1
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Voskuhl R. All women with MS should start hormone replacement therapy at menopause unless contraindicated: Yes. Mult Scler 2024:13524585241255002. [PMID: 38907632 DOI: 10.1177/13524585241255002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda Voskuhl
- UCLA Department of Neurology, UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care Program, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Itoh N, Itoh Y, Meyer CE, Suen TT, Cortez-Delgado D, Rivera Lomeli M, Wendin S, Somepalli SS, Golden LC, MacKenzie-Graham A, Voskuhl RR. Estrogen receptor beta in astrocytes modulates cognitive function in mid-age female mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6044. [PMID: 37758709 PMCID: PMC10533869 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41723-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Menopause is associated with cognitive deficits and brain atrophy, but the brain region and cell-specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we identify a sex hormone by age interaction whereby loss of ovarian hormones in female mice at midlife, but not young age, induced hippocampal-dependent cognitive impairment, dorsal hippocampal atrophy, and astrocyte and microglia activation with synaptic loss. Selective deletion of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in astrocytes, but not neurons, in gonadally intact female mice induced the same brain effects. RNA sequencing and pathway analyses of gene expression in hippocampal astrocytes from midlife female astrocyte-ERβ conditional knock out (cKO) mice revealed Gluconeogenesis I and Glycolysis I as the most differentially expressed pathways. Enolase 1 gene expression was increased in hippocampi from both astrocyte-ERβ cKO female mice at midlife and from postmenopausal women. Gain of function studies showed that ERβ ligand treatment of midlife female mice reversed dorsal hippocampal neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cassandra E Meyer
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Takazo Suen
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diego Cortez-Delgado
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Sophia Wendin
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sri Sanjana Somepalli
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa C Golden
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rhonda R Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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3
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Ceccariglia S, Sibilia D, Parolini O, Michetti F, Di Sante G. Altered Expression of Autophagy Biomarkers in Hippocampal Neurons in a Multiple Sclerosis Animal Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13225. [PMID: 37686031 PMCID: PMC10488228 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Inflammation, demyelination, synaptic alteration, and neuronal loss are hallmarks detectable in MS. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model widely used to study pathogenic aspects of MS. Autophagy is a process that maintains cell homeostasis by removing abnormal organelles and damaged proteins and is involved both in protective and detrimental effects that have been seen in a variety of human diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. This study is aimed at investigating the autophagy signaling pathway through the analysis of the main autophagic proteins including Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein light chain (LC3, autophagosome marker), and p62 also called sequestosome1 (SQSTM1, substrate of autophagy-mediated degradation) in the hippocampus of EAE-affected mice. The expression levels of Beclin-1, LC3, and p62 and the Akt/mTOR pathway were examined by Western blot experiments. In EAE mice, compared to control animals, significant reductions of expression levels were detectable for Beclin-1 and LC3 II (indicating the reduction of autophagosomes), and p62 (suggesting that autophagic flux increased). In parallel, molecular analysis detected the deregulation of the Akt/mTOR signaling. Immunofluorescence double-labeling images showed co-localization of NeuN (neuronal nuclear marker) and Beclin-1, LC3, and p62 throughout the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields. Taken together, these data demonstrate that activation of autophagy occurs in the neurons of the hippocampus in this experimental model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Ceccariglia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.S.); (O.P.)
| | - Diego Sibilia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.S.); (O.P.)
| | - Ornella Parolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.S.); (O.P.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Michetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di LUM, 70010 Casamassima, Italy
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta” SCITEC, Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche, 20133 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
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4
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Meyer CE, Smith AW, Padilla-Requerey AA, Farkhondeh V, Itoh N, Itoh Y, Gao JL, Herbig PD, Nguyen Q, Ngo KH, Oberoi MR, Siddarth P, Voskuhl RR, MacKenzie-Graham A. Neuroprotection in Cerebral Cortex Induced by the Pregnancy Hormone Estriol. J Transl Med 2023; 103:100189. [PMID: 37245852 DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2023.100189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), demyelination occurs in the cerebral cortex, and cerebral cortex atrophy correlates with clinical disabilities. Treatments are needed in MS to induce remyelination. Pregnancy is protective in MS. Estriol is made by the fetoplacental unit, and maternal serum estriol levels temporally align with fetal myelination. Here, we determined the effect of estriol treatment on the cerebral cortex in the preclinical model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Estriol treatment initiated after disease onset decreased cerebral cortex atrophy. Neuropathology of the cerebral cortex showed increased cholesterol synthesis proteins in oligodendrocytes, more newly formed remyelinating oligodendrocytes, and increased myelin in estriol-treated EAE mice. Estriol treatment also decreased the loss of cortical layer V pyramidal neurons and their apical dendrites and preserved synapses. Together, estriol treatment after EAE onset reduced atrophy and was neuroprotective in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra E Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Andrew W Smith
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Aitana A Padilla-Requerey
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Vista Farkhondeh
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Noriko Itoh
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Josephine L Gao
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Patrick D Herbig
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Quynhanh Nguyen
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Katelyn H Ngo
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mandavi R Oberoi
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Prabha Siddarth
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rhonda R Voskuhl
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California.
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5
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Tovo PA, Marozio L, Abbona G, Calvi C, Frezet F, Gambarino S, Dini M, Benedetto C, Galliano I, Bergallo M. Pregnancy Is Associated with Impaired Transcription of Human Endogenous Retroviruses and of TRIM28 and SETDB1, Particularly in Mothers Affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030710. [PMID: 36992419 PMCID: PMC10051116 DOI: 10.3390/v15030710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence highlights the pathogenetic role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in eliciting and maintaining multiple sclerosis (MS). Epigenetic mechanisms, such as those regulated by TRIM 28 and SETDB1, are implicated in HERV activation and in neuroinflammatory disorders, including MS. Pregnancy markedly improves the course of MS, but no study explored the expressions of HERVs and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 during gestation. Using a polymerase chain reaction real-time Taqman amplification assay, we assessed and compared the transcriptional levels of pol genes of HERV-H, HERV-K, HERV-W; of env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1, SYN2, and multiple sclerosis associated retrovirus (MSRV); and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in peripheral blood and placenta from 20 mothers affected by MS; from 27 healthy mothers, in cord blood from their neonates; and in blood from healthy women of child-bearing age. The HERV mRNA levels were significantly lower in pregnant than in nonpregnant women. Expressions of all HERVs were downregulated in the chorion and in the decidua basalis of MS mothers compared to healthy mothers. The former also showed lower mRNA levels of HERV-K-pol and of SYN1, SYN2, and MSRV in peripheral blood. Significantly lower expressions of TRIM28 and SETDB1 also emerged in pregnant vs. nonpregnant women and in blood, chorion, and decidua of mothers with MS vs. healthy mothers. In contrast, HERV and TRIM28/SETDB1 expressions were comparable between their neonates. These results show that gestation is characterized by impaired expressions of HERVs and TRIM28/SETDB1, particularly in mothers with MS. Given the beneficial effects of pregnancy on MS and the wealth of data suggesting the putative contribution of HERVs and epigenetic processes in the pathogenesis of the disease, our findings may further support innovative therapeutic interventions to block HERV activation and to control aberrant epigenetic pathways in MS-affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier-Angelo Tovo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Luca Marozio
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Abbona
- Pathology Unit, Department Laboratory Medicine, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Calvi
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Frezet
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambarino
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Maddalena Dini
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Benedetto
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
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6
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Voskuhl R, Itoh Y. The X factor in neurodegeneration. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20211488. [PMID: 36331399 PMCID: PMC9641640 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the aging population, it is important to better understand neurodegeneration in aging healthy people and to address the increasing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. It is imperative to apply novel strategies to identify neuroprotective therapeutics. The study of sex differences in neurodegeneration can reveal new candidate treatment targets tailored for women and men. Sex chromosome effects on neurodegeneration remain understudied and represent a promising frontier for discovery. Here, we will review sex differences in neurodegeneration, focusing on the study of sex chromosome effects in the context of declining levels of sex hormones during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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7
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Voskuhl RR, MacKenzie-Graham A. Chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is an excellent model to study neuroaxonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1024058. [PMID: 36340686 PMCID: PMC9629273 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1024058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS), specifically experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), have been used extensively to develop anti-inflammatory treatments. However, the similarity between MS and one particular EAE model does not end at inflammation. MS and chronic EAE induced in C57BL/6 mice using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide 35-55 share many neuropathologies. Beyond both having white matter lesions in spinal cord, both also have widespread neuropathology in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, striatum, cerebellum, and retina/optic nerve. In this review, we compare neuropathologies in each of these structures in MS with chronic EAE in C57BL/6 mice, and find evidence that this EAE model is well suited to study neuroaxonal degeneration in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda R. Voskuhl
- UCLA MS Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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8
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Olson CA, Iñiguez AJ, Yang GE, Fang P, Pronovost GN, Jameson KG, Rendon TK, Paramo J, Barlow JT, Ismagilov RF, Hsiao EY. Alterations in the gut microbiota contribute to cognitive impairment induced by the ketogenic diet and hypoxia. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1378-1392.e6. [PMID: 34358434 PMCID: PMC8429275 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Many genetic and environmental factors increase susceptibility to cognitive impairment (CI), and the gut microbiome is increasingly implicated. However, the identity of gut microbes associated with CI risk, their effects on CI, and their mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that a carbohydrate-restricted (ketogenic) diet potentiates CI induced by intermittent hypoxia in mice and alters the gut microbiota. Depleting the microbiome reduces CI, whereas transplantation of the risk-associated microbiome or monocolonization with Bilophila wadsworthia confers CI in mice fed a standard diet. B. wadsworthia and the risk-associated microbiome disrupt hippocampal synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and gene expression. The CI is associated with microbiome-dependent increases in intestinal interferon-gamma (IFNg)-producing Th1 cells. Inhibiting Th1 cell development abrogates the adverse effects of both B. wadsworthia and environmental risk factors on CI. Together, these findings identify select gut bacteria that contribute to environmental risk for CI in mice by promoting inflammation and hippocampal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A. Olson
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Correspondence to: ,
| | - Alonso J. Iñiguez
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Grace E. Yang
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ping Fang
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Geoffrey N. Pronovost
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kelly G. Jameson
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tomiko K. Rendon
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jorge Paramo
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jacob T. Barlow
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91108, USA
| | - Rustem F. Ismagilov
- Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91108, USA
| | - Elaine Y. Hsiao
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Correspondence to: ,
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9
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Microglial Pruning: Relevance for Synaptic Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Experimental Models. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030686. [PMID: 33804596 PMCID: PMC8003660 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia, besides being able to react rapidly to a wide range of environmental changes, are also involved in shaping neuronal wiring. Indeed, they actively participate in the modulation of neuronal function by regulating the elimination (or “pruning”) of weaker synapses in both physiologic and pathologic processes. Mounting evidence supports their crucial role in early synaptic loss, which is emerging as a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and its preclinical models. MS is an inflammatory, immune-mediated pathology of the white matter in which demyelinating lesions may cause secondary neuronal death. Nevertheless, primitive grey matter (GM) damage is emerging as an important contributor to patients’ long-term disability, since it has been associated with early and progressive cognitive decline (CD), which seriously worsens the quality of life of MS patients. Widespread synapse loss even in the absence of demyelination, axon degeneration and neuronal death has been demonstrated in different GM structures, thus raising the possibility that synaptic dysfunction could be an early and possibly independent event in the neurodegenerative process associated with MS. This review provides an overview of microglial-dependent synapse elimination in the neuroinflammatory process that underlies MS and its experimental models.
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10
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Zeydan B, Atkinson EJ, Weis DM, Smith CY, Gazzuola Rocca L, Rocca WA, Keegan BM, Weinshenker BG, Kantarci K, Kantarci OH. Reproductive history and progressive multiple sclerosis risk in women. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa185. [PMID: 33409489 PMCID: PMC7772117 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Being a woman is one of the strongest risk factors for multiple sclerosis. The natural reproductive period from menarche to natural menopause corresponds to the active inflammatory disease period in multiple sclerosis. The fifth decade marks both the peri-menopausal transition in the reproductive aging and a transition from the relapsing-remitting to the progressive phase in multiple sclerosis. A short reproductive period with premature/early menopause and/or low number of pregnancies may be associated with an earlier onset of the progressive multiple sclerosis phase. A cross-sectional study of survey-based reproductive history in a multiple sclerosis clinical series enriched for patients with progressive disease, and a case–control study of multiple sclerosis and age/sex matched controls from a population-based cohort were conducted. Menarche age, number of complete/incomplete pregnancies, menopause type and menopause age were compared between 137 cases and 396 control females. Onset of relapsing-remitting phase of multiple sclerosis, progressive disease onset and reaching severe disability (expanded disability status scale 6) were studied as multiple sclerosis-related outcomes (n = 233). Menarche age was similar between multiple sclerosis and control females (P = 0.306). Females with multiple sclerosis had fewer full-term pregnancies than the controls (P < 0.001). Non-natural menopause was more common in multiple sclerosis (40.7%) than in controls (30.1%) (P = 0.030). Age at natural menopause was similar between multiple sclerosis (median, interquartile range: 50 years, 48–52) and controls (median, interquartile range: 51 years, 49–53) (P = 0.476). Nulliparous females had earlier age at progressive multiple sclerosis onset (mean ± standard deviation: 41.9 ± 12.5 years) than females with ≥1 full-term pregnancies (mean ± standard deviation: 47.1 ± 9.7 years) (P = 0.069) with a pregnancy-dose effect [para 0 (mean ± standard deviation: 41.9 ± 12.5 years), para 1–3 (mean ± standard deviation: 46.4 ± 9.2 years), para ≥4 (mean ± standard deviation: 52.6 ± 12.9 years) (P = 0.005)]. Menopause age was associated with progressive multiple sclerosis onset age (R2 = 0.359, P < 0.001). Duration from onset of relapses to onset of progressive multiple sclerosis was shorter for females with premature/early menopause (n = 26; mean ± standard deviation: 12.9 ± 9.0 years) than for females with normal menopause age (n = 39; mean ± standard deviation: 17.8 ± 10.3 years) but was longer than for males (mean ±standard deviation: 10.0 ± 9.4 years) (P = 0.005). There was a pregnancy-dose effect of age at expanded disability status scale 6 (para 0: 43.0 ± 13.2 years, para 1–3: 51.7 ± 11.3 years, para ≥4: 53.5 ± 4.9 years) (P = 0.013). Age at menopause was associated with age at expanded disability status scale 6 (R2 = 0.229, P < 0.003). Premature/early menopause or nulliparity was associated with earlier onset of progressive multiple sclerosis with a ‘dose effect’ of pregnancies on delaying progressive multiple sclerosis and severe disability. Although causality remains uncertain, our results suggest a beneficial impact of oestrogen in delaying progressive multiple sclerosis. If confirmed in prospective studies, our findings have implications for counselling women with multiple sclerosis about pregnancy, surgical menopause and menopausal hormone therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Zeydan
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Women's Health Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Atkinson
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Delana M Weis
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Carin Y Smith
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Liliana Gazzuola Rocca
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Walter A Rocca
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Women's Health Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Brian Mark Keegan
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Brian G Weinshenker
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kejal Kantarci
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Women's Health Research Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Orhun H Kantarci
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.,Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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11
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Marchese E, Valentini M, Di Sante G, Cesari E, Adinolfi A, Corvino V, Ria F, Sette C, Geloso MC. Alternative splicing of neurexins 1-3 is modulated by neuroinflammation in the prefrontal cortex of a murine model of multiple sclerosis. Exp Neurol 2020; 335:113497. [PMID: 33058888 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence points to immune-mediated synaptopathy and impaired plasticity as early pathogenic events underlying cognitive decline (CD) in Multiple sclerosis (MS) and in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of the disease. However, knowledge of the neurobiology of synaptic dysfunction is still incomplete. Splicing regulation represents a flexible and powerful mechanism involved in dynamic remodeling of the synapse, which allows the expression of synaptic protein variants that dynamically control the specificity of contacts between neurons. The pre-synaptic adhesion molecules neurexins (NRXNs) 1-3 play a relevant role in cognition and are alternatively spliced to yield variants that differentially cluster specific ligands in the postsynaptic compartment and modulate functional properties of the synaptic contact. Notably, mutations in these genes or disruption of their splicing program are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Herein, we have investigated how inflammatory changes imposed by EAE impact on alternative splicing of the Nrxn 1-3 mouse genes in the acute phase of disease. Due to its relevance in cognition, we focused on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of SJL/J mice, in which EAE-induced inflammatory lesions extend to the rostral forebrain. We found that inclusion of the Nrxn 1-3 AS4 exon is significantly increased in the PFC of EAE mice and that splicing changes are correlated with local Il1β-expression levels. This correlation is sustained by the concomitant downregulation of SLM2, the main splicing factor involved in skipping of the AS4 exon, in EAE mice displaying high levels of Il1β- expression. We also observed that Il1β-expression levels correlate with changes in parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneuron connectivity. Moreover, exposure to environmental enrichment (EE), a condition known to stimulate neuronal connectivity and to improve cognitive functions in mice and humans, modified PFC phenotypes of EAE mice with respect to Il1β-, Slm2-expression, Nrxn AS4 splicing and PV-expression, by limiting changes associated with high levels of inflammation. Our results reveal that local inflammation results in early splicing modulation of key synaptic proteins and in remodeling of GABAergic circuitry in the PFC of SJL/J mice. We also suggest EE as a tool to counteract these inflammation-associated events, thus highlighting potential therapeutic targets for limiting the progressive CD occurring in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Marchese
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Mariagrazia Valentini
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Gabriele Di Sante
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1-8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Cesari
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Adinolfi
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Corvino
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Ria
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Section of General Pathology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 1-8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Concetta Geloso
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
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12
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Frantsiyants EM, Bandovkina VA, Kaplieva IV, Cheryarina ND, Surikova EI, Neskubina IV, Kotieva IM, Shalashnaya EV, Trepitaki LK. [Influence of malignant growth and chronic neurogenic pain on neurosteroid levels in rat brain]. BIOMEDIT︠S︡INSKAI︠A︡ KHIMII︠A︡ 2020; 66:151-155. [PMID: 32420896 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20206602151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the level of sex steroid hormones in white matter of the brain of rats with tumors combined with chronic neurogenic pain (CNP), which was modeled by bilateral sciatic nerve ligation. The study included albino male rats (n=74). In the main group, M1 sarcoma was transplanted subcutaneously (n=11) or into the subclavian vein (n=11) 45 days after CNP modeling. Two comparison groups (n=13 each) included sham operated animals (without CNP) with M1 sarcoma transplanted subcutaneously and intravenously. Control groups included animals with CNP and sham operated animals. Rats were euthanized on day 21 of the carcinogenesis. Levels of total and free testosterone (T), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) and progesterone (P4) in the brain white matter were measured using ELISA kits ("Cusabio", China). CNP caused a decrease in the total and free T by 1.5 times (p<0.05), E2 and P4 by 1.9 and 3 times, respectively, E3 by 1.6 times (p<0.05), as well as an increase in E1 by 1.4 times (p<0.05) as compared to the corresponding levels in the brain white matter of rats without CNP. CNP stimulated M1 sarcoma growth in both subcutaneous and intravenous transplantation. Regardless of the tumor site, the dynamics of total T, E2 and E3 in the brain had similar features, but the dynamics of free T, P4 and E1 differed. Thus, changes in the level of neurosteroids in the white matter of rat brain with CNP and tumor growth alone or associated with CNP are a reaction to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Frantsiyants
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - V A Bandovkina
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - I V Kaplieva
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - N D Cheryarina
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - E I Surikova
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - I V Neskubina
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - I M Kotieva
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - E V Shalashnaya
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - L K Trepitaki
- National Medical Research Centre for Oncology, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
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13
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Nazifi M, Ashrafpoor M, Oryan S, Esfahani DE, Moghadamnia AA. Neurotoxic effects of high-dose piperine on hippocampal synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in a rat model of memory impairment. Neurotoxicology 2020; 79:200-208. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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14
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Hammond JW, Bellizzi MJ, Ware C, Qiu WQ, Saminathan P, Li H, Luo S, Ma SA, Li Y, Gelbard HA. Complement-dependent synapse loss and microgliosis in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87:739-750. [PMID: 32151684 PMCID: PMC8698220 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, neurodegenerative disease of the CNS characterized by both grey and white matter injury. Microglial activation and a reduction in synaptic density are key features of grey matter pathology that can be modeled with MOG35-55 experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Complement deposition combined with microglial engulfment has been shown during normal development and in disease as a mechanism for pruning synapses. We tested whether there is excess complement production in the EAE hippocampus and whether complement-dependent synapse loss is a source of degeneration in EAE using C1qa and C3 knockout mice. We found that C1q and C3 protein and mRNA levels were elevated in EAE mice. Genetic loss of C3 protected mice from EAE-induced synapse loss, reduced microglial activation, decreased the severity of the EAE clinical score, and protected memory/freezing behavior after contextual fear conditioning. C1qa KO mice with EAE showed little to no change on these measurements compared to WT EAE mice. Thus, pathologic expression and activation of the early complement pathway, specifically at the level of C3, contributes to hippocampal grey matter pathology in the EAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennetta W. Hammond
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Correspondence: Jennetta W. Hammond,
University of Rochester, Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, 601 Elmwood
Avenue, Box 645, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,
, Phone:
1-585-273-2872
| | - Matthew J. Bellizzi
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Caroline Ware
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Wen Q. Qiu
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Priyanka Saminathan
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Herman Li
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Shaopeiwen Luo
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Stefanie A. Ma
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Yuanhao Li
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
| | - Harris A. Gelbard
- Center for Neurotherapeutics Discovery, University of
Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical
Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14642
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15
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Das A, Bastian C, Trestan L, Suh J, Dey T, Trapp BD, Baltan S, Dana H. Reversible Loss of Hippocampal Function in a Mouse Model of Demyelination/Remyelination. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 13:588. [PMID: 32038176 PMCID: PMC6987410 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Demyelination of axons in the central nervous system (CNS) is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases. Cycles of demyelination, followed by remyelination, appear in the majority of MS patients and are associated with the onset and quiescence of disease-related symptoms, respectively. Previous studies in human patients and animal models have shown that vast demyelination is accompanied by wide-scale changes to brain activity, but details of this process are poorly understood. We used electrophysiological recordings and non-linear fluorescence imaging from genetically encoded calcium indicators to monitor the activity of hippocampal neurons during demyelination and remyelination over a period of 100 days. We found that synaptic transmission in CA1 neurons was diminished in vitro, and that neuronal firing rates in CA1 and the dentate gyrus (DG) were substantially reduced during demyelination in vivo, which partially recovered after a short remyelination period. This new approach allows monitoring how changes in synaptic transmission induced by cuprizone diet affect neuronal activity, and it can potentially be used to study the effects of therapeutic interventions in protecting the functionality of CNS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Das
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Chinthasagar Bastian
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lexie Trestan
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jason Suh
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Tanujit Dey
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Bruce D Trapp
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Selva Baltan
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Hod Dana
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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16
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Vitamin D and Demyelinating Diseases: Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Autoimmune Dis 2020; 2020:8718736. [PMID: 32373353 PMCID: PMC7187724 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8718736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in all ages regardless of climate or geographical location and evidence is emerging that the incidence of autoimmune diseases is increasing worldwide. Women make up a large proportion of autoimmune disease diagnoses, underscoring the importance of fully elucidating the complex synergistic relationships between estrogens and vitamin D. Vitamin D receptor-activating drugs appear to enhance remyelination in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases such as neuromyelitis optica (NMO). This review is intended to update health practitioners about the potential role of vitamin D deficiency demyelination and to motivate future research on dietary recommendations for vitamin D in preventing and treating demyel1nating diseases.
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17
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Baroncini D, Annovazzi PO, De Rossi N, Mallucci G, Torri Clerici V, Tonietti S, Mantero V, Ferrò MT, Messina MJ, Barcella V, La Mantia L, Ronzoni M, Barrilà C, Clerici R, Susani EL, Fusco ML, Chiveri L, Abate L, Ferraro O, Capra R, Colombo E, Confalonieri P, Zaffaroni M. Impact of natural menopause on multiple sclerosis: a multicentre study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019; 90:1201-1206. [PMID: 31189614 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2019-320587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the effect of natural menopause on multiple sclerosis clinical course. METHODS This was an observational, retrospective, multicentre, cohort study. Menopause onset was defined by the final menstrual period (FMP) beyond which no menses occurred for 12 months. We included multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with FMP occurred after 2005 and a recorded follow-up of at least 2 years pre-FMP and post-FMP. We excluded patients with primary progressive course, iatrogenic menopause and with other confounders that could mask menopause onset. We compared relapse-rate and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) scores pre-FMP and post-FMP, searching for possible interactions with age, disease duration, cigarette smoking and nulliparity status. RESULTS 148 patients were included (mean observation: 3.5 years pre-FMP and post-FMP). Most patients (92%) received disease-modifying therapies, mainly first-lines. After menopause the annualised relapse rate (ARR) significantly decreased (from 0.21±0.31 to 0.13± 0.24; p=0.005), while disability worsened (increase of mean 0.4 vs 0.2 points after menopause; p<0.001). Older age and long-lasting disease were associated with ARR reduction (p=0.013), but not with disability worsening. Cigarette smokers showed a trend to a higher disability accumulation after menopause (p=0.059). CONCLUSION Natural menopause seems to be a turning point to a more progressive phase of MS. Relapse rate is also reduced after menopause, but this effect could be driven most by ageing and shifting to progressive phase in patients with long-lasting disease. Cigarette smoking could speed up disability progression after menopause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Baroncini
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Gallarate Hospital, ASST Valle Olona, Gallarate, Italy
| | | | - Nicola De Rossi
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Spedali Civili di Brescia, presidio di Montichiari, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giulia Mallucci
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Simone Tonietti
- Department of Neurology, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo - PO San Carlo Borromeo, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Maria Teresa Ferrò
- Neuroimmunology, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Neurological Department, Ospedale Maggiore, Crema, Italy
| | - Maria Josè Messina
- Department of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese (MI), Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Barcella
- USS Malattie Autoimmuni, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Loredana La Mantia
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Fondazione IRCSS Santa Maria Nascente Don Gnocchi, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Ronzoni
- Department of Neurology, ASST Rhodense, Ospedale "G. Salvini" - Garbagnate M.se, Garbagnate milanese (MI), Italy
| | - Caterina Barrilà
- Department of Neurology, ASST Rhodense, Ospedale "G. Salvini" - Garbagnate M.se, Garbagnate milanese (MI), Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Laura Susani
- Neurology and Neuroscience Department, ASST Grande ospedale metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Fusco
- Department of Neurology, ASST Monza, Ospedale San Gerardo, Clinica Neurologica, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Chiveri
- Dipartimento di neuroscienze, ASST ovest Milanese, ospedale di Legnano, Legnano, Italy
| | - Lucia Abate
- Neurological Unit, ASST Valtellina e Altolario, Sondrio, Italy
| | - Ottavia Ferraro
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ruggero Capra
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Spedali Civili of Brescia, Presidio di Montichiari, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Colombo
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Confalonieri
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Zaffaroni
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Gallarate Hospital, ASST Valle Olona, Gallarate, Italy
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18
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Kim RY, Mangu D, Hoffman AS, Kavosh R, Jung E, Itoh N, Voskuhl R. Oestrogen receptor β ligand acts on CD11c+ cells to mediate protection in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Brain 2019; 141:132-147. [PMID: 29228214 PMCID: PMC5837360 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oestrogen treatments are neuroprotective in a variety of neurodegenerative disease models. Selective oestrogen receptor modifiers are needed to optimize beneficial effects while minimizing adverse effects to achieve neuroprotection in chronic diseases. Oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ) ligands are potential candidates. In the multiple sclerosis model chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, ERβ-ligand treatment is neuroprotective, but mechanisms underlying this neuroprotection remain unclear. Specifically, whether there are direct effects of ERβ-ligand on CD11c+ microglia, myeloid dendritic cells or macrophages in vivo during disease is unknown. Here, we generated mice with ERβ deleted from CD11c+ cells to show direct effects of ERβ-ligand treatment in vivo on these cells to mediate neuroprotection during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Further, we use bone marrow chimeras to show that ERβ in peripherally derived myeloid cells, not resident microglia, are the CD11c+ cells mediating this protection. CD11c+ dendritic cell and macrophages isolated from the central nervous system of wild-type experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice treated with ERβ-ligand expressed less iNOS and T-bet, but more IL-10, and this treatment effect was lost in mice with specific deletion of ERβ in CD11c+ cells. Also, we extend previous reports of ERβ-ligand’s ability to enhance remyelination through a direct effect on oligodendrocytes by showing that the immunomodulatory effect of ERβ-ligand acting on CD11c+ cells is necessary to permit the maturation of oligodendrocytes. Together these results demonstrate that targeting ERβ signalling pathways in CD11c+ myeloid cells is a novel strategy for regulation of the innate immune system in neurodegenerative diseases. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing how direct effects of a candidate neuroprotective treatment on two distinct cell lineages (bone marrow derived myeloid cells and oligodendrocytes) can have complementary neuroprotective effects in vivo.awx315media15688130498001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Y Kim
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology Ph.D. Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Darian Mangu
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alexandria S Hoffman
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rojan Kavosh
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eunice Jung
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noriko Itoh
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rhonda Voskuhl
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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19
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Sheppard PAS, Choleris E, Galea LAM. Structural plasticity of the hippocampus in response to estrogens in female rodents. Mol Brain 2019; 12:22. [PMID: 30885239 PMCID: PMC6423800 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0442-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that estrogens affect neuroplasticity in a number of brain regions. In particular, estrogens modulate and mediate spine and synapse formation as well as neurogenesis in the hippocampal formation. In this review, we discuss current research exploring the effects of estrogens on dendritic spine plasticity and neurogenesis with a focus on the modulating factors of sex, age, and pregnancy. Hormone levels, including those of estrogens, fluctuate widely across the lifespan from early life to puberty, through adulthood and into old age, as well as with pregnancy and parturition. Dendritic spine formation and modulation are altered both by rapid (likely non-genomic) and classical (genomic) actions of estrogens and have been suggested to play a role in the effects of estrogens on learning and memory. Neurogenesis in the hippocampus is influenced by age, the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and parity in female rodents. Furthermore, sex differences exist in hippocampal cellular and molecular responses to estrogens and are briefly discussed throughout. Understanding how structural plasticity in the hippocampus is affected by estrogens and how these effects can influence function and be influenced by other factors, such as experience and sex, is critical and can inform future treatments in conditions involving the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. S. Sheppard
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Liisa A. M. Galea
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
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20
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MacKenzie‐Graham A, Brook J, Kurth F, Itoh Y, Meyer C, Montag MJ, Wang H, Elashoff R, Voskuhl RR. Estriol-mediated neuroprotection in multiple sclerosis localized by voxel-based morphometry. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01086. [PMID: 30144306 PMCID: PMC6160650 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Progressive gray matter (GM) atrophy is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS). Cognitive impairment has been observed in 40%-70% of MS patients and has been linked to GM atrophy. In a phase 2 trial of estriol treatment in women with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), higher estriol levels correlated with greater improvement on the paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) and imaging revealed sparing of localized GM in estriol-treated compared to placebo-treated patients. To better understand the significance of this GM sparing, the current study explored the relationships between the GM sparing and traditional MRI measures and clinical outcomes. METHODS Sixty-two estriol- and forty-nine placebo-treated RRMS patients underwent clinical evaluations and brain MRI. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to evaluate voxelwise GM sparing from high-resolution T1-weighted scans. RESULTS A region of treatment-induced sparing (TIS) was defined as the areas where GM was spared in estriol- as compared to placebo-treated groups, localized primarily within the frontal and parietal cortices. We observed that TIS volume was directly correlated with improvement on the PASAT. Next, a longitudinal cognitive disability-specific atlas (DSA) was defined by correlating voxelwise GM volumes with PASAT scores, that is, areas where less GM correlated with less improvement in PASAT scores. Finally, overlap between the TIS and the longitudinal cognitive DSA revealed a specific region of cortical GM that was preserved in estriol-treated subjects that was associated with better performance on the PASAT. CONCLUSIONS Discovery of this region of overlap was biology driven, not based on an a priori structure of interest. It included the medial frontal cortex, an area previously implicated in problem solving and attention. These findings indicate that localized GM sparing during estriol treatment was associated with improvement in cognitive testing, suggesting a clinically relevant, disability-specific biomarker for clinical trials of candidate neuroprotective treatments in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan MacKenzie‐Graham
- Department of NeurologyAhmanson‐Lovelace Brain Mapping CenterDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Jenny Brook
- Department of BiomathematicsDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Florian Kurth
- Department of NeurologyAhmanson‐Lovelace Brain Mapping CenterDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Cassandra Meyer
- Department of NeurologyAhmanson‐Lovelace Brain Mapping CenterDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Michael J. Montag
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - He‐Jing Wang
- Department of BiomathematicsDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Robert Elashoff
- Department of BiomathematicsDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
| | - Rhonda R. Voskuhl
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis ProgramDepartment of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCalifornia
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21
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Voskuhl R. It is time to conduct phase 3 clinical trials of sex hormones in MS - Yes. Mult Scler 2018; 24:1413-1415. [PMID: 30058469 DOI: 10.1177/1352458518768764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda Voskuhl
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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22
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Collongues N, Patte-Mensah C, De Seze J, Mensah-Nyagan AG, Derfuss T. Testosterone and estrogen in multiple sclerosis: from pathophysiology to therapeutics. Expert Rev Neurother 2018; 18:515-522. [PMID: 29799288 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2018.1481390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroprotection and remyelination are two unmet needs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Therapeutic potential has been identified with sexual hormones, supported in women by a decrease in MS activity during the pregnancy, in men by a greater severity of symptoms and a faster progression than in women. Areas covered: The therapeutic effect of testosterone and estrogens is reviewed. Both hormones have demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect. Testosterone has an effect in protecting neurons in culture against glutamate-induced toxicity and oxidative stress, and stimulates myelin formation and regeneration mediated through the neural androgen receptor. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, estrogens significantly decrease inflammation in the central nervous system via ERα, while its action on ERβ leads to myelin and axon reparation. Estriol therapy in two phase 2 trials showed a decrease in clinical disease activity and inflammatory parameters in MRI. However, evidence of a therapeutic effect of testosterone is scarce. Expert commentary: Phase 3 trials with estriol as an add-on supplementation are now mandatory. Testosterone is another candidate to be tested in phase 2 trials. These hormones should be considered as an adjunctive therapy. New validated tools are needed to assess their effect on neuroprotection and remyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Collongues
- a Biopathology of Myelin, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies , INSERM U1119, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,b Department of Neurology , University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,c Clinical Investigation Center , INSERM U1434, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Christine Patte-Mensah
- a Biopathology of Myelin, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies , INSERM U1119, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Jérôme De Seze
- a Biopathology of Myelin, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies , INSERM U1119, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,b Department of Neurology , University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France.,c Clinical Investigation Center , INSERM U1434, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Ayikoe-Guy Mensah-Nyagan
- a Biopathology of Myelin, Neuroprotection and Therapeutic Strategies , INSERM U1119, University Hospital of Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Tobias Derfuss
- d Departments of Neurology and Biomedicine , University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland
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23
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Estriol is the main estrogen in pregnancy, but has received less attention outside gestation. It is well known that pregnancy has an immunosuppressive effect on many autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, thyroiditis, uveitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Emerging evidence indicates that estriol has potential immunomodulatory benefits for many disease states including autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative conditions. In this review, we discuss emerging roles for estriol in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, cancer, hyperlipidemia, vascular disease, and multiple sclerosis. Estriol appears to offer a potentially cost-effective approach to a variety of conditions and may offer a wide range of health benefits. METHODS We reviewed the English language MEDLINE literature with estriol in the title with emphasis on publications including nonpregnant females between January 1974 and August 2016. Approximately 393 such articles were considered and 72 articles have been referenced in this review. RESULTS Estriol offers considerable benefits for postmenopausal women with reduced risks that are normally associated with traditional hormone therapies. These benefits include improved control of menopausal symptoms and better urogenital health. Moreover, the immunomodulatory role of estriol in reducing proinflammatory cytokines may be an important new therapeutic option for chronic autoimmune and neurodegenerative illnesses. Since it is a relatively weak estrogen, there is potential for use in men for conditions such as multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS We conclude transvaginal estriol potentially offers a suitable physiologic delivery and cost-effective alternative to currently available estrogen regimens in selected patients. Additional studies on mode of delivery, safety, and efficacy merit further investigation.
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24
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Cell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics in the multiple sclerosis model: Focus on astrocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E302-E309. [PMID: 29279367 PMCID: PMC5777065 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1716032115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in gene expression that occur across the central nervous system (CNS) during neurological diseases do not address the heterogeneity of cell types from one CNS region to another and are complicated by alterations in cellular composition during disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is multifocal by definition. Here, a cell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics approach was used to determine gene expression changes in astrocytes in the most widely used MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Astrocyte-specific RNAs from various neuroanatomic regions were attained using RiboTag technology. Sequencing and bioinformatics analyses showed that EAE-induced gene expression changes differed between neuroanatomic regions when comparing astrocytes from spinal cord, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus. The top gene pathways that were changed in astrocytes from spinal cord during chronic EAE involved decreases in expression of cholesterol synthesis genes while immune pathway gene expression in astrocytes was increased. Optic nerve from EAE and optic chiasm from MS also showed decreased cholesterol synthesis gene expression. The potential role of cholesterol synthesized by astrocytes during EAE and MS is discussed. Together, this provides proof-of-concept that a cell-specific and region-specific gene expression approach can provide potential treatment targets in distinct neuroanatomic regions during multifocal neurological diseases.
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25
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Golden LC, Voskuhl R. The importance of studying sex differences in disease: The example of multiple sclerosis. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:633-643. [PMID: 27870415 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
To date, scientific research has often focused on one sex, with assumptions that study of the other sex would yield similar results. However, many diseases affect males and females differently. The sex of a patient can affect the risk for both disease susceptibility and progression. Such differences can be brought to the laboratory bench to be investigated, potentially bringing new treatments back to the clinic. This method of research, known as a "bedside to bench to bedside" approach, has been applied to studying sex differences in multiple sclerosis (MS). Females have greater susceptibly to MS, while males have worse disease progression. These two characteristics of the disease are influenced by the immune system and the nervous system, respectively. Thus, sex differences in each system must be studied. Personalized medicine has been at the forefront of research recently, and studying sex differences in disease fits with this initiative. This review will discuss the known sex differences in MS and highlight how investigating them can lead to new insights and potential treatments for both men and women. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Golden
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Molecular Biology IDP, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rhonda Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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26
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Voskuhl R, Momtazee C. Pregnancy: Effect on Multiple Sclerosis, Treatment Considerations, and Breastfeeding. Neurotherapeutics 2017; 14:974-984. [PMID: 28766273 PMCID: PMC5722767 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-017-0562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly affects women in childbearing years making pregnancy issues important for patients with MS and their families. Pregnancy is a naturally occurring disease modifier of MS associated with a 70% reduction in relapse rates in the third trimester. This relapse rate reduction during the last trimester is roughly equal to the most effective disease-modifying treatments for MS. Given this efficacy, various pregnancy factors have been tested to determine which play a part in pregnancy's protection, and some have been translated to completed and ongoing phase II clinical trials. In contrast to protective effects during pregnancy, the postpartum period entails increased relapse risk, which may be due to either abrupt removal of protective pregnancy factors after delivery or to unique deleterious factors inherent to the postpartum period. The effect of breastfeeding on MS remains unclear. The best predictor for whether a patient will have a postpartum relapse is the incidence of her having active relapsing MS prior to pregnancy. The medical management of MS during pregnancy and the postpartum period is challenging given the risks of medication exposure to the fetus in utero and to the infant through breast milk. This review will focus on clinical aspects of pregnancy, including the effects of pregnancy on MS disease activity, as well as the medical management of MS during pregnancy and postpartum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda Voskuhl
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, UCLA Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Callene Momtazee
- Multiple Sclerosis Program, UCLA Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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27
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Itoh N, Kim R, Peng M, DiFilippo E, Johnsonbaugh H, MacKenzie-Graham A, Voskuhl RR. Bedside to bench to bedside research: Estrogen receptor beta ligand as a candidate neuroprotective treatment for multiple sclerosis. J Neuroimmunol 2016; 304:63-71. [PMID: 27771018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2016.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Protective effects of pregnancy during MS have led to clinical trials of estriol, the pregnancy estrogen, in MS. Since estriol binds to estrogen receptor (ER) beta, ER beta ligand could represent a "next generation estriol" treatment. Here, ER beta ligand treatment was protective in EAE in both sexes and across genetic backgrounds. Neuroprotection was shown in spinal cord, sparing myelin and axons, and in brain, sparing neurons and synapses. Longitudinal in vivo MRIs showed decreased brain atrophy in cerebral cortex gray matter and cerebellum during EAE. Investigation of ER beta ligand as a neuroprotective treatment for MS is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Itoh
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Roy Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mavis Peng
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Emma DiFilippo
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Hadley Johnsonbaugh
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Allan MacKenzie-Graham
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA
| | - Rhonda R Voskuhl
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, USA.
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28
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Platelet-Activating Factor Receptors Mediate Excitatory Postsynaptic Hippocampal Injury in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. J Neurosci 2016; 36:1336-46. [PMID: 26818520 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1171-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Gray matter degeneration contributes to progressive disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) and can occur out of proportion to measures of white matter disease. Although white matter pathology, including demyelination and axon injury, can lead to secondary gray matter changes, we hypothesized that neurons can undergo direct excitatory injury within the gray matter independent of these. We tested this using a model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) with hippocampal degeneration in C57BL/6 mice, in which immunofluorescent staining showed a 28% loss of PSD95-positive excitatory postsynaptic puncta in hippocampal area CA1 compared with sham-immunized controls, despite preservation of myelin and VGLUT1-positive excitatory axon terminals. Loss of postsynaptic structures was accompanied by appearance of PSD95-positive debris that colocalized with the processes of activated microglia at 25 d after immunization, and clearance of debris was followed by persistently reduced synaptic density at 55 d. In vitro, addition of activated BV2 microglial cells to hippocampal cultures increased neuronal vulnerability to excitotoxic dendritic damage following a burst of synaptic activity in a manner dependent on platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) signaling. In vivo treatment with PAFR antagonist BN52021 prevented PSD95-positive synapse loss in hippocampi of mice with EAE but did not affect development of EAE or local microglial activation. These results demonstrate that postsynaptic structures can be a primary target of injury within the gray matter in autoimmune neuroinflammatory disease, and suggest that this may occur via PAFR-mediated modulation of activity-dependent synaptic physiology downstream of microglial activation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Unraveling gray matter degeneration is critical for developing treatments for progressive disability and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). In a mouse model of MS, we show that neurons can undergo injury at their synaptic connections within the gray matter, independent of the white matter pathology, demyelination, and axon injury that have been the focus of most current and emerging treatments. Damage to excitatory synapses in the hippocampus occurs in association with activated microglia, which can promote excitotoxic injury via activation of receptors for platelet-activating factor, a proinflammatory signaling molecule elevated in the brain in MS. Platelet-activating factor receptor blockade protected synapses in the mouse model, identifying a potential target for neuroprotective treatments in MS.
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29
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Galea LAM, Frick KM, Hampson E, Sohrabji F, Choleris E. Why estrogens matter for behavior and brain health. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 76:363-379. [PMID: 27039345 PMCID: PMC5045786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has required the inclusion of women in clinical studies since 1993, which has enhanced our understanding of how biological sex affects certain medical conditions and allowed the development of sex-specific treatment protocols. However, NIH's policy did not previously apply to basic research, and the NIH recently introduced a new policy requiring all new grant applications to explicitly address sex as a biological variable. The policy itself is grounded in the results of numerous investigations in animals and humans illustrating the existence of sex differences in the brain and behavior, and the importance of sex hormones, particularly estrogens, in regulating physiology and behavior. Here, we review findings from our laboratories, and others, demonstrating how estrogens influence brain and behavior in adult females. Research from subjects throughout the adult lifespan on topics ranging from social behavior, learning and memory, to disease risk will be discussed to frame an understanding of why estrogens matter to behavioral neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada.
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
| | - Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada
| | - Farida Sohrabji
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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30
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Voskuhl RR, Wang H, Wu TCJ, Sicotte NL, Nakamura K, Kurth F, Itoh N, Bardens J, Bernard JT, Corboy JR, Cross AH, Dhib-Jalbut S, Ford CC, Frohman EM, Giesser B, Jacobs D, Kasper LH, Lynch S, Parry G, Racke MK, Reder AT, Rose J, Wingerchuk DM, MacKenzie-Graham AJ, Arnold DL, Tseng CH, Elashoff R. Estriol combined with glatiramer acetate for women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol 2015; 15:35-46. [PMID: 26621682 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(15)00322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Relapses of multiple sclerosis decrease during pregnancy, when the hormone estriol is increased. Estriol treatment is anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective in preclinical studies. In a small single-arm study of people with multiple sclerosis estriol reduced gadolinium-enhancing lesions and was favourably immunomodulatory. We assessed whether estriol treatment reduces multiple sclerosis relapses in women. METHODS We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial at 16 academic neurology centres in the USA, between June 28, 2007, and Jan 9, 2014. Women aged 18-50 years with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis were randomly assigned (1:1) with a random permuted block design to either daily oral estriol (8 mg) or placebo, each in combination with injectable glatiramer acetate 20 mg daily. Patients and all study personnel, except for pharmacists and statisticians, were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was annualised relapse rate after 24 months, with a significance level of p=0.10. Relapses were confirmed by an increase in Expanded Disability Status Scale score assessed by an independent physician. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00451204. FINDINGS We enrolled 164 patients: 83 were allocated to the estriol group and 81 were allocated to the placebo group. The annualised confirmed relapse rate was 0.25 relapses per year (95% CI 0.17-0.37) in the estriol group versus 0.37 relapses per year (0.25-0.53) in the placebo group (adjusted rate ratio 0.63, 95% CI 0.37-1.05; p=0.077). The proportion of patients with serious adverse events did not differ substantially between the estriol group and the placebo group (eight [10%] of 82 patients vs ten [13%] of 76 patients). Irregular menses were more common in the estriol group than in the placebo group (19 [23%] vs three [4%], p=0.0005), but vaginal infections were less common (one [1%] vs eight [11%], p=0.0117). There were no differences in breast fibrocystic disease, uterine fibroids, or endometrial lining thickness as assessed by clinical examination, mammogram, uterine ultrasound, or endometrial lining biopsy. INTERPRETATION Estriol plus glatiramer acetate met our criteria for reducing relapse rates, and treatment was well tolerated over 24 months. These results warrant further investigation in a phase 3 trial. FUNDING National Institutes of Health, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Conrad N Hilton Foundation, Jack H Skirball Foundation, Sherak Family Foundation, and the California Community Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhonda R Voskuhl
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - HeJing Wang
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T C Jackson Wu
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Florian Kurth
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Noriko Itoh
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Bardens
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Anne H Cross
- Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Corey C Ford
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Barbara Giesser
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dina Jacobs
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lloyd H Kasper
- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Sharon Lynch
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | | | - Michael K Racke
- Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - John Rose
- Salt Lake City VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Allan J MacKenzie-Graham
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Chi Hong Tseng
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert Elashoff
- David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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31
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Mandolesi G, Gentile A, Musella A, Fresegna D, De Vito F, Bullitta S, Sepman H, Marfia GA, Centonze D. Synaptopathy connects inflammation and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2015; 11:711-24. [PMID: 26585978 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been regarded as a chronic inflammatory disease of the white matter that leads to demyelination and eventually to neurodegeneration. In the past decade, several aspects of MS pathogenesis have been challenged, and degenerative changes of the grey matter, which are independent of demyelination, have become a topic of interest. CNS inflammation in MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE; a disease model used to study MS in rodents) causes a marked imbalance between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission, and a loss of synapses, all of which leads to a diffuse 'synaptopathy'. Altered synaptic transmission can occur early in MS and EAE, independently of demyelination and axonal loss, and subsequently causes excitotoxic damage. Inflammation-driven synaptic abnormalities are emerging as a prominent pathogenic mechanism in MS-importantly, they are potentially reversible and, therefore, represent attractive therapeutic targets. In this Review, we focus on the connection between inflammation and synaptopathy in MS and EAE, which sheds light not only on the pathophysiology of MS but also on that of primary neurodegenerative disorders in which inflammatory processes contribute to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Mandolesi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia/Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonietta Gentile
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Musella
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia/Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Fresegna
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia/Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Vito
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Bullitta
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia/Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Helena Sepman
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia/Centro Europeo per la Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Girolama A Marfia
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo (INM) Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
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32
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Takita M, Kikusui T. Early weaning influences short-term synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal-anterior basolateral amygdala pathway. Neurosci Res 2015; 103:48-53. [PMID: 26325007 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Early weaning in rodents reportedly influences behavioral and emotional traits and triggers precocious myelin formation in the anterior basolateral amygdala (aBLA; Ono et al., 2008), where prefrontal efferents terminate. We studied the correlation between behavior and the synaptic properties of the prefrontal-aBLA pathway. Open-field behaviors of adult male rats weaned at either 16 days or 30 days were measured on two consecutive days. On the first day, the rats received a slight footshock that was reportedly insufficient for fear conditioning. Electrophysiological recordings in the prefrontal-aBLA were then performed under urethane anesthesia. Without group differences in the stimulus intensity or the first evoked response, the overall paired-pulse facilitation was significantly lower in the early-weaned group from 25 to 100 ms. At the 25-ms interval, regression values between paired-pulse facilitation and locomotion on the second day were positive/insignificant and negative/significant in early- and control-weaned groups, respectively, and were statistically different between the groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Takita
- Brain Function Measurement Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan; Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
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33
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Dunn SE, Gunde E, Lee H. Sex-Based Differences in Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Part II: Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Women and the Vulnerability of Men to Progression of this Disease. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 26:57-86. [PMID: 25690592 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that a number of autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) predominantly affect women and there has been much attention directed toward understanding why this is the case. Past research has revealed a number of sex differences in autoimmune responses that can account for the female bias in MS. However, much less is known about why the incidence of MS has increased exclusively in women over the past half century. The recency of this increase suggests that changing environmental or lifestyle factors are interacting with biological sex to increase MS risk predominantly in females. Indeed, a number of recent studies have identified sex-specific differences in the effect of environmental factors on MS incidence. The first part of this chapter will overview this evidence and will discuss the possible scenarios of how the environment may be interacting with autoimmune mechanisms to contribute to the preferential rise in MS incidence in women. Despite the strong female bias in MS incidence, culminating evidence from natural history studies, and imaging and pathology studies suggests that males who develop MS may exhibit a more rapid decline in disability and cognitive functioning than women. Very little is known about the biological basis of this more rapid deterioration, but some insights have been provided by studies in rodent models of demyelination/remyelination. The second part of this chapter will overview the evidence that males with relapsing-onset MS undergo a more rapid progression of disease than females and will discuss potential biological mechanisms that account for this sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Dunn
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,General Research Institute, University Health Network, Women's College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Eva Gunde
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Hyunwoo Lee
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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Chakrabarti M, Haque A, Banik NL, Nagarkatti P, Nagarkatti M, Ray SK. Estrogen receptor agonists for attenuation of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Brain Res Bull 2014; 109:22-31. [PMID: 25245209 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent results from laboratory investigations and clinical trials indicate important roles for estrogen receptor (ER) agonists in protecting the central nervous system (CNS) from noxious consequences of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative processes in several CNS disorders including spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with activation of microglia and astrocytes, which drive the resident neuroinflammatory response. During neurodegenerative processes, activated microglia and astrocytes cause deleterious effects on surrounding neurons. The inhibitory activity of ER agonists on microglia activation might be a beneficial therapeutic option for delaying the onset or progression of neurodegenerative injuries and diseases. Recent studies suggest that ER agonists can provide neuroprotection by modulation of cell survival mechanisms, synaptic reorganization, regenerative responses to axonal injury, and neurogenesis process. The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions of ER agonists are mediated mainly via two ERs known as ERα and ERβ. Although some studies have suggested that ER agonists may be deleterious to some neuronal populations, the potential clinical benefits of ER agonists for augmenting cognitive function may triumph over the associated side effects. Also, understanding the modulatory activities of ER agonists on inflammatory pathways will possibly lead to the development of selective anti-inflammatory molecules with neuroprotective roles in different CNS disorders such as SCI, MS, PD, and AD in humans. Future studies should be concentrated on finding the most plausible molecular pathways for enhancing protective functions of ER agonists in treating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative injuries and diseases in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrinmay Chakrabarti
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
| | - Azizul Haque
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Naren L Banik
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Prakash Nagarkatti
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
| | - Mitzi Nagarkatti
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
| | - Swapan K Ray
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Columbia, SC 29209, USA.
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XY sex chromosome complement, compared with XX, in the CNS confers greater neurodegeneration during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:2806-11. [PMID: 24550311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307091111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Women are more susceptible to multiple sclerosis (MS) and have more robust immune responses than men. However, men with MS tend to demonstrate a more progressive disease course than women, suggesting a disconnect between the severity of an immune attack and the CNS response to a given immune attack. We have previously shown in an MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, that autoantigen-sensitized XX lymph node cells, compared with XY, are more encephalitogenic. These studies demonstrated an effect of sex chromosomes in the induction of immune responses, but did not address a potential role of sex chromosomes in the CNS response to immune-mediated injury. Here, we examined this possibility using XX versus XY bone marrow chimeras reconstituted with a common immune system of one sex chromosomal type. We found that experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice with an XY sex chromosome complement in the CNS, compared with XX, demonstrated greater clinical disease severity with more neuropathology in the spinal cord, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex. A candidate gene on the X chromosome, toll-like receptor 7, was then examined. Toll-like receptor 7 expression in cortical neurons was higher in mice with XY compared with mice with XX CNS, consistent with the known neurodegenerative role for toll-like receptor 7 in neurons. These results suggest that sex chromosome effects on neurodegeneration in the CNS run counter to effects on immune responses, and may bear relevance to the clinical enigma of greater MS susceptibility in women but faster disability progression in men. This is a demonstration of a direct effect of sex chromosome complement on neurodegeneration in a neurological disease.
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Jukkola P, Guerrero T, Gray V, Gu C. Astrocytes differentially respond to inflammatory autoimmune insults and imbalances of neural activity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2013; 1:70. [PMID: 24252623 PMCID: PMC3893391 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-1-70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuronal activity intimately communicates with blood flow through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocyte endfeet cover more than 90% of brain capillaries and interact with synapses and nodes of Ranvier. The roles of astrocytes in neurovascular coupling in the CNS remain poorly understood. RESULTS Here we show that astrocytes that are intrinsically different are activated by inflammatory autoimmune insults and alterations of neuronal activity. In the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), both fibrous and protoplasmic astrocytes were broadly and reversibly activated in the brain and spinal cord, indicated by marked upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and other astrocytic proteins. In early and remitting EAE, upregulated GFAP and astrocytic endfoot water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4) enclosed white matter lesions in spinal cord, whereas they markedly increased and formed bundles in exacerbated lesions in late EAE. In cerebellar cortex, upregulation of astrocytic proteins correlated with EAE severity. On the other hand, protoplasmic astrocytes were also markedly activated in the brains of ankyrin-G (AnkG) and Kv3.1 KO mice, where neuronal activities are altered. Massive astrocytes replaced degenerated Purkinje neurons in AnkG KO mice. In Kv3.1 KO mice, GFAP staining significantly increased in cerebellar cortex, where Kv3.1 is normally highly expressed, but displayed in a patchy pattern in parts of the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Thus, astrocytes can detect changes in both blood and neurons, which supports their central role in neurovascular coupling. These studies contribute to the development of new strategies of neuroprotection and repair for various diseases, through activity-dependent regulation of neurovascular coupling.
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Koenig KA, Lowe MJ, Lin J, Sakaie KE, Stone L, Bermel RA, Beall EB, Rao SM, Trapp BD, Phillips MD. Sex differences in resting-state functional connectivity in multiple sclerosis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2013; 34:2304-11. [PMID: 23811974 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Multiple studies have demonstrated evidence of sex differences in patients with MS, including differences in disease progression, cognitive decline, and biologic markers. This study used functional connectivity MRI to investigate sex differences in the strength of functional connectivity of the default mode network in patients with MS and healthy control subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 16 men and 16 women with MS and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects underwent a whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity MRI scan. A group-based seed in the posterior cingulate was used to create whole-brain correlation maps. A 2 × 2 ANOVA was used to assess whether disease status and sex affected the strength of connectivity to the posterior cingulate. RESULTS Patients with MS showed significantly stronger connectivity from the posterior cingulate to the bilateral medial frontal gyri, the left ventral anterior cingulate, the right putamen, and the left middle temporal gyrus (P < .0005). In the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, female patients showed significantly stronger connectivity to the posterior cingulate cortex compared with female control subjects (P = 3 × 10(4)), and male control subjects showed stronger posterior cingulate cortex-left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex connectivity in comparison to female control subjects (P = .002). Male patients showed significantly weaker connectivity to the caudate compared with female patients (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS Disease status and sex interact to produce differences in the strength of functional connectivity from the posterior cingulate to the caudate and the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex.
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Wisdom AJ, Cao Y, Itoh N, Spence RD, Voskuhl RR. Estrogen receptor-β ligand treatment after disease onset is neuroprotective in the multiple sclerosis model. J Neurosci Res 2013; 91:901-8. [PMID: 23633287 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Revised: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and neurodegeneration. Current MS treatments were designed to reduce inflammation in MS rather than directly to prevent neurodegeneration. Estrogen has well-documented neuroprotective effects in a variety of disorders of the CNS, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the most widely used mouse model of MS. Treatment with an estrogen receptor-β (ERβ) ligand is known to ameliorate clinical disease effectively and provide neuroprotection in EAE. However, the protective effects of this ERβ ligand have been demonstrated only when administered prior to disease (prophylactically). Here we tested whether ERβ ligand treatment could provide clinical protection when treatment was initiated after onset of disease (therapeutically). We found that therapeutic treatment effectively ameliorated clinical disease in EAE. Specifically, ERβ ligand-treated animals exhibited preserved axons and myelin compared with vehicle-treated animals. We observed no difference in the number of T lymphocytes, macrophages, or microglia in the CNS of vehicle- vs. ERβ ligand-treated animals. Our findings show that therapeutically administered ERβ ligand successfully treats clinical EAE, bearing translational relevance to MS as a candidate neuroprotective agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Wisdom
- UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Hu X, Qin X. Lentivirus-mediated estrogen receptor α overexpression in the central nervous system ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. Int J Mol Med 2013; 31:1209-21. [PMID: 23525227 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2013.1306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS) and multifocal demyelination. Clinical data and clinical indicators demonstrate that estrogen improves the relapse-remittance of MS patients. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and the underlying mechanism(s) of action of estrogen and estrogen receptor α (ERα) in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS. An ERα recombinant lentivirus was constructed. Mouse neurons were cultured in serum-free culture medium, and ERα recombinant lentivirus with a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 5 was used to infect the neurons. Furthermore, neuronal ERα mRNA and protein expression were detected using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. We sterotaxically injected ERα recombinant lentivirus into the lateral ventricle of mouse brains, and successfully identified infected neurons using Flag immunofluorescence staining to determine the optimal dose. A total of 75 C57BL/6 mice were ovariectomized. After 2 weeks, EAE was induced with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35-55 peptide. The EAE mice were divided into 5 groups: the estrogen group (treatment with estradiol), the ERα agonist group (treatment with raloxifene), the ERα recombinant lentivirus group (ERα group, treatment with ERα recombinant lentivirus), the empty virus group and the normal saline (NS) group; clinical symptoms and body weight were compared among the groups. We assessed EAE-related parameters, detected pathological changes with immunohistochemistry and quantified the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and a subset of EAE-related cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We successfully constructed an ERα recombinant lentivirus. C57BL/6 mouse neurons can survive in culture for at least 8 weeks. During that period, the recombinant lentivirus was able to infect the neurons, while sustaining green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression. ERα recombinant lentivirus also infected the neurons at a MOI of 5. The ERα mRNA and protein expression levels were higher in the infected neurons compared to the uninfected ones. We successfully infected the CNS of C57BL/6 mice by stereotaxically injecting ERα recombinant lentivirus into the lateral ventricle of the mouse brains and induced EAE. The lentivirus-mediated overexpression of ERα reduced the incidence of EAE, ameliorated the clinical symptoms, inhibited inflammatory cell CNS infiltration, and reduced nerve fiber demyelination. MMP-9, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 expression levels were decreased, while those of MBP and IL-4 were increased. These data demonstrate that it is possible to induce the overexpression of ERα using a recombinant lentivirus, and that this novel intervention ameliorates EAE in a mouse model. Mechanistically, estrogen and ERα inhibit inflammatory responses, and ERα alleviates damage to the myelin sheath. Collectively, our findings support the potential use of ERα as a therapeutic target for the treatment of MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Hu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
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Hirahara Y, Matsuda KI, Liu YF, Yamada H, Kawata M, Boggs JM. 17β-Estradiol and 17α-estradiol induce rapid changes in cytoskeletal organization in cultured oligodendrocytes. Neuroscience 2013; 235:187-99. [PMID: 23337538 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 12/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dramatic changes in the cytoskeleton and the morphology of oligodendrocytes (OLs) occur during various stages of the myelination process. OLs in culture produce large membrane sheets containing cytoskeletal veins of microtubules and actin filaments. We recently showed that estrogen receptors (ER) related to ERα/β were expressed in the membrane sheets of mature OLs in culture. Ligation of these or other membrane ERs in OLs with both 17β- and 17α-estradiol mediated rapid non-genomic signaling. Here, we show that estrogens also mediate rapid non-genomic remodeling of the cytoskeleton in mature OLs in culture. 17β-Estradiol caused a rapid loss of microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton in the OL membrane sheets. It also increased phosphorylation of the actin filament-severing protein cofilin, thus inactivating it. Staining for actin barbed ends with rhodamine-actin showed that it decreased the amount of actin barbed ends. 17α-Estradiol, on the other hand, increased the percentage of cells with abundant staining of actin filaments and actin barbed ends, suggesting that it stabilized and/or increased the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. The specific ERα and ERβ agonists, 4,4',4″-(4-propyl-(1H)-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT) and diarylpropionitrile 2,3-bis(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), respectively, also caused the rapid phosphorylation of cofilin. Estrogen-induced phosphorylation of cofilin was inhibited by Y-27632, a specific inhibitor of the Rho-associated protein serine/threonine kinase (ROCK). The Rho/ROCK/cofilin pathway is therefore implicated in actin rearrangement via estrogen ligation of membrane ERs, which may include forms of ERα and ERβ. These results indicate a role for estrogens in modulation of the cytoskeleton in mature OLs, and thus in various processes required for myelinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Hirahara
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Science, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi-City, 570-8506 Osaka, Japan
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Therapeutic testosterone administration preserves excitatory synaptic transmission in the hippocampus during autoimmune demyelinating disease. J Neurosci 2012; 32:12312-24. [PMID: 22956822 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2796-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 50% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience cognitive deficits, and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment has been reported in >30% of these patients. While postmortem pathology studies and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging demonstrate that the hippocampus is targeted in MS, the neuropathology underlying hippocampal dysfunction remains unknown. Furthermore, there are no treatments available to date to effectively prevent neurodegeneration and associated cognitive dysfunction in MS. We have recently demonstrated that the hippocampus is also targeted in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the most widely used animal model of MS. The objective of this study was to assess whether a candidate treatment (testosterone) could prevent hippocampal synaptic dysfunction and underlying pathology when administered in either a preventative or a therapeutic (postdisease induction) manner. Electrophysiological studies revealed impairments in basal excitatory synaptic transmission that involved both AMPA receptor-mediated changes in synaptic currents, and faster decay rates of NMDA receptor-mediated currents in mice with EAE. Neuropathology revealed atrophy of the pyramidal and dendritic layers of hippocampal CA1, decreased presynaptic (Synapsin-1) and postsynaptic (postsynaptic density 95; PSD-95) staining, diffuse demyelination, and microglial activation. Testosterone treatment administered either before or after disease induction restores excitatory synaptic transmission as well as presynaptic and postsynaptic protein levels within the hippocampus. Furthermore, cross-modality correlations demonstrate that fluctuations in EPSPs are significantly correlated to changes in postsynaptic protein levels and suggest that PSD-95 is a neuropathological substrate to impaired synaptic transmission in the hippocampus during EAE. This is the first report demonstrating that testosterone is a viable therapeutic treatment option that can restore both hippocampal function and disease-associated pathology that occur during autoimmune disease.
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