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High-resolution intravital imaging reveals that blood-derived macrophages but not resident microglia facilitate secondary axonal dieback in traumatic spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT: After traumatic spinal cord injury, functional deficits increase as axons die back from the center of the lesion and the glial scar forms. Axonal dieback occurs in two phases: an initial axon intrinsic stage that occurs over the first several hours and a secondary phase which takes place over the first few weeks after injury. Here, we examine the secondary phase, which is marked by infiltration of macrophages. Using powerful time-lapse multi-photon imaging, we captured images of interactions between Cx3cr1(+/GFP) macrophages and microglia and Thy-1(YFP) axons in a mouse dorsal column crush spinal cord injury model. Over the first few weeks after injury, axonal retraction bulbs within the lesion are static except when axonal fragments are lost by a blebbing mechanism in response to physical contact followed by phagocytosis by mobile Cx3Cr1(+/GFP) cells. Utilizing a radiation chimera model to distinguish marrow-derived cells from radio-resistant CNS-resident microglia, we determined that the vast majority of accumulated cells in the lesion are derived from the blood and only these are associated with axonal damage. Interestingly, CNS-resident Cx3Cr1(+/GFP) microglia did not increasingly accumulate nor participate in neuronal destruction in the lesion during this time period. Additionally, we found that the blood-derived cells consisted mainly of singly labeled Ccr2(+/RFP) macrophages, singly labeled Cx3Cr1(+/GFP) macrophages and a small population of double-labeled cells. Since all axon destructive events were seen in contact with a Cx3Cr1(+/GFP) cell, we infer that the CCR2 single positive subset is likely not robustly involved in axonal dieback. Finally, in our model, deletion of CCR2, a chemokine receptor, did not alter the position of axons after dieback. Understanding the in vivo cellular interactions involved in secondary axonal injury may lead to clinical treatment candidates involving modulation of destructive infiltrating blood monocytes.

SUBMITTER: Evans TA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3954731 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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High-resolution intravital imaging reveals that blood-derived macrophages but not resident microglia facilitate secondary axonal dieback in traumatic spinal cord injury.

Evans Teresa A TA Barkauskas Deborah S DS Myers Jay T JT Hare Elisabeth G EG You Jing Qiang JQ Ransohoff Richard M RM Huang Alex Y AY Silver Jerry J

Experimental neurology 20140124

After traumatic spinal cord injury, functional deficits increase as axons die back from the center of the lesion and the glial scar forms. Axonal dieback occurs in two phases: an initial axon intrinsic stage that occurs over the first several hours and a secondary phase which takes place over the first few weeks after injury. Here, we examine the secondary phase, which is marked by infiltration of macrophages. Using powerful time-lapse multi-photon imaging, we captured images of interactions bet ...[more]

PMID: 24468477

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Project description:ObjectiveHerein, we investigated whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation combined with electroacupuncture (EA) treatment could decrease the proportion of proinflammatory microglia/macrophages and neurotoxic A1 reactive astrocytes and inhibit glial scar formation to enhance axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsAdult rats were divided into 5 groups after complete transection of the spinal cord at the T10 level: a control group, a nonacupoint EA (NA-EA) group, an EA group, an MSC group, and an MSCs+EA group. Immunofluorescence labeling, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blots were performed.ResultsThe results showed that MSCs+EA treatment reduced the proportion of proinflammatory M1 subtype microglia/macrophages, but increased the differentiation of anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype cells, thereby suppressing the mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β) and increasing the expression of an anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin [IL]-10) on days 7 and 14 after SCI. The changes in expression correlated with the attenuated neurotoxic A1 reactive astrocytes and glial scar, which in turn facilitated the axonal regeneration of the injured spinal cord. In vitro, the proinflammatory cytokines increased the level of proliferation of astrocytes and increased the expression levels of C3, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. These effects were blocked by administering inhibitors of ErbB1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) (AG1478 and AG490) and IL-10.ConclusionThese findings showed that MSCs+EA treatment synergistically regulated the microglia/macrophage subpopulation to reduce inflammation, the formation of neurotoxic A1 astrocytes, and glial scars. This was achieved by downregulating the ErbB1-STAT3 signal pathway, thereby providing a favorable microenvironment conducive to axonal regeneration after SCI.

Project description:BackgroundMicroglia and macrophages (MG/M?) have a diverse range of functions depending on unique cytokine stimuli, and contribute to neural cell death, repair, and remodeling during central nervous system diseases. While IL-1 has been shown to exacerbate inflammation, it has also been recognized to enhance neuroregeneration. We determined the activating phenotype of MG/M? and the impact of IL-1 in an in vivo spinal cord injury (SCI) model of IL-1 knock-out (KO) mice. Moreover, we demonstrated the contribution of IL-1 to both the classical and alternative activation of MG in vitro using an adult MG primary culture.MethodsSCI was induced by transection of the spinal cord between the T9 and T10 vertebra in wild-type and IL-1 KO mice. Locomotor activity was monitored and lesion size was determined for 14 days. TNF? and Ym1 levels were monitored to determine the MG/M? activating phenotype. Primary cultures of MG were produced from adult mice, and were exposed to IFN? or IL-4 with and without IL-1?. Moreover, cultures were exposed to IL-4 and/or IL-13 in the presence and absence of IL-1?.ResultsThe locomotor activity and lesion area of IL-1 KO mice improved significantly after SCI compared with wild-type mice. TNF? production was significantly suppressed in IL-1 KO mice. Also, Ym1, an alternative activating MG/M? marker, did not increase in IL-1 KO mice, suggesting that IL-1 contributes to both the classical and alternative activation of MG/M?. We treated primary MG cultures with IFN? or IL-4 in the presence and absence of IL-1?. Increased nitric oxide and TNF? was present in the culture media and increased inducible NO synthase was detected in cell suspensions following co-treatment with IFN? and IL-1?. Expression of the alternative activation markers Ym1 and arginase-1 was increased after exposure to IL-4 and further increased after co-treatment with IL-4 and IL-1?. The phenotype was not observed after exposure of cells to IL-13.ConclusionsWe demonstrate here in in vivo experiments that IL-1 suppressed SCI in a process mediated by the reduction of inflammatory responses. Moreover, we suggest that IL-1 participates in both the classical and alternative activation of MG in in vivo and in vitro systems.

Dataset Information

High-resolution intravital imaging reveals that blood-derived macrophages but not resident microglia facilitate secondary axonal dieback in traumatic spinal cord injury.

Publications

High-resolution intravital imaging reveals that blood-derived macrophages but not resident microglia facilitate secondary axonal dieback in traumatic spinal cord injury.

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