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Machairiotis N, Vrachnis D, Antonakopoulos N, Loukas N, Fotiou A, Pergialiotis V, Stavros S, Mantzou A, Maroudias G, Iavazzo C, Kanaka-Gantenbein C, Drakakis P, Troupis T, Vlasis K, Vrachnis N. Detection and Quantification of Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) Levels in Early Second Trimester Amniotic Fluid: Investigation into a Possible Correlation with Abnormal Fetal Growth Velocity Patterns. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4131. [PMID: 37373824 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12124131] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal fetal growth is associated with adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these conditions are still to be clarified. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) are two neurotrophins that are mainly involved in the neuroprotection process, namely promotion of growth and differentiation, maintenance, and survival of neurons. During pregnancy, they have been correlated with placental development and fetal growth. In this study, we aimed to determine the early 2nd trimester amniotic fluid levels of NGF and NT-3 and to investigate their association with fetal growth. METHODS This is a prospective observational study. A total of 51 amniotic fluid samples were collected from women undergoing amniocentesis early in the second trimester and were stored at -80 °C. Pregnancies were followed up until delivery and birth weight was recorded. Based on birth weight, the amniotic fluid samples were divided into three groups: appropriate for gestational age (AGA), small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). NGF and NT-3 levels were determined by using Elisa kits. RESULTS NGF concentrations were similar between the studied groups; median values were 10.15 pg/mL, 10.15 pg/mL, and 9.14 pg/mL in SGA, LGA, and AGA fetuses, respectively. Regarding NT-3, a trend was observed towards increased NT-3 levels as fetal growth velocity decreased; median concentrations were 11.87 pg/mL, 15.9 pg/mL, and 23.5 pg/mL in SGA, AGA, and LGA fetuses, respectively, although the differences among the three groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that fetal growth disturbances do not induce increased or decreased production of NGF and NT-3 in early second trimester amniotic fluid. The trend observed towards increased NT-3 levels as fetal growth velocity decreased shows that there may be a compensatory mechanism in place that operates in conjunction with the brain-sparing effect. Further associations between these two neurotrophins and fetal growth disturbances are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Machairiotis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
| | - Dionysios Vrachnis
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Antonakopoulos
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Patras, Medical School, University of Patras, 26500 Patra, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Loukas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tzaneio General Hospital, 18536 Piraeus, Greece
| | - Alexandros Fotiou
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
| | - Vasilios Pergialiotis
- First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Sofoklis Stavros
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
| | - Aimilia Mantzou
- First Department of Pediatrics, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Maroudias
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tzaneio General Hospital, 18536 Piraeus, Greece
| | - Christos Iavazzo
- Gynecologic Oncology Department, Metaxa Memorial Cancer Hospital, 18537 Piraeus, Greece
| | - Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
- First Department of Pediatrics, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Petros Drakakis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
| | - Theodore Troupis
- Gynecologic Oncology Department, Metaxa Memorial Cancer Hospital, 18537 Piraeus, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Vlasis
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Vrachnis
- Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General University Hospital "Attikon", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
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Yan Z, Shi X, Wang H, Si C, Liu Q, Du Y. Neurotrophin-3 Promotes the Neuronal Differentiation of BMSCs and Improves Cognitive Function in a Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:629356. [PMID: 33642999 PMCID: PMC7902862 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.629356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) has the potential to be developed into an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the therapeutic effects of BMSCs are limited by their low neural differentiation rate. We transfected BMSCs with neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), a neurotrophic factor that promotes neuronal differentiation, and investigated the effects of NT-3 gene overexpression on the differentiation of BMSCs into neurons in vitro and in vivo. We further studied the possible molecular mechanisms. We found that overexpression of NT-3 promoted the differentiation of BMSCs into neurons in vitro and in vivo and improved cognitive function in rats with experimental AD. By contrast, silencing NT-3 inhibited the differentiation of BMSCs and decreased cognitive function in rats with AD. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was involved in the mechanism by which NT-3 gene modification influenced the neuronal differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and in vivo. Our findings support the prospect of using NT-3-transduced BMSCs for the development of novel therapies for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongrui Yan
- Departments of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Neurology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Xianjing Shi
- Department of Neurology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Neurology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Cuiping Si
- Department of Neurology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Neurology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Yifeng Du
- Departments of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Departments of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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Xu H, Yang Y, Deng QW, Zhang BB, Ruan JW, Jin H, Wang JH, Ren J, Jiang B, Sun JH, Zeng YS, Ding Y. Governor Vessel Electro-Acupuncture Promotes the Intrinsic Growth Ability of Spinal Neurons through Activating Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/α-Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase/Neurotrophin-3 Pathway after Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2020; 38:734-745. [PMID: 33121345 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) invariably results in neuronal death and failure of axonal regeneration. This is attributed mainly to the hostile microenvironment and the poor intrinsic regrowth capacity of the injured spinal neurons. We have reported previously that electro-acupuncture on Governor Vessel acupoints (GV-EA) can promote neuronal survival and axonal regeneration of injured spinal cord. However, the underlying mechanism for this has remained uncertain. The present study aimed to explore the neural afferent pathway of GV-EA stimulation and the possible mechanism by which GV-EA can activate the intrinsic growth ability of injured spinal neurons. By cholera toxin B (CTB) retrograde labeling, immunostaining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we showed here that GV-EA could stimulate the spinal nerve branches of the dorsal root ganglion cells. This would then increase the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from the afferent terminals in the spinal cord. It is of note that the effect was abrogated after dorsal rhizotomy. Additionally, both in vivo and in vitro results showed that CGRP would act on the post-synaptic spinal cord neurons and triggered the synthesis and secretion of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) by activating the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)/ receptor activity-modifying protein (RAMP)1/calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (αCaMKII) pathway. Remarkably, the observed effect was prevented by the dorsal rhizotomy and the blockers of the CGRP/RAMP1/αCaMKII pathway. More importantly, increase in NT-3 promoted the survival, axonal regrowth, and synaptic maintenance of spinal cord neurons in the injured spinal cord. Therefore, it is concluded that increase in NT-3 production is one of the mechanisms by which GV-EA can activate the intrinsic growth ability of spinal neurons after SCI. The experimental results have reinforced the theoretical basis of GV-EA for its clinical efficacy in patients with SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Xu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Wen Deng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bao-Bao Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Wen Ruan
- Department of Acupuncture, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Jin
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Hua Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiale Ren
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Hui Sun
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Shan Zeng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Ying Ding
- Department of Histology and Embryology, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering Ministry of Education, the 1st Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Xu ZX, Zhang LQ, Zhou YN, Chen XM, Xu WH. Histological and functional outcomes in a rat model of hemisected spinal cord with sustained VEGF/NT-3 release from tissue-engineered grafts. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 2020; 48:362-376. [PMID: 31899965 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2019.1709860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Microvascular disturbance, excessive inflammation and gliosis are key pathophysiologic changes in relation to functional status following the traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Continuous release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to the lesion site was proved be able to promote the vascular remodelling, whereas the effects on reduction of inflammation and gliosis remain unclear. Currently, aiming at exploring the synergistic roles of VEGF and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) on angiogenesis, anti-inflammation and neural repair, we developed a technique to co-deliver VEGF165 and NT-3 locally with a homotopic graft of tissue-engineered acellular spinal cord scaffold (ASCS) in a hemisected (3 mm in length) SCI model. As the potential in secretion of growth factors (GFs), bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were introduced with the aim to enhance the VEGF/NT-3 release. Our data demonstrate that sustained VEGF/NT-3 release from ASCS significantly increases the local levels of VEGF/NT-3 and angiogenesis, regardless of whether it is in combination with BMSCs transplantation that exhibits positive effects on anti-inflammation, axonal outgrowth and locomotor recovery. This study verifies that co-delivery of VEGF/NT-3 reduces inflammation and gliosis in the hemisected spinal cord, promotes axonal outgrowth and results in better locomotor recovery, while the BMSCs transplantation facilitates these functions limitedly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Xing Xu
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, P.R. China
| | - Li-Qun Zhang
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Nan Zhou
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Min Chen
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Hong Xu
- Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, P.R. China
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