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Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Mar 2018Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which gives rise to focal lesions in the gray and white... (Review)
Review
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which gives rise to focal lesions in the gray and white matter and to diffuse neurodegeneration in the entire brain. In this review, the spectrum of MS lesions and their relation to the inflammatory process is described. Pathology suggests that inflammation drives tissue injury at all stages of the disease. Focal inflammatory infiltrates in the meninges and the perivascular spaces appear to produce soluble factors, which induce demyelination or neurodegeneration either directly or indirectly through microglia activation. The nature of these soluble factors, which are responsible for demyelinating activity in sera and cerebrospinal fluid of the patients, is currently undefined. Demyelination and neurodegeneration is finally accomplished by oxidative injury and mitochondrial damage leading to a state of "virtual hypoxia."
Topics: Brain; Demyelinating Diseases; Disease Progression; Humans; Inflammation; Multiple Sclerosis; Nerve Degeneration
PubMed: 29358320
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a028936 -
Neurologia 2020Experimental animal models constitute a useful tool to deepen our knowledge of central nervous system disorders. In the case of multiple sclerosis, however, there is no... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Experimental animal models constitute a useful tool to deepen our knowledge of central nervous system disorders. In the case of multiple sclerosis, however, there is no such specific model able to provide an overview of the disease; multiple models covering the different pathophysiological features of the disease are therefore necessary.
DEVELOPMENT
We reviewed the different in vitro and in vivo experimental models used in multiple sclerosis research. Concerning in vitro models, we analysed cell cultures and slice models. As for in vivo models, we examined such models of autoimmunity and inflammation as experimental allergic encephalitis in different animals and virus-induced demyelinating diseases. Furthermore, we analysed models of demyelination and remyelination, including chemical lesions caused by cuprizone, lysolecithin, and ethidium bromide; zebrafish; and transgenic models.
CONCLUSIONS
Experimental models provide a deeper understanding of the different pathogenic mechanisms involved in multiple sclerosis. Choosing one model or another depends on the specific aims of the study.
Topics: Animals; Cuprizone; Demyelinating Diseases; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Sheath; Remyelination
PubMed: 28863829
DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2017.07.002 -
Current Neurology and Neuroscience... Apr 2017Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) blockers are a popular therapeutic choice in a number of inflammatory diseases. Thus far, five TNF- α blockers have been approved for... (Review)
Review
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) blockers are a popular therapeutic choice in a number of inflammatory diseases. Thus far, five TNF- α blockers have been approved for clinical use (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab. and certolizumab). Despite being considered relatively safe, serious side effects associated with immune suppression have been reported, including central and peripheral nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorders. It is still elusive whether these events are mere coincidence or a side effect of anti-TNF-α use. In this paper, we review the published case reports of CNS demyelination associated with anti-TNF-α therapy and present the follow-up of our 4 previously reported patients who developed neurologic symptoms suggestive of CNS demyelination after having received anti-TNF-α treatment. We also discuss the possible role of TNF-α blockers in demyelination.
Topics: Animals; Demyelinating Diseases; Humans; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 28337644
DOI: 10.1007/s11910-017-0742-1 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Apr 2022Proper myelination of axons is crucial for normal sensory, motor, and cognitive function. Abnormal myelination is seen in brain disorders such as major depressive...
Proper myelination of axons is crucial for normal sensory, motor, and cognitive function. Abnormal myelination is seen in brain disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), but the molecular mechanisms connecting demyelination with the pathobiology remain largely unknown. We observed demyelination and synaptic deficits in mice exposed to either chronic, unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) or LPS, 2 paradigms for inducing depression-like states. Pharmacological restoration of myelination normalized both synaptic deficits and depression-related behaviors. Furthermore, we found increased ephrin A4 receptor (EphA4) expression in the excitatory neurons of mice subjected to CUMS, and shRNA knockdown of EphA4 prevented demyelination and depression-like behaviors. These animal data are consistent with the decrease in myelin basic protein and the increase in EphA4 levels we observed in postmortem brain samples from patients with MDD. Our results provide insights into the etiology of depressive symptoms in some patients and suggest that inhibition of EphA4 or the promotion of myelination could be a promising strategy for treating depression.
Topics: Animals; Axons; Behavior, Animal; Demyelinating Diseases; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Disease Models, Animal; Hippocampus; Humans; Mice; Receptor, EphA4; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 35271507
DOI: 10.1172/JCI152187 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2020Microglia originate from myeloid progenitors in the embryonic yolk sac and play an integral role in central nervous system (CNS) development, immune surveillance and... (Review)
Review
Microglia originate from myeloid progenitors in the embryonic yolk sac and play an integral role in central nervous system (CNS) development, immune surveillance and repair. The role of microglia in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been complex and controversial, with evidence suggesting that these cells play key roles in both active inflammation and remyelination. Here we will review the most recent histological classification of MS lesions as well as the evidence supporting both inflammatory and reparative functions of these cells. We will also review how microglia may yield new biomarkers for MS activity and serve as a potential target for therapy.
Topics: Antirheumatic Agents; Biomarkers; Demyelinating Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Humans; Immunologic Surveillance; Macrophages; Microglia; Multiple Sclerosis; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neuroimaging; T-Lymphocyte Subsets
PubMed: 32265902
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00374 -
Glia Jun 2021Microgliosis is a prominent pathological feature in many neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive auto-immune demyelinating disorder. The...
Microgliosis is a prominent pathological feature in many neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive auto-immune demyelinating disorder. The precise role of microglia, parenchymal central nervous system (CNS) macrophages, during demyelination, and the relative contributions of peripheral macrophages are incompletely understood. Classical markers used to identify microglia do not reliably discriminate between microglia and peripheral macrophages, confounding analyses. Here, we use a genetic fate mapping strategy to identify microglia as predominant responders and key effectors of demyelination in the cuprizone (CUP) model. Colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), also known as macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) - a secreted cytokine that regulates microglia development and survival-is upregulated in demyelinated white matter lesions. Depletion of microglia with the CSF1R inhibitor PLX3397 greatly abrogates the demyelination, loss of oligodendrocytes, and reactive astrocytosis that results from CUP treatment. Electron microscopy (EM) and serial block face imaging show myelin sheaths remain intact in CUP treated mice depleted of microglia. However, these CUP-damaged myelin sheaths are lost and robustly phagocytosed upon-repopulation of microglia. Direct injection of CSF1 into CNS white matter induces focal microgliosis and demyelination indicating active CSF1 signaling can promote demyelination. Finally, mice defective in adopting a toxic astrocyte phenotype that is driven by microglia nevertheless demyelinate normally upon CUP treatment implicating microglia rather than astrocytes as the primary drivers of CUP-mediated demyelination. Together, these studies indicate activated microglia are required for and can drive demyelination directly and implicate CSF1 signaling in these events.
Topics: Animals; Cuprizone; Demyelinating Diseases; Disease Models, Animal; Macrophages; Mice; Microglia; Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33620118
DOI: 10.1002/glia.23980 -
Glia Jul 2022In human demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), an imbalance between demyelination and remyelination can trigger progressive degenerative processes. The... (Review)
Review
In human demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), an imbalance between demyelination and remyelination can trigger progressive degenerative processes. The clearance of myelin debris (phagocytosis) from the site of demyelination by microglia is critically important to achieve adequate remyelination and to slow the progression of the disease. However, how microglia phagocytose the myelin debris, and why clearance is impaired in MS, is not fully known; likewise, the role of the microglia in remyelination remains unclear. Recent studies using cuprizone (CPZ) as an animal model of central nervous system demyelination revealed that the up-regulation of signaling proteins in microglia facilitates effective phagocytosis of myelin debris. Moreover, during demyelination, protective mediators are released from activated microglia, resulting in the acceleration of remyelination in the CPZ model. In contrast, inadequate microglial activation or recruitment to the site of demyelination, and the production of toxic mediators, impairs remyelination resulting in progressive demyelination. In addition to the microglia-mediated phagocytosis, astrocytes play an important role in the phagocytic process by recruiting microglia to the site of demyelination and producing regenerative mediators. The current review is an update of these emerging findings from the CPZ animal model, discussing the roles of microglia and astrocytes in phagocytosis and myelination.
Topics: Animals; Astrocytes; Cuprizone; Demyelinating Diseases; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microglia; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Sheath; Phagocytosis
PubMed: 35107839
DOI: 10.1002/glia.24148 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2017Inflammatory demyelinating diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders, which occur against the background of an acute or chronic inflammatory process. The... (Review)
Review
Inflammatory demyelinating diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders, which occur against the background of an acute or chronic inflammatory process. The pathologic hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the presence of focal demyelinated lesions with partial axonal preservation and reactive astrogliosis. Demyelinated plaques are present in the white as well as gray matter, such as the cerebral or cerebellar cortex and brainstem nuclei. Activity of the disease process is reflected by the presence of lesions with ongoing myelin destruction. Axonal and neuronal destruction in the lesions is a major substrate for permanent neurologic deficit in MS patients. The MS pathology is qualitatively similar in different disease stages, such as relapsing remitting MS or secondary or primary progressive MS, but the prevalence of different lesion types differs quantitatively. Acute MS and Balo's type of concentric sclerosis appear to be variants of classic MS. In contrast, neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are inflammatory diseases with primary injury of astrocytes, mediated by aquaporin-4 antibodies. Finally, we discuss the histopathology of other inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated demyelination. Knowledge of the heterogenous immunopathology in demyelinating diseases is important, to understand the clinical presentation and disease course and to find the optimal treatment for an individual patient.
Topics: Animals; Central Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 28987175
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-802395-2.00019-5 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2022Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder, which is histopathologically characterized by multifocal inflammatory demyelinating lesions affecting both the... (Review)
Review
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder, which is histopathologically characterized by multifocal inflammatory demyelinating lesions affecting both the central nervous system's white and grey matter. Especially during the progressive phases of the disease, immunomodulatory treatment strategies lose their effectiveness. To develop novel progressive MS treatment options, pre-clinical animal models are indispensable. Among the various different models, the cuprizone de- and remyelination model is frequently used. While most studies determine tissue damage and repair at the histological and ultrastructural level, functional readouts are less commonly applied. Among the various overt functional deficits, gait and coordination abnormalities are commonly observed in MS patients. Motor behavior is mediated by a complex neural network that originates in the cortex and terminates in the skeletal muscles. Several methods exist to determine gait abnormalities in small rodents, including the rotarod testing paradigm. In this review article, we provide an overview of the validity and characteristics of the rotarod test in cuprizone-intoxicated mice.
Topics: Animals; Cuprizone; Demyelinating Diseases; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Sheath; Remyelination; Rotarod Performance Test
PubMed: 36232643
DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911342 -
Glia Feb 2020Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel that facilitates the translation of extracellular mechanical cues to intracellular molecular signaling cascades through a...
Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive ion channel that facilitates the translation of extracellular mechanical cues to intracellular molecular signaling cascades through a process termed, mechanotransduction. In the central nervous system (CNS), mechanically gated ion channels are important regulators of neurodevelopmental processes such as axon guidance, neural stem cell differentiation, and myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes. Here, we present evidence that pharmacologically mediated overactivation of Piezo1 channels negatively regulates CNS myelination. Moreover, we found that the peptide GsMTx4, an antagonist of mechanosensitive cation channels such as Piezo1, is neuroprotective and prevents chemically induced demyelination. In contrast, the positive modulator of Piezo1 channel opening, Yoda-1, induces demyelination and neuronal damage. Using an ex vivo murine-derived organotypic cerebellar slice culture model, we demonstrate that GsMTx4 attenuates demyelination induced by the cytotoxic lipid, psychosine. Importantly, we confirmed the potential therapeutic effects of GsMTx4 peptide in vivo by co-administering it with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), via stereotactic injection, into the cerebral cortex of adult mice. GsMTx4 prevented both demyelination and neuronal damage usually caused by the intracortical injection of LPC in vivo; a well-characterized model of focal demyelination. GsMTx4 also attenuated both LPC-induced astrocyte toxicity and microglial reactivity within the lesion core. Overall, our data suggest that pharmacological activation of Piezo1 channels induces demyelination and that inhibition of mechanosensitive channels, using GsMTx4, may alleviate the secondary progressive neurodegeneration often present in the latter stages of demyelinating diseases.
Topics: Animals; Astrocytes; Cell Differentiation; Central Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Ion Channels; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Mice; Neural Stem Cells; Neurogenesis; Peptides
PubMed: 31596529
DOI: 10.1002/glia.23722