Factors predictive of leg-ulcer healing in sickle cell disease: a multicentre, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Leg ulcers (LUs) are a chronic and severe complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). A prospective study in patients with SCD to identify factors associated with complete healing and recurrence of LUs is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To determine clinical and biological factors associated with SCD-LU complete healing and recurrence. METHODS: This prospective, observational cohort study was conducted at two adult SCD referral-centre sites (2009-2015) and included 98 consecutive patients with at least one LU lasting ≥ 2 weeks. The primary end points compared patients with healed vs. nonhealed LUs at week 24, and patients with vs. without recurrence during follow-up. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) LU area, duration and follow-up were, respectively, 6·2 cm2 (3-12·8), 9 weeks (4-26) and 65·8 weeks (23·8-122·1). At week 24, LUs were healed in 47% of patients, while 49% of LUs recurred. Univariate analyses identified inclusion LU area < 8 cm2 (82% vs. 35%; P < 0·001), inclusion LU duration < 9 weeks (65% vs. 35%; P = 0·0013) and high median fetal haemoglobin level (P = 0·008) as being significantly associated with complete healing at week 24, and low lactate dehydrogenase level (P = 0·038) as being associated with recurrence. Multivariate analyses retained LU area < 8 cm2 (odds ratio 6·73, 95% confidence interval 2·35-19. 31; P < 0·001) and < 9 weeks' duration (OR 3·19, 95% confidence interval 1·16-8·76; P = 0·024) as being independently associated with healing at week 24. Factors independently associated with recurrence could not be identified. CONCLUSIONS: SCD-LU complete healing is independently associated with the clinical characteristics of LUs rather than the clinical or biological characteristics of SCD.

Transfer of a foreign gene into the brain using adenovirus vectors.

The ability of a replication-deficient adenovirus vector to transfer a foreign gene into neural cells of adult rats in vivo has been analysed. A large number of neural cells (including neurons, astrocytes and ependymal cells) expressed an E. coli lacZ transgene for at least 45 days after inoculation of various brain areas. Injecting up to 3 x 10(5) pfu in 10 microliters did not result in any detectable cytopathic effects--these were only observed for very high titres of infection (> 10(7) pfu 10 microliters-1). Adenovirus vectors therefore appear to be a promising means for in vivo transfer of therapeutic genes into the central nervous system.

Fetal striatal allografts reverse cognitive deficits in a primate model of Huntington disease.

Substitutive therapy using fetal striatal grafts in animal models of Huntington disease (HD) have already demonstrated obvious beneficial effects on motor indices. Using a new phenotypic model of HD recently designed in primates, we demonstrate here complete and persistent recovery in a frontal-type cognitive task two to five months after intrastriatal allografting. The striatal allografts also reduce the occurrence of dystonia, a major abnormal movement associated with HD. These results show the capacity of fetal neurons to provide a renewed substrate for both cognitive and motor systems in the lesioned adult brain. They also support the use of neural transplantation as a potential therapy for HD.

Shc signaling in differentiating neural progenitor cells.

Previously we found that the availability of ShcA adapter is maximal in neural stem cells but that it is absent in mature neurons. Here we report that ShcC, unlike ShcA, is not present in neural stem/progenitor cells, but is expressed after cessation of their division and becomes selectively enriched in mature neurons. Analyses of its activity in differentiating neural stem/progenitor cells revealed that ShcC positively affects their viability and neuronal maturation via recruitment of the PI3K-Akt-Bad pathway and persistent activation of the MAPK pathway. We suggest that the switch from ShcA to ShcC modifies the responsiveness of neural stem/progenitor cells to extracellular stimuli, generating proliferation (with ShcA) or survival/differentiation (with ShcC).

Drug screening on Hutchinson Gilford progeria pluripotent stem cells reveals aminopyrimidines as new modulators of farnesylation.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a dramatic appearance of premature aging. HGPS is due to a single-base substitution in exon 11 of the LMNA gene (c.1824C>T) leading to the production of a toxic form of the prelamin A protein called progerin. Because farnesylation process had been shown to control progerin toxicity, in this study we have developed a screening method permitting to identify new pharmacological inhibitors of farnesylation. For this, we have used the unique potential of pluripotent stem cells to have access to an unlimited and relevant biological resource and test 21,608 small molecules. This study identified several compounds, called monoaminopyrimidines, which target two key enzymes of the farnesylation process, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase and farnesyl transferase, and rescue in vitro phenotypes associated with HGPS. Our results opens up new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of HGPS by identifying a new family of protein farnesylation inhibitors, and which may also be applicable to cancers and diseases associated with mutations that involve farnesylated proteins.

Neuroprotective gene therapy for Huntington's disease using a polymer encapsulated BHK cell line engineered to secrete human CNTF.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease with devastating clinical effects on cognitive, psychological, and motor functions. These clinical symptoms primarily relate to the progressive loss of medium-spiny GABA-ergic neurons of the striatum. There is no known treatment to date. Several neurotrophic factors have, however, demonstrated the capacity to protect striatal neurons in various experimental models of HD. This includes the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), the substance examined in this protocol. An ex vivo gene therapy approach based on encapsulated genetically modified BHK cells will be used for the continuous and long-term intracerebral delivery of CNTF. A device, containing up to 106 human CNTF-producing BHK cells surrounded by a semipermeable membrane, will be implanted into the right lateral ventricle of 6 patients. Capsules releasing 0.15-0.5 microg CNTF/day will be used. In this phase I study, the principal goal will be the evaluation of the safety and tolerability of the procedure. As a secondary goal, HD symptoms will be analyzed using a large battery of neuropsychological, motor, neurological, and neurophysiological tests and the striatal pathology monitored using MRI and PET-scan imaging. It is expected that the gene therapy approach described in this protocol will mitigate the side effects associated with the peripheral administration of recombinant hCNTF and allow a well-tolerated, continuous intracerebroventricular delivery of the neuroprotective factor.

Restoration of cognitive and motor functions by ciliary neurotrophic factor in a primate model of Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited disorder characterized by cognitive impairments, motor deficits, and progressive dementia. These symptoms result from progressive neurodegenerative changes mainly affecting the neostriatum. This pathology is fatal in 10 to 20 years and there is currently no treatment for HD. Early in the course of the disease, initial clinical manifestations are due to striatal neuronal dysfunction, which is later followed by massive neuronal death. A major therapeutic objective is therefore to reverse striatal dysfunction prior to cell death. Using a primate model reproducing the clinical features and the progressive neuronal degeneration typical of HD, we tested the therapeutic effects of direct intrastriatal infusion of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). To achieve a continuous delivery of CNTF over the full period of evaluation, we took advantage of the macroencapsulation technique. Baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells previously engineered to produce human CNTF were encapsulated into semipermeable membranes and implanted bilaterally into striata. We show here that intracerebral delivery of low doses of CNTF at the onset of symptoms not only protects neurons from degeneration but also restores neostriatal functions. CNTF-treated primates recovered, in particular, cognitive and motor functions dependent on the anatomofunctional integrity of frontostriatal pathways that were distinctively altered in this HD model. These results support the hypothesis that CNTF infusion into the striatum of HD patients not only could block the degeneration of neurons but also alleviated motor and cognitive symptoms associated with persistent neuronal dysfunction.

Neuroprotective gene therapy for Huntington's disease, using polymer-encapsulated cells engineered to secrete human ciliary neurotrophic factor: results of a phase I study.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disease that affects the efferent neurons of the striatum. The protracted evolution of the pathology over 15 to 20 years, after clinical onset in adulthood, underscores the potential of therapeutic tools that would aim at protecting striatal neurons. Proteins with neuroprotective effects in the adult brain have been identified, among them ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), which protected striatal neurons in animal models of HD. Accordingly, we have carried out a phase I study evaluating the safety of intracerebral administration of this protein in subjects with HD, using a device formed by a semipermeable membrane encapsulating a BHK cell line engineered to synthesize CNTF. Six subjects with stage 1 or 2 HD had one capsule implanted into the right lateral ventricle; the capsule was retrieved and exchanged for a new one every 6 months, over a total period of 2 years. No sign of CNTF-induced toxicity was observed; however, depression occurred in three subjects after removal of the last capsule, which may have correlated with the lack of any future therapeutic option. All retrieved capsules were intact but contained variable numbers of surviving cells, and CNTF release was low in 13 of 24 cases. Improvements in electrophysiological results were observed, and were correlated with capsules releasing the largest amount of CNTF. This phase I study shows the safety, feasibility, and tolerability of this gene therapy procedure. Heterogeneous cell survival, however, stresses the need for improving the technique.

Fetal homotypic transplant in the excitotoxically neuron-depleted thalamus: light microscopy.

One month after an in situ injection of kainic acid into the ventrobasal thalamic complex (VB), the lesioned area is totally depleted of neurons. The present study has been undertaken to determine the cytoarchitecture and connectivity of the nucleus constructed by fetal thalamic neurons implanted into the excitotoxically lesioned area. Adult rats received an injection of kainic acid inducing a total neuronal depletion of the right lateral thalamus (including both the nucleus reticularis thalami and the lateral portion of the ventrobasal complex). One month later, homotypic neurons were taken from the dorsal thalamic primordium of rat embryos (gestational age 15-16 days), dissociated, and injected into the lesioned area as a cell suspension. After 2-4-month survival, the cytoarchitecture of the neonucleus formed by the grafted neurons within the previously neuron-depleted area was analyzed. Additionally, connectivity was analyzed in seven rats in which dorsal column nuclei and/or cortical projections to the area were labeled anterogradely with either 3H-leucine or wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to HRP, and the animals were perfused and processed following various histological procedures (Nissl staining, autoradiographic processing, and histochemistry for visualization of peroxidase). Fetal neurons grew, differentiated, and progressively occupied the previously neuron-depleted area of the adult host CNS. They organized themselves into a neonucleus with particular cytoarchitectural features including 1) the existence of two concentric zones--a central zone containing neurons and glial cells and a marginal zone only filled with a band of glial cells, 2) an increase in cellular density compared to the intact thalamus, 3) the grouping of neurons in spherical clusters, and 4) apparent polymorphism of neuronal somata. Lemniscal and corticothalamic afferents originating from the host were observed in the neonucleus when the fetal neurons had been implanted correctly into the lesioned area but not when they had been misplaced into either normal thalamic tissue or the internal capsule. The afferents labeled from either the dorsal column nuclei or the somatosensory cortex were, however, less dense in the neonucleus than in the normal thalamus. These results are discussed with regard to the normal cytoarchitecture and connectivity of the ventrobasal complex of the rat thalamus.

Homotypic fetal transplants into an experimental model of spinal cord neurodegeneration.

Many neurotransplantation studies have dealt with the ability of solid fetal spinal grafts to develop in the previously traumatized spinal cord of a host. In neurodegenerative spinal diseases, however, motoneuronal death occurs in the absence of a trauma, i.e., in the absence of axotomy of afferent fibers. Lesioning the spinal cord with an excitotoxic agent may provide a useful neurodegenerative model. The present study has been undertaken to determine whether homotypic fetal neurons transplanted as a cell suspension are able to rebuild a neural circuitry. Emphasis is given here to the analysis of the development of transplanted motoneurons and host-graft connectivity. The lesion was made by kainic acid on the right side of the lumbar enlargement 1 week before transplantation. The fetal spinal cords were taken from rat embryos (gestational day E12-13) and transplanted as cell suspensions. Light- and electron-microscopic analysis demonstrated that the excitotoxic lesion extended over the entire spinal segment and was confined primarily to the ventral and intermediate horns, implying the death of all motoneurons with consequent paralysis and muscular atrophy of corresponding hindlimb. The lesion was characterized by a lack of neurons, glial proliferation, and sparing of fibers of passage and afferents. Two to fourteen months after surgery, the transplants were generally large, occupying most of the neuron-depleted area. The boundaries between the transplant and host tissue were clearly delineated by the higher cellular density of the graft and the particular cytoarchitecture, i.e., the cell suspension grafts did not display a laminar organization. Among the different neuronal populations within the transplant, one resembled motoneurons: large, typically Nissl-stained and immunoreactive for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). No grafted neuron, however, extended an axon into the host ventral roots. Monoaminergic afferents from the host were studied using immunostaining for serotonin, noradrenaline, and tyrosine hydroxylase. These afferent fibers, thin and varicose, grew for a long distance and formed a network within transplants. Similarly, primary sensory CGRP-immunoreactive fibers (entering the graft from the dorsal host-graft interface) penetrated deeply into transplants. The response of cortico- and rubro-spinal afferents to the implantation of fetal tissue was different. After injection of WGA-HRP, a few anterogradely labeled cortical and rubral fibers entered only the most peripheral portion of transplants. In conclusion, our results indicate that fetal spinal neurons can be successfully transplanted into the adult neuron-depleted spinal cord.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effects of target deprivation on the morphology and survival of adult dorsal column nuclei neurons.

During development, interaction with target cells plays a critical role in the regulation of survival of afferent neurons. In an attempt to define the role of target cells in the adult central nervous system, the somatodendritic morphology and survival of adult cuneate neurons deprived of their targets by in situ injection of kainic acid in the rat thalamus were studied. In neuron-specific, enolase-immunostained sections, a 20% decrease in the mean longest diameter of the labeled cells was detected at 4 months postlesion. This somatic atrophy was accompanied by a loss of distal dendritic arborizations as observed after labeling by intracellular diffusion of horseradish peroxidase. Cytochrome oxidase staining did not reveal detectable alterations of the metabolic activity of these neurons, and an ultrastructural study also failed to demonstrate major changes in the neuronal somata. Cell counts indicated a much delayed death of 25% of the neurons at 10 months postlesion, whereas no neuronal death was detected at 7 months. The glial cells appeared unaltered both in number and in immunolabeling when using OX-42 antibodies or antiglial fibrillary acidic protein (anti-GFAP) antibodies. Results obtained in this time-course study indicate that neuronal death and alteration of the somatodendritic morphology are much delayed events after excitotoxic loss of targets. Somatodendritic atrophy occurs several months postlesion, and neuronal death occurs close to 1 year after lesion. These results suggest that the hypothesis of a necessary continuous trophic support by target cells does not hold as firmly for the adult central nervous system as during development.

Light and electron microscopic evidence of transneuronal labeling with WGA-HRP to trace somatosensory pathways to the thalamus.

Horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat-germ lectin is being used with increasing frequency as an anterograde label to trace pathways in the nervous system, owing to the sensitivity of the method and ease of use. However, it has been suggested that horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat-germ lectin may be transneuronally transported, thus affecting the ease of interpretation of the results. The present study used the projections of the dorsal column nuclei and spinal cord to the thalamus as a model system to determine whether transneuronal transport could be demonstrated and whether the degree of such transport was related to the size of the injection site. Light microscopic observation of sections incubated with tetramethyl benzidine after large injections (1 microL of a 10% solution of horseradish-peroxidase-conjugated wheat-germ lectin in water) in the dorsal column nuclei demonstrated the presence of labeled neurons in the nucleus reticularis thalami, which is not known to receive afferents from or project to these nuclei. The electron microscopic study, although based upon the use of the chromogen benzidine dihydrochloride, less sensitive than tetramethyl benzidine, revealed the existence of labeled neurons in the thalamic ventrobasal complex. This is unlikely to be due to retrograde labeling and is therefore interpreted as a result of transneuronal, perhaps transsynaptic, transport. Glial and perivascular cells also contained granules of reaction product in some cases. Smaller injections (100 nL) in the dorsal column nuclei, on the other hand, did not produce this apparent transneuronal labeling. After small injections (100 nL) in the spinal cord, anterograde labeling was observed mainly in the thalamic ventrobasal complex in the rat, and in the posterior group in the cat, and the nuclei centralis lateralis and submedius in both species, as has been described in numerous other studies. After large injections, additional labeled areas were observed in the posterior intralaminar region (parafascicular-center median complex), in the medial thalamus (nuclei reuniens, rhomboid and paraventricular), and in the cat, in the ventroposterolateral nucleus. In the rat, experiments were performed in which a kainic acid injection was made to induce neuronal loss in the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis of the medulla, which is a relay of the spinoreticulothalamic pathway, known to project to some of these thalamic areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Morphological maturation of thalamic neurons as studied in fetal neural transplants.

This study attempts to determine whether fetal thalamic neuroblasts from rat embryos (embryonic age 15 days) labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) can differentiate into their normal dendritic phenotype when transplanted as a cell suspension into a lesioned site in the adult somatosensory thalamus. The HRP labeling provided a Golgi-like staining of numerous neurons up to 12-14 days after transplantation. There were three main results. 1) As early as 2 days after transplantation three morphologic cell types were observed: Two were bipolar and the third multipolar. These cellular profiles are characteristic of adult ventroposterolateral, reticular, and ventroposteromedial neurons and suggest that transplanted neurons can take shape in the absence of specific arrangements of afferent fibers. 2) The initial stage of dendritic growth was characterized by numerous growing specializations and consisted of a rapid, arborizing growth that appeared to proceed at an accelerated rate relative to normal development. During the later stage, which was characterized by the great reduction of growing specializations, dendritic remodeling resulted in a simpler morphology, and the transplanted neurons did not achieve an adult morphology. 3) Putative axons exhibiting growth cones were present in impressive densities in the transplants, and a number of them grew into the neuron-depleted host thalamus. A very small number of axons grew into host gray matter outside the lesioned area, indicating that neurodegenerative areas provide a better substrate for neurite outgrowth than intact tissue. In rare instances axons were visible in the internal capsule, indicating that the biochemical inhibition provided by mature myelin and oligodendrocytes may not be an absolute obstacle to axonal growth.

Structural alteration and possible growth of afferents after kainate lesion in the adult rat thalamus.

Afferents to the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VB) originating from the spinal cord, the dorsal column nuclei, and the somatosensory cortex were anterogradely labeled by WGA-HRP 30 days after an injection of kainic acid (KA), which produced a complete unilateral neuronal loss in the VB, the opposite side being used as a control. At the light microscopic level, there was no obvious rerouting of spinal afferents away from the lesioned areas towards unlesioned parts of VB. There was an apparent decrease in the number of lemniscal afferents to the lesioned side, which may indicate a progressive retrograde degeneration. At higher magnification, all three afferent systems studied demonstrated morphological changes, predominantly manifested by terminal swellings that reached up to 25 micron in diameter. Control experiments suggested that these morphological alterations were related neither to a direct action of the excitotoxin nor to the absence of a different afferent system but to the loss of neuronal postsynaptic targets. At the electron microscopic level, the normal ultrastructural features of VB were not observed after a KA lesion. No neuronal somata, dendrites, or normal presynaptic elements were observed. Neural elements, some of which were labeled from the somatosensory cortex or the dorsal column nuclei, were essentially of two types: varicosities and unmyelinated axonal profiles. Varicosities could be separated into two broad classes: The majority were large structures derived from large, sometimes myelinated, axons and containing a wealth of organelles. Since they were not completely surrounded by glial elements, we have denoted them unensheathed varicosities. Among the organelles, the most obvious features were vesicles and tubules of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, microtubules, mitochondria, and various lysosome-like inclusions. These unensheathed varicosities gave rise to large, mound-like protrusions containing large vacuoles and thin long protrusions either filled with neurofilaments or resembling unmyelinated axonal profiles. Others were completely surrounded by a glial sheet and were therefore called ensheathed varicosities. These ensheathed varicosities presented several characteristics typical of degenerating profiles, including neurofilamentous proliferation and morphological alterations of the mitochondria. Unmyelinated axonal profiles occupied a substantial territory in the lesioned area. They were most often grouped in bundles sometimes wrapped by glial processes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Diencephalic connections of the raphé nuclei of the rat brainstem: an anatomical study with reference to the somatosensory system.

The present study was undertaken to analyse in detail the connections of the various raphé nuclei with thalamic structures. Micropipettes filled with an aqueous solution of wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase were used to produce small iontophoretic deposits restricted to the various raphé nuclei in male Sprague Dawley albino rats. Tetramethyl benzidine was used as a chromogen to reveal both fiber terminals anterogradely labelled and retrogradely filled neurons. A detailed discussion of the possible cases of artefactual labelling using this technique is given. The present study confirms the results obtained previously in the cat that indicate that the various raphé nuclei project to different areas of the diencephalon. Related to the somatosensory system, the B3 area (nucleus raphé magnus) projects to the nucleus submedius and anterior intralaminar nuclei known to receive spinothalamic inputs, but not to the ventrobasal complex. The distribution of afferents from this nucleus suggests an innervation primarily of thalamic structures involved in the somatosensory system. The nucleus raphé medianus projects to the ventrobasal complex and the nucleus submedius , but the fact that its projections are widespread, including all thalamic sensory "relay" nuclei and the entire nucleus reticularis thalami, suggests that it could participate in a "nonspecific" system of control of different sensory modalities. The nucleus raphé dorsalis generally does not project to the thalamic nuclei believed to be involved in the somatosensory system.

The overlap of spinothalamic and dorsal column nuclei projections in the ventrobasal complex of the rat thalamus: a double anterograde labeling study using light microscopy analysis.

Projections from the spinal cord and the dorsal column nuclei (DCN) to the ventrobasal complex of the thalamus (VB) were studied in the rat by using double anterograde labeling strategy. This strategy was based on the injection of 3H-leucine into the DCN and of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the spinal cord and their subsequent transport. Adjacent 30-micron-thick sections were then processed differentially for autoradiography or for HRP by using tetramethyl benzidine (TMB) as a chromogen. Similar areas of the ventrobasal complex were labeled, in adjacent sections, after a large injection of 3H-leucine into the DCN and when wheat germ agglutinin-HRP had been injected in any part of the spinal cord. If, however, a small injection of the radioactive tracer was centered in the gracile nucleus and compared with an injection of WGA-HRP placed in the lumbar enlargement of the cord, the rostral and dorsal portions of the lateral VB were labeled from both sources. On the other hand, if tritiated leucine was injected into the cuneate nucleus, and WGA-HRP placed in the cervical enlargement, then the caudal and ventral portions of the lateral VB demonstrated overlap of both labels. The present results show that, in the rat, areas of termination of both the spinothalamic tract and the lemniscal pathway originating from the DCN overlap in the lateral VB. This overlap is somatotopically organized, thus indicating that the same area of the VB receives somatic inputs from one particular part of the body through both pathways. These results are discussed in comparison to those of comparable studies performed in the cat and in the monkey and with reference to the electrophysiological data that have demonstrated that, in the rat VB, neurons responding to noxious stimulation are intermingled with neurons exclusively responding to non-noxious stimulation.

Stathmin: cellular localization of a major phosphoprotein in the adult rat and human CNS.

Stathmin is a ubiquitous, 19 kDa cytoplasmic protein the phosphorylation of which is associated with many cellular signaling pathways. It is particularly abundant in neurons and reaches a peak of expression in the neonatal period, although it remains highly expressed in the adult brain. In order to determine whether this abundant expression is associated with discrete cellular populations that are still at an immature stage during adulthood, as suggested by others, the cellular localization of stathmin was investigated in the adult rat and human central nervous system. Western blotting with a specific antiserum indicated that stathmin was ubiquitous in the brain and spinal cord but that its relative concentration varied up to 2.6 times between regions. To characterize the distribution of stathmin within the brain, its cellular localization was analyzed by immunocytochemistry. Highly immunoreactive neurons and oligodendrocytes were observed, and stathmin immunoreactivity was localized to the perikaryon and all processes, but not the nucleus. Most brain and spinal cord cell groups showed stathmin immunoreactivity, although the extent and intensity of labeling differed largely from one place to another. Particularly numerous stathmin-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies were found in the pyriform, cingulate, and neocortex, as well as in many cholinergic nuclei of the basal forebrain and brainstem, in the medial thalamus, in various brainstem nuclei, in the dorsalmost layers of the spinal cord, and in brain areas lacking a blood-brain barrier to macromolecules. In addition to neuronal populations, stathmin-antibodies intensely labeled choroid plexuses. Many other brain regions exhibited moderate neuronal immunostaining. The distribution of stathmin-immunoreactive processes was in some areas relatively heterogeneous. Intense immunoreactivity was observed in some fiber tracts (corpus callosum, anterior commissure, inferior cerebellar peduncle, etc.) but was missing in others (internal capsule, posterior commissure, etc.). Some brain areas rich in immunoreactive neurons also displayed an intense immunoreactivity of the neuropile, whereas others contained either immunoreactive cells or fibers. In the human brain, stathmin immunostaining occurred in many areas, corresponding to those identified in the rat, with the exception of the cerebral cortex, the hippocampal fascia dentata, and the substantia nigra. The present results support our suggestion that, in addition to its involvement in cell proliferation and differentiation, stathmin may also be related to regulation of differentiated cell functions, as it appears to be a major signaling protein in widespread areas of the adult brain in both rat and human.

Retest effects and cognitive decline in longitudinal follow-up of patients with early HD.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the natural progression of cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease (HD) and to reveal factors that may mask this progression. BACKGROUND: Although numerous cross-sectional studies reported cognitive deterioration at different stages of the disease, progressive cognitive deterioration has been, up to now, difficult to demonstrate in neuropsychological longitudinal studies. METHODS: The authors assessed 22 patients in early stages of HD at yearly intervals for 2 to 4 years (average, 31.2 +/- 10 months), using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery based on the Core Assessment Program for Intracerebral Transplantation in Huntington's Disease (CAPIT-HD). RESULTS: The authors observed a significant decline in different cognitive functions over time: these involved primarily attention and executive functions but also involved language comprehension, and visuospatial immediate memory. Episodic memory impairment that was already present at the time of enrollment did not show significant decline. The authors found a significant retest effect at the second assessment in many tasks. CONCLUSION: Many attention and executive tasks adequately assess the progression of the disease at an early stage. For other functions, the overlapping of retest effects and disease progression may confuse the results. High interindividual and intraindividual variability seem to be hallmarks of the disease.

Neurones responding to noxious stimulation in VB complex and caudal adjacent regions in the thalamus of the rat.

(1) 163 cells responding to mechanical cutaneous stimulation have been recorded in VB complex and caudal adjacent region in rats anaesthetized with a mixture of 2/3 N2O--1/3 O2 and 0.5% halothane. (2) 51 cells were exclusively activated by non-noxious cutaneous stimuli applied to restricted and contralateral receptive fields (RF) and had the classical characteristics of "lemniscal" responses. 93 cells responded only to noxious mechanical stimuli (N cells) and had either uni- or bilateral receptive fields. 19 cells responded both to noxious and non-noxious stimuli (NnN cells). (3) When tested with intense electrical stimuli applied transcutaneously or on the sural nerve, N and NnN cells responded with a late irregular discharge. Poststimulus histograms obtained in one-third of these units revealed that the late component was consistent with a C fibre input; some of responses were consistent with A delta fibre input. NnN cells also had a short latency discharge probably due to A alpha fibre involvement. (4) When tested with other intense stimuli such as noxious radiant heat or noxious visceral stimulation induced by intraperitoneal injection of bradykinin, N and NnN cells were strongly activated. (5) The different kinds of cells were scattered in VB and PO and no significant differences were found between cells recorded in VB and caudal adjacent region (PO); however, a rostrocaudal organization of the cells, according to the location of their RF on the caudal or rostral part of the body, was clear not only for the Nn cells but also for N and NnN cells.

Protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by a proteasome modulator.

The capacity of interferon beta to alter the course of multiple sclerosis has promoted a new therapeutic concept, based upon the modulation of the immune response rather than its suppression. As the proteasome plays a crucial role in the control of the inflammatory process and immune cell survival, targeting the proteasome appears as a novel approach for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory autoimmune diseases. We have previously shown that ritonavir, an HIV-1 protease inhibitor used in AIDS therapy, can modulate the proteasome function by inhibiting the chymotrypsin-like activity and enhancing the trypsin-like activity. We have, therefore, explored its therapeutic potential on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model of multiple sclerosis, in Lewis rats and SJL mice. Daily administration of ritonavir during autoimmune antigen stimulation prevented clinical symptoms of EAE in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This protection was accompanied by an inhibition of the mononuclear cell infiltration into the central nervous system usually observed in EAE. Despite a complete absence of clinical symptoms during first EAE induction, ritonavir-treated animals became resistant to further induction of EAE, suggesting an immune mechanism of protection. These results suggest that proteasome modulation using ritonavir or analogues may be of interest for patients with multiple sclerosis.