Oxidative stress in the cochlea: an update Poirrier, A L; Pincemail, J; Van Den Ackerveken, P ...
Current medicinal chemistry,
2010, Letnik:
17, Številka:
30
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This paper will focus on understanding the role and action of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the molecular and biochemical pathways responsible for the ...regulation of the survival of hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons in the auditory portion of the inner ear. The pivotal role of ROS/RNS in ototoxicity makes them potentially valuable candidates for effective otoprotective strategies. In this review, we describe the major characteristics of ROS/RNS and the different oxidative processes observed during ototoxic cascades. At each step, we discuss their potential as therapeutic targets because an increasing number of compounds that modulate ROS/RNS processing or targets are being identified.
MicroRNAs tune cerebral cortical neurogenesis Volvert, M-L; Rogister, F; Moonen, G ...
Cell death and differentiation,
10/2012, Letnik:
19, Številka:
10
Journal Article, Web Resource
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that promote post-transcriptional silencing of genes involved in a wide range of developmental and pathological processes. It is estimated that most ...protein-coding genes harbor miRNA recognition sequences in their 3' untranslated region and are thus putative targets. While functions of miRNAs have been extensively characterized in various tissues, their multiple contributions to cerebral cortical development are just beginning to be unveiled. This review aims to outline the evidence collected to date demonstrating a role for miRNAs in cerebral corticogenesis with a particular emphasis on pathways that control the birth and maturation of functional excitatory projection neurons.
Recent advances in human genomics led to the identification of numerous defective genes causing deafness, which represent novel putative therapeutic targets. Future gene-based treatment of deafness ...resulting from genetic or acquired sensorineural hearing loss may include strategies ranging from gene therapy to antisense delivery. For successful development of gene therapies, a minimal requirement involves the engineering of appropriate gene carrier systems. Transfer of exogenous genetic material into the mammalian inner ear using viral or non-viral vectors has been characterized over the last decade. The nature of inner ear cells targeted, as well as the transgene expression level and duration, are highly dependent on the vector type, the route of administration and the strength of the promoter driving expression. This review summarizes and discusses recent advances in inner ear gene-transfer technologies aimed at examining gene function or identifying new treatment for inner ear disorders.
In this study in vitro and in vivo approaches were combined in order to investigate if the anti‐epileptic mechanism(s) of action of levetiracetam (LEV; Keppra®) may involve modulation of inhibitory ...neurotransmission.
GABA‐ and glycine‐gated currents were studied in vitro using whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques applied on cultured cerebellar granule, hippocampal and spinal neurons. Protection against clonic convulsions was assessed in vivo in sound‐susceptible mice. The effect of LEV was compared with reference anti‐epileptic drugs (AEDs): carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproate, clonazepam, phenobarbital and ethosuximide.
LEV contrasted the reference AEDs by an absence of any direct effect on glycine‐gated currents. At high concentrations, beyond therapeutic relevance, it induced a small reduction in the peak amplitude and a prolongation of the decay phase of GABA‐gated currents. A similar action on GABA‐elicited currents was observed with the reference AEDs, except ethosuximide.
These minor direct effects contrasted with a potent ability of LEV (EC50=1 – 10 μM) to reverse the inhibitory effects of the negative allosteric modulators zinc and β‐carbolines on both GABAA and glycine receptor‐mediated responses.
Clonazepam, phenobarbital and valproate showed a similar ability to reverse the inhibition of β‐carbolines on GABA‐gated currents. Blockade of zinc inhibition of GABA responses was observed with clonazepam and ethosuximide. Phenytoin was the only AED together with LEV that inhibited the antagonism of zinc on glycine‐gated currents and only clonazepam and phenobarbital inhibited the action of DMCM.
LEV (17 mg kg−1) produced a potent suppression of sound‐induced clonic convulsions in mice. This protective effect was significantly abolished by co‐administration of the β‐carboline FG 7142, from a dose of 5 mg kg−1. In contrast, the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil (up to 10 mg kg−1) was without any effect on the protection afforded by LEV.
The results of the present study suggest that a novel ability to oppose the action of negative modulators on the two main inhibitory ionotropic receptors may be of relevance for the anti‐epileptic mechanism(s) of action of LEV.
British Journal of Pharmacology (2002) 136, 659–672; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704766
The development of experimental animal models has played an invaluable role in understanding the mechanisms of neurosensory deafness and in devising effective treatments. The purpose of this study ...was to develop an adult mouse model of ototoxic drug-induced hearing loss and to compare the ototoxicity in the adult mouse to that in the well-described guinea pig model. Mice are a powerful model organism, especially due to the large availability of antibodies, probes and genetic mutants. In this study, mice (n=114) and guinea pigs (n=35) underwent systemic treatment with either kanamycin or cisplatin. Auditory brainstem responses showed a significant threshold shift in guinea pigs 2 weeks after the beginning of the ototoxic treatment, while there was no significant hearing impairment recorded in mice. Hair cells and neuronal loss were correlated with hearing function in both guinea pigs and mice. These results indicate that the mouse is not a good model for ototoxicity, which should be taken into consideration in all further investigations concerning ototoxicity-induced hearing loss.
During brain ontogenesis, the temporal and spatial generation of the different types of neuronal and glial cells from precursors occurs as a sequence of successive progenitor stages whose ...proliferation, survival and cell-fate choice are controlled by environmental and cellular regulatory molecules. Neurotransmitters belong to the chemical microenvironment of neural cells, even at the earliest stages of brain development. It is now established that specific neurotransmitter receptors are present on progenitor cells of the developing central nervous system and could play, during neural development, a role that has remained unsuspected until recently. The present review focuses on the occurrence of neurotransmitters and their corresponding ligand-gated ion channel receptors in immature cells, including neural stem cells of specific embryonic and neonatal brain regions. We summarize in vitro and in vivo data arguing that neurotransmitters could regulate morphogenetic events such as proliferation, growth, migration, differentiation and survival of neural precursor cells. The understanding of neurotransmitter function during early neural maturation could lead to the development of pharmacological tools aimed at improving adult brain repair strategies.
In the current study, we have investigated the ability of substance P (SP) to protect 3‐day‐old (P3) rat spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) from trophic factor deprivation (TFD)‐induced cell death. The ...presence of SP high affinity neurokinin‐1 receptor (NK1) transcripts was detected in the spiral ganglion and the NK1 protein localized to SGNs both ex vivo and in vitro. Treatment with SP increased cytoplasmic Ca2+ in SGNs, further arguing for the presence of functional NK1 on these neurons. Both SP and the agonist Sar9,Met(O2)11‐SP significantly decreased SGN cell death induced by TFD, with no effect on neurite outgrowth. The survival promoting effect of SP was blocked by the NK1 antagonist, WIN51708. Both pan‐caspase inhibitor BOC‐D‐FMK and SP treatments markedly reduced activation of caspases and DNA fragmentation in trophic factor deprived‐neurons. The neuroprotective action of SP was antagonised by specific inhibitors of second messengers, including 1.2‐bis‐(O‐aminophenoxy)‐ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid (BAPTA‐AM) to chelate cytosolic Ca2+, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide I, Gö6976 and LY333531 and the MAPK/ERK inhibitor U0126. In contrast, nifedipine, a specific inhibitor of l‐type Ca2+ channel, and LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol‐3‐OH kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, had no effect on SP trophic support of SGNs. Moreover, activation of endogenous PKC by 4β‐phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) also reduced the loss of trophic factor‐deprived SGNs. Thus, NK1 expressed by SGNs transmit a survival‐promoting regulatory signal during TFD‐induced SGN cell death via pathways involving PKC activation, Ca2+ signalling and MAPK/ERK activation, which can be accounted for by an inhibition of caspase activation.
Abstract Peripherin is an intermediate filament protein that is expressed in peripheral and enteric neurons. In the cochlear nervous system, peripherin expression has been extensively used as a ...differentiation marker by preferentially labeling the type II neuronal population at adulthood, but yet without knowing its function. Since the expression of peripherin has been associated in time with the process of axonal extension and during regeneration of nerve fibers in other systems, it was of interest to determine whether peripherin expression in cochlear neurons was a static phenotypic trait or rather prone to modifications following nerve injury. In the present study, we first compared the expression pattern of peripherin and betaIII-tubulin from late embryonic stages to the adult in rat cochlea. The staining for both proteins was seen before birth within all cochlear neurons. By birth, and for 2 or 3 days, peripherin expression was gradually restricted to the type II neuronal population and their projections. In contrast, from postnatal day (P) 10 onwards, while the expression of betaIII-tubulin was still found in projections of all cochlear neurons, only the type I population had betaIII-tubulin immunoreactivity in their cell bodies. We next investigated the expression of peripherin in axotomized cochlear neurons using an organotypic explant model. Peripherin expression was surprisingly re-expressed in a vast majority of neurons after axotomy. In parallel, the expression and localization of betaIII-tubulin and peripherin in dissociated cultures of cochlear neurons were studied. Both proteins were distributed along the entire neuronal length but exhibited complementary distribution, especially within the projections. Moreover, peripherin immunoreactivity was still abundant in the growth cone, whereas that of betaIII-tubulin was decreasing at this compartment. Our findings are consistent with a model in which peripherin plays an important structural role in cochlear neurons and their projections during both development and regenerative processes and which is compatible with the assumption that frequently developmentally regulated factors are reactivated during neuronal regeneration.
This review covers the general roles of members of the cysteine protease family of caspases in the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death) looking at their participation in both the "extrinsic" ...cell death receptor and the "intrinsic" mitochondrial cell death pathways. It defines the difference between initiator and effector caspases and shows the progression of caspase activations that ends up in the apoptotic cell death and elimination of a damaged cell. The review then presents what is currently know about the participation of caspases in the programmed cell death of inner ear sensory cells during the process of normal development and maturation of the inner ear and their importance in this process as illustrated by the results of caspase-3 gene knockout experiments. The participation of specific caspases and the sequence of their activation in the elimination (apoptosis) of damaged sensory cells from adult inner ears after an injury that generates oxidative stress are reviewed. Both the possibility and the potential efficacy of caspase inhibition with a broad-spectrum pancaspase inhibitor as an interventional therapy to treat and rescue oxidative stress-damaged inner ear sensory cells from apoptosis are presented and discussed.