Histochemical demonstration of cytoplasmic glycosaminoglycans in the macroneurons of the human central nervous system

Age-dependent regional mechanical properties of the rat hippocampus and cortex

Age-dependent outcomes following traumatic brain injury motivate the study of brain injury biomechanics in experimental animal models at different stages of development. Finite element models of the rat brain are used to better understand the mechanical mechanisms behind these age-dependent outcomes; however, age- and region-specific rat brain tissue mechanical properties are required for biofidelity in modeling. Here, we have used the atomic force microscope (AFM) to measure region-dependent mechanical properties for subregions of the cortex and hippocampus in P10, P17, and adult rats. Apparent elastic modulus increased nonlinearly with indentation strain, and a nonlinear Ogden hyperelastic model was used to fit the force-deflection data. Subregional heterogeneous distributions of mechanical properties changed significantly with age. Apparent elastic modulus was also found to increase overall with age, increasing by >100% between P10 and adult rats. Unconfined compression tests (epsilon=-0.3) were performed on whole slices of the hippocampus and cortex of P10, P17, and adult rats to verify the mechanical properties measured with the AFM. Mean apparent elastic modulus at an indentation strain of 30% from AFM measurements for each region and age correlated well with the long-term elastic modulus measured from 30% unconfined compression tests (slope not significantly different from 1, p>0.05). Protein, lipid, and sulfated glycosaminoglycan content of the brain increased with age and were positively correlated with tissue stiffness, whereas water content decreased with age and was negatively correlated with tissue stiffness. These correlations can be used to hypothesize mechanistic models for describing the mechanical behavior of brain tissue as well as to predict relative differences between brain tissue mechanical properties of other species, at different ages, and for different regions based on differences in tissue composition.

Fixed negative charge and the Donnan effect: a description of the driving forces associated with brain tissue swelling and oedema

Cerebral oedema or brain tissue swelling is a significant complication following traumatic brain injury or stroke that can increase the intracranial pressure (ICP) and impair blood flow. Here, we have identified a potential driver of oedema: the negatively charged molecules fixed within cells. This fixed charge density (FCD), once exposed, could increase ICP through the Donnan effect. We have shown that metabolic processes and membrane integrity are required for concealing this FCD as slices of rat cortex swelled immediately (within 30 min) following dissection if treated with 2 deoxyglucose + cyanide (2DG+CN) or Triton X-100. Slices given ample oxygen and glucose, however, did not swell significantly. We also found that dead brain tissue swells and shrinks in response to changes in ionic strength of the bathing medium, which suggests that the Donnan effect is capable of pressurizing and swelling brain tissue. As predicted, a non-ionic osmolyte, 1,2 propanediol, elicited no volume change at 2000 x 10(-3) osmoles l(-1) (Osm). Swelling data were well described by triphasic mixture theory with the calculated reference state FCD similar to that measured with a 1,9 dimethylmethylene blue assay. Taken together, these data suggest that intracellular fixed charges may contribute to the driving forces responsible for brain swelling.

Proteins in unexpected locations

Members of all classes of proteins--cytoskeletal components, secreted growth factors, glycolytic enzymes, kinases, transcription factors, chaperones, transmembrane proteins, and extracellular matrix proteins--have been identified in cellular compartments other than their conventional sites of action. Some of these proteins are expressed as distinct compartment-specific isoforms, have novel mechanisms for intercompartmental translocation, have distinct endogenous biological actions within each compartment, and are regulated in a compartment-specific manner as a function of physiologic state. The possibility that many, if not most, proteins have distinct roles in more than one cellular compartment has implications for the evolution of cell organization and may be important for understanding pathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

Further characterization of axonally transported proteoglycans

We report further analysis of axonally transported proteoglycans in soluble and membranous subfractions of goldfish optic tectum. Distribution of transported 35SO4 radioactivity was 35.2% soluble, 63.4% Triton-NaCl extractable and 1.4% unextracted. Proteoglycans isolated on DEAE cellulose were treated with chondroitinase AC or nitrous acid and remaining heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) were sized on Sepharose CL-6B. Kav values and estimated molecular weights were: Soluble CSPG-0.36 (160 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted CSPG-.031 (200 kDa), Soluble HSPG-0.37 (150 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted HSPG-0.37 (150 kDa). For constituent CS and HS chains the Kav values and estimated molecular weights on CL-6B were: Soluble CS-0.55 (15 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted CS-0.55 (15 kDa), Soluble HS-0.59 (13 kDa) and Triton-NaCl extracted HS-0.65 (9 kDa). CS was shown to be sulfated exclusively at carbon 4 for both soluble and Triton NaCl extracted fractions.

Astroglia in Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid deposits are characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and there is growing evidence that amyloid may play an important role in the genesis of this neurodegenerative disease. This review discusses data which suggests that reactive astrocytes and microglia may be a necessary concomitant with amyloid to produce the neuropathology which manifests as AD. Several hypotheses and supporting data for mechanisms by which reactive astrocytes may mediate this neuropathology are presented. These include the possibility that amyloid induces excitotoxicity by interferring with astrocytic glutamate uptake, the possibility that amyloid has this effect via an action on a tachykinin-related receptor and the possibility that proteoglycans released by astrocytes may facilitate the deposition of amyloid plaques. Both symptomatic treatment to enhance cognitive function and treatment to stop the progression of AD are needed. It is hoped that answers to some of the unique questions raised here may provide new insight into the etiology and treatment of AD.

Differential extraction of axonally transported proteoglycans

Axonally transported proteoglycans were differentially solubilized by a sequence of extractions designed to infer their relationship to nerve terminal membranes. Groups of goldfish were injected unilaterally with 35SO4 and contralateral optic tecta containing axonally transported molecules were removed 16 h later. Tecta were homogenized in isotonic buffer and centrifuged at 100,000 g for 60 min to create a "total supernatant" fraction. Subsequent homogenizations followed by recentrifugation were with hypotonic buffer (lysis extract), 1 M NaCl, Triton X-100 or alternatively Triton-1 M NaCl. Populations of proteoglycans in each extract were isolated on DEAE ion exchange columns and evaluated for content of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Results show the distribution of transported proteoglycans to be 26.3% total soluble, 13.7% lysis extract, 13.8% NaCl extract, 12.2% Triton extract, and 46.2% Triton-NaCl extract. Proteoglycans from all fractions contained heparan sulfate as the predominant GAG, with lesser amounts of chondroitin (4 or 6) sulfate. The possible localizations of transported proteoglycans suggested by the extraction results are discussed.

Proteoglycans in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other amyloidoses

Proteoglycans and the amyloid P component are two constituents of amyloid that appear to be present regardless of the type of amyloid protein deposited, the extent of amyloid deposition and the tissue or organ involved. This article reviews the literature concerning proteoglycans and/or glycosaminoglycans in amyloidosis and describes recent studies which demonstrate their localization to the characteristic lesions of Alzheimer's disease and the amyloid plaques containing PrP protein in the prion diseases. Additionally, the possible interaction of proteoglycans with various amyloidogenic proteins, including the beta-amyloid protein in Alzheimer's disease is discussed. It is postulated that proteoglycans localized to a number of different amyloids play a common role in the pathogenesis of amyloidosis. Some of these hypothesized roles include 1) inducing amyloidogenic precursor proteins to form amyloid fibrils containing a predominant beta-pleated sheet structure, 2) influencing amyloid deposition to occur at specific anatomical sites within tissues and/or 3) aiding in prevention of amyloid degradation once amyloid has formed.

The ultrastructural localization of sulfated proteoglycans is identical in the amyloids of Alzheimer's disease and AA, AL, senile cardiac and medullary carcinoma-associated amyloidosis

The cationic dyes cuprolinic blue and ruthenium red were used to ultrastructurally localize proteoglycans (PGs) within the neuritic plaque and neurofibrillary tangle of Alzheimer's disease. Highly sulfated PGs were specifically localized to the amyloid fibril of the neuritic plaque and the paired filaments of the neurofibrillary tangle. This demonstrates that highly sulfated PGs either comprise part of the Alzheimer's amyloid fibril and paired filament or are intimately associated with them. Four unrelated types of amyloid--AA (inflammation-associated), AL (immunoglobulin light chain), senile cardiac (prealbumin) and medullary carcinoma-associated amyloid (procalcitonin)--showed an identical pattern of localization of highly sulfated PG to the different amyloid fibrils. This constant close spatial relationship between PGs and diverse amyloid proteins suggests that PGs may play a role in amyloidogenesis.

Glycosaminoglycans in cortical autopsy samples from Alzheimer brain

Each of the known classes of mammalian glycosaminoglycans, with the exception of keratan sulphate, was found in cerebral cortex samples from patients with Alzheimer-type dementia and age-matched controls. These molecules were quantitated, after electrophoresis and staining with Alcian Blue dye, by scanning densitometry. No significant differences were found between the mean levels of each of the above glycosaminoglycans in frontal cortex from patients with dementia compared with controls. An increase (26%; p less than 0.05) in the mean level of hyaluronate, but not of other glycosaminoglycans, was found in temporal cortex samples. On the other hand, the uronic acid content of hyaluronate degradation products following Streptomyces hyaluronidase treatment of brain glycosaminoglycans did not reveal any statistically significant changes in Alzheimer's disease. HPLC of disaccharide products from Arthrobacter chondroitinase AC digests did not reveal any significant changes in sulphate substitution of chondroitin sulphate in Alzheimer brain.

Axonal transport of proteoglycans to the goldfish optic tectum

The study addressed the question of whether 35SO4 labeled molecules that have been delivered to the goldfish optic nerve terminals by rapid axonal transport include soluble proteoglycans. For analysis, tectal homogenates were subfractionated into a soluble fraction (soluble after centrifugation at 105,000 g), a lysis fraction (soluble after treatment with hypotonic buffer followed by centrifugation at 105,000 g) and a final 105,000 g pellet fraction. The soluble fraction contained 25.7% of incorporated radioactivity and upon DEAE chromatography was resolved into a fraction of sulfated glycoproteins eluting at 0-0.32 M NaCl and containing 39.5% of total soluble label and a fraction eluting at 0.32-0.60 M NaCl containing 53.9% of soluble label. This latter fraction was included on columns of Sepharose CL-6B with or without 4 M guanidine and after pronase digestion was found to have 51% of its radioactivity contained in the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparan sulfate and chondroitin (4 or 6) sulfate in the ratio of 70% to 30%. Mobility of both intact proteoglycans and constituent GAGs on Sepharose CL-6B indicated a size distribution that is smaller than has been observed for proteoglycans and GAGs from cultured neuronal cell lines. Similar analysis of lysis fraction, containing 11.5% of incorporated 35SO4, showed a mixture of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate containing proteoglycans, apparent free heparan sulfate and few, if any, sulfated glycoproteins. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that soluble proteoglycans are among the molecules axonally transported in the visual system.

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans in Alzheimer's disease

Using the sulfated alcian blue and alcian blue-MgCl2 techniques for demonstrating sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), we have shown sulfated GAGs to be associated with the amyloidotic lesions of Alzheimer's disease, the neuritic plaques, the neurofibrillary tangle, and the congophilic angiopathy. To determine how specific these findings are to Alzheimer's disease, other neurologic disorders with neurofibrillary tangles and filamentous inclusions were examined. These included progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, and postencephalitic parkinsonism. Sulfated GAGs were not demonstrated in the neurofibrillary tangles or filamentous structures in any of these disorders. The relationship of GAGs to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease is discussed as is their possible importance in determining the characteristic morphology of the amyloidotic lesion.

Histochemical distribution of acid glycosaminoglycans in rat cerebellum during postnatal development: neuropile

Developmentally regulated modifications of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the central nervous system (CNS) have suggested that also in the CNS, these compounds might participate in morphogenesis and nerve cell differentiation. However very few studies have been reported concerning the regional distribution of these compounds by histochemical techniques. We have used the Alcian Blue staining method also in conjunction with enzymatic digestion and with a technique which allowed the measurement of the degree of GAG sulphatation. The combination of the three techniques showed that during the first week GAGs, presumed to be hyaluronic acid, are localized throughout the neuropile of the entire cerebellum and especially in the medullary region. Sulphated glycans appear later in the medullary region (particularly at the border between the medullary region and the internal granular layer) and in all the layers of cerebellum (in particular around the Purkinje and deep cerebellar nuclei neurons and possibly in the cerebellar glomeruli). Sulphated glycans in the medullary region disappear around the 12th day when myelination starts. The transient presence of glycoproteins in the molecular layer was also detected.