Exaggerated Increases in Microglia Proliferation, Brain Inflammatory Response and Sickness Behaviour upon Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation in Non-Obese Diabetic Mice.

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, an established model for autoimmune diabetes, shows an exaggerated reaction of pancreas macrophages to inflammatory stimuli. NOD mice also display anxiety when immune-stimulated. Chronic mild brain inflammation and a pro-inflammatory microglial activation is critical in psychiatric behaviour. OBJECTIVE: To explore brain/microglial activation and behaviour in NOD mice at steady state and after systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. METHODS: Affymetrix analysis on purified microglia of pre-diabetic NOD mice (8-10 weeks) and control mice (C57BL/6 and CD1 mice, the parental non-autoimmune strain) at steady state and after systemic LPS (100 µg/kg) administration. Quantitative PCR was performed on the hypothalamus for immune activation markers (IL-1ß, IFNγ and TNFα) and growth factors (BDNF and PDGF). Behavioural profiling of NOD, CD1, BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice at steady state was conducted and sickness behaviour/anxiety in NOD and CD1 mice was monitored before and after LPS injection. RESULTS: Genome analysis revealed cell cycle/cell death and survival aberrancies of NOD microglia, substantiated as higher proliferation on BrdU staining. Inflammation signs were absent. NOD mice had a hyper-reactive response to novel environments with some signs of anxiety. LPS injection induced a higher expression of microglial activation markers, a higher brain pro-inflammatory set point (IFNγ, IDO) and a reduced expression of BDNF and PDGF after immune stimulation in NOD mice. NOD mice displayed exaggerated and prolonged sickness behaviour after LPS administration. CONCLUSION: After stimulation with LPS, NOD mice display an increased microglial proliferation and an exaggerated inflammatory brain response with reduced BDNF and PDGF expression and increased sickness behaviour as compared to controls.

Inhibition of stress-induced hepatic tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase exhibits antidepressant activity in an animal model of depressive behaviour.

The role of hepatic tryptophan 2,3 dioxygenase (TDO) was assessed in the provocation of stress-induced depression-related behaviour in the rat. TDO drives tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway (KP) and leads to the production of neuroactive metabolites including kynurenine. A single 2 h period of restraint stress in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats provoked an increase in circulating concentrations of the glucocorticoid corticosterone and induction of hepatic TDO expression and activity. Repeated exposure to stress (10 d of 2 h restraint each day) provoked an increase in immobility in the forced swimming test (FST) indicative of depression-related behaviour. Immobility was accompanied by an increase in the circulating corticosterone concentrations, expression and activity of hepatic TDO and increase in the expression of TDO in the cerebral cortex. Increased TDO activity was associated with raised circulating kynurenine concentrations and a reduction in circulating tryptophan concentrations indicative of KP activation. Co-treatment with the TDO inhibitor allopurinol (20 mg/kg, i.p.), attenuated the chronic stress-related increase in immobility in the FST and the accompanying increase in circulating kynurenine concentrations. These findings indicate that stress-induced corticosterone and consequent activation of hepatic TDO, tryptophan metabolism and production of kynurenine provoke a depression-related behavioural phenotype. Inhibition of stress-related hepatic TDO activity promotes antidepressant activity. TDO may therefore represent a promising target for the treatment of depression associated with stress-related disorders in which there is evidence for KP activation.

Poly I:C-induced activation of the immune response is accompanied by depression and anxiety-like behaviours, kynurenine pathway activation and reduced BDNF expression.

In this study we characterised the ability of the viral mimetic poly I:C to induce a neuroinflammatory response and induce symptoms of depression and anxiety in rats. Furthermore, the ability of poly I:C to deplete central tryptophan and serotonin via induction of indolamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO), and also the ability of poly I:C to impact upon expression of the neurotrophin BDNF and its receptor TrkB were examined as potential mechanisms to link inflammation to depression. Poly I:C induced a neuroinflammatory response characterised by increased expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and CD11b in frontal cortex and hippocampus. In the first 24h following poly I:C administration rats displayed sickness behaviour characterised by reduced locomotor activity and weight gain. Anhedonia measured using the saccharin preference test was used as an indicator of depressive behaviour, and poly I:C induced depressive behaviour that persisted for up to 72h following administration. Anxiety was measured using the open field test and anxious behaviour was observed 24h following poly I:C, a time-point when sickness behaviour had resolved. These behavioural changes were accompanied by decreased expression of BDNF and TrkB in hippocampus and frontal cortex. In addition, poly I:C increased central IDO expression and increased concentrations of tryptophan, and its metabolite kynurenine. However this activation of the kynurenine pathway did not result in reduced central serotonin concentrations. These findings suggest that depressive and anxiety-like behaviours elicited by poly I:C are associated with a reduction in BDNF signalling, and activation of the kynurenine pathway, but not a reduction in serotonin.

Distinct alterations in colonic morphology and physiology in two rat models of enhanced stress-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviour.

Stress and anxiety are important causal and exacerbating factors in functional gastro-intestinal (GI) disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. Stress affects GI motility, faecal transit and visceral pain sensitivity. Additionally, permeability and function of the gut epithelium, which acts as a barrier between the external environment and the body's internal milieu is altered by stress. However, the effects of an enhanced stress response on colonic morphology require further investigation. We have used two animal models of stress and anxiety, the maternally separated (MS) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats to examine colonic morphology. These rats exhibit increased anxiety behaviours, visceral hypersensitivity and increased stress-induced defecation in the open field arena. At a morphological level, increased mucus secretion and an associated elevation in the number of mucosal goblet cells was observed in the high anxiety rats. Additionally, the mucosal layer was flattened in MS and WKY rats, a finding indicative of mild mucosal damage. Furthermore, the muscular layer of the distal colon in these animals was thickened, an observation that may have implications for faecal transit and visceral pain perception. This study provides evidence of altered colonic function and morphology in two animal models with a heightened response to stress.

Sonic hedgehog promotes the generation of myelin proteins by transplanted oligosphere-derived cells.

The generation of large numbers of functionally relevant cells for transplantation remains central to the use of cell replacement as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases. In this study we have analyzed the effect of sonic hedgehog (Shh) pretreatment on the myelinating potential of transplanted oligosphere-derived cells. The retina was chosen as a model for assessing this myelinating capability because 1) there is a lack of endogenous myelin in the normal rodent retina and 2) the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons are receptive to myelination, once myelinating cells have access to the retinal nerve fiber layer. Initially, oligospheres were generated in the presence of B104 CM but without the addition of Shh. After transplantation, 60% of the animals developed tumors in the eye that had received the transplant and were not analyzed for the presence of myelin. In the remaining retinas, the transplanted oligosphere-derived cells were not myelin competent, as indicated by the absence of myelin proteins in the retinal nerve fiber layer. In contrast, when B104 CM oligospheres were generated in the presence of Shh, myelin proteins were found in the nerve fiber layer after transplantation. In addition, the amount of myelin proteins synthesized increased with time posttransplantation, with the majority of the nerve fiber layer immunoreactive for these proteins in some retinas after 2 months. This study has demonstrated that growth as oligospheres and endogenously derived growth/differentiation factors alone are not sufficient to induce the differentiation of B104-treated oligosphere-derived cells and that pretreating the oligospheres by growth in the presence of Shh before transplantation is essential to induce their myelinating competence.

Autoimmunity, inflammation, and psychosis: a search for peripheral markers.

Accumulating evidence supports the view that deregulation of the immune system represents an important vulnerability factor for psychosis. In a subgroup of psychotic patients, the high comorbidity with autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions suggests a common underlying immune abnormality leading to both conditions. The reviewed data of affective and nonaffective psychosis show that if immune biomarkers exist for such immune abnormality, they may be found in raised macrophage/monocyte inflammatory activation patterns (monocytosis, high-inflammatory gene expression, raised glucocorticoid receptor ß/glucocorticoid receptor α ratio, and high levels of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory monocyte/macrophage derived cytokines in serum/plasma), reduced T cell numbers/proliferation, and TH1 skewing. This activation of the inflammatory response system may be suggestive for microglia activation, as these cells are the macrophages of the brain. Indeed, there is some evidence of activation of the microglia as detected in positron emission tomography scans and in histopathology, and it is assumed that this activation disturbs the development and function of neuronal circuits in the brain. Further, animal models of psychotic conditions (maternal stress and inflammation paradigms) suggest that such monocyte/microglia activation could be seen as the result of a combination of genetic predisposition and an immune-mediated two-hit model. Infection but also environmental stressors during gestation/early life activate microglia, perturbing neuronal development, thereby setting the stage for vulnerability for later psychotic disorders. A second hit, such as endocrine changes, stress, or infection, could further activate microglia, leading to functional abnormalities of the neuronal circuitry in the brain and psychosis.

Noradrenaline acting on astrocytic ß2-adrenoceptors induces neurite outgrowth in primary cortical neurons.

The neurotransmitter noradrenaline (NA) has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes expression of neurotrophic factors in the central nervous system (CNS) via activation of glial adrenoceptors. Here we examined the ability of conditioned media (CM) from NA-treated glial cells to impact upon neuronal complexity. Primary rat cortical neurons were treated either directly with NA (1-10 µM), or treated with CM from NA-stimulated primary mixed glial cells. Neuronal complexity was assessed using Sholl analysis. Exposure of neurons to CM from NA-stimulated glial cells increased all indices of neuronal complexity, whereas direct exposure of neurons to NA did not. CM from NA-stimulated astrocytes, but not microglia, also increased neuronal complexity indicating a key role for astrocytes. The ß-adrenergic subtype was implicated in this response as the increase was blocked by the ß-adrenoceptor antagonist propanolol, but not by the α-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine. CM from glial cells treated with the ß2-adrenoceptor agonists salmeterol and clenbuterol, but not the ß1-adrenoceptor agonist xamoterol, mimicked the ability of NA to increase neuronal complexity. NA induced expression of a range of growth factors (BDNF, NGF-ß, GDNF, FGF-2 and IL-6) in glial cells. In addition to this, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and JAK-STAT signalling pathways are implicated in NA CM-induced neuritic growth as inhibition of these pathways attenuated NA CM-induced neuritic growth. In conclusion, this study indicates a novel role for NA acting at glial ß2-adrenoceptors to induce neuritic growth through the expression of soluble factors that elicit a neurotrophic action and increase neuronal complexity.

The gene expression profile of CD11c+ CD8α- dendritic cells in the pre-diabetic pancreas of the NOD mouse.

Two major dendritic cell (DC) subsets have been described in the pancreas of mice: The CD11c+ CD8α- DCs (strong CD4+ T cell proliferation inducers) and the CD8α+ CD103+ DCs (T cell apoptosis inducers). Here we analyzed the larger subset of CD11c+ CD8α- DCs isolated from the pancreas of pre-diabetic NOD mice for genome-wide gene expression (validated by Q-PCR) to elucidate abnormalities in underlying gene expression networks. CD11c+ CD8α- DCs were isolated from 5 week old NOD and control C57BL/6 pancreas. The steady state pancreatic NOD CD11c+ CD8α- DCs showed a reduced expression of several gene networks important for the prime functions of these cells, i.e. for cell renewal, immune tolerance induction, migration and for the provision of growth factors including those for beta cell regeneration. A functional in vivo BrdU incorporation test showed the reduced proliferation of steady state pancreatic DC. The reduced expression of tolerance induction genes (CD200R, CCR5 and CD24) was supported on the protein level by flow cytometry. Also previously published functional tests on maturation, immune stimulation and migration confirm the molecular deficits of NOD steady state DC. Despite these deficiencies NOD pancreas CD11c+ CD8α- DCs showed a hyperreactivity to LPS, which resulted in an enhanced pro-inflammatory state characterized by a gene profile of an enhanced expression of a number of classical inflammatory cytokines. The enhanced up-regulation of inflammatory genes was supported by the in vitro cytokine production profile of the DCs. In conclusion, our data show that NOD pancreatic CD11c+ CD8α- DCs show various deficiencies in steady state, while hyperreactive when encountering a danger signal such as LPS.

Evidence for a dysregulated immune system in the etiology of psychiatric disorders.

There is extensive bi-directional communication between the brain and the immune system in both health and disease. In recent years, the role of an altered immune system in the etiology of major psychiatric disorders has become more apparent. Studies have demonstrated that some patients with major psychiatric disorders exhibit characteristic signs of immune dysregulation and that this may be a common pathophysiological mechanism that underlies the development and progression of these disorders. Furthermore, many psychiatric disorders are also often accompanied by chronic medical conditions related to immune dysfunction such as autoimmune diseases, diabetes and atherosclerosis. One of the major psychiatric disorders that has been associated with an altered immune system is schizophrenia, with approximately one third of patients with this disorder showing immunological abnormalities such as an altered cytokine profile in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. An altered cytokine profile is also found in a proportion of patients with major depressive disorder and is thought to be potentially related to the pathophysiology of this disorder. Emerging evidence suggests that altered immune parameters may also be implicated in the neurobiological etiology of autism spectrum disorders. Further support for a role of immune dysregulation in the pathophysiology of these psychiatric disorders comes from studies showing the immunomodulating effects of antipsychotics and antidepressants, and the mood altering effects of anti-inflammatory therapies. This review will not attempt to discuss all of the psychiatric disorders that have been associated with an augmented immune system, but will instead focus on several key disorders where dysregulation of this system has been implicated in their pathophysiology including depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder.

The immune theory of psychiatric diseases: a key role for activated microglia and circulating monocytes.

This review describes a key role for mononuclear phagocytes in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders. There is accumulating evidence for activation of microglia (histopathology and PET scans) and circulating monocytes (enhanced gene expression of immune genes, an overproduction of monocyte/macrophage-related cytokines) in patients with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. These data are strengthened by observations in animal models, such as the MIA models, the chronic stress models, and the NOD mouse model. In these animal models of depressive-, anxiety-, and schizophrenia-like behavior, similar activations of microglia and circulating monocytes can be found. These animal models also make in-depth pathogenic studies possible and show that microglia activation impacts neuronal development and function in brain areas congruent with the altered depressive and schizophrenia-like behaviors.