Post-injury immunosuppression and secondary infections are caused by an AIM2 inflammasome-driven signaling cascade.

Loss of lymphocytes, particularly T cell apoptosis, is a central pathological event after severe tissue injury that is associated with increased susceptibility for life-threatening infections. The precise immunological mechanisms leading to T cell death after acute injury are largely unknown. Here, we identified a monocyte-T cell interaction driving bystander cell death of T cells in ischemic stroke and burn injury. Specifically, we found that stroke induced a FasL-expressing monocyte population, which led to extrinsic T cell apoptosis. This phenomenon was driven by AIM2 inflammasome-dependent interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) secretion after sensing cell-free DNA. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway improved T cell survival and reduced post-stroke bacterial infections. As such, this study describes inflammasome-dependent monocyte activation as a previously unstudied cause of T cell death after injury and challenges the current paradigms of post-injury lymphopenia.

Induction of DNA Hydroxymethylation Protects the Brain After Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Epigenetics play a significant role in brain pathologies. We currently evaluated the role of a recently discovered brain-enriched epigenetic modification known as 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in regulating transcriptomic and pathogenic mechanisms after focal ischemic injury. Methods- Young and aged male and female mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the peri-infarct region was analyzed at various times of reperfusion. Two days before middle cerebral artery occlusion, short-interfering RNA against an isoform of the 5hmC producing enzyme TET (ten-eleven translocase) was injected intracerebrally. Ascorbate was injected intraperitoneally at 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours of reperfusion. Motor function was tested with rotarod and beam-walk test. Results- Focal ischemia rapidly induced the activity of TET, the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of 5hmC and preferentially increased expression of the TET3 isoform in the peri-infarct region of the ischemic cortex. Levels of 5hmC were increased in a TET3-dependent manner, and inhibition of TET3 led to wide-scale reductions in the postischemic expression of neuroprotective genes involved in antioxidant defense and DNA repair. TET3 knockdown in adult male and female mice further increased brain degeneration after focal ischemia, demonstrating a role for TET3 and 5hmC in endogenous protection against stroke. Ascorbate treatment after focal ischemia enhanced TET3 activity and 5hmC enrichment in the peri-infarct region. TET3 activation by ascorbate provided robust protection against ischemic injury in young and aged mice of both sexes. Moreover, ascorbate treatment improved motor function recovery in both male and female mice. Conclusions- Collectively, these results indicate the potential of TET3 and 5hmC as novel stroke therapeutic targets. Visual Overview- An online visual overview is available for this article.

Identification of novel rhesus macaque microRNAs from naïve whole blood.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as novel molecular tools for diagnosing and treating diseases. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are the most widely used nonhuman primate species for biomedical studies, yet only 912 mature miRNAs have been identified in this species compared to 2654 in humans and 1978 in mice. The aim of this project was to help bridge that gap in knowledge by evaluating circulating miRNA in naïve rhesus monkeys and comparing results with currently available databases in different species in order to identify novel, mature miRNAs. Total RNA was isolated from whole blood of ten healthy, adult rhesus macaques. After performing next generation sequencing (NGS), 475 novel, mature miRNAs were identified in rhesus macaques for the first time; of those, 423 were identified for the first time in any species. The most abundantly expressed novel rhesus macaque miRNA, hsa-miR-744-5p, has previously been described in humans. Database assessment of hsa-miR-744-5p potential gene targets showed that while the gene targets showed > 90% sequence similarity between rhesus and humans, many did not share the same consensus sequences. The identification of 475 novel miRNAs in the blood of rhesus macaque reflects the complexity and variety of miRNAs across species. Further NGS studies are needed to reveal novel miRNA that will inform on species-, tissue-, and condition-specific miRNAs.

Effects of military deployment on cognitive functioning.

Military deployment poses many risks for cognitive functioning. When deployed individuals are compared to a nondeployed control group, there is some evidence that deployment may be associated with declines in cognitive functioning. The current study examined cognitive performance before and following deployment in a large sample of active duty military personnel (N = 8002) who reported no traumatic brain injury (TBI). Cognition was assessed using the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics version 4 TBI Military (ANAM4 TBI-MIL) battery, a computer-based battery of tests measuring attention, processing speed, and general cognitive efficiency. Pre- and postdeployment scores were compared using repeated measures analyses. Although statistically significant differences were observed for all tests (with 5 of 7 tests demonstrating performance improvement), effect sizes were very small for all but 1 test, indicating that performance differences had minimal clinical significance. Likewise, determination of change for individuals using reliable change indices revealed that a very small percentage (<3%) of this presumed healthy sample showed meaningful decline in cognition following deployment. Analyses indicated that despite risks for cognitive decline while in theater, deployment had minimal to no lasting effect on cognition as measured by ANAM4 TBI-Mil upon return from deployment.

MicroRNA miR-21 Decreases Post-stroke Brain Damage in Rodents.

Due to their role in controlling translation, microRNAs emerged as novel therapeutic targets to modulate post-stroke outcomes. We previously reported that miR-21 is the most abundantly induced microRNA in the brain of rodents subjected to preconditioning-induced cerebral ischemic tolerance. We currently show that intracerebral administration of miR-21 mimic decreased the infarct volume and promoted better motor function recovery in adult male and female C57BL/6 mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. The miR-21 mimic treatment is also efficacious in aged mice of both sexes subjected to focal ischemia. Mechanistically, miR-21 mimic treatment decreased the post-ischemic levels of several pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory RNAs, which might be responsible for the observed neuroprotection. We further observed post-ischemic neuroprotection in adult mice administered with miR-21 mimic intravenously. Overall, the results of this study implicate miR-21 as a promising candidate for therapeutic translation after stroke.

Effects of Cardiac Sympathetic Neurodegeneration and PPARγ Activation on Rhesus Macaque Whole Blood miRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles.

Degeneration of sympathetic innervation of the heart occurs in numerous diseases, including diabetes, idiopathic REM sleep disorder, and Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD, cardiac sympathetic denervation occurs in 80-90% of patients and can begin before the onset of motor symptoms. Today, there are no disease-modifying therapies for cardiac sympathetic neurodegeneration, and biomarkers are limited to radioimaging techniques. Analysis of expression levels of coding mRNA and noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), can uncover pathways involved in disease, leading to the discovery of biomarkers, pathological mechanisms, and potential drug targets. Whole blood in particular is a clinically relevant source of biomarkers, as blood sampling is inexpensive and simple to perform. Our research group has previously developed a nonhuman primate model of cardiac sympathetic denervation by intravenous administration of the catecholaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). In this rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) model, imaging with positron emission tomography showed that oral administration of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist pioglitazone (n = 5; 5 mg/kg daily) significantly decreased cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress compared to placebo (n = 5). Here, we report our analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression levels over time in the whole blood of these monkeys. Differential expression of three miRNAs was induced by 6-OHDA (mml-miR-16-2-3p, mml-miR-133d-3p, and mml-miR-1262-5p) and two miRNAs by pioglitazone (mml-miR-204-5p and mml-miR-146b-5p) at 12 weeks posttoxin, while expression of mRNAs involved in inflammatory cytokines and receptors was not significantly affected. Overall, this study contributes to the characterization of rhesus coding and noncoding RNA profiles in normal and disease-like conditions, which may facilitate the identification and clinical translation of biomarkers of cardiac neurodegeneration and neuroprotection.

Impact of microRNAs on ischemic stroke: From pre- to post-disease.

Stroke is the number one cause of neurological dysfunction in adults and has a heavy socioeconomic burden worldwide. The etiological origins of ischemic stroke and resulting pathological processes are mediated by a multifaceted cascade of molecular mechanisms that are in part modulated by posttranscriptional activity. Accumulating evidence has revealed a role for microRNAs (miRNAs) as essential mediators of posttranscriptional gene silencing in both the physiology of brain development and pathology of ischemic stroke. In this review, we compile miRNAs that have been reported to regulate various stroke risk factors and pre-disease mechanisms, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, followed by an in-depth analysis of miRNAs in ischemic stroke pathogenesis, such as excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and neurogenesis. Since promoting or suppressing expression of miRNAs by specific pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical therapies may be beneficial to post-stroke recovery, we also highlight the potential therapeutic value of miRNAs in clinical settings.

The microRNA miR-21 conditions the brain to protect against ischemic and traumatic injuries.

Ischemic and traumatic injuries to CNS remain leading causes of death and disability worldwide, despite decades of research into risk factors, therapies, and preventative measures. Recent studies showed that CNS injuries significantly alter the cerebral microRNAome that impact the secondary brain damage as well as plasticity and recovery. Many microRNA based therapies are currently in various clinical trials for different pathologic conditions indicating their therapeutic potential. In the present review, we discuss the role of miR-21 in acute CNS injuries which is currently thought to be a potent neuroprotective microRNA. We emphasize on the potential of miR-21 in promoting cell and tissue survival and preventing inflammation and apoptosis. We also discussed the role of miR-21 in conditioning the brain to promote ischemic tolerance. Finally, we discussed some of the challenges and difficulties to develop miR-21 as a neuroprotective therapy in humans.

Resveratrol preconditioning induces cerebral ischemic tolerance but has minimal effect on cerebral microRNA profiles.

The health benefits of the plant-derived polyphenol resveratrol were established in multiple disease systems. Notably, pre-treatment with resveratrol was shown to be neuroprotective in several models of cerebral ischemia. Mechanisms of resveratrol-mediated neuroprotection have been explored in the context of canonical resveratrol targets, but epigenetic and non-coding RNA processes have not yet been evaluated. Resveratrol was shown to alter microRNAs in cancer and cardiac ischemia. Previous studies also showed that ischemic preconditioning that induces ischemic tolerance significantly alters cerebral microRNA levels, particularly those that target neuroprotective pathways. Therefore, we tested if resveratrol-mediated ischemic tolerance also alters microRNA expression with a goal to identify microRNAs that are amenable to manipulation to induce neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia. Hence, we tested the microRNA profiles in mouse brain following intraperitoneal administration of resveratrol that induced significant tolerance against transient focal ischemia. We analyzed microRNA profiles using microarrays from both Affymetrix and LC Sciences that contain probes for all known mouse microRNAs. The results show that there is no consistent change in any of the microRNAs tested between resveratrol and vehicle groups indicating that microRNAs play a minimal role in resveratrol-mediated cerebral ischemic tolerance.

Resveratrol neuroprotection in stroke and traumatic CNS injury.

Resveratrol, a stilbene formed in many plants in response to various stressors, elicits multiple beneficial effects in vertebrates. Particularly, resveratrol was shown to have therapeutic properties in cancer, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. Resveratrol-induced benefits are modulated by multiple synergistic pathways that control oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death. Despite the lack of a definitive mechanism, both in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that resveratrol can induce a neuroprotective state when administered acutely or prior to experimental injury to the CNS. In this review, we discuss the neuroprotective potential of resveratrol in stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, with a focus on the molecular pathways responsible for this protection.

Lipoprotein concentration, particle number, size and cholesterol efflux capacity are associated with mitochondrial oxidative stress and function in an HIV positive cohort.

BACKGROUND: Association of lipoprotein particle size/number and HDL function with mitochondrial oxidative stress and function may underlie the excess cardiovascular (CVD) risk in HIV. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among HIV infected individuals on stable highly active antiretroviral therapy, we related standard and novel lipid measures [plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, lipoprotein particle (-P) subclass size and number and HDL function (via cholesterol-efflux capacity)] with oxidative stress [peripheral blood mononuclear cell's mitochondrial-specific 8-oxo-deoxyguanine (8-oxo-dG)] and function markers [oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) NADH dehydrogenase (Complex I) and cytochrome c oxidase (Complex IV) enzyme activities]. Multivariable-adjusted logistic and linear regression analyses were employed adjusting for age, gender, CD4 nadir, viral load, smoking, diabetes, HOMA-IR, hypertension and lipid medications. Among 150 HIV-infected persons (mean age 52 years, 12% women, median CD4 count 524 cell/mm3), low HDL-C and high total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio were related to PBMC 8-oxo-deoxyguanine (p = 0.01 and 0.02 respectively). Large HDL-P and HDL-P size were inversely related to PBMC 8-oxo-deoxyguanine (p = 0.04). Small LDL-P (p = 0.01) and total LDL-P (p = 0.01) were related to decreased OXPHOS Complex I activity. LDL-P was related to decreased OXPHOS Complex IV activity (p = 0.02). Cholesterol efflux capacity was associated with increased OXPHOS Complex IV activity. CONCLUSIONS: HDL concentration and particle size and number are related to decreased PBMC mitochondrial oxidative stress whereas HDL function is positively related to mitochondrial oxidative function. The association we find between atherogenic lipoprotein profile and increased oxidative stress and function suggests these pathways may be important in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic disease in HIV disease.

Working with low back pain: problem-solving orientation and function.

A number of ergonomic, workplace and individual psychosocial factors and health behaviors have been associated with the onset, exacerbation and/or maintenance of low back pain (LBP). The functional impact of these factors may be influenced by how a worker approaches problems in general. The present study was conducted to determine whether problem-solving orientation was associated with physical and mental health outcomes in fully employed workers (soldiers) reporting a history of LBP in the past year. The sample consisted of 475 soldiers (446 male, 29 female; mean age 24.5 years) who worked in jobs identified as high risk for LBP-related disability and reported LBP symptoms in the past 12 months. The Social Problem-Solving Inventory and the Standard Form-12 (SF-12) were completed by all subjects. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to predict the SF-12 physical health summary scale from interactions of LBP symptoms with each of five problem-solving subscales. Low scores on positive problem-solving orientation (F(1,457)=4.49), and high scores on impulsivity/carelessness (F(1,457)=9.11) were associated with a steeper gradient in functional loss related to LBP. Among those with a longer history of low-grade LBP, an avoidant approach to problem-solving was also associated with a steeper gradient of functional loss (three-way interaction; F(1,458)=4.58). These results suggest that the prolonged impact of LBP on daily function may be reduced by assisting affected workers to conceptualize LBP as a problem that can be overcome and using strategies that promote taking an active role in reducing risks for LBP. Secondary prevention efforts may be improved by addressing these factors.

Ergonomics evaluation of a government office building.

An ergonomics team from the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive medicine evaluated 465 video display terminal (VDT) workstations in a Government office building over an 18-day period. Each workstation evaluation involved an assessment of the worker, the chair, the desk, the keyboard, the pointing device, the monitor, and the office environmental conditions. The team also collected worker pain and injury information. The problems seen during the evaluation were characteristic of most office environments where VDT workstation furniture was purchased before the advent of mouse-driven software. The majority of furniture evaluated was not designed to meet the demands of intensive mouse use for prolonged periods of time. Much of the workstation furniture was not adjustable, chairs lacked adequate back support, and workers assumed non-neutral postures. As a result, more than 35% of the workers evaluated complained of on-the-job pain. New office furniture that is adjustable, adequate desk space and storage space were among the solutions recommended by the ergonomics team.