Ultrastructural characterization of peripheral denervation in a mouse model of Type III spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a heritable, autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by a loss of the survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein, which leads to degeneration of lower motor neurons, and muscle atrophy. Despite SMA being nosographically classified as a motor neuron disease, recent advances indicate that peripheral alterations at the level of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), involving the muscle, and axons of the sensory-motor system, occur early, and may even precede motor neuron loss. In the present study, we used a mouse model of slow progressive (type III) SMA, whereby the absence of the mouse SMN protein is compensated by the expression of two human genes (heterozygous SMN1A2G, and SMN2). This leads to late disease onset and prolonged survival, which allows for dissecting slow degenerative steps operating early in SMA pathogenesis. In this purely morphological study carried out at transmission electron microscopy, we extend the examination of motor neurons and proximal axons towards peripheral components, including distal axons, muscle fibers, and also muscle spindles. We document remarkable ultrastructural alterations being consistent with early peripheral denervation in SMA, which may shift the ultimate anatomical target in neuromuscular disease from the spinal cord towards the muscle. This concerns mostly mitochondrial alterations within distal axons and muscle, which are quantified here through ultrastructural morphometry. The present study is expected to provide a deeper knowledge of early pathogenic mechanisms in SMA.

Rapamycin Ameliorates Defects in Mitochondrial Fission and Mitophagy in Glioblastoma Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) cells feature mitochondrial alterations, which are documented and quantified in the present study, by using ultrastructural morphometry. Mitochondrial impairment, which roughly occurs in half of the organelles, is shown to be related to mTOR overexpression and autophagy suppression. The novelty of the present study consists of detailing an mTOR-dependent mitophagy occlusion, along with suppression of mitochondrial fission. These phenomena contribute to explain the increase in altered mitochondria reported here. Administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin rescues mitochondrial alterations. In detail, rapamycin induces the expression of genes promoting mitophagy (PINK1, PARKIN, ULK1, AMBRA1) and mitochondrial fission (FIS1, DRP1). This occurs along with over-expression of VPS34, an early gene placed upstream in the autophagy pathway. The topographic stoichiometry of proteins coded by these genes within mitochondria indicates that, a remarkable polarization of proteins involved in fission and mitophagy within mitochondria including LC3 takes place. Co-localization of these proteins within mitochondria, persists for weeks following rapamycin, which produces long-lasting mitochondrial plasticity. Thus, rapamycin restores mitochondrial status in GBM cells. These findings add novel evidence about mitochondria and GBM, while fostering a novel therapeutic approach to restore healthy mitochondria through mTOR inhibition.

Chronic stress induces formation of stress granules and pathological TDP-43 aggregates in human ALS fibroblasts and iPSC-motoneurons.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the presence of neuropathological aggregates of phosphorylated TDP-43 (P-TDP-43) protein. The RNA-binding protein TDP-43 participates also to cell stress response by forming stress granules (SG) in the cytoplasm to temporarily arrest translation. The hypothesis that TDP-43 pathology directly arises from SG has been proposed but is still under debate because only sub-lethal stress conditions have been tested experimentally so far. In this study we reproduced a mild and chronic oxidative stress by sodium arsenite to better mimic the persistent and subtle alterations occurring during the neurodegenerative process in primary fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motoneurons (iPSC-MN) from ALS patients carrying mutations in TARDBP and C9ORF72 genes. We found that not only the acute sub-lethal stress usually used in literature, but also the chronic oxidative insult was able to induce SG formation in both primary fibroblasts and iPSC-MN. We also observed the recruitment of TDP-43 into SG only upon chronic stress in association to the formation of distinct cytoplasmic P-TDP-43 aggregates and a significant increase of the autophagy marker p62. A quantitative analysis revealed differences in both the number of cells forming SG in mutant ALS and healthy control fibroblasts, suggesting a specific genetic contribution to cell stress response, and in SG size, suggesting a different composition of these cytoplasmic foci in the two stress conditions. Upon removal of arsenite, the recovery from chronic stress was complete for SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates at 72 h with the exception of p62, which was reduced but still persistent, supporting the hypothesis that autophagy impairment may drive pathological TDP-43 aggregates formation. The gene-specific differences observed in fibroblasts in response to oxidative stress were not present in iPSC-MN, which showed a similar formation of SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates regardless their genotype. Our results show that SG and P-TDP-43 aggregates may be recapitulated in patient-derived neuronal and non-neuronal cells exposed to prolonged oxidative stress, which may be therefore exploited to study TDP-43 pathology and to develop individualized therapeutic strategies for ALS/FTD.

Quantitative Ultrastructural Morphometry and Gene Expression of mTOR-Related Mitochondriogenesis within Glioblastoma Cells.

In glioblastoma (GBM) cells, an impairment of mitochondrial activity along with autophagy suppression occurs. Autophagy suppression in GBM promotes stemness, invasion, and poor prognosis. The autophagy deficit seems to be due, at least in part, to an abnormal up-regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which may be counteracted by pharmacological mTORC1 inhibition. Since autophagy activation is tightly bound to increased mitochondriogenesis, a defect in the synthesis of novel mitochondria is expected to occur in GBM cells. In an effort to measure a baseline deficit in mitochondria and promote mitochondriogenesis, the present study used two different GBM cell lines, both featuring mTOR hyperactivity. mTORC1 inhibition increases the expression of genes and proteins related to autophagy, mitophagy, and mitochondriogenesis. Autophagy activation was counted by RT-PCR of autophagy genes, LC3- immune-fluorescent puncta and immune-gold, as well as specific mitophagy-dependent BNIP3 stoichiometric increase in situ, within mitochondria. The activation of autophagy-related molecules and organelles after rapamycin exposure occurs concomitantly with progression of autophagosomes towards lysosomes. Remarkably, mitochondrial biogenesis and plasticity (increased mitochondrial number, integrity, and density as well as decreased mitochondrial area) was long- lasting for weeks following rapamycin withdrawal.

Endogenous 3-Iodothyronamine (T1AM) and Synthetic Thyronamine-like Analog SG-2 Act as Novel Pleiotropic Neuroprotective Agents Through the Modulation of SIRT6.

3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) and the recently developed analog SG-2 are rapidly emerging as promising multi-target neuroprotective ligands able to reprogram lipid metabolism and to produce memory enhancement in mice. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the multi-target effects of these novel drug candidates, here we investigated whether the modulation of SIRT6, known to play a key role in reprogramming energy metabolism, might also drive the activation of clearing pathways, such as autophagy and ubiquitine-proteasome (UP), as further mechanisms against neurodegeneration. We show that both T1AM and SG-2 increase autophagy in U87MG cells by inducing the expression of SIRT6, which suppresses Akt activity thus leading to mTOR inhibition. This effect was concomitant with down-regulation of autophagy-related genes, including Hif1α, p53 and mTOR. Remarkably, when mTOR was inhibited a concomitant activation of autophagy and UP took place in U87MG cells. Since both compounds activate autophagy, which is known to sustain long term potentiation (LTP) in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and counteracting AD pathology, further electrophysiological studies were carried out in a transgenic mouse model of AD. We found that SG-2 was able to rescue LTP with an efficacy comparable to T1AM, further underlying its potential as a novel pleiotropic agent for neurodegenerative disorders treatment.

Protective effects of long-term lithium administration in a slowly progressive SMA mouse model.

In the present study we evaluated the long-term effects of lithium administration to a knock-out double transgenic mouse model (Smn-/-; SMN1A2G+/-; SMN2+/+) of Spinal Muscle Atrophy type III (SMA-III). This model is characterized by very low levels of the survival motor neuron protein, slow disease progression and motor neuron loss, which enables to detect disease-modifying effects at delayed time intervals. Lithium administration attenuates the decrease in motor activity and provides full protection from motor neuron loss occurring in SMA-III mice, throughout the disease course. In addition, lithium prevents motor neuron enlargement and motor neuron heterotopy and suppresses the occurrence of radial-like glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining in the ventral white matter of SMA-III mice. In SMA-III mice long-term lithium administration determines a dramatic increase of survival motor neuron protein levels in the spinal cord. These data demonstrate that long-term lithium administration during a long-lasting motor neuron disorder attenuates behavioural deficit and neuropathology. Since low level of survival motor neuron protein is bound to disease severity in SMA, the robust increase in protein level produced by lithium provides solid evidence which calls for further investigations considering lithium in the long-term treatment of spinal muscle atrophy.

Ultrasonographic measurements of gastro-soleus fascia thickness in midportion Achilles tendinopathy: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The Achilles tendon is one of the thickest, largest, and strongest tendons in the human body. Biomechanically, the AT represents the conjoint tendon of the triceps surae muscle, placed in series with the plantar fascia (PF) to ensure force transmission from the triceps surae toward the toes during walking, running, and jumping. Commonly encountered in the diagnostic evaluation of heel pain, Achilles tendinopathy (AT) refers to a combination of pathological changes affecting the tendon itself often resulting from excessive repetitive stress and overuse. Nevertheless, increasing evidence demonstrates that structural alterations due to overuse or abnormal patterns of skeletal muscle activity are not necessarily restricted to the muscles or tendons but can also affect the fascial tissue. At the same time, there has been recent discussion regarding the role of the fascial tissue as a potential contributor to the pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of several musculoskeletal disorders including tendinopathies. To the best of our knowledge, ultrasound (US) imaging studies on the fascial structures related to the triceps surae complex, as well as their possible correlation with Achillodynia have never been presented in the current literature. METHODS: In the present study, a comparative US imaging evaluation of textural features of the suro-Achilleo-plantar complex was performed in 14 healthy controls and 14 symptomatic subjects complaining of midportion AT. The thickness of the Achilles tendon, paratenon, intermuscular fascia, and PF has been assessed with US. In addition, both groups underwent the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A), a disease-specific questionnaire that measures the severity of symptoms of AT. Correlations between quantitative ultrasound measures and VISA-A scores were determined through Pearson or Spearman's rho correlations. RESULTS: Our ultrasonographic findings revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in Achilles tendon and paratenon thicknesses between AT patients and controls. No significant differences were observed between groups in PF at the calcaneal insertion as all mean measures were within the expected range of a normal PF on US imaging. In contrast, in tendinopathic subjects, the deep intermuscular fascia between medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) muscles is significantly (p<0.01) and considerably thickened compared to those of healthy subjects. Moderate correlations exist between tendon and paratenon thicknesses (r= 0.54, p= 0.04) and between MG-SOL fascia and tendon thicknesses (r= 0.58, p= 0.03). Regarding symptom severity and US morphological findings, the Spearman ρ test showed no correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that, in symptomatic subjects, US alterations are not restricted to paratenon and intratendinous areas, but also affect upstream structures along the myofascial chain, resulting in thickening of the fascia interposed between MG and SOL muscles. Moreover, positive correlations were found between MG-SOL fascia thickening and abnormalities in AT, paratenon, and symptom severity. Thus, US alterations in the fascial system should be interpreted within the clinical context of patients with AT as they may in turn represent important predictors of subsequent clinical outcomes and could help healthcare professionals and clinicians to refine non-operative treatment strategies and rehabilitation protocols for this disease.

Pain-Relieving Effects of Shockwave Therapy for Ledderhose Disease: An Ultrasound-Based Study of an Unusual Bilateral Case.

Ledderhose disease (LD, or plantar fibromatosis) is a rare, nodular, hyperproliferative condition affecting the plantar aponeurosis of the foot. At present, several conservative, non-surgical treatments have been documented, although with various degrees of success, with little evidence in the literature supporting their efficacy. In this scenario, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has emerged as a safe, effective, and less invasive approach for the successful treatment of several refractory musculoskeletal conditions and soft tissue injuries. Again, recent experimental evidence has shown that ESWT can exert beneficial effects on different fibroproliferative diseases, including Dupuytren's and Peyronie's disease. In contrast, the literature regarding the use of ESWT for LD is extremely limited, and no optimal application parameters have been defined to ensure its effectiveness for this disease. Therefore, in the present paper, we report a case of a 48-year-old male patient who developed bilateral foot LD, which was successfully treated with a novel ESWT protocol of treatment consisting of three sessions at 1-week intervals, with 2000 impulses at 5 Hz with an energy flux density of 0.20 mJ/mm2. Our data show that this ESWT treatment protocol was effective in completely relieving pain, restoring full functional activity, and thus, greatly improving the patient's quality of life.

Early post-surgical rehabilitation and functional outcomes of a traumatic ulnar nerve injury: a pediatric case report.

Background: Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) of the upper limb are very common events within the pediatric population, especially following soft tissue trauma and bone fractures. Symptoms of brachial plexus nerve injuries can differ considerably depending on the site and severity of injury. Compared to median and radial nerves, the ulnar nerve (UN) is the most frequently and severely injured nerve of the upper extremity. Indeed, due to its peculiar anatomical path, the UN is known to be particularly vulnerable to traumatic injuries, which result in pain and substantial motor and sensory disabilities of the forearm and hand. Therefore, timely and appropriate postoperative management of UN lesions is crucial to avoid permanent sensorymotor deficits and claw hand deformities leading to lifelong impairments. Nevertheless, the literature regarding the rehabilitation following PNIs is limited and lacks clear evidence regarding a solid treatment algorithm for the management of UN lesions that ensures full functional recovery. Case presentation: The patient is a 11-year-old child who experienced left-hand pain, stiffness, and disability secondary to a domestic accident. The traumatic UN lesion occurred about 8 cm proximal to Guyon's canal and it was surgically treated with termino-terminal (end-to-end) neurorrhaphy. One month after surgery, the patient underwent multimodal rehabilitative protocol and both subjective and functional measurements were recorded at baseline (T0) and at 3- (T1) and 5-month (T2) follow-up. At the end of the rehabilitation protocol, the patient achieved substantial reduction in pain and improvement in quality of life. Of considerable interest, the patient regained a complete functional recovery with satisfactory handgrip and pinch functions in addition with a decrease of disability in activities of daily living. Conclusion: A timely and intensive rehabilitative intervention done by qualified hand therapist with previous training in the rehabilitation of upper limb neuromuscular disorders is pivotal to achieve a stable and optimal functional recovery of the hand, while preventing the onset of deformities, in patients with peripheral nerve injuries of the upper limb.

Neurobiology and neuroanatomy of psychiatric symptoms in parkinsonism.

The present article aims to review state-of-the-art evidence of altered neurobiology and neuroanatomy underlyingpsychiatric symptoms in parkinsonism. This issue covers a wide range of symptoms encompassing anxiety, mooddisorders, psychosis as well as substance abuse and specific compulsive behaviors. Such a complex nosographymakes it impossible to deal with the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of each psychopathological condition perse, unless offering a trivial list of symptoms joined with brief explanations reporting potential causal mechanisms.This approach would only provide a rough synthesis of what previously reported without adding neither novelconcepts nor evidence to improve our insight into the neurobiology of parkinsonism as a psychiatric condition.Therefore, the analytical description of each psychiatric symptom associated with parkinsonism will be avoided butit will be referenced instead. In contrast, the present article will focus on the mechanisms why such a class of nonmotorsymptoms clusters in parkinsonian patients. In addition, we will seek to establish the relationship betweenthe occurrence of a given psychiatric condition and specific parkinsonian phenotypes. Again, an emphasis will begiven to the occurrence of behavioral fluctuations in parkinsonism where both motor and psychiatric symptomsmay possess a specific timing. The timing of these fluctuations will be related to the timing of dopamine substitutiontherapy and involvement of multiple neurotransmitters and brain regions as well. We provide evidence showingthat specific parkinsonian phenotypes (and genotypes) possess a widespread neuropathology, which in turn associatesto a fairly specific psychopathology. In contrast, other phenotypes (and genotypes) bring to very selectiveneuronal degeneration where the occurrence of psychiatric symptoms is rare if not absent at all. These clinicalpathological phenotypes associate with specific molecular mechanisms in the dynamics of neurobiology of disease.

Treatment of delayed union of the forearm with extracorporeal shockwave therapy: a case report and literature review.

Compared to other long bones, forearm fractures are particularly challenging due to the high rate of complications. These include malunion, delayed/nonunion, wrist and elbow movement reduction, and pain. Surgical procedure is considered the gold standard for managing delayed union and nonunion of the long bones. However, in the last decades, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has emerged as an effective and less invasive approach to enhance bone regeneration and fracture healing, avoiding major complications of surgical procedures. In contrast to the broad literature reporting good clinical results of ESWT in the treatment of nonunions, there is currently limited evidence regarding the clinical application of shock waves on long bone delayed fractures, particularly those of the forearm. In the present paper, we report a case of delayed bone healing of the diaphyseal region of the ulna treated with focused ESWT. The successful case experienced bone healing at the fracture site in less than 3 months after initial ESWT treatment. Acknowledging the limitation of reporting a case report, however, the remarkable clinical results and the absence of side effects contribute valuable information in support of the use of ESWT as an effective alternative to standard surgery for forearm fractures.

Effects of esomeprazole on healing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastric ulcers in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment: Characterization of molecular mechanisms.

Proton pump inhibitors promote ulcer repair in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-treated patients with ongoing NSAID-induced gastric toxicity, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the healing mechanisms of esomeprazole on NSAID-induced gastric ulcerations in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment. Ulcerations were induced in rats by oral indomethacin (6µmol/kg/day) for 14 days. Indomethacin administration was continued, alone or combined with equivalent acid inhibitory doses of esomeprazole (5µmol/kg/day), lansoprazole (15µmol/kg/day) or famotidine (20µmol/kg/day), for additional 7 days. Stomachs were then processed for: histomorphometric analysis of mucosal injury; mucosal levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and malondialdehyde (MDA); expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (Western blot); expression of Ki-67 (immunohistochemistry). Indomethacin for 14 days elicited mucosal damage, reduced PGE(2) levels and increased MDA. After additional 7 days, indomethacin induced the following effects: further enhancement of mucosal damage and MDA content; decrease in PGE(2) levels; increase in COX-2 and activated caspase-3 expression; decrease in VEGF, PCNA and Ki-67 expression. In the presence of indomethacin, esomeprazole and lansoprazole were more effective than famotidine in promoting resolution of mucosal damage. Concomitantly, esomeprazole and lansoprazole, but not famotidine, restored PCNA and Ki-67 expression, and normalized MDA levels. Moreover, esomeprazole, lansoprazole and famotidine partly counteracted caspase-3 activation, without affecting VEGF expression. The healing activity of esomeprazole on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcerations can be ascribed to two mechanisms: (1) acid-dependent reduction of pro-apoptotic signalling; (2) acid-independent restoration of proliferating/repairing pathways.

Autophagy activation in glutamate-induced motor neuron loss.

Recent literature demonstrated that exposure to excitatory amino acid in specific experimental conditions might produce a defect in the autophagy pathway. Such an effect was observed in motor neurons exposed chronically to glutamate agonists. On the other hand, it is well known that glutamate induces motor neuron death and this is supposed to play a key role in the physiopathology of motor neuron loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Similarly, a defective recruitment of autophagy was recently documented in ALS. In the present study we found that exposure of motor neurons to kainic acid produces intracellular changes associated with defective autophagy. In this experimental conditions, pharmacological activation of autophagy rescues the loss of motor neurons.

A systematic study of brainstem motor nuclei in a mouse model of ALS, the effects of lithium.

Transgenic mice expressing the human superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1) mutant at position 93 (G93A) develop a phenotype resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In fact, G93A mice develop progressive motor deficits which finally lead to motor palsy and death. This is due to the progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Although a similar loss is reported for specific cranial motor nuclei, only a few studies so far investigated degeneration in a few brainstem nuclei. We recently reported that chronic lithium administration delays onset and duration of the disease, while reducing degeneration of spinal motor neuron. In the present study, we extended this investigation to all somatic motor nuclei of the brain stem in the G93A mice and we evaluated whether analogous protective effects induced by lithium in the spinal cord were present at the brain stem level. We found that all motor but the oculomotor nuclei were markedly degenerated in G93A mice, and chronic treatment with lithium significantly attenuated neurodegeneration in the trigeminal, facial, ambiguus, and hypoglossal nuclei. Moreover, in the hypoglossal nucleus, we found that recurrent collaterals were markedly lost in G93A mice while they were rescued by chronic lithium administration.

Abnormal morphology of peripheral cell tissues from patients with Huntington disease.

We investigated the genotype-dependency of morphological abnormalities in peripheral cells from Huntington disease (HD) patients. Cell cultures derived from skin and muscle biopsies showed a different set of abnormalities depending on the genotype (i.e. heterozygous and homozygous for CAG mutations) and the tissue (i.e. fibroblasts and myoblasts). In general, homozygotes' cell lines showed massive ultrastructural damage of specific cell organelles compared with age matched control. These consist of vacuolization, deranged crests and matrix found within giant mitochondria. In addition, enlarged endoplasmic reticulum and the occurrence of numerous autophagic vacuoles, which were similar to those occurring in neurons within affected brain areas, were described. Despite a comparable dose-dependency on mitochondrial changes, this kind of alterations differ in fibroblasts compared with myoblasts. In fact, the internal mitochondrial structure was merely lost in myoblasts, while it shows pathological re-organization within fibroblasts, where altered crests appear as multilamellar circles. These data indicate that ultrastructural abnormalities from peripheral tissues of HD patients can be used as potential disease markers which are easier to get than autoptic brains. Moreover, the occurrence of ultrastructural cell pathology reminiscent of neuronal degeneration in HD, suggests the use of human peripheral cells as a tool to investigate the pathogenic cascade subsequent to huntingtin dysregulation.

Intracellular pathways underlying the effects of lithium.

This is a short overview focusing on the biochemical interactions underlying the protective effects of lithium at the neuronal level. These include lithium modulation of autophagy, growth factors, excitotoxicity, and a variety of mechanisms underlying cell death, neurogenesis, and neuronal differentiation. All these effects represent the result of a multifaceted pharmacology, which is becoming more and more complex. Nonetheless, when trying to dissect the various mechanisms of action of lithium, two primary targets emerge: glycogen synthase kinase 3beta and phosphatidylinositol phosphatase. The numerous lithium effects on biochemical systems are placed downstream of these two main mechanisms. At several steps, these mechanisms interconnect to each other, thus making it difficult to keep distinct the biochemical cascades promoted by lithium. In this way, it is not surprising that, despite being described as different phenomena at the behavioral level, molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of lithium on mood, motor activity, and sensitization overlap with those responsible for neuroprotection and neurorestoration. It is likely that the ancestral role of this ion as a modulator of cell survival, cell growth, movement, and mood is the consequence of a few molecular mechanisms operating in different neuronal networks, where a variety of cascade events take place. This review is an attempt to elucidate the primary effects of lithium to interconnect the simpler targets to the most complex pharmacological effects.

Lack of alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor protects against epileptic seizures.

PURPOSE: The role of alpha 1b-adrenergic receptor (alpha 1b-AR) in relation with neuronal degeneration, drug addiction, and seizure susceptibility has recently emerged. In particular, mice that overexpress alpha 1b-AR undergo spontaneous epileptic seizures and progressive neuronal loss in a variety of brain areas. Therefore, one should expect that the blockade of alpha 1b-AR leads to anticonvulsant and neuroprotective effects. However, the lack of alpha 1b-AR antagonists does not allow testing of this hypothesis. METHODS: The development of alpha 1b-AR knockout (KO) mice led us to measure seizure susceptibility and neurodegeneration following systemic excitotoxins in these mice. RESULTS: We found that alpha 1b-AR KO mice are markedly resistant to kainate- and pilocarpine-induced seizures. Moreover, when marked seizure duration and severity are obtained by doubling the dose of chemoconvulsants in alpha 1b-AR KO, neuronal degeneration never occurs. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that alpha 1b-AR per se plays a fundamental role in the mechanisms responsible for seizure onset, severity, and duration, whereas the brain damage observed in alpha 1b-AR-overexpressing mice is likely to be a secondary phenomenon. In fact, the absence of alpha 1b-AR confers resistance to neurotoxicity induced by seizures/chemoconvulsants. These data, although confirming a pivotal role of alpha 1b-AR in modulating seizure threshold and neuronal death, offer a novel target, which may be used to develop novel anticonvulsants and neuroprotective agents.

A Comparative Study on the Efficacy of NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling Inhibitors in a Pre-clinical Model of Bowel Inflammation.

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is pivotal in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and sustaining enteric immune responses in the setting of inflammatory bowel diseases. Drugs acting as NLRP3 blockers could represent innovative strategies for treatment of bowel inflammation. This study was performed in rats with dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis, to investigate how the direct blockade of NLRP3 inflammasome with an irreversible inhibitor (INF39) compares with Ac-YVAD-cmk (YVAD, caspase-1 inhibitor) and anakinra (IL-1ß receptor antagonist), acting downstream on NLRP3 signaling. Animals with DNBS-colitis received YVAD (3 mg/kg) or anakinra (100 mg/Kg) intraperitoneally, and INF39 (25 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (DEX, 1 mg/kg) orally for 6 days, starting on the same day of colitis induction. Under colitis, there was a body weight decrease, which was attenuated by YVAD, anakinra or INF39, but not DEX. All test drugs counteracted the increase in spleen weight. The colonic shortening and morphological colonic alterations associated with colitis were counteracted by INF39, anakinra and DEX, while YVAD was without effects. Tissue increments of myeloperoxidase, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1ß were more effectively counteracted by INF39 and DEX, than YVAD and anakinra. These findings indicate that: (1) direct inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome with INF39 is more effective than caspase-1 inhibition or IL-1ß receptor blockade in reducing systemic and bowel inflammatory alterations; (2) direct NLRP3 inhibition can be a suitable strategy for treatment of bowel inflammation.

mTOR Modulates Methamphetamine-Induced Toxicity through Cell Clearing Systems.

Methamphetamine (METH) is abused worldwide, and it represents a threat for public health. METH exposure induces a variety of detrimental effects. In fact, METH produces a number of oxidative species, which lead to lipid peroxidation, protein misfolding, and nuclear damage. Cell clearing pathways such as ubiquitin-proteasome (UP) and autophagy (ATG) are involved in METH-induced oxidative damage. Although these pathways were traditionally considered to operate as separate metabolic systems, recent studies demonstrate their interconnection at the functional and biochemical level. Very recently, the convergence between UP and ATG was evidenced within a single organelle named autophagoproteasome (APP), which is suppressed by mTOR activation. In the present research study, the occurrence of APP during METH toxicity was analyzed. In fact, coimmunoprecipitation indicates a binding between LC3 and P20S particles, which also recruit p62 and alpha-synuclein. The amount of METH-induced toxicity correlates with APP levels. Specific markers for ATG and UP, such as LC3 and P20S in the cytosol, and within METH-induced vacuoles, were measured at different doses and time intervals following METH administration either alone or combined with mTOR modulators. Western blotting, coimmunoprecipitation, light microscopy, confocal microscopy, plain transmission electron microscopy, and immunogold staining were used to document the effects of mTOR modulation on METH toxicity and the merging of UP with ATG markers within APPs. METH-induced cell death is prevented by mTOR inhibition, while it is worsened by mTOR activation, which correlates with the amount of autophagoproteasomes. The present data, which apply to METH toxicity, are also relevant to provide a novel insight into cell clearing pathways to counteract several kinds of oxidative damage.