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Wingard MC, Dalal S, Shook PL, Ramirez P, Raza MU, Johnson P, Connelly BA, Thewke D, Singh M, Singh K. Deficiency of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase attenuates Western-type diet-induced cardiac dysfunction in female mice. Physiol Rep 2022; 10:e15434. [PMID: 36117462 PMCID: PMC9483716 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic consumption of Western-type diet (WD) induces cardiac structural and functional abnormalities. Previously, we have shown that WD consumption in male ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase) deficient mice associates with accelerated body weight (BW) gain, cardiac systolic dysfunction with increased preload, and exacerbation of hypertrophy, apoptosis, and inflammation. This study investigated the role of ATM deficiency in WD-induced changes in functional and biochemical parameters of the heart in female mice. Six-week-old wild-type (WT) and ATM heterozygous knockout (hKO) female mice were placed on WD or NC (normal chow) for 14 weeks. BW gain, fat accumulation, and cardiac functional and biochemical parameters were measured 14 weeks post-WD. WD-induced subcutaneous and total fat contents normalized to body weight were higher in WT-WD versus hKO-WD. Heart function measured using echocardiography revealed decreased percent fractional shortening and ejection fraction, and increased LV end systolic diameter and volume in WT-WD versus WT-NC. These functional parameters remained unchanged in hKO-WD versus hKO-NC. Myocardial fibrosis, myocyte hypertrophy, and apoptosis were higher in WT-WD versus WT-NC. However, apoptosis was significantly lower and hypertrophy was significantly higher in hKO-WD versus WT-WD. MMP-9 and Bax expression, and Akt activation were higher in WT-WD versus WT-NC. PARP-1 (full-length) expression and mTOR activation were lower in WT-WD versus hKO-WD. Thus, ATM deficiency in female mice attenuates fat weight gain, preserves heart function, and associates with decreased cardiac cell apoptosis in response to WD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C. Wingard
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Suman Dalal
- Department of Health SciencesEast Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and ImmunityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Paige L. Shook
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Paulina Ramirez
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Muhammad U. Raza
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Patrick Johnson
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Barbara A. Connelly
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
- Research and Development ServiceJames H Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical CenterMountain HomeTennesseeUSA
| | - Douglas P. Thewke
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Mahipal Singh
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
| | - Krishna Singh
- Department of Biomedical SciencesJames H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
- Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease and ImmunityJohnson CityTennesseeUSA
- Research and Development ServiceJames H Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical CenterMountain HomeTennesseeUSA
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2
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Cui K, Yang F, Tufan T, Raza MU, Zhan Y, Fan Y, Zeng F, Brown RW, Price JB, Jones TC, Miller GW, Zhu MY. Restoration of Noradrenergic Function in Parkinson's Disease Model Mice. ASN Neuro 2021; 13:17590914211009730. [PMID: 33940943 PMCID: PMC8114769 DOI: 10.1177/17590914211009730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the central noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems is the primary neurobiological characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Importantly, neuronal loss in the locus coeruleus (LC) that occurs in early stages of PD may accelerate progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Therefore, restoring the activity and function of the deficient noradrenergic system may be an important therapeutic strategy for early PD. In the present study, the lentiviral constructions of transcription factors Phox2a/2b, Hand2 and Gata3, either alone or in combination, were microinjected into the LC region of the PD model VMAT2 Lo mice at 12 and 18 month age. Biochemical analysis showed that microinjection of lentiviral expression cassettes into the LC significantly increased mRNA levels of Phox2a, and Phox2b, which were accompanied by parallel increases of mRNA and proteins of dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the LC. Furthermore, there was considerable enhancement of DBH protein levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as enhanced TH protein levels in the striatum and substantia nigra. Moreover, these manipulations profoundly increased norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations in the striatum, which was followed by a remarkable improvement of the spatial memory and locomotor behavior. These results reveal that over-expression of these transcription factors in the LC improves noradrenergic and dopaminergic activities and functions in this rodent model of PD. It provides the necessary groundwork for the development of gene therapies of PD, and expands our understanding of the link between the LC-norepinephrine and dopamine systems during the progression of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Cui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States.,Hong Kong Institute, Asia Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Turan Tufan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Muhammad U Raza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Yanqiang Zhan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States.,Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Fan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Nantong University College of Medicine, Nantong, China
| | - Fei Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States.,Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Jennifer B Price
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences; East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Thomas C Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences; East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
| | - Gary W Miller
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailmen School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States
| | - Meng-Yang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States
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Zhan Y, Raza MU, Yuan L, Zhu MY. Critical Role of Oxidatively Damaged DNA in Selective Noradrenergic Vulnerability. Neuroscience 2019; 422:184-201. [PMID: 31698021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
An important pathology in Parkinson's disease (PD) is the earlier and more severe degeneration of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) than dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. However, the basis of such selective vulnerability to insults remains obscure. Using noradrenergic and dopaminergic cell lines, as well as primary neuronal cultures from rat LC and ventral mesencephalon (VM), the present study compared oxidative DNA damage response markers after exposure of these cells to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results showed that H2O2 treatment resulted in more severe cell death in noradrenergic cell lines SK-N-BE(2)-M17 and PC12 than dopaminergic MN9D cells. Furthermore, there were higher levels of oxidative DNA damage response markers in noradrenergic cells and primary neuronal cultures from the LC than dopaminergic cells and primary cultures from the VM. It included increased tail moments and tail lengths in Comet assay, and increased protein levels of phosphor-p53 and γ-H2AX after treatments with H2O2. Consistent with these measurements, exposure of SK-N-BE(2)-M17 cells to H2O2 resulted in higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further experiments showed that exposure of SK-N-BE(2)-M17 cells to H2O2 caused an increased level of noradrenergic transporter, reduced protein levels of copper transporter (Ctr1) and 8-oxoGua DNA glycosylase, as well as amplified levels of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 expression. Taken together, these experiments indicated that noradrenergic neuronal cells seem to be more vulnerable to oxidative damage than dopaminergic neurons, which may be related to the intrinsic characteristics of noradrenergic neuronal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqiang Zhan
- Department of Neurology, Remin Hospital of the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Muhammad U Raza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Lian Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Meng-Yang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
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Zhu MY, Raza MU, Zhan Y, Fan Y. Norepinephrine upregulates the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and protects dopaminegic neurons against 6-hydrodopamine toxicity. Neurochem Int 2019; 131:104549. [PMID: 31539561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.104549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
As a classic neurotransmitter in the brain, norepinephrine (NE) also is an important modulator to other neuronal systems. Using primary cultures from rat ventral mesencephalon (VM) and dopaminergic cell line MN9D, the present study examined the neuroprotective effects of NE and its effects on the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The results showed that NE protected both VM cultures and MN9D cells against 6-hydroxydopamine-caused apoptosis, with possible involvement of adrenal receptors. In addition, treatment with NE upregulated TH protein levels in dose- and time-dependent manner. Further experiments to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying this NE-induced upregulation of TH demonstrated a marked increase in protein levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1 and 2 (pERK1/2) in VM cultures treated with NE. In MN9D cells, a significantly increase of TH and pERK1/2 protein levels were observed after their transfection with BDNF cDNA or exposure to BDNF peptides. Treatment of VM cultures with K252a, an antagonist of the tropomyosin-related kinase B, blocked the upregulatory effects of NE on TH, BDNF and pERK1/2. Administration of MEK1 & MEK2 inhibitors also reversed NE-induced upregulation of TH and pERK1/2. Moreover, ChIP assay showed that treatment with NE or BDNF increased H4 acetylation in the TH promoter. These results suggest that the neuroprotection and modulation of NE on dopaminergic neurons are mediated via BDNF and MAPK/ERK pathways, as well as through epigenetic histone modification, which may have implications for the improvement of therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
| | - Muhammad U Raza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Yanqiang Zhan
- Department of Neurology, Remin Hospital of the Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, Nantong University College of Medicine, Nantong, China
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Fan Y, Chen P, Raza MU, Szebeni A, Szebeni K, Ordway GA, Stockmeier CA, Zhu MY. Altered Expression of Phox2 Transcription Factors in the Locus Coeruleus in Major Depressive Disorder Mimicked by Chronic Stress and Corticosterone Treatment In Vivo and In Vitro. Neuroscience 2018; 393:123-137. [PMID: 30315878 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Phox2a and Phox2b are two homeodomain transcription factors playing a pivotal role in the development of noradrenergic neurons during the embryonic period. However, their expression and function in adulthood remain to be elucidated. Using human postmortem brain tissues, rat stress models and cultured cells, this study aimed to examine the alteration of Phox2a and Phox2b expression. The results show that Phox2a and Phox2b are normally expressed in the human locus coeruleus (LC) in adulthood. Furthermore, the levels of Phox2a protein and mRNA and protein levels of Phox2b were significantly elevated in the LC of brain donors that suffered from the major depressive disorder, as compared to age-matched and psychiatrically normal control donors. Fischer 344 rats subjected to chronic social defeat showed higher mRNA and protein levels of Phox2a and Phox2b in the LC, as compared to non-stressed control rats. In rats chronically administered oral corticosterone, mRNA and protein levels of Phox2b, but not Phox2a, in the LC were significantly increased. In addition, the corticosterone-induced increase in Phox2b protein was reversed by simultaneous treatment with either mifepristone or spironolactone. Exposing SH-SY5Y cells to corticosterone significantly increased expression of Phox2a and Phox2b, which was blocked by corticosteroid receptor antagonists. Taken together, these experiments reveal that Phox2 genes are expressed throughout the lifetime in the LC of humans and Fischer 344 rats. Alterations in their expression may play a role in major depressive disorder and possibly other stress-related disorders through their modulatory effects on the noradrenergic phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, Nantong University College of Medicine, Nantong, China
| | - Ping Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Muhammad U Raza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Attila Szebeni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Katalin Szebeni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Gregory A Ordway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Craig A Stockmeier
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Meng-Yang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.
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Zhang J, Fan Y, Raza MU, Zhan Y, Du XD, Patel PD, Zhu MY. The regulation of corticosteroid receptors in response to chronic social defeat. Neurochem Int 2017; 108:397-409. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Revised: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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7
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Deng M, Tufan T, Raza MU, Jones TC, Zhu MY. MicroRNAs 29b and 181a down-regulate the expression of the norepinephrine transporter and glucocorticoid receptors in PC12 cells. J Neurochem 2016; 139:197-207. [PMID: 27501468 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that provide global regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Such regulation has been found to play a role in stress-induced epigenetic responses in the brain. The norepinephrine transporter (NET) and glucocorticoid receptors are closely related to the homeostatic integration and regulation after stress. Our previous studies demonstrated that NET mRNA and protein levels in rats are regulated by chronic stress and by administration of corticosterone, which is mediated through glucocorticoid receptors. Whether miRNAs are intermediaries in the regulation of these proteins remains to be elucidated. This study was undertaken to determine possible regulatory effects of miRNAs on the expression of NET and glucocorticoid receptors in the noradrenergic neuronal cell line. Using computational target prediction, we identified several candidate miRNAs potentially targeting NET and glucocorticoid receptors. Western blot results showed that over-expression of miR-181a and miR-29b significantly repressed protein levels of NET, which is accompanied by a reduced [3 H] norepinephrine uptake, and glucocorticoid receptors in PC12 cells. Luciferase reporter assays verified that both miR-181a and miR-29b bind the 3'UTR of mRNA of NET and glucocorticoid receptors. Furthermore, exposure of PC12 cells to corticosterone markedly reduced the endogenous levels of miR-29b, which was not reversed by the application of glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone. These observations indicate that miR-181a and miR-29b can function as the negative regulators of NET and glucocorticoid receptor translation in vitro. This regulatory effect may be related to stress-induced up-regulation of the noradrenergic phenotype, a phenomenon observed in stress models and depressive patients. This study demonstrated that miR-29b and miR-181a, two short non-coding RNAs that provide global regulation of gene expression, markedly repressed protein levels of norepinephrine (NE) transporter and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), as well as NE uptake by binding the 3'UTR of their mRNAs in PC12 cells. Also, exposure of cells to corticosterone significantly reduced miR-29b levels through a GR-independent way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoxian Deng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Jiangsu Polytechnic College of A&F, Jurong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Turan Tufan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Muhammad U Raza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas C Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Meng-Yang Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA.
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