Pharmacological manipulation of GABA-driven activity in ovo disrupts the development of dendritic morphology but not the maturation of spinal cord network activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the adult nervous system, GABA acts as a major inhibitory neurotransmitter; however, at early stages of neurodevelopment, GABA receptor activation leads to membrane depolarization and accumulation of [Ca²⁺]_i. The role of excitatory GABAergic neurotransmission in the development of the nervous system is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of excitatory GABA-driven activity in regulating the dendritic morphology and network function in the developing chicken spinal cord.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both bicuculline, a GABA receptor antagonist, and muscimol, a GABA agonist, inhibit the generation of spontaneous network activity in the isolated spinal cord at E8 or E10, indicating that altering GABA receptor activation disrupts the generation of spontaneous network activity in the chicken spinal cord. Treatment of chicken embryos with bicuculline or muscimol between E5 and E8 (or between E8 and E10), inhibits the dendritic outgrowth of motoneurons when compared to vehicle-treated embryos. The inhibitory effect of bicuculline or muscimol on the dendritic morphology of motoneurons was likely due to inhibition of GABA-driven network activity since a similar effect was also observed following reduction of network activity by Kir2.1 overexpression in the spinal cord. The inhibitory effect of bicuculline or muscimol was not caused by an adverse effect on cell survival. Surprisingly, chronic treatment of chicken embryos with bicuculline or muscimol has no effect on the shape and duration of the episodes of spontaneous activity, suggesting that maturation of network activity is not altered by disruption of the dendritic outgrowth of motoneurons.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Taken together, these findings indicate that excitatory GABA receptor activation regulates the maturation of dendritic morphology in the developing spinal cord by an activity-dependent mechanism. However, inhibition of dendritic outgrowth caused by disruption of GABA-driven activity does not alter the maturation of spontaneous electrical activity generated by spinal cord networks, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms can reverse any adverse effect of dendritic morphology on network function.</p

Inhibition of Electrical Activity by Retroviral Infection with Kir2.1 Transgenes Disrupts Electrical Differentiation of Motoneurons

Network-driven spontaneous electrical activity in the chicken spinal cord regulates a variety of developmental processes including neuronal differentiation and formation of neuromuscular structures. In this study we have examined the effect of chronic inhibition of spinal cord activity on motoneuron survival and differentiation. Early spinal cord activity in chick embryos was blocked using an avian replication-competent retroviral vector RCASBP (B) carrying the inward rectifier potassium channel Kir2.1. Chicken embryos were infected with one of the following constructs: RCASBP(B), RCASBP(B)-Kir2.1, or RCASBP(B)-GFP. Infection of chicken embryos at E2 resulted in widespread expression of the viral protein marker p27 gag throughout the spinal cord. Electrophysiological recordings revealed the presence of functional Kir2.1 channels in RCASBP(B)-Kir2.1 but not in RCASBP(B)-infected embryos. Kir2.1 expression significantly reduced the generation of spontaneous motor movements in chicken embryos developing in ovo. Suppression of spontaneous electrical activity was not due to a reduction in the number of surviving motoneurons or the number of synapses in hindlimb muscle tissue. Disruption of the normal pattern of activity in chicken embryos resulted in a significant downregulation in the functional expression of large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels. Reduction of spinal cord activity also generates a significant acceleration in the inactivation rate of A-type K+ currents without any significant change in current density. Kir2.1 expression did not affect the expression of voltage-gated Na+ channels or cell capacitance. These experiments demonstrate that chronic inhibition of chicken spinal cord activity causes a significant change in the electrical properties of developing motoneurons

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Investigation of the photosensitizing activity of 1,4-dihydropyridine compounds in rat smooth muscle

The general aim of this work was to investigate the photodynamic action of 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs) with respect to contractile force generation in rat smooth muscle. The preparations chosen possessed (thoracic aorta) or lacked (oesophageal tunica muscularis mucosae (TMM) and pyloric sphincter) intrinsic photoresponsiveness. Exposure to 3'-NO₂-substituted DHP (3'-NO₂-DHP) photosensitized precontracted TMM preparations in a concentration-dependent fashion and this could be mimicked by photodegradable nitric oxide (NO) donors (streptozotocin, sodium nitroprussidem, sodium nitrite). -- 3'-NO₂-DHP- and NO donor-photoactivated responses in TMM, had at least three different components, consisting of (i) a transient fast relaxation, (ii) a fast "off-contraction", and (iii) a slow, delayed relaxation. Only the latter component persisted in calcium-depleted, calyculin A-precontracted preparations or following inhibition of the fast response by DHP L-type Ca⁺⁺ -channel antagonists, skinning of the plasmalemma and extracellular Ca⁺⁺ chelation. -- Both fast and slow relaxations in the TMM were diminished by NO scavengers (LY 83583, carboxy-PTIO), whereas the fast relaxation was also diminished by pre-irradiation of the 3'-NO₂-DHP solution. The selective cGMP-dependent phosphodiesterase inhibitor, zaprinast, enhanced the photorelaxation. -- Unbuffering of the sarcoplasmic reticulum with either cyclopiazonic acid or ryanodine inhibited the Bay K 8644-photoactivated fast response in TMM. This effect was accelerated in the presence of extracellular Ca⁺⁺ and resembles that seen in tissues exposed to the calcium ionophore A23187. -- In thoracic aorta, the endogenous photorelaxation was enhanced by all 3'-NO₂-DHPs tested. LY 83583 effectively inhibited both the endogenous and 3'-NO₂-DHP-augmented photorelaxation. In pyloric sphincter, photosensitization by the 3'-NO₂-DHP, (+)-PN 202 791, was evident as a transient inhibition of the muscarinic agonist-stimulated phasic contractions, followed by a post-irradiation contraction. -- The present study supports the following conclusions: (1) 3'-NO₂-DHP-photoactivated responses are tissue-specific and mimic the endogenous or NO donor-photoactivated response in smooth muscles, (2) photoactivated release of NO, presumably followed by stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase mediates both the fast and slow relaxations in the TMM, (3) functional L-type Ca⁺⁺-channels are required for the expression of the fast components of the photoactivated response, (4) the slow relaxation may involve direct regulation of contractile protein phosphorylation by a cGMP-dependent protein kinase. -- Keywords: guanylate cyclase; 3'-NO₂-1,4-dihydropyridines; L-type Ca⁺⁺-channel; nitric oxide; tunica muscularis mucosae; photosensitization; pyloric sphincter; sarcoplasmic reticulum; thoracic aorta

T-type Calcium Channels in Cancer

Although voltage-activated Ca2+ channels are a common feature in excitable cells, their expression in cancer tissue is less understood. T-type Ca2+ channels are particularly overexpressed in various cancers. Because of their activation profile at membrane potentials close to rest and the generation of a window current, T-type Ca2+ channels may regulate a variety of Ca2+-dependent cellular processes, including cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The expression of T-type Ca2+ channels is of special interest as a target for therapeutic interventions

Leukemia inhibitory factor regulates trafficking of T-type Ca2+ channels

Neuropoietic cytokines such as ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) stimulate the functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels in developing sensory neurons. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the cytokine-evoked membrane expression of T-type Ca2+ channels are not fully understood. In this study we investigated the role of LIF in promoting the trafficking of T-type Ca2+ channels in a heterologous expression system. Our results demonstrate that transfection of HEK-293 cells with the rat green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged T-type Ca2+ channel α1H-subunit resulted in the generation of transient Ca2+ currents. Overnight treatment of α1H-GFP-transfected cells with LIF caused a significant increase in the functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels as indicated by changes in current density. LIF also evoked a significant increase in membrane fluorescence compared with untreated cells. Disruption of the Golgi apparatus with brefeldin A inhibited the stimulatory effect of LIF, indicating that protein trafficking regulates the functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels. Trafficking of α1H-GFP was also disrupted by cotransfection of HEK-293 cells with the dominant-negative form of ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)1 but not ARF6, suggesting that ARF1 regulates the LIF-evoked membrane trafficking of α1H-GFP subunits. Trafficking of T-type Ca2+ channels required transient activation of the JAK and ERK signaling pathways since stimulation of HEK-293 cells with LIF evoked a considerable increase in the phosphorylation of the downstream JAK targets STAT3 and ERK. Pretreatment of HEK-293 cells with the JAK inhibitor P6 or the ERK inhibitor U0126 blocked ERK phosphorylation. Both P6 and U0126 also inhibited the stimulatory effect of LIF on T-type Ca2+ channel expression. These findings demonstrate that cytokines like LIF promote the trafficking of T-type Ca2+ channels