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Gabalski AH, Tynan A, Tsaava T, Li JH, Lee D, Hepler TD, Hide D, George S, Iñiguez CEB, Thompson DA, Zhu C, Wang H, Brines M, Tracey KJ, Chavan SS. Circulating extracellular choline acetyltransferase regulates inflammation. J Intern Med 2024; 295:346-356. [PMID: 38011942 PMCID: PMC10922394 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13750] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is required for the biosynthesis of acetylcholine, the molecular mediator that inhibits cytokine production in the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway of the vagus nerve inflammatory reflex. Abundant work has established the biology of cytoplasmic ChAT in neurons, but much less is known about the potential presence and function of ChAT in the extracellular milieu. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the hypothesis that extracellular ChAT activity responds to inflammation and serves to inhibit cytokine release and attenuate inflammation. METHODS After developing novel methods for quantification of ChAT activity in plasma, we determined whether ChAT activity changes in response to inflammatory challenges. RESULTS Active ChAT circulates within the plasma compartment of mice and responds to immunological perturbations. Following the administration of bacterial endotoxin, plasma ChAT activity increases for 12-48 h, a time period that coincides with declining tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels. Further, a direct activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway by vagus nerve stimulation significantly increases plasma ChAT activity, whereas the administration of bioactive recombinant ChAT (r-ChAT) inhibits endotoxin-stimulated TNF production and anti-ChAT antibodies exacerbate endotoxin-induced TNF levels, results of which suggest that ChAT activity regulates endogenous TNF production. Administration of r-ChAT significantly attenuates pro-inflammatory cytokine production and disease activity in the dextran sodium sulfate preclinical model of inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, plasma ChAT levels are also elevated in humans with sepsis, with the highest levels observed in a patient who succumbed to infection. CONCLUSION As a group, these results support further investigation of ChAT as a counter-regulator of inflammation and potential therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle H. Gabalski
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Aisling Tynan
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Tea Tsaava
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Jian Hua Li
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Diana Lee
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Tyler D. Hepler
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Daniel Hide
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Sam George
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Carlos E. Bravo Iñiguez
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Dane A Thompson
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Cassie Zhu
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Haichao Wang
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Michael Brines
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Kevin J. Tracey
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Sangeeta S. Chavan
- Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
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Chang EH, Gabalski AH, Huerta TS, Datta-Chaudhuri T, Zanos TP, Zanos S, Grill WM, Tracey KJ, Al-Abed Y. The Fifth Bioelectronic Medicine Summit: today's tools, tomorrow's therapies. Bioelectron Med 2023; 9:21. [PMID: 37794457 PMCID: PMC10552422 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-023-00123-4] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging field of bioelectronic medicine (BEM) is poised to make a significant impact on the treatment of several neurological and inflammatory disorders. With several BEM therapies being recently approved for clinical use and others in late-phase clinical trials, the 2022 BEM summit was a timely scientific meeting convening a wide range of experts to discuss the latest developments in the field. The BEM Summit was held over two days in New York with more than thirty-five invited speakers and panelists comprised of researchers and experts from both academia and industry. The goal of the meeting was to bring international leaders together to discuss advances and cultivate collaborations in this emerging field that incorporates aspects of neuroscience, physiology, molecular medicine, engineering, and technology. This Meeting Report recaps the latest findings discussed at the Meeting and summarizes the main developments in this rapidly advancing interdisciplinary field. Our hope is that this Meeting Report will encourage researchers from academia and industry to push the field forward and generate new multidisciplinary collaborations that will form the basis of new discoveries that we can discuss at the next BEM Summit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric H Chang
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA.
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA.
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA.
| | - Arielle H Gabalski
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
| | - Tomas S Huerta
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Timir Datta-Chaudhuri
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Theodoros P Zanos
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Stavros Zanos
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Warren M Grill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Fitzpatrick CIEMAS, Duke University, Room 1427, 101 Science Drive, Box 90281, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Kevin J Tracey
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
| | - Yousef Al-Abed
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Blvd, Hempstead, NY, 11549, USA
- The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health, 350 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA
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Chang YC, Ahmed U, Jayaprakash N, Mughrabi I, Lin Q, Wu YC, Gerber M, Abbas A, Daytz A, Gabalski AH, Ashville J, Dokos S, Rieth L, Datta-Chaudhuri T, Tracey KJ, Guo T, Al-Abed Y, Zanos S. kHz-frequency electrical stimulation selectively activates small, unmyelinated vagus afferents. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:1389-1404. [PMID: 36241025 PMCID: PMC10164362 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vagal reflexes regulate homeostasis in visceral organs and systems through afferent and efferent neurons and nerve fibers. Small, unmyelinated, C-type afferents comprise over 80% of fibers in the vagus and form the sensory arc of autonomic reflexes of the gut, lungs, heart and vessels and the immune system. Selective bioelectronic activation of C-afferents could be used to mechanistically study and treat diseases of peripheral organs in which vagal reflexes are involved, but it has not been achieved. METHODS We stimulated the vagus in rats and mice using trains of kHz-frequency stimuli. Stimulation effects were assessed using neuronal c-Fos expression, physiological and nerve fiber responses, optogenetic and computational methods. RESULTS Intermittent kHz stimulation for 30 min activates specific motor and, preferentially, sensory vagus neurons in the brainstem. At sufficiently high frequencies (>5 kHz) and at intensities within a specific range (7-10 times activation threshold, T, in rats; 15-25 × T in mice), C-afferents are activated, whereas larger, A- and B-fibers, are blocked. This was determined by measuring fiber-specific acute physiological responses to kHz stimulus trains, and by assessing fiber excitability around kHz stimulus trains through compound action potentials evoked by probing pulses. Aspects of selective activation of C-afferents are explained in computational models of nerve fibers by how fiber size and myelin shape the response of sodium channels to kHz-frequency stimuli. CONCLUSION kHz stimulation is a neuromodulation strategy to robustly and selectively activate vagal C-afferents implicated in physiological homeostasis and disease, over larger vagal fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Chuan Chang
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Umair Ahmed
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Naveen Jayaprakash
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Ibrahim Mughrabi
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Qihang Lin
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Yi-Chen Wu
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Michael Gerber
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Adam Abbas
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Anna Daytz
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Arielle H Gabalski
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Jason Ashville
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Socrates Dokos
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Loren Rieth
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
| | - Timir Datta-Chaudhuri
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Kevin J Tracey
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Tianruo Guo
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Yousef Al-Abed
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States
| | - Stavros Zanos
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, 11030, United States; Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, United States.
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Tsaava T, Tynan A, Hepler TD, Gabalski AH, Li JH, Hide DM, Chang EH, Tracey KJ, Chavan SS. Protective Effects of Pegylated Choline Acetyltransferase in a Murine Model of DSS Colitis. FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.r5074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Téa Tsaava
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchManhassetNY
| | - Aisling Tynan
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchManhassetNY
| | | | | | - Jian Hua Li
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchManhassetNY
| | | | - Eric H. Chang
- Feinstein Institutes for Medical ResearchManhassetNY
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Tsaava T, Tynan A, Hepler TD, Gabalski AH, Hide DM, Li JH, Chang EH, Tracey KJ, Chavan SS. Choline acetyltransferase attenuates inflammation in a murine model of DSS colitis and sepsis. The Journal of Immunology 2022. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.208.supp.111.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Excessive immune cell activation and cytokine release leading to inflammatory conditions are associated with bidirectional immune system-brain communication and other physiological responses. The vagus nerve conveys sensory information to the brain and brain derived immunoregulatory signals suppressing peripheral cytokine levels and inflammation. Acetylcholine (A mediated cholinergic signaling has been implicated in this regulation. However, the possibility of controlling inflammation by peripheral administration of choline acetyl transferase (ChAT), enzyme that catalyzes biosynthesis of acetylcholine, is unexplored. We studied the administration of ChAT in endotoxemia, sepsis and DSS colitis models. Intraperitoneal administration of ChAT significantly (p=0.002) suppresses serum levels of TNF (ChAT 1062.0pg/mL ± 113.0 vs vehicle 1711.0pg/mL ± 210.2) during murine endotoxemia. In a murine CLP sepsis model, administration of pegylated ChAT (PEG-ChAT) significantly improves survival (p=0.015), with a 55.6% survival in PEG-ChAT treated mice compared to a 22.2% survival in vehicle mice. In a preclinical model of inflammatory bowel disease, ChAT administration significantly improves body weight gain (d14 p=0.01 ChAT mice -5.1%±1.1 vs vehicle mice -15.5%±2.9), disease score (d11 p=0.006 ChAT mice 0.17DAI±0.05, vs vehicle mice 0.66DAI±0.13), and colon length (p=0.006 ChAT mice 7.15cm±0.2 vs vehicle mice 6.2cm±0.2) compared to vehicle. These results indicate that administration of ChAT inhibits TNF levels in acute endotoxemia and attenuates disease severity in murine models of sepsis and DSS-induced colitis, suggesting that further study of ChAT as an experimental anti-inflammatory therapeutic is warranted.
Supported by grant from NIH to KJT and SSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Tsaava
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
| | - Aisling Tynan
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
| | - Tyler D Hepler
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
| | - Arielle H Gabalski
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
- 2Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
| | - Daniel M Hide
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
| | - Jian Hua Li
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
| | - Eric H Chang
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
- 2Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
- 3The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health
| | - Kevin J Tracey
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
- 2Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
- 3The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health
| | - Sangeeta S Chavan
- 1The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
- 2Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
- 3The Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Northwell Health
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