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Domin H, Śmiałowska M. The diverse role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its CRF1 and CRF2 receptors under pathophysiological conditions: Insights into stress/anxiety, depression, and brain injury processes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105748. [PMID: 38857667 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF, corticoliberin) is a neuromodulatory peptide activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) in mammals. In addition to its neuroendocrine effects, CRF is essential in regulating many functions under physiological and pathophysiological conditions through CRF1 and CRF2 receptors (CRF1R, CRF2R). This review aims to present selected examples of the diverse and sometimes opposite effects of CRF and its receptor ligands in various pathophysiological states, including stress/anxiety, depression, and processes associated with brain injury. It seems interesting to draw particular attention to the fact that CRF and its receptor ligands exert different effects depending on the brain structures or subregions, likely stemming from the varied distribution of CRFRs in these regions and interactions with other neurotransmitters. CRFR-mediated region-specific effects might also be related to brain site-specific ligand binding and the associated activated signaling pathways. Intriguingly, different types of CRF molecules can also influence the diverse actions of CRF in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Domin
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Neurobiology, 12 Smętna Street, Kraków 31-343, Poland.
| | - Maria Śmiałowska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Neurobiology, 12 Smętna Street, Kraków 31-343, Poland
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Liu Y, Cao LX, Wang WY, Piao YR, Wang JY, Chu CP, Bing YH, Qiu DL. GLP-1 enhances hyperpolarization-activated currents of mouse cerebellar Purkinje cell in vitro. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1126447. [PMID: 37089690 PMCID: PMC10113493 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1126447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is mainly secreted by preglucagonergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius, which plays critical roles in regulation of neuronal activity in the central nervous system through its receptor. In the cerebellar cortex, GLP-1 receptor is abundantly expressed in the molecular layer, Purkinje cell (PC) layer and granular layer, indicating that GLP-1 may modulate the cerebellar neuronal activity. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which GLP1 modulates mouse cerebellar PC activity in vitro. After blockade of glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission in PCs, GLP1 increased the spike firing rate accompanied by depolarization of membrane potential and significantly depressed the after-hyperpolarizing potential and outward rectifying current of spike firing discharges via GLP1 receptors. In the presence of TTX and Ba2+, GLP1 significantly enhanced the hyperpolarized membrane potential-evoked instant current, steady current, tail current (I-tail) and hyperpolarization-activated (IH) current. Application of a selective IH channel antagonist, ZD7288, blocked IH and abolished the effect of GLP1 on PC membrane currents. The GLP1 induced enhancement of membrane currents was also abolished by a selective GLP1 receptor antagonist, exendin-9-39, as well as by protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors, KT5720 and H89. In addition, immunofluorescence detected GLP1 receptor in the mouse cerebellar cortex, mostly in PCs. These results indicated that GLP1 receptor activation enhanced IH channel activity via PKA signaling, resulting in increased excitability of mouse cerebellar PCs in vitro. The present findings indicate that GLP1 plays a critical role in modulating cerebellar function by regulating the spike firing activity of mouse cerebellar PCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
| | - Li-Xin Cao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
| | - Wei-Yao Wang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin, Jilin, China
| | - Yong-Rui Piao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
| | - Jun-Ya Wang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
| | - Chun-Ping Chu
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin, Jilin, China
| | - Yan-Hua Bing
- Functional Experiment Center, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
- *Correspondence: Yan-Hua Bing,
| | - De-Lai Qiu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, China
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin Medical University, Jilin, Jilin, China
- De-Lai Qiu, ;
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Shade RD, Ross JA, Van Bockstaele EJ. Targeting the cannabinoid system to counteract the deleterious effects of stress in Alzheimer’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:949361. [PMID: 36268196 PMCID: PMC9577232 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.949361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized histologically in postmortem human brains by the presence of dense protein accumulations known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Plaques and tangles develop over decades of aberrant protein processing, post-translational modification, and misfolding throughout an individual’s lifetime. We present a foundation of evidence from the literature that suggests chronic stress is associated with increased disease severity in Alzheimer’s patient populations. Taken together with preclinical evidence that chronic stress signaling can precipitate cellular distress, we argue that chronic psychological stress renders select circuits more vulnerable to amyloid- and tau- related abnormalities. We discuss the ongoing investigation of systemic and cellular processes that maintain the integrity of protein homeostasis in health and in degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease that have revealed multiple potential therapeutic avenues. For example, the endogenous cannabinoid system traverses the central and peripheral neural systems while simultaneously exerting anti-inflammatory influence over the immune response in the brain and throughout the body. Moreover, the cannabinoid system converges on several stress-integrative neuronal circuits and critical regions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, with the capacity to dampen responses to psychological and cellular stress. Targeting the cannabinoid system by influencing endogenous processes or exogenously stimulating cannabinoid receptors with natural or synthetic cannabis compounds has been identified as a promising route for Alzheimer’s Disease intervention. We build on our foundational framework focusing on the significance of chronic psychological and cellular stress on the development of Alzheimer’s neuropathology by integrating literature on cannabinoid function and dysfunction within Alzheimer’s Disease and conclude with remarks on optimal strategies for treatment potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronnie D. Shade
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jennifer A. Ross,
| | - Elisabeth J. Van Bockstaele
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Urocortin-1 Is Chondroprotective in Response to Acute Cartilage Injury via Modulation of Piezo1. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095119. [PMID: 35563508 PMCID: PMC9105101 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095119] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic OA (PTOA) is often triggered by injurious, high-impact loading events which result in rapid, excessive chondrocyte cell death and a phenotypic shift in residual cells toward a more catabolic state. As such, the identification of a disease-modifying OA drug (DMOAD) that can protect chondrocytes from death following impact injury, and thereby prevent cartilage degradation and progression to PTOA, would offer a novel intervention. We have previously shown that urocortin-1 (Ucn) is an essential endogenous pro-survival factor that protects chondrocytes from OA-associated pro-apoptotic stimuli. Here, using a drop tower PTOA-induction model, we demonstrate the extent of Ucn's chondroprotective role in cartilage explants exposed to excessive impact load. Using pathway-specific agonists and antagonists, we show that Ucn acts to block load-induced intracellular calcium accumulation through blockade of the non-selective cation channel Piezo1 rather than TRPV4. This protective effect is mediated primarily through the Ucn receptor CRF-R1 rather than CRF-R2. Crucially, we demonstrate that the chondroprotective effect of Ucn is maintained whether it is applied pre-impact or post-impact, highlighting the potential of Ucn as a novel DMOAD for the prevention of injurious impact overload-induced PTOA.
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Lichlyter DA, Krumm ZA, Golde TA, Doré S. Role of CRF and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in stroke: revisiting temporal considerations and targeting a new generation of therapeutics. FEBS J 2022; 290:1986-2010. [PMID: 35108458 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ischaemic neurovascular stroke represents a leading cause of death in the developed world. Preclinical and human epidemiological evidence implicates the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of neuropeptides as mediators of acute neurovascular injury pathology. Preclinical investigations of the role of CRF, CRF receptors and CRF-dependent activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have pointed toward a tissue-specific and temporal relationship between activation of these pathways and physiological outcomes. Based on the literature, the major phases of ischaemic stroke aetiology may be separated into an acute phase in which CRF and anti-inflammatory stress signalling are beneficial and a chronic phase in which these contribute to neural degeneration, toxicity and apoptotic signalling. Significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the pathway, temporality and systemic impact of CRF signalling and stress biology in neurovascular injury progression. Heterogeneity among experimental designs poses a challenge to defining the apparent reciprocal relationship between neurological injury and stress metabolism. Despite these challenges, it is our opinion that the elucidated temporality may be best matched with an antibody against CRF with a half-life of days to weeks as opposed to minutes to hours as with small-molecule CRF receptor antagonists. This state-of-the-art review will take a multipronged approach to explore the expected potential benefit of a CRF antibody by modulating CRF and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 signalling, glucocorticoids and autonomic nervous system activity. Additionally, this review compares the modulation of CRF and HPA axis activity in neuropsychiatric diseases and their counterpart outcomes post-stroke and assess lessons learned from antibody therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Lichlyter
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zachary A Krumm
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Todd A Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sylvain Doré
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, Pharmaceutics, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Riccardi C, Napolitano F, Montesarchio D, Sampaolo S, Melone MAB. Nanoparticle-Guided Brain Drug Delivery: Expanding the Therapeutic Approach to Neurodegenerative Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1897. [PMID: 34834311 PMCID: PMC8623286 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) represent a heterogeneous group of aging-related disorders featured by progressive impairment of motor and/or cognitive functions, often accompanied by psychiatric disorders. NDs are denoted as 'protein misfolding' diseases or proteinopathies, and are classified according to their known genetic mechanisms and/or the main protein involved in disease onset and progression. Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD) are included under this nosographic umbrella, sharing histopathologically salient features, including deposition of insoluble proteins, activation of glial cells, loss of neuronal cells and synaptic connectivity. To date, there are no effective cures or disease-modifying therapies for these NDs. Several compounds have not shown efficacy in clinical trials, since they generally fail to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a tightly packed layer of endothelial cells that greatly limits the brain internalization of endogenous substances. By engineering materials of a size usually within 1-100 nm, nanotechnology offers an alternative approach for promising and innovative therapeutic solutions in NDs. Nanoparticles can cross the BBB and release active molecules at target sites in the brain, minimizing side effects. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art of nanoengineered delivery systems for brain targeting in the treatment of AD, PD and HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Riccardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (D.M.)
| | - Filomena Napolitano
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases and InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, I-80131 Naples, Italy; (F.N.); (S.S.)
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (D.M.)
| | - Simone Sampaolo
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases and InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, I-80131 Naples, Italy; (F.N.); (S.S.)
| | - Mariarosa Anna Beatrice Melone
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, 2nd Division of Neurology, Center for Rare Diseases and InterUniversity Center for Research in Neurosciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, I-80131 Naples, Italy; (F.N.); (S.S.)
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6078, USA
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Xu DD, Li GQ, Wu ZS, Liu XQ, Yang XX, Wang JH. Bioinformatics analysis and identification of genes and molecular pathways involved in Parkinson's disease in patients with mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene. Neuroreport 2021; 32:918-924. [PMID: 34132705 PMCID: PMC8253507 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations occur frequently in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. This study aims to identify potential crucial genes and pathways associated with GBA mutations in patients with PD and to further analyze new molecular mechanisms related to the occurrence of gene mutations from the perspective of bioinformatics. Gene expression profiles of datasets GSE53424 and GSE99142 were acquired from the Gene Expression Ominibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, using the 'limma' package in R, comparing IDI-PD 1 (idiopathic PD patients) and GBA-PD 1 [PD patients with heterozygous GBA mutations (GBA N370S)] group samples. The functions of top modules were assessed using the DAVID, whereas gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Protein-protein interaction networks were assembled with Cytoscape software and separated into subnetworks using the Molecular Complex Detection Algorithm. Data from GSE53424 and GSE99142 were also extracted to verify our findings. There were 283 DEGs identified in PD patients heterozygous for GBA mutations. Module analysis revealed that GBA mutations in PD patients were associated with significant pathways, including Calcium signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Hub genes of the two modules were corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and Melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B). The expression of CRH was downregulated, whereas that of MTNR1B was upregulated in PD patients with GBA mutations. The expression of CRH and MTNR1B has diagnostic value for PD patients with heterozygous GBA mutations. Novel DEGs and pathways identified herein might provide new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of heterozygous GBA mutations in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan-Dan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
| | - Guo-Qian Li
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
| | - Zhi-Sheng Wu
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
| | - Xiao-Xia Yang
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
| | - Jie-Hua Wang
- Department of Neurology, Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian 362000, China
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Boero G, Tyler RE, Todd CA, O'Buckley TK, Balan I, Besheer J, Morrow AL. (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) regulation of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF): Sexual dimorphism and brain region specificity in Sprague Dawley rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 186:108463. [PMID: 33460689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CRF is the main activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress. CRF neurons are found mainly in the hypothalamus, but CRF positive cells and CRF1 receptors are also found in extrahypothalamic structures, including amygdala (CeA), hippocampus, NAc and VTA. CRF release in the hypothalamus is regulated by inhibitory GABAergic interneurons and extrahypothalamic glutamatergic inputs, and disruption of this balance is found in stress-related disorders and addiction. (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP), the most potent positive modulator of GABAA receptors, attenuates the stress response reducing hypothalamic CRF mRNA expression and ACTH and corticosterone serum levels. In this study, we explored 3α,5α-THP regulation of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic CRF mRNA and peptide expression, in male and female Sprague Dawley rats, following vehicle or 3α,5α-THP administration (15 mg/kg). In the hypothalamus, we found sex differences in CRF mRNA expression (females +74%, p < 0.01) and CRF peptide levels (females -71%, p < 0.001). 3α,5α-THP administration reduced hypothalamic CRF mRNA expression only in males (-50%, p < 0.05) and did not alter CRF peptide expression in either sex. In hippocampus and CeA, 3α,5α-THP administration reduced CRF peptide concentrations only in the male (hippocampus -29%, p < 0.05; CeA -62%, p < 0.01). In contrast, 3α,5α-THP injection increased CRF peptide concentration in the VTA of both males (+32%, p < 0.01) and females (+26%, p < 0.01). The results show sex and region-specific regulation of CRF signals and the response to 3α,5α-THP administration. This data may be key to successful development of therapeutic approaches for stress-related disorders and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Boero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ryan E Tyler
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Caroline A Todd
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Todd K O'Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Irina Balan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Bhuiyan P, Wang YW, Sha HH, Dong HQ, Qian YN. Neuroimmune connections between corticotropin-releasing hormone and mast cells: novel strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2184-2197. [PMID: 33818491 PMCID: PMC8354134 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone is a critical component of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, which plays a major role in the body’s immune response to stress. Mast cells are both sensors and effectors in the interaction between the nervous and immune systems. As first responders to stress, mast cells can initiate, amplify and prolong neuroimmune responses upon activation. Corticotropin-releasing hormone plays a pivotal role in triggering stress responses and related diseases by acting on its receptors in mast cells. Corticotropin-releasing hormone can stimulate mast cell activation, influence the activation of immune cells by peripheral nerves and modulate neuroimmune interactions. The latest evidence shows that the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone induces the degranulation of mast cells under stress conditions, leading to disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which plays an important role in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Recent studies suggest that stress increases intestinal permeability and disrupts the blood-brain barrier through corticotropin-releasing hormone-mediated activation of mast cells, providing new insight into the complex interplay between the brain and gastrointestinal tract. The neuroimmune target of mast cells is the site at which the corticotropin-releasing hormone directly participates in the inflammatory responses of nerve terminals. In this review, we focus on the neuroimmune connections between corticotropin-releasing hormone and mast cells, with the aim of providing novel potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory, autoimmune and nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piplu Bhuiyan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yi-Wei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wuxi People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Huan-Huan Sha
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hong-Quan Dong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan-Ning Qian
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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Bostanciklioğlu M. Unexpected awakenings in severe dementia from case reports to laboratory. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 17:125-136. [PMID: 33064369 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12162] [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: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Case report notions of unexpected memory retrieval in patients with severe dementia near to death are starting to alter the central "irreversible" paradigm of dementia and locate dementia as a problem of memory retrieval, not consolidation. We suggest that the most likely central tenet of this paradoxical memory retrieval is the fluctuation of neuromodulators projecting from the brain stem to the medial prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The neuromodulation-centric explanation of this phenomenon aims to open the "irreversible" paradigm of dementia up for discussion and suggest a plausible treatment strategy by questioning how the devastating process of death fluctuates memory performance in severe dementia. BACKGROUND Supporting demented patients, who are mostly unresponsive, without making demands or asking a question and regarding them as valuable human beings unexpectedly improve their memory performance around the time of death. NEW LUCIDITY HYPOTHESIS Around the time of death, neurological signs (hyper-arousal and -attention) of demented people point out that neurotransmitter discharges are dramatically changed. Relatively resistant neuromodulator circuits to neurodegeneration can maintain optimal levels of arousal and attention for memory processing. In this way, unexpected episodes of lucidity can be triggered. Also, corticotropin-releasing peptides might increase mental clarity by increasing the excitability of the neuromodulator circuits. The science of memory retrieval is more complicated and nuanced than retrieval observations in case reports, but the rapid development of new techniques holds promise for future understanding of lucidity in severe dementia. MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR THE MODEL There is no an animal or human model to test this hypothesis; however, the similarities between neurological signs (instantaneous cognitive fluctuations) of delirium and paradoxical lucidity could provide a unique window to understand neural events of terminal lucidity on a modified animal model of delirium. Likewise, similarities between unexpected consciousness signs of terminal lucidity and lucid dreaming suggest that lucid dreaming episodes might be considered a human model for terminal lucidity research.
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Williams TA, Bernier NJ. Corticotropin-releasing factor protects against ammonia neurotoxicity in isolated larval zebrafish brains. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb211540. [PMID: 31988165 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.211540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The physiological roles of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) have recently been extended to cytoprotection. Here, to determine whether CRF is neuroprotective in fish, the effects of CRF against high environmental ammonia (HEA)-mediated neurogenic impairment and cell death were investigated in zebrafish. In vivo, exposure of 1 day post-fertilization (dpf) embryos to HEA only reduced the expression of the determined neuron marker neurod1 In contrast, in 5 dpf larvae, HEA increased the expression of nes and sox2, neural progenitor cell markers, and reduced the expression of neurog1, gfap and mbpa, proneuronal cell, radial glia and oligodendrocyte markers, respectively, and neurod1 The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibitor MK801 rescued the HEA-induced reduction in neurod1 in 5 dpf larvae but did not affect the HEA-induced transcriptional changes in other neural cell types, suggesting that hyperactivation of NMDA receptors specifically contributes to the deleterious effects of HEA in determined neurons. As observed in vivo, HEA exposure elicited marked changes in the expression of cell type-specific markers in isolated 5 dpf larval brains. The addition of CRF reversed the in vitro effects of HEA on neurod1 expression and prevented an HEA-induced increase in cell death. Finally, the protective effects of CRF against HEA-mediated neurogenic impairment and cell death were prevented by the CRF type 1 receptor selective antagonist antalarmin. Together, these results provide novel evidence that HEA has developmental time- and cell type-specific neurotoxic effects, that NMDA receptor hyperactivation contributes to HEA-mediated impairment of determined neurons, and that CRF has neuroprotective properties in the larval zebrafish brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tegan A Williams
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Nicholas J Bernier
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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12
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Cortese A, Delgado-Morales R, Almeida OFX, Romberg C. The Arctic/Swedish APP mutation alters the impact of chronic stress on cognition in mice. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:2773-2785. [PMID: 31231836 PMCID: PMC6852344 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a major risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and promotes the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to β-amyloid (Aβ). However, the precise relationship of stress and disease-typical cognitive decline is presently not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate how early life stress may affect cognition in adult mice with and without soluble Aβ pathology typical for the early stages of the disease. We focussed on sustained attention and response control, aspects of cognition mediated by the prefrontal cortex that are consistently impaired both in early AD and after chronic stress exposure. Young wild-type mice as well as transgenic arcAβ mice overexpressing the hAPParc/swe transgene were exposed to a chronic unpredictable stress paradigm (age 3-8 weeks). At 15 weeks, these mice were tested on the 5-choice serial reaction time task, a test of sustained attention and executive control. We found that, expectedly, chronic stress increased impulsive choices and impaired sustained attention in wild-type mice. However, the same treatment reduced impulsivity and did not interfere with sustained attention in arcAβ mice. These findings suggest an unexpected interaction between chronic stress and Aβ whereby Aβ-pathology caused by the hAPParc/swe mutation prevented and/or reversed stress-induced cognitive changes through mechanisms that deserve further investigation. They also indicate that Aβ, in modest amounts, may have a beneficial role for cognitive stability, for example by protecting neural networks from the impact of further physiological or behavioural stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio Cortese
- Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, ATR Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
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13
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Zhuang J, Zang N, Ye C, Xu F. Lethal avian influenza A (H5N1) virus replicates in pontomedullary chemosensitive neurons and depresses hypercapnic ventilatory response in mice. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2019; 316:L525-L536. [PMID: 30628490 PMCID: PMC6459289 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00324.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The highly pathogenic H5N1 (HK483) viral infection causes a depressed hypercapnic ventilatory response (dHCVR, 20%↓) at 2 days postinfection (dpi) and death at 7 dpi in mice, but the relevant mechanisms are not fully understood. Glomus cells in the carotid body and catecholaminergic neurons in locus coeruleus (LC), neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R)-expressing neurons in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), and serotonergic neurons in the raphe are chemosensitive and responsible for HCVR. We asked whether the dHCVR became worse over the infection period with viral replication in these cells/neurons. Mice intranasally inoculated with saline or the HK483 virus were exposed to hypercapnia for 5 min at 0, 2, 4, or 6 dpi, followed by immunohistochemistry to determine the expression of nucleoprotein of H5N1 influenza A (NP) alone and coupled with 1) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the carotid body and LC, 2) NK1R in the RTN, and 3) tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the raphe. HK483 viral infection blunted HCVR by ∼20, 50, and 65% at 2, 4, and 6 dpi. The NP was observed in the pontomedullary respiratory-related nuclei (but not in the carotid body) at 4 and 6 dpi, especially in 20% of RTN NK1R, 35% of LC TH, and ∼10% raphe TPH neurons. The infection significantly reduced the local NK1R or TPH immunoreactivity and population of neurons expressing NK1R or TPH. We conclude that the HK483 virus infects the pontomedullary respiratory nuclei, particularly chemosensitive neurons in the RTN, LC, and raphe, contributing to the severe depression of HCVR and respiratory failure at 6 dpi. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The H5N1 virus infection is lethal due to respiratory failure, but the relevant mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated a gradual diminution of hypercapnic ventilatory response to a degree, leading to respiratory failure over a 6-day infection. Death was associated with viral replication in the pontomedullary respiratory-related nuclei, especially the central chemosensitive neurons. These results not only provide insight into the mechanisms of the lethality of H5N1 viral infection but also offer clues in the development of corresponding treatments to minimize and prevent respiratory failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Zhuang
- Pathophysiology Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Na Zang
- Pathophysiology Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Chunyan Ye
- Pathophysiology Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Fadi Xu
- Pathophysiology Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute , Albuquerque, New Mexico
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14
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Alderman SL, Leishman EM, Fuzzen MLM, Bernier NJ. Corticotropin-releasing factor regulates caspase-3 and may protect developing zebrafish from stress-induced apoptosis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 265:207-213. [PMID: 29807032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system is expressed in the earliest stages of zebrafish development, long before its canonical function in the endocrine stress response is realized, and yet its function during embryogenesis is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that CRF protects embryos from stress-induced apoptosis. Here we confirm that a 1 h heat shock applied at either 6 h post-fertilization (hpf) or 30 hpf elicits an increase in caspase-3 activity, a key effector of apoptosis. Temporal changes in the expression of crf and its binding protein (crf-bp) during recovery from heat shock indicate that the CRF system is responsive to stressors experienced as early as gastrulation. Next, we heat shocked embryos that were microinjected with crf mRNA, and showed that caspase-3 induction is significantly reduced in embryos that overexpress CRF relative to control embryos. In addition, incubating embryos in the presence of the CRF receptor type 1 (CRF-R1) antagonist, antalarmin, during recovery from heat shock significantly increased caspase-3 activity, suggesting that CRF regulates caspase-3 via a CRF-R1-dependent pathway. Finally, we show that most heat shock-induced mortality occurred during the first hour of recovery, long before a significant increase in caspase-3 activity was detected. Indeed, the delayed caspase-3 induction coincided with a mortality plateau, and neither CRF overexpression nor antalarmin treatment altered heat shock induced mortality, supporting previous in vitro evidence that CRF-mediated cytoprotection occurs through the slow and tightly controlled apoptotic pathway. This study provides novel in vivo evidence that CRF regulates stress-induced apoptosis in a vertebrate model species, and demonstrates for the first time a function for the CRF system in early development that precedes its role in the endocrine stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Alderman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada.
| | - Emily M Leishman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Meghan L M Fuzzen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Nicholas J Bernier
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada
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15
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Pozzoli G, De Simone ML, Cantalupo E, Cenciarelli C, Lisi L, Boninsegna A, Dello Russo C, Sgambato A, Navarra P. The activation of type 1 corticotropin releasing factor receptor (CRF-R1) inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation of neuroblastoma cells in vitro via p27(Kip1) protein up-regulation and c-Myc mRNA down-regulation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 412:205-15. [PMID: 25960164 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Our group has previously shown that corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) inhibits proliferation of human endocrine-related cancer cell lines via the activation of CRF type-1 receptors (CRF-R1). Tumors originating from the nervous system also express CRF receptors but their role on neoplastic cell proliferation was poorly investigated. Here we investigated the effect of CRF receptor stimulation on nervous system-derived cancer cells, using the SK-N-SH (N) human neuroblastoma cell line as an experimental model. We found that SK-N-SH (N) cells express functionally active CRF-R1, whose activation by CRF and the cognate peptide urocortin (UCN) is associated to reduced cell proliferation and motility, as well as neuronal-like differentiation. UCN did not interfere with cell viability and cell-cycle arrest. Those effects seem to be mediated by a mechanism involving the activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway and the subsequent downstream increase in p27(Kip1) and underphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein levels, as well as reduced c-Myc mRNA accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Pozzoli
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Laura De Simone
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia Cantalupo
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cenciarelli
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Lisi
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alma Boninsegna
- "Giovanni XXIII" Cancer Research Center - Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Dello Russo
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sgambato
- "Giovanni XXIII" Cancer Research Center - Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Navarra
- Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
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16
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Blaabjerg L, Christensen GL, Matsumoto M, van der Meulen T, Huising MO, Billestrup N, Vale WW. CRFR1 activation protects against cytokine-induced β-cell death. J Mol Endocrinol 2014; 53:417-27. [PMID: 25324488 PMCID: PMC4518718 DOI: 10.1530/jme-14-0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During the development of diabetes β-cells are exposed to elevated concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL1β, which in vitro induce β-cell death. The class B G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) and CRFR2 are expressed in pancreatic islets. As downstream signaling by other class B GPCRs can protect against cytokine-induced β-cell apoptosis, we evaluated the protective potential of CRFR activation in β-cells in a pro-inflammatory setting. CRFR1/CRFR2 ligands activated AKT and CRFR1 signaling and reduced apoptosis in human islets. In rat and mouse insulin-secreting cell lines (INS-1 and MIN6), CRFR1 agonists upregulated insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) expression, increased AKT activation, counteracted the cytokine-mediated decrease in BAD phosphorylation, and inhibited apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic signaling was dependent on prolonged exposure to corticotropin-releasing factor family peptides and followed PKA-mediated IRS2 upregulation. This indicates that CRFR signaling counteracts proinflammatory cytokine-mediated apoptotic pathways through upregulation of survival signaling in β-cells. Interestingly, CRFR signaling also counteracted basal apoptosis in both cultured INS-1 cells and intact human islets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lykke Blaabjerg
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Gitte L Christensen
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Masahito Matsumoto
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Talitha van der Meulen
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mark O Huising
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Nils Billestrup
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Wylie W Vale
- Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide BiologySalk Institute, 10100 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USACellular and Metabolic Research SectionDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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17
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Szabadfi K, Kiss P, Reglodi D, Fekete EM, Tamas A, Danyadi B, Atlasz T, Gabriel R. Urocortin 2 treatment is protective in excitotoxic retinal degeneration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 101:67-76. [PMID: 24311224 DOI: 10.1556/aphysiol.100.2013.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Urocortin 2 (Ucn 2) is a corticotrop releasing factor paralog peptide with many physiological functions and it has widespread distribution. There are some data on the cytoprotective effects of Ucn 2, but less is known about its neuro- and retinoprotective actions. We have previously shown that Ucn 2 is protective in ischemia-induced retinal degeneration. The aim of the present study was to examine the protective potential of Ucn 2 in monosodium-glutamate (MSG)-induced retinal degeneration by routine histology and to investigate cell-type specific effects by immunohistochemistry. Rat pups received MSG applied on postnatal days 1, 5 and 9 and Ucn 2 was injected intravitreally into one eye. Retinas were processed for histology and immunocytochemistry after 3 weeks. Immunolabeling was determined for glial fibrillary acidic protein, vesicular glutamate transporter 1, protein kinase Cα, calbindin, parvalbumin and calretinin. Retinal tissue from animals treated with MSG showed severe degeneration compared to normal retinas, but intravitreal Ucn 2 treatment resulted in a retained retinal structure both at histological and neurochemical levels: distinct inner retinal layers and rescued inner retinal cells (different types of amacrine and rod bipolar cells) could be observed. These findings support the neuroprotective function of Ucn 2 in MSG-induced retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Szabadfi
- University of Pécs Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences Ifjúság útja 6 H-7624 Pécs Hungary
| | - P Kiss
- PTE-MTA "Lendület" PACAP Research Team Department of Anatomy Pécs Hungary
| | - D Reglodi
- PTE-MTA "Lendület" PACAP Research Team Department of Anatomy Pécs Hungary
| | - E M Fekete
- The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla CA USA University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Psychiatry Madison WI USA
| | - A Tamas
- PTE-MTA "Lendület" PACAP Research Team Department of Anatomy Pécs Hungary
| | - B Danyadi
- PTE-MTA "Lendület" PACAP Research Team Department of Anatomy Pécs Hungary
| | - T Atlasz
- University of Pécs Department of Sportbiology Pécs Hungary
| | - R Gabriel
- University of Pécs Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences Ifjúság útja 6 H-7624 Pécs Hungary
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18
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Immunolocalization of Kisspeptin Associated with Amyloid-β Deposits in the Pons of an Alzheimer's Disease Patient. JOURNAL OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES 2013; 2013:879710. [PMID: 26317001 PMCID: PMC4437339 DOI: 10.1155/2013/879710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2013] [Revised: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The pons region of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is one of the last to show amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits and has been suggested to contain neuroprotective compounds. Kisspeptin (KP) is a hormone that activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and has been suggested to be neuroprotective against Aβ toxicity. The localization of KP, plus the established endogenous neuroprotective compounds corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and catalase, in tissue sections from the pons region of a male AD subject has been determined in relation to Aβ deposits. Results showed Aβ deposits also stained with KP, CRH, and catalase antibodies. At high magnification the staining of deposits was either KP or catalase positive, and there was only a limited area of the deposits with KP-catalase colocalization. The CRH does not bind Aβ, whilst both KP and catalase can bind Aβ, suggesting that colocalization in Aβ deposits is not restricted to compounds that directly bind Aβ. The neuroprotective actions of KP, CRH, and catalase were confirmed in vitro, and fibrillar Aβ preparations were shown to stimulate the release of KP in vitro. In conclusion, neuroprotective KP, CRH, and catalase all colocalize with Aβ plaque-like deposits in the pons region from a male AD subject.
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Abstract
Neurogenesis during embryonic and adult life is tightly regulated by a network of transcriptional, growth and hormonal factors. Emerging evidence indicates that activation of the stress response, via the associated glucocorticoid increase, reduces neurogenesis and contributes to the development of adult diseases.As corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) or factor is the major mediator of adaptive response to stressors, we sought to investigate its involvement in this process. Accordingly, we found that CRH could reverse the damaging effects of glucocorticoid on neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs), while its genetic deficiency results in compromised proliferation and enhanced apoptosis during neurogenesis. Analyses in fetal and adult mouse brain revealed significant expression of CRH receptors in proliferating neuronal progenitors. Furthermore, by using primary cultures of NS/PCs, we characterized the molecular mechanisms and identified CRH receptor-1 as the receptor mediating the neuroprotective effects of CRH. Finally, we demonstrate the expression of CRH receptors in human fetal brain from early gestational age, in areas of active neuronal proliferation. These observations raise the intriguing possibility for CRH-mediated pharmacological applications in diseases characterized by altered neuronal homeostasis, including depression, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, brain traumas and obesity.
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20
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Grammatopoulos DK. Insights into mechanisms of corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor signal transduction. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 166:85-97. [PMID: 21883143 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01631.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
During evolution, mammals have developed remarkably similar molecular mechanisms to respond to external challenges and maintain survival. Critical regulators of these mechanisms are the family of 'stress'-peptides that consists of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and urocortins (Ucns). These neuropeptides 'fine-tune' integration of an intricate series of physiological responses involving the autonomic, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular and reproductive systems, which induce a spectrum of behavioural and homeostatic changes. CRH and Ucns exert their actions by activating two types of CRH receptors (CRH-R), CRH-R1 and CRH-R2, which belong to the class-B1 family of GPCRs. The CRH-Rs exhibit signalling promiscuity facilitated by their ability to couple to multiple G-proteins and regulate diverse intracellular networks that involve intracellular effectors such as cAMP and an array of PKs in an agonist and tissue-specific manner, a property that allows them to exert unique roles in the integration of homeostatic mechanisms. We only now begin to unravel the plethora of CRH-R biological actions and the transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms such as alternative mRNA splicing or phosphorylation-mediated desensitization developed to tightly control CRH-Rs biological activity and regulate their physiological actions. This review summarizes the current understanding of CRH-R signalling complexity and regulatory mechanisms that underpin cellular responses to CRH and Ucns.
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21
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Liew HK, Hsu CW, Wang MJ, Kuo JS, Li TY, Peng HF, Wang JY, Pang CY. Therapeutic benefit of urocortin in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage. J Neurosurg 2012; 116:193-200. [DOI: 10.3171/2011.8.jns101637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Object
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for about 15% of all deaths due to stroke. It frequently causes brain edema, leading to an expansion of brain volume that exerts a negative impact on ICH outcomes. The ICH-induced brain edema involves inflammatory mechanisms. The authors' in vitro study shows that urocortin (UCN) exhibits antiinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Therefore, the neuroprotective effect of UCN on ICH in rats was investigated.
Methods
Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by an infusion of bacteria collagenase type VII-S or autologous blood into the unilateral striatum of anesthetized rats. At 1 hour after the induction of ICH, UCN (0.05, 0.5, and 5 μg) was infused into the lateral ventricle on the ipsilateral side. The authors examined the injury area, brain water content, blood-brain barrier permeability, and neurological function.
Results
The UCN, administered in the ipsilateral lateral ventricle, was able to penetrate into the injured striatum. Posttreatment with UCN reduced the injury area, brain edema, and blood-brain barrier permeability and improved neurological deficits of rats with ICH.
Conclusions
Posttreatment with UCN through improving neurological deficits of rats with ICH dose dependently provided a potential therapeutic agent for patients with ICH or other brain injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hock-Kean Liew
- 1Departments of Medical Research and
- 3Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center; and
| | - Chih-Wei Hsu
- 2Emergency Medicine, Tzu Chi General Hospital
- 6School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien
| | - Mei-Jen Wang
- 1Departments of Medical Research and
- 4Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, and
| | - Jon-Son Kuo
- 4Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, and
| | | | | | - Jia-Yi Wang
- 3Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center; and
- 5Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yoong Pang
- 1Departments of Medical Research and
- 4Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, and
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Chronic stress exacerbates tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and cognitive performance through a corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-dependent mechanism in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy. J Neurosci 2011; 31:14436-49. [PMID: 21976528 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3836-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Because overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD), dysregulation of stress neuromediators may play a mechanistic role in the pathophysiology of AD. However, the effects of stress on tau phosphorylation are poorly understood, and the relationship between corticosterone and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) on both β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau pathology remain unclear. Therefore, we first established a model of chronic stress, which exacerbates Aβ accumulation in Tg2576 mice and then extended this stress paradigm to a tau transgenic mouse model with the P301S mutation (PS19) that displays tau hyperphosphorylation, insoluble tau inclusions and neurodegeneration. We show for the first time that both Tg2576 and PS19 mice demonstrate a heightened HPA stress profile in the unstressed state. In Tg2576 mice, 1 month of restraint/isolation (RI) stress increased Aβ levels, suppressed microglial activation, and worsened spatial and fear memory compared with nonstressed mice. In PS19 mice, RI stress promoted tau hyperphosphorylation, insoluble tau aggregation, neurodegeneration, and fear-memory impairments. These effects were not mimicked by chronic corticosterone administration but were prevented by pre-stress administration of a CRF receptor type 1 (CRF(1)) antagonist. The role for a CRF(1)-dependent mechanism was further supported by the finding that mice overexpressing CRF had increased hyperphosphorylated tau compared with wild-type littermates. Together, these results implicate HPA dysregulation in AD neuropathogenesis and suggest that prolonged stress may increase Aβ and tau hyperphosphorylation. These studies also implicate CRF in AD pathophysiology and suggest that pharmacological manipulation of this neuropeptide may be a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.
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Stern CM, Meitzen J, Mermelstein PG. Corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin I activate CREB through functionally selective Gβγ signaling in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2011; 34:671-81. [PMID: 21819464 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07812.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a perceived perturbation in the environment of the organism that affects numerous extrahypothalamic brain regions including the hippocampus, a limbic structure critical for learning, spatial memory and the regulation of stress hormones. Though many effects of stress on the hippocampus are mediated via local glucocorticoid action, there is now ample evidence for the contributions of the stress peptides corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin I (UCN). Thus, understanding the intracellular signaling pathways activated by stress peptides is required to fully understand the mechanisms by which stress influences the hippocampus. Here we elucidate molecular mechanisms by which CRF and UCN induce phosphorylation of the activity-dependent transcription factor CREB, a molecule critical for numerous forms of neuronal plasticity. We report that nanomolar concentrations of both CRF and UCN lead to a rapid, CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1)- and Gβγ-dependent increase in CREB phosphorylation in rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Interestingly, CRF- and UCN-induced signaling pathways diverge downstream of Gβγ, with UCN, but not CRF, signaling to CREB via a MEK/MAPK-dependent pathway. These data suggest novel molecular mechanisms by which stress can directly impact hippocampal neurons, as well as highlight an emerging role for Gβγ signaling in mediating the effects of stress peptides in extrahypothalamic stress-responsive brain regions.
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Hu K, Shi Y, Jiang W, Han J, Huang S, Jiang X. Lactoferrin conjugated PEG-PLGA nanoparticles for brain delivery: preparation, characterization and efficacy in Parkinson's disease. Int J Pharm 2011; 415:273-83. [PMID: 21651967 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2011.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A novel biodegradable brain drug delivery system, the lactoferrin (Lf) conjugated polyethylene glycol-polylactide-polyglycolide (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticle (Lf-NP) was constructed in this paper with its in vitro and in vivo delivery properties evaluated by a fluorescent probe coumarin-6. Lf was thiolated and conjugated to the distal maleimide function surrounding on the pegylated nanoparticle to form Lf-NP. TEM observation and ELISA analysis confirmed the existence of active Lf on the surface of Lf-NP. The results of qualitative and quantitative uptake studies of coumarin-6 incorporated Lf-NP showed a more pronounced accumulation of Lf-NP in bEnd.3 cells than that of unconjugated nanoparticle (NP). Further uptake inhibition study indicated that the increased uptake of Lf-NP was via an additional clathrin mediated endocytosis processes. Following intravenous administration, a near 3 fold of coumarin-6 was found in the mice brain carried by Lf-NP compared to that carried by NP. Intravenous injection of urocortin loaded Lf-NP effectively attenuated the striatum lesion caused by 6-hydroxydopamine in rats as indicated by the behavioral test, the immunohistochemistry test and striatal transmitter content detection results. The cell viability test and CD68 immunohistochemistry demonstrated the acceptable toxicity of the system. All these results demonstrated that Lf-NP was a promising brain drug delivery system with reasonable toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Hu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China
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25
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Stern CM, Luoma JI, Meitzen J, Mermelstein PG. Corticotropin releasing factor-induced CREB activation in striatal neurons occurs via a novel Gβγ signaling pathway. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18114. [PMID: 21448293 PMCID: PMC3063246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 02/25/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was initially identified as a critical component of the stress response. CRF exerts its cellular effects by binding to one of two cognate G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) or 2 (CRFR2). While these GPCRs were originally characterized as being coupled to Gα(s), leading to downstream activation of adenylyl cyclase (AC) and subsequent increases in cAMP, it has since become clear that CRFRs couple to and activate numerous other downstream signaling cascades. In addition, CRF signaling influences the activity of many diverse brain regions, affecting a variety of behaviors. One of these regions is the striatum, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). CRF exerts profound effects on striatal-dependent behaviors such as drug addiction, pair-bonding, and natural reward. Recent data indicate that at least some of these behaviors regulated by CRF are mediated through CRF activation of the transcription factor CREB. Thus, we aimed to elucidate the signaling pathway by which CRF activates CREB in striatal neurons. Here we describe a novel neuronal signaling pathway whereby CRF leads to a rapid Gβγ- and MEK-dependent increase in CREB phosphorylation. These data are the first descriptions of CRF leading to activation of a Gβγ-dependent signaling pathway in neurons, as well as the first description of Gβγ activation leading to downstream CREB phosphorylation in any cellular system. Additionally, these data provide additional insight into the mechanisms by which CRF can regulate neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Stern
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jessie I. Luoma
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Paul G. Mermelstein
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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26
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Tufekci KU, Genc S, Genc K. The endotoxin-induced neuroinflammation model of Parkinson's disease. PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2011; 2011:487450. [PMID: 21331154 PMCID: PMC3034925 DOI: 10.4061/2011/487450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Revised: 11/18/2010] [Accepted: 12/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra. Although the exact cause of the dopaminergic neurodegeneration remains elusive, recent postmortem and experimental studies have revealed an essential role for neuroinflammation that is initiated and driven by activated microglial and infiltrated peripheral immune cells and their neurotoxic products (such as proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide) in the pathogenesis of PD. A bacterial endotoxin-based experimental model of PD has been established, representing a purely inflammation-driven animal model for the induction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This model, by itself or together with genetic and toxin-based animal models, provides an important tool to delineate the precise mechanisms of neuroinflammation-mediated dopaminergic neuron loss. Here, we review the characteristics of this model and the contribution of neuroinflammatory processes, induced by the in vivo administration of bacterial endotoxin, to neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we summarize the recent experimental therapeutic strategies targeting endotoxin-induced neuroinflammation to elicit neuroprotection in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. The potential of the endotoxin-based PD model in the development of an early-stage specific diagnostic biomarker is also emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemal Ugur Tufekci
- Department of Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Sermin Genc
- Department of Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Kursad Genc
- Department of Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
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27
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Kim Y, Park MK, Chung S. Protective effect of urocortin on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced dopaminergic neuronal death. Mol Cells 2010; 30:427-33. [PMID: 20821057 DOI: 10.1007/s10059-010-0132-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2010] [Revised: 07/29/2010] [Accepted: 08/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRF)-related peptide, urocortin, restores key indicators of damage in animal models for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the molecular mechanism for the neuroprotective effect of urocortin is unknown. 1-Methy-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)) induces dopaminergic neuronal death. In the present study, MPP(+)-induced neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell death was significantly attenuated by urocortin in a concentration-dependent manner. The protective effect of urocortin involved the activation of CRF receptor type 1, resulting in the increase of cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. Various cAMP-enhancing reagents mimicked the effect of urocortin, while inhibitors for protein kinase A (PKA) blocked the effect of urocortin, strongly implicating the involvement of cAMP-PKA pathway in the neuroprotective effect of urocortin on MPP(+)-induced cell death. As the downstream of this signal pathway, urocortin promoted phosphorylation of both glycogen synthase kinase 3β and extracellular signal-regulated kinases, which are known to promote cell survival. These neuroprotective signaling pathways of urocortin may serve as potential therapeutic targets for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonjung Kim
- Department of Physiology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 440-746, Korea
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Papazacharias S, Magafa V, Bernad N, Pairas G, Spyroulias GA, Martinez J, Cordopatis P. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New CRH Analogues. Bioinorg Chem Appl 2010; 2010:252348. [PMID: 20689735 PMCID: PMC2905701 DOI: 10.1155/2010/252348] [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: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of 7 new human/rat Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (h/r-CRH) analogues were synthesized. The induced alterations include substitution of Phe at position 12 with D-Phe, Leu at positions 14 and 15 with Aib and Met at positions 21 and 38 with Cys(Et) and Cys(Pr). The analogues were tested regarding their binding affinity to the CRH-1 receptor and their activity which is represented by means of percentage of maximum response in comparison to the native molecule. The results indicated that the introduction of Aib, or Cys derivatives although altering the secondary structure of the molecule, did not hinder receptor recognition and binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyridon Papazacharias
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Magafa
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
| | - Nicole Bernad
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR-CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Universités Montpellier 1 et 2, 15 Av. C. Flahault, 34093 Montpellier, France
| | - George Pairas
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
| | - Georgios A. Spyroulias
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
| | - Jean Martinez
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR-CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Universités Montpellier 1 et 2, 15 Av. C. Flahault, 34093 Montpellier, France
| | - Paul Cordopatis
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
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29
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Szabadfi K, Mester L, Reglodi D, Kiss P, Babai N, Racz B, Kovacs K, Szabo A, Tamas A, Gabriel R, Atlasz T. Novel neuroprotective strategies in ischemic retinal lesions. Int J Mol Sci 2010; 11:544-561. [PMID: 20386654 PMCID: PMC2852854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms11020544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Revised: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ischemia can be effectively modeled by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, which leads to chronic hypoperfusion-induced degeneration in the entire rat retina. The complex pathways leading to retinal cell death offer a complex approach of neuroprotective strategies. In the present review we summarize recent findings with different neuroprotective candidate molecules. We describe the protective effects of intravitreal treatment with: (i) urocortin 2; (ii) a mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener, diazoxide; (iii) a neurotrophic factor, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide; and (iv) a novel poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (HO3089). The retinoprotective effects are demonstrated with morphological description and effects on apoptotic pathways using molecular biological techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Szabadfi
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(K.S.);
(N.B.);
(R.G.)
| | - Laszlo Mester
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(L.M.);
(B.R.);
(K.K.);
(A.S.)
| | - Dora Reglodi
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(D.R.);
(P.K.);
(A.T.)
| | - Peter Kiss
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(D.R.);
(P.K.);
(A.T.)
| | - Norbert Babai
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(K.S.);
(N.B.);
(R.G.)
| | - Boglarka Racz
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(L.M.);
(B.R.);
(K.K.);
(A.S.)
| | - Krisztina Kovacs
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(L.M.);
(B.R.);
(K.K.);
(A.S.)
| | - Aliz Szabo
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(L.M.);
(B.R.);
(K.K.);
(A.S.)
| | - Andrea Tamas
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(D.R.);
(P.K.);
(A.T.)
| | - Robert Gabriel
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(K.S.);
(N.B.);
(R.G.)
| | - Tamas Atlasz
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary; E-Mails:
(K.S.);
(N.B.);
(R.G.)
- Department of Sportbiology, University of Pecs, H-7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
; Tel.: +36-72-503-600/4613; Fax: +36-72-501-517
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Cservenka A, Spangler E, Cote DM, Ryabinin AE. Postnatal developmental profile of urocortin 1 and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in the perioculomotor region of C57BL/6J mice. Brain Res 2010; 1319:33-43. [PMID: 20064491 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2009] [Revised: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/01/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Urocortin 1 (Ucn 1) is an endogenous corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-related peptide. Ucn 1 is most highly expressed in the perioculomotor urocortin containing neurons (pIIIu), previously known as the non-preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus (npEW). Various studies indicate that these cells are involved in stress adaptation and the regulation of ethanol (EtOH) intake. However, the developmental trajectory of these neurons remained unexamined. Expression of the cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), which co-localizes with Ucn 1 in the perioculomotor area (pIII) has been examined prenatally, but not postnatally. The goal of the current study was to characterize the ontogenetic profile of Ucn 1 and CART during postnatal development in C57BL/6J (B6) mice. B6 mice were bred, and brains were collected at postnatal days (PND) 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 45. Brightfield immunohistochemical staining for Ucn 1 and CART showed that Ucn 1-immunoreactivity (ir) was absent at PND 1, while CART-ir was already apparent in pIIIu at birth, a finding indicating that although the pIIIu neurons have already migrated to their adult position, Ucn 1 expression is triggered in them at later postnatal stages. Ucn 1-ir gradually increased with age, approaching adult levels at PND 16. This developmental profile was confirmed by double-immunofluorescence, which showed that Ucn 1 was absent in CART-positive cells of pIII at PND 4 and that Ucn 1 and CART are strongly but not completely co-localized in pIII at PND 24. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis confirmed that Ucn 1 mRNA levels are significantly lower at PND 4 and PND 12 than in adult animals. The lack of brain Ucn 1 immunoreactivity at birth and the gradual postnatal increase in Ucn 1 in pIIIu suggests that this peptide plays a greater behavioral role in adulthood than during the early postnatal development of an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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31
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Hughes JP, Ward DR, Facci L, Richardson JC, Skaper SD. Apoptosis-associated tyrosine kinase and neuronal cell death. Neurochem Res 2009; 35:588-97. [PMID: 19941067 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-009-0103-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis-associated tyrosine kinase (AATYK) is up-regulated by phosphorylation in cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) undergoing apoptosis upon switch to low KCl-containing medium. However, the underlying signaling pathways remain to be fully characterized. When CGN at culture day 7 were switched from 25 mM KCl (K25) to 5 mM (K5) medium, AATYK band migration on SDS-PAGE shifted to a more slowly migrating position expected for the hyperphosphorylated protein. The apoptosis-inducing agent C(2)-ceramide also caused a mobility shift of the AATYK protein. Exposing CGN (K25) to L-type voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channel antagonists shifted the AATYK band to the K5-induced position, while the Ca(2+) channel activator FPL-64176 had the contrary effect. FK-506, a calcineurin inhibitor caused AATYK hyperphosphorylation under high KCl conditions. CGN death in K5 medium is linked to inhibition of the PI 3-kinase/Akt survival pathway and concomitant activation of the pro-apoptotic downstream target glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). GSK-3 inhibitors blocked the K5-induced mobility shift of AATYK. Moreover, CGN cultured from AATYK-deficient mice remained sensitive to death in K5 medium. Thus, AATYK activation may not be a physiologically relevant principal regulatory target of the GSK-3 death pathway in KCl-deprived CGN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane P Hughes
- Neurosciences Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Limited, New Frontiers Science Park, Harlow, UK
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32
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Huang HY, Lin SZ, Chen WF, Li KW, Kuo JS, Wang MJ. Urocortin modulates dopaminergic neuronal survival via inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and histone deacetylase. Neurobiol Aging 2009; 32:1662-77. [PMID: 19875195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2009] [Revised: 08/19/2009] [Accepted: 09/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Urocortin (UCN) is a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family of neuropeptides that regulates stress responses. Although UCN is principally expressed in dopaminergic neurons in rat substantia nigra (SN), the function of UCN in modulating dopaminergic neuronal survival remains unclear. Using primary mesencephalic cultures, we demonstrated that dopaminergic neurons underwent spontaneous cell death when their age increased in culture. Treatment of mesencephalic cultures with UCN markedly prolonged the survival of dopaminergic neurons, whereas neutralization of UCN with anti-UCN antibody accelerated dopaminergic neurons degeneration. UCN increased intracellular cAMP levels followed by phosphorylating glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) on Ser9. Moreover, UCN directly inhibited the histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and induced a robust increase in histone H3 acetylation levels. Using pharmacological approaches, we further demonstrated that inhibition of GSK-3β and HDAC contributes to UCN-mediated neuroprotection. These results suggest that dopaminergic neuron-derived UCN might be involved in an autocrine protective signaling mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yi Huang
- Department of Research, Neuro-Medical Scientific Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien 970, Taiwan, ROC
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33
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Hanstein R, Trotter J, Behl C, Clement AB. Increased connexin 43 expression as a potential mediator of the neuroprotective activity of the corticotropin-releasing hormone. Mol Endocrinol 2009; 23:1479-93. [PMID: 19460861 DOI: 10.1210/me.2009-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
CRH is a major central stress mediator, but also a potent neuroprotective effector. The mechanisms by which CRH mediates its neuroprotective actions are largely unknown. Here, we describe that the gap junction molecule connexin43 (Cx43) mediates neuroprotective effects of CRH toward experimentally induced oxidative stress. An enhanced gap junction communication has been reported to contribute to neuroprotection after neurotoxic insults. We show that CRH treatment up-regulates Cx43 expression and gap junctional communication in a CRH receptor-dependent manner in IMR32 neuroblastoma cells, primary astrocytes, and organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. MAPKs and protein kinase A-cAMP response element binding protein -coupled pathways are involved in the signaling cascade from CRH to enhanced Cx43 function. Inhibition of CRH-promoted gap junction communication by the gap junction inhibitor carbenoxolone could prevent neuroprotective actions of CRH in cell and tissue culture models suggesting that gap junction molecules are involved in the neuroprotective effects of CRH. The extent of oxidative stress-induced protein carbonylation and cell death inversely correlated with Cx43 protein levels as shown by Cx43 small interfering RNA knockdown experiments. Coculture studies of primary neurons and astrocytes revealed that astrocytic Cx43 likely contributes to the neuroprotective effects of CRH. To our knowledge this is the first description of Cx43 as a potential mediator of the neuroprotective actions of CRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Hanstein
- Institute of Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
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Torricelli M, Voltolini C, Biliotti G, Giorlandino C, De Pascalis F, De Bonis M, Mesuraca A, Giovannelli A, Pecciarini L, Petraglia F. Urocortin in amniotic fluid and Down syndrome. Prenat Diagn 2009; 29:806-7. [DOI: 10.1002/pd.2252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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35
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Szabadfi K, Atlasz T, Reglodi D, Kiss P, Dányádi B, Fekete EM, Zorrilla EP, Tamás A, Szabó K, Gábriel R. Urocortin 2 protects against retinal degeneration following bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in the rat. Neurosci Lett 2009; 455:42-5. [PMID: 19429103 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2008] [Revised: 03/03/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Urocortin 2 (Ucn 2) is corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) paralog that preferentially activates CRF(2) receptors. Ucns exert CRF(2)-mediated cytoprotective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in cardiomyocytes. However, little is known regarding potential retinoprotective effects of Ucns despite the known presence of CRF family peptides and their receptors (predominantly CRF(2 alpha)) in retina. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of post-ischemic intravitreal Ucn 2 (2 nmol) administration on ischemia-induced retinal degeneration. Two-month-old rats were subjected to permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, and their retinas were processed histologically after two weeks survival to determine the density of viable cells in the ganglion cell layer and the thickness of all retinal layers. In vehicle-treated subjects, carotid occlusion reduced retina thickness by approximately 60% as compared to sham-operated animals. In contrast, intraocular Ucn 2 treatment led to a marked amelioration of the retinal layers, and the thickness of all layers was significantly increased by 40% compared to ischemic vehicle-treated subjects. Ucn 2 treatment also increased the number of cells by 55% in the ganglion cell layer as compared to those from carotid-occluded retinas of vehicle-treated subjects. These findings suggest that intraocular Ucn 2 treatment may protect against ischemia-induced retinal degeneration, results with potential therapeutic implications for ophthalmic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Szabadfi
- Dept. of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Univ. of Pécs, Ifjúsag útja 6, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary.
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36
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Tezval H, Jurk S, Atschekzei F, Serth J, Kuczyk MA, Merseburger AS. The involvement of altered corticotropin releasing factor receptor 2 expression in prostate cancer due to alteration of anti-angiogenic signaling pathways. Prostate 2009; 69:443-8. [PMID: 19058138 DOI: 10.1002/pros.20892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression of urocortin (Ucn) in the human benign prostate and prostate cancer has been reported recently. Ucn binds and activates corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor 1 (CRFR1) and 2 (CRFR2). Activation of CRFR2 has been shown to inhibit tumor growth by regulation of proliferation and apoptosis as well as suppression of vascularization. However, there is no report demonstrating expression profile of CRFR2 in normal prostate versus prostate cancer. METHODS CRFR2 mRNA expression was assessed in human normal prostate and prostate cancer by reverse transcriptase PCR. CRFR2 expression on protein level has been performed using double staining immunofluorescence (IF) of tissue microarrays of 32 cases of prostatic adenocarcioma with corresponding normal tissues. Confocal microscopy was carried out to visualize the immunostaining. RESULTS PCR of normal prostate lysates exhibited specific signals for CRFR2 mRNA. However PCR of lysates of prostate cancer exhibited no signal for CRFR2 mRNA. IF study exhibited that smooth muscle components of the stroma and endothelial cells of blood vessels express an extensive staining for CRFR2. In a lesser extend vascular smooth muscle cells expressed CRFR2. The tumoral neovascular system and stroma exhibited no immunopositivity for CRFR2. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates for the first time that human benign prostate tissue and prostate cancer specimen differentially express CRFR2. While Ucn expression in prostate cancer has been shown to be identical to non-malignant prostate tissues, we hypothesize that expression loss of CRFR2 in prostate cancer and its neovascularization contributes to prostate tumorigenesis, progression, and neoangiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Tezval
- Department of Urology and Urological Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
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37
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Charron C, Schock SC, Proulx G, Thompson CS, Hakim AM, Plamondon H. Protection conferred by Corticotropin-releasing hormone in rat primary cortical neurons against chemical ischemia involves opioid receptor activation. Brain Res 2008; 1257:117-27. [PMID: 19146834 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2008] [Revised: 12/12/2008] [Accepted: 12/17/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Different studies have supported neuroprotective effects of Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) against various excitotoxic and oxidative insults in vitro. However, the physiological mechanisms involved in this protection remain largely unknown. The present study was undertaken to determine the impact of CRH administration (at concentrations ranging from 200 fmol to 2 nmol) before and at delayed time intervals following potassium cyanide (KCN)-induced insult in rat primary cortical neurons. A second objective aimed to determine whether kappa and delta opioid receptor (KOR and DOR) blockade, using nor-binaltorphimine and naltrindole respectively (10 microM), could alter CRH-induced cellular protection. Our findings revealed that CRH treatments before or 3 and 8 h following KCN insult conferred significant protection against cortical injury, an effect blocked in cultures treated with alpha-helical CRH (9-41) prior to KCN administration. In addition, KOR and DOR blockade significantly reduced CRH-induced neuronal protection observed 3 but not 8 h post-KCN insult. Using western blotting, we demonstrated increased dynorphin, enkephalin, DOR and KOR protein expression in CRH-treated primary cortical neurons, and immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of opioid peptides and receptors in cortical neurons. These findings suggest protective effects of CRH against KCN-induced neuronal damage, and the contribution of the opioid system in modulating CRH actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlaine Charron
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 11, Marie Curie, Vanier 204, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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38
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Abstract
Stress is among the most frequently self-reported precipitants of seizures in patients with epilepsy. This review considers how important stress mediators like corticotropin-releasing hormone, corticosteroids, and neurosteroids could contribute to this phenomenon. Cellular effects of stress mediators in the rodent hippocampus are highlighted. Overall, corticosterone--with other stress hormones--rapidly enhances CA1/CA3 hippocampal activity shortly after stress. At the same time, corticosterone starts gene-mediated events, which enhance calcium influx several hours later. This later effect serves to normalize activity but also imposes a risk for neuronal injury if and when neurons are concurrently strongly depolarized, for example, during epileptic activity. In the dentate gyrus, stress-induced elevations in corticosteroid level are less effective in changing membrane properties such as calcium influx; here, enhanced inhibitory tone mediated through neurosteroid effects on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors might dominate. Under conditions of repetitive stress (e.g., caused from experiencing repetitive and unpredictable seizures) and/or early life stress, hormonal influences on the inhibitory tone, however, are diminished; instead, enhanced calcium influx and increased excitation become more important. In agreement, perinatal stress and elevated steroid levels accelerate epileptogenesis and lower seizure threshold in various animal models for epilepsy. It will be interesting to examine how curtailing the effects of stress in adults, for example, by brief treatment with antiglucocorticoids, may be beneficial to the treatment of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Joëls
- SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abuirmeileh A, Harkavyi A, Kingsbury A, Lever R, Whitton PS. The CRF-like peptide urocortin greatly attenuates loss of extracellular striatal dopamine in rat models of Parkinson's disease by activating CRF(1) receptors. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 604:45-50. [PMID: 19026631 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2008.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2008] [Revised: 10/17/2008] [Accepted: 11/01/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We have recently observed that the corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) related peptide urocortin reverses key features of nigrostriatal damage in two paradigms of Parkinson's disease. Here we have studied whether these effects are supported by a retention of striatal basal and evoked extracellular dopamine and the receptor(s) that may mediate this effect. Fourteen days following stereotaxic injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and urocortin, extracellular dopamine levels in striata ipsilateral to injection sites of 6-OHDA/LPS and urocortin treated rats were comparable with sham injected rats, whilst rats given 6-OHDA/LPS and vehicle had considerably lower dopamine levels. Striatal dopamine levels in animals where urocortin injection was delayed by seven days were only modestly decreased compared to animals receiving 6-OHDA/LPS and urocortin concomitantly. Additionally, the dopamine metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were also preserved in dialysates from urocortin treated rats. The effects of urocortin were entirely blocked by the non-selective CRF receptor antagonist alpha-helical CRF as well as the selective CRF(1) antagonist NBI 27914 and were not replicated by the selective CRF(2) ligand urocortin III. In the substantia nigra tissue dopamine changes mirrored those seen in striatal extracellular dopamine. Our data strongly suggest that urocortin is capable of maintaining adequate nigrostriatal function in vivo via CRF(1) receptors following. neurotoxic challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amjad Abuirmeileh
- Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
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40
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Sheng H, Sun T, Cong B, He P, Zhang Y, Yan J, Lu C, Ni X. Corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulates SGK-1 kinase expression in cultured hippocampal neurons via CRH-R1. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2008; 295:E938-46. [PMID: 18713960 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.90462.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been shown to exhibit various functions in hippocampus. In the present study, we examined the effect of CRH on the expression of serum/glucocorticoid-inducible protein kinase-1 (SGK-1), a novel protein kinase, in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. A dose-dependent increase in mRNA and protein levels of SGK-1 as well as frequency of SGK-1-positive neurons occurred upon exposure to CRH (1 pmol/l to 10 nmol/l). These effects can be reversed by the specific CRH-R1 antagonist antalarmin but not by the CRH-R2 antagonist astressin 2B. Blocking adenylate cyclase (AC) activity with SQ22536 and PKA with H89 completely prevented CRH-induced mRNA and protein expression of SGK-1. Blockage of PLC or PKC did not block CRH-induced SGK-1 expression. Our results suggest that CRH act on CRH-R1 to stimulate SGK-1 mRNA and protein expression in cultured hippocampal neurons via a mechanism that is involved in AC/PKA signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sheng
- Departments of Physiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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41
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Hanstein R, Lu A, Wurst W, Holsboer F, Deussing J, Clement A, Behl C. Transgenic overexpression of corticotropin releasing hormone provides partial protection against neurodegeneration in an in vivo model of acute excitotoxic stress. Neuroscience 2008; 156:712-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2008] [Revised: 07/18/2008] [Accepted: 07/18/2008] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Expression des „Corticotropin releasing faktor rezeptors 2“ (CRFR2) in der humanen Prostata. Urologe A 2008; 47:1079-80, 1082-4. [DOI: 10.1007/s00120-008-1816-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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43
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The CRF-like peptide urocortin produces a long-lasting recovery in rats made hemiparkinsonian by 6-hydroxydopamine or lipopolysaccharide. J Neurol Sci 2008; 271:131-6. [PMID: 18508084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2008.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2008] [Revised: 04/01/2008] [Accepted: 04/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We have recently observed that the corticotropin releasing factor related peptide urocortin (UCN) reverses key features of nigrostriatal neurodegeneration following intracerebral injection of either 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To determine the potential therapeutic utility of UCN here we have studied whether these effects are sustained for several weeks following peptide injection. In addition we have studied whether UCN still shows efficacy in rats with more pronounced nigrostriatal lesions. Rats were lesioned using 6-OHDA or LPS and injected with UCN either 7 or 14 days later. At different time points animals were tested for rotational behaviour (apomorphine, 0.5 mg/kg) and subsequently implanted with bilateral dialysis probes into the striata. The following day rats were dialysed to estimate extracellular striatal dopamine (DA) and then sacrificed for estimation of striatal tissue DA and subsequent immunohistochemistry of TH(+) cells in the substantia nigra (SN). Toxin treated rats given UCN 7 days later showed clear evidence of reduced nigrostriatal damage both 28 and 84 days following UCN compared with saline injection. In rats given UCN 14 days after toxin injection, by which time deficits were maximal, a restoration of nigrostriatal damage was observed. This suggests that UCN is able to elicit a sustained restoration of functional nigrostriatal integrity and has the ability to produce a recovery in severely lesioned rats. These findings suggest that stimulation of CRF (probably CRF(1)) receptors could have therapeutic utility in PD.
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Kabashima T, Yu Z, Tang C, Nakagawa Y, Okumura K, Shibata T, Lu J, Kai M. A selective fluorescence reaction for peptides and chromatographic analysis. Peptides 2008; 29:356-63. [PMID: 18179843 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2007.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2007] [Revised: 11/20/2007] [Accepted: 11/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A novel and selective fluorescence reaction is proposed for the quantitative determination of peptides by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). A single fluorescent product was formed when a peptide was heated at 120 degrees C for 20 min in a neutral aqueous medium (pH 7.0) containing catechol, sodium periodate, and sodium borate. The fluorescent products of four peptides such as Leu-Gly, Ala-Leu-Gly, Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu, and Leu-Leu-Leu were easily separated on a reversed-phase column by gradient elution of methanol in a mobile phase containing sodium borate (pH 7.0), and then quantitatively detected by fluorimetry. The lower limits (S/N=3) of the detection for the tested peptides were 0.5-1.0 pmol per an injection volume (40 microl). In addition, the fluorescent products of phenylalanine amide and Leu-Leu-Leu were identified by electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF/MS) for the elucidation of their chemical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Kabashima
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Pan W, Kastin AJ. Urocortin and the brain. Prog Neurobiol 2007; 84:148-56. [PMID: 18078706 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2007.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2007] [Revised: 09/17/2007] [Accepted: 10/31/2007] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Urocortin is a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family of peptides. In the brain, its potent suppression of food intake is mediated by CRH receptors (CRHR). Urocortin also participates in the regulation of anxiety, learning, memory, and body temperature, and it shows neuroprotection. This review will summarize the location of urocortin-producing neurons and their projections, the pharmacological evidence of its actions in the CNS, and information acquired from knockout mice. Urocortin interacts with leptin, neuropeptide Y, orexin, and corticotropin in the brain. Also produced by the GI tract, heart, and immune cells, urocortin has blood concentrations ranging from 13 to 152 pg/ml. Blood-borne urocortin stimulates the cerebral endothelial cells composing the blood-brain barrier and crosses the blood-brain barrier by a unique transport system. Overall, urocortin acts on a broad neuronal substrate as a neuromodulator important for basic survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Pan
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, United States.
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In vivo administration of corticotropin-releasing hormone at remote intervals following ischemia enhances CA1 neuronal survival and recovery of spatial memory impairments: a role for opioid receptors. Behav Brain Res 2007; 188:125-35. [PMID: 18055027 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2007] [Revised: 10/21/2007] [Accepted: 10/25/2007] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the modulation of ischemia-induced cell death in vivo remains unclear. We characterized the impact of pre-ischemic administration of CRH (0, 0.1, 1, 5 microg, i.c.v., 15 min prior to vessel occlusion) on neuronal damage following global ischemia in rats. The injection of 5 microg CRH led to a 37% increase in CA1 neuronal survival compared to vehicle-treated ischemic animals, while pre-treatment with alpha-helical CRH (9-41) abolished this neuronal protection. A second objective aimed to determine whether CRH protection is maintained over weeks when the peptide is administered at remote time intervals following ischemia. Compared to vehicle-treated ischemic animals, administration of CRH 8h following global ischemia led to a 61% increase in CA1 neuronal survival observed 30 days post-ischemia. Neuronal protection translated into significant improvement of ischemia-induced spatial memory deficits in the radial maze. Finally, our findings demonstrated that selective blockade of kappa- and delta-opioid receptors (using nor-binaltorphimine and naltrindole, respectively) prior to CRH administration significantly reduced CA1 neuronal protection. These findings represent the first demonstration of enhanced neuronal survival following in vivo CRH administration in a global model of ischemia in rats. They also support the idea that CRH-induced neuroprotection involves opioid receptors activation.
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Abuirmeileh A, Lever R, Kingsbury AE, Lees AJ, Locke IC, Knight RA, Chowdrey HS, Biggs CS, Whitton PS. The corticotrophin-releasing factor-like peptide urocortin reverses key deficits in two rodent models of Parkinson's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 26:417-23. [PMID: 17650114 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05653.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The potential neuroprotective action of the corticotrophin-releasing factor-related peptide urocortin (UCN) was investigated in the rat 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) paradigms of Parkinson's disease. UCN (20 fmol) was either given at the same time as (T = 0) or 7 days after (T = +7) intracerebral 6-OHDA or LPS injection. At 14 days after 6-OHDA or LPS injection, circling behaviour was measured following apomorphine challenge. Circling was significantly lower in rats given UCN at either T = 0 or T = +7 compared with animals given 6-OHDA or LPS and vehicle. Sham-treated rats showed no circling. Consistent with these observations, striatal dopamine concentrations were markedly higher in 6-OHDA/LPS + UCN rats vs. 6-OHDA/LPS + vehicle groups. Additionally, L-dihydroxyphenylalanine production by tyrosine hydroxylase was greatly reduced in the striata of 6-OHDA/LPS + vehicle rats, whereas this was not the case in rats coadministered UCN. Finally, the numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells recorded in the substantia nigra of 6-OHDA/LPS + vehicle-treated animals were markedly lower than those of sham-operated or 6-OHDA/LPS + UCN rats. Critically, UCN was effective in reversing lesion-induced deficits when given either at the same time as or 7 days after the neurotoxic insult. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such an effect has been demonstrated in vivo. The apparent ability of UCN to arrest the progression of or even reverse nigral lesions once established suggests that pharmacological manipulation of this system could have substantial therapeutic utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amjad Abuirmeileh
- Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, UK
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48
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Urocortin, a CRF-like peptide, restores key indicators of damage in the substantia nigra in a neuroinflammatory model of Parkinson's disease. J Neuroinflammation 2007; 4:19. [PMID: 17659087 PMCID: PMC1976313 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-4-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2007] [Accepted: 07/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently observed that the corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRF) related peptide urocortin (UCN) reverses key features of nigrostriatal damage in the hemiparkinsonian 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rat. Here we have studied whether similar effects are also evident in the lipopolysaccaride (LPS) neuroinflammatory paradigm of Parkinson's disease (PD). To do this we have measured restoration of normal motor behaviour, retention of nigral dopamine (DA) and also tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity. Fourteen days following intranigral injections of LPS and UCN, rats showed only modest circling after DA receptor stimulation with apomorphine, in contrast to those given LPS and vehicle where circling was pronounced. In separate experiments, rats received UCN seven days following LPS, and here apomorphine challenge caused near identical circling intensity to those that received LPS and UCN concomitantly. In a similar and consistent manner with the preservation of motor function, UCN 'protected' the nigra from both DA depletion and loss of TH activity, indicating preservation of DA cells. The effects of UCN were antagonised by the non-selective CRF receptor antagonist α-helical CRF and were not replicated by the selective CRF2 ligand UCN III. This suggests that UCN is acting via CRF1 receptors, which have been shown to be anti-inflammatory in the periphery. Our data therefore indicate that UCN is capable of maintaining adequate nigrostriatal function in vivo, via CRF1 receptors following a neuro-inflammatory challenge. This has potential therapeutic implications in PD.
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Florio P, Torricelli M, De Falco G, Leucci E, Giovannelli A, Gazzolo D, Severi FM, Bagnoli F, Leoncini L, Linton EA, Petraglia F. High maternal and fetal plasma urocortin levels in pregnancies complicated by hypertension. J Hypertens 2006; 24:1831-40. [PMID: 16915033 DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000242408.65783.b2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated maternal and fetal plasma levels and placental mRNA expression of urocortin, a placental vasoactive neuropeptide, in singleton pregnancies (n = 70) complicated by hypertensive disorders classified as gestational hypertension (n = 36), pre-eclampsia (n = 19), and pre-eclampsia complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (PE/IUGR, n = 15), and in 70 healthy normotensive singleton pregnancies. METHODS Plasma levels were assayed by radioimmunoassay, fetal biometry by ultrasound scans, utero-placental and fetal perfusion by Doppler velocimetry, and placental urocortin mRNA expression by quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The main outcome measures were the correlation of urocortin concentrations with patterns of the utero-placental and fetal circulation, and the early prediction of a poor neonatal outcome such as the occurrence of perinatal death and intraventricular hemorrhage. RESULTS Maternal and fetal urocortin levels were significantly (both P < 0.001) higher in gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and PE/IUGR women than in controls, and correlated with Doppler velocimetry patterns. Fetal concentrations were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than and significantly (P < 0.0001) correlated to maternal levels. Placental mRNA expression did not change. Ten out of 140 newborns had a poor neonatal outcome, with an overall prevalence of 7.14% (pretest probability). Using the receiver operator characteristics curve analysis cut-off values, the probability of a poor neonatal outcome was 66.7% when urocortin was used, and was 0% if levels were unaltered. CONCLUSIONS Maternal and fetal urocortin levels are increased in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Since urocortin has vasoactive properties, the evidence of increased urocortin levels in hypertensive disorders may represent an adaptive fetal response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Florio
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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50
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Ock J, Lee H, Kim S, Lee WH, Choi DK, Park EJ, Kim SH, Kim IK, Suk K. Induction of microglial apoptosis by corticotropin-releasing hormone. J Neurochem 2006; 98:962-72. [PMID: 16893426 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03933.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are short-chain peptides found in brain tissue, some of which function as neurotransmitters and others as hormones. Neuropeptides may directly or indirectly modulate glial functions in the CNS. In the present study, effects of various neuropeptides on the viability and inflammatory activation of cultured microglia were investigated. Vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, cholecystokinin and neuropeptide Y did not affect microglial cell viability, whereas corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) induced a classical apoptosis of mouse microglia in culture as shown by nuclear condensation and fragmentation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling, and cleavage of caspase 3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. CRH, however, did not influence nitric oxide production or expression of inflammatory genes including those encoding cytokines and chemokines, indicating that CRH did not affect the inflammatory activation of microglia. The CRH-induced microglial apoptosis appeared to involve a mitochondrial pathway and reactive oxygen species, based on the mitochondrial membrane potential change, caspase 9 activation and sensitivity to antioxidants. Taken together, our results indicate that the stress neuropeptide CRH may regulate neuroinflammation by inducing the apoptosis of microglia, the major cellular source of inflammatory mediators in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeon Ock
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
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