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Abbassi Y, Cappelli S, Spagnolo E, Gennari A, Visani G, Barattucci S, Paron F, Stuani C, Droppelmann CA, Strong MJ, Buratti E. Axon guidance genes are regulated by TDP-43 and RGNEF through long-intron removal. FASEB J 2024; 38:e70081. [PMID: 39360635 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400743rr] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RGNEF) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) mainly involved in regulating the activity of Rho-family GTPases. It is a bi-functional protein, acting both as a guanine exchange factor and as an RNA-binding protein. RGNEF is known to act as a destabilizing factor of neurofilament light chain RNA (NEFL) and it could potentially contribute to their sequestration in nuclear cytoplasmic inclusions. Most importantly, RGNEF inclusions in the spinal motor neurons of ALS patients have been shown to co-localize with inclusions of TDP-43, the major well-known RNA-binding protein aggregating in the brain and spinal cord of human patients. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that loss-of-function of both proteins following aggregation may contribute to motor neuron death/survival in ALS patients. To further characterize their relationship, we have compared the transcriptomic profiles of neuronal cells depleted of TDP-43 and RGNEF and show that these two factors predominantly act in an antagonistic manner when regulating the expression of axon guidance genes. From a mechanistic point of view, our experiments show that the effect of these genes on the processivity of long introns can explain their mode of action. Taken together, our results show that loss-of-function of factors co-aggregating with TDP-43 can potentially affect the expression of commonly regulated neuronal genes in a very significant manner, potentially acting as disease modifiers. This finding further highlights that neurodegenerative processes at the RNA level are the result of combinatorial interactions between different RNA-binding factors that can be co-aggregated in neuronal cells. A deeper understanding of these complex scenarios may lead to a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms occurring in patients, where more than one specific protein may be aggregating in their neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Abbassi
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Cappelli
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Eugenio Spagnolo
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Alice Gennari
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giulia Visani
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Simone Barattucci
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesca Paron
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristiana Stuani
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristian A Droppelmann
- Molecular Medicine Group, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael J Strong
- Molecular Medicine Group, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emanuele Buratti
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy
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Wolff AW, Peine J, Höfler J, Zurek G, Hemker C, Lingor P. SAFE-ROCK: A Phase I Trial of an Oral Application of the ROCK Inhibitor Fasudil to Assess Bioavailability, Safety, and Tolerability in Healthy Participants. CNS Drugs 2024; 38:291-302. [PMID: 38416402 PMCID: PMC10980656 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01070-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intravenous (IV) formulation of Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor fasudil has been approved for the treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhage since 1995. Additionally, fasudil has shown promising preclinical results for various chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and dementia, in which long-term intravenous (IV) administration might not be suitable. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the absolute bioavailability of oral, in comparison to IV, application of the approved formulation of fasudil (ERIL®) and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the oral application of fasudil. METHODS This was a phase I, single-center, open-label, randomized, two period cross-over clinical trial in healthy women and men. By applying a cross-over design, each subject served as their own control. Two treatments were investigated, separated by a wash out phase of at least 3 days. Oral fasudil was administered once on day 1 to assess pharmacokinetics and three times on day 2, at an interval of 8 ± 1 h, to assess safety and gastrointestinal tolerability. For pharmacometrics of IV fasudil, it was administered once on day 1. Plasma profiles of fasudil and its active metabolite hydroxyfasudil after oral or IV administration were measured by liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Tolerability was assessed as proportion of subjects without significant drug intolerance, and safety was assessed by the proportion of subjects without clinical or laboratory treatment-associated serious adverse events. Gastrointestinal safety was assessed by applying the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS). RESULTS Fourteen subjects aged 30-70 years were included in this trial. After oral administration, fasudil concentrations in blood were mostly very low [1.4 g/L; coefficient of variation (CV) 41.0%]. After IV application, the peak concentration was 100.6 µg/L (CV 74.2%); however, a high variance in peak concentrations were assessed for both treatments. The maximal concentrations of hydroxyfasudil in blood were similar after oral and IV treatment [111.6 µg/L (CV 24.1%) and 108.4 µg/L (CV 19.7%), respectively]. Exposure of hydroxyfasudil (assessed as AUC0-tz) differed between both treatments, with 449 µg × h/L after IV treatment and 309 µg × h/L after oral treatment. Therefore, the absolute bioavailability of hydroxyfasudil after the oral treatment was approximately 69% of the IV treatment. No serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred during this trial, and good tolerability of oral fasudil (90 mg/day) was documented. CONCLUSIONS Oral fasudil was generally well tolerated in the studied population, and no safety concerns were identified. However, systemic bioavailability of oral hydroxyfasudil corresponded to 69%, and dose adjustments need to considered. The results presented here lay grounds for future trials of fasudil in chronic diseases, which require an oral long-term application. This trial was registered with EudraCT (no. 2019-001805-26).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas W Wolff
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Jörg Peine
- Institute for Clinical Research, AtoZ-CRO GmbH, Overath, Germany
| | | | | | - Claus Hemker
- CTC North GmbH & Co. KG at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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Yan J, Wang YM, Hellwig A, Bading H. TwinF interface inhibitor FP802 stops loss of motor neurons and mitigates disease progression in a mouse model of ALS. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101413. [PMID: 38325382 PMCID: PMC10897598 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101413] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Toxic signaling by extrasynaptic NMDA receptors (eNMDARs) is considered an important promoter of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease progression. To exploit this therapeutically, we take advantage of TwinF interface (TI) inhibition, a pharmacological principle that, contrary to classical NMDAR pharmacology, allows selective elimination of eNMDAR-mediated toxicity via disruption of the NMDAR/TRPM4 death signaling complex while sparing the vital physiological functions of synaptic NMDARs. Post-disease onset treatment of the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model with FP802, a modified TI inhibitor with a safe pharmacology profile, stops the progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, resulting in a reduction in the serum biomarker neurofilament light chain, improved motor performance, and an extension of life expectancy. FP802 also effectively blocks NMDA-induced death of neurons in ALS patient-derived forebrain organoids. These results establish eNMDAR toxicity as a key player in ALS pathogenesis. TI inhibitors may provide an effective treatment option for ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yan
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yu Meng Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Hellwig
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilmar Bading
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Wolff AW, Bidner H, Remane Y, Zimmer J, Aarsland D, Rascol O, Wyse RK, Hapfelmeier A, Lingor P. Protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase IIa study of the safety, tolerability, and symptomatic efficacy of the ROCK-inhibitor Fasudil in patients with Parkinson's disease (ROCK-PD). Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1308577. [PMID: 38419648 PMCID: PMC10899319 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1308577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Fasudil has shown symptomatic and disease-modifying effects in Parkinson's disease (PD) models in vitro and in vivo. In Japan, Fasudil has been approved for the treatment of subarachnoid haemorrhage since 1995 and shows a favourable safety profile. Objectives/design To investigate the safety, tolerability, and symptomatic efficacy of ROCK-inhibitor Fasudil in comparison to placebo in a randomized, national, multicenter, double-blind phase IIa study in patients with PD. Methods/analysis We plan to include 75 patients with at least 'probable' PD (MDS criteria), Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-3, and age 30-80 years in 13 German study sites. Patients must be non-fluctuating and their response to PD medication must have been stable for 6 weeks. Patients will be randomly allocated to treatment with the oral investigational medicinal product (IMP) containing either Fasudil in two dosages, or placebo, for a total of 22 days. As primary analysis, non-inferiority of low/high dose of Fasudil on the combined endpoint consisting of occurrence of intolerance and/or treatment-related serious adverse events (SAEs) over 22 days will be assessed in a sequential order, starting with the lower dose. Secondary endpoints will include tolerability alone over 22 days and occurrence of treatment-related SAEs (SARs) over 22 and 50 days and will be compared on group level. Additional secondary endpoints include efficacy on motor and non-motor symptoms, measured on established scales, and will be assessed at several timepoints. Biomaterial will be collected to determine pharmacokinetics of Fasudil and its active metabolite, and to evaluate biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Ethics/registration/discussion After positive evaluation by the competent authority and the ethics committee, patient recruitment started in the 3rd quarter of 2023. ROCK-PD is registered with Eudra-CT (2021-003879-34) and clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05931575). Results of this trial can pave way for conducting extended-duration studies assessing both symptomatic efficacy and disease-modifying properties of Fasudil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas W Wolff
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Helen Bidner
- Münchner Studienzentrum (MSZ), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Yvonne Remane
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Safety Center, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Janine Zimmer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Safety Center, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Age-Related Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Olivier Rascol
- Clinical Investigation Center CIC1436, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Neurosciences, University of Toulouse 3, University Hospital of Toulouse, INSERM, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Alexander Hapfelmeier
- Institute of AI and Informatics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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Jiang L, Qu S, Yu Z, Wang J, Liu X. MOASL: Predicting drug mechanism of actions through similarity learning with transcriptomic signature. Comput Biol Med 2024; 169:107853. [PMID: 38104518 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107853] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms of actions (MOAs) of compounds is crucial in drug discovery. A common step in drug MOAs annotation is to query the dysregulated gene signatures induced by drugs in a reference library of pre-defined signatures. However, traditional similarity-based computational strategies face challenges when dealing with high-dimensional and noisy transcriptional signature data. To address this issue, we introduce MOASL (MOAs prediction via Similarity Learning), a novel approach that contrastive to learn similarity embeddings among signatures with shared MOAs automatically. We evaluated the accuracy of signature matching on various transcriptional activity score (TAS) datasets and individual cell lines by using MOASL. The results show MOASL achieved higher performance over several statistical and machine learning methods. Furthermore, we provided the rationale of our model by visualizing the signature annotation procedure. Using MOASL, the MOAs label of query signature could be conveniently defined by calculating the similarity between the query embedding and the reference embeddings. Finally, we applied MOASL to repurpose thousands of compounds as glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists, accurately identifying 8 out of the top 10 compounds. MOASL is conveniently accessible on GitHub at https://github.com/jianglikun/MOASL, empowering researchers and practitioners in the field of drug discovery to predict the MOAs of drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Jiang
- Department of Computer Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China; National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Susu Qu
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, PR China
| | - Zhengqiu Yu
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Jianmin Wang
- The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Integrative Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, South Korea
| | - Xiangrong Liu
- Department of Computer Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China; National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, PR China.
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Ratano P, Cocozza G, Pinchera C, Busdraghi LM, Cantando I, Martinello K, Scioli M, Rosito M, Bezzi P, Fucile S, Wulff H, Limatola C, D’Alessandro G. Reduction of inflammation and mitochondrial degeneration in mutant SOD1 mice through inhibition of voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 16:1333745. [PMID: 38292023 PMCID: PMC10824952 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1333745] [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: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapy, causing progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem, and motor cortex. Regardless of its genetic or sporadic origin, there is currently no cure for ALS or therapy that can reverse or control its progression. In the present study, taking advantage of a human superoxide dismutase-1 mutant (hSOD1-G93A) mouse that recapitulates key pathological features of human ALS, we investigated the possible role of voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 in disease progression. We found that chronic administration of the brain-penetrant Kv1.3 inhibitor, PAP-1 (40 mg/Kg), in early symptomatic mice (i) improves motor deficits and prolongs survival of diseased mice (ii) reduces astrocyte reactivity, microglial Kv1.3 expression, and serum pro-inflammatory soluble factors (iii) improves structural mitochondrial deficits in motor neuron mitochondria (iv) restores mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction. Taken together, these findings underscore the potential significance of Kv1.3 activity as a contributing factor to the metabolic disturbances observed in ALS. Consequently, targeting Kv1.3 presents a promising avenue for modulating disease progression, shedding new light on potential therapeutic strategies for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Germana Cocozza
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Iva Cantando
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Maria Rosito
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bezzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Fucile
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Cristina Limatola
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina D’Alessandro
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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Lingli C, Hongmei N, Penghuan J, Hongli Z, Yuye L, Rui W, Fei R, Zhihong Y, Dongfang H, Yaming G. Inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway activity improves neural damage and cognitive deficits in the fluorosis model. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 266:115554. [PMID: 37806133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Excessive fluoride intake poses health risks to humans and animals. Many studies have indicated that fluoride exposure can damage the cytoskeleton and synapses, which has negative effects on the intellectual development of humans and animals. Our previous study suggested that the RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway is activated by NaF exposure in HT-22 cells and plays a vital role in cytoskeletal assembly and synaptogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying RhoA/ROCK-mediated cytoskeletal injury induced by fluoride remains unclear. In this study, Neuro-2A cells and ICR mice were used to investigate the effects of RhoA/ROCK activation inhibition on NaF-induced synaptic dysfunction and cognitive impairment. We detected the expression of GAP, RhoA, ROCK1/2, and (p)-MLC in vivo and in vitro model. The results showed that NaF exposure activated the RhoA/ROCK/MLC signalling pathway. We measured the effects of RhoA/ROCK inhibition on synaptic injury and intellectual impairment induced by NaF exposure. In vitro, Y-27632 suppressed activated RhoA/ROCK, attenuated morphological and ultrastructural damage, and decreased the survival rate and synapse-functional protein expression caused by NaF. In vivo, the results showed that the RhoA/ROCK/MLC pathway was inhibited by fasudil and improved pathological damage in the hippocampus, cognitive impairment, and decreased expression of neurofunctional proteins induced by NaF. Overall, these results suggest that fasudil and Y-27632 can reverse neurotoxicity caused by fluoride exposure. Furthermore, inhibition of RhoA/ROCK may be a future treatment for CNS injury, and more detailed studies on other neurodegenerative disease models are required to confirm its effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Lingli
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China; Postdoctoral Research and Development Base, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Ning Hongmei
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Jia Penghuan
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Zhang Hongli
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Liu Yuye
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Wang Rui
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Ren Fei
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Yin Zhihong
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Hu Dongfang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China
| | - Ge Yaming
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence, 453003, China.
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Chu GG, Wang J, Ding ZB, Yin JZ, Song LJ, Wang Q, Huang JJ, Xiao BG, Ma CG. Hydroxyfasudil regulates immune balance and suppresses inflammatory responses in the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 124:110791. [PMID: 37619413 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110791] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (CNS) disease with complicated etiology. Multifocal demyelination and invasion of inflammatory cells are its primary pathological features. Fasudil has been confirmed to improve experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. However, Fasudil is accompanied by several shortcomings in the clinical practice. Hydroxyfasudil is a metabolite of Fasudil in the body with better pharmaceutical properties. Therefore, we attempted to study the influence of Hydroxyfasudil upon EAE mice. The results demonstrated that Hydroxyfasudil relieved the symptoms of EAE and the associated pathological damage, reduced the adhesion molecules and chemokines, decreased the invasion of peripheral immune cells. Simultaneously, Hydroxyfasudil modified the rebalance of peripheral T cells. Moreover, Hydroxyfasudil shifted the M1 phenotype to M2 polarization, inhibited inflammatory signaling cascades as well as inflammatory factors, and promoted anti-inflammatory factors in the CNS. In the end, mice in the Hydroxyfasudil group expressed more tight junction proteins, indirectly indicating that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was protected. Our results indicate that Hydroxyfasudil may be a prospective treatment for MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Guo Chu
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Dept. of Neurology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Ding
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China; Dept. of Neurology, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan 030032, China
| | - Jin-Zhu Yin
- Dept. of Neurosurgery/The Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Neurological Disease of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission, Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital, Datong 037003, China
| | - Li-Juan Song
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China; Dept. of Neurosurgery/The Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Neurological Disease of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission, Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital, Datong 037003, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Dept. of Neurology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
| | - Jian-Jun Huang
- Dept. of Neurosurgery/The Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Neurological Disease of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission, Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital, Datong 037003, China
| | - Bao-Guo Xiao
- Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Cun-Gen Ma
- The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Research Center of Neurobiology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China.
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Chen L, Jia P, Liu Y, Wang R, Yin Z, Hu D, Ning H, Ge Y. Fluoride exposure disrupts the cytoskeletal arrangement and ATP synthesis of HT-22 cell by activating the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 254:114718. [PMID: 36950989 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fluoride, an environmental contaminant, is ubiquitously present in air, water, and soil. It usually enters the body through drinking water and may cause structural and functional disorders in the central nervous system in humans and animals. Fluoride exposure affects cytoskeleton and neural function, but the mechanism is not clear. METHODS The specific neurotoxic mechanism of fluoride was explored in HT-22 cells. Cellular proliferation and toxicity detection were investigated by CCK-8, CCK-F, and cytotoxicity detection kits. The development morphology of HT-22 cells was observed under a light microscope. Cell membrane permeability and neurotransmitter content were determined using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate content determination kits, respectively. The ultrastructural changes were detected by transmission electron microscopy, and actin homeostasis was observed by laser confocal microscopy. ATP enzyme and ATP activity were determined using the ATP content kit and ultramicro-total ATP enzyme content kit, respectively. The expression levels of GLUT1 and 3 were assessed by Western Blot assays and qRT-PCR. RESULTS Our results showed that fluoride reduced the proliferation and survival rates of HT-22 cells. Cytomorphology showed that dendritic spines became shorter, cellular bodies became rounder, and adhesion decreased gradually after fluoride exposure. LDH results showed that fluoride exposure increased the membrane permeability of HT-22 cells. Transmission electron microscopy results showed that fluoride caused cells to swell, microvilli content decreased, cellular membrane integrity was damaged, chromatin was sparse, mitochondria ridge gap became wide, and microfilament and microtubule density decreased. Western Blot and qRT-PCR analyses showed that RhoA/ROCK/LIMK/Cofilin signaling pathway was activated by fluoride. F-actin/G-actin fluorescence intensity ratio remarkably increased in 0.125 and 0.5 mM NaF, and the mRNA expression of MAP2 was significantly decreased. Further studies showed that GLUT3 significantly increased in all fluoride groups, while GLUT1 decreased (p < 0.05). ATP contents remarkably increased, and ATP enzyme activity substantially decreased after NaF treatment with the control. CONCLUSION Fluoride activates the RhoA/ROCK/LIMK/Cofilin signaling pathway, impairs the ultrastructure, and depresses the connection of synapses in HT-22 cells. Moreover, fluoride exposure affects the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT1 and 3) and ATP synthesis. Sum up fluoride exposure disrupts actin homeostasis, ultimately affecting structure, and function in HT-22 cells. These findings support our previous hypothesis and provide a new perspective on the neurotoxic mechanism of fluorosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingli Chen
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China; Postdoctoral Research and Development Base, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Penghuan Jia
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Yuye Liu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Zhihong Yin
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Dongfang Hu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Hongmei Ning
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China
| | - Yaming Ge
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Provence 453003, China.
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You Y, Zhu K, Wang J, Liang Q, Li W, Wang L, Guo B, Zhou J, Feng X, Shi J. ROCK inhibitor: Focus on recent updates. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
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11
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Wang Q, Song LJ, Ding ZB, Chai Z, Yu JZ, Xiao BG, Ma CG. Advantages of Rho-associated kinases and their inhibitor fasudil for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:2623-2631. [PMID: 35662192 PMCID: PMC9165373 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.335827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras homolog (Rho)-associated kinases (ROCKs) belong to the serine-threonine kinase family, which plays a pivotal role in regulating the damage, survival, axon guidance, and regeneration of neurons. ROCKs are also involved in the biological effects of immune cells and glial cells, as well as the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Previous studies by us and others confirmed that ROCKs inhibitors attenuated the symptoms and progression of experimental models of the abovementioned neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting neuroinflammation, regulating immune imbalance, repairing the blood-brain barrier, and promoting nerve repair and myelin regeneration. Fasudil, the first ROCKs inhibitor to be used clinically, has a good therapeutic effect on neurodegenerative diseases. Fasudil increases the activity of neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells, thus optimizing cell therapy. This review will systematically describe, for the first time, the effects of abnormal activation of ROCKs on T cells, B cells, microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and pericytes in neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system, summarize the therapeutic potential of fasudil in several experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases, and clarify the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of ROCKs inhibition. This review also proposes that fasudil is a novel potential treatment, especially in combination with cell-based therapy. Findings from this review add support for further investigation of ROCKs and its inhibitor fasudil for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Li-Juan Song
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
- Department of Physiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Ding
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Zhi Chai
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Jie-Zhong Yu
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China
- Department of Neurology, Datong Fifth People’s Hospital, Datong, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Bao-Guo Xiao
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
- Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cun-Gen Ma
- Research Center of Neurobiology, The Key Research Laboratory of Benefiting Qi for Acting Blood Circulation Method to Treat Multiple Sclerosis of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, China
- Institute of Brain Science, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Neurodegenerative Diseases, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China
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12
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Sen S, Lagas S, Roy A, Kumar H. Cytoskeleton saga: Its regulation in normal physiology and modulation in neurodegenerative disorders. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 925:175001. [PMID: 35525310 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175001] [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: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cells are fundamental units of life. To ensure the maintenance of homeostasis, integrity of structural and functional counterparts is needed to be essentially balanced. The cytoskeleton plays a vital role in regulating the cellular morphology, signalling and other factors involved in pathological conditions. Microtubules, actin (microfilaments), intermediate filaments (IF) and their interactions are required for these activities. Various proteins associated with these components are primary requirements for directing their functions. Disruption of this organization due to faulty genetics, oxidative stress or impaired transport mechanisms are the major causes of dysregulated signalling cascades leading to various pathological conditions like Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) or any traumatic injury like spinal cord injury (SCI). Novel or conventional therapeutic approaches may be specific or non-specific, targeting either three basic components of the cytoskeleton or various cascades that serve as a cue to numerous pathways like ROCK signalling or the GSK-3β pathway. An enormous number of drugs have been redirected for modulating the cytoskeletal dynamics and thereby may pave the way for inhibiting the progression of these diseases and their complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santimoy Sen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Sheetal Lagas
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Abhishek Roy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Hemant Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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13
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RhoA Signaling in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091520. [PMID: 35563826 PMCID: PMC9103838 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) is a small GTPase of the Rho family involved in regulating multiple signal transduction pathways that influence a diverse range of cellular functions. RhoA and many of its downstream effector proteins are highly expressed in the nervous system, implying an important role for RhoA signaling in neurons and glial cells. Indeed, emerging evidence points toward a role of aberrant RhoA signaling in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of RhoA regulation and downstream cellular functions with an emphasis on the role of RhoA signaling in neurodegenerative diseases and the therapeutic potential of RhoA inhibition in neurodegeneration.
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14
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Gao S, Han L, Luo D, Xiao Z, Liu G, Zhang Y, Zhou W. Deep Learning Applications for the accurate identification of low-transcriptional activity drugs and their mechanism of actions. Pharmacol Res 2022; 180:106225. [PMID: 35452801 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of drug-induced expression profiles facilitated comprehensive understanding of drug properties. However, many compounds exhibit weak transcription responses though they mostly possess definite pharmacological effects. Actually, as a representative example, over 66.4% of 312,438 molecular signatures in the Library of Integrated Cellular Signatures (LINCS) database exhibit low-transcriptional activities (i.e. TAS-low signatures). When computing the association between TAS-low signatures with shared mechanism of actions (MOAs), commonly used algorithms showed inadequate performance with an average area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.55, but the computation accuracy of the same task can be improved by our developed tool Genetic profile activity relationship (GPAR) with an average AUROC of 0.68. Up to 36 out of 74 TAS-low MOAs were well trained with AUROC≥0.7 by GPAR, higher than those by other approaches. Further studies showed that GPAR benefited from the size of training samples more significantly than other approaches. Lastly, in biological validation of the MOA prediction for a TAS-low drug Tropisetron, we found an unreported mechanism that Tropisetron can bind to the glucocorticoid receptor. This study indicated that GPAR can serve as an effective approach for the accurate identification of low-transcriptional activity drugs and their MOAs, thus providing a good tool for drug repurposing with both TAS-low and TAS-high signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqiao Gao
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Lu Han
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Zhiyong Xiao
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Yongxiang Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Wenxia Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China; State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing 100850, China.
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15
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Immune Signaling Kinases in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413280. [PMID: 34948077 PMCID: PMC8707599 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder of motor neurons in adults, with a median survival of 3-5 years after appearance of symptoms, and with no curative treatment currently available. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is also an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease, displaying not only clinical overlap with ALS, but also significant similarities at genetic and pathologic levels. Apart from the progressive loss of neurons and the accumulation of protein inclusions in certain cells and tissues, both disorders are characterized by chronic inflammation mediated by activated microglia and astrocytes, with an early and critical impact of neurodegeneration along the disease course. Despite the progress made in the last two decades in our knowledge around these disorders, the underlying molecular mechanisms of such non-cell autonomous neuronal loss still need to be clarified. In particular, immune signaling kinases are currently thought to have a key role in determining the neuroprotective or neurodegenerative nature of the central and peripheral immune states in health and disease. This review provides a comprehensive and updated view of the proposed mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and ongoing clinical trials of immune-related kinases that have been linked to ALS and/or FTD, by covering the more established TBK1, RIPK1/3, RACK I, and EPHA4 kinases, as well as other emerging players in ALS and FTD immune signaling.
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16
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Weber AJ, Adamson AB, Greathouse KM, Andrade JP, Freeman CD, Seo JV, Rae RJ, Walker CK, Herskowitz JH. Conditional deletion of ROCK2 induces anxiety-like behaviors and alters dendritic spine density and morphology on CA1 pyramidal neurons. Mol Brain 2021; 14:169. [PMID: 34794469 PMCID: PMC8600782 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00878-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho-associated kinase isoform 2 (ROCK2) is an attractive drug target for several neurologic disorders. A critical barrier to ROCK2-based research and therapeutics is the lack of a mouse model that enables investigation of ROCK2 with spatial and temporal control of gene expression. To overcome this, we generated ROCK2fl/fl mice. Mice expressing Cre recombinase in forebrain excitatory neurons (CaMKII-Cre) were crossed with ROCK2fl/fl mice (Cre/ROCK2fl/fl), and the contribution of ROCK2 in behavior as well as dendritic spine morphology in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) was examined. Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice spent reduced time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and increased time in the dark of the light-dark box test compared to littermate controls. These results indicated that Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice exhibited anxiety-like behaviors. To examine dendritic spine morphology, individual pyramidal neurons in CA1 hippocampus, mPFC, and the BLA were targeted for iontophoretic microinjection of fluorescent dye, followed by high-resolution confocal microscopy and neuronal 3D reconstructions for morphometry analysis. In dorsal CA1, Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice displayed significantly increased thin spine density on basal dendrites and reduced mean spine head volume across all spine types on apical dendrites. In ventral CA1, Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice exhibited significantly increased spine length on apical dendrites. Spine density and morphology were comparable in the mPFC and BLA between both genotypes. These findings suggest that neuronal ROCK2 mediates spine density and morphology in a compartmentalized manner among CA1 pyramidal cells, and that in the absence of ROCK2 these mechanisms may contribute to anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey J Weber
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Ashley B Adamson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Julia P Andrade
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Cameron D Freeman
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jung Vin Seo
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Rosaria J Rae
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Courtney K Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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17
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Weber AJ, Herskowitz JH. Perspectives on ROCK2 as a Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:636017. [PMID: 33790742 PMCID: PMC8005730 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.636017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase isoform 2 (ROCK2) is a member of the AGC family of serine/threonine kinases and an extensively studied regulator of actin-mediated cytoskeleton contractility. Over the past decade, new evidence has emerged that suggests ROCK2 regulates autophagy. Recent studies indicate that dysregulation of autophagy contributes to the development of misfolded tau aggregates among entorhinal cortex (EC) excitatory neurons in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the accumulation of tau oligomers and fibrils is toxic to neurons, autophagy facilitates the degradation of these pathologic species and represents a major cellular pathway for tau disposal in neurons. ROCK2 is expressed in excitatory neurons and pharmacologic inhibition of ROCK2 can induce autophagy pathways. In this mini-review, we explore potential mechanisms by which ROCK2 mediates autophagy and actin dynamics and discuss how these pathways represent therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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18
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Lopez-Lopez A, Labandeira CM, Labandeira-Garcia JL, Muñoz A. Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil reduces l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:5622-5641. [PMID: 32986850 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Rho kinase (ROCK) activation is involved in neuroinflammatory processes leading to progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, ROCK plays a major role in angiogenesis. Neuroinflammation and angiogenesis are mechanisms involved in developing l-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID). However, it is not known whether ROCK plays a role in LID and whether ROCK inhibitors may be useful against LID. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In rats, we performed short- and long-term dopaminergic lesions using 6-hydroxydopamine and developed a LID model. Effects of dopaminergic lesions and LID on the RhoA/ROCK levels were studied by western blot, real-time PCR analyses and ROCK activity assays in the substantia nigra and striatum. The effects of the ROCK inhibitor fasudil on LID were particularly investigated. KEY RESULTS Short-term 6-hydroxydopamine lesions increased nigrostriatal RhoA/ROCK expression, apparently related to the active neuroinflammatory process. However, long-term dopaminergic denervation (completed and stabilized lesions) led to a decrease in RhoA/ROCK levels. Rats with LID showed a significant increase of RhoA and ROCK expression. The development of LID was reduced by the ROCK inhibitor fasudil (10 and 40 mg·kg-1 ), without interfering with the therapeutic effect of l-DOPA. Interestingly, treatment of 40 mg·kg-1 of fasudil also induced a significant reduction of dyskinesia in rats with previously established LID. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The present results suggest that ROCK is involved in the pathophysiology of LID and that ROCK inhibitors such as fasudil may be a novel target for preventing or treating LID. Furthermore, previous studies have revealed neuroprotective effects of ROCK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lopez-Lopez
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CiberNed), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen M Labandeira
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Department of Clinical Neurology, Hospital Alvaro Cunqueiro, University Hospital Complex, Vigo, Spain
| | - Jose L Labandeira-Garcia
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CiberNed), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Muñoz
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of Parkinson's Disease, Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Department of Morphological Sciences, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CiberNed), Madrid, Spain
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19
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Palomo V, Nozal V, Rojas-Prats E, Gil C, Martinez A. Protein kinase inhibitors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis therapy. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:1316-1335. [PMID: 32737989 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that causes the progressive loss of motoneurons and, unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for this disease. Interconnecting multiple pathological mechanisms are involved in the neuropathology of this disease, including abnormal aggregation of proteins, neuroinflammation and dysregulation of the ubiquitin proteasome system. Such complex mechanisms, together with the lack of reliable animal models of the disease have hampered the development of drugs for this disease. Protein kinases, a key pharmacological target in several diseases, have been linked to ALS as they play a central role in the pathology of many diseases. Therefore several inhibitors are being currently trailed for clinical proof of concept in ALS patients. In this review, we examine the recent literature on protein kinase inhibitors currently in pharmaceutical development for this diseaseas future therapy for AS together with their involvement in the pathobiology of ALS. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Neurochemistry in Japan. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.6/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valle Palomo
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vanesa Nozal
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Gil
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Martinez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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20
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Jin M, Günther R, Akgün K, Hermann A, Ziemssen T. Peripheral proinflammatory Th1/Th17 immune cell shift is linked to disease severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5941. [PMID: 32246039 PMCID: PMC7125229 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62756-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but only limited data are available on systematic peripheral and central immune cell profiles in ALS. We studied detailed immune profiles of 73 ALS patients and 48 healthy controls (controls) in peripheral blood by fluorescence-activated cell sorting as well as cytokine expression profiles in serum. In a subgroup of 16 ALS patients and 10 controls we additionally studied cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. In peripheral blood, T cell subtypes presented a shift towards pro-inflammatory Th 1 and Th 17 cells whereas anti-inflammatory Th2 and T regulatory cells were decreased. Important players in innate immunity including distinct monocyte (Mo) and natural killer (NK) cell subtypes were changed in ALS patients compared to controls. Pro-inflammatory serum cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were increased and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was decreased. Correlation analysis revealed moderate negative correlations between Th1 and Th17 to the ALS functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) and to forced vital capacity. In CSF samples, no relevant alteration of the immune profile was found. In conclusion, the immune profile in ALS was shifted towards a Th1/Th17 cell-mediated pro-inflammatory immune response and correlated to disease severity and progression. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Jin
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Clinical Neuroscience, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rene Günther
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. .,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany.
| | - Katja Akgün
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Clinical Neuroscience, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Dresden, Germany.,Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht-Kossel", Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Clinical Neuroscience, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
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21
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Greathouse KM, Henderson BW, Gentry EG, Herskowitz JH. Fasudil or genetic depletion of ROCK1 or ROCK2 induces anxiety-like behaviors. Behav Brain Res 2019; 373:112083. [PMID: 31302146 PMCID: PMC6693674 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Twenty-nine protein kinase inhibitors have been used to treat human diseases. Out of these, two are Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) 1 and 2 inhibitors. The ROCKs heavily influence neuronal architecture and structural plasticity, and ROCKs are putative drug targets for various brain disorders. While the pan-ROCK inhibitor Fasudil has been clinically approved to treat hypertension, heart failure, glaucoma, spinal cord injury, and stroke, a barrier to progress on this therapeutic avenue is the lack of experimental comparisons between pharmacologic and genetic manipulation of ROCKs. Our study begins to address this question using parallel approaches to study behavior in mice that were treated with Fasudil or were heterozygous for ROCK1 or ROCK2. Adult mice treated with Fasudil for thirty days displayed reduced time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, whereas activity in the open field was more analogous to mock-treated animals. Both male and female adult ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice exhibited reduced time spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze compared to littermate controls. However, ROCK1 or ROCK2 heterozygosity did not alter performance in the open field or Y-maze. These results indicate that chronic treatment with Fasudil induces anxiety-like behaviors that are likely the consequence of ROCK1 and/or ROCK2 inhibition. Our findings may have implications for several ongoing clinical trials using Fasudil or other ROCK-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Benjamin W Henderson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Erik G Gentry
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States.
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22
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Stanley A, Heo SJ, Mauck RL, Mourkioti F, Shore EM. Elevated BMP and Mechanical Signaling Through YAP1/RhoA Poises FOP Mesenchymal Progenitors for Osteogenesis. J Bone Miner Res 2019; 34:1894-1909. [PMID: 31107558 PMCID: PMC7209824 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disease characterized by the formation of extraskeletal bone, or heterotopic ossification (HO), in soft connective tissues such as skeletal muscle. All familial and sporadic cases with a classic clinical presentation of FOP carry a gain-of-function mutation (R206H; c.617 G > A) in ACVR1, a cell surface receptor that mediates bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. The BMP signaling pathway is recognized for its chondro/osteogenic-induction potential, and HO in FOP patients forms ectopic but qualitatively normal endochondral bone tissue through misdirected cell fate decisions by tissue-resident mesenchymal stem cells. In addition to biochemical ligand-receptor signaling, mechanical cues from the physical environment are transduced to activate intracellular signaling, a process known as mechanotransduction, and can influence cell fates. Utilizing an established mesenchymal stem cell model of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from the Acvr1R206H/+ mouse model that mimics the human disease, we demonstrated that activation of the mechanotransductive effectors Rho/ROCK and YAP1 are increased in Acvr1R206H/+ cells. We show that on softer substrates, a condition associated with low mechanical signaling, the morphology of Acvr1R206H/+ cells is similar to the morphology of control Acvr1+/+ cells on stiffer substrates, a condition that activates mechanotransduction. We further determined that Acvr1R206H/+ cells are poised for osteogenic differentiation, expressing increased levels of chondro/osteogenic markers compared with Acvr1+/+ cells. We also identified increased YAP1 nuclear localization in Acvr1R206H/+ cells, which can be rescued by either BMP inhibition or Rho antagonism. Our results establish RhoA and YAP1 signaling as modulators of mechanotransduction in FOP and suggest that aberrant mechanical signals, combined with and as a result of the increased BMP pathway signaling through mutant ACVR1, lead to misinterpretation of the cellular microenvironment and a heightened sensitivity to mechanical stimuli that promotes commitment of Acvr1R206H/+ progenitor cells to chondro/osteogenic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Stanley
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Su-jin Heo
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Robert L. Mauck
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
- Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Musculoskeletal Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Foteini Mourkioti
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Musculoskeletal Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Eileen M. Shore
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Musculoskeletal Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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23
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Henderson BW, Greathouse KM, Ramdas R, Walker CK, Rao TC, Bach SV, Curtis KA, Day JJ, Mattheyses AL, Herskowitz JH. Pharmacologic inhibition of LIMK1 provides dendritic spine resilience against β-amyloid. Sci Signal 2019; 12:eaaw9318. [PMID: 31239325 PMCID: PMC7088434 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaw9318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapies predominantly focus on β-amyloid (Aβ), but Aβ effects may be maximal before clinical symptoms appear. Downstream of Aβ, dendritic spine loss correlates most strongly with cognitive decline in AD. Rho-associated kinases (ROCK1 and ROCK2) regulate the actin cytoskeleton, and ROCK1 and ROCK2 protein abundances are increased in early AD. Here, we found that the increased abundance of ROCK1 in cultured primary rat hippocampal neurons reduced dendritic spine length through a myosin-based pathway, whereas the increased abundance of ROCK2 induced spine loss through the serine and threonine kinase LIMK1. Aβ42 oligomers can activate ROCKs. Here, using static imaging studies combined with multielectrode array analyses, we found that the ROCK2-LIMK1 pathway mediated Aβ42-induced spine degeneration and neuronal hyperexcitability. Live-cell microscopy revealed that pharmacologic inhibition of LIMK1 rendered dendritic spines resilient to Aβ42 oligomers. Treatment of hAPP mice with a LIMK1 inhibitor rescued Aβ-induced hippocampal spine loss and morphologic aberrations. Our data suggest that therapeutically targeting LIMK1 may provide dendritic spine resilience to Aβ and therefore may benefit cognitively normal patients that are at high risk for developing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin W Henderson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Raksha Ramdas
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Courtney K Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Tejeshwar C Rao
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Svitlana V Bach
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kendall A Curtis
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Alexa L Mattheyses
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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24
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Hirunpattarasilp C, Attwell D, Freitas F. The role of pericytes in brain disorders: from the periphery to the brain. J Neurochem 2019; 150:648-665. [PMID: 31106417 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly apparent that disorders of the brain microvasculature contribute to many neurological disorders. In recent years it has become clear that a major player in these events is the capillary pericyte which, in the brain, is now known to control the blood-brain barrier, regulate blood flow, influence immune cell entry and be crucial for angiogenesis. In this review we consider the under-explored possibility that peripheral diseases which affect the microvasculature, such as hypertension, kidney disease and diabetes, produce central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction by mechanisms affecting capillary pericytes within the CNS. We highlight how cellular messengers produced peripherally can act via signalling pathways within CNS pericytes to reshape blood vessels, restrict blood flow or compromise blood-brain barrier function, thus causing neuronal dysfunction. Increased understanding of how renin-angiotensin, Rho-kinase and PDGFRβ signalling affect CNS pericytes may suggest novel therapeutic approaches to reducing the CNS effects of peripheral disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanawee Hirunpattarasilp
- Department of Neuroscience, Andrew Huxley Building, University College London, Physiology & Pharmacology, Gower Street, London, UK
| | - David Attwell
- Department of Neuroscience, Andrew Huxley Building, University College London, Physiology & Pharmacology, Gower Street, London, UK
| | - Felipe Freitas
- Department of Neuroscience, Andrew Huxley Building, University College London, Physiology & Pharmacology, Gower Street, London, UK
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25
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Suppression of glioblastoma by a drug cocktail reprogramming tumor cells into neuronal like cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3462. [PMID: 30837577 PMCID: PMC6401026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant tumor in adult brain. Even with the current standard therapy including surgical resection followed by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide (Temo), GBM patients still have a poor median survival. Reprogramming of tumor cells into non-malignant cells might be a promising therapeutic strategy for malignant tumors, including GBM. Based on previous studies using small molecules to reprogram astrocytes into neuronal cells, here we further identified a FTT cocktail of three commonly used drugs (Fasudil, Tranilast, and Temo) to reprogram patient-derived GBM cells, either cultured in serum containing or serum-free medium, into neuronal like cells. FTT-treated GBM cells displayed a neuronal like morphology, expressed neuronal genes, exhibited neuronal electrophysiological properties, and showed attenuated malignancy. More importantly, FTT cocktail more significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival in GBM patient derived xenograft than Temo alone. Our study provided preclinical evidence that the neuronal reprogramming drug cocktail might be a promising strategy to improve the existing treatment for GBM.
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26
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Greathouse KM, Boros BD, Deslauriers JF, Henderson BW, Curtis KA, Gentry EG, Herskowitz JH. Distinct and complementary functions of rho kinase isoforms ROCK1 and ROCK2 in prefrontal cortex structural plasticity. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4227-4241. [PMID: 30196430 PMCID: PMC6252131 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK) 1 and 2 are attractive drug targets for a range of neurologic disorders; however, a critical barrier to ROCK-based therapeutics is ambiguity over whether there are isoform-specific roles for ROCKs in neuronal structural plasticity. Here, we used a genetics approach to address this long-standing question by analyzing both male and female adult ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice compared to littermate controls. Individual pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were targeted for iontophoretic microinjection of fluorescent dye, followed by high-resolution confocal microscopy and neuronal 3D reconstructions for morphometry analysis. Increased apical and basal dendritic length and intersections were observed in ROCK1+/- but not ROCK2+/- mice. Although dendritic spine densities were comparable among genotypes, apical spine length was decreased in ROCK1+/- but increased in ROCK2+/- mice. Spine head and neck diameter were reduced similarly in ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice; however, certain spine morphologic subclasses were more affected than others in a genotype-dependent manner. Biochemical analyses of ROCK substrates in synaptic fractions revealed that phosphorylation of LIM kinase and cofilin were reduced in ROCK1+/- and ROCK2+/- mice, while phosphorylation of myosin light chain was decreased exclusively in ROCK1+/- mice. Collectively, these observations implicate ROCK1 as a novel regulatory factor of neuronal dendritic structure and detail distinct and complementary roles of ROCKs in mPFC dendritic spine structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Greathouse
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin D Boros
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Josue F Deslauriers
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin W Henderson
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kendall A Curtis
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Erik G Gentry
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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27
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28
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Kumar M, Bansal N. Fasudil hydrochloride ameliorates memory deficits in rat model of streptozotocin-induced Alzheimer’s disease: Involvement of PI3-kinase, eNOS and NFκB. Behav Brain Res 2018; 351:4-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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29
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Roser AE, Tönges L, Lingor P. Modulation of Microglial Activity by Rho-Kinase (ROCK) Inhibition as Therapeutic Strategy in Parkinson's Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:94. [PMID: 28420986 PMCID: PMC5378706 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system (CNS, PNS), resulting in a reduced innervation of target structures and a loss of function. A shared characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases is the infiltration of microglial cells into affected brain regions. During early disease stages microglial cells often display a rather neuroprotective phenotype, but switch to a more pro-inflammatory neurotoxic phenotype in later stages of the disease, contributing to the neurodegeneration. Activation of the Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway appears to be instrumental for the modulation of the microglial phenotype: increased ROCK activity in microglia mediates mechanisms of the inflammatory response and is associated with improved motility, increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and release of inflammatory cytokines. Recently, several studies suggested inhibition of ROCK signaling as a promising treatment option for neurodegenerative diseases. In this review article, we discuss the contribution of microglial activity and phenotype switch to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), two devastating neurodegenerative diseases without disease-modifying treatment options. Furthermore, we describe how ROCK inhibition can influence the microglial phenotype in disease models and explore ROCK inhibition as a future treatment option for PD and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Elisa Roser
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany.,DFG Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany
| | - Lars Tönges
- Department of Neurology, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany.,DFG Cluster of Excellence Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University Medicine GöttingenGöttingen, Germany
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