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Michel-Flutot P, Cheng L, Thomas SJ, Lisi B, Schwartz H, Lam S, Lyttle M, Jaffe DA, Smith G, Li S, Wright MC, Lepore AC. PTEN inhibition promotes robust growth of bulbospinal respiratory axons and partial recovery of diaphragm function in a chronic model of cervical contusion spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2024; 378:114816. [PMID: 38789023 PMCID: PMC11200215 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114816] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
High spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to persistent and debilitating compromise in respiratory function. Cervical SCI not only causes the death of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) that innervate the diaphragm, but also damages descending respiratory pathways originating in the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) located in the brainstem, resulting in denervation and consequent silencing of spared PhMNs located caudal to injury. It is imperative to determine whether interventions targeting rVRG axon growth and respiratory neural circuit reconnection are efficacious in chronic cervical contusion SCI, given that the vast majority of individuals are chronically-injured and most cases of SCI involve contusion-type damage to the cervical region. We therefore employed a rat model of chronic cervical hemicontusion to test therapeutic manipulations aimed at reconstructing damaged rVRG-PhMN-diaphragm circuitry to achieve recovery of respiratory function. At a chronic time point post-injury, we systemically administered: an antagonist peptide directed against phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a central inhibitor of neuron-intrinsic axon growth potential; an antagonist peptide directed against receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ), another important negative regulator of axon growth capacity; or a combination of these two peptides. PTEN antagonist peptide (PAP4) promoted partial recovery of diaphragm motor activity out to nine months post-injury (though this effect depended on the anesthetic regimen used during recording), while PTPσ peptide did not impact diaphragm function after cervical SCI. Furthermore, PAP4 promoted robust growth of descending bulbospinal rVRG axons caudal to the injury within the denervated portion of the PhMN pool, while PTPσ peptide did not affect rVRG axon growth at this location that is critical to control of diaphragmatic respiratory function. In conclusion, we find that, when PTEN inhibition is targeted at a chronic time point following cervical contusion, our non-invasive PAP4 strategy can successfully promote significant regrowth of damaged respiratory neural circuitry and also partial recovery of diaphragm motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Michel-Flutot
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Lan Cheng
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Samantha J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Brianna Lisi
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Harrison Schwartz
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Sandy Lam
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Megan Lyttle
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - David A Jaffe
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - George Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 191405104, USA
| | - Shuxin Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 191405104, USA
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA 19038, USA
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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Michel-Flutot P, Cheng L, Thomas SJ, Lisi B, Schwartz H, Lam S, Lyttle M, Jaffe DA, Smith G, Li S, Wright MC, Lepore AC. PTEN inhibition promotes robust growth of bulbospinal respiratory axons and partial recovery of diaphragm function in a chronic model of cervical contusion spinal cord injury. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.575021. [PMID: 38260313 PMCID: PMC10802567 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.575021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
High spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to persistent and debilitating compromise in respiratory function. Cervical SCI not only causes the death of phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) that innervate the diaphragm, but also damages descending respiratory pathways originating in the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) located in the brainstem, resulting in denervation and consequent silencing of spared PhMNs located caudal to injury. It is imperative to determine whether interventions targeting rVRG axon growth and respiratory neural circuit reconnection are efficacious in chronic cervical contusion SCI, given that the vast majority of individuals are chronically-injured and most cases of SCI involve contusion-type damage to the cervical region. We therefore employed a clinically-relevant rat model of chronic cervical hemicontusion to test therapeutic manipulations aimed at reconstructing damaged rVRG-PhMN-diaphragm circuitry to achieve recovery of respiratory function. At a chronic time point post-injury, we systemically administered: an antagonist peptide directed against phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a central inhibitor of neuron-intrinsic axon growth potential; an antagonist peptide directed against receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ), another important negative regulator of axon growth capacity; or a combination of these two peptides. PTEN antagonist peptide (PAP4) promoted partial recovery of diaphragm motor activity out to nine months post-injury, while PTPσ peptide did not impact diaphragm function after cervical SCI. Furthermore, PAP4 promoted robust growth of descending bulbospinal rVRG axons caudal to the injury within the denervated portion of the PhMN pool, while PTPσ peptide did not affect rVRG axon growth at this location that is critical to control of diaphragmatic respiratory function. In conclusion, we find that, when PTEN inhibition is targeted at a chronic time point following cervical contusion that is most relevant to the SCI clinical population, our non-invasive PAP4 strategy can successfully promote significant regrowth of damaged respiratory neural circuitry and also partial recovery of diaphragm motor function. HIGHLIGHTS PTEN antagonist peptide promotes partial diaphragm function recovery in chronic cervical contusion SCI.PTPσ inhibitory peptide does not impact diaphragm function recovery in chronic cervical contusion SCI.PTEN antagonist peptide promotes growth of bulbospinal rVRG axons in chronic cervical contusion SCI.PTPσ peptide does not affect rVRG axon growth in chronic cervical contusion SCI.
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Ferreira A, Nascimento D, Cruz CD. Molecular Mechanism Operating in Animal Models of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity: A Systematic Review Focusing on Bladder Dysfunction of Neurogenic Origin. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043273. [PMID: 36834694 PMCID: PMC9959149 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) is a severe lower urinary tract disorder, characterized by urinary urgency, retention, and incontinence, as a result of a neurologic lesion that results in damage in neuronal pathways controlling micturition. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive framework of the currently used animal models for the investigation of this disorder, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of NDO. An electronic search was performed with PubMed and Scopus for literature describing animal models of NDO used in the last 10 years. The search retrieved 648 articles, of which reviews and non-original articles were excluded. After careful selection, 51 studies were included for analysis. Spinal cord injury (SCI) was the most frequently used model to study NDO, followed by animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, meningomyelocele, and stroke. Rats were the most commonly used animal, particularly females. Most studies evaluated bladder function through urodynamic methods, with awake cystometry being particularly preferred. Several molecular mechanisms have been identified, including changes in inflammatory processes, regulation of cell survival, and neuronal receptors. In the NDO bladder, inflammatory markers, apoptosis-related factors, and ischemia- and fibrosis-related molecules were found to be upregulated. Purinergic, cholinergic, and adrenergic receptors were downregulated, as most neuronal markers. In neuronal tissue, neurotrophic factors, apoptosis-related factors, and ischemia-associated molecules are increased, as well as markers of microglial and astrocytes at lesion sites. Animal models of NDO have been crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction. Despite the heterogeneity of animal models for NDO onset, most studies rely on traumatic SCI models rather than other NDO-driven pathologies, which may result in some issues when translating pre-clinical observations to clinical settings other than SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ferreira
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of Porto, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S and IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Diogo Nascimento
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of Porto, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Célia Duarte Cruz
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of Porto, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S and IBMC, Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-220426740; Fax: +351-225513655
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Zhang Q, Su J, Kong W, Fang Z, Li Y, Huang Z, Wen J, Wang Y. Roles of miR-10a-5p and miR-103a-3p, Regulators of BDNF Expression in Follicular Fluid, in the Outcomes of IVF-ET. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:637384. [PMID: 34054723 PMCID: PMC8150000 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.637384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family, plays critical roles in the physiological process of oocyte mature and IVF outcomes of patients with infertility. However, the regulation of BDNF expression in the microenvironment surrounding the oocyte is still unknown. We initially predicted some microRNA (miRNA) candidates targeting bdnf with a series of bioinformatics analysis tools to determine the underlying regulatory mechanisms of BDNF, particularly the effect of miRNAs on BDNF expression. Then, we assessed whether the expression of these 14 selected miRNAs was negatively associated with BDNF expression in follicular fluid (FF) samples obtained from mature (>18 mm) or immature (<15 mm) follicles. Finally, we used the candidate miRNAs, miR-103a-3p and miR-10a-5p, to further investigate the relationship between their expression in FF and the outcomes of infertile patients undergoing IVF-ET treatment. The results of the bioinformatics analysis revealed 14 miRNAs that might directly regulate BDNF expression and might have a close relationship with oocyte development. BDNF was expressed at significantly lower levels in FF from immature follicles than in FF from mature follicles, and only the expression of miR-103a-3p and miR-10a-5p was negatively correlated with BDNF expression in FF. Moreover, in another cohort of 106 infertile women undergoing IVF-ET treatment, miR-103a-3p or miR-10a-5p expression predicted the developmental status of the corresponding oocytes in which high expression of miR-103a-3p or miR-10a-5p resulted in a poor quality of embryo on days 3 and 5 during the IVF-ET treatment. In conclusion, our study is the first to show that miR-103a-3p or miR-10a-5p negatively affects the maturation of oocytes by regulating the expression of BDNF in human FF. Additionally, the expression levels of miR-103a-3p or miR-10a-5p in FF may predict the outcomes of IVF, which are helpful for improving embryo selection and consequently the IVF success rate in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyao Zhang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jinfeng Su
- Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Kong
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Zhou Fang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Li
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ziqiang Huang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ji Wen
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Ji Wen, ; Yue Wang,
| | - Yue Wang
- Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Ji Wen, ; Yue Wang,
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