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Steiner L, Muri R, Wijesinghe D, Jann K, Maissen-Abgottspon S, Radojewski P, Pospieszny K, Kreis R, Kiefer C, Hochuli M, Trepp R, Everts R. Cerebral blood flow and white matter alterations in adults with phenylketonuria. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 41:103550. [PMID: 38091797 PMCID: PMC10716784 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phenylketonuria (PKU) represents a congenital metabolic defect that disrupts the process of converting phenylalanine (Phe) into tyrosine. Earlier investigations have revealed diminished cognitive performance and changes in brain structure and function (including the presence of white matter lesions) among individuals affected by PKU. However, there exists limited understanding regarding cerebral blood flow (CBF) and its potential associations with cognition, white matter lesions, and metabolic parameters in patients with PKU, which we therefore aimed to investigate in this study. METHOD Arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI was performed to measure CBF in 30 adults with early-treated classical PKU (median age 35.5 years) and 59 healthy controls (median age 30.0 years). For all participants, brain Phe levels were measured with 1H spectroscopy, and white matter lesions were rated by two neuroradiologists on T2 weighted images. White matter integrity was examined with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). For patients only, concurrent plasma Phe levels were assessed after an overnight fasting period. Furthermore, past Phe levels were collected to estimate historical metabolic control. On the day of the MRI, each participant underwent a cognitive assessment measuring IQ and performance in executive functions, attention, and processing speed. RESULTS No significant group difference was observed in global CBF between patients and controls (F (1, 87) = 3.81, p = 0.054). Investigating CBF on the level of cerebral arterial territories, reduced CBF was observed in the left middle and posterior cerebral artery (MCA and PCA), with the most prominent reduction of CBF in the anterior subdivision of the MCA (F (1, 87) = 6.15, p = 0.015, surviving FDR correction). White matter lesions in patients were associated with cerebral blood flow reduction in the affected structure. Particularly, patients with lesions in the occipital lobe showed significant CBF reductions in the left PCA (U = 352, p = 0.013, surviving FDR correction). Additionally, axial diffusivity measured with DTI was positively associated with CBF in the ACA and PCA (surviving FDR correction). Cerebral blood flow did not correlate with cognitive performance or metabolic parameters. CONCLUSION The relationship between cerebral blood flow and white matter indicates a complex interplay between vascular health and white matter alterations in patients with PKU. It highlights the importance of considering a multifactorial model when investigating the impact of PKU on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Steiner
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Division of Neuropaediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Raphaela Muri
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dilmini Wijesinghe
- Laboratory of Functional MRI Technology (LOFT), Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Kay Jann
- Laboratory of Functional MRI Technology (LOFT), Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA
| | - Stephanie Maissen-Abgottspon
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Piotr Radojewski
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katarzyna Pospieszny
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Kreis
- Magnetic Resonance Methodology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claus Kiefer
- Support Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michel Hochuli
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roman Trepp
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Regula Everts
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Division of Neuropaediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.
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Khaksari K, Chen WL, Gropman AL. Review of Applications of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Two Rare Disorders with Executive and Neurological Dysfunction: UCD and PKU. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101690. [PMID: 36292574 PMCID: PMC9602148 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101690] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying rare diseases, particularly those with neurological dysfunction, is a challenge to researchers and healthcare professionals due to their complexity and small population with geographical dispersion. Universal and standardized biomarkers generated by tools such as functional neuroimaging have been forged to collect baseline data as well as treatment effects. However, the cost and heavily infrastructural requirement of those technologies have substantially limited their availability. Thus, developing non-invasive, portable, and inexpensive modalities has become a major focus for both researchers and clinicians. When considering neurological disorders and diseases with executive dysfunction, EEG is the most convenient tool to obtain biomarkers which can correlate the objective severity and clinical observation of these conditions. However, studies have also shown that EEG biomarkers and clinical observations alone are not sensitive enough since not all the patients present classical phenotypical features or EEG evidence of dysfunction. This article reviews disorders, including two rare disorders with neurological dysfunction and the usefulness of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a non-invasive optical modality to obtain hemodynamic biomarkers of diseases and for screening and monitoring the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosar Khaksari
- Division of Neurogenetics and Developmental Pediatrics, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Wei-Liang Chen
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andrea L. Gropman
- Division of Neurogenetics and Developmental Pediatrics, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA
- Department of Neurology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Groves T, Corley C, Byrum SD, Allen AR. The Effects of 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin Chemotherapy on Cognitive Function in Male Mice. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:762116. [PMID: 34778377 PMCID: PMC8581634 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.762116] [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: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) and leucovorin (LV) are often given in combination to treat colorectal cancer. 5-Fu/LV prevents cell proliferation by inhibiting thymidylate synthase, which catalyzes the conversion of deoxyuridine monophosphate to deoxythymidine monophosphate. While 5-Fu has been shown to cause cognitive impairment, the synergistic effect of 5-Fu with LV has not been fully explored. The present investigation was designed to assess how the combination of 5-Fu and LV affect cognition in a murine model. Six-month-old male mice were used in this study; 15 mice received saline injections and 15 mice received 5-Fu/LV injections. One month after treatment, the elevated plus maze, Y-maze, and Morris water maze behavioral tasks were performed. Brains were then extracted, cryosectioned, and stained for CD68 to assay microglial activation and with tomato lectin to assay the vasculature. All animals were able to locate the visible and hidden platform locations in the water maze. However, a significant impairment in spatial memory retention was observed in the probe trial after the first day of hidden-platform training (first probe trial) in animals that received 5-Fu/LV, but these animals showed spatial memory retention by day 5. There were no significant increases in inflammation as measured by CD68, but 5-Fu/LV treatment did modulate blood vessel morphology. Tandem mass tag proteomics analysis identified 6,049 proteins, 7 of which were differentially expressed with a p-value of <0.05 and a fold change of >1.5. The present data demonstrate that 5-Fu/LV increases anxiety and significantly impairs spatial memory retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Groves
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Christa Corley
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Antiño R Allen
- Division of Radiation Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
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