Icariside II promotes the differentiation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells into dopaminergic neuron-like cells

The purpose of this study is to observe the effect of icariside II (ICS II) on the differentiation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) into dopaminergic neuron-like cells, the involvement of PI3K signaling pathway inhibitors. After identifying hAMSCs by flow cytometry, hAMSCs were induced and treated with ICS II at 10 μmol/L, 3 μmol/L, 1 μmol/L, and 0 μmol/L. hAMSCs in the LY294002+3μM ICS II group were pretreated with 20 μmol/L LY294002, a PI3K-specific inhibitor, for 1 h, and then hAMSCs were induced with 3 μmol/L ICS II. On the 21st day of induction, immunofluorescence was used to detect expression of the neuronal nuclei (NeuN), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) antigens in each induced cell group. Western blotting was used to detect the relative protein expression of NSE, MAP-2, GFAP, and TH. ELISA was used to detect the dopamine concentration in the induction medium supernatant of each group. After 21 d of ICS II induction, immunofluorescence showed that GFAP expression was not obvious in any hAMSC group. The NeuN, NSE, MAP-2, and TH fluorescent proteins were expressed in each group. NeuN was expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm, while NSE, MAP-2, and TH were mainly expressed in the cytoplasm. The positive cell rates of NeuN, NSE, MAP-2, and TH in the 10 μmol/L, 3 μmol/L, and 1 μmol/L ICS II groups were higher than those in the LY294002+3μM ICS II and control groups. After 21 d of induction, the Western blot results showed that the protein expression levels of NSE, MAP-2, and TH in the 10 μmol/L, 3 μmol/L, and 1 μmol/L ICS II groups were significantly higher than those in the LY294002+3μM ICS II and control groups. The MAP-2 protein expression levels in the 10 μmol/L and 3 μmol/L groups were higher than that in the 1 μmol/L group. After 21 d of induction, the dopamine concentrations in the culture supernatants of the 10 μmol/L, 3 μmol/L, and 1 μmol/L ICS II groups were higher than those in the LY294002+3μM ICS II and control groups. In our experiment, ICS II induced hAMSCs to differentiate into dopaminergic neuron-like cells, and the optimal concentration range of ICS II was 3-10 μmol/L. Moreover, the PI3K signaling pathway is involved in the above differentiation process.

Cross-Talk between Glia, Neurons and Mast Cells in Neuroinflammation Associated with Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive movement disorder characterized by neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the brain. 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺), a metabolite of the parkinsonian neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induces the release of inflammatory mediators from glial cells and neurons. Glia maturation factor (GMF), a brain proinflammatory protein, MPP⁺_, and mast cell-derived inflammatory mediators induce neurodegeneration which eventually leads to PD. However, the precise mechanisms underlying interaction between glial cells, neurons and mast cells in PD still remain elusive. In the present study, mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) and mouse fetal brain-derived mixed glia/neurons, astrocytes and neurons were incubated with MPP⁺, GMF and mast cell-derived inflammatory mediators mouse mast cell protease-6 (MMCP-6), MMCP-7 or tryptase/brain-specific serine protease-4 (tryptase/BSSP-4). Inflammatory mediators released from these cells in the culture medium were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neurodegeneration was quantified by measuring total neurite outgrowth following microtubule-associated protein-2 immunocytochemistry. MPP⁺-induced significant neurodegeneration with reduced total neurite outgrowth. MPP⁺induced the release of tryptase/BSSP-4 from the mouse mast cells, and tryptase/BSSP-4 induced chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) release from astrocytes and glia/neurons. Overall our results suggest that MPP⁺, GMF, MMCP-6 or MMCP-7 stimulate glia/neurons, astrocytes or neurons to release CCL2 and matrix metalloproteinase-3. Additionally, CD40L expression is increased in BMMCs after incubation with MPP⁺ in a co-culture system consisting of BMMCs and glia/neurons. We propose that mast cell interaction with glial cells and neurons during neuroinflammation can be explored as a new therapeutic target for PD.

Antibodies to microtubule-associated protein-2 in the cerebrospinal fluid are a useful diagnostic biomarker for neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

Previous reports indicate that serum anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) antibodies are common in sera from patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). Differential diagnosis of NPSLE is occasionally difficult because of differential diagnosis which can mimic NPSLE. Therefore, specific biomarkers for NPSLE are needed. We conducted this study to clarify whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) anti-MAP-2 antibodies are a useful diagnostic biomarker for NPSLE.

METHODS

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to measure CSF concentrations of anti-MAP-2 and anti-ribosomal P antibodies and of IL-6 in NPSLE patients (n = 24) and non-NPSLE controls (n = 17). The non-NPSLE controls consisted of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms caused by non-NPSLE conditions (n = 10) and patients with other connective tissue diseases (n = 7).

RESULTS

Significantly higher anti-MAP-2 antibody titers were found in the CSF of patients with NPSLE versus non-NPSLE controls. The prevalence of anti-MAP-2 antibodies was 33.3% (8/24) in NPSLE patients when a positive cutoff value was 3 standard deviations above the mean optical density of non-NPSLE controls. None of the controls had anti-MAP-2 antibodies in their CSF. Both anti-ribosomal P antibody titers and concentration of IL-6 in the CSF were significantly higher in patients with NPSLE having anti-MAP-2 antibodies than in patients with non-NPSLE controls.

CONCLUSION

Anti-MAP-2 antibodies could be detected in the CSF of 33.3% of patients with NPSLE, and its presence was highly specific for NPSLE. We propose that CSF anti-MAP-2 antibodies are a novel and useful diagnostic biomarker for NPSLE.