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Xie MX, Rao JH, Tian XY, Liu JK, Li X, Chen ZY, Cao Y, Chen AN, Shu HH, Zhang XL. ATF4 inhibits TRPV4 function and controls itch perception in rodents and nonhuman primates. Pain 2024; 165:1840-1859. [PMID: 38422489 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Acute and chronic itch are prevalent and incapacitating, yet the neural mechanisms underlying both acute and chronic itch are just starting to be unraveled. Activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4) belongs to the ATF/CREB transcription factor family and primarily participates in the regulation of gene transcription. Our previous study has demonstrated that ATF4 is expressed in sensory neurons. Nevertheless, the role of ATF4 in itch sensation remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that ATF4 plays a significant role in regulating itch sensation. The absence of ATF4 in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons enhances the itch sensitivity of mice. Overexpression of ATF4 in sensory neurons significantly alleviates the acute and chronic pruritus in mice. Furthermore, ATF4 interacts with the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) and inhibits its function without altering the expression or membrane trafficking of TRPV4 in sensory neurons. In addition, interference with ATF4 increases the itch sensitivity in nonhuman primates and enhances TRPV4 currents in nonhuman primates DRG neurons; ATF4 and TRPV4 also co-expresses in human sensory neurons. Our data demonstrate that ATF4 controls pruritus by regulating TRPV4 signaling through a nontranscriptional mechanism and identifies a potential new strategy for the treatment of pathological pruritus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Xiu Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hua Rao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Tian
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Kun Liu
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zi-Yi Chen
- Zhongshan School of Medicine of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Cao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - An-Nan Chen
- Zhongshan School of Medicine of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Hua Shu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Long Zhang
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Yan T, Wang R, Yao J, Luo M. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals rich pituitary-Immune interactions under systemic inflammation. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002403. [PMID: 38109308 PMCID: PMC10727439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The pituitary represents an essential hub in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Pituitary hormone-producing cells (HPCs) release several hormones to regulate fundamental bodily functions under normal and stressful conditions. It is well established that the pituitary endocrine gland modulates the immune system by releasing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in response to neuronal activation in the hypothalamus. However, it remains unclear how systemic inflammation regulates the transcriptomic profiles of pituitary HPCs. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of the mouse pituitary and revealed that upon inflammation, all major pituitary HPCs respond robustly in a cell type-specific manner, with corticotropes displaying the strongest reaction. Systemic inflammation also led to the production and release of noncanonical bioactive molecules, including Nptx2 by corticotropes, to modulate immune homeostasis. Meanwhile, HPCs up-regulated the gene expression of chemokines that facilitated the communication between the HPCs and immune cells. Together, our study reveals extensive interactions between the pituitary and immune system, suggesting multifaceted roles of the pituitary in mediating the effects of inflammation on many aspects of body physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yan
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
| | - Ruiyu Wang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
- PTN Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingfei Yao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
| | - Minmin Luo
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research (TIMBR), Beijing, China
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Takanami K, Kuroiwa M, Ishikawa R, Imai Y, Oishi A, Hashino M, Shimoda Y, Sakamoto H, Koide T. Function of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors in ocular itch transmission in the mouse trigeminal sensory system. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1280024. [PMID: 38098939 PMCID: PMC10719851 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1280024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis in itchy eyes has increased constantly worldwide owing to environmental pollution. Currently, anti-allergic and antihistaminic eye drops are used; however, there are many unknown aspects about the neural circuits that transmit itchy eyes. We focused on the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and GRP receptor (GRPR), which are reportedly involved in itch transmission in the spinal somatosensory system, to determine whether the GRP system is involved in itch neurotransmission of the eyes in the trigeminal sensory system. First, the instillation of itch mediators, such as histamine (His) and non-histaminergic itch mediator chloroquine (CQ), exhibited concentration-dependent high levels of eye scratching behavior, with a significant sex differences observed in the case of His. Histological analysis revealed that His and CQ significantly increased the neural activity of GRPR-expressing neurons in the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus of the medulla oblongata in GRPR transgenic mice. We administered a GRPR antagonist or bombesin-saporin to ablate GRPR-expressing neurons, followed by His or CQ instillation, and observed a decrease in CQ-induced eye-scratching behavior in the toxin experiments. Intracisternal administration of neuromedin C (NMC), a GRPR agonist, resulted in dose-dependent excessive facial scratching behavior, despite the absence of an itch stimulus on the face. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that non-histaminergic itchy eyes were transmitted centrally via GRPR-expressing neurons in the trigeminal sensory system, and that NMC in the medulla oblongata evoked facial itching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Takanami
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan
| | - Masaya Kuroiwa
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Ren Ishikawa
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Yuji Imai
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Technical Section, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Akane Oishi
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Technical Section, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Midori Hashino
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yasushi Shimoda
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Koide
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
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Xie K, Cheng X, Zhu T, Zhang D. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of dorsal root ganglion: an overview. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1162049. [PMID: 37405309 PMCID: PMC10315536 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1162049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The somatosensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are responsible to detect peripheral physical and noxious stimuli, and then transmit these inputs into the central nervous system. DRG neurons are composed of various subpopulations, which are suggested to respond to different stimuli, such as mechanical, thermal, and cold perception. For a long time, DRG neurons were classified based on anatomical criteria. Recently, single-cell (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) has advanced our understanding of the composition and functional heterogeneity of both human and rodent DRG neurons at single-cell resolution. In this review, we summarized the current literature regarding single-cell transcriptomic profiling of DRG to provide an integral understanding in the molecular transcriptomes, cell types, and functional annotations of DRG neurons in humans and rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyu Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Chengdu Second People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Xu Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Donghang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Greguske EA, Maroto AF, Borrajo M, Palou A, Gut M, Esteve-Codina A, Barrallo-Gimeno A, Llorens J. Decreased expression of synaptic genes in the vestibular ganglion of rodents following subchronic ototoxic stress. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 182:106134. [PMID: 37100209 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The vestibular ganglion contains primary sensory neurons that are postsynaptic to the transducing hair cells (HC) and project to the central nervous system. Understanding the response of these neurons to HC stress or loss is of great interest as their survival and functional competence will determine the functional outcome of any intervention aiming at repair or regeneration of the HCs. We have shown that subchronic exposure to the ototoxicant 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) in rats and mice causes a reversible detachment and synaptic uncoupling between the HCs and the ganglion neurons. Here, we used this paradigm to study the global changes in gene expression in vestibular ganglia using RNA-seq. Comparative gene ontology and pathway analyses of the data from both model species indicated a robust downregulation of terms related to synapses, including presynaptic and postsynaptic functions. Manual analyses of the most significantly downregulated transcripts identified genes with expressions related to neuronal activity, modulators of neuronal excitability, and transcription factors and receptors that promote neurite growth and differentiation. For choice selected genes, the mRNA expression results were replicated by qRT-PCR, validated spatially by RNA-scope, or were demonstrated to be associated with decreased expression of the corresponding protein. We conjectured that decreased synaptic input or trophic support on the ganglion neurons from the HC was triggering these expression changes. To support this hypothesis, we demonstrated decreased expression of BDNF mRNA in the vestibular epithelium after subchronic ototoxicity and also downregulated expression of similarly identified genes (e.g Etv5, Camk1g, Slc17a6, Nptx2, Spp1) after HC ablation with another ototoxic compound, allylnitrile. We conclude that vestibular ganglion neurons respond to decreased input from HCs by decreasing the strength of all their synaptic contacts, both as postsynaptic and presynaptic players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Greguske
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Alberto F Maroto
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Mireia Borrajo
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Aïda Palou
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Barrallo-Gimeno
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Jordi Llorens
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, Universitat de Barcelona, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain; Institut de Neurociènces, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalunya, Spain.
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Zhang TT, Guo SS, Wang HY, Jing Q, Yi X, Hu ZH, Yu XR, Xu TL, Liu MG, Zhao X. An Anterior Cingulate Cortex-to-Midbrain Projection Controls Chronic Itch in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2022; 39:793-807. [PMID: 36528690 PMCID: PMC10169993 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00996-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractItch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. While acute itch serves as a protective system to warn the body of external irritating agents, chronic itch is a debilitating but poorly-treated clinical disease leading to repetitive scratching and skin lesions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic itch remain mysterious. Here, we identified a cell type-dependent role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in controlling chronic itch-related excessive scratching behaviors in mice. Moreover, we delineated a neural circuit originating from excitatory neurons of the ACC to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that was critically involved in chronic itch. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ACC→VTA circuit also selectively modulated histaminergic acute itch. Finally, the ACC neurons were shown to predominantly innervate the non-dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. Taken together, our findings uncover a cortex–midbrain circuit for chronic itch-evoked scratching behaviors and shed novel insights on therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Su-Shan Guo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Hui-Ying Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Qi Jing
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zi-Han Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xin-Ren Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Ming-Gang Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Xuan Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China.
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