Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of linoleic acid in models of parkinson’s disease: the implication of lipid droplets and lipophagy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. The principal pathological feature of PD is the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral midbrain. This pathology involves several cellular alterations: oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of proteostasis, and autophagy impairment. Moreover, in recent years, lipid metabolism alterations have become relevant in PD pathogeny. The modification of lipid metabolism has become a possible way to treat the disease. Because of this, we analyzed the effect and possible mechanism of action of linoleic acid (LA) on an SH-SY5Y PD cell line model and a PD mouse model, both induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) treatment. The results show that LA acts as a potent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory agent in these PD models. We also observed that LA stimulates the biogenesis of lipid droplets and improves the autophagy/lipophagy flux, which resulted in an antioxidant effect in the in vitro PD model. In summary, we confirmed the neuroprotective effect of LA in vitro and in vivo against PD. We also obtained some clues about the novel neuroprotective mechanism of LA against PD through the regulation of lipid droplet dynamics.This research was supported by the Health Institute “Carlos III”-CIBERNED (CB06/05/0041 and 2015/03), “MINECO” (SAF2014-52940-R, SAF2017-85199-P and SAF 2016-78666-R), “Comunidadde Madrid” (PEJ-2019-AI/SAL-12877), “Erasmus+ funding programme”, UCM-Santander (PR44/21-29931 to J.A.M.-G.), and partially supported by “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional” (FEDER) from the European Union

Mortality and other adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19 in association with glucose-lowering drugs: a nationwide cohort study

Background: Limited evidence exists on the role of glucose-lowering drugs in patients with COVID-19. Our main objective was to examine the association between in-hospital death and each routine at-home glucose-lowering drug both individually and in combination with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19. We also evaluated their association with the composite outcome of the need for ICU admission, invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death as well as on the development of in-hospital complications and a long-time hospital stay. Methods: We selected all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine's registry of COVID-19 patients (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry). It is an ongoing, observational, multicenter, nationwide cohort of patients admitted for COVID-19 in Spain from March 1, 2020. Each glucose-lowering drug user was matched with a user of other glucose-lowering drugs in a 1:1 manner by propensity scores. In order to assess the adequacy of propensity score matching, we used the standardized mean difference found in patient characteristics after matching. There was considered to be a significant imbalance in the group if a standardized mean difference > 10% was found. To evaluate the association between treatment and study outcomes, both conditional logit and mixed effect logistic regressions were used when the sample size was ≥ 100. Results: A total of 2666 patients were found in the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, 1297 on glucose-lowering drugs in monotherapy and 465 in combination with metformin. After propensity matching, 249 patients on metformin, 105 on dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, 129 on insulin, 127 on metformin/dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, 34 on metformin/sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, and 67 on metformin/insulin were selected. No at-home glucose-lowering drugs showed a significant association with in-hospital death; the composite outcome of the need of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death; in-hospital complications; or long-time hospital stays. Conclusions: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19, at-home glucose-lowering drugs showed no significant association with mortality and adverse outcomes. Given the close relationship between diabetes and COVID-19 and the limited evidence on the role of glucose-lowering drugs, prospective studies are needed

Mortality and other adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19 in association with glucose-lowering drugs: a nationwide cohort study

Background: Limited evidence exists on the role of glucose-lowering drugs in patients with COVID-19. Our main objective was to examine the association between in-hospital death and each routine at-home glucose-lowering drug both individually and in combination with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19. We also evaluated their association with the composite outcome of the need for ICU admission, invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death as well as on the development of in-hospital complications and a long-time hospital stay. Methods: We selected all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine’s registry of COVID-19 patients (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry). It is an ongoing, observational, multicenter, nationwide cohort of patients admitted for COVID-19 in Spain from March 1, 2020. Each glucose-lowering drug user was matched with a user of other glucose-lowering drugs in a 1:1 manner by propensity scores. In order to assess the adequacy of propensity score matching, we used the standardized mean difference found in patient characteristics after matching. There was considered to be a significant imbalance in the group if a standardized mean difference > 10% was found. To evaluate the association between treatment and study outcomes, both conditional logit and mixed effect logistic regressions were used when the sample size was ≥ 100. Results: A total of 2666 patients were found in the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, 1297 on glucose-lowering drugs in monotherapy and 465 in combination with metformin. After propensity matching, 249 patients on metformin, 105 on dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, 129 on insulin, 127 on metformin/dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, 34 on metformin/sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, and 67 on metformin/insulin were selected. No at-home glucose-lowering drugs showed a significant association with in-hospital death; the composite outcome of the need of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death; in-hospital complications; or long-time hospital stays. Conclusions: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted for COVID-19, at-home glucose-lowering drugs showed no significant association with mortality and adverse outcomes. Given the close relationship between diabetes and COVID-19 and the limited evidence on the role of glucose-lowering drugs, prospective studies are needed

Involvement of the NGFI-A gene in the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells

AbstractThe transcription factor NGFI-A is an early response gene that has been implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation and, more recently, in apoptosis. This gene is expressed in many tissues, and is very abundant in the brain. However, little is known about its functional role in the differentiation of this tissue. In the present work we investigated the role of NGFI-A in serum withdrawal-induced differentiation in N2A neuroblastoma cells. To do so, we studied the effect of NGFI-A antisense oligonucleotides and NGFI-A overexpression on this process. We show that neuroblastoma cells treated with an NGFI-A antisense oligonucleotide do not undergo normal morphological differentiation after serum withdrawal, whereas N2A cells overexpressing this gene extend long neurites, even in the presence of serum. We also show that NGFI-A overexpression is accompanied by an increase in the amount of phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein MAP1B, which has been associated with neurite outgrowth. Our results suggest that the NGFI-A gene plays an important role in neurite extension

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ ligands regulate neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro and in vivo

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) belongs to a family of ligand-activated nuclear receptors and its ligands are known to control many physiological and pathological situations. Its role in the central nervous system has been under intense analysis during the last years. Here we show a novel function for PPARγ in controlling stem cell expansion in the adult mammalian brain. Adult rats treated with pioglitazone, a specific ligand of PPARγ, had elevated numbers of proliferating progenitor cells in the subventricular zone and the rostral migratory stream. Electron microscopy analysis also showed important changes in the subventricular zone ultrastructure of pioglitazone-treated animals including an increased number of migratory cell chains. These results were further confirmed in vitro. Neurosphere assays revealed significant increases in the number of neurosphere forming cells from pioglitazone- and rosiglitazone (two specific ligands of PPARγ receptor)-treated cultures that exhibited enhanced capacity for cell migration and differentiation. The effects of pioglitazone were blocked by the PPARγ receptor antagonists GW9662 and T0070907, suggesting that its effects are mediated by a mechanism dependent on PPARγ activation. These results indicate for the first time that activation of PPARγ receptor directly regulates proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural stem cells in vivo. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia [SAF2007-62811 to A.P.-C and SAF2008-01274 to J.M.G.-V.] J.A.M-G. is a post-doctoral fellow of Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, founded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.Peer Reviewe

Neutrophil β1 adrenergic receptor blockade blunts stroke-associated neuroinflammation

39 p.-7 fig.-1 graph. abst.Background and Purpose Reperfusion therapy is the standard of care for ischemic stroke; however, there is a need to identify new therapeutic targets able to ameliorate cerebral damage. Neutrophil´s β1 adrenergic receptor (β1AR) has been linked to migration during exacerbated inflammation. Given the central role of neutrophils in cerebral damage during stroke, we hypothesize that β1AR blockade will improve stroke outcomes.Experimental Approach Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion–reperfusion to evaluate the effect on stroke of the selective β1AR blocker metoprolol (12.5 mg/Kg) when injected i.v. 10 min before reperfusion.Key Results Magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology analysis showed that pre-reperfusion i.v. metoprolol reduced IS. This was accompanied by reduced cytotoxic edema at 24 h and vasogenic edema at 7 d. Metoprolol-treated rats showed reduced brain neutrophil infiltration and those which infiltrated displayed a high proportion of anti-inflammatory phenotype (N2, YM1+). Additional inflammatory models demonstrated that metoprolol specifically blocked neutrophil migration via β1AR and excluded a significant effect on glia compartment. Consistently, metoprolol did not protect the brain in neutrophil-depleted rats upon stroke. In patients suffering an ischemic stroke, β1AR blockade by metoprolol reduced circulating neutrophil–platelet co-aggregates.Conclusions and Implications Our findings describe that β1AR blockade ameliorates cerebral damage by targeting neutrophils, identifying a novel therapeutic target to improve outcomes in patients with stroke. This therapeutic strategy is in the earliest stages of the translational pathway and should be further explored.This study received funding from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; PI16/02110 to B.I and PT20/00044 to MD), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way of making Europe", the Comunidad de Madrid (S2017/BMD-3867 RENIM-CM to MD and BI) cofunded with European structural and investment funds and by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019‐110369RB‐I00 to B.I). BI is a recipient of funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (ERC-Consolidator Grant agreement No. 819775). EO is a recipient of funds from the Comunidad de Madrid Programa de Atracción de Talento (2017-T1/BMD 5185) and from a Ramón y Cajal grant (RYC2020-028884-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future”. ACM is the beneficiary of an FPU fellowship from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (FPU2017/01932). MCC is the beneficiary of a Miguel Servet contract (MS16/00174). The CNIC is supported by the ISCIII, the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (CEX2020-001041-S).Peer reviewe

PIN1 gene variants in Alzheimer's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1) plays a significant role in the brain and is implicated in numerous cellular processes related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. There are confounding results concerning PIN1 activity in AD brains. Also <it>PIN1 </it>genetic variation was inconsistently associated with AD risk.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed analysis of coding and promoter regions of <it>PIN1 </it>in early- and late-onset AD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients in comparison with healthy controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of eighteen <it>PIN1 </it>common polymorphisms and their haplotypes in EOAD, LOAD and FTD individuals in comparison with the control group did not reveal their contribution to disease risk.</p> <p>In six unrelated familial AD patients four novel <it>PIN1 </it>sequence variants were detected. c.58+64C>T substitution that was identified in three patients, was located in an alternative exon. <it>In silico </it>analysis suggested that this variant highly increases a potential affinity for a splicing factor and introduces two intronic splicing enhancers. In the peripheral leukocytes of one living patient carrying the variant, a 2.82 fold decrease in <it>PIN1 </it>expression was observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data does not support the role of <it>PIN1 </it>common polymorphisms as AD risk factor. However, we suggest that the identified rare sequence variants could be directly connected with AD pathology, influencing <it>PIN1 </it>splicing and/or expression.</p