Pharmacology and Therapeutics - Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders of ageing(Springer Nature, 2018-08-17) Boland, Barry; Yu, Wai Haung; Corti, Olga; Mollereau, Bertrand; Henriques, Alexandre; Bezard, Erwan; Pastores, Greg M.; Rubinsztein, David C.; Nixon, Ralph A.; Duchen, Michael R.; Mallucci, Giovanna R.; Kroemer, Guido; Levine, Beth; Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa; Mochel, Fanny; Spedding, Michael; Louis, Caroline; Martin, Olivier R.; Millan, Mark J.; Institut de Recherches ServierNeurodegenerative disorders of ageing (NDAs) such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis represent a major socio-economic challenge in view of their high prevalence yet poor treatment. They are often called 'proteinopathies' owing to the presence of misfolded and aggregated proteins that lose their physiological roles and acquire neurotoxic properties. One reason underlying the accumulation and spread of oligomeric forms of neurotoxic proteins is insufficient clearance by the autophagic–lysosomal network. Several other clearance pathways are also compromised in NDAs: chaperone-mediated autophagy, the ubiquitin–proteasome system, extracellular clearance by proteases and extrusion into the circulation via the blood–brain barrier and glymphatic system. This article focuses on emerging mechanisms for promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins, a strategy that may curtail the onset and slow the progression of NDAs.Item Gene co-expression analysis of the human substantia nigra identifies ZNHIT1 as an SNCA co-expressed gene that protects against α-synuclein-induced impairments in neurite growth and mitochondrial dysfunction in SH-SY5Y cells(Springer, 2022-02-17) McCarthy, Erin; Barron, Aaron; Morales-Prieto, Noelia; Mazzocchi, Martina; McCarthy, Cathal M.; Collins, Louise M.; Sullivan, Aideen M.; O’Keeffe, Gerard W.; Science Foundation Ireland; Irish Research Council; HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie ActionsParkinson’s disease (PD) is neurodegenerative disorder with the pathological hallmarks of progressive degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra (SN), and accumulation and spread of inclusions of aggregated α-synuclein (α-Syn). Since current PD therapies do not prevent neurodegeneration, there is a need to identify therapeutic targets that can prevent α-Syn-induced reductions in neuronal survival and neurite growth. We hypothesised that genes that are normally co-expressed with the α-Syn gene (SNCA), and whose co-expression pattern is lost in PD, may be important for protecting against α-Syn-induced dopaminergic degeneration, since broken correlations can be used as an index of functional misregulation. Gene co-expression analysis of the human SN showed that nuclear zinc finger HIT-type containing 1 (ZNHIT1) is co-expressed with SNCA and that this co-expression pattern is lost in PD. Overexpression of ZNHIT1 was found to increase deposition of the H2A.Z histone variant in SH-SY5Y cells, to promote neurite growth and to prevent α-Syn-induced reductions in neurite growth and cell viability. Analysis of ZNHIT1 co-expressed genes showed significant enrichment in genes associated with mitochondrial function. In agreement, bioenergetic state analysis of mitochondrial function revealed that ZNHIT1 increased cellular ATP synthesis. Furthermore, α-Syn-induced impairments in basal respiration, maximal respiration and spare respiratory capacity were not seen in ZNHIT1-overexpressing cells. These data show that ZNHIT1 can protect against α-Syn-induced degeneration and mitochondrial dysfunction, which rationalises further investigation of ZNHIT1 as a therapeutic target for PD.Item Maternal pre-eclampsia serum increases neurite growth and mitochondrial function through a potential IL-6-dependent mechanism in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells(Frontiers Media, 2023-01-12) Barron, Aaron; Manna, Samprikta; McElwain, Colm J.; Musumeci, Andrea; McCarthy, Fergus P.; O'Keeffe, Gerard W.; McCarthy, Cathal M.; Irish Research Council; Science Foundation Ireland; Health Research BoardPre-eclampsia (PE) is a common and serious hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, which affects 3%-5% of first-time pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Prenatal exposure to PE is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in affected offspring, although the cellular and molecular basis of this increased risk is largely unknown. Here, we examined the effects of exposure to maternal serum from women with PE or a healthy uncomplicated pregnancy on the survival, neurite growth and mitochondrial function of neuronally differentiated human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, which are commonly used to study neurite growth. Neurite growth and mitochondrial function are two strongly linked neurodevelopmental parameters in which alterations have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. Following this, we investigated the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels as a potential mechanism. Cells exposed to 3% (v/v) PE serum for 72 h exhibited increased neurite growth ( < 0.05), which was validated in the human neural progenitor cell line, ReNcell VM ( < 0.01), and mitochondrial respiration (elevated oxygen consumption rate ( < 0.05), basal mitochondrial respiration, proton leak, ATP synthesis, and non-mitochondrial respiration) compared to control serum-treated cells. ELISA analysis showed elevations in maternal IL-6 in PE sera ( < 0.05) and placental explants ( < 0.05). In support of this, SH-SY5Y cells exposed to 3% (v/v) PE serum for 24 h had increased phospho-STAT3 levels, which is a key intracellular mediator of IL-6 signalling ( < 0.05). Furthermore, treatment with anti-IL-6 neutralizing antibody blocked the effects of PE serum on neurite growth ( < 0.05), and exposure to IL-6 promoted neurite growth in SH-SY5Y cells ( < 0.01). Collectively these data show elevated serum levels of maternal IL-6 in PE, which increases neurite growth and mitochondrial function in SH-SY5Y cells. This rationalizes the further study of IL-6 as a potential mediator between PE exposure and neurodevelopmental outcome in the offspring.Item Human α‐synuclein overexpression upregulates SKOR1 in a rat model of simulated nigrostriatal ageing(Wiley, 2024-03-26) Morales‐Prieto, Noelia; Bevans, Rebekah; O'Mahony, Adam; Barron, Aaron ; Doran, Conor Giles ; McCarthy, Erin ; Concannon, Ruth M.; Goulding, Susan R.; McCarthy, Cathal M.; Collins, Louise M.; Sullivan, Aideen M.; O'Keeffe, Gerard W.; Science Foundation Ireland; Cure Parkinson's Trust; HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie ActionsParkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons from the substantia nigra (SN) and α-synuclein (αSyn) accumulation. Age is the biggest risk factor for PD and may create a vulnerable pre-parkinsonian state, but the drivers of this association are unclear. It is known that ageing increases αSyn expression in DA neurons and that this may alter molecular processes that are central to maintaining nigrostriatal integrity. To model this, adult female Sprague–Dawley rats received a unilateral intranigral injection of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector carrying wild-type human αSyn (AAV-αSyn) or control vector (AAV-Null). AAV-αSyn induced no detrimental effects on motor behaviour, but there was expression of human wild-type αSyn throughout the midbrain and ipsilateral striatum at 20 weeks post-surgery. Microarray analysis revealed that the gene most-upregulated in the ipsilateral SN of the AAV-αSyn group was the SKI Family Transcriptional Corepressor 1 (SKOR1). Bioenergetic state analysis of mitochondrial function found that SKOR1 overexpression reduced the maximum rate of cellular respiration in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, experiments in SH-SY5Y cells revealed that SKOR1 overexpression impaired neurite growth to the same extent as αSyn, and inhibited BMP-SMAD-dependent transcription, a pathway that promotes DA neuronal survival and growth. Given the normal influence of ageing on DA neuron loss in human SN, the extent of αSyn-induced SKOR1 expression may influence whether an individual undergoes normal nigrostriatal ageing or reaches a threshold for prodromal PD. This provides new insight into mechanisms through which ageing-related increases in αSyn may influence molecular mechanisms important for the maintenance of neuronal integrity.Item An altered gut microbiome in pre-eclampsia: cause or consequence(Frontiers Media, 2024-05-07) Deady, Clara; McCarthy, Fergus P.; Barron, Aaron; McCarthy, Cathal M.; O'Keeffe, Gerard W.; O'Mahony, Siobhain M.; Irish Research CouncilHypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, are a leading cause of serious and debilitating complications that affect both the mother and the fetus. Despite the occurrence and the health implications of these disorders there is still relatively limited evidence on the molecular underpinnings of the pathophysiology. An area that has come to the fore with regard to its influence on health and disease is the microbiome. While there are several microbiome niches on and within the body, the distal end of the gut harbors the largest of these impacting on many different systems of the body including the central nervous system, the immune system, and the reproductive system. While the role of the microbiome in hypertensive disorders, including pre-eclampsia, has not been fully elucidated some studies have indicated that several of the symptoms of these disorders are linked to an altered gut microbiome. In this review, we examine both pre-eclampsia and microbiome literature to summarize the current knowledge on whether the microbiome drives the symptoms of pre-eclampsia or if the aberrant microbiome is a consequence of this condition. Despite the paucity of studies, obvious gut microbiome changes have been noted in women with pre-eclampsia and the individual symptoms associated with the condition. Yet further research is required to fully elucidate the role of the microbiome and the significance it plays in the development of the symptoms. Regardless of this, the literature highlights the potential for a microbiome targeted intervention such as dietary changes or prebiotic and probiotics to reduce the impact of some aspects of these disorders.