Effects of mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor on cerebral angiogenesis in a rat model of cerebral ischemia.

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein that exhibits neuroprotective effects. Recent studies have shown that MANF promotes poststroke functional recovery in rats. However, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully understood. Here, we examined the effects of MANF on cerebral angiogenesis in a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. Recombinant human MANF was administered intracerebroventricularly 24 h after stroke. We performed neurobehavioral tests and assessed microvessel density, functional microvessels, and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), as well as detected angiogenic factors in the peri-infarct cerebral cortex. Results showed that MANF ameliorated neurobehavioral scores, promoted rCBF, upregulated the expression of CD34, as well as the total vessel surface area and the number of microvessel branch points, and activated the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. In conclusion, our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of MANF in promoting functional recovery from ischemic stroke. Our results suggest that MANF improves neurobehavioral recovery from cerebral ischemic injury, and that this effect is mediated partly by its proangiogenic effects and augmentation of rCBF, which are possibly associated with VEGF.

Circulating factors in young blood as potential therapeutic agents for age-related neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases.

Recent animal studies on heterochronic parabiosis (a technique combining the blood circulation of two animals) have revealed that young blood has a powerful rejuvenating effect on brain aging. Circulating factors, especially growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and C-C motif chemokine 11 (CCL11), may play a key role in this effect, which inspires hope for novel approaches to treating age-related cerebral diseases in humans, such as neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases. Recently, attempts have begun to translate these astonishing and exciting findings from mice to humans and from bench to bedside. However, increasing reports have shown contradictory data, questioning the capacity of these circulating factors to reverse age-related brain dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the current research on the role of young blood, as well as the circulating factors GDF11 and CCL11, in the aging brain and age-related cerebral diseases. We highlight recent controversies, discuss related challenges and provide a future outlook.

The Phosphodiesterase 10A Inhibitor PF-2545920 Enhances Hippocampal Excitability and Seizure Activity Involving the Upregulation of GluA1 and NR2A in Post-synaptic Densities.

Phosphodiesterase regulates the homeostasis of cAMP and cGMP, which increase the strength of excitatory neural circuits and/or decrease inhibitory synaptic plasticity. Abnormally, synchronized synaptic transmission in the brain leads to seizures. A phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitor PF-2545920 has recently attracted attention as a potential therapy for neurological and psychiatric disorders. We hypothesized that PF-2545920 plays an important role in status epilepticus (SE) and investigated the underlying mechanisms. PDE10A was primarily located in neurons, and PDE10A expression increased significantly in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. PF-2545920 enhanced the hyperexcitability of pyramidal neurons in rat CA1, as measured by the frequency of action potentials and miniature excitatory post-synaptic current. GluA1 and NR2A expression also increased significantly in post-synaptic densities, with or without SE in rats treated with PF-2545920. The ratio of p-GluA1/GluA1 increased in the presence of PF-2545920 in groups with SE. Our results suggest that PF-2545920 facilitates seizure activity via the intracellular redistribution of GluA1 and NR2A in the hippocampus. The upregulation of p-GluA1 may play an important role in trafficking GluA1 to post-synaptic densities. The data suggest it would be detrimental to use the drug in seizure patients and might cause neuronal hyperexcitability in non-epileptic individuals.

Expression of SHANK3 in the Temporal Neocortex of Patients with Intractable Temporal Epilepsy and Epilepsy Rat Models.

SH3 and multiple ankyrin (ANK) repeat domain 3 (SHANK3) is a synaptic scaffolding protein enriched in the postsynaptic density of excitatory synapses. SHANK3 plays an important role in the formation and maturation of excitatory synapses. In the brain, SHANK3 directly or indirectly interacts with various synaptic molecules including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor. Previous studies have shown that Autism spectrum disorder is a result of mutations of the main SHANK3 isoforms, which may be due to deficit in excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that overexpression of SHANK3 could induce seizures in vivo. However, little is known about the role of SHANK3 in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Therefore, we investigated the expression pattern of SHANK3 in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy and in pilocarpine-induced models of epilepsy. Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis were used to locate and determine the expression of SHANK3 in the temporal neocortex of patients with epilepsy, and in the hippocampus and temporal lobe cortex of rats in a pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model. Double-labeled immunofluorescence showed that SHANK3 was mainly expressed in neurons. Western blot analysis confirmed that SHANK3 expression was increased in the neocortex of TLE patients and rats. These results indicate that SHANK3 participates in the pathology of epilepsy.

Lentiviral Vector-Induced Overexpression of RGMa in the Hippocampus Suppresses Seizures and Mossy Fiber Sprouting.

Repulsive guidance molecule a (RGMa) is a membrane-bound protein that inhibits axon outgrowth in the central nervous system. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures. To explore the role of RGMa in epilepsy, we investigated the expression of RGMa in patients with TLE, pilocarpine-induced rat model, and pentylenetetrazol kindling model of epilepsy, and then we performed behavioral, histological, and electrophysiological analysis by lentivirus-mediated overexpression of RGMa in the hippocampus of animal model. We found that RGMa was significantly decreased in TLE patients and in experimental rats from 6 h to 60 days after pilocarpine-induced seizures. In two types of epileptic animal models, pilocarpine-induced model and pentylenetetrazol kindling model, overexpression of RGMa in the hippocampus of rats exerted seizure-suppressant effects. The reduced spontaneous seizures were accompanied by attenuation of hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting. In addition, overexpression of RGMa inhibited hyperexcitability of hippocampal neurons via suppressing NMDAR-mediated currents in Mg2+-free-induced organotypic slice model. Collectively, these results demonstrate that overexpression of RGMa could be an alternative strategy for epilepsy therapy.

NR4A1 Knockdown Suppresses Seizure Activity by Regulating Surface Expression of NR2B.

Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1), a downstream target of CREB that is a key regulator of epileptogenesis, has been implicated in a variety of biological processes and was previously identified as a seizure-associated molecule. However, the relationship between NR4A1 and epileptogenesis remains unclear. Here, we showed that NR4A1 protein was predominantly expressed in neurons and up-regulated in patients with epilepsy as well as pilocarpine-induced mouse epileptic models. NR4A1 knockdown by lentivirus transfection (lenti-shNR4A1) alleviated seizure severity and prolonged onset latency in mouse models. Moreover, reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation of NR4A1 and NR2B demonstrated their interaction. Furthermore, the expression of p-NR2B (Tyr1472) in epileptic mice and the expression of NR2B in the postsynaptic density (PSD) were significantly reduced in the lenti-shNR4A1 group, indicating that NR4A1 knockdown partly decreased surface NR2B by promoting NR2B internalization. These results are the first to indicate that the expression of NR4A1 in epileptic brain tissues may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy.

Effect of normobaric hyperoxia on behavioral deficits and neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Amyloid plaques in the brains are the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid-ß (Aß), the central component of amyloid plaques, is generated from amyloid-ß protein precursor (AßPP), following ß- and γ-secretase cleavage. The molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of AD is still unknown and there has been no effective treatment for AD. Clinical data showed that brain cerebral perfusion of most AD patients was reduced before memory and cognitive impairment incurred. Hypoxia is the direct consequence of hypoperfusion. Improving oxygen supply in the brain might exert potential effective influence on AD pathology. Normobaric hyperoxia (NBO), in addition to serving as a tool for enhancement of oxygen delivery, was protective in recent experimental and clinical pilot studies as well. In the present study, we evaluated the potential neuroprotective effects of NBO on behavioral deficits and neuropathology in AD. Morris water maze tests showed that NBO treatment notably improved the spatial learning and memory deficits in AßPP/PS1 transgenic mice. Immunohistochemical and thioflavin S staining showed that NBO treatment significantly decreased Aß deposition and neuritic plaques formation in the cortex and hippocampus of AßPP/PS1 transgenic mice. Immunoblotting and ELISA assay revealed that NBO treatment reduced Aß production by inhibiting γ-secretase cleavage of AßPP. Our study suggests that NBO may have a potential therapeutic effect at the early stage of AD.