Transcriptomic profiling of astrocytes treated with the Rho kinase inhibitor fasudil reveals cytoskeletal and pro-survival responses.

Inhibitors of Rho kinase (ROCK) have potential for management of neurological disorders by inhibition of glial scarring. Since astrocytes play key roles in brain physiology and pathology, we determined changes in the astrocytic transcriptome produced by the ROCK inhibitor Fasudil to obtain mechanistic insights into its beneficial action during brain injury. Cultured murine astrocytes were treated with Fasudil (100 µM) and morphological analyses revealed rapid stellation by 1 h and time-dependent (2-24 h) dissipation of F-actin-labelled stress fibres. Microarray analyses were performed on RNA and the time-course of global gene profiling (2, 6, 12 and 24 h) provided a comprehensive description of transcriptomic changes. Hierarchical clustering of differentially expressed genes and analysis for over-represented gene ontology groups using the DAVID database focused attention on Fasudil-induced changes to major biological processes regulating cellular shape and motility (actin cytoskeleton, axon guidance, transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) signalling and tight junctions). Bioinformatic analyses of transcriptomic changes revealed how these biological processes contributed to changes in astrocytic motility and cytoskeletal reorganisation. Here genes associated with extracellular matrix were also involved, but unexpected was a subset of alterations (EAAT2, BDNF, anti-oxidant species, metabolic and signalling genes) indicative of adoption by astrocytes of a pro-survival phenotype. Expression profiles of key changes with Fasudil and another ROCK inhibitor Y27632 were validated by real-time PCR. Although effects of ROCK inhibition have been considered to be primarily cytoskeletal via reduction of glial scarring, we demonstrate additional advantageous actions likely to contribute to their ameliorative actions in brain injury.

Antisense peptide nucleic acid targeting GluR3 delays disease onset and progression in the SOD1 G93A mouse model of familial ALS.

Glutamate excitotoxicity is strongly implicated as a major contributing factor in motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Excitotoxicity results from elevated intracellular calcium ion (Ca(2+)) levels, which in turn recruit cell death signaling pathways. Recent evidence suggests that alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit (GluR) stoichiometry is a dominant factor leading to excess Ca(2+) loading in neurodegeneration. In particular, the Ca(2+) permeable glutamate receptor subunit 3 (GluR3) has been implicated in several neurologic conditions such as bipolar disorder and epilepsy. Recent proteomic analysis within our group on the copper zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1)(G93A) transgenic mouse model of familial ALS (FALS) reveals a potentially deleterious upregulation of GluR3 in spinal cord compared to that in wild-type littermates. Based on this finding we designed a 12mer antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) directed against GluR3. This sequence significantly reduced levels of GluR3 protein and protected neuroblastoma x spinal cord (NSC-34) cells against death induced by the AMPA receptor-specific agonist (S)-5-fluorowillardiine. We subsequently treated SOD1(G93A) mice thrice weekly with intraperitoneal injections of the antisense PNA (2.5 mg/kg) commencing at postnatal day 50. Mice treated with the antisense sequence had significantly extended survival compared to mice injected with a nonsense sequence. Western blot analysis, however, did not reveal a significant reduction in GluR3 protein levels in whole extracts of the lumbar spinal cord. These results suggest that interference with the GluR3 component of the AMPA receptor assembly may be a novel strategy for controlling excitotoxic destruction of motor neurons and may lead to new therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of human ALS.