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Morera H, Dave P, Kolinko Y, Alahmari S, Anderson A, Denham G, Davis C, Riano J, Goldgof D, Hall LO, Harry GJ, Mouton PR. A novel deep learning-based method for automatic stereology of microglia cells from low magnification images. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107336. [PMID: 38402997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107336] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Microglial cells mediate diverse homeostatic, inflammatory, and immune processes during normal development and in response to cytotoxic challenges. During these functional activities, microglial cells undergo distinct numerical and morphological changes in different tissue volumes in both rodent and human brains. However, it remains unclear how these cytostructural changes in microglia correlate with region-specific neurochemical functions. To better understand these relationships, neuroscientists need accurate, reproducible, and efficient methods for quantifying microglial cell number and morphologies in histological sections. To address this deficit, we developed a novel deep learning (DL)-based classification, stereology approach that links the appearance of Iba1 immunostained microglial cells at low magnification (20×) with the total number of cells in the same brain region based on unbiased stereology counts as ground truth. Once DL models are trained, total microglial cell numbers in specific regions of interest can be estimated and treatment groups predicted in a high-throughput manner (<1 min) using only low-power images from test cases, without the need for time and labor-intensive stereology counts or morphology ratings in test cases. Results for this DL-based automatic stereology approach on two datasets (total 39 mouse brains) showed >90% accuracy, 100% percent repeatability (Test-Retest) and 60× greater efficiency than manual stereology (<1 min vs. ∼ 60 min) using the same tissue sections. Ongoing and future work includes use of this DL-based approach to establish clear neurodegeneration profiles in age-related human neurological diseases and related animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Morera
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| | - Palak Dave
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Yaroslav Kolinko
- Department of Histology and Embryology & Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Saeed Alahmari
- Department of Computer Science, Najran University, Najran 66462, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | | | | | - Dmitry Goldgof
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Lawrence O Hall
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - G Jean Harry
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS/NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Peter R Mouton
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; SRC Biosciences, Tampa, FL 33606, USA.
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2
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van Koeverden AK, Afiat BC, Nguyen CT, Bui BV, Lee PY. Understanding how ageing impacts ganglion cell susceptibility to injury in glaucoma. Clin Exp Optom 2024; 107:147-155. [PMID: 37980904 DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2023.2279734] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, with a marked increase in prevalence with advancing age. Due to the multifactorial nature of glaucoma pathogenesis, dissecting how ageing impacts upon glaucoma risk requires analysis and synthesis of evidence from a vast literature. While there is a wealth of human clinical studies examining glaucoma pathogenesis and why older patients have increased risk, many aspects of the disease such as adaptations of retinal ganglion cells to stress, autophagy and the role of glial cells in glaucoma, require the use of animal models to study the complex cellular processes and interactions. Additionally, the accelerated nature of ageing in rodents facilitates the longitudinal study of changes that would not be feasible in human clinical studies. This review article examines evidence derived predominantly from rodent models on how the ageing process impacts upon various aspects of glaucoma pathology from the retinal ganglion cells themselves, to supporting cells and tissues such as glial cells, connective tissue and vasculature, in addition to oxidative stress and autophagy. An improved understanding of how ageing modifies these factors may lead to the development of different therapeutic strategies that target specific risk factors or processes involved in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K van Koeverden
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brianna C Afiat
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christine To Nguyen
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bang V Bui
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pei Ying Lee
- Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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3
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Castro R, Lopes M, De Biase L, Valdez G. Aging spinal cord microglia become phenotypically heterogeneous and preferentially target motor neurons and their synapses. Glia 2024; 72:206-221. [PMID: 37737058 PMCID: PMC10773989 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Microglia have been found to acquire unique region-dependent deleterious features with age and diseases that contribute to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration in the brain. However, it remains unknown whether microglia exhibit similar phenotypic heterogeneity in the spinal cord. Here, we performed a regional analysis of spinal cord microglia in 3-, 16-, 23-, and 30-month-old mice. Using light and electron microscopy, we discovered that spinal cord microglia acquire an increasingly activated phenotype during the course of aging regardless of regional location. However, aging causes microglia in the ventral but not dorsal horn to lose their spatial organization. Aged ventral horn microglia also aggregate around the somata of motor neurons and increase their contacts with motor synapses, which have been shown to be lost with age. These findings suggest that microglia may affect the ability of motor neurons to receive and relay motor commands during aging. To generate additional insights about aging spinal cord microglia, we performed RNA-sequencing on FACS-isolated microglia from 3-, 18-, 22-, and 29-month-old mice. We found that spinal cord microglia acquire a similar transcriptional identity as those in the brain during aging that includes altered expression of genes with roles in microglia-neuron interactions and inflammation. By 29 months of age, spinal cord microglia exhibit additional and unique transcriptional changes known and predicted to cause senescence and to alter lysosomal and ribosomal regulation. Altogether, this work provides the foundation to target microglia to ameliorate aged-related changes in the spinal cord, and particularly on the motor circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Castro
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mikayla Lopes
- Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Lindsay De Biase
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Gregorio Valdez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, USA
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4
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Popov A, Brazhe N, Morozova K, Yashin K, Bychkov M, Nosova O, Sutyagina O, Brazhe A, Parshina E, Li L, Medyanik I, Korzhevskii DE, Shenkarev Z, Lyukmanova E, Verkhratsky A, Semyanov A. Mitochondrial malfunction and atrophy of astrocytes in the aged human cerebral cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8380. [PMID: 38104196 PMCID: PMC10725430 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44192-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
How aging affects cells of the human brain active milieu remains largely unknown. Here, we analyze astrocytes and neurons in the neocortical tissue of younger (22-50 years) and older (51-72 years) adults. Aging decreases the amount of reduced mitochondrial cytochromes in astrocytes but not neurons. The protein-to-lipid ratio decreases in astrocytes and increases in neurons. Aged astrocytes show morphological atrophy quantified by the decreased length of branches, decreased volume fraction of leaflets, and shrinkage of the anatomical domain. Atrophy correlates with the loss of gap junction coupling between astrocytes and increased input resistance. Aging is accompanied by the upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and downregulation of membrane-cytoskeleton linker ezrin associated with leaflets. No significant changes in neuronal excitability or spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic signaling is observed. Thus, brain aging is associated with the impaired morphological presence and mitochondrial malfunction of cortical astrocytes, but not neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Popov
- College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Pro, China
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Nadezda Brazhe
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Kseniia Morozova
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Konstantin Yashin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Privolzhskiy Research Medical University, Nizhny, Novgorod, 603005, Russia
| | - Maxim Bychkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Olga Nosova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Oksana Sutyagina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Alexey Brazhe
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Evgenia Parshina
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Li Li
- College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Pro, China
| | - Igor Medyanik
- Department of Neurosurgery, Privolzhskiy Research Medical University, Nizhny, Novgorod, 603005, Russia
| | | | - Zakhar Shenkarev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Lyukmanova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
- Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011, Bilbao, Spain.
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and CIBERNED, Leioa, Spain.
| | - Alexey Semyanov
- College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Pro, China.
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119435, Russia.
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5
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Li X, Li Y, Jin Y, Zhang Y, Wu J, Xu Z, Huang Y, Cai L, Gao S, Liu T, Zeng F, Wang Y, Wang W, Yuan TF, Tian H, Shu Y, Guo F, Lu W, Mao Y, Mei X, Rao Y, Peng B. Transcriptional and epigenetic decoding of the microglial aging process. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1288-1311. [PMID: 37697166 PMCID: PMC10570141 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00479-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
As important immune cells, microglia undergo a series of alterations during aging that increase the susceptibility to brain dysfunctions. However, the longitudinal characteristics of microglia remain poorly understood. In this study, we mapped the transcriptional and epigenetic profiles of microglia from 3- to 24-month-old mice. We first discovered unexpected sex differences and identified age-dependent microglia (ADEM) genes during the aging process. We then compared the features of aging and reactivity in female microglia at single-cell resolution and epigenetic level. To dissect functions of aged microglia excluding the influence from other aged brain cells, we established an accelerated microglial turnover model without directly affecting other brain cells. By this model, we achieved aged-like microglia in non-aged brains and confirmed that aged-like microglia per se contribute to cognitive decline. Collectively, our work provides a comprehensive resource for decoding the aging process of microglia, shedding light on how microglia maintain brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxin Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiao Jin
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Department of Laboratory Animal Science, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingchuan Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Xu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yubin Huang
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Taohui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanzhuo Zeng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Yafei Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hengli Tian
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yousheng Shu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifan Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xifan Mei
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Yanxia Rao
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Department of Laboratory Animal Science, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Bo Peng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jinshan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Innovative Center for New Drug Development of Immune Inflammatory Diseases, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Co-Innovation Center of Neurodegeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
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6
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Hussain M, Chu X, Duan Sahbaz B, Gray S, Pekhale K, Park JH, Croteau DL, Bohr VA. Mitochondrial OGG1 expression reduces age-associated neuroinflammation by regulating cytosolic mitochondrial DNA. Free Radic Biol Med 2023; 203:34-44. [PMID: 37011700 PMCID: PMC10247526 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.03.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by a decline in DNA repair efficiency, which leads to the accumulation of different types of DNA damage. Age-associated chronic inflammation and generation of reactive oxygen species exacerbate the aging process and age-related chronic disorders. These inflammatory processes establish conditions that favor accumulation of DNA base damage, especially 8-oxo-7,8 di-hydroguanine (8-oxoG), which in turn contributes to various age associated diseases. 8-oxoG is repaired by 8-oxoG glycosylase1 (OGG1) through the base excision repair (BER) pathway. OGG1 is present in both the cell nucleus and in mitochondria. Mitochondrial OGG1 has been implicated in mitochondrial DNA repair and increased mitochondrial function. Using transgenic mouse models and cell lines that have been engineered to have enhanced expression of mitochondria-targeted OGG1 (mtOGG1), we show that elevated levels of mtOGG1 in mitochondria can reverse aging-associated inflammation and improve functions. Old male mtOGG1Tg mice show decreased inflammation response, decreased TNFα levels and multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, we observe that male mtOGG1Tg mice show resistance to STING activation. Interestingly, female mtOGG1Tg mice did not respond to mtOGG1 overexpression. Further, HMC3 cells expressing mtOGG1 display decreased release of mtDNA into the cytoplasm after lipopolysacchride induction and regulate inflammation through the pSTING pathway. Also, increased mtOGG1 expression reduced LPS-induced loss of mitochondrial functions. These results suggest that mtOGG1 regulates age-associated inflammation by controlling release of mtDNA into the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoor Hussain
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Xixia Chu
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Burcin Duan Sahbaz
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Samuel Gray
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Komal Pekhale
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jae-Hyeon Park
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Deborah L Croteau
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA; Computational Biology & Genomics Core, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Vilhelm A Bohr
- DNA repair section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA; Danish Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark.
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7
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Arutyunov A, Klein RS. Microglia at the scene of the crime: what their transcriptomics reveal about brain health. Curr Opin Neurol 2023; 36:207-213. [PMID: 37078646 PMCID: PMC10867866 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001151] [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] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Microglia, which arise from primitive myeloid precursors that enter the central nervous system (CNS) during early development, are the first responders to any perturbance of homeostasis. Although their activation has become synonymous with neurologic disease, it remains unclear whether microglial responses are the cause of or response to neuropathology. Here, we review new insights in the roles of microglia during CNS health and disease, including preclinical studies that transcriptionally profile microglia to define their functional states. RECENT FINDINGS Converging evidence suggests that innate immune activation of microglia is associated with overlapping alterations in their gene expression profiles regardless of the trigger. Thus, recent studies examining neuroprotective microglial responses during infections and aging mirror those observed during chronic neurologic diseases, including neurodegeneration and stroke. Many of these insights derive from studies of microglial transcriptomes and function in preclinical models, some of which have been validated in human samples. During immune activation, microglia dismantle their homeostatic functions and transition into subsets capable of antigen presentation, phagocytosis of debris, and management of lipid homeostasis. These subsets can be identified during both normal and aberrant microglial responses, the latter of which may persist long-term. The loss of neuroprotective microglia, which maintain a variety of essential CNS functions, may therefore, in part, underlie the development of neurodegenerative diseases. SUMMARY Microglia exhibit a high level of plasticity, transforming into numerous subsets as they respond to innate immune triggers. Chronic loss of microglial homeostatic functions may underlie the development of diseases with pathological forgetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Arutyunov
- Center for Neuroimmunology & Neuroinfectious Diseases
- Departments of Medicine
| | - Robyn S. Klein
- Center for Neuroimmunology & Neuroinfectious Diseases
- Departments of Medicine
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology
- Departments of Neurosciences
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8
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Ben-Azu B, del Re EC, VanderZwaag J, Carrier M, Keshavan M, Khakpour M, Tremblay MÈ. Emerging epigenetic dynamics in gut-microglia brain axis: experimental and clinical implications for accelerated brain aging in schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1139357. [PMID: 37256150 PMCID: PMC10225712 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1139357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain aging, which involves a progressive loss of neuronal functions, has been reported to be premature in probands affected by schizophrenia (SCZ). Evidence shows that SCZ and accelerated aging are linked to changes in epigenetic clocks. Recent cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging analyses have uncovered reduced brain reserves and connectivity in patients with SCZ compared to typically aging individuals. These data may indicate early abnormalities of neuronal function following cyto-architectural alterations in SCZ. The current mechanistic knowledge on brain aging, epigenetic changes, and their neuropsychiatric disease association remains incomplete. With this review, we explore and summarize evidence that the dynamics of gut-resident bacteria can modulate molecular brain function and contribute to age-related neurodegenerative disorders. It is known that environmental factors such as mode of birth, dietary habits, stress, pollution, and infections can modulate the microbiota system to regulate intrinsic neuronal activity and brain reserves through the vagus nerve and enteric nervous system. Microbiota-derived molecules can trigger continuous activation of the microglial sensome, groups of receptors and proteins that permit microglia to remodel the brain neurochemistry based on complex environmental activities. This remodeling causes aberrant brain plasticity as early as fetal developmental stages, and after the onset of first-episode psychosis. In the central nervous system, microglia, the resident immune surveillance cells, are involved in neurogenesis, phagocytosis of synapses and neurological dysfunction. Here, we review recent emerging experimental and clinical evidence regarding the gut-brain microglia axis involvement in SCZ pathology and etiology, the hypothesis of brain reserve and accelerated aging induced by dietary habits, stress, pollution, infections, and other factors. We also include in our review the possibilities and consequences of gut dysbiosis activities on microglial function and dysfunction, together with the effects of antipsychotics on the gut microbiome: therapeutic and adverse effects, role of fecal microbiota transplant and psychobiotics on microglial sensomes, brain reserves and SCZ-derived accelerated aging. We end the review with suggestions that may be applicable to the clinical setting. For example, we propose that psychobiotics might contribute to antipsychotic-induced therapeutic benefits or adverse effects, as well as reduce the aging process through the gut-brain microglia axis. Overall, we hope that this review will help increase the understanding of SCZ pathogenesis as related to chronobiology and the gut microbiome, as well as reveal new concepts that will serve as novel treatment targets for SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benneth Ben-Azu
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
| | - Elisabetta C. del Re
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton, MA, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jared VanderZwaag
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Micaël Carrier
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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9
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Ramírez-Carreto RJ, Rodríguez-Cortés YM, Torres-Guerrero H, Chavarría A. Possible Implications of Obesity-Primed Microglia that Could Contribute to Stroke-Associated Damage. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023:10.1007/s10571-023-01329-5. [PMID: 36935429 PMCID: PMC10025068 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-023-01329-5] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, are essential players during physiological and pathological processes. Although they participate in synaptic pruning and maintenance of neuronal circuits, microglia are mainly studied by their activity modulating inflammatory environment and adapting their phenotype and mechanisms to insults detected in the brain parenchyma. Changes in microglial phenotypes are reflected in their morphology, membrane markers, and secreted substances, stimulating neighbor glia and leading their responses to control stimuli. Understanding how microglia react in various microenvironments, such as chronic inflammation, made it possible to establish therapeutic windows and identify synergic interactions with acute damage events like stroke. Obesity is a low-grade chronic inflammatory state that gradually affects the central nervous system, promoting neuroinflammation development. Obese patients have the worst prognosis when they suffer a cerebral infarction due to basal neuroinflammation, then obesity-induced neuroinflammation could promote the priming of microglial cells and favor its neurotoxic response, potentially worsening patients' prognosis. This review discusses the main microglia findings in the obesity context during the course and resolution of cerebral infarction, involving the temporality of the phenotype changes and balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory responses, which is lost in the swollen brain of an obese subject. Obesity enhances proinflammatory responses during a stroke. Obesity-induced systemic inflammation promotes microglial M1 polarization and priming, which enhances stroke-associated damage, increasing M1 and decreasing M2 responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Jair Ramírez-Carreto
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Yesica María Rodríguez-Cortés
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Haydee Torres-Guerrero
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Anahí Chavarría
- Unidad de Investigación en Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Ritzel RM, Li Y, Jiao Y, Lei Z, Doran SJ, He J, Shahror RA, Henry RJ, Khan R, Tan C, Liu S, Stoica BA, Faden AI, Szeto G, Loane DJ, Wu J. Brain injury accelerates the onset of a reversible age-related microglial phenotype associated with inflammatory neurodegeneration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd1101. [PMID: 36888713 PMCID: PMC9995070 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add1101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Lipofuscin is an autofluorescent (AF) pigment formed by lipids and misfolded proteins, which accumulates in postmitotic cells with advanced age. Here, we immunophenotyped microglia in the brain of old C57BL/6 mice (>18 months old) and demonstrate that in comparison to young mice, one-third of old microglia are AF, characterized by profound changes in lipid and iron content, phagocytic activity, and oxidative stress. Pharmacological depletion of microglia in old mice eliminated the AF microglia following repopulation and reversed microglial dysfunction. Age-related neurological deficits and neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury (TBI) were attenuated in old mice lacking AF microglia. Furthermore, increased phagocytic activity, lysosomal burden, and lipid accumulation in microglia persisted for up to 1 year after TBI, were modified by APOE4 genotype, and chronically driven by phagocyte-mediated oxidative stress. Thus, AF may reflect a pathological state in aging microglia associated with increased phagocytosis of neurons and myelin and inflammatory neurodegeneration that can be further accelerated by TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney M. Ritzel
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yun Jiao
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Zhuofan Lei
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Sarah J. Doran
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Junyun He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rami A. Shahror
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Henry
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Romeesa Khan
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77370, USA
| | - Chunfeng Tan
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77370, USA
| | - Shaolin Liu
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Bogdan A. Stoica
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Alan I. Faden
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- University of Maryland Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Gregory Szeto
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
- Allen Institute for Immunology and Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David J. Loane
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Junfang Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- University of Maryland Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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11
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Microglia secrete distinct sets of neurotoxins in a stimulus-dependent manner. Brain Res 2023; 1807:148315. [PMID: 36878343 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain which regulate both the innate and adaptive neuroimmune responses in health and disease. In response to specific endogenous and exogenous stimuli, microglia transition to one of their reactive states characterized by altered morphology and function, including their secretory profile. A component of the microglial secretome is cytotoxic molecules capable of causing damage and death to nearby host cells, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Indirect evidence from secretome studies and measurements of mRNA expression using diverse microglial cell types suggest different stimuli may induce microglia to secrete distinct subsets of cytotoxins. We demonstrate the accuracy of this hypothesis directly by challenging murine BV-2 microglia-like cells with eight different immune stimuli and assessing secretion of four potentially cytotoxic molecules, including nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), and glutamate. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a combination of interferon (IFN)-γ plus LPS induced secretion of all toxins studied. IFN-β, IFN-γ, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), and zymosan A upregulated secretion of subsets of these four cytotoxins. LPS and IFN-γ, alone or in combination, as well as IFN-β induced toxicity of BV-2 cells towards murine NSC-34 neuronal cells, while ATP, N-formylmethionine-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not affect any parameters studied. Our observations contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the regulation of the microglial secretome, which may inform future development of novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, where dysregulated microglia are key contributors to pathogenesis.
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Raschka T, Sood M, Schultz B, Altay A, Ebeling C, Fröhlich H. AI reveals insights into link between CD33 and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's Disease. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1009894. [PMID: 36780558 PMCID: PMC9956604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Modeling biological mechanisms is a key for disease understanding and drug-target identification. However, formulating quantitative models in the field of Alzheimer's Disease is challenged by a lack of detailed knowledge of relevant biochemical processes. Additionally, fitting differential equation systems usually requires time resolved data and the possibility to perform intervention experiments, which is difficult in neurological disorders. This work addresses these challenges by employing the recently published Variational Autoencoder Modular Bayesian Networks (VAMBN) method, which we here trained on combined clinical and patient level gene expression data while incorporating a disease focused knowledge graph. Our approach, called iVAMBN, resulted in a quantitative model that allowed us to simulate a down-expression of the putative drug target CD33, including potential impact on cognitive impairment and brain pathophysiology. Experimental validation demonstrated a high overlap of molecular mechanism predicted to be altered by CD33 perturbation with cell line data. Altogether, our modeling approach may help to select promising drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Raschka
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Fraunhofer Center for Machine Learning, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Meemansa Sood
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bruce Schultz
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Aybuge Altay
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Ebeling
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Holger Fröhlich
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (B-IT), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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13
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Choi S, Hill D, Young J, Cordeiro MF. Image processing and supervised machine learning for retinal microglia characterization in senescence. Methods Cell Biol 2023; 181:109-125. [PMID: 38302234 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.12.008] [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] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The process of senescence impairs the function of cells and can ultimately be a key factor in the development of disease. With an aging population, senescence-related diseases are increasing in prevalence. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of cellular senescence within the central nervous system (CNS), including the retina, may yield new therapeutic pathways to slow or even prevent the development of neuro- and retinal degenerative diseases. One method of probing the changing functions of senescent retinal cells is to observe retinal microglial cells. Their morphological structure may change in response to their surrounding cellular environment. In this chapter, we show how microglial cells in the retina, which are implicated in aging and diseases of the CNS, can be identified, quantified, and classified into five distinct morphotypes using image processing and supervised machine learning algorithms. The process involves dissecting, staining, and mounting mouse retinas, before image capture via fluorescence microscopy. The resulting images can then be classified by morphotype using a support vector machine (SVM) we have recently described showing high accuracy. This SVM model uses shape metrics found to correspond with qualitative descriptions of the shape of each morphotype taken from existing literature. We encourage more objective and widespread use of methods of quantification such as this. We believe automatic delineation of the population of microglial cells in the retina, could potentially lead to their use as retinal imaging biomarkers for disease prediction in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Choi
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; Novai Ltd, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Hill
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maria Francesca Cordeiro
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; Novai Ltd, Reading, United Kingdom; Imperial College Ophthalmology Research Group, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Vijaya AK, Iešmantaitė M, Mela V, Baltriukienė D, Burokas A. Microglia isolation from aging mice for cell culture: A beginner's guide. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1082180. [PMID: 36744004 PMCID: PMC9893793 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1082180] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia, the innate immune cell of the central nervous system, play significant roles in brain development, maintenance, homeostasis, and neuroinflammation. Although numerous methods have been developed to isolate microglia from embryonic or postnatal mouse brains, still major difficulties exist in isolating microglia from adult mice, often resulting in low yield and risk of cellular activation. Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient method to isolate pure and high-yield microglia from adult mice to study various neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to develop a fully functional protocol for the isolation of microglia by comparing different protocols. We investigated the efficacy of three protocols in terms of cell yield, purity, cellular activation, cellular aging, and migration properties and proposed the modified protocol (PROTOCOL 1), which provides an optimal yield of functional microglial cells with a minimum of material and equipment and allows young researchers with little experience to isolate microglia and helps them to delve deeper into the world of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Kumar Vijaya
- Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Monika Iešmantaitė
- Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Virginia Mela
- Department of Medicine and Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Daiva Baltriukienė
- Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania,*Correspondence: Daiva Baltriukienė,
| | - Aurelijus Burokas
- Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania,Aurelijus Burokas,
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15
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Mushroom Natural Products in Neurodegenerative Disease Drug Discovery. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233938. [PMID: 36497196 PMCID: PMC9740391 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The variety of drugs available to treat neurodegenerative diseases is limited. Most of these drug's efficacy is restricted by individual genetics and disease stages and usually do not prevent neurodegeneration acting long after irreversible damage has already occurred. Thus, drugs targeting the molecular mechanisms underlying subsequent neurodegeneration have the potential to negate symptom manifestation and subsequent neurodegeneration. Neuroinflammation is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis, and is associated with the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which in turn leads to neurodegeneration. Inflammasome activation and oligomerisation is suggested to be a major driver of disease progression occurring in microglia. With several natural products and natural product derivatives currently in clinical trials, mushrooms have been highlighted as a rich and largely untapped source of biologically active compounds in both in vitro and in vivo neurodegenerative disease models, partially supported by successful clinical trial evaluations. Additionally, novel high-throughput methods for the screening of natural product compound libraries are being developed to help accelerate the neurodegenerative disease drug discovery process, targeting neuroinflammation. However, the breadth of research relating to mushroom natural product high-throughput screening is limited, providing an exciting opportunity for further detailed investigations.
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16
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Della Vecchia S, Marchese M, Santorelli FM. Glial Contributions to Lafora Disease: A Systematic Review. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123103. [PMID: 36551859 PMCID: PMC9776290 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123103] [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: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lafora disease (LD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by the accumulation of polyglucosan bodies (PBs) throughout the brain. Alongside metabolic and molecular alterations, neuroinflammation has emerged as another key histopathological feature of LD. METHODS To investigate the role of astrocytes and microglia in LD, we performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement. PubMed, Scopus, and Web-of-Science database searches were performed independently by two reviewers. RESULTS Thirty-five studies analyzing the relationship of astrocytes and microglia with LD and/or the effects of anti-inflammatory treatments in LD animal models were identified and included in the review. Although LD has long been dominated by a neuronocentric view, a growing body of evidence suggests a role of glial cells in the disease, starting with the finding that these cells accumulate PBs. We discuss the potential meaning of glial PB accumulations, the likely factors activating glial cells, and the possible contribution of glial cells to LD neurodegeneration and epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Given the evidence for the role of neuroinflammation in LD, future studies should consider glial cells as a potential therapeutic target for modifying/delaying LD progression; however, it should be kept in mind that these cells can potentially assume multiple reactive phenotypes, which could influence the therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Della Vecchia
- Molecular Medicine and Neurogenetics, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.D.V.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Maria Marchese
- Neurobiology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Molecular Medicine and Neurogenetics, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Neurobiology, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.D.V.); (F.M.S.)
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17
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Liu H, Badawy M, Sun S, Cruz G, Ge S, Xiong Q. Microglial repopulation alleviates age-related decline of stable wakefulness in mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:988166. [PMID: 36262885 PMCID: PMC9574185 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.988166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in wake/sleep architecture have been observed in both aged human and animal models, presumably due to various functional decay throughout the aging body particularly in the brain. Microglia have emerged as a modulator for wake/sleep architecture in the adult brain, and displayed distinct morphology and activity in the aging brain. However, the link between microglia and age-related wake/sleep changes remains elusive. In this study, we systematically examined the brain vigilance and microglia morphology in aging mice (3, 6, 12, and 18 months old), and determined how microglia affect the aging-related wake/sleep alterations in mice. We found that from young adult to aged mice there was a clear decline in stable wakefulness at nighttime, and a decrease of microglial processes length in various brain regions involved in wake/sleep regulation. The decreased stable wakefulness can be restored following the time course of microglia depletion and repopulation in the adult brain. Microglia repopulation in the aging brain restored age-related decline in stable wakefulness. Taken together, our findings suggest a link between aged microglia and deteriorated stable wakefulness in aged brains.
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Korf JM, Honarpisheh P, Mohan EC, Banerjee A, Blasco-Conesa MP, Honarpisheh P, Guzman GU, Khan R, Ganesh BP, Hazen AL, Lee J, Kumar A, McCullough LD, Chauhan A. CD11b high B Cells Increase after Stroke and Regulate Microglia. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 209:288-300. [PMID: 35732342 PMCID: PMC9446461 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the deleterious contributions of B cells to post-stroke recovery and cognitive decline. Different B cell subsets have been proposed on the basis of expression levels of transcription factors (e.g., T-bet) as well as specific surface proteins. CD11b (α-chain of integrin) is expressed by several immune cell types and is involved in regulation of cell motility, phagocytosis, and other essential functions of host immunity. Although B cells express CD11b, the CD11bhigh subset of B cells has not been well characterized, especially in immune dysregulation seen with aging and after stroke. Here, we investigate the role of CD11bhigh B cells in immune responses after stroke in young and aged mice. We evaluated the ability of CD11bhigh B cells to influence pro- and anti-inflammatory phenotypes of young and aged microglia (MG). We hypothesized that CD11bhigh B cells accumulate in the brain and contribute to neuroinflammation in aging and after stroke. We found that CD11bhigh B cells are a heterogeneous subpopulation of B cells predominantly present in naive aged mice. Their frequency increases in the brain after stroke in young and aged mice. Importantly, CD11bhigh B cells regulate MG phenotype and increase MG phagocytosis in both ex vivo and in vivo settings, likely by production of regulatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α). As both APCs and adaptive immune cells with long-term memory function, B cells are uniquely positioned to regulate acute and chronic phases of the post-stroke immune response, and their influence is subset specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle M Korf
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | - Pedram Honarpisheh
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | - Eric C Mohan
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Anik Banerjee
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX
| | | | - Parisa Honarpisheh
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Gary U Guzman
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Romeesa Khan
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Bhanu P Ganesh
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Amy L Hazen
- University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, Houston, TX
| | - Juneyoung Lee
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Aditya Kumar
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Anjali Chauhan
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX;
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19
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Watson N, Bonsack F, Sukumari-Ramesh S. Intracerebral Hemorrhage: The Effects of Aging on Brain Injury. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:859067. [PMID: 35547620 PMCID: PMC9082316 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.859067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating subtype of stroke with high rates of mortality and morbidity. ICH patients often suffer devastating and debilitating neurological impairments, from which the majority of victims are unable to fully recover to functional independence. Unfortunately, there is no established medical therapy for ICH, which is partly attributed to the lack of understanding of the complex pathology of the disorder. Despite advanced age being a major risk factor of ICH, most preclinical studies on ICH employed young animal subjects. Due to this discrepancy, the molecular level changes in the aging brain after ICH are largely unknown, limiting the translation of preclinical studies into potential human treatments. The purpose of this review is to highlight the effects of advanced age on ICH- induced brain injury and recovery and to draw attention to current knowledge gaps, which warrant further investigation.
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20
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Fixemer S, Ameli C, Hammer G, Salamanca L, Uriarte Huarte O, Schwartz C, Gérardy JJ, Mechawar N, Skupin A, Mittelbronn M, Bouvier DS. Microglia phenotypes are associated with subregional patterns of concomitant tau, amyloid-β and α-synuclein pathologies in the hippocampus of patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:36. [PMID: 35296366 PMCID: PMC8925098 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01342-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular alterations of the hippocampus lead to memory decline, a shared symptom between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) patients. However, the subregional deterioration pattern of the hippocampus differs between AD and DLB with the CA1 subfield being more severely affected in AD. The activation of microglia, the brain immune cells, could play a role in its selective volume loss. How subregional microglia populations vary within AD or DLB and across these conditions remains poorly understood. Furthermore, how the nature of the hippocampal local pathological imprint is associated with microglia responses needs to be elucidated. To this purpose, we employed an automated pipeline for analysis of 3D confocal microscopy images to assess CA1, CA3 and DG/CA4 subfields microglia responses in post-mortem hippocampal samples from late-onset AD (n = 10), DLB (n = 8) and age-matched control (CTL) (n = 11) individuals. In parallel, we performed volumetric analyses of hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau), amyloid-β (Aβ) and phosphorylated α-synuclein (pSyn) loads. For each of the 32,447 extracted microglia, 16 morphological features were measured to classify them into seven distinct morphological clusters. Our results show similar alterations of microglial morphological features and clusters in AD and DLB, but with more prominent changes in AD. We identified two distinct microglia clusters enriched in disease conditions and particularly increased in CA1 and DG/CA4 of AD and CA3 of DLB. Our study confirms frequent concomitance of pTau, Aβ and pSyn loads across AD and DLB but reveals a specific subregional pattern for each type of pathology, along with a generally increased severity in AD. Furthermore, pTau and pSyn loads were highly correlated across subregions and conditions. We uncovered tight associations between microglial changes and the subfield pathological imprint. Our findings suggest that combinations and severity of subregional pTau, Aβ and pSyn pathologies transform local microglia phenotypic composition in the hippocampus. The high burdens of pTau and pSyn associated with increased microglial alterations could be a factor in CA1 vulnerability in AD.
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Maheshwari U, Huang SF, Sridhar S, Keller A. The Interplay Between Brain Vascular Calcification and Microglia. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:848495. [PMID: 35309892 PMCID: PMC8924545 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.848495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular calcifications are characterized by the ectopic deposition of calcium and phosphate in the vascular lumen or wall. They are a common finding in computed tomography scans or during autopsy and are often directly related to a pathological condition. While the pathogenesis and functional consequences of vascular calcifications have been intensively studied in some peripheral organs, vascular calcification, and its pathogenesis in the central nervous system is poorly characterized and understood. Here, we review the occurrence of vessel calcifications in the brain in the context of aging and various brain diseases. We discuss the pathomechanism of brain vascular calcification in primary familial brain calcification as an example of brain vessel calcification. A particular focus is the response of microglia to the vessel calcification in the brain and their role in the clearance of calcifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasana Maheshwari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sheng-Fu Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sucheta Sridhar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annika Keller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Center, Zürich University Hospital, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Annika Keller,
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