scholarly journals Delayed inhibition of tonic inhibition enhances functional recovery following experimental ischemic stroke

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1005-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E Orfila ◽  
Himmat Grewal ◽  
Robert M Dietz ◽  
Frank Strnad ◽  
Takeru Shimizu ◽  
...  

The current study focuses on the ability to improve cognitive function after stroke with interventions administered at delayed/chronic time points. In light of recent studies demonstrating delayed GABA antagonists improve motor function, we utilized electrophysiology, biochemistry and neurobehavioral methods to investigate the role of α5 GABAA receptors on hippocampal plasticity and functional recovery following ischemic stroke. Male C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to 45 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and analysis of synaptic and functional deficits performed 7 or 30 days after recovery. Our findings indicate that hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is impaired 7 days after stroke and remain impaired for at least 30 days. We demonstrate that ex vivo administration of L655,708 reversed ischemia-induced plasticity deficits and importantly, in vivo administration at delayed time-points reversed stroke-induced memory deficits. Western blot analysis of hippocampal tissue reveals proteins responsible for GABA synthesis are upregulated (GAD65/67 and MAOB), increasing GABA in hippocampal interneurons 30 days after stroke. Thus, our data indicate that both synaptic plasticity and memory impairments observed after stroke are caused by excessive tonic GABA activity, making inhibition of specific GABA activity at delayed timepoints a potential therapeutic approach to improve functional recovery and reverse cognitive impairments after stroke.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Mensch ◽  
Jade Dunot ◽  
Sandy M. Yishan ◽  
Samuel S. Harris ◽  
Aline Blistein ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing is central to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etiology. As early cognitive alterations in AD are strongly correlated to abnormal information processing due to increasing synaptic impairment, it is crucial to characterize how peptides generated through APP cleavage modulate synapse function. We previously described a novel APP processing pathway producing η-secretase-derived peptides (Aη) and revealed that Aη–α, the longest form of Aη produced by η-secretase and α-secretase cleavage, impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) ex vivo and neuronal activity in vivo. Methods With the intention of going beyond this initial observation, we performed a comprehensive analysis to further characterize the effects of both Aη-α and the shorter Aη-β peptide on hippocampus function using ex vivo field electrophysiology, in vivo multiphoton calcium imaging, and in vivo electrophysiology. Results We demonstrate that both synthetic peptides acutely impair LTP at low nanomolar concentrations ex vivo and reveal the N-terminus to be a primary site of activity. We further show that Aη-β, like Aη–α, inhibits neuronal activity in vivo and provide confirmation of LTP impairment by Aη–α in vivo. Conclusions These results provide novel insights into the functional role of the recently discovered η-secretase-derived products and suggest that Aη peptides represent important, pathophysiologically relevant, modulators of hippocampal network activity, with profound implications for APP-targeting therapeutic strategies in AD.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wataru Ito ◽  
Brendon Fusco ◽  
Alexei Morozov

AbstractNatural brain adaptations often involve changes in synaptic strength. The artificial manipulations can help investigate the role of synaptic strength in a specific brain circuit not only in various physiological phenomena like correlated neuronal firing and oscillations but also in behaviors. High and low-frequency stimulation at presynaptic sites has been used widely to induce long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), respectively. This approach is effective in many brain areas, but not in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), because the robust local GABAergic tone inside the BLA restricts synaptic plasticity. Here, we identified the subclass of GABAergic neurons that gate LTP in the BLA afferents from the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). Chemogenetic suppression of somatostatin-positive interneurons (Sst-INs) enabled the ex vivo LTP by high-frequency stimulation of the afferent, but the suppression of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) did not. Moreover, optogenetic suppression of Sst-INs with Arch also enabled LTP of the dmPFC-BLA synapses both ex vivo and in vivo. These findings reveal that Sst-INs but not PV-INs gate LTP in the dmPFC-BLA pathway and provide a method for artificial synaptic facilitation in BLA.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine Ravina ◽  
Denise Briggs ◽  
Sezen Kislal ◽  
Zuha Warraich ◽  
Tiffany Nguyen ◽  
...  

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Potential therapeutics aimed at neural repair and functional recovery are limited in their blood-brain barrier permeability and may exert systemic or off-target effects. We examined the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), delivered via an extended release HyStem®-C hydrogel implant or vehicle, on sensorimotor function, infarct volume, and neuroinflammation, following permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAo) in rats. Eight days following dMCAo or sham surgery, treatments were implanted directly into the infarction site. Rats received either vehicle, BDNF-only (0.167 µg/µL), hydrogel-only, hydrogel impregnated with 0.057 µg/µL of BDNF (hydrogel + BDNFLOW), or hydrogel impregnated with 0.167 µg/µL of BDNF (hydrogel + BDNFHIGH). The adhesive removal test (ART) and 28-point Neuroscore (28-PN) were used to evaluate sensorimotor function up to two months post-ischemia. The hydrogel + BDNFHIGH group showed significant improvements on the ART six to eight weeks following treatment and their behavioral performance was consistently greater on the 28-PN. Infarct volume was reduced in rats treated with hydrogel + BDNFHIGH as were levels of microglial, phagocyte, and astrocyte marker immunoexpression in the corpus striatum. These data suggest that targeted intracerebral delivery of BDNF using hydrogels may mitigate ischemic brain injury and restore functional deficits by reducing neuroinflammation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Yong Xiao ◽  
Jing-Wen Yang ◽  
Xue-Rui Wang ◽  
Yang Ye ◽  
Na-Na Yang ◽  
...  

Alteration of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) contributes to cognitive function. Acupuncture has been shown to affect DA and NA in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) rats. However, the effect of acupuncture on DA-β-hydroxylase (DBH), the biosynthetic enzyme of NA, remains unknown. In CCH rats we established chronic hypoperfusion by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (two-vessel occlusion, 2VO) and treated them with acupuncture. Acupuncture displayed beneficial effects on hippocampus-dependent memory impairments, including nonspatial and spatial memory. That is also reflected in hippocampus long-term-potentiation (LTP). Moreover, DBH expression in the hippocampus and DBH activity in cerebrospinal fluid were upregulated after acupuncture treatment. In conclusion, these in vivo findings suggest that acupuncture exerts a therapeutic effect on hippocampus-dependent memory and hippocampus LTP in CCH rats, which may be partially related to the modulation of DBH in the hippocampus.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Hwan Shin ◽  
Geetika Phukan ◽  
Jeom Soon Shim ◽  
Duc-Toan Nguyen ◽  
Yongman Kim ◽  
...  

We investigated changes in PA levels by the treatment of human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in ischemic stroke in rat brain model and in cultured neuronal SH-SY5Y cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). In ischemic rat model, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) was performed for 2 h, followed by intravenous transplantation of hBM-MSCs or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) the day following MCAo. Metabolic profiling analysis of PAs was examined in brains from three groups: control rats, PBS-treated MCAo rats (MCAo), and hBM-MSCs-treated MCAo rats (MCAo + hBM-MSCs). In ischemic cell model, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to OGD for 24 h, treated with hBM-MSCs (OGD + hBM-MSCs) prior to continued aerobic incubation, and then samples were collected after coculture for 72 h. In thein vivoMCAo ischemic model, levels of some PAs in brain samples of the MCAo and MCAo + hBM-MSCs groups were significantly different from those of the control group. In particular, putrescine, cadaverine, and spermidine in brain tissues of the MCAo + hBM-MSCs group were significantly reduced in comparison to those in the MCAo group. In thein vitroOGD system,N1-acetylspermidine, spermidine,N1-acetylspermine, and spermine in cells of the OGD + hBM-MSCs group were significantly reduced compared to those of OGD group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Miaomiao Jiang ◽  
Hui Zhao ◽  
Lan Han ◽  
Yu Jin ◽  
...  

Ischemic stroke is a common neurological disease that can lead to mortality and disability. The current curative effect remains unsatisfactory because drug accumulation in the diseased areas is insufficient as a result of the unique blood–brain barrier. Therefore, much attention has been paid to develop a novel therapeutic compound, paeonol-ozagrel conjugate (POC), for ischemic stroke. Then, POC was successfully synthesized by conjugating of paeonol and ozagrel as mutual prodrug. A series of in vitro characterizations and evaluations, including high - resolution mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, partition coefficient, and assessment of cytotoxicity against PC12 cells, were performed. Pharmacokinetic study demonstrated POC is eliminated quickly (t1/2 = 53.46 ± 19.64 min), which supported a short dosing interval. The neurological score, infarct volume, histopathological changes, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines levels, and TXA2 levels also were evaluated in vivo in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats. All results showed that POC had a significant curative and therapeutic effect on ischemic stroke, as evaluated by the middle cerebral artery occlusion. Overall, POC can be expected to become a new drug candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Elina Rubin ◽  
Agnese C. Pippione ◽  
Matthew Boyko ◽  
Giacomo Einaudi ◽  
Stefano Sainas ◽  
...  

Aim: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is known to play an important role in the inflammatory process which takes place after ischemic stroke. The major objective of the present study was to examine the effects of MEDS-23, a potent inhibitor of NF-κB, on clinical outcomes and brain inflammatory markers in post-ischemic stroke rats. Main methods: Initially, a Toxicity Experiment was performed to determine the appropriate dose of MEDS-23 for use in animals, as MEDS-23 was analyzed in vivo for the first time. We used the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model for inducing ischemic stroke in rats. The effects of MEDS-23 (at 10 mg/kg, ip) on post-stroke outcomes (brain inflammation, fever, neurological deficits, mortality, and depression- and anxiety-like behaviours) was tested in several efficacy experiments. Key findings: MEDS-23 was found to be safe and significantly reduced the severity of some adverse post-stroke outcomes such as fever and neurological deficits. Moreover, MEDS-23 significantly decreased prostaglandin E2 levels in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of post-stroke rats, but did not prominently alter the levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Significance: These results suggest that NF-κB inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.


F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 242
Author(s):  
Melissa Trotman-Lucas ◽  
Claire L. Gibson

Cerebral ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, but current pharmacological therapies are limited in their utility and effectiveness. In vitro and in vivo models of ischemic stroke have been developed which allow us to further elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of injury and investigate potential drug targets. In vitro models permit mechanistic investigation of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of injury but are reductionist and do not mimic the complexity of clinical stroke. In vivo models of ischemic stroke directly replicate the reduction in blood flow and the resulting impact on nervous tissue. The most frequently used in vivo model of ischemic stroke is the intraluminal suture middle cerebral artery occlusion (iMCAO) model, which has been fundamental in revealing various aspects of stroke pathology. However, the iMCAO model produces lesion volumes with large standard deviations even though rigid surgical and data collection protocols are followed. There is a need to refine the MCAO model to reduce variability in the standard outcome measure of lesion volume. The typical approach to produce vessel occlusion is to induce an obstruction at the origin of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion is reliant on the Circle of Willis (CoW). However, in rodents the CoW is anatomically highly variable which could account for variations in lesion volume. Thus, we developed a refined approach whereby reliance on the CoW for reperfusion was removed. This approach improved reperfusion to the ischemic hemisphere, reduced variability in lesion volume by 30%, and reduced group sizes required to determine an effective treatment response by almost 40%. This refinement involves a methodological adaptation of the original surgical approach which we have shared with the scientific community via publication of a visualised methods article and providing hands-on training to other experimental stroke researchers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Bin Lin ◽  
Chan-Juan Zheng ◽  
Xuan Zhang ◽  
Juan Chen ◽  
Wei-Jing Liao ◽  
...  

The 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has been widely used in the treatment of ischemic stroke by Chinese doctors. Here, we report the effects of TMP on functional recovery and dendritic plasticity after ischemic stroke. A classical model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established in this study. The rats were assigned into 3 groups: sham group (sham operated rats treated with saline), model group (MCAO rats treated with saline) and TMP group (MCAO rats treated with 20 mg/kg/d TMP). The neurological function test of animals was evaluated using the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) at 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d after MCAO. Animals were euthanized for immunohistochemical labeling to measure MAP-2 levels in the peri-infarct area. Golgi-Cox staining was performed to test effect of TMP on dendritic plasticity at 14 d after MCAO. TMP significantly improved neurological function at 7 d and 14 d after ischemia, increased MAP-2 level at 14 d after ischemia, and enhanced spine density of basilar dendrites. TMP failed to affect the spine density of apical dendrites and the total dendritic length. Data analyses indicate that there was significant negative correlation between mNSS and plasticity measured at 14 d after MCAO. Thus, enhanced dendritic plasticity contributes to TMP-elicited functional recovery after ischemic stroke.


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