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Ioakeimidis V, Busse M, Drew CJG, Pallmann P, Watson GB, Jones D, Palombo M, Schubert R, Rosser AE, Metzler-Baddeley C. Protocol for a randomised controlled unblinded feasibility trial of HD-DRUM: a rhythmic movement training application for cognitive and motor symptoms in people with Huntington's disease. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082161. [PMID: 39089721 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease causing progressive cognitive and motor decline, largely due to basal ganglia (BG) atrophy. Rhythmic training offers promise as therapy to counteract BG-regulated deficits. We have developed HD-DRUM, a tablet-based app to enhance movement synchronisation skills and improve cognitive and motor abilities in people with HD. This paper outlines a randomised controlled unblinded trial protocol to determine the feasibility of a larger effectiveness trial for HD-DRUM. Additionally, the trial investigates cognitive and motor function measures, along with brain microstructure, aiming to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying training effects. METHODS, DESIGN AND ANALYSIS 50 individuals with HD, confirmed by genetic testing, and a Total Functional Capacity (TFC) score of 9-13, will be recruited into a two-arm randomised controlled feasibility trial. Consenting individuals with HD will be randomised to the intervention group, which entails 8 weeks of at-home usage of HD-DRUM or a usual-activity control group. All participants will undergo cognitive and motor assessments, alongside ultra-strong gradient (300 mT/m) brain microstructural MRI before and after the 8-week period. The feasibility assessment will encompass recruitment, retention, adherence and acceptability of HD-DRUM following prespecified criteria. The study will also evaluate variations in cognitive and motor performance and brain microstructure changes resulting from the intervention to determine effect size estimates for future sample size calculations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has received favourable ethical opinion from the Wales Research Ethics Committee 2 (REC reference: 22/WA/0147) and is sponsored by Cardiff University (SPON1895-22) (Research Integrity, Governance and Ethics Team, Research & Innovation Services, Cardiff University, second Floor, Lakeside Building, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, CF14 4XW). Findings will be disseminated to researchers and clinicians in peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, and to participants, carers and the general public via newsletters and public engagement activities. Data will be shared with the research community via the Enroll-HD platform. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN11906973.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Ioakeimidis
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Monica Busse
- Centre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Cheney J G Drew
- Centre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Philip Pallmann
- Centre for Trials Research, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Guy B Watson
- HD Voice, Huntington's Disease Association, Liverpool, UK
| | - Derek Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Marco Palombo
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- School of Computer Science and Informatics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Anne E Rosser
- Cardiff Brain Repair Group, Cardiff, UK
- Department of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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2
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Huang Z, Jordan JD, Zhang Q. Myelin Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease: Potential Therapeutic Opportunities. Aging Dis 2024; 15:698-713. [PMID: 37548935 PMCID: PMC10917545 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Despite significant efforts over several decades, our understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease is still incomplete. Myelin is a multi-layered membrane structure ensheathing neuronal axons, which is essential for the fast and effective propagation of action potentials along the axons. Recent studies highlight the critical involvement of myelin in memory consolidation and reveal its vulnerability in various pathological conditions. Notably, apart from the classic amyloid hypothesis, myelin degeneration has been proposed as another critical pathophysiological feature of AD, which could occur prior to the development of amyloid pathology. Here, we review recent works supporting the critical role of myelin in cognition and myelin pathology during AD progression, with a focus on the mechanisms underlying myelin degeneration in AD. We also discuss the complex intersections between myelin pathology and typical AD pathophysiology, as well as the therapeutic potential of pro-myelinating approaches for this disease. Overall, these findings implicate myelin degeneration as a critical contributor to AD-related cognitive deficits and support targeting myelin repair as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihai Huang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
| | - J. Dedrick Jordan
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
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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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Hobbs NZ, Papoutsi M, Delva A, Kinnunen KM, Nakajima M, Van Laere K, Vandenberghe W, Herath P, Scahill RI. Neuroimaging to Facilitate Clinical Trials in Huntington's Disease: Current Opinion from the EHDN Imaging Working Group. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:163-199. [PMID: 38788082 PMCID: PMC11307036 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-240016] [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] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Neuroimaging is increasingly being included in clinical trials of Huntington's disease (HD) for a wide range of purposes from participant selection and safety monitoring, through to demonstration of disease modification. Selection of the appropriate modality and associated analysis tools requires careful consideration. On behalf of the EHDN Imaging Working Group, we present current opinion on the utility and future prospects for inclusion of neuroimaging in HD trials. Covering the key imaging modalities of structural-, functional- and diffusion- MRI, perfusion imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and magnetoencephalography, we address how neuroimaging can be used in HD trials to: 1) Aid patient selection, enrichment, stratification, and safety monitoring; 2) Demonstrate biodistribution, target engagement, and pharmacodynamics; 3) Provide evidence for disease modification; and 4) Understand brain re-organization following therapy. We also present the challenges of translating research methodology into clinical trial settings, including equipment requirements and cost, standardization of acquisition and analysis, patient burden and invasiveness, and interpretation of results. We conclude, that with appropriate consideration of modality, study design and analysis, imaging has huge potential to facilitate effective clinical trials in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Z. Hobbs
- HD Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- HD Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- IXICO plc, London, UK
| | - Aline Delva
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Koen Van Laere
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106313. [PMID: 37777020 PMCID: PMC10731584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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Valenza M, Birolini G, Cattaneo E. The translational potential of cholesterol-based therapies for neurological disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:583-598. [PMID: 37644213 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00864-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is an important metabolite and membrane component and is enriched in the brain owing to its role in neuronal maturation and function. In the adult brain, cholesterol is produced locally, predominantly by astrocytes. When cholesterol has been used, recycled and catabolized, the derivatives are excreted across the blood-brain barrier. Abnormalities in any of these steps can lead to neurological dysfunction. Here, we examine how precise interactions between cholesterol production and its use and catabolism in neurons ensures cholesterol homeostasis to support brain function. As an example of a neurological disease associated with cholesterol dyshomeostasis, we summarize evidence from animal models of Huntington disease (HD), which demonstrate a marked reduction in cholesterol biosynthesis with clinically relevant consequences for synaptic activity and cognition. In addition, we examine the relationship between cholesterol loss in the brain and cognitive decline in ageing. We then present emerging therapeutic strategies to restore cholesterol homeostasis, focusing on evidence from HD mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valenza
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare 'Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', Milan, Italy.
| | - Giulia Birolini
- 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.
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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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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525697. [PMID: 36747614 PMCID: PMC9900921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. No disease modifying treatments exist but lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) by gene therapy is a promising approach to treat Huntington's disease (HD). It is not clear when lowering should be initiated, how much lowering is necessary and for what duration lowering should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model we analyzed whole body mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. Subcellular fractionation (density gradient ultracentrifugation), protein chemistry (gel filtration, western blot, and capillary electrophoresis immunoassay), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids, and bioinformatic approaches were used to test effects of mHTT transcriptional lowering. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the caudate putamen, which is most affected in HD, was reduced 38-52%. Little or no lowering of mHTT occurred in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. mHtt transcript repression partially or fully preserved select striatal proteins (SCN4B, PDE10A). Total lipids in striatum were reduced in LacQ140 mice at 9 months and preserved by early partial mHtt lowering. The reduction in total lipids was due in part to reductions in subclasses of ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), which are known to be important for white matter structure and function. Lipid subclasses phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses other than ceramide were preserved by early mHtt lowering. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNAseq data imply a transcriptional mechanism is responsible in part for changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be rescued by mHTT lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
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Yang S, Ma J, Zhang H, Chen L, Li Y, Pan M, Zhu H, Liang J, He D, Li S, Li XJ, Guo X. Mutant HTT does not affect glial development but impairs myelination in the early disease stage. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1238306. [PMID: 37539389 PMCID: PMC10394243 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1238306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by expanded CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT) and is characterized by late-onset neurodegeneration that primarily affects the striatum. Several studies have shown that mutant HTT can also affect neuronal development, contributing to the late-onset neurodegeneration. However, it is currently unclear whether mutant HTT impairs the development of glial cells, which is important for understanding whether mutant HTT affects glial cells during early brain development. Methods Using HD knock-in mice that express full-length mutant HTT with a 140 glutamine repeat at the endogenous level, we analyzed the numbers of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes from postnatal day 1 to 3 months of age via Western blotting and immunocytochemistry. We also performed electron microscopy, RNAseq analysis, and quantitative RT-PCR. Results The numbers of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were not significantly altered in postnatal HD KI mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. Consistently, glial protein expression levels were not significantly different between HD KI and WT mice. However, at 3 months of age, myelin protein expression was reduced in HD KI mice, as evidenced by Western blotting and immunocytochemical results. Electron microscopy revealed a slight but significant reduction in myelin thickness of axons in the HD KI mouse brain at 3 months of age. RNAseq analysis did not show significant reductions in myelin-related genes in postnatal HD KI mice. Conclusion These data suggest that cytoplasmic mutant HTT, rather than nuclear mutant HTT, mediates myelination defects in the early stages of the disease without impacting the differentiation and maturation of glial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiangyu Guo
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Jiang Li, ; Xiangyu Guo
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Ao Q, Wen LL, Yu TH, Ma YZ, Mao XY, Ao TR, Javed R, Ten H, Matsuno A. Sequential expression of miR-221-3p and miR-338-3p in Schwann cells as a therapeutic strategy to promote nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:671-682. [DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.350214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Taghian T, Gallagher J, Batcho E, Pullan C, Kuchel T, Denney T, Perumal R, Moore S, Muirhead R, Herde P, Johns D, Christou C, Taylor A, Passler T, Pulaparthi S, Hall E, Chandra S, O’Neill CA, Gray-Edwards H. Brain Alterations in Aged OVT73 Sheep Model of Huntington's Disease: An MRI Based Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:391-406. [PMID: 36189602 PMCID: PMC9837686 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative autosomal dominant disorder with prevalence of 1 : 20000 that has no effective treatment to date. Translatability of candidate therapeutics could be enhanced by additional testing in large animal models because of similarities in brain anatomy, size, and immunophysiology. These features enable realistic pre-clinical studies of biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS Here we non-invasively characterized alterations in brain white matter microstructure, neurochemistry, neurological status, and mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aged OVT73 HD sheep. RESULTS Similar to HD patients, CSF mHTT differentiates HD from normal sheep. Our results are indicative of a decline in neurological status, and alterations in brain white matter diffusion and spectroscopy metric that are more severe in aged female HD sheep. Longitudinal analysis of aged female HD sheep suggests that the decline is detectable over the course of a year. In line with reports of HD human studies, white matter alterations in corpus callosum correlates with a decline in gait of HD sheep. Moreover, alterations in the occipital cortex white matter correlates with a decline in clinical rating score. In addition, the marker of energy metabolism in striatum of aged HD sheep, shows a correlation with decline of clinical rating score and eye coordination. CONCLUSION This data suggests that OVT73 HD sheep can serve as a pre-manifest large animal model of HD providing a platform for pre-clinical testing of HD therapeutics and non-invasive tracking of the efficacy of the therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toloo Taghian
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jillian Gallagher
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Batcho
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Caitlin Pullan
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Tim Kuchel
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Denney
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Raj Perumal
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Shamika Moore
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Robb Muirhead
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Paul Herde
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel Johns
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Chris Christou
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Amanda Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Sanjana Pulaparthi
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Hall
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sundeep Chandra
- Sana Biotechnology, South San Francisco, CA, USA,Bio Marin Pharmaceutical Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA
| | | | - Heather Gray-Edwards
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,Correspondence to: Heather L. Gray-Edwards, DVM, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, 368 Plantation Street, ASC6-2055, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Tel.: +1 508 856 4051; Fax: +1 508 856 1552; E-mail:
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Pérot JB, Célestine M, Palombo M, Dhenain M, Humbert S, Brouillet E, Flament J. Longitudinal multimodal MRI characterization of a knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease reveals early gray and white matter alterations. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3581-3596. [PMID: 35147158 PMCID: PMC9616570 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenesis of the inherited neurodegenerative disorder Huntington's disease (HD) is progressive with a long presymptomatic phase in which subtle changes occur up to 15 years before the onset of symptoms. Thus, there is a need for early, functional biomarker to better understand disease progression and to evaluate treatment efficacy far from onset. Recent studies have shown that white matter may be affected early in mutant HTT gene carriers. A previous study performed on 12 months old Ki140CAG mice showed reduced glutamate level measured by Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer of glutamate (gluCEST), especially in the corpus callosum. In this study, we scanned longitudinally Ki140CAG mice with structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, gluCEST and magnetization transfer imaging, in order to assess white matter integrity over the life of this mouse model characterized by slow progression of symptoms. Our results show early defects of diffusion properties in the anterior part of the corpus callosum at 5 months of age, preceding gluCEST defects in the same region at 8 and 12 months that spread to adjacent regions. At 12 months, frontal and piriform cortices showed reduced gluCEST, as well as the pallidum. MT imaging showed reduced signal in the septum at 12 months. Cortical and striatal atrophy then appear at 18 months. Vulnerability of the striatum and motor cortex, combined with alterations of anterior corpus callosum, seems to point out the potential role of white matter in the brain dysfunction that characterizes HD and the pertinence of gluCEST and DTI as biomarkers in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Pérot
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay -aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Marina Célestine
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay -aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Marco Palombo
- Department of Computer Science, Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marc Dhenain
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay -aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Sandrine Humbert
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble 38000 , France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay -aux-Roses 92260, France
| | - Julien Flament
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Molecular Imaging Research Center (MIRCen), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Fontenay -aux-Roses 92260, France
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13
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Benraiss A, Mariani JN, Tate A, Madsen PM, Clark KM, Welle KA, Solly R, Capellano L, Bentley K, Chandler-Militello D, Goldman SA. A TCF7L2-responsive suppression of both homeostatic and compensatory remyelination in Huntington disease mice. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111291. [PMID: 36044851 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by defective oligodendroglial differentiation and white matter disease. Here, we investigate the role of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) dysfunction in adult myelin maintenance in HD. We first note a progressive, age-related loss of myelin in both R6/2 and zQ175 HD mice compared with wild-type controls. Adult R6/2 mice then manifest a significant delay in remyelination following cuprizone demyelination. RNA-sequencing and proteomic analysis of callosal white matter and OPCs isolated from both R6/2 and zQ175 mice reveals a systematic downregulation of genes associated with oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelinogenesis. Gene co-expression and network analysis predicts repressed Tcf7l2 signaling as a major driver of this expression pattern. In vivo Tcf7l2 overexpression restores both myelin gene expression and remyelination in demyelinated R6/2 mice. These data causally link impaired TCF7L2-dependent transcription to the poor development and homeostatic retention of myelin in HD and provide a mechanism for its therapeutic restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellatif Benraiss
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - John N Mariani
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Ashley Tate
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Pernille M Madsen
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Kathleen M Clark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kevin A Welle
- Mass Spectrometry Resource Laboratory, URMC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Renee Solly
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Laetitia Capellano
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Karen Bentley
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, URMC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Devin Chandler-Militello
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark; Sana Biotechnology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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14
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Casella C, Chamberland M, Laguna PL, Parker GD, Rosser AE, Coulthard E, Rickards H, Berry SC, Jones DK, Metzler‐Baddeley C. Mutation-related magnetization-transfer, not axon density, drives white matter differences in premanifest Huntington disease: Evidence from in vivo ultra-strong gradient MRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3439-3460. [PMID: 35396899 PMCID: PMC9248323 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) alterations have been observed in Huntington disease (HD) but their role in the disease-pathophysiology remains unknown. We assessed WM changes in premanifest HD by exploiting ultra-strong-gradient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allowed to separately quantify magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and hindered and restricted diffusion-weighted signal fractions, and assess how they drove WM microstructure differences between patients and controls. We used tractometry to investigate region-specific alterations across callosal segments with well-characterized early- and late-myelinating axon populations, while brain-wise differences were explored with tract-based cluster analysis (TBCA). Behavioral measures were included to explore disease-associated brain-function relationships. We detected lower MTR in patients' callosal rostrum (tractometry: p = .03; TBCA: p = .03), but higher MTR in their splenium (tractometry: p = .02). Importantly, patients' mutation-size and MTR were positively correlated (all p-values < .01), indicating that MTR alterations may directly result from the mutation. Further, MTR was higher in younger, but lower in older patients relative to controls (p = .003), suggesting that MTR increases are detrimental later in the disease. Finally, patients showed higher restricted diffusion signal fraction (FR) from the composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) in the cortico-spinal tract (p = .03), which correlated positively with MTR in the posterior callosum (p = .033), potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms. In summary, this first comprehensive, ultra-strong gradient MRI study in HD provides novel evidence of mutation-driven MTR alterations at the premanifest disease stage which may reflect neurodevelopmental changes in iron, myelin, or a combination of these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging SciencesKing's College London, St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Maxime Chamberland
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviorRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Pedro L. Laguna
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Greg D. Parker
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Anne E. Rosser
- Department of Neurology and Psychological MedicineHayden Ellis BuildingCardiffUK
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | | | - Hugh Rickards
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustBirminghamUK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Samuel C. Berry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Derek K. Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Claudia Metzler‐Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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15
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Phospholipid Profiles Are Selectively Altered in the Putamen and White Frontal Cortex of Huntington's Disease. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14102086. [PMID: 35631226 PMCID: PMC9143248 DOI: 10.3390/nu14102086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative illness that onsets in late adulthood as a series of progressive and terminal cognitive, motor, and psychiatric deficits. The disease is caused by a polyQ mutation in the Huntingtin gene (HTT), producing a polyglutamine expansion in the Huntingtin protein (HTT). HTT interacts with phospholipids in vitro; however, its interactions are changed when the protein is mutated in HD. Emerging evidence suggests that the susceptibility of brain regions to pathological stimuli is influenced by lipid composition. This study aimed to identify where and how phospholipids are changed in human HD brain tissue. Phospholipids were extracted using a modified MTBE method from the post-mortem brain of 13 advanced-stage HD patients and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. Targeted precursor ion scanning mass spectrometry was used to detect phospholipid species. In the white cortex of HD patients, there was a significantly lower abundance of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS), but no difference in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). In HD putamen, ester-linked 22:6 was lower in all phospholipid classes promoting a decrease in the relative abundance of ester polyunsaturated fatty acids in PE. No differences in phospholipid composition were identified in the caudate, grey cortex or cerebellum. Ether-linked PE fatty acids appear protected in the HD brain, as no changes were identified. The nature of phospholipid alterations in the HD brain is dependent on the lipid (subclass, species, and bond type) and the location.
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16
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Kisel AA, Naumova AV, Yarnykh VL. Macromolecular Proton Fraction as a Myelin Biomarker: Principles, Validation, and Applications. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:819912. [PMID: 35221905 PMCID: PMC8863973 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.819912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) is a quantitative MRI parameter describing the magnetization transfer (MT) effect and defined as a relative amount of protons bound to biological macromolecules with restricted molecular motion, which participate in magnetic cross-relaxation with water protons. MPF attracted significant interest during past decade as a biomarker of myelin. The purpose of this mini review is to provide a brief but comprehensive summary of MPF mapping methods, histological validation studies, and MPF applications in neuroscience. Technically, MPF maps can be obtained using a variety of quantitative MT methods. Some of them enable clinically reasonable scan time and resolution. Recent studies demonstrated the feasibility of MPF mapping using standard clinical MRI pulse sequences, thus substantially enhancing the method availability. A number of studies in animal models demonstrated strong correlations between MPF and histological markers of myelin with a minor influence of potential confounders. Histological studies validated the capability of MPF to monitor both demyelination and re-myelination. Clinical applications of MPF have been mainly focused on multiple sclerosis where this method provided new insights into both white and gray matter pathology. Besides, several studies used MPF to investigate myelin role in other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Another promising area of MPF applications is the brain development studies. MPF demonstrated the capabilities to quantitatively characterize the earliest stage of myelination during prenatal brain maturation and protracted myelin development in adolescence. In summary, MPF mapping provides a technically mature and comprehensively validated myelin imaging technology for various preclinical and clinical neuroscience applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena A. Kisel
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna V. Naumova
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vasily L. Yarnykh
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
- *Correspondence: Vasily L. Yarnykh,
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17
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Coad BM, Ghomroudi PA, Sims R, Aggleton JP, Vann SD, Metzler-Baddeley C. Apolipoprotein ε4 modifies obesity-related atrophy in the hippocampal formation of cognitively healthy adults. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 113:39-54. [PMID: 35303671 PMCID: PMC9084919 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.02.004] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Age-related inverted U-shaped curve of hippocampal myelin/neurite packing. Reduced hippocampal myelin/neurite packing and size/complexity in obesity. APOE modifies the effects of obesity on hippocampal size/complexity. Age-related slowing of spatial navigation but no risk effects on cognition. CA/DG predict episodic memory and subiculum predicts spatial navigation performance.
Characterizing age- and risk-related hippocampal vulnerabilities may inform about the neural underpinnings of cognitive decline. We studied the impact of three risk-factors, Apolipoprotein (APOE)-ε4, a family history of dementia, and central obesity, on the CA1, CA2/3, dentate gyrus and subiculum of 158 cognitively healthy adults (38-71 years). Subfields were labelled with the Automatic Segmentation of Hippocampal Subfields and FreeSurfer (version 6) protocols. Volumetric and microstructural measurements from quantitative magnetization transfer and Neurite Orientation Density and Dispersion Imaging were extracted for each subfield and reduced to three principal components capturing apparent myelin/neurite packing, size/complexity, and metabolism. Aging was associated with an inverse U-shaped curve on myelin/neurite packing and affected all subfields. Obesity led to reductions in myelin/neurite packing and size/complexity regardless of APOE and family history of dementia status. However, amongst individuals with a healthy Waist-Hip-Ratio, APOE ε4 carriers showed lower size/complexity than non-carriers. Segmentation protocol type did not affect this risk pattern. These findings reveal interactive effects between APOE and central obesity on the hippocampal formation of cognitively healthy adults.
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18
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Chesnut M, Paschoud H, Repond C, Smirnova L, Hartung T, Zurich MG, Hogberg HT, Pamies D. Human IPSC-Derived Model to Study Myelin Disruption. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9473. [PMID: 34502381 PMCID: PMC8430601 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelin is of vital importance to the central nervous system and its disruption is related to a large number of both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. The differences observed between human and rodent oligodendrocytes make animals inadequate for modeling these diseases. Although developing human in vitro models for oligodendrocytes and myelinated axons has been a great challenge, 3D cell cultures derived from iPSC are now available and able to partially reproduce the myelination process. We have previously developed a human iPSC-derived 3D brain organoid model (also called BrainSpheres) that contains a high percentage of myelinated axons and is highly reproducible. Here, we have further refined this technology by applying multiple readouts to study myelination disruption. Myelin was assessed by quantifying immunostaining/confocal microscopy of co-localized myelin basic protein (MBP) with neurofilament proteins as well as proteolipid protein 1 (PLP1). Levels of PLP1 were also assessed by Western blot. We identified compounds capable of inducing developmental neurotoxicity by disrupting myelin in a systematic review to evaluate the relevance of our BrainSphere model for the study of the myelination/demyelination processes. Results demonstrated that the positive reference compound (cuprizone) and two of the three potential myelin disruptors tested (Bisphenol A, Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, but not methyl mercury) decreased myelination, while ibuprofen (negative control) had no effect. Here, we define a methodology that allows quantification of myelin disruption and provides reference compounds for chemical-induced myelin disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Chesnut
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.C.); (L.S.); (T.H.)
| | - Hélène Paschoud
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (H.P.); (C.R.); (M.-G.Z.)
| | - Cendrine Repond
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (H.P.); (C.R.); (M.-G.Z.)
| | - Lena Smirnova
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.C.); (L.S.); (T.H.)
| | - Thomas Hartung
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.C.); (L.S.); (T.H.)
- Center for Alternative to Animla Testing Europe, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Marie-Gabrielle Zurich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (H.P.); (C.R.); (M.-G.Z.)
- Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), 4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helena T. Hogberg
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.C.); (L.S.); (T.H.)
| | - David Pamies
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (M.C.); (L.S.); (T.H.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; (H.P.); (C.R.); (M.-G.Z.)
- Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), 4055 Basel, Switzerland
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19
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Yalçın B, Monje M. Microenvironmental interactions of oligodendroglial cells. Dev Cell 2021; 56:1821-1832. [PMID: 34192527 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Developmental myelination is a protracted process that extends well into postnatal life. Cell-intrinsic mechanisms operate in myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, as well as microenvironmental interactions that guide and modulate every aspect of myelination, from oligodendrocyte precursor cell migration to oligodendrocyte differentiation and the formation of stable myelin internodes. During development and throughout adult life, neuron-oligodendroglial interactions shape activity and experience-dependent myelin adaptations to fine-tune neural circuit dynamics and promote healthy neurological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belgin Yalçın
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Michelle Monje
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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20
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Malaiya S, Cortes-Gutierrez M, Herb BR, Coffey SR, Legg SRW, Cantle JP, Colantuoni C, Carroll JB, Ament SA. Single-Nucleus RNA-Seq Reveals Dysregulation of Striatal Cell Identity Due to Huntington's Disease Mutations. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5534-5552. [PMID: 34011527 PMCID: PMC8221598 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2074-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Cell death in HD occurs primarily in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), but the involvement of specific MSN subtypes and of other striatal cell types remains poorly understood. To gain insight into cell type-specific disease processes, we studied the nuclear transcriptomes of 4524 cells from the striatum of a genetically precise knock-in mouse model of the HD mutation, HttQ175/+, and from wild-type controls. We used 14- to 15-month-old male mice, a time point at which multiple behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurophysiological changes are present but at which there is no known cell death. Thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were distributed across most striatal cell types, including transcriptional changes in glial populations that are not apparent from RNA-seq of bulk tissue. Reconstruction of cell type-specific transcriptional networks revealed a striking pattern of bidirectional dysregulation for many cell type-specific genes. Typically, these genes were repressed in their primary cell type, yet de-repressed in other striatal cell types. Integration with existing epigenomic and transcriptomic data suggest that partial loss-of-function of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) may underlie many of these transcriptional changes, leading to deficits in the maintenance of cell identity across virtually all cell types in the adult striatum.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by specific loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum, accompanied by more subtle changes in many other cell types. It is thought that changes in transcriptional regulation are an important underlying mechanism, but cell type-specific gene expression changes are not well understood, particularly at time points relevant to the onset of disease-related symptoms. Single-nucleus (sn)RNA-seq in a genetically precise mouse model enabled us to identify novel patterns of transcriptional dysregulation because of HD mutations, including bidirectional dysregulation of many cell type identity genes that may be driven by partial loss-of-function of the polycomb repressive complex (PRC). Identifying these regulators of transcriptional dysregulation in HD can be leveraged to design novel disease-modifying therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Malaiya
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Marcia Cortes-Gutierrez
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Brian R Herb
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Sydney R Coffey
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225
| | - Samuel R W Legg
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225
| | - Jeffrey P Cantle
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225
| | - Carlo Colantuoni
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Jeffrey B Carroll
- Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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21
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Nanostructure-specific X-ray tomography reveals myelin levels, integrity and axon orientations in mouse and human nervous tissue. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2941. [PMID: 34011929 PMCID: PMC8134484 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22719-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Myelin insulates neuronal axons and enables fast signal transmission, constituting a key component of brain development, aging and disease. Yet, myelin-specific imaging of macroscopic samples remains a challenge. Here, we exploit myelin’s nanostructural periodicity, and use small-angle X-ray scattering tensor tomography (SAXS-TT) to simultaneously quantify myelin levels, nanostructural integrity and axon orientations in nervous tissue. Proof-of-principle is demonstrated in whole mouse brain, mouse spinal cord and human white and gray matter samples. Outcomes are validated by 2D/3D histology and compared to MRI measurements sensitive to myelin and axon orientations. Specificity to nanostructure is exemplified by concomitantly imaging different myelin types with distinct periodicities. Finally, we illustrate the method’s sensitivity towards myelin-related diseases by quantifying myelin alterations in dysmyelinated mouse brain. This non-destructive, stain-free molecular imaging approach enables quantitative studies of myelination within and across samples during development, aging, disease and treatment, and is applicable to other ordered biomolecules or nanostructures. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) combines the high tissue penetration of X-rays with specificity to periodic nanostructures. The authors use SAXS tensor tomography (SAXS-TT) on intact mouse and human brain tissue samples, to quantify myelin levels and determine myelin integrity, myelinated axon orientation, and fibre tracts non-destructively.
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22
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Berry SC, Wise RG, Lawrence AD, Lancaster TM. Extended-amygdala intrinsic functional connectivity networks: A population study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1594-1616. [PMID: 33314443 PMCID: PMC7978137 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical and human neuroimaging research implicates the extended-amygdala (ExtA) (including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis [BST] and central nucleus of the amygdala [CeA]) in networks mediating negative emotional states associated with stress and substance-use behaviours. The extent to which individual ExtA structures form a functionally integrated unit is controversial. We utilised a large sample (n > 1,000 healthy young adult humans) to compare the intrinsic functional connectivity networks (ICNs) of the BST and CeA using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the Human Connectome Project. We assessed whether inter-individual differences within these ICNs were related to two principal components representing negative disposition and alcohol use. Building on recent primate evidence, we tested whether within BST-CeA intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) was heritable and further examined co-heritability with our principal components. We demonstrate the BST and CeA to have discrete, but largely overlapping ICNs similar to previous findings. We found no evidence that within BST-CeA iFC was heritable; however, post hoc analyses found significant BST iFC heritability with the broader superficial and centromedial amygdala regions. There were no significant correlations or co-heritability associations with our principal components either across the ICNs or for specific BST-Amygdala iFC. Possible differences in phenotype associations across task-free, task-based, and clinical fMRI are discussed, along with suggestions for more causal investigative paradigms that make use of the now well-established ExtA ICNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C. Berry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Richard G. Wise
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences"G. D'Annunzio University" of Chieti‐PescaraChietiItaly
| | - Andrew D. Lawrence
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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Cholesteryl ester levels are elevated in the caudate and putamen of Huntington's disease patients. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20314. [PMID: 33219259 PMCID: PMC7680097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76973-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative illness caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene (HTT) and subsequent protein (mhtt), to which the brain shows a region-specific vulnerability. Disturbances in neural cholesterol metabolism are established in HD human, murine and cell studies; however, cholesteryl esters (CE), which store and transport cholesterol in the brain, have not been investigated in human studies. This study aimed to identify region-specific alterations in the concentrations of CE in HD. The Victorian Brain Bank provided post-mortem tissue from 13 HD subjects and 13 age and sex-matched controls. Lipids were extracted from the caudate, putamen and cerebellum, and CE were quantified using targeted mass spectrometry. ACAT 1 protein expression was measured by western blot. CE concentrations were elevated in HD caudate and putamen compared to controls, with the elevation more pronounced in the caudate. No differences in the expression of ACAT1 were identified in the striatum. No remarkable differences in CE were detected in HD cerebellum. The striatal region-specific differences in CE profiles indicate functional subareas of lipid disturbance in HD. The increased CE concentration may have been induced as a compensatory mechanism to reduce cholesterol accumulation.
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Estevez-Fraga C, Scahill R, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, Gregory S. Diffusion imaging in Huntington's disease: comprehensive review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 92:jnnp-2020-324377. [PMID: 33033167 PMCID: PMC7803908 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic disorder with 100% penetrance. With the advent of genetic testing in adults, disease-related, structural brain changes can be investigated from the earliest, premorbid stages of HD. While examining macrostructural change characterises global neuronal damage, investigating microstructural alterations provides information regarding brain organisation and its underlying biological properties. Diffusion MRI can be used to track the progression of microstructural anomalies in HD decades prior to clinical disease onset, providing a greater understanding of neurodegeneration. Multiple approaches, including voxelwise, region of interest and tractography, have been used in HD cohorts, showing a centrifugal pattern of white matter (WM) degeneration starting from deep brain areas, which is consistent with neuropathological studies. The corpus callosum, longer WM tracts and areas that are more densely connected, in particular the sensorimotor network, also tend to be affected early during premanifest stages. Recent evidence supports the routine inclusion of diffusion analyses within clinical trials principally as an additional measure to improve understanding of treatment effects, while the advent of novel techniques such as multitissue compartment models and connectomics can help characterise the underpinnings of progressive functional decline in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Casella C, Bourbon-Teles J, Bells S, Coulthard E, Parker GD, Rosser A, Jones DK, Metzler-Baddeley C. Drumming Motor Sequence Training Induces Apparent Myelin Remodelling in Huntington's Disease: A Longitudinal Diffusion MRI and Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Study. J Huntingtons Dis 2020; 9:303-320. [PMID: 32894249 PMCID: PMC7836062 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Background: Impaired myelination may contribute to Huntington’s disease (HD) pathogenesis. Objective: This study assessed differences in white matter (WM) microstructure between HD patients and controls, and tested whether drumming training stimulates WM remodelling in HD. Furthermore, it examined whether training-induced microstructural changes are related to improvements in motor and cognitive function. Methods: Participants undertook two months of drumming exercises. Working memory and executive function were assessed before and post-training. Changes in WM microstructure were investigated with diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI)-based metrics, the restricted diffusion signal fraction (Fr) from the composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) and the macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) from quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) imaging. WM pathways linking putamen and supplementary motor areas (SMA-Putamen), and three segments of the corpus callosum (CCI, CCII, CCIII) were studied using deterministic tractography. Baseline MPF differences between patients and controls were assessed with tract-based spatial statistics. Results: MPF was reduced in the mid-section of the CC in HD subjects at baseline, while a significantly greater change in MPF was detected in HD patients relative to controls in the CCII, CCIII, and the right SMA-putamen post-training. Further, although patients improved their drumming and executive function performance, such improvements did not correlate with microstructural changes. Increased MPF suggests training-induced myelin changes in HD. Conclusion: Though only preliminary and based on a small sample size, these results suggest that tailored behavioural stimulation may lead to neural benefits in early HD, that could be exploited for delaying disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jose Bourbon-Teles
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sonya Bells
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Neurosciences and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Greg D Parker
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
| | - Anne Rosser
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK.,Department of Neurology and Psychological Medicine, Hayden Ellis Building, Cardiff, UK
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK.,Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, UK
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Beyond Alzheimer's disease: Can bilingualism be a more generalized protective factor in neurodegeneration? Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107593. [PMID: 32882240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism has been argued to have an impact on cognition and brain structure. Effects have been reported across the lifespan: from healthy children to ageing adults, including clinical (ageing) populations. It has been argued that active bilingualism may significantly contribute to the delaying of the expression of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. If bilingualism plays an ameliorative role against the expression of neurodegeneration in dementia, it is possible that it could have similar effects for other neurodegenerative disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. To date, however, direct relevant evidence remains limited, not least because the necessary scientific motivations for investigating this with greater depth have not yet been fully articulated. Herein, we provide a roadmap that reviews the relevant literatures, highlighting potential links across neurodegenerative disorders and bilingualism more generally.
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Casella C, Lipp I, Rosser A, Jones DK, Metzler‐Baddeley C. A Critical Review of White Matter Changes in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord 2020; 35:1302-1311. [PMID: 32537844 PMCID: PMC9393936 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. White matter alterations have recently been identified as a relevant pathophysiological feature of Huntington's disease, but their etiology and role in disease pathogenesis and progression remain unclear. Increasing evidence suggests that white matter changes in this disorder are attributed to alterations in myelin-associated biological processes. This review first discusses evidence from neurochemical studies lending support to the demyelination hypothesis of Huntington's disease, demonstrating aberrant myelination and changes in oligodendrocytes in the Huntington's brain. Next, evidence from neuroimaging studies is reviewed, the limitations of the described methodologies are discussed, and suggested interpretations of findings from published studies are challenged. Although our understanding of Huntington's associated pathological changes in the brain will increasingly rely on neuroimaging techniques, the shortcomings of these methodologies must not be forgotten. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging techniques and tissue modeling will enable a better in vivo, longitudinal characterization of the biological properties of white matter microstructure. This in turn will facilitate identification of disease-related biomarkers and the specification of outcome measures in clinical trials. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging CentreSchool of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Ilona Lipp
- Department of NeurophysicsMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Anne Rosser
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging CentreSchool of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health ResearchAustralian Catholic UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Claudia Metzler‐Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging CentreSchool of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
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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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Scahill RI, Zeun P, Osborne-Crowley K, Johnson EB, Gregory S, Parker C, Lowe J, Nair A, O'Callaghan C, Langley C, Papoutsi M, McColgan P, Estevez-Fraga C, Fayer K, Wellington H, Rodrigues FB, Byrne LM, Heselgrave A, Hyare H, Sampaio C, Zetterberg H, Zhang H, Wild EJ, Rees G, Robbins TW, Sahakian BJ, Langbehn D, Tabrizi SJ. Biological and clinical characteristics of gene carriers far from predicted onset in the Huntington's disease Young Adult Study (HD-YAS): a cross-sectional analysis. Lancet Neurol 2020; 19:502-512. [PMID: 32470422 PMCID: PMC7254065 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30143-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disease-modifying treatments are in development for Huntington's disease; crucial to their success is to identify a timepoint in a patient's life when there is a measurable biomarker of early neurodegeneration while clinical function is still intact. We aimed to identify this timepoint in a novel cohort of young adult premanifest Huntington's disease gene carriers (preHD) far from predicted clinical symptom onset. METHODS We did the Huntington's disease Young Adult Study (HD-YAS) in the UK. We recruited young adults with preHD and controls matched for age, education, and sex to ensure each group had at least 60 participants with imaging data, accounting for scan fails. Controls either had a family history of Huntington's disease but a negative genetic test, or no known family history of Huntington's disease. All participants underwent detailed neuropsychiatric and cognitive assessments, including tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and a battery assessing emotion, motivation, impulsivity and social cognition (EMOTICOM). Imaging (done for all participants without contraindications) included volumetric MRI, diffusion imaging, and multiparametric mapping. Biofluid markers of neuronal health were examined using blood and CSF collection. We did a cross-sectional analysis using general least-squares linear models to assess group differences and associations with age and CAG length, relating to predicted years to clinical onset. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate (FDR), with FDR <0·05 deemed a significant result. FINDINGS Data were obtained between Aug 2, 2017, and April 25, 2019. We recruited 64 young adults with preHD and 67 controls. Mean ages of participants were 29·0 years (SD 5·6) and 29·1 years (5·7) in the preHD and control groups, respectively. We noted no significant evidence of cognitive or psychiatric impairment in preHD participants 23·6 years (SD 5·8) from predicted onset (FDR 0·22-0·87 for cognitive measures, 0·31-0·91 for neuropsychiatric measures). The preHD cohort had slightly smaller putamen volumes (FDR=0·03), but this did not appear to be closely related to predicted years to onset (FDR=0·54). There were no group differences in other brain imaging measures (FDR >0·16). CSF neurofilament light protein (NfL), plasma NfL, and CSF YKL-40 were elevated in this far-from-onset preHD cohort compared with controls (FDR<0·0001, =0·01, and =0·03, respectively). CSF NfL elevations were more likely in individuals closer to expected clinical onset (FDR <0·0001). INTERPRETATION We report normal brain function yet a rise in sensitive measures of neurodegeneration in a preHD cohort approximately 24 years from predicted clinical onset. CSF NfL appears to be a more sensitive measure than plasma NfL to monitor disease progression. This preHD cohort is one of the earliest yet studied, and our findings could be used to inform decisions about when to initiate a potential future intervention to delay or prevent further neurodegeneration while function is intact. FUNDING Wellcome Trust, CHDI Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Zeun
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Osborne-Crowley
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eileanoir B Johnson
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Parker
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Lowe
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Akshay Nair
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter McColgan
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kate Fayer
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Henny Wellington
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Filipe B Rodrigues
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lauren M Byrne
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amanda Heselgrave
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Harpreet Hyare
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Cristina Sampaio
- CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA; Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Douglas Langbehn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK.
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Sweidan W, Bao F, Bozorgzad NS, George E. White and Gray Matter Abnormalities in Manifest Huntington's Disease: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis. J Neuroimaging 2020; 30:351-358. [PMID: 32128927 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Early white matter (WM) changes and cortical atrophy in Huntington's disease (HD) are often evident before disease onset and extend through the brain during manifest stages. The trajectory of these brain abnormalities in symptomatic stages remains relatively unexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate how the pattern of WM and gray matter (GM) alterations progress over time. METHODS We investigated alterations in brain WM, cortical thickness, and subcortical structures using diffusion and structural magnetic resonance imaging, in manifest HD patients (n = 13) compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 11). Imaging and clinical data for the HD group were collected at follow-up (7 months) to explore possible longitudinal changes. RESULTS Cross-sectional analyses identified significant posterior cortical thinning (P < .05) and symmetric fractional anisotropy (FA) reduction (P < .01) in brain WM of HD group compared to HC. These changes were strongly correlated with impairment in motor symptoms and processing speed. Subcortical atrophy was significant in caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, and thalamus (P < .001). Regions of interest analysis revealed a significant reduction in FA of the corpus callosum (CC) (-2.19%, P < .05) upon follow-up, whereas no significant cortical thinning and subcortical atrophy was found. CONCLUSIONS This study showed broad GM and WM abnormalities in manifest HD patients. Reductions in FA and cortical thinning correlated significantly with the disturbances of motor and cognitive processing that describe HD. Follow-up assessment showed that the CC is compromised in the absence of detectable GM changes or motor decline, suggesting it plays an important role in disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wafaa Sweidan
- Department of Psychiatry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Fen Bao
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | | | - Edwin George
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
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Gregory S, Johnson E, Byrne LM, Rodrigues FB, Henderson A, Moss J, Thomas D, Zhang H, De Vita E, Tabrizi SJ, Rees G, Scahill RI, Wild EJ. Characterizing White Matter in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2020; 7:52-60. [PMID: 31970212 PMCID: PMC6962665 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigating early white matter (WM) change in Huntington's disease (HD) can improve our understanding of the way in which disease spreads from the striatum. OBJECTIVES We provide a detailed characterization of pathology-related WM change in HD. We first examined WM microstructure using diffusion-weighted imaging and then investigated both underlying biological properties of WM and products of WM damage including iron, myelin plus neurofilament light, a biofluid marker of axonal degeneration-in parallel with the mutant huntingtin protein. METHODS We examined WM change in HD gene carriers from the HD-CSFcohort, baseline visit. We used standard-diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to measure metrics including fractional anisotropy, a marker of WM integrity, and diffusivity; a novel diffusion model (neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging) to measure axonal density and organization; T1-weighted and T2-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging images to derive proxy iron content and myelin-contrast measures; and biofluid concentrations of neurofilament light (in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma) and mutant huntingtin protein (in CSF). RESULTS HD gene carriers displayed reduced fractional anisotropy and increased diffusivity when compared with controls, both of which were also associated with disease progression, CSF, and mutant huntingtin protein levels. HD gene carriers also displayed proxy measures of reduced myelin contrast and iron in the striatum. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings present a more complete characterization of HD-related microstructural brain changes. The correlation between reduced fractional anisotropy, increased axonal orientation, and biofluid markers suggest that axonal breakdown is associated with increased WM degeneration, whereas higher quantitative T2 signal and lower myelin-contrast may indicate a process of demyelination limited to the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gregory
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Eileanoir Johnson
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lauren M. Byrne
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Filipe B. Rodrigues
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Henderson
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - John Moss
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - David Thomas
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, University College London Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonUnited Kingdom
- Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre, University College London Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image ComputingUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Enrico De Vita
- Lysholm Department of NeuroradiologyNational Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sarah J. Tabrizi
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Rachael I. Scahill
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Wild
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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D’Souza S, Ormond DR, Costabile J, Thompson JA. Fiber-tract localized diffusion coefficients highlight patterns of white matter disruption induced by proximity to glioma. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225323. [PMID: 31751402 PMCID: PMC6874090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliomas account for 26.5% of all primary central nervous system tumors. Recent studies have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to extract white matter fibers and the diffusion coefficients derived from MR processing to provide useful, non-invasive insights into the extent of tumor invasion, axonal integrity, and gross differentiation of glioma from metastasis. Here, we extend this work by examining whether a tract-based analysis can improve non-invasive localization of tumor impact on white matter integrity. This study retrospectively analyzed preoperative magnetic resonance sequences highlighting contrast enhancement and DTI scans of 13 subjects that were biopsy-confirmed to have either high or low-grade glioma. We reconstructed the corticospinal tract and superior longitudinal fasciculus by applying atlas-based regions of interest to fibers derived from whole-brain deterministic streamline tractography. Within-subject comparison of hemispheric diffusion coefficients (e.g., fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) indicated higher levels of white matter degradation in the ipsilesional hemisphere. Novel application of along-tract analyses revealed that tracts traversing the tumor region showed significant white matter degradation compared to the contralesional hemisphere and ipsilesional tracts displaced by the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn D’Souza
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - D. Ryan Ormond
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Jamie Costabile
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - John A. Thompson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
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Ismail N, Kureishy N, Church SJ, Scholefield M, Unwin RD, Xu J, Patassini S, Cooper GJS. Vitamin B5 (d-pantothenic acid) localizes in myelinated structures of the rat brain: Potential role for cerebral vitamin B5 stores in local myelin homeostasis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 522:220-225. [PMID: 31759626 PMCID: PMC6977085 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin B5 (d-pantothenic acid; pantothenate) is an essential trace nutrient that functions as the obligate precursor of coenzyme A (CoA), through which it plays key roles in myriad biological processes, including many that regulate carbohydrate, lipid, protein, and nucleic acid metabolism. In the brain, acetyl-CoA is necessary for synthesis of the complex fatty-acyl chains of myelin, and of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. We recently found that cerebral pantothenate is markedly lowered, averaging ∼55% of control values in cases of Huntington's disease (HD) including those who are pre-symptomatic, and that regions where pantothenate is lowered correspond to those which are more severely damaged. Here we sought to determine the previously unknown distribution of pantothenate in the normal-rat brain, and whether the diabetic rat might be useful as a model for altered cerebral pantothenate metabolism. We employed histological staining (Nissl) to identify brain structures; immunohistochemistry with anti-pantothenate antibodies to determine the distribution of pantothenate in caudate putamen and cerebellum; and gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry to quantitate levels of pantothenate and other metabolites in normal- and diabetic-rat brain. Remarkably, cerebral pantothenate was almost entirely localized to myelin-containing structures in both experimental groups. Diabetes did not modify levels or disposition of cerebral pantothenate. These findings are consistent with physiological localization of pantothenate in myelinated white-matter structures, where it could serve to support myelin synthesis. Further investigation of cerebral pantothenate is warranted in neurodegenerative diseases such as HD and Alzheimer's disease, where myelin loss is a known characteristic of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashwah Ismail
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Nina Kureishy
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Stephanie J Church
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Melissa Scholefield
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Richard D Unwin
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK; Stoller Biomarker Discovery Centre and Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, CityLabs 1.0 (3rd Floor), Nelson Street, XM13 9NQ, UK
| | - Jingshu Xu
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Stefano Patassini
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK
| | - Garth J S Cooper
- Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M19 9NT, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92 019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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34
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Dimensionality reduction of diffusion MRI measures for improved tractometry of the human brain. Neuroimage 2019; 200:89-100. [PMID: 31228638 PMCID: PMC6711466 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Various diffusion MRI (dMRI) measures have been proposed for characterising tissue microstructure over the last 15 years. Despite the growing number of experiments using different dMRI measures in assessments of white matter, there has been limited work on: 1) examining their covariance along specific pathways; and on 2) combining these different measures to study tissue microstructure. Indeed, it quickly becomes intractable for existing analysis pipelines to process multiple measurements at each voxel and at each vertex forming a streamline, highlighting the need for new ways to visualise or analyse such high-dimensional data. In a sample of 36 typically developing children aged 8–18 years, we profiled various commonly used dMRI measures across 22 brain pathways. Using a data-reduction approach, we identified two biologically-interpretable components that capture 80% of the variance in these dMRI measures. The first derived component captures properties related to hindrance and restriction in tissue microstructure, while the second component reflects characteristics related to tissue complexity and orientational dispersion. We then demonstrate that the components generated by this approach preserve the biological relevance of the original measurements by showing age-related effects across developmentally sensitive pathways. In summary, our findings demonstrate that dMRI analyses can benefit from dimensionality reduction techniques, to help disentangling the neurobiological underpinnings of white matter organisation.
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Abstract
In this study we longitudinally investigated the rate of microstructural alterations in the occipital cortex in different stages of Huntington's disease (HD) by applying an automated atlas-based approach to diffusion MRI data. Twenty-two premanifest (preHD), 10 early manifest HD (early HD) and 24 healthy control subjects completed baseline and two year follow-up scans. The preHD group was stratified based on the predicted years to disease onset into a far (preHD-A) and near (preHD-B) to disease onset group. Clinical and behavioral measures were collected per assessment time point. An automated atlas-based DTI analysis approach was used to obtain the mean, axial and radial diffusivities of the occipital cortex. We found that the longitudinal rate of diffusivity change in the superior occipital gyrus (SOG), middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) was significantly higher in early HD compared to both preHD and controls (all p's ≤ 0.005), which can be interpreted as an increased rate of microstructural degeneration. Furthermore, the change rate in the diffusivity of the MOG could significantly discriminate between preHD-B compared to preHD-A and the other groups (all p's ≤ 0.04). Finally, we found an inverse correlation between the Stroop Word Reading task and diffusivities in the SOG and MOG (all p's ≤ 0.01). These findings suggest that measures obtained from the occipital cortex can serve as sensitive longitudinal biomarkers for disease progression in preHD-B and early HD. These could in turn be used to assess potential effects of proposed disease modifying therapies.
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia De Santis
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
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37
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Colwell CS, Ghiani CA. Potential Circadian Rhythms in Oligodendrocytes? Working Together Through Time. Neurochem Res 2019; 45:591-605. [PMID: 30906970 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-019-02778-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oligodendrocytes (OL) are the only myelinating cells of the central nervous system thus interferences, either environmental or genetic, with their maturation or function have devastating consequences. Albeit so far neglected, one of the less appreciated, nevertheless possible, regulators of OL maturation and function is the circadian cycle. Yet, disruptions in these rhythms are unfortunately becoming a common "disorder" in the today's world. The temporal patterning of behaviour and physiology is controlled by a circadian timing system based in the anterior hypothalamus. At the molecular level, circadian rhythms are generated by a transcriptional/translational feedback system that regulates transcription and has a major impact on cellular function(s). Fundamental cellular properties/functions in most cell types vary with the daily circadian cycle: OL are unlikely an exception! To be clear, the presence of circadian oscillators or the cell-specific function(s) of the circadian clock in OL has yet to be defined. Furthermore, we wish to entertain the idea of links between the "thin" evidence on OL intrinsic circadian rhythms and their interjection(s) at different stages of lineage progression as well as in supporting/regulating OL crucial function: myelination. Individuals with intellectual and developmental syndromes as well as neurodegenerative diseases present with a disrupted sleep/wake cycle; hence, we raise the possibility that these disturbances in timing can contribute to the loss of white matter observed in these disorders. Preclinical and clinical work in this area is needed for a better understanding of how circadian rhythms influence OL maturation and function(s), to aid the development of new therapeutic strategies and standards of care for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Cristina A Ghiani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. .,Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. .,Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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38
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Metzler-Baddeley C, Mole JP, Sims R, Fasano F, Evans J, Jones DK, Aggleton JP, Baddeley RJ. Fornix white matter glia damage causes hippocampal gray matter damage during age-dependent limbic decline. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1060. [PMID: 30705365 PMCID: PMC6355929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37658-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging leads to gray and white matter decline but their causation remains unclear. We explored two classes of models of age and dementia risk related brain changes. The first class of models emphasises the importance of gray matter: age and risk-related processes cause neurodegeneration and this causes damage in associated white matter tracts. The second class of models reverses the direction of causation: aging and risk factors cause white matter damage and this leads to gray matter damage. We compared these models with linear mediation analysis and quantitative MRI indices (from diffusion, quantitative magnetization transfer and relaxometry imaging) of tissue properties in two limbic structures implicated in age-related memory decline: the hippocampus and the fornix in 166 asymptomatic individuals (aged 38–71 years). Aging was associated with apparent glia but not neurite density damage in the fornix and the hippocampus. Mediation analysis supported white matter damage causing gray matter decline; controlling for fornix glia damage, the correlations between age and hippocampal damage disappear, but not vice versa. Fornix and hippocampal differences were both associated with reductions in episodic memory performance. These results suggest that fornix white matter glia damage may cause hippocampal gray matter damage during age-dependent limbic decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.
| | - Jilu P Mole
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Rebecca Sims
- Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Fabrizio Fasano
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Siemens Healthcare, Head Office, Sir William Siemens Square, Surrey, GU16 8QD, UK
| | - John Evans
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3065, Australia
| | - John P Aggleton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Roland J Baddeley
- Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TU, UK
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39
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Rowley CD, Tabrizi SJ, Scahill RI, Leavitt BR, Roos RAC, Durr A, Bock NA. Altered Intracortical T 1-Weighted/T 2-Weighted Ratio Signal in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:805. [PMID: 30455625 PMCID: PMC6230564 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by neuronal cell death. Although medium spiny neurons in the striatum are predominantly affected, other brain regions including the cerebral cortex also degenerate. Previous structural imaging studies have reported decreases in cortical thickness in HD. Here we aimed to further investigate changes in cortical tissue composition in vivo in HD using standard clinical T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance images (MRIs). 326 subjects from the TRACK-HD dataset representing healthy controls and four stages of HD progression were analyzed. The intracortical T1W/T2W intensity was sampled in the middle depth of the cortex over 82 regions across the cortex. While these previously collected images were not optimized for intracortical analysis, we found a significant increase in T1W/T2W intensity (p < 0.05 Bonferroni-Holm corrected) beginning with HD diagnosis. Increases in ratio intensity were found in the insula, which then spread to ventrolateral frontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, medial temporal gyral pole, and cuneus with progression into the most advanced HD group studied. Mirroring past histological reports, this increase in the ratio image intensity may reflect disease-related increases in myelin and/or iron in the cortex. These findings suggest that future imaging studies are warranted with imaging optimized to more sensitively and specifically assess which features of cortical tissue composition are abnormal in HD to better characterize disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. Rowley
- McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah J. Tabrizi
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael I. Scahill
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom
| | - Blair R. Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Raymund A. C. Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Durr
- INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR7225, UMR_S1127, UPMC Université Paris VI, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
- APHP, Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Nicholas A. Bock
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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40
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Zhao L, Yuan Y, Li P, Pan J, Qin J, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Tian F, Yu B, Zhou S. miR-221-3p Inhibits Schwann Cell Myelination. Neuroscience 2018; 379:239-245. [PMID: 29577996 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Following peripheral nerve injury, Schwann Cells (SCs) undergo dedifferentiation, proliferation, migration, and remyelination. Recent works demonstrated the importance of the short non-coding RNA (miRNAs) in SC dedifferentiation and remyelination after nerve injury. Previously, we found some miRNAs like miR-9, miR-221, miR-222 and miR-182 could regulate the proliferation and migration of SCs. Therefore, it is imperative to ask whether these miRNAs could regulate the myelination of SCs. Here we demonstrated that miR-221-3p could inhibit the myelination of SCs when co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion cells in vitro. In addition, NGF1-A binding protein 1 (Nab1) which was essential for SCs myelination could be downregulated by miR-221-3p. Suppressing the expression of Nab1 could reverse the promotion of miR-221-3p antagomir on SC myelination. The effects of miR-221-3p on SC myelination might be used to improve peripheral nerve regeneration, thus offering a new approach to peripheral nerve repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhao
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing Biomedical Research Institute, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, China
| | - Ying Yuan
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.
| | - Ping Li
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jiacheng Pan
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jing Qin
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Yisheng Liu
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Anevue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Feng Tian
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Anevue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bin Yu
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Songlin Zhou
- Key laboratory of neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.
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41
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Kandasamy M, Aigner L. Reactive Neuroblastosis in Huntington's Disease: A Putative Therapeutic Target for Striatal Regeneration in the Adult Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:37. [PMID: 29593498 PMCID: PMC5854998 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the reciprocal relationship between adult neurogenesis, cognitive and motor functions have been an important focus of investigation in the establishment of effective neural replacement therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. While neuronal loss, reactive gliosis and defects in the self-repair capacity have extensively been characterized in neurodegenerative disorders, the transient excess production of neuroblasts detected in the adult striatum of animal models of Huntington’s disease (HD) and in post-mortem brain of HD patients, has only marginally been addressed. This abnormal cellular response in the striatum appears to originate from the selective proliferation and ectopic migration of neuroblasts derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ). Based on and in line with the term “reactive astrogliosis”, we propose to name the observed cellular event “reactive neuroblastosis”. Although, the functional relevance of reactive neuroblastosis is unknown, we speculate that this process may provide support for the tissue regeneration in compensating the structural and physiological functions of the striatum in lieu of aging or of the neurodegenerative process. Thus, in this review article, we comprehend different possibilities for the regulation of striatal neurogenesis, neuroblastosis and their functional relevance in the context of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Kandasamy
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.,Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi, India
| | - Ludwig Aigner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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42
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Wiest R, Burgunder JM, Kiefer C. Model-Based Magnetization Transfer Imaging Markers to Characterize Patients and Asymptomatic Gene Carriers in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurol 2017; 8:465. [PMID: 28932207 PMCID: PMC5592228 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Huntington's disease (HD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a long presymptomatic period that opens a window for potential therapies aimed at neuroprotection. Neuroimaging offers the potential to monitor disease-related progression of the disease burden (DB) using model-based magnetization transfer imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have conducted a cross-sectional study to stratify healthy age-matched controls, premanifest and symptomatic HD patients (n = 30) according to their macromolecular depositions in the caudate nucleus. We employed a binary spin-bath magnetization transfer (MT) method for a quantitative description of macromolecule deposits and interactions with their adjacent environment. RESULTS A region-of-interest based fuzzy clustering analysis identified representative clusters for several stages of the disease course related to its progression: one cluster represented subjects with a high DB <268 that encompassed all symptomatic HD patients and one presymptomatic gene carrier. The next cluster represented the presymptomatic gene carriers with a very low DB >230 and healthy controls. Three further clusters represented transition zones between both DB levels (230-268) consisting of presymptomatic carriers with DB values increasing with decreasing distance from the cluster that indicated low DB and healthy age-matched controls. CONCLUSION The proposed binary spin-bath MT method offers the potential to monitor DB and progression in HD. The method may augment qualitative MT techniques since it depicts tissue changes related to interactions between macromolecules and protons in disease specific brain regions that follow the neurodegenerative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Wiest
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Burgunder
- Neurology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Sichuan University, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Sun Yat Sen University, Chengdu, China
| | - Claus Kiefer
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
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