Article
Neurosciences
Benton S. Purnell, Mariana Alves, Detlev Boison
Summary: The epilepsies are a group of diseases characterized by spontaneous seizures and associated comorbidities, but current understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited. Focusing on neurons has led to the development of anti-seizure medications, but not all aspects of seizure activity can be explained. The role of astrocytes, another type of brain cell, and their implications in epilepsy are explored in this review.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yisheng Chen, Zhiwen Luo, Yaying Sun, Fangqi Li, Zhihua Han, Beijie Qi, Jinrong Lin, Wei-Wei Lin, Mengxuan Yao, Xueran Kang, Jiebin Huang, Chenyu Sun, Chenting Ying, Chenyang Guo, Yuzhen Xu, Jiwu Chen, Shiyi Chen
Summary: Recent studies have shown that physical activities can prevent aging-related neurodegeneration by improving the metabolic pathway activity of glial cells in the central nervous system.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Pamies, Chiara Sartori, Domitille Schvartz, Victor Gonzalez-Ruiz, Luc Pellerin, Carolina Nunes, Denise Tavel, Vanille Maillard, Julien Boccard, Serge Rudaz, Jean-Charles Sanchez, Marie-Gabrielle Zurich
Summary: This study aimed to explore the metabolic changes occurring in activated human astrocytes. Results showed that activated astrocytes exhibited significant changes in inflammation response, cytoskeleton, and energy metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Philipp Gessner, Jenni Lum, Bruno G. Frenguelli
Summary: Purine-based molecules have essential roles in various life processes, including DNA and RNA synthesis, as well as ATP production. In mammals, the purine salvage pathway is crucial for the regeneration of adenine nucleotides, ATP, and adenosine in the brain and heart. Transcriptomic data analysis reveals that the enzymes involved in the purine salvage pathway are expressed at higher levels in neurons compared to astrocytes. These findings suggest the significance of targeting the purine salvage pathway for neuronal protection during metabolic stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin Grieb, Sivaranjan Uppala, Gal Sapir, David Shaul, J. Moshe Gomori, Rachel Katz-Brull
Summary: This study demonstrates that monitoring cerebral metabolism using hyperpolarized C-13-labeled metabolites can be used as a reporter of neural activity, with PDH activity serving as an indicator. The findings show a decrease in PDH activity when neuronal firing and ATP synthase are inhibited, providing a potential new approach for utilizing magnetic resonance imaging to monitor neural activity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Helena Marcelino, Tiago M. A. Carvalho, Joana Tomas, Francisca Teles, Ana C. Honorio, Carolina B. Rosa, Ana R. Costa, Bruno M. Costa, Cecilia R. A. Santos, Ana M. Sebastiao, Jose F. Cascalheira
Summary: The study found that the inhibitory effect of adenosine on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells is significantly weakened, possibly due to increased adenosine elimination by adenosine kinase. Additionally, adenosine also enhances the cytotoxic effect of homocysteine on human astrocytes.
Article
Neurosciences
Qiyan Fan, Mika Takarada-Iemata, Nahoko Okitani, Takashi Tamatani, Hiroshi Ishii, Tsuyoshi Hattori, Sumiko Kiryu-Seo, Hiroshi Kiyama, Osamu Hori
Summary: The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a signal transduction network that plays an important role in maintaining cell viability and protein homeostasis in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This study investigated the activation of the UPR in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells, particularly endothelial cells and astrocytes, after acute brain injuries, suggesting that they could be potential therapeutic targets.
Article
Biology
David Allard, Isabelle Cousineau, Eric H. Ma, Bertrand Allard, Yacine Bareche, Hubert Fleury, John Stagg
Summary: CD73 is overexpressed on tumor cells and suppresses anti-tumor immunity. It promotes tumor cell metabolism by enhancing mitochondrial respiration and aspartate biosynthesis. Targeting CD73 decreases tumor cell metabolic fitness, increases genomic instability, and suppresses PARP activity. This study uncovers an important immune-independent function of CD73 in promoting tumor cell metabolism and provides rationale for previously unforeseen combination therapies incorporating CD73 inhibition.
Review
Physiology
Elidie Beard, Sylvain Lengacher, Sara Dias, Pierre J. Magistretti, Charles Finsterwald
Summary: Astrocytes play a key role in regulating brain energy metabolism, and dysregulation of astrocyte-mediated metabolic pathways is involved in brain hypometabolism. This is a common feature in various neurological pathologies.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peng Wang, Rifeng Gao, Tingting Wu, Jinyan Zhang, Xiaolei Sun, Fan Fan, Cong Wang, Sanli Qian, Bingyu Li, Yunzeng Zou, Yuqing Huo, John Fassett, Yingjie Chen, Junbo Ge, Aijun Sun
Summary: This study demonstrates that cardiomyocyte ADK deletion improves myocardial I/R injury through epigenetic upregulation of IGF-1 expression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Torsten Weiss, Rene Bernard, Gregor Laube, Julian Rieck, Misty J. Eaton, Serguei N. Skatchkov, Ruediger W. Veh
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the uptake of polyamines into the brain from the bloodstream. Results showed strong uptake of polyamines in brain slices and intraventricular space, but no uptake from the bloodstream. Therefore, it can be concluded that polyamines in the brain are mainly derived from local synthesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sang Ho Yoon, Young-Soo Bae, Sung Pyo Oh, Woo Seok Song, Hanna Chang, Myoung-Hwan Kim
Summary: Deficiency of aminopeptidase P1 leads to neurodegeneration potentially due to decreased astrocytic neuroprotection and increased neuronal excitability.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mercedes Garcia-Gil, Marcella Camici, Simone Allegrini, Rossana Pesi, Maria Grazia Tozzi
Summary: Adenosine plays a complex role in various physiological and pathophysiological processes, tightly regulated in the brain, and is associated with conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. The generation and inactivation of adenosine are crucial for the development of central nervous system disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Isabelle Matthiesen, Rohollah Nasiri, Alessandra Tamashiro Orrego, Thomas E. Winkler, Anna Herland
Summary: Astrocytes are crucial for brain functions and energy supply for neurons. This study compared the metabolic turnover of glucose and lactate between human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes (hiAstrocytes) and human fetal astrocytes (HFAs). The results showed that HFAs have higher levels of lactate production and glucose consumption compared to hiAstrocytes.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yasmine Rabah, Raquel Frances, Julia Minatchy, Laura Guedon, Coraline Desnous, Pierre-Yves Placais, Thomas Preat
Summary: This study demonstrates the compartmentalization of glucose metabolism between neurons and glial cells during memory formation in fruit flies. Glial cells import glucose specifically for long-term memory by directly transferring it to neurons for use by the pentose phosphate pathway. Meanwhile, glial cells also produce alanine through glycolysis, which is converted into pyruvate in neurons to meet their increased mitochondrial needs. The findings provide insights into the role of glucose metabolism in memory formation and highlight the importance of glia-neuron coupling.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Min Guo, Jian Wang, Yanxin Zhao, Yiwei Feng, Sida Han, Qiang Dong, Mei Cui, Kim Tieu
Review
Neurosciences
Tony James, Bartosz Kula, Seowon Choi, Shahzad S. Khan, Lane K. Bekar, Nathan A. Smith
Summary: Catecholamine neurons of the locus coeruleus play a crucial role in regulating various functions such as attention, arousal, sleep, learning, memory, anxiety, pain, mood, and brain metabolism. The release of norepinephrine and dopamine from LC terminals in the hippocampus is involved in all stages of hippocampal memory processing. The firing modes of LC neurons in awake animals have different effects on post-synaptic dendritic spines, regulating long-term potentiation and depression in the hippocampus. Loss of catecholaminergic regulation from LC degeneration in Alzheimer's disease contributes to memory dysfunction and impaired attention and task completion functions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jennifer R. Pinnell, Mei Cui, Kim Tieu
Summary: Exosomes play a potential role in the propagation of pathological alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease. They have the ability to transport proteins and genetic material between cells, and may serve as biomarkers and delivery vectors for therapeutics in PD.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Kristy O. Johnson, Nathan A. Smith, Evan Z. Goldstein, Vittorio Gallo, Jason W. Triplett
Summary: Experimental evidence in mice shows that NMDARs expressed by RGCs are not essential for the formation of retinofugal topographic maps. Although the function of NMDARs in RGCs is not an absolute requirement, they can induce activity in RGC terminals.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Nathan A. Smith, Dana L. Helmreich, Antoine Adamantidis, Paola Bovolenta, John J. Foxe, Yoland Smith, Vidita A. Vaidya
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Nathan Anthony Smith, Rune Nguyen Rasmussen
Summary: A recent study revealed the presence of varicose projection astrocytes, a rare form of astrocyte, exclusively in the brains of hominoids while being absent in other primate brains.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Joseph Abbah, Claire-Marie Vacher, Evan Z. Goldstein, Zhen Li, Srikanya Kundu, Brooke Talbot, Surajit Bhattacharya, Kazue Hashimoto-Torii, Li Wang, Payal Banerjee, Joseph Scafidi, Nathan A. Smith, Li-Jin Chew, Vittorio Gallo
Summary: Neonatal brain injury can lead to cognitive deficits due to oxidative stress. The mechanisms underlying hippocampal damage and long-term changes in memory and learning are not well understood. This study used high oxygen tension to induce oxidative stress in neonatal mice and found that it caused reactive oxygen species, cell death, and reduced interneuron maturation, inhibitory postsynaptic currents, and dentate progenitor proliferation in the hippocampus. Surprisingly, post-injury interneuron stimulation improved inhibitory activity and memory tasks, indicating reversibility. Inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta in interneurons during oxidative stress restored progenitor cell proliferation, interneuron development, inhibitory/excitatory balance, and hippocampal-dependent behavior. Targeting interneuron function biochemically may be beneficial for learning deficits caused by oxidative damage.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arturo J. Barahona, Zoran Bursac, Emir Veledar, Roberto Lucchini, Kim Tieu, Jason R. Richardson
Summary: Increased blood and urinary manganese levels are associated with poorer cognitive function in an elderly US population.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isha Mhatre-Winters, Aseel Eid, Yoonhee Han, Kim Tieu, Jason R. Richardson
Summary: Sex and APOE4 genotype are important risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and inflammation plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Antoine Hone-Blanchet, Botond Antal, Liam McMahon, Andrew Lithen, Nathan A. Smith, Steven Stufflebeam, Yi-Fen Yen, Alexander Lin, Bruce G. Jenkins, Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Eva-Maria Ratai
Summary: This study found that administration of the ketone d-beta-hydroxybutyrate significantly reduced levels of GABA and Glu in the anterior and posterior cortices of fasting healthy participants. The effect was specific to the ketone and not observed with glucose administration. Furthermore, the magnitude of the effect was greater in older age and correlated with blood levels of the ketone. This suggests an increased sensitivity to ketones in the aging brain.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Isha Mhatre-Winters, Aseel Eid, Yoonhee Han, Kim Tieu, Jason R. Richardson
Summary: APOE4 genotype and sex are significant risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with females demonstrating increased risk modulated by APOE genotype. This study found that APOE4 astrocytes, particularly in females, showed a higher inflammatory response compared to APOE3 astrocytes. The findings suggest that APOE4 genotype and female sex contribute to increased neuroinflammation in primary astrocytes.
Article
Physiology
Alejandro E. Garcia-Flores, Christine M. Gross, Evgeny A. Zemskov, Qing Lu, Kim Tieu, Ting Wang, Stephen M. Black
Summary: Mechanical strain contributes to ventilator-induced lung injury through the loss of pulmonary endothelial tight junctions. Overexpression of SOX18 can protect endothelial barrier function and attenuate inflammatory lung injury. Enhancing SOX18 expression may prove a useful therapy to treat patients with ventilator-induced lung injury.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qing Lu, Xutong Sun, Manivannan Yegambaram, Wojciech Ornatowski, Xiaomin Wu, Hui Wang, Alejandro Garcia-Flores, Victoria Da Silva, Evgeny A. Zemskov, Haiyang Tang, Jeffrey R. Fineman, Kim Tieu, Ting Wang, Stephen M. Black
Summary: This study finds that mitochondrial fission and increased cellular glycolysis are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. In pulmonary arterial endothelial cells, mitochondrial fission leads to increased cellular glycolysis. By reducing mitochondrial fission, the increased cellular glycolysis can be attenuated. Additionally, a nitration-mediated activation of RhoA is observed, and inhibiting RhoA nitration can reverse the increased cellular glycolysis. Therefore, targeting RhoA nitration could have therapeutic benefits for treating pulmonary hypertension.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Michael Willis, Megan R. Carey, John J. Foxe, Jackie Jones, Nathan Smith, Vidita Vaidya
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Anlin Feng, Emma Simpson, Jialin Wu, Tasleem Robinson, Wenli Ma, Kim Tieu, Stephen M. Black, Ting Wang
Summary: In this study, a NAMPT-associated biomarker was established by analyzing gene expression profiles, which effectively predicts survival in sepsis patients. This biomarker is significantly enriched in metabolic pathways and NF-KB pathways related to sepsis development and can discriminate high-risk sepsis from low-risk sepsis.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2022)