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Sahu S, Zhang Z, Li R, Hu J, Shen H, Loers G, Shen Y, Schachner M. A Small Organic Compound Mimicking the L1 Cell Adhesion Molecule Promotes Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury in Zebrafish. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:859-878. [PMID: 28070857 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0254-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Tacrine is a small organic compound that was discovered to mimic the functions of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 by promoting the cognate functions of L1 in vitro, such as neuronal survival, neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, and myelination. Based on studies indicating that L1 enhances functional recovery in different central and peripheral nervous system disease paradigms of rodents, it deemed interesting to investigate the beneficial role of tacrine in the attractive zebrafish animal model, by evaluating functional recovery after spinal cord injury. To this aim, larval and adult zebrafish were exposed to tacrine treatment after spinal cord injury and monitored for locomotor recovery and axonal regrowth. Tacrine promoted the rapid recovery of locomotor activities in both larval and adult zebrafish, enhanced regrowth of severed axons and myelination, and reduced astrogliosis in the spinal cords. Tacrine treatment upregulated the expression of L1.1 (a homolog of the mammalian recognition molecule L1) and enhanced the L1.1-mediated intracellular signaling cascades in the injured spinal cords. These observations lead to the hope that, in combination with other therapeutic approaches, this old drug may become a useful reagent to ameliorate the deficits resulting from acute and chronic injuries of the mammalian nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhanshu Sahu
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Zhihua Zhang
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Rong Li
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Junkai Hu
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Huifan Shen
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Gabriele Loers
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Yanqin Shen
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China.
- Medical School, Jiangnan University, 1800 Li Hu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China.
| | - Melitta Schachner
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China.
- Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08554, USA.
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