Dataset Information

Novel neuroinflammatory targets in the chronically injured spinal cord.

ABSTRACT: Injury to the spinal cord is known to result in inflammation. To date, the preponderance of research has focused on the acute neuroinflammatory response, which begins immediately and is believed to terminate within hours to (at most) days after the injury. However, recent studies have demonstrated that postinjury inflammation is not restricted to the first few hours or days after injury, but can last for months to years after a spinal cord injury (SCI). These chronic studies have revealed that increased numbers of inflammatory cells, such as microglia and macrophages, and inflammatory factors, including cytokines, chemokines, and enzyme products are found at markedly delayed times after injury. Here we review experimental work on a selection of the novel inflammatory factors observed chronically after SCI, including the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase (NADPH) oxidase enzyme and galectin-3. We will discuss the role of these proteins in inflammation with regard to both detrimental and beneficial effects of neuroinflammation after injury. Finally, the potential of these proteins to serve as therapeutic targets will be considered, and a novel therapeutic approach (i.e., the agonist for metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 [mGluR5], [RS]-2-Chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine [CHPG]) will be discussed. This review will demonstrate the expression and activity profiles, roles in potentiation of injury, and therapy studies of these inflammatory factors suggest that not only are these chronically expressed factors viable targets for SCI treatment, but that the therapeutic window is broader than has previously been thought.

SUBMITTER: Pajoohesh-Ganji A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3101830 | biostudies-other | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Novel neuroinflammatory targets in the chronically injured spinal cord.

Pajoohesh-Ganji Ahdeah A Byrnes Kimberly R KR

Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics 20110401 2

Injury to the spinal cord is known to result in inflammation. To date, the preponderance of research has focused on the acute neuroinflammatory response, which begins immediately and is believed to terminate within hours to (at most) days after the injury. However, recent studies have demonstrated that postinjury inflammation is not restricted to the first few hours or days after injury, but can last for months to years after a spinal cord injury (SCI). These chronic studies have revealed that i ...[more]

PMID: 21394541

Similar Datasets

Project description:Promoting the combination of robust regeneration of damaged axons and synaptic reconnection of these growing axon populations with appropriate neuronal targets represents a major therapeutic goal following spinal cord injury (SCI). A key impediment to achieving this important aim includes an intrinsic inability of neurons to extend axons in adult CNS, particularly in the context of the chronically-injured spinal cord. We tested whether an inhibitory peptide directed against phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN: a central inhibitor of neuron-intrinsic axon growth potential) could restore inspiratory diaphragm function by reconnecting critical respiratory neural circuitry in a rat model of chronic cervical level 2 (C2) hemisection SCI. We found that systemic delivery of PTEN antagonist peptide 4 (PAP4) starting at 8 weeks after C2 hemisection promoted substantial, long-distance regeneration of injured bulbospinal rostral Ventral Respiratory Group (rVRG) axons into and through the lesion and back toward phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) located in intact caudal C3-C5 spinal cord. Despite this robust rVRG axon regeneration, PAP4 stimulated only minimal recovery of diaphragm function. Furthermore, re-lesion through the hemisection site completely removed PAP4-induced functional improvement, demonstrating that axon regeneration through the lesion was responsible for this partial functional recovery. Interestingly, there was minimal formation of putative excitatory monosynaptic connections between regrowing rVRG axons and PhMN targets, suggesting that (1) limited rVRG-PhMN synaptic reconnectivity was responsible at least in part for the lack of a significant functional effect, (2) chronically-injured spinal cord presents an obstacle to achieving synaptogenesis between regenerating axons and post-synaptic targets, and (3) addressing this challenge is a potentially-powerful strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy in the chronic SCI setting. In conclusion, our study demonstrates a non-invasive and transient pharmacological approach in chronic SCI to repair the critically-important neural circuitry controlling diaphragmatic respiratory function, but also sheds light on obstacles to circuit plasticity presented by the chronically-injured spinal cord.

Project description:Acute oligodendrocyte (OL) death after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is followed by robust neuron-glial antigen 2 (NG2)-positive OL progenitor proliferation and differentiation into new OLs. Inflammatory mediators are prevalent during both phases and can influence the fate of NG2 cells and OLs. Specifically, toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 signaling induces OL genesis in the naive spinal cord, and lack of TLR4 signaling impairs white matter sparing and functional recovery after SCI. Therefore, we hypothesized that TLR4 signaling may regulate oligodendrogenesis after SCI. C3H/HeJ (TLR4-deficient) and control (C3H/HeOuJ) mice received a moderate midthoracic spinal contusion. TLR4-deficient mice showed worse functional recovery and reduced OL numbers compared with controls at 24 h after injury through chronic time points. Acute OL loss was accompanied by reduced ferritin expression, which is regulated by TLR4 and needed for effective iron storage. TLR4-deficient injured spinal cords also displayed features consistent with reduced OL genesis, including reduced NG2 expression, fewer BrdU-positive OLs, altered BMP4 signaling and inhibitor of differentiation 4 (ID4) expression, and delayed myelin phagocytosis. Expression of several factors, including IGF-1, FGF2, IL-1?, and PDGF-A, was altered in TLR4-deficient injured spinal cords compared with wild types. Together, these data show that TLR4 signaling after SCI is important for OL lineage cell sparing and replacement, as well as in regulating cytokine and growth factor expression. These results highlight new roles for TLR4 in endogenous SCI repair and emphasize that altering the function of a single immune-related receptor can dramatically change the reparative responses of multiple cellular constituents in the injured CNS milieu.Myelinating cells of the CNS [oligodendrocytes (OLs)] are killed for several weeks after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), but they are replaced by resident progenitor cells. How the concurrent inflammatory signaling affects this endogenous reparative response is unclear. Here, we provide evidence that immune receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) supports OL lineage cell sparing, long-term OL and OL progenitor replacement, and chronic functional recovery. We show that TLR4 signaling is essential for acute iron storage, regulating cytokine and growth factor expression, and efficient myelin debris clearance, all of which influence OL replacement. Importantly, the current study reveals that a single immune receptor is essential for repair responses after SCI, and the potential mechanisms of this beneficial effect likely change over time after injury.

Project description:Matrix metalloproteinase-9 is elevated within the acutely injured murine spinal cord and blockade of this early proteolytic activity with GM6001, a broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, results in improved recovery after spinal cord injury. As matrix metalloproteinase-9 is likewise acutely elevated in dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injuries, we evaluated efficacy of GM6001 solubilized in dimethyl sulfoxide in this second species. Safety and pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in naïve dogs. After confirming safety, subsequent pharmacokinetic analyses demonstrated that a 100 mg/kg subcutaneous dose of GM6001 resulted in plasma concentrations that peaked shortly after administration and were sustained for at least 4 days at levels that produced robust in vitro inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-9. A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study was then conducted to assess efficacy of GM6001 given within 48 hours of spinal cord injury. Dogs were enrolled in 3 groups: GM6001 dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (n = 35), dimethyl sulfoxide (n = 37), or saline (n = 41). Matrix metalloproteinase activity was increased in the serum of injured dogs and GM6001 reduced this serum protease activity compared to the other two groups. To assess recovery, dogs were a priori stratified into a severely injured group and a mild-to-moderate injured group, using a Modified Frankel Scale. The Texas Spinal Cord Injury Score was then used to assess long-term motor/sensory function. In dogs with severe spinal cord injuries, those treated with saline had a mean motor score of 2 (95% CI 0-4.0) that was significantly (P<0.05; generalized linear model) less than the estimated mean motor score for dogs receiving dimethyl sulfoxide (mean, 5; 95% CI 2.0-8.0) or GM6001 (mean, 5; 95% CI 2.0-8.0). As there was no independent effect of GM6001, we attribute improved neurological outcomes to dimethyl sulfoxide, a pleotropic agent that may target diverse secondary pathogenic events that emerge in the acutely injured cord.

Dataset Information

Novel neuroinflammatory targets in the chronically injured spinal cord.

Publications

Novel neuroinflammatory targets in the chronically injured spinal cord.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets