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Huang C, Wang S, Deng J, Gu X, Guo S, Yin X. A "messenger zone hypothesis" based on the visual three-dimensional spatial distribution of motoneurons innervating deep limb muscles. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1559-1567. [PMID: 38051900 PMCID: PMC10883482 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202407000-00036/figure1/v/2023-11-20T171125Z/r/image-tiff
Coordinated contraction of skeletal muscles relies on selective connections between the muscles and multiple classes of the spinal motoneurons. However, current research on the spatial location of the spinal motoneurons innervating different muscles is limited. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution and relative position of different motoneurons that control the deep muscles of the mouse hindlimbs, which were innervated by the obturator nerve, femoral nerve, inferior gluteal nerve, deep peroneal nerve, and tibial nerve. Locations were visualized by combining a multiplex retrograde tracking technique compatible with three-dimensional imaging of solvent-cleared organs (3DISCO) and 3-D imaging technology based on lightsheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). Additionally, we propose the hypothesis that “messenger zones” exist as interlaced areas between the motoneuron pools that dominate the synergistic or antagonist muscle groups. We hypothesize that these interlaced neurons may participate in muscle coordination as messenger neurons. Analysis revealed the precise mutual positional relationships among the many motoneurons that innervate different deep muscles of the mouse. Not only do these findings update and supplement our knowledge regarding the overall spatial layout of spinal motoneurons that control mouse limb muscles, but they also provide insights into the mechanisms through which muscle activity is coordinated and the architecture of motor circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Huang
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shen Wang
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Deng
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Gu
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhang Guo
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yin
- MoE Key Laboratory for Trauma Treatment and Nerve Regeneration, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
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Sliwinski C, Heutehaus L, Taberner FJ, Weiss L, Kampanis V, Tolou-Dabbaghian B, Cheng X, Motsch M, Heppenstall PA, Kuner R, Franz S, Lechner SG, Weidner N, Puttagunta R. Contribution of mechanoreceptors to spinal cord injury-induced mechanical allodynia. Pain 2024; 165:1336-1347. [PMID: 38739766 PMCID: PMC11090032 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Evidence from previous studies supports the concept that spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neuropathic pain (NP) has its neural roots in the peripheral nervous system. There is uncertainty about how and to which degree mechanoreceptors contribute. Sensorimotor activation-based interventions (eg, treadmill training) have been shown to reduce NP after experimental SCI, suggesting transmission of pain-alleviating signals through mechanoreceptors. The aim of the present study was to understand the contribution of mechanoreceptors with respect to mechanical allodynia in a moderate mouse contusion SCI model. After genetic ablation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B expressing mechanoreceptors before SCI, mechanical allodynia was reduced. The identical genetic ablation after SCI did not yield any change in pain behavior. Peptidergic nociceptor sprouting into lamina III/IV below injury level as a consequence of SCI was not altered by either mechanoreceptor ablation. However, skin-nerve preparations of contusion SCI mice 7 days after injury yielded hyperexcitability in nociceptors, not in mechanoreceptors, which makes a substantial direct contribution of mechanoreceptors to NP maintenance unlikely. Complementing animal data, quantitative sensory testing in human SCI subjects indicated reduced mechanical pain thresholds, whereas the mechanical detection threshold was not altered. Taken together, early mechanoreceptor ablation modulates pain behavior, most likely through indirect mechanisms. Hyperexcitable nociceptors seem to be the main drivers of SCI-induced NP. Future studies need to focus on injury-derived factors triggering early-onset nociceptor hyperexcitability, which could serve as targets for more effective therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Sliwinski
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Heutehaus
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Weiss
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vasileios Kampanis
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bahardokht Tolou-Dabbaghian
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xing Cheng
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Motsch
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Franz
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan G. Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Norbert Weidner
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Radhika Puttagunta
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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Brewer MK, Torres P, Ayala V, Portero-Otin M, Pamplona R, Andrés-Benito P, Ferrer I, Guinovart JJ, Duran J. Glycogen accumulation modulates life span in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurochem 2024; 168:744-759. [PMID: 37401737 PMCID: PMC10764643 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. Glial cells, including astrocytes and microglia, have been shown to contribute to neurodegeneration in ALS, and metabolic dysfunction plays an important role in the progression of the disease. Glycogen is a soluble polymer of glucose found at low levels in the central nervous system that plays an important role in memory formation, synaptic plasticity, and the prevention of seizures. However, its accumulation in astrocytes and/or neurons is associated with pathological conditions and aging. Importantly, glycogen accumulation has been reported in the spinal cord of human ALS patients and mouse models. In the present work, using the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS, we show that glycogen accumulates in the spinal cord and brainstem during symptomatic and end stages of the disease and that the accumulated glycogen is associated with reactive astrocytes. To study the contribution of glycogen to ALS progression, we generated SOD1G93A mice with reduced glycogen synthesis (SOD1G93A GShet mice). SOD1G93A GShet mice had a significantly longer life span than SOD1G93A mice and showed lower levels of the astrocytic pro-inflammatory cytokine Cxcl10, suggesting that the accumulation of glycogen is associated with an inflammatory response. Supporting this, inducing an increase in glycogen synthesis reduced life span in SOD1G93A mice. Altogether, these results suggest that glycogen in reactive astrocytes contributes to neurotoxicity and disease progression in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Kathryn Brewer
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pascual Torres
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRB Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Victòria Ayala
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRB Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Manuel Portero-Otin
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRB Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRB Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Pol Andrés-Benito
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Institute Carlos III, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Joan J. Guinovart
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Duran
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS), Universitat Ramon Llull (URL), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
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Yarmolinsky DA, Zeng X, MacKinnon-Booth N, Greene C, Kim C, Woolf CJ. Selective modification of ascending spinal outputs in acute and neuropathic pain states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588581. [PMID: 38645252 PMCID: PMC11030409 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Pain hypersensitivity arises from the plasticity of peripheral and spinal somatosensory neurons, which modifies nociceptive input to the brain and alters pain perception. We utilized chronic calcium imaging of spinal dorsal horn neurons to determine how the representation of somatosensory stimuli in the anterolateral tract, the principal pathway transmitting nociceptive signals to the brain, changes between distinct pain states. In healthy conditions, we identify stable, narrowly tuned outputs selective for cooling or warming, and a neuronal ensemble activated by intense/noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli. Induction of an acute peripheral sensitization with capsaicin selectively and transiently retunes nociceptive output neurons to encode low-intensity stimuli. In contrast, peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain results in a persistent suppression of innocuous spinal outputs coupled with activation of a normally silent population of high-threshold neurons. These results demonstrate the differential modulation of specific spinal outputs to the brain during nociceptive and neuropathic pain states.
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Trolle C, Han Y, Mutt SJ, Christoffersson G, Kozlova EN. Boundary cap neural crest stem cells promote angiogenesis after transplantation to avulsed dorsal roots in mice and induce migration of endothelial cells in 3D printed scaffolds. Neurosci Lett 2024; 826:137724. [PMID: 38467271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Dorsal root avulsion injuries lead to loss of sensation and to reorganization of blood vessels (BVs) in the injured area. The inability of injured sensory axons to re-enter the spinal cord results in permanent loss of sensation, and often also leads to the development of neuropathic pain. Approaches that restore connection between peripheral sensory axons and their CNS targets are thus urgently need. Previous research has shown that sensory axons from peripherally grafted human sensory neurons are able to enter the spinal cord by growing along BVs which penetrate the CNS from the spinal cord surface. In this study we analysed the distribution of BVs after avulsion injury and how their pattern is affected by implantation at the injury site of boundary cap neural crest stem cells (bNCSCs), a transient cluster of cells, which are located at the boundary between the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system and assist the growth of sensory axons from periphery into the spinal cord during development. The superficial dorsal spinal cord vasculature was examined using intravital microscopy and intravascular BV labelling. bNCSC transplantation increased vascular volume in a non-dose responsive manner, whereas dorsal root avulsion alone did not decrease the vascular volume. To determine whether bNCSC are endowed with angiogenic properties we prepared 3D printed scaffolds, containing bNCSCs together with rings prepared from mouse aorta. We show that bNCSC do induce migration and assembly of endothelial cells in this system. These findings suggest that bNCSC transplant can promote vascularization in vivo and contribute to BV formation in 3D printed scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Trolle
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Rehabilitation Medicine, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yilin Han
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University Biomedical Center, PO Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shivaprakash Jagalur Mutt
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, PO Box 571, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Christoffersson
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, PO Box 571, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elena N Kozlova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University Biomedical Center, PO Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden.
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Gillespie ER, Grice LF, Courtney IG, Lao HW, Jung W, Ramkomuth S, Xie J, Brown DA, Walsham J, Radford KJ, Nguyen QH, Ruitenberg MJ. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals peripheral blood leukocyte responses to spinal cord injury in mice with humanised immune systems. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:63. [PMID: 38429643 PMCID: PMC10908016 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03048-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Next-generation humanised mouse models and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) approaches enable in-depth studies into human immune cell biology. Here we used NSG-SGM3 mice engrafted with human umbilical cord haematopoietic stem cells to investigate how human immune cells respond to and/or are changed by traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). We hypothesised that the use of such mice could help advance our understanding of spinal cord injury-induced immune depression syndrome (SCI-IDS), and also how human leukocytes change as they migrate from the circulation into the lesion site. Our scRNAseq experiments, supplemented by flow cytometry, demonstrate the existence of up to 11 human immune cell (sub-) types and/or states across the blood and injured spinal cord (7 days post-SCI) of humanised NSG-SGM3 mice. Further comparisons of human immune cell transcriptomes between naïve, sham-operated and SCI mice identified a total of 579 differentially expressed genes, 190 of which were 'SCI-specific' (that is, genes regulated only in response to SCI but not sham surgery). Gene ontology analysis showed a prominent downregulation of immune cell function under SCI conditions, including for T cell receptor signalling and antigen presentation, confirming the presence of SCI-IDS and the transcriptional signature of human leukocytes in association with this phenomenon. We also highlight the activating influence of the local spinal cord lesion microenvironment by comparing the transcriptomes of circulating versus infiltrated human immune cells; those isolated from the lesion site were enriched for genes relating to both immune cell activity and function (e.g., oxidative phosphorylation, T cell proliferation and antigen presentation). We lastly applied an integrated bioinformatics approach to determine where immune responses in humanised NSG-SGM3 mice appear congruent to the native responses of human SCI patients, and where they diverge. Collectively, our study provides a valuable resource and methodological framework for the use of these mice in translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen R Gillespie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Laura F Grice
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Isabel G Courtney
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Hong Wa Lao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Woncheol Jung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Sonny Ramkomuth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jacky Xie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David A Brown
- Neuroinflammation Research Group, Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Institute for Clinical Pathology, New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia
| | - James Walsham
- Intensive Care Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
- Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kristen J Radford
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Quan H Nguyen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marc J Ruitenberg
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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Celinskis D, Black CJ, Murphy J, Barrios-Anderson A, Friedman N, Shaner NC, Saab C, Gomez-Ramirez M, Lipscombe D, Borton DA, Moore CI. Towards a Brighter Constellation: Multi-Organ Neuroimaging of Neural and Vascular Dynamics in the Spinal Cord and Brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.25.573323. [PMID: 38234789 PMCID: PMC10793404 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.25.573323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Significance Pain is comprised of a complex interaction between motor action and somatosensation that is dependent on dynamic interactions between the brain and spinal cord. This makes understanding pain particularly challenging as it involves rich interactions between many circuits (e.g., neural and vascular) and signaling cascades throughout the body. As such, experimentation on a single region may lead to an incomplete and potentially incorrect understanding of crucial underlying mechanisms. Aim Here, we aimed to develop and validate new tools to enable detailed and extended observation of neural and vascular activity in the brain and spinal cord. The first key set of innovations were targeted to developing novel imaging hardware that addresses the many challenges of multi-site imaging. The second key set of innovations were targeted to enabling bioluminescent imaging, as this approach can address limitations of fluorescent microscopy including photobleaching, phototoxicity and decreased resolution due to scattering of excitation signals. Approach We designed 3D-printed brain and spinal cord implants to enable effective surgical implantations and optical access with wearable miniscopes or an open window (e.g., for one- or two-photon microscopy or optogenetic stimulation). We also tested the viability for bioluminescent imaging, and developed a novel modified miniscope optimized for these signals (BLmini). Results Here, we describe novel 'universal' implants for acute and chronic simultaneous brain-spinal cord imaging and optical stimulation. We further describe successful imaging of bioluminescent signals in both foci, and a new miniscope, the 'BLmini,' which has reduced weight, cost and form-factor relative to standard wearable miniscopes. Conclusions The combination of 3D printed implants, advanced imaging tools, and bioluminescence imaging techniques offers a new coalition of methods for understanding spinal cord-brain interactions. This work has the potential for use in future research into neuropathic pain and other sensory disorders and motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeremy Murphy
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Nina Friedman
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nathan C. Shaner
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carl Saab
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | | | - David A. Borton
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
- School of Engineering, Brown University, RI, USA
- Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, RI, USA
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Shekhtmeyster P, Duarte D, Carey EM, Ngo A, Gao G, Olmstead JA, Nelson NA, Nimmerjahn A. Trans-segmental imaging in the spinal cord of behaving mice. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1729-1733. [PMID: 36879007 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01700-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord circuits play crucial roles in transmitting pain, but the underlying activity patterns within and across spinal segments in behaving mice have remained elusive. We developed a wearable widefield macroscope with a 7.9-mm2 field of view, ~3- to 4-μm lateral resolution, 2.7-mm working distance and <10-g overall weight and show that highly localized painful mechanical stimuli evoke widespread, coordinated astrocyte excitation across multiple spinal segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Shekhtmeyster
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniela Duarte
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Erin M Carey
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Ngo
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Grace Gao
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jack A Olmstead
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Nelson
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Axel Nimmerjahn
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Yilihamu EEY, Fan X, Yang Z, Feng S. A novel mouse model of central cord syndrome. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:2751-2756. [PMID: 37449640 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.373718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with potential spinal stenosis are susceptible to central cord syndrome induced by blunt trauma. Suitable animal models are helpful for studying the pathogenesis and treatment of such injuries. In this study, we established a mouse model of acute blunt traumatic spinal cord injury by compressing the C6 spinal cord with 5 and 10 g/mm2 compression weights to simulate cervical central cord syndrome. Behavioral testing confirmed that this model exhibited the characteristics of central cord syndrome because motor function in the front paws was impaired, whereas basic motor and sensory functions of the lower extremities were retained. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the diseased region of the spinal cord in this mouse model was restricted to the gray matter of the central cord, whereas the white matter was rarely affected. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a hypointense signal in the lesion after mild and severe injury. In addition, immunofluorescence staining showed that the degree of nerve tract injury in the spinal cord white matter was mild, and that there was a chronic inflammation reaction. These findings suggest that this mouse model of central cord syndrome can be used as a model for preclinical research, and that gray matter is most vulnerable to injury in central cord syndrome, leading to impaired motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiangchuang Fan
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zimeng Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province; Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiqing Feng
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
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Li J, Tian C, Yuan S, Yin Z, Wei L, Chen F, Dong X, Liu A, Wang Z, Wu T, Tian C, Niu L, Wang L, Wang P, Xie W, Cao F, Shen H. Neuropathic pain following spinal cord hemisection induced by the reorganization in primary somatosensory cortex and regulated by neuronal activity of lateral parabrachial nucleus. CNS Neurosci Ther 2023; 29:3269-3289. [PMID: 37170721 PMCID: PMC10580357 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a common and thorny problem, influencing the life quality severely. This study aimed to elucidate the reorganization of the primary sensory cortex (S1) and the regulatory mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) in the presence of allodynia or hyperalgesia after left spinal cord hemisection injury (LHS). METHODS Through behavioral tests, we first identified mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following LHS. We then applied two-photon microscopy to observe calcium activity in S1 during mechanical or thermal stimulation and long-term spontaneous calcium activity after LHS. By slice patch clamp recording, the electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in lPBN were explored. Finally, exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN, allodynia or hyperalgesia was regulated. RESULTS The calcium activity in left S1 was increased during mechanical stimulation of right hind limb and thermal stimulation of tail, whereas in right S1 it was increased only with thermal stimulation of tail. The spontaneous calcium activity in right S1 changed more dramatically than that in left S1 after LHS. The lPBN was also activated after LHS, and exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN could induce or alleviate allodynia and hyperalgesia in central neuropathic pain. CONCLUSION The neuronal activity changes in S1 are closely related to limb pain, which has accurate anatomical correspondence. After LHS, the spontaneously increased functional connectivity of calcium transient in left S1 is likely causing the mechanical allodynia in right hind limb and increased neuronal activity in bilateral S1 may induce thermal hyperalgesia in tail. This state of allodynia and hyperalgesia can be regulated by lPBN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Chao Tian
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Shiyang Yuan
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Zhenyu Yin
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Liangpeng Wei
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Feng Chen
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Xi Dong
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Aili Liu
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Zhenhuan Wang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Tongrui Wu
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Chunxiao Tian
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Lin Niu
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of PhysiologyZhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical UniversityZhuhaiChina
| | - Pu Wang
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Wanyu Xie
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Fujiang Cao
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese MedicineShandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineJinanChina
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11
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Miyakoshi LM, Stæger FF, Li Q, Pan C, Xie L, Kang H, Pavan C, Dang J, Sun Q, Ertürk A, Nedergaard M. The state of brain activity modulates cerebrospinal fluid transport. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 229:102512. [PMID: 37482196 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Earlier studies based on 2-photon imaging have shown that glymphatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transport is regulated by the sleep-wake cycle. To examine this association, we used 3DISCO whole-body tissue clearing to map CSF tracer distribution in awake, sleeping and ketamine-xylazine anesthetized mice. The results of our analysis showed that CSF tracers entered the brain to a significantly larger extent in natural sleep or ketamine-xylazine anesthesia than in wakefulness. Furthermore, awake mice showed preferential transport of CSF tracers in the rostro-caudal direction towards the cervical and spinal cord lymphatic vessels, and hence to venous circulation and excretion by the kidneys. The study extends the current literature by showing that CSF dynamics on the whole-body scale is controlled by the state of brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo M Miyakoshi
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
| | - Frederik F Stæger
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
| | - Qianliang Li
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
| | - Chenchen Pan
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lulu Xie
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Hongyi Kang
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Chiara Pavan
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
| | - Juliana Dang
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
| | - Qian Sun
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Ali Ertürk
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics University of Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark; Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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12
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Althobity AA, Khan N, Sandrock CJ, Woodruff TM, Cowin GJ, Brereton IM, Kurniawan ND. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for detection of pathological changes in the central nervous system of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis in vivo. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4964. [PMID: 37122101 PMCID: PMC10909458 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease involving demyelination and axonal damage in the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we investigated pathological changes in the lumbar spinal cord of C57BL/6 mice induced with progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease using 9.4-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multiparametric MRI measurements including MR spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and volumetric analyses were applied to detect metabolic changes in the CNS of EAE mice. Compared with healthy mice, EAE mice showed a significant reduction in N-acetyl aspartate and increases in choline, glycine, taurine and lactate. DTI revealed a significant reduction in fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity and an increase in radial diffusivity in the lumbar spinal cord white matter (WM), while in the grey matter (GM), fractional anisotropy increased. High-resolution structural imaging also revealed lumbar spinal cord WM hypertrophy and GM atrophy. Importantly, these MRI changes were strongly correlated with EAE disease scoring and pathological changes in the lumbar (L2-L6), particularly WM demyelination lesions and aggregation of immune cells (microglia/macrophages and astrocytes) in this region. This study identified changes in MRI biomarker signatures that can be useful for evaluating the efficacy of novel drugs using EAE models in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah A. Althobity
- Centre for Advanced ImagingThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
- Al Azhar HospitalRiyadhSaudi Arabia
- Society of Artificial Intelligence in HealthcareRiyadhSaudi Arabia
- Department of Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging, College of Applied Medical SciencesMajmaah UniversityMajmaahSaudi Arabia
| | - Nemat Khan
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Cheyenne J. Sandrock
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Trent M. Woodruff
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Gary J. Cowin
- Centre for Advanced ImagingThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
- NCRIS Australian National Imaging FacilityThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Ian M. Brereton
- Centre for Advanced ImagingThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
- NCRIS Australian National Imaging FacilityThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
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13
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Nishida K, Matsumura S, Uchida H, Abe M, Sakimura K, Badea TC, Kobayashi T. Brn3a controls the soma localization and axonal extension patterns of developing spinal dorsal horn neurons. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285295. [PMID: 37733805 PMCID: PMC10513334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal dorsal horn comprises heterogeneous neuronal populations, that interconnect with one another to form neural circuits modulating various types of sensory information. Decades of evidence has revealed that transcription factors expressed in each neuronal progenitor subclass play pivotal roles in the cell fate specification of spinal dorsal horn neurons. However, the development of subtypes of these neurons is not fully understood in more detail as yet and warrants the investigation of additional transcription factors. In the present study, we examined the involvement of the POU domain-containing transcription factor Brn3a in the development of spinal dorsal horn neurons. Analyses of Brn3a expression in the developing spinal dorsal horn neurons in mice demonstrated that the majority of the Brn3a-lineage neurons ceased Brn3a expression during embryonic stages (Brn3a-transient neurons), whereas a limited population of them continued to express Brn3a at high levels after E18.5 (Brn3a-persistent neurons). Loss of Brn3a disrupted the localization pattern of Brn3a-persistent neurons, indicating a critical role of this transcription factor in the development of these neurons. In contrast, Brn3a overexpression in Brn3a-transient neurons directed their localization in a manner similar to that in Brn3a-persistent neurons. Moreover, Brn3a-overexpressing neurons exhibited increased axonal extension to the ventral and ventrolateral funiculi, where the axonal tracts of Brn3a-persistent neurons reside. These results suggest that Brn3a controls the soma localization and axonal extension patterns of Brn3a-persistent spinal dorsal horn neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Nishida
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinji Matsumura
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Uchida
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Manabu Abe
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tudor Constantin Badea
- Research and Development Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Transylvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
- National Brain Research Center, ICIA, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Takuya Kobayashi
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
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14
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Murphy K, Lufkin T, Kraus P. Development and Degeneration of the Intervertebral Disc-Insights from Across Species. Vet Sci 2023; 10:540. [PMID: 37756062 PMCID: PMC10534844 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10090540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Back pain caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration has a major socio-economic impact in humans, yet historically has received minimal attention in species other than humans, mice and dogs. However, a general growing interest in this unique organ prompted the expansion of IVD research in rats, rabbits, cats, horses, monkeys, and cows, further illuminating the complex nature of the organ in both healthy and degenerative states. Application of recent biotechnological advancements, including single cell RNA sequencing and complex data analysis methods has begun to explain the shifting inflammatory signaling, variation in cellular subpopulations, differential gene expression, mechanical loading, and metabolic stresses which contribute to age and stress related degeneration of the IVD. This increase in IVD research across species introduces a need for chronicling IVD advancements and tissue biomarkers both within and between species. Here we provide a comprehensive review of recent single cell RNA sequencing data alongside existing case reports and histo/morphological data to highlight the cellular complexity and metabolic challenges of this unique organ that is of structural importance for all vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Lufkin
- Department of Biology, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA;
| | - Petra Kraus
- Department of Biology, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA;
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15
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Oh Y, Yoo ES, Ju SH, Kim E, Lee S, Kim S, Wickman K, Sohn JW. GIRK2 potassium channels expressed by the AgRP neurons decrease adiposity and body weight in mice. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002252. [PMID: 37594983 PMCID: PMC10468093 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well known that the neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons increase appetite and decrease thermogenesis. Previous studies demonstrated that optogenetic and/or chemogenetic manipulations of NPY/AgRP neuronal activity alter food intake and/or energy expenditure (EE). However, little is known about intrinsic molecules regulating NPY/AgRP neuronal excitability to affect long-term metabolic function. Here, we found that the G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels are key to stabilize NPY/AgRP neurons and that NPY/AgRP neuron-selective deletion of the GIRK2 subunit results in a persistently increased excitability of the NPY/AgRP neurons. Interestingly, increased body weight and adiposity observed in the NPY/AgRP neuron-selective GIRK2 knockout mice were due to decreased sympathetic activity and EE, while food intake remained unchanged. The conditional knockout mice also showed compromised adaptation to coldness. In summary, our study identified GIRK2 as a key determinant of NPY/AgRP neuronal excitability and driver of EE in physiological and stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjin Oh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eun-Seon Yoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sang Hyeon Ju
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunha Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seulgi Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Kevin Wickman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jong-Woo Sohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
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16
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Lund MC, Ellman DG, Nielsen PV, Raffaele S, Fumagalli M, Guzman R, Degn M, Brambilla R, Meyer M, Clausen BH, Lambertsen KL. Selective Inhibition of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Alters the Neuroinflammatory Response following Moderate Spinal Cord Injury in Mice. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:845. [PMID: 37372129 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Clinical and animal model studies have implicated inflammation and glial and peripheral immune cell responses in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI). A key player in the inflammatory response after SCI is the pleiotropic cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which exists both in both a transmembrane (tmTNF) and a soluble (solTNF) form. In the present study, we extend our previous findings of a therapeutic effect of topically blocking solTNF signaling after SCI for three consecutive days on lesion size and functional outcome to study the effect on spatio-temporal changes in the inflammatory response after SCI in mice treated with the selective solTNF inhibitor XPro1595 and compared to saline-treated mice. We found that despite comparable TNF and TNF receptor levels between XPro1595- and saline-treated mice, XPro1595 transiently decreased pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels and increased pro-regenerative IL-10 levels in the acute phase after SCI. This was complemented by a decrease in the number of infiltrated leukocytes (macrophages and neutrophils) in the lesioned area of the spinal cord and an increase in the number of microglia in the peri-lesion area 14 days after SCI, followed by a decrease in microglial activation in the peri-lesion area 21 days after SCI. This translated into increased myelin preservation and improved functional outcomes in XPro1595-treated mice 35 days after SCI. Collectively, our data suggest that selective targeting of solTNF time-dependently modulates the neuroinflammatory response by favoring a pro-regenerative environment in the lesioned spinal cord, leading to improved functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna Christiansen Lund
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Ditte Gry Ellman
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Pernille Vinther Nielsen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Stefano Raffaele
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Raphael Guzman
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matilda Degn
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roberta Brambilla
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Brain Research Inter-Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), Department of Clinical Research, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Morten Meyer
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Brain Research Inter-Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), Department of Clinical Research, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Bettina Hjelm Clausen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Brain Research Inter-Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), Department of Clinical Research, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Kate Lykke Lambertsen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Brain Research Inter-Disciplinary Guided Excellence (BRIDGE), Department of Clinical Research, 5000 Odense, Denmark
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17
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Ju SH, Sohn JW. Protocol to prepare mouse spinal cord for patch-clamp and histology experiments. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102345. [PMID: 37270782 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord is a part of the central nervous system located within the spinal canal of the vertebrae. Here, we present a protocol to prepare mouse spinal cord sections for patch-clamp and histology experiments. We describe steps for isolating spinal cord from the spinal canal and obtaining acute slices for patch-clamp experiments. For histology experiments, we detail fixing spinal cord for cryosectioning and imaging. This protocol provides procedures to assess neuronal activity and protein expression of sympathetic preganglionic neurons. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ju et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hyeon Ju
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon 35015, South Korea.
| | - Jong-Woo Sohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
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18
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Hérent C, Diem S, Usseglio G, Fortin G, Bouvier J. Upregulation of breathing rate during running exercise by central locomotor circuits in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2939. [PMID: 37217517 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38583-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
While respiratory adaptation to exercise is compulsory to cope with the increased metabolic demand, the neural signals at stake remain poorly identified. Using neural circuit tracing and activity interference strategies in mice, we uncover here two systems by which the central locomotor network can enable respiratory augmentation in relation to running activity. One originates in the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), a conserved locomotor controller. Through direct projections onto the neurons of the preBötzinger complex that generate the inspiratory rhythm, the MLR can trigger a moderate increase of respiratory frequency, prior to, or even in the absence of, locomotion. The other is the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord containing the hindlimb motor circuits. When activated, and through projections onto the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), it also potently upregulates breathing rate. On top of identifying critical underpinnings for respiratory hyperpnea, these data also expand the functional implication of cell types and pathways that are typically regarded as "locomotor" or "respiratory" related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Hérent
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Séverine Diem
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094, Montpellier, France
| | - Giovanni Usseglio
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
| | - Gilles Fortin
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Julien Bouvier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France.
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19
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Cheung DL, Toda T, Narushima M, Eto K, Takayama C, Ooba T, Wake H, Moorhouse AJ, Nabekura J. KCC2 downregulation after sciatic nerve injury enhances motor function recovery. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7871. [PMID: 37188694 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34701-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Injury to mature neurons induces downregulated KCC2 expression and activity, resulting in elevated intracellular [Cl-] and depolarized GABAergic signaling. This phenotype mirrors immature neurons wherein GABA-evoked depolarizations facilitate neuronal circuit maturation. Thus, injury-induced KCC2 downregulation is broadly speculated to similarly facilitate neuronal circuit repair. We test this hypothesis in spinal cord motoneurons injured by sciatic nerve crush, using transgenic (CaMKII-KCC2) mice wherein conditional CaMKIIα promoter-KCC2 expression coupling selectively prevents injury-induced KCC2 downregulation. We demonstrate, via an accelerating rotarod assay, impaired motor function recovery in CaMKII-KCC2 mice relative to wild-type mice. Across both cohorts, we observe similar motoneuron survival and re-innervation rates, but differing post-injury reorganization patterns of synaptic input to motoneuron somas-for wild-type, both VGLUT1-positive (excitatory) and GAD67-positive (inhibitory) terminal counts decrease; for CaMKII-KCC2, only VGLUT1-positive terminal counts decrease. Finally, we recapitulate the impaired motor function recovery of CaMKII-KCC2 mice in wild-type mice by administering local spinal cord injections of bicuculline (GABAA receptor blockade) or bumetanide (lowers intracellular [Cl-] by NKCC1 blockade) during the early post-injury period. Thus, our results provide direct evidence that injury-induced KCC2 downregulation enhances motor function recovery and suggest an underlying mechanism of depolarizing GABAergic signaling driving adaptive reconfiguration of presynaptic GABAergic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Lawrence Cheung
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takuya Toda
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Madoka Narushima
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kei Eto
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Department of Physiology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Tatsuko Ooba
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Wake
- Division of Multicellular Circuit Dynamics, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Andrew John Moorhouse
- School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Junichi Nabekura
- Division of Homeostatic Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
- School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
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20
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Georgelou K, Saridaki EA, Karali K, Papagiannaki A, Charalampopoulos I, Gravanis A, Tzeranis DS. Microneurotrophin BNN27 Reduces Astrogliosis and Increases Density of Neurons and Implanted Neural Stem Cell-Derived Cells after Spinal Cord Injury. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041170. [PMID: 37189788 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microneurotrophins, small-molecule mimetics of endogenous neurotrophins, have demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on various animal models of neurological diseases. Nevertheless, their effects on central nervous system injuries remain unknown. Herein, we evaluate the effects of microneurotrophin BNN27, an NGF analog, in the mouse dorsal column crush spinal cord injury (SCI) model. BNN27 was delivered systemically either by itself or combined with neural stem cell (NSC)-seeded collagen-based scaffold grafts, demonstrated recently to improve locomotion performance in the same SCI model. Data validate the ability of NSC-seeded grafts to enhance locomotion recovery, neuronal cell integration with surrounding tissues, axonal elongation and angiogenesis. Our findings also show that systemic administration of BNN27 significantly reduced astrogliosis and increased neuron density in mice SCI lesion sites at 12 weeks post injury. Furthermore, when BNN27 administration was combined with NSC-seeded PCS grafts, BNN27 increased the density of survived implanted NSC-derived cells, possibly addressing a major challenge of NSC-based SCI treatments. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that small-molecule mimetics of endogenous neurotrophins can contribute to effective combinatorial treatments for SCI, by simultaneously regulating key events of SCI and supporting grafted cell therapies in the lesion site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Georgelou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | | | - Kanelina Karali
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Argyri Papagiannaki
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Charalampopoulos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Achille Gravanis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Dimitrios S Tzeranis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2109, Cyprus
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21
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Shekhtmeyster P, Carey EM, Duarte D, Ngo A, Gao G, Nelson NA, Clark CL, Nimmerjahn A. Multiplex translaminar imaging in the spinal cord of behaving mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1427. [PMID: 36944637 PMCID: PMC10030868 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
While the spinal cord is known to play critical roles in sensorimotor processing, including pain-related signaling, corresponding activity patterns in genetically defined cell types across spinal laminae have remained challenging to investigate. Calcium imaging has enabled cellular activity measurements in behaving rodents but is currently limited to superficial regions. Here, using chronically implanted microprisms, we imaged sensory and motor-evoked activity in regions and at speeds inaccessible by other high-resolution imaging techniques. To enable translaminar imaging in freely behaving animals through implanted microprisms, we additionally developed wearable microscopes with custom-compound microlenses. This system addresses multiple challenges of previous wearable microscopes, including their limited working distance, resolution, contrast, and achromatic range. Using this system, we show that dorsal horn astrocytes in behaving mice show sensorimotor program-dependent and lamina-specific calcium excitation. Additionally, we show that tachykinin precursor 1 (Tac1)-expressing neurons exhibit translaminar activity to acute mechanical pain but not locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Shekhtmeyster
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Erin M Carey
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Daniela Duarte
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Alexander Ngo
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Grace Gao
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas A Nelson
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Charles L Clark
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Axel Nimmerjahn
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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22
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Hernández IC, Yau J, Rishøj L, Cui N, Minderler S, Jowett N. Tutorial: multiphoton microscopy to advance neuroscience research. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2023; 11. [PMID: 36753763 DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/acba66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) employs ultrafast infrared lasers for high-resolution deep three-dimensional imaging of live biological samples. The goal of this tutorial is to provide a practical guide to MPM imaging for novice microscopy developers and life-science users. Principles of MPM, microscope setup, and labeling strategies are discussed. Use of MPM to achieve unprecedented imaging depth of whole mounted explants and intravital imaging via implantable glass windows of the mammalian nervous system is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Coto Hernández
- Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Jenny Yau
- Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Lars Rishøj
- Technical University of Denmark, DTU Electro, Ørsteds Plads 343, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nanke Cui
- Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Steven Minderler
- Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Nate Jowett
- Surgical Photonics & Engineering Laboratory, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, United States of America
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23
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Tsujioka H, Yamashita T. Utilization of ethanolamine phosphate phospholyase as a unique astrocytic marker. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1097512. [PMID: 36794261 PMCID: PMC9922850 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1097512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes play diverse roles in the central nervous system (CNS) in both physiological and pathological conditions. Previous studies have identified many markers of astrocytes to analyze their complicated roles. Recently, closure of the critical period by mature astrocytes has been revealed, and the need for finding mature astrocyte-specific markers has been growing. We previously found that Ethanolamine phosphate phospholyase (Etnppl) was almost not expressed in the developing neonatal spinal cord, and its expression level slightly decreased after pyramidotomy in adult mice, which showed weak axonal sprouting, suggesting that its expression level negatively correlates with axonal elongation. Although the expression of Etnppl in astrocytes in adult is known, its utility as an astrocytic marker has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we showed that Etnppl was selectively expressed in astrocytes in adult. Re-analyses using published RNA-sequencing datasets revealed changes in Etnppl expression in spinal cord injury, stroke, or systemic inflammation models. We produced high-quality monoclonal antibodies against ETNPPL and characterized ETNPPL localization in neonatal and adult mice. Expression of ETNPPL was very weak in neonatal mice, except in the ventricular and subventricular zones, and it was heterogeneously expressed in adult mice, with the highest expression in the cerebellum, olfactory bulb, and hypothalamus and the lowest in white matter. Subcellular localization of ETNPPL was dominant in the nuclei with weak expression in the cytosol in the minor population. Using the antibody, astrocytes in adult were selectively labeled in the cerebral cortex or spinal cord, and changes in astrocytes were detected in the spinal cord after pyramidotomy. ETNPPL is expressed in a subset of Gjb6 + astrocytes in the spinal cord. The monoclonal antibodies we created, as well as fundamental knowledge characterized in this study, will be valuable resources in the scientific community and will expand our understanding of astrocytes and their complicated responses in many pathological conditions in future analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Tsujioka
- Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,*Correspondence: Hiroshi Tsujioka,
| | - Toshihide Yamashita
- Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan,Toshihide Yamashita,
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24
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Santuz A, Laflamme OD, Akay T. The brain integrates proprioceptive information to ensure robust locomotion. J Physiol 2022; 600:5267-5294. [PMID: 36271747 DOI: 10.1113/jp283181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Robust locomotion relies on information from proprioceptors: sensory organs that communicate the position of body parts to the spinal cord and brain. Proprioceptive circuits in the spinal cord are known to coarsely regulate locomotion in the presence of perturbations. Yet, the regulatory importance of the brain in maintaining robust locomotion remains less clear. Here, through mouse genetic studies and in vivo electrophysiology, we examined the role of the brain in integrating proprioceptive information during perturbed locomotion. The systemic removal of proprioceptors left the mice in a constantly perturbed state, similar to that observed during mechanically perturbed locomotion in wild-type mice and characterised by longer and less accurate synergistic activation patterns. By contrast, after surgically interrupting the ascending proprioceptive projection to the brain through the dorsal column of the spinal cord, wild-type mice showed normal walking behaviour, yet lost the ability to respond to external perturbations. Our findings provide direct evidence of a pivotal role for ascending proprioceptive information in achieving robust, safe locomotion. KEY POINTS: Whether brain integration of proprioceptive feedback is crucial for coping with perturbed locomotion is not clear. We showed a crucial role of the brain for responding to external perturbations and ensure robust locomotion. We used mouse genetics to remove proprioceptors and a spinal lesion model to interrupt the flow of proprioceptive information to the brain through the dorsal column in wild-type animals. Using a custom-built treadmill, we administered sudden and random mechanical perturbations to mice during walking. External perturbations affected locomotion in wild-type mice similar to the absence of proprioceptors in genetically modified mice. Proprioceptive feedback from muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs contributed to locomotor robustness. Wild-type mice lost the ability to respond to external perturbations after interruption of the ascending proprioceptive projection to the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Santuz
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Olivier D Laflamme
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Turgay Akay
- Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Centre, Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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25
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Matson KJE, Russ DE, Kathe C, Hua I, Maric D, Ding Y, Krynitsky J, Pursley R, Sathyamurthy A, Squair JW, Levi BP, Courtine G, Levine AJ. Single cell atlas of spinal cord injury in mice reveals a pro-regenerative signature in spinocerebellar neurons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5628. [PMID: 36163250 PMCID: PMC9513082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
After spinal cord injury, tissue distal to the lesion contains undamaged cells that could support or augment recovery. Targeting these cells requires a clearer understanding of their injury responses and capacity for repair. Here, we use single nucleus RNA sequencing to profile how each cell type in the lumbar spinal cord changes after a thoracic injury in mice. We present an atlas of these dynamic responses across dozens of cell types in the acute, subacute, and chronically injured spinal cord. Using this resource, we find rare spinal neurons that express a signature of regeneration in response to injury, including a major population that represent spinocerebellar projection neurons. We characterize these cells anatomically and observed axonal sparing, outgrowth, and remodeling in the spinal cord and cerebellum. Together, this work provides a key resource for studying cellular responses to injury and uncovers the spontaneous plasticity of spinocerebellar neurons, uncovering a potential candidate for targeted therapy. Matson et al. performed single nucleus sequencing of the “spared” spinal cord tissue distal to an injury in mice. They found that spinocerebellar neurons expressed a pro-regenerative gene signature and showed axon outgrowth after injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaya J E Matson
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Johns Hopkins University Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel E Russ
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Data Science Research Group, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Claudia Kathe
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,NeuroRestore, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Hua
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dragan Maric
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yi Ding
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan Krynitsky
- Signal Processing and Instrumentation Section, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Randall Pursley
- Signal Processing and Instrumentation Section, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anupama Sathyamurthy
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Jordan W Squair
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,NeuroRestore, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Boaz P Levi
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gregoire Courtine
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,NeuroRestore, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ariel J Levine
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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26
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Frederico B, Martins I, Chapela D, Gasparrini F, Chakravarty P, Ackels T, Piot C, Almeida B, Carvalho J, Ciccarelli A, Peddie CJ, Rogers N, Briscoe J, Guillemot F, Schaefer AT, Saúde L, Reis e Sousa C. DNGR-1-tracing marks an ependymal cell subset with damage-responsive neural stem cell potential. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1957-1975.e9. [PMID: 35998585 PMCID: PMC9616800 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cells with latent stem ability can contribute to mammalian tissue regeneration after damage. Whether the central nervous system (CNS) harbors such cells remains controversial. Here, we report that DNGR-1 lineage tracing in mice identifies an ependymal cell subset, wherein resides latent regenerative potential. We demonstrate that DNGR-1-lineage-traced ependymal cells arise early in embryogenesis (E11.5) and subsequently spread across the lining of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled compartments to form a contiguous sheet from the brain to the end of the spinal cord. In the steady state, these DNGR-1-traced cells are quiescent, committed to their ependymal cell fate, and do not contribute to neuronal or glial lineages. However, trans-differentiation can be induced in adult mice by CNS injury or in vitro by culture with suitable factors. Our findings highlight previously unappreciated ependymal cell heterogeneity and identify across the entire CNS an ependymal cell subset wherein resides damage-responsive neural stem cell potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Frederico
- Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - Isaura Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Chapela
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal; TechnoPhage, SA, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francesca Gasparrini
- Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Probir Chakravarty
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Tobias Ackels
- Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Cécile Piot
- Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Bruna Almeida
- Experimental Histopathology, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Joana Carvalho
- Experimental Histopathology, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Alessandro Ciccarelli
- Advanced Light Microscopy, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Christopher J Peddie
- Electron Microscopy, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Neil Rogers
- Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - James Briscoe
- Developmental Dynamic Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - François Guillemot
- Neural Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Andreas T Schaefer
- Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology &Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Leonor Saúde
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Medicina Molecular e Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Caetano Reis e Sousa
- Immunobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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27
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Sinopoulou E, Spejo AB, Roopnarine N, Burnside ER, Bartus K, De Winter F, McMahon SB, Bradbury EJ. Chronic muscle recordings reveal recovery of forelimb function in spinal injured female rats after cortical epidural stimulation combined with rehabilitation and chondroitinase ABC. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2055-2076. [PMID: 35916483 PMCID: PMC9544922 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25111] [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: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cervical level spinal cord injury (SCI) can severely impact upper limb muscle function, which is typically assessed in the clinic using electromyography (EMG). Here, we established novel preclinical methodology for EMG assessments of muscle function after SCI in awake freely moving animals. Adult female rats were implanted with EMG recording electrodes in bicep muscles and received bilateral cervical (C7) contusion injuries. Forelimb muscle activity was assessed by recording maximum voluntary contractions during a grip strength task and cortical motor evoked potentials in the biceps. We demonstrate that longitudinal recordings of muscle activity in the same animal are feasible over a chronic post-injury time course and provide a sensitive method for revealing post-injury changes in muscle activity. This methodology was utilized to investigate recovery of muscle function after a novel combination therapy. Cervical contused animals received intraspinal injections of a neuroplasticity-promoting agent (lentiviral-chondroitinase ABC) plus 11 weeks of cortical epidural electrical stimulation (3 h daily, 5 days/week) and behavioral rehabilitation (15 min daily, 5 days/week). Longitudinal monitoring of voluntary and evoked muscle activity revealed significantly increased muscle activity and upper limb dexterity with the combination treatment, compared to a single treatment or no treatment. Retrograde mapping of motor neurons innervating the biceps showed a predominant distribution across spinal segments C5-C8, indicating that treatment effects were likely due to neuroplastic changes in a mixture of intact and injured motor neurons. Thus, longitudinal assessments of muscle function after SCI correlate with skilled reach and grasp performance and reveal functional benefits of a novel combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Sinopoulou
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK.,Department of Neuroscience, The Center for Neural Repair, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Aline Barroso Spejo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
| | - Naomi Roopnarine
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
| | - Emily R Burnside
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
| | - Katalin Bartus
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
| | - Fred De Winter
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen B McMahon
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Bradbury
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, Regeneration Group, The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, London, UK
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28
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The Inflammatory Response after Moderate Contusion Spinal Cord Injury: A Time Study. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060939. [PMID: 35741460 PMCID: PMC9220050 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The neuroinflammatory response is a rather complex event in spinal cord injury (SCI) and has the capacity to exacerbate cell damage but also to contribute to the repair of the injury. This complexity is thought to depend on a variety of inflammatory mediators, of which tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a key role. Evidence indicates that TNF can be both protective and detrimental in SCI. In the present study, we studied the temporal and cellular expression of TNF and its receptors after SCI in mice. We found TNF to be significantly increased in both the acute and the delayed phases after SCI, alongside a robust neuroinflammatory response. As we could verify some of our results in human postmortem tissue, our results imply that diminishing the detrimental immune signaling after SCI could also enhance recovery in humans. Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) initiates detrimental cellular and molecular events that lead to acute and delayed neuroinflammation. Understanding the role of the inflammatory response in SCI requires insight into the temporal and cellular synthesis of inflammatory mediators. We subjected C57BL/6J mice to SCI and investigated inflammatory reactions. We examined activation, recruitment, and polarization of microglia and infiltrating immune cells, focusing specifically on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and its receptors TNFR1 and TNFR2. In the acute phase, TNF expression increased in glial cells and neuron-like cells, followed by infiltrating immune cells. TNFR1 and TNFR2 levels increased in the delayed phase and were found preferentially on neurons and glial cells, respectively. The acute phase was dominated by the infiltration of granulocytes and macrophages. Microglial/macrophage expression of Arg1 increased from 1–7 days after SCI, followed by an increase in Itgam, Cx3cr1, and P2ry12, which remained elevated throughout the study. By 21 and 28 days after SCI, the lesion core was populated by galectin-3+, CD68+, and CD11b+ microglia/macrophages, surrounded by a glial scar consisting of GFAP+ astrocytes. Findings were verified in postmortem tissue from individuals with SCI. Our findings support the consensus that future neuroprotective immunotherapies should aim to selectively neutralize detrimental immune signaling while sustaining pro-regenerative processes.
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29
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Hirata T, Itokazu T, Sasaki A, Sugihara F, Yamashita T. Humanized Anti-RGMa Antibody Treatment Promotes Repair of Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Under Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice. Front Immunol 2022; 13:870126. [PMID: 35784362 PMCID: PMC9241446 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.870126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of established biomarkers which reflect dynamic neuropathological alterations in multiple sclerosis (MS) makes it difficult to determine the therapeutic response to the tested drugs and to identify the key biological process that mediates the beneficial effect of them. In the present study, we applied high-field MR imaging in locally-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice to evaluate dynamic changes following treatment with a humanized anti-repulsive guidance molecule-a (RGMa) antibody, a potential drug for MS. Based on the longitudinal evaluation of various MRI parameters including white matter, axon, and myelin integrity as well as blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption, anti-RGMa antibody treatment exhibited a strong and prompt therapeutic effect on the disrupted BSCB, which was paralleled by functional improvement. The antibody’s effect on BSCB repair was also suggested via GeneChip analysis. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that EAE-induced vascular pathology which is characterized by aberrant thickening of endothelial cells and perivascular type I/IV collagen deposits were attenuated by anti-RGMa antibody treatment, further supporting the idea that the BSCB is one of the key therapeutic targets of anti-RGMa antibody. Importantly, the extent of BSCB disruption detected by MRI could predict late-phase demyelination, and the predictability of myelin integrity based on the extent of acute-phase BSCB disruption was compromised following anti-RGMa antibody treatment. These results strongly support the concept that longitudinal MRI with simultaneous DCE-MRI and DTI analysis can be used as an imaging biomarker and is useful for unbiased prioritization of the key biological process that mediates the therapeutic effect of tested drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Hirata
- Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takahide Itokazu
- Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- *Correspondence: Toshihide Yamashita, ; Takahide Itokazu,
| | - Atsushi Sasaki
- Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Sohyaku, Innovative Research Division, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Fuminori Sugihara
- Central Instrumentation Laboratory, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Toshihide Yamashita
- Department of Neuro-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)-Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- *Correspondence: Toshihide Yamashita, ; Takahide Itokazu,
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30
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Lu T, Shinozaki M, Nagoshi N, Nakamura M, Okano H. 3D imaging of supraspinal inputs to the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord mapped by retrograde tracing and light-sheet microscopy. J Neurochem 2022; 162:352-370. [PMID: 35674500 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The supraspinal inputs play a major role in tuning the hindlimb locomotion function. While most research on spinal cord injury (SCI) with rodents is based on thoracic segments, the difference in connectivity of the supraspinal centers to the thoracic and lumbar cord is still unknown. Here, we combined retrograde tracing and 3D imaging to map the connectivity of supraspinal neurons projecting to thoracic (T9-vertebral) and lumbar (T13-vertebral) spinal levels in adult female mice. We dissected the difference in connections of corticospinal neurons (CSNs), rubrospinal neurons, and reticulospinal neurons projecting to thoracic and lumbar cords. The ratio of double-labeled neurons is higher in T13-vertebral projection CSNs and parvocellular part of the red nucleus (RPC) than in T9-vertebral projection. Using the Cre-DIO system, we precisely targeted CSNs projecting to T9-vertebral or T13-vertebral. We found that abundant axon branches communicated with the red nucleus and reticular formation and distributed from cervical gray matter to the lumbar cord. Their collateral branches showed a distinct innervation pattern in thoracic and lumbar gray matters and a similar distribution pattern in the cervical spinal cord. These results revealed the difference in connectivity between the thoracic and lumbar projection supraspinal centers and clarified the collateralization of thoracic/lumbar projection CSNs throughout the brain and spinal cord. This study highlights brain-spinal cord neural networks and the complexity of the axon terminals of spinal projection CSNs, which could contribute to the development of targeted therapeutic strategies connecting CST fibers and hindlimb function recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Lu
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Munehisa Shinozaki
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Narihito Nagoshi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Nakamura
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Wang J, Lu Q, Mackay MJ, Liu X, Feng Y, Burton DC, Asher MA. Spontaneous Facet Joint Osteoarthritis in NFAT1-Mutant Mice: Age-Dependent Histopathologic Characteristics and Molecular Mechanisms. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2022; 104:928-940. [PMID: 35167509 PMCID: PMC9208959 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.21.00960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Facet joint (FJ) osteoarthritis (FJOA) is a widely prevalent spinal disorder but its pathogenesis remains unclear, largely due to the difficulties in conducting longitudinal human studies and lack of spontaneous-FJOA animal models for mechanistic investigations. This study aimed to investigate whether spontaneous FJOA occurs in mice bearing mutant NFAT1 (nuclear factor of activated T cells 1) transcription factor. METHODS The lumbar FJs of 50 NFAT1-mutant mice and of 50 wild-type control mice, of both sexes, were examined by histopathology, quantitative gene expression analysis, semiquantitative immunohistochemistry, and a novel FJOA scoring system for semiquantitative assessment of the histopathologic changes at 2, 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Age-dependent and tissue-specific histopathologic and gene or protein expression changes were analyzed statistically. RESULTS FJs in NFAT1-mutant mice displayed significantly increased expression of specific catabolic genes (p < 0.05) and proteins (p < 0.001) in cartilage and synovium as early as 2 months of age, followed by early osteoarthritic structural changes such as articular surface fissuring and chondro-osteophyte formation at 6 months. More severe cartilage lesions, osteophytes, subchondral bone changes, synovitis, and tissue-specific molecular alterations in FJs of NFAT1-mutant mice were observed at 12 and 18 months. Osteoarthritic structural changes were not detected in FJs of wild-type mice at any ages, although age-related cartilage degeneration was observed at 18 months. The novel FJOA scoring system had high intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility (correlation coefficients: r > 0.97). Whole-joint FJOA scoring showed significantly higher OA scores in FJs of NFAT1-mutant mice compared with wild-type mice at all time points (p = 0.0033 at 2 months, p = 0.0001 at 6 months, p < 0.0001 at 12 and 18 months). CONCLUSIONS This study has identified the NFAT1-mutant mouse as a novel animal model of spontaneous FJOA with age-dependent and slowly progressing osteoarthritic features, developed the first FJOA scoring system, and elucidated the molecular mechanisms of NFAT1 mutation-induced FJOA. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This murine FJOA model resembles the features of human FJOA and may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of and therapeutic strategies for FJOA in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxi Wang
- Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA,Correspondence to: Jinxi Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, MS #3017, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA, Tel: 913-588-0870, Fax: 913-945-7773,
| | - Qinghua Lu
- Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Matthew J. Mackay
- Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Xiangliang Liu
- Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Yi Feng
- Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA,Current address: Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Douglas C. Burton
- Marc A. Asher MD Comprehensive Spine Center and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Marc A. Asher
- Marc A. Asher MD Comprehensive Spine Center and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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Long-term in vivo imaging of mouse spinal cord through an optically cleared intervertebral window. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1959. [PMID: 35414131 PMCID: PMC9005710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29496-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord accounts for the main communication pathway between the brain and the peripheral nervous system. Spinal cord injury is a devastating and largely irreversible neurological trauma, and can result in lifelong disability and paralysis with no available cure. In vivo spinal cord imaging in mouse models without introducing immunological artifacts is critical to understand spinal cord pathology and discover effective treatments. We developed a minimally invasive intervertebral window by retaining the ligamentum flavum to protect the underlying spinal cord. By introducing an optical clearing method, we achieve repeated two-photon fluorescence and stimulated Raman scattering imaging at subcellular resolution with up to 15 imaging sessions over 6-167 days and observe no inflammatory response. Using this optically cleared intervertebral window, we study neuron-glia dynamics following laser axotomy and observe strengthened contact of microglia with the nodes of Ranvier during axonal degeneration. By enabling long-term, repetitive, stable, high-resolution and inflammation-free imaging of mouse spinal cord, our method provides a reliable platform in the research aiming at interpretation of spinal cord physiology and pathology.
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Inositol Polyphosphate-5-Phosphatase K ( Inpp5k) Enhances Sprouting of Corticospinal Tract Axons after CNS Trauma. J Neurosci 2022; 42:2190-2204. [PMID: 35135857 PMCID: PMC8936595 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0897-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Failure of CNS neurons to mount a significant growth response after trauma contributes to chronic functional deficits after spinal cord injury. Activator and repressor screening of embryonic cortical neurons and retinal ganglion cells in vitro and transcriptional profiling of developing CNS neurons harvested in vivo have identified several candidates that stimulate robust axon growth in vitro and in vivo Building on these studies, we sought to identify novel axon growth activators induced in the complex adult CNS environment in vivo We transcriptionally profiled intact sprouting adult corticospinal neurons (CSNs) after contralateral pyramidotomy (PyX) in nogo receptor-1 knock-out mice and found that intact CSNs were enriched in genes in the 3-phosphoinositide degradation pathway, including six 5-phosphatases. We explored whether inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase K (Inpp5k) could enhance corticospinal tract (CST) axon growth in preclinical models of acute and chronic CNS trauma. Overexpression of Inpp5k in intact adult CSNs in male and female mice enhanced the sprouting of intact CST terminals after PyX and cortical stroke and sprouting of CST axons after acute and chronic severe thoracic spinal contusion. We show that Inpp5k stimulates axon growth in part by elevating the density of active cofilin in labile growth cones, thus stimulating actin polymerization and enhancing microtubule protrusion into distal filopodia. We identify Inpp5k as a novel CST growth activator capable of driving compensatory axon growth in multiple complex CNS injury environments and underscores the veracity of using in vivo transcriptional screening to identify the next generation of cell-autonomous factors capable of repairing the damaged CNS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurologic recovery is limited after spinal cord injury as CNS neurons are incapable of self-repair post-trauma. In vitro screening strategies exploit the intrinsically high growth capacity of embryonic CNS neurons to identify novel axon growth activators. While promising candidates have been shown to stimulate axon growth in vivo, concomitant functional recovery remains incomplete. We identified Inpp5k as a novel axon growth activator using transcriptional profiling of intact adult corticospinal tract (CST) neurons that had initiated a growth response after pyramidotomy in plasticity sensitized nogo receptor-1-null mice. Here, we show that Inpp5k overexpression can stimulate CST axon growth after pyramidotomy, stroke, and acute and chronic contusion injuries. These data support in vivo screening approaches to identify novel axon growth activators.
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Schrank S, Satkunendrarajah K. Viral tools for mapping and modulating neural networks after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2022; 351:113995. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.113995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Pinto BF, Ribeiro LNB, da Silva GBRF, Freitas CS, Kraemer L, Oliveira FMS, Clímaco MC, Mourão FAG, Santos GSPD, Béla SR, Gurgel ILDS, Leite FDL, de Oliveira AG, Vilela MRSDP, Oliveira-Lima OC, Soriani FM, Fujiwara RT, Birbrair A, Russo RC, Carvalho-Tavares J. Inhalation of dimethyl fumarate-encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles attenuate clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and pulmonary inflammatory dysfunction in mice. Clin Sci (Lond) 2022; 136:81-101. [PMID: 34904644 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The FDA-approved Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) as an oral drug for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment based on its immunomodulatory activities. However, it also caused severe adverse effects mainly related to the gastrointestinal system. OBJECTIVE Investigated the potential effects of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) containing DMF, administered by inhalation on the clinical signs, central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory response, and lung function changes in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS EAE was induced using MOG35-55 peptide in female C57BL/6J mice and the mice were treated via inhalation with DMF-encapsulated SLN (CTRL/SLN/DMF and EAE/SLN/DMF), empty SLN (CTRL/SLN and EAE/SLN), or saline solution (CTRL/saline and EAE/saline), every 72 h during 21 days. RESULTS After 21 days post-induction, EAE mice treated with DMF-loaded SLN, when compared with EAE/saline and EAE/SLN, showed decreased clinical score and weight loss, reduction in brain and spinal cord injury and inflammation, also related to the increased influx of Foxp3+ cells into the spinal cord and lung tissues. Moreover, our data revealed that EAE mice showed signs of respiratory disease, marked by increased vascular permeability, leukocyte influx, production of TNF-α and IL-17, perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, with pulmonary mechanical dysfunction associated with loss of respiratory volumes and elasticity, which DMF-encapsulated reverted in SLN nebulization. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that inhalation of DMF-encapsulated SLN is an effective therapeutic protocol that reduces not only the CNS inflammatory process and disability progression, characteristic of EAE disease, but also protects mice from lung inflammation and pulmonary dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Fernandes Pinto
- Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lorena Natasha Brito Ribeiro
- Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Gisela Bevilacqua Rolfsen Ferreira da Silva
- Nanoneurobiophysics Research Group, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR), Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil
- State of São Paulo University (UNESP), Drugs and Medicines Department, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Simões Freitas
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas Kraemer
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Laboratory of Immunology and Genomics of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Marcus Silva Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunology and Genomics of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Marianna Carvalho Clímaco
- Laboratory of Immunology and Genomics of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Flávio Afonso Gonçalves Mourão
- Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Samantha Ribeiro Béla
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Isabella Luísa da Silva Gurgel
- Laboratory of Functional Genetics, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fábio de Lima Leite
- Nanoneurobiophysics Research Group, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR), Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anselmo Gomes de Oliveira
- State of São Paulo University (UNESP), Drugs and Medicines Department, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maura Regina Silva da Páscoa Vilela
- Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Onésia Cristina Oliveira-Lima
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Frederico Marianetti Soriani
- Laboratory of Functional Genetics, Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Immunology and Genomics of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alexander Birbrair
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Remo Castro Russo
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana Carvalho-Tavares
- Neuroscience Group, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Wu H, Tong K, Liu X, Li J, Li X, Gao M, Tian W, Chen D, Zhou Z, Liu S. A comparison between two laminectomy procedures in mouse spinal cord injury on Allen's animal model. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 368:109461. [PMID: 34958819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huachuan Wu
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Kuileung Tong
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xizhe Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xianlong Li
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Manman Gao
- Department of Sport Medicine, Inst Translat Med, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518000, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering,Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Wei Tian
- Laboratory of Bone Tissue Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing Research Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China
| | - Dafu Chen
- Laboratory of Bone Tissue Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing Research Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China
| | - Zhiyu Zhou
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Shaoyu Liu
- Innovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Orthopaedic Research Institute/Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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Cartarozzi LP, Perez M, Fernandes GG, Chiarotto GB, Luzo ÂCM, Campos AC, Kirchhoff F, de Oliveira ALR. Neuroprotection and gliosis attenuation by intravenous application of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) following ventral root crush in mice. Mol Cell Neurosci 2021; 118:103694. [PMID: 34954382 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2021.103694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Rupture and stretching of spinal roots are common incidents that take place in high-energy accidents. The proximal axotomy of motoneurons by crushing of ventral roots is directly related to the degeneration of half of the lesioned population within the first two weeks. Moreover, only a small percentage of surviving motoneurons can successfully achieve regeneration after such a proximal lesion, and new treatments are necessary to improve this scenario. In this sense, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are of great interest once they secrete a broad spectrum of bioactive molecules that are immunomodulatory and can restore the environment after a lesion. The present work aimed at studying the effects of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) therapy after ventral root crush (VRC) in mice. We evaluated motoneuron survival, glial reaction, and synapse preservation at the ventral horn. For this purpose, C57BL/6 J were submitted to a crush procedure of L4 to L6 ventral roots and treated with a single intravenous injection of adipose-derived hMSC. Evaluation of the results was carried out at 7, 14, and 28 days after injury. Analysis of motoneuron survival and astrogliosis showed that hMSC treatment resulted in higher motoneuron preservation (motoneuron survival ipsi/contralateral ratio: VRC group = 53%, VRC + hMSC group = 66%; p < 0.01), combined with reduction of astrogliosis (ipsi/contralateral GFAP immunolabeling: VRC group = 470%, VRC + hMSC group = 250%; p < 0.001). The morphological classification and Sholl analysis of microglial activation revealed that hMSC treatment reduced type V and increased type II profiles, indicating an enhancement of surveying over activated microglial cells. The glial reactivity modulation directly influenced synaptic inputs in apposition to axotomized motoneurons. In the hMSC-treated group, synaptic maintenance was increased (ipsi/contralateral synaptophysin immunolabeling: VRC group = 53%, VRC + hMSC group = 64%; p < 0.05). Overall, the present data show that intravenous injection of hMSC has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects, decreasing reactive astrogliosis, and microglial reaction. Also, such cell therapy results in motoneuron preservation, combined with significant maintenance of spinal cord circuits, in particular those related to the ventral horn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Politti Cartarozzi
- Laboratory of Nerve Regeneration, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Cidade Universitaria "Zeferino Vaz", Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Matheus Perez
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-907 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Gripp Fernandes
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-907 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Bortolança Chiarotto
- Laboratory of Nerve Regeneration, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Cidade Universitaria "Zeferino Vaz", Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Ângela Cristina Malgeiros Luzo
- Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas/Hemocentro-Unicamp, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia do Sangue, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alline Cristina Campos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-907 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), University of Saarland, Building 48, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Alexandre Leite Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Nerve Regeneration, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Cidade Universitaria "Zeferino Vaz", Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
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Nichols JM, Crelli CV, Liu L, Pham HV, Janjic JM, Shepherd AJ. Tracking macrophages in diabetic neuropathy with two-color nanoemulsions for near-infrared fluorescent imaging and microscopy. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:299. [PMID: 34949179 PMCID: PMC8697472 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02365-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The incidence of diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy continues to rise, and studies have shown that macrophages play an important role in their pathogenesis. To date, macrophage tracking has largely been achieved using genetically-encoded fluorescent proteins. Here we present a novel two-color fluorescently labeled perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion (PFC-NE) designed to monitor phagocytic macrophages in diabetic neuropathy in vitro and in vivo using non-invasive near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging and fluorescence microscopy. Methods Presented PFC-NEs were formulated with perfluorocarbon oil surrounded by hydrocarbon shell carrying two fluorescent dyes and stabilized with non-ionic surfactants. In vitro assessment of nanoemulsions was performed by measuring fluorescent signal stability, colloidal stability, and macrophage uptake and subsequent viability. The two-color PFC-NE was administered to Leprdb/db and wild-type mice by tail vein injection, and in vivo tracking of the nanoemulsion was performed using both NIRF imaging and confocal microscopy to assess its biodistribution within phagocytic macrophages along the peripheral sensory apparatus of the hindlimb. Results In vitro experiments show two-color PFC-NE demonstrated high fluorescent and colloidal stability, and that it was readily incorporated into RAW 264.7 macrophages. In vivo tracking revealed distribution of the two-color nanoemulsion to macrophages within most tissues of Leprdb/db and wild-type mice which persisted for several weeks, however it did not cross the blood brain barrier. Reduced fluorescence was seen in sciatic nerves of both Leprdb/db and wild-type mice, implying that the nanoemulsion may also have difficulty crossing an intact blood nerve barrier. Additionally, distribution of the nanoemulsion in Leprdb/db mice was reduced in several tissues as compared to wild-type mice. This reduction in biodistribution appears to be caused by the increased number of adipose tissue macrophages in Leprdb/db mice. Conclusions The nanoemulsion in this study has the ability to identify phagocytic macrophages in the Leprdb/db model using both NIRF imaging and fluorescence microscopy. Presented nanoemulsions have the potential for carrying lipophilic drugs and/or fluorescent dyes, and target inflammatory macrophages in diabetes. Therefore, we foresee these agents becoming a useful tool in both imaging inflammation and providing potential treatment in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Nichols
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6565 MD Anderson Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Caitlin V Crelli
- School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15282, USA
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15282, USA
| | - Hoang Vu Pham
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6565 MD Anderson Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jelena M Janjic
- School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15282, USA.
| | - Andrew J Shepherd
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Symptom Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6565 MD Anderson Blvd., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Fiederling F, Hammond LA, Ng D, Mason C, Dodd J. Tools for efficient analysis of neurons in a 3D reference atlas of whole mouse spinal cord. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2021; 1:100074. [PMID: 34661190 PMCID: PMC8516137 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
To fill the prevailing gap in methodology for whole spinal cord (SC) analysis, we have (1) designed scaffolds (SpineRacks) that facilitate efficient and ordered cryo-sectioning of the entire SC in a single block, (2) constructed a 3D reference atlas of adult mouse SC, and (3) developed software (SpinalJ) to register images of sections and for standardized analysis of cells and projections in atlas space. We have verified mapping accuracies for known neurons and demonstrated the usefulness of this platform to reveal unknown neuronal distributions. Together, these tools provide high-throughput analyses of whole mouse SC and enable direct comparison of 3D spatial information between animals and studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Fiederling
- Departments of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, and Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Luke A. Hammond
- Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - David Ng
- Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Carol Mason
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jane Dodd
- Departments of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, and Neuroscience, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Chaterji S, Barik A, Sathyamurthy A. Intraspinal injection of adeno-associated viruses into the adult mouse spinal cord. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100786. [PMID: 34505088 PMCID: PMC8414904 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic dissection of neural circuits has been accelerated by recent advances in viral-based vectors. This protocol describes an effective approach to performing intraspinal injections of adeno-associated viruses, which can be used to label, manipulate, and monitor spinal and supraspinal neurons. By avoiding invasive laminectomies and restrictive spinal-clamping and by adopting injectable anaesthetics and tough quartz glass micropipettes, our protocol presents a time-saving and efficient approach for genetic manipulation of neural circuits nucleated in the spinal cord. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sathyamurthy et al. (2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrivas Chaterji
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Arnab Barik
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Anupama Sathyamurthy
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka 560012, India
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Howard ME, Denbeigh JM, Debrot EK, Garcia DA, Remmes NB, Herman MG, Beltran CJ. Dosimetric Assessment of a High Precision System for Mouse Proton Irradiation to Assess Spinal Cord Toxicity. Radiat Res 2021; 195:541-548. [PMID: 33826742 DOI: 10.1667/rade-20-00153.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The uncertainty associated with the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in proton therapy, particularly near the Bragg peak (BP), has led to the shift towards biological-based treatment planning. Proton RBE uncertainty has recently been reported as a possible cause for brainstem necrosis in pediatric patients treated with proton therapy. Despite this, in vivo studies have been limited due to the complexity of accurate delivery and absolute dosimetry. The purpose of this investigation was to create a precise and efficient method of treating the mouse spinal cord with various portions of the proton Bragg curve and to quantify associated uncertainties for the characterization of proton RBE. Mice were restrained in 3D printed acrylic boxes, shaped to their external contour, with a silicone insert extending down to mold around the mouse. Brass collimators were designed for parallel opposed beams to treat the spinal cord while shielding the brain and upper extremities of the animal. Up to six animals may be accommodated for simultaneous treatment within the restraint system. Two plans were generated targeting the cervical spinal cord, with either the entrance (ENT) or the BP portion of the beam. Dosimetric uncertainty was measured using EBT3 radiochromic film with a dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LETd) correction. Positional uncertainty was assessed by collecting a library of live mouse scans (n = 6 mice, two independent scans per mouse) and comparing the following dosimetric statistics from the mouse cervical spinal cord: Volume receiving 90% of the prescription dose (V90); mean dose to the spinal cord; and LETd. Film analysis results showed the dosimetric uncertainty to be ±1.2% and ±5.4% for the ENT and BP plans, respectively. Preliminary results from the mouse library showed the V90 to be 96.3 ± 4.8% for the BP plan. Positional uncertainty of the ENT plan was not measured due to the inherent robustness of that treatment plan. The proposed high-throughput mouse proton irradiation setup resulted in accurate dose delivery to mouse spinal cords positioned along the ENT and BP. Future directions include adapting the setup to account for weight fluctuations in mice undergoing fractionated irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janet M Denbeigh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Darwin A Garcia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | | | - Michael G Herman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Chris J Beltran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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Paramos-de-Carvalho D, Martins I, Cristóvão AM, Dias AF, Neves-Silva D, Pereira T, Chapela D, Farinho A, Jacinto A, Saúde L. Targeting senescent cells improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109334. [PMID: 34233184 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent senescent cells (SCs) are known to underlie aging-related chronic disorders, but it is now recognized that SCs may be at the center of tissue remodeling events, namely during development or organ repair. In this study, we show that two distinct senescence profiles are induced in the context of a spinal cord injury between the regenerative zebrafish and the scarring mouse. Whereas induced SCs in zebrafish are progressively cleared out, they accumulate over time in mice. Depletion of SCs in spinal-cord-injured mice, with different senolytic drugs, improves locomotor, sensory, and bladder functions. This functional recovery is associated with improved myelin sparing, reduced fibrotic scar, and attenuated inflammation, which correlate with a decreased secretion of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory factors. Targeting SCs is a promising therapeutic strategy not only for spinal cord injuries but potentially for other organs that lack regenerative competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Paramos-de-Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal; CEDOC, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Isaura Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Margarida Cristóvão
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Filipa Dias
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Dalila Neves-Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Telmo Pereira
- CEDOC, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Chapela
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Farinho
- CEDOC, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António Jacinto
- CEDOC, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Leonor Saúde
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes e Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal.
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43
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Fan W, Sdrulla AD. Differential modulation of excitatory and inhibitory populations of superficial dorsal horn neurons in lumbar spinal cord by Aβ-fiber electrical stimulation. Pain 2021; 161:1650-1660. [PMID: 32068665 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Activation of Aβ-fibers is fundamental to numerous analgesic therapies, yet its effects on dorsal horn neuronal activity remain unclear. We used multiphoton microscopy of the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s to characterize the effects of Aβ-fiber electrical stimulation (Aβ-ES) on neural activity. Specifically, we quantified somatic responses evoked by C-fiber intensity stimulation before and after a 10-minute train of dorsal root Aβ-ES in superficial dorsal horn (SDH) neurons, in mouse lumbar spinal cord. Aβ-ES did not alter C-fiber-evoked activity when GCaMP6s was virally expressed in all neurons, in an intact lumbar spinal cord preparation. However, when we restricted the expression of GCaMP6s to excitatory or inhibitory populations, we observed that Aβ-ES modestly potentiated evoked activity of excitatory neurons and depressed that of inhibitory neurons. Aβ-ES had no significant effects in a slice preparation in either SDH population. A larger proportion of SDH neurons was activated by Aβ-ES when delivered at a root rostral or caudal to the segment where the imaging and C-fiber intensity stimulation occurred. Aβ-ES effects on excitatory and inhibitory populations depended on the root used. Our findings suggest that Aβ-ES differentially modulates lumbar spinal cord SDH populations in a cell type- and input-specific manner. Furthermore, they underscore the importance of the Aβ-ES delivery site, suggesting that Aβ stimulation at a segment adjacent to where the pain is may improve analgesic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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Stewart AN, Lowe JL, Glaser EP, Mott CA, Shahidehpour RK, McFarlane KE, Bailey WM, Zhang B, Gensel JC. Acute inflammatory profiles differ with sex and age after spinal cord injury. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:113. [PMID: 33985529 PMCID: PMC8120918 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02161-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sex and age are emerging as influential variables that affect spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery. Despite a changing demographic towards older age at the time of SCI, the effects of sex or age on inflammation remain to be elucidated. This study determined the sex- and age-dependency of the innate immune response acutely after SCI. Methods Male and female mice of ages 4- and 14-month-old received T9 contusion SCI and the proportion of microglia, monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), and neutrophils surrounding the lesion were determined at 3- and 7-day post-injury (DPI) using flow cytometry. Cell counts of microglia and MDMs were obtained using immunohistochemistry to verify flow cytometry results at 3-DPI. Microglia and MDMs were separately isolated using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) at 3-day post-injury (DPI) to assess RNA expression of 27 genes associated with activation, redox, and debris metabolism/clearance. Results Flow cytometry revealed that being female and older at the time of injury significantly increased MDMs relative to other phagocytes, specifically increasing the ratio of MDMs to microglia at 3-DPI. Cell counts using immunohistochemistry revealed that male mice have more total microglia within SCI lesions that can account for a lower MDM/microglia ratio. With NanoString analyses of 27 genes, only 1 was differentially expressed between sexes in MDMs; specifically, complement protein C1qa was increased in males. No genes were affected by age in MDMs. Only 2 genes were differentially regulated in microglia between sexes after controlling for false discovery rate, specifically CYBB (NOX2) as a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-associated marker as well as MRC1 (CD206), a gene associated with reparative phenotypes. Both genes were increased in female microglia. No microglial genes were differentially regulated between ages. Differences between microglia and MDMs were found in 26 of 27 genes analyzed, all expressed higher in MDMs with three exceptions. Specifically, C1qa, cPLA2, and CD86 were expressed higher in microglia. Conclusions These findings indicate that inflammatory responses to SCI are sex-dependent at both the level of cellular recruitment and gene expression. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02161-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N Stewart
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - John L Lowe
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.,Science Honors Program of Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY, 40324, USA
| | - Ethan P Glaser
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Caitlin A Mott
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Ryan K Shahidehpour
- Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Katelyn E McFarlane
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - William M Bailey
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Bei Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.,Present address: Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - John C Gensel
- Department of Physiology, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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Liu NK, Byers JS, Lam T, Lu QB, Sengelaub DR, Xu XM. Inhibition of Cytosolic Phospholipase A 2 Has Neuroprotective Effects on Motoneuron and Muscle Atrophy after Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2021; 38:1327-1337. [PMID: 25386720 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Surviving motoneurons undergo dendritic atrophy after spinal cord injury (SCI), suggesting an important therapeutic target for neuroprotective strategies to improve recovery of function after SCI. Our previous studies showed that cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SCI. In the present study, we investigated whether blocking cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) pharmacologically with arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (ATK) or genetically using cPLA2 knockout (KO) mice attenuates motoneuron atrophy after SCI. C57BL/6 mice received either sham or contusive SCI at the T10 level. At 30 min after SCI, mice were treated with ATK or vehicle. Four weeks later, motoneurons innervating the vastus lateralis muscle of the quadriceps were labeled with cholera toxin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase, and dendritic arbors were reconstructed in three dimensions. Soma volume, motoneuron number, lesion volume, and tissue sparing were also assessed, as were muscle weight, fiber cross-sectional area, and motor endplate size and density. ATK administration reduced percent lesion volume and increased percent volume of spared white matter, compared to the vehicle-treated control animals. SCI with or without ATK treatment had no effect on the number or soma volume of quadriceps motoneurons. However, SCI resulted in a decrease in dendritic length of quadriceps motoneurons in untreated animals, and this decrease was completely prevented by treatment with ATK. Similarly, vastus lateralis muscle weights of untreated SCI animals were smaller than those of sham surgery controls, and these reductions were prevented by ATK treatment. No effects on fiber cross-sectional areas, motor endplate area, or density were observed across treatment groups. Remarkably, genetically deleting cPLA2 in cPLA2 KO mice attenuated dendritic atrophy after SCI. These findings suggest that, after SCI, cord tissue damage and regressive changes in motoneuron and muscle morphology can be reduced by inhibition of cPLA2, further supporting a role for cPLA2 as a neurotherapeutic target for SCI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Kui Liu
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Department of Neurological Surgery and Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - James S Byers
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Tom Lam
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Qing-Bo Lu
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Department of Neurological Surgery and Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Dale R Sengelaub
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Xiao-Ming Xu
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Department of Neurological Surgery and Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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46
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Kim HW, Won CH, Oh SB. Lack of correlation between spinal microgliosis and long-term development of tactile hypersensitivity in two different sciatic nerve crush injury. Mol Pain 2021; 17:17448069211011326. [PMID: 33906495 PMCID: PMC8108074 DOI: 10.1177/17448069211011326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia activation following peripheral nerve injury has been shown to contribute to central sensitization of the spinal cord for the development of neuropathic pain. In a recent study, we reported that the amount of nerve damage does not necessarily correlate with chronic pain development. Here we compared the response of spinal microglia, using immunohistochemistry as a surrogate of microglial activation, in mice with two different types of crush injury of the sciatic nerve. We confirmed that incomplete crush of the sciatic nerve (partial crush injury, PCI) resulted in tactile hypersensitivity after the recovery of sensory function (15 days after surgery), whereas the hypersensitivity was not observed after the complete crush (full crush injury, FCI). We observed that immunoreactivity for Iba-1, a microglial marker, was greater in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of lumbar (L4) spinal cord of mice 2 days after FCI compared to PCI, positively correlating with the intensity of crush injury. Ipsilateral Iba-1 reactivity was comparable between injuries at 7 days with a significant increase compared to the contralateral side. By day 15 after injury, ipsilateral Iba-1 immunoreactivity was much reduced compared to day 7 and was not different between the groups. Our results suggest that the magnitude of the early microgliosis is dependent on injury severity, but does not necessarily correlate with the long-term development of chronic pain-like hypersensitivity after peripheral nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung Woo Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Hee Won
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seog Bae Oh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Spinal Excitatory Dynorphinergic Interneurons Contribute to Burn Injury-Induced Nociception Mediated by Phosphorylated Histone 3 at Serine 10 in Rodents. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052297. [PMID: 33669046 PMCID: PMC7956488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone 3 (p-S10H3) has recently been demonstrated to participate in spinal nociceptive processing. However, superficial dorsal horn (SDH) neurons involved in p-S10H3-mediated nociception have not been fully characterized. In the present work, we combined immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization with the retrograde labeling of projection neurons to reveal the subset of dorsal horn neurons presenting an elevated level of p-S10H3 in response to noxious heat (60 °C), causing burn injury. Projection neurons only represented a small percentage (5%) of p-S10H3-positive cells, while the greater part of them belonged to excitatory SDH interneurons. The combined immunolabeling of p-S10H3 with markers of already established interneuronal classes of the SDH revealed that the largest subset of neurons with burn injury-induced p-S10H3 expression was dynorphin immunopositive in mice. Furthermore, the majority of p-S10H3-expressing dynorphinergic neurons proved to be excitatory, as they lacked Pax-2 and showed Lmx1b-immunopositivity. Thus, we showed that neurochemically heterogeneous SDH neurons exhibit the upregulation of p-S10H3 shortly after noxious heat-induced burn injury and consequential tissue damage, and that a dedicated subset of excitatory dynorphinergic neurons is likely a key player in the development of central sensitization via the p-S10H3 mediated pathway.
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Yousefpour A, Erfanian A. A general framework for automatic closed-loop control of bladder voiding induced by intraspinal microstimulation in rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3424. [PMID: 33564019 PMCID: PMC7873267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82933-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with spinal cord injury or neurological disorders have problems in voiding function due to the dyssynergic contraction of the urethral sphincter. Here, we introduce a closed-loop control of intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) for efficient bladder voiding. The strategy is based on asynchronous two-electrode ISMS with combined pulse-amplitude and pulse-frequency modulation without requiring rhizotomy, neurotomy, or high-frequency blocking. Intermittent stimulation is alternately applied to the two electrodes that are implanted in the S2 lateral ventral horn and S1 dorsal gray commissure, to excite the bladder motoneurons and to inhibit the urethral sphincter motoneurons. Asynchronous stimulation would lead to reduce the net electric field and to maximize the selective stimulation. The proposed closed-loop system attains a highly voiding efficiency of 77.2-100%, with an average of 91.28 ± 8.4%. This work represents a promising approach to the development of a natural and robust motor neuroprosthesis device for restoring bladder functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abolhasan Yousefpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran Neural Technology Research Center, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Erfanian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran Neural Technology Research Center, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
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Yates AG, Jogia T, Gillespie ER, Couch Y, Ruitenberg MJ, Anthony DC. Acute IL-1RA treatment suppresses the peripheral and central inflammatory response to spinal cord injury. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:15. [PMID: 33407641 PMCID: PMC7788822 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-02050-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The acute phase response (APR) to CNS insults contributes to the overall magnitude and nature of the systemic inflammatory response. Aspects of this response are thought to drive secondary inflammatory pathology at the lesion site, and suppression of the APR can therefore afford some neuroprotection. In this study, we examined the APR in a mouse model of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), along with its relationship to neutrophil recruitment during the immediate aftermath of the insult. We specifically investigated the effect of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) administration on the APR and leukocyte recruitment to the injured spinal cord. METHODS Adult female C57BL/6 mice underwent either a 70kD contusive SCI, or sham surgery, and tissue was collected at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-operation. For IL-1RA experiments, SCI mice received two intraperitoneal injections of human IL-1RA (100mg/kg), or saline as control, immediately following, and 5 hours after impact, and animals were sacrificed 6 hours later. Blood, spleen, liver and spinal cord were collected to study markers of central and peripheral inflammation by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Results were analysed by two-way ANOVA or student's t-test, as appropriate. RESULTS SCI induced a robust APR, hallmarked by elevated hepatic expression of pro-inflammatory marker genes and a significantly increased neutrophil presence in the blood, liver and spleen of these animals, as early as 2 hours after injury. This peripheral response preceded significant neutrophil infiltration of the spinal cord, which peaked 24 hours post-SCI. Although expression of IL-1RA was also induced in the liver following SCI, its response was delayed compared to IL-1β. Exogenous administration of IL-1RA during this putative therapeutic window was able to suppress the hepatic APR, as evidenced by a reduction in CXCL1 and SAA-2 expression as well as a significant decrease in neutrophil infiltration in both the liver and the injured spinal cord itself. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that peripheral administration of IL-1RA can attenuate the APR which in turn reduces immune cell infiltration at the spinal cord lesion site. We propose IL-1RA treatment as a viable therapeutic strategy to minimise the harmful effects of SCI-induced inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abi G Yates
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, UK
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Trisha Jogia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ellen R Gillespie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yvonne Couch
- Acute Stroke Programme, RDM-Investigative Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marc J Ruitenberg
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Daniel C Anthony
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, UK.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
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50
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Liang AS, Pagano JE, Chrzan CA, McKinnon RD. Suicide transport blockade of motor neuron survival generates a focal graded injury and functional deficit. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:1281-1287. [PMID: 33318406 PMCID: PMC8284299 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.301032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a pre-clinical spinal cord motor neuron injury model that is minimal invasive, reproducible, focal and easily applied to small rodents. Retrograde axonal transport of a pro-apoptotic phosphatidylinosotol 3’-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, via the sciatic nerve results in loss of ipsilateral lumbar motor neurons proportional to the level of drug administered. Motor neuron loss was detected by choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostaining and with a transgenic thy1-eGFP marker. The short half-life of wortmannin generates minimal wound spread, and wortmannin does not affect axon transport, as determined by co-injection of a pseudorabies virus tracer. Using quantitative transcript analysis, we found that ChAT transcripts significantly decreased at 14 days post-delivery of 1 μg wortmannin, relative to sham controls, and remained low after 90 days. Smaller effects were observed with 200 ng and 100 ng wortmannin. Wortmannin also generated a transient and significant increase in astrocyte Gfap transcripts after 14 days with a return to control levels at 90 days. Treated mice had hind limb spasticity and a forced motor function defect that was quantified using a water exit test. Controls rapidly exit a shallow water tray, and wortmannin treated animals were up to 12-fold slower, a phenotype that persisted for at least 3 months. Thus the focal delivery of wortmannin to motor neurons generates a reproducible and scalable injury that can facilitate quantitative studies on neural regeneration and repair. The efficacy of sciatic nerve suicide transport can also explain neurotoxin-mediated selective loss of motor neurons in diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. All procedures were performed at Rutgers under established Institutional Animal Care and Use protocols (eIACUC_TR201800022, approved on March 20, 2018).
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison S Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Joanna E Pagano
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher A Chrzan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Randall D McKinnon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway; Member, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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