Comparative Analysis of Gelsemine and Gelsemium sempervirens Activity on Neurosteroid Allopregnanolone Formation in the Spinal Cord and Limbic System

Centesimal dilutions (5, 9 and 15 cH) of Gelsemium sempervirens are claimed to be capable of exerting anxiolytic and analgesic effects. However, basic results supporting this assertion are rare, and the mechanism of action of G. sempervirens is completely unknown. To clarify the point, we performed a comparative analysis of the effects of dilutions 5, 9 and 15 cH of G. sempervirens or gelsemine (the major active principle of G. sempervirens) on allopregnanolone (3α,5α-THP) production in the rat limbic system (hippocampus and amygdala or H-A) and spinal cord (SC). Indeed, H-A and SC are two pivotal structures controlling, respectively, anxiety and pain that are also modulated by the neurosteroid 3α,5α-THP. At the dilution 5 cH, both G. sempervirens and gelsemine stimulated [3H]progesterone conversion into [3H]3α,5α-THP by H-A and SC slices, and the stimulatory effect was fully (100%) reproducible in all assays. The dilution 9 cH of G. sempervirens or gelsemine also stimulated 3α,5α-THP formation in H-A and SC but the reproducibility rate decreased to 75%. At 15 cH of G. sempervirens or gelsemine, no effect was observed on 3α,5α-THP neosynthesis in H-A and SC slices. The stimulatory action of G. sempervirens and gelsemine (5 cH) on 3α,5α-THP production was blocked by strychnine, the selective antagonist of glycine receptors. Altogether, these results, which constitute the first basic demonstration of cellular effects of G. sempervirens, also offer interesting possibilities for the improvement of G. sempervirens-based therapeutic strategies

Local modulation of steroid action: rapid control of enzymatic activity.

peer reviewedEstrogens can induce rapid, short-lived physiological and behavioral responses, in addition to their slow, but long-term, effects at the transcriptional level. To be functionally relevant, these effects should be associated with rapid modulations of estrogens concentrations. 17beta-estradiol is synthesized by the enzyme aromatase, using testosterone as a substrate, but can also be degraded into catechol-estrogens via hydroxylation by the same enzyme, leading to an increase or decrease in estrogens concentration, respectively. The first evidence that aromatase activity (AA) can be rapidly modulated came from experiments performed in Japanese quail hypothalamus homogenates. This rapid modulation is triggered by calcium-dependent phosphorylations and was confirmed in other tissues and species. The mechanisms controlling the phosphorylation status, the targeted amino acid residues and the reversibility seem to vary depending of the tissues and is discussed in this review. We currently do not know whether the phosphorylation of the same amino acid affects both aromatase and/or hydroxylase activities or whether these residues are different. These processes provide a new general mechanism by which local estrogen concentration can be rapidly altered in the brain and other tissues

Régulation de la neurostéroïdogenèse dans la moëlle épinière et le système limbique par la gelsémine er Gelsemium sempervirens (Analyse cellulaire et implications neurophysiologiques)

La gelsémine synthétique, principe actif majoritaire de Gelsemium sempervirens, et la glycine stimulent la biosynthèse d alloprégnanolone dans la moelle épinière (ME) de rat. De même, les dilutions homéopathiques de gelsémine et de Gelsemium sempervirens augmentent la production d alloprégnanolone dans la ME et le système limbique. La strychnine, qui n induit d elle-même aucune modification de la neurostéroïdogenèse, bloque totalement les effets stimulateurs de ces substances démontrant l implication des récepteurs glycinergiques dans les mécanismes d action de ces composés.Ces résultats obtenus in vitro ont été corrélés à des analyses in vivo mettant en relation l activité de la 3a-hydroxystéroïde oxydo-réductase dans la ME avec les variations des seuils de sensibilité à la douleur.Des stratégies thérapeutiques efficaces avec les dilutions homéopathiques de gelsémine et de Gelsemium sempervirens peuvent ainsi être développées dans le cadre du contrôle de la douleur et de l anxiété.Synthetic gelsemine, the major active principle in Gelsemium sempervirens composition, and glycine stimulated allopregnanolone biosynthesis in the rat spinal crod (SC). Similarly, homeopathic dilutions of gelsemine and Gelsemium sempervirens strongly increased allopregnanolone production in the SC and limbic system. Strychnine, which did not modify by itself neurosteroid formation, completely blocked the stimulatory effects induced by these substances, indicating that glycinergic receptors are involved in the action mechanisms of these compounds.These results obtained in vitro were correlated with in vivo analyses by linking the 3a-hydroxysteroid oxido-reductase in the SC with changes in thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds.Altogether, the data open new possibilities for the development of therapeutic strategies with homeopathic dilutions of gelsemine and Gelsemium sempervirens in the control of pain and anxiety.STRASBOURG-Sc. et Techniques (674822102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Neurosteroids and neuropathic pain management: Basic evidence and therapeutic perspectives

International audienc

Neurosteroid 3α-androstanediol efficiently counteracts paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and painful symptoms.

Painful peripheral neuropathy belongs to major side-effects limiting cancer chemotherapy. Paclitaxel, widely used to treat several cancers, induces neurological symptoms including burning pain, allodynia, hyperalgesia and numbness. Therefore, identification of drugs that may effectively counteract paclitaxel-induced neuropathic symptoms is crucial. Here, we combined histopathological, neurochemical, behavioral and electrophysiological methods to investigate the natural neurosteroid 3α-androstanediol (3α-DIOL) ability to counteract paclitaxel-evoked peripheral nerve tissue damages and neurological symptoms. Prophylactic or corrective 3α-DIOL treatment (4 mg/kg/2 days) prevented or suppressed PAC-evoked heat-thermal hyperalgesia, cold-allodynia and mechanical allodynia/hyperalgesia, by reversing to normal, decreased thermal and mechanical pain thresholds of PAC-treated rats. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated that 3α-DIOL restored control values of nerve conduction velocity and action potential peak amplitude significantly altered by PAC-treatment. 3α-DIOL also repaired PAC-induced nerve damages by restoring normal neurofilament-200 level in peripheral axons and control amount of 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide-3'-phosphodiesterase in myelin sheaths. Decreased density of intraepidermal nerve fibers evoked by PAC-therapy was also counteracted by 3α-DIOL treatment. More importantly, 3α-DIOL beneficial effects were not sedation-dependent but resulted from its neuroprotective ability, nerve tissue repairing capacity and long-term analgesic action. Altogether, our results showing that 3α-DIOL efficiently counteracted PAC-evoked painful symptoms, also offer interesting possibilities to develop neurosteroid-based strategies against chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. This article shows that the prophylactic or corrective treatment with 3α-androstanediol prevents or suppresses PAC-evoked painful symptoms and peripheral nerve dysfunctions in rats. The data suggest that 3α-androstanediol-based therapy may constitute an efficient strategy to explore in humans for the eradication of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Sciatic nerve injury induces apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion satellite glial cells and selectively modifies neurosteroidogenesis in sensory neurons

Neurosteroids are synthesized either by glial cells, by neurons, or within the context of neuron-glia cross-talk. Various studies suggested neurosteroid involvement in the control of neurodegeneration but there is no evidence showing that the natural protection of nerve cells against apoptosis directly depends on their own capacity to produce neuroprotective neurosteroids. Here, we investigated the interactions between neurosteroidogenesis and apoptosis occurring in sensory structures of rats subjected to neuropathic pain generated by sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI). Using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), we observed no apoptotic cells in the spinal cord up to 30 days after CCI although pain symptoms such as mechano-allodynia, thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia were evidenced with the Hargreaves's behavioral and von Frey filament tests. In contrast, double-labeling experiments combining TUNEL and immunostaining with antibodies against glutamine synthetase or neuronal nuclei protein revealed apoptosis occurrence in satellite glial cells (SGC) (not in neurons) of CCI rat ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) at day 30 after injury. Pulse-chase experiments coupled with high performance liquid chromatography and flow scintillation detection showed that, among numerous biosynthetic pathways converting [(3)H]pregnenolone into various [(3)H]neurosteroids, only [(3)H]estradiol formation was selectively modified and upregulated in DRG of CCI rats. Consistently, immunohistochemical investigations localized aromatase (estradiol-synthesizing enzyme) in DRG neurons but not in SGC. Pharmacological inhibition of aromatase caused apoptosis of CCI rat DRG neurons. Altogether, our results suggest that endogenously produced neurosteroids such as estradiol may be pivotal for the protection of DRG sensory neurons against sciatic nerve CCI-induced apoptosis

Dose-dependent and sequence-sensitive effects of amyloid-beta peptide on neurosteroidogenesis in human neuroblastoma cells

Interactions between neurosteroidogenesis and proteins involved in age-related diseases are unknown. High concentrations of amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides induce plaques in Alzheimer's disease but several studies demonstrated that physiological or non-toxic doses are neuroprotective. We compared the effects of non-toxic and toxic concentrations of A beta 1-42 and A beta 25-35 on neurosteroidogenesis in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Viability assays revealed that nanomolar doses of A beta are devoid of cytotoxicity while 12 microM induced cell death. Pulse-chase, high-performance liquid chromatography and flow-scintillation analyses showed that non-toxic A beta 1-42 concentrations, acting selectively, decreased [3H]progesterone but increased [3H]estradiol production from the precursor [3H]pregnenolone. Non-toxic A beta 25-35 doses reduced [3H]progesterone formation but had no effect on [3H]estradiol biosynthesis. At 12 microM, both A beta 1-42 and A beta 25-35 inhibited [3H]progesterone formation but only A beta 1-42 reduced [3H]estradiol production. The results demonstrate a selective and amino-acid sequence-dependent action of A beta on neurosteroidogenesis. The fact that non-toxic A beta 1-42 doses stimulated neuroprotective-neurosteroid estradiol synthesis, which is inhibited by high A beta 1-42 doses, may explain A beta 1-42 ability to exert either protective or deleterious effects on nerve cells

Myelin in Alzheimer’s disease: culprit or bystander?

International audienceAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with neuronal and synaptic losses due to the accumulation of toxic amyloid β (Αβ) peptide oligomers, plaques, and tangles containing tau (tubulin-associated unit) protein. While familial AD is caused by specific mutations, the sporadic disease is more common and appears to result from a complex chronic brain neuroinflammation with mitochondriopathies, inducing free radicals' accumulation. In aged brain, mutations in DNA and several unfolded proteins participate in a chronic amyloidosis response with a toxic effect on myelin sheath and axons, leading to cognitive deficits and dementia. Αβ peptides are the most frequent form of toxic amyloid oligomers. Accumulations of misfolded proteins during several years alters different metabolic mechanisms, induce chronic inflammatory and immune responses with toxic consequences on neuronal cells. Myelin composition and architecture may appear to be an early target for the toxic activity of Aβ peptides and others hydrophobic misfolded proteins. In this work, we describe the possible role of early myelin alterations in the genesis of neuronal alterations and the onset of symptomatology. We propose that some pathophysiological and clinical forms of the disease may arise from structural and metabolic disorders in the processes of myelination/demyelination of brain regions where the accumulation of non-functional toxic proteins is important. In these forms, the primacy of the deleterious role of amyloid peptides would be a matter of questioning and the initiating role of neuropathology would be primarily the fact of dysmyelination

Photomicrographs of sagittal sections of sciatic nerves (A-D,I-L) or intraplantar skins (E-H) dissected from (VEH_crem + VEH_hpc)(A,E,I)-, (PAC + VEH_hpc)(B,F,J)-, (VEH_crem + 3α-DIOL)(C,G,K)- or (PAC + 3α-DIOL)(D,H,L)-treated rats.

<p>Nerve sections were labeled with the monoclonal NF200 antibody (<b>A</b>-<b>D</b>) or with the monoclonal anti-CNPase (<b>I</b>-<b>L</b>) revealed with Alexa-488-conjugated donkey anti-mouse. (<b>E</b>-<b>H</b>) Intraplantar skin sections were labeled with the polyclonal anti-PGP9.5 revealed with FITC-conjugated goat anti-rabbit. White arrows indicated intraepidermal nerve fibers. Scale bar, 50 µm.</p