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Govoni S, Fantucci P, Marchesi N, Vertemara J, Pascale A, Allegri M, Calvillo L, Vanoli E. N-Acetylcysteine Antagonizes NGF Activation of TrkA through Disulfide Bridge Interaction, an Effect Which May Contribute to Its Analgesic Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:206. [PMID: 38203377 PMCID: PMC10778962 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010206] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a mucolytic agent and an antidote to acetaminophen intoxication, has been studied in experimental conditions and trials exploring its analgesic activity based on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate additional mechanisms, namely, the inhibition of nerve growth factor (NGF) and the activation of the Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) receptor, which is responsible for nociception. In silico studies were conducted to evaluate dithiothreitol and NAC's interaction with TrkA. We also measured the autophosphorylation of TrkA in SH-SY5Y cells via ELISA to assess NAC's in vitro activity against NGF-induced TrkA activation. The in silico and in vitro tests show that NAC interferes with NGF-induced TrkA activation. In particular, NAC breaks the disulfide-bound Cys 300-345 of TrkA, perturbing the NGF-TrkA interaction and producing a rearrangement of the binding site, inducing a consequent loss of their molecular recognition and spatial reorganization, which are necessary for the induction of the autophosphorylation process. The latter was inhibited by 40% using 20 mM NAC. These findings suggest that NAC could have a role as a TrkA antagonist, an action that may contribute to the activity and use of NAC in various pain states (acute, chronic, nociplastic) sustained by NGF hyperactivity and/or accompanied by spinal cord sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Govoni
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (S.G.); (N.M.)
| | - Piercarlo Fantucci
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (P.F.); (J.V.)
| | - Nicoletta Marchesi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (S.G.); (N.M.)
| | - Jacopo Vertemara
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (P.F.); (J.V.)
| | - Alessia Pascale
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (S.G.); (N.M.)
| | - Massimo Allegri
- Centre Lémanique de Neuromodulation et Thérapie de la Douleur, Hôpital de Morges, Ensemble Hospitalier de la Côte (EHC), 1110 Morges, Switzerland;
| | - Laura Calvillo
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, 28824 Milan, Italy;
| | - Emilio Vanoli
- School of Nursing, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
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Pacifico P, Testa G, Amodeo R, Mainardi M, Tiberi A, Convertino D, Arevalo JC, Marchetti L, Costa M, Cattaneo A, Capsoni S. Human TrkAR649W mutation impairs nociception, sweating and cognitive abilities: a mouse model of HSAN IV. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:1380-1400. [PMID: 36537577 PMCID: PMC10077510 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac295] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A functional nerve growth factor NGF-Tropomyosin Receptor kinase A (TrkA) system is an essential requisite for the generation and maintenance of long-lasting thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in adult mammals. Indeed, mutations in the gene encoding for TrkA are responsible for a rare condition, named Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy type IV (HSAN IV), characterized by the loss of response to noxious stimuli, anhidrosis and cognitive impairment. However, to date, there is no available mouse model to properly understand how the NGF-TrkA system can lead to pathological phenotypes that are distinctive of HSAN IV. Here, we report the generation of a knock-in mouse line carrying the HSAN IV TrkAR649W mutation. First, by in vitro biochemical and biophysical analyses, we show that the pathological R649W mutation leads to kinase-inactive TrkA also affecting its membrane dynamics and trafficking. In agreement with the HSAN IV human phenotype, TrkAR649W/m mice display a lower response to thermal and chemical noxious stimuli, correlating with reduced skin innervation, in addition to decreased sweating in comparison to TrkAh/m controls. Moreover, the R649W mutation decreases anxiety-like behavior and compromises cognitive abilities, by impairing spatial-working and social memory. Our results further uncover unexplored roles of TrkA in thermoregulation and sociability. In addition to accurately recapitulating the clinical manifestations of HSAN IV patients, our findings contribute to clarifying the involvement of the NGF-TrkA system in pain sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Pacifico
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Giovanna Testa
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Rosy Amodeo
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Marco Mainardi
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (IN-CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alexia Tiberi
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Domenica Convertino
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Juan Carlos Arevalo
- Departmento de Biología Celular y Patología, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, University of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Laura Marchetti
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa 56127, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Mario Costa
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (IN-CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
- Pisa Center for Research and Clinical Implementation Flash Radiotherapy (CPFR@CISUP), Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Rita Levi-Montalcini European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Simona Capsoni
- Bio@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa 56124, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara 44121, Italy
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Ding X, Yu F, He X, Xu S, Yang G, Ren W. Rubbing Salt in the Wound: Molecular Evolutionary Analysis of Pain-Related Genes Reveals the Pain Adaptation of Cetaceans in Seawater. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243571. [PMID: 36552490 PMCID: PMC9774174 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243571] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain, usually caused by a strong or disruptive stimulus, is an unpleasant sensation that serves as a warning to organisms. To adapt to extreme environments, some terrestrial animals have evolved to be inherently insensitive to pain. Cetaceans are known as supposedly indifferent to pain from soft tissue injury representatives of marine mammals. However, the molecular mechanisms that explain how cetaceans are adapted to pain in response to seawater environment remain unclear. Here, we performed a molecular evolutionary analysis of pain-related genes in selected representatives of cetaceans. ASIC4 gene was identified to be pseudogenized in all odontocetes (toothed whales) except from Physeter macrocephalus (sperm whales), and relaxed selection of this gene was detected in toothed whales with pseudogenized ASIC4. In addition, positive selection was detected in pain perception (i.e., ASIC3, ANO1, CCK, and SCN9A) and analgesia (i.e., ASIC3, ANO1, CCK, and SCN9A) genes among the examined cetaceans. In this study, potential convergent amino acid substitutions within predicted proteins were found among the examined cetaceans and other terrestrial mammals, inhabiting extreme environments (e.g., V441I of TRPV1 in cetaceans and naked mole rats). Moreover, specific amino acid substitutions within predicted sequences of several proteins were found in the studied representatives of cetaceans (e.g., F56L and D163A of ASIC3, E88G of GRK2, and F159L of OPRD1). Most of the substitutions were located within important functional domains of proteins, affecting their protein functions. The above evidence suggests that cetaceans might have undergone adaptive molecular evolution in pain-related genes through different evolutionary patterns to adapt to pain, resulting in greater sensitivity to pain and more effective analgesia. This study could have implications for diagnosis and treatment of human pain.
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Testa G, Mainardi M, Vannini E, Pancrazi L, Cattaneo A, Costa M. Disentangling the signaling complexity of nerve growth factor receptors by
CRISPR
/Cas9. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22498. [PMID: 37036720 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101760rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The binding of nerve growth factor (NGF) to the tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) and p75NTR receptors activates a large variety of pathways regulating critical processes as diverse as proliferation, differentiation, membrane potential, synaptic plasticity, and pain. To ascertain the details of TrkA-p75NTR interaction and cooperation, a plethora of experiments, mostly based on receptor overexpression or downregulation, have been performed. Among the heterogeneous cellular systems used for studying NGF signaling, the PC12 pheochromocytoma-derived cell line is a widely used model. By means of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we created PC12 cells lacking TrkA, p75NTR , or both. We found that TrkA-null cells become unresponsive to NGF. Conversely, the absence of p75NTR enhances the phosphorylation of TrkA and its effectors. Using a patch-clamp, we demonstrated that the individual activation of TrkA and p75NTR by NGF results in antagonizing effects on the membrane potential. These newly developed PC12 cell lines can be used to investigate the specific roles of TrkA and p75NTR in a genetically defined cellular model, thus providing a useful platform for future studies and further gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Testa
- Laboratory of Biology “Bio@SNS” Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa Italy
| | - Marco Mainardi
- Laboratory of Biology “Bio@SNS” Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa Italy
- Neuroscience Institute National Research Council (CNR) Pisa Italy
| | - Eleonora Vannini
- Neuroscience Institute National Research Council (CNR) Pisa Italy
| | - Laura Pancrazi
- Neuroscience Institute National Research Council (CNR) Pisa Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Laboratory of Biology “Bio@SNS” Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa Italy
- European Brain Research Institute “Rita Levi Montalcini” (EBRI) Rome Italy
| | - Mario Costa
- Laboratory of Biology “Bio@SNS” Scuola Normale Superiore Pisa Italy
- Neuroscience Institute National Research Council (CNR) Pisa Italy
- Centro Pisano ricerca e implementazione clinica Flash Radiotherapy “CPFR@CISUP”, “S. Chiara” Hospital Pisa Italy
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A Microglial Function for the Nerve Growth Factor: Predictions of the Unpredictable. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111835. [PMID: 35681529 PMCID: PMC9180430 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the only immune cell population present in the brain parenchyma. Their vantage position in the central nervous system (CNS) enables these myeloid cells to perform the most disparate of tasks: from the classical immune functions of fighting infections and surveilling the extracellular space for pathogens and damage, to sculpting the neuronal circuitry by pruning unnecessary synapses and assisting neurons in spine formation, aiding in the maintenance of brain homeostasis. The neurotrophin field has always been dominated by the neurocentric view that the primary target of these molecules must be neurons: this holds true even for the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which owes its popularity in the neuroscience community to its trophic and tropic activity towards sensory and sympathetic neurons in the peripheral nervous system, and cholinergic neurons in the CNS. The increasing evidence that microglia are an integral part of neuronal computation calls for a closer look as to whether these glial cells are capable of responding directly to NGF. In this review, we will first outline evidence in support of a role for NGF as a molecule mediating neuroimmune communication. Then, we will illustrate some of those non-immune features that have made microglial cells one of the hottest topics of this last decade. In conclusion, we will discuss evidence in support of a microglial function for NGF.
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Nerve growth factor and post-infarction cardiac remodeling. ACTA BIOMEDICA SCIENTIFICA 2022. [DOI: 10.29413/abs.2022-7.2.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of sudden death from chronic heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias caused by myocardial infarction is a complex problem in cardiology. Post-infarction cardiac remodeling occurs after myocardial infarction. This compensatory-adaptive reaction, regulated by mechanical, neurohumoral and genetic factors, includes the structural and functional changes of cardiomyocytes, stromal elements and extracellular matrix, geometry and architectonics of the left ventricular cavity. Adverse left ventricular remodeling is associated with heart failure and increased mortality. The concept of post-infarction cardiac remodeling is an urgent problem, since the mechanisms of development and progression of adverse post-infarction changes in the myocardium are completely unexplored. In recent years, the scientist attention has been focused on neurotrophic factors involved in the sympathetic nervous system and the vascular system remodeling after myocardial infarction. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein from the neurotrophin family that is essential for the survival and development of sympathetic and sensory neurons, which also plays an important role in vasculogenesis. Acute myocardial infarction and heart failure are characterized by changes in the expression and activity of neurotrophic factors and their receptors, affecting the innervation of the heart muscle, as well as having a direct effect on cardiomyocytes, endothelial and smooth muscle vascular cells. The identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between cardiomyocytes and neurons, as well as the study of the effects of NGF in the cardiovascular system, will improve understanding of the cardiac remodeling mechanism. This review summarizes the available scientific information (2019–2021) about mechanisms of the link between post-infarction cardiac remodeling and NGF functions.
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Amadoro G, Latina V, Balzamino BO, Squitti R, Varano M, Calissano P, Micera A. Nerve Growth Factor-Based Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:735928. [PMID: 34566573 PMCID: PMC8459906 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.735928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-associated neurodegenerative disease which is the most common cause of dementia among the elderly. Imbalance in nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling, metabolism, and/or defect in NGF transport to the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons occurs in patients affected with AD. According to the cholinergic hypothesis, an early and progressive synaptic and neuronal loss in a vulnerable population of basal forebrain involved in memory and learning processes leads to degeneration of cortical and hippocampal projections followed by cognitive impairment with accumulation of misfolded/aggregated Aβ and tau protein. The neuroprotective and regenerative effects of NGF on cholinergic neurons have been largely demonstrated, both in animal models of AD and in living patients. However, the development of this neurotrophin as a disease-modifying therapy in humans is challenged by both delivery limitations (inability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), poor pharmacokinetic profile) and unwanted side effects (pain and weight loss). Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease which represents the major cause of blindness in developed countries and shares several clinical and pathological features with AD, including alterations in NGF transduction pathways. Interestingly, nerve fiber layer thinning, degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and changes of vascular parameters, aggregation of Aβ and tau protein, and apoptosis also occur in the retina of both AD and AMD. A protective effect of ocular administration of NGF on both photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cell degeneration has been recently described. Besides, the current knowledge about the detection of essential trace metals associated with AD and AMD and their changes depending on the severity of diseases, either systemic or locally detected, further pave the way for a promising diagnostic approach. This review is aimed at describing the employment of NGF as a common therapeutic approach to AMD and AD and the diagnostic power of detection of essential trace metals associated with both diseases. The multiple approaches employed to allow a sustained release/targeting of NGF to the brain and its neurosensorial ocular extensions will be also discussed, highlighting innovative technologies and future translational prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Amadoro
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)-CNR, Rome, Italy.,European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Rosanna Squitti
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Monica Varano
- Research Laboratories in Ophthalmology, IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Micera
- Research Laboratories in Ophthalmology, IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy
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Sarzi-Puttini P, Giorgi V, Di Lascio S, Fornasari D. Acetyl-L-carnitine in chronic pain: A narrative review. Pharmacol Res 2021; 173:105874. [PMID: 34500063 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is an endogenous molecule that not only plays a role in energy metabolism, but also has antioxidant properties, protects from oxidative stress, modulates brain neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine, and acts on neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors by means of epigenetic mechanisms. Importantly, it induces mGlu2 expression at nerve terminals, thus giving rise to analgesia and preventing spinal sensitisation. It has also been found to have even long-term neurotrophic and analgesic activity in experimental models of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The aim of this narrative review is to summarise the current evidence regarding the use of ALC in patients with chronic pain, and cognitive and mood disorders, and investigate the rationale underlying its use in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome, which is characterised by nociplastic changes that increase the sensitivity of the nervous system to pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Giorgi
- Rheumatology Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli Luigi Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
| | - Simona Di Lascio
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Fornasari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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