Downregulation of Mfn2 participates in manganese-induced neuronal apoptosis in rat striatum and PC12 cells

Role of manganese in brain health and disease: Focus on oxidative stress

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element crucial for various physiological processes, but excessive exposure can lead to significant health concerns, particularly neurotoxicity. This review synthesizes current knowledge on Mn-induced oxidative stress and its role in cellular dysfunction and disease. We discuss how Mn promotes toxicity through multiple mechanisms, primarily through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which leads to oxidative stress and disruption of cellular processes. The review examines key pathways affected by Mn toxicity, including mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammasome activation, and epigenetic modifications. Recent studies have identified promising therapeutic compounds, including both synthetic and natural substances such as probucol, metformin, curcumin, resveratrol, and daidzein, which demonstrate protective effects through various mechanisms, including antioxidant enhancement, mitochondrial function preservation, and epigenetic pathway modulation. Understanding these mechanisms provides new insights into potential therapeutic strategies for Mn-induced disorders. This review also highlights future research directions, emphasizing the need for developing targeted therapies and investigating combination approaches to address multiple aspects of Mn toxicity simultaneously.

Combined Restraint Stress and Metal Exposure Paradigms in Rats: Unravelling Behavioural and Neurochemical Perturbations

Accumulation of heavy metals (Mn and Ni) and prolonged exposure to stress are associated with adverse health outcomes. Various studies have shown the impacts of stress and metal exposures on brain function. However, no study has examined the effects of co-exposure to stress, Mn, and Ni on the brain. This study addresses this gap by evaluating oxidative and glial responses, apoptotic activity, as well as cognitive processes in a rat model. Adult Wistar rats were exposed to vehicle (control), restraint stress, 25 mg/kg of manganese (Mn) or nickel (Ni), or combined restraint stress plus Mn or Ni. Following treatment, rats were subjected to several behavioural paradigms to assess cognitive function. Enzyme activity, as well as ATPase levels, were evaluated. Thereafter, an immunohistochemical procedure was utilised to evaluate neurochemical markers of glial function, myelination, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and striatum. Results showed that stress and metal exposure increased oxidative stress markers and reduced antioxidant levels. Further, combined stress and metal exposure reduced various forms of learning and memory ability in rats. In addition, there were alterations in Iba1 activity and Nrf2 levels, reduced Olig2 and myelin basic protein (MBP) levels, and increased caspase-3 expression. These neurotoxic outcomes were mostly exacerbated by co-exposure to stress and metals. Overall, our findings establish that stress and metal exposures impaired cognitive performance, induced oxidative stress and apoptosis, and led to demyelination effects which were worsened by combined stress and metal exposure.

Manganese in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The state of the art

The objective of the present narrative review was to synthesize existing clinical and epidemiological findings linking manganese (Mn) exposure biomarkers to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to discuss key pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders that may be affected by this metal. Existing epidemiological data demonstrated both direct and inverse association between Mn body burden and ASD, or lack of any relationship. In contrast, the majority of studies revealed significantly higher Mn levels in subjects with ADHD, as well as direct relationship between Mn body burden with hyperactivity and inattention scores in children, although several studies reported contradictory results. Existing laboratory studies demonstrated that impaired attention and hyperactivity in animals following Mn exposure was associated with dopaminergic dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Despite lack of direct evidence on Mn-induced neurobiological alterations in patients with ASD and ADHD, a plethora of studies demonstrated that neurotoxic effects of Mn overexposure may interfere with key mechanisms of pathogenesis inherent to these neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, Mn overload was shown to impair not only dopaminergic neurotransmission, but also affect metabolism of glutamine/glutamate, GABA, serotonin, noradrenaline, thus affecting neuronal signaling. In turn, neurotoxic effects of Mn may be associated with its ability to induce oxidative stress, apoptosis, and neuroinflammation, and/or impair neurogenesis. Nonetheless, additional detailed studies are required to evaluate the association between environmental Mn exposure and/or Mn body burden and neurodevelopmental disorders at a wide range of concentrations to estimate the potential dose-dependent effects, as well as environmental and genetic factors affecting this association.

Overexpressed miRNA-nov-1 promotes manganese-induced apoptosis in N27 cells by regulating Dhrs3 to activate mTOR signaling pathway

Environmental and occupational chronic manganese exposure can cause neurotoxicity and apoptosis. Moreover, microRNAs (miRNAs) are extensively involved in the process of neuronal apoptosis. Therefore, it is crucial to study the mechanism of miRNA in manganese-induced neuronal apoptosis and to find potential targets. In the present study, we found that the expression of miRNA-nov-1 was increased after N27 cells were exposed to MnCl₂. Then, seven different cell groups were constructed by lentiviral infection of cells, and the overexpression of miRNA-nov-1 promoted the apoptosis process of N27 cells. Further studies showed a negative regulatory relationship between miRNA-nov-1 and dehydrogenase/reductase 3 (Dhrs3). The up-regulation of miRNA-nov-1 reduced the protein level of Dhrs3 in N27 cells exposed to manganese, increased the expression of a caspase-3 protein, activated the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and increased cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that the expression of the Caspase-3 protein was decreased after the low expression of miRNA-nov-1, the mTOR signaling pathway was inhibited, and reduced cell apoptosis. However, these effects were reversed by the knockdown of Dhrs3. Taken together, these results suggested that overexpression of miRNA-nov-1 can promote manganese-induced apoptosis in N27 cells by activating the mTOR signaling pathway and negatively regulating Dhrs3.

Melatonin attenuates manganese-induced mitochondrial fragmentation by suppressing the Mst1/JNK signaling pathway in primary mouse neurons

Manganese (Mn) toxicity is mainly caused by excessive Mn content in drinking water and occupational exposure. Moreover, overexposure to Mn can impair mental, cognitive, memory, and motor capacities. Although melatonin (Mel) can protect against Mn-induced neuronal damage and mitochondrial fragmentation, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we examined the related molecular mechanisms underlying Mel attenuating Mn-induced mitochondrial fragmentation through the mammalian sterile 20-like kinase-1 (Mst1)/JNK signaling path. To test the role of Mst1 in mitochondrial fragmentation, we treated mouse primary neurons overexpressing Mst1 with Mel and Mn stimulation. In normal neurons, 10 μM Mel reduced the effects of Mn (200 μM) on Mst1 expression at the mRNA and protein levels and on phosphorylation of JNK and Drp1, Drp1 mitochondrial translocation, and mitochondrial fragmentation. Conversely, overexpression of Mst1 hindered the protective effect of Mel (10 μM) against Mn-induced mitochondrial fragmentation. Anisomycin (ANI), an activator of JNK signaling, was similarly found to inhibit the protective effect of Mel on mitochondria, while Mst1 levels were not significantly changed. Thus, our results demonstrated that 10 μM Mel negatively regulated the Mst1-JNK pathway, thereby reducing excessive mitochondrial fission, maintaining the mitochondrial network, and alleviating Mn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Ameliorates Oxidative Stress-Induced Apoptosis upon Manganese Exposure in PC12 Cells

Manganese (Mn)-induced neurotoxicity has aroused public concerns for many years, but its precise mechanism is still poorly understood. Herein, we report the impacts of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway in mediating neurological effects induced by manganese sulfate (MnSO₄) exposure in PC12 cells. In this study, cells were treated with MnSO₄ for 24 h in the absence or presence of LY294002 (a special inhibitor of PI3K). We investigated cell viability and apoptosis signals, as well as levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The mRNA levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and Caspase-3 were also quantified through real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR); protein levels of serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt) and forkhead box O3A (Foxo3a) were determined by western blot. Increasing of MnSO₄ doses led to decreased SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT activities, while the level of MDA was upregulated. Moreover, cell apoptosis was significantly increased, as the mRNA of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 was significantly decreased, while Bax mRNA was increased. Phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and Foxo3a (p-Foxo3a) were upregulated in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, LY294002 pretreatment reduced the activity of SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT but elevated MDA levels. Meanwhile, LY294002 pretreatment also increased cell apoptosis given the upregulated Bax and Caspase-3 mRNAs and decreased Bcl-2 mRNA. In summary, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway can be activated by MnSO₄ exposure and mediate MnSO₄-induced neurotoxicity.

Defective Mitochondrial Dynamics Underlie Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity

Perturbations in mitochondrial dynamics have been observed in most neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we focus on manganese (Mn)-induced Parkinsonism-like neurodegeneration, a disorder associated with the preferential of Mn in the basal ganglia where the mitochondria are considered an early target. Despite the extensive characterization of the clinical presentation of manganism, the mechanism by which Mn mediated mitochondrial toxicity is unclear. In this study we hypothesized whether Mn exposure alters mitochondrial activity, including axonal transport of mitochondria and mitochondrial dynamics, morphology, and network. Using primary neuron cultures exposed to 100 μM Mn (which is considered the threshold of Mn toxicity in vitro) and intraperitoneal injections of MnCl2 (25mg/kg) in rat, we observed that Mn increased mitochondrial fission mediated by phosphorylation of dynamin-related protein-1 at serine 616 (p-s616-DRP1) and decreased mitochondrial fusion proteins (MFN1 and MFN2) leading to mitochondrial fragmentation, defects in mitochondrial respiratory capacity, and mitochondrial ultrastructural damage in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, Mn exposure impaired mitochondrial trafficking by decreasing dynactin (DCTN1) and kinesin-1 (KIF5B) motor proteins and increasing destabilization of the cytoskeleton at protein and gene levels. In addition, mitochondrial communication may also be altered by Mn exposure, increasing the length of nanotunnels to reach out distal mitochondria. These findings revealed an unrecognized role of Mn in dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics providing a potential explanation of early hallmarks of the disorder, as well as a possible common pathway with neurological disorders arising upon chronic Mn exposure.

Molecular Targets of Manganese-Induced Neurotoxicity: A Five-Year Update

Understanding of the immediate mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicity is rapidly evolving. We seek to provide a summary of recent findings in the field, with an emphasis to clarify existing gaps and future research directions. We provide, here, a brief review of pertinent discoveries related to Mn-induced neurotoxicity research from the last five years. Significant progress was achieved in understanding the role of Mn transporters, such as SLC39A14, SLC39A8, and SLC30A10, in the regulation of systemic and brain manganese handling. Genetic analysis identified multiple metabolic pathways that could be considered as Mn neurotoxicity targets, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, cell signaling pathways, and interference with neurotransmitter metabolism, to name a few. Recent findings have also demonstrated the impact of Mn exposure on transcriptional regulation of these pathways. There is a significant role of autophagy as a protective mechanism against cytotoxic Mn neurotoxicity, yet also a role for Mn to induce autophagic flux itself and autophagic dysfunction under conditions of decreased Mn bioavailability. This ambivalent role may be at the crossroad of mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis. Yet very recent evidence suggests Mn can have toxic impacts below the no observed adverse effect of Mn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. The impact of Mn exposure on supramolecular complexes SNARE and NLRP3 inflammasome greatly contributes to Mn-induced synaptic dysfunction and neuroinflammation, respectively. The aforementioned effects might be at least partially mediated by the impact of Mn on α-synuclein accumulation. In addition to Mn-induced synaptic dysfunction, impaired neurotransmission is shown to be mediated by the effects of Mn on neurotransmitter systems and their complex interplay. Although multiple novel mechanisms have been highlighted, additional studies are required to identify the critical targets of Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

Sirtuin 3 is required for the protective effect of Resveratrol on Manganese-induced disruption of mitochondrial biogenesis in primary cultured neurons

Chronic manganese (Mn) exposure can disturb mitochondrial homeostasis leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is involved in Mn-induced neurodegenerative diseases. Resveratrol (RSV), as a promoter of mitochondrial biogenesis, plays a significant role against mitochondrial dysfunction. However, whether RSV can relieve Mn-induced neuronal injury and mitochondrial dysfunction remains unknown. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a main mitochondrial sirtuin, is an important regulator of mitochondria to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Therefore, this study investigated whether SIRT3 was required for RSV alleviating Mn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in primary cultured neurons from C57BL/6 mice. Here, we showed that Mn (100 and 200 μM) exposure for 24 hr caused significant neuronal damage and mitochondrial dysfunction through increasing mitochondrial ROS, reducing mitochondrial membrane potential and adenosine triphosphate level, and leading to mitochondrial network fragmentation, which could be ameliorated by RSV pretreatment in primary cultured neurons. Additionally, our results also indicated that RSV could activate the SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway and alleviate Mn-induced disruption of mitochondrial biogenesis by increasing SIRT1 expression and activity, enhancing deacetylation of PGC-1α. Furthermore, SIRT3 over-expression increased deacetylation of mitochondrial transcription factor A and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number. Oppositely, silencing SIRT3 increased acetylation of mitochondrial transcription factor A and decreased mtDNA copy number. Our results showed SIRT3 was required for the protective effect of RSV in mitochondrial biogenesis. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that RSV could ameliorate Mn-induced neuronal injury and mitochondrial dysfunction in primary cultured neurons through activating the SIRT1/ PGC-1α signaling pathway, and that SIRT3 is required for promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and attenuating Mn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

Efficacy of manganese oxide (Mn2O3) nanoparticles against Leishmania major in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

The pentavalent antimonial compounds are the first drug of choice for leishmania infection, but have several side effects that cause some restriction for use. Extension of nanoparticle use in biological research and proven effectiveness of manganese nanoparticles on fungi and bacteria, along with the lack of information about its antileishmanial effects, have motivated this study. Manganese can induce cell apoptosis by increasing FOXO3a-Bim/PUMA mRNA activation and activating of caspase-3 pathway.

METHODS

This study was aimed to examine the efficacy of manganese oxide nanoparticles againstLeishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in vitro and in vivo. To evaluate the antileishmanial activity of NPs, light microscopic observation was used to determine the number of remaining parasites in each well. The MTT test was used to determine the cytotoxicity effects of Mn₂O₃ NPs against L. major promastigotes and macrophage cells. The effect of nanoparticles on cultured amastigotes under in vitro conditions was also investigated. The possible apoptosis of L. major by Mn₂O₃ NPs was evaluated with flow cytometry assay. Additionally, the preventive and therapeutic effects of Mn₂O₃ NPs in BALB/c mice following cutaneous L. major infection was tested. The effect of Mn₂O₃ NPs on promastigotes and amastigotes were proven by MTT assay and amastigote assay, respectively.

RESULTS

The IC₅₀ value of Mn₂O₃ NPs against L. major promastigotes and macrophages was 15 and 40 μg ml^-1 respectively. The results of flow cytometry showed about 57% of the promastigotes were induced to apoptosis with Mn₂O₃ NPs. In in vivo studies, the size of the ulcers were significantly reduced, and the survival rate of the mice, in comparison with the control group, was increased.

CONCLUSION

Mn₂O₃ NPs has a beneficial effect on L. major promastigotes in vitro and in vivo and could be considered as a candidate for the treatment of this infection.

Pivotal role of cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway in manganese-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells

Manganese (Mn) plays a critical role in individual growth and development, yet excessive exposure can result in neurotoxicity, especially cognitive impairment. Neuronal apoptosis is considered as one of the mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicity. Recent evidence suggests that cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling regulates apoptosis and is associated with cognitive function. However, whether this pathway participates in Mn-induced neurotoxicity is not completely understood. To fill this gap, in vitro cultures of PC12 cells were exposed to 0, 400, 500, and 600 μmol/L Mn for 24 hours, respectively. Another group of cells were pretreated with 10.0 μmol/L rolipram (a phosphodiesterase-4 [PDE4] inhibitor) for 1 hour followed by 500 μmol/L Mn exposure for 24 hours. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blot analysis were used to detect the apoptosis rate, protein levels of PDE4, cAMP signaling, and apoptosis-associated proteins, respectively. We found that Mn exposure significantly inhibited cAMP signaling and protein expression of Bcl-2, while increasing apoptosis rate, protein levels of PDE4, Bax, activated caspase-3, and activated caspase-8 in PC12 cells. Pretreatment of rolipram ameliorated Mn-induced deficits in cAMP signaling and apoptosis. These findings demonstrate that cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway-induced apoptosis is involved in Mn-induced neurotoxicity.

PKA- and Ca2+-dependent p38 MAPK/CREB activation protects against manganese-mediated neuronal apoptosis

Although manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element, its excessive consumption may lead to neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders. Human cells launch adaptive responses to attenuate Mn-induced neurotoxicity. However, the regulation of the responsive proteins and their function during Mn-stimulated neurotoxicity remain largely unknown. We report the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB) in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis. Mn increased CREB phosphorylation and cellular apoptosis in both PC12 cells and mouse brain tissue. Furthermore, downregulation of CREB with shRNA plasmid transfection significantly worsened the PC12 cell apoptosis by decreasing mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, Mn enhanced protein kinase A (PKA) activation and activation of the p38 MAPK and JNK pathways. Inhibition of p38 MAPK rather than JNK effectively reduced the CREB phosphorylation. Subsequent analysis showed that a PKA inhibitor blocked p38 MAPK and CREB phosphorylation. Moreover, the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM decreased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and CREB but failed to reduce PKA activation. In summary, p38 MAPK/CREB activation via PKA activation and increased cellular Ca²⁺ helped to alleviate Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis via BDNF regulation. These findings improve our understanding of Mn-induced neurotoxicity and the molecular targets to antagonise it.

Manganese activates NLRP3 inflammasome signaling and propagates exosomal release of ASC in microglial cells

Chronic, sustained inflammation underlies many pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. Divalent manganese (Mn²⁺) exposure can stimulate neurotoxicity by increasing inflammation. In this study, we examined whether Mn²⁺ activates the multiprotein NLRP3 inflammasome complex to promote neuroinflammation. Exposing activated mouse microglial cells to Mn²⁺ substantially augmented NLRP3 abundance, caspase-1 cleavage, and maturation of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Exposure of mice to Mn²⁺ had similar effects in brain microglial cells. Furthermore, Mn²⁺ impaired mitochondrial ATP generation, basal respiratory rate, and spare capacity in microglial cells. These data suggest that Mn-induced mitochondrial defects drove the inflammasome signal amplification. We found that Mn induced cell-to-cell transfer of the inflammasome adaptor protein ASC in exosomes. Furthermore, primed microglial cells exposed to exosomes from Mn-treated mice released more IL-1β than did cells exposed to exosomes from control-treated animals. We also observed that welders exposed to manganese-containing fumes had plasma exosomes that contained more ASC than did those from a matched control group. Together, these results suggest that the divalent metal manganese acts as a key amplifier of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling and exosomal ASC release.

SIRT1 downregulation mediated Manganese-induced neuronal apoptosis through activation of FOXO3a-Bim/PUMA axis

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element. Excessive exposure to Mn may lead to neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders. Accumulating evidence has shown that silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) plays a vital role in brain damage. However, whether aberrant SIRT1 levels contribute to Mn-induced neurotoxicity remains unknown. In this study, we report the important role of SIRT1 downregulation during Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis. Mn was found to downregulate SIRT1 protein levels in the rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and mouse brain tissues. Mn enhanced SIRT1 protein degradation and downregulated its gene expression. Furthermore, Mn induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo, and resulted in an increase in forkhead box O (FOXO) 3a expression and acetylation. SIRT1 activation by resveratrol clearly attenuated Mn-triggered apoptosis and FOXO3a activation. Mn markedly increased the expression of Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (Bim) and p53-up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), whereas downregulation of FOXO3a significantly inhibited their upregulation and subsequent apoptosis. In summary, we determined that Mn downregulated SIRT1 by multiple mechanisms, thus led to apoptosis via activation of the FOXO3a-Bim/PUMA axis in PC12 cells. These findings on the impact of Mn on SIRT1 may lead to an improved understanding of Mn-induced neurotoxicity and provide a molecular target to antagonise Mn-associated neuronal damage.