The Effect of Injections of Lysophosphatidyl Choline into White Matter of the Adult Mouse Spinal Cord

1972 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 535-546
Author(s):  
SUSAN M. HALL

The action of lysophosphatidyl choline, LPC, on myelinated fibres in the dorsal white matter of the spinal cord of the adult mouse has been studied electron microscopically, and compared with the recently described activity of LPC in the peripheral nerve fibre. Control injections of sterile isotonic saline and injections of LPC both produced oedematous zones in the white matter; within these zones, many fibres exhibited the characteristic changes of Wallerian degeneration. After injection of LPC, however, an area of demyelination was observed, extending within and beyond the Wallerian degeneration. Ultrastructurally, demyelination involved progressive disruption of the previously-compact sheath, observed initially as a splitting of the intraperiod line within 30 min. Subsequent breakdown was-indicated by the appearance of strands of 4-6 nm repeat lamellar material, itself further degraded through quintuple- and triple-layered lamellar units to disorganized membranous networks around undamaged axons. The significance of the demyelinating activity of LPC is discussed in terms of its known action in in vitro systems of isolated central nervous tissue, and its action in vivo in the peripheral nervous system.

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqin Zhu ◽  
Robert A. Hill ◽  
Akiko Nishiyama

NG2 cells represent a unique glial cell population that is distributed widely throughout the developing and adult CNS and is distinct from astrocytes, mature oligodendrocytes and microglia. The ability of NG2 cells to differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes has been documented in vivo and in vitro. We reported recently that NG2 cells in the forebrain differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes but into a subpopulation of protoplasmic astrocytes (Zhu et al., 2008). However, the in vivo fate of NG2 cells in the spinal cord and cerebellum has remained unknown. To investigate the fate of NG2 cells in caudal central nervous system (CNS) regions in vivo, we examined the phenotype of cells that express EGFP in mice that are double transgenic for NG2CreBAC and the Cre reporter Z/EG. The fate of NG2 cells can be studied in these mice by permanent expression of EGFP in cells that have undergone Cre-mediated recombination in NG2 cells. We find that NG2 cells give rise to oligodendrocytes in both gray and white matter of the spinal cord and cerebellum, and to protoplasmic astrocytes in the gray matter of the spinal cord. However, NG2 cells do not give rise to astrocytes in the white matter of the spinal cord and cerebellum. These observations indicate that NG2 cells serve as precursor cells for oligodendrocytes and a subpopulation of protoplasmic astrocytes throughout the rostrocaudal axis of the CNS.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (3) ◽  
pp. C980-C989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Peasley ◽  
Riyi Shi

We found that isolated guinea pig spinal cord white matter is resistant to acute oxygen-glucose deprivation. Sixty minutes of oxygen-glucose deprivation resulted in a 60% reduction of compound action potential (CAP) conductance, and there was a near complete recovery after 60 min reperfusion. Corresponding horseradish peroxidase-exclusion assay showed little axonal membrane damage. To further deprive the axons of metabolic substrate, we added 2 mM sodium cyanide or 2 mM sodium azide, both mitochondrial suppressors, to the ischemic medium, which completely abolished CAP and resulted in a 15 to ∼30% recovery postreperfusion. Both compounds preferentially reduced the conductance of large diameter axons. We suggest the residual ATP in our ischemic model can protect anatomic integrity and physiological functioning of spinal axons following ischemic insult. This further suggests that oxygen-glucose deprivation alone cannot be solely responsible for short-term functional and anatomic damage. The damaging effects of ischemia in vivo may be mediated by factors originating from the gray matter of the cord or other systemic factors; both were largely eliminated in our in vitro white matter preparation.


1971 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 769-789
Author(s):  
SUSAN M. HALL ◽  
N. A. GREGSON

The action of phospholipase A and lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC) on mature, myelinated peripheral nerve fibres has been studied in vivo and electron microscopically, following sub-perineurial injection of these substances. Within 30 min, demyelination was observed in vivo along cylindrico-conical segments, spreading from Schmidt-Lanterman incisures and nodes of Ranvier. By 96 h, all traces of the myelin sheath had disappeared from the area of the lesion, and had been replaced by debris-laden cells lying in chains parallel to one another and the long axis of the fibre. During the next few weeks these cells gradually disappeared, and numerous finely myelinated axons, running between, and in continuity with, the normal fibres proximal and distal to the lesion were observed. If lower concentrations of LPC were used the number of fibres involved decreased, although the demyelinative changes followed the same time-course. Ultrastructurally, demyelination involved progressive disruption and removal of the lamellar sheath, observed initially as a splitting of the intraperiod line within 30 min. Subsequent breakdown resulted in the formation of strands of 4-6 nm repeat material which was further degraded through quintuple- and triple-layered lamellar units to foam-like systems of disorganized lamellar fragments. The Schwann cell and axons appeared to be undamaged by phospholipase A and LPC, and retained their normal impermeability to exogenous ferritin. The significance of the demyelinating capacity of LPC in vivo is discussed in terms of its known action on myelin in vitro, the rapidity and apparent specificity of its action demonstrated in this study, and its potential involvement in pathological demyelination.


F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Bijland ◽  
Gemma Thomson ◽  
Matthew Euston ◽  
Kyriakos Michail ◽  
Katja Thümmler ◽  
...  

The normal development and maintenance of CNS white matter, and its responses to disease and injury, are defined by synergies between axons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia, and further influenced by peripheral components such as the gut microbiome and the endocrine and immune systems. Consequently, mechanistic insights, therapeutic approaches and safety tests rely ultimately on in vivo models and clinical trials. However, in vitro models that replicate the cellular complexity of the CNS can inform these approaches, reducing costs and minimising the use of human material or experimental animals; in line with the principles of the 3Rs. Using electrophysiology, pharmacology, time-lapse imaging, and immunological assays, we demonstrate that murine spinal cord-derived myelinating cell cultures recapitulate spinal-like electrical activity and innate CNS immune functions, including responses to disease-relevant myelin debris and pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).  Further, we show they are (i) amenable to siRNA making them suitable for testing gene-silencing strategies; (ii) can be established on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for electrophysiological studies; and (iii) are compatible with multi-well microplate formats for semi-high throughput screens, maximising information output whilst further reducing animal use. We provide protocols for each of these. Together, these advances increase the utility of this in vitro tool for studying normal and pathological development and function of white matter, and for screening therapeutic molecules or gene targets for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease or spinal cord injury, whilst avoiding in vivo approaches on experimental animals.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2245
Author(s):  
Jue-Zong Yeh ◽  
Ding-Han Wang ◽  
Juin-Hong Cherng ◽  
Yi-Wen Wang ◽  
Gang-Yi Fan ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7929
Author(s):  
Megan Chesnut ◽  
Thomas Hartung ◽  
Helena Hogberg ◽  
David Pamies

Neurodevelopment is uniquely sensitive to toxic insults and there are concerns that environmental chemicals are contributing to widespread subclinical developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Increased DNT evaluation is needed due to the lack of such information for most chemicals in common use, but in vivo studies recommended in regulatory guidelines are not practical for the large-scale screening of potential DNT chemicals. It is widely acknowledged that developmental neurotoxicity is a consequence of disruptions to basic processes in neurodevelopment and that testing strategies using human cell-based in vitro systems that mimic these processes could aid in prioritizing chemicals with DNT potential. Myelination is a fundamental process in neurodevelopment that should be included in a DNT testing strategy, but there are very few in vitro models of myelination. Thus, there is a need to establish an in vitro myelination assay for DNT. Here, we summarize the routes of myelin toxicity and the known models to study this particular endpoint.


The Analyst ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhajit Chakraborty ◽  
Atanu Nandy ◽  
Subhadip Ghosh ◽  
Nirmal Kumar Das ◽  
Sameena Parveen ◽  
...  

Sub-nanomolar selective detection of Hg(ii) ions by protein (Human Serum Albumin, HSA) templated gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), both in in vitro as well as in vivo environments and specific endocytose behaviour towards breast cancer (BC) cell lines.


1992 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 1327-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Koseki ◽  
D Herzlinger ◽  
Q al-Awqati

During metanephric development, non-polarized mesenchymal cells are induced to form the epithelial structures of the nephron following interaction with extracellular matrix proteins and factors produced by the inducing tissue, ureteric bud. This induction can occur in a transfilter organ culture system where it can also be produced by heterologous cells such as the embryonic spinal cord. We found that when embryonic mesenchyme was induced in vitro and in vivo, many of the cells surrounding the new epithelium showed morphological evidence of programmed cell death (apoptosis) such as condensed nuclei, fragmented cytoplasm, and cell shrinking. A biochemical correlate of apoptosis is the transcriptional activation of a calcium-sensitive endonuclease. Indeed, DNA isolated from uninduced mesenchyme showed progressive degradation, a process that was prevented by treatment with actinomycin-D or cycloheximide and by buffering intracellular calcium. These results demonstrate that the metanephric mesenchyme is programmed for apoptosis. Incubation of mesenchyme with a heterologous inducer, embryonic spinal cord prevented this DNA degradation. To investigate the mechanism by which inducers prevented apoptosis we tested the effects of protein kinase C modulators on this process. Phorbol esters mimicked the effects of the inducer and staurosporine, an inhibitor of this protein kinase, prevented the effect of the inducer. EGF also prevented DNA degradation but did not lead to differentiation. These results demonstrate that conversion of mesenchyme to epithelial requires at least two steps, rescue of the mesenchyme from apoptosis and induction of differentiation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 731-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Sontag ◽  
Hal X. Nguyen ◽  
Noriko Kamei ◽  
Nobuko Uchida ◽  
Aileen J. Anderson ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 300 ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana Goganau ◽  
Beatrice Sandner ◽  
Norbert Weidner ◽  
Karim Fouad ◽  
Armin Blesch

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