Upregulation of the enzyme chain hydrolyzing extracellular ATP after transient forebrain ischemia in the rat

Extracellular ATP: A powerful inflammatory mediator in the central nervous system

Nucleotides play a crucial role in extracellular signaling across species boundaries. All the three kingdoms of life (Bacteria, Archea and Eukariota) are responsive to extracellular ATP (eATP) and many release this and other nucleotides. Thus, eATP fulfills different functions, many related to danger-sensing or avoidance reactions. Basically all living organisms have evolved sensors for eATP and other nucleotides with very different affinity and selectivity, thus conferring a remarkable plasticity to this signaling system. Likewise, different intracellular transduction systems were associated during evolution to different receptors for eATP. In mammalian evolution, control of intracellular ATP (iATP) and eATP homeostasis has been closely intertwined with that of Ca²⁺, whether in the extracellular milieu or in the cytoplasm, establishing an inverse reciprocal relationship, i.e. high extracellular Ca²⁺ levels are associated to negligible eATP, while low intracellular Ca²⁺ levels are associated to high eATP concentrations. This inverse relationship is crucial for the messenger functions of both molecules. Extracellular ATP is sensed by specific plasma membrane receptors of widely different affinity named P2 receptors (P2Rs) of which 17 subtypes are known. This confers a remarkable plasticity to P2R signaling. The central nervous system (CNS) is a privileged site for purinergic signaling as all brain cell types express P2Rs. Accruing evidence suggests that eATP, in addition to participating in synaptic transmission, also plays a crucial homeostatic role by fine tuning microglia, astroglia and oligodendroglia responses. Drugs modulating the eATP concentration in the CNS are likely to be the new frontier in the therapy of neuroinflammation. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Purinergic Signaling: 50 years'.

Induction of aggression and anxiety-like responses by perfluorooctanoic acid is accompanied by modulation of cholinergic- and purinergic signaling-related parameters in adult zebrafish

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a contaminant of global concern owing to its prevalent occurrence in aquatic and terrestrial environments with potential hazardous impact on living organisms. Here, we investigated the influence of realistic environmental concentrations of PFOA (0, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/L) on relevant behaviors of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) (e.g., exploration to novelty, social preference, and aggression) and the possible role of PFOA in modulating cholinergic and purinergic signaling in the brain after exposure for 7 consecutive days. PFOA significantly increased geotaxis as well as reduced vertical exploration (a behavioral endpoint for anxiety), and increased the frequency and duration of aggressive episodes without affecting their social preference. Exposure to PFOA did not affect ADP hydrolysis, whereas ATP and AMP hydrolysis were significantly increased at the highest concentration tested. However, AChE activity was markedly decreased in all PFOA-exposed groups when compared with control. In conclusion, PFOA induces aggression and anxiety-like behavior in adult zebrafish and modulates both cholinergic and purinergic signaling biomarkers. These novel data can provide valuable insights into possible health threats related to human activities, demonstrating the utility of adult zebrafish to elucidate how PFOA affects neurobehavioral responses in aquatic organisms.

Platelets and the Role of P2X Receptors in Nociception, Pain, Neuronal Toxicity and Thromboinflammation

P2X receptors belong to a family of cation channel proteins, which respond to extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). These receptors have gained increasing attention in basic and translational research, as they are central to a variety of important pathophysiological processes such as the modulation of cardiovascular physiology, mediation of nociception, platelet and macrophage activation, or neuronal-glial integration. While P2X1 receptor activation is long known to drive platelet aggregation, P2X7 receptor antagonists have recently been reported to inhibit platelet activation. Considering the role of both P2X receptors and platelet-mediated inflammation in neuronal diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke, targeting purinergic receptors may provide a valuable novel therapeutic approach in these diseases. Therefore, the present review illuminates the role of platelets and purinergic signaling in these neurological conditions to evaluate potential translational implications.

Metabolic Aspects of Adenosine Functions in the Brain

Adenosine, acting both through G-protein coupled adenosine receptors and intracellularly, plays a complex role in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes by modulating neuronal plasticity, astrocytic activity, learning and memory, motor function, feeding, control of sleep and aging. Adenosine is involved in stroke, epilepsy and neurodegenerative pathologies. Extracellular concentration of adenosine in the brain is tightly regulated. Adenosine may be generated intracellularly in the central nervous system from degradation of AMP or from the hydrolysis of S-adenosyl homocysteine, and then exit via bi-directional nucleoside transporters, or extracellularly by the metabolism of released nucleotides. Inactivation of extracellular adenosine occurs by transport into neurons or neighboring cells, followed by either phosphorylation to AMP by adenosine kinase or deamination to inosine by adenosine deaminase. Modulation of the nucleoside transporters or of the enzymatic activities involved in the metabolism of adenosine, by affecting the levels of this nucleoside and the activity of adenosine receptors, could have a role in the onset or the development of central nervous system disorders, and can also be target of drugs for their treatment. In this review, we focus on the contribution of 5'-nucleotidases, adenosine kinase, adenosine deaminase, AMP deaminase, AMP-activated protein kinase and nucleoside transporters in epilepsy, cognition, and neurodegenerative diseases with a particular attention on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington's disease. We include several examples of the involvement of components of the adenosine metabolism in learning and of the possible use of modulators of enzymes involved in adenosine metabolism or nucleoside transporters in the amelioration of cognition deficits.

P2X7 Receptors as a Therapeutic Target in Cerebrovascular Diseases

Shortage of oxygen and nutrients in the brain induces the release of glutamate and ATP that can cause excitotoxicity and contribute to neuronal and glial damage. Our understanding of the mechanisms of ATP release and toxicity in cerebrovascular diseases is incomplete. This review aims at summarizing current knowledge about the participation of key elements in the ATP-mediated deleterious effects in these pathologies. This includes pannexin-1 hemichannels, calcium homeostasis modulator-1 (CALHM1), purinergic P2X7 receptors, and other intermediaries of CNS injury downstream of ATP release. Available data together with recent pharmacological developments in purinergic signaling may constitute a new opportunity to translate preclinical findings into more effective therapies in cerebrovascular diseases.

CD73-derived adenosine controls inflammation and neurodegeneration by modulating dopamine signalling

Ectonucleotidase-mediated ATP catabolism provides a powerful mechanism to control the levels of extracellular adenosine. While increased adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) signaling has been well-documented in both Parkinson's disease models and patients, the source of this enhanced adenosine signalling remains unclear. Here, we show that the ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73)-mediated adenosine formation provides an important input to activate A2AR, and upregulated CD73 and A2AR in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease models coordinatively contribute to the elevated adenosine signalling. Importantly, we demonstrate that CD73-derived adenosine-A2AR signalling modulates microglial immunoresponses and morphological dynamics. CD73 inactivation significantly attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory responses in microglia, but enhanced microglia process extension, movement and morphological transformation in the laser injury and acute MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease models. Limiting CD73-derived adenosine substantially suppressed microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and improved the viability of dopaminergic neurons and motor behaviours in Parkinson's disease models. Moreover, CD73 inactivation suppressed A2AR induction and A2AR-mediated pro-inflammatory responses, whereas replenishment of adenosine analogues restored these effects, suggesting that CD73 produces a self-regulating feed-forward adenosine formation to activate A2AR and promote neuroinflammation. We further provide the first evidence that A2A enhanced inflammation by antagonizing dopamine-mediated anti-inflammation, suggesting that the homeostatic balance between adenosine and dopamine signalling is key to microglia immunoresponses. Our study thus reveals a novel role for CD73-mediated nucleotide metabolism in regulating neuroinflammation and provides the proof-of-principle that targeting nucleotide metabolic pathways to limit adenosine production and neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease might be a promising therapeutic strategy.

Spatiotemporal analysis of impaired microglia process movement at sites of secondary neurodegeneration post-stroke

It has recently been identified that after motor cortex stroke, the ability of microglia processes to respond to local damage cues is lost from the thalamus, a major site of secondary neurodegeneration (SND). In this study, we combine a photothrombotic stroke model in mice, acute slice and fluorescent imaging to analyse the loss of microglia process responsiveness. The peri-infarct territories and thalamic areas of SND were investigated at time-points 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days after stroke. We confirmed the highly specific nature of non-responsive microglia processes to sites of SND. Non-responsiveness was at no time observed at the peri-infarct but started in the thalamus seven days post-stroke and persisted for 56 days. Loss of directed process extension is not a reflection of general functional paralysis as phagocytic function continued to increase over time. Additionally, we identified that somal P₂Y₁₂ was present on non-responsive microglia in the first two weeks after stroke but not at later time points. Finally, both classical microglia activation and loss of process extension are highly correlated with neuronal damage. Our findings highlight the importance of microglia, specifically microglia dynamic functions, to the progression of SND post-stroke, and their potential relevance as modulators or therapeutic targets during stroke recovery.

Synaptic and memory dysfunction in a β-amyloid model of early Alzheimer's disease depends on increased formation of ATP-derived extracellular adenosine

Adenosine A_2A receptors (A_2AR) overfunction causes synaptic and memory dysfunction in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a β-amyloid (Aβ_1-42)-based model of early AD, we now unraveled that this involves an increased synaptic release of ATP coupled to an increased density and activity of ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73)-mediated formation of adenosine selectively activating A_2AR. Thus, CD73 inhibition with α,β-methylene-ADP impaired long-term potentiation (LTP) in mouse hippocampal slices, which is occluded upon previous superfusion with the A_2AR antagonist SCH58261. Furthermore, α,β-methylene-ADP did not alter LTP amplitude in global A_2AR knockout (KO) and in forebrain neuron-selective A_2AR-KO mice, but inhibited LTP amplitude in astrocyte-selective A_2AR-KO mice; this shows that CD73-derived adenosine solely acts on neuronal A_2AR. In agreement with the concept that ATP is a danger signal in the brain, ATP release from nerve terminals is increased after intracerebroventricular Aβ_1-42 administration, together with CD73 and A_2AR upregulation in hippocampal synapses. Importantly, this increased CD73 activity is critically required for Aβ_1-42 to impair synaptic plasticity and memory since Aβ_1-42-induced synaptic and memory deficits were eliminated in CD73-KO mice. These observations establish a key regulatory role of CD73 activity over neuronal A_2AR and imply CD73 as a novel target for modulation of early AD.

Enhanced ATP release and CD73-mediated adenosine formation sustain adenosine A2A receptor over-activation in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Parkinson's disease (PD) involves an initial loss of striatal dopamine terminals evolving into degeneration of dopamine neurons in substantia nigra (SN), which can be modelled by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administration. Adenosine A_2A receptor blockade attenuates PD features in animal models, but the source of the adenosine causing A_2A receptor over-activation is unknown. As ATP is a stress signal, we have tested if extracellular catabolism of adenine nucleotides into adenosine (through ecto-5'-nucleotidase or CD73) leads to A_2A receptor over-activation in PD.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Effects of blocking CD73 with α,β-methylene ADP (AOPCP) were assayed in 6-OHDA-treated rats and dopamine-differentiated neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

KEY RESULTS

6-OHDA increased ATP release and extracellular conversion into adenosine through CD73 up-regulation in SH-SY5Y cells. Removing extracellular adenosine with adenosine deaminase, blocking CD73 with AOPCP, or blocking A_2A receptors with SCH58261 were equi-effective in preventing 6-OHDA-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells. In vivo striatal exposure to 6-OHDA increased ATP release and extracellular formation of adenosine from adenosine nucleotides and up-regulated CD73 and A_2A receptors in striatal synaptosomes. Intracerebroventricular administration of AOPCP phenocopied effects of SCH58261, attenuating 6-OHDA-induced (a) increase of contralateral rotations after apomorphine, (b) reduction of dopamine content in striatum and SN, (c) loss of TH staining in striatum and SN, (d) motor dysfunction in the cylinder test, and (e) short-term memory impairment in the object recognition test.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our data indicate that increased ATP-derived adenosine formation is responsible for A_2A receptor over-activation in PD, suggesting CD73 as a new target to manage PD.

Application of Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix Analysis as a New Method for Enzyme Histochemistry Quantification

Enzyme histochemistry is a valuable histological method which provides a connection between morphology, activity, and spatial localization of investigated enzymes. Even though the method relies purely on arbitrary evaluations performed by the human eye, it is still wildly accepted and used in histo(patho)logy. Texture analysis emerged as an excellent tool for image quantification of subtle differences reflected in both spatial discrepancies and gray level values of pixels. The current study of texture analysis utilizes the gray-level co-occurrence matrix as a method for quantification of differences between ecto-5'-nucleotidase activities in healthy hippocampal tissue and tissue with marked neurodegeneration. We used the angular second moment, contrast (CON), correlation, inverse difference moment (INV), and entropy for texture analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis with immunoblot and qualitative assessment of enzyme histochemistry as a validation. Our results strongly argue that co-occurrence matrix analysis could be used for the determination of fine differences in the enzyme activities with the possibility to ascribe those differences to regions or specific cell types. In addition, it emerged that INV and CON are especially useful parameters for this type of enzyme histochemistry analysis. We concluded that texture analysis is a reliable method for quantification of this descriptive technique, thus removing biases and adding it a quantitative dimension.

Complex regulation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73 and A2AR-mediated adenosine signaling at neurovascular unit: A link between acute and chronic neuroinflammation

The review summarizes available data regarding the complex regulation of CD73 at the neurovascular unit (NVU) during neuroinflammation. Based on available data we propose the biphasic pattern of CD73 regulation at NVU, with an early attenuation and a postponed up-regulation of CD73 activity. Transient attenuation of CD73 activity on leukocyte/vascular endothelium and leukocyte/astrocyte surface, required for the initiation of a neuroinflammatory response, may be effectuated either by catalytic inhibition of CD73 and/or by shedding of the CD73 molecule from the cell surface, while postponed induction of CD73 is effectuated by transcriptional up-regulation of Nt5e and posttranslational modifications. Neuroinflammatory conditions are also associated with significant enhancement and gain-of-function of A_2AR-mediated adenosine signaling. However, in contrast to the temporary prevalence of A_2AR over A₁R signaling during an acute inflammatory response, prolonged induction of A_2AR and resulting perpetual CD73/A_2AR coupling may be a contributing factors in the transition between acute and chronic neuroinflammation. Thus, pharmacological targeting of the CD73/A_2AR axis may attenuate inflammatory response and ameliorate neurological deficits in chronic neuroinflammatory conditions.

Blockade and knock-out of CALHM1 channels attenuate ischemic brain damage

Overactivation of purinergic receptors during cerebral ischemia results in a massive release of neurotransmitters, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP), to the extracellular space which leads to cell death. Some hypothetical pathways of ATP release are large ion channels, such as calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1), a membrane ion channel that can permeate ATP. Since this transmitter contributes to postischemic brain damage, we hypothesized that CALHM1 activation may be a relevant target to attenuate stroke injury. Here, we analyzed the contribution of CALHM1 to postanoxic depolarization after ischemia in cultured neurons and in cortical slices. We observed that the onset of postanoxic currents in neurons in those preparations was delayed after its blockade with ruthenium red or silencing of Calhm1 gene by short hairpin RNA, as well as in slices from CALHM1 knockout mice. Subsequently, we used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and found that ruthenium red, a blocker of CALHM1, or the lack of CALHM1, substantially attenuated the motor symptoms and reduced significantly the infarct volume. These results show that CALHM1 channels mediate postanoxic depolarization in neurons and brain damage after ischemia. Therefore, targeting CALHM1 may have a high therapeutic potential for treating brain damage after ischemia.

Unveiling the Role of Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase/CD73 in Astrocyte Migration by Using Pharmacological Tools

CD73 is a bifunctional glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein which functions as ecto-5′-nucleotidase and a membrane receptor for extracellular matrix protein (ECM). A large body of evidence demonstrates a critical involvement of altered purine metabolism and particularly, increased expression of CD73 in a number of human disorders, including cancer and immunodeficiency. Massive up-regulation of CD73 was also found in reactive astrocytes in several experimental models of human neuropathologies. In all the pathological contexts studied so far, the increased expression of CD73 has been associated with the altered ability of cells to adhere and/or migrate. Thus, we hypothesized that increased expression of CD73 in reactive astrocytes has a role in the process of astrocyte adhesion and migration. In the present study, the involvement of CD73 in astrocyte migration was investigated in the scratch wound assay (SW), using primary astrocyte culture prepared from neonatal rat cortex. The cultures were treated with one of the following pharmacological inhibitors which preferentially target individual functions of CD73: (a) α,β-methylene ADP (APCP), which inhibits the catalytic activity of CD73 (b) polyclonal anti-CD73 antibodies, which bind to the internal epitope of CD73 molecule and mask their surface exposure and (c) small interfering CD73-RNA (siCD73), which silences the expression of CD73 gene. It was concluded that approaches that reduce surface expression of CD73 increase migration velocity and promote wound closure in the scratch wound assay, while inhibition of the enzyme activity by APCP induces redistribution of CD73 molecules at the cell surface, thus indirectly affecting cell adhesion and migration. Application of anti-CD73 antibodies induces a decrease in CD73 activity and membrane expression, through CD73 molecules shedding and their release to the culture media. In addition, all applied pharmacological inhibitors differentially affect other aspects of astrocyte function in vitro, including reduced cell proliferation, altered expression of adenosine receptors and increased expression of ERK1/2. Altogether these data imply that CD73 participates in cell adhesion/migration and transmits extracellular signals through interactions with ECM.

Oxygen and Glucose Deprivation Induces Bergmann Glia Membrane Depolarization and Ca2+ Rises Mainly Mediated by K+ and ATP Increases in the Extracellular Space

During brain ischemia, intense energy deficiency induces a complex succession of events including pump failure, acidosis and exacerbated glutamate release. In the cerebellum, glutamate is the principal mediator of Purkinje neuron anoxic depolarization during episodes of oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD). Here, the impact of OGD is studied in Bergmann glia, specialized astrocytes closely associated to Purkinje neurons. Patch clamp experiments reveal that during OGD Bergmann glial cells develop a large depolarizing current that is not mediated by glutamate and purinergic receptors but is mainly due to the accumulation of K⁺ in the extracellular space. Furthermore, we also found that increases in the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration appear in Bergmann glia processes several minutes following OGD. These elevations require, in an early phase, Ca²⁺ mobilization from internal stores via P2Y receptor activation, and, over longer periods, Ca²⁺ entry through store-operated calcium channels. Our results suggest that increases of K⁺ and ATP concentrations in the extracellular space are primordial mediators of the OGD effects on Bergmann glia. In the cerebellum, glial responses to energy deprivation-triggering events are therefore highly likely to follow largely distinct rules from those of their neuronal counterparts.

Purine Signaling and Microglial Wrapping

Microglial cells are highly dynamic cells with processes continuously moving to survey the surrounding territory. Microglia possess a broad variety of surface receptors and subtle changes in their microenvironment cause microglial cell processes to extend, retract, and interact with neuronal synaptic contacts. When the nervous system is disturbed, microglia activate, proliferate, and migrate to sites of injury in response to alert signals. Released nucleotides like ATP and UTP are among the wide range of molecules promoting microglial activation and guiding their migration and phagocytic function. The increased concentration of nucleotides in the extracellular space could be involved in the microglial wrapping found around injured neurons in various pathological conditions, especially after peripheral axotomy. Microglial wrappings isolate injured neurons from synaptic inputs and facilitate the molecular dialog between endangered or injured neurons and activated microglia. Astrocytes may also participate in neuronal ensheathment. Degradation of ATP by microglial ecto-nucleotidases and the expression of various purine receptors might be decisive in regulating the function of enwrapping glial cells and in determining the fate of damaged neurons, which may die or may regenerate their axons and survive.

Blockade of ATP P2X7 receptor enhances ischiatic nerve regeneration in mice following a crush injury

Preventing damage caused by nerve degeneration is a great challenge. There is a growing body of evidence implicating extracellular nucleotides and their P2 receptors in many pathophysiological mechanisms. In this work we aimed to investigate the effects of the administration of Brilliant Blue G (BBG) and Pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2', 4'- disulphonic acid (PPADS), P2X7 and P2 non-selective receptor antagonists, respectively, on sciatic nerve regeneration. Four groups of mice that underwent nerve crush lesion were used: two control groups treated with vehicle (saline), a group treated with BBG and a group treated with PPADS during 28days. Gastrocnemius muscle weight was evaluated. For functional evaluation we used the Sciatic Functional Index (SFI) and the horizontal ladder walking test. Nerves, dorsal root ganglia and spinal cords were processed for light and electron microscopy. Antinoceptive effects of BBG and PPADS were evaluated through von Frey E, and the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were analyzed by ELISA. BBG promoted an increase in the number of myelinated fibers and on axon, fiber and myelin areas. BBG and PPADS led to an increase of TNF-α and IL-1β in the nerve on day 1 and PPADS caused a decrease of IL-1β on day 7. Mechanical allodynia was reversed on day 7 in the groups treated with BBG and PPADS. We concluded that BBG promoted a better morphological regeneration after ischiatic crush injury, but this was not followed by anticipation of functional improvement. In addition, both PPADS and BBG presented anti-inflammatory as well as antinociceptive effects.

How does adenosine control neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration?

The adenosine modulation system mostly operates through inhibitory A₁ (A₁ R) and facilitatory A_2A receptors (A_2A R) in the brain. The activity-dependent release of adenosine acts as a brake of excitatory transmission through A₁ R, which are enriched in glutamatergic terminals. Adenosine sharpens salience of information encoding in neuronal circuits: high-frequency stimulation triggers ATP release in the 'activated' synapse, which is locally converted by ecto-nucleotidases into adenosine to selectively activate A_2A R; A_2A R switch off A₁ R and CB1 receptors, bolster glutamate release and NMDA receptors to assist increasing synaptic plasticity in the 'activated' synapse; the parallel engagement of the astrocytic syncytium releases adenosine further inhibiting neighboring synapses, thus sharpening the encoded plastic change. Brain insults trigger a large outflow of adenosine and ATP, as a danger signal. A₁ R are a hurdle for damage initiation, but they desensitize upon prolonged activation. However, if the insult is near-threshold and/or of short-duration, A₁ R trigger preconditioning, which may limit the spread of damage. Brain insults also up-regulate A_2A R, probably to bolster adaptive changes, but this heightens brain damage since A_2A R blockade affords neuroprotection in models of epilepsy, depression, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's disease. This initially involves a control of synaptotoxicity by neuronal A_2A R, whereas astrocytic and microglia A_2A R might control the spread of damage. The A_2A R signaling mechanisms are largely unknown since A_2A R are pleiotropic, coupling to different G proteins and non-canonical pathways to control the viability of glutamatergic synapses, neuroinflammation, mitochondria function, and cytoskeleton dynamics. Thus, simultaneously bolstering A₁ R preconditioning and preventing excessive A_2A R function might afford maximal neuroprotection. The main physiological role of the adenosine modulation system is to sharp the salience of information encoding through a combined action of adenosine A_2A receptors (A_2A R) in the synapse undergoing an alteration of synaptic efficiency with an increased inhibitory action of A₁ R in all surrounding synapses. Brain insults trigger an up-regulation of A_2A R in an attempt to bolster adaptive plasticity together with adenosine release and A₁ R desensitization; this favors synaptotocity (increased A_2A R) and decreases the hurdle to undergo degeneration (decreased A₁ R). Maximal neuroprotection is expected to result from a combined A_2A R blockade and increased A₁ R activation. This article is part of a mini review series: "Synaptic Function and Dysfunction in Brain Diseases".

ATP as a Messenger in Astrocyte-Neuronal Communication

Astrocytes are activated during both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and respond with intracellular Ca2+i elevations. Ca2+i oscillations and waves in astrocytes now appear to represent the glial arm of a dynamic neuronal-glial signaling process. Advances within the last year have shown that stimuli that elevate Ca2+i in astrocytes have the potential to modulate synaptic function. Recent studies have shown that astrocytic calcium waves, initially believed to depend on the integrity of functional gap junction channels for the passage of intercellular signals, are actually mediated by release of ATP and subsequent activation of purinergic receptors on neighboring cells. ATP release is in turn regulated by the expression of gap junction proteins, establishing a novel dimension between gap junctions and extracellular-mediated signaling events. The role of ATP and its breakdown product, adenosine, on synaptic transmission are discussed.

Variations of ATP and its metabolites in the hippocampus of rats subjected to pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy

Although purinergic receptor activity has lately been associated with epilepsy, little is known about the exact role of purines in epileptogenesis. We have used a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy induced by pilocarpine to study the dynamics of purine metabolism in the hippocampus during different times of status epilepticus (SE) and the chronic phase. Concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine in normal and epileptic rat hippocampus were determined by microdialysis in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Extracellular ATP concentrations did not vary along 4 h of SE onset. However, AMP concentration was elevated during the second hour, whereas ADP and adenosine concentrations augmented during the third and fourth hour following SE. During chronic phase, extracellular ATP, ADP, AMP, and adenosine concentrations decreased, although these levels again increased significantly during spontaneous seizures. These results suggest that the increased turnover of ATP during the acute period is a compensatory mechanism able to reduce the excitatory role of ATP. Increased adenosine levels following 4 h of SE may contribute to block seizures. On the other hand, the reduction of purine levels in the hippocampus of chronic epileptic rats may result from metabolic changes and be part of the mechanisms involved in the onset of spontaneous seizures. This work provides further insights into purinergic signaling during establishment and chronic phase of epilepsy.

Purinergic signalling in brain ischemia

Ischemia is a multifactorial pathology characterized by different events evolving in the time. After ischemia a primary damage due to the early massive increase of extracellular glutamate is followed by activation of resident immune cells, i.e microglia, and production or activation of inflammation mediators. Protracted neuroinflammation is now recognized as the predominant mechanism of secondary brain injury progression. Extracellular concentrations of ATP and adenosine in the brain increase dramatically during ischemia in concentrations able to stimulate their respective specific P2 and P1 receptors. Both ATP P2 and adenosine P1 receptor subtypes exert important roles in ischemia. Although adenosine exerts a clear neuroprotective effect through A1 receptors during ischemia, the use of selective A1 agonists is hampered by undesirable peripheral effects. Evidence up to now in literature indicate that A2A receptor antagonists provide protection centrally by reducing excitotoxicity, while agonists at A2A (and possibly also A2B) and A3 receptors provide protection by controlling massive infiltration and neuroinflammation in the hours and days after brain ischemia. Among P2X receptors most evidence indicate that P2X7 receptor contribute to the damage induced by the ischemic insult due to intracellular Ca(2+) loading in central cells and facilitation of glutamate release. Antagonism of P2X7 receptors might represent a new treatment to attenuate brain damage and to promote proliferation and maturation of brain immature resident cells that can promote tissue repair following cerebral ischemia. Among P2Y receptors, antagonists of P2Y12 receptors are of value because of their antiplatelet activity and possibly because of additional anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover strategies that modify adenosine or ATP concentrations at injury sites might be of value to limit damage after ischemia. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Purines in Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration'.

Extracellular ATP Selectively Upregulates Ecto-Nucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase 2 and Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase by Rat Cortical Astrocytes In Vitro

Extracellular ATP (eATP) acts as a danger-associated molecular pattern which induces reactive response of astrocytes after brain insult, including morphological remodeling of astrocytes, proliferation, chemotaxis, and release of proinflammatory cytokines. The responses induced by eATP are under control of ecto-nucleotidases, which catalyze sequential hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine. In the mammalian brain, ecto-nucleotidases comprise three enzyme families: ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases 1-3 (NTPDase1-3), ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phospodiesterases 1-3 (NPP1-3), and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eN), which crucially determine ATP/adenosine ratio in the pericellular milieu. Altered expression of ecto-nucleotidases has been demonstrated in several experimental models of human brain dysfunctions. In the present study, we have explored the pattern of NTPDase1-3, NPP1-3, and eN expression by cultured cortical astrocytes challenged with 1 mmol/L ATP (eATP). At the transcriptional level, eATP upregulated expression of NTPDase1, NTPDase2, NPP2, and eN, while, at translational and functional levels, these were paralleled only by the induction of NTPDase2 and eN. Additionally, eATP altered membrane topology of eN, from clusters localized in membrane domains to continuous distribution along the cell membrane. Our results suggest that eATP, by upregulating NTPDase2 and eN and altering the enzyme membrane topology, affects local kinetics of ATP metabolism and signal transduction that may have important roles in the process related to inflammation and reactive gliosis.

An introduction to the roles of purinergic signalling in neurodegeneration, neuroprotection and neuroregeneration

Purinergic signalling appears to play important roles in neurodegeneration, neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Initially there is a brief summary of the background of purinergic signalling, including release of purines and pyrimidines from neural and non-neural cells and their ectoenzymatic degradation, and the current characterisation of P1 (adenosine), and P2X (ion channel) and P2Y (G protein-coupled) nucleotide receptor subtypes. There is also coverage of the localization and roles of purinoceptors in the healthy central nervous system. The focus is then on the roles of purinergic signalling in trauma, ischaemia, stroke and in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, as well as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuroprotective mechanisms involving purinergic signalling are considered and its involvement in neuroregeneration, including the role of adult neural stem/progenitor cells. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Purines in Neurodegeneration and Neuroregeneration'.

NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase activities in synaptosomes of rabbits experimentally infected with BoHV-5

Bovine herpesvirus type 5 (BoHV-5) is the causative agent of herpetic meningoencephalitis in cattle. The purinergic system is described as a modulator of the immune response and neuroinflammation. These functions are related to the extracellular nucleotides concentration. NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase are enzymes responsible for controlling the extracellular concentration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine (ADO). The aim of this study is to determinate the ectonucleotidase activity in cortical synaptosomes and synaptosomes from the hippocampus of rabbits experimentally infected with BoHV-5. Rabbits were divided into four groups, two control groups (non-inoculated animals), and two infected groups (inoculated with BoHV-5). The infected groups received 0.5 ml of BoHV-5 suspension with 10(7.5)TCID50 of viral strain SV-507/99, per paranasal sinuses, and the control groups received 0.5 ml of minimum essential media per paranasal sinuses. Animals were submitted to euthanasia on days 7 and 12 post-inoculation (p.i.); cerebral cortex and hippocampus were collected for the synaptosomes isolation and posterior determination of the ectonucleotidase activities. The results showed a decrease (P < 0.05) in ectonucleotidase activity in synaptosomes from the cerebral cortex of infected rabbits, whereas an increased (P < 0.05) ectonucleotidase activity was observed in synaptosomes from the hippocampus. These differences may be related with the heterogeneous distribution of ectonucleotidases in the different brain regions and also with the viral infectivity. Therefore, it is possible to speculate that BoHV-5 replication results in changes in ectonucleotidase activity in the brain, which may contribute to the neurological signs commonly observed in this disease.

Blockade of P2X7 receptors or pannexin-1 channels similarly attenuates postischemic damage

The role of P2X7 receptors and pannexin-1 channels in ischemic damage remains controversial. Here, we analyzed their contribution to postanoxic depolarization after ischemia in cultured neurons and in brain slices. We observed that pharmacological blockade of P2X7 receptors or pannexin-1 channels delayed the onset of postanoxic currents and reduced their slope, and that simultaneous inhibition did not further enhance the effects of blocking either one. These results were confirmed in acute cortical slices from P2X7 and pannexin-1 knockout mice. Oxygen-glucose deprivation in cortical organotypic cultures caused neuronal death that was reduced with P2X7 and pannexin-1 blockers as well as in organotypic cultures derived from mice lacking P2X7 and pannexin 1. Subsequently, we used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion to monitor the neuroprotective effect of those drugs in vivo. We found that P2X7 and pannexin-1 antagonists, and their ablation in knockout mice, substantially attenuated the motor symptoms and reduced the infarct volume to ~50% of that in vehicle-treated or wild-type animals. These results show that P2X7 receptors and pannexin-1 channels are major mediators of postanoxic depolarization in neurons and of brain damage after ischemia, and that they operate in the same deleterious signaling cascade leading to neuronal and tissue demise.

Upregulation of nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 and ecto-5'-nucleotidase in rat hippocampus after repeated low-dose dexamethasone administration

Although dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) analog with profound effects on energy metabolism, immune system, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, is widely used therapeutically, its impact on the brain is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of repeated low-dose DEX administration on the activity and expression of the ectonucleotidase enzymes which hydrolyze and therefore control extracellular ATP and adenosine concentrations in the synaptic cleft. Ectonucleotidases tested were ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1-3 (NTPDase1-3) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eN), whereas the effects were evaluated in two brain areas that show different sensitivity to glucocorticoid action, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. In the hippocampus, but not in cerebral cortex, modest level of neurodegenerative changes as well as increase in ATP, ADP, and AMP hydrolysis and upregulation of NTPDase1 and eN mRNA expression ensued under the influence of DEX. The observed pattern of ectonucleotidase activation, which creates tissue volume with enhanced capacity for adenosine formation, is the hallmark of the response after different insults to the brain.

Expression of a second ecto-5'-nucleotidase variant besides the usual protein in symptomatic phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase/cluster of differentiation 73 (CD73) (eN) is a 70-kDa glycoprotein expressed in several different mammalian tissues and cell types. It is the rate-limiting enzyme of the purine catabolic pathway, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of AMP to produce adenosine with known anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions. There is strong evidence for lymphocyte and endothelial cell eN having a role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), but the role of eN in cell types within the central nervous system is less clear. We have previously shown that eN activity significantly increased in the lumbar spinal cord during EAE. The present study is aimed to explore molecular pattern of the eN upregulation over the course of the disease and cell type(s) accountable for the induction. EAE was induced in Dark Agouti (DA) rats by immunization with the spinal cord tissue homogenate and adjuvant. Animals were sacrificed 8, 15, and 28 days following immunization (D8, D15, and D28), i.e., at time points which corresponded to the presymptomatic, symptomatic, and postsymptomatic phases of the disease, respectively. Significant increase in eN activity and its upregulation at the gene and the protein levels were demonstrated at D15 and less prominently at D28 in comparison to control. Additionally, reactive astrocytes abundantly present in the lumbar spinal cord parenchyma were identified as principal cell type with significantly elevated eN expression. In all experimental groups, eN was expressed as a 71-kDa protein band of uniform abundance, whereas the overexpression of eN at D15 and D28 was associated with the expression of a second 75-kDa eN variant. The possible outcome of eN upregulation during EAE as a part of protective astrocyte repertoire contributing to the resolution of the disease is discussed.

Pathological potential of astroglial purinergic receptors

Acute brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders may result in astroglial activation. Astrocytes are able to determine the progression and outcome of these neuropathologies in a beneficial or detrimental way. Nucleotides, e.g. adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), released after acute or chronic neuronal injury, are important mediators of glial activation and astrogliosis.Acute injury may cause significant changes in ATP balance, resulting in (1) a decline of intracellular ATP levels and (2) an increase in extracellular ATP concentrations via efflux from the intracellular space. The released ATP may have trophic effects, but can also act as a proinflammatory mediator or cytotoxic factor, inducing necrosis/apoptosis as a universal "danger" signal. Furthermore, ATP, primarily released from astrocytes, is a means of communication between neurons, glial cells, and intracerebral blood vessels.Astrocytes express a heterogeneous battery of purinergic ionotropic and metabotropic receptors (P2XRs and P2YRs, respectively) to respond to extracellular nucleotides.In this chapter, we summarize the contemporary knowledge on the pathological potential of P2Rs in relation to changes of astrocytic functions, determined by distinct molecular signaling cascades, in a variety of diseases. We discuss specific aspects of reactive astrogliosis, with respect to the involvement of prominent receptor subtypes, such as the P2X7 and P2Y1/2Rs. Examples of purinergic signaling of microglia, oligodendrocytes, and blood vessels under pathophysiological conditions will also be presented.The understanding of the pathological potential of purinergic signaling in "controlling and fine-tuning" of astrocytic responses is important for identifying possible therapeutic principles to treat acute and chronic central nervous system diseases.

ATP signaling in brain: release, excitotoxicity and potential therapeutic targets

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is released as a genuine co-transmitter, or as a principal purinergic neurotransmitter, in an exocytotic and non-exocytotic manner. It activates ionotropic (P2X) and metabotropic (P2Y) receptors which mediate a plethora of functions in the brain. In particular, P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) are expressed in all brain cells and its activation can form a large pore allowing the passage of organic cations, the leakage of metabolites of up to 900 Da and the release of ATP itself. In turn, pannexins (Panx) are a family of proteins forming hemichannels that can release ATP. In this review, we summarize the progress in the understanding of the mechanisms of ATP release both in physiological and pathophysiological stages. We also provide data suggesting that P2X7R and pannexin 1 (Panx1) may form a large pore in cortical neurons as assessed by electrophysiology. Finally, the participation of calcium homeostasis modulator 1 is also suggested, another non-selective ion channel that can release ATP, and that could play a role in ischemic events, together with P2X7 and Panx1 during excitotoxicity by ATP.

Understanding the neural repair-promoting properties of olfactory ensheathing cells

Olfactory ensheathing glial cells (OECs) are a specialized type of glia that form a continuously aligned cellular pathway that actively supports unprecedented regeneration of primary olfactory axons from the periphery into the central nervous system. Implantation of OECs stimulates neural repair in experimental models of spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerve injury and delays disease progression in animal models for neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. OECs implanted in the injured spinal cord display a plethora of pro-regenerative effects; they promote axonal regeneration, reorganize the glial scar, remyelinate axons, stimulate blood vessel formation, have phagocytic properties and modulate the immune response. Recently genome wide transcriptional profiling and proteomics analysis combined with classical or larger scale "medium-throughput" bioassays have provided novel insights into the molecular mechanism that endow OECs with their pro-regenerative properties. Here we review these studies and show that the gaps that existed in our understanding of the molecular basis of the reparative properties of OECs are narrowing. OECs express functionally connected sets of genes that can be linked to at least 10 distinct processes directly relevant to neural repair. The data indicate that OECs exhibit a range of synergistic cellular activities, including active and passive stimulation of axon regeneration (by secretion of growth factors, axon guidance molecules and basement membrane components) and critical aspects of tissue repair (by structural remodeling and support, modulation of the immune system, enhancement of neurotrophic and antigenic stimuli and by metabolizing toxic macromolecules). Future experimentation will have to further explore the newly acquired knowledge to enhance the therapeutic potential of OECs.

Neuromodulation: purinergic signaling in respiratory control

The main functions of the respiratory neural network are to produce a coordinated, efficient, rhythmic motor behavior and maintain homeostatic control over blood oxygen and CO2/pH levels. Purinergic (ATP) signaling features prominently in these homeostatic reflexes. The signaling actions of ATP are produced through its binding to a diversity of ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors. However, its net effect on neuronal and network excitability is determined by the interaction between the three limbs of a complex system comprising the signaling actions of ATP at P2Rs, the distribution of multiple ectonucleotidases that differentially metabolize ATP into ADP, AMP, and adenosine (ADO), and the signaling actions of ATP metabolites, especially ADP at P2YRs and ADO at P1Rs. Understanding the significance of purinergic signaling is further complicated by the fact that neurons, glia, and the vasculature differentially express P2 and P1Rs, and that both neurons and glia release ATP. This article reviews at cellular, synaptic, and network levels, current understanding and emerging concepts about the diverse roles played by this three-part signaling system in: mediating the chemosensitivity of respiratory networks to hypoxia and CO2/pH; modulating the activity of rhythm generating networks and inspiratory motoneurons, and; controlling blood flow through the cerebral vasculature.

Expression of ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase1-3 (NTPDase1-3) by cortical astrocytes after exposure to pro-inflammatory factors in vitro

Nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases) are ecto-enzymes catalyzing the first step of sequential hydrolysis of extracellular ATP to adenosine, as the final product. Among eight members of NTPDase family, NTPDases1-3 have been shown to be expressed in the brain. Although altered NTPDase expression has been observed in relation to cell death and reactive gliosis in several experimentally induced neuropathologies, regulators of NTPDases expression and function are largely unknown. The present study explored the effects of several inflammatory factors (i.e., INF-γ, TNF-α, LPS, peroxide, and glutamate) on NTPDase1-3 activity and expression by cultured cortical astrocytes. We were able to demonstrate that INF-γ and TNF-α increased both ATP and ADP hydrolysis, while LPS specifically increased ATP hydrolysis. Consistent with the observed enhanced nucleotidase activity, INF-γ induced the upregulation of NTPDase1 at the mRNA and protein level. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate that INF-γ and TNF-α decreased the relative abundance of dominant astrocytic NTPDase2 in favor of NTPDase1. In summary, these results suggest that INF-γ, TNF-α, and LPS may be relevant in vivo regulators of NTPDase expression in neuropathologies associated with neuroinflammation.

Loss of ectonucleotidases from the coronary vascular bed after ischemia-reperfusion in isolated rat heart

Background

Ectonucleotidase plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac function by controlling extracellular levels of adenine nucleotides and adenosine. To determine the influence of ischemia-reperfusion injury on ectonucleotidase activity in coronary vascular bed, we compared the metabolic profile of adenine nucleotides during the coronary circulation in pre- and post-ischemic heart.

Methods

Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were used to assess the intracoronary metabolism of adenine nucleotides. The effects of ischemia on the adenine nucleotide metabolism were examined after 30 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion. Adenine nucleotide metabolites were measured by high performance liquid chromatography.

Results

ATP, ADP and AMP were rapidly metabolized to adenosine and inosine during the coronary circulation. After ischemia, ectonucleotidase activity of the coronary vascular bed was significantly decreased. In addition, the perfusate from the ischemic heart contained a considerable amount of enzymes degrading ATP, AMP and adenosine. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the perfusate from the ischemic heart dominantly contained ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1, and, to a lesser extent, ecto-5’-nucleotidase. The leakage of nucleotide metabolizing enzymes from the coronary vascular bed by ischemia-reperfusion was more remarkable in aged rats, in which post-ischemic cardiac dysfunction was more serious.

Conclusion

Ectonucleotidases were liberated from the coronary vascular bed by ischemia-reperfusion, resulting in an overall decrease in ectonucleotidase activity in the post-ischemic coronary vascular bed. These results suggest that decreased ectonucleotidase activity by ischemia may exacerbate subsequent reperfusion injury, and that levels of circulating ectonucleotidase may reflect the severity of ischemic vascular injury.

Astrocytes protect neurons against methylmercury via ATP/P2Y(1) receptor-mediated pathways in astrocytes

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well known environmental pollutant that induces serious neuronal damage. Although MeHg readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, and should affect both neurons and glial cells, how it affects glia or neuron-to-glia interactions has received only limited attention. Here, we report that MeHg triggers ATP/P2Y1 receptor signals in astrocytes, thereby protecting neurons against MeHg via interleukin-6 (IL-6)-mediated pathways. MeHg increased several mRNAs in astrocytes, among which IL-6 was the highest. For this, ATP/P2Y1 receptor-mediated mechanisms were required because the IL-6 production was (i) inhibited by a P2Y1 receptor antagonist, MRS2179, (ii) abolished in astrocytes obtained from P2Y1 receptor-knockout mice, and (iii) mimicked by exogenously applied ATP. In addition, (iv) MeHg released ATP by exocytosis from astrocytes. As for the intracellular mechanisms responsible for IL-6 production, p38 MAP kinase was involved. MeHg-treated astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) showed neuro-protective effects against MeHg, which was blocked by anti-IL-6 antibody and was mimicked by the application of recombinant IL-6. As for the mechanism of neuro-protection by IL-6, an adenosine A1 receptor-mediated pathway in neurons seems to be involved. Taken together, when astrocytes sense MeHg, they release ATP that autostimulates P2Y1 receptors to upregulate IL-6, thereby leading to A1 receptor-mediated neuro-protection against MeHg.

Ionotropic receptors and ion channels in ischemic neuronal death and dysfunction

Loss of energy supply to neurons during stroke induces a rapid loss of membrane potential that is called the anoxic depolarization. Anoxic depolarizations result in tremendous physiological stress on the neurons because of the dysregulation of ionic fluxes and the loss of ATP to drive ion pumps that maintain electrochemical gradients. In this review, we present an overview of some of the ionotropic receptors and ion channels that are thought to contribute to the anoxic depolarization of neurons and subsequently, to cell death. The ionotropic receptors for glutamate and ATP that function as ligand-gated cation channels are critical in the death and dysfunction of neurons. Interestingly, two of these receptors (P2X7 and NMDAR) have been shown to couple to the pannexin-1 (Panx1) ion channel. We also discuss the important roles of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in responses to ischemia. The central challenge that emerges from our current understanding of the anoxic depolarization is the need to elucidate the mechanistic and temporal interrelations of these ion channels to fully appreciate their impact on neurons during stroke.

P2X7 receptor in epilepsy; role in pathophysiology and potential targeting for seizure control

The P2X7 receptor is an ATP-gated non-selective cation-permeable ionotropic receptor selectively expressed in neurons and glia in the brain. Activation of the P2X7 receptor has been found to modulate neuronal excitability in the hippocampus and it has also been linked to microglia activation and neuroinflammatory responses. Accordingly, interest developed on the P2X7 receptor in disorders of the nervous system, including epilepsy. Studies show that expression of the P2X7 receptor is elevated in damaged regions of the brain after prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) in both neurons and glia. P2X7 receptor expression is also increased in the hippocampus in experimental epilepsy. Recent data show that mice lacking the P2X7 receptor display altered susceptibility to status epilepticus and that drugs targeting the P2X7 receptor have potent anticonvulsant effects. Together, this suggests that P2X7 receptor ligands may be useful adjunctive treatments for refractory status epilepticus or perhaps pharmacoresistant epilepsy. This review summarizes the evidence of P2X7 receptor involvement in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and the potential of drugs targeting this receptor for seizure control.

The genetics of dystonias

Dystonia has been defined as a syndrome of involuntary, sustained muscle contractions affecting one or more sites of the body, frequently causing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. Dystonia is also a clinical sign that can be the presenting or prominent manifestation of many neurodegenerative and neurometabolic disorders. Etiological categories include primary dystonia, secondary dystonia, heredodegenerative diseases with dystonia, and dystonia plus. Primary dystonia includes syndromes in which dystonia is the sole phenotypic manifestation with the exception that tremor can be present as well. Most primary dystonia begins in adults, and approximately 10% of probands report one or more affected family members. Many cases of childhood- and adolescent-onset dystonia are due to mutations in TOR1A and THAP1. Mutations in THAP1 and CIZ1 have been associated with sporadic and familial adult-onset dystonia. Although significant recent progress had been made in defining the genetic basis for most of the dystonia-plus and heredodegenerative diseases with dystonia, a major gap remains in understanding the genetic etiologies for most cases of adult-onset primary dystonia. Common themes in the cellular biology of dystonia include G1/S cell cycle control, monoaminergic neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the neuronal stress response.

Secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 from astrocytes by inhibition of tonic P2Y14-receptor-mediated signal(s)

Glial cells have various important roles in regulation of brain functions. For such events, extracellular nucleotides/P2 receptors have central roles. Although there have been huge amount of literature about activation of P2 receptors and glial functions, little is known about what happens in glia or the brain if glial P2 receptor is inhibited. Here we show that the inhibition of P2 receptors in astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells and cause a constitutive release of nucleotides, resulted in secretion of metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a metal-dependent endopeptidase that degrades extracellular matrix molecules and is important in regulation of brain remodeling. When cultured astrocytes were treated with apyrase (ecto-nucleotidase), reactive blue 2 (P2 receptor antagonist), and pertussis toxin, they secreted MMP-9, suggesting that Gi-coupled P2Y receptor-mediated signals constitutively suppress the production of MMP-9. Among Gi-coupled P2Y receptors, we found that an inhibition of P2Y(14) receptor, a receptor for nucleotide-sugars such as UDP-glucose, is responsible for the production of MMP-9 by pharmacological and molecular biochemical analysis. As for the mechanisms, the inhibition of P2Y(14) receptors resulted in the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α which then acted on astrocytes to induce MMP-9. Taken together, our results suggest that the constitutive releases of nucleotide-sugars in astrocytes should play an important role in maintaining the normal status of the cell, through Gi-coupled P2Y(14) receptors, and when the signal is removed, the cells start to release TNF-α, which then acts on astrocytes in a feedback fashion to boost MMP-9 synthesis and secretion.

Mild hyperhomocysteinemia alters extracellular adenine metabolism in rat brain

Since homocysteine (Hcy) is considered a risk factor to cerebral diseases and adenine nucleotides are important molecules to brain normal function, in the present study we investigated the effect of chronic mild hyperhomocysteinemia on ectonucleotidase activities and expression in rat cerebral cortex. The levels of ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine (Ado) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of adult rats also were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography. For the chronic chemically induced mild hyperhomocysteinemia, Hcy (0.03 μmol/g of body weight) was administered subcutaneously from the 30th to the 60th day of life. Control rats received saline solution in the same volumes. Results showed that Hcy significantly decreased nucleotide hydrolysis in the synaptosomal fraction and increased E-NTPDase1 and ecto-5'-nucleotidase transcripts in rat cerebral cortex. ATP levels were significantly increased, while Ado decreased in CSF of Hcy-treated rats. These findings suggest that the unbalance in ATP and Ado levels may be, at last in part, involved in the cerebral toxicity of mild hyperhomocysteinemia.

Pathophysiology of astroglial purinergic signalling

Astrocytes are fundamental for central nervous system (CNS) physiology and are the fulcrum of neurological diseases. Astroglial cells control development of the nervous system, regulate synaptogenesis, maturation, maintenance and plasticity of synapses and are central for nervous system homeostasis. Astroglial reactions determine progression and outcome of many neuropathologies and are critical for regeneration and remodelling of neural circuits following trauma, stroke, ischaemia or neurodegenerative disorders. They secrete multiple neurotransmitters and neurohormones to communicate with neurones, microglia and the vascular walls of capillaries. Signalling through release of ATP is the most widespread mean of communication between astrocytes and other types of neural cells. ATP serves as a fast excitatory neurotransmitter and has pronounced long-term (trophic) roles in cell proliferation, growth, and development. During pathology, ATP is released from damaged cells and acts both as a cytotoxic factor and a proinflammatory mediator, being a universal "danger" signal. In this review, we summarise contemporary knowledge on the role of purinergic receptors (P2Rs) in a variety of diseases in relation to changes of astrocytic functions and nucleotide signalling. We have focussed on the role of the ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2YRs working alone or in concert to modify the release of neurotransmitters, to activate signalling cascades and to change the expression levels of ion channels and protein kinases. All these effects are of great importance for the initiation, progression and maintenance of astrogliosis-the conserved and ubiquitous glial defensive reaction to CNS pathologies. We highlighted specific aspects of reactive astrogliosis, especially with respect to the involvement of the P2X(7) and P2Y(1)R subtypes. Reactive astrogliosis exerts both beneficial and detrimental effects in a context-specific manner determined by distinct molecular signalling cascades. Understanding the role of purinergic signalling in astrocytes is critical to identifying new therapeutic principles to treat acute and chronic neurological diseases.

Purine nucleosides: endogenous neuroprotectants in hypoxic brain

Even a short blockade of oxygen flow in brain may lead to the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and depletion of cellular ATP, which results in profound deficiencies in cellular function. Following ischemia, dying, injured, and hypoxic cells release soluble purine-nucleotide and -nucleoside pools. Growing evidence suggests that purine nucleosides might act as trophic factors in the CNS and PNS. In addition to equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) regulating purine nucleoside concentrations intra- and extracellularly, specific extracellular receptor subtypes for these compounds are expressed on neurons, glia, and endothelial cells, mediating stunningly diverse effects. Such effects range from induction of cell differentiation, apoptosis, mitogenesis, and morphogenetic changes, to stimulation of synthesis and/or release of cytokines and neurotrophic factors under both physiological and pathological conditions. Multiple signaling pathways regulate the critical balance between cell death and survival in hypoxia-ischemia. A convergent pathway for the regulation of multiple modalities involved in O₂ sensing is the mitogen activated protein kinase (p42/44 MAPK) or (ERK1/2 extracellular signal-regulated kinases) pathway terminating in a variety of transcription factors, for example, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. In this review, the coherence of purine nucleoside-related pathways and MAPK activation in the endogenous neuroprotective regulation of the nervous system's development and neuroplasticity under hypoxic stress will be discussed.

Microglia and neuronal cell death

Microglia, the brain's innate immune cell type, are cells of mesodermal origin that populate the central nervous system (CNS) during development. Undifferentiated microglia, also called ameboid microglia, have the ability to proliferate, phagocytose apoptotic cells and migrate long distances toward their final destinations throughout all CNS regions, where they acquire a mature ramified morphological phenotype. Recent studies indicate that ameboid microglial cells not only have a scavenger role during development but can also promote the death of some neuronal populations. In the mature CNS, adult microglia have highly motile processes to scan their territorial domains, and they display a panoply of effects on neurons that range from sustaining their survival and differentiation contributing to their elimination. Hence, the fine tuning of these effects results in protection of the nervous tissue, whereas perturbations in the microglial response, such as the exacerbation of microglial activation or lack of microglial response, generate adverse situations for the organization and function of the CNS. This review discusses some aspects of the relationship between microglial cells and neuronal death/survival both during normal development and during the response to injury in adulthood.

Nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor but not granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, nimodipine and dizocilpine, require ATP for neuroprotective activity after oxygen-glucose deprivation of primary neurons

In previous work, we have demonstrated by radiolabeling, mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis that nerve growth factor (NGF) as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) are capable of ATP-binding and that this binding appears to be essential for their neuroprotective activity. In this study, we attempted to shed some light on the question whether ATP is a general prerequisite for neuroprotection. Therefore, we used the non-ATP-binding granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), the calcium antagonist nimodipine and the NMDA antagonist dizocilpine to find out whether they need ATP for neuroprotection comparable to NGF and BDNF. However, ATP was not necessary for the neuroprotective effects of GCSF, nimodipine and dizocilpine on primary cultures of rat cortical neurons damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation whereas neuroprotection was demonstrable for NGF and BDNF only when ATP was present in the culture medium at a concentration higher than ca. 0.4nmol/l. In circular dichroism studies ATP caused changes of the secondary structure of NGF but not of GCSF. Taken together, we suggest that ATP is not a general prerequisite for neuroprotectivity but some growth factors like NGF and BDNF can stimulate their receptors only if they have bound ATP.

Coexpression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73 with specific NTPDases differentially regulates adenosine formation in the rat liver

Ectonucleotidases modulate purinergic signaling by hydrolyzing ATP to adenosine. Here we characterized the impact of the cellular distribution of hepatic ectonucleotidases, namely nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase)1/CD39, NTPDase2/CD39L1, NTPDase8, and ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73, and of their specific biochemical properties, on the levels of P1 and P2 receptor agonists, with an emphasis on adenosine-producing CD73. Immunostaining and enzyme histochemistry showed that the distribution of CD73 (protein and AMPase activity) overlaps partially with those of NTPDase1, -2, and -8 (protein levels and ATPase and ADPase activities) in normal rat liver. CD73 is expressed in fibroblastic cells located underneath vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, which both express NTPDase1, in portal spaces in a distinct fibroblast population next to NTPDase2-positive portal fibroblasts, and in bile canaliculi, together with NTPDase8. In fibrotic rat livers, CD73 protein expression and activity are redistributed but still overlap with the NTPDases mentioned. The ability of the observed combinations of ectonucleotidases to generate adenosine over time was evaluated by reverse-phase HPLC with the recombinant rat enzymes at high "inflammatory" (500 μM) and low "physiological" (1 μM) ATP concentrations. Overall, ATP was rapidly converted to adenosine by the NTPDase1+CD73 combination, but not by the NTPDase2+CD73 combination. In the presence of NTPDase8 and CD73, ATP was sequentially dephosphorylated to the CD73 inhibitor ADP, and then to AMP, thus resulting in a delayed formation of adenosine. In conclusion, the specific cellular cocompartmentalization of CD73 with hepatic NTPDases is not redundant and may lead to the differential activation of P1 and P2 receptors, under normal and fibrotic conditions.

P2X7 receptor blockade prevents ATP excitotoxicity in neurons and reduces brain damage after ischemia

Overactivation of subtype P2X7 receptors can induce excitotoxic neuronal death by calcium (Ca(2+)) overload. In this study, we characterize the functional properties of P2X7 receptors using electrophysiology and Ca(2+) monitoring in primary cortical neuron cultures and in brain slices. Both electrical responses and Ca(2+) influx induced by ATP and benzoyl-ATP were reduced by Brilliant Blue G (BBG) at concentrations which specifically inhibit P2X7 receptors. In turn, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) caused neuronal death that was reduced with BBG application. OGD in neuron cultures and brain slices generated an inward current, which was delayed and reduced by BBG. To assess the relevance of these in vitro findings, we used middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats as a model of transient focal cerebral ischemia to study the neuroprotective effect of BBG in vivo. Treatment with BBG (twice per day, 30 mg/kg) produced a 60% reduction in the extent of brain damage compared to treatment with vehicle alone. These results show that P2X7 purinergic receptors mediate tissue damage after OGD in neurons and following transient brain ischemia. Therefore, these receptors are a relevant molecular target for the development of new treatments to attenuate brain damage following stroke.

CD73 protects kidney from ischemia-reperfusion injury through reduction of free radicals

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) may cause severe systemic diseases. Extracellular adenosine is anti-inflammatory especially during hypoxemia. As ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) is the rate-limiting enzyme for extracellular adenosine generation, it may protect renal IRI through adenosine production. In the current studies, we investigated the effects of CD73 in genetically modified mice. We found that renal IRI caused more serious histological injury, vascular permeability, and lipid peroxidation in CD73(-/-) than that in CD73(+/+) mice. In addition, AMP and free radical concentrations were much higher in CD73(-/-) than that in CD73(+/+) mice. Our data support the fact that CD73 may protect the kidney from IRI through adenosine production and a reduction of free radicals.

P2X receptors and their roles in astroglia in the central and peripheral nervous system

Astrocytes are a class of neural cells that control homeostasis at all levels of the central and peripheral nervous system. There is a bidirectional neuron-glia interaction via a number of extracellular signaling molecules, glutamate and ATP being the most widespread. ATP activates ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors, which operate in both neurons and astrocytes. Morphological, biochemical, and functional evidence indicates the expression of astroglial P2X(1/5) heteromeric and P2X(7) homomeric receptors, which mediate physiological and pathophysiological responses. Activation of P2X(1/5) receptors triggers rapid increase of intracellular Na(+) that initiates immediate cellular reactions, such as the depression of the glutamate transporter to keep high glutamate concentrations in the synaptic cleft, the activation of the local lactate shuttle to supply energy substrate to pre- and postsynaptic neuronal structures, and the reversal of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange resulting in additional Ca(2+) entry. The consequences of P2X(7) receptor activation are mostly but not exclusively mediated by the entry of Ca(2+) and result in reorganization of the cytoskeleton, inflammation, apoptosis/necrosis, and proliferation, usually at a prolonged time scale. Thus, astroglia detect by P2X(1/5) and P2X(7) receptors both physiological concentrations of ATP secreted from presynaptic nerve terminals and also much higher concentrations of ATP attained under pathological conditions.