scholarly journals Resveratrol Ameliorates Motor Neuron Degeneration and Improves Survival in SOD1G93AMouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Song ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Xiaojie Zhang ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Weidong Le
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Succinic Dehydrogenase ◽  
Immunofluorescent Staining ◽  
Nissl Staining ◽  
Apoptotic Pathway ◽  
Resveratrol Treatment ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Resveratrol has recently been used as a supplemental treatment for several neurological and nonneurological diseases. It is not known whether resveratrol has neuroprotective effect on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To assess the effect of resveratrol on the disease, we tested this agent on an ALS model ofSOD1G93Atransgenic mouse. Rotarod measurement was performed to measure the motor function of the ALS mice. Nissl staining and SMI-32 immunofluorescent staining were used to determine motor neurons survival in the spinal cord of the ALS mice. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome oxidase (COX) staining were applied to pathologically analyze the skeletal muscles of the ALS mice. We found that resveratrol treatment significantly delayed the disease onset and prolonged the lifespan of the ALS mice. Furthermore, resveratrol treatment attenuated motor neuron loss, relieved muscle atrophy, and improved mitochondrial function of muscle fibers in the ALS mice. In addition, we demonstrated that resveratrol exerted these neuroprotective effects mainly through increasing the expression of Sirt1, consequently suppressing oxidative stress and downregulating p53 and its related apoptotic pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest that resveratrol might provide a promising therapeutic intervention for ALS.

scholarly journals LanCL1 promotes motor neuron survival and extends the lifespan of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1369-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honglin Tan ◽  
Mina Chen ◽  
Dejiang Pang ◽  
Xiaoqiang Xia ◽  
Chongyangzi Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Survival ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Alternative Mechanism ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Motor Neuron Survival ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons. Improving neuronal survival in ALS remains a significant challenge. Previously, we identified Lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 1 (LanCL1) as a neuronal antioxidant defense gene, the genetic deletion of which causes apoptotic neurodegeneration in the brain. Here, we report in vivo data using the transgenic SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS indicating that CNS-specific expression of LanCL1 transgene extends lifespan, delays disease onset, decelerates symptomatic progression, and improves motor performance of SOD1G93A mice. Conversely, CNS-specific deletion of LanCL1 leads to neurodegenerative phenotypes, including motor neuron loss, neuroinflammation, and oxidative damage. Analysis reveals that LanCL1 is a positive regulator of AKT activity, and LanCL1 overexpression restores the impaired AKT activity in ALS model mice. These findings indicate that LanCL1 regulates neuronal survival through an alternative mechanism, and suggest a new therapeutic target in ALS.

scholarly journals Motor neuron translatome reveals deregulation of SYNGR4 and PLEKHB1 in mutant TDP-43 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (16) ◽  
pp. 2647-2661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita F Marques ◽  
Jan B Engler ◽  
Katrin Küchler ◽  
Ross A Jones ◽  
Thomas Lingner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Affinity Purification ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Motor Symptom ◽  
Pathological Feature ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurological disease with progressive loss of motor neuron (MN) function in the brain and spinal cord. Mutations in TARDBP, encoding the RNA-binding protein TDP-43, are one cause of ALS, and TDP-43 mislocalization in MNs is a key pathological feature of >95% of ALS cases. While numerous studies support altered RNA regulation by TDP-43 as a major cause of disease, specific changes within MNs that trigger disease onset remain unclear. Here, we combined translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) with RNA sequencing to identify molecular changes in spinal MNs of TDP-43–driven ALS at motor symptom onset. By comparing the MN translatome of hTDP-43A315T mice to littermate controls and to mice expressing wild type hTDP-43, we identified hundreds of mRNAs that were selectively up- or downregulated in MNs. We validated the deregulated candidates Tex26, Syngr4, and Plekhb1 mRNAs in an independent TRAP experiment. Moreover, by quantitative immunostaining of spinal cord MNs, we found corresponding protein level changes for SYNGR4 and PLEKHB1. We also observed these changes in spinal MNs of an independent ALS mouse model caused by a different patient mutant allele of TDP-43, suggesting that they are general features of TDP-43-driven ALS. Thus, we identified SYNGR4 and PLEKHB1 to be deregulated in MNs at motor symptom onset in TDP-43-driven ALS models. This spatial and temporal pattern suggests that these proteins could be functionally important for driving the transition to the symptomatic phase of the disease.

scholarly journals Dissociation of disease onset, progression and sex differences from androgen receptor levels in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Tomas ◽  
Victoria M. McLeod ◽  
Mathew D. F. Chiam ◽  
Nayomi Wanniarachchillage ◽  
Wah C. Boon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by loss of motor neurons. ALS incidence is skewed towards males with typically earlier age of onset and limb site of onset. The androgen receptor (AR) is the major mediator of androgen effects in the body and is present extensively throughout the central nervous system, including motor neurons. Mutations in the AR gene lead to selective lower motor neuron degeneration in male spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) patients, emphasising the importance of AR in maintaining motor neuron health and survival. To evaluate a potential role of AR in onset and progression of ALS, we generated SOD1G93A mice with either neural AR deletion or global human AR overexpression. Using a Cre-LoxP conditional gene knockout strategy, we report that neural deletion of AR has minimal impact on the disease course in SOD1G93A male mice. This outcome was potentially confounded by the metabolically disrupted Nestin-Cre phenotype, which likely conferred the profound lifespan extension observed in the SOD1G93A double transgenic male mice. In addition, overexpression of human AR produced no benefit to disease onset and progression in SOD1G93A mice. In conclusion, the disease course of SOD1G93A mice is independent of AR expression levels, implicating other mechanisms involved in mediating the sex differences in ALS. Our findings using Nestin-Cre mice, which show an inherent metabolic phenotype, led us to hypothesise that targeting hypermetabolism associated with ALS may be a more potent modulator of disease, than AR in this mouse model.

scholarly journals Dysregulation of the Autophagy-Endolysosomal System in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Related Motor Neuron Diseases

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asako Otomo ◽  
Lei Pan ◽  
Shinji Hadano
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Protein Misfolding ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Ubiquitin Proteasome System ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Motor Neuron Diseases ◽  
Ubiquitin Proteasome ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous group of incurable motor neuron diseases (MNDs) characterized by a selective loss of upper and lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Most cases of ALS are sporadic, while approximately 5–10% cases are familial. More than 16 causative genes for ALS/MNDs have been identified and their underlying pathogenesis, including oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, neural inflammation, protein misfolding and accumulation, dysfunctional intracellular trafficking, abnormal RNA processing, and noncell-autonomous damage, has begun to emerge. It is currently believed that a complex interplay of multiple toxicity pathways is implicated in disease onset and progression. Among such mechanisms, ones that are associated with disturbances of protein homeostasis, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy, have recently been highlighted. Although it remains to be determined whether disease-associated protein aggregates have a toxic or protective role in the pathogenesis, the formation of them results from the imbalance between generation and degradation of misfolded proteins within neuronal cells. In this paper, we focus on the autophagy-lysosomal and endocytic degradation systems and implication of their dysfunction to the pathogenesis of ALS/MNDs. The autophagy-endolysosomal pathway could be a major target for the development of therapeutic agents for ALS/MNDs.

scholarly journals Administration of 4-(α-L-Rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl Isothiocyanate Delays Disease Phenotype in SOD1G93ARats: A Transgenic Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Galuppo ◽  
Sabrina Giacoppo ◽  
Renato Iori ◽  
Gina Rosalinda De Nicola ◽  
Placido Bramanti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Genetic Model ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Apoptotic Pathway ◽  
Benzyl Isothiocyanate ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
The Sacrifice ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

4-(α-L-Rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl glucosinolate (glucomoringin, GMG) is a compound found inMoringa oleiferaseeds. Myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis at neutral pH of GMG releases the biologically active compound 4-(α-L-rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl isothiocyanate (GMG-ITC). The present study was designed to test the potential therapeutic effectiveness of GMG-ITC to counteract the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using SOD1tg rats, which physiologically developsSOD1G93Aat about 16 weeks of life, and can be considered a genetic model of disease. Rats were treated once a day with GMG (10 mg/Kg) bioactivated with myrosinase (20 µL/rat) via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for two weeks before disease onset and the treatment was prolonged for further two weeks before the sacrifice. Immune-inflammatory markers as well as apoptotic pathway were investigated to establish whether GMG-ITC could represent a new promising tool in clinical practice to prevent ALS. Achieved data display clear differences in molecular and biological profiles between treated and untreated SOD1tg rats leading to guessing that GMG-ITC can interfere with the pathophysiological mechanisms at the basis of ALS development. Therefore, GMG-ITC produced from myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis of pure GMG could be a candidate for further studies aimed to assess its possible use in clinical practice for the prevention or to slow down this disease.

scholarly journals Blocking the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway preserves motor neuron viability and function in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

2010 ◽  
Vol 120 (10) ◽  
pp. 3673-3679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichole A. Reyes ◽  
Jill K. Fisher ◽  
Kathryn Austgen ◽  
Scott VandenBerg ◽  
Eric J. Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Apoptotic Pathway ◽  
Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway ◽  
And Function ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

scholarly journals Suppression of MAP4K4 Signaling Ameliorates Motor Neuron Degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Molecular Studies Toward New Therapeutics

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117906951986279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E Watts ◽  
Chen Wu ◽  
Lee L Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Specific Inhibitor ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Apoptotic Pathway ◽  
Neuronal Viability ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Induced Pluripotent ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common motor neuron (MN) disease of adults, is characterized by the degeneration of upper MNs in the motor cortex and lower MNs in the brain stem and spinal cord. Our recent work suggests that a MAP kinase family member, MAP4K4 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4), regulates MN degeneration in ALS. Activation of MAP4K4 occurs prior to MN death and inhibition of MAP4K4 improves neurite integrity and neuronal viability in a cell autonomous manner. The mechanism through which MAP4K4 reduction specifically modulates MN viability can be attributed to the attenuation of the c-Jun apoptotic pathway, as well as to the activation of FoxO1-mediated autophagy that reduces the accumulation of protein aggregates. We additionally show the feasibility of MAP4K4 as a drug target using a MAP4K4-specific inhibitor, which improves the survival of both primary and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MNs. Our studies are thus far the first to highlight a MAP4K4-initiated signaling cascade that contributes to MN degeneration in ALS, providing a new mechanism underlying MN death in disease and a druggable target for new therapeutics. We propose exciting future directions and unexplored avenues based upon this work.

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