1
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Korde DS, Humpel C. A Combination of Heavy Metals and Intracellular Pathway Modulators Induces Alzheimer Disease-like Pathologies in Organotypic Brain Slices. Biomolecules 2024; 14:165. [PMID: 38397402 PMCID: PMC10887098 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020165] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Modelling aspects of AD is challenging due to its complex multifactorial etiology and pathology. The present study aims to establish a cost-effective and rapid method to model the two primary pathologies in organotypic brain slices. Coronal hippocampal brain slices (150 µm) were generated from postnatal (day 8-10) C57BL6 wild-type mice and cultured for 9 weeks. Collagen hydrogels containing either an empty load or a mixture of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau were applied to the slices. The media was further supplemented with various intracellular pathway modulators or heavy metals to augment the appearance of Aβ plaques and tau NFTs, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity for Aβ and tau was significantly increased in the ventral areas in slices with a mixture of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau compared to slices with empty hydrogels. Aβ plaque- and tau NFT-like pathologies could be induced independently in slices. Heavy metals (aluminum, lead, cadmium) potently augmented Aβ plaque-like pathology, which developed intracellularly prior to cell death. Intracellular pathway modulators (scopolamine, wortmannin, MHY1485) significantly boosted tau NFT-like pathologies. A combination of nanomolar concentrations of scopolamine, wortmannin, MHY1485, lead, and cadmium in the media strongly increased Aβ plaque- and tau NFT-like immunoreactivity in ventral areas compared to the slices with non-supplemented media. The results highlight that we could harness the potential of the collagen hydrogel-based spreading of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau, along with pharmacological manipulation, to produce pathologies relevant to AD. The results offer a novel ex vivo organotypic slice model to investigate AD pathologies with potential applications for screening drugs or therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer’s Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
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2
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Quan Q, Ma X, Li M, Li X, Yuan H. Ginsenoside Rg1 promotes β‑amyloid peptide degradation through inhibition of the ERK/PPARγ phosphorylation pathway in an Alzheimer's disease neuronal model. Exp Ther Med 2024; 27:31. [PMID: 38125359 PMCID: PMC10731411 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12319] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
β-Amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition in the brain is an important pathological change in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), which is regulated transcriptionally by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), is able to proteolyze Aβ. One of the members of the MAPK family, ERK, is able to mediate the phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser112, thereby inhibiting its transcriptional activity. Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the active ingredients in the natural medicine ginseng and has inhibitory effects on Aβ production. The present study was designed to investigate whether ginsenoside Rg1 is able to affect the regulation of PPARγ based on the expression of its target gene, IDE, and whether it is able to promote Aβ degradation via inhibition of the ERK/PPARγ phosphorylation pathway. In the present study, primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons were treated with Aβ1-42, ginsenoside Rg1 and the ERK inhibitor PD98059, and subsequently TUNEL staining was used to detect the level of neuronal apoptosis. ELISA was subsequently employed to detect the intra- and extracellular Aβ1-42 levels, immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were used to detect the translocation of ERK from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, immunofluorescence double staining was used to detect the co-expression of ERK and PPARγ, and finally, western blotting was used to detect the phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser112 and IDE expression. The results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg1 or PD98059 were able to inhibit primary cultured hippocampal neuron apoptosis induced by Aβ1-42 treatment, reduce the levels of intra- and extraneuronal Aβ1-42 and inhibit the translocation of ERK from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Furthermore, administration of ginsenoside Rg1 or PD98059 resulted in attenuated co-expression of ERK and PPARγ, inhibition of phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser112 mediated by ERK and an increase in IDE expression. In addition, the effects when PD98059 to inhibit ERK followed by treatment with ginsenoside Rg1 were found to be more pronounced than those when using PD98059 alone. In conclusion, ginsenoside Rg1 was demonstrated to exert neuroprotective effects on AD via inhibition of the ERK/PPARγ phosphorylation pathway, which led to an increase in IDE expression, the promotion of Aβ degradation and the decrease of neuronal apoptosis. These results could provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of ginsenoside Rg1 in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiankun Quan
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Xinxin Ma
- Department of Psychology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Xi Li
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
| | - Haifeng Yuan
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, P.R. China
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3
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Kemppainen S, Huber N, Willman RM, Zamora A, Mäkinen P, Martiskainen H, Takalo M, Haapasalo A, Sobrino T, González Gómez MA, Piñeiro Y, Rivas J, Himmelreich U, Hiltunen M. Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures from Adult Tauopathy Mice and Theragnostic Evaluation of Nanomaterial Phospho-TAU Antibody-Conjugates. Cells 2023; 12:1422. [PMID: 37408256 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101422] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Organotypic slice culture models surpass conventional in vitro methods in many aspects. They retain all tissue-resident cell types and tissue hierarchy. For studying multifactorial neurodegenerative diseases such as tauopathies, it is crucial to maintain cellular crosstalk in an accessible model system. Organotypic slice cultures from postnatal tissue are an established research tool, but adult tissue-originating systems are missing, yet necessary, as young tissue-originating systems cannot fully model adult or senescent brains. To establish an adult-originating slice culture system for tauopathy studies, we made hippocampal slice cultures from transgenic 5-month-old hTau.P301S mice. In addition to the comprehensive characterization, we set out to test a novel antibody for hyperphosphorylated TAU (pTAU, B6), with and without a nanomaterial conjugate. Adult hippocampal slices retained intact hippocampal layers, astrocytes, and functional microglia during culturing. The P301S-slice neurons expressed pTAU throughout the granular cell layer and secreted pTAU to the culture medium, whereas the wildtype slices did not. Additionally, cytotoxicity and inflammation-related determinants were increased in the P301S slices. Using fluorescence microscopy, we showed target engagement of the B6 antibody to pTAU-expressing neurons and a subtle but consistent decrease in intracellular pTAU with the B6 treatment. Collectively, this tauopathy slice culture model enables measuring the extracellular and intracellular effects of different mechanistic or therapeutic manipulations on TAU pathology in adult tissue without the hindrance of the blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Kemppainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nadine Huber
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Roosa-Maria Willman
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ana Zamora
- Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Petra Mäkinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Henna Martiskainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mari Takalo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tomás Sobrino
- NeuroAging Group (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Antonio González Gómez
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Yolanda Piñeiro
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - José Rivas
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
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Bissen D, Kracht MK, Foss F, Acker-Palmer A. Expansion microscopy of mouse brain organotypic slice cultures to study protein distribution. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101507. [PMID: 35776645 PMCID: PMC9249947 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing protein distribution with super-resolution in tissue is often complicated and restrictive. Here, we describe a protocol for immunostaining and expansion microscopy imaging of mouse brain organotypic slice cultures. We detail an Imaris analysis workflow to analyze the surface vs intracellular distribution of AMPA receptors at super-resolution during homeostatic plasticity. We have optimized the protocol for brain organotypic slice culture and tested in acute brain slices. This protocol is suitable to study protein distribution under multiple plasticity paradigms. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Bissen et al. (2021). Enables immunostaining and visualization of epitopes deep within brain slices Utilizes expansion microscopy to increase imaging resolution Optimized for brain organotypic slice cultures and tested in acute brain slices Analysis workflow for protein distribution (surface vs. intracellular pool) using Imaris
Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Bissen
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max von Laue Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Maximilian Ken Kracht
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Franziska Foss
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Amparo Acker-Palmer
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max von Laue Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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5
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Korde DS, Humpel C. Spreading of P301S Aggregated Tau Investigated in Organotypic Mouse Brain Slice Cultures. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091164. [PMID: 36139003 PMCID: PMC9496515 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau pathology extends throughout the brain in a prion-like fashion through connected brain regions. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study aims to examine the spreading of P301S aggregated tau, a mutation that is implicated in tauopathies, using organotypic slice cultures. Coronal hippocampal organotypic brain slices (170 µm) were prepared from postnatal (day 8–10) C57BL6 wild-type mice. Collagen hydrogels loaded with P301S aggregated tau were applied to slices and the spread of tau was assessed by immunohistochemistry after 8 weeks in culture. Collagen hydrogels prove to be an effective protein delivery system subject to natural degradation in 14 days and they release tau proteins up to 8 weeks. Slices with un- and hyperphosphorylated P301S aggregated tau demonstrate significant spreading to the ventral parts of the hippocampal slices compared to empty collagen hydrogels after 8 weeks. Moreover, the spread of P301S aggregated tau occurs in a time-dependent manner, which was interrupted when the neuroanatomical pathways are lesioned. We illustrate that the spreading of tau can be investigated in organotypic slice cultures using collagen hydrogels to achieve a localized application and slow release of tau proteins. P301S aggregated tau significantly spreads to the ventral areas of the slices, suggesting that the disease-relevant aggregated tau form possesses spreading potential. Thus, the results offer a novel experimental approach to investigate tau pathology.
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6
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Aktories P, Petry P, Kierdorf K. Microglia in a Dish—Which Techniques Are on the Menu for Functional Studies? Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:908315. [PMID: 35722614 PMCID: PMC9204042 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.908315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia build the first line of defense in the central nervous system (CNS) and play central roles during development and homeostasis. Indeed, they serve a plethora of diverse functions in the CNS of which many are not yet fully described and more are still to be discovered. Research of the last decades unraveled an implication of microglia in nearly every neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disease, making it even more challenging to elucidate molecular mechanisms behind microglial functions and to modulate aberrant microglial behavior. To understand microglial functions and the underlying signaling machinery, many attempts were made to employ functional in vitro studies of microglia. However, the range of available cell culture models is wide and they come with different advantages and disadvantages for functional assays. Here we aim to provide a condensed summary of common microglia in vitro systems and discuss their potentials and shortcomings for functional studies in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Aktories
- Institute of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Philippe Petry
- Institute of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Kierdorf
- Institute of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModulBasics), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS-Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Katrin Kierdorf
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7
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Rathore RS, R Ayyannan S, Mahto SK. Emerging three-dimensional neuronal culture assays for neurotherapeutics drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:619-628. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2061458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul S Rathore
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, UP, India
| | - Senthil R Ayyannan
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory II, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, UP, India
| | - Sanjeev K Mahto
- Tissue Engineering and Biomicrofluidics Laboratory, School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi-221005, UP, India
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Humpel C. Intranasal neprilysin rapidly eliminates amyloid-beta plaques, but causes plaque compensations: the explanation why the amyloid-beta cascade may fail? Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1881-1884. [PMID: 35142662 PMCID: PMC8848595 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.335138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative brain disorders are a major burden in our society, such as Alzheimer´s disease. In order to repair or prevent such diseases, drugs are designed which enter the brain, but the blood-brain barrier limits their entry and the search for alternative pathways is important. Recently, we reported that intranasal delivery of the amyloid-beta degrading enzyme neprilysin eliminated amyloid-beta plaques in transgenic Alzheimer´s disease mice. This review describes the anatomical structure of the intranasal pathway, explains the intranasal delivery of pure neprilysin, cell-loaded neprilysin (platelets) and collagen-embedded neprilysin to destruct amyloid-beta plaques in Alzheimer´s disease in transgenic APP_SweDI mice and hypothesizes why this may cause compensation and why the amyloid-beta cascade hypothesis may fail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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9
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Michaelson SD, Müller TM, Bompolaki M, Miranda Tapia AP, Villarroel HS, Mackay JP, Balogun PJ, Urban JH, Colmers WF. Long-Lived Organotypic Slice Culture Model of the Rat Basolateral Amygdala. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e267. [PMID: 34670009 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Organotypic slice cultures (OTCs) have been employed in the laboratory since the early 1980s and have proved to be useful for the study of a number of neural systems. Our recent work focuses on the development of behavioral stress resilience induced by repeated daily injections of neuropeptide Y into the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Resilience develops over weeks, persisting to 8 weeks. To unravel the cellular mechanisms underlying neuropeptide Y-induced stress resilience we developed in vitro OTCs of the BLA. Here, we provide an optimized protocol that consistently yields viable and healthy OTCs containing the BLA and surrounding tissue using the interface method, prepared with slices taken from postnatal (P) day 14 rats. We explain key points to optimizing tissue viability and discuss mitigation or avoidance of pitfalls that can arise to aid in successful implementation of this technique. We show that principal neurons in BLA OTCs (8 weeks in vitro = equivalent postnatal day 70) develop into networks that are electrophysiologically very similar to those from acute slices obtained from older rats (P70) and respond to pharmacological treatments in a comparable way. Furthermore, we highlight how these cultures be used to further understand the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level neuropathophysiological changes underlying stress disorders. BLA OTCs provide long-term physiological and pharmacological results whose predictions were borne out in vivo, supporting the validity of the BLA OTC as a model to unravel BLA neurocircuitry. Recent preliminary results also support the successful application of this approach to preparing long-lived OTCs of BLA and neocortex from mice. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Organotypic slice culture Support Protocol 1: Changing medium Support Protocol 2: Drug incubations Basic Protocol 2: Excision of OTC slices from inserts Support Protocol 3: Fixation of slices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheldon D Michaelson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Taylor M Müller
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria Bompolaki
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ana Pamela Miranda Tapia
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Heika Silveira Villarroel
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James P Mackay
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Pauline J Balogun
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Janice H Urban
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, North Chicago, Illinois
| | - William F Colmers
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Humpel C. Intranasal Delivery of Collagen-Loaded Neprilysin Clears Beta-Amyloid Plaques in a Transgenic Alzheimer Mouse Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:649646. [PMID: 33967739 PMCID: PMC8100061 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.649646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is pathologically characterized by extracellular beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intraneuronal tau tangles in the brain. A therapeutic strategy aims to prevent or clear these Aβ plaques and the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin is a potent drug to degrade plaques. The major challenge is to deliver bioactive neprilysin into the brain via the blood-brain barrier. The aim of the present study is to explore if intranasal delivery of neprilysin can eliminate plaques in a transgenic AD mouse model (APP_SweDI). We will test if collagen or platelets are useful vehicles to deliver neprilysin into the brain. Using organotypic brain slices from adult transgenic APP_SweDI mice, we show that neprilysin alone or loaded in collagen hydrogels or in platelets cleared cortical plaques. Intransasal delivery of neprilysin alone increased small Aβ depositions in the middle and caudal cortex in transgenic mice. Platelets loaded with neprilysin cleared plaques in the frontal cortex after intranasal application. Intranasal delivery of collagen-loaded neprilysin was very potent to clear plaques especially in the middle and caudal parts of the cortex. Our data support that the Aβ degrading enzyme neprilysin delivered to the mouse brain can clear Aβ plaques and intranasal delivery (especially with collagen as a vehicle) is a fast and easy application. However, it must be considered that intranasal neprilysin may also activate more plaque production in the transgenic mouse brain as a side effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Moelgg K, Jummun F, Humpel C. Spreading of Beta-Amyloid in Organotypic Mouse Brain Slices and Microglial Elimination and Effects on Cholinergic Neurons. Biomolecules 2021; 11:434. [PMID: 33804246 PMCID: PMC7999593 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) is one of the major characteristics in Alzheimer´s disease (AD). The "spreading hypothesis" suggests that a pathological protein (similar to prions) spreads over the entire brain. The aim of the present study was to use organotypic brain slices of postnatal day 8-10 mice. Using collagen hydrogels, we applied different Aβ peptides onto brain slices and analyzed spreading as well as glial reactions after eight weeks of incubation. Our data showed that from all tested Aβ peptides, human Aβ42 had the most potent activity to spread over into adjacent "target" areas. This effect was potentiated when brain slices from transgenic AD mice (APP_SweDI) were cultured. When different brain areas were connected to the "target slice" the spreading activity was more intense, originating from ventral striatum and brain stem. Reactive glial-fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrogliosis increased over time, but Aβ depositions co-localized only with Iba1+ microglia but not with astrocytes. Application of human Aβ42 did not cause a degeneration of cholinergic neurons. We concluded that human Aβ42 spreads over into other "target areas", causing activation of glial cells. Most of the spread Aβ42 was taken up by microglia, and thus toxic free Aβ could not damage cholinergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer’s Research, Department Psychiatry I, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (K.M.); (F.J.)
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12
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Preparation of Rat Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures Using the Membrane-Interface Method. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2188:243-257. [PMID: 33119855 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0818-0_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cultured hippocampal slices from rodents, in which the architecture and functional properties of the hippocampal network are largely preserved, have proved to be a powerful substrate for studying healthy and pathological neuronal mechanisms. Here, we delineate the membrane-interface method for maintaining organotypic slices in culture for several weeks. The protocol includes procedures for dissecting hippocampus from rat brain, and collecting slices using a vibratome. This method provides the experimenter with easy access to both the brain tissue and culture medium, which facilitates genetic and pharmacological manipulations and enables experiments that incorporate imaging and electrophysiology. The method is generally applicable to rats of different ages, and to different brain regions, and can be modified for culture of slices from other species including mice.
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13
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Roux A, Wang X, Becker K, Ma J. Modeling α-Synucleinopathy in Organotypic Brain Slice Culture with Preformed α-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2020; 10:1397-1410. [PMID: 32716318 PMCID: PMC7683096 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-202026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background: Synucleinopathy is a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neurodegeneration and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates in various brain regions. The detailed mechanism of α-syn-caused neurotoxicity remains obscure, which is partly due to the lack of a suitable model that retains the in vivo three-dimensional cellular network and allows a convenient dissection of the neurotoxic pathways. Recent studies revealed that the pre-formed recombinant α-syn amyloid fibrils (PFFs) induce a robust accumulation of pathogenic α-syn species in cultured cells and animals. Objective: Our goal is to determine whether PFFs are able to induce the pathogenic α-syn accumulation and neurotoxicity in organotypic brain slice culture, an ex vivo system that retains the in vivo three-dimensional cell-cell connections. Methods/Results: Adding PFFs to cultured wild-type rat or mouse brain slices induced a time-dependent accumulation of pathogenic α-syn species, which was indicated by α-syn phosphorylated at serine 129 (pα-syn). The PFF-induced pα-syn was abolished in brain slices prepared from α-syn null mice, suggesting that the pα-syn is from the phosphorylation of endogenous α-syn. Human PFFs also induced pα-syn in brain slices prepared from mice expressing human α-syn on a mouse α-syn-null background. Furthermore, the synaptophysin immunoreactivity was inversely associated with pα-syn accumulation and an increase of neuronal loss was detected. Conclusion: PFF-treatment of brain slices is able to induce key pathological features of synucleinopathy: pα-syn accumulation and neurotoxicity. This model will be useful for investigating the neurotoxic mechanism and evaluating efficacy of therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Roux
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Xinhe Wang
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Katelyn Becker
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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14
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POSCAbilities: The Application of the Prion Organotypic Slice Culture Assay to Neurodegenerative Disease Research. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10071079. [PMID: 32698402 PMCID: PMC7407827 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders whose pathogenesis is driven by the misfolding, self-templating and cell-to-cell spread of the prion protein. Other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease, share some of these prion-like features, with different aggregation-prone proteins. Consequently, researchers have begun to apply prion-specific techniques, like the prion organotypic slice culture assay (POSCA), to these disorders. In this review we explore the ways in which the prion phenomenon has been used in organotypic cultures to study neurodegenerative diseases from the perspective of protein aggregation and spreading, strain propagation, the role of glia in pathogenesis, and efficacy of drug treatments. We also present an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of this culture system compared to in vivo and in vitro models and provide suggestions for new directions.
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15
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Peripheral clearance of brain-derived Aβ in Alzheimer's disease: pathophysiology and therapeutic perspectives. Transl Neurodegener 2020; 9:16. [PMID: 32381118 PMCID: PMC7204069 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-020-00195-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and no disease-modifying treatments are available to halt or slow its progression. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) is suggested to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD, and clearance of Aβ from the brain becomes a main therapeutic strategy for AD. Recent studies found that Aβ clearance in the periphery contributes substantially to reducing Aβ accumulation in the brain. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of how Aβ is cleared in the periphery is important for the development of effective therapies for AD. In this review, we summarized recent findings on the mechanisms of Aβ efflux from the brain to the periphery and discuss where and how the brain-derived Aβ is cleared in the periphery. Based on these findings, we propose future strategies to enhance peripheral Aβ clearance for the prevention and treatment of AD. This review provides a novel perspective to understand the pathogenesis of AD and develop interventions for this disease from a systemic approach.
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16
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Humpel C. Organotypic Brain Slices of ADULT Transgenic Mice: A Tool to Study Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2020; 16:172-181. [PMID: 30543174 DOI: 10.2174/1567205016666181212153138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic mice have been extensively used to study the Alzheimer pathology. In order to reduce, refine and replace (3Rs) the number of animals, ex vivo cultures are used and optimized. Organotypic brain slices are the most potent ex vivo slice culture models, keeping the 3-dimensional structure of the brain and being closest to the in vivo situation. Organotypic brain slice cultures have been used for many decades but were mainly prepared from postnatal (day 8-10) old rats or mice. More recent work (including our lab) now aims to culture organotypic brain slices from adult mice including transgenic mice. Especially in Alzheimer´s disease research, brain slices from adult transgenic mice will be useful to study beta-amyloid plaques, tau pathology and glial activation. This review will summarize the studies using organotypic brain slice cultures from adult mice to mimic Alzheimer's disease and will highlight advantages and also pitfalls using this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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17
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Beta secretase 1-dependent amyloid precursor protein processing promotes excessive vascular sprouting through NOTCH3 signalling. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:98. [PMID: 32029735 PMCID: PMC7005019 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2288-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) proteins play a key role in vascular pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) including impairment of the blood–brain barrier and aberrant angiogenesis. Although previous work has demonstrated a pro-angiogenic role of Aβ, the exact mechanisms by which amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and endothelial angiogenic signalling cascades interact in AD remain a largely unsolved problem. Here, we report that increased endothelial sprouting in human-APP transgenic mouse (TgCRND8) tissue is dependent on β-secretase (BACE1) processing of APP. Higher levels of Aβ processing in TgCRND8 tissue coincides with decreased NOTCH3/JAG1 signalling, overproduction of endothelial filopodia and increased numbers of vascular pericytes. Using a novel in vitro approach to study sprouting angiogenesis in TgCRND8 organotypic brain slice cultures (OBSCs), we find that BACE1 inhibition normalises excessive endothelial filopodia formation and restores NOTCH3 signalling. These data present the first evidence for the potential of BACE1 inhibition as an effective therapeutic target for aberrant angiogenesis in AD.
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18
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Preparation of Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures for the Study of CNS Disease and Damage. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2143:133-144. [PMID: 32524477 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0585-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) retain in vivo-like neuronal architecture, synaptic connections, and resident cell populations but gain in vitro advantages of accessibility to experimental manipulation and observation. This chapter describes how to prepare OHSCs from neonatal mice to study mechanisms of neuronal damage, including synapse loss and quantifying Aβ-containing axonal swellings from Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice.
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19
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Croft CL, Futch HS, Moore BD, Golde TE. Organotypic brain slice cultures to model neurodegenerative proteinopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2019; 14:45. [PMID: 31791377 PMCID: PMC6889333 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-019-0346-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Organotypic slice cultures of brain or spinal cord have been a longstanding tool in neuroscience research but their utility for understanding Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative proteinopathies has only recently begun to be evaluated. Organotypic brain slice cultures (BSCs) represent a physiologically relevant three-dimensional model of the brain. BSCs support all the central nervous system (CNS) cell types and can be produced from brain areas involved in neurodegenerative disease. BSCs can be used to better understand the induction and significance of proteinopathies underlying the development and progression of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, and in the future may serve as bridging technologies between cell culture and in vivo experiments for the development and evaluation of novel therapeutic targets and strategies. We review the initial development and general use of BSCs in neuroscience research and highlight the advantages of these cultures as an ex vivo model. Subsequently we focus on i) BSC-based modeling of AD and other neurodegenerative proteinopathies ii) use of BSCs to understand mechanisms underlying these diseases and iii) how BSCs can serve as tools to screen for suitable therapeutics prior to in vivo investigations. Finally, we will examine i) open questions regarding the use of such cultures and ii) how emerging technologies such as recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) may be combined with these models to advance translational research relevant to neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Croft
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - H S Futch
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - B D Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - T E Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. .,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. .,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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20
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Kuo YC, Rajesh R. Challenges in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: recent progress and treatment strategies of pharmaceuticals targeting notable pathological factors. Expert Rev Neurother 2019; 19:623-652. [DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1621750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Chih Kuo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Rajendiran Rajesh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China
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21
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Oxidative Stress-Tolerant Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth Decrease Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Damage in Organotypic Brain Slice Cultures from Adult Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081858. [PMID: 30991705 PMCID: PMC6514841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress causes severe tissue injury of the central nervous system in ischemic brain damage (IBD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we used hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to induce oxidative stress in organotypic brain slice cultures (OBSCs), and investigated the protective effects of oxidative stress-tolerant (OST) stem cells harvested from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) which were co-cultivated with OBSCs. Using presto blue assay and immunostaining, we demonstrated that both normal SHED and OST-SHED could prevent H₂O₂-induced cell death, and increase the numbers of mature neuron and neuronal progenitors in the hippocampus of OBSCs. During co-cultivation, OST-SHED, but not normal SHED, exhibited neuronal cell morphology and expressed neuronal markers. Results from ELISA showed that both normal SHED and OST-SHED significantly decreased oxidative DNA damage in H₂O₂-treated OBSCs. SHED could also produce neurotrophic factor BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) and promoted the production of IL-6 in OBSCs. Although OST-SHED had lower cell viability, the neuronal protection of OST-SHED was significantly superior to that of normal SHED. Our findings suggest that SHED, especially OST-SHED, could prevent oxidative stress induced brain damage. OST-SHED can be explored as a new therapeutic tool for IBD, TBI and neurodegenerative disorders.
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22
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Romero-Leguizamón CR, Elnagar MR, Kristiansen U, Kohlmeier KA. Increasing cellular lifespan with a flow system in organotypic culture of the Laterodorsal Tegmentum (LDT). Sci Rep 2019; 9:1486. [PMID: 30728375 PMCID: PMC6365664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37606-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Organotypic brain culture is an experimental tool widely used in neuroscience studies. One major drawback of this technique is reduced neuronal survival across time, which is likely exacerbated by the loss of blood flow. We have designed a novel, tube flow system, which is easily incorporated into the commonly-used, standard semi-permeable membrane culture methodology which has significantly enhanced neuronal survival in a brain stem nucleus involved in control of motivated and arousal states: the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT). Our automated system provides nutrients and removes waste in a comparatively aseptic environment, while preserving temperature, and oxygen levels. Using immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology, our system was found superior to standard techniques in preserving tissue quality and survival of LDT cells for up to 2 weeks. In summary, we provide evidence for the first time that the LDT can be preserved in organotypic slice culture, and further, our technical improvements of adding a flow system, which likely enhanced perfusion to the slice, were associated with enhanced neuronal survival. Our perfusion system is expected to facilitate organotypic experiments focused on chronic stimulations and multielectrode recordings in the LDT, as well as enhance neuronal survival in slice cultures originating from other brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- César R Romero-Leguizamón
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Mohamed R Elnagar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Uffe Kristiansen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark.
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23
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by amyloid-beta deposits in extracellular plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles of aggregated tau, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. Transgenic rodent models to study Alzheimer’s mimic features of human disease such as age-dependent accumulation of abnormal beta-amyloid and tau, synaptic dysfunction, cognitive deficits and neurodegeneration. These models have proven vital for improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AD and for identifying promising therapeutic approaches. However, modelling neurodegenerative disease in animals commonly involves aging animals until they develop harmful phenotypes, often coupled with invasive procedures. We have developed a novel organotypic brain slice culture model to study Alzheimer’s disease using 3xTg-AD mice which brings the potential of substantially reducing the number of rodents used in dementia research from an estimated 20,000 per year. Using a McIllwain tissue chopper, we obtain 36 x 350 micron slices from each P8-P9 mouse pup for culture between 2 weeks and 6 months on semi-permeable 0.4 micron pore membranes, considerably reducing the numbers of animals required to investigate multiple stages of disease. This tractable model also allows the opportunity to modulate multiple pathways in tissues from a single animal. We believe that this model will most benefit dementia researchers in the academic and drug discovery sectors. We validated the slice culture model against aged mice, showing that the molecular phenotype closely mimics that displayed
in vivo, albeit in an accelerated timescale. We showed beneficial outcomes following treatment of slices with agents previously shown to have therapeutic effects
in vivo, and we also identified new mechanisms of action of other compounds. Thus, organotypic brain slice cultures from transgenic mouse models expressing Alzheimer’s disease-related genes may provide a valid and sensitive replacement for
in vivo studies that do not involve behavioural analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara L Croft
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9RX, UK
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Foidl BM, Humpel C. Differential Hyperphosphorylation of Tau-S199, -T231 and -S396 in Organotypic Brain Slices of Alzheimer Mice. A Model to Study Early Tau Hyperphosphorylation Using Okadaic Acid. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:113. [PMID: 29725295 PMCID: PMC5917035 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the brain, characterized by extracellular aggregation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylation of tau causing intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). There is urgent need to study the interactions between Aβ and tau, especially to solve the question of the pathological cascade. In the present study, we aim to develop a model of organotypic brain slices in which both plaque and tau pathology can be examined. Organotypic brain slices (150 μm thick, coronal, at the hippocampal level) from adult (9 month) wildtype (WT, C57BL/6N) and transgenic AD mice (TG, APP_SweDI) were cultured for 2 weeks. To induce tau hyperphosphorylation 100 nM okadaic acid (OA), 10 μM wortmannin (WM) or both were added to the slices. Hyperphosphorylation of tau was tested at tau-S199, tau-T231 and tau-S396 using Western blot. Our data show that in TG mice with plaques a 50 kDa fragment of tau-S396 was hyperphosphorylated and that OA induced hyperphosphorylation of tau-S199. In WT mice (without plaques) OA caused hyperphosphorylation of a 50 kDa and a 38 kDa tau-T231 form and a 25 kDa sdftau-S396 fragment. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK801 (1 μM) did not block these effects. Immunohistochemistry showed diffuse increased tau-S396 and tau-T231-like immunoreactivities at the hippocampal level but no formation of NFTs. Confocal microscopy indicated, that pTau-T231 was preferentially located in cytoplasma surrounding nuclei whereas pTau-S396 was found mainly in nerve fibers and strongly associated with plaques. In conclusion we provide a novel in vitro model to study both plaque and tau hyperphosphorylation but not NFTs, which could be useful to study pathological processes in AD and to screen for drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Foidl
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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25
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Ibrahim NF, Yanagisawa D, Durani LW, Hamezah HS, Damanhuri HA, Wan Ngah WZ, Tsuji M, Kiuchi Y, Ono K, Tooyama I. Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Modulates Amyloid Pathology and Improves Cognitive Function in AβPP/PS1 Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 55:597-612. [PMID: 27716672 PMCID: PMC5147513 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. The cardinal neuropathological characteristic of AD is the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) into extracellular plaques that ultimately disrupt neuronal function and lead to neurodegeneration. One possible therapeutic strategy therefore is to prevent Aβ aggregation. Previous studies have suggested that vitamin E analogs slow AD progression in humans. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), a mixture of vitamin E analogs from palm oil, on amyloid pathology in vitro and in vivo. TRF treatment dose-dependently inhibited the formation of Aβ fibrils and Aβ oligomers in vitro. Moreover, daily TRF supplementation to AβPPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice for 10 months attenuated Aβ immunoreactive depositions and thioflavin-S-positive fibrillar type plaques in the brain, and eventually improved cognitive function in the novel object recognition test compared with control AβPPswe/PS1dE9 mice. The present result indicates that TRF reduced amyloid pathology and improved cognitive functions, and suggests that TRF is a potential therapeutic agent for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nor Faeizah Ibrahim
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Japan.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Daijiro Yanagisawa
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Japan
| | - Lina Wati Durani
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Japan.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hamizah Shahirah Hamezah
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Japan.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hanafi Ahmad Damanhuri
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wan Zurinah Wan Ngah
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mayumi Tsuji
- Department of Pharmacology, Showa University School of Medicine, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Kiuchi
- Department of Pharmacology, Showa University School of Medicine, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ikuo Tooyama
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Japan
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26
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Jang S, Kim H, Kim HJ, Lee SK, Kim EW, Namkoong K, Kim E. Long-Term Culture of Organotypic Hippocampal Slice from Old 3xTg-AD Mouse: An ex vivo Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Psychiatry Investig 2018; 15:205-213. [PMID: 29475217 PMCID: PMC5900409 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2017.04.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Conventional methods for organotypic hippocampal tissue slice culture (OHSC) have shown several disadvantages or limitations regarding age of animals used, duration of culture and difficulty using neurodegenerative models. Therefore, we tried to establish OHSC from old 3xTg-Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice for longer period (over 4 weeks) and to validate utility of this system as a valid platform for translational neuroscience of AD. METHODS OHSC was performed with old 3xTg-AD mice (12-14 months), old wild type mice (12-14 months) and young 3xTg-AD mice (2-4 months) using serum-free medium for 4 weeks. Hippocampal structure was evaluated by 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) intensity and neuronal metabolism was measured by Alamarblue assay. Pathologic characteristics of AD were also investigated; β-amyloid levels by ELISA, amyloid plaque deposition by Thioflavin-S staining, and glial activation by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Following 4-week culture in serum-free media, hippocampal cells and layers were well preserved in cultured slices from old AD mice as was in those from young AD and old wild type mice. On the contrary, excessive regression of total visible cells was observed in conventional serum-containing medium regardless of genotype of mice. In parallel with this well preserved structure, major pathologic characteristics of AD were also well manifested in hippocampal slices from old AD mice. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that long-term OHSC from old 3xTg-AD mouse can serve as a promising ex vivo system for studies on pathophysiology of AD, especially with the minimum number of sacrifice of experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooah Jang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjeong Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Kyoung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Woo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee Namkoong
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eosu Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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27
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Tan GA, Furber KL, Thangaraj MP, Sobchishin L, Doucette JR, Nazarali AJ. Organotypic Cultures from the Adult CNS: A Novel Model to Study Demyelination and Remyelination Ex Vivo. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2017; 38:317-328. [DOI: 10.1007/s10571-017-0529-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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28
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Doussau F, Dupont JL, Neel D, Schneider A, Poulain B, Bossu JL. Organotypic cultures of cerebellar slices as a model to investigate demyelinating disorders. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:1011-1022. [PMID: 28712329 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1356285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Demyelinating disorders, characterized by a chronic or episodic destruction of the myelin sheath, are a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults in western countries. Studying the complex mechanisms involved in axon myelination, demyelination and remyelination requires an experimental model preserving the neuronal networks and neuro-glial interactions. Organotypic cerebellar slice cultures appear to be the best alternative to in vivo experiments and the most commonly used model for investigating etiology or novel therapeutic strategies in multiple sclerosis. Areas covered: This review gives an overview of slice culture techniques and focuses on the use of organotypic cerebellar slice cultures on semi-permeable membranes for studying many aspects of axon myelination and cerebellar functions. Expert opinion: Cerebellar slice cultures are probably the easiest way to faithfully reproduce all stages of axon myelination/demyelination/remyelination in a three-dimensional neuronal network. However, in the cerebellum, neurological disability in multiple sclerosis also results from channelopathies which induce changes in Purkinje cell excitability. Cerebellar cultures offer easy access to electrophysiological approaches which are largely untapped and we believe that these cultures might be of great interest when studying changes in neuronal excitability, axonal conduction or synaptic properties that likely occur during multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Doussau
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Jean-Luc Dupont
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Dorine Neel
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Aline Schneider
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Bernard Poulain
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
| | - Jean Louis Bossu
- a Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS UPR 3212 , Université de Strasbourg , Strasbourg , France
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Kallendrusch S, Merz F, Bechmann I, Mayr SG, Zink M. Long-Term Tissue Culture of Adult Brain and Spleen Slices on Nanostructured Scaffolds. Adv Healthc Mater 2017; 6. [PMID: 28218503 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201601336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Long-term tissue culture of adult mammalian organs is a highly promising approach to bridge the gap between single cell cultures and animal experiments, and bears the potential to reduce in vivo studies. Novel biomimetic materials open up new possibilities to maintain the complex tissue structure in vitro; however, survival times of adult tissues ex vivo are still limited to a few days with established state-of-the-art techniques. Here, it is demonstrated that TiO2 nanotube scaffolds with specific tissue-tailored characteristics can serve as superior substrates for long-term adult brain and spleen tissue culture. High viability of the explants for at least two weeks is achieved and compared to tissues cultured on standard polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. Histological and immunohistochemical staining and live imaging are used to investigate tissue condition after 5 and 14 d in vitro, while environmental scanning electron microscopy qualifies the interaction with the underlying scaffold. In contrast to tissues cultured on PTFE membranes, enhanced tissue morphology is detected in spleen slices, as well as minor cell death in neuronal tissue, both cultured on nanotube scaffolds. This novel biomimetic tissue model will prove to be useful to address fundamental biological and medical questions from tissue regeneration up to tumor progression and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Kallendrusch
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Leipzig; Oststr. 25 04317 Leipzig Germany
| | - Felicitas Merz
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Leipzig; Oststr. 25 04317 Leipzig Germany
| | - Ingo Bechmann
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Leipzig; Oststr. 25 04317 Leipzig Germany
| | - Stefan G. Mayr
- Leibniz Institute for Surface Modification (IOM) e.V.; Permoser Str. 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- Division of Surface Physics; Department of Physics and Earth Sciences; University of Leipzig; 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Mareike Zink
- Soft Matter Physics Division; Institute for Experimental Physics 1; University of Leipzig; Linnéstr. 5 04103 Leipzig Germany
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Membrane association and release of wild-type and pathological tau from organotypic brain slice cultures. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2671. [PMID: 28300838 PMCID: PMC5386587 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal transmission of pathological tau in the brain is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Release of both soluble and abnormal tau species from healthy neurons is increased upon stimulation of neuronal activity. It is not yet understood whether the mechanisms controlling soluble tau release from healthy neurons is the same as those involved in the spread of pathological tau species. To begin to understand these events, we have studied tau distribution and release using organotypic brain slice cultures. The slices were cultured from postnatal wild-type and 3xTg-AD mice for up to 1 month. Tau distribution in subcellular compartments was examined by western blotting, and tau release into culture medium was determined using a sensitive sandwich ELISA. We show here that 3xTg-AD cultures have an accelerated development of pathological tau abnormalities including the redistribution of tau to synaptic and membrane compartments. The 3xTg-AD slice cultures show elevated basal tau release relative to total tau when compared with wild-type cultures. However, tau release from 3xTg-AD slices cannot be further stimulated when neuronal activity is increased with potassium chloride. Moreover, we report that there is an increased pool of dephosphorylated membrane-associated tau in conditions where tau release is increased. These data suggest that there may be differential patterns of tau release when using integrated slice culture models of wild-type and transgenic mouse brain, although it will be important to determine the effect of tau overexpression for these findings. These results further increase our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying tau release and propagation in neurodegenerative tauopathies.
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31
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Zuroff L, Daley D, Black KL, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Clearance of cerebral Aβ in Alzheimer's disease: reassessing the role of microglia and monocytes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:2167-2201. [PMID: 28197669 PMCID: PMC5425508 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2463-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Deficiency in cerebral amyloid β-protein (Aβ) clearance is implicated in the pathogenesis of the common late-onset forms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Accumulation of misfolded Aβ in the brain is believed to be a net result of imbalance between its production and removal. This in turn may trigger neuroinflammation, progressive synaptic loss, and ultimately cognitive decline. Clearance of cerebral Aβ is a complex process mediated by various systems and cell types, including vascular transport across the blood–brain barrier, glymphatic drainage, and engulfment and degradation by resident microglia and infiltrating innate immune cells. Recent studies have highlighted a new, unexpected role for peripheral monocytes and macrophages in restricting cerebral Aβ fibrils, and possibly soluble oligomers. In AD transgenic (ADtg) mice, monocyte ablation or inhibition of their migration into the brain exacerbated Aβ pathology, while blood enrichment with monocytes and their increased recruitment to plaque lesion sites greatly diminished Aβ burden. Profound neuroprotective effects in ADtg mice were further achieved through increased cerebral recruitment of myelomonocytes overexpressing Aβ-degrading enzymes. This review summarizes the literature on cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebral Aβ clearance with an emphasis on the role of peripheral monocytes and macrophages in Aβ removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Zuroff
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente, AHSP A8115, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David Daley
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente, AHSP A8115, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente, AHSP A8115, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente, AHSP A8115, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
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32
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Healy S, McMahon J, Owens P, FitzGerald U. Significant glial alterations in response to iron loading in a novel organotypic hippocampal slice culture model. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36410. [PMID: 27808258 PMCID: PMC5093415 DOI: 10.1038/srep36410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant iron deposition in the brain is associated with neurodegenerative disorders including Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. To study the collective response to iron loading, we have used hippocampal organotypic slices as a platform to develop a novel ex vivo model of iron accumulation. We demonstrated differential uptake and toxicity of iron after 12 h exposure to 10 μM ferrous ammonium sulphate, ferric citrate or ferrocene. Having established the supremacy of ferrocene in this model, the cultures were then loaded with 0.1–100 μM ferrocene for 12 h. One μM ferrocene exposure produced the maximal 1.6-fold increase in iron compared with vehicle. This was accompanied by a 1.4-fold increase in ferritin transcripts and mild toxicity. Using dual-immunohistochemistry, we detected ferritin in oligodendrocytes, microglia, but rarely in astrocytes and never in neurons in iron-loaded slice cultures. Moreover, iron loading led to a 15% loss of olig2-positive cells and a 16% increase in number and greater activation of microglia compared with vehicle. However, there was no appreciable effect of iron loading on astrocytes. In what we believe is a significant advance on traditional mono- or dual-cultures, our novel ex vivo slice-culture model allows characterization of the collective response of brain cells to iron-loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinead Healy
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jill McMahon
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Peter Owens
- Centre for Microscopy and Imaging, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Una FitzGerald
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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Jiang N, Frenzel D, Schartmann E, van Groen T, Kadish I, Shah NJ, Langen KJ, Willbold D, Willuweit A. Blood-brain barrier penetration of an Aβ-targeted, arginine-rich, d-enantiomeric peptide. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:2717-2724. [PMID: 27423267 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The application of small peptides targeting amyloid beta (Aβ) is one of many drug development strategies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have previously identified several peptides consisting solely of D-enantiomeric amino acid residues obtained from mirror-image phage display selection, which bind to Aβ in different assembly states and eliminate toxic Aβ aggregates. Some of these D-peptides show both diagnostic and therapeutic potential in vitro and in vivo. Here we have analysed the similarity of the arginine-rich D-peptide D3 to the arginine-rich motif (ARM) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transactivator of transcription (HIV-Tat) protein, and examined its in vivo blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability using wild type mice and transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. We are able to demonstrate that D3 rapidly enters the brain where it can be found associated with amyloid plaques suggesting a direct penetration of BBB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Daniel Frenzel
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry, 52428 Jülich, Germany; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Schartmann
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas van Groen
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Inga Kadish
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - N Jon Shah
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Medical Imaging Physics, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Karl-Josef Langen
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Medical Imaging Physics, 52428 Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, JARA, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry, 52428 Jülich, Germany; Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Institut für Physikalische Biologie, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Antje Willuweit
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Medical Imaging Physics, 52428 Jülich, Germany.
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Harwell CS, Coleman MP. Synaptophysin depletion and intraneuronal Aβ in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures from huAPP transgenic mice. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:44. [PMID: 27287430 PMCID: PMC4903008 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0110-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To date, there are no effective disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In order to develop new therapeutics for stages where they are most likely to be effective, it is important to identify the first pathological alterations in the disease cascade. Changes in Aβ concentration have long been reported as one of the first steps, but understanding the source, and earliest consequences, of pathology requires a model system that represents all major CNS cell types, is amenable to repeated observation and sampling, and can be readily manipulated. In this regard, long term organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) from neonatal amyloid mice offer an excellent compromise between in vivo and primary culture studies, largely retaining the cellular composition and neuronal architecture of the in vivo hippocampus, but with the in vitro advantages of accessibility to live imaging, sampling and intervention. Results Here, we report the development and characterisation of progressive pathological changes in an organotypic model from TgCRND8 mice. Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 rise progressively in transgenic slice culture medium and stabilise when regular feeding balances continued production. In contrast, intraneuronal Aβ continues to accumulate in close correlation with a specific decline in presynaptic proteins and puncta. Plaque pathology is not evident even when Aβ1-42 is increased by pharmacological manipulation (using calpain inhibitor 1), indicating that soluble Aβ species, or other APP processing products, are sufficient to cause the initial synaptic changes. Conclusions Organotypic brain slices from TgCRND8 mice represent an important new system for understanding mechanisms of Aβ generation, release and progressive toxicity. The pathology observed in these cultures will allow for rapid assessment of disease modifying compounds in a system amenable to manipulation and observation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13024-016-0110-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Harwell
- The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Michael P Coleman
- The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK. .,Present Address: John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK.
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35
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Semenov AG, Katrukha AG. Different Susceptibility of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and BNP Precursor (proBNP) to Cleavage by Neprilysin: The N-Terminal Part Does Matter. Clin Chem 2016; 62:617-22. [DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2016.254524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Protease neprilysin is known to be responsible for the degradation of natriuretic peptides. A recent heart failure (HF) drug, LCZ696 (EntrestoTM), that combines a neprilysin inhibitor and an angiotensin II receptor inhibitor was suggested to augment circulating B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations, making the results of BNP measurements diagnostically ambiguous. Because the main form of measured BNP in HF patients is represented by its uncleaved precursor, proBNP, it is important to know the susceptibility of proBNP to cleavage by neprilysin.
METHODS
BNP 1–32 and nonglycosylated and glycosylated forms of proBNP 1–108 were incubated with neprilysin for different time periods. BNP immunoreactivity was analyzed using 2 sandwich immunoassays: one utilizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) KY-BNP-II (epitope 14–21) as capture with mAb 50E1 (epitope 26–32) for detection and a single-epitope sandwich BNP (SES-BNP) immunoassay specific to the epitope 11–17. Mass-spectrometry was applied to determine the sites of BNP cleavage.
RESULTS
In contrast to BNP, both forms of proBNP were resistant to degradation by neprilysin. The SES-BNP assay was much less susceptible to the BNP cleavage by neprilysin compared with the immunoassay utilizing antibodies specific to the region 14–21, comprising the site Arg17-Ile18, known as the site of BNP cleavage by neprilysin.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that modulation of neprilysin activity by specific inhibitors may not greatly influence the circulating concentrations of immunoreactive BNP, mostly represented in HF by proBNP, which is not susceptible to neprilysin. The different susceptibility of the BNP regions to neprilysin-dependent degradation highlights the importance of the choice of epitopes for reliable BNP immunodetection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexey G Katrukha
- HyTest Ltd., Turku, Finland
- School of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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36
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Ko KR, Frampton JP. Developments in 3D neural cell culture models: the future of neurotherapeutics testing? Expert Rev Neurother 2016; 16:739-41. [PMID: 26972892 DOI: 10.1586/14737175.2016.1166053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Robin Ko
- a School of Biomedical Engineering , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada
| | - John P Frampton
- a School of Biomedical Engineering , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada
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37
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Humpel C. Organotypic brain slice cultures: A review. Neuroscience 2015; 305:86-98. [PMID: 26254240 PMCID: PMC4699268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In vitro cell cultures are an important tool for obtaining insights into cellular processes in an isolated system and a supplement to in vivo animal experiments. While primary dissociated cultures permit a single homogeneous cell population to be studied, there is a clear need to explore the function of brain cells in a three-dimensional system where the main architecture of the cells is preserved. Thus, organotypic brain slice cultures have proven to be very useful in investigating cellular and molecular processes of the brain in vitro. This review summarizes (1) the historical development of organotypic brain slices focusing on the membrane technology, (2) methodological aspects regarding culturing procedures, age of donors or media, (3) whether the cholinergic neurons serve as a model of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, (4) or the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons as a model of Parkinson’s disease and (5) how the vascular network can be studied, especially with regard to a synthetic blood–brain barrier. This review will also highlight some limits of the model and give an outlook on future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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38
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Lonskaya I, Hebron ML, Selby ST, Turner RS, Moussa CEH. Nilotinib and bosutinib modulate pre-plaque alterations of blood immune markers and neuro-inflammation in Alzheimer's disease models. Neuroscience 2015; 304:316-27. [PMID: 26235435 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains exhibit plaques and tangles in association with inflammation. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Abl is linked to neuro-inflammation in AD. Abl inhibition by nilotinib or bosutinib facilitates amyloid clearance and may decrease inflammation. Transgenic mice that express Dutch, Iowa and Swedish APP mutations (TgAPP) and display progressive Aβ plaque deposition were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to determine pre-plaque effects on systemic and CNS inflammation using milliplex® ELISA. Plaque Aβ was detected at 4months in TgAPP and pre-plaque intracellular Aβ accumulation (2.5months) was associated with changes of cytokines and chemokines prior to detection of glial changes. Plaque formation correlated with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1α, IL-1β) and markers of immunosuppressive and adaptive immunity, including, IL-4, IL-10, IL-2, IL-3, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and IFN-γ. An inverse relationship of chemokines was observed as CCL2 and CCL5 were lower than WT mice at 2months and significantly increased after plaque appearance, while soluble CX3CL1 decreased. A change in glial profile was only robustly detected at 6months in Tg-APP mice and TKIs reduced astrocyte and dendritic cell number with no effects on microglia, suggesting alteration of brain immunity. Nilotinib decreased blood and brain cytokines and chemokines and increased CX3CL1. Bosutinib increased brain and blood IL-10 and CX3CL1, suggesting a protective role for soluble CX3CL1. Taken together these data suggest that TKIs regulate systemic and CNS immunity and may be useful treatments in early AD through dual effects on amyloid clearance and immune modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Lonskaya
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C. 20007, USA
| | - M L Hebron
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C. 20007, USA
| | - S T Selby
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C. 20007, USA
| | - R S Turner
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders Program, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C. 20007, USA
| | - C E-H Moussa
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington D.C. 20007, USA.
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