scholarly journals Reaction of ependymal cells to spinal cord injury: a potential role for oncostatin pathway and microglial cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Chevreau ◽  
H Ghazale ◽  
C Ripoll ◽  
C Chalfouh ◽  
Q Delarue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Central Canal ◽  
Microglial Cells ◽  
Ependymal Cells ◽  
Rna Profiling ◽  
Cord Injury

AbstractEpendymal cells with stem cell properties reside in the adult spinal cord around the central canal. They rapidly activate and proliferate after spinal cord injury, constituting a source of new cells. They produce neurons and glial cells in lower vertebrates but they mainly generate glial cells in mammals. The mechanisms underlying their activation and their glial-biased differentiation in mammals remain ill-defined. This represents an obstacle to control these cells. We addressed this issue using RNA profiling of ependymal cells before and after injury. We found that these cells activate STAT3 and ERK/MAPK signaling during injury and downregulate cilia-associated genes and FOXJ1, a central transcription factor in ciliogenesis. Conversely, they upregulate 510 genes, six of them more than 20 fold, namely Crym, Ecm1, Ifi202b, Nupr1, Rbp1, Thbs2 and Osmr. OSMR is the receptor for the inflammatory cytokine oncostatin (OSM) and we studied its regulation and role using neurospheres derived from ependymal cells. We found that OSM induces strong OSMR and p-STAT3 expression together with proliferation reduction and astrocytic differentiation. Conversely, production of oligodendrocyte-lineage OLIG1+ cells was reduced. OSM is specifically expressed by microglial cells and was strongly upregulated after injury. We observed microglial cells apposed to ependymal cells in vivo and co-cultures experiments showed that these cells upregulate OSMR in neurosphere cells. Collectively, these results support the notion that microglial cells and OSMR/OSM pathway regulate ependymal cells in injury. In addition, the generated high throughput data provides a unique molecular resource to study how ependymal cell react to spinal cord lesion.

scholarly journals RNA Profiling of Mouse Ependymal Cells after Spinal Cord Injury Identifies the Oncostatin Pathway as a Potential Key Regulator of Spinal Cord Stem Cell Fate

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 3332
Author(s):  
Robert Chevreau ◽  
Hussein Ghazale ◽  
Chantal Ripoll ◽  
Chaima Chalfouh ◽  
Quentin Delarue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Microglial Cells ◽  
Ependymal Cells ◽  
Rna Profiling ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Adult Spinal Cord

Ependymal cells reside in the adult spinal cord and display stem cell properties in vitro. They proliferate after spinal cord injury and produce neurons in lower vertebrates but predominantly astrocytes in mammals. The mechanisms underlying this glial-biased differentiation remain ill-defined. We addressed this issue by generating a molecular resource through RNA profiling of ependymal cells before and after injury. We found that these cells activate STAT3 and ERK/MAPK signaling post injury and downregulate cilia-associated genes and FOXJ1, a central transcription factor in ciliogenesis. Conversely, they upregulate 510 genes, seven of them more than 20-fold, namely Crym, Ecm1, Ifi202b, Nupr1, Rbp1, Thbs2 and Osmr—the receptor for oncostatin, a microglia-specific cytokine which too is strongly upregulated after injury. We studied the regulation and role of Osmr using neurospheres derived from the adult spinal cord. We found that oncostatin induced strong Osmr and p-STAT3 expression in these cells which is associated with reduction of proliferation and promotion of astrocytic versus oligodendrocytic differentiation. Microglial cells are apposed to ependymal cells in vivo and co-culture experiments showed that these cells upregulate Osmr in neurosphere cultures. Collectively, these results support the notion that microglial cells and Osmr/Oncostatin pathway may regulate the astrocytic fate of ependymal cells in spinal cord injury.

scholarly journals Methylprednisolone inhibits the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells in nonhuman primates with spinal cord injury

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jichao Ye ◽  
Yi Qin ◽  
Yong Tang ◽  
Mengjun Ma ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Therapy Group ◽  
Central Canal ◽  
Ependymal Cells ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Endogenous Neural Stem Cells

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this work was to investigate the effects of methylprednisolone on the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells (ENSCs) in nonhuman primates with spinal cord injury (SCI).METHODSA total of 14 healthy cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) (4–5 years of age) were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group (n = 6), SCI group (n = 6), and methylprednisolone therapy group (n = 2). Only laminectomy was performed in the control animals at T-10. SCI was induced in monkeys using Allen’s weight-drop method (50 mm × 50 g) to injure the posterior portion of the spinal cord at T-10. In the methylprednisolone therapy group, monkeys were intravenously infused with methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) immediately after SCI. All animals were intravenously infused with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) (50 mg/kg/day) for 3 days prior to study end point. The small intestine was dissected for immunohistochemical examination. After 3, 7, and 14 days, the spinal cord segments of the control and SCI groups were dissected to prepare frozen and paraffin sections. The proliferation of ENSCs was evaluated using BrdU and nestin immunofluorescence staining.RESULTSHistological examination showed that a larger number of mucosa epithelial cells in the small intestine of all groups were BrdU positive. Nestin-positive ependymal cells are increased around the central canal after SCI. After 3, 7, and 14 days of SCI, BrdU-positive ependymal cells in the SCI group were significantly increased compared with the control group, and the percentage of BrdU-positive cells in the left/right ventral horns and dorsal horn was significantly higher than that of the control group. Seven days after SCI, the percentages of both BrdU-positive ependymal cells around the central canal and BrdU– and nestin–double positive cells in the left/right ventral horns and dorsal horn were significantly lower in the methylprednisolone therapy group than in the SCI group.CONCLUSIONSWhile ENSCs proliferate significantly after SCI in nonhuman primates, methylprednisolone can inhibit the proliferation of ependymal cells after SCI.

scholarly journals The MAPK Signaling Pathway Presents Novel Molecular Targets for Therapeutic Intervention after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Comparative Cross-Species Transcriptional Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 12934
Author(s):  
Mohammad-Masoud Zavvarian ◽  
Cindy Zhou ◽  
Sabah Kahnemuyipour ◽  
James Hong ◽  
Michael G. Fehlings
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Therapeutic Targets ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Transcriptional Analysis ◽  
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Species Specific

Despite the debilitating consequences following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), there is a lack of safe and effective therapeutics in the clinic. The species-specific responses to SCI present major challenges and opportunities for the clinical translation of biomolecular and pharmacological interventions. Recent transcriptional analyses in preclinical SCI studies have provided a snapshot of the local SCI-induced molecular responses in different animal models. However, the variation in the pathogenesis of traumatic SCI across species is yet to be explored. This study aims to identify and characterize the common and inconsistent SCI-induced differentially expressed genes across species to identify potential therapeutic targets of translational relevance. A comprehensive search of open-source transcriptome datasets identified four cross-compatible microarray experiments in rats, mice, and salamanders. We observed consistent expressional changes in extracellular matrix components across the species. Conversely, salamanders showed downregulation of intracellular MAPK signaling compared to rodents. Additionally, sequence conservation and interactome analyses highlighted the well-preserved sequences of Fn1 and Jun with extensive protein-protein interaction networks. Lastly, in vivo immunohistochemical staining for fibronectin was used to validate the observed expressional pattern. These transcriptional changes in extracellular and MAPK pathways present potential therapeutic targets for traumatic SCI with promising translational relevance.

scholarly journals ADAM17 is a survival factor for microglial cells in vitro and in vivo after spinal cord injury in mice

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. e954-e954 ◽  
Author(s):  
P M Vidal ◽  
E Lemmens ◽  
A Avila ◽  
T Vangansewinkel ◽  
A Chalaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Microglial Cells ◽  
Survival Factor ◽  
Cord Injury

scholarly journals Central Canal Ependymal Cells Proliferate Extensively in Response to Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury but Not Demyelinating Lesions

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e85916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Lacroix ◽  
Laura K. Hamilton ◽  
Alexandre Vaugeois ◽  
Stéfanny Beaudoin ◽  
Christian Breault-Dugas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Central Canal ◽  
Ependymal Cells ◽  
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Demyelinating Lesions

scholarly journals Foxj1a is expressed in ependymal precursors, controls central canal position and is activated in new ependymal cells during regeneration in zebrafish

Open Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 170139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Ribeiro ◽  
Joana F. Monteiro ◽  
Ana C. Certal ◽  
Ana M. Cristovão ◽  
Leonor Saúde
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Central Canal ◽  
Ependymal Cells ◽  
Injured Spinal Cord ◽  
Adult Zebrafish ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Sensory Functions

Zebrafish are able to regenerate the spinal cord and recover motor and sensory functions upon severe injury, through the activation of cells located at the ependymal canal. Here, we show that cells surrounding the ependymal canal in the adult zebrafish spinal cord express Foxj1a. We demonstrate that ependymal cells express Foxj1a from their birth in the embryonic neural tube and that Foxj1a activity is required for the final positioning of the ependymal canal. We also show that in response to spinal cord injury, Foxj1a ependymal cells actively proliferate and contribute to the restoration of the spinal cord structure. Finally, this study reveals that Foxj1a expression in the injured spinal cord is regulated by regulatory elements activated during regeneration. These data establish Foxj1a as a pan-ependymal marker in development, homeostasis and regeneration and may help identify the signals that enable this progenitor population to replace lost cells after spinal cord injury.

scholarly journals Knockdown of long non-coding RNA LEF1-AS1 attenuates apoptosis and inflammatory injury of microglia cells following spinal cord injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Yu Cui ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Ming Cui ◽  
Hong Yi ◽  
Da-Wei Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Microglial Cells ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Apoptosis And Inflammation

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with health burden both at personal and societal levels. Recent assessments on the role of lncRNAs in SCI regulation have matured. Therefore, to comprehensively explore the function of lncRNA LEF1-AS1 in SCI, there is an urgent need to understand its occurrence and development. Methods Using in vitro experiments, we used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to treat and establish the SCI model primarily on microglial cells. Gain- and loss of function assays of LEF1-AS1 and miR-222-5p were conducted. Cell viability and apoptosis of microglial cells were assessed via CCK8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control, SCI, sh-NC, and sh-LEF-AS1 groups. ELISA test was used to determine the expression of TNF-α and IL-6, whereas the protein level of apoptotic-related markers (Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3) was assessed using Western blot technique. Results We revealed that LncRNA LEF1-AS1 was distinctly upregulated, whereas miR-222-5p was significantly downregulated in LPS-treated SCI and microglial cells. However, LEF1-AS1 knockdown enhanced cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, as well as inflammation of LPS-mediated microglial cells. On the contrary, miR-222-5p upregulation decreased cell viability, promoted apoptosis, and inflammation of microglial cells. Mechanistically, LEF1-AS1 served as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-222-5p, targeting RAMP3. RAMP3 overexpression attenuated LEF1-AS1-mediated protective effects on LPS-mediated microglial cells from apoptosis and inflammation. Conclusion In summary, these findings ascertain that knockdown of LEF1-AS1 impedes SCI progression via the miR-222-5p/RAMP3 axis.

scholarly journals A Collagen-Based Scaffold for Promoting Neural Plasticity in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2245
Author(s):  
Jue-Zong Yeh ◽  
Ding-Han Wang ◽  
Juin-Hong Cherng ◽  
Yi-Wen Wang ◽  
Gang-Yi Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Collagen Scaffold ◽  
Glial Scar ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cord Injury

In spinal cord injury (SCI) therapy, glial scarring formed by activated astrocytes is a primary problem that needs to be solved to enhance axonal regeneration. In this study, we developed and used a collagen scaffold for glial scar replacement to create an appropriate environment in an SCI rat model and determined whether neural plasticity can be manipulated using this approach. We used four experimental groups, as follows: SCI-collagen scaffold, SCI control, normal spinal cord-collagen scaffold, and normal control. The collagen scaffold showed excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. Immunofluorescence staining revealed increased expression of neurofilament and fibronectin and reduced expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and anti-chondroitin sulfate in the collagen scaffold-treated SCI rats at 1 and 4 weeks post-implantation compared with that in untreated SCI control. This indicates that the collagen scaffold implantation promoted neuronal survival and axonal growth within the injured site and prevented glial scar formation by controlling astrocyte production for their normal functioning. Our study highlights the feasibility of using the collagen scaffold in SCI repair. The collagen scaffold was found to exert beneficial effects on neuronal activity and may help in manipulating synaptic plasticity, implying its great potential for clinical application in SCI.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document