Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate interacts with alpha-synuclein and initiates its aggregation and formation of Parkinson's disease-related fibril polymorphism.

Lipid interaction with α-synuclein (αSyn) has been long implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it has not been fully determined which lipids are involved in the initiation of αSyn aggregation in PD. Here exploiting genetic understanding associating the loss-of-function mutation in Synaptojanin 1 (SYNJ1), a phosphoinositide phosphatase, with familial PD and analysis of postmortem PD brains, we identified a novel lipid molecule involved in the toxic conversion of αSyn and its relation to PD. We first established a SYNJ1 knockout cell model and found SYNJ1 depletion increases the accumulation of pathological αSyn. Lipidomic analysis revealed SYNJ1 depletion elevates the level of its substrate phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3). We then employed Caenorhabditis elegans model to examine the effect of SYNJ1 defect on the neurotoxicity of αSyn. Mutations in SYNJ1 accelerated the accumulation of αSyn aggregation and induced locomotory defects in the nematodes. These results indicate that functional loss of SYNJ1 promotes the pathological aggregation of αSyn via the dysregulation of its substrate PIP3, leading to the aggravation of αSyn-mediated neurodegeneration. Treatment of cultured cell line and primary neurons with PIP3 itself or with PIP3 phosphatase inhibitor resulted in intracellular formation of αSyn inclusions. Indeed, in vitro protein-lipid overlay assay validated that phosphoinositides, especially PIP3, strongly interact with αSyn. Furthermore, the aggregation assay revealed that PIP3 not only accelerates the fibrillation of αSyn, but also induces the formation of fibrils sharing conformational and biochemical characteristics similar to the fibrils amplified from the brains of PD patients. Notably, the immunohistochemical and lipidomic analyses on postmortem brain of patients with sporadic PD showed increased PIP3 level and its colocalization with αSyn. Taken together, PIP3 dysregulation promotes the pathological aggregation of αSyn and increases the risk of developing PD, and PIP3 represents a potent target for intervention in PD.

Parkinson's disease is a type of amyloidosis featuring accumulation of amyloid fibrils of α-synuclein.

Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates in the brain. In Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein (α-syn) forms such aggregates called Lewy bodies (LBs). Recently, it has been reported that aggregates of α-syn with a cross-ß structure are capable of propagating within the brain in a prionlike manner. However, the presence of cross-ß sheet-rich aggregates in LBs has not been experimentally demonstrated so far. Here, we examined LBs in thin sections of autopsy brains of patients with PD using microbeam X-ray diffraction (XRD) and found that some of them gave a diffraction pattern typical of a cross-ß structure. This result confirms that LBs in the brain of PD patients contain amyloid fibrils with a cross-ß structure and supports the validity of in vitro propagation experiments using artificially formed amyloid fibrils of α-syn. Notably, our finding supports the concept that PD is a type of amyloidosis, a disease featuring the accumulation of amyloid fibrils of α-syn.

Increased Expression of Fibronectin Leucine-Rich Transmembrane Protein 3 in the Dorsal Root Ganglion Induces Neuropathic Pain in Rats.

Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition that occurs frequently after nerve injury and induces hypersensitivity or allodynia characterized by aberrant neuronal excitability in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein 3 (FLRT3) is a modulator of neurite outgrowth, axon pathfinding, and cell adhesion, which is upregulated in the dorsal horn following peripheral nerve injury. However, the function of FLRT3 in adults remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the involvement of spinal FLRT3 in neuropathic pain using rodent models. In the dorsal horns of male rats, FLRT3 protein levels increased at day 4 after peripheral nerve injury. In the DRG, FLRT3 was expressed in activating transcription factor 3-positive, injured sensory neurons. Peripheral nerve injury stimulated Flrt3 transcription in the DRG but not in the spinal cord. Intrathecal administration of FLRT3 protein to naive rats induced mechanical allodynia and GluN2B phosphorylation in the spinal cord. DRG-specific FLRT3 overexpression using adeno-associated virus also produced mechanical allodynia. Conversely, a function-blocking FLRT3 antibody attenuated mechanical allodynia after partial sciatic nerve ligation. Therefore, FLRT3 derived from injured DRG neurons increases dorsal horn excitability and induces mechanical allodynia.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuropathic pain occurs frequently after nerve injury and is associated with abnormal neuronal excitability in the spinal cord. Fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein 3 (FLRT3) regulates neurite outgrowth and cell adhesion. Here, nerve injury increased FLRT3 protein levels in the spinal cord dorsal root, despite the fact that Flrt3 transcripts were only induced in the DRG. FLRT3 protein injection into the rat spinal cord induced mechanical hypersensitivity, as did virus-mediated FLRT3 overexpression in DRG. Conversely, FLRT3 inhibition with antibodies attenuated mechanically induced pain after nerve damage. These findings suggest that FLRT3 is produced by injured DRG neurons and increases neuronal excitability in the dorsal horn, leading to pain sensitization. Neuropathic pain induction is a novel function of FLRT3.

In silico drug screening by using genome-wide association study data repurposed dabrafenib, an anti-melanoma drug, for Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss. At present, there are no drugs that stop the progression of PD. As with other multifactorial genetic disorders, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) found multiple risk loci for PD, although their clinical significance remains uncertain. Here, we report the identification of candidate drugs for PD by a method using GWAS data and in silico databases. We identified 57 Food and Drug Administration-approved drug families as candidate neuroprotective drugs for PD. Among them, dabrafenib, which is known as a B-Raf kinase inhibitor and is approved for the treatment of malignant melanoma, showed remarkable cytoprotective effects in neurotoxin-treated SH-SY5Y cells and mice. Dabrafenib was found to inhibit apoptosis, and to enhance the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and inhibit the phosphorylation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase. Dabrafenib targets B-Raf, and we confirmed a protein-protein interaction between B-Raf and Rit2, which is coded by RIT2, a PD risk gene in Asians and Caucasians. In RIT2-knockout cells, the phosphorylation of ERK was reduced, and dabrafenib treatment improved the ERK phosphorylation. These data indicated that dabrafenib exerts protective effects against neurotoxicity associated with PD. By using animal model, we confirmed the effectiveness of this in silico screening method. Furthermore, our results suggest that this in silico drug screening system is useful in not only neurodegenerative diseases but also other common diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Structurally distinct α-synuclein fibrils induce robust parkinsonian pathology.

OBJECTIVE: Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a major component of Lewy bodies, which are the pathological hallmark in Parkinson's disease, and its genetic mutations cause familial forms of Parkinson's disease. Patients with α-syn G51D mutation exhibit severe clinical symptoms. However, in vitro studies showed low propensity for α-syn with the G51D mutation. We studied the mechanisms associated with severe neurotoxicity of α-syn G51D mutation using a murine model generated by G51D α-syn fibril injection into the brain. METHODS: Structural analysis of wild-type and G51D α-syn-fibrils were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The ability of α-syn fibrils forming aggregates was first assessed in in vitro mammalian cells. An in vivo mouse model with an intranigral injection of α-syn fibrils was then used to evaluate the propagation pattern of α-syn and related cellular changes. RESULTS: We found that G51D α-syn fibrils have higher ß-sheet contents than wild-type α-syn fibrils. The addition of G51D α-syn fibrils to mammalian cells overexpressing α-syn resulted in the formation of phosphorylated α-syn inclusions at a higher rate. Similarly, an injection of G51D α-syn fibrils into the substantia nigra of a mouse brain induced more widespread phosphorylated α-syn pathology. Notably, the mice injected with G51D α-syn fibrils exhibited progressive nigral neuronal loss accompanied with mitochondrial abnormalities and motor impairment. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the structural difference of G51D α-syn fibrils plays an important role in the rapidly developed and more severe neurotoxicity of G51D mutation-linked Parkinson's disease. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in cervical cancer using a conditionally replicative adenovirus targeting telomerase-positive cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are newly discovered biomarkers of cancers. Although many systems detect CTC, a gold standard has not yet been established. We analyzed CTC in uterine cervical cancer patients using an advanced version of conditionally replicative adenovirus targeting telomerase-positive cells, which was enabled to infect coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor-negative cells and to reduce false-positive signals in myeloid cells. Blood samples from cervical cancer patients were hemolyzed and infected with the virus and then labeled with fluorescent anti-CD45 and anti-pan cytokeratin antibodies. GFP (+)/CD45 (-) cells were isolated and subjected to whole-genome amplification followed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. CTC were detected in 6 of 23 patients with cervical cancers (26.0%). Expression of CTC did not correlate with the stage of cancer or other clinicopathological factors. In 5 of the 6 CTC-positive cases, the same subtype of HPV DNA as that of the corresponding primary lesion was detected, indicating that the CTC originated from HPV-infected cancer cells. These CTC were all negative for cytokeratins. The CTC detected by our system were genetically confirmed. CTC derived from uterine cervical cancers had lost epithelial characteristics, indicating that epithelial marker-dependent systems do not have the capacity to detect these cells in cervical cancer patients.

A Flow Cytometry-Based Method to Determine the Titer of Adenoviruses Expressing an Extraneous Gene.

In recent times, oncolytic viruses expressing an extraneous gene have attracted great interest; in fact, they have been engaged in multiple applications, such as medicine for cancer. Our group made an oncolytic adenovirus, namely, OBP-301, for use in treating solid cancers and press clinical trial to get approval for a pharmaceutical product. In this study, we applied a flow cytometry-based method to determine the titer of adenoviruses expressing an extraneous gene as well as assess their quality. We considered using the green fluorescent protein (GFP)50 titer as a measure of viral quality. The GFP50 titer (GFP50/mL) is the viral load required to render the HeLa S3 cell line 50% GFP-positive by analysing flow cytometry data. We measured the GFP50 titers for three types of recombinant adenoviruses (OBP-401, OBP-1101, and OBP-1106). We compared GFP50/mL and tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50/mL), a conventional titration index, and found that these titers showed a linear correlation, with a correlation coefficient of >0.9. Moreover, GFP50/mL showed high repetitive accuracy. We expect this flow cytometry-based method to be useful in case of clinically relevant viruses expressing an extraneous gene, in particular, to control viral quality.

I2020T mutant LRRK2 iPSC-derived neurons in the Sagamihara family exhibit increased Tau phosphorylation through the AKT/GSK-3ß signaling pathway.

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is the causative molecule of the autosomal dominant hereditary form of Parkinson's disease (PD), PARK8, which was originally defined in a study of a Japanese family (the Sagamihara family) harboring the I2020T mutation in the kinase domain. Although a number of reported studies have focused on cell death mediated by mutant LRRK2, details of the pathogenetic effect of LRRK2 still remain to be elucidated. In the present study, to elucidate the mechanism of neurodegeneration in PD caused by LRRK2, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from fibroblasts of PD patients with I2020T LRRK2 in the Sagamihara family. We found that I2020T mutant LRRK2 iPSC-derived neurons released less dopamine than control-iPSC-derived neurons. Furthermore, we demonstrated that patient iPSC-derived neurons had a lower phospho-AKT level than control-iPSC-derived neurons, and that the former showed an increased incidence of apoptosis relative to the controls. Interestingly, patient iPSC-derived neurons exhibited activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) and high Tau phosphorylation. In addition, the postmortem brain of the patient from whom the iPSC had been established exhibited deposition of neurofibrillary tangles as well as increased Tau phosphorylation in neurons. These results suggest that I2020T LRRK2-iPSC could be a promising new tool for reproducing the pathology of PD in the brain caused by the I2020T mutation, and applicable as a model in studies of targeted therapeutics.

[18F]Flutemetamol amyloid-beta PET imaging compared with [11C]PIB across the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease.

PURPOSE: The aim was to identify the amyloid beta (Aß) deposition by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the (18)F-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) derivative [(18)F]flutemetamol (FMM) across a spectrum of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to compare Aß deposition between [(18)F]FMM and [(11)C]PIB PET imaging. METHODS: The study included 36 patients with AD, 68 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 41 older healthy controls (HC) (aged ≥56), 11 young HC (aged ≤45), and 10 transitional HC (aged 46-55). All 166 subjects underwent 30-min static [(18)F]FMM PET 85 min after injection, 60-min dynamic [(11)C]PIB PET, and cognitive testing. [(18)F]FMM scans were assessed visually, and standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) were defined quantitatively in regions of interest identified on coregistered MRI (cerebellar cortex as a reference region). The PIB distribution volume ratios (DVR) were determined in the same regions. RESULTS: Of 36 AD patients, 35 had positive scans, while 36 of 41 older HC subjects had negative scans. [(18)F]FMM scans had a sensitivity of 97.2% and specificity of 85.3% in distinguishing AD patients from older HC subjects, and a specificity of 100% for young and transitional HC subjects. The [(11)C]PIB scan had the same results. Interreader agreement was excellent (kappa score = 0.81). The cortical FMM SUVR in AD patients was significantly greater than in older HC subjects (1.76 ± 0.23 vs 1.30 ± 0.26, p < 0.01). Of the MCI patients, 68 had a bimodal distribution of SUVR, and 29 of them (42.6%) had positive scans. Cortical FMM SUVR values were strongly correlated with PIB DVR (r = 0.94, n = 145, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: [(18)F]FMM PET imaging detects Aß deposition in patients along the continuum from normal cognitive status to dementia of AD and discriminates AD patients from HC subjects, similar to [(11)C]PIB PET.

Accumulation of α-synuclein triggered by presynaptic dysfunction.

Pathological examination of dementia with Lewy bodies patients identified the presence of abnormal α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in the presynaptic terminals. αSyn is involved in the regulation of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex. Importantly, αSyn-transgenic mouse and postmortem examination of patients with Parkinson's disease have demonstrated the abnormal distribution of SNARE protein in presynaptic terminals. In this study, we investigated the effects of SNARE dysfunction on endogenous αSyn using Snap25(S187A/S187A) mutant mice. These mice have homozygous knock-in gene encoding unphosphorylatable S187A-substituted synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25). The mice displayed a significant age-dependent change in the distribution of αSyn and its Ser(129)-phosphorylated form in abnormally hypertrophied glutamatergic nerve terminals in the striatum. Electron-microscopic analysis revealed the abnormally condensed synaptic vesicles with concomitant mislocalization of αSyn protein to the periactive zone in the glutamatergic nerve terminals. However, the Snap25(S187A/S187A) mutant mouse harbored no abnormalities in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Our present results suggest that SNARE dysfunction is the initial trigger of mislocalization and accumulation of αSyn, and probably is an important pathomechanism of α-synucleinopathies.

Loss of DARPP-32 and calbindin in multiple system atrophy.

We evaluated the immunohistochemical intensities of α-synuclein, phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn), dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP-32), calbindin-D 28k, calpain-cleaved carboxy-terminal 150-kDa spectrin fragment, and tyrosine hydroxylase in multiple system atrophy (MSA). The caudate head, anterior putamen, posterior putamen, substantia nigra, pontine nucleus, and cerebellar cortex from six MSA brains, six age-matched disease control brains (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and five control brains were processed for immunostaining by standard methods. Immunostaining for α-synuclein, p-syn, or both was increased in all areas examined in oligodendrocytes in MSA. Immunostaining for DARPP-32 and calbindin-D 28k was most prominently decreased in the posterior putamen, where neuronal loss was most prominent. Immunostaining for DARPP-32 and calbindin-D 28k was also diminished in the anterior putamen and caudate head, where neuronal loss was less prominent or absent. Calbindin immunostaining was also decreased in the dorsal tier of the substantia nigra and cerebellar cortex. Loss of immunostaining for DARPP-32 and calbindin-D 28k compared with that of neurons indicates calcium toxicity and disturbance of the phosphorylated state of proteins as relatively early events in the pathogenesis of MSA.

Hyperopia-Correcting Phototherapeutic Keratectomy and Its Comparison With Conventional Phototherapeutic Keratectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate hyperopia-correcting phototherapeutic keratectomy (HC-PTK) and to compare the visual and refractive outcomes of HC-PTK and conventional PTK. Methods: This study comprised a total of 72 eyes of 72 consecutive patients who underwent HC-PTK and conventional PTK for granular corneal dystrophy or band-shaped keratopathy. Preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively, we assessed visual acuity, manifest refraction, and mean keratometry, as well as postoperative corneal higher-order aberrations and adverse events in each PTK group, and compared these metrics between the two groups. Results: LogMAR BSCVA significantly improved from 0.43 ± 0.47 preoperatively to 0.21 ± 0.38 postoperatively in the HC-PTK group (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.001). It was also significantly improved from 0.22 ± 0.21 preoperatively to 0.15 ± 0.12 postoperatively in the conventional PTK group (p = 0.031). Mean refraction significantly changed from 0.27 ± 1.55 diopter (D) preoperatively to 0.50 ± 1.77 D postoperatively, in the HC-PTK group (p = 0.313). By contrast, it was significantly hyperopic from -0.15 ± 2.41 D preoperatively to 1.45 ± 2.46 D postoperatively, in the conventional PTK group (p < 0.001). No significant complications occurred in any case during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Both HC-PTK and conventional PTK showed a significant improvement of BSCVA and no vision-threatening complications at any time in this series. HC-PTK significantly reduced a hyperopic shift in refraction compared with conventional PTK, suggesting its viability for patients requiring PTK, especially in consideration of preventing this hyperopic issue.

Vertically Fixated Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation Through a Superior Corneal Incision.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the 1-year outcomes of vertically fixated posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens implantation through a superior corneal incision. METHODS: This pilot study comprised 78 eyes of 53 consecutive patients undergoing vertically fixated implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation through a superior corneal incision to correct moderate to high myopia and myopic astigmatism. We prospectively determined the safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and adverse events preoperatively, and at 1 week and 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 10.4 ± 5.4 months. Uncorrected and corrected visual acuity were -0.20 ± 0.10 and -0.25 ± 0.07 logMAR, respectively, at 1 year postoperatively. At 1 year postoperatively, 98% and 100% of eyes were within 0.5 and 1.0 D, respectively, of the targeted correction. A nonsignificant change in manifest refraction of -0.01 ± 0.08 D occurred from 1 week to 1 year. The manifest astigmatism decreased significantly, from 0.69 ± 0.73 D preoperatively to 0.21 ± 0.27 D at 1 year postoperatively (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.001). No vision-threatening complications occurred at any time in this series. CONCLUSIONS: According to our experience, the vertically fixated ICL through a superior incision achieved good results, without significant complications. Considering that younger patients requiring ICL surgery tend to have with-the-rule astigmatism, this surgical technique may be a viable option for reducing astigmatism without using toric ICLs.

Clinical evaluation of flat peripheral curve design with aspherical-curve and multi-curve hard contact lenses for keratoconus.

Aspherical- and multi-curve rigid gas-permeable hard contact lenses (HCLs) have a flattened curve in the peripheral zone and are mostly used for patients with keratoconus who cannot wear glasses, soft contact lenses, or spherical HCLs. In this retrospective study, a total of 95 eyes of 77 patients who used aspherical- or multi-curve HCLs (mean age: 40.0 ± 11.0 years) were evaluated. This study examined the types of aspherical- and multi-curve HCLs, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) values before and after wearing HCLs, the association with the Amsler-Krumeich classification, duration of wear, corneal/conjunctival disorder, and the frequency of changing HCLs. There were 78 eyes that used aspherical-curve HCLs and 17 that used multi-curve HCLs. BCVA significantly improved from 0.42 logMAR to 0.06 logMAR after wearing either form of HCL. The Amsler-Krumeich classification showed that aspherical-curve HCLs were commonly used for patients with stage 2 keratoconus, and multi-curve HCLs were commonly used for stage 4 patients. The BCVA values were worse when the disease stage was more severe (stages 3 and 4) regardless of HCL type. The mean base curve of the lenses was steeper in multi-curve HCLs than in aspherical-curve HCLs. The more severe the disease stage, the steeper the base curve in both aspherical- and multi-curve HCLs. The duration of wear significantly improved from 2.1 h to 10.2 h, and corneal/conjunctival disorder similarly improved. The mean frequency of changing HCL types was 1.1 times. This study suggests that a flat peripheral curve design with aspherical- and multi-curve HCLs is useful for patients with keratoconus.

Measurements of serum cystatin C concentrations underestimate renal dysfunction in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: In our clinical experience, cystatin C (CysC) concentrations are not as high as expected in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and high-stage renal dysfunction. We therefore investigated whether measurements of serum CysC result in an underestimation of renal dysfunction in pediatric patients with CKD. METHODS: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated from serum creatinine (Cr) concentration, using the equation Cr-GFR (%) = [0.30 × body length (m)/serum Cr] × 100; and from serum CysC concentration, using the equation Cys-GFR (%) = (0.70/serum CysC) × 100. We investigated the relationship between GFR estimated by these 2 equations. Patients aged 2-12 years were assorted into 5 groups, based on GFR-Cr categories of <12.5, ≥12.5 to <25, ≥25 to <50, ≥50 to <75, and ≥75%, and GFR-CysC/GFR-Cr ratios were compared in these 5 groups. RESULTS: The median GFR-CysC/GFR-Cr ratio in groups of patients with GFR-Cr of <12.5, ≥12.5 to <25, ≥25 to <50, ≥50 to <75, and ≥75% were 2.28, 1.48, 1.22, 1.18 and 0.98, respectively, with statistically significant differences between any two groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Measurements of serum CysC concentrations lead to underestimation of renal dysfunction in pediatric patients with CKD.

Eight-Year Outcomes of Implantation of Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens With a Central Port for Moderate to High Ametropia.

Purpose: To assess the 8-year clinical outcomes of implantation of an implantable collamer lens (ICL) with a central port (KS-Aquaport; EVO-ICL) for moderate to high myopia and myopic astigmatism. Methods: This retrospective study comprised a total of 177 eyes of 106 patients with spherical equivalents of -7.99 ± 3.33 D [mean ± standard deviation], who underwent EVO-ICL implantation. We evaluated the safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and adverse events of the surgery, at 1 month, and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 years postoperatively. Results: The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (LogMAR) uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were -0.07 ± 0.17 and -0.20 ± 0.09, respectively, at 8 years postoperatively. The safety and efficacy indices were 1.18 ± 0.24 and 0.89 ± 0.28, respectively. At 8 years, 83 and 93% eyes were within ± 0.5 D and ± 1.0 D of the targeted correction, respectively. Change in manifest refraction from 1 month to 8 years postoperatively was -0.13 ± 0.30 D. Three eyes (1.7%) that developed cataracts had a slight pre-existing peripheral anterior subcapsular cataract formation required simultaneous ICL extraction and cataract surgery at 2 or 3 years or ICL size change (1 size up) at 7 years postoperatively. We found that neither significant intraocular pressure (IOP) rise (including pupillary block) nor significant endothelial cell loss occurred in any case throughout the 8-year observation period. Conclusions: Current ICL implantation with central port technology offered good continuous outcomes for all measures of safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability for correcting moderate to high myopic errors over a long period, thereby suggesting its long-term viability as a surgical approach for the treatment of such eyes.

Go-sha-jinki-Gan Alleviates Inflammation in Neurological Disorders via p38-TNF Signaling in the Central Nervous System.

Go-sha-jinki-Gan (GJG) is a traditional Japanese herbal medicine. In clinical practice, GJG is effective against neuropathic pain and hypersensitivity induced by chemotherapy or diabetes. In our previous study using a chronic constriction injury mouse model, we showed that GJG inhibited microglia activation by suppressing the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the peripheral nervous system. To investigate whether GJG can suppress inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) in the context of neurological disorders, we examined the effect of GJG on the activation of resident glial cells and on p38-TNF signaling in two mouse models of neurological disorders: the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis and the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of Parkinson's disease. GJG administration relieved the severity of clinical EAE symptoms and MPTP-induced inflammation by decreasing the number of microglia and the production of TNF-α in the spinal cord of EAE mice and the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated mice. Accordingly, GJG suppressed the phosphorylation of p38 in glial cells of these two mouse models. We conclude that GJG attenuates inflammation of the CNS by suppressing glial cell activation, followed by a decrease in the production of TNF-α via p38-TNF signaling.

Alternative mitochondrial quality control mediated by extracellular release.

Mitochondrial quality control, which is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, has been considered to be achieved exclusively through mitophagy. Here we report an alternative mitochondrial quality control pathway mediated by extracellular mitochondria release. By performing time-lapse confocal imaging on a stable cell line with fluorescent-labeled mitochondria, we observed release of mitochondria from cells into the extracellular space. Correlative light-electron microscopy revealed that majority of the extracellular mitochondria are in free form and, on rare occasions, some are enclosed in membrane-surrounded vesicles. Rotenone- and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone-induced mitochondrial quality impairment promotes the extracellular release of depolarized mitochondria. Overexpression of PRKN (parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase), which has a pivotal role in mitophagy regulation, suppresses the extracellular mitochondria release under basal and stress condition, whereas its knockdown exacerbates it. Correspondingly, overexpression of PRKN-independent mitophagy regulators, BNIP3 (BCL2 interacting protein 3) and BNIP3L/NIX (BCL2 interacting protein 3 like), suppress extracellular mitochondria release. Autophagy-deficient cell lines show elevated extracellular mitochondria release. These results imply that perturbation of mitophagy pathway prompts mitochondria expulsion. Presence of mitochondrial protein can also be detected in mouse sera. Sera of PRKN-deficient mice contain higher level of mitochondrial protein compared to that of wild-type mice. More importantly, fibroblasts and cerebrospinal fluid samples from Parkinson disease patients carrying loss-of-function PRKN mutations show increased extracellular mitochondria compared to control subjects, providing evidence in a clinical context. Taken together, our findings suggest that extracellular mitochondria release is a comparable yet distinct quality control pathway from conventional mitophagy.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin beta; ANXA5: annexin A5; ATP5F1A/ATP5A: ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha; ATG: autophagy related; BNIP3: BCL2 interacting protein 3; BNIP3L/NIX: BCL2 interacting protein 3 like; CCCP: carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone; CM: conditioned media; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; EM: electron microscopy; HSPD1/Hsp60: heat shock protein family D (Hsp60) member 1; KD: knockdown; KO: knockout; MAP1LC3A/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha; MT-CO1: mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I; NDUFB8: NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit B8; OE: overexpression; OPA1: OPA1 mitochondrial dynamin like GTPase; OXPHOS: oxidative phosphorylation; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PB: phosphate buffer; PD: Parkinson disease; PINK1: PTEN induced kinase 1; PRKN: parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase; RB1CC1/FIP200: RB1 inducible coiled-coil 1; SDHB: succinate dehydrogenase complex iron sulfur subunit B; TOMM20: translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20; TOMM40: translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40; UQCRC2: ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 2; WT: wild-type.

Ectopic expression of α-synuclein affects the migration of neural stem cells in mouse subventricular zone.

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a key protein in Parkinson's disease (PD), and its abnormal accumulation is implicated only not in the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra but also in impairment of olfactory bulb (OB) in PD. Olfactory dysfunction could arise from these OB changes as an early symptom in PD. We reported previously the impairment of neuronal stem cell (NSC) proliferation in the subventricular zone, which is upstream of OB in PD models. Reduction of NSC generation could potentially lead to olfactory dysfunction, which is commonly associated with and precedes the motor symptoms by several years in PD. Here, we investigated neurosphere formation in vitro and migration of NSCs in vivo after transduction of α-syn-encoding retroviral vector to characterize the function of α-syn in NSC. Over-expression of α-syn caused less effective formation of neurospheres and induced morphological changes. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting showed diminished NSC cell cycle progression induced by over-expression of α-syn. Intriguingly, suppression of NSC migration along the rostral migratory stream was observed when the α-syn-encoding vector was directly injected into the subventricular zone of mice in vivo. These results indicate that α-syn affects the generation of NSC and suggest that this protein could serve as a tool for the design of potentially useful therapy for PD patients.

Reference serum cystatin C levels in Japanese children.

BACKGROUND: Single measurements of serum cystatin C (cysC) concentration have generally been used to determine glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in adults. Since GFR varies to some extent among children, we attempted to determine reference serum cysC concentrations for Japanese children. METHODS: Serum cysC concentrations were determined by a latex particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay in children who did not present with kidney disease or infectious disease, and the relationship between age and serum cysC level was assessed. RESULTS: We found that reference serum cysC levels gradually decreased during the first year after birth, thereafter becoming constant. Mean serum cysC concentration in children aged 1 year (0.76 ± 0.10 mg/L) was slightly higher than in children aged ≥2 years (0.70 ± 0.09 mg/L). CONCLUSION: Our reference values will be applicable for screening renal function in Japanese children.