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Martiskainen H, Paldanius KMA, Natunen T, Takalo M, Marttinen M, Leskelä S, Huber N, Mäkinen P, Bertling E, Dhungana H, Huuskonen M, Honkakoski P, Hotulainen P, Rilla K, Koistinaho J, Soininen H, Malm T, Haapasalo A, Hiltunen M. DHCR24 exerts neuroprotection upon inflammation-induced neuronal death. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:215. [PMID: 29115990 PMCID: PMC5678793 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0991-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [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: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DHCR24, involved in the de novo synthesis of cholesterol and protection of neuronal cells against different stress conditions, has been shown to be selectively downregulated in neurons of the affected brain areas in Alzheimer's disease. METHODS Here, we investigated whether the overexpression of DHCR24 protects neurons against inflammation-induced neuronal death using co-cultures of mouse embryonic primary cortical neurons and BV2 microglial cells upon acute neuroinflammation. Moreover, the effects of DHCR24 overexpression on dendritic spine density and morphology in cultured mature mouse hippocampal neurons and on the outcome measures of ischemia-induced brain damage in vivo in mice were assessed. RESULTS Overexpression of DHCR24 reduced the loss of neurons under inflammation elicited by LPS and IFN-γ treatment in co-cultures of mouse neurons and BV2 microglial cells but did not affect the production of neuroinflammatory mediators, total cellular cholesterol levels, or the activity of proteins linked with neuroprotective signaling. Conversely, the levels of post-synaptic cell adhesion protein neuroligin-1 were significantly increased upon the overexpression of DHCR24 in basal growth conditions. Augmentation of DHCR24 also increased the total number of dendritic spines and the proportion of mushroom spines in mature mouse hippocampal neurons. In vivo, overexpression of DHCR24 in striatum reduced the lesion size measured by MRI in a mouse model of transient focal ischemia. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the augmentation of DHCR24 levels provides neuroprotection in acute stress conditions, which lead to neuronal loss in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henna Martiskainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kaisa M A Paldanius
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Teemu Natunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mari Takalo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mikael Marttinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Stina Leskelä
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nadine Huber
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petra Mäkinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Enni Bertling
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hiramani Dhungana
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mikko Huuskonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Paavo Honkakoski
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Pirta Hotulainen
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirsi Rilla
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hilkka Soininen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tarja Malm
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
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