Quantitative proteomics reveals the neurotoxicity of trimethyltin chloride on mitochondria in the hippocampus of mice.

Trimethyltin chloride (TMT) is a potent neurotoxin widely used as a constituent of polyvinyl chloride plastic in the industrial and agricultural fields. However, the underlying mechanisms by which TMT leads to neurotoxicity remain elusive. In the present study, we constructed a dose and time dependent neurotoxic mouse model of TMT exposure to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in TMT-induced neurological damage. Based on this model, the cognitive ability of TMT exposed mice was assessed by the Morris water maze test and a passive avoidance task. The ultrastructure of hippocampus was analyzed by the transmission electron microscope. Subsequently, proteomics integrated with bioinformatics and experimental verification were employed to reveal potential mechanisms of TMT-induced neurotoxicity. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis were done by using Metascape and GeneCards database respectively. Our results demonstrated that TMT-exposed mice exhibited cognitive disorder, and mitochondrial respiratory chain abnormality of the hippocampus. Proteomics data showed that a total of 7303 proteins were identified in hippocampus of mice of which 224 ones displayed a 1.5-fold increase or decrease in TMT exposed mice compared with controls. Further analysis indicated that these proteins were mainly involved in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and respiratory electron transport, proteasome degradation, and multiple metabolic pathways as well as inflammatory signaling pathways. Some proteins, including succinate-CoA ligase subunit (Suclg1), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (Nd5), NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 4-like 2 (Ndufa4l2) and cytochrome c oxidase assembly factor 7 (Coa7), which were closely related to mitochondrial respiratory electron transport, showed TMT dose and time dependent changes in the hippocampus of mice. Moreover, apoptotic molecules Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were up-regulated, while anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was down-regulated compared with controls. In conclusion, our findings suggest that impairment of mitochondrial respiratory chain transport and promotion of apoptosis are the potential mechanisms of TMT induced hippocampus toxicity in mice.

Neuroprotective effects of ex vivo-expanded regulatory T cells on trimethyltin-induced neurodegeneration in mice.

BACKGROUND: Trimethyltin (TMT) is a potent neurotoxicant that leads to hippocampal neurodegeneration. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in maintaining the immune balance in the central nervous system (CNS), but their activities are impaired in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we aimed to determine whether adoptive transfer of Tregs, as a living drug, ameliorates hippocampal neurodegeneration in TMT-intoxicated mice. METHODS: CD4+CD25+ Tregs were expanded in vitro and adoptively transferred to TMT-treated mice. First, we explored the effects of Tregs on behavioral deficits using the Morris water maze and elevated plus maze tests. Biomarkers related to memory formation, such as cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), protein kinase C (PKC), neuronal nuclear protein (NeuN), nerve growth factor (NGF), and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) in the hippocampus were examined by immunohistochemistry after killing the mouse. To investigate the neuroinflammatory responses, the polarization status of microglia was examined in vivo and in vitro using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Additionally, the inhibitory effects of Tregs on TMT-induced microglial activation were examined using time-lapse live imaging in vitro with an activation-specific fluorescence probe, CDr20. RESULTS: Adoptive transfer of Tregs improved spatial learning and memory functions and reduced anxiety in TMT-intoxicated mice. Additionally, adoptive transfer of Tregs reduced neuronal loss and recovered the expression of neurogenesis enhancing molecules in the hippocampi of TMT-intoxicated mice. In particular, Tregs inhibited microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in the hippocampi of TMT-intoxicated mice. The inhibitory effects of TMT were also confirmed via in vitro live time-lapse imaging in a Treg/microglia co-culture system. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that adoptive transfer of Tregs ameliorates disease progression in TMT-induced neurodegeneration by promoting neurogenesis and modulating microglial activation and polarization.

Alteration in glutathione homeostasis and oxidative stress during the sequelae of trimethyltin syndrome in rat brain.

Trimethyltin (TMT), a by-product of tin, is used in a wide variety of industrial and agricultural purposes which serves as a model neurotoxicant in hippocampal neurodegeneration, and this could, in turn, be exploited for various therapeutic compounds essential for hippocampal neurodegeneration. Therefore, the present investigation explores the sequential changes in behavior, oxidative burden, and apoptosis following TMT administration in rat hippocampus. Male SD rats weighing 250 g were given single dose of 8.5 mg/kg TMT (i.p.) that resulted in "TMT syndrome" which begins at the third post-TMT exposure and continued till 21 days posttreatment. This resulted in behavioral alteration (aggression and spontaneous seizures), cognitive impairment as assessed by plus maze, and passive avoidance resulting in short-term memory deficits. These behavioral alterations were associated with an increase in oxidative stress. The levels of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, and protein carbonyl were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the TMT-treated rats after the third day of exposure and were maximum at day 14 postexposure. The glutathione system was not able to adapt rapidly in response to oxidative stress which resulted in imbalance in redox status. The imbalance in the redox state resulted in the death of neurons as seen by a significant increase in caspase activation at gene as well as protein level after TMT exposure on day 14, quoting an extent of changes. Therefore, it is proposed that behavioral deficits could be accounted by the impairment of endogenous glutathione homeostasis which resulted in death of neurons in the hippocampal region.

Enhanced neurogenesis during trimethyltin-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus of the adult rat.

The occurrence of neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the adult rat during trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neurodegeneration was investigated using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Fifteen days after TMT intoxication, BrdU-labeled cells were significantly more numerous in the hippocampus of treated animals, gradually decreasing towards the control value 21 days after intoxication in the dentate gyrus (DG), while in the CA3/hilus region BrdU-labeled cells were still more numerous in TMT-treated rats. In order to investigate the fate of newly-generated cells double labeling experiments using neuronal or glial markers were performed. Colocalization of the neuronal marker NeuN was detected in many BrdU-positive cells in the DG, while in the CA3/hilus region no colocalization of NeuN and BrdU could be observed. No colocalization of BrdU and the astroglial marker GFAP or the microglial marker OX-42 was detected either in the DG and or in the CA3/hilus region. The results indicate an enhancement of endogenous neurogenesis in the hippocampus during TMT-induced neurodegeneration, with the development of a subpopulation of regenerated cells into neurons in the DG, while in the CA3/hilus region the population of newly-generated cells should be regarded as undifferentiated.

Inorganic tin and organotin interactions with Candida maltosa.

As a consequence of the widespread industrial and agricultural applications of organotins, contamination of various ecosystems has occurred in recent decades. Understanding how these compounds interact with microorganisms is important in assessing the risks of organotin pollution. The organotins, tributyltin (TBT), trimethyltin (TMT) and inorganic tin, Sn(IV), were investigated for their physical interactions with non-metabolising cells and protoplasts of the yeast Candida maltosa, an organism that is often associated with contaminated environments. Uptake, toxicity and membrane-acting effects of these compounds, at concentrations approximating those found in polluted environments, were assessed. Sn(IV) and TBT uptake occurred by different mechanisms. Uptake of Sn(IV) was 2-fold greater in intact cells than protoplasts, underlining the importance of cell wall binding, whereas TBT uptake levels by both cell types were similar. TBT uptake resulted in cell death and extensive K+ leakage, while Sn(IV) uptake had no effect. TMT did not interact with cells. Of the three compounds, TBT alone altered membrane fluidity, as measured by the fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene incorporated into cells. Anisotropy of 1-(4-trimethylaminophenyl-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene) was not affected, implying that TBT is not confined to the surface of the cytoplasmic membrane, but acts within membrane lipids. These results indicate that the cell wall is the dominant site of Sn(IV) interactions with yeast, while lipophilic interactions play an important role in uptake and toxicity of TBT.

Positive modulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid-type glutamate receptors elicits neuroprotection after trimethyltin exposure in hippocampus.

The alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamatergic receptors have been linked to survival signaling, especially when the receptors are allosterically modulated by members of the Ampakine family. While increased glutamatergic communication through AMPA receptors has been shown to protect against toxic conditions that target hippocampal subfield CA1, protection in other subfields has not been shown. Accordingly, positive modulation of AMPA receptors by Ampakine compounds CX727 and CX516 was tested for effects on trimethyltin (TMT) neurotoxicity in rat hippocampal slice cultures. TMT was applied for 4 h followed by a rapid washout and antagonistic quenching of AMPA and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. After a 24-h period, the TMT-exposed slices exhibited increased levels of calpain-mediated spectrin breakdown as well as synaptic deterioration. TMT selectively targeted CA3 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells as evidenced by degeneration and neuronal loss. The cytoskeletal and synaptic damage was reduced when Ampakine modulation was initiated during the postinsult period. Furthermore, the extent of protection was comparable to that produced by the NMDA receptor antagonist AP5. The above results were substantiated by histological experiments, revealing that Ampakine treatment prevented TMT-induced cell loss in CA3 and DG. These results indicate that AMPA receptor signals are part of cellular repair responses following exposure to an environmental toxin.

Early metabolic responses of retinal neurons to trimethyltin intoxication.

Chronic systemic exposure of rats to the neuronotoxic compound trimethyltin (TMT) results in increased incorporation of radioactive precursors into retinal proteins and glycoproteins. Because this increased metabolic activity is accompanied by minimal subcellular pathological alterations and almost no neuronal necrosis, we suggested that it may represent an early, reactive (compensatory) response (Brain Res. 398, 298-304; 1986). We have now investigated the development of this metabolic response to TMT in more detail. Beginning at 30 d of age, rats received weekly doses of TMT (4 mg/kg body wt) by gavage for up to 7 wk; rates of incorporation of [35S]methionine and [3H]fucose into retinal proteins and glycoproteins, respectively, were then determined using in vitro retinal incubations. The apparent rates of protein synthesis and glycoprotein glycosylation in retinas from TMT-treated animals were normal or slightly decreased after 1-3 wkly doses, but were increased after 4 doses and more markedly increased after 7 doses. Glycoprotein glycosylation was increased to a greater degree (192% of control after 7 wk of dosing) than was protein synthesis (134% of control). The increased incorporation in retinas from TMT-treated animals persisted when retinas were incubated with "flooding" concentrations of precursor (1 mM), suggesting that these increases were not owing to alterations in the size of retinal precursor pools. The preferential increase in glycoprotein glycosylation was partially owing to a selective increase in glycosylation of two molecular species with apparent mol wt of 32 and 45 KDa. Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of newly synthesized proteins and glycoproteins indicated that the TMT-induced increase in metabolic activity was not specific or selective for any retinal layer or cell type. We suggest that the preferential activation of glycoprotein glycosylation, and in particular the increased glycosylation of the 32 and 45 KDa glycoprotein species, may represent part of a compensatory metabolic response of retinal neurons to TMT-induced neuronal injury.

Fetomaternal kinetics of 14C-trimethyltin.

The mechanism of trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neuropathology remains unknown but likely relates to its time-course in the nervous system. To determine the pharmacokinetic profile of TMT in the fetomaternal unit, pregnant rats were injected on gestational day (GD) 17 with 7.0 mg/kg TMT plus 10 uCi 14C-TMT ip. Whole blood and plasma, cerebrum (CBR), cerebellum (CBE), and brainstem (BS) were sampled from mother and fetus/pup (f/p). Whole body saline perfusions of mother and f/p were performed independently to remove 14C contaminated blood. Whole blood total radioactivity showed f/p levels to be below maternal levels: at 4 hr, 42.6%, 24 hr, 54.2%, 96 hr, 64.8%. Litters were cross-fostered (CF) at birth with those from untreated mothers. Two weeks after treatment (postnatal day 10), pups exposed in utero (n=13, 2 litters) had whole blood 14C levels 13.9% that of their mothers. Untreated pups CF to treated mothers showed a blood concentration 1.8% of the dosed mother, indicating that TMT is transferred in milk. Radioactivity in maternal whole blood at 2 weeks was 49 +/- 11% (SEM) of peak (1 hr) levels. Only 2.5 +/- 0.2% of maternal whole blood radioactivity was present in plasma. 14C in urine accounted for 17.5 +/- 1.5% of the dose at 2 weeks (n=4). Both maternal and fetal brains contained about 2-4% as much radioactivity as found in maternal and fetal whole blood, respectively. TMT crosses the placenta, enters fetal blood and attains fetal brain levels that are equal to those found in maternal brain.

Tin distribution in adult rat tissues after exposure to trimethyltin and triethyltin.

The time course of distribution of tin in the adult rat was determined in brain, liver, kidneys, heart, and blood following single ip administrations of trimethyltin hydroxide (TMT) and triethyltin bromide (TET). Adult Long-Evans rats were killed 1, 4, 12, and 24 hr, and at 5, 10, or 22 days following injection of TMT and TET (N = 6/time), and tissues were analyzed for total tin by atomic absorbance spectroscopy. TET exposure resulted in higher tin concentrations in brain, liver, and kidney tissues, while the two trialkyltins resulted in approximately equal tin concentrations in the heart and blood. Rates of elimination of tin (expressed as elimination rate constants, Kel) were greater in all tissues following TET exposure than following TMT exposure. The concentration of tin in the brain 12 hr after TMT exposure was 4.4, 8.5, and 12.7 ng tin/mg protein for dosages of 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 mg/kg, respectively. Tin was evenly distributed across the cerebellum, medulla-pons, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and striatum following TMT exposure. These results describe major differences in the disposition and rates of elimination of tin from body tissues after TMT and TET exposure, and demonstrate that the regional disposition of tin is not related to the region-specific pathology reported following TMT exposure.

Distribution of tin in brain subcellular fractions following the administration of trimethyl tin and triethyl tin to the rat.

The time course of tin distribution in homogenates and subcellular fractions of rat brain was determined following the acute administration of trimethyl tin (TMT) and triethyl tin (TET) to the rat. Exposure to TMT resulted in lower concentrations but greater persistence of tin in subcellular fractions compared to exposure to TET. A delayed accumulation of tin in the mitochondrial fraction was observed following the administration of TMT but not TET. Analysis of total protein and mitochondrial markers did not reveal differences between the compositions of mitochondrial fractions prepared from control and TMT-treated subjects.

The neurotoxicity of trimethyltin chloride in hamsters, gerbils and marmosets.

Trimethyltin chloride (TMT) was given to Syrian hamsters, gerbils and marmosets, and the changes in the brain were studied 1 day to 7 weeks later by light and electron microscopy. Within the marmoset brain, TMT was found to be uniformly distributed, similar to that in the rat. In all three species, signs of poisoning included whole-body tremors and prostration, while death might occur in 3-4 days; in marmosets ataxia, agitation, aggression and occasional fits were also observed. Bilateral symmetrical neuronal necrosis and chromatolysis were seen in the majority, which involved the hippocampus, pyriform cortex, amygdaloid nucleus, neocortex, various brain stem nuclei and in marmosets the retina. The probably lethal dose of TMT in all three species is approximately 3 mg kg-1, while the LD50 for the rat is 12.6 mg kg-1. The lower figure is probably related to lack of binding to haemoglobin in contrast to the binding in the rat. TMT does not bind to human haemoglobin and thus the predicted lethal dose for humans may be about 3 mg kg-1 (15.1 mumol kg-1), while the dose required to produce neuronal damage could well be less.

Potential tissue-imaging agents: 23-(trimethyl [117mSn]stannyl)-24-nor-5 alpha-cholan-3 beta-ol.

Tin-117m-labeled 23-(trimethylstannyl)-24-nor-5 alpha-cholan-3 beta-ol (2) has been prepared by reaction of trimethyl [117mSn]tin lithium with 3 beta-acetoxy-23-bromo-24-nor-5 alpha-cholane (1). Tin-117m (2) shows pronounced adrenal uptake (2.5% injected dose) in female rats 1 day after injection. Furthermore, the adrenal to liver (9.1:1) and adrenal to blood (33.7:1) ratios are high after this period. The absorbed radiation dose values from [117mSn]2 to human organs have also been estimated by using rat tissue distribution and excretion data. [117mSn]2 is the first reported tissue-specific organic radiopharmaceutical labeled with this nuclide and may have potential as an adrenal imaging agent.

Distribution of trimethyltin in various tissues of the male mouse.

Trimethyltin (TMT) levels were determined in various tissues of male mice at 1, 2, 4, 6, 10 and 16 h after administration (4.26 mg/kg; i.p.). Peak TMT levels in kidneys, liver, blood, lungs and testes were observed at 1 h following administration. Penetration into the brain, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue was also observed where maximum TMT levels were achieved 6-16 h following administration. 16 h post-treatment, the order of mean tissue concentrations, of the compound was: liver greater than testes greater than kidneys greater than lungs greater than brain greater than skeletal muscle greater than adipose tissue greater than blood. TMT was retained at peak levels in most tissues until, by 16 h, the animals exhibited tremors and convulsions followed by death. The mean concentration of TMT in the brain associated with delayed (central nervous system) (CNS) excitability at 16 h was 1.53 micrograms/g of wet tissue. These results indicate that TMT rapidly distributes and, although water-soluble, persists in tissues following an i.p. administration.