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A silent agonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulates inflammation ex vivo and attenuates EAE.

ABSTRACT: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are best known to function as ligand-gated ion channels in the nervous system. However, recent evidence suggests that nicotine modulates inflammation by desensitizing non-neuronal nAChRs, rather than by inducing channel opening. Silent agonists are molecules that selectively induce the desensitized state of nAChRs while producing little or no channel opening. A silent agonist of α7 nAChRs has recently been shown to reduce inflammation in an animal model of inflammatory pain. The objective of this study was to determine whether a silent agonist of α7 nAChRs can also effectively modulate inflammation and disease manifestation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. We first evaluated the effects of various nAChR ligands and of an α7 nAChR-selective silent agonist, 1-ethyl-4-(3-(bromo)phenyl)piperazine (m-bromo PEP), on the modulation of mouse bone marrow-derived monocyte/macrophage (BMDM) numbers, phenotype and cytokine production. The non-competitive antagonist mecamylamine and the silent agonist m-bromo PEP reduced pro-inflammatory BMDM numbers by affecting their viability and proliferation. Both molecules also significantly reduced cytokine production by mouse BMDMs and significantly ameliorated disease in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Finally, m-bromo PEP also reduced chronic inflammatory pain in mice. Taken together, our results further support the hypothesis that nAChRs may modulate inflammation via receptor desensitization rather than channel opening. α7 nAChR-selective silent agonists may thus be a novel source of anti-inflammatory compounds that could be used for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.

SUBMITTER: Godin JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7604877 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:PurposeThe α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is widely expressed in the nervous system, including in the inner retinal neurons in all species studied to date. Although reductions in the expression of α7 nAChRs are thought to contribute to the memory and visual deficits reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia , the α7 nAChR knockout (KO) mouse is viable and has only slight visual dysfunction. The absence of a major phenotypic abnormality may be attributable to developmental mechanisms that serve to compensate for α7 nAChR loss. We hypothesized that the upregulation of genes encoding other nAChR subunits or muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes during development partially accounts for the absence of major deficiencies in the α7 nAChR KO mouse. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the deletion of the α7 nAChR subunit in a mouse model resulted in changes in the regulation of other cholinergic receptors or other ion channels in an α7 nAChR KO mouse when compared to a wild-type (WT) mouse.MethodsTo examine gene expression changes, we employed a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using whole retina RNA extracts as well as RNA extracted from selected regions of the retina. These extracts were collected using laser capture microdissection (LCM). The presence of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunit and subtype proteins was determined via western blotting. To determine any differences in the number and distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) amacrine cells, we employed wholemount and vertical immunohistochemistry (IHC) and cell counting. Additionally, in both WT and α7 nAChR KO mouse retinas, the distribution of the nAChR subunit and mAChR subtype proteins were determined via IHC for those KO mice that experienced mRNA changes.ResultsIn the whole retina, there was a statistically significant upregulation of α2, α9, α10, β4, nAChR subunit, and m1 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts in the α7 nAChR KO mice. However, the retinal layers showed complex patterns of transcript expression. In the ganglion cell layer (GCL), m2 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts were significantly upregulated, while β3 and β4 nAChR subunit transcripts were significantly downregulated. In the inner portion of the inner nuclear layer (iINL), α2, α9, β4, nAChR subunit, and m3 and m4 mAChR subtype transcripts were significantly downregulated. In the outer portion of the inner nuclear layer (oINL), β2, β4, and m4 AChR subunit transcripts were significantly upregulated. Western blot experiments confirmed the protein expression of α3-α5 and α9-containing nAChR subunits and m1-m2 mAChR subtypes in mouse retinas. IHC results supported many of the mRNA changes observed. Finally, this is the first report of α9 and α10 nAChR subunit expressions in the retina of any species.ConclusionsRather than a simple upregulation of a single AChR subunit or subtype, the absence of the α7 nAChR in the KO mice was associated with complex layer-specific changes in the expression of AChR subunits and subtypes.

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A silent agonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulates inflammation ex vivo and attenuates EAE.

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