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Bonifacino T, Musazzi L, Milanese M, Seguini M, Marte A, Gallia E, Cattaneo L, Onofri F, Popoli M, Bonanno G. Altered mechanisms underlying the abnormal glutamate release in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at a pre-symptomatic stage of the disease. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 95:122-33. [PMID: 27425885 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal Glu release occurs in the spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) mice, a transgenic animal model for human ALS. Here we studied the mechanisms underlying Glu release in spinal cord nerve terminals of SOD1(G93A) mice at a pre-symptomatic disease stage (30days) and found that the basal release of Glu was more elevated in SOD1(G93A) with respect to SOD1 mice, and that the surplus of release relies on synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Exposure to high KCl or ionomycin provoked Ca(2+)-dependent Glu release that was likewise augmented in SOD1(G93A) mice. Equally, the Ca(2+)-independent hypertonic sucrose-induced Glu release was abnormally elevated in SOD1(G93A) mice. Also in this case, the surplus of Glu release was exocytotic in nature. We could determine elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) levels, increased phosphorylation of Synapsin-I, which was causally related to the abnormal Glu release measured in spinal cord synaptosomes of pre-symptomatic SOD1(G93A) mice, and increased phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 at the inhibitory sites, an event that favours SNARE protein assembly. Western blot experiments revealed an increased number of SNARE protein complexes at the nerve terminal membrane, with no changes of the three SNARE proteins and increased expression of synaptotagmin-1 and β-Actin, but not of an array of other release-related presynaptic proteins. These results indicate that the abnormal exocytotic Glu release in spinal cord of pre-symptomatic SOD1(G93A) mice is mainly based on the increased size of the readily releasable pool of vesicles and release facilitation, supported by plastic changes of specific presynaptic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Laura Musazzi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Mara Seguini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Antonella Marte
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Unit of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Elena Gallia
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Luca Cattaneo
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Franco Onofri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Unit of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
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Shahani N, Gourie-Devi M, Nalini A, Rammohan P, Shobha K, Harsha HN, Raju TR. (‐)‐Deprenyl alleviates the degenerative changes induced in the neonatal rat spinal cord by CSF from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 5:172-9. [PMID: 15512906 DOI: 10.1080/14660820410017037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory suggest the presence of toxic factor(s) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which induces degenerative changes in the spinal cord neurons. The present work was carried out to investigate the role of (-)-deprenyl in attenuating these degenerative changes. CSF samples from ALS and non-ALS neurological patients were injected into the spinal subarachnoid space of 3-day-old rat pups, followed by a single dose (0.01 mg/kg body weight) of (-)-deprenyl, administered 24 h after CSF injection. After a further period of 24 h, the rats were sacrificed and the spinal cord sections were stained with antibodies against phosphorylated neurofilament (NF, SMI-31 antibody) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was also measured. (-)-Deprenyl injection resulted in a significant (61%) decrease in the number of SMI-31 stained neuronal soma in the ventral horn of the spinal cord of ALS CSF exposed rats. This was accompanied by a reduction in the astrocytes immunoreactive for GFAP. There was also a significant (35%) decrease in the LDH activity following (-)-deprenyl treatment. These results suggest that (-)-deprenyl may confer neuroprotection against the toxic factor(s) present in ALS CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelam Shahani
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrueck, D- 49076 Osnabrueck, Germany
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Raman C, McAllister SD, Rizvi G, Patel SG, Moore DH, Abood ME. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: delayed disease progression in mice by treatment with a cannabinoid. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 5:33-9. [PMID: 15204022 DOI: 10.1080/14660820310016813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Effective treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains elusive. Two of the primary hypotheses underlying motor neuron vulnerability are susceptibility to excitotoxicity and oxidative damage. There is rapidly emerging evidence that the cannabinoid receptor system has the potential to reduce both excitotoxic and oxidative cell damage. Here we report that treatment with Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) was effective if administered either before or after onset of signs in the ALS mouse model (hSOD(G93A) transgenic mice). Administration at the onset of tremors delayed motor impairment and prolonged survival in Delta(9)-THC treated mice when compared to vehicle controls. In addition, we present an improved method for the analysis of disease progression in the ALS mouse model. This logistic model provides an estimate of the age at which muscle endurance has declined by 50% with much greater accuracy than could be attained for any other measure of decline. In vitro, Delta(9)-THC was extremely effective at reducing oxidative damage in spinal cord cultures. Additionally, Delta(9)-THC is anti-excitotoxic in vitro. These cellular mechanisms may underlie the presumed neuroprotective effect in ALS. As Delta(9)-THC is well tolerated, it and other cannabinoids may prove to be novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrasekaran Raman
- Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research Center, 2351 Clay Street, Suite 416, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
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Mendonça DMF, Chimelli L, Martinez AMB. Quantitative evidence for neurofilament heavy subunit aggregation in motor neurons of spinal cords of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Braz J Med Biol Res 2005; 38:925-33. [PMID: 15933787 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2005000600015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology, affects motor neurons leading to atrophy of skeletal muscles, paralysis and death. There is evidence for the accumulation of neurofilaments (NF) in motor neurons of the spinal cord in ALS cases. NF are major structural elements of the neuronal cytoskeleton. They play an important role in cell architecture and differentiation and in the determination and maintenance of fiber caliber. They are composed of three different polypeptides: light (NF-L), medium (NF-M) and heavy (NF-H) subunits. In the present study, we performed a morphological and quantitative immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate the accumulation of NF and the presence of each subunit in control and ALS cases. Spinal cords from patients without neurological disease and from ALS patients were obtained at autopsy. In all ALS cases there was a marked loss of motor neurons, besides atrophic neurons and preserved neurons with cytoplasmic inclusions, and extensive gliosis. In control cases, the immunoreaction in the cytoplasm of neurons was weak for phosphorylated NF-H, strong for NF-M and weak for NF-L. In ALS cases, anterior horn neurons showed intense immunoreactivity in focal regions of neuronal perikarya for all subunits, although the difference in the integrated optical density was statistically significant only for NF-H. Furthermore, we also observed dilated axons (spheroids), which were immunopositive for NF-H but negative for NF-M and NF-L. In conclusion, we present qualitative and quantitative evidence of NF-H subunit accumulation in neuronal perikarya and spheroids, which suggests a possible role of this subunit in the pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M F Mendonça
- Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases pose specific challenges for drug development. These diseases typically have a slow and variable clinical course, an insidious onset, and symptom expression is only observed when a significant proportion of neurons are already lost. It is important to identify vulnerability factors and other determinants of clinical course in order to be able in the future to select patient populations for clinical trials with a predictable prognosis. The neurodegenerative process itself is not amenable to direct observation and, thus, cannot be monitored in clinical trials. For this reason, surrogate biomarkers are required for use as outcome parameters. In this respect, magnetic resonance imaging has proved valuable for assessing disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis. Rating scales are of use as outcome measures but, as these generally measure symptom severity, they are most appropriate for use in assessing symptomatic treatments. Survival has been used with success as an outcome measure in trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, where disease progression is rapid. The optimal outcome measure, the sample size required and the treatment duration need to be chosen in relation to the phase of the disease. Potential new treatments can be chosen based upon new knowledge of the genetics and physiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases and, in some cases, screened in transgenic mouse models, although it should be recognised that the validity of these models in terms of treatment response has yet to be established empirically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Dib
- Service de Neurologie, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
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Pioro EP. Antioxidant therapy in ALS. AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS AND OTHER MOTOR NEURON DISORDERS : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF NEUROLOGY, RESEARCH GROUP ON MOTOR NEURON DISEASES 2000; 1 Suppl 4:5-12; discussion 13-5. [PMID: 11466960 DOI: 10.1080/14660820050515656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E P Pioro
- Center for ALS and Related Disorders, Section of Neuromuscular Diseases and EMG, Department of Neurology, S90, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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Schnurr K, Brinckmann R, Kühn H. Cytokine induced regulation of 15-lipoxygenase and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase in mammalian cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2000; 469:75-81. [PMID: 10667313 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-4793-8_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- K Schnurr
- Institute of Biochemistry, University Clinics Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
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Mennini T, Cagnotto A, Carvelli L, Comoletti D, Manzoni C, Muzio V, Rizzi M, Vezzani A. Biochemical and pharmacological evidence of a functional role of AMPA receptors in motor neuron dysfunction in mnd mice. Eur J Neurosci 1999; 11:1705-10. [PMID: 10215924 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.1999.00588.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes and the effect of chronic treatment with NBQX [6-nitro-7-sulphamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline-2,3-dione], a selective (rs)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, in the spinal cord of mnd mice. NBQX (8 mg/kg daily i.p. for 3 weeks starting from 24 weeks old) significantly improved the behavioural scores (hind leg extension reflex, cage rung grasping and gait) in mnd mice, measured after the last drug injection, and increased the number of mice with 'normal' gait (from 50% to 90%, P < 0.05). Receptor binding autoradiography of the competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, [3H]CGP 39653, of [3H]AMPA and [3H]kainic acid in spinal cord sections, measured after 1 week of drug washout, were not significantly different in control and mnd mice, and were not modified by NBQX. GluR2/3 immunoreactivity, assessed using Western blotting, was significantly enhanced (by 59%, P < 0.01) in the spinal cord but not in the brain of 28-week-old mnd mice compared to age-matched control mice. NBQX treatment increased GluR2/3 immunoreactivity in the spinal cord of control mice and mnd mice by 327 +/- 74% (P < 0.01) and 212 +/- 52% (P < 0.01), respectively. The changes in GluR2/3 subunits may involve adaptive mechanisms of the receptor and play some role in the protective effect of NBQX. These findings suggest that selective antagonism of ionotropic non-NMDA receptors may be of value in the treatment of motor neuron disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Mennini
- Istituto di ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
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Tian WN, Braunstein LD, Apse K, Pang J, Rose M, Tian X, Stanton RC. Importance of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in cell death. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY 1999; 276:C1121-31. [PMID: 10329961 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.1999.276.5.c1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular redox potential plays an important role in cell survival. The principal intracellular reductant NADPH is mainly produced by the pentose phosphate pathway by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), the rate-limiting enzyme, and by 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Considering the importance of NADPH, we hypothesized that G6PDH plays a critical role in cell death. Our results show that 1) G6PDH inhibitors potentiated H2O2-induced cell death; 2) overexpression of G6PDH increased resistance to H2O2-induced cell death; 3) serum deprivation, a stimulator of cell death, was associated with decreased G6PDH activity and resulted in elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS); 4) additions of substrates for G6PDH to serum-deprived cells almost completely abrogated the serum deprivation-induced rise in ROS; 5) consequences of G6PDH inhibition included a significant increase in apoptosis, loss of protein thiols, and degradation of G6PDH; and 6) G6PDH inhibition caused changes in mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation that were similar to the changes seen with H2O2. We conclude that G6PDH plays a critical role in cell death by affecting the redox potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- W N Tian
- Renal Division and Department of Medicine, Joslin Diabetes Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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