Retinal atrophy, inflammation, phagocytic and metabolic disruptions develop in the MerTK-cleavage-resistant mouse model

In the eye, cells from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) facing the neurosensory retina exert several functions that are all crucial for long-term survival of photoreceptors (PRs) and vision. Among those, RPE cells phagocytose under a circadian rhythm photoreceptor outer segment (POS) tips that are constantly subjected to light rays and oxidative attacks. The MerTK tyrosine kinase receptor is a key element of this phagocytic machinery required for POS internalization. Recently, we showed that MerTK is subjected to the cleavage of its extracellular domain to finely control its function. In addition, monocytes in retinal blood vessels can migrate inside the inner retina and differentiate into macrophages expressing MerTK, but their role in this context has not been studied yet. We thus investigated the ocular phenotype of MerTK cleavage-resistant (MerTKCR) mice to understand the relevance of this characteristic on retinal homeostasis at the RPE and macrophage levels. MerTKCR retinae appear to develop and function normally, as observed in retinal sections, by electroretinogram recordings and optokinetic behavioral tests. Monitoring of MerTKCR and control mice between the ages of 3 and 18  months showed the development of large degenerative areas in the central retina as early as 4 months when followed monthly by optical coherence tomography (OCT) plus fundus photography (FP)/autofluorescence (AF) detection but not by OCT alone. The degenerative areas were associated with AF, which seems to be due to infiltrated macrophages, as observed by OCT and histology. MerTKCR RPE primary cultures phagocytosed less POS in vitro, while in vivo, the circadian rhythm of POS phagocytosis was deregulated. Mitochondrial function and energy production were reduced in freshly dissected RPE/choroid tissues at all ages, thus showing a metabolic impairment not present in macrophages. RPE anomalies were detected by electron microscopy, including phagosomes retained in the apical area and vacuoles. Altogether, this new mouse model displays a novel phenotype that could prove useful to understanding the interplay between RPE and PRs in inflammatory retinal degenerations and highlights new roles for MerTK in the regulation of the energetic metabolism and the maintenance of the immune privilege in the retina

Vitamine A et vieillissement cérébral

To date, convergent data on the role of retinoic acid in the mature brain have established that this molecule, which acts as a hormone, helps to preserve cerebral plasticity by controlling dendritic spine density as well as hippocampal neurogenesis. Deterioration in cerebral plasticity seems to be at the base of the cognitive decline disease. Furthermore, the transcription of several genes, known as muted, in Alzheimer’s patients and whose transcripts are involved in the formation of senile plaques, are controlled by retinoic acid. As seen in other nutrients, aging leads to a lower production of retinoic acid; a phenomenon probably accentuated by the fact that Western populations consume an insufficient amount of vitamin A (60% of the population has a consumption lower than the recommendations). These two phenomena (i.e. level of consumption, the lack of activation of vitamin A) accompanied by important individual differences, would help to explain why some patients have an almost normal aging process, whereas others gradually develop cognitive disorders and then, the disease. A better understanding of the role of a collapse of the retinoid status in the genesis of Alzheimer lesions could, beyond the definition of a preventive nutritional strategy, open therapeutic perspectives, through the use of molecules targeting the nuclear receptors

Action des rétinoïdes et processus neurodégénératifs associés à la maladie d'Alzheimer

Un ensemble des données cohérentes de la littérature plaide en faveur d'une relation entre une baisse d'activité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A, des altérations de la plasticité synaptique et des déficits mnésiques spécifiques associés au vieillissement. Une diminution de l'activité de cette voie de signalisation est également évoquée dans les processus neurodégénératifs caractéristiques de la maladie d'Alzheimer. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de ce travail étaient de mieux comprendre les conséquences neuro-anatomiques et fonctionnelles d'une baisse d'activité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A. Notre approche expérimentale a mis en œuvre 2 modèles animaux, un modèle de carence vitaminique A qui induit spécifiquement une baisse d'activité de sa voie de signalisation et un modèle d'hypothyroïdie dont il a été montré qu'il induit aussi une hypoactivité de la voie de signalisation de la vitamine A. La démarche expérimentale conduite chez les rats carencés en vitamine A comporte deux volets: (i) un volet mettant en œuvre l imagerie et la spectroscopie RMN, (ii) un volet moléculaire consacrée à l étude de l expression de gènes cibles des rétinoïdes impliqués dans le processus amyloïdogène. Les mesures ont été réalisées, d'une part, chez des animaux soumis à un régime dépourvu en vitamine A pendant 10 semaines et d'autre part, chez des animaux soumis à ce même régime pendant une durée de 13 ou 14 semaines. Une partie des animaux carencés a été traitée par de l'AR. Les résultats montrent que dès 10 semaines de carence, les animaux présentent une altération du métabolisme et de son action cellulaire de la vitamine A qui se traduit par (i) une diminution significative du taux de vitamine A sérique, (ii) une diminution du taux d'ARNm codant pour les récepteurs RAR, dans le cerveau entier, le striatum, l'hippocampe et de manière moins prononcée le cortex des animaux. Après 10 semaines de régime dépourvu en vitamine A, des modifications métaboliques ont été mises en évidence essentiellement dans le cortex. Elles se traduisent par une hausse du (i) NAA/Cr, marqueur de la densité neuronale corrigée par une administration d'AR, et (ii) du GSH/Cr, indicateur du potentiel antioxydant cellulaire dans cette structure. Au plan anatomique, un ralentissement de la croissance cérébrale a été observé dés la 7ème semaine de régime. Une diminution du volume hippocampique et une augmentation des espaces ventriculaires ont été observées à partir de 11 semaines de carence. Au plan moléculaire, aucune modification de l'expression du gène codant pour APP, ou du rapport APP770-751/APP695, considéré comme un indicateur précoce de la MA n'a été observée après 10 semaines de carence. Après 14 semaines de régime dépourvu en vitamine A, de profondes modifications métaboliques sont observées dans les trois structures à savoir le cortex, l hippocampe et le striatum. Au plan moléculaire, les principaux résultats suggèrent un basculement du processus biochimique de dégradation de la protéine APP en faveur de la voie amyloïdogénique dans le cortex, et par voie de conséquence en faveur de la formation du peptide Aß. Cependant, aucune modification du taux protéique des peptides Aß n'a été mise en évidence dans le cortex et l'hippocampe des rats carencés. Le modèle d'hypothyroïdie que nous avons mis en oeuvre entraine bien une hypoactivité de la voie de signalisation de la T3, observée dans l'hippocampe des animaux et une diminution du taux d'ARNm codant pour RARß observée dans le cortex des rats hypothyroïdiens. Au plan moléculaire, l'augmentation du rapport APP770-751/APP695 a été observée chez les rats rendus hypothyroïdiens par rapport aux rats témoins. Comme chez les rats carencés en vitamine A, les indicateurs de la voie physiologique ne sont que très faiblement affectés chez les rats rendus hypothyroïdiens.Some data reveal that retinoid hyposignalling, presumably resulting from decreased bioavailability of retinoid ligands naturally, was shown to result in aging-related synaptic plasticity and long term potentiation (LTP) alterations as well as in aging-related decline of cognitive function. Moreover, genetic, metabolic and dietary evidence has been provided for a defective retinoid metabolism in Alzheimer disease (AD). Thus, key steps of the amyloid production process are under the control of proteins whose expression is positively regulated by RA in vitro. In this context, the aims of this work were to better understand neuro-anatomical and functionnal consequences of retinoid signaling brain hypoactivity. Our experimental method uses two animal models: a Vitamin A deficiency model which induce especially an hypoactivity of retinoid pathway, and an hypothyroid model which was also characterized by an hypoactivity of retinoid pathway. In the fisrt model, two main approch were used : (i) an NMR imaging and spectroscopy approach, (ii) a molecular approach to study expression of retinoid target genes implicated in amyloidogenic process. NMR results showed that VAD induces severe anatomic and metabolic disorders in particular a slowing of brain growth, hippocampus atrophy, and a decrease of NAA/Cr, marker of neuronal density which was observed in cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Molecular results reveal a vitamin A deficiency-related dysregulation of the amyloid pathway in the cortex of rats, which is known to be the first brain area altered by AD development. In this area, 14 weeks of deprived diet induces physiological dysregulation in the modulation of RA target genes leading to an increased amount of ADAM10, BACE and PS1, with some modifications in amyloidogenic pathway but without increased amount of Aß peptides. In hypothyroid model, molecular results suggests that adult onset-hypothyroidism may induce the amyloidogenic pathway of APP processing by increasing activity of ß and ?secretases and levels of amyloid peptides mainly in hippocampus. Together these data argue for the idea that hypoactivity of retinoid signalling which occurs naturally with aging could be a factor participating in accelerating aging and that hypothyroidism that become more prevalent with advancing age, could increase, via a hyposignaling of T3 pathway, the vulnerability of amyloidogenic pathway of APP processing as well as of other clinical symptoms of AD.BORDEAUX1-Bib.electronique (335229901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Thyroid Hormone Receptor Alpha Plays an Essential Role in the Normalisation of Adult-Onset Hypothyroidism-Related Hypoexpression of Synaptic Plasticity Target Genes in Striatum

International audienceThyroid hormone (TH) deficiency leads to molecular changes resulting in behavioural deficits. TH action is mediated by two types of nuclear receptors (TRs), TRalpha and TRbeta, which control target gene transcription. The relative contributions of the two TR products in mediating adult TH responses are poorly understood. As TRalpha1 transcripts are widely distributed in the brain, they presumably mediate most of the TH effects. This report examines the role and specific functions of T3 receptor isoforms on regulation of striatal synaptic plasticity indicators using adult hypothyroid mutant mice that fail to express single or multiple TR gene products. We then evaluated the effect of this hypothyroidism, with or without subsequent administration of T3, on T3 nuclear receptor (TRalpha1, TRbeta) and synaptic plasticity gene expression in TRalpha(0/0), TRbeta(-/-) and wild-type 129/SV mice. Hypothyroid wild-type mice exhibited reduced TRbeta, RC3, CaMKII and Rhes expression. The mRNA levels of Rhes and CaMKII were the same in all three hypothyroid substrains. By contrast, hypothyroid TRbeta(-/-) mice had higher RC3 mRNA levels than wild-type. T3 administration restored TRbeta, RC3 and CaMKII levels in hypothyroid wild-type mice, without significant Rhes upregulation. T3 administration normalised expression of all genes studied in hypothyroid TRbeta(-/-) but not TRalpha(0/0) mice. Thus, TRalpha apparently plays an essential role in restoring the expression of the TH-regulated genes potentially involved in striatal synaptic plasticity

Contrasting Functions of Mitogen- and Stress-activated Protein Kinases 1 and 2 in Recognition Memory and In Vivo Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission

International audienceThe mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) are major signaling components of intracellular pathways required for memory consolidation. Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinases 1 and 2 (MSK1 and MSK2) mediate signal transduction downstream of MAPK. MSKs are activated by Extracellular-signal Regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAPK. In turn, they can activate cyclic AMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB), thereby modulating the expression of immediate early genes crucial for the formation of long-term memories. While MSK1 has been previously implicated in certain forms of learning and memory, little is known concerning MSK2. Our goal was to explore the respective contribution of MSK1 and MSK2 in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity and hippocampal-dependent recognition memory. In Msk1- and Msk2-knockout mice, we evaluated object and object-place recognition memory, basal synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) and inhibition (PPI), and the capacity to induce and sustain long-term potentiation (LTP) in vivo. We also assessed the level of two proteins downstream in the MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway crucial for long-term memory, CREB and the immediate early gene (IEG) Early growth response 1 (EGR1). Loss of Msk1, but not of Msk2, affected excitatory synaptic transmission at perforant path-to-dentate granule cell synapses, altered short-term presynaptic plasticity, impaired selectively long-term spatial recognition memory, and decreased basal levels of CREB and its activated form. LTP in vivo and LTP-induced CREB phosphorylation and EGR1 expression were unchanged after Msk1 or Msk2 deletion. Our findings demonstrate a dissimilar contribution of MSKs proteins in cognitive processes and suggest that Msk1 loss-of-function only has a deleterious impact on neuronal activity and hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation

Thyroid Hormone Supplementation Restores Spatial Memory, Hippocampal Markers of Neuroinflammation, Plasticity-Related Signaling Molecules, and β-Amyloid Peptide Load in Hypothyroid Rats

International audienceHypothyroidism is a condition that becomes more prevalent with age. Patients with untreated hypothyroidism have consistently reported symptoms of severe cognitive impairments. In patients suffering hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone supplementation offers the prospect to alleviate the cognitive consequences of hypothyroidism; however, the therapeutic value of TH supplementation remains at present uncertain and the link between cellular modifications associated with hypothyroidism and neurodegeneration remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we therefore evaluated the molecular and behavioral consequences of T3 hormone replacement in an animal model of hypothyroidism. We have previously reported that the antithyroid molecule propylthiouracil (PTU) given in the drinking water favors cerebral atrophy, brain neuroinflammation, Aβ production, Tau hyperphosphorylation, and altered plasticity-related cell-signaling pathways in the hippocampus in association with hippocampal-dependent spatial memory deficits. In the present study, our aim was to explore, in this model, the effect of hippocampal T3 signaling normalization on various molecular mechanisms involved in learning and memory that goes awry under conditions of hypothyroidism and to evaluate its potential for recovery of hippocampal-dependent memory deficits. We report that T3 supplementation can alleviate hippocampal-dependent memory impairments displayed by hypothyroid rats and normalize key markers of thyroid status in the hippocampus, of neuroinflammation, Aβ production, and of cell-signaling pathways known to be involved in synaptic plasticity and memory function. Together, these findings suggest that normalization of hippocampal T3 signaling is sufficient to reverse molecular and cognitive dysfunctions associated with hypothyroidism

A Fine Regulation of the Hippocampal Thyroid Signalling Protects Hypothyroid Mice against Glial Cell Activation

Adult-onset hypothyroidism is associated with learning and cognitive dysfunctions, which may be related to alterations in synaptic plasticity. Local reduced levels of thyroid hormones (THs) may impair glia morphology and activity, and promote the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels mainly in the hippocampus. Given that neuroinflammation induces memory impairments, hypothyroidism-related glia dysfunction may participate in brain disorders. Thus, we investigated the mechanisms linking hypothyroidism and neuroinflammation, from a protective perspective. We induced hypothyroidism in adult C57BL/6J and wild-derived WSB/EiJ male mice by a seven-week propylthiouracil (PTU) treatment. We previously showed that WSB/EiJ mice were resistant to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, showing no neuroinflammatory response through adaptive abilities, unlike C57BL/6J. As PTU and HFD treatments are known to induce comparable inflammatory responses, we hypothesized that WSB/EiJ mice might also be protected against hypothyroidism-induced neuroinflammation. We showed that hypothyroid WSB/EiJ mice depicted no hippocampal neuroinflammatory response and were able to maintain their hippocampal thyroid signalling despite low circulatisng TH levels. In contrast, C57BL/6J mice exhibited disturbed hippocampal TH signalling, accompanied by neuroinflammation and memory impairment. Our results reinforce the preponderance of the hippocampal TH regulatory system over TH circulating levels in the hippocampal glial reactivity

Aging decreases the abundance of retinoic acid (RAR) and triiodothyronine (TR) nuclear receptor mRNA in rat brain: effect of the administration of retinoids

International audienceAging is accompanied by troubles resulting from changes in hormonal and nutritional status. Therefore, the abundance of mRNA coding for triiodothyronine (TR) and retinoic acid (RA) nuclear receptors was studied in the brain of young, adult and aged (2.5, 6 and 24 months, respectively) rats. In the brain of aged rats, there was a lower abundance of TR and RAR mRNA and a lower activity of tissue transglutaminase (tTG), an enzyme the gene of which is a target for retinoids. Administration of RA in these rats restored TR and RAR mRNA and the activity of tTG in the brain. The importance of these observations to the function of the aged brain is discussed

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may cause treatment discontinuation in some cases. Treatment of EQ with PDT may represent a valuable option in selected cases, but our data do not allow considering it as a first-line therapeutic option

Aging decreases retinoic acid and triiodothyronine nuclear expression in rat liver: exogenous retinol and retinoic acid differentially modulate this decreased expression

International audienceThe expression of nuclear receptors of retinoic acid (RAR) and triiodothyronine (TR) was analyzed in the liver of rats aged 2.5 (young), 6 (adult) and 24 (aged) months. In aged rats, decreased binding properties, binding capacity (Cmax) and affinity (Ka), of nuclear receptors were observed. This resulted, at least in part, from decreased transcription of receptor genes in that the amount of their mRNA also decreased. Moreover, the activity of malic enzyme (ME) and tissue transglutaminase (tTG), whose genes are TR and RAR responsive, respectively, was reduced in aged rats. These results are in agreement with the decreased binding capacity of these receptors. An inducer-related increase of RAR and TR expression was observed 24 h after a single dose of retinoic acid administration (5 mg/kg), while retinol administration (retinyl palmitate, 13 mg/kg) was without incidence on nuclear receptor expression in aged rats