the incidence and prevalence rates of NMOSDs. Further, the etiology and pathogenesis of NMOSDs are emphasized, providing discussions relevant to various genetic, environmental, and immune-related factors. Finally, the applied treatment strategies for curing NMOSD are discussed, exploring the perspectives for developing emergent innovative treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200000, PR China.
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Veeraiah P, Jansen JFA. Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at Ultra-High-Field: Assessing Human Cerebral Metabolism in Healthy and Diseased States. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040577. [PMID: 37110235 PMCID: PMC10143499 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is a highly energetic organ. Although the brain can consume metabolic substrates, such as lactate, glycogen, and ketone bodies, the energy metabolism in a healthy adult brain mainly relies on glucose provided via blood. The cerebral metabolism of glucose produces energy and a wide variety of intermediate metabolites. Since cerebral metabolic alterations have been repeatedly implicated in several brain disorders, understanding changes in metabolite levels and corresponding cell-specific neurotransmitter fluxes through different substrate utilization may highlight the underlying mechanisms that can be exploited to diagnose or treat various brain disorders. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive tool to measure tissue metabolism in vivo. 1H-MRS is widely applied in research at clinical field strengths (≤3T) to measure mostly high abundant metabolites. In addition, X-nuclei MRS including, 13C, 2H, 17O, and 31P, are also very promising. Exploiting the higher sensitivity at ultra-high-field (>4T; UHF) strengths enables obtaining unique insights into different aspects of the substrate metabolism towards measuring cell-specific metabolic fluxes in vivo. This review provides an overview about the potential role of multinuclear MRS (1H, 13C, 2H, 17O, and 31P) at UHF to assess the cerebral metabolism and the metabolic insights obtained by applying these techniques in both healthy and diseased states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pandichelvam Veeraiah
- Scannexus (Ultra-High-Field MRI Center), 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jacobus F A Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Kossowski B, Kong Y, Klimiec-Moskal E, Emir U, Palace J, Juryńczyk M. Relapsing antibody-negative patients with features of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: Differences in N-acetylaspartate level in the cervical spinal cord indicate distinct underlying processes. Mult Scler 2022; 28:2221-2230. [PMID: 35971567 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221115304] [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: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to lack of biomarkers, antibody-negative patients with features of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are among the most challenging to diagnose and treat. Using unsupervised clustering, we recently identified 'MS-like', 'spinal MS-like', 'classic NMOSD-like' and 'NMOSD-like with brain involvement' subgroups in this cohort. OBJECTIVE We used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to examine differences in the level of key metabolites in the spinal cord between the four identified subgroups. METHODS Twenty-five relapsing antibody-negative patients with NMOSD features classified by the unsupervised algorithm to one of the subgroups underwent a prospective cervical spinal cord MRS. Spectra from 16 patients fulfilled quality criteria and were included in the analysis. RESULTS Total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA), but not total choline (tCho) or myo-inositol (Ins), was significantly different between the four subgroups (p = 0.03). In particular, tNAA was 47.8% lower in the 'MS-like' subgroup as compared with the 'classic NMOSD-like' subgroup (p = 0.02). While we found a negative overall correlation between tNAA and disability score (r = -0.514, p = 0.04) in the whole cohort, the disability score did not differ significantly between the subgroups to explain subgroup differences in tNAA level. CONCLUSIONS Significant differences in the cervical spinal cord tNAA measurements confirm that the previously identified clinico-radiologic subgroups contain patients with distinct underlying disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Kossowski
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Uzay Emir
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jacqueline Palace
- Department of Clinical Neurology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Headley Way, OX3 9DU Oxford, UK.,Department of Clinical Neurology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maciej Juryńczyk
- Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteura 3 Street, 02-098 Warsaw, Poland.,Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Clinical Neurology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Yang Y, Rui Q, Han S, Wu X, Wang X, Wu P, Shen Y, Dai H, Xue Q, Li Y. Reduced GABA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex are associated with cognitive impairment in patients with NMOSD. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2022; 58:103496. [PMID: 35032882 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.103496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is a symptom present in part of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and its pathophysiology is unknown. Dysfunction of the GABAergic/glutamatergic pathways involving inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters have been implicated in several neurological disorders. This study aimed to investigate the changes in inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and excitatory glutamate and glutamine (Glx) neurotransmitter levels and their correlations with cognitive functions in patients with NMOSD. METHODS A total of 29 patients with NMOSD and 28 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study. All participants underwent clinical and cognitive assessments and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scanning. Meshcher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy was used to measure GABA and Glx levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and left thalamus. Total creatine (tCr) was applied as an internal reference. The GABA and Glx levels in the patient group were compared with those in HCs and correlated with cognitive scores and clinical variables. RESULTS Patients with NMOSD showed lower GABA+/tCr levels in the mPFC compared with HCs (P = 0.028). The GABA+/tCr levels in the mPFC were significantly associated with verbal memory performance (r = 0.462, P = 0.027) and overall cognition (r = 0.440, P = 0.035) in the NMOSD group. The GABA+/tCr levels in the left thalamus or Glx/tCr levels in both regions were not significantly different between groups, nor were they related to any cognitive domain in patients with NMOSD (all P values > 0.05). CONCLUSION The GABA+ levels in the mPFC decreased and correlated with cognitive dysfunction in patients with NMOSD, suggesting that the changes in regional GABA+ levels might be a potential metabolic feature of cognitive decline in patients with NMOSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Qianyun Rui
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Shuting Han
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Xiaojuan Wu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Peng Wu
- Philips Healthcare, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Yueping Shen
- Department of Statistics, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Hui Dai
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China; Institute of Medical Imaging, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China.
| | - Qun Xue
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China; Clinical Research Center of Neurology, Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China.
| | - Yonggang Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China; Institute of Medical Imaging, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215000, China.
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