1
|
Kumar V, Singh C, Singh A. Neuroprotective Potential of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Centella asiatica Against 3-Nitropropionic Acid-Induced Huntington's Like Symptoms in Adult Zebrafish. Rejuvenation Res 2022; 25:260-274. [PMID: 36150031 DOI: 10.1089/rej.2022.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease. 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) causes increased reactive oxygen species production and neuroinflammation. Centella asiatica (CA) is a strong antioxidant. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of C. asiatica (HA-CA) on 3-NP-induced HD in adult zebrafish. Adult zebrafish (∼5-6 months old) weighing 470 to 530 mg was used and treated with 3-NP (5 mg/kg intraperitoneal [i.p.]). The animals received HA-CA (80 and 100 mg/L) daily for up to 28 days in water. Tetrabenazine (3 mg/kg i.p.) was used as a standard drug. We have done an open field test (for locomotor activity), a novel tank diving test (for anxiety), and a light and dark tank test (for memory), followed by biochemical analysis (acetyl-cholinesterase [AchEs], nitrite, lipid peroxidation [LPO], and glutathione [GSH]) and histopathology to further confirm memory dysfunctions. 3-NP-treated zebrafish exhibit reductions in body weight, progressive neuronal damage, cognition, and locomotor activity. The HA-CA group significantly reduced the 3-NP-induced increase in LPO, AchEs, and nitrite levels while decreasing GSH levels. Oral administration of HA-CA (80 or 100 mg/L) significantly reduces 3-NP-induced changes in body weight and behaviors, in addition to neuroinflammation in the brain by lowering tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β levels. Moreover, HA-CA significantly decreases the 3-NP-induced neuronal damage in the brain. HA-CA ameliorates neurotoxicity and neurobehavioral deficits in 3-NP-induced HD-like symptoms in adult zebrafish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rauf A, Badoni H, Abu-Izneid T, Olatunde A, Rahman MM, Painuli S, Semwal P, Wilairatana P, Mubarak MS. Neuroinflammatory Markers: Key Indicators in the Pathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27103194. [PMID: 35630670 PMCID: PMC9146652 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, a protective response of the central nervous system (CNS), is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The CNS is composed of neurons and glial cells consisting of microglia, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Entry of any foreign pathogen activates the glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) and overactivation of these cells triggers the release of various neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), such as the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-1β (IL-10), nitric oxide (NO), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), among others. Various studies have shown the role of neuroinflammatory markers in the occurrence, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These markers also trigger the formation of various other factors responsible for causing several neuronal diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), ischemia, and several others. This comprehensive review aims to reveal the mechanism of neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), which could cause different neurodegenerative disorders. Important NMs may represent pathophysiologic processes leading to the generation of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, various molecular alterations related to neurodegenerative diseases are discussed. Identifying these NMs may assist in the early diagnosis and detection of therapeutic targets for treating various neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdur Rauf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Swabi, Anbar 23561, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.W.); (M.S.M.)
| | - Himani Badoni
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Premnagar, Dehradun 248006, India;
| | - Tareq Abu-Izneid
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University for Science and Technology, Al Ain 64141, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Ahmed Olatunde
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi 740272, Nigeria;
| | - Md. Mominur Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh;
| | - Sakshi Painuli
- Uttarakhand Council for Biotechnology (UCB), Premnagar, Dehradun 248007, India;
| | - Prabhakar Semwal
- Department of Life Sciences, Graphic Era (Deemed To Be University), Dehradun 248002, India;
| | - Polrat Wilairatana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.W.); (M.S.M.)
| | - Mohammad S. Mubarak
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (P.W.); (M.S.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kumar V, Singh C, Singh A. Zebrafish an experimental model of Huntington's disease: molecular aspects, therapeutic targets and current challenges. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:8181-8194. [PMID: 34665402 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06787-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a lethal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease whose exact causative mechanism is still unknown. It can transform from one generation to another generation. The CAG triplet expansion on polyglutamine (PolyQ) tract on Huntingtin protein primarily contributes in HD pathogenesis. Apart from this some another molecular mechanisms are also involved in HD pathology such as loss of Brain derived neurotrophic factor in medium spiny neurons, mitochondrial dysfunction, and alterations in synaptic plasticity are briefly discussed in this review. However, several chemicals (3-nitropropionic acid, and Quinolinic acid) and genetic (mHTT-ΔN17-97Q over expression) experimental models are used to explore the exact pathogenic mechanism and finding of new drug targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is widely used in in-vivo screening of several central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as HD, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and in memory deficits. Thus, this makes zebrafish as an excellent animal model for the development of new therapeutic strategies against various CNS disorders. We had reviewed several publications utilizing zebrafish and rodents to explore the disease pathology. Studies suggested that zebrafish genes and their human homologues have conserved functions. Zebrafish advantages and their characteristics over the other experimental animals make it an excellent tool for the disease study. This review explains the possible pathogenic mechanism of HD and also discusses about possible treatment therapies, apart from this we also discussed about possible potential therapeutic targets which will helps in designing of novel therapeutic approaches to overcome the disease progression. Diagrammatic depiction shows prevention of HD pathogenesis through attenuation of various biochemical alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
- Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, 144603, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chan ST, Mercaldo ND, Kwong KK, Hersch SM, Rosas HD. Impaired Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Huntington's Disease. Front Physiol 2021; 12:663898. [PMID: 34366879 PMCID: PMC8334185 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.663898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that impairments of cerebrovascular function and/or abnormalities of the cerebral vasculature might contribute to early neuronal cell loss in Huntington's disease (HD). Studies in both healthy individuals as well as in patients with other neurodegenerative disorders have used an exogenous carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess regional cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). In this study, we explored potential impairments of CVR in HD. Twelve gene expanded HD individuals, including both pre-symptomatic and early symptomatic HD and eleven healthy controls were administered a gas mixture targeting a 4-8 mmHg increase in CO2 relative to the end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 (P ET CO2) at rest. A Hilbert Transform analysis was used to compute the cross-correlation between the time series of regional BOLD signal changes (ΔBOLD) and increased P ET CO2, and to estimate the response delay of ΔBOLD relative to P ET CO2. After correcting for age, we found that the cross-correlation between the time series for regional ΔBOLD and for P ET CO2 was weaker in HD subjects than in controls in several subcortical white matter regions, including the corpus callosum, subcortical white matter adjacent to rostral and caudal anterior cingulate, rostral and caudal middle frontal, insular, middle temporal, and posterior cingulate areas. In addition, greater volume of dilated perivascular space (PVS) was observed to overlap, primarily along the periphery, with the areas that showed greater ΔBOLD response delay. Our preliminary findings support that alterations in cerebrovascular function occur in HD and may be an important, not as yet considered, contributor to early neuropathology in HD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suk Tak Chan
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Nathaniel D Mercaldo
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Kenneth K Kwong
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Steven M Hersch
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Herminia D Rosas
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kumar V, Singh A. Targeting N17 domain as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of Huntington disease: An opinion. EXCLI JOURNAL 2021; 20:1086-1090. [PMID: 34267617 PMCID: PMC8278213 DOI: 10.17179/excli2021-3670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India.,Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab-144603, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India.,Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab-144603, India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Waters S, Tedroff J, Ponten H, Klamer D, Sonesson C, Waters N. Pridopidine: Overview of Pharmacology and Rationale for its Use in Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:1-16. [PMID: 29480206 PMCID: PMC5836399 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of Huntington’s disease (HD), there are currently no effective pharmacological agents available to treat core symptoms or to stop or prevent the progression of this hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. Pridopidine, a novel small molecule compound, has demonstrated potential for both symptomatic treatment and disease modifying effects in HD. While pridopidine failed to achieve its primary efficacy outcomes (Modified motor score) in two trials (MermaiHD and HART) there were consistent effects on secondary outcomes (TMS). In the most recent study (PrideHD) pridiopidine did not differ from placebo on TMS, possibly due to a large enduring placebo effect. This review describes the process, based on in vivo systems response profiling, by which pridopidine was discovered and discusses its pharmacological profile, aiming to provide a model for the system-level effects, and a rationale for the use of pridopidine in patients affected by HD. Considering the effects on brain neurochemistry, gene expression and behaviour in vivo, pridopidine displays a unique effect profile. A hallmark feature in the behavioural pharmacology of pridopidine is its state-dependent inhibition or activation of dopamine-dependent psychomotor functions. Such effects are paralleled by strengthening of synaptic connectivity in cortico-striatal pathways suggesting pridopidine has potential to modify phenotypic expression as well as progression of HD. The preclinical pharmacological profile is discussed with respect to the clinical results for pridopidine, and proposals are made for further investigation, including preclinical and clinical studies addressing disease progression and effects at different stages of HD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Waters
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joakim Tedroff
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Ponten
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Klamer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Clas Sonesson
- Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lois C, González I, Izquierdo-García D, Zürcher NR, Wilkens P, Loggia ML, Hooker JM, Rosas HD. Neuroinflammation in Huntington's Disease: New Insights with 11C-PBR28 PET/MRI. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2563-2571. [PMID: 29719953 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a devastating neurodegenerative genetic disorder that causes progressive motor dysfunction, emotional disturbances, and cognitive impairment. Unfortunately, there is no treatment to cure or slow the progression of the disease. Neuroinflammation is one hallmark of Huntington's disease, and modulation of neuroinflammation has been suggested as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. The relationship between neuroinflammation markers and the disease pathology is still poorly understood. To improve our understanding of neuroinflammation in Huntington's disease, we measured translocator protein (TSPO) expression using 11C-PBR28 and simultaneous PET/MRI. Standardized-uptake-value ratios, normalized by whole brain uptake, were calculated for data acquired 60-90 min after radiotracer administration. We identified distinct patterns of regional neuroinflammation (as defined by TSPO overexpression relative to a control group) in the basal ganglia of Huntington's disease patients. These patterns were observed at the individual level in all patients, with region of interest analysis confirming significant differences between patients and the control group in the putamen and the pallidum. Additionally, we observed further distinct regional and subregional signatures, which may provide insights into phenotypical variability. For example, in certain Huntington's disease patients, we observed in vivo elevation of the level of TSPO binding in subnuclei in the thalamus and brainstem that have been previously associated with visual function, motor function, and motor coordination. Our main result is an objective score, based solely on 11C-PBR28 measurements, that correlates well with measurements of brain atrophy. We conclude that PET/MR imaging using 11C-PBR28 provides a high signal-to-background ratio and has the potential to be used to assess Huntington's disease progression. Our results suggest 11C-PBR28 might prove useful in clinical trials evaluating therapies targeting neuroinflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Lois
- Department of
Radiology, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General
Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
- Department of
Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
- Madrid-MIT M+Visión Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Iván González
- Department of
Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - David Izquierdo-García
- Department of
Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Nicole R. Zürcher
- Department of
Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Paul Wilkens
- Department of
Neurology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Marco L. Loggia
- Department of
Anesthesiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Jacob M. Hooker
- Department of
Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - H. Diana Rosas
- Department of
Neurology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts
General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Karachitos A, Grobys D, Kulczyńska K, Sobusiak A, Kmita H. The Association of VDAC with Cell Viability of PC12 Model of Huntington's Disease. Front Oncol 2016; 6:238. [PMID: 27891320 PMCID: PMC5104952 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2016.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly apparent that mitochondria dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease (HD), but the underlying mechanism is still elusive. Thus, there is a still need for further studies concerning the upstream events in the mitochondria dysfunction that could contribute to cell death observed in HD. Taking into account the fundamental role of the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) in mitochondria functioning, it is reasonable to consider the channel as a crucial element in HD etiology. Therefore, we applied inducible PC12 cell model of HD to determine the relationship between the effect of expression of wild type and mutant huntingtin (Htt and mHtt, respectively) on cell survival and mitochondria functioning in intact cells under conditions of undergoing cell divisions. Because after 48 h of Htt and mHtt expression differences in mitochondria functioning co-occurred with differences in the cell viability, we decided to estimate the effect of Htt and mHtt expression lasted for 48 h on VDAC functioning. Therefore, we isolated VDAC from the cells and tested the preparations by black lipid membrane system. We observed that the expression of mHtt, but not Htt, resulted in changes of the open state conductance and voltage-dependence when compared to control cells cultured in the absence of the expression. Importantly, for all the VDAC preparations, we observed a dominant quantitative content of VDAC1, and the quantitative relationships between VDAC isoforms were not changed by Htt and mHtt expression. Thus, Htt and mHtt-mediated functional changes of VDAC, being predominantly VDAC1, which occur shortly after these protein appearances in cells, may result in differences concerning mitochondria functioning and viability of cells expressing Htt and mHtt. The assumption is important for better understanding of cytotoxicity as well as cytoprotection mechanisms of potential clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andonis Karachitos
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań , Poznań , Poland
| | - Daria Grobys
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań , Poznań , Poland
| | - Klaudia Kulczyńska
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań , Poznań , Poland
| | - Adrian Sobusiak
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań , Poznań , Poland
| | - Hanna Kmita
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań , Poznań , Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Joint reconstruction of white-matter pathways from longitudinal diffusion MRI data with anatomical priors. Neuroimage 2015; 127:277-286. [PMID: 26717853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We consider the problem of reconstructing white-matter pathways in a longitudinal study, where diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted MR images have been acquired at multiple time points for the same subject. We propose a method for joint reconstruction of a subject's pathways at all time points given the subject's entire set of longitudinal data. We apply a method for unbiased within-subject registration to generate a within-subject template from the T1-weighted images of the subject at all time points. We follow a global probabilistic tractography approach, where the unknown pathway is represented in the space of this within-subject template and propagated to the native space of the diffusion-weighted images at all time points to compute its posterior probability given the images. This ensures spatial correspondence of the reconstructed pathway among time points, which in turn allows longitudinal changes in diffusion measures to be estimated consistently along the pathway. We evaluate the reliability of the proposed method on data from healthy controls scanned twice within a month, where no changes in white-matter microstructure are expected between scans. We evaluate the sensitivity of the method on data from Huntington's disease patients scanned repeatedly over the course of several months, where changes are expected between scans. We show that reconstructing white-matter pathways jointly using the data from all time points leads to improved reliability and sensitivity, when compared to reconstructing the pathways at each time point independently.
Collapse
|
10
|
Mitochondrial modulators in experimental Huntington’s disease: reversal of mitochondrial dysfunctions and cognitive deficits. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:2186-200. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2014] [Revised: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
|
11
|
Mo C, Hannan AJ, Renoir T. Environmental factors as modulators of neurodegeneration: Insights from gene–environment interactions in Huntington's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 52:178-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Revised: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
12
|
Kotrcova E, Jarkovska K, Valekova I, Zizkova M, Motlik J, Gadher SJ, Kovarova H. Challenges of Huntington's disease and quest for therapeutic biomarkers. Proteomics Clin Appl 2014; 9:147-58. [PMID: 25290828 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201400073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common inherited neurodegenerative disorder among polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases caused by cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene whose translation results in polyQ stretch in the N-terminus of the huntingtin protein (HD protein). This mutation significantly affects huntingtin conformation, proteolysis, PTMs, as well as its ability to bind interacting proteins. As a consequence, a variety of cellular mechanisms such as transcription, mitochondrial energy metabolism, axonal transport, neuronal vulnerability to oxidative stress, neurotransmission, and immune response are altered and involved in the pathogenesis of HD. Promising candidate molecular biomarkers of HD have emerged from proteomic studies. Recent analyses focused on HD protein itself, its PTM, and interacting proteins, which are of great importance for disease course. Furthermore, brain, body fluids, and immune system are intensively studied in order to search for additional proteins with a view to their use as a biomarker(s) or set of biomarkers in clinical trials in HD translational research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kotrcova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Libechov, Czech Republic; Research Center PIGMOD, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Schapira AHV, Olanow CW, Greenamyre JT, Bezard E. Slowing of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease: future therapeutic perspectives. Lancet 2014; 384:545-55. [PMID: 24954676 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61010-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Several important advances have been made in our understanding of the pathways that lead to cell dysfunction and death in Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. These advances have been informed by both direct analysis of the post-mortem brain and by study of the biological consequences of the genetic causes of these diseases. Some of the pathways that have been implicated so far include mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, kinase pathways, calcium dysregulation, inflammation, protein handling, and prion-like processes. Intriguingly, these pathways seem to be important in the pathogenesis of both diseases and have led to the identification of molecular targets for candidate interventions designed to slow or reverse their course. We review some recent advances that underlie putative therapies for neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, and potential targets that might be exploited in the future. Although we will need to overcome important hurdles, especially in terms of clinical trial design, we propose several target pathways that merit further study. In Parkinson's disease, these targets include agents that might improve mitochondrial function or increase degradation of defective mitochondria, kinase inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and approaches that interfere with the misfolding, templating, and transmission of α-synuclein. In Huntington's disease, strategies might also be directed at mitochondrial bioenergetics and turnover, the prevention of protein dysregulation, disruption of the interaction between huntingtin and p53 or huntingtin-interacting protein 1 to reduce apoptosis, and interference with expression of mutant huntingtin at both the nucleic acid and protein levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - C Warren Olanow
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - J Timothy Greenamyre
- Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Erwan Bezard
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Moscovitch-Lopatin M, Goodman RE, Eberly S, Ritch JJ, Rosas HD, Matson S, Matson W, Oakes D, Young AB, Shoulson I, Hersch SM. HTRF analysis of soluble huntingtin in PHAROS PBMCs. Neurology 2013; 81:1134-40. [PMID: 23966247 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182a55ede] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We measured the levels of mutant huntingtin (mtHtt) and total huntingtin (tHtt) in blood leukocytes from Prospective Huntington At-Risk Observational Study (PHAROS) subjects at 50% risk of carrying the Huntington disease mutation using a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay to assess its potential as a biomarker. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from consenting PHAROS subjects were analyzed by HTRF using antibodies that simultaneously measured mtHtt and tHtt. mtHtt levels were normalized to tHtt, double-stranded DNA, or protein and analyzed according to cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat length (CAGn), demographics, predicted time to clinical onset or known time since clinical onset, and available clinical measures. RESULTS From 363 assayed samples, 342 met quality control standards. Levels of mtHtt and mt/tHtt were higher in 114 subjects with expanded CAG repeats (CAG ≥ 37) compared with 228 subjects with nonexpanded CAG repeats (CAG <37) (p < 0.0001). Analysis of relationships to predicted time to onset or to phenoconversion suggested that the HTRF signal could mark changes during the Huntington disease prodrome or after clinical onset. CONCLUSIONS The HTRF assay can effectively measure mtHtt in multicenter sample sets and may be useful in trials of therapies targeting huntingtin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Moscovitch-Lopatin
- From the Massachusetts General Hospital (M.M.-L., R.E.G., J.J.R., H.D.R., S.M., A.B.Y., S.M.H.), MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Charlestown, MA; University of Rochester Medical Center (S.E., D.O.), Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Rochester, NY; Veterans Administration Hospital (W.M.), Bedford, MA; and Program for Regulatory Science & Medicine (I.S.), Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sandhir R, Mehrotra A. Quercetin supplementation is effective in improving mitochondrial dysfunctions induced by 3-nitropropionic acid: Implications in Huntington's disease. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2013; 1832:421-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2012.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2012] [Revised: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
16
|
Xun Z, Rivera-Sánchez S, Ayala-Peña S, Lim J, Budworth H, Skoda EM, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ, Wipf P, McMurray CT. Targeting of XJB-5-131 to mitochondria suppresses oxidative DNA damage and motor decline in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Cell Rep 2012; 2:1137-42. [PMID: 23122961 PMCID: PMC3513647 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction are implicated in aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). Many naturally occurring antioxidants have been tested for their ability to correct for deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species, but often they lack specificity, are tissue variable, and have marginal efficacy in human clinical trials. To increase specificity and efficacy, we have designed a synthetic antioxidant, XJB-5-131, to target mitochondria. We demonstrate in a mouse model of HD that XJB-5-131 has remarkably beneficial effects. XJB-5-131 reduces oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA, maintains mitochondrial DNA copy number, suppresses motor decline and weight loss, enhances neuronal survival, and improves mitochondrial function. The findings poise XJB-5-131 as a promising therapeutic compound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyin Xun
- Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Inhibition of sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) deacetylase mediates protective effects in cell and invertebrate models of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease (HD). Here we report the in vivo efficacy of a brain-permeable SIRT2 inhibitor in two genetic mouse models of HD. Compound treatment resulted in improved motor function, extended survival, and reduced brain atrophy and is associated with marked reduction of aggregated mutant huntingtin, a hallmark of HD pathology. Our results provide preclinical validation of SIRT2 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target for HD and support the further development of SIRT2 inhibitors for testing in humans.
Collapse
|
18
|
Dunkel P, Chai CL, Sperlágh B, Huleatt PB, Mátyus P. Clinical utility of neuroprotective agents in neurodegenerative diseases: current status of drug development for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2012; 21:1267-308. [PMID: 22741814 DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2012.703178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION According to the definition of the Committee to Identify Neuroprotective Agents in Parkinson's Disease (CINAPS), "neuroprotection would be any intervention that favourably influences the disease process or underlying pathogenesis to produce enduring benefits for patients" [Meissner W, et al. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2004;25:249-253]. Preferably, neuroprotective agents should be used before or eventually during the prodromal phase of the diseases that could start decades before the appearance of symptoms. Although several symptomatic drugs are available, a disease-modifying agent is still elusive. AREAS COVERED The aim of the present review is to give an overview of neuroprotective agents being currently investigated for the treatment of AD, PD, HD and ALS in clinical phases. EXPERT OPINION Development of effective neuroprotective therapies resulting in clinically meaningful results is hampered by several factors in all research stages, both conceptual and methodological. Novel solutions might be offered by evaluation of new targets throughout clinical studies, therapies emerging from drug repositioning approaches, multi-target approaches and network pharmacology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Dunkel
- Semmelweis University, Department of Organic Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Benetti F, Gustincich S, Legname G. Gene expression profiling and therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases: a comprehensive study on potentiality and limits. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2012; 7:245-59. [PMID: 22468955 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2012.659661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable debilitating disorders of the nervous system that affect approximately 30 million people worldwide. Despite profuse efforts attempting to define the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, many aspects of these pathologies remain elusive. The novelty of their mechanisms represents a challenge to biology, to their related biomarkers identification and drug discovery. Because of their multifactorial aspects and complexity, gene expression analysis platforms have been extensively used to investigate altered pathways during degeneration and to identify potential biomarkers and drug targets. AREAS COVERED This work offers an overview of the gene expression profiling studies carried out on Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and prion disease specimens. Therapeutic approaches are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION Although many therapeutic approaches have been tested, some of them acting on several altered cellular pathways, no effective cures for these neurodegenerative diseases have been identified. Microarray technology must be associated with functional proteomics and physiology in an effort to identify specific and selective biomarkers and druggable targets, thus allowing the successful discovery of disease-modifying therapeutic treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Benetti
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Neurobiology Sector, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Louis ED. Treatment of Essential Tremor: Are there Issues We are Overlooking? Front Neurol 2012; 2:91. [PMID: 22275907 PMCID: PMC3257846 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological diseases. Although a large number of medications have been tested, there are only two first-line medications, primidone and propranolol, which is a situation that has not changed in approximately 30 years. Several recent reviews have summarized the current pharmacotherapeutic options for ET and the approach to the management of ET patients. Yet there remain a number of important issues, both scientific and clinical, that have not been broached in the literature and that have therapeutic implications. Objectives: To introduce several clinical and scientific issues that have not formally entered the published literature on the treatment of ET. Methods: In September 2011, materials for this article were gathered during a literature search of PubMed using the following terms: ET, clinical, clinical trial, treatment, medications, therapeutics. English-language articles were selected for further review. Results: The paper focuses on several topics that have received scant or no discussion in the published literature on ET therapeutics. These topics are as follows: the nature of the underlying disease pathophysiology, the presence of pathological heterogeneity, the complexity of cellular and neurochemical changes which may be underlying this disorder, the presence of clinical heterogeneity, the selection of treatment endpoints, the effects of diagnostic uncertainty, the presence of cognitive and psychiatric features in ET, the identification of possible modifiable risk factors, and the absence of any neuroprotective therapies. Conclusion: The author has identified several topics that have received scant or no discussion in the published literature on ET therapeutics. Further discussion of the issues raised here may lead to improvements in clinical trial methodologies as well as facilitate the development of fresh approaches to pharmacotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elan D Louis
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zádori D, Klivényi P, Plangár I, Toldi J, Vécsei L. Endogenous neuroprotection in chronic neurodegenerative disorders: with particular regard to the kynurenines. J Cell Mol Med 2011; 15:701-17. [PMID: 21155972 PMCID: PMC3922661 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2010.01237.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD) are progressive chronic neurodegenerative disorders that are accompanied by a considerable impairment of the motor functions. PD may develop for familial or sporadic reasons, whereas HD is based on a definite genetic mutation. Nevertheless, the pathological processes involve oxidative stress and glutamate excitotoxicity in both cases. A number of metabolic routes are affected in these disorders. The decrease in antioxidant capacity and alterations in the kynurenine pathway, the main pathway of the tryptophan metabolism, are features that deserve particular interest, because the changes in levels of neuroactive kynurenine pathway compounds appear to be strongly related to the oxidative stress and glutamate excitotoxicity involved in the disease pathogenesis. Increase of the antioxidant capacity and pharmacological manipulation of the kynurenine pathway are therefore promising therapeutic targets in these devastating disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dénes Zádori
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Majid DSA, Stoffers D, Sheldon S, Hamza S, Thompson WK, Goldstein J, Corey-Bloom J, Aron AR. Automated structural imaging analysis detects premanifest Huntington's disease neurodegeneration within 1 year. Mov Disord 2011; 26:1481-8. [PMID: 21484871 DOI: 10.1002/mds.23656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2010] [Revised: 11/30/2010] [Accepted: 01/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intense efforts are underway to evaluate neuroimaging measures as biomarkers for neurodegeneration in premanifest Huntington's disease (preHD). We used a completely automated longitudinal analysis method to compare structural scans in preHD individuals and controls. Using a 1-year longitudinal design, we analyzed T(1) -weighted structural scans in 35 preHD individuals and 22 age-matched controls. We used the SIENA (Structural Image Evaluation, using Normalization, of Atrophy) software tool to yield overall percentage brain volume change (PBVC) and voxel-level changes in atrophy. We calculated sample sizes for a hypothetical disease-modifying (neuroprotection) study. We found significantly greater yearly atrophy in preHD individuals versus controls (mean PBVC controls, -0.149%; preHD, -0.388%; P = .031, Cohen's d = .617). For a preHD subgroup closest to disease onset, yearly atrophy was more than 3 times that of controls (mean PBVC close-to-onset preHD, -0.510%; P = .019, Cohen's d = .920). This atrophy was evident at the voxel level in periventricular regions, consistent with well-established preHD basal ganglia atrophy. We estimated that a neuroprotection study using SIENA would only need 74 close-to-onset individuals in each arm (treatment vs placebo) to detect a 50% slowing in yearly atrophy with 80% power. Automated whole-brain analysis of structural MRI can reliably detect preHD disease progression in 1 year. These results were attained with a readily available imaging analysis tool, SIENA, which is observer independent, automated, and robust with respect to image quality, slice thickness, and different pulse sequences. This MRI biomarker approach could be used to evaluate neuroprotection in preHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D S Adnan Majid
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that causes neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Most patients with HD develop symptoms in all three of these domains, often concurrently. Problems in one area can impact and magnify symptoms in another domain. Limited treatment options exist for neurological and cognitive symptoms at this time, and no treatment exists to slow disease progression. In contrast, many behavioral symptoms respond to psychiatric medication. Thorough and aggressive treatment of psychiatric symptoms can positively impact both patient and caregiver quality of life, and may allow patients to remain longer in the home. There are currently numerous treatment trials not only for symptomatic therapy, but also for disease-modifying agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Anderson
- Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Krobitsch S, Kazantsev AG. Huntington's disease: From molecular basis to therapeutic advances. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2010; 43:20-4. [PMID: 21056115 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2010.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2010] [Revised: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 10/27/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant genetic neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterized by progressive motor dysfunction, emotional disturbances, dementia, and weight loss. The disease is caused by pathological CAG-triplet repeat extension(s), encoding polyglutamines, within the gene product, huntingtin. Huntingtin is ubiquitously expressed through the body and is a protein of uncertain molecular function(s). Mutant huntingtin, containing pathologically extended polyglutamines causes the earliest and most dramatic neuropathologic changes in the neostriatum and cerebral cortex. Extended polyglutamines confer structural conformational changes to huntingtin, which gains novel properties, resulting in aberrant interactions with multiple cellular components. The diverse and variable aberrations mediated by mutant huntingtin perturb many cellular functions essential for neuronal homeostasis and underlie pleiotropic mechanisms of Huntington's disease pathogenesis. The only approved drug for Huntington's disease is a symptomatic treatment, tetrabenazine; thus, novel neuroprotective strategies, slowing, blocking and possibly reversing disease progression, are vital for developing effective therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Krobitsch
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestrasse 63-73, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kumar P, Kalonia H, Kumar A. Possible nitric oxide modulation in protective effect of FK-506 against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced behavioral, oxidative, neurochemical, and mitochondrial alterations in rat brain. Drug Chem Toxicol 2010; 33:377-92. [DOI: 10.3109/01480541003642050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
26
|
Rizk-Jackson A, Stoffers D, Sheldon S, Kuperman J, Dale A, Goldstein J, Corey-Bloom J, Poldrack RA, Aron AR. Evaluating imaging biomarkers for neurodegeneration in pre-symptomatic Huntington's disease using machine learning techniques. Neuroimage 2010; 56:788-96. [PMID: 20451620 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.04.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Revised: 04/27/2010] [Accepted: 04/30/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of MRI measures as biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease could prove extremely valuable for the assessment of neuroprotective therapies. Much current research is aimed at developing such biomarkers for use in people who are gene-positive for Huntington's disease yet exhibit few or no clinical symptoms of the disease (pre-HD). We acquired structural (T1), diffusion weighted and functional MRI (fMRI) data from 39 pre-HD volunteers and 25 age-matched controls. To determine whether it was possible to decode information about disease state from neuroimaging data, we applied multivariate pattern analysis techniques to several derived voxel-based and segmented region-based datasets. We found that different measures of structural, diffusion weighted, and functional MRI could successfully classify pre-HD and controls using support vector machines (SVM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with up to 76% accuracy. The model producing the highest classification accuracy used LDA with a set of six volume measures from the basal ganglia. Furthermore, using support vector regression (SVR) and linear regression models, we were able to generate quantitative measures of disease progression that were significantly correlated with established measures of disease progression (estimated years to clinical onset, derived from age and genetic information) from several different neuroimaging measures. The best performing regression models used SVR with neuroimaging data from regions within the grey matter (caudate), white matter (corticospinal tract), and fMRI (insular cortex). These results highlight the utility of machine learning analyses in addition to conventional ones. We have shown that several neuroimaging measures contain multivariate patterns of information that are useful for the development of disease-state biomarkers for HD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Rizk-Jackson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Stoffers D, Sheldon S, Kuperman JM, Goldstein J, Corey-Bloom J, Aron AR. Contrasting gray and white matter changes in preclinical Huntington disease: an MRI study. Neurology 2010; 74:1208-16. [PMID: 20385893 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181d8c20a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Huntington disease (HD), substantial striatal atrophy precedes clinical motor symptoms. Accordingly, neuroprotection should prevent major cell loss before such symptoms arise. To evaluate neuroprotection, biomarkers such as MRI measures are needed. This requires first establishing the best imaging approach. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, we acquired T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted scans in 39 preclinical (pre-HD) individuals and 25 age-matched controls. T1-weighted scans were analyzed with gross whole-brain segmentation and voxel-based morphometry. Analysis of diffusion-weighted scans used skeleton-based tractography. For all imaging measures, we compared pre-HD and control groups and within the pre-HD group we examined correlations with estimated years to clinical onset. RESULTS Pre-HD individuals had lower gross gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume. Voxel-wise analysis demonstrated local GM volume loss, most notably in regions consistent with basal ganglia-thalamocortical pathways. By contrast, pre-HD individuals showed widespread reductions in WM integrity, probably due to a loss of axonal barriers. Both GM and WM imaging measures correlated with estimated years to onset. CONCLUSIONS Using automated, observer-independent methods, we found that GM loss in pre-HD was regionally specific, while WM deterioration was much more general and probably the result of demyelination rather then axonal degeneration. These findings provide important information about the nature, relative staging, and topographic specificity of brain changes in pre-HD and suggest that combining GM and WM imaging may be the best biomarker approach. The empirically derived group difference images from this study are provided as regions-of-interest masks for improved sensitivity in future longitudinal studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Stoffers
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
|
29
|
Rudenko O, Tkach V, Berezin V, Bock E. Detection of early behavioral markers of Huntington's disease in R6/2 mice employing an automated social home cage. Behav Brain Res 2009; 203:188-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2009] [Revised: 04/23/2009] [Accepted: 04/27/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
|
30
|
|
31
|
Fecke W, Gianfriddo M, Gaviraghi G, Terstappen GC, Heitz F. Small molecule drug discovery for Huntington's Disease. Drug Discov Today 2009; 14:453-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2008] [Revised: 02/06/2009] [Accepted: 02/13/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|