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ABSTRACT: The angiogenic factor, angiogenin, has been recently linked to both Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson Disease (PD). We have recently shown that endogenous angiogenin levels are dramatically reduced in an alpha-synuclein mouse model of PD and that exogenous angiogenin protects against cell loss in neurotoxin-based cellular models of PD. Here, we extend our studies to examine whether activation of the prosurvival Akt pathway is required for angiogenin's neuroprotective effects against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+), as observed in ALS models, and to test the effect of virally-mediated overexpression of angiogenin in an in vivo PD model. Using a dominant negative Akt construct, we demonstrate that inhibition of the Akt pathway does not reduce the protective effect of angiogenin against MPP+ toxicity in the dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cell line. Furthermore, an ALS-associated mutant of angiogenin, K40I, which fails to induce Akt phosphorylation, was similar to wildtype angiogenin in protection against MPP+. These results confirm previous work showing neuroprotective effects of angiogenin against MPP+, and indicate that Akt is not required for this protective effect. We also investigated whether adeno-associated viral serotype 2 (AAV2)-mediated overexpression of angiogenin protects against dopaminergic neuron loss in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model. We found that angiogenin overexpression using this approach does not reduce the MPTP-induced degeneration of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra, nor limit the depletion of dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum. Together, these findings extend the evidence for protective effects of angiogenin in vitro, but also suggest that further study of in vivo models is required to translate these effects into meaningful therapies.
PLoS ONE 01/2013; 8(2):e56092. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Giuseppe Sciamanna,
Annalisa Tassone,
Georgia Mandolesi,
Francesca Puglisi,
Giulia Ponterio,
Giuseppina Martella,
Graziella Madeo,
Giorgio Bernardi, David G Standaert,
Paola Bonsi,
Antonio Pisani
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ABSTRACT: Projections from thalamic intralaminar nuclei convey sensory signals to striatal cholinergic interneurons. These neurons respond with a pause in their pacemaking activity, enabling synaptic integration with cortical inputs to medium spiny neurons (MSNs), thus playing a crucial role in motor function. In mice with the DYT1 dystonia mutation, stimulation of thalamostriatal axons, mimicking a response to salient events, evoked a shortened pause and triggered an abnormal spiking activity in interneurons. This altered pattern caused a significant rearrangement of the temporal sequence of synaptic activity mediated by M(1) and M(2) muscarinic receptors in MSNs, consisting of an increase in postsynaptic currents and a decrease of presynaptic inhibition, respectively. Consistent with a major role of acetylcholine, either lowering cholinergic tone or antagonizing postsynaptic M(1) muscarinic receptors normalized synaptic activity. Our data demonstrate an abnormal time window for synaptic integration between thalamostriatal and corticostriatal inputs, which might alter the action selection process, thereby predisposing DYT1 gene mutation carriers to develop dystonic movements.
Journal of Neuroscience 08/2012; 32(35):11991-2004. · 7.11 Impact Factor
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Giuseppe Sciamanna,
Robert Hollis,
Chelsea Ball,
Giuseppina Martella,
Annalisa Tassone,
Andrea Marshall,
Dee Parsons,
Xinru Li,
Fumiaki Yokoi,
Lin Zhang,
Yuqing Li,
Antonio Pisani, David G Standaert
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 dystonia, a common and severe primary dystonia, is caused by a 3-bp deletion in TOR1A which encodes torsinA, a protein found in the endoplasmic reticulum. Several cellular functions are altered by the mutant protein, but at a systems level the link between these and the symptoms of the disease is unclear. The most effective known therapy for DYT1 dystonia is the use of anticholinergic drugs. Previous studies have revealed that in mice, transgenic expression of human mutant torsinA under a non-selective promoter leads to abnormal function of striatal cholinergic neurons. To investigate what pathological role torsinA plays in cholinergic neurons, we created a mouse model in which the Dyt1 gene, the mouse homolog of TOR1A, is selectively deleted in cholinergic neurons (ChKO animals). These animals do not have overt dystonia, but do have subtle motor abnormalities. There is no change in the number or size of striatal cholinergic cells or striatal acetylcholine content, uptake, synthesis, or release in ChKO mice. There are, however, striking functional abnormalities of striatal cholinergic cells, with paradoxical excitation in response to D2 receptor activation and loss of muscarinic M2/M4 receptor inhibitory function. These effects are specific for cholinergic interneurons, as recordings from nigral dopaminergic neurons revealed normal responses. Amphetamine stimulated dopamine release was also unaltered. These results demonstrate a cell-autonomous effect of Dyt1 deletion on striatal cholinergic function. Therapies directed at modifying the function of cholinergic neurons may prove useful in the treatment of the human disorder.
Neurobiology of Disease 05/2012; 47(3):416-27. · 5.40 Impact Factor
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Martin Ingelsson,
Karunya Ramasamy,
Ippolita Cantuti-Castelvetri,
Lena Skoglund,
Toshifumi Matsui,
Jennifer Orne,
Hasimoto Kowa,
Susan Raju,
Charles R. Vanderburg,
Jean C. Augustinack,
Rohan de Silva,
Andrew J. Lees,
Lars Lannfelt,
John H. Growdon,
Matthew P. Frosch, David G. Standaert,
Michael C. Irizarry,
Bradley T. Hyman
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ABSTRACT: Defective splicing of tau mRNA, promoting a shift between tau isoforms with (4R tau) and without (3R tau) exon 10, is believed to be a pathological consequence of certain tau mutations causing frontotemporal dementia. By assessing protein and mRNA levels of 4R tau and 3R tau in 27 AD and 20 control temporal cortex, we investigated whether altered tau splicing is a feature also in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, apart from an expected increase of sarcosyl-insoluble tau in AD, there were no significant differences between the groups. Next, by laser-capture microscopy and quantitative PCR, we separately analyzed CA1 hippocampal neurons with and without neurofibrillary pathology from six of the AD and seven of the control brains. No statistically significant differences in 4R tau/3R tau mRNA were found between the different subgroups. Moreover, we confirmed the absence of significant ratio differences in a second data set with laser-captured entorhinal cortex neurons from four AD and four control brains. Finally, the 4R tau/3R tau ratio in CA1 neurons was roughly half of the ratio in temporal cortex, indicating region-specific differences in tau mRNA splicing. In conclusion, this study indicated region-specific and possibly cell-type-specific tau splicing but did not lend any support to overt changes in alternative splicing of tau exon 10 being an underlying factor in AD pathogenesis.
Acta Neuropathologica 04/2012; 112(4):439-449. · 9.32 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Parkinson disease (PD) is a common and disabling disorder. No current therapy can slow or reverse disease progression. An important aspect of research in this field is target validation, a systematic approach to evaluating the likelihood that modification of a certain molecule, mechanism or biological pathway may be useful for the development of pharmacological or molecular treatments for the disease. TorsinA, a member of the AAA+ family of chaperone proteins, has been proposed as a potential target of neuroprotective therapy. TorsinA is found in Lewy bodies in human PD, and can suppress toxicity in cellular and invertebrate models of PD. Here, we evaluated the neuroprotective properties of torsinA in mouse models of PD based on intoxication with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) as well as recombinant adeno associated virus (rAAV) induced overexpression of alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Using either transgenic mice with overexpression of human torsinA (hWT mice) or mice in which torsinA expression was induced using an rAAV vector, we found no evidence for protection against acute MPTP intoxication. Similarly, genetic deletion of the endogenous mouse gene for torsinA (Dyt1) using an rAAV delivered Cre recombinase did not enhance the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to MPTP. Overexpression of α-syn using rAAV in the mouse substantia nigra lead to a loss of TH positive neurons six months after administration, and no difference in the degree of loss was observed between transgenic animals expressing forms of torsinA and wild type controls. Collectively, we did not observe evidence for a protective effect of torsinA in the mouse models we examined. Each of these models has limitations, and there is no single model with established predictive value with respect to the human disease. Nevertheless, these data do seem to support the view that torsinA is unlikely to be successfully translated as a target of therapy for human PD.
PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(11):e50063. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) syndrome is a neurological movement disorder characterized by myoclonic jerks and dystonic postures or movement that can be alleviated by alcohol. It is caused by mutations in SGCE encoding ε-sarcoglycan (ε-SG); the mouse homolog of this gene is Sgce. Paternally-inherited Sgce heterozygous knockout (Sgce KO) mice exhibit myoclonus, motor impairment and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, modeling several clinical symptoms observed in DYT11 M-D patients. The behavioral deficits are accompanied by abnormally high levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum of Sgce KO mice. Neuroimaging studies of DYT11 M-D patients show reduced dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) availability, although the possibility of increased endogenous dopamine, and consequently, competitive D2R occupancy cannot be ruled out.
The protein levels of striatal D2R, dopamine transporter (DAT), and dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) in Sgce KO mice were analyzed by Western blot. The striatal dopamine release after amphetamine injection in Sgce KO mice were analyzed by microdialysis in vivo. The striatal D2R was significantly decreased in Sgce KO mice without altering DAT and D1R. Sgce KO mice also exhibited a significant increase of dopamine release after amphetamine injection in comparison to wild-type (WT) littermates.
The results suggest ε-SG may have a role in the regulation of D2R expression. The loss of ε-SG results in decreased striatal D2R, and subsequently leads to increased discharge of dopamine which could contribute to the behavioral impairment observed in DYT11 dystonia patients and in Sgce KO mice. The results suggest that reduction of striatal D2R and enhanced striatal dopamine release may contribute to the pathophysiology of DYT11 M-D patients.
PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(3):e33669. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Sleep disturbances are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is superior to best medical therapy in the treatment of motor symptoms in advanced PD, and observational studies suggest that bilateral STN DBS improves sleep in these patients as well. Unilateral STN DBS also improves motor function in PD, but its effects on sleep have not been extensively investigated.
We report the effects of unilateral STN DBS on subjective sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in 53 consecutive PD patients. These subjects completed the PSQI prior to surgery and at 3 and 6 months post-operatively. The primary outcome measure was the change in the global PSQI at 6 months post-operatively versus the pre-operative baseline, measured with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Patients with PD who underwent unilateral STN DBS had a significant improvement in PSQI at 6 months post-operatively (baseline 9.30 ± 0.56 (mean ± SEM), 6 months: 7.93 ± 0.56, p = 0.013). Supplemental analyses showed that subjects selected for STN DBS placed on the right had worse baseline subjective sleep quality and more improvement in PSQI at 6 months compared to patients who received left STN DBS.
This prospective case series study provides evidence that unilateral STN DBS improves subjective sleep quality in patients with PD at up to 6 months post-operatively as measured by the PSQI.
Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 09/2011; 18(1):63-8. · 3.80 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We previously observed marked down-regulation of the mRNA for angiogenin, a potent inducer of neovascularization, in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD) based on over-expression of alpha-synuclein. Angiogenin has also been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this study, we confirmed that mouse angiogenin-1 protein is dramatically reduced in this transgenic alpha-synuclein mouse model of PD, and examined the effect of angiogenin in cellular models of PD. We found that endogenous angiogenin is present in two dopamine-producing neuroblastoma cell lines, SH-SY5Y and M17, and that exogenous angiogenin is taken up by these cells and leads to phosphorylation of Akt. Applied angiogenin protects against the cell death induced by the neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium and rotenone and reduces the activation of caspase 3. Together our data supports the importance of angiogenin in protecting against dopaminergic neuronal cell death and suggests its potential as a therapy for PD.
Journal of Neurochemistry 02/2011; 116(3):334-41. · 4.06 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: J. Neurochem. (2011) 116, 334–341.AbstractWe previously observed marked down-regulation of the mRNA for angiogenin, a potent inducer of neovascularization, in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) based on over-expression of alpha-synuclein. Angiogenin has also been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this study, we confirmed that mouse angiogenin-1 protein is dramatically reduced in this transgenic alpha-synuclein mouse model of PD, and examined the effect of angiogenin in cellular models of PD. We found that endogenous angiogenin is present in two dopamine-producing neuroblastoma cell lines, SH-SY5Y and M17, and that exogenous angiogenin is taken up by these cells and leads to phosphorylation of Akt. Applied angiogenin protects against the cell death induced by the neurotoxins 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium and rotenone and reduces the activation of caspase 3. Together our data supports the importance of angiogenin in protecting against dopaminergic neuronal cell death and suggests its potential as a therapy for PD.
Journal of Neurochemistry 01/2011; 116(3):334 - 341. · 4.06 Impact Factor
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Movement Disorders 01/2011; 26(1):2-3. · 4.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 early-onset generalized dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions. It is caused by a trinucleotide deletion of a GAG (ΔGAG) in the DYT1 (TOR1A) gene encoding torsinA; the mouse homolog of this gene is Dyt1 (Tor1a). Although structural and functional alterations in the cerebellum have been reported in DYT1 dystonia, neuronal morphology has not been examined in vivo.
In this study, we examined the morphology of the cerebellum in Dyt1 ΔGAG knock-in (KI) mice. Golgi staining of the cerebellum revealed a reduction in the length of primary dendrites and a decrease in the number of spines on the distal dendrites of Purkinje cells. To determine if this phenomenon was cell autonomous and mediated by a loss of torsinA function in Purkinje cells, we created a knockout of the Dyt1 gene only in Purkinje cells of mice. We found the Purkinje-cell specific Dyt1 conditional knockout (Dyt1 pKO) mice have similar alterations in Purkinje cell morphology, with shortened primary dendrites and decreased spines on the distal dendrites.
These results suggest that the torsinA is important for the proper development of the cerebellum and a loss of this function in the Purkinje cells results in an alteration in dendritic structure.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(3):e18357. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 early-onset generalized dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder caused by mutations in DYT1 (TOR1A), which codes for torsinA. Recently, significant progress has been made in studying pathophysiology of DYT1 dystonia using targeted mouse models. Dyt1 ΔGAG heterozygous knock-in (KI) and Dyt1 knock-down (KD) mice exhibit motor deficits and alterations of striatal dopamine metabolisms, while Dyt1 knockout (KO) and Dyt1 ΔGAG homozygous KI mice show abnormal nuclear envelopes and neonatal lethality. However, it has not been clear whether motor deficits and striatal abnormality are caused by Dyt1 mutation in the striatum itself or the end results of abnormal signals from other brain regions. To identify the brain region that contributes to these phenotypes, we made a striatum-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout (Dyt1 sKO) mouse. Dyt1 sKO mice exhibited motor deficits and reduced striatal dopamine receptor 2 (D2R) binding activity, whereas they did not exhibit significant alteration of striatal monoamine contents. Furthermore, we also found normal nuclear envelope structure in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of an adult Dyt1 sKO mouse and cerebral cortical neurons in cerebral cortex-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout (Dyt1 cKO) mice. The results suggest that the loss of striatal torsinA alone is sufficient to produce motor deficits, and that this effect may be mediated, at least in part, through changes in D2R function in the basal ganglia circuit.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(9):e24539. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Francesco Napolitano,
Massimo Pasqualetti,
Alessandro Usiello,
Emanuela Santini,
Giulia Pacini,
Giuseppe Sciamanna,
Francesco Errico,
Annalisa Tassone,
Valeria Di Dato,
Giuseppina Martella,
Dario Cuomo,
Gilberto Fisone,
Giorgio Bernardi,
Georgia Mandolesi,
Nicola B Mercuri, David G Standaert,
Antonio Pisani
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 dystonia is an inherited disease linked to mutation in the TOR1A gene encoding for the protein torsinA. Although the mechanism by which this genetic alteration leads to dystonia is unclear, multiple lines of clinical evidence suggest a link between dystonia and a reduced dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) availability. Based on this evidence, herein we carried out a comprehensive analysis of electrophysiological, behavioral and signaling correlates of D2R transmission in transgenic mice with the DYT1 dystonia mutation. Electrophysiological recordings from nigral dopaminergic neurons showed a normal responsiveness to D2-autoreceptor function. Conversely, postsynaptic D2R function in hMT mice was impaired, as suggested by the inability of a D2R agonist to re-establish normal corticostriatal synaptic plasticity and supported by the reduced sensitivity to haloperidol-induced catalepsy. Although an in situ hybridization analysis showed normal D1R and D2R mRNA expression levels in the striata of hMT mice, we found a significant decrease of D2R protein, coupled to a reduced ability of D2Rs to activate their cognate Go/i proteins. Of relevance, we found that pharmacological blockade of adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) fully restored the impairment of synaptic plasticity observed in hMT mice. Together, our findings demonstrate an important link between torsinA mutation and D2R dysfunction and suggest that A2AR antagonism is able to counteract the deficit in D2R-mediated transmission observed in mutant mice, opening new perspectives for the treatment of this movement disorder.
Neurobiology of Disease 03/2010; 38(3):434-45. · 5.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: 14-3-3 proteins are important negative regulators of cell death pathways. Recent studies have revealed alterations in 14-3-3s in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the ability of 14-3-3s to interact with alpha-synuclein (α-syn), a protein central to PD pathophysiology. In a transgenic α-syn mouse model, we found reduced expression of 14-3-3θ, ε, and γ. These same isoforms prevent α-syn inclusion formation in an H4 neuroglioma cell model. Using dopaminergic cell lines stably overexpressing each 14-3-3 isoform, we found that overexpression of 14-3-3θ, ε, or γ led to resistance to both rotenone and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+)), while other isoforms were not protective against both toxins. Inhibition of a single protective isoform, 14-3-3θ, by shRNA did not increase vulnerability to neurotoxic injury, but toxicity was enhanced by broad-based inhibition of 14-3-3 action with the peptide inhibitor difopein. Using a transgenic C. elegans model of PD, we confirmed the ability of both human 14-3-3θ and a C. elegans 14-3-3 homolog (ftt-2) to protect dopaminergic neurons from α-syn toxicity. Collectively, these data show a strong neuroprotective effect of enhanced 14-3-3 expression - particularly of the 14-3-3θ, ε, and γ isoforms - in multiple cellular and animal models of PD, and point to the potential value of these proteins in the development of neuroprotective therapies for human PD.
Cell Death & Disease 01/2010; 1:e2. · 5.33 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Gene-based therapy is a new paradigm for the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) and offers considerable promise for precise targeting and flexibility to impact multiple pathobiological processes for which small molecule agents are not available. Some success has been achieved utilizing adeno-associated virus for this approach, but it is likely that the characteristics of this vector system will ultimately create barriers to progress in clinical therapy. Adenovirus (Ad) vector overcomes limitations in payload size and targeting. The cellular tropism of Ad serotype 5 (Ad5)-based vectors is regulated by the Ad attachment protein binding to its primary cellular receptor, the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Many clinically relevant tissues are refractory to Ad5 infection due to negligible CAR levels but can be targeted by tropism-modified, CAR-independent forms of Ad. Our objective was to evaluate the role of CAR protein in transduction of dopamine (DA) neurons in vivo.
Ad5 was delivered to the substantia nigra (SN) in wild type (wt) and CAR transgenic animals. Cellular tropism was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the SN and striatal terminals. CAR expression was assessed by western blot and IHC. We found in wt animals, Ad5 results in robust transgene expression in astrocytes and other non-neuronal cells but poor infection of DA neurons. In contrast, in transgenic animals, Ad5 infects SNc neurons resulting in expression of transduced protein in their striatal terminals. Western blot showed low CAR expression in the ventral midbrain of wt animals compared to transgenic animals. Interestingly, hCAR protein localizes with markers of post-synaptic structures, suggesting synapses are the point of entry into dopaminergic neurons in transgenic animals.
These findings demonstrate that CAR deficiency limits infection of wild type DA neurons by Ad5 and provide a rationale for the development of tropism-modified, CAR-independent Ad-vectors for use in gene therapy of human PD.
PLoS ONE 01/2010; 5(9). · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Ippolita Cantuti-Castelvetri,
Ledia F Hernandez,
Christine E Keller-McGandy,
Lauren R Kett,
Alex Landy,
Zane R Hollingsworth,
Esen Saka,
Jill R Crittenden,
Eduardo A Nillni,
Anne B Young, David G Standaert,
Ann M Graybiel
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ABSTRACT: Dyskinesias associated with involuntary movements and painful muscle contractions are a common and severe complication of standard levodopa (L-DOPA, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) therapy for Parkinson's disease. Pathologic neuroplasticity leading to hyper-responsive dopamine receptor signaling in the sensorimotor striatum is thought to underlie this currently untreatable condition.
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to evaluate the molecular changes associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. With this technique, we determined that thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) was greatly increased in the dopamine-depleted striatum of hemi-parkinsonian rats that developed abnormal movements in response to L-DOPA therapy, relative to the levels measured in the contralateral non-dopamine-depleted striatum, and in the striatum of non-dyskinetic control rats. ProTRH immunostaining suggested that TRH peptide levels were almost absent in the dopamine-depleted striatum of control rats that did not develop dyskinesias, but in the dyskinetic rats, proTRH immunostaining was dramatically up-regulated in the striatum, particularly in the sensorimotor striatum. This up-regulation of TRH peptide affected striatal medium spiny neurons of both the direct and indirect pathways, as well as neurons in striosomes.
TRH is not known to be a key striatal neuromodulator, but intrastriatal injection of TRH in experimental animals can induce abnormal movements, apparently through increasing dopamine release. Our finding of a dramatic and selective up-regulation of TRH expression in the sensorimotor striatum of dyskinetic rat models suggests a TRH-mediated regulatory mechanism that may underlie the pathologic neuroplasticity driving dopamine hyper-responsivity in Parkinson's disease.
PLoS ONE 01/2010; 5(11):e13861. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Previous studies have suggested that African-American populations have a lower prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, because African-Americans are underrepresented in many cohorts, this relationship is poorly understood. We evaluated data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study to describe potential racial differences in PD prevalence.
We identified subjects using PD medications from the REGARDS study, a national longitudinal cohort study of 30,000 persons over age 45 with approximately equal representation of African-Americans and Whites.
The prevalence of PD medication use across the cohort was 0.78% and was less among African-Americans (0.51%) than among Whites (0.97%; OR 1.90; 95% CI 1.31-2.74). There was an association of gender and PD medication use, with a prevalence of 0.61% in females and 0.97% in males (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.13-2.18). There was no association with income, education level or geographic region of residence.
The lower rate of PD medication use among African-Americans supports the suspected lower prevalence of PD among African-Americans suggested by other studies. While racial differences in PD diagnosis and treatment may contribute to the differences we observed, comparable disparities have not been observed in the REGARDS cohort for other diagnoses. Further studies of the REGARDS cohort may lead to important insights into potential biological differences in PD among African-Americans and Whites.
Neuroepidemiology 11/2009; 33(4):329-34. · 2.31 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: VPS41 is a protein identified as a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease (PD) as a result of a high-throughput RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans. VPS41 has a plausible mechanistic link to the pathogenesis of PD, as in yeast it is known to participate in trafficking of proteins to the lysosomal system and several recent lines of evidence have pointed to the importance of lysosomal system dysfunction in the neurotoxicity of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). We found that expression of the human form of VPS41 (hVPS41) prevents dopamine (DA) neuron loss induced by alpha-syn overexpression and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) neurotoxicity in C. elegans. In SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines stably transfected with hVPS41, we determined that presence of this protein conferred protection against the neurotoxins 6-OHDA and rotenone. Overexpression of hVPS41 did not alter the mitochondrial membrane depolarization induced by these neurotoxins. hVPS41 did, however, block downstream events in the apoptotic cascade including activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and PARP cleavage. We also observed that hVPS41 reduced the accumulation of insoluble high-molecular weight forms of alpha-syn in SH-SY5Y cells after treatment with rotenone. These data show that hVPS41 is protective against both alpha-syn and neurotoxic-mediated injury in invertebrate and cellular models of PD. These protective functions may be related to enhanced clearance of misfolded or aggregated protein, including alpha-syn. Our studies indicate that hVPS41 may be a useful target for developing therapeutic strategies for human PD.
Neurobiology of Disease 10/2009; 37(2):330-8. · 5.40 Impact Factor
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Giuseppina Martella,
Annalisa Tassone,
Giuseppe Sciamanna,
Paola Platania,
Dario Cuomo,
Maria Teresa Viscomi,
Paola Bonsi,
Emanuele Cacci,
Stefano Biagioni,
Alessandro Usiello,
Giorgio Bernardi,
Nutan Sharma, David G Standaert,
Antonio Pisani
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 dystonia is a severe form of inherited dystonia, characterized by involuntary twisting movements and abnormal postures. It is linked to a deletion in the dyt1 gene, resulting in a mutated form of the protein torsinA. The penetrance for dystonia is incomplete, but both clinically affected and non-manifesting carriers of the DYT1 mutation exhibit impaired motor learning and evidence of altered motor plasticity. Here, we characterized striatal glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in transgenic mice expressing either the normal human torsinA or its mutant form, in comparison to non-transgenic (NT) control mice. Medium spiny neurons recorded from both NT and normal human torsinA mice exhibited normal long-term depression (LTD), whereas in mutant human torsinA littermates LTD could not be elicited. In addition, although long-term potentiation (LTP) could be induced in all the mice, it was greater in magnitude in mutant human torsinA mice. Low-frequency stimulation (LFS) can revert potentiated synapses to resting levels, a phenomenon termed synaptic depotentiation. LFS induced synaptic depotentiation (SD) both in NT and normal human torsinA mice, but not in mutant human torsinA mice. Since anti-cholinergic drugs are an effective medical therapeutic option for the treatment of human dystonia, we reasoned that an excess in endogenous acetylcholine could underlie the synaptic plasticity impairment. Indeed, both LTD and SD were rescued in mutant human torsinA mice either by lowering endogenous acetylcholine levels or by antagonizing muscarinic M1 receptors. The presence of an enhanced acetylcholine tone was confirmed by the observation that acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly increased in the striatum of mutant human torsinA mice, as compared with both normal human torsinA and NT littermates. Moreover, we found similar alterations of synaptic plasticity in muscarinic M2/M4 receptor knockout mice, in which an increased striatal acetylcholine level has been documented. The loss of LTD and SD on one hand, and the increase in LTP on the other, demonstrate that a 'loss of inhibition' characterizes the impairment of synaptic plasticity in this model of DYT1 dystonia. More importantly, our results indicate that an unbalanced cholinergic transmission plays a pivotal role in these alterations, providing a clue to understand the ability of anticholinergic agents to restore motor deficits in dystonia.
Brain 08/2009; 132(Pt 9):2336-49. · 9.46 Impact Factor
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Giuseppe Sciamanna,
Paola Bonsi,
Annalisa Tassone,
Dario Cuomo,
Anne Tscherter,
Maria Teresa Viscomi,
Giuseppina Martella,
Nutan Sharma,
Giorgio Bernardi, David G Standaert,
Antonio Pisani
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ABSTRACT: DYT1 dystonia is caused by a deletion in a glutamic acid residue in the C-terminus of the protein torsinA, whose function is still largely unknown. Alterations in GABAergic signaling have been involved in the pathogenesis of dystonia. We recorded GABA- and glutamate-mediated synaptic currents from a striatal slice preparation obtained from a mouse model of DYT1 dystonia. In medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from mice expressing human mutant torsinA (hMT), we observed a significantly higher frequency, but not amplitude, of GABAergic spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) and miniature currents (mIPSCs), whereas glutamate-dependent spontaneous excitatory synaptic currents (sEPSCs) were normal. No alterations were found in mice overexpressing normal human torsinA (hWT). To identify the possible sources of the increased GABAergic tone, we recorded GABAergic Fast-Spiking (FS) interneurons that exert a feed-forward inhibition on MSNs. However, both sEPSC and sIPSC recorded from hMT FS interneurons were comparable to hWT and non-transgenic (NT) mice. In physiological conditions, dopamine (DA) D2 receptor act presynaptically to reduce striatal GABA release. Of note, application of the D2-like receptor agonist quinpirole failed to reduce the frequency of sIPSCs in MSNs from hMT as compared to hWT and NT mice. Likewise, the inhibitory effect of quinpirole was lost on evoked IPSCs both in MSNs and FS interneurons from hMT mice. Our findings demonstrate a disinhibition of striatal GABAergic synaptic activity, that can be at least partially attributed to a D2 DA receptor dysfunction.
Neurobiology of Disease 02/2009; 34(1):133-45. · 5.40 Impact Factor
