Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) hydrolyzes adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). It is highly expressed in the striatum. Recent evidence implied ...that PDE10A may be involved in the inflammatory processes following injury, such as ischemic stroke. Its role in ischemic injury was unknown. Herein, we exposed mice to 90 or 30-min middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by the delivery of the highly selective PDE10A inhibitor TAK-063 (0.3 mg/kg or 3 mg/kg) immediately after reperfusion. Animals were sacrificed after 24 or 72 h, respectively. Both TAK-063 doses enhanced neurological function, reduced infarct volume, increased neuronal survival, reduced brain edema, and increased blood–brain barrier integrity, alongside cerebral microcirculation improvements. Post-ischemic neuroprotection was associated with increased phosphorylation (i.e., activation) of pro-survival Akt, Erk-1/2, GSK-3α/β and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL abundance, decreased phosphorylation of pro-survival mTOR, and HIF-1α, MMP-9 and pro-apoptotic Bax abundance. Interestingly, PDE10A inhibition reduced inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, including IFN-γ and TNF-α, analyzed by planar surface immunoassay. In addition, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry revealed 40 proteins were significantly altered by TAK-063. Our study established PDE10A as a target for ischemic stroke therapy.
Apart from its well-established therapeutic activity on bipolar disorder and depression, lithium exerts neuroprotective activity upon neurodegenerative disorders, such as traumatic brain injury ...(TBI). However, the cellular signaling mechanisms mediating lithium’s neuroprotective activity and long-term dose- and time-dependent effects on close and remote proximity are largely unknown. Herein, we tested prophylactic and acute effects of lithium (2 mmol/kg) after cold- induced TBI. In both conditions, treatments with lithium resulted in reduced infarct volume and apoptosis. Its acute treatment resulted in the increase of Akt, ERK-1/2 and GSK-3 α/β phosphoylations. Interestingly, its prophylactic treatment instead resulted in decreased phosphorylations of Akt, ERK-1/2, p38, JNK-1 moderately and GSK-3 α/β significantly. Then, we tested subacute (35-day follow-up) role of low (0.2 mmol/kg) and high dose (2 mmol/kg) lithium and revealed that high dose lithium group was the most mobile so the least depressed in the tail suspension test. Anxiety level was assessed by light-dark test, all groups’ anxiety levels were decreased with time, but lithium had no effect on anxiety like behavior. When subacute effects of injury and drug treatment were evaluated on the defined brain regions, infarct volume was decreased in the high dose lithium group significantly. In contrast to other brain regions, hippocampal atrophies were observed in both lithium treatment groups, which were significant in the low dose lithium group in both hemispheres, which was associated with the reduced cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Our data demonstrate that lithium treatment protects neurons from TBI. However, long term particularly low-dose lithium causes hippocampal atrophy and decreased neurogenesis.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces neurological deficits associated with long-term functional impairments. Since the current treatments remain ineffective, novel therapeutic options are needed. Besides ...its effect on bipolar mood disorder, lithium was reported to have neuroprotective activity in different neurodegenerative conditions, including SCI. In SCI, the effects of lithium on long-term neurological recovery and neuroplasticity have not been assessed. We herein investigated the effects of intraperitoneally administered lithium chloride (LiCl) on motor coordination recovery, electromyography (EMG) responses, histopathological injury and remodeling, and axonal plasticity in mice exposed to spinal cord transection. At a dose of 0.2, but not 2.0 mmol/kg, LiCl enhanced motor coordination and locomotor activity starting at 28 days post-injury (dpi), as assessed by a set of behavioral tests. Following electrical stimulation proximal to the hemitransection, LiCl at 0.2 mmol/kg decreased the latency and increased the amplitude of EMG responses in the denervated hindlimb at 56 dpi. Functional recovery was associated with reduced gray and white matter atrophy rostral and caudal to the hemitransection, increased neuronal survival and reduced astrogliosis in the dorsal and ventral horns caudal to the hemitransection, and increased regeneration of long-distance axons proximal and distal to the lesion site in mice receiving 0.2 mmol/kg, but not 2 mmol/kg LiCl, as assessed by histochemical and immunohistochemical studies combined with anterograde tract tracing. Our results indicate that LiCl induces long-term neurological recovery and neuroplasticity following SCI.
Cisplatin (CP) is one of the most preferred platinum-containing antineoplastic drugs. However, even in nontoxic plasma concentrations, it may cause kidney injury. To be able to increase its effective ...pharmacological dose, its side effects need to be regarded. Diet restriction (DR) has been demonstrated to improve cellular survival in a number of disorders. In this context, we investigated the role of DR in CP-induced nephrotoxicity (CPN). Besides alternate DR, animals were exposed to DR for 3 days prior or after CP treatment. Here, we observed that both 3 days of DR reverses the nephrotoxic effect of CP, which was associated with improved physiological outcomes, such as serum creatine, blood-urea nitrogen and urea. These treatments significantly increased phosphorylation of survival kinases PI3K/Akt and ERK-1/2 and decreased the level of stress kinase JNK were noted. In addition, the activation level of signal transduction mediator p38 MAPK phosphorylation was higher particularly in both three-day DR groups. Next, animals were fed with carbohydrate-, protein- or fat-enriched diets in the presence of CP. Results indicated that not only fasting but also dietary content itself may play a determinant role in the severity of CPN. Our data suggest that DR is a promising approach to reduce CPN by regulating metabolism and cell signaling pathways.
Social isolation is associated with poor stroke outcome, but the underlying molecular mechanisms were largely unknown. In male Balb/C mice exposed to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion ...(MCAo), we examined the effects of social isolation initiated post-weaning on ischemic injury, cytokine/chemokine responses and cell signaling using a broad panel of techniques that involved immunocytochemistry, cytokine/chemokine array and Western blots. Social isolation initiated post-weaning elevated infarct size, brain edema and neuronal injury in the ischemic brain tissue 3 days after MCAo, and increased microglia/ macrophage and leukocyte accumulation. In line with the increased immune cell recruitment, levels of several proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ), chemokines (e.g., CCL3, CCL4, CCL12, CXCL2, CXCL9, CXCL12) and adhesion molecules (i.e., ICAM-1) were increased in the ischemic brain tissue of socially isolated compared with paired housing mice, whereas levels of selected cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-16) and colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF) were reduced. The activity of the transcription factor nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB), which promotes cell injury via pro-inflammatory responses, was increased by social isolation, whereas that of nuclear factor erythroid related factor-2 (Nrf-2), which mediates anti-oxidative responses under oxidative stress conditions, was reduced. Our study shows that social isolation profoundly alters post-ischemic cell signaling in a way promoting pro-inflammatory responses. Our results highlight the importance of social support in preventing deleterious health effects of social isolation.
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•Post-weaning social isolation augments ischemic brain injury and edema post-MCAo.•Social isolation enhances microglia and leukocyte accumulation in ischemic brain.•Social isolation lowers astrocyte GFAP immunoreactivity in ischemic striatum.•Isolated mice show higher specific pro-inflammatory cytokine response to stroke.•Social isolation activates NF-κB and reduces Nrf-2 in ischemic striatum.
A novel curcumin formulation increases relative absorption by 46 times (CurcuWIN®) of the total curcuminoids over the unformulated standard curcumin form. However, the exact mechanisms by which ...curcumin demonstrates its neuroprotective effects are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a novel formulation of curcumin on the expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a main component of the glial scar and growth‐associated protein‐43 (GAP‐43), a signaling molecule in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mice (adult, male, C57BL/6j) were randomly divided into three groups as follows: TBI group (TBI‐induced mice); TBI + CUR group (TBI mice were injected i.p. curcumin just after TBI); TBI+ CurcuWIN® group (TBI mice were injected i.p. CurcuWIN® just after TBI). Brain injury was induced using a cold injury model. Injured brain tissue was stained with Cresyl violet to evaluate infarct volume and brain swelling, analyzed, and measured using ImageJ by Bethesda (MD, USA). Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein levels related to injury. While standard curcumin significantly reduced brain injury, CurcuWIN® showed an even greater reduction associated with reductions in glial activation, NF‐κB, and the inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐6. Additionally, both standard curcumin and CurcuWIN® led to increased BDNF, GAP‐43, ICAM‐1, and Nrf2 expression. Notably, CurcuWIN® enhanced their expression more than standard curcumin. This data suggests that highly bioavailable curcumin formulation has a beneficial effect on the traumatic brain in mice.
The use of curcumin is limited due to its poor bioavailability. A novel curcumin formulation with 46 times higher absorption than standard curcumin was tested in TBI. A novel curcumin formulation (CurcuWIN) increased BDNF, GAP‐43, ICAM‐1, and Nrf2 levels in the brain. Curcumin may have potential therapeutic properties for treating brain injuries in mice.
Ginger (Zingiberaceae family) containing gingerols, shogaols, zingerone and volatile oils active compounds, exerts anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antiplatelet, fat loss, prevention of cardiovascular ...disease and anticancer activity. In spite of these known effects, the underlying mechanisms in the signaling pathways that ginger protects the brain after brain trauma are largely unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the administration of ginger extract (Gingever®) to improve histopathological results and to demonstrate neuroprotective activity with antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory properties following TBI. Brain injury was induced using a cold trauma model in male mice that were treated with ginger extract (50 mg/kg) or vehicle via intraperitoneal administration just after TBI. Mice were divided into two groups: TBI+vehicle group and TBI+ ginger extract group. Our results show that ginger administration decreased infarct volume by decreasing nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), interleukin 1‐beta (IL‐1b), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and by increasing neurotrophic factor BDNF, growth‐associated protein‐43 (GAP‐43), neural cell adhesion molecule (ICAM) and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the brain. Our findings suggested that ginger promotes neuroprotection following TBI by inhibiting the levels of inflammation, NFkB, and GFAP, and increasing GAP‐43 and Nrf2 levels.
Support or Funding Information
This research was funded by the OmniActive Health Technologies Inc, NJ, USA and partly supported by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (Ankara, Turkey, KS).
This is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
Considerable efforts are currently made to develop strategies that boost endogenous recovery once a stroke has occurred. Owing to their restorative properties, neurotrophic factors are attractive ...candidates that capitalize on endogenous response mechanisms. Non-conventional growth factors cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) and mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) promote neuronal survival and reduce neurological deficits in the acute phase of ischemic stroke in mice. Their effects on endogenous repair and recovery mechanisms in the stroke recovery phase were so far unknown. By intracerebroventricular delivery of CDNF or MANF starting 3 days post-stroke (1 µg/day for 28 days via miniosmotic pumps), we show that delayed CDNF and MANF administration promoted functional neurological recovery assessed by a battery of behavioral tests, increased long-term neuronal survival, reduced delayed brain atrophy, glial scar formation, and, in case of CDNF but not MANF, increased endogenous neurogenesis in the perilesional brain tissue. Besides, CDNF and MANF administration increased long-distance outgrowth of terminal axons emanating from the contralesional pyramidal tract, which crossed the midline to innervate ipsilesional facial nucleus. This plasticity promoting effect was accompanied by downregulation of the axonal growth inhibitor versican and the guidance molecules ephrin B1 and B2 in the previously ischemic hemisphere at 14 dpi, which represents a sensitive time-point for axonal growth. CDNF and MANF reduced the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL1β and TNFα in both hemispheres. The effects of non-conventional growth factors in the ischemic brain should further be examined since they might help to identify targets for restorative stroke therapy.
Curcumin, extracted from the rhizome Curcuma longa, has been shown to be beneficial for neuroprotection in previous studies. In a recent study, a novel formulation of curcumin resulted in an ...increased relative absorption by 46 times (CurcuWIN®) of the total curcuminoids over the unformulated standard curcumin form. However, the exact mechanisms by which curcumin demonstrates its neuroprotective effects are not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin supplementation on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a main component of the glial scar, and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a signaling molecule in traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Brain injury was induced using a cold trauma model in male mice that were treated with curcumin (50 mg/kg) or vehicle via intraperitoneal administration just after TBI. Mice were divided into two groups: TBI + vehicle group and TBI + curcumin (CurcuWIN) group.
The results show that curcumin treatment reduced the infarct volume in the brain. TBI induction increased inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and GFAP, and reduced BDNF, GAP-43, neural cell adhesion molecule (ICAM) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) levels in the brain. Interestingly, curcumin decreased the levels of NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, and GFAP, and increased BDNF, GAP-43, ICAM and Nrf2 levels in the brain.
In conclusion, these results showed that curcumin could increase the levels of BDNF, GAP-43, ICAM, and Nrf2 and attenuate brain injury in the model of TBI.
This study was supported by OmniActive Health Technologies Inc. (NJ, USA). This work was also supported in part by the Turkish Academy of Sciences.
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