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Jacob SM, Lee S, Kim SH, Sharkey KA, Pfeffer G, Nguyen MD. Brain-body mechanisms contribute to sexual dimorphism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:475-494. [PMID: 38965379 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00991-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of human motor neuron disease. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, leading to generalized motor weakness and, ultimately, respiratory paralysis and death within 3-5 years. The disease is shaped by genetics, age, sex and environmental stressors, but no cure or routine biomarkers exist for the disease. Male individuals have a higher propensity to develop ALS, and a different manifestation of the disease phenotype, than female individuals. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain a mystery. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiology of ALS, examine the sexually dimorphic presentation of the disease and highlight the genetic variants and molecular pathways that might contribute to sex differences in humans and animal models of ALS. We advance the idea that sexual dimorphism in ALS arises from the interactions between the CNS and peripheral organs, involving vascular, metabolic, endocrine, musculoskeletal and immune systems, which are strikingly different between male and female individuals. Finally, we review the response to treatments in ALS and discuss the potential to implement future personalized therapeutic strategies for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Jacob
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sukyoung Lee
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gerald Pfeffer
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Minh Dang Nguyen
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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2
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Martinelli I, Ghezzi A, Zucchi E, Gianferrari G, Ferri L, Moglia C, Manera U, Solero L, Vasta R, Canosa A, Grassano M, Brunetti M, Mazzini L, De Marchi F, Simonini C, Fini N, Vinceti M, Pinti M, Chiò A, Calvo A, Mandrioli J. Predictors for progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated to SOD1 mutation: insight from two population-based registries. J Neurol 2023; 270:6081-6092. [PMID: 37668704 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11963-0] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uncovering distinct features and trajectories of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with SOD1 mutations (SOD1-ALS) can provide valuable insights for patient' counseling and stratification for trials, and interventions timing. Our study aims to pinpoint distinct clinical characteristics of SOD1-ALS by delving into genotype-phenotype correlations and factors that potentially impact disease progression. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study of a SOD1-ALS cohort from two Italian registers situated in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta. RESULTS Out of 2204 genotyped ALS patients, 2.5% carried SOD1 mutations, with a M:F ratio of 0.83. SOD1-ALS patients were younger, and more frequently reported a family history of ALS and/or FTD. SOD1-ALS had a longer survival compared to patients without ALS-associated gene mutations. However, here was considerable variability in survival across distinct SOD1 mutations, with an average survival of less than a year for the L39V, G42S, G73S, D91N mutations. Among SOD1-ALS, multivariate analysis showed that, alongside established clinical prognostic factors such as advanced age at onset and high progression rate at diagnosis, mutations located in exon 2 or within highly conserved gene positions predicted worse survival. Conversely, among comorbidities, cancer history was independently associated with longer survival. INTERPRETATION Within the context of an overall slower disease, SOD1-ALS exhibits some degree of heterogeneity linked to the considerable genetic diversity arising from the multitude of potential mutations sites and specific clinical prognostic factors, including cancer history. Revealing the factors that modulate the phenotypic heterogeneity of SOD1-ALS could prove advantageous in improving the efficacy of upcoming therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Martinelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine Ph.D. Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Ghezzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zucchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy.
- Neuroscience PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
| | - Giulia Gianferrari
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Laura Ferri
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Neuroscience PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Solero
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- SC Neurologia 1U, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- SC Neurologia 1U, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- SC Neurologia 1U, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- Neurology Unit, ALS Center, AOU Maggiore della Carità and University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- Neurology Unit, ALS Center, AOU Maggiore della Carità and University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Cecilia Simonini
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicola Fini
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Science of Public Health, Research Centre in Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcello Pinti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- SC Neurologia 1U, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", ALS Centre, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- SC Neurologia 1U, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Viale Pietro Giardini, 1355, 41126, Modena, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Kitaoka Y, Seki S, Kawata S, Nishiura A, Kawamura K, Hiraoka SI, Kogo M, Tanaka S. Analysis of Feeding Behavior Characteristics in the Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) SOD1G93A Mice Model for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071651. [PMID: 37049492 PMCID: PMC10097127 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease affecting upper and lower motor neurons. Feeding disorders are observed in patients with ALS. The mastication movements and their systemic effects in patients with ALS with feeding disorders remain unclear. Currently, there is no effective treatment for ALS. However, it has been suggested that treating feeding disorders and improving nutritional status may prolong the lives of patients with ALS. Therefore, this study elucidates feeding disorders observed in patients with ALS and future therapeutic agents. We conducted a temporal observation of feeding behavior and mastication movements using an open-closed mouth evaluation artificial intelligence (AI) model in an ALS mouse model. Furthermore, to determine the cause of masticatory rhythm modulation, we conducted electrophysiological analyses of mesencephalic trigeminal neurons (MesV). Here, we observed the modulation of masticatory rhythm with a prolonged open phase in the ALS mouse model from the age of 12 weeks. A decreased body weight was observed simultaneously, indicating a correlation between the prolongation of the open phase and the decrease observed. We found that the percentage of firing MesV was markedly decreased. This study partially clarifies the role of feeding disorders in ALS.
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Cosgrove JA, Kelly LK, Kiffmeyer EA, Kloth AD. Sex-dependent influence of postweaning environmental enrichment in Angelman syndrome model mice. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2468. [PMID: 34985196 PMCID: PMC8865162 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutation or loss of UBE3A and marked by intellectual disability, ataxia, autism-like symptoms, and other atypical behaviors. One route to treatment may lie in the role that environment plays early in postnatal life. Environmental enrichment (EE) is one manipulation that has shown therapeutic potential in preclinical models of many brain disorders, including neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we examined whether postweaning EE can rescue behavioral phenotypes in Ube3a maternal deletion mice (AS mice), and whether any improvements are sex-dependent. METHODS Male and female mice (C57BL/6J Ube3atm1Alb mice and wild-type (WT) littermates; ≥10 mice/group) were randomly assigned to standard housing (SH) or EE at weaning. EE had a larger footprint, a running wheel, and a variety of toys that promoted foraging, burrowing, and climbing. Following 6 weeks of EE, animals were submitted to a battery of tests that reliably elicit behavioral deficits in AS mice, including rotarod, open field, marble burying, and forced swim; weights were also monitored. RESULTS In male AS-EE mice, we found complete restoration of motor coordination, marble burying, and forced swim behavior to the level of WT-SH mice. We also observed a complete normalization of exploratory distance traveled in the open field, but we found no rescue of vertical behavior or center time. AS-EE mice also had weights comparable to WT-SH mice. Intriguingly, in the female AS-EE mice, we found a failure of EE to rescue the same behavioral deficits relative to female WT-SH mice. CONCLUSIONS Environmental enrichment is an effective route to correcting the most penetrant phenotypes in male AS mice but not female AS mice. This finding has important implications for the translatability of early behavioral intervention for AS patients, most importantly the potential dependency of treatment response on sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameson A. Cosgrove
- Department of BiologyAugustana University2001 S. Summit AvenueSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
| | - Lauren K. Kelly
- Department of BiologyAugustana University2001 S. Summit AvenueSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Kiffmeyer
- Department of BiologyAugustana University2001 S. Summit AvenueSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
| | - Alexander D. Kloth
- Department of BiologyAugustana University2001 S. Summit AvenueSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
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5
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Leite ADOF, Bento Torres Neto J, dos Reis RR, Sobral LL, de Souza ACP, Trévia N, de Oliveira RB, Lins NADA, Diniz DG, Diniz JAP, Vasconcelos PFDC, Anthony DC, Brites D, Picanço Diniz CW. Unwanted Exacerbation of the Immune Response in Neurodegenerative Disease: A Time to Review the Impact. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:749595. [PMID: 34744633 PMCID: PMC8570167 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.749595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed a series of behavioral changes that resulted in increased social isolation and a more sedentary life for many across all age groups, but, above all, for the elderly population who are the most vulnerable to infections and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Systemic inflammatory responses are known to accelerate neurodegenerative disease progression, which leads to permanent damage, loss of brain function, and the loss of autonomy for many aged people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a spectrum of inflammatory responses was generated in affected individuals, and it is expected that the elderly patients with chronic neurodegenerative diseases who survived SARSCoV-2 infection, it will be found, sooner or later, that there is a worsening of their neurodegenerative conditions. Using mouse prion disease as a model for chronic neurodegeneration, we review the effects of social isolation, sedentary living, and viral infection on the disease progression with a focus on sickness behavior and on the responses of microglia and astrocytes. Focusing on aging, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms related to immunosenescence in chronic neurodegenerative diseases and how infections may accelerate their progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda de Oliveira Ferreira Leite
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - João Bento Torres Neto
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Renata Rodrigues dos Reis
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Luciane Lobato Sobral
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Aline Cristine Passos de Souza
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Nonata Trévia
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Roseane Borner de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Nara Alves de Almeida Lins
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Daniel Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Dora Brites
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
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6
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Guerra S, Chung R, Yerbury J, Karl T. Behavioural effects of cage systems on the G93A Superoxide Dismutase 1 transgenic mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12735. [PMID: 33871173 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors inherent to animal facilities can impact on the neuro-behavioural phenotype of laboratory mice and genetic mouse models for human diseases. Many facilities have upgraded from traditional 'open filter top' cages (FT) to individually ventilated cage (IVC) systems, which have been shown to modify various behavioural responses of laboratory mice. Importantly, the impact of IVC housing on the G93A superoxide dismutase 1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is currently unknown. Male and female wild type-like (WT) and heterozygous SOD1G93A mice were group-housed in FT or IVC systems from PND 30 ± 5 onwards. Body weight and motor function were assessed weekly from 15 weeks onward. Mice were also tested for cognitive abilities (i.e., fear conditioning and social recognition memory) and sensorimotor gating (i.e., prepulse inhibition: PPI). SOD1G93A mice lost body weight, and their motor function degenerated over time compared with control littermates. Motor impairments developed faster when SOD1G93A females were housed in IVCs. Context and cue freezing were increased in SOD1G93A females compared with controls, whereas all SOD1G93A mice exhibited lower acoustic startle and PPI than WT mice. IVC housing led to an increase in cue freezing in males and reduced the severity of PPI deficits in SOD1G93A females. Overall, IVC housing impacted moderately on the SOD1G93A phenotype but central behavioural deficits were still evident across housing conditions. Nonetheless, our findings indicate the importance of assessing the effect of cage system in genetic mouse models as these systems can modulate the magnitude and onset of genotypic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Guerra
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roger Chung
- Centre for MND Research, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin Yerbury
- Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
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7
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Silva BA, Miglietta EA, Ferrari CC. Training the brain: could it improve multiple sclerosis treatment? Rev Neurosci 2020; 31:779-792. [PMID: 32712593 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease characterized by neuroinflammation, demyelination and axonal degeneration along with loss of function in the central nervous system. For many years, research in MS has focused on the efficacy of pharmacological treatments. However, during the last years, many publications have been dedicated to the study of the efficacy of non-pharmacological strategies, such as physical exercise and cognitive training. Beneficial effects of the combination of both strategies on cognitive function have been described in both ageing adults and patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as MS. The analysis of combining both physical and cognitive stimulation can be summarized by the environmental enrichment (EE) experiments, which are more suitable for animal models. EE refers to housing conditions consisting of exercise and cognitive and social stimulation. In this review, we will summarize the available studies that describe the influence of EE in both MS patients and MS animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Anabel Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Traslacional e Ingeniería Biomédica (IMTIB)-CONICET, Potosí 4240, Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Argentina.,Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations, IIBBA-CONICET, Patricias Argentinas 435, C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Esteban Alberto Miglietta
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations, IIBBA-CONICET, Patricias Argentinas 435, C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carina Cintia Ferrari
- Instituto de Medicina Traslacional e Ingeniería Biomédica (IMTIB)-CONICET, Potosí 4240, Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Argentina.,Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations, IIBBA-CONICET, Patricias Argentinas 435, C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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9
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Ashford BA, Boche D, Cooper-Knock J, Heath PR, Simpson JE, Highley JR. Review: Microglia in motor neuron disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 47:179-197. [PMID: 32594542 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition, which is characterized by the selective loss of the upper and lower motor neurons. At the sites of motor neuron injury, accumulation of activated microglia, the primary immune cells of the central nervous system, is commonly observed in both human post mortem studies and animal models of MND. Microglial activation has been found to correlate with many clinical features and importantly, the speed of disease progression in humans. Both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory microglial responses have been shown to influence disease progression in humans and models of MND. As such, microglia could both contribute to and protect against inflammatory mechanisms of pathogenesis in MND. While murine models have characterized the microglial response to MND, these studies have painted a complex and often contradictory picture, indicating a need for further characterization in humans. This review examines the potential role microglia play in MND in human and animal studies. Both the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses will be addressed, throughout the course of disease, followed by the potential of microglia as a target in the development of disease-modifying treatments for MND.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D Boche
- University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - P R Heath
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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10
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Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Galbiati M, Maggi A, Poletti A. The Role of Sex and Sex Hormones in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5572525. [PMID: 31544208 PMCID: PMC7156855 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a wide class of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Several factors were hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases, including genetic and environmental factors. Many of these diseases show a sex prevalence and sex steroids were shown to have a role in the progression of specific forms of neurodegeneration. Estrogens were reported to be neuroprotective through their action on cognate nuclear and membrane receptors, while adverse effects of male hormones have been described on neuronal cells, although some data also suggest neuroprotective activities. The response of the CNS to sex steroids is a complex and integrated process that depends on (i) the type and amount of the cognate steroid receptor and (ii) the target cell type-either neurons, glia, or microglia. Moreover, the levels of sex steroids in the CNS fluctuate due to gonadal activities and to local metabolism and synthesis. Importantly, biochemical processes involved in the pathogenesis of NDs are increasingly being recognized as different between the two sexes and as influenced by sex steroids. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art understanding on the potential role of sex steroids and their receptors on the onset and progression of major neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the peculiar motoneuron disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, in which hormonal therapy is potentially useful as disease modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vegeto
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (DiSS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
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11
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Lewis KEA, Bennett W, Blizzard CL, West AK, Chung RS, Chuah MI. The influence of metallothionein treatment and treadmill running exercise on disease onset and survival in SOD1 G93A amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3223-3241. [PMID: 31954073 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14682] [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: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, characterised by the degeneration of motor neurons innervating skeletal muscle. The mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS are not yet fully elucidated, and with current therapeutics only able to extend lifespan by a matter of months there is a clear need for novel therapies to increase lifespan and patient quality of life. Here, we evaluated whether moderate-intensity treadmill exercise and/or treatment with metallothionein-2 (MT2), a neuroprotective protein, could improve survival, behavioural or neuropathological outcomes in SOD1G93A familial ALS mice. Six-week-old female SOD1G93A mice were allocated to one of four treatment groups: MT2 injection, i.m.; moderate treadmill exercise; neither MT2 nor exercise; or both MT2 and exercise. MT2-treated mice survived around 3% longer than vehicle-treated mice, with this mild effect reaching statistical significance in Cox proportional hazards analysis once adjusted for potential confounders. Mixed model body weight trajectories over time indicated that MT2-treated mice, with or without exercise, reached maximum body weight at a later age, suggesting a delay in disease onset of around 4% compared to saline-treated mice. Exercise alone did not significantly increase survival or delay disease onset, and neither exercise nor MT2 substantially ameliorated gait abnormalities or muscle strength loss. We conclude that neither exercise nor MT2 treatment was detrimental in female SOD1G93A mice, and further study could determine whether the mild effect of peripheral MT2 administration on disease onset and survival could be improved via direct administration of MT2 to the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E A Lewis
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - William Bennett
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | | | - Adrian K West
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Meng Inn Chuah
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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12
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Silva BA, Leal MC, Farías MI, Erhardt B, Galeano P, Pitossi FJ, Ferrari CC. Environmental enrichment improves cognitive symptoms and pathological features in a focal model of cortical damage of multiple sclerosis. Brain Res 2020; 1727:146520. [PMID: 31669283 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disease affecting white and grey matter, it is characterized by demyelination, axonal degeneration along with loss of motor, sensitive and cognitive functions. MS is a heterogeneous disease that displays different clinical courses: relapsing/remitting MS (RRMS), and MS progressive forms: primary progressive (PPMS) and secondary progressive (SPMS). Cortical damage in the progressive MS forms has considerable clinical relevance due to its association with cognitive impairment and disability progression in patients. One treatment is available for the progressive forms of the disease, but none are specific for cognitive deficits. We developed an animal model that reflects most of the characteristics of the cortical damage, such as cortical neuroinflammation, demyelination, neurodegeneration and meningeal inflammation, which was associated with cognitive impairment. Cognitive rehabilitation, exercise and social support have begun to be evaluated in patients and animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Environmental enrichment (EE) provides exercise as well as cognitive and social stimulation. EE has been demonstrated to exert positive effects on cognitive domains, such as learning and memory, and improving anxiety-like symptoms. We proposed to study the effect of EE on peripherally stimulated cortical lesion induced by the long term expression of interleukin IL-1β (IL-1β) in adult rats. Here, we demonstrated that EE: 1) reduces the peripheral inflammatory response to the stimulus, 2) ameliorates cognitive deficits and anxiety-like symptoms, 3) modulates neurodegeneration, demyelination and glial activation, 4) regulates neuroinflammation by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the expression of anti-inflammatory ones. Our findings correlate with the fact that EE housing could be considered an effective non- pharmacological therapeutic agent that can synergistically aid in the rehabilitation of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Anabel Silva
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biomedical Engineering of the Italian Hospital (IMTIB, CONICET), Potosí 4240, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Celeste Leal
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Isabel Farías
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Brenda Erhardt
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo Galeano
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Juan Pitossi
- Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carina Cintia Ferrari
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biomedical Engineering of the Italian Hospital (IMTIB, CONICET), Potosí 4240, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Leloir Institute Foundation, Institute for Biochemical Investigations of Buenos Aires, (IIBBA, CONICET), Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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13
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Abstract
Environmental enrichment is known to be beneficial for cognitive improvement. In many animal models of neurological disorders and brain injury, EE has also demonstrated neuroprotective benefits in neurodegenerative diseases and in improving recovery after stroke or traumatic brain injury. The exact underlying mechanism for these phenomena has been unclear. Recent findings have now indicated that neuronal activity elicited by environmental enrichment induces Ca2+ influx in dorsal root ganglion neurons results in lasting enhancement of CREB-binding protein-mediated histone acetylation. This, in turn, increases the expression of pro-regeneration genes and promotes axonal regeneration. This mechanism associated with neuronal activity elicited by environmental enrichment-mediated pathway is one of several epigenetic mechanisms which modulate axon regeneration upon injury that has recently come to light. The other prominent mechanisms, albeit not yet directly associated with environmental enrichment, include DNA methylation/demethylation and N6-methyladenosine modification of transcripts. In this brief review, I highlight recent work that has shed light on the epigenetic basis of environmental enrichment-based axon regeneration, and discuss the mechanism and pathways involved. I further speculate on the implications of the findings, in conjunction with the other epigenetic mechanisms, that could be harness to promote axon regeneration upon injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor Luen Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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14
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Kreilaus F, Guerra S, Masanetz R, Menne V, Yerbury J, Karl T. Novel behavioural characteristics of the superoxide dismutase 1 G93A (SOD1 G93A ) mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis include sex-dependent phenotypes. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12604. [PMID: 31412164 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves the rapid degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons leading to weakening and paralysis of voluntary movements. Mutations in copper-zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) are a known genetic cause of ALS, and the SOD1 G93A mouse has been used extensively to investigate molecular mechanisms in ALS. In recent years, evidence suggests that ALS and frontotemporal dementia form a spectrum disorder ranging from motor to cognitive dysfunctions. Thus, we tested male and female SOD1 G93A mice for the first time before the onset of debilitating motor impairments in behavioural domains relevant to both ALS and frontotemporal dementia. SOD1 G93A males displayed reduced locomotion, exploration and increased anxiety-like behaviours compared with control males. Intermediate-term spatial memory was impaired in SOD1 G93A females, whereas long-term spatial memory deficits as well as lower acoustic startle response, and prepulse inhibition were identified in SOD1 G93A mice of both sexes compared with respective controls. Interestingly, SOD1 G93A males exhibited an increased conditioned cue freezing response. Nosing behaviours were also elevated in both male and female SOD1 G93A when assessed in social paradigms. In conclusion, SOD1 G93A mice exhibit a variety of sex-specific behavioural deficits beyond motor impairments supporting the notion of an ALS-frontotemporal spectrum disorder. Thus, SOD1 G93A mice may represent a useful model to test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions on clinical symptoms in addition to declining motor abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Kreilaus
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stefan Guerra
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rebecca Masanetz
- Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Hochschule Furtwangen University, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
| | - Victoria Menne
- Institute of Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Justin Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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Tai LW, Yeung SC, Cheung CW. Enriched Environment and Effects on Neuropathic Pain: Experimental Findings and Mechanisms. Pain Pract 2018; 18:1068-1082. [PMID: 29722923 DOI: 10.1111/papr.12706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain inflicts tremendous biopsychosocial suffering for patients worldwide. However, safe and effective treatment of neuropathic pain is a prominent unmet clinical need. Environmental enrichment (EE) is an emerging cost-effective nonpharmacological approach to alleviate neuropathic pain and complement rehabilitation care. We present here a review of preclinical studies in ascertaining the efficacy of EE for neuropathic pain. Their proposed mechanisms, including the suppression of ascending nociceptive signaling to the brain, enhancement of the descending inhibitory system, and neuroprotection of the peripheral and central nervous systems, may collectively reduce pain perception and improve somatic and emotional functioning in neuropathic pain. The current evidence offers critical insights for future preclinical research and the translational application of EE in clinical pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Wai Tai
- Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.,Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Sung Ching Yeung
- Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.,Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Chi Wai Cheung
- Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.,Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.,Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone & Healthy Aging, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China
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16
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Begega A. Environmental Enrichment as a Positive Behavioral Intervention Across the Lifespan. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 15:459-470. [PMID: 27012955 PMCID: PMC5543669 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x14666160325115909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent decades, the interest in behavioral interventions has been growing due to the higher prevalence of age-related cognitive impairments. Hence, behavioral interventions, such as cognitive stimulation and physical activity, and along with these, our lifestyle (education level, work position, frequency of cognitive and social activities) have shown important benefits during the cognitive impairment, dementia and even recovery after brain injury. This is due to the fact that this type of intervention and activities promote the formation of a cognitive and brain reserve that allows tolerating brain damage during a long period of time without the appearance of cognitive symptoms. With regard to this, animal models have proved very useful in providing information about the brain mechanisms involved in the development of these cognitive and brain reserves and how they interact with each other. METHODS We summarize several studies showing the positive effects of Environmental Enrichment (EE), understood as a housing condition in which animals benefit from the sensory, physical, cognitive and social stimulation provided, on brain and cognitive functions usually impaired during aging. RESULTS Most of studies have shown that EE is a successful protocol to improve cognitive functions and reduce anxiety-related behaviors across the lifespan, as well as in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. CONCLUSION Therefore, EE is a laboratory condition in which some aspects of an active lifestyle are reproduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sampedro-Piquero
- Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Begega
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Department, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n 33003 Oviedo, INEUROPA, Spain
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17
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Age and Environment Influences on Mouse Prion Disease Progression: Behavioral Changes and Morphometry and Stereology of Hippocampal Astrocytes. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2017; 2017:4504925. [PMID: 28243355 PMCID: PMC5294381 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4504925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Because enriched environment (EE) and exercise increase and aging decreases immune response, we hypothesized that environmental enrichment and aging will, respectively, delay and increase prion disease progression. Mice dorsal striatum received bilateral stereotaxic intracerebral injections of normal or ME7 prion infected mouse brain homogenates. After behavior analysis, animals were euthanized and their brains processed for astrocyte GFAP immunolabeling. Our analysis related to the environmental influence are limited to young adult mice, whereas age influence refers to aged mice raised on standard cages. Burrowing activity began to reduce in ME7-SE two weeks before ME7-EE, while no changes were apparent in ME7 aged mice (ME7-A). Object placement recognition was impaired in ME7-SE, NBH-A, and ME7-A but normal in all other groups. Object identity recognition was impaired in ME7-A. Cluster analysis revealed two morphological families of astrocytes in NBH-SE animals, three in NBH-A and ME7-A, and four in NBH-EE, ME7-SE, and ME7-EE. As compared with control groups, astrocytes from DG and CA3 prion-diseased animals show significant numerical and morphological differences and environmental enrichment did not reverse these changes but induced different morphological changes in GFAP+ hippocampal astroglia. We suggest that environmental enrichment and aging delayed hippocampal-dependent behavioral and neuropathological signs of disease progression.
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18
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Abstract
Neuromuscular diseases can affect the survival of peripheral neurons, their axons extending to peripheral targets, their synaptic connections onto those targets, or the targets themselves. Examples include motor neuron diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth diseases, myasthenias, and muscular dystrophies. Characterizing these phenotypes in mouse models requires an integrated approach, examining both the nerve and muscle histologically, anatomically, and functionally by electrophysiology. Defects observed at these levels can be related back to onset, severity, and progression, as assessed by "Quality of life measures" including tests of gross motor performance such as gait or grip strength. This chapter describes methods for assessing neuromuscular disease models in mice, and how interpretation of these tests can be complicated by the inter-relatedness of the phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Burgess
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA.
| | - Gregory A Cox
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Kevin L Seburn
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
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19
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Environmental enrichment as a method to improve cognitive function. What can we learn from animal models? Neuroimage 2015; 131:42-7. [PMID: 26656208 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that physical and cognitive exercise can enhance memory function in rodents as well as in humans. In addition various behaviors associated with physical activity have been associated with an increased cognitive reserve and a lower risk to develop age-associated memory decline and age-associated neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. To better understand the molecular mechanisms that increase brain plasticity in response to exercise will therefore help to develop effective therapeutic strategies to treat memory decline. Here we review the currently available data with a specific focus on neurodegenerative diseases.
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20
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Pfohl SR, Halicek MT, Mitchell CS. Characterization of the Contribution of Genetic Background and Gender to Disease Progression in the SOD1 G93A Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Meta-Analysis. J Neuromuscul Dis 2015; 2:137-150. [PMID: 26594635 PMCID: PMC4652798 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-140068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: The SOD1 G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequently used model to examine ALS pathophysiology. There is a lack of homogeneity in usage of the SOD1 G93A mouse, including differences in genetic background and gender, which could confound the field’s results. Objective: In an analysis of 97 studies, we characterized the ALS progression for the high transgene copy control SOD1 G93A mouse on the basis of disease onset, overall lifespan, and disease duration for male and female mice on the B6SJL and C57BL/6J genetic backgrounds and quantified magnitudes of differences between groups. Methods: Mean age at onset, onset assessment measure, disease duration, and overall lifespan data from each study were extracted and statistically modeled as the response of linear regression with the sex and genetic background factored as predictors. Additional examination was performed on differing experimental onset and endpoint assessment measures. Results: C57BL/6 background mice show delayed onset of symptoms, increased lifespan, and an extended disease duration compared to their sex-matched B6SJL counterparts. Female B6SJL generally experience extended lifespan and delayed onset compared to their male counterparts, while female mice on the C57BL/6 background show delayed onset but no difference in survival compared to their male counterparts. Finally, different experimental protocols (tremor, rotarod, etc.) for onset determination result in notably different onset means. Conclusions: Overall, the observed effect of sex on disease endpoints was smaller than that which can be attributed to the genetic background. The often-reported increase in lifespan for female mice was observed only for mice on the B6SJL background, implicating a strain-dependent effect of sex on disease progression that manifests despite identical mutant SOD1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Pfohl
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martin T Halicek
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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21
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Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease affecting upper and lower motor neurons in the central nervous system. Patients with ALS develop extensive muscle wasting and atrophy leading to paralysis and death 3 to 5 years after disease onset. The condition may be familial (fALS 10%) or sporadic ALS (sALS, 90%). The large majority of fALS cases are due to genetic mutations in the Superoxide dismutase 1 gene (SOD1, 15% of fALS) and repeat nucleotide expansions in the gene encoding C9ORF72 (∼ 40% to 50% of fALS and ∼ 10% of sALS). Studies suggest that ALS is mediated through aberrant protein homeostasis (i.e., ER stress and autophagy) and/or changes in RNA processing (as in all non-SOD1-mediated ALS). In all of these cases, animal models suggest that the disorder is mediated non-cell autonomously, i.e., not only motor neurons are involved, but glial cells including microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, and other neuronal subpopulations are also implicated in the pathogenesis. Provided in this unit is a review of ALS rodent models, including discussion of their relative advantages and disadvantages. Emphasis is placed on correlating the model phenotype with the human condition and the utility of the model for defining the disease process. Information is also presented on RNA processing studies in ALS research, with particular emphasis on the newest ALS rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Philips
- Brain Science Institute and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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22
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Nozari M, Shabani M, Farhangi AM, Mazhari S, Atapour N. Sex-specific restoration of MK-801-induced sensorimotor gating deficit by environmental enrichment. Neuroscience 2015; 299:28-34. [PMID: 25934034 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Revised: 04/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite ample evidence of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor dysfunction in schizophrenia, no study has addressed the effects of enriched environment (EE) on sensorimotor gating deficits induced by postnatal NMDA receptor blockade. We evaluated the effect of EE on sensorimotor gating (measured by prepulse inhibition, PPI), or on sensorimotor gating deficit induced by the NMDA receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) in both sexes of Wistar rats. Rats were injected with MK-801 (1 mg/kg) on postnatal days (P) 6-10. EE was provided from birth up to the time of experiments on P28-30 or P58-60. PPI data were collected at three prepulse intensities and then averaged to yield global PPI. MK-801 treatment reduced PPI significantly in both sexes. While EE per se had no significant effect on PPI, it restored MK-801-induced PPI deficit only in male rats. An extended period of EE did not influence PPI deficit in female rats. Our results indicate that postnatal exposure to MK-801 may exert long-lasting effects on neuronal circuits underlying sensorimotor gating. Sex-specific modulation of such effects by EE suggests sexually dimorphic mechanisms are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - M Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - A M Farhangi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - S Mazhari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - N Atapour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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23
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Hosken IT, Sutton SW, Smith CM, Gundlach AL. Relaxin-3 receptor (Rxfp3) gene knockout mice display reduced running wheel activity: implications for role of relaxin-3/RXFP3 signalling in sustained arousal. Behav Brain Res 2014; 278:167-75. [PMID: 25257104 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Anatomical and pharmacological evidence suggests the neuropeptide, relaxin-3, is the preferred endogenous ligand for the relaxin family peptide-3 receptor (RXFP3) and suggests a number of putative stress- and arousal-related roles for RXFP3 signalling. However, in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrates exogenous relaxin-3 can activate other relaxin peptide family receptors, and the role of relaxin-3/RXFP3 signalling in specific brain circuits and associated behaviours in mice is not well described. In this study, we characterised the behaviour of cohorts of male and female Rxfp3 gene knockout (KO) mice (C57/B6J(RXFP3TM1/DGen)), relative to wild-type (WT) littermates to determine if this receptor KO strain has a similar phenotype to its ligand KO equivalent. Rxfp3 KO mice displayed similar performance to WT littermates in several acute behavioural paradigms designed to gauge motor coordination (rotarod test), spatial memory (Y-maze), depressive-like behaviour (repeat forced-swim test) and sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle). Notably however, male and female Rxfp3 KO mice displayed robust and consistent (dark phase) hypoactivity on voluntary home-cage running wheels (∼20-60% less activity/h), and a small but significant decrease in anxiety-like behavioural traits in the elevated plus maze and light/dark box paradigms. Importantly, this phenotype is near identical to that observed in two independent lines of relaxin-3 KO mice, suggesting these phenotypes are due to the elimination of ligand or receptor and RXFP3-linked signalling. Furthermore, this behavioural characterisation of Rxfp3 KO mice identifies them as a useful experimental model for studying RXFP3-linked signalling and assessing the selectivity and/or potential off-target actions of RXFP3 agonists and antagonists, which could lead to an improved understanding of dysfunctional arousal in mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, insomnia and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihaia T Hosken
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven W Sutton
- Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Craig M Smith
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew L Gundlach
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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24
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Hannan AJ. Environmental enrichment and brain repair: harnessing the therapeutic effects of cognitive stimulation and physical activity to enhance experience-dependent plasticity. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2014; 40:13-25. [PMID: 24354721 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) increases levels of novelty and complexity, inducing enhanced sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation. In wild-type rodents, EE has been found to have a range of effects, such as enhancing experience-dependent cellular plasticity and cognitive performance, relative to standard-housed controls. Whilst environmental enrichment is of course a relative term, dependent on the nature of control environmental conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that EE has direct clinical relevance to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. EE has been demonstrated to induce beneficial effects in animal models of a wide variety of brain disorders. The first evidence of beneficial effects of EE in a genetically targeted animal model was generated using Huntington's disease transgenic mice. Subsequent studies found that EE was also therapeutic in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, consistent with epidemiological studies of relevant environmental modifiers. EE has also been found to ameliorate behavioural, cellular and molecular deficits in animal models of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. This review will focus on the effects of EE observed in animal models of neurodegenerative brain diseases, at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels. The proposal that EE may act synergistically with other approaches, such as drug and cell therapies, to facilitate brain repair will be discussed. I will also discuss the therapeutic potential of 'enviromimetics', drugs which mimic or enhance the therapeutic effects of cognitive activity and physical exercise, for both neuroprotection and brain repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Hannan AJ. Nature, nurture and neurobiology: Gene–environment interactions in neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 57:1-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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Xie H, Wu Y, Jia J, Liu G, Zhang Q, Yu K, Guo Z, Shen L, Hu R. Enrichment-induced exercise to quantify the effect of different housing conditions: a tool to standardize enriched environment protocols. Behav Brain Res 2013; 249:81-9. [PMID: 23624191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Enriched environments (EE) have been used for a long time to promote recovery in many neurological disorders, however, a growing body of inconsistent results strongly calls for a rigorous standardization of experimental EE paradigms. Although some core principles are well accepted as standards, a method to quantitatively assess the complexity of EE in various experimental designs is still lacking. In this study, we tracked and recorded the physical exercise of rats in four housing conditions, namely isolated condition, social condition, novel condition and EE. Then, we analyzed whether and to what extent, enrichment-induced exercise reflected the degree of enrichment. We next examined rat exercise in a conventional environment condition and under different light intensities, to explore whether environment-related exercise could be considered a parameter to quantify the degree of enrichment. The results obtained showed that (1) both inanimate and social stimulations enhanced the exercise level and (2) EE combined the effects of the two stimulations. Furthermore, exercise durability which correlated positively with degree of enrichment, was an objective measure of different housing conditions. Exercise-related parameters also sensitively reflected the impacts of light intensity even in the same enrichment arrangements. Our results indicate that there is a direct and measurable correlation between degree of environmental enrichment and enrichment-induced exercise, and therefore enrichment-induced exercise could be used as a helpful tool to evaluate the degree of housing conditions and to standardize the EE protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Xie
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hua Shan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
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Patel DI, White LJ. Effect of 10-day forced treadmill training on neurotrophic factors in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2013; 38:194-9. [DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2012-0303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The impact of exercise on disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the clinical effects of forced wheel running on rats induced with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of MS. Female Lewis rats (n = 40) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups prior to inoculation: EAE exercise (EAE-Ex), EAE sedentary (EAE-Sed), control exercise (Con-Ex), or control sedentary (Con-Sed). Exercise training was composed of forced treadmill running at increasing intensity across 10 consecutive days. No significant differences in clinical disability were observed in the EAE groups at the conclusion of this study. Furthermore, no significant differences in brain mass were observed across groups. Analysis of brain tissue proteins revealed that tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations were higher in both EAE groups compared with the control groups (p < 0.05); however, no significant differences were seen between the EAE-Ex and EAE-Sed groups. The Con-Ex group had lower whole-brain TNF-α compared with the Con-Sed group (p < 0.05). Nerve growth factor concentrations were greater in the EAE-Ex animals compared with both control groups (p < 0.05 for both). No differences were seen in brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Our results indicate that aerobic exercise can modulate the proteins associated with disability in EAE; however, further research is required to understand the total impact of exercise on EAE disability and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darpan I. Patel
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive (M/C 7949), San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Lesley J. White
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Gerber YN, Sabourin JC, Hugnot JP, Perrin FE. Unlike physical exercise, modified environment increases the lifespan of SOD1G93A mice however both conditions induce cellular changes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45503. [PMID: 23029057 PMCID: PMC3447796 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by a gradual muscular paralysis resulting from progressive motoneurons death. ALS etiology remains unknown although it has been demonstrated to be a multifactorial disease involving several cellular partners. There is currently no effective treatment. Even if the effect of exercise is under investigation for many years, whether physical exercise is beneficial or harmful is still under debate. METHODS AND FINDINGS We investigated the effect of three different intensities of running exercises on the survival of SOD1(G93A) mice. At the early-symptomatic stage (P60), males were isolated and randomly assigned to 5 conditions: 2 sedentary groups ("sedentary" and "sedentary treadmill" placed on the inert treadmill), and 3 different training intensity groups (5 cm/s, 10 cm/s and 21 cm/s; 15 min/day, 5days/week). We first demonstrated that an appropriate "control" of the environment is of the utmost importance since comparison of the two sedentary groups evidenced an 11.6% increase in survival in the "sedentary treadmill" group. Moreover, we showed by immunohistochemistry that this increased lifespan is accompanied with motoneurons survival and increased glial reactivity in the spinal cord. In a second step, we showed that when compared with the proper control, all three running-based training did not modify lifespan of the animals, but result in motoneurons preservation and changes in glial cells activation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We demonstrate that increase in survival induced by a slight daily modification of the environment is associated with motoneurons preservation and strong glial modifications in the lumbar spinal cord of SOD1(G93A). Using the appropriate control, we then demonstrate that all running intensities have no effect on the survival of ALS mice but induce cellular modifications. Our results highlight the critical importance of the control of the environment in ALS studies and may explain discrepancy in the literature regarding the effect of exercise in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick N. Gerber
- INSERM U1051, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Pathologies Sensorielles, Neuroplasticité et Thérapies, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Montpellier, France
- IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Jean-Charles Sabourin
- Integrative Biology of Neurodegeneration, Neuroscience Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Jean-Philippe Hugnot
- INSERM U1051, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Pathologies Sensorielles, Neuroplasticité et Thérapies, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence E. Perrin
- INSERM U1051, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Pathologies Sensorielles, Neuroplasticité et Thérapies, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Montpellier, France
- IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
- Integrative Biology of Neurodegeneration, Neuroscience Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
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Different human copper-zinc superoxide dismutase mutants, SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R, exert distinct harmful effects on gross phenotype in mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33409. [PMID: 22438926 PMCID: PMC3306410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by a selective loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Creation of transgenic mice expressing mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), as ALS models, has made an enormous impact on progress of the ALS studies. Recently, it has been recognized that genetic background and gender affect many physiological and pathological phenotypes. However, no systematic studies focusing on such effects using ALS models other than SOD1G93A mice have been conducted. To clarify the effects of genetic background and gender on gross phenotypes among different ALS models, we here conducted a comparative analysis of growth curves and lifespans using congenic lines of SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R mice on two different genetic backgrounds; C57BL/6N (B6) and FVB/N (FVB). Copy number of the transgene and their expression between SOD1G93A and SOD1H46R lines were comparable. B6 congenic mutant SOD1 transgenic lines irrespective of their mutation and gender differences lived longer than corresponding FVB lines. Notably, the G93A mutation caused severer disease phenotypes than did the H46R mutation, where SOD1G93A mice, particularly on a FVB background, showed more extensive body weight loss and earlier death. Gender effect on survival also solely emerged in FVB congenic SOD1G93A mice. Conversely, consistent with our previous study using B6 lines, lack of Als2, a murine homolog for the recessive juvenile ALS causative gene, in FVB congenic SOD1H46R, but not SOD1G93A, mice resulted in an earlier death, implying a genetic background-independent but mutation-dependent phenotypic modification. These results indicate that SOD1G93A- and SOD1H46R-mediated toxicity and their associated pathogenic pathways are not identical. Further, distinctive injurious effects resulted from different SOD1 mutations, which are associated with genetic background and/or gender, suggests the presence of several genetic modifiers of disease expression in the mouse genome.
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Walker MD, Mason G. Reprint of Female C57BL/6 mice show consistent individual differences in spontaneous interaction with environmental enrichment that are predicted by neophobia. Behav Brain Res 2012; 227:508-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Walker MD, Mason G. Female C57BL/6 mice show consistent individual differences in spontaneous interaction with environmental enrichment that are predicted by neophobia. Behav Brain Res 2011; 224:207-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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McCombe PA, Henderson RD. Effects of gender in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 7:557-70. [PMID: 21195356 DOI: 10.1016/j.genm.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is more common in men than in women and that gender influences the clinical features of the disease. The causes of this are unknown. OBJECTIVE This review examines the gender differences that are found in ALS and postulates reasons for these differences. METHODS A literature review of PubMed (with no date limits) was performed to find information about gender differences in the incidence, prevalence, and clinical features of ALS, using the search terms ALS or MND and gender or sex, ALS prevalence, and SOD1 mice and gender. Articles were reviewed for information about gender differences, together with other articles that were already known to the authors. RESULTS The incidence and prevalence of ALS are greater in men than in women. This gender difference is seen in large studies that included all ALS patients (sporadic and familial), but is not seen when familial ALS is studied independently. Men predominate in the younger age groups of patients with ALS. Sporadic ALS has different clinical features in men and women, with men having a greater likelihood of onset in the spinal regions, and women tending to have onset in the bulbar region. Gender appears to have no clear effect on survival. In animals with superoxide dismutase 1 (sod1) mutations, sex does affect the clinical course of disease, with earlier onset in males. Possible reasons for the differences in ALS between men and women include different exposures to environmental toxins, different biological responses to exogenous toxins, and possibly underlying differences between the male and female nervous systems and different abilities to repair damage. CONCLUSIONS There is a complex interaction between gender and clinical phenotypes in ALS. Understanding the causes of the gender differences could give clues to processes that modify the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A McCombe
- The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Australia.
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Mechanisms mediating brain and cognitive reserve: experience-dependent neuroprotection and functional compensation in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2011; 35:331-9. [PMID: 21112312 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2010] [Revised: 10/13/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
'Brain and cognitive reserve' (BCR) refers here to the accumulated neuroprotective reserve and capacity for functional compensation induced by the chronic enhancement of mental and physical activity. BCR is thought to protect against, and compensate for, a range of different neurodegenerative diseases, as well as other neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this review we will discuss BCR, and its potential mechanisms, in neurodegenerative disorders, with a focus on Huntington's disease (HD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Epidemiological studies of AD, and other forms of dementia, provided early evidence for BCR. The first evidence for the beneficial effects of enhanced mental and physical activity, and associated mechanistic insights, in an animal model of neurodegenerative disease was provided by experiments using HD transgenic mice. More recently, experiments on animal models of HD, AD and various other brain disorders have suggested potential molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning BCR. We propose that sophisticated insight into the processes underlying BCR, and identification of key molecules mediating these beneficial effects, will pave the way for therapeutic advances targeting these currently incurable neurodegenerative diseases.
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Venerosi A, Martire A, Rungi A, Pieri M, Ferrante A, Zona C, Popoli P, Calamandrei G. Complex behavioral and synaptic effects of dietary branched chain amino acids in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Nutr Food Res 2011; 55:541-52. [DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201000296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2010] [Revised: 10/13/2010] [Accepted: 10/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Hampton TG, Amende I. Treadmill gait analysis characterizes gait alterations in Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse models. J Mot Behav 2010; 42:1-4. [PMID: 19906638 DOI: 10.1080/00222890903272025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Guillot, Asress, Richardson, Glass, and Miller (2008) recently reported that treadmill gait analysis does not detect motor deficits in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The authors studied aged C57BL/6J mice administered the neurotoxin 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-tetrahydropyridine to model PD, and a small number of presymptomatic superoxide dismutase 1 G93A mice to study ALS. Several key issues merit discussion to put their observations in perspective. An increasing number of research groups are applying treadmill gait analysis to their rodent models of numerous movement disorders. The conclusions Guillot et al. drew undermine the potential importance of the paradigm of treadmill gait analysis for understanding and treating PD and ALS.
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Sone J, Niwa JI, Kawai K, Ishigaki S, Yamada SI, Adachi H, Katsuno M, Tanaka F, Doyu M, Sobue G. Dorfin ameliorates phenotypes in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurosci Res 2010; 88:123-35. [PMID: 19610091 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive motor neuron degeneration and leads to death within a few years of diagnosis. One of the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS is proposed to be a dysfunction in the protein quality-control machinery. Dorfin has been identified as a ubiquitin ligase (E3) that recognizes and ubiquitinates mutant SOD1 proteins, thereby accelerating their degradation and reducing their cellular toxicity. We examined the effects of human Dorfin overexpression in G93A mutant SOD1 transgenic mice, a mouse model of familial ALS. In addition to causing a decrease in the amount of mutant SOD1 protein in the spinal cord, Dorfin overexpression ameliorated neurological phenotypes and motor neuron degeneration. Our results indicate that Dorfin overexpression or the activation or induction of E3 may be a therapeutic avenue for mutant SOD1-associated ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sone
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Abstract
Neuromuscular diseases can affect the survival of peripheral neurons, their axons extending to peripheral targets, their synaptic connections onto those targets, or the targets themselves. Examples include motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth diseases, myasthenias, and muscular dystrophies. Characterizing these phenotypes in mouse models requires an integrated approach, examining both the nerve and the muscle histologically, anatomically, and functionally by electrophysiology. Defects observed at these levels can be related back to onset, severity, and progression, as assessed by "quality-of-life measures" including tests of gross motor performance such as gait or grip strength. This chapter describes methods for assessing neuromuscular disease models in mice, and how interpretation of these tests can be complicated by the inter-relatedness of the phenotypes.
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Environmental Enrichment and Gene–Environment Interactions in Mouse Models of Brain Disorders. NEUROMETHODS 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-474-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Nithianantharajah J, Hannan AJ. The neurobiology of brain and cognitive reserve: mental and physical activity as modulators of brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2009; 89:369-82. [PMID: 19819293 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2009.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 10/01/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The concept of 'cognitive reserve', and a broader theory of 'brain reserve', were originally proposed to help explain epidemiological data indicating that individuals who engaged in higher levels of mental and physical activity via education, occupation and recreation, were at lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Subsequently, behavioral, cellular and molecular studies in animals (predominantly mice and rats) have revealed dramatic effects of environmental enrichment, which involves enhanced levels of sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation via housing in novel, complex environments. Furthermore, increasing levels of voluntary physical exercise, via ad libitum access to running wheels, can have significant effects on brain and behavior, thus informing the relative effects of mental and physical activity. More recently, animal models of brain disorders have been compared under environmentally stimulating and standard housing conditions, and this has provided new insights into environmental modulators and gene-environment interactions involved in pathogenesis. Here, we review animal studies that have investigated the effects of modifying mental and physical activity via experimental manipulations, and discuss their relevance to brain and cognitive reserve (BCR). Recent evidence suggests that the concept of BCR is not only relevant to brain aging, neurodegenerative diseases and dementia, but also to other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating BCR may not only facilitate future strategies aimed at optimising healthy brain aging, but could also identify molecular targets for novel pharmacological approaches aimed at boosting BCR in 'at risk' and symptomatic individuals with various brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Nithianantharajah
- Howard Florey Institute, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Hetz C, Thielen P, Matus S, Nassif M, Court F, Kiffin R, Martinez G, Cuervo AM, Brown RH, Glimcher LH. XBP-1 deficiency in the nervous system protects against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by increasing autophagy. Genes Dev 2009; 23:2294-306. [PMID: 19762508 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1830709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 424] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS). Recent evidence implicates adaptive responses to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the disease process via a pathway known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). Here, we investigated the contribution to fALS of X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), a key UPR transcription factor that regulates genes involved in protein folding and quality control. Despite expectations that XBP-1 deficiency would enhance the pathogenesis of mutant SOD1, we observed a dramatic decrease in its toxicity due to an enhanced clearance of mutant SOD1 aggregates by macroautophagy, a cellular pathway involved in lysosome-mediated protein degradation. To validate these observations in vivo, we generated mutant SOD1 transgenic mice with specific deletion of XBP-1 in the nervous system. XBP-1-deficient mice were more resistant to developing disease, correlating with increased levels of autophagy in motoneurons and reduced accumulation of mutant SOD1 aggregates in the spinal cord. Post-mortem spinal cord samples from patients with sporadic ALS and fALS displayed a marked activation of both the UPR and autophagy. Our results reveal a new function of XBP-1 in the control of autophagy and indicate critical cross-talk between these two signaling pathways that can provide protection against neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Hetz
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, The FONDAP Center for Molecular Studies of the Cell (CEMC) and the Millennium Nucleus for Neural Morphogenesis (NEMO), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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No benefit from chronic lithium dosing in a sibling-matched, gender balanced, investigator-blinded trial using a standard mouse model of familial ALS. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6489. [PMID: 19649300 PMCID: PMC2714460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2009] [Accepted: 07/01/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In any animal model of human disease a positive control therapy that demonstrates efficacy in both the animal model and the human disease can validate the application of that animal model to the discovery of new therapeutics. Such a therapy has recently been reported by Fornai et al. using chronic lithium carbonate treatment and showing therapeutic efficacy in both the high-copy SOD1G93A mouse model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in human ALS patients. Methodology/Principal Findings Seeking to verify this positive control therapy, we tested chronic lithium dosing in a sibling-matched, gender balanced, investigator-blinded trial using the high-copy (average 23 copies) SOD1G93A mouse (n = 27–28/group). Lithium-treated mice received single daily 36.9 mg/kg i.p. injections from 50 days of age through death. This dose delivered 1 mEq/kg (6.94 mg/kg/day lithium ions). Neurological disease severity score and body weight were determined daily during the dosing period. Age at onset of definitive disease and survival duration were recorded. Summary measures from individual body weight changes and neurological score progression, age at disease onset, and age at death were compared using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Our study did not show lithium efficacy by any measure. Conclusions/Significance Rigorous survival study design that includes sibling matching, gender balancing, investigator blinding, and transgene copy number verification for each experimental subject minimized the likelihood of attaining a false positive therapeutic effect in this standard animal model of familial ALS. Results from this study do not support taking lithium carbonate into human clinical trials for ALS.
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Decline in daily running distance presages disease onset in a mouse model of ALS. Neuromolecular Med 2009; 11:58-62. [PMID: 19418268 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-009-8064-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 04/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive degeneration of lower motor neurons resulting in paralysis and death. Epidemiological and clinical findings suggest that a decline in athletic performance may presage the clinical onset of ALS, but this possibility has not been tested in an animal model. By placing running wheels in each mouse's cage to measure their exercise activity, we show that presymptomatic G93A SOD1 ALS mice are more active runners (15-20 km/day) than control mice (7-9 km/day). The ALS mice then exhibit a sharp decline in daily running distance 10-20 days prior to the onset of clinical disease. Within the group of ALS mice, there were no significant correlations between cumulative lifetime running distance and age at clinical disease onset or age at death, suggesting that amount of exercise did not affect the course of the disease process. Our data show that presymptomatic ALS mice have a propensity for running long distances, and then dramatically reduce the amount they run prior to the appearance of clinical symptoms. The monitoring of voluntary running distance may provide a valuable biomarker to evaluate the efficacy of potential therapeutic interventions for ALS in preclinical studies.
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Anastasía A, Torre L, de Erausquin GA, Mascó DH. Enriched environment protects the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system and induces astroglial reaction in the 6-OHDA rat model of Parkinson's disease. J Neurochem 2009; 109:755-65. [PMID: 19245661 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06001.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Enriched environment (EE) is neuroprotective in several animal models of neurodegeneration. It stimulates the expression of trophic factors and modifies the astrocyte cell population which has been said to exert neuroprotective effects. We have investigated the effects of EE on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neuronal death after unilateral administration to the medial forebrain bundle, which reaches 85-95% of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra after 3 weeks. Continuous exposure to EE 3 weeks before and after 6-OHDA injection prevents neuronal death (assessed by tyrosine hydroxylase staining), protects the nigrostriatal pathway (assessed by Fluorogold retrograde labeling) and reduces motor impairment. Four days after 6-OHDA injection, EE was associated with a marked increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein staining and prevented neuronal death (assessed by Fluoro Jade-B) but not partial loss of tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the anterior substantia nigra. These results robustly demonstrate that EE preserves the entire nigrostriatal system against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity, and suggests that an early post-lesion astrocytic reaction may participate in the neuroprotective mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Anastasía
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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