Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Nov 2015
Age decreases macrophage IL-10 expression: Implications for functional recovery and tissue repair in spinal cord injury.
Macrophages with different activation states are present after spinal cord injury (SCI). M1 macrophages purportedly promote secondary injury processes while M2 cells support axon growth. The average age at the time of SCI has increased in recent decades, however, little is known about how different physiological factors contribute to macrophage activation states after SCI. ⋯ In vitro, M2b macrophages release anti-inflammatory cytokines without causing neurotoxicity, suggesting that imbalances in the M2b response in 14-month-old mice may be contributing to secondary injury processes. Our data indicate that age is an important factor that regulates SCI inflammation and recovery even to mild-moderate injury. Further, alterations in macrophage activation states may contribute to recovery and we have identified the M2b phenotype as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
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Experimental neurology · Nov 2015
Bulleyaconitine A depresses neuropathic pain and potentiation at C-fiber synapses in spinal dorsal horn induced by paclitaxel in rats.
Paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, often induces painful peripheral neuropathy and at present no effective drug is available for treatment of the serious side effect. Here, we tested if intragastrical application of bulleyaconitine A (BLA), which has been approved for clinical treatment of chronic pain in China since 1985, could relieve the paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. A single dose of BLA attenuated the mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia induced by paclitaxel dose-dependently. ⋯ Spinal or intravenous application of BLA depressed the spinal LTP, dose-dependently. Furthermore, patch clamp recordings in spinal cord slices revealed that the frequency but not amplitude of both spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSCs) and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in lamina II neurons was increased in paclitaxel-treated rats, and the superfusion of BLA reduced the frequency of sEPSCs and mEPSCs in paclitaxel-treated rats but not in naïve ones. Taken together, we provide novel evidence that BLA attenuates paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain and that depression of spinal LTP at C-fiber synapses via inhibiting presynaptic transmitter release may contribute to the effect.
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Experimental neurology · Nov 2015
Evidence for accelerated tauopathy in the retina of transgenic P301S tau mice exposed to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is associated with repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in the context of contact and collision sports, but not all exposed individuals develop this condition. In addition, experiments in animal models in several laboratories have shown that non-transgenic mice do not develop tauopathy after exposure to repetitive mTBI schedules. It is thus reasonable to assume that genetic factors may play an etiological role in the development of CTE. ⋯ On the other hand, we found no association between repetitive mTBI and density of pS422 (+) neuronal profiles in neocortex, a region that is not featured by significant TAI in our repetitive mTBI model. We observed similar, but less prominent, trends in tauopathy-prone transgenic mice harboring all 6 isoforms of wild-type human tau without mouse tau. Our findings indicate that repetitive mTBI accelerates tauopathy under diverse genetic conditions predisposing to tau aggregation and suggest a vulnerability-stress model in understanding some cases of acquired neurodegenerative disease after repetitive mTBI.
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Experimental neurology · Nov 2015
The role of CNS TLR2 activation in mediating innate versus adaptive neuroinflammation.
Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is expressed on immune cells in the periphery and the CNS and mediates both innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent studies have implicated TLR2 in systemic pathogenesis of adaptive immunity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In addition, TLR2 is expressed on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and its activation inhibits their differentiation and myelination. ⋯ We conclude that EAE mice are hypersensitive to CNS TLR2 activation with a severe toxic response. This might represent the susceptibility of multiple sclerosis patients to even trivial infections. As CNS TLR2 activation does not alter the clinical and pathological course of EAE, it implies that CNS TLR2 activation affects the innate but not adaptive brain immune responses.
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Experimental neurology · Nov 2015
Post-stroke transplantation of adult subventricular zone derived neural progenitor cells--A comprehensive analysis of cell delivery routes and their underlying mechanisms.
With neuroprotective approaches having failed until recently, current focus on experimental stroke research has switched towards manipulation of post-ischemic neuroregeneration. Transplantation of subventricular zone (SVZ) derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) is a promising strategy for promotion of neurological recovery. Yet, fundamental questions including the optimal cell delivery route still have to be addressed. ⋯ On the contrary, only systemic NPC administration stabilized the blood-brain-barrier and reduced leukocytosis in the blood. Although intraarterial NPC transplantation was as effective as intravenous cell grafting, mortality of stroke mice was high using the intraarterial delivery route. Consequently, intravenous delivery of native NPCs in our experimental model is an attractive and effective strategy for stroke therapy that deserves further proof-of-concept studies.