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Li B, Deng S, Jiang H, Zhu W, Zhuo B, Du Y, Meng Z. The mechanistic effects of acupuncture in rodent neurodegenerative disease models: a literature review. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1323555. [PMID: 38500484 PMCID: PMC10944972 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1323555] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases refer to a battery of medical conditions that affect the survival and function of neurons in the brain, which are mainly presented with progressive loss of cognitive and/or motor function. Acupuncture showed benign effects in improving neurological deficits, especially on movement and cognitive function impairment. Here, we reviewed the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture at the neural circuit level in movement and cognition disorders, summarizing the influence of acupuncture in the dopaminergic system, glutamatergic system, γ-amino butyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) system, serotonergic system, cholinergic system, and glial cells at the circuit and synaptic levels. These findings can provide targets for clinical treatment and perspectives for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boxuan Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Shizhe Deng
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Hailun Jiang
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Weiming Zhu
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Bifang Zhuo
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuzheng Du
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhihong Meng
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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Zhou W, Xu R. Current insights in the molecular genetic pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1189470. [PMID: 37638324 PMCID: PMC10448825 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1189470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that leads to the massive loss of motor neurons in cerebrum, brain stem and spinal cord. It affects not only motor neurons but also other neurons and glial cells, resulting in the progressive muscle atrophy, the severe disability and the eventual death due to the respiratory failure. The pathogenesis of ALS is not fully understood. Currently, several factors are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of ALS, such as genetic factors, imbalances in protein homeostasis, RNA metabolism disorders, mitochondrial dysfunctions, glutamate-mediated excitatory toxicities and intra-neuronal material transport disorders in neurons. The study of genetic mutations related to ALS pathogenesis will link the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the disease, thus enhancing the understanding of its occurrence and progression, thereby providing new insights for the pathogenesis of ALS. This review summarizes the current insights in the molecular genetic pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Zhou
- Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
| | - Renshi Xu
- Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, The Clinical College of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
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Bhatnagar A, Parmar V, Barbieri N, Bearoff F, Elefant F, Kortagere S. Novel EAAT2 activators improve motor and cognitive impairment in a transgenic model of Huntington's disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1176777. [PMID: 37351153 PMCID: PMC10282606 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1176777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Glutamate excitotoxicity is causal in striatal neurodegeneration underlying motor dysfunction and cognitive deficits in Huntington's disease (HD). Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2), the predominant glutamate transporter accounting for >90% of glutamate transport, plays a key role in preventing excitotoxicity by clearing excess glutamate from the intrasynaptic cleft. Accordingly, EAAT2 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for prevention of neuronal excitotoxicity underlying HD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Methods We have previously designed novel EAAT2 positive allosteric modulator GT951, GTS467, and GTS551, with low nanomolar efficacy in glutamate uptake and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. In this study, we test the neuroprotective abilities of these novel EAAT2 activators in vivo using the robust Drosophila HD transgenic model expressing human huntingtin gene with expanded repeats (Htt128Q). Results All three compounds significantly restored motor function impaired under HD pathology over a wide dose range. Additionally, treatment with all three compounds significantly improved HD-associated olfactory associative learning and short-term memory defects, while GT951 and GTS551 also improved middle-term memory in low-performing group. Similarly, treatment with GT951 and GTS551 partially protected against early mortality observed in our HD model. Further, treatment with all three EAAT2 activators induced epigenetic expression of EAAT2 Drosophila homolog and several cognition-associated genes. Conclusion Together, these results highlight the efficacy of GT951, GTS467 and GTS551 in treating motor and cognitive impairments under HD pathology and support their development for treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Bhatnagar
- Department of Biology, Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Visha Parmar
- Department of Biology, Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nicholas Barbieri
- Department of Biology, Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Frank Bearoff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Felice Elefant
- Department of Biology, Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Mohanty A, Alhaj Sulaiman A, Moovarkumudalvan B, Ali R, Aouida M, Ramotar D. The Yeast Permease Agp2 Senses Cycloheximide and Undergoes Degradation That Requires the Small Protein Brp1-Cellular Fate of Agp2 in Response to Cycloheximide. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086975. [PMID: 37108141 PMCID: PMC10138708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Agp2 is a plasma membrane protein initially reported to be an uptake transporter for L-carnitine. Agp2 was later rediscovered, together with three additional proteins, Sky1, Ptk2, and Brp1, to be involved in the uptake of the polyamine analogue bleomycin-A5, an anticancer drug. Mutants lacking either Agp2, Sky1, Ptk2, or Brp1 are extremely resistant to polyamines and bleomycin-A5, suggesting that these four proteins act in the same transport pathway. We previously demonstrated that pretreating cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) blocked the uptake of fluorescently labelled bleomycin (F-BLM), raising the possibility that CHX could either compete for F-BLM uptake or alter the transport function of Agp2. Herein, we showed that the agp2Δ mutant displayed striking resistance to CHX as compared to the parent, suggesting that Agp2 is required to mediate the physiological effect of CHX. We examined the fate of Agp2 as a GFP tag protein in response to CHX and observed that the drug triggered the disappearance of Agp2 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Agp2-GFP exists in higher molecular weight forms that were ubiquitinylated, which rapidly disappeared within 10 min of treatment with CHX. CHX did not trigger any significant loss of Agp2-GFP in the absence of the Brp1 protein; however, the role of Brp1 in this process remains elusive. We propose that Agp2 is degraded upon sensing CHX to downregulate further uptake of the drug and discuss the potential function of Brp1 in the degradation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashima Mohanty
- Division of Genomics and Precision Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Balasubramanian Moovarkumudalvan
- Division of Genomics and Precision Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Reem Ali
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Mustapha Aouida
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Dindial Ramotar
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
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PolyGA targets the ER stress-adaptive response by impairing GRP75 function at the MAM in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:939-966. [PMID: 36121477 PMCID: PMC9547809 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02494-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
ER stress signaling is linked to the pathophysiological and clinical disease manifestations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we have investigated ER stress-induced adaptive mechanisms in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD, focusing on uncovering early endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms and the crosstalk between pathological and adaptive responses in disease onset and progression. We provide evidence for the early onset of ER stress-mediated adaptive response in C9ORF72 patient-derived motoneurons (MNs), reflected by the elevated increase in GRP75 expression. These transiently increased GRP75 levels enhance ER-mitochondrial association, boosting mitochondrial function and sustaining cellular bioenergetics during the initial stage of disease, thereby counteracting early mitochondrial deficits. In C9orf72 rodent neurons, an abrupt reduction in GRP75 expression coincided with the onset of UPR, mitochondrial dysfunction and the emergence of PolyGA aggregates, which co-localize with GRP75. Similarly, the overexpression of PolyGA in WT cortical neurons or C9ORF72 patient-derived MNs led to the sequestration of GRP75 within PolyGA inclusions, resulting in mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) uptake impairments. Corroborating these findings, we found that PolyGA aggregate-bearing human post-mortem C9ORF72 hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons not only display reduced expression of GRP75 but also exhibit GRP75 sequestration within inclusions. Sustaining high GRP75 expression in spinal C9orf72 rodent MNs specifically prevented ER stress, normalized mitochondrial function, abrogated PolyGA accumulation in spinal MNs, and ameliorated ALS-associated behavioral phenotype. Taken together, our results are in line with the notion that neurons in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD are particularly susceptible to ER-mitochondrial dysfunction and that GRP75 serves as a critical endogenous neuroprotective factor. This neuroprotective pathway, is eventually targeted by PolyGA, leading to GRP75 sequestration, and its subsequent loss of function at the MAM, compromising mitochondrial function and promoting disease onset.
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Yu D, Zarate N, White A, Coates D, Tsai W, Nanclares C, Cuccu F, Yue JS, Brown TG, Mansky RH, Jiang K, Kim H, Nichols-Meade T, Larson SN, Gundry K, Zhang Y, Tomas-Zapico C, Lucas JJ, Benneyworth M, Öz G, Cvetanovic M, Araque A, Gomez-Pastor R. CK2 alpha prime and alpha-synuclein pathogenic functional interaction mediates synaptic dysregulation in huntington's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:83. [PMID: 35659303 PMCID: PMC9164558 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01379-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene for which no therapies are available. HTT mutation causes protein misfolding and aggregation, preferentially affecting medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the basal ganglia. Transcriptional perturbations in synaptic genes and neuroinflammation are key processes that precede MSN dysfunction and motor symptom onset. Understanding the interplay between these processes is crucial to develop effective therapeutic strategies to treat HD. We investigated the role of protein kinase CK2α', a kinase upregulated in MSNs in HD and previously associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), in the regulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic function in HD. We used the heterozygous knock-in zQ175 HD mouse model and compared that to zQ175 mice lacking one allele of CK2α' (zQ175:CK2α'(±)). CK2α' haploinsufficiency in zQ175 mice resulted in decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, HTT aggregation, astrogliosis and transcriptional alterations of synaptic genes related to glutamatergic signaling. zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice also presented increased frequency of striatal miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), an indicator of synaptic activity, and improved motor coordination compared to zQ175 mice. Neuropathological and phenotypic changes mediated by CK2α' were connected to alpha-synuclein (α-syn) dysregulation and correlated with differences in α-syn serine 129 phosphorylation (pS129-α-syn), a post-translational modification involved in α-synucleinopathy and shown to be regulated by CK2 in PD. pS129-α-syn was increased in the nuclei of MSNs in zQ175 mice and in the striatum of patients with HD, and it decreased in zQ175:CK2α'(±) mice. Collectively, our data established a novel connection between CK2α', neuroinflammation and synaptic gene dysregulation with synucleinopathy in HD and suggested common molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration between HD and PD. Our results also support CK2α' inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy to modulate neuronal function and neuroprotection in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahyun Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Nicole Zarate
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Angel White
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - De’jah Coates
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Wei Tsai
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Carmen Nanclares
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Francesco Cuccu
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Johnny S. Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Mounds View High School, Arden Hills, MN USA
| | - Taylor G. Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Rachel H. Mansky
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Kevin Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Hyuck Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Present Address: HK, MEPSGEN, Seoul, 05836 South Korea
- Present Address: CTZ Department of Functional Biology, Physiology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Asturias, Spain
- Present Address: Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Asturias, Spain
| | - Tessa Nichols-Meade
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Sarah N. Larson
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Katherine Gundry
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Cristina Tomas-Zapico
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Present Address: HK, MEPSGEN, Seoul, 05836 South Korea
- Present Address: CTZ Department of Functional Biology, Physiology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Asturias, Spain
- Present Address: Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Asturias, Spain
| | - Jose J. Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Benneyworth
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Marija Cvetanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Rocio Gomez-Pastor
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St. SE, Jackson Hall Room 6-145, Minneapolis, MN USA
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