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Haider AA, Rex TS, Wareham LK. cGMP Signaling in the Neurovascular Unit-Implications for Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival in Glaucoma. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1671. [PMID: 36421684 PMCID: PMC9687235 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a progressive age-related disease of the visual system and the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Currently, intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor for the disease, but even as IOP is lowered, the pathology of the disease often progresses. Hence, effective clinical targets for the treatment of glaucoma remain elusive. Glaucoma shares comorbidities with a multitude of vascular diseases, and evidence in humans and animal models demonstrates an association between vascular dysfunction of the retina and glaucoma pathology. Integral to the survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is functional neurovascular coupling (NVC), providing RGCs with metabolic support in response to neuronal activity. NVC is mediated by cells of the neurovascular unit (NVU), which include vascular cells, glial cells, and neurons. Nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) signaling is a prime mediator of NVC between endothelial cells and neurons, but emerging evidence suggests that cGMP signaling is also important in the physiology of other cells of the NVU. NO-cGMP signaling has been implicated in glaucomatous neurodegeneration in humans and mice. In this review, we explore the role of cGMP signaling in the different cell types of the NVU and investigate the potential links between cGMP signaling, breakdown of neurovascular function, and glaucoma pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lauren K. Wareham
- Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
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Lee H, Kang SW, Jeong H, Kwon JT, Kim YO, Kim HJ. Alteration in Cngb1 Expression upon Maternal Immune Activation in a Mouse Model and Its Possible Association with Schizophrenia Susceptibility. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 19:618-627. [PMID: 34690117 PMCID: PMC8553526 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2021.19.4.618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Objective The cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (Cng) regulates synaptic efficacy in brain neurons by modulating Ca2+ levels in response to changes in cyclic nucleotide concentrations. This study investigated whether the expression of Cng channel, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit beta 1 (Cngb1) exhibited any relationship with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in an animal model and whether genetic polymorphisms of the human gene were associated with the progression of schizophrenia in a Korean population. Methods We investigated whether Cngb1 expression was related to psychiatric disorders in a mouse model of schizophrenia induced by maternal immune activation. A case-control study was conducted of 275 schizophrenia patients and 410 controls with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5′-near region of CNGB1. Results Cngb1 expression was decreased in the prefrontal cortex in the mouse model. Furthermore, the genotype frequency of a SNP (rs3756314) of CNGB1 was associated with the risk of schizophrenia. Conclusion Our results suggest that CNGB1 might be associated with schizophrenia susceptibility and maternal immune activation. Consequently, it is hypothesized that CNGB1 may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwayoung Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Wook Kang
- Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hyeonjung Jeong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Jun-Tack Kwon
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Young Ock Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hak-Jae Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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3
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Vargas A, Yamamoto KL, Craft CM, Lee EJ. Clusterin enhances cell survival by suppressing neuronal nitric-oxide synthase expression in the rhodopsin S334ter-line3 retinitis pigmentosa model. Brain Res 2021; 1768:147575. [PMID: 34242654 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Environmental changes in the retina, including oxidative stress-induced cell death, influence photoreceptor degeneration in Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Previously, we tested and discovered that a cytoprotective chaperone protein, clusterin, produced robust preservation of rod photoreceptors of a rat autosomal dominant rhodopsin transgenic model of RP, S334ter-line3. To investigate the biochemical and molecular cytoprotective pathways of clusterin, we examined and compared a known source of cone cell death, nitric oxide (NO), observing nNOS expression using antibody against nNOS in RP retinas with intravitreal injections of saline, clusterin (10 μg/ml), or a non-isoform-selective NOS inhibitor (25 mM), L-NAME, or with an intraperitoneal injection (IP) of L-NAME (100 mg/kg). Rhodopsin-immunoreactive rod photoreceptor cells and nNOS-immunoreactive cells were quantified with immunohistochemistry in the presence or absence of L-NAME or clusterin, and the total nNOS retinal expression was determined by immunoblot analysis. In this study, the level of nNOS expression was significantly up-regulated postnatally (P) at P15 (P < 0.05), P30 (P < 0.001) and P60 (P < 0.0001) in RP retinas compared to normal controls. Clusterin treatment suppressed the up-regulated nNOS expression in RP retinas (P < 0.0001) and was enhanced in Type II amacrine cells. Additionally, IP injection of L-NAME at P15 prolonged rod survival in the later stage of RP retinas (P < 0.001). Conversely, rod survival in L-NAME-treated RP retinas was not equivalent to the rod survival number seen in clusterin-treated retinas, which suggests induction of nNOS expression in RP retinas and its reduction by clusterin is only partly responsible for the rescue observed through the reduction of nNOS expression in S334ter-line3 rat retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Vargas
- Mary D. Allen Vision Research Laboratory, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kyra L Yamamoto
- Mary D. Allen Vision Research Laboratory, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cheryl Mae Craft
- Mary D. Allen Vision Research Laboratory, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Mary D. Allen Vision Research Laboratory, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States.
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Pal S, Rao GN, Pal A. Inflammation and apoptosis, two key events induced by hyperglycemia mediated reactive nitrogen species in RGC-5 cells. Life Sci 2021; 279:119693. [PMID: 34111464 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Nitrosative stress plays a critical role in retinal injury in high glucose (HG) environment of eye, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that HG induced reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production acts as a key functional mediator of antioxidant depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction, biomolecule damage, inflammation and apoptosis. Our findings illustrated that exposure of cultured RGC-5 cells to HG significantly disrupts the antioxidant defense mechanism and mitochondrial machineries by increasing the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔѰM) and elevating mitochondrial mass. Furthermore, we used biochemical tools to analyze the changes in metabolites, sulfur amino acids (SAAs) such as L-glutathione (GSH) and L-cysteine (Cys), in the presence of HG environment. These metabolic changes were followed by an increase in glycolytic flux that is phosphofructokinase-2 (PFK-2) activity. Moreover, HG exposure results in a significant disruption of protein carbonylation (PC) and lipid peroxidation (LPO), downregulation of OGG1 and increase in 8-OHdG accumulations in RGC-5 cells. In addition, our results demonstrated that HG environment coinciding with increased expression of inflammatory mediators, cell cycle deregulation, decreased in cell viability and expression of FoxOs, increased lysosomal content leading to apoptosis. Pre-treatment of selective inhibitors of RNS significantly reduced the HG-induced cell cycle deregulation and apoptosis in RGC-5 cells. Collectively, these results illustrated that accumulated RNS exacerbates the antioxidant depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction, biomolecule damage, inflammation and apoptosis induced by HG exposure in RGC-5 cells. Treatment of pharmacological inhibitors attenuated the HG induced in retinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweta Pal
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India
| | - G Nageswar Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India
| | - Arttatrana Pal
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India; Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari 845401, India.
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Retinal exposure to high glucose condition modifies the GABAergic system: Regulation by nitric oxide. Exp Eye Res 2017; 162:116-125. [PMID: 28734674 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy is a severe retinal complication that diabetic patients are susceptible to present. Although this disease is currently characterized as a microvascular disease, there is growing evidence that neural changes occur and maybe precede vascular impairments. Using chicken retina, an avascular tissue with no direct contact with blood vessels and neural retina, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of acute exposure to high glucose concentration in the retinal GABAergic system, and the role of nitric oxide (NO) in this modulation. Therefore, in ex vivo experiments, retinas were incubated in control (10 mM glucose) or high glucose condition (35 mM) for 30 min. By using DAF-FM to evaluate NO production, it was possible to show that high glucose (HG) significantly increased NO levels in the outer nuclear layer, inner nuclear layer (outer and inner portion), and inner plexiform layer. It was also observed that HG increased GABA immunoreactivity (IR) in amacrine and horizontal cells. HG did not change glutamic acid decarboxylase-IR, whereas it decreased GABA Transporter (GAT) 1-IR and increased GAT-3-IR. The co-treatment with 7-NI, an inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), blocked all changes stimulated by HG exposure. The concomitant exposure with SNAP-5114, a GAT-2/3 inhibitor, blocked the increase in GABA-IR caused by HG incubation. Therefore, our data suggest that hyperglycemia induces GABA accumulation in the cytosol by modulating GABA transporters. This response is dependent on NO production and signaling.
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6
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Abstract
The role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the retina can be simply termed as "extensive." The picture remains incomplete, but it is now known that NO has many sites of production and action in the retina, both physiological and pathophysiological in nature. Perspectives from retinal neurophysiology and clinical pathology have merged in a number of studies examining NO action, but renewed emphasis is needed to discover the links between the roles of NO in the neurons, glia, and vasculature of the retina. NEUROSCIENTIST 3:357-360, 1997
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Barnstable CJ, Reddy R, Li H, Horvath TL. Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein 2 (UCP2) Regulates Retinal Ganglion Cell Number and Survival. J Mol Neurosci 2016; 58:461-9. [PMID: 26846222 PMCID: PMC4833669 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-016-0728-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In the brain, mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) has emerged as a stress signal associated with neuronal survival. In the retina, UCP2 is expressed primarily by retinal ganglion cells. Here, we investigated the functional relevance of UCP2 in the mouse retina. Increased expression of UCP2 significantly reduced apoptosis during the critical developmental period resulting in elevated numbers of retinal ganglion cells in the adult. Elevated UCP2 levels also protected against excitotoxic cell death induced by intraocular injection of either NMDA or kainic acid. In monolayer cultures of retinal cells, elevated UCP2 levels increased cell survival and rendered the cells independent of the survival-promoting effects of the neurotrophic factors BDNF and CNTF. Taken together, these data implicate UCP2 as an important regulator of retinal neuron survival both during development and in adult animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Barnstable
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Science, Penn State University College of Medicine, H109, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
| | - Rajini Reddy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Science, Penn State University College of Medicine, H109, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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9
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Vielma AH, Agurto A, Valdés J, Palacios AG, Schmachtenberg O. Nitric oxide modulates the temporal properties of the glutamate response in type 4 OFF bipolar cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114330. [PMID: 25463389 PMCID: PMC4252109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in retinal signal processing, but its cellular actions are only partly understood. An established source of retinal NO are NOACs, a group of nNOS-expressing amacrine cells which signal onto bipolar, other amacrine and ganglion cells in the inner plexiform layer. Here, we report that NO regulates glutamate responses in morphologically and electrophysiologically identified type 4 OFF cone bipolar cells through activation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase-cGMP-PKG pathway. The glutamate response of these cells consists of two components, a fast phasic current sensitive to kainate receptor agonists, and a secondary component with slow kinetics, inhibited by AMPA receptor antagonists. NO shortened the duration of the AMPA receptor-dependent component of the glutamate response, while the kainate receptor-dependent component remained unchanged. Application of 8-Br-cGMP mimicked this effect, while inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase or protein kinase G prevented it, supporting a mechanism involving a cGMP signaling pathway. Notably, perfusion with a NOS-inhibitor prolonged the duration of the glutamate response, while the NO precursor L-arginine shortened it, in agreement with a modulation by endogenous NO. Furthermore, NO accelerated the response recovery during repeated stimulation of type 4 cone bipolar cells, suggesting that the temporal response properties of this OFF bipolar cell type are regulated by NO. These results reveal a novel cellular mechanism of NO signaling in the retina, and represent the first functional evidence of NO modulating OFF cone bipolar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H. Vielma
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Adolfo Agurto
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Joaquín Valdés
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Adrián G. Palacios
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Oliver Schmachtenberg
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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10
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Dhingra A, Tummala SR, Lyubarsky A, Vardi N. PDE9A is expressed in the inner retina and contributes to the normal shape of the photopic ERG waveform. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:60. [PMID: 25018695 PMCID: PMC4073215 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous second messenger cGMP is synthesized by guanylyl cyclase and hydrolyzed by phosphodiesterase (PDE). cGMP mediates numerous signaling pathways in multiple tissues. In the retina, cGMP regulates signaling in nearly every cell class including photoreceptors, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, and ganglion cells. In order to understand the specific role of cGMP and its regulating enzymes in different cell types, it is first necessary to localize these components and dissect their influence on the circuits. Here we tested the contribution of PDE9A to retinal processing by recording the electroretinograms (ERG) of PDE9A™/™ (KO) mice and by localizing the enzyme. We found that while the scotopic ERG of KO was the same as that of wild type (WT) in both amplitude and kinetics, the photopic ERG was greatly affected. The greatest effect was on the recovery of the b-wave; the falling phase and the b-wave duration were significantly longer in the KO mice for all photopic stimuli (UV, green, or saturating white flashes). The rising phase was slower in KO than in WT for UV and green stimuli. For certain stimuli, amplitudes of both the a- and b-waves were smaller than in WT. Using Lac-Z expression in KO retinas as a reporter for PDE9A expression pattern, we found that PDE9A is localized to GABA-positive and GABA-negative amacrine cells, and likely also to certain types of ganglion cells. Our results indicate that PDE9A, by controlling the level of cGMP, modulates inhibitory processes within the cone pathway. We speculate that these circuits involve NO/cGMP signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Dhingra
- Retina Lab, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shanti R Tummala
- Retina Lab, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arkady Lyubarsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Noga Vardi
- Retina Lab, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Lima MG, Maximino C, Matos Oliveira KR, Brasil A, Crespo-Lopez ME, Batista EDJO, Rocha FADF, Picanço-Diniz DLW, Herculano AM. Nitric oxide as a regulatory molecule in the processing of the visual stimulus. Nitric Oxide 2013; 36:44-50. [PMID: 24275015 DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2013.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Revised: 10/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive gas with considerable diffusion power that is produced pre- and post synaptically in the central nervous system (CNS). In the visual system, it is involved in the processing of the visual information from the retina to superior visual centers. In this review we discuss the main mechanisms through which nitric oxide acts, in physiological levels, on the retina, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and primary visual cortex. In the retina, the cGMP-dependent nitric oxide activity initially amplifies the signal, subsequently increasing the inhibitory activity, suggesting that the signal is "filtered". In the thalamus, on dLGN, neuronal activity is amplified by NO derived from brainstem cholinergic cells, in a cGMP-independent mechanism; the result is the amplification of the signal arriving from retina. Finally, on the visual cortex (V1), NO acts through changes on the cGMP levels, increasing signal detection. These observations suggest that NO works like a filter, modulating the signal along the visual pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gomes Lima
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil; Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC) Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA.
| | - Karen Renata Matos Oliveira
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Alódia Brasil
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará CEP 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Evander de Jesus Oliveira Batista
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Fernando Allan de Farias Rocha
- Laboratory of Neuroscience Dr. Eduardo Oswaldo Cruz, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará CEP 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço-Diniz
- Nucleus Oriximiná, Federal University of Western Pará, University Campus Oriximiná, Rodovia PA-254, n° 257 Bairro Santíssimo, Oriximiná, Pará CEP 68270-000, Brazil.
| | - Anderson Manoel Herculano
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Pará, Av. Augusto Correa, 01 Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil; Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC) Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA.
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Podda MV, Grassi C. New perspectives in cyclic nucleotide-mediated functions in the CNS: the emerging role of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. Pflugers Arch 2013; 466:1241-57. [PMID: 24142069 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-013-1373-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Revised: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotides play fundamental roles in the central nervous system (CNS) under both physiological and pathological conditions. The impact of cAMP and cGMP signaling on neuronal and glial cell functions has been thoroughly characterized. Most of their effects have been related to cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase activity. However, cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, first described as key mediators of sensory transduction in retinal and olfactory receptors, have been receiving increasing attention as possible targets of cyclic nucleotides in the CNS. In the last 15 years, consistent evidence has emerged for their expression in neurons and astrocytes of the rodent brain. Far less is known, however, about the functional role of CNG channels in these cells, although several of their features, such as Ca(2+) permeability and prolonged activation in the presence of cyclic nucleotides, make them ideal candidates for mediators of physiological functions in the CNS. Here, we review literature suggesting the involvement of CNG channels in a number of CNS cellular functions (e.g., regulation of membrane potential, neuronal excitability, and neurotransmitter release) as well as in more complex phenomena, like brain plasticity, adult neurogenesis, and pain sensitivity. The emerging picture is that functional and dysfunctional cyclic nucleotide signaling in the CNS has to be reconsidered including CNG channels among possible targets. However, concerted efforts and multidisciplinary approaches are still needed to get more in-depth knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Podda
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
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13
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Podda MV, Piacentini R, Barbati SA, Mastrodonato A, Puzzo D, D’Ascenzo M, Leone L, Grassi C. Role of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in the modulation of mouse hippocampal neurogenesis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73246. [PMID: 23991183 PMCID: PMC3750014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural stem cells generate neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus in mammals, including humans, throughout adulthood. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been the focus of many studies due to its relevance in processes such as learning and memory and its documented impairment in some neurodegenerative diseases. However, we are still far from having a complete picture of the mechanism regulating this process. Our study focused on the possible role of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. These voltage-independent channels activated by cyclic nucleotides, first described in retinal and olfactory receptors, have been receiving increasing attention for their involvement in several brain functions. Here we show that the rod-type, CNGA1, and olfactory-type, CNGA2, subunits are expressed in hippocampal neural stem cells in culture and in situ in the hippocampal neurogenic niche of adult mice. Pharmacological blockade of CNG channels did not affect cultured neural stem cell proliferation but reduced their differentiation towards the neuronal phenotype. The membrane permeant cGMP analogue, 8-Br-cGMP, enhanced neural stem cell differentiation to neurons and this effect was prevented by CNG channel blockade. In addition, patch-clamp recording from neuron-like differentiating neural stem cells revealed cGMP-activated currents attributable to ion flow through CNG channels. The current work provides novel insights into the role of CNG channels in promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, which may prove to be relevant for stem cell-based treatment of cognitive impairment and brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Podda
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Piacentini
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessia Mastrodonato
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Puzzo
- Section of Physiology, Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Ascenzo
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Leone
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
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Blom J, Giove T, Deshpande M, Eldred WD. Characterization of nitric oxide signaling pathways in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2013; 520:4204-17. [PMID: 22592770 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous neuromodulator with physiological functions in every retinal cell type. NO is synthesized by several nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and often functions through its second messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and protein kinase G (PKG). This study combined NO imaging, immunocytochemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology to localize NO and its downstream signaling pathways in the mouse retina. Neuronal NOS (nNOS) was localized primarily in puncta in the inner plexiform layer, in amacrine cells, and in somata in the ganglion cell layer. Endothelial NOS was in blood vessels. Light-stimulated NO production imaged with diaminofluorescein was present in somata in the inner nuclear layer and in synaptic boutons in the inner plexiform layer. The downstream target of NO, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), was in somata in the inner and outer nuclear layers and in both plexiform layers. Cyclic GMP immunocytochemistry was used functionally to localize sGC that was activated by an NO donor in amacrine, bipolar, and ganglion cells. Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) Iα was found in bipolar cells, ganglion cells, and both plexiform layers, whereas PKG II was found in the outer plexiform layer, amacrine cells, and somata in the ganglion cell layer. This study shows that the NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway is functional and widely distributed in specific cell types in the outer and inner mouse retina. A better understanding of these signaling pathways in normal retina will provide a firm basis for targeting their roles in retinal pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Blom
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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15
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Podda MV, Leone L, Piacentini R, Cocco S, Mezzogori D, D'Ascenzo M, Grassi C. Expression of olfactory-type cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in rat cortical astrocytes. Glia 2012; 60:1391-405. [PMID: 22653779 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 05/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are nonselective cation channels activated by cyclic AMP (cAMP) or cyclic GMP (cGMP). They were originally identified in retinal and olfactory receptors, but evidence has also emerged for their expression in several mammalian brain areas. Because cGMP and cAMP control important aspects of glial cell physiology, we wondered whether CNG channels are expressed in astrocytes, the most functionally relevant glial cells in the CNS. Immunoblot and immunofluorescence experiments demonstrated expression of the CNG channel olfactory-type A subunit, CNGA2, in cultured rat cortical astrocytes. In patch-clamp experiments, currents elicited in these cells by voltage ramps from -100 to +100 mV in the presence of the cGMP analogue, dB-cGMP, were significantly reduced by the CNG channel blockers, L-cis-diltiazem (LCD) and Cd(2+) . The reversal potentials of the LCD- and Cd(2+) -sensitive currents were more positive than that of K(+) , as expected for a mixed cation current. Noninactivating, voltage-independent currents were also elicited by extracellular application of the membrane permeant cGMP analogue, 8-Br-cGMP. These effects were blocked by LCD and were mimicked by natriuretic peptide receptor activation and inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity. Voltage-independent, LCD-sensitive currents were also elicited by 8-Br-cGMP in astrocytes of hippocampal and neocortical brain slices. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a broad distribution of CNG channels in astrocytes of the rat forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. These findings suggest that CNG channels are downstream targets of cyclic nucleotides in astrocytes, and they may be involved in the glial-mediated regulation of CNS functions under physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Podda
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
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16
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Lopez-Jimenez ME, González JC, Lizasoain I, Sánchez-Prieto J, Hernández-Guijo JM, Torres M. Functional cGMP-gated channels in cerebellar granule cells. J Cell Physiol 2012; 227:2252-63. [PMID: 21809342 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.22964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are important transducers of external signals in sensory processes. These channels are ubiquitously expressed in a variety of neurons, and are necessary to transduce signals for growth cone guidance and plasticity. Here, we demonstrate that the CNGC subunits (CNGA1 and CNGB1, presumably the 1b isoform) are expressed in rat cerebellar granule cells and that they combine to form functional channels. The expression of the mRNAs that encode these proteins is maximal after 7 days in cell culture, when the channels are expressed at synapses and co-localize with the synaptic marker synapsin I. These ligand-gated channels are functional and can be blocked by Mg(2+) or L-cis-diltiazem. Moreover, channel opening in response to increases in intracellular cGMP results in Ca(2+) entry into the cell. Chronic blockade (96 h) of these channels with L-cis-diltiazem significantly decreases the number of functional boutons, as determined by their capacity to load and unload the styryl dye FM1-43 when stimulated. Moreover, the unloading kinetics is modified from a biphasic to a monophasic profile in a subset of synaptic boutons. These channels are also expressed in early developmental stages, both in the soma and in emerging processes, and CNGA1 can be detected in growth cones. Pharmacological blockade of these channels with L-cis-diltiazem causes an overall change in growth cone morphology, impairing the formation of lamellipodia between filopodia and increasing the number of filopodia. J
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma Elena Lopez-Jimenez
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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17
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Heo T, Jang S, Jeong HS, Park JS. Effects of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in vestibular nuclear neurons. Chonnam Med J 2011; 47:155-9. [PMID: 22247915 PMCID: PMC3252503 DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2011.47.3.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effects an 8-Br-cGMP on the neuronal activity of rat vestibular nuclear cells. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 14 to 16 days were decapitated under ether anesthesia. After treatment with pronase and thermolysin, the dissociated vestibular nuclear cells were transferred into a chamber on an inverted microscope. Spontaneous action potentials and potassium currents were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques under current and voltage-clamp modes. Twelve vestibular nuclear cells revealed excitatory responses to 1-5 µM of 8-Br-cGMP, and 3 neurons did not respond to 8-Br-cGMP. Whole potassium currents of vestibular nuclear cells were decreased by 8-Br-cGMP (n=12). After calcium-dependent potassium currents were blocked by tetraethylammonium, the potassium currents were not decreased by 8-Br-cGMP. These experimental results suggest that 8-Br-cGMP changes the neuronal activity of vestibular nuclear cells by blocking the calcium-dependent potassium currents that underlie the afterhyperpolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tag Heo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
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Vielma AH, Retamal MA, Schmachtenberg O. Nitric oxide signaling in the retina: what have we learned in two decades? Brain Res 2011; 1430:112-25. [PMID: 22133309 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Two decades after its first detection in the retina, nitric oxide (NO) continues to puzzle visual neuroscientists. While its liberation by photoreceptors remains controversial, recent evidence supports three subtypes of amacrine cells as main sources of NO in the inner retina. NO synthesis was shown to depend on light stimulation, and mounting evidence suggests that NO is a regulator of visual adaptation at different signal processing levels. NO modulates light responses in all retinal neuron classes, and specific ion conductances are activated by NO in rods, cones, bipolar and ganglion cells. Light-dependent gap junction coupling in the inner and outer plexiform layers is also affected by NO. The vast majority of these effects were shown to be mediated by activation of the NO receptor soluble guanylate cyclase and resultant cGMP elevation. This review analyzes the current state of knowledge on physiological NO signaling in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H Vielma
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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19
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Meyer JS, Howden SE, Wallace KA, Verhoeven AD, Wright LS, Capowski EE, Pinilla I, Martin JM, Tian S, Stewart R, Pattnaik B, Thomson J, Gamm DM. Optic vesicle-like structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells facilitate a customized approach to retinal disease treatment. Stem Cells 2011; 29:1206-18. [PMID: 21678528 PMCID: PMC3412675 DOI: 10.1002/stem.674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Differentiation methods for human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) typically yield progeny from multiple tissue lineages, limiting their use for drug testing and autologous cell transplantation. In particular, early retina and forebrain derivatives often intermingle in pluripotent stem cell cultures, owing to their shared ancestry and tightly coupled development. Here, we demonstrate that three-dimensional populations of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) can be isolated from early forebrain populations in both human embryonic stem cell and hiPSC cultures, providing a valuable tool for developmental, functional, and translational studies. Using our established protocol, we identified a transient population of optic vesicle (OV)-like structures that arose during a time period appropriate for normal human retinogenesis. These structures were independently cultured and analyzed to confirm their multipotent RPC status and capacity to produce physiologically responsive retinal cell types, including photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We then applied this method to hiPSCs derived from a patient with gyrate atrophy, a retinal degenerative disease affecting the RPE. RPE generated from these hiPSCs exhibited a disease-specific functional defect that could be corrected either by pharmacological means or following targeted gene repair. The production of OV-like populations from human pluripotent stem cells should facilitate the study of human retinal development and disease and advance the use of hiPSCs in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Meyer
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
| | - Sara E. Howden
- Department of Cell & Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- The Genome Center of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison WI 53706
| | | | | | | | | | - Isabel Pinilla
- Department of Ophthalmology, Blesa University Hospital and the Instituto Aragones de Ciencias de la Salud, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Shulan Tian
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison WI 53706
| | - Ron Stewart
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison WI 53706
| | - Bikash Pattnaik
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
| | - James Thomson
- Department of Cell & Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- The Genome Center of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison WI 53706
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA 93106
| | - David M. Gamm
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
- Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI 53705
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20
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Abstract
Using both NADPH diaphorase and anti-nNOS antibodies, we have identified-from retinal flatmounts-neuronal types in the inner retina of the chicken that are likely to be nitrergic. The two methods gave similar results and yielded a total of 15 types of neurons, comprising 9 amacrine cells, 5 ganglion cells, and 1 centrifugal midbrain neuron. Six of these 15 cell types are ubiquitously distributed, comprising 3 amacrine cells, 2 displaced ganglion cells, and a presumed orthotopic ganglion cell. The remaining nine cell types are regionally restricted within the retina. As previously reported, efferent fibers of midbrain neurons and their postsynaptic partners, the unusual axon-bearing target amacrine cells, are entirely confined to the ventral retina. Also confined to the ventral retina, though with somewhat different distributions, are the "bullwhip" amacrine cells thought to be involved in eye growth, an orthotopic ganglion cell, and two types of large axon-bearing amacrine cells whose dendrites and axons lie in stratum 1 of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Intracellular fills of these two cell types showed that only a minority of otherwise morphologically indistinguishable neurons are nitrergic. Two amacrine cells that branch throughout the IPL are confined to an equatorial band, and one small-field orthotopic ganglion cell that branches in the proximal IPL is entirely dorsal. These findings suggest that the retina uses different processing on different regions of the visual image, though the benefit of this is presently obscure.
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21
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Pang JJ, Gao F, Wu SM. Light responses and morphology of bNOS-immunoreactive neurons in the mouse retina. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:2456-74. [PMID: 20503422 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO), produced by NO synthase (NOS), modulates the function of all retinal neurons and ocular blood vessels and participates in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases. To further understand the regulation of ocular NO release, we systematically studied the morphology, topography, and light responses of NOS-containing amacrine cells (NOACs) in dark-adapted mouse retina. Immunohistological staining for neuronal NOS (bNOS), combined with retrograde labeling of ganglion cells (GCs) with Neurobiotin (NB, a gap junction permeable dye) and Lucifer yellow (LY, a less permeable dye), was used to identify NOACs. The light responses of ACs were recorded under whole-cell voltage clamp conditions and cell morphology was examined with a confocal microscope. We found that in dark-adapted conditions bNOS-immunoreactivity (IR) was present primarily in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer. bNOS-IR somas were negative for LY, thus they were identified as ACs; nearly 6% of the cells were labeled by NB but not by LY, indicating that they were dye-coupled with GCs. Three morphological subtypes of NOACs (NI, NII, and displaced) were identified. The cell density, intercellular distance, and the distribution of NOACs were studied in whole retinas. Light evoked depolarizing highly sensitive ON-OFF responses in NI cells and less sensitive OFF responses in NII cells. Frequent (1-2 Hz) or abrupt change of light intensity evoked larger peak responses. The possibility for light to modify NO release from NOACs is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Jie Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
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22
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Nemargut JP, Wang GY. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase desensitizes retinal ganglion cells to light by diminishing their excitatory synaptic currents under light adaptation. Vision Res 2009; 49:2936-47. [PMID: 19772868 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2009.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2009] [Revised: 09/11/2009] [Accepted: 09/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The effect of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase (NOS) on the visual responses of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was studied under light adaptation by using patch-clamp recordings. The results demonstrated that NOS inhibitor, l-NAME, reduced the sensitivity of RGCs to light under light adaptation at different ambient light conditions. These observations were seen in all cells that recordings were made from. l-NAME diminished the excitatory synaptic currents (EPSCs), rather than increasing the inhibitory synaptic currents, of RGCs to reduce the sensitivity of RGCs to light. Cones may be the sites that l-NAME acted to diminish the EPSCs of RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Nemargut
- Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
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23
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Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous neuromodulator that has physiological functions in every cell type in the retina. Evidence indicates that NO often plays a role in the processing of visual information in the retina through the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Despite numerous structural and functional studies of this signaling pathway in the retina, none have examined many of the elements of this pathway within a single study in a single species. In this study, the NO/cGMP pathway was localized to specific regions and cell types within the inner and outer retina. We have immunocytochemically localized nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that produces NO, in photoreceptor ellipsoids, four distinct classes of amacrine cells, Müller and bipolar cells, somata in the ganglion cell layer, as well as in processes within both plexiform layers. Additionally, we localized NO production in specific cell types using the NO-sensitive dye diaminofluorescein. cGMP immunocytochemistry was used to functionally localize soluble guanylate cyclase that was activated by an NO donor in select amacrine and bipolar cell classes. Analysis of cGMP and its downstream target, cGMP-dependent protein kinase II (PKGII), showed colocalization within processes in the outer retina as well as in somata in the inner retina. The results of this study showed that the NO/cGMP signaling pathway was functional and its components were widely distributed throughout specific cell types in the outer and inner salamander retina.
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24
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Abstract
As a chemical transmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, nitric oxide (NO) is still thought a bit of an oddity, yet this role extends back to the beginnings of the evolution of the nervous system, predating many of the more familiar neurotransmitters. During the 20 years since it became known, evidence has accumulated for NO subserving an increasing number of functions in the mammalian central nervous system, as anticipated from the wide distribution of its synthetic and signal transduction machinery within it. This review attempts to probe beneath those functions and consider the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which NO evokes short- and long-term modifications in neural performance. With any transmitter, understanding its receptors is vital for decoding the language of communication. The receptor proteins specialised to detect NO are coupled to cGMP formation and provide an astonishing degree of amplification of even brief, low amplitude NO signals. Emphasis is given to the diverse ways in which NO receptor activation initiates changes in neuronal excitability and synaptic strength by acting at pre- and/or postsynaptic locations. Signalling to non-neuronal cells and an unexpected line of communication between endothelial cells and brain cells are also covered. Viewed from a mechanistic perspective, NO conforms to many of the rules governing more conventional neurotransmission, particularly of the metabotropic type, but stands out as being more economical and versatile, attributes that presumably account for its spectacular evolutionary success.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Garthwaite
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT, UK.
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25
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Cristino L, Guglielmotti V, Cotugno A, Musio C, Santillo S. Nitric oxide signaling pathways at neural level in invertebrates: functional implications in cnidarians. Brain Res 2008; 1225:17-25. [PMID: 18534563 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2008] [Revised: 03/18/2008] [Accepted: 04/15/2008] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a small molecule with unconventional properties. It is found in organisms throughout the phylogenetic scale, from fungi to mammals, in which it acts as an intercellular messenger of main physiological events, or even as an intracellular messenger in invertebrates. In both vertebrates and invertebrates, NO is involved in many processes, regulated in part by cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and reacts with different oxygen molecular species. The presence of NO in the early-diverging metazoan phylum of Cnidaria, of which Hydra represents the first known species having a nervous system, supports a role of this molecule as an ancestral neural messenger with physiological roles that remain to be largely elucidated. Therefore, our novel findings on the presence of NO in Hydra are here integrated in such a comparative frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigia Cristino
- Istituto di Cibernetica Eduardo Caianiello del CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, I-80078 Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy
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26
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Newland PL, Yates P. Nitrergic modulation of an oviposition digging rhythm in locusts. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 210:4448-56. [PMID: 18055633 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In locusts, a central pattern generator underlies the rhythmic movements of the ovipositor valves that serve to drive the abdomen into damp soil in order to lay eggs. We have investigated the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the control of this oviposition digging rhythm. NO increases the frequency of the rhythm by acting via sGC to elevate cGMP, which in turn acts via PKG. Increasing exogenous NO levels using the NO donors SNAP and PAPANONOate increased the cycle frequency of the fictive digging rhythm, as did increasing endogenous NO by bath application of the substrate for NOS, l-arginine. On the other hand, application of the NO scavenger PTIO decreased the cycle frequency, indicating that NO must normally exert a continuous and dynamic role on the central pattern generator underlying the oviposition rhythm. Inhibiting the main molecular target of NO, soluble guanylate cyclase, with ODQ reduced the cycle frequency of the rhythm, suggesting that NO mediated its effects via sGC and cyclic GMP. Further evidence for this was produced by bath application of 8-Br-cGMP, which increased the frequency of the rhythm. Bath application of the generic protein kinase inhibitor and a selective PKG inhibitor, H-7 and KT-5823, respectively, reduced the frequency of the rhythm, suggesting that PKG acted as a target for cGMP. Thus, we conclude that NO plays a key role in regulating the frequency of the central pattern generator controlling rhythmic egg-laying movements in locusts by acting via sGC/cGMP-PKG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Newland
- School of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science Building, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton, UK.
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27
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Changes of nitric oxide synthase and cyclic guanosine monophosphate in form deprivation myopia in guinea pigs. Chin Med J (Engl) 2007. [DOI: 10.1097/00029330-200712020-00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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28
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Podda MV, D'Ascenzo M, Leone L, Piacentini R, Azzena GB, Grassi C. Functional role of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in rat medial vestibular nucleus neurons. J Physiol 2007; 586:803-15. [PMID: 18048449 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.146019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are expressed in numerous brain areas, little information is available on their functions in CNS neurons. The aim of the present study was to define the distribution of CNG channels in the rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and their possible involvement in regulating MVN neuron (MVNn) excitability. The majority of MVNn expressed both CNG1 and CNG2 A subunits. In whole-cell current-clamp experiments carried out on brainstem slices containing the MVNn, the membrane-permeant analogues of cyclic nucleotides, 8-Br-cGMP and 8-Br-cAMP (1 mM), induced membrane depolarizations (8.9 +/- 0.8 and 9.2 +/- 1.0 mV, respectively) that were protein kinase independent. The cGMP-induced depolarization was associated with a significant decrease in the membrane input resistance. The effects of cGMP on membrane potential were almost completely abolished by the CNG channel blockers, Cd(2+) and L-cis-diltiazem, but they were unaffected by blockade of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. In voltage-clamp experiments, 8-Br-cGMP induced non-inactivating inward currents (-22.2 +/- 3.9 pA) with an estimated reversal potential near 0 mV, which were markedly inhibited by reduction of extracellular Na(+) and Ca(2+) concentrations. Membrane depolarization induced by CNG channel activation increased the firing rate of MVNn without changing the action potential shape. Collectively, these findings provide novel evidence that CNG channels affect membrane potential and excitability of MVNn. Such action should have a significant impact on the function of these neurons in sensory-motor integration processes. More generally, it might represent a broad mechanism for regulating the excitability of different CNS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Podda
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Catholic University S. Cuore, I-00168 Rome, Italy
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29
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Time-course of changes to nitric oxide signaling pathways in form-deprivation myopia in guinea pigs. Brain Res 2007; 1186:155-63. [PMID: 17999927 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2007.09.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2007] [Revised: 09/18/2007] [Accepted: 09/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the time-course change of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and cyclic GMP (cGMP) concentration in the posterior retina, choroid and sclera after differing periods of form-deprivation in guinea pigs. Three groups of guinea pigs were subjected to monocular FD for 7, 14 or 21 days. NOS activity and cGMP concentrations in ocular tissues of FD eyes and control eyes were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The presence of NOS isoforms was detected by immunohistochemistry. Guinea pigs presented with considerable myopia after 14 days of FD. Retinal NOS activity in the FD group was lower than in the control group after 7 days of FD and was higher than in the control group after 14 and 21 days of FD. The choroidal and scleral NOS activities in the FD groups were higher than in the control groups after 21 days. The cGMP concentrations in the FD groups were higher than in the control groups at 21 days of the retinal, choroidal, and scleral tissues. Furthermore, the retinal cGMP concentration in the FD group was also significantly elevated at 14 days relative to the control group. We detected expression of three NOS isoforms in guinea pig ocular tissues. Our main observations were a change in NOS activity and an up-regulation in cGMP concentrations in posterior ocular tissues during the development of myopia. The function of elevated NOS activity may be mediated by cGMP.
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30
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Park SH, Kim JH, Kim YH, Park CK. Expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the retina of a rat model of chronic glaucoma. Vision Res 2007; 47:2732-40. [PMID: 17825345 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2007.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2007] [Revised: 07/13/2007] [Accepted: 07/13/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in a rat retina model of chronic glaucoma, which was produced by electrocauterization of the episcleral vessels. Western-blot analysis showed that nNOS expression was significantly increased in cauterized retinas. nNOS immunoreactivity was observed in the cells of both the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer. Double labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) revealed that RGCs in the retina of cauterized rat was nNOS-immunopositive. Systemic administration of L-NAME (N(G)-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester), a non-specific NOS inhibitor, reduced RGC loss in cauterized rat retina, but there was no statistical significance (P =.06). These results suggest that the cytotoxicity of excessive NO plays a role in selective RGC loss in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Hae Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Socho-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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31
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Sáenz DA, Bari SE, Salido E, Chianelli M, Rosenstein RE. Effect of nitroxyl on the hamster retinal nitridergic pathway. Neurochem Int 2007; 51:424-32. [PMID: 17543420 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2007.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2006] [Revised: 03/30/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence on the role of nitric oxide (NO) in retinal physiology. Recently, interest has developed in the functional role of an alternative redox form of NO, namely nitroxyl (HNO/NO(-)), because it is formed by a number of diverse biochemical reactions. The aim of the present report was to comparatively analyze the effect of HNO and NO on the retinal nitridergic pathway in the golden hamster. For this purpose, sodium trioxodinitrate (Angeli's salt) and diethylammonium (Z)-1-(N,N-diethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DEA/NO) were used as HNO and NO releasers, respectively. Angeli's salt and DEA/NO significantly decreased nitric oxide synthase activity. In addition, Angeli's salt (but not DEA/NO) significantly decreased l-arginine uptake. DEA/NO significantly increased cGMP accumulation at low micromolar concentrations, while Angeli's salt affected this parameter with a threshold concentration of 200muM. Although Angeli's salt and DEA/NO significantly diminished reduced glutathione and protein thiol levels in a similar way, DEA/NO was significantly more effective than AS in increasing S-nitrosothiol levels. None of these compounds increased retinal lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that HNO could regulate the hamster retinal nitridergic pathway by acting through a mechanism that only partly overlaps with that involved in NO response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Sáenz
- Laboratorio de Neuroquímica Retiniana y Oftalmología Experimental, Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CEFyBO, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Matveeva NY, Kalinichenko SG, Pushchin II, Motavkin PA. The role of nitric oxide in the apoptosis of neurons in the retina of the human fetal eye. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 37:111-8. [PMID: 17187201 DOI: 10.1007/s11055-007-0157-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2005] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The locations of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and TUNEL-immunoreactive neurons in the retina of human fetuses collected during the first to third trimesters of pregnancy were studied. High levels of NADPH-d activity were seen in the inner segments of light-sensitive cells, amacrine cells, and ganglion cells. The population of NADPH-d-positive amacrine cells included three types of neuron. Type 1 neurons were large and had sparse dendritic fields occupying the inner nuclear and outer retinal layers. Small type 2 neurons were located in the inner retinal layer. Ectopic amacrine cells, type 3, were located in the outer part of the ganglion layer. A high density of NADPH-d-positive neurons was seen in the central part of the retina, surrounding the central fovea and optic disk area. NADPH-d activity increased progressively during ontogenesis and correlated with the appearance of immunoreactive iNOS in neurons. iNOS labeled a subpopulation of amacrine and ganglion cells, which appeared at 20-21 weeks of development and reached a peak of immunoreactivity by the end of the third trimester. TUNEL-immunopositive neuron nuclei with signs of apoptotic destruction were seen at 30-31 weeks of pregnancy. The greatest apoptotic index was seen in the ganglion and amacrine cell populations. These data identify NO as a factor mediating apoptosis of neurons during the critical period of differentiation of interneuronal connections in the human retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Yu Matveeva
- Faculty of Histology, Vladivostok State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia
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33
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Devan BD, Pistell PJ, Daffin LW, Nelson CM, Duffy KB, Bowker JL, Bharati IS, Sierra-Mercado D, Spangler EL, Ingram DK. Sildenafil citrate attenuates a complex maze impairment induced by intracerebroventricular infusion of the NOS inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Eur J Pharmacol 2007; 563:134-40. [PMID: 17362916 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2006] [Revised: 02/03/2007] [Accepted: 02/06/2007] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study, our laboratory reported that sildenafil citrate, a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, reversed a learning impairment in rats induced by systemic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (60 mg/kg, i.p., Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; L-NAME). To limit the peripheral effects of L-NAME and further localize the site of action of sildenafil, L-NAME (48 microg, i.c.v.) was infused bilaterally into the lateral cerebral ventricles 30 min prior to maze training. Saline or sildenafil citrate (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered systemically 15 min before training. Drug injections occurred 24 h after pretraining rats to avoid foot shock on a one-way active avoidance straight runway. Following drug treatment, the rats received 15 training trials on a 14-unit T-maze task that requires learning a complex sequence of turns to avoid mild foot shock. This complex maze paradigm is sensitive to aging and blockade of cholinergic, N-methyl-D-aspartate and nitric oxide signaling systems. Behavioral measures of performance included deviations from the correct pathway (errors), runtime from start to goal (latency), shock frequency and shock duration. Statistical analysis revealed that central infusion of L-NAME impaired maze performance and that sildenafil (3.0 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the impairment. These results suggest that sildenafil citrate may serve as a cognitive enhancer by modulating central nitric oxide/cGMP signal transduction following N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation. This pathway has been implicated in age-related cognitive decline and may be a useful target for pharmacological intervention of neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D Devan
- Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Gerontology Research Center, 5600 Nathan Shock Dr., Baltimore MD 21204, United States.
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34
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Abstract
The nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway is implicated in modulation of visual information processing in the retina. Despite numerous functional studies of this pathway, information about the retinal distribution of the major downstream effector of NO, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), is very limited. In the present work, we have used immunohistochemistry and multiple labeling to determine the distribution of sGC in rat retina. sGC was present at high levels in inner retina but barely detectable in outer retina. Photoreceptors and horizontal cells, as well as Müller cells, were immunonegative, whereas retinal ganglion cells exhibited moderate staining for sGC. Strong immunostaining was found in subpopulations of bipolar and amacrine cells, but staining was weak in rod bipolar cells, and AII amacrine cells were immunonegative. Double labeling of sGC with neuronal nitric oxide synthase showed that the two proteins are generally located in adjacent puncta in inner plexiform layer, implying paracrine interactions. Our results suggest that the NO-cGMP pathway modulates the neural circuitry in inner retina, preferentially within the cone pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Dong Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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35
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Edwards TM, Rickard NS. New perspectives on the mechanisms through which nitric oxide may affect learning and memory processes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2007; 31:413-25. [PMID: 17188748 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2006] [Revised: 11/01/2006] [Accepted: 11/02/2006] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) has been well established as a molecule necessary for memory consolidation. Interestingly, the majority of research has focused on only a single mechanism through which NO acts, namely the up-regulation of guanylate cyclase (GC). However, since NO and NO-derived reactive nitrogen species are capable of interacting with a broad array of enzymes, ion channels and receptors, a singular focus on GC appears short-sighted. Although NO inhibits the action of a number of molecules there are four, in addition to GC, which are up-regulated by the direct presence of NO, or NO-derived radicals, and implicated in memory processing. They are: cyclic nucleotide-gated channels; large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels; ryanodine receptor calcium release (RyR) channels; and the enzyme mono(ADP-ribosyl) transferase. This review presents evidence that not only are these four molecules worthy of investigation as GC-independent mechanisms through which NO may act, but that behavioural evidence already exists suggesting a relationship between NO and the RyR channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Edwards
- School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University-Clayton, Wellington Road, Clayton, 3800 Vic., Australia.
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36
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Diederen RMH, La Heij EC, Markerink-van Ittersum M, Kijlstra A, Hendrikse F, de Vente J. Cyclic GMP synthesis by human retinal pigment epithelial cells is mainly mediated via the particulate guanylyl cyclase pathway. Ophthalmic Res 2006; 39:55-9. [PMID: 17179739 DOI: 10.1159/000098015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2006] [Accepted: 06/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), a central molecule in the phototransduction cascade, is also involved in a number of other physiological processes in the retina, like stimulating the absorption of subretinal fluid by activating the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell pump. The aim of this study was to quantify cGMP synthesis by RPE cells and to investigate the role of two separate enzymatic pathways (soluble versus particulate guanylyl cyclase) in its production. METHODS cGMP expression was evaluated by immunochemistry and radioimmunoassay following culture of the D407 RPE cell line in the presence of a nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor (IBMX), in combination with the particulate guanylyl cyclase stimulator atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) or the soluble guanylyl cyclase stimulator sodium nitroprusside (SNP). RESULTS Stimulation of the particulate guanylyl cyclase in RPE cells with ANP resulted in high intra- and extracellular cGMP levels. Stimulation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase by SNP resulted in a slight elevation of cGMP levels compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS These results show that cultured human RPE cells are capable of producing cGMP and that most cGMP is generated following stimulation of the particulate guanylyl cyclase pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselie M H Diederen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Research Institute Maastricht, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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37
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Vidal L, Díaz F, Villena A, Moreno M, Campos JG, de Vargas IP. Nitric oxide synthase in retina and optic nerve head of rat with increased intraocular pressure and effect of timolol. Brain Res Bull 2006; 70:406-13. [PMID: 17027776 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2006.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2006] [Revised: 06/23/2006] [Accepted: 07/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms -1, -2 and -3 in the retina and optic nerve head (ONH) in an experimental rat model of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) before and after treatment with timolol, to assess whether its neuroprotective action is associated with the activity of these enzymes. Episcleral vein cauterization in unilateral eyes of Wistar rats was performed to produce elevated IOP. Histological sections of retina and ONH from animals with normal IOP, with elevated IOP, and elevated IOP treated with timolol, were studied by immunohistochemistry with antibodies to NOS-1, NOS-2, and NOS-3. In the control rats, NOS-1 was localized to photoreceptor inner segments, amacrine cells and bipolar cells in the retina, and in astrocytes, pericytes and vascular nitrergic terminals in the ONH. NOS-3 immunostaining localized to the endothelial cells. The rats with elevated IOP showed increased expression of NOS-1 in the plexiform layers of the retina and reactive astrocytes in the ONH. These cells also showed NOS-2 positivity. The rats treated with timolol showed reduced expression of NOS-1 in the retina and ONH. NOS-2 was only detected in a few groups of astrocytes in the ONH. NOS-3 was unchanged in both elevated IOP and timolol-treated groups. These results show that excessive levels of NO synthesized by the NOS-1 and -2 isoforms, considered neurotoxic, might contribute to the progressive lesions of retinal ganglion cell axons. Their reduction after treatment suggests a possible neuroprotective effect of timolol in neurons exposed to excessive amounts of NO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes Vidal
- Department of Histology and Histopathology, School of Medicine, University of Malaga, Boulevard Louis Pasteur 32, 29071 Malaga, Spain.
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38
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Paillart C, Zhang K, Rebrik TI, Baehr W, Korenbrot JI. Cloning and molecular characterization of cGMP-gated ion channels from rod and cone photoreceptors of striped bass ( M. saxatilis ) retina. Vis Neurosci 2006; 23:99-113. [PMID: 16597354 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523806231092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2005] [Accepted: 10/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate photoreceptors respond to light with changes in membrane conductance that reflect the activity of cyclic-nucleotide gated channels (CNG channels). The functional features of these channels differ in rods and cones; to understand the basis of these differences we cloned CNG channels from the retina of striped bass, a fish from which photoreceptors can be isolated and studied electrophysiologically. Through a combination of experimental approaches, we recovered and sequenced three full-length cDNA clones. We made unambiguous assignments of the cellular origin of the clones through single photoreceptor RT-PCR. Synthetic peptides derived from the sequence were used to generate monospecific antibodies which labeled intact, unfixed photoreceptors and confirmed the cellular assignment of the various clones. In rods, we identified the channel alpha subunit gene product as 2040 bp in length, transcribed into two mRNA 1.8 kb and 2.9 kb in length and translated into a single 96-kDa protein. In cones we identified both alpha (CNGA3) and beta (CNGB3) channel subunits. For alpha, the gene product is 1956 bp long, the mRNA 3.4 kb, and the protein 74 kDa. For beta, the gene product is 2265 bp long and the mRNA 3.3 kb. Based on deduced amino acid sequence, we developed a phylogenetic map of the evolution of vertebrate rod and cone CNG channels. Sequence comparison revealed channels in striped bass, unlike those in mammals, are likely not N-linked-glycosylated as they are transported within the photoreceptor. Also bass cone channels lack certain residues that, in mammals, can be phosphorylated and, thus, affect the cGMP sensitivity of gating. On the other hand, functionally critical residues, such as positively charged amino acids within the fourth transmembrane helix (S4) and the Ca(2+)-binding glutamate in the pore loop are absolutely the same in mammalian and nonmammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Paillart
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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39
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Yu YC, Cao LH, Yang XL. Modulation by brain natriuretic peptide of GABA receptors on rat retinal ON-type bipolar cells. J Neurosci 2006; 26:696-707. [PMID: 16407567 PMCID: PMC6674405 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3653-05.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Natriuretic peptides (NPs) may work as neuromodulators through their associated receptors [NP receptors (NPRs)]. By immunocytochemistry, we showed that NPR-A and NPR-B were expressed abundantly on both ON-type and OFF-type bipolar cells (BCs) in rat retina, including the dendrites, somata, and axon terminals. Whole-cell recordings made from isolated ON-type BCs further showed that brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) suppressed GABAA receptor-, but not GABAC receptor-, mediated currents of the BCs, which was blocked by the NPR-A antagonist anantin. The NPR-C agonist c-ANF [des(Gln18, Ser19, Gln20, Leu21, Gly22)ANF(4-23)-NH2] did not suppress GABAA currents. The BNP effect on GABAA currents was abolished with preincubation with the pGC-A/B antagonist HS-142-1 but mimicked by application of 8-bromoguanosine-3',5'-cyclomonophosphate. These results suggest that elevated levels of intracellular cGMP caused by activation of NPR-A may mediate the BNP effect. Internal infusion of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor KT5823 essentially blocked the BNP-induced reduction of GABAA currents. Moreover, calcium imaging showed that BNP caused a significant elevation of intracellular calcium that could be caused by increased calcium release from intracellular stores by PKG. The BNP effect was blocked by the ryanodine receptor modulators caffeine, ryanodine, and ruthenium red but not by the IP3 receptor antagonists heparin and xestospongin-C. Furthermore, the BNP effect was abolished after application of the blocker of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase thapsigargin and greatly reduced by the calmodulin inhibitors W-7 and calmidazolium. We therefore conclude that the increased calcium release from ryanodine-sensitive calcium stores by BNP may be responsible for the BNP-caused GABAA response suppression in ON-type BCs through stimulating calmodulin.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Atrial Natriuretic Factor/pharmacology
- Caffeine/pharmacology
- Calcium/metabolism
- Calcium Channels
- Calcium Signaling/drug effects
- Calcium-Transporting ATPases/antagonists & inhibitors
- Calmodulin/antagonists & inhibitors
- Calmodulin/physiology
- Carbazoles/pharmacology
- Cyclic GMP/analogs & derivatives
- Cyclic GMP/pharmacology
- Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/physiology
- GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
- Guanylate Cyclase/drug effects
- Guanylate Cyclase/physiology
- Heparin/pharmacology
- Imidazoles/pharmacology
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors
- Macrocyclic Compounds
- Male
- Membrane Potentials/drug effects
- Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/antagonists & inhibitors
- Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/pharmacology
- Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/physiology
- Oxazoles/pharmacology
- Patch-Clamp Techniques
- Peptide Fragments/pharmacology
- Peptides, Cyclic/pharmacology
- Polysaccharides/pharmacology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor/drug effects
- Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor/physiology
- Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, GABA/physiology
- Receptors, GABA-A/drug effects
- Retinal Bipolar Cells/drug effects
- Retinal Bipolar Cells/physiology
- Ruthenium Red/pharmacology
- Ryanodine/pharmacology
- Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel/drug effects
- Thapsigargin/pharmacology
- gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chun Yu
- Institute of Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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40
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Podda MV, Marcocci ME, Del Carlo B, Palamara AT, Azzena GB, Grassi C. Expression of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in the rat medial vestibular nucleus. Neuroreport 2006; 16:1939-43. [PMID: 16272883 DOI: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000187633.91375.c8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels in sensory signal transduction in retinal and olfactory cells is widely recognized, but there is increasing evidence that they also play more general functions in the central nervous system as downstream effectors of cyclic nucleotides. Here, we demonstrate the expression of the alpha-subunit of rod- and olfactory-type CNG channels (CNG1 and CNG2, respectively) in the rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN). Nested polymerase chain reaction revealed CNG channel mRNA in the MVN, and CNG1 and CNG2 proteins were also detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Finally, electrophysiological evidence is provided suggesting that CNG channels play a functional role in the MVN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V Podda
- Institute of Human Physiology, Medical School, Catholic University S. Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy
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41
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Park JW, Park SJ, Park SH, Kim KY, Chung JW, Chun MH, Oh SJ. Up-regulated expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in experimental diabetic retina. Neurobiol Dis 2006; 21:43-9. [PMID: 16023354 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2005.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2004] [Revised: 06/03/2005] [Accepted: 06/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) can play either a neuroprotective or a neurotoxic role in diverse neurodegenerative conditions. This study investigated the differential expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retina to clarify the involvement of NO produced from neurons in the early pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. A decrease in thickness of the outer retina was evident at 12 and 24 weeks after onset of diabetes. nNOS was immunolocalized in two subtypes of amacrine cells, displaced amacrine cells and in some bipolar cells in the normal retinas. The densities of each type of nNOS-expressing neuron showed no significant differences in the diabetic retinas with the exception of the bipolar cells. The numbers of nNOS bipolar cells at 12 weeks of diabetes increased threefold, showing dendritic polarity of nNOS expression. Protein levels of nNOS increased throughout the diabetic retinas reaching a peak value at 24 weeks of diabetes. Thus, diabetes up-regulates the expression of nNOS in bipolar cells, and NO from these cells may aggravate the degeneration of the outer retina in the diabetic retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Won Park
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Socho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea
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42
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Brown RL, Strassmaier T, Brady JD, Karpen JW. The pharmacology of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels: emerging from the darkness. Curr Pharm Des 2006; 12:3597-613. [PMID: 17073662 PMCID: PMC2467446 DOI: 10.2174/138161206778522100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels play a central role in vision and olfaction, generating the electrical responses to light in photoreceptors and to odorants in olfactory receptors. These channels have been detected in many other tissues where their functions are largely unclear. The use of gene knockouts and other methods have yielded some information, but there is a pressing need for potent and specific pharmacological agents directed at CNG channels. To date there has been very little systematic effort in this direction - most of what can be termed CNG channel pharmacology arose from testing reagents known to target protein kinases or other ion channels, or by accident when researchers were investigating other intracellular pathways that may regulate the activity of CNG channels. Predictably, these studies have not produced selective agents. However, taking advantage of emerging structural information and the increasing knowledge of the biophysical properties of these channels, some promising compounds and strategies have begun to emerge. In this review we discuss progress on two fronts, cyclic nucleotide analogs as both activators and competitive inhibitors, and inhibitors that target the pore or gating machinery of the channel. We also discuss the potential of these compounds for treating certain forms of retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Lane Brown
- Neurological Sciences Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Timothy Strassmaier
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - James D. Brady
- Neurological Sciences Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jeffrey W. Karpen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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43
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Cameron-Schaefer S, Kondo K, Ishige A, Tsuyama S, Uchida K, Hanawa T, Suematsu M, Watanabe K. Maintaining the redox-balance intact: gosha-jinki-gan but not insulin activates retinal soluble guanylate cyclase in diabetic rats. Ophthalmic Res 2005; 38:95-104. [PMID: 16374052 DOI: 10.1159/000090451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2005] [Accepted: 08/29/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Strategies to prevent hyperglycemia-induced cytotoxic reactive oxygen species in the retina include the prevention of free radical production, activation of radical-scavenging capacities and inhibition of aldose reductase. This study examined the effect of the standardized Japanese herbal extract product gosha-jinki-gan (GJG) in comparison to insulin treatment in the rat retina. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by single injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg i.p.). At 6 and 12 weeks, eye-cups were removed for immunohistochemistry. At 12 weeks, lipid peroxidation (tested with the antiacrolein antibody, Ab5F6) was enhanced significantly in the untreated diabetic group. This effect was absent in both treatment groups, notably in the outer retina. A similar result was obtained for nitrotyrosine overproduction. As an early treatment effect, GJG -- but not insulin -- enhanced soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activation (using the function-sensing antibody, MoAb 3221). GJG not only reduces nitroxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the retina, it also ameliorates glucose metabolism within the cells. We propose that the high glucose turnover in the insulin-treated model disturbs the intracellular redox equilibrium, one result of which might be the impaired sGC activation.
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44
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Chan JYH, Chang AYW, Chan SHH. New insights on brain stem death: From bedside to bench. Prog Neurobiol 2005; 77:396-425. [PMID: 16376477 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2005.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2005] [Revised: 10/31/2005] [Accepted: 11/03/2005] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
As much as brain stem death is currently the clinical definition of death in many countries and is a phenomenon of paramount medical importance, there is a dearth of information on its mechanistic underpinnings. A majority of the clinical studies are concerned only with methods to determine brain stem death. Whereas a vast amount of information is available on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell death, rarely are these studies directed specifically towards the understanding of brain stem death. This review presents a framework for translational research on brain stem death that is based on systematically coordinated clinical and laboratory efforts that center on this phenomenon. It begins with the identification of a novel clinical marker from patients that is related specifically to brain stem death. After realizing that this "life-and-death" signal is related to the functional integrity of the brain stem, its origin is traced to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Subsequent laboratory studies on this neural substrate in animal models of brain stem death provide credence to the notion that both "pro-life" and "pro-death" programs are at work during the progression towards death. Those programs (mitochondrial functions, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, superoxide anion, coenzyme Q10, heat shock proteins and ubiquitin-proteasome system) hitherto identified from the RVLM are presented, along with their cellular and molecular mechanisms. It is proposed that outcome of the interplay between the "pro-life" and "pro-death" programs (dying) in this neural substrate determines the final fate of the individual (being dead). Thus, identification of additional programs in the RVLM and delineation of their regulatory mechanisms should shed new lights on future directions for clinical management of life-and-death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Y H Chan
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 81346, Taiwan, ROC
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Gratt BM, Anbar M. A pilot study of nitric oxide blood levels in patients with chronic orofacial pain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005; 100:441-8. [PMID: 16182165 DOI: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2004.02.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2002] [Revised: 03/31/2003] [Accepted: 02/20/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Control of pain is the major goal in the management of chronic orofacial pain (COP) patients. The pathogenesis of COP is currently not well understood. Consequently, the treatment of COP may be suboptimal or even harmful. Based on independent observations, we propose that local elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) may have a central role in the pathogenesis of COP. HYPOTHESIS NO level in the orofacial region of COP patients is elevated. A regional increased level of NO causes excessive vasodilatation. This hyperperfusion is manifested by hyperthermia of the overlying skin, while NO enhances nociception, aggravating orofacial pain. An alternative mechanism involving NO as a neurotransmitter at the CNS level may contribute to orofacial pain, but seems not to account for all the known clinical observations. METHODS Two groups of subjects were studied: 5 patients with COP and 59 control subjects. For each subject we collected blood samples for analysis of nitrite\nitrate (or NOx). RESULTS (1) NOx blood levels for 5 patients diagnosed with COP was 65.9 microM (SD of 10.4) verses 42.7 microM (SD of 24.2) for 59 control subjects, the difference being statistically significant, t-statistic = -2.12 (P > .05). (2) No statistical difference was found for NOx blood levels for 59 control subjects divided by gender (male vs female), with 23 female controls having NOx blood levels of 42.6 microM (SD of 25.2) and male controls having NOx blood levels of 42.8 microM (SD of 24.0), t-statistic = -0.03, P = .98. CONCLUSION This pilot study suggests that NO blood levels may have an association with COP. A better understanding of the mechanism of chronic orofacial pain is expected to lead to more precise diagnostic staging and management of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barton M Gratt
- Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Eldred WD, Blute TA. Imaging of nitric oxide in the retina. Vision Res 2005; 45:3469-86. [PMID: 16171845 PMCID: PMC1464841 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2005.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2005] [Revised: 07/22/2005] [Accepted: 07/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is the most widespread signaling molecule found in the retina in that it can be made by every retinal cell type. NO is able to influence a wide variety of synaptic mechanisms ranging from increasing or decreasing neurotransmitter release to the modulation of gap junction conductivity. Although biochemical methods can analyze overall levels of NO, such methods cannot indicate the specific cell types involved. In the last few years, fluorescent imaging methods utilizing diaminofluorescein have allowed the real-time visualization of neurochemically or light stimulated NO-induced fluorescence (NO-IF) in specific retinal cells. Recent experiments have shown that this NO-IF can be stabilized using paraformaldehyde fixation. This aldehyde stabilization has allowed the imaging of NO production in the dark and in response to light, as well as the neurochemical modulation of light stimulated NO production. The results of these studies indicate that NO is not always freely diffusible and that NO is largely retained in many cells which make it. The NO production in retina is highly damped in that in the absence of stimulation, the endogenous levels of NO production are extremely low. Finally, different neurochemical or light stimulation protocols activate NO production in specific cells and subcellular compartments. Therefore, although the NO signaling is widespread in retina, it is very selectively activated and has different functions in specific retinal cell types. The use of NO imaging will continue to play a critical role in future studies of the function of NO in retina and other neural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Eldred
- Laboratory of Visual Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Boston University, MA 02215, USA.
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Zhang DQ, Zhou T, Ruan GX, McMahon DG. Circadian rhythm of Period1 clock gene expression in NOS amacrine cells of the mouse retina. Brain Res 2005; 1050:101-9. [PMID: 15978557 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2005] [Revised: 05/10/2005] [Accepted: 05/13/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina contains self-sustained circadian clocks that broadly influence retinal physiology. In the present study, we have examined the relationship of nitric oxide, GABAergic and glycinergic inner retinal neurons with expression of a reporter for the circadian clock gene Period1 (Per1). Using Per1 : :GFP transgenic mice, we found that 72% of brain nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) expressing amacrine cells (NOS amacrine cells) sampled during the daytime were also immunoreactive for Per1-driven GFP. The number of bright GFP(+) NOS(+) cells was greater at Zeitgeber time (ZT) 10 than at 22, and this pattern persisted in retinas from animals which were placed in constant darkness [Circadian time (CT) 10 vs. 22]. Intensities of GFP-IR for individual NOS amacrine cells were analyzed at ZT4, 10, 16 and 22, with the peak value occurring at ZT10. Similar results were obtained from retinas sampled at CT4, 10, 16 and 22 in constant darkness, indicating that an endogenous circadian clock drives the transcription of the Per1 clock gene within NOS amacrine cells. The predominance of Per1 : :GFP(+) amacrine cells (82%), was immunoreactive to glutamate decarboxylase 65, but no Per1 : :GFP(+) amacrine cells colabeled with a glycine transporter 1 antibody. The results demonstrate circadian rhythms in Per1 promoter activation in nitric oxide (NO) and GABA secreting amacrine cells, and suggest that NO and GABA could be controlled by circadian clock mechanisms in the mammalian retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dao-Qi Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B, Box 35-1634, Nashville, TN 37235-1634, USA
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Lilley S, Robbins J. The rat retinal ganglion cell in culture: An accessible CNS neurone. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 2005; 51:209-20. [PMID: 15862466 DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2004.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells are vital for vision, some have intrinsic light sensing properties and in retinal networks display complex computational abilities. Furthermore they are implicated in a very common form of blindness, glaucoma as well some the symptoms of AIDS. Retinal ganglion cells, unlike many neurones of the central nervous system, have a clearly defined physiological role and can be identified in primary cultures with ease. Here we detail the cell culture and electrophysiological methods required to obtain recordings on the voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion currents and channels expressed by these neurones. Information is given on the range of non-ionotropic receptors that are thought to be present on these cells and what role they may have as model systems in the pharmacological and pharmaceutical research environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lilley
- Receptors and Signalling Group, Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
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Palanza L, Jhaveri S, Donati S, Nuzzi R, Vercelli A. Quantitative spatial analysis of the distribution of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the developing and mature rat retina. Brain Res Bull 2005; 65:349-60. [PMID: 15811601 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2005.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2004] [Revised: 07/26/2004] [Accepted: 01/25/2005] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry labels a subpopulation of nitric oxide-synthesizing amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer of the rat retina. We have studied their morphology and distribution in postnatal and adult rats in whole-mounted retinae. NAPDH-d-positive neurons are detected as early as postnatal day (P)5, especially in the peripheral retina; intense labeling of somata and long lengths of dendrites is obtained between P10 and P18, after which only the somata exhibit NADPH-d activity. The density and number of these cells increase progressively from P7 to P14, with a significantly higher density in the central retina as compared to the periphery. The sociology of these cells was analyzed quantitatively studying the Voronoi domains: a polygon area can be drawn that delineates the territory of the map that is closer to the cell than to any other cell of the map. In addition, we calculated the conformity ratio of Cook, i.e., the mean nearest neighbor distance/standard deviation of all the nearest neighbor distances, in order to reveal whether or not these cells are regularly distributed through the retina. We find that the distribution of the NADPH-d-positive cells tends to be regular throughout the retina: the local coefficient of variation (obtained by comparing the size of each Voronoi polygon area to those of its neighbors) tends to regularity at P14 and remains unaltered through maturity. Therefore, as other cell types, NADPH-d-positive amacrine cells are almost regularly distributed from the time of eye opening and nitric oxide may play a role in the development of retinal circuitry and in the regulation of retinal blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Palanza
- Department of Anatomy, Pharmacology and Forensic Medicine, University of Turin, Corso M. D'Azeglio 52, 10126 Turin, Italy
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Scicolone G, Ortalli AL, Alvarez G, López-Costa JJ, Rapacioli M, Ferrán JL, Sanchez V, Flores V. Developmental pattern of NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons in chick optic tectum is sensitive to changes in visual stimulation. J Comp Neurol 2005; 494:1007-30. [PMID: 16385490 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The chick retinotectal system is a suitable model to investigate the mechanisms involved in the establishment of synaptic connections in whose refinement nitric oxide was implicated. The purpose of this work was to describe the developmental pattern of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-positive neurons as well as to determine if it is sensitive to changes in visual stimulation. The NADPH-diaphorase histochemical method was used to describe and quantify NOS neurons in normally stimulated and subnormally stimulated chickens. Nine types of NOS neurons were identified; seven of them express NOS until adulthood, while two of them show only a transient expression. The developmental pattern of NOS neurons follows the process of laminar segregation. It can be divided into three phases. The first includes the onset of NOS expression in periventricular neurons and the formation of a deep network of NOS fibers during early development. These neurons do not show any significant change in subnormally stimulated animals. The second phase includes the appearance of two transient NOS populations of bipolar neurons that occupy the intermediate layers during the optic fibers ingrowth. One of them significantly changes in subnormally stimulated chicks. The third phase occurs when the transitory expression of bipolar neurons decreases. It includes NOS expression in six neuronal populations that innervate the superficial retinorecipient layers. Most of these cells suffer plastic changes in subnormally stimulated chicks. The diversity of neuronal types with regard to their morphology, location, and sensitivity to visual stimulation strongly suggests that they serve different functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Scicolone
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurosciences "Prof. E. De Robertis," School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, 1121 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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