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Andreou T, Ishikawa-Learmonth Y, Bigger BW. Phenotypic characterisation of the Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPSI) Idua-W392X mouse model reveals increased anxiety-related traits in female mice. Mol Genet Metab 2023; 139:107651. [PMID: 37473537 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2023.107651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPSI) is a rare inherited lysosomal storage disease that arises due to mutations in the IDUA gene. Defective alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) enzyme is unable to break down glucosaminoglycans (GAGs) within the lysosomes and, as a result, there is systemic accumulation of undegraded products in lysosomes throughout the body leading to multi-system disease. Here, we characterised the skeletal/craniofacial, neuromuscular and behavioural outcomes of the MPSI Idua-W392X mouse model. We demonstrate that Idua-W392X mice have gross craniofacial abnormalities, showed signs of kyphosis, and show signs of hypoactivity compared to wild-type mice. X-ray imaging analysis revealed significantly shorter and wider tibias and femurs, significantly wider snouts, increased skull width and significantly thicker zygomatic arch bones in Idua-W392X female mice compared to wild-type mice at 9 and 10.5 months of age. Idua-W392X mice display decreased muscle strength, especially in the forelimbs, which is already apparent from 3 months of age. Female Idua-W392X mice display hypoactivity in the open-field test from 9 months of age and anxiety-like behaviour at 10 months of age. As these behaviours have been identified in Hurler children, the MPSI Idua-W392X mouse model may be important for the investigation of new therapeutic approaches for MPSI-Hurler.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Andreou
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Yuko Ishikawa-Learmonth
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Brian W Bigger
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
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Sotoyama H, Inaba H, Iwakura Y, Namba H, Takei N, Sasaoka T, Nawa H. The dual role of dopamine in the modulation of information processing in the prefrontal cortex underlying social behavior. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22160. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101637r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Sotoyama
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Inaba
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
| | - Yuriko Iwakura
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
- Department of Brain Tumor Biology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
| | - Hisaaki Namba
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Wakayama Medical University Wakayama Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Takei
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
- Department of Brain Tumor Biology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
| | - Toshikuni Sasaoka
- Department of Comparative & Experimental Medicine Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nawa
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Wakayama Medical University Wakayama Japan
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Wu Z, Parry M, Hou XY, Liu MH, Wang H, Cain R, Pei ZF, Chen YC, Guo ZY, Abhijeet S, Chen G. Gene therapy conversion of striatal astrocytes into GABAergic neurons in mouse models of Huntington's disease. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1105. [PMID: 32107381 PMCID: PMC7046613 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14855-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by Huntingtin (Htt) gene mutation resulting in the loss of striatal GABAergic neurons and motor functional deficits. We report here an in vivo cell conversion technology to reprogram striatal astrocytes into GABAergic neurons in both R6/2 and YAC128 HD mouse models through AAV-mediated ectopic expression of NeuroD1 and Dlx2 transcription factors. We found that the astrocyte-to-neuron (AtN) conversion rate reached 80% in the striatum and >50% of the converted neurons were DARPP32+ medium spiny neurons. The striatal astrocyte-converted neurons showed action potentials and synaptic events, and projected their axons to the targeted globus pallidus and substantia nigra in a time-dependent manner. Behavioral analyses found that NeuroD1 and Dlx2-treated R6/2 mice showed a significant extension of life span and improvement of motor functions. This study demonstrates that in vivo AtN conversion may be a disease-modifying gene therapy to treat HD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wu
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Matthew Parry
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xiao-Yi Hou
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Min-Hui Liu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rachel Cain
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zi-Fei Pei
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zi-Yuan Guo
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sambangi Abhijeet
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Biology, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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Gleitz HF, Liao AY, Cook JR, Rowlston SF, Forte GM, D'Souza Z, O'Leary C, Holley RJ, Bigger BW. Brain-targeted stem cell gene therapy corrects mucopolysaccharidosis type II via multiple mechanisms. EMBO Mol Med 2019; 10:emmm.201708730. [PMID: 29884617 PMCID: PMC6034129 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201708730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The pediatric lysosomal storage disorder mucopolysaccharidosis type II is caused by mutations in IDS, resulting in accumulation of heparan and dermatan sulfate, causing severe neurodegeneration, skeletal disease, and cardiorespiratory disease. Most patients manifest with cognitive symptoms, which cannot be treated with enzyme replacement therapy, as native IDS does not cross the blood-brain barrier. We tested a brain-targeted hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy approach using lentiviral IDS fused to ApoEII (IDS.ApoEII) compared to a lentivirus expressing normal IDS or a normal bone marrow transplant. In mucopolysaccharidosis II mice, all treatments corrected peripheral disease, but only IDS.ApoEII mediated complete normalization of brain pathology and behavior, providing significantly enhanced correction compared to IDS. A normal bone marrow transplant achieved no brain correction. Whilst corrected macrophages traffic to the brain, secreting IDS/IDS.ApoEII enzyme for cross-correction, IDS.ApoEII was additionally more active in plasma and was taken up and transcytosed across brain endothelia significantly better than IDS via both heparan sulfate/ApoE-dependent receptors and mannose-6-phosphate receptors. Brain-targeted hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy provides a promising therapy for MPS II patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Fe Gleitz
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ai Yin Liao
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - James R Cook
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Samuel F Rowlston
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Gabriella Ma Forte
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Zelpha D'Souza
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Claire O'Leary
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca J Holley
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Brian W Bigger
- Stem Cell and Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Waddington JL, O'Tuathaigh CM. Modelling the neuromotor abnormalities of psychotic illness: Putative mechanisms and systems dysfunction. Schizophr Res 2018; 200:12-19. [PMID: 28867516 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Limitations in access to antipsychotic-naïve patients and in the incisiveness of studies that can be conducted on them, together with the inevitability of subsequent antipsychotic treatment, indicate an enduring role for animal models that can inform on the pathobiology of neuromotor abnormalities in schizophrenia and related psychotic illness. This review focusses particularly on genetically modified mouse models that involve genes associated with risk for schizophrenia and with mechanisms implicated in the neuromotor abnormalities evident in psychotic patients, as well as developmental models that seek to mirror the trajectory, phenomenology and putative pathophysiology of psychotic illness. Such abnormalities are inconsistent and subtle in mice mutant for some schizophrenia risk genes but more evident for others. The phenotype of dopaminergic and glutamatergic mutants indicates the involvement of these mechanisms, informs on the roles of specific receptor subtypes, and implicates the interplay of cortical and subcortical processes. Developmental models suggest a criticality in the timing of early adversity for diversity in the relative emergence of psychological symptoms vis-à-vis neuromotor abnormalities in the overall psychosis phenotype. These findings elaborate current concepts of dysfunction in a neuronal network linking the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum. Both findings in model systems and clinical evidence converge in indicating that any distinction between 'psychomotor' and 'neuromotor' abnormality is artificial and arbitrary due to a unitary origin in developmentally determined systems/network dysfunction that underlies the lifetime trajectory of psychotic illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Waddington
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research and Therapy for Neuro-Psychiatric-Diseases, Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Tyebji S, Hannan AJ. Synaptopathic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and dementia: Insights from Huntington's disease. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 153:18-45. [PMID: 28377290 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dementia encapsulates a set of symptoms that include loss of mental abilities such as memory, problem solving or language, and reduces a person's ability to perform daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, however dementia can also occur in other neurological disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD). Many studies have demonstrated that loss of neuronal cell function manifests pre-symptomatically and thus is a relevant therapeutic target to alleviate symptoms. Synaptopathy, the physiological dysfunction of synapses, is now being approached as the target for many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including HD. HD is an autosomal dominant and progressive degenerative disorder, with clinical manifestations that encompass movement, cognition, mood and behaviour. HD is one of the most common tandem repeat disorders and is caused by a trinucleotide (CAG) repeat expansion, encoding an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Animal models as well as human studies have provided detailed, although not exhaustive, evidence of synaptic dysfunction in HD. In this review, we discuss the neuropathology of HD and how the changes in synaptic signalling in the diseased brain lead to its symptoms, which include dementia. Here, we review and discuss the mechanisms by which the 'molecular orchestras' and their 'synaptic symphonies' are disrupted in neurodegeneration and dementia, focusing on HD as a model disease. We also explore the therapeutic strategies currently in pre-clinical and clinical testing that are targeted towards improving synaptic function in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiraz Tyebji
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Gleitz HFE, O’Leary C, Holley RJ, Bigger BW. Identification of age-dependent motor and neuropsychological behavioural abnormalities in a mouse model of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172435. [PMID: 28207863 PMCID: PMC5313159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a progressive lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the IDS gene, leading to a deficiency in the iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme that is involved in heparan sulphate and dermatan sulphate catabolism. In constitutive form, MPS II is a multi-system disease characterised by progressive neurocognitive decline, severe skeletal abnormalities and hepatosplenomegaly. Although enzyme replacement therapy has been approved for treatment of peripheral organs, no therapy effectively treats the cognitive symptoms of the disease and novel therapies are in development to remediate this. Therapeutic efficacy and subsequent validation can be assessed using a variety of outcome measures that are translatable to clinical practice, such as behavioural measures. We sought to consolidate current knowledge of the cognitive, skeletal and motor abnormalities present in the MPS II mouse model by performing time course behavioural examinations of working memory, anxiety, activity levels, sociability and coordination and balance, up to 8 months of age. Cognitive decline associated with alterations in spatial working memory is detectable at 8 months of age in MPS II mice using spontaneous alternation, together with an altered response to novel environments and anxiolytic behaviour in the open-field. Coordination and balance on the accelerating rotarod were also significantly worse at 8 months, and may be associated with skeletal changes seen in MPS II mice. We demonstrate that the progressive nature of MPS II disease is also seen in the mouse model, and that cognitive and motor differences are detectable at 8 months of age using spontaneous alternation, the accelerating rotarod and the open-field tests. This study establishes neurological, motor and skeletal measures for use in pre-clinical studies to develop therapeutic approaches in MPS II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène F. E. Gleitz
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O’Leary
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. Holley
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Brian W. Bigger
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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8
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Kaller S, Rullmann M, Patt M, Becker GA, Luthardt J, Girbardt J, Meyer PM, Werner P, Barthel H, Bresch A, Fritz TH, Hesse S, Sabri O. Test-retest measurements of dopamine D 1-type receptors using simultaneous PET/MRI imaging. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2017; 44:1025-1032. [PMID: 28197685 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-017-3645-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The role of dopamine D1-type receptor (D1R)-expressing neurons in the regulation of motivated behavior and reward prediction has not yet been fully established. As a prerequisite for future research assessing D1-mediated neuronal network regulation using simultaneous PET/MRI and D1R-selective [11C]SCH23390, this study investigated the stability of central D1R measurements between two independent PET/MRI sessions under baseline conditions. METHODS Thirteen healthy volunteers (7 female, age 33 ± 13 yrs) underwent 90-min emission scans, each after 90-s bolus injection of 486 ± 16 MBq [11C]SCH23390, on two separate days within 2-4 weeks using a PET/MRI system. Parametric images of D1R distribution volume ratio (DVR) and binding potential (BPND) were generated by a multi-linear reference tissue model with two parameters and the cerebellar cortex as receptor-free reference region. Volume-of-interest (VOI) analysis was performed with manual VOIs drawn on consecutive transverse MRI slices for brain regions with high and low D1R density. RESULTS The DVR varied from 2.5 ± 0.3 to 2.9 ± 0.5 in regions with high D1R density (e.g. the head of the caudate) and from 1.2 ± 0.1 to 1.6 ± 0.2 in regions with low D1R density (e.g. the prefrontal cortex). The absolute variability of the DVR ranged from 2.4% ± 1.3% to 5.1% ± 5.3%, while Bland-Altman analyses revealed very low differences in mean DVR (e.g. 0.013 ± 0.17 for the nucleus accumbens). Intraclass correlation (one-way, random) indicated very high agreement (0.93 in average) for both DVR and BPND values. Accordingly, the absolute variability of BPND ranged from 7.0% ± 4.7% to 12.5% ± 10.6%; however, there were regions with very low D1R content, such as the occipital cortex, with higher mean variability. CONCLUSION The test-retest reliability of D1R measurements in this study was very high. This was the case not only for D1R-rich brain areas, but also for regions with low D1R density. These results will provide a solid base for future joint PET/MRI data analyses in stimulation-dependent mapping of D1R-containing neurons and their effects on projections in neuronal circuits that determine behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kaller
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Rullmann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marianne Patt
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Georg-Alexander Becker
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Luthardt
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johanna Girbardt
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Philipp M Meyer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Werner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Henryk Barthel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anke Bresch
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas H Fritz
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM), University of Gent, Technicum Blok 2, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Swen Hesse
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany. .,Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Osama Sabri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 18, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Lambert CS, Philpot RM, Engberg ME, Johns BE, Wecker L. Analysis of gait in rats with olivocerebellar lesions and ability of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist varenicline to attenuate impairments. Behav Brain Res 2015; 291:342-350. [PMID: 26049061 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that administration of the neuronal nicotinic receptor agonist varenicline to rats with olivocerebellar lesions attenuates balance deficits on a rotorod and balance beam, but the effects of this drug on gait deficits have not been investigated. To accomplish this, male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to walk on a motorized treadmill at 25 and 35 cm/s and baseline performance determined; both temporal and spatial gait parameters were analyzed. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the key components of gait, and the cumulative gait index (CGI) was calculated, representing deviations from prototypical gait patterns. Subsequently, animals either remained as non-lesioned controls or received injections of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP)/nicotinamide to destroy the climbing fibers innervating Purkinje cells. The gait of the non-lesioned group was assessed weekly to monitor changes in the normal population, while the gait of the lesioned group was assessed 1 week following 3-AP administration, and weekly following the daily administration of saline or varenicline (0.3, 1.0, or 3.0mg free base/kg) for 2 weeks. Non-lesioned animals exhibited a 60-70% increased CGI over time due to increases in temporal gait measures, whereas lesioned animals exhibited a nearly 3-fold increased CGI as a consequence of increases in spatial measures. Following 2 weeks of treatment with the highest dose of varenicline (3.0mg free base/kg), the swing duration of lesioned animals normalized, and stride duration, stride length and step angle in this population did not differ from the non-lesioned population. Thus, varenicline enabled animals to compensate for their impairments and rectify the timing of the gait cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Lambert
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - R M Philpot
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - M E Engberg
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - B E Johns
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - L Wecker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
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