Nogo-B inhibition facilitates cholesterol metabolism to reduce hypercholesterolemia.

The strategy of lowering cholesterol levels by promoting cholesterol excretion is still lacking, and few molecular targets act on multiple cholesterol metabolic processes. In this study, we find that Nogo-B deficiency/inhibition simultaneously promotes hepatic uptake of cholesterol and cholesterol excretion. Nogo-B deficiency decreases cholesterol levels by activating ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCs), apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression. We discover that Nogo-B interacts with liver X receptor α (LXRα), and Nogo-B deficiency inhibits ubiquitination degradation of LXRα, thereby enhancing its function on cholesterol excretion. Decreased cellular cholesterol levels further activate SREBP2 and LDLR expression, thereby promoting hepatic uptake of cholesterol. Nogo-B inhibition decreases atherosclerotic plaques and cholesterol levels in mice, and Nogo-B levels are correlated to cholesterol levels in human plasma. In this study, Nogo-B deficiency/inhibition not only promotes hepatic uptake of blood cholesterol but also facilitates cholesterol excretion. This study reports a strategy to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting Nogo-B expression to promote hepatic cholesterol uptake and cholesterol excretion.

Xuesaitong exerts long-term neuroprotection for stroke recovery by inhibiting the ROCKII pathway, in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xuesaitong (XST) is a traditional Chinese medicine injection with neuroprotective properties and has been extensively used to treat stroke for many years. The main component of XST is Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), which is the main extract of the Chinese herbal medicine Panax notoginseng. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated whether XST provided long-term neuroprotection by inhibiting neurite outgrowth inhibitor-A (Nogo-A) and the ROCKII pathway in experimental rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats with permanent MCAO were administered XST, Y27632, XST plus Y27632, and nimodipine for 14 and 28 days. Successful MCAO onset was confirmed by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Neurological deficit score (NDS) was used to assess neurological impairment. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of synaptophysin (SYN) and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) were performed to evaluate cerebral ischemic injury and the neuroprotective capability of XST. Nogo-A levels and the ROCKII pathway were detected by IHC analysis, western blotting, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to explore the protective mechanism of XST. OGD/R model was established in SH-SY5Y cells. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) was applied to detect the optimum OGD time and XST concentration. The expression levels Nogo-A and ROCKII pathway were determined using western blotting. RESULTS: Our results showed that XST reduced neurological dysfunction and pathological damage, promoted weight gain and synaptic regeneration, reduced Nogo-A mRNA and protein levels, and inhibited the ROCKII pathway in MCAO rats. CCK8 assay displayed that the optimal OGD time and optimal XST concentration were 7 h and 20 µg/mL respectively in SH-SY5Y cells. XST could evidently inhibit OGD/R-induced Nogo-A protein expression and ROCKII pathway activation in SH-SY5Y cells. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that XST exerted long-term neuroprotective effects that assisted in stroke recovery, possibly through inhibition of the ROCKII pathway.

Tanshinone IIA Promotes Axonal Regeneration in Rats with Focal Cerebral Ischemia Through the Inhibition of Nogo-A/NgR1/RhoA/ROCKII/MLC Signaling.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of tanshinone IIA (TSA) on focal cerebral ischemia in rats and to investigate whether it was associated with Nogo-A/NgR1/RhoA/Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCKII)/myosin light chain (MLC) signaling. METHODS: In this study, focal cerebral ischemia animal model was used. Neurological deficit scores and infarction volume were investigated to evaluate the neuroprotection of TSA. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Nissl staining, and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to detect ischemic changes in brain tissue and changes in neurofilament protein 200 (NF200) and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) expression, respectively. Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses were used to detect the expression levels of NF200, GAP-43 and Nogo-A/NgR1/RhoA/ROCKII/MLC pathway-related signaling molecules. RESULTS: TSA treatment can improve the survival rate of rats, reduce the neurological score and infarct volume, and reduce neuron damage. In addition, TSA also increased axon length and enhanced expression of NF200 and GAP-43. Importantly, TSA significantly attenuated the expression of Nogo-A, NgR1, RhoA, ROCKII, and p-MLC, and thus inhibiting the activation of this signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: TSA promoted axonal regeneration by inhibiting the Nogo-A/NgR1/RhoA/ROCKII/MLC signaling pathway, thereby exerting neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia rats, which provided support for the clinical application of TSA in stroke treatment.

Targeting Therapeutic Antibodies to the CNS: a Comparative Study of Intrathecal, Intravenous, and Subcutaneous Anti-Nogo A Antibody Treatment after Stroke in Rats.

Antibody-based therapeutics targeting CNS antigens emerge as promising treatments in neurology. However, access to the CNS is limited by the blood-brain barrier. We examined the effects of a neurite growth-enhancing anti-Nogo A antibody therapy following 3 routes of administration-intrathecal (i.t.), intravenous (i.v.), and subcutaneous (s.c.)-after large photothrombotic strokes in adult rats. Intrathecal treatment of full-length IgG anti-Nogo A antibodies enhanced recovery of the grasping function, but intravenous or subcutaneous administration had no detectable effect in spite of large amounts of antibodies in the peripheral circulation. Thus, in contrast to intravenous and subcutaneous delivery, intrathecal administration is an effective and reliable way to target CNS antigens. Our data reveal that antibody delivery to the CNS is far from trivial. While intrathecal application is feasible and guarantees defined antibody doses in the effective range for a biological function, the identification and establishment of easier routes of administration remains an important task to facilitate antibody-based future therapies of CNS disorders.

Nogo-A-targeting antibody promotes visual recovery and inhibits neuroinflammation after retinal injury.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal cell death is involved in a large spectrum of diseases affecting the brain and the retina such as Alzheimer's disease and diabetic retinopathy. Associated neurological impairments may result from the inhibition of neuronal plasticity by Nogo-A. The objective of the current study was to determine the contribution of Nogo-A to NMDA excitotoxicity in the mouse retina. We observed that Nogo-A is upregulated in the mouse vitreous during NMDA-induced inflammation. Intraocular injection of a function-blocking antibody specific to Nogo-A (11C7) was carried out 2 days after NMDA-induced injury. This treatment significantly enhanced visual function recovery in injured animals. Strikingly, the expression of potent pro-inflammatory molecules was downregulated by 11C7, among which TNFα was the most durably decreased cytokine in microglia/macrophages. Additional analyses suggest that TNFα downregulation may stem from cofilin inactivation in microglia/macrophages. 11C7 also limited gliosis presumably via P.Stat3 downregulation. Diabetic retinopathy was associated with increased levels of Nogo-A in the eyes of donors. In summary, our results reveal that Nogo-A-targeting antibody can stimulate visual recovery after retinal injury and that Nogo-A is a potent modulator of excitotoxicity-induced neuroinflammation. These data may be used to design treatments against inflammatory eye diseases.

Evaluating the effectiveness of anti-Nogo treatment in spinal cord injuries.

As humans, we cannot regenerate axons within the central nervous system (CNS), therefore, making any damage to it permanent. This leads to the loss of sensory and motor function below the site of injury and can be crippling to a person's health. Spontaneous recovery can occur from plastic changes, but it is minimal. The absence of regeneration is due to the inhibitory environment of the CNS as well as the inherent inability of CNS axons to form growth cones. Amongst many factors, one of the major inhibitory signals of the CNS environment is the myelin-associated Nogo pathway. Nogo-A, Nogo-B and Nogo-C (Nogo), stimulate the Nogo receptor, inhibiting neurite outgrowth by causing growth cones to collapse through activation of Rho Kinase (ROCK). Antibodies can be used to target this signalling pathway by binding to Nogo and thus promote the outgrowth of neuronal axons in the CNS. This use of anti-Nogo antibodies has been shown to upregulate CNS regeneration as well as drastically improve sensory and motor function in both rats and primates when coupled with adequate training. Here, we evaluate whether the experimental success of anti-Nogo at improving CNS regeneration can be carried over into the clinical setting to treat spinal cord injuries (SCI) and their symptoms successfully. Furthermore, we also discuss potential methods to improve the current treatment and any developmental obstacles.

Anti­Nogo­A antibody promotes brain function recovery after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in rats by reducing apoptosis.

Brain injury after cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the main cause of neurological dysfunction and death in cardiac arrest. To assess the effect of Nogo­A antibody on brain function in rats following CPR and to explore the underlying mechanisms, CA/CPR (ventricular fibrillation) rats were divided into the CPR+Nogo­A, CPR+saline and sham groups. Hippocampal caspase­3 levels were detected by RT­PCR and immunoblotting. Next, Nogo­A, glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase­12 (casapse­12), Bcl­2 and Bax protein levels in the hippocampus were detected by immunoblotting. Coronal brain sections were analyzed by TUNEL assay to detect apoptosis at 72 h, while Nissl staining and electron microscopy were performed to detect Nissl bodies and microstructure at 24 h, respectively. Finally, rats were assessed for neurologic deficits at various times. Nissl staining revealed morphological improvement after Nogo­A antibody treatment. Sub­organelle structure was preserved as assessed by electron microscopy in model animals post­antibody treatment; neurological function was improved as well (P<0.05), while the apoptosis index was decreased (26.2±9.85 vs. 46.6±12.95%; P<0.05). Hippocampal caspase­3 mRNA and protein, Nogo­A protein levels were significantly decreased after antibody treatment (P<0.05). Hippocampal Nogo­A expression was positively correlated with caspase­3 (Pearson's correlation; r=0.790, P=0.000). Hippocampal GRP78 and Bcl­2 protein levels were higher after antibody treatment than these levels noted in the model animals (P<0.05), while CHOP, caspase­12 and Bax levels were reduced (P<0.05). Nogo­A antibody ameliorates neurological function after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), possibly by suppressing apoptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Combined with anti-Nogo-A antibody treatment, BDNF did not compensate the extra deleterious motor effect caused by large size cervical cord hemisection in adult macaques.

In spinal cord injured adult mammals, neutralizing the neurite growth inhibitor Nogo-A with antibodies promotes axonal regeneration and functional recovery, although axonal regeneration is limited in length. Neurotrophic factors such as BDNF stimulate neurite outgrowth and protect axotomized neurons. Can the effects obtained by neutralizing Nogo-A, inducing an environment favorable for axonal sprouting, be strengthened by adding BDNF? A unilateral incomplete hemicord lesion at C7 level interrupted the main corticospinal component in three groups of adult macaque monkeys: control monkeys (n = 6), anti-Nogo-A antibody-treated monkeys (n = 7), and anti-Nogo-A antibody and BDNF-treated monkeys (n = 5). The functional recovery of manual dexterity was significantly different between the 3 groups of monkeys, the lowest in the control group. Whereas the anti-Nogo-A antibody-treated animals returned to manual dexterity performances close to prelesion ones, irrespective of lesion size, both the control and the anti-Nogo-A/BDNF animals presented a limited functional recovery. In the control group, the limited spontaneous functional recovery depended on lesion size, a dependence absent in the combined treatment group (anti-Nogo-A antibody and BDNF). The functional recovery in the latter group was significantly lower than in anti-Nogo-A antibody-treated monkeys, although the lesion was larger in three out of the five monkeys in the combined treatment group.

Nogo-A targeted therapy promotes vascular repair and functional recovery following stroke.

Stroke is a major cause of serious disability due to the brain's limited capacity to regenerate damaged tissue and neuronal circuits. After ischemic injury, a multiphasic degenerative and inflammatory response is coupled with severely restricted vascular and neuronal repair, resulting in permanent functional deficits. Although clinical evidence indicates that revascularization of the ischemic brain regions is crucial for functional recovery, no therapeutics that promote angiogenesis after cerebral stroke are currently available. Besides vascular growth factors, guidance molecules have been identified to regulate aspects of angiogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS) and may provide targets for therapeutic angiogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that genetic deletion of the neurite outgrowth inhibitor Nogo-A or one of its corresponding receptors, S1PR2, improves vascular sprouting and repair and reduces neurological deficits after cerebral ischemia in mice. These findings were reproduced in a therapeutic approach using intrathecal anti-Nogo-A antibodies; such a therapy is currently in clinical testing for spinal cord injury. These results provide a basis for a therapeutic blockage of inhibitory guidance molecules to improve vascular and neural repair after ischemic CNS injuries.

Anti-Nogo-A Antibodies As a Potential Causal Therapy for Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction after Spinal Cord Injury.

Loss of bladder control is common after spinal cord injury (SCI) and no causal therapies are available. Here we investigated whether function-blocking antibodies against the nerve-fiber growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A applied to rats with severe SCI could prevent development of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Bladder function of rats with SCI was repeatedly assessed by urodynamic examination in fully awake animals. Four weeks after SCI, detrusor sphincter dyssynergia had developed in all untreated or control antibody-infused animals. In contrast, 2 weeks of intrathecal anti-Nogo-A antibody treatment led to significantly reduced aberrant maximum detrusor pressure during voiding and a reduction of the abnormal EMG high-frequency activity in the external urethral sphincter. Anatomically, we found higher densities of fibers originating from the pontine micturition center in the lumbosacral gray matter in the anti-Nogo-A antibody-treated animals, as well as a reduced number of inhibitory interneurons in lamina X. These results suggest that anti-Nogo-A therapy could also have positive effects on bladder function clinically.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT After spinal cord injury, loss of bladder control is common. Detrusor sphincter dyssynergia is a potentially life-threatening consequence. Currently, only symptomatic treatment options are available. First causal treatment options are urgently needed in humans. In this work, we show that function-blocking antibodies against the nerve-fiber growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A applied to rats with severe spinal cord injury could prevent development of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, in particular detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. Anti-Nogo-A therapy has entered phase II clinical trial in humans and might therefore soon be the first causal treatment option for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Nogo-B promotes tumor angiogenesis and provides a potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Tumor angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer as well as an attractive target for cancer therapy. Characterization of novel pathways that act in parallel with the VEGF/VEGFR axis to promote tumor angiogenesis may provide insights into novel anti-angiogenic therapeutic targets. We found that the expression level of Nogo-B is positively correlated with tumor vessel density in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While Nogo-B depletion inhibited tumor angiogenesis, Nogo-B overexpression promoted tumor angiogenesis in a tumor xenograft subcutaneous model of the human HCC cell line. Mechanically, Nogo-B regulates tumor angiogenesis based on its association with integrin αv ß3 and activation of focal adhesion kinase. Moreover, Nogo-B antibody successfully abolished the function of Nogo-B in tumor angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results strongly suggest that Nogo-B is an important tumor angiogenic factor and blocking Nogo-B selectively inhibits tumor angiogenesis.

Nogo-A inhibits vascular regeneration in ischemic retinopathy.

Nogo-A is a potent glial-derived inhibitor of axon growth in the injured CNS and acts as a negative regulator of developmental angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular endothelial cell migration. However, its function in pathological angiogenesis has never been studied after ischemic injury in the CNS. Using the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) which yields defined zones of retinal ischemia, our goal was to investigate the role of Nogo-A in vascular regeneration. We demonstrate a marked upregulation of the Nogo-A receptor sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 in blood vessels following OIR, while Nogo-A is abundantly expressed in surrounding glial cells. Acute inhibition of Nogo-A with function-blocking antibody 11C7 significantly improved vascular regeneration and consequently prevented pathological pre-retinal angiogenesis. Ultimately, inhibition of Nogo-A led to restoration of retinal function as determined by electrophysiological response of retinal cells to light stimulation. Our data suggest that anti-Nogo-A antibody may protect neuronal cells from ischemic damage by accelerating blood vessel repair in the CNS. Targeting Nogo-A by immunotherapy may improve CNS perfusion after vascular injuries.

Improved functional outcome after chronic stroke with delayed anti-Nogo-A therapy: A clinically relevant intention-to-treat analysis.

Many preclinical treatment strategies for stroke have failed when tested in human trials. Although the reasons for these translation failures are multifactorial, one potential concern is the statistical analysis of the preclinical data. One way to rigorously evaluate new therapies is to use an intention-to-treat analysis in preclinical studies. Therefore, in this study, we set out to evaluate the treatment efficacy of a potential clinically relevant therapeutic agent for stroke, i.e., anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy, using an intention-to-treat analysis. Adult rats were trained on the skilled forelimb reaching task and subsequently underwent an ischemic stroke. Nine weeks later, the rats either received intracerebroventricular anti-Nogo-A antibody, control antibody, or no treatment. Skilled reaching performance was assessed by a non-linear model using both an intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. Following testing, dendritic complexity was evaluated in the contralesional and perilesional sensorimotor cortex. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis showed that anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy resulted in statistically significant improved recovery on the skilled forelimb reaching task, although treatment effect was less (though statistically significant) in the intention-to-treat group. Improved functional performance was not shown to be associated with dendritic changes. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for the importance of using intention-to-treat paradigms in testing preclinical therapeutic strategies.

NogoA Neutralization Promotes Axonal Restoration After White Matter Injury In Subcortical Stroke.

Blocking axonal growth inhibitor NogoA has been of great interest for promoting axonal recovery from neurological diseases. The present study investigates the therapeutic effects of blocking NogoA, inducing functional recovery and promoting white matter repair in an experimental animal model of stroke. Adult male rats were subjected to white matter injury by subcortical ischemic stroke. Twenty-four hours after surgery, 250 ug of anti-NogoA or anti-IgG-1 were administered through the tail vein. The quantity of NogoA protein was determined by immunohistochemistry in the brain and peripheral organs. In addition, functional status, lesion size, fiber tract integrity, axonal sprouting and white matter repair markers were analyzed. Moreover, an in vitro study was performed in order to strengthen the results obtained in vivo. A lower quantity of NogoA protein was found in the brain and peripheral organs of the animals that received anti-NogoA treatment. The animals receiving anti-NogoA treatment showed significantly better results in terms of functional recovery, fiber tract integrity, axonal sprouting and white matter repair markers compared with the control group at 28 days. White matter integrity was in part restored by antibody-mediated inhibition of NogoA administration in those animals that were subjected to an axonal injury by subcortical stroke. This white matter restoration triggered functional recovery.

Chemoproteomics-enabled covalent ligand screen reveals a cysteine hotspot in reticulon 4 that impairs ER morphology and cancer pathogenicity.

Chemical genetics has arisen as a powerful approach for identifying novel anti-cancer agents. However, a major bottleneck of this approach is identifying the targets of lead compounds that arise from screens. Here, we coupled the synthesis and screening of fragment-based cysteine-reactive covalent ligands with activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) chemoproteomic approaches to identify compounds that impair colorectal cancer pathogenicity and map the druggable hotspots targeted by these hits. Through this coupled approach, we discovered a cysteine-reactive acrylamide DKM 3-30 that significantly impaired colorectal cancer cell pathogenicity through targeting C1101 on reticulon 4 (RTN4). While little is known about the role of RTN4 in colorectal cancer, this protein has been established as a critical mediator of endoplasmic reticulum tubular network formation. We show here that covalent modification of C1101 on RTN4 by DKM 3-30 or genetic knockdown of RTN4 impairs endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope morphology as well as colorectal cancer pathogenicity. We thus put forth RTN4 as a potential novel colorectal cancer therapeutic target and reveal a unique druggable hotspot within RTN4 that can be targeted by covalent ligands to impair colorectal cancer pathogenicity. Our results underscore the utility of coupling the screening of fragment-based covalent ligands with isoTOP-ABPP platforms for mining the proteome for novel druggable nodes that can be targeted for cancer therapy.

Nogo-B Facilitates LPS-Mediated Immune Responses by Up-Regulation of TLR4-Signaling in Macrophage RAW264.7.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nogo-B, a member of the reticulon family of proteins, is mainly located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we investigate the function and mechanism of Nogo-B in the regulation of TLR4-associated immune responses in the macrophage cell line of RAW264.7. METHODS: Nogo-B was up- and down-regulated through the use of appropriate adenoviral vectors or siRNA, and the effects of Nogo-B on macrophages under liposaccharide (LPS) stimulation were evaluated via western blotting, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometric analysis, and transwell assay. RESULTS: Our data indicates that the protein of Nogo-B was down-regulated in a time- and dose-dependent manner following LPS administration in the macrophage. Nogo-B overexpression increased the production of inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and TGF-ß), enhanced macrophage migration activities, activated major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II), and elevated the expression of macrophage scavenger receptor 1(MSR1), all of which suggest that Nogo-B is necessary for immune responses and plays an important role in regulating macrophage recruitment. Mechanistically, Nogo-B may enhance TLR4 expression in macrophage surfaces, activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, and initiate inflammatory responses. CONCLUSION: These findings illustrate the key regulatory functions of Nogo-B in facilitating LPS-mediated immune responses through promoting the phosphorylation of MAP kinase.

Nogo-66 Restricts Synaptic Strengthening via Lingo1 and the ROCK2-Cofilin Pathway to Control Actin Dynamics.

Nogo-A restricts long-term potentiation (LTP) at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pathway in the adult hippocampus via 2 extracellular domains: Nogo-A-Δ20 and Nogo-66. Nogo-66 signals via Nogo Receptor 1 (NgR1) to regulate synaptic function. Whether the NgR1 coreceptors Lingo1 and p75NTR are involved in the signaling in this context is still not known. Moreover, the intracellular cascade mediating the activity of Nogo-66 in restricting LTP is unexplored. We combine electrophysiology and biochemistry in acute hippocampal slices and demonstrate that a loss of function for Lingo1 results in a significant increase in LTP levels at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pathway, and that Lingo1 is the NgR1 coreceptor mediating the role of Nogo-66 in restricting LTP. Our data show that p75NTR is not involved in mediating the Nogo-66 effect on LTP. Moreover, loss of function for p75NTR and NgR1 equally attenuate LTD, suggesting that p75NTR might mediate the NgR1-dependent regulation of LTD, independently of Nogo-66. Finally, our results indicate that Nogo-66 signaling limits LTP via the ROCK2-Cofilin pathway to control the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. The present results elucidate the signaling pathway activated by Nogo-66 to control LTP and contribute to the understanding of how Nogo-A stabilizes the neural circuits to limit activity-dependent plasticity events in the mature hippocampus.

Matrine Treatment Blocks NogoA-Induced Neural Inhibitory Signaling Pathway in Ongoing Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

Myelin-associated inhibitors, such as NogoA, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), play a pivotal role in the lack of neuroregeneration in multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Matrine (MAT), a monomer that is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent, has shown beneficial effects in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. However, the underlying mechanisms of MAT-induced EAE amelioration are not fully understood. In the present study, we show that MAT treatment suppressed ongoing EAE, and this effect correlated with an increased expression of growth-associated protein 43, an established marker for axonal regeneration. MAT treatment significantly reduced the levels of NogoA, its receptor complex NgR/p75NTR/LINGO-1, and their downstream RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in the CNS. In contrast, intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels and its protein kinase (protein kinase A (PKA)), which can promote axonal regrowth by inactivating the RhoA, were upregulated. Importantly, adding MAT in primary astrocytes in vitro largely induced cAMP/PKA expression, and blockade of cAMP significantly diminished MAT-induced expression of PKA and production of BDNF, a potent neurotrophic factor for neuroregeneration. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the beneficial effects of MAT on EAE can be attributed not only to its capacity for immunomodulation, but also to its directly promoting regeneration of the injured CNS.

NOGO-A/RTN4A and NOGO-B/RTN4B are simultaneously expressed in epithelial, fibroblast and neuronal cells and maintain ER morphology.

Reticulons (RTNs) are a large family of membrane associated proteins with various functions. NOGO-A/RTN4A has a well-known function in limiting neurite outgrowth and restricting the plasticity of the mammalian central nervous system. On the other hand, Reticulon 4 proteins were shown to be involved in forming and maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tubules. Using comparative transcriptome analysis and qPCR, we show here that NOGO-B/RTN4B and NOGO-A/RTN4A are simultaneously expressed in cultured epithelial, fibroblast and neuronal cells. Electron tomography combined with immunolabelling reveal that both isoforms localize preferably to curved membranes on ER tubules and sheet edges. Morphological analysis of cells with manipulated levels of NOGO-B/RTN4B revealed that it is required for maintenance of normal ER shape; over-expression changes the sheet/tubule balance strongly towards tubules and causes the deformation of the cell shape while depletion of the protein induces formation of large peripheral ER sheets.