1
|
Hu M, Tang Z, Li H, Lei Q, Xu Q, Su J, Huang Y, Chen S, Chen H. Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on axonal regeneration in the corticospinal tract of female rats with spinal cord injury. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 411:110267. [PMID: 39191303 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates the potential of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to enhance spinal cord axon regeneration by modulating corticospinal pathways and improving motor nerve function recovery in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). NEW METHOD TMS is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that generates a magnetic field to activate neurons in the brain, leading to depolarization and modulation of cortical activity. Initially utilized for brain physiology research, TMS has evolved into a diagnostic and prognostic tool in clinical settings, with increasing interest in its therapeutic applications. However, its potential for treating motor dysfunction in SCI has been underexplored. RESULTS The TMS intervention group exhibited significant improvements compared to the control group across behavioral assessments, neurophysiological measurements, pathological analysis, and immunological markers. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Unlike most studies that focus on localized spinal cord injury or muscle treatments, this study leverages the non-invasive, painless, and highly penetrating nature of TMS to focus on the corticospinal tracts, exploring its therapeutic potential for SCI. CONCLUSIONS TMS enhances motor function recovery in rats with SCI by restoring corticospinal pathway integrity and promoting axonal regeneration. These findings highlight TMS as a promising therapeutic option for SCI patients with currently limited treatment alternatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengxuan Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Zewen Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Huijun Li
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China; Anqing Medical College, Anqing 246000, PR China
| | - Qian Lei
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Qingqin Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Junhong Su
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Shi Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China
| | - Hemu Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Watanabe H, Kobikov Y, Nosova O, Sarkisyan D, Galatenko V, Carvalho L, Maia GH, Lukoyanov N, Lavrov I, Ossipov MH, Hallberg M, Schouenborg J, Zhang M, Bakalkin G. The Left-Right Side-Specific Neuroendocrine Signaling from Injured Brain: An Organizational Principle. FUNCTION 2024; 5:zqae013. [PMID: 38985004 PMCID: PMC11237900 DOI: 10.1093/function/zqae013] [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: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A neurological dogma is that the contralateral effects of brain injury are set through crossed descending neural tracts. We have recently identified a novel topographic neuroendocrine system (T-NES) that operates via a humoral pathway and mediates the left-right side-specific effects of unilateral brain lesions. In rats with completely transected thoracic spinal cords, unilateral injury to the sensorimotor cortex produced contralateral hindlimb flexion, a proxy for neurological deficit. Here, we investigated in acute experiments whether T-NES consists of left and right counterparts and whether they differ in neural and molecular mechanisms. We demonstrated that left- and right-sided hormonal signaling is differentially blocked by the δ-, κ- and µ-opioid antagonists. Left and right neurohormonal signaling differed in targeting the afferent spinal mechanisms. Bilateral deafferentation of the lumbar spinal cord abolished the hormone-mediated effects of the left-brain injury but not the right-sided lesion. The sympathetic nervous system was ruled out as a brain-to-spinal cord-signaling pathway since hindlimb responses were induced in rats with cervical spinal cord transections that were rostral to the preganglionic sympathetic neurons. Analysis of gene-gene co-expression patterns identified the left- and right-side-specific gene co-expression networks that were coordinated via the humoral pathway across the hypothalamus and lumbar spinal cord. The coordination was ipsilateral and disrupted by brain injury. These findings suggest that T-NES is bipartite and that its left and right counterparts contribute to contralateral neurological deficits through distinct neural mechanisms, and may enable ipsilateral regulation of molecular and neural processes across distant neural areas along the neuraxis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK-5230, Denmark
| | - Yaromir Kobikov
- Volunteer Associate at Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
| | - Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 08, Sweden
| | | | - Liliana Carvalho
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-319, Portugal
| | - Gisela H Maia
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde Translacional e Biotecnologia Médica (TBIO)/Rede de Investigação em Saúde (RISE-Health), Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Porto 4200-072, Portugal
- Medibrain, Vila do Conde 4480-807, Portugal
- Brain Research Institute, Porto 4450-208, Portugal
| | - Nikolay Lukoyanov
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-319, Portugal
- Brain Research Institute, Porto 4450-208, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Igor Lavrov
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Michael H Ossipov
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85724-5050, USA
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
| | - Jens Schouenborg
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund 223 63, Sweden
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK-5230, Denmark
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund 223 63, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-751 24, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kristensen MA, Rich KK, Mogensen TC, Damsgaard Jensen AM, Fex Svenningsen Å, Zhang M. Focal Traumatic Brain Injury Impairs the Integrity of the Basement Membrane of Hindlimb Muscle Fibers Revealed by Extracellular Matrix Immunoreactivity. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:543. [PMID: 38792565 PMCID: PMC11121831 DOI: 10.3390/life14050543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) stands as a prominent global cause of disability, with motor deficits being a common consequence. Despite its widespread impact, the precise pathological mechanisms underlying motor deficits after TBI remain elusive. In this study, hindlimb postural asymmetry (HL-PA) development in rats subjected to focal TBI was investigated to explore the potential roles of collagen IV and laminin within the extracellular matrix (ECM) of selected hindlimb muscles in the emergence of motor deficits following TBI. A focal TBI was induced by ablating the left sensorimotor cortex in rats and motor deficits were assessed by measuring HL-PA. The expression of laminin and collagen IV in eight selected muscles on each side of the hindlimbs from both TBI- and sham-operated rats were studied using immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitatively analyzed. The results indicated that the TBI rats exhibited HL-PA, characterized by flexion of the contralateral (right) hindlimb. In the sham-operated rats, the immunoreactive components of laminin and collagen IV were evenly and smoothly distributed along the border of the muscle fibers in all the investigated muscles. In contrast, in the TBI rats, the pattern was broken into aggregated, granule-like, immunoreactive components. Such a labeling pattern was detected in all the investigated muscles both from the contra- and ipsilateral sides of the TBI rats. However, in TBI rats, most of the muscles from the contralateral hindlimb showed a significantly increased expression of these two proteins in comparison with those from the ipsilateral hindlimb. In comparison to sham-operated rats, there was a significant increase in laminin and collagen IV expression in various contralateral hindlimb muscles in the TBI rats. These findings suggest potential implications of laminin and collagen IV in the development of motor deficits following a focal TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mette Albæk Kristensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; (M.A.K.); (K.K.R.); (T.C.M.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Karen Kalhøj Rich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; (M.A.K.); (K.K.R.); (T.C.M.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Tobias Christian Mogensen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; (M.A.K.); (K.K.R.); (T.C.M.); (Å.F.S.)
| | | | - Åsa Fex Svenningsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; (M.A.K.); (K.K.R.); (T.C.M.); (Å.F.S.)
- Brain Research—Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; (M.A.K.); (K.K.R.); (T.C.M.); (Å.F.S.)
- Brain Research—Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shimizu K. Near-Infrared Transillumination for Macroscopic Functional Imaging of Animal Bodies. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1362. [PMID: 37997961 PMCID: PMC10668962 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The classical transillumination technique has been revitalized through recent advancements in optical technology, enhancing its applicability in the realm of biomedical research. With a new perspective on near-axis scattered light, we have harnessed near-infrared (NIR) light to visualize intricate internal light-absorbing structures within animal bodies. By leveraging the principle of differentiation, we have extended the applicability of the Beer-Lambert law even in cases of scattering-dominant media, such as animal body tissues. This approach facilitates the visualization of dynamic physiological changes occurring within animal bodies, thereby enabling noninvasive, real-time imaging of macroscopic functionality in vivo. An important challenge inherent to transillumination imaging lies in the image blur caused by pronounced light scattering within body tissues. By extracting near-axis scattered components from the predominant diffusely scattered light, we have achieved cross-sectional imaging of animal bodies. Furthermore, we have introduced software-based techniques encompassing deconvolution using the point spread function and the application of deep learning principles to counteract the scattering effect. Finally, transillumination imaging has been elevated from two-dimensional to three-dimensional imaging. The effectiveness and applicability of these proposed techniques have been validated through comprehensive simulations and experiments involving human and animal subjects. As demonstrated through these studies, transillumination imaging coupled with emerging technologies offers a promising avenue for future biomedical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Shimizu
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China;
- IPS Research Center, Waseda University, Kitakyushu 808-0135, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bakalkin G. The left-right side-specific endocrine signaling in the effects of brain lesions: questioning of the neurological dogma. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:545. [PMID: 36219330 PMCID: PMC9553812 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04576-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Each cerebral hemisphere is functionally connected to the contralateral side of the body through the decussating neural tracts. The crossed neural pathways set a basis for contralateral effects of brain injury such hemiparesis and hemiplegia as it has been already noted by Hippocrates. Recent studies demonstrated that, in addition to neural mechanisms, the contralateral effects of brain lesions are mediated through the humoral pathway by neurohormones that produce either the left or right side-specific effects. The side-specific humoral signaling defines whether the left or right limbs are affected after a unilateral brain injury. The hormonal signals are released by the pituitary gland and may operate through their receptors that are lateralized in the spinal cord and involved in the side-specific control of symmetric neurocircuits innervating the left and right limbs. Identification of features and a proportion of neurological deficits transmitted by neurohormonal signals vs. those mediated by neural pathways is essential for better understanding of mechanisms of brain trauma and stroke and development of new therapies. In a biological context, the left-right side-specific neuroendocrine signaling may be fundamental for the control of the left- and right-sided processes in bilaterally symmetric animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, SE-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Thomson S, Chan YL, Yi C, Wang B, Machaalani R, Oliver B, Gorrie CA, Chen H. The impact of high fat consumption on neurological functions following a traumatic brain injury in rats. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1547-1560. [PMID: 35658673 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and obesity are two common conditions in modern society; both can impair neuronal integrity and neurological function. However, it is unclear whether the co-existence of both conditions will worsen outcomes. Thus, in a rat model, we aimed to investigate whether the co-existence of TBI and a high-fat diet (HFD) has an additive effect, leading to more severe neurological impairments, and whether they are related to changes in brain protein markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and synaptic plasticity. Sprague-Dawley rats (female, ~250g) were divided into HFD (43% fat) and chow diet (CD, 17% fat) groups for 6 weeks. Within each dietary group, half underwent a TBI by a weight-drop device, and the other half underwent sham surgery. Short-term memory and sensory function were measured at 24 hours, 1 week, 3 weeks and 6 weeks post-TBI. Brain tissues were harvested at 24 hours and 6 weeks post-TBI and markers of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and synaptic plasticity were measured via immunostaining and western blotting. In rats without TBI, HFD increased the presynaptic protein synaptophysin. In rats with TBI, HFD resulted in worsened sensory and memory function, an increase in activated macrophages, and a decrease in the endogenous antioxidant manganese superoxide dismutase. Our findings suggest that the additive effect of HFD and TBI worsens short term memory and sensation deficits, and may be driven by enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Thomson
- University of Technology Sydney, 1994, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Yik Lung Chan
- University of Technology Sydney, 1994, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Chenju Yi
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University, 543160, 628 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming 518107 Shenzhen China, Shenzhen, China, 518107;
| | - Baoming Wang
- University of Technology Sydney, 1994, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Rita Machaalani
- University of Technology Sydney, 1994, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Brian Oliver
- University of Technology Sydney, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,The University of Sydney, RCMB, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Catherine A Gorrie
- University of Technology Sydney, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2007;
| | - Hui Chen
- University of Technology Sydney, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Sydney, Australia;
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Andersen MS, Güler DB, Larsen J, Rich KK, Svenningsen ÅF, Zhang M. The Development of Hindlimb Postural Asymmetry Induced by Focal Traumatic Brain Injury Is Not Related to Serotonin 2A/C Receptor Expression in the Spinal Cord. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105358. [PMID: 35628167 PMCID: PMC9140651 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain injury and stroke are leading causes of adult disability. Motor deficits are common problems, and their underlying pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. The serotoninergic system is implicated in both functional recovery from and the occurrence of spasticity after injuries to the central nervous system. This study, which was conducted on rats, investigated the development of limb postural changes and their relationship to the expression of serotonin (5-HT) 2A and 2C receptors in the spinal cord in the 4 weeks after focal traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the right hindlimb sensorimotor cortex. The limb motor deficits were assessed by measuring gait pattern changes during walking and hindlimb postural asymmetry at different time intervals (3−28 days) after surgery. The expressions of the 5-HT2A and 2C receptors in the lumbar spinal cord were investigated using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that all the rats with TBI, independently of the duration of the interval, displayed postural asymmetry with flexion on the contralateral (left) side (>2 mm), while the sham-operated rats showed no apparent postural asymmetry. The TBI rats also had longer stride lengths during walking in both their hindlimbs and their forelimbs compared with the sham rats. For both the TBI and the sham rats, the hind-paw placement angles were larger on the contralateral side in some of the groups. Compared to the sham-operated rats, the 5-HT2A and 2C receptor expression did not significantly change on either side of the lumbar spinal cords of the TBI rats in any of the groups. These results suggest that focal TBI can induce motor deficits lasting a relatively long time, and that these deficits are not related to the expression of the 5-HT2A and 2C receptors in the spinal cord.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Storm Andersen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Dilârâ Bedriye Güler
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Jonas Larsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Karen Kalhøj Rich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
| | - Åsa Fex Svenningsen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
- BRIDGE, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; (M.S.A.); (D.B.G.); (J.L.); (K.K.R.); (Å.F.S.)
- BRIDGE, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Le Ray D, Guayasamin M. How Does the Central Nervous System for Posture and Locomotion Cope With Damage-Induced Neural Asymmetry? Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:828532. [PMID: 35308565 PMCID: PMC8927091 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.828532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In most vertebrates, posture and locomotion are achieved by a biomechanical apparatus whose effectors are symmetrically positioned around the main body axis. Logically, motor commands to these effectors are intrinsically adapted to such anatomical symmetry, and the underlying sensory-motor neural networks are correspondingly arranged during central nervous system (CNS) development. However, many developmental and/or life accidents may alter such neural organization and acutely generate asymmetries in motor operation that are often at least partially compensated for over time. First, we briefly present the basic sensory-motor organization of posturo-locomotor networks in vertebrates. Next, we review some aspects of neural plasticity that is implemented in response to unilateral central injury or asymmetrical sensory deprivation in order to substantially restore symmetry in the control of posturo-locomotor functions. Data are finally discussed in the context of CNS structure-function relationship.
Collapse
|
9
|
Lukoyanov N, Watanabe H, Carvalho LS, Kononenko O, Sarkisyan D, Zhang M, Andersen MS, Lukoyanova EA, Galatenko V, Tonevitsky A, Bazov I, Iakovleva T, Schouenborg J, Bakalkin G. Left-right side-specific endocrine signaling complements neural pathways to mediate acute asymmetric effects of brain injury. eLife 2021; 10:e65247. [PMID: 34372969 PMCID: PMC8354641 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain injuries can interrupt descending neural pathways that convey motor commands from the cortex to spinal motoneurons. Here, we demonstrate that a unilateral injury of the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex of rats with completely transected thoracic spinal cord produces hindlimb postural asymmetry with contralateral flexion and asymmetric hindlimb withdrawal reflexes within 3 hr, as well as asymmetry in gene expression patterns in the lumbar spinal cord. The injury-induced postural effects were abolished by hypophysectomy and were mimicked by transfusion of serum from animals with brain injury. Administration of the pituitary neurohormones β-endorphin or Arg-vasopressin-induced side-specific hindlimb responses in naive animals, while antagonists of the opioid and vasopressin receptors blocked hindlimb postural asymmetry in rats with brain injury. Thus, in addition to the well-established involvement of motor pathways descending from the brain to spinal circuits, the side-specific humoral signaling may also add to postural and reflex asymmetries seen after brain injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Lukoyanov
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e CelularPortoPortugal
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Liliana S Carvalho
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e CelularPortoPortugal
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund UniversityLundSweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark
| | | | - Elena A Lukoyanova
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e CelularPortoPortugal
| | - Vladimir Galatenko
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Alex Tonevitsky
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, National Research University Higher School of EconomicsMoscowRussian Federation
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RASMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Igor Bazov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Tatiana Iakovleva
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Jens Schouenborg
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bakalkin G, Kahle A, Sarkisyan D, Watanabe H, Lukoyanov N, Carvalho LS, Galatenko V, Hallberg M, Nosova O. Coordinated expression of the renin-angiotensin genes in the lumbar spinal cord: Lateralization and effects of unilateral brain injury. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5560-5573. [PMID: 34145943 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In spite of its apparent symmetry, the spinal cord is asymmetric in its reflexes and gene expression patterns including leftward expression bias of the opioid and glutamate genes. To examine whether this is a general phenomenon for neurotransmitter and neurohormonal genes, we here characterized expression and co-expression (transcriptionally coordinated) patterns of genes of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that is involved in neuroprotection and pathological neuroplasticity in the left and right lumbar spinal cord. We also tested whether the RAS expression patterns were affected by unilateral brain injury (UBI) that rewired lumbar spinal neurocircuits. The left and right halves of the lumbar spinal cord were analysed in intact rats, and rats with left- or right-sided unilateral cortical injury, and left- or right-sided sham surgery. The findings were (i) lateralized expression of the RAS genes Ace, Agtr2 and Ren with higher levels on the left side; (ii) the asymmetry in coordination of the RAS gene expression that was stronger on the right side; (iii) the decay in coordination of co-expression of the RAS and neuroplasticity-related genes induced by the right-side but not left-side sham surgery and UBI; and (iv) the UBI-induced shift to negative regulatory interactions between RAS and neuroplasticity-related genes on the contralesional spinal side. Thus, the RAS genes may be a part of lateralized gene co-expression networks and have a role in a side-specific regulation of spinal neurocircuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anika Kahle
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nikolay Lukoyanov
- Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana S Carvalho
- Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vladimir Galatenko
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Evotec International GmbH, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Unilateral traumatic brain injury of the left and right hemisphere produces the left hindlimb response in rats. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:2221-2232. [PMID: 34021800 PMCID: PMC8282563 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06118-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury and stroke result in hemiplegia, hemiparesis, and asymmetry in posture. The effects are mostly contralateral; however, ipsilesional deficits may also develop. We here examined whether ablation brain injury and controlled cortical impact (CCI), a rat model of clinical focal traumatic brain injury, both centered over the left or right sensorimotor cortex, induced hindlimb postural asymmetry (HL-PA) with contralesional or ipsilesional limb flexion. The contralesional hindlimb was flexed after left or right side ablation injury. In contrast, both the left and right CCI unexpectedly produced HL-PA with flexion on left side. The flexion persisted after complete spinal cord transection suggesting that CCI triggered neuroplastic processes in lumbar neural circuits enabling asymmetric muscle contraction. Left limb flexion was exhibited under pentobarbital anesthesia. However, under ketamine anesthesia, the body of the left and right CCI rats bent laterally in the coronal plane to the ipsilesional side suggesting that the left and right injury engaged mirror-symmetrical motor pathways. Thus, the effects of the left and right CCI on HL-PA were not mirror-symmetrical in contrast to those of the ablation brain injury, and to the left and right CCI produced body bending. Ipsilateral effects of the left CCI on HL-PA may be mediated by a lateralized motor pathway that is not affected by the left ablation injury. Alternatively, the left-side-specific neurohormonal mechanism that signals from injured brain to spinal cord may be activated by both the left and right CCI but not by ablation injury.
Collapse
|
12
|
Carvalho LS, Brito HM, Lukoyanova EA, Maia GH, Sarkisyan D, Nosova O, Zhang M, Lukoyanov N, Bakalkin G. Unilateral brain injury to pregnant rats induces asymmetric neurological deficits in the offspring. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3621-3633. [PMID: 33884684 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Effects of environmental factors may be transmitted to the following generation, and cause neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder in the offspring. Enhanced synaptic plasticity induced by environmental enrichment may be also transmitted. We here test the hypothesis that the effects of brain injury in pregnant animals may produce neurological deficits in the offspring. Unilateral brain injury (UBI) by ablation of the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex in pregnant rats resulted in the development of hindlimb postural asymmetry (HL-PA), and impairment of balance and coordination in beam walking test in the offspring. The offspring of rats with the left UBI exhibited HL-PA before and after spinal cord transection with the contralesional (i.e., right) hindlimb flexion. The right UBI caused the offspring to develop HL-PA that however was cryptic and not-lateralized; it was evident only after spinalization, and was characterized by similar occurrence of the ipsi- and contralesional hindlimb flexion. The HL-PA persisted after spinalization suggesting that the asymmetry was encoded in lumbar spinal neurocircuits that control hindlimb muscles. Balance and coordination were affected by the right UBI but not the left UBI. Thus, the effects of a unilateral brain lesion in pregnant animals may be intergenerationally transmitted, and this process may depend on the side of brain injury. The results suggest the existence of left-right side-specific mechanisms that mediate transmission of the lateralized effects of brain trauma from mother to fetus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana S Carvalho
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena M Brito
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Elena A Lukoyanova
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Gisela H Maia
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Nikolay Lukoyanov
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Watanabe H, Nosova O, Sarkisyan D, Storm Andersen M, Carvalho L, Galatenko V, Bazov I, Lukoyanov N, Maia GH, Hallberg M, Zhang M, Schouenborg J, Bakalkin G. Left-Right Side-Specific Neuropeptide Mechanism Mediates Contralateral Responses to a Unilateral Brain Injury. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0548-20.2021. [PMID: 33903183 PMCID: PMC8152370 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0548-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are implicated in control of lateralized processes in the brain. A unilateral brain injury (UBI) causes the contralesional sensorimotor deficits. To examine whether opioid neuropeptides mediate UBI induced asymmetric processes we compared effects of opioid antagonists on the contralesional and ipsilesional hindlimb responses to the left-sided and right-sided injury in rats. UBI induced hindlimb postural asymmetry (HL-PA) with the contralesional hindlimb flexion, and activated contralesional withdrawal reflex of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) evoked by electrical stimulation and recorded with EMG technique. No effects on the interossei (Int) and peroneaus longus (PL) were evident. The general opioid antagonist naloxone blocked postural effects, did not change EDL asymmetry while uncovered cryptic asymmetry in the PL and Int reflexes induced by UBI. Thus, the spinal opioid system may either mediate or counteract the injury effects. Strikingly, effects of selective opioid antagonists were the injury side-specific. The μ-antagonist β-funaltrexamine (FNA) and κ-antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (BNI) reduced postural asymmetry after the right but not left UBI. In contrast, the δ-antagonist naltrindole (NTI) inhibited HL-PA after the left but not right-side brain injury. The opioid gene expression and opioid peptides were lateralized in the lumbar spinal cord, and coordination between expression of the opioid and neuroplasticity-related genes was impaired by UBI that together may underlie the side-specific effects of the antagonists. We suggest that mirror-symmetric neural circuits that mediate effects of left and right brain injury on the contralesional hindlimbs are differentially controlled by the lateralized opioid system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| | - Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| | | | - Liliana Carvalho
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal, 4200-135
| | - Vladimir Galatenko
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - Igor Bazov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| | - Nikolay Lukoyanov
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal, 4200-135
- Medibrain, Vila do Conde, Porto, Portugal, 4480-807
- Brain Research Institute, Porto, Portugal, 4200-135
| | - Gisela H Maia
- Medibrain, Vila do Conde, Porto, Portugal, 4480-807
- Brain Research Institute, Porto, Portugal, 4200-135
- Departamento de Biomedicina da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal, 4200-135
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, 5230
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, 223 81
| | - Jens Schouenborg
- Neuronano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, 223 81
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, 751 24
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Watanabe H, Nosova O, Sarkisyan D, Andersen MS, Zhang M, Rorick-Kehn L, Clausen F, Gawel K, Kehr J, Hallberg M, Schouenborg J, Marklund N, Bakalkin G. Ipsilesional versus contralesional postural deficits induced by unilateral brain trauma: a side reversal by opioid mechanism. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa208. [PMID: 33364602 PMCID: PMC7749794 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Unilateral traumatic brain injury and stroke result in asymmetric postural and motor deficits including contralateral hemiplegia and hemiparesis. In animals, a localized unilateral brain injury recapitulates the human upper motor neuron syndrome in the formation of hindlimb postural asymmetry with contralesional limb flexion and the asymmetry of hindlimb nociceptive withdrawal reflexes. The current view is that these effects are developed due to aberrant activity of motor pathways that descend from the brain into the spinal cord. These pathways and their target spinal circuits may be regulated by local neurohormonal systems that may also mediate effects of brain injury. Here, we evaluate if a unilateral traumatic brain injury induces hindlimb postural asymmetry, a model of postural deficits, and if this asymmetry is spinally encoded and mediated by the endogenous opioid system in rats. A unilateral right-sided controlled cortical impact, a model of clinical focal traumatic brain injury was centred over the sensorimotor cortex and was observed to induce hindlimb postural asymmetry with contralateral limb flexion. The asymmetry persisted after complete spinal cord transection, implicating local neurocircuitry in the development of the deficits. Administration of the general opioid antagonist naloxone and μ-antagonist β-funaltrexamine blocked the formation of postural asymmetry. Surprisingly, κ-antagonists nor-binaltorphimine and LY2444296 did not affect the asymmetry magnitude but reversed the flexion side; instead of contralesional (left) hindlimb flexion the ipsilesional (right) limb was flexed. The postural effects of the right-side cortical injury were mimicked in animals with intact brain via intrathecal administration of the opioid κ-agonist (2)-(trans)-3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidiny)-cyclohexyl]benzeneacetamide that induced hindlimb postural asymmetry with left limb flexion. The δ-antagonist naltrindole produced no effect on the contralesional (left) flexion but inhibited the formation of the ipsilesional (right) limb flexion in brain-injured rats that were treated with κ-antagonist. The effects of the antagonists were evident before and after spinal cord transection. We concluded that the focal traumatic brain injury-induced postural asymmetry was encoded at the spinal level, and was blocked or its side was reversed by administration of opioid antagonists. The findings suggest that the balance in activity of the mirror symmetric spinal neural circuits regulating contraction of the left and right hindlimb muscles is controlled by different subtypes of opioid receptors; and that this equilibrium is impaired after unilateral brain trauma through side-specific opioid mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Mengliang Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Linda Rorick-Kehn
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
| | - Fredrik Clausen
- Department of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kinga Gawel
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jan Kehr
- Department of Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Hallberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jens Schouenborg
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Neuronano Research Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Niklas Marklund
- Department of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|