Project description:Failure of remyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with inhibition of oligodendrocyte precursor (OPC) differentiation, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. We now report inflammatory demyelination in MS is associated with localized expression of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) by oligodendrocytes and to a lesser extent astrocytes, and demonstrate FGF9 inhibits myelination and remyelination in vitro. This inhibitory activity is reversible and due to an off target FGF9-dependent effect on astrocytes that disrupts in the growth factor milieu required to support myelination. We identify multiple downstream events induced by FGF9 associated with this effect including increased expression of leukaemia inhibitory growth factor (LIF) and FGF2, both of which are shown to inhibit myelination if present in excess. These studies identify FGF9-dependent signal transduction in astrocytes as a novel target for therapeutic strategies designed to enhance remyelination by endogenous OPC in MS. Gene expression profiles of rat myelinating cultures grown in the presence or absence of FGF9 (100 ng/ml) for 24h and 10 days were generated using Affymetrix GeneChip® Rat Gene 1.0 ST Arrays. Each time point (T1: 24 hrs, and T2: 10 days) has Control (CTR) and Treatment (FGF) groups, with two replicates in each group. In total, 8 arrays were generated from the four groups (CTR-T1, CTR-T2, FGF-T1 and FGF-T2).
Project description:Failure of remyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with inhibition of oligodendrocyte precursor (OPC) differentiation, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. We now report inflammatory demyelination in MS is associated with localized expression of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) by oligodendrocytes and to a lesser extent astrocytes, and demonstrate FGF9 inhibits myelination and remyelination in vitro. This inhibitory activity is reversible and due to an off target FGF9-dependent effect on astrocytes that disrupts in the growth factor milieu required to support myelination. We identify multiple downstream events induced by FGF9 associated with this effect including increased expression of leukaemia inhibitory growth factor (LIF) and FGF2, both of which are shown to inhibit myelination if present in excess. These studies identify FGF9-dependent signal transduction in astrocytes as a novel target for therapeutic strategies designed to enhance remyelination by endogenous OPC in MS.
Project description:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-based demyelinating disease. Currently available therapeutics target inflammation but have little impact on promoting remyelination. Furthermore, MS diagnosis is sometimes challenging. Using a demyelination model mice, we previously found that protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type zeta (PTPRZ) receives abnormal glycosylation, a branched O-mannosyl (O-Man) glycan and that branched O-Man glycosylated PTPRZ specifically occurs in reactive astrocytes of demyelinated lesions. Furthermore, by genetically deleting the branching enzyme, GnT-IX (also known as GnT-Vb), astrogliosis was attenuated and remyelination enhanced. To characterize the PTPRZ expressing astrocytes, microarray analysis was performed using astrocytes from mice after short and long term-cuprizone administration.
Project description:Few studies have assessed the patterns of parasite populations of rodents over a longitudinal gradient in Chile. In this work, the gastrointestinal helminthic fauna of invasive rodents in Chile was examined to assess the association between their presence/absence and abundance with latitude, host sex, and host body condition, and to assess the coexistence and correlation of the abundance between parasite species. Rodents were obtained from 20 localities between 33 and 43°S. Helminths were extracted from the gastrointestinal tract and identified morphologically. Overall, 13 helminth taxa were obtained. The most frequently identified parasite species was Heterakis spumosa, and the most abundant was Syphacia muris, while Physaloptera sp. was the most widely distributed. No locality presented with a coexistence that was different from that expected by chance, while the abundance of five helminthic species correlated with the abundance of another in at least one locality, most likely due to co-infection rather than interaction. Host sex was associated with parasite presence or abundance, and female sex-biased parasitism was notably observed in all cases. Body condition and latitude presented either a positive or negative association with the presence or abundance of parasites depending on the species. It is notable that the likely native Physaloptera sp. is widely distributed among invasive rodents. Further, gravid females were found, suggesting spillback of this species to the native fauna. The low frequency and abundance of highly zoonotic hymenolepid species suggest that rodents are of low concern regarding gastrointestinal zoonotic helminths.
Project description:Multiple sclerosis involves an aberrant autoimmune response and progressive failure of remyelination in the central nervous system. Prevention of neural degeneration and subsequent disability requires remyelination through the generation of new oligodendrocytes, but current treatments exclusively target the immune system. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are stem cells in the central nervous system and the principal source of myelinating oligodendrocytes. These cells are abundant in demyelinated regions of patients with multiple sclerosis, yet fail to differentiate, thereby representing a cellular target for pharmacological intervention. To discover therapeutic compounds for enhancing myelination from endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, we screened a library of bioactive small molecules on mouse pluripotent epiblast stem-cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Here we show seven drugs function at nanomolar doses selectively to enhance the generation of mature oligodendrocytes from progenitor cells in vitro. Two drugs, miconazole and clobetasol, are effective in promoting precocious myelination in organotypic cerebellar slice cultures, and in vivo in early postnatal mouse pups. Systemic delivery of each of the two drugs significantly increases the number of new oligodendrocytes and enhances remyelination in a lysolecithin-induced mouse model of focal demyelination. Administering each of the two drugs at the peak of disease in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis results in striking reversal of disease severity. Immune response assays show that miconazole functions directly as a remyelinating drug with no effect on the immune system, whereas clobetasol is a potent immunosuppressant as well as a remyelinating agent. Mechanistic studies show that miconazole and clobetasol function in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells through mitogen-activated protein kinase and glucocorticoid receptor signalling, respectively. Furthermore, both drugs enhance the generation of human oligodendrocytes from human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in vitro. Collectively, our results provide a rationale for testing miconazole and clobetasol, or structurally modified derivatives, to enhance remyelination in patients. RNA sequencing of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells treated with vehicle, miconazole or clobetasol for 0, 2, 6, or 12 hours. Cells were plated 1.5 hours prior to addition of drug.
Project description:In a previous study performed in our laboratory, the level of FGF1 RNA was found to be increased in remyelinated multiple sclerosis lesions compared to control brain (unpublished observation). Astrocytes play a key role in multiple sclerosis lesion formation. To shed light on potential FGF1-mediated functions in multiple sclerosis, the impact of FGF1 on astrocytes was investigated.