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Wang Y, Hanus JW, Abu-Asab MS, Shen D, Ogilvy A, Ou J, Chu XK, Shi G, Li W, Wang S, Chan CC. NLRP3 Upregulation in Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E73. [PMID: 26760997 PMCID: PMC4730317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and possibly associated with an activation of neuronal apoptosis inhibitor protein/class II transcription activator of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)/heterokaryon incompatibility/telomerase-associated protein 1, leucine-rich repeat or nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing family, and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. In the present study, we used a translational approach to address this hypothesis. In patients with AMD, we observed increased mRNA levels of NLRP3, pro-interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and pro-IL-18 in AMD lesions of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptor. In vitro, a similar increase was evoked by oxidative stress or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in the adult retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cell line, and the increase was reduced in siRNA transfected cells to knockdown NLRP3. Ultrastructural studies of ARPE-19 cells showed a swelling of the cytoplasm, mitochondrial damage, and occurrence of autophagosome-like structures. NLRP3 positive dots were detected within autophagosome-like structures or in the extracellular space. Next, we used a mouse model of AMD, Ccl2/Cx3cr1 double knockout on rd8 background (DKO rd8) to ascertain the in vivo relevance. Ultrastructural studies of the RPE of these mice showed damaged mitochondria, autophagosome-like structures, and cytoplasmic vacuoles, which are reminiscent of the pathology seen in stressed ARPE-19 cells. The data suggest that the NLRP3 inflammasome may contribute in AMD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Wang
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
| | - Jakub W Hanus
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
| | - Mones S Abu-Asab
- Histopathology Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Defen Shen
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Alexander Ogilvy
- Histopathology Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Jingxing Ou
- Unit on Retinal Neurophysiology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Xi K Chu
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Guangpu Shi
- Experimental Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Wei Li
- Unit on Retinal Neurophysiology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Shusheng Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
| | - Chi-Chao Chan
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
- Histopathology Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Tuo J, Wang Y, Cheng R, Li Y, Chen M, Qiu F, Qian H, Shen D, Penalva R, Xu H, Ma JX, Chan CC. Wnt signaling in age-related macular degeneration: human macular tissue and mouse model. J Transl Med 2015; 13:330. [PMID: 26476672 PMCID: PMC4609061 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt) signaling is a group of signal transduction pathways. In canonical Wnt pathway, Wnt ligands bind to low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 or 6 (LRP5 or LRP6), resulting in phosphorylation and activation of the receptor. We hypothesize that canonical Wnt pathway plays a role in the retinal lesion of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible central visual loss in elderly. Methods We examined LRP6 phosphorylation and Wnt signaling cascade in human retinal sections and plasma kallistatin, an endogenous inhibitor of the Wnt pathway in AMD patients and non-AMD subjects. We also used the Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/rd8 and Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1gfp/gfp mouse models with AMD-like retinal degeneration to further explore the involvement of Wnt signaling activation in the retinal lesions in those models and to preclinically evaluate the role of Wnt signaling suppression as a potential therapeutic option for AMD. Results We found higher levels of LRP6 (a key Wnt signaling receptor) protein phosphorylation and transcripts of the Wnt pathway-targeted genes, as well as higher beta-catenin protein in AMD macula compared to controls. Kallistatin was decreased in the plasma of AMD patients. Retinal non-phosphorylated-β-catenin and phosphorylated-LRP6 were higher in Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/rd8 mice than that in wild type. Intravitreal administration of an anti-LRP6 antibody slowed the progression of retinal lesions in Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/rd8 and Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1gfp/gfp mice. Electroretinography of treated eyes exhibited larger amplitudes compared to controls in both mouse models. A2E, a retinoid byproduct associated with AMD was lower in the treated eyes of Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/rd8 mice. Anti-LRP6 also suppressed the expression of Tnf-α and Icam-1 in Ccl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/rd8 retinas. Conclusions Wnt signaling may be disturbed in AMD patients, which could contribute to the retinal inflammation and increased A2E levels found in AMD. Aberrant activation of canonical Wnt signaling might also contribute to the focal retinal degenerative lesions of mouse models with Ccl2 and Cx3cr1 deficiency, and intravitreal administration of anti-LRP6 antibody could be beneficial by deactivating the canonical Wnt pathway. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-015-0683-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingsheng Tuo
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10, Rm. 10N103, NIH/NEI, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1857, USA.
| | - Yujuan Wang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10, Rm. 10N103, NIH/NEI, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1857, USA.
| | - Rui Cheng
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Yichao Li
- Visual Function Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Mei Chen
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
| | - Fangfang Qiu
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Haohua Qian
- Visual Function Core, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Defen Shen
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10, Rm. 10N103, NIH/NEI, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1857, USA.
| | - Rosana Penalva
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
| | - Heping Xu
- Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
| | - Jian-Xing Ma
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Chi-Chao Chan
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10, Rm. 10N103, NIH/NEI, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1857, USA.
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Ardeljan D, Wang Y, Park S, Shen D, Chu XK, Yu CR, Abu-Asab M, Tuo J, Eberhart CG, Olsen TW, Mullins RF, White G, Wadsworth S, Scaria A, Chan CC. Interleukin-17 retinotoxicity is prevented by gene transfer of a soluble interleukin-17 receptor acting as a cytokine blocker: implications for age-related macular degeneration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95900. [PMID: 24780906 PMCID: PMC4004582 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common yet complex retinal degeneration that causes irreversible central blindness in the elderly. Pathology is widely believed to follow loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptor degeneration. Here we report aberrant expression of interleukin-17A (IL17A) and the receptor IL17RC in the macula of AMD patients. In vitro, IL17A induces RPE cell death characterized by the accumulation of cytoplasmic lipids and autophagosomes with subsequent activation of pro-apoptotic Caspase-3 and Caspase-9. This pathology is reduced by siRNA knockdown of IL17RC. IL17-dependent retinal degeneration in a mouse model of focal retinal degeneration can be prevented by gene therapy with adeno-associated virus vector encoding soluble IL17 receptor. This intervention rescues RPE and photoreceptors in a MAPK-dependent process. The IL17 pathway plays a key role in RPE and photoreceptor degeneration and could hold therapeutic potential in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ardeljan
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yujuan Wang
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Stanley Park
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Defen Shen
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xi Kathy Chu
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cheng-Rong Yu
- Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mones Abu-Asab
- Histology Core, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jingsheng Tuo
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Charles G. Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Timothy W. Olsen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert F. Mullins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Gary White
- Genzyme Corporation, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sam Wadsworth
- Genzyme Corporation, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Abraham Scaria
- Genzyme Corporation, Framingham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chi-Chao Chan
- Immunopathology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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