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Zerillo L, Polvere I, Stilo R, Vito P, Rinaldi M, Zotti T, Costagliola C. Diverse effects of synthetic glucocorticoid species on cell viability and stress response of neuroblastoma cells. Neuroscience 2024; 554:1-10. [PMID: 39002754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.010] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used as powerful anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive therapeutics in multiple pathological conditions. However, compelling evidence indicates that they might promote neurodegeneration by altering mitochondrial homeostatic processes. Although the effect of dexamethasone on cell survival and homeostasis has been widely investigated, the effect of other glucocorticoids needs to be explored in more detail. In this report, we have compared the neurotoxicity induced by dexamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone, and hydrocortisone in cultured neuroblastoma cells, through the analysis of several parameters such as cell viability, ER stress, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial fusion and fission markers. Interestingly, we have found that synthetic glucocorticoids may impact neuronal viability by affecting different cellular responses, suggesting that their therapeutic use should be consciously decided after careful consideration of benefits and detrimental effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucrezia Zerillo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy; Genus Biotech, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy
| | | | - Romania Stilo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy
| | - Pasquale Vito
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy; Genus Biotech, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy
| | - Michele Rinaldi
- Department of Neurosciences and Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80131, Italy.
| | - Tiziana Zotti
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento, 82100, Italy.
| | - Ciro Costagliola
- Department of Neurosciences and Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, 80131, Italy
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2
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Abyadeh M, Gupta V, Paulo JA, Mahmoudabad AG, Shadfar S, Mirshahvaladi S, Gupta V, Nguyen CTO, Finkelstein DI, You Y, Haynes PA, Salekdeh GH, Graham SL, Mirzaei M. Amyloid-beta and tau protein beyond Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1262-1276. [PMID: 37905874 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.386406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The aggregation of amyloid-beta peptide and tau protein dysregulation are implicated to play key roles in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and are considered the main pathological hallmarks of this devastating disease. Physiologically, these two proteins are produced and expressed within the normal human body. However, under pathological conditions, abnormal expression, post-translational modifications, conformational changes, and truncation can make these proteins prone to aggregation, triggering specific disease-related cascades. Recent studies have indicated associations between aberrant behavior of amyloid-beta and tau proteins and various neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as retinal neurodegenerative diseases like Glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Additionally, these proteins have been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, traumatic brain injury, and diabetes, which are all leading causes of morbidity and mortality. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of the connections between amyloid-beta and tau proteins and a spectrum of disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sina Shadfar
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shahab Mirshahvaladi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Veer Gupta
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Christine T O Nguyen
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David I Finkelstein
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Yuyi You
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul A Haynes
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - Ghasem H Salekdeh
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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3
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Iannucci V, Bruscolini A, Iannella G, Visioli G, Alisi L, Salducci M, Greco A, Lambiase A. Olfactory Dysfunction and Glaucoma. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1002. [PMID: 38790964 PMCID: PMC11117544 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12051002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Olfactory dysfunction is a well-known phenomenon in neurological diseases with anosmia and hyposmia serving as clinical or preclinical indicators of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Since glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease of the visual system, it may also entail alterations in olfactory function, warranting investigation into potential sensory interconnections. METHODS A review of the current literature of the last 15 years (from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2023) was conducted by two different authors searching for topics related to olfaction and glaucoma. RESULTS three papers met the selection criteria. According to these findings, patients with POAG appear to have worse olfaction than healthy subjects. Furthermore, certain predisposing conditions to glaucoma, such as pseudoexfoliation syndrome and primary vascular dysregulation, could possibly induce olfactory changes that can be measured with the Sniffin Stick test. CONCLUSIONS the scientific literature on this topic is very limited, and the pathogenesis of olfactory changes in glaucoma is not clear. However, if the results of these studies are confirmed by further research, olfactory testing may be a non-invasive tool to assist clinicians in the early diagnosis of glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alessandro Lambiase
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.I.); (A.B.); (G.I.); (G.V.); (L.A.); (M.S.); (A.G.)
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4
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Crump C, Sundquist J, Sieh W, Sundquist K. Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Persons with Glaucoma: A National Cohort Study. Ophthalmology 2024; 131:302-309. [PMID: 37839560 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of optic neuropathies that potentially may be associated with other cerebral neurodegenerative processes leading to dementia. However, prior studies have been inconsistent. We examined dementia risks after glaucoma diagnosis in a large population-based cohort. DESIGN National matched cohort study. PARTICIPANTS A total of 324 730 persons diagnosed with glaucoma during 1995-2017 in Sweden and 3 247 300 age- and sex-matched population-based controls without prior dementia. METHODS Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and all-cause dementia in persons with glaucoma compared with controls, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Alzheimer's disease, VaD, and all-cause dementia identified from nationwide inpatient and outpatient diagnoses through 2018. RESULTS In 16 million person-years of follow-up, 32 339 persons (10%) with glaucoma and 226 896 controls (7%) were diagnosed with dementia. Persons with glaucoma had increased risks for AD (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.43), VaD (1.66; 1.61-1.72), and all-cause dementia (1.57; 1.54-1.59). Among glaucoma subtypes, both primary open-angle and normal-tension glaucoma were associated with increased risk for AD (adjusted HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.27-1.36; and 1.28; 1.20-1.36, respectively) and VaD (1.61; 1.54-1.68; and 1.39; 1.28-1.50, respectively), whereas primary angle-closure glaucoma was associated with VaD (1.26; 1.02-1.56) but not AD (0.98; 0.82-1.18). These findings were similar in men and women. All risks were highest in persons diagnosed with glaucoma at ages ≥ 70 years and were not elevated for ages < 60 years. CONCLUSIONS In this large national cohort, persons with glaucoma had increased risks for AD, VaD, and all-cause dementia, particularly those diagnosed with glaucoma at older ages. Persons with glaucoma may need increased monitoring for dementia to facilitate earlier detection and treatment. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Crump
- Departments of Family and Community Medicine and of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Weiva Sieh
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
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Xu Z, Guo Y, Xiang K, Xiao D, Xiang M. Rapid and efficient generation of a transplantable population of functional retinal ganglion cells from fibroblasts. Cell Prolif 2024; 57:e13550. [PMID: 37740641 PMCID: PMC10849786 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma and other optic neuropathies lead to progressive and irreversible vision loss by damaging retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons. Cell replacement therapy is a potential promising treatment. However, current methods to obtain RGCs have inherent limitations, including time-consuming procedures, inefficient yields and complex protocols, which hinder their practical application. Here, we have developed a straightforward, rapid and efficient approach for directly inducing RGCs from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) using a combination of triple transcription factors (TFs): ASCL1, BRN3B and PAX6 (ABP). We showed that on the 6th day following ABP induction, neurons with molecular characteristics of RGCs were observed, and more than 60% of induced neurons became iRGCs (induced retinal ganglion cells) in the end. Transplanted iRGCs had the ability to survive and appropriately integrate into the RGC layer of mouse retinal explants and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-damaged retinas. Moreover, they exhibited electrophysiological properties typical of RGCs, and were able to regrow dendrites and axons and form synaptic connections with host retinal cells. Together, we have established a rapid and efficient approach to acquire functional RGCs for potential cell replacement therapy to treat glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Yanan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Kangjian Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of MedicineSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
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Donato L, Mordà D, Scimone C, Alibrandi S, D’Angelo R, Sidoti A. Bridging Retinal and Cerebral Neurodegeneration: A Focus on Crosslinks between Alzheimer-Perusini's Disease and Retinal Dystrophies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3258. [PMID: 38137479 PMCID: PMC10741418 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123258] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the early stages of Alzheimer-Perusini's disease (AD), individuals often experience vision-related issues such as color vision impairment, reduced contrast sensitivity, and visual acuity problems. As the disease progresses, there is a connection with glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leading to retinal cell death. The retina's involvement suggests a link with the hippocampus, where most AD forms start. A thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) due to the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is seen as a potential AD diagnostic marker using electroretinography (ERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Amyloid beta fragments (Aβ), found in the eye's vitreous and aqueous humor, are also present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and accumulate in the retina. Aβ is known to cause tau hyperphosphorylation, leading to its buildup in various retinal layers. However, diseases like AD are now seen as mixed proteinopathies, with deposits of the prion protein (PrP) and α-synuclein found in affected brains and retinas. Glial cells, especially microglial cells, play a crucial role in these diseases, maintaining immunoproteostasis. Studies have shown similarities between retinal and brain microglia in terms of transcription factor expression and morphotypes. All these findings constitute a good start to achieving better comprehension of neurodegeneration in both the eye and the brain. New insights will be able to bring the scientific community closer to specific disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Donato
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (L.D.); (C.S.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biomolecular Strategies, Genetics, Cutting-Edge Therapies, Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (I.E.ME.S.T.), 90139 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Domenico Mordà
- Department of Biomolecular Strategies, Genetics, Cutting-Edge Therapies, Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (I.E.ME.S.T.), 90139 Palermo, Italy;
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Concetta Scimone
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (L.D.); (C.S.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biomolecular Strategies, Genetics, Cutting-Edge Therapies, Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (I.E.ME.S.T.), 90139 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Simona Alibrandi
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (L.D.); (C.S.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biomolecular Strategies, Genetics, Cutting-Edge Therapies, Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (I.E.ME.S.T.), 90139 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Rosalia D’Angelo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (L.D.); (C.S.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Antonina Sidoti
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (L.D.); (C.S.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
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7
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Boccaccini A, Cavaterra D, Carnevale C, Tanga L, Marini S, Bocedi A, Lacal PM, Manni G, Graziani G, Sbardella D, Tundo GR. Novel frontiers in neuroprotective therapies in glaucoma: Molecular and clinical aspects. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 94:101225. [PMID: 38000334 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
In the last years, neuroprotective therapies have attracted the researcher interests as modern and challenging approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, aimed at protecting the nervous system from injuries. Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive excavation of the optic nerve head, retinal axonal injury and corresponding vision loss that affects millions of people on a global scale. The molecular basis of the pathology is largely uncharacterized yet, and the therapeutic approaches available do not change the natural course of the disease. Therefore, in accordance with the therapeutic regimens proposed for other neurodegenerative diseases, a modern strategy to treat glaucoma includes prescription of drugs with neuroprotective activities. With respect to this, several preclinical and clinical investigations on a plethora of different drugs are currently ongoing. In this review, first, the conceptualization of the rationale for the adoption of neuroprotective strategies for retina is summarized. Second, the molecular aspects highlighting glaucoma as a neurodegenerative disease are reported. In conclusion, the molecular and pharmacological properties of most promising direct neuroprotective drugs used to delay glaucoma progression are examined, including: neurotrophic factors, NMDA receptor antagonists, the α2-adrenergic agonist, brimonidine, calcium channel blockers, antioxidant agents, nicotinamide and statins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Cavaterra
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Tor Vergata, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefano Marini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessio Bocedi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Tor Vergata, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Pedro M Lacal
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, IDI-IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta 104, 00167, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Manni
- IRCCS - Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Grazia Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Raffaella Tundo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy.
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8
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Pandino I, Giammaria S, Zingale GA, Roberti G, Michelessi M, Coletta M, Manni G, Agnifili L, Vercellin AV, Harris A, Oddone F, Sbardella D. Ubiquitin proteasome system and glaucoma: A survey of genetics and molecular biology studies supporting a link with pathogenic and therapeutic relevance. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 94:101226. [PMID: 37950974 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Glaucoma represents a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons with subsequent visual field impairment. The disease develops through largely uncharacterized molecular mechanisms, that are likely to occur in different localized cell types, either in the anterior (e.g., trabecular meshwork cells) or posterior (e.g., Muller glia, retinal ganglion cells) segments of the eye. Genomic and preclinical studies suggest that glaucoma pathogenesis may develop through altered ubiquitin (Ub) signaling. Ubiquitin conjugation, referred to as ubiquitylation, is a major post-synthetic modification catalyzed by E1-E2-E3 enzymes, that profoundly regulates the turnover, trafficking and biological activity of the targeted protein. The development of new technologies, including proteomics workflows, allows the biology of ubiquitin signaling to be described in health and disease. This post-translational modification is emerging as a key role player in neurodegeneration, gaining relevance for novel therapeutic options, such as in the case of Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras technology. Although scientific evidence supports a link between Ub and glaucoma, their relationship is still not well-understood. Therefore, this review provides a detailed research-oriented discussion on current evidence of Ub signaling in glaucoma. A review of genomic and genetic data is provided followed by an in-depth discussion of experimental data on ASB10, parkin and optineurin, which are proteins that play a key role in Ub signaling and have been associated with glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gianluca Manni
- IRCCS Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy; DSCMT University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Agnifili
- Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | | | - Alon Harris
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Passaro ML, Matarazzo F, Abbadessa G, Pezone A, Porcellini A, Tranfa F, Rinaldi M, Costagliola C. Glaucoma as a Tauopathy-Is It the Missing Piece in the Glaucoma Puzzle? J Clin Med 2023; 12:6900. [PMID: 37959365 PMCID: PMC10650423 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12216900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder affecting the visual system which can result in vision loss and blindness. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying glaucomatous optic neuropathy are ultimately enigmatic, prompting ongoing investigations into its potential shared pathogenesis with other neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Tauopathies represent a subclass of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal deposition of tau protein within the brain and consequent microtubule destabilization. The extended spectrum of tauopathies includes conditions such as frontotemporal dementias, progressive supranuclear palsy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. Notably, recent decades have witnessed emerging documentation of tau inclusion among glaucoma patients, providing substantiation that this ocular disease may similarly manifest features of tauopathies. These studies found that: (i) aggregated tau inclusions are present in the somatodendritic compartment of RGCs in glaucoma patients; (ii) the etiology of the disease may affect tau splicing, phosphorylation, oligomerization, and subcellular localization; and (iii) short interfering RNA against tau, administered intraocularly, significantly decreased retinal tau accumulation and enhanced RGC somas and axon survival, demonstrating a crucial role for tau modifications in ocular hypertension-induced neuronal injury. Here, we examine the most recent evidence surrounding the interplay between tau protein dysregulation and glaucomatous neurodegeneration. We explore the novel perspective of glaucoma as a tau-associated disorder and open avenues for cross-disciplinary collaboration and new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Laura Passaro
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | | | - Gianmarco Abbadessa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonio Pezone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Antonio Porcellini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Fausto Tranfa
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Michele Rinaldi
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Ciro Costagliola
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
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10
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García-Bermúdez MY, Vohra R, Freude K, van Wijngaarden P, Martin K, Thomsen MS, Aldana BI, Kolko M. Potential Retinal Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15834. [PMID: 37958816 PMCID: PMC10649108 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major diagnostic challenge, as early detection is crucial for effective intervention. This review examines the diagnostic challenges facing current AD evaluations and explores the emerging field of retinal alterations as early indicators. Recognizing the potential of the retina as a noninvasive window to the brain, we emphasize the importance of identifying retinal biomarkers in the early stages of AD. However, the examination of AD is not without its challenges, as the similarities shared with other retinal diseases introduce complexity in the search for AD-specific markers. In this review, we address the relevance of using the retina for the early diagnosis of AD and the complex challenges associated with the search for AD-specific retinal biomarkers. We provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape and highlight avenues for progress in AD diagnosis by retinal examination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rupali Vohra
- Eye Translational Research Unit, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ophthalmology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2600 Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Kristine Freude
- Group of Stem Cell Models and Embryology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Peter van Wijngaarden
- Center for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Keith Martin
- Center for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Maj Schneider Thomsen
- Neurobiology Research and Drug Delivery, Department of Health, Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Blanca Irene Aldana
- Neurometabolism Research Group, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Miriam Kolko
- Eye Translational Research Unit, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ophthalmology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 2600 Glostrup, Denmark
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Zhao X, Zeng W, Xu H, Sun Z, Hu Y, Peng B, McBride JD, Duan J, Deng J, Zhang B, Kim SJ, Zoll B, Saito T, Sasaguri H, Saido TC, Ballatore C, Yao H, Wang Z, Trojanowski JQ, Brunden KR, Lee VMY, He Z. A microtubule stabilizer ameliorates protein pathogenesis and neurodegeneration in mouse models of repetitive traumatic brain injury. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabo6889. [PMID: 37703352 PMCID: PMC10787216 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo6889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathogenesis is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the events leading to initial tau misfolding and subsequent tau spreading in patient brains are largely unknown, traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be a risk factor for tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Using a repetitive TBI (rTBI) paradigm, we report that rTBI induced somatic accumulation of phosphorylated and misfolded tau, as well as neurodegeneration across multiple brain areas in 7-month-old tau transgenic PS19 mice but not wild-type (WT) mice. rTBI accelerated somatic tau pathology in younger PS19 mice and WT mice only after inoculation with tau preformed fibrils and AD brain-derived pathological tau (AD-tau), respectively, suggesting that tau seeds are needed for rTBI-induced somatic tau pathology. rTBI further disrupted axonal microtubules and induced punctate tau and TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology in the optic tracts of WT mice. These changes in the optic tract were associated with a decline of visual function. Treatment with a brain-penetrant microtubule-stabilizing molecule reduced rTBI-induced tau, TDP-43 pathogenesis, and neurodegeneration in the optic tract as well as visual dysfunction. Treatment with the microtubule stabilizer also alleviated rTBI-induced tau pathology in the cortices of AD-tau-inoculated WT mice. These results indicate that rTBI facilitates abnormal microtubule organization, pathological tau formation, and neurodegeneration and suggest microtubule stabilization as a potential therapeutic avenue for TBI-induced neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wen Zeng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zihan Sun
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingxin Hu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Beibei Peng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jennifer D McBride
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiangtao Duan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Juan Deng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Soo-Jung Kim
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bryan Zoll
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sasaguri
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Carlo Ballatore
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Haishan Yao
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhaoyin Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kurt R Brunden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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12
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Fukiyama Y, Hirokawa T, Takai S, Kida T, Oku H. Involvement of Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β (GSK3β) in Formation of Phosphorylated Tau and Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells of Rats Caused by Optic Nerve Crush. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:6941-6957. [PMID: 37754222 PMCID: PMC10527756 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathy is a neurodegenerative condition associated with oligomeric tau formation through abnormal phosphorylation. We previously showed that tauopathy is involved in death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after optic nerve crush (ONC). It has been proposed that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is involved in the hyperphosphorylation of tau in Alzheimer's disease. To determine the roles of GSK3β in tauopathy-related death of RGCs, lithium chloride (LiCl), a GSK3β inhibitor, was injected intravitreally just after ONC. The neuroprotective effects of LiCl were determined by counting Tuj-1-stained RGCs on day 7. Changes of phosphorylated (ser 396) tau in the retina were determined by Simple Western analysis (WES) on day 3. Retinal GSK3β levels were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and an ELISA. There was a 1.9- and 2.1-fold increase in the levels of phosphorylated tau monomers and dimers on day 3 after ONC. LiCl significantly suppressed the increase in the levels of phosphorylated tau induced by ONC. GSK3β was mainly present in somas of RGCs, and ELISA showed that retinal levels increased to 2.0-fold on day 7. IHC showed that the GSK3β expression increased over time and remained in RGCs that were poorly stained by Tuj-1. The GSK3β and tau expression was colocalized in RGCs. The number of RGCs decreased from 1881 ± 188 (sham control) to 1150 ± 192 cells/mm2 on day 7, and LiCl preserved the levels at 1548 ± 173 cells/mm2. Accordingly, GSK3β may be a promising target for some optic nerve injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurie Fukiyama
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka 569-8686, Japan; (Y.F.); (T.H.); (T.K.)
| | - Takahisa Hirokawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka 569-8686, Japan; (Y.F.); (T.H.); (T.K.)
| | - Shinji Takai
- Department of Innovative Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka 569-8686, Japan;
| | - Teruyo Kida
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka 569-8686, Japan; (Y.F.); (T.H.); (T.K.)
| | - Hidehiro Oku
- Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Osaka 569-8686, Japan; (Y.F.); (T.H.); (T.K.)
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13
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Schmelter C, Fomo KN, Brueck A, Perumal N, Markowitsch SD, Govind G, Speck T, Pfeiffer N, Grus FH. Glaucoma-Associated CDR1 Peptide Promotes RGC Survival in Retinal Explants through Molecular Interaction with Acidic Leucine Rich Nuclear Phosphoprotein 32A (ANP32A). Biomolecules 2023; 13:1161. [PMID: 37509196 PMCID: PMC10377047 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a complex, multifactorial optic neuropathy mainly characterized by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, resulting in a decline of visual function. The pathogenic molecular mechanism of glaucoma is still not well understood, and therapeutic strategies specifically addressing the neurodegenerative component of this ocular disease are urgently needed. Novel immunotherapeutics might overcome this problem by targeting specific molecular structures in the retina and providing direct neuroprotection via different modes of action. Within the scope of this research, the present study showed for the first time beneficial effects of the synthetic CDR1 peptide SCTGTSSDVGGYNYVSWYQ on the viability of RGCs ex vivo in a concentration-dependent manner compared to untreated control explants (CTRL, 50 µg/mL: p < 0.05 and 100 µg/mL: p < 0.001). Thereby, this specific peptide was identified first as a potential biomarker candidate in the serum of glaucoma patients and was significantly lower expressed in systemic IgG molecules compared to healthy control subjects. Furthermore, MS-based co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the specific interaction of synthetic CDR1 with retinal acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein 32A (ANP32A; p < 0.001 and log2 fold change > 3), which is a highly expressed protein in neurological tissues with multifactorial biological functions. In silico binding prediction analysis revealed the N-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain of ANP32A as a significant binding site for synthetic CDR1, which was previously reported as an important docking site for protein-protein interactions (PPI). In accordance with these findings, quantitative proteomic analysis of the retinae ± CDR1 treatment resulted in the identification of 25 protein markers, which were significantly differentially distributed between both experimental groups (CTRL and CDR1, p < 0.05). Particularly, acetyl-CoA biosynthesis I-related enzymes (e.g., DLAT and PDHA1), as well as cytoskeleton-regulating proteins (e.g., MSN), were highly expressed by synthetic CDR1 treatment in the retina; on the contrary, direct ANP32A-interacting proteins (e.g., NME1 and PPP2R4), as well as neurodegenerative-related markers (e.g., CEND1), were identified with significant lower abundancy in the CDR1-treated retinae compared to CTRL. Furthermore, retinal protein phosphorylation and histone acetylation were also affected by synthetic CDR1, which are both partially controlled by ANP32A. In conclusion, the synthetic CDR1 peptide provides a great translational potential for the treatment of glaucoma in the future by eliciting its neuroprotective mechanism via specific interaction with ANP32A's N terminal LRR domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Schmelter
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Kristian Nzogang Fomo
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Alina Brueck
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Natarajan Perumal
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Sascha D. Markowitsch
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Gokul Govind
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (G.G.)
| | - Thomas Speck
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (G.G.)
| | - Norbert Pfeiffer
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Franz H. Grus
- Department of Experimental and Translational Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (C.S.); (K.N.F.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
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14
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Bang JW, Parra C, Yu K, Wollstein G, Schuman JS, Chan KC. GABA decrease is associated with degraded neural specificity in the visual cortex of glaucoma patients. Commun Biol 2023; 6:679. [PMID: 37386293 PMCID: PMC10310759 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04918-8] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is an age-related neurodegenerative disease of the visual system, affecting both the eye and the brain. Yet its underlying metabolic mechanisms and neurobehavioral relevance remain largely unclear. Here, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the GABAergic and glutamatergic systems in the visual cortex of glaucoma patients, as well as neural specificity, which is shaped by GABA and glutamate signals and underlies efficient sensory and cognitive functions. Our study shows that among the older adults, both GABA and glutamate levels decrease with increasing glaucoma severity regardless of age. Further, our study shows that the reduction of GABA but not glutamate predicts the neural specificity. This association is independent of the impairments on the retina structure, age, and the gray matter volume of the visual cortex. Our results suggest that glaucoma-specific decline of GABA undermines neural specificity in the visual cortex and that targeting GABA could improve the neural specificity in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Bang
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA.
| | - Carlos Parra
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA
| | - Kevin Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA
| | - Gadi Wollstein
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA
- Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, 10003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, 11201, USA
| | - Joel S Schuman
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA
- Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, 10003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, 11201, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Kevin C Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10017, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, New York, 10003, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, 11201, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10016, USA.
- Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, New York, 10016, USA.
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15
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Wang X, Zhu X, Huang G, Wu L, Meng Z, Wu Y. Knockout of PERK protects rat Müller glial cells against OGD-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis. BMC Ophthalmol 2023; 23:286. [PMID: 37353739 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-03022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pathological basis for many retinal diseases, retinal ischemia is also one of the most common causes of visual impairment. Numerous ocular diseases have been linked to Endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress. However, there is still no clear understanding of the relationship between ER stress and Müller glial cells during retinal ischemia and hypoxia. This study examined the effects of ER stress on autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins, as well as the microtubule-related protein tau in rMC-1 cells. METHODS rMC-1 cells were cultured in vitro. RT-PCR、immunofluorescence and Western blotting revealed the expression levels of associated mRNAs and proteins, and the CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays detected cell apoptosis. RESULTS The results showed that under OGD(Oxygen-glucose deprivation) conditions, the number of rMC-1 cells was decreased, the PERK/eIF2a pathway was activated, and the expressions of p-tau, LC3、Beclin1 and Caspase-12 proteins were increased. After the PERK knockout, the expression of the above proteins was decreased, and the apoptosis was also decreased. CONCLUSION According to the findings of this study, specific downregulation of PERK expression had an anti-apoptotic effect on OGD-conditioned rMC-1 cells. There is a possibility that this is one of the mechanisms of MG cell apoptosis during retinal ischemic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Xinxing Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Guangqian Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Lili Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zhiyong Meng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China
| | - Yuyu Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No.950, Donghai Street, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian Province, China.
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16
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Diaz-Torres S, He W, Thorp J, Seddighi S, Mullany S, Hammond CJ, Hysi PG, Pasquale LR, Khawaja AP, Hewitt AW, Craig JE, Mackey DA, Wiggs JL, van Duijn C, Lupton MK, Ong JS, MacGregor S, Gharahkhani P. Disentangling the genetic overlap and causal relationships between primary open-angle glaucoma, brain morphology and four major neurodegenerative disorders. EBioMedicine 2023; 92:104615. [PMID: 37201334 PMCID: PMC10206164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104615] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is an optic neuropathy characterized by progressive degeneration of the optic nerve that leads to irreversible visual impairment. Multiple epidemiological studies suggest an association between POAG and major neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease). However, the nature of the overlap between neurodegenerative disorders, brain morphology and glaucoma remains inconclusive. METHOD In this study, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the genetic and causal relationship between POAG and neurodegenerative disorders, leveraging genome-wide association data from studies of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, POAG, and four major neurodegenerative disorders. FINDINGS This study found a genetic overlap and causal relationship between POAG and its related phenotypes (i.e., intraocular pressure and optic nerve morphology traits) and brain morphology in 19 regions. We also identified 11 loci with a significant local genetic correlation and a high probability of sharing the same causal variant between neurodegenerative disorders and POAG or its related phenotypes. Of interest, a region on chromosome 17 corresponding to MAPT, a well-known risk locus for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, was shared between POAG, optic nerve degeneration traits, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Despite these local genetic overlaps, we did not identify strong evidence of a causal association between these neurodegenerative disorders and glaucoma. INTERPRETATION Our findings indicate a distinctive and likely independent neurodegenerative process for POAG involving several brain regions although several POAG or optic nerve degeneration risk loci are shared with neurodegenerative disorders, consistent with a pleiotropic effect rather than a causal relationship between these traits. FUNDING PG was supported by an NHMRC Investigator Grant (#1173390), SM by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship and an NHMRC Program Grant (APP1150144), DM by an NHMRC Fellowship, LP is funded by the NEIEY015473 and EY032559 grants, SS is supported by an NIH-Oxford Cambridge Fellowship and NIH T32 grant (GM136577), APK is supported by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship, an Alcon Research Institute Young Investigator Award and a Lister Institute for Preventive Medicine Award.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Diaz-Torres
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Weixiong He
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jackson Thorp
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sahba Seddighi
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, Oxford University, Oxford, UK; Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sean Mullany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - Christopher J Hammond
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Pirro G Hysi
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Louis R Pasquale
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Alex W Hewitt
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jamie E Craig
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Australia
| | - David A Mackey
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Western Australia, Lions Eye Institute, Australia
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02114, MA, USA
| | | | - Michelle K Lupton
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jue-Sheng Ong
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Stuart MacGregor
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Puya Gharahkhani
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
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17
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Duwat C, Léal P, Vautheny A, Aurégan G, Joséphine C, Gaillard MC, Hérard AS, Jan C, Gipchtein P, Mitja J, Fouquet S, Niepon ML, Hantraye P, Brouillet E, Bonvento G, Cambon K, Bemelmans AP. Development of an AAV-based model of tauopathy targeting retinal ganglion cells and the mouse visual pathway to study the role of microglia in Tau pathology. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 181:106116. [PMID: 37054900 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106116] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathy is a typical feature of Alzheimer's disease of major importance because it strongly correlates with the severity of cognitive deficits experienced by patients. During the pathology, it follows a characteristic spatiotemporal course which takes its origin in the transentorhinal cortex, and then gradually invades the entire forebrain. To study the mechanisms of tauopathy, and test new therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to set-up relevant and versatile in vivo models allowing to recapitulate tauopathy. With this in mind, we have developed a model of tauopathy by overexpression of the human wild-type Tau protein in retinal ganglion cells in mice (RGCs). This overexpression led to the presence of hyperphosphorylated forms of the protein in the transduced cells as well as to their progressive degeneration. The application of this model to mice deficient in TREM2 (Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-2, an important genetic risk factor for AD) as well as to 15-month-old mice showed that microglia actively participate in the degeneration of RGCs. Surprisingly, although we were able to detect the transgenic Tau protein up to the terminal arborization of RGCs at the level of the superior colliculi, spreading of the transgenic Tau protein to post-synaptic neurons was detected only in aged animals. This suggests that there may be neuron-intrinsic- or microenvironment mediators facilitating this spreading that appear with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Duwat
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pauline Léal
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Audrey Vautheny
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gwennaëlle Aurégan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marie-Claude Gaillard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Hérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Caroline Jan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pauline Gipchtein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Julien Mitja
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Stéphane Fouquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Philippe Hantraye
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Karine Cambon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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Starr CR, Gorbatyuk MS. Posttranslational modifications of proteins in diseased retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1150220. [PMID: 37066080 PMCID: PMC10097899 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1150220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are known to constitute a key step in protein biosynthesis and in the regulation of protein functions. Recent breakthroughs in protein purification strategies and current proteome technologies make it possible to identify the proteomics of healthy and diseased retinas. Despite these advantages, the research field identifying sets of posttranslationally modified proteins (PTMomes) related to diseased retinas is significantly lagging, despite knowledge of the major retina PTMome being critical to drug development. In this review, we highlight current updates regarding the PTMomes in three retinal degenerative diseases-namely, diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). A literature search reveals the necessity to expedite investigations into essential PTMomes in the diseased retina and validate their physiological roles. This knowledge would accelerate the development of treatments for retinal degenerative disorders and the prevention of blindness in affected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina S. Gorbatyuk
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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19
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Kuang G, Salowe R, O’Brien J. Genetic Factors Implicated in the Investigation of Possible Connections between Alzheimer's Disease and Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:338. [PMID: 36833265 PMCID: PMC9957421 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) are diseases of primary global neurodegeneration with complex pathophysiologies. Throughout the published literature, researchers have highlighted similarities associated with various aspects of both diseases. In light of the increasing number of findings reporting resemblance between the two neurodegenerative processes, scientists have grown interested in possible underlying connections between AD and POAG. In the search for explanations to fundamental mechanisms, a multitude of genes have been studied in each condition, with overlap in the genes of interest between AD and POAG. Greater understanding of genetic factors can drive the research process of identifying relationships and elucidating common pathways of disease. These connections can then be utilized to advance research as well as to generate new clinical applications. Notably, AD and glaucoma are currently diseases with irreversible consequences that often lack effective therapies. An established genetic connection between AD and POAG would serve as the basis for development of gene or pathway targeted strategies relevant to both diseases. Such a clinical application could be of immense benefit to researchers, clinicians, and patients alike. This paper aims to summarize the genetic associations between AD and POAG, describe common underlying mechanisms, discuss potential areas of application, and organize the findings in a review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joan O’Brien
- Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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20
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Kim DK, Lee SY. Could Mid- to Late-Onset Glaucoma Be Associated with an Increased Risk of Incident Dementia? A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13020214. [PMID: 36836447 PMCID: PMC9964967 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the possible link between glaucoma and dementia using a nationwide cohort sample of data. The glaucoma group (n = 875) included patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2005, aged over 55 years; the comparison group was selected using propensity score matching (n = 3500). The incidence of all-cause dementia was 18.67 (7014.7 person-years) among those with glaucoma aged over 55 years. The glaucoma group developed all-cause dementia more frequently than those in the comparison group (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-1.74). In a subgroup analysis, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) showed a significantly increased adjusted HR for all-cause dementia events (1.52, 95% CI: 1.23-1.89), whereas we could not find any significant association in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Additionally, POAG patients showed an increased risk of the development of Alzheimer's disease (adjusted HR = 1.57, 95% CI, 1.21-2.04) and Parkinson's disease (adjusted HR = 2.29, 95% CI, 1.46-3.61), but there was no significant difference in PACG patients. Moreover, the risk of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease was higher within 2 years of POAG diagnosis. Although our findings have some limitations, such as confounding factor bias, we suggest that clinicians should pay attention to the early detection of dementia in patients with POAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Kyu Kim
- Institute of New Frontier Research, Division of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 24252, Republic of Korea
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 24252, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-33-240-5180
| | - So Yeon Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nune Eye Hospital, Seoul 06198, Republic of Korea
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21
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Okan ICT, Ozdemir F, Agca C. Axonal Transport Defects in Retinal Ganglion Cell Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1415:223-227. [PMID: 37440037 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27681-1_32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
For the survival and maintenance of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), axonal transportation is fundamental. Axonal transportation defects can cause severe neuropathies leading to neuronal loss. Axonal transport defects usually precede axonal degeneration and RGC loss in disease models. To date, the main causes of axonal transport defects have not been fully understood. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms that lead to transport defects will help us to develop novel therapeutic targets and early diagnostic tools. In this review, we provide an overview of optic neuropathies and axonal degeneration with a focus on axonal transport.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatma Ozdemir
- Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering Program, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cavit Agca
- Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering Program, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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22
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Zhou L, Lin D, Xu G, Wang X, Chen Z, Wang D, Fan H. Alteration of neurofilament heavy chain and its phosphoforms reveals early subcellular damage beyond the optic nerve head in glaucoma. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1091697. [PMID: 37034083 PMCID: PMC10073422 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1091697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) axon loss at the site of optic nerve head (ONH) is long believed as the common pathology in glaucoma since different types of glaucoma possessing different characteristic of intraocular pressure, and this damage was only detected at the later stage. Methods To address these disputes and detect early initiating events underlying RGCs, we firstly detected somatic or axonal change and compared their difference in acute and chronic phase of primary angle-closed glaucoma (PACG) patient using optical coherence tomography (OCT), then an axonal-enriched cytoskeletal protein neurofilament heavy chain and its phosphoforms (NF-H, pNF-H) were utilized to reveal spatio-temporal undetectable damage insulted by acute and chronic ocular hypertension (AOH, COH) in two well characterized glaucoma mice models. Results In clinic, we detected nonhomogeneous changes such as ONH and soma of RGCs presenting edema in acute phase but atrophy in chronic one by OCT. In AOH animal models, an increase expression of NF-H especially its phosphorylation modification was observed as early as 4 h before RGCs loss, which presented as somatic accumulation in the peripheral retina and at the sites of ONH. In contrast, in microbeads induced COH model, NF-H and pNF-H reduced significantly, these changes firstly occurred as NF-H or pNF-H disconnection at ONH and optic nerve after 2 weeks when the intraocular pressure reaching the peak; Meanwhile, we detected aqueous humor pNF-H elevation after AOH and slight reduction in the COH. Conclusion Together, our data supports that early alteration of NF-H and its phosphoforms would reveal undetectable subcellular damage consisting of peripheral somatic neurofilament compaction, impaired axonal transport and distal axonal disorganization of cytoskeleton beyond the ONH, and identifies two distinct axonal degeneration which were Wallerian combination with retrograde degeneration in acute PACG and retrograde degeneration in the chronic one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhou
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dongyue Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guihua Xu
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zilin Chen
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dingding Wang
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiya Fan
- Ophthalmological Center of Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Huiya Fan
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Silicone Oil-Induced Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration in Rhesus Macaques. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415896. [PMID: 36555536 PMCID: PMC9781764 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we developed a simple procedure of intracameral injection of silicone oil (SO) into mouse eyes and established the mouse SOHU (SO-induced ocular hypertension under-detected) glaucoma model with reversible intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and significant glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Because the anatomy of the non-human primate (NHP) visual system closely resembles that of humans, it is the most likely to predict human responses to diseases and therapies. Here we tried to replicate the mouse SOHU glaucoma model in rhesus macaque monkeys. All six animals that we tested showed significant retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death, optic nerve (ON) degeneration, and visual functional deficits at both 3 and 6 months. In contrast to the mouse SOHU model, however, IOP changed dynamically in these animals, probably due to individual differences in ciliary body tolerance capability. Further optimization of this model is needed to achieve consistent IOP elevation without permanent damage of the ciliary body. The current form of the NHP SOHU model recapitulates the severe degeneration of acute human glaucoma, and is therefore suitable for assessing experimental therapies for neuroprotection and regeneration, and therefore for translating relevant findings into novel and effective treatments for patients with glaucoma and other neurodegenerations.
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Narsineni L, Rao PPN, Pham AT, Foldvari M. Peptide-Modified Gemini Surfactants as Delivery System Building Blocks with Dual Functionalities for Glaucoma Treatment: Gene Carriers and Amyloid-Beta (Aβ) Self-Aggregation Inhibitors. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:2737-2753. [PMID: 35802484 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurodegeneration in glaucoma has potential links with amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition. Targeting the Aβ pathway was shown to reduce RGC apoptosis and protect RGCs from degeneration. We report exploratory studies on the amyloid Aβ40 aggregation inhibition properties of four cell adhesion peptide (CAP)-gemini surfactants that are intended as building blocks for gene carrier nanoparticles for glaucoma treatment. The CAP-gemini surfactants (18-7N(p1-4)-18) were evaluated as potential Aβ40 peptide aggregation inhibitors by a fluorescence kinetic assay and for their binding interactions with Aβ40 dimers by molecular docking studies. In vitro Aβ40 peptide aggregation inhibition studies showed that the 18-7N(p3)-18 and 18-7N(p1)-18 ligands inhibit Aβ40 peptide aggregation and prevent the formation of higher order structures. CDOCKER energies and CDOCKER interaction energies demonstrated that the CAP-gemini surfactants formed more stable complexes in the Aβ40 dimer assembly and underwent both polar and nonpolar interactions compared to CAP peptides alone. Also, 18-7N(p3)-18 showed a significantly lower CDOCKER energy compared to that of the unmodified gemini surfactant 18-7NH-18 (p < 0.0001) and 18-7N(p4)-18 (p < 0.001), 18-7N(p1)-18, and 18-7N(p2)-18. Similarly, 18-7N(p3)-18 showed a significantly lower CDOCKER interaction energy compared to that of 18-7NH-18, 18-7N(p4)-18 (p < 0.0001), and 18-7N(p2)-18 (p < 0.001), while 18-7N(p3)-18 and 18-7N(p1)-18 showed similar CDOCKER interaction energies. These studies suggest that a combination of both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions contributes to the anti-Aβ40 aggregation activity of CAP-gemini surfactants. CAP-gemini surfactants showed 10-fold better Aβ40 peptide aggregation inhibition compared to previously reported values and could provide a new opportunity for glaucoma treatment as dual-functional gene carriers.
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CircXPO5 Plays a Neuroprotective Function in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Glaucoma by Regulating GRIN2A. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060780. [PMID: 35741665 PMCID: PMC9221081 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Previous studies have found the neurodegeneration and atrophy of glaucomatous lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), but the mechanism is still unknown. Circular RNA (circRNA) plays some important roles in physiological and pathological progression of the disease. In this study, we focused on the differentially expressed circRNAs and the mechanism for circXPO5 in LGN degeneration in a macaque glaucoma model. Methods: Using RNA-seq, we analyzed the differentially expressed circRNAs in a macaque glaucoma model. An RT-QPCR was used to check the expression of selected differentially expressed circRNAs, candidate miRNAs and mRNAs. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis was performed to examine the mechanism of circXPO5 action. Results: circXPO5 significantly decreased in the glaucoma model and a ceRNA network analysis revealed that circXPO5 can bind to miR-330-5p, which also binds to GRIN2A (ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2A). QPCR detection showed a decrease in GRIN2A and an increase in miR-330-5p. Conclusions: Our earlier studies revealed that the GRIN2A gene regulates the calcium signal pathway. Decreasing of GRIN2A related with neuron apoptosis and neurodegeneration. These findings indicate that the reduction in circXPO5 may have a protective effect on neuronal apoptosis in the visual central system of glaucoma.
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26
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Frame G, Schuller A, Smith MA, Crish SD, Dengler-Crish CM. Alterations in Retinal Signaling Across Age and Sex in 3xTg Alzheimer’s Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:471-492. [PMID: 35599482 PMCID: PMC9398084 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background: Visual disturbances often precede cognitive dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may coincide with early accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein in the retina. These findings have inspired critical research on in vivo ophthalmic Aβ imaging for disease biomarker detection but have not fully answered mechanistic questions on how retinal pathology affects visual signaling between the eye and brain. Objective: The goal of this study was to provide a functional and structural assessment of eye-brain communication between retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their primary projection target, the superior colliculus, in female and male 3xTg-AD mice across disease stages. Methods: Retinal electrophysiology, axonal transport, and immunofluorescence were used to determine RGC projection integrity, and retinal and collicular Aβ levels were assessed with advanced protein quantitation techniques. Results: 3xTg mice exhibited nuanced deficits in RGC electrical signaling, axonal transport, and synaptic integrity that exceeded normal age-related decrements in RGC function in age- and sex-matched healthy control mice. These deficits presented in sex-specific patterns among 3xTg mice, differing in the timing and severity of changes. Conclusion: These data support the premise that retinal Aβ is not just a benign biomarker in the eye, but may contribute to subtle, nuanced visual processing deficits. Such disruptions might enhance the biomarker potential of ocular amyloid and differentiate patients with incipient AD from patients experiencing normal age-related decrements in visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Frame
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Adam Schuller
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
| | - Matthew A. Smith
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
- Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH, USA
| | - Samuel D. Crish
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
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Dikmetas O, Aygün O, Kocabeyoglu S, Süslü AE, Kilic B, Karakaya J, Iester M, Irkec M. Smell Sensitivity in Primary Open-angle Glaucoma and Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma. J Glaucoma 2022; 31:300-304. [PMID: 35180155 DOI: 10.1097/ijg.0000000000001999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PRCIS This cross-sectional study of 20 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 20 with exfoliative glaucoma (XFG), 20 with exfoliation syndrome (XS) showed that exfoliative group had a significantly lower smell identification level as compared with the control groups. PURPOSE To investigate smell sensitivity in POAG, XFG, and XFS in comparison with healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective, cross-sectional study included 20 patients with POAG, 20 with XFG, and 20 with XFS. The control group consisted of 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy subjects with no evidence of ocular disease. The Sniffin' Sticks smell test was used to determine the, threshold values, and to assess the ability of smell identification, and differentiation in all patients One eye per patient was included for statistical purposes. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the groups. Tukey honestly significant difference was used as a post hoc test when significant differences were detected among the 3 groups. RESULTS The XFG, POAG, and control groups showed a significant difference in the odor discrimination, odor identification, and threshold discrimination identification scores. The median (minimum-maximum) smell threshold levels for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 4.5 (0 to 7.5), 4 (0 to 7.5), 5 (4.5 to 6), and 5.5 (4 to 7.5), respectively. The smell differentiation values for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 12 (2 to 14), 8 (0 to 13), 11 (10 to 13), and 12 (9 to 14), respectively. Smell sensitivity for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 26 (4 to 30.5), 19 (0 to 29.5), 28.3 (22.8 to 30.5), and 29 (26.5 to 32), respectively. The smell sensitivity and differentiation were significantly different among the groups (P<0.001). The XFG group had a significantly lower smell identification level than the POAG, XFS, and control groups. CONCLUSION Patients with XFS and XFG revealed reduced smell sensitivity and identification compared with patients with POAG and those without glaucoma. These findings provide new insights into neural degeneration and pseudoexfoliation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ahmet E Süslü
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Büsra Kilic
- Department of Otolaryngology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jale Karakaya
- Biostatistics, Hacettepe University School of Medicine
| | - Michele Iester
- Eye Clinic, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genova, Liguria, Italy
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28
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Dias MS, Luo X, Ribas VT, Petrs-Silva H, Koch JC. The Role of Axonal Transport in Glaucoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073935. [PMID: 35409291 PMCID: PMC8999615 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and leads to progressive vision loss. The first pathological signs can be seen at the optic nerve head (ONH), the structure where RGC axons leave the retina to compose the optic nerve. Besides damage of the axonal cytoskeleton, axonal transport deficits at the ONH have been described as an important feature of glaucoma. Axonal transport is essential for proper neuronal function, including transport of organelles, synaptic components, vesicles, and neurotrophic factors. Impairment of axonal transport has been related to several neurodegenerative conditions. Studies on axonal transport in glaucoma include analysis in different animal models and in humans, and indicate that its failure happens mainly in the ONH and early in disease progression, preceding axonal and somal degeneration. Thus, a better understanding of the role of axonal transport in glaucoma is not only pivotal to decipher disease mechanisms but could also enable early therapies that might prevent irreversible neuronal damage at an early time point. In this review we present the current evidence of axonal transport impairment in glaucomatous neurodegeneration and summarize the methods employed to evaluate transport in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Santana Dias
- Intermediate Laboratory of Gene Therapy and Viral Vectors, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (M.S.D.); (H.P.-S.)
| | - Xiaoyue Luo
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Vinicius Toledo Ribas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Hilda Petrs-Silva
- Intermediate Laboratory of Gene Therapy and Viral Vectors, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (M.S.D.); (H.P.-S.)
| | - Jan Christoph Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Correspondence:
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Plaut S. Scoping review and interpretation of myofascial pain/fibromyalgia syndrome: An attempt to assemble a medical puzzle. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263087. [PMID: 35171940 PMCID: PMC8849503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is a common, overlooked, and underdiagnosed condition and has significant burden. MPS is often dismissed by clinicians while patients remain in pain for years. MPS can evolve into fibromyalgia, however, effective treatments for both are lacking due to absence of a clear mechanism. Many studies focus on central sensitization. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review is to systematically search cross-disciplinary empirical studies of MPS, focusing on mechanical aspects, and suggest an organic mechanism explaining how it might evolve into fibromyalgia. Hopefully, it will advance our understanding of this disease. METHODS Systematically searched multiple phrases in MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, PEDro, and medRxiv, majority with no time limit. Inclusion/exclusion based on title and abstract, then full text inspection. Additional literature added on relevant side topics. Review follows PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PROSPERO yet to adapt registration for scoping reviews. FINDINGS 799 records included. Fascia can adapt to various states by reversibly changing biomechanical and physical properties. Trigger points, tension, and pain are a hallmark of MPS. Myofibroblasts play a role in sustained myofascial tension. Tension can propagate in fascia, possibly supporting a tensegrity framework. Movement and mechanical interventions treat and prevent MPS, while living sedentarily predisposes to MPS and recurrence. CONCLUSIONS MPS can be seen as a pathological state of imbalance in a natural process; manifesting from the inherent properties of the fascia, triggered by a disrupted biomechanical interplay. MPS might evolve into fibromyalgia through deranged myofibroblasts in connective tissue ("fascial armoring"). Movement is an underemployed requisite in modern lifestyle. Lifestyle is linked to pain and suffering. The mechanism of needling is suggested to be more mechanical than currently thought. A "global percutaneous needle fasciotomy" that respects tensegrity principles may treat MPS/fibromyalgia more effectively. "Functional-somatic syndromes" can be seen as one entity (myofibroblast-generated-tensegrity-tension), sharing a common rheuma-psycho-neurological mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiloh Plaut
- School of Medicine, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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30
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Cui QN, Green D, Jethi M, Driver T, Porco TC, Kuo J, Lin SC, Stamper RL, Han Y, Chiu CS, Ramanathan S, Ward ME, Possin K, Ou Y. Individuals with and without normal tension glaucoma exhibit comparable performance on tests of cognitive function. Int J Ophthalmol 2021; 14:1721-1728. [PMID: 34804862 PMCID: PMC8569564 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2021.11.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To evaluate aspects of cognition impacted by individuals with and without normal tension glaucoma. METHODS Fifty normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and 50 control patients ≥50y of age were recruited from the UCSF Department of Ophthalmology. Demographic data and glaucoma parameters were extracted from electronic medical records for both groups. Tests of executive function [Executive Abilities: Measures and Instruments for Neurobehavioral Evaluation and Research (EXAMINER)] and learning and memory [California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II)] were administered to both NTG and controls. Race, handedness, best-corrected visual acuity, maximum intraocular pressure, optic nerve cup-to-disc ratio, visual field and optic nerve optical coherence tomography parameters, and a measure of general health (Charlson Comorbidity Index) were compared between NTG and controls as well as within NTG subgroups. Multivariate linear regression was used to compare group performances on the EXAMINER battery and CVLT-II while controlling for age, sex, and years of education. RESULTS NTG and controls were comparable with respect to age, sex, race, education, handedness, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (P>0.05 for all). Performance on the EXAMINER composite score and the CVLT-II did not differ between NTG and controls (P>0.05 for both). CONCLUSION This is the first prospective study in which the cognitive function of subject with NTG were evaluated using a comprehensive, computerized neurocognitive battery. Subjects with NTG do not perform worse than unaffected controls on tests of executive function, learning, and memory. Results do not support the hypothesis that individuals with NTG are at higher risk for cognitive dysfunction and/or dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi N. Cui
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - David Green
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Mohit Jethi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Todd Driver
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Travis C. Porco
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Jane Kuo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Shan C. Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
- Glaucoma Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94105, USA
| | - Robert L. Stamper
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Cynthia S. Chiu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Saras Ramanathan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Michael E. Ward
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katherine Possin
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Yvonne Ou
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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Carroll T, Guha S, Nehrke K, Johnson GVW. Tau Post-Translational Modifications: Potentiators of Selective Vulnerability in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1047. [PMID: 34681146 PMCID: PMC8533264 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and its severity is characterized by the progressive formation of tau neurofibrillary tangles along a well-described path through the brain. This spatial progression provides the basis for Braak staging of the pathological progression for AD. Tau protein is a necessary component of AD pathology, and recent studies have found that soluble tau species with selectively, but not extensively, modified epitopes accumulate along the path of disease progression before AD-associated insoluble aggregates form. As such, modified tau may represent a key cellular stressing agent that potentiates selective vulnerability in susceptible neurons during AD progression. Specifically, studies have found that tau phosphorylated at sites such as T181, T231, and S396 may initiate early pathological changes in tau by disrupting proper tau localization, initiating tau oligomerization, and facilitating tau accumulation and extracellular export. Thus, this review elucidates potential mechanisms through which tau post-translational modifications (PTMs) may simultaneously serve as key modulators of the spatial progression observed in AD development and as key instigators of early pathology related to neurodegeneration-relevant cellular dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trae Carroll
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Sanjib Guha
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Keith Nehrke
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Gail V. W. Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
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Is Obesity a Risk or Protective Factor for Open-Angle Glaucoma in Adults? A Two-Database, Asian, Matched-Cohort Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10174021. [PMID: 34501469 PMCID: PMC8432455 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10174021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity contributes to multiple systemic disorders; however, extensive discussion regarding obesity and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) remains limited, and conclusions in the existing literature diverge. This study aims to analyze the risk of OAG among obese adults in Taiwan. In this study, adults (aged ≥18 years) with a diagnostic code of obesity or morbid obesity registered in the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) 2000 and LHID2005 from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2010 were included. All adults were traced until the diagnosis of OAG, the occurrence of death, or 31 December 2013. Risk of OAG was significantly higher in obese adults than in non-obese adults after multivariable adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.43 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.84)/aHR: 1.54 (95% CI 1.23-1.94) in the LHID2000/LHID2005). Both databases demonstrated that young obese adults (aged ≤40 years) had a remarkably increased risk of OAG compared with young non-obese adults (aHR 3.08 (95% CI 1.82-5.21)/aHR 3.81 (95% CI 2.26-6.42) in the LHID2000/LHID2005). This two-database matched-cohort study suggests that obese adults have an increased risk of OAG. In young adults, in particular, obesity could be a potential risk factor of OAG.
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Liao C, Xu J, Chen Y, Ip NY. Retinal Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease and Implications for Biomarkers. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11081215. [PMID: 34439882 PMCID: PMC8394950 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that manifests as cognitive deficits and memory decline, especially in old age. Several biomarkers have been developed to monitor AD progression. Given that the retina and brain share some similarities including features related to anatomical composition and neurological functions, the retina is closely associated with the progression of AD. Herein, we review the evidence of retinal dysfunction in AD, particularly at the early stage, together with the underlying molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we compared the retinal pathologies of AD and other ophthalmological diseases and summarized potential retinal biomarkers measurable by existing technologies for detecting AD, providing insights for the future development of diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Liao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science—Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; (C.L.); (J.X.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jinying Xu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science—Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; (C.L.); (J.X.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science—Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; (C.L.); (J.X.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Shenzhen College of Advanced Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (N.Y.I.); Tel.: +86-755-2692-5498 (Y.C.); +852-2358-6161 (N.Y.I.)
| | - Nancy Y. Ip
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Division of Life Science, Molecular Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (N.Y.I.); Tel.: +86-755-2692-5498 (Y.C.); +852-2358-6161 (N.Y.I.)
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Roscovitine, a Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-5 Inhibitor, Decreases Phosphorylated Tau Formation and Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells of Rats after Optic Nerve Crush. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158096. [PMID: 34360858 PMCID: PMC8347789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal metabolism of misfolded tau proteins and are progressive. Pathological phosphorylation of tau occurs in the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after optic nerve injuries. Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) causes hyperphosphorylation of tau. To determine the roles played by Cdk5 in retinal degeneration, roscovitine, a Cdk5 inhibitor, was injected intravitreally after optic nerve crush (ONC). The neuroprotective effect of roscovitine was determined by the number of Tuj-1-stained RGCs on day 7. The change in the levels of phosphorylated tau, calpain-1, and cleaved α-fodrin was determined by immunoblots on day 3. The expression of P35/P25, a Cdk5 activator, in the RGCs was determined by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that roscovitine reduced the level of phosphorylated tau by 3.5- to 1.6-fold. Calpain-1 (2.1-fold) and cleaved α-fodrin (1.5-fold) were increased on day 3, suggesting that the calpain signaling pathway was activated. P35/P25 was accumulated in the RGCs that were poorly stained by Tuj-1. Calpain inhibition also reduced the increase in phosphorylated tau. The number of RGCs decreased from 2191 ± 178 (sham) to 1216 ± 122 cells/mm2 on day 7, and roscovitine preserved the level at 1622 ± 130 cells/mm2. We conclude that the calpain-mediated activation of Cdk5 is associated with the pathologic phosphorylation of tau.
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Changes in 24 h Rhythmicity of Spontaneous Locomotor Activity in the Triple Transgenic Mouse for Alzheimer's Disease (3xTg-AD) in a Jet Lag Protocol: Correlations with Retinal Sensitivity. J Circadian Rhythms 2021; 19:7. [PMID: 34163535 PMCID: PMC8194968 DOI: 10.5334/jcr.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The progression of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in different brain areas is associated with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In addition to cognitive impairment, circadian alterations in locomotor activity have also been detected, but they have not been characterized in a jet lag protocol. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare 3xTg-AD and non-transgenic mice in changes of 24 h cycles of spontaneous locomotor activity in a jet lag protocol, in an environment without a running wheel, at 3 different states of neuronal damage: early, intermediate and advanced (3, 8 and 13 months, respectively). The 3xTg-AD mice at 3 months presented differences in phase angle and acrophase, and differentially increased activity after advances more than after delays. At 13 months, a shortening of the free-running period in constant darkness was also noted. 3xTg-AD mice showed a significant increase (123%) in global activity at 8 to 13 months and in nighttime activity (153%) at 13 months. In the advance protocol (ADV), 3xTg-AD mice displayed a significant increase in global activity (171%) at 8 and 13 months. The differences in masking effect were evident at 8 months. To assess a possible retinal dysfunction that could interfere with photic entrainment as part of the neurodegenerative process, we compared electroretinogram recordings. The results showed early deterioration in the retinal response to light flashes in mesopic conditions, observed in the B-wave latency and amplitude. Thus, our study presents new behavioral and pathological characteristics of 3xTg-AD mice and reveals the usefulness of non-invasive tools in early diagnosis.
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Gu L, Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. Loss of Rbfox1 Does Not Affect Survival of Retinal Ganglion Cells Injured by Optic Nerve Crush. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:687690. [PMID: 34108862 PMCID: PMC8180555 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.687690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rbfox1 is a multifunctional RNA binding protein that regulates alternative splicing, transcription, mRNA stability and translation. Its roles in neurogenesis and neuronal functions are well established. Recent studies also implicate Rbfox1 in the regulation of gene networks that support cell survival during stress. We have earlier characterized the expression of Rbfox1 in amacrine and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and showed that deletion of Rbfox1 in adult animals results in depth perception deficiency. The current study investigates the effect of Rbfox1 downregulation on survival of RGCs injured by optic nerve crush (ONC). Seven days after ONC, animals sustained severe degeneration of RGC axons in the optic nerve and significant loss of RGC somas. Semi-quantitative grading of optic nerve damage in control + ONC, control + tamoxifen + ONC, and Rbfox1 -/- + ONC groups ranged from 4.6 to 4.8 on a scale of 1 (normal; no degenerated axons were noted) to 5 (total degeneration; all axons showed degenerated organelles, axonal content, and myelin sheath), indicating a severe degeneration. Among these three ONC groups, no statistical significance was observed when any two groups were compared. The number of RGC somas were quantitatively analyzed in superior, inferior, nasal and temporal retinal quadrants at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mm from the center of the optic disc. The average RGC densities (cells/mm2) were: control 6,438 ± 1,203; control + ONC 2,779 ± 573; control + tamoxifen 6,163 ± 861; control + tamoxifen + ONC 2,573 ± 555; Rbfox1 -/- 6,437 ± 893; and Rbfox1 -/- + ONC 2,537 ± 526. The RGC loss in control + ONC, control + tamoxifen + ONC and Rbfox1 -/- + ONC was 57% (P = 1.44954E-42), 58% (P = 1.37543E-57) and 61% (P = 5.552E-59) compared to RGC numbers in the relevant uninjured groups, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed between any two groups of uninjured animals or between any two ONC groups. Our data indicate that Rbfox1-mediated pathways have no effect on survival of RGCs injured by ONC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Gu
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jacky M Kwong
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Joseph Caprioli
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Natik Piri
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Al Hussein Al Awamlh S, Wareham LK, Risner ML, Calkins DJ. Insulin Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4672. [PMID: 33925119 PMCID: PMC8124776 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease that is conventionally managed with treatments to lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Despite these efforts, many patients continue to lose their vision. The degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons in the optic tract that characterizes glaucoma is similar to neurodegeneration in other age-related disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Identifying the different molecular signaling pathways that contribute to early neuronal dysfunction can be utilized for neuroprotective strategies that prevent degeneration. The discovery of insulin and its receptor in the CNS and retina led to exploration of the role of insulin signaling in the CNS. Historically, insulin was considered a peripherally secreted hormone that regulated glucose homeostasis, with no obvious roles in the CNS. However, a growing number of pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of modulating insulin signaling in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will highlight the role that insulin signaling plays in RGC neurodegeneration. We will focus on how this pathway can be therapeutically targeted to promote RGC axon survival and preserve vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Al Hussein Al Awamlh
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.A.H.A.A.); (L.K.W.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Lauren K. Wareham
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.A.H.A.A.); (L.K.W.); (M.L.R.)
| | - Michael L. Risner
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.A.H.A.A.); (L.K.W.); (M.L.R.)
| | - David J. Calkins
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.A.H.A.A.); (L.K.W.); (M.L.R.)
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Means JC, Lopez AA, Koulen P. Estrogen Protects Optic Nerve Head Astrocytes Against Oxidative Stress by Preventing Caspase-3 Activation, Tau Dephosphorylation at Ser 422 and the Formation of Tau Protein Aggregates. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:449-458. [PMID: 32385548 PMCID: PMC7648721 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00859-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the slow degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, and results in damage to the optic nerve and concomitant vision loss. As in other disorders affecting the viability of central nervous system neurons, neurons affected by glaucoma do not have the ability to regenerate after injury. Recent studies indicate a critical role for optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs) in this process of retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Cleavage of tau, a microtubule stabilizing protein and constituent of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), plays a major part in the mechanisms that lead to toxicity in CNS neurons and astrocytes. Here, we tested the hypothesis that estrogen, a pleiotropic neuro- and cytoprotectant with high efficacy in the CNS, prevents tau cleavage, and hence, protects ONHAs against cell damage caused by oxidative stress. Our results indicate that estrogen prevents caspase-3 mediated tau cleavage, and thereby decreases the levels of the resulting form of proteolytically cleaved tau protein, which leads to a decrease in NFT formation, which requires proteolytically cleaved tau protein. Overall, our data propose that by stopping the reduction of estrogen levels involved with aging the sensitivity of the optic nerve to glaucomatous damage might be reduced. Furthermore, our data suggest that therapeutic use of estrogen may be beneficial in slowing or preventing the onset or severity of neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma and potentially also other degenerative diseases of the CNS through direct control of posttranslational modifications of tau protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Means
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Vision Research Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Adam A Lopez
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Vision Research Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Peter Koulen
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Vision Research Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Missouri - Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St., Kansas City, MO, USA.
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Ngolab J, Canchi S, Rasool S, Elmaarouf A, Thomas K, Sarsoza F, Grundman J, Mante M, Florio J, Nandankar N, Korouri S, Zago W, Masliah E, Rissman RA. Mutant three-repeat tau expression initiates retinal ganglion cell death through Caspase-2. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 152:105277. [PMID: 33516874 PMCID: PMC8373010 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau is implicated in multiple degenerative diseases including retinal diseases such as glaucoma; however, the way tau initiates retinopathy is unclear. Previous retinal assessments in mouse models of tauopathy suggest that mutations in four-repeat (4R) tau are associated with disease-induced retinal dysfunction, while shifting tau isoform ratio to favor three-repeat (3R) tau production enhanced photoreceptor function. To further understand how alterations in tau expression impact the retina, we analyzed the retinas of transgenic mice overexpressing mutant 3R tau (m3R tau-Tg), a model known to exhibit Pick's Disease pathology in the brain. Analysis of retinal cross-sections from young (3 month) and adult (9 month) mice detected asymmetric 3R tau immunoreactivity in m3R tau-Tg retina, concentrated in the retinal ganglion and amacrine cells of the dorsal retinal periphery. Accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau was detected specifically in the detergent insoluble fraction of the adult m3R tau-Tg retina. RNA-seq analysis highlighted biological pathways associated with tauopathy that were uniquely altered in m3R tau-Tg retina. The upregulation of transcript encoding apoptotic protease caspase-2 coincided with increased immunostaining in predominantly 3R tau positive retinal regions. In adult m3R tau-Tg, the dorsal peripheral retina of the adult m3R tau-Tg exhibited decreased cell density in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and reduced thickness of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) compared to the ventral peripheral retina. Together, these data indicate that mutant 3R tau may mediate toxicity in retinal ganglion cells (RGC) by promoting caspase-2 expression which results in RGC degeneration. The m3R tau-Tg line has the potential to be used to assess tau-mediated RGC degeneration and test novel therapeutics for degenerative diseases such as glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Ngolab
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Saranya Canchi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, United States of America
| | - Suhail Rasool
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Amydis Inc, San Diego, CA 92121, United States of America
| | | | - Kimberly Thomas
- Prothena Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Floyd Sarsoza
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Grundman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Nimisha Nandankar
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Shaina Korouri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Wagner Zago
- Prothena Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Division of Neuroscience and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institutes on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, United States of America.
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Chan JW, Chan NCY, Sadun AA. Glaucoma as Neurodegeneration in the Brain. Eye Brain 2021; 13:21-28. [PMID: 33500674 PMCID: PMC7822087 DOI: 10.2147/eb.s293765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma, a group of diseases characterized by progressive optic nerve degeneration that results in irreversible blindness, can be considered a neurodegenerative disorder of both the eye and the brain. Increasing evidence from human and animal studies have shown that glaucoma shares some common neurodegenerative pathways with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and frontotemporal dementia. This hypothesis is based on the focal adhesion pathway hypothesis and the spreading hypothesis of tau. Not only has the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene been shown to be associated with AD, but also with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). This review will highlight the relevant literature in the past 20 years from PubMed that show the pathogenic overlap between POAG and AD. Neurodegenerative pathways that contribute to transsynaptic neurodegeneration in AD and other tauopathies might also be similar to those in glaucomatous neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane W Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Noel C Y Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Li W, Qiu J, Li XL, Aday S, Zhang J, Conley G, Xu J, Joseph J, Lan H, Langer R, Mannix R, Karp JM, Joshi N. BBB pathophysiology-independent delivery of siRNA in traumatic brain injury. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/1/eabd6889. [PMID: 33523853 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.26.173393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutics can mitigate the long-term sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) but suffer from poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One approach to overcoming this challenge involves treatment administration while BBB is transiently breached after injury. However, it offers a limited window for therapeutic intervention and is applicable to only a subset of injuries with substantially breached BBB. We report a nanoparticle platform for BBB pathophysiology-independent delivery of siRNA in TBI. We achieved this by combined modulation of surface chemistry and coating density on nanoparticles, which maximized their active transport across BBB. Engineered nanoparticles injected within or outside the window of breached BBB in TBI mice showed threefold higher brain accumulation compared to nonengineered PEGylated nanoparticles and 50% gene silencing. Together, our data suggest that this nanoparticle platform is a promising next-generation drug delivery approach for the treatment of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianhua Qiu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiang-Ling Li
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sezin Aday
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jingdong Zhang
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Grace Conley
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jun Xu
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John Joseph
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Haoyue Lan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rebekah Mannix
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Karp
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nitin Joshi
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Li W, Qiu J, Li XL, Aday S, Zhang J, Conley G, Xu J, Joseph J, Lan H, Langer R, Mannix R, Karp JM, Joshi N. BBB pathophysiology-independent delivery of siRNA in traumatic brain injury. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd6889. [PMID: 33523853 PMCID: PMC7775748 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd6889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutics can mitigate the long-term sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) but suffer from poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One approach to overcoming this challenge involves treatment administration while BBB is transiently breached after injury. However, it offers a limited window for therapeutic intervention and is applicable to only a subset of injuries with substantially breached BBB. We report a nanoparticle platform for BBB pathophysiology-independent delivery of siRNA in TBI. We achieved this by combined modulation of surface chemistry and coating density on nanoparticles, which maximized their active transport across BBB. Engineered nanoparticles injected within or outside the window of breached BBB in TBI mice showed threefold higher brain accumulation compared to nonengineered PEGylated nanoparticles and 50% gene silencing. Together, our data suggest that this nanoparticle platform is a promising next-generation drug delivery approach for the treatment of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jianhua Qiu
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiang-Ling Li
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sezin Aday
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jingdong Zhang
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Grace Conley
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jun Xu
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John Joseph
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Haoyue Lan
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rebekah Mannix
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Karp
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nitin Joshi
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Retinal Degeneration and Alzheimer's Disease: An Evolving Link. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197290. [PMID: 33023198 PMCID: PMC7582766 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma are degenerative conditions of the retina and a significant cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common dementia of the elderly, is often associated with AMD and glaucoma. The cardinal features of AD include extracellular accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular deposits of hyper-phosphorylated tau (p-tau). Neuroinflammation and brain iron dyshomeostasis accompany Aβ and p-tau deposits and, together, lead to progressive neuronal death and dementia. The accumulation of Aβ and iron in drusen, the hallmark of AMD, and Aβ and p-tau in retinal ganglion cells (RGC), the main retinal cell type implicated in glaucoma, and accompanying inflammation suggest overlapping pathology. Visual abnormalities are prominent in AD and are believed to develop before cognitive decline. Some are caused by degeneration of the visual cortex, while others are due to RGC loss or AMD-associated retinal degeneration. Here, we review recent information on Aβ, p-tau, chronic inflammation, and iron dyshomeostasis as common pathogenic mechanisms linking the three degenerative conditions, and iron chelation as a common therapeutic option for these disorders. Additionally discussed is the role of prion protein, infamous for prion disorders, in Aβ-mediated toxicity and, paradoxically, in neuroprotection.
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44
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Tubulin modifying enzymes as target for the treatment oftau-related diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 218:107681. [PMID: 32961263 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107681] [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: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the number and length of microtubules (MTs) are significantly and selectively reduced. MTs are involved in a wide range of cellular functions, and defects of the microtubular system have emerged as a unifying hypothesis for the heterogeneous and variable clinical presentations of AD. MTs orchestrate their numerous functions through the spatiotemporal regulation of the binding of specialised microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and molecular motors. Covalent posttranslational modifications (PTMs) on the tubulin C-termini that protrude at the surface of MTs regulate the binding of these effectors. In neurons, MAP tau is highly abundant and its abnormal dissociation from MTs in the axon, cellular mislocalization and hyperphosphorylation, are primary events leading to neuronal death. Consequently, compounds targeting tau phosphorylation or aggregation are currently evaluated but their clinical significance has not been demonstrated yet. In this review, we discuss the emerging link between tubulin PTMs and tau dysfunction. In neurons, high levels of glutamylation and detyrosination profoundly impact the physicochemical properties at the surface of MTs. Moreover, in patients with early-onset progressive neurodegeneration, deleterious mutations in enzymes involved in modifying MTs at the surface have recently been identified, underscoring the importance of this enzymatic machinery in neurology. We postulate that pharmacologically targeting the tubulin-modifying enzymes holds promise as therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Means JC, Lopez AA, Koulen P. Resveratrol Protects Optic Nerve Head Astrocytes from Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death by Preventing Caspase-3 Activation, Tau Dephosphorylation at Ser 422 and Formation of Misfolded Protein Aggregates. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 40:911-926. [PMID: 31919747 PMCID: PMC7299779 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00781-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs) are the major cell type within the optic nerve head, providing both structural and nutrient support to the optic nerve. Astrocytes are necessary for the survival of neurons with controlled activation of astrocytes being beneficial to neurons. However, overactive astrocytes can be harmful and the loss of normal astrocyte function can be a primary contributor to neurodegeneration. The neuroprotective properties of reactive astrocytes can be lost or they might gain neurotoxic properties in neurodegenerative diseases. The activated astrocytes are crucial in the development of glaucoma, where they serve as a source for cytotoxic substances that participate in ganglion apoptosis. There is increasing evidence indicating that neuroinflammation is an important process in glaucoma. Under pathological conditions, astrocytes can induce an inflammatory response. Extensive evidence shows that inflammatory responses mediated by astrocytes can also influence pathology development, synapse health, and neurodegeneration. The elimination of activated astrocytes by apoptosis is also expected in unfavorable conditions. In neurodegenerative diseases, a common feature is the presence of aggregates found in astrocytes, which can disrupt astrocyte function in such a way as to be detrimental to the viability of neurons. The biological processes involved in vision loss in glaucoma are not well understood. Despite the rapid advances in our understanding of optic nerve head (ONH) structure and function, numerous potential contributions of the ONHAs to optic nerve damage remain unanswered. The present study investigated the role of ONHAs during oxidative stress in order to determine novel cell biological processes underlying glaucoma pathogenesis. ONHAs were exposed to chemically induced oxidative stress using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) in order to model extracellular oxidative stress as it occurs in the glaucomatous retina and ONH. In order to determine the impact of an intervention approach employing potential glioprotective treatments for central nervous system tissue we pretreated cells with the polyphenolic phytostilbene and antioxidant trans-resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene). ONHAs exposed to tBHP-mediated oxidative stress displayed decreased viability and underwent apoptosis. In addition, increased levels of activated caspases, dephosphorylation of Tau protein at Ser422, an important site adjacent to the caspase cleavage site controlling Tau cleavage, caspase-mediated Tau cleavage, and cytoskeletal changes, specifically formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) were detected in ONHAs undergoing oxidative stress. When cells were pretreated with resveratrol cell viability increased along with a significant decrease in activated caspases, cleaved Tau, and NFT formation. Taken together, ONHAs appear to act similar to neurons when undergoing oxidative stress, where proteolytic cleavage of Tau by caspases leads to NFT formation. In addition, resveratrol appears to have promise as a potential protective treatment preventing ONHA dysfunction and degeneration. There is currently no cure for glaucoma or a neuro- and glioprotective treatment that directly targets the pathogenic mechanisms in the glaucomatous retina and optic nerve. The present study identified a potential mechanism underlying degeneration of astrocytes that is susceptible to pharmaco-therapeutic intervention in the eye and potentially elsewhere in the central nervous system. Identification of such mechanisms involved in glaucoma and other disorders of the eye and brain is critical to determine novel targets for effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Means
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri -Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Adam A Lopez
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri -Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA
| | - Peter Koulen
- Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri -Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Missouri -Kansas City, 2411 Holmes St, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.
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Kosior-Jarecka E, Pankowska A, Polit P, Stępniewski A, Symms MR, Kozioł P, Żarnowski T, Pietura R. Volume of Lateral Geniculate Nucleus in Patients with Glaucoma in 7Tesla MRI. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9082382. [PMID: 32722571 PMCID: PMC7466157 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9082382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the volume of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in patients with open-angle glaucoma in 7Tesla MRI and to evaluate its relation to RNFL thickness and VF indices. Material and methods. The studied group consisted of 20 open-angle glaucoma patients with bilaterally the same stage of glaucoma (11 with early glaucoma and nine with advanced glaucoma) and nine healthy volunteers from the Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. Circumpapillary RNFL-thickness measurements were performed using OCT in all patients and visual fields were performed in the glaucoma group. A 7Tesla MRI was performed to assess the volume of both lateral geniculate bodies. Results. The LGN volume varied significantly between groups from 122.1 ± 14.4 mm3 (right LGN) and 101.6 ± 13.3 mm3 (left LGN) in the control group to 80.2 ± 17.7 mm3 (right LGN) and 71.8 ± 14.2 mm3 (left LGN) in the advanced glaucoma group (right LGN p = 0.003, left LGN p = 0.018). However, volume values from early glaucoma: right LGN = 120.2 ± 26.5 mm3 and left LGN = 103.2 ± 28.0 mm3 differed significantly only from values from the advanced group (right LGN p = 0.006, left LGN p = 0.012), but not from controls (right LGN p = 0.998, left LGN p = 0.986). There were no significant correlations between visual field indices (MD (mean deviation) and VFI (visual field index)) and LGN volumes in both glaucoma groups. Significant correlations between mean RNFL (retinal nerve fiber layers) thickness and corresponding and contralateral LGN were observed for the control group (corresponding LGN: p = 0.064; contralateral LGN: p = 0.031) and early glaucoma (corresponding LGN: p = 0.017; contralateral LGN: p = 0.008), but not advanced glaucoma (corresponding LGN: p = 0.496; contralateral LGN: p = 0.258). Conclusions. The LGN volume decreases in the course of glaucoma. These changes are correlated with RNFL thickness in early stages of glaucoma and are not correlated with visual field indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Kosior-Jarecka
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (P.P.); (T.Ż.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Pankowska
- Department of Radiography, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (P.K.); (R.P.)
| | - Piotr Polit
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (P.P.); (T.Ż.)
| | - Andrzej Stępniewski
- Centrum ECO-TECH COMPLEX Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland;
| | | | - Paulina Kozioł
- Department of Radiography, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (P.K.); (R.P.)
| | - Tomasz Żarnowski
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (P.P.); (T.Ż.)
| | - Radosław Pietura
- Department of Radiography, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (P.K.); (R.P.)
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Rodriguez L, Joly S, Mdzomba JB, Pernet V. Tau Gene Deletion does not Influence Axonal Regeneration and Retinal Neuron Survival in the Injured Mouse Visual System. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4100. [PMID: 32521826 PMCID: PMC7312378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we hypothesized that the microtubule-associated protein Tau may influence retinal neuron survival and axonal regeneration after optic nerve injury. To test this hypothesis, the density of retinal ganglion cells was evaluated by immunostaining retinal flat-mounts for RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) two weeks after optic nerve micro-crush lesion in Tau-deprived (Tau knock-out (KO)) and wild-type (WT) mice. Axon growth was determined on longitudinal sections of optic nerves after anterograde tracing. Our results showed that the number of surviving retinal ganglion cells and growing axons did not significantly vary between WT and Tau KO animals. Moreover, sustained activation of the neuronal growth program with ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) resulted in a similar increase in surviving neurons and in growing axons in WT and Tau KO mice. Taken together, our data suggest that Tau does not influence axonal regeneration or neuronal survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vincent Pernet
- CUO-Recherche, Département d’ophtalmologie, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (L.R.); (S.J.); (J.B.M.)
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48
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Teravskis PJ, Ashe KH, Liao D. The Accumulation of Tau in Postsynaptic Structures: A Common Feature in Multiple Neurodegenerative Diseases? Neuroscientist 2020; 26:503-520. [PMID: 32389059 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420916696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Increasingly, research suggests that neurodegenerative diseases and dementias are caused not by unique, solitary cellular mechanisms, but by multiple contributory mechanisms manifesting as heterogeneous clinical presentations. However, diverse neurodegenerative diseases also share common pathological hallmarks and cellular mechanisms. One such mechanism involves the redistribution of the microtubule associated protein tau from the axon into the somatodendritic compartment of neurons, followed by the mislocalization of tau into dendritic spines, resulting in postsynaptic functional deficits. Here we review various signaling pathways that trigger the redistribution of tau to the cell body and dendritic tree, and its mislocalization to dendritic spines. The convergence of multiple pathways in different disease models onto this final common pathway suggests that it may be an attractive pathway to target for developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Teravskis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Karen H Ashe
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,N. Budd Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Dezhi Liao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Mouse γ-Synuclein Promoter-Mediated Gene Expression and Editing in Mammalian Retinal Ganglion Cells. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3896-3914. [PMID: 32300046 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0102-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic neuropathies are a group of optic nerve (ON) diseases caused by various insults including glaucoma, inflammation, ischemia, trauma, and genetic deficits, which are characterized by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and ON degeneration. An increasing number of genes involved in RGC intrinsic signaling have been found to be promising neural repair targets that can potentially be modulated directly by gene therapy, if we can achieve RGC specific gene targeting. To address this challenge, we first used adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene transfer to perform a low-throughput in vivo screening in both male and female mouse eyes and identified the mouse γ-synuclein (mSncg) promoter, which specifically and potently sustained transgene expression in mouse RGCs and also works in human RGCs. We further demonstrated that gene therapy that combines AAV-mSncg promoter with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing can knock down pro-degenerative genes in RGCs and provide effective neuroprotection in optic neuropathies.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here, we present an RGC-specific promoter, mouse γ-synuclein (mSncg) promoter, and perform extensive characterization and proof-of-concept studies of mSncg promoter-mediated gene expression and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing in RGCs in vivo To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating in vivo neuroprotection of injured RGCs and optic nerve (ON) by AAV-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 inhibition of genes that are critical for neurodegeneration. It represents a powerful tool to achieve RGC-specific gene modulation, and also opens up a promising gene therapy strategy for optic neuropathies, the most common form of eye diseases that cause irreversible blindness.
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50
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Jiang F, Ye YQ, Zuo JM, Huang X, Yu C, Zeng XJ. Frequency-specific oscillations synchronization in primary angle-closure glaucoma. Acta Radiol 2020; 61:537-548. [PMID: 31475845 DOI: 10.1177/0284185119870975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Previous neuroimaging studies demonstrated that patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma were accompanied by abnormal neuronal activity. Purpose To investigate frequency-dependent local oscillations synchronization in primary angle-closure glaucoma using the regional homogeneity method. Material and Methods In total, 37 individuals with primary angle-closure glaucoma (20 men, 17 women) and 37 normal-sighted controls (20 men, 17 women) closely matched in age, sex, and education underwent resting-state MRI scans. We compared the different regional homogeneity values in full band (0.01–0.08 Hz) and two different frequency bands (slow-4: 0.027–0.073 Hz and slow-5: 0.010–0.027 Hz) between two groups. Results Compared to the normal-sighted group, the primary angle-closure glaucoma group showed decreased regional homogeneity values in the left calcarine and left postcentral in full band. The primary angle-closure glaucoma group showed increased regional homogeneity values in the bilateral superior medial frontal lobe in the slow-4 band. The primary angle-closure glaucoma group exhibited decreased regional homogeneity values in the right calcarine in the slow-5 band. Specifically, we found that the regional homogeneity values in the right superior frontal lobe were greater in the slow-4 than in the slow-5 band, whereas regional homogeneity in the left calcarine, right pallidum, left inferior occipital gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, left postcentral/angular gyrus, left paracentral lobule, left superior parietal gyrus, and right precuneus gyrus were greater in the slow-5 than in the slow-4 band. Conclusion Primary angle-closure glaucoma groups showed abnormal regional homogeneity in visual network (calcarine) and default mode network (superior medial frontal lobe) at two frequency bands. Moreover, the regional homogeneity signals in slow-5 band showed closely related to the severity of individuals with primary angle-closure glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Yin-Quan Ye
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Jin-Min Zuo
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
| | - Xian-Jun Zeng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province Medical Imaging Research Institute, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, PR China
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