Differential regulation of neuronal excitability by nicotine and substance P in subdivisions of the medial habenula.

The medial habenula (MHb) plays an important role in nicotine-related behaviors, such as aversion and withdrawal. The MHb is composed of distinct subregions with unique neurotransmitter expression and neuronal connectivity. Here, we showed that nicotine and substance P (SP) differentially regulate neuronal excitability in subdivisions of the MHb (ventrolateral division, MHbVL; dorsal division; MHbD and superior division: MHbS). Nicotine remarkably increased spontaneous neuronal firing in the MHbVL and MHbD, but not in the MHbS, which was consistent with different magnitudes of whole-cell inward currents evoked by nicotine in each subdivision. Meanwhile, SP enhanced neuronal excitability in the MHbVL and MHbS. Although the MHbD is composed of SP-expressing neurons, they did not respond to SP. Neurons in the MHbVL increased their firing in response to bath-applied nicotine, which was attenuated by neurokinin receptor antagonists. Furthermore, nicotine addiction and withdrawal attenuated and augmented excitatory SP effects in the MHbVL, respectively. On the whole, we suggest that MHb-involving nicotine-related behaviors might be associated with SP signaling in MHb subdivisions.

Aucubin Promotes Differentiation of Neural Precursor Cells into GABAergic Neurons.

Aucubin is a small compound naturally found in traditional medicinal herbs with primarily anti-inflammatory and protective effects. In the nervous system, aucubin is reported to be neuroprotective by enhancing neuronal survival and inhibiting apoptotic cell death in cultures and disease models. Our previous data, however, suggest that aucubin facilitates neurite elongation in cultured hippocampal neurons and axonal regrowth in regenerating sciatic nerves. Here, we investigated whether aucubin facilitates the differentiation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) into specific types of neurons. In NPCs cultured primarily from the rat embryonic hippocampus, aucubin significantly elevated the number of GAD65/67 immunoreactive cells and the expression of GAD65/67 proteins was upregulated dramatically by more than three-fold at relatively low concentrations of aucubin (0.01 µM to 10 µM). The expression of both NeuN and vGluT1 of NPCs, the markers for neurons and glutamatergic cells, respectively, and the number of vGluT1 immunoreactive cells also increased with higher concentrations of aucubin (1 µM and 10 µM), but the ratio of the increases was largely lower than GAD expression and GAD immunoreactive cells. The GABAergic differentiation of pax6-expressing late NPCs into GABA-producing cells was further supported in cortical NPCs primarily cultured from transgenic mouse brains, which express recombinant GFP under the control of pax6 promoter. The results suggest that aucubin can be developed as a therapeutic candidate for neurodegenerative disorders caused by the loss of inhibitory GABAergic neurons.

Effect of aucubin on neural precursor cell survival during neuronal differentiation.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Aucubin (ACB) is an iridoid glycoside with various biological activities. Previously, it is reported that ACB reduces cell survival and proliferation in many human tumors, whereas it facilitates cell survival and neuroprotection in damaged neuronal cells and disease models. However, its effects on cell survival in the non-proliferating or differentiated neurons are not known. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined whether ACB facilitated cell survival in differentiating neural precursor cells, HiB5, compared with the proliferating HiB5 cells at various concentrations. RESULTS: The cell viabilities were evaluated by measuring MTT values, cell numbers, amounts of neurotransmittersD1 and protein amounts of neuronal markers. Here, we showed that ACB promotes cell survival in differentiated neurons (10-200 µg/mL), but reduces it in proliferating NPCs (200-400 µg/mL). Protein amounts of neurofilament proteins, NF-H, NF-M, PSD-95 in post-synaptic density, GAP-43 in growing neurites and NeuN in differentiated neurons were upregulated by addition of ACB, indicating that cell survival increased in differentiated neurons, shown by immunoblot analysis. Especially, when PDGF was added into N2 media to facilitate neuronal differentiation of HiB5 cells, the viability of differentiated HiB5 cells was significantly elevated following the increase of ACB concentration. Furthermore, ACB promoted cell survival of specific neuron types, such as GABAergic neurons and glutamatergic neurons. When differentiated neurons were immunostained with markers for specific neurons, neuronal subtypes producing GABA and GAD 65/67 were immunostained more than subtypes producing glutamate and vGluT1. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that ACB improves neuronal cell survival in differentiated cells, suggesting it may be a therapeutic compound for neurodegenerative disorders.

Angiotensin II Causes Apoptosis of Adult Hippocampal Neural Stem Cells and Memory Impairment Through the Action on AMPK-PGC1α Signaling in Heart Failure.

Data are limited on the mechanisms underlying memory impairment in heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that angiotensin II (Ang II) may determine the fate of adult hippocampal neural stem cells (HCNs), a cause of memory impairment in HF. HCNs with neurogenesis potential were isolated and cultured from adult rat hippocampi. Ang II decreased HCN proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners. Moreover, Ang II treatment (1 µM) for 48 hours induced apoptotic death, which was attenuated by pretreatment with Ang II receptor blockers (ARBs). Ang II increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which was related to mitochondrial morphological changes and functional impairment. Moreover, ROS activated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and consequent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α) expression, causing cell apoptosis. In the HF rat model induced by left anterior descending artery ligation, ARB ameliorated the spatial memory ability which decreased 10 weeks after ischemia. In addition, neuronal cell death, especially of newly born mature neurons, was observed in HF rat hippocampi. ARB decreased cell death and promoted the survival of newly born neural precursor cells and mature neurons. In conclusion, Ang II caused HCN apoptosis through mitochondrial ROS formation and subsequent AMPK-PGC1α signaling. ARB improved learning and memory behaviors impaired by neuronal cell death in the HF animal model. These findings suggest that HCN is one treatment target for memory impairment in HF and that ARBs have additional benefits in HF combined with memory impairment. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1491-1503.

Aucubin promotes neurite outgrowth in neural stem cells and axonal regeneration in sciatic nerves.

Aucubin is an iridoid glycoside with a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-algesic as well as anti-tumor activities. Recently, it has been shown that aucubin prevents neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region in rats with diabetic encephalopathy. In addition, it has protective effects on H2O2-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. We have shown here that aucubin promotes neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth in neural stem cells cultured primarily from the rat embryonic hippocampus. We also investigated whether aucubin facilitates axonal elongation in the injured peripheral nervous system. Aucubin promoted lengthening and thickness of axons and re-myelination at 3 weeks after sciatic nerve injury. These results indicate that administration of aucubin improved nerve regeneration in the rat model of sciatic nerve injury, suggesting that aucubin may be a useful therapeutic compound for the human peripheral nervous system after various nerve injuries.

Effect of Berberine on Cell Survival in the Developing Rat Brain Damaged by MK-801.

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from goldenthread, Coptidis Rhizoma and shown to have many biological and pharmacological effects. We previously reported that berberine promotes cell survival and differentiation of neural stem cells. To examine whether berberine has survival promoting effect on damaged neuronal cells, we generated a cellular model under oxidative stress and an neonatal animal model of degenerating brain disease by injecting MK-801. MK801, a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, acts as a neurotoxin in developing rats by inhibiting NMDA receptors and induce neuronal cell death. We found that the survival rate of the SH-SY5Y cells under oxidative stress was increased by 287% and 344%, when treated with 1.5 and 3.0µg/ml berberine, respectively. In the developing rats injected by MK801, we observed that TUNEL positive apoptotic cells were outspread in entire brain. The cell death was decreased more than 3 fold in the brains of the MK-801-induced neurodegenerative animal model when berberine was treated to the model animals. This suggests that berberine promotes activity dependent cell survival mediated by NMDA receptor because berberine is known to activate neurons by blocking K(+) current or lowering the threshold of the action potential. Taken together, berberine has neuroprotective effect on damaged neurons and neurodegenerating brains of neonatal animal model induced by MK-801 administration.

Association of BAF53 with mitotic chromosomes.

The conversion of mitotic chromosome into interphase chromatin consists of at least two separate processes, the decondensation of the mitotic chromosome and the formation of the higher-order structure of interphase chromatin. Previously, we showed that depletion of BAF53 led to the expansion of chromosome territories and decompaction of the chromatin, suggesting that BAF53 plays an essential role in the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. We report here that BAF53 is associated with mitotic chromosomes during mitosis. Immunostaining with two different anti-BAF53 antibodies gave strong signals around the DNA of mitotic preparations of NIH3T3 cells and mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). The immunofluorescent signals were located on the surface of mitotic chromosomes prepared by metaphase spread. BAF53 was also found in the mitotic chromosome fraction of sucrose gradients. Association of BAF53 with mitotic chromosomes would allow its rapid activation on the chromatin upon exit from mitosis.

cAMP induces neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells via activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase/MAPK.

Mesenchymal stem cells are able to trans-differentiate into nonmesodermal lineage cells. Here, we identified downstream signaling molecules required for acquisition of neuron-like traits by mesenchymal stem cells following the elevation of intracellular cAMP levels. We found that forskolin induced neuron-like morphology and expression of neuron-specific enolase and neurofilament-200 in mesenchymal stem cells. Forskolin sequentially activated protein kinase A and B-regulation of alpha-fetoprotein (Raf), which led to phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Importantly, blockade of extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation with a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor abrogated the forskolin-induced morphological changes and induction of neuronal proteins. These results indicate that extracellular signal-regulated kinase/MAPK mediates both cAMP-induced early cytoskeletal rearrangement and the later induction of neuronal markers in mesenchymal stem cells.

Nonspecific association of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase with the rat forebrain postsynaptic density fraction.

The 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP), a protein of unknown function in vivo, is abundantly expressed in myelinating glia in two isoforms, CNP1 and CNP2. In this study, immunoblot analysis showed that CNP1 is the major isoform in adult forebrain, and that both isoforms are included in the postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction and tyrosine-phosphorylated at the basal level. However, subcellular distribution and detergent extraction data showed that CNP is nonspecifically associated with the PSD fraction. Immunocytochemistry revealed that CNP is detected, in a weak but punctate pattern, in dissociated rat hippocampal neurons of 3 days to 2 weeks in vitro. The CNP-positive punctae were distributed throughout soma and dendrites, and distinct from PSD95-positive ones. Immunoblot analysis indicated that CNP is also expressed in neuronal stem cell lines, HiB5 and F11. Interestingly, in addition to the known two isoforms, a new CNP isoform of MW 45 kDa was expressed in these cell lines and was the major type of isoform in F11 cells. Taken together, our data suggest that CNP is expressed in the early stage of in vitro development and nonspecifically included in the adult rat PSD fraction.

Inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase increases adrenalectomy-induced granule cell death in the rat dentate gyrus.

Recent studies have shown that the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA is increased after adrenalectomy (ADX). However, the role of increased NO production after ADX in the dentate gyrus is unknown. In this study, the relationship between NO inhibition and apoptosis in the dentate gyrus after ADX was examined. 7-Nitroindazole (7-NI; 30 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective inhibitor of neuronal NOS, was injected 1 day before ADX and subsequently once every 24 h. Then 4 days after ADX, dentate granule cell death was evaluated using silver impregnation and Nissl staining methods. Inhibition of neuronal NOS by 7-NI increased the number of dying granule cells approximately 4-fold in the dentate gyrus of the ADX rats, compared to vehicle-injected ADX controls. These results suggest that increased NO production after ADX may play an endogenous neuroprotective role in the dentate gyrus.