Anatomy and Neuroscience - Research Publications

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    Improved definition of the mouse transcriptome via targeted RNA sequencing
    Bussotti, G ; Leonardi, T ; Clark, MB ; Mercer, TR ; Crawford, J ; Malquori, L ; Notredame, C ; Dinger, ME ; Mattick, JS ; Enright, AJ (COLD SPRING HARBOR LAB PRESS, PUBLICATIONS DEPT, 2016-05)
    Targeted RNA sequencing (CaptureSeq) uses oligonucleotide probes to capture RNAs for sequencing, providing enriched read coverage, accurate measurement of gene expression, and quantitative expression data. We applied CaptureSeq to refine transcript annotations in the current murine GRCm38 assembly. More than 23,000 regions corresponding to putative or annotated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 154,281 known splicing junction sites were selected for targeted sequencing across five mouse tissues and three brain subregions. The results illustrate that the mouse transcriptome is considerably more complex than previously thought. We assemble more complete transcript isoforms than GENCODE, expand transcript boundaries, and connect interspersed islands of mapped reads. We describe a novel filtering pipeline that identifies previously unannotated but high-quality transcript isoforms. In this set, 911 GENCODE neighboring genes are condensed into 400 expanded gene models. Additionally, 594 GENCODE lncRNAs acquire an open reading frame (ORF) when their structure is extended with CaptureSeq. Finally, we validate our observations using current FANTOM and Mouse ENCODE resources.
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    Gait recovery following spinal cord injury in mice: Limited effect of treadmill training
    Battistuzzo, CR ; Rank, MM ; Flynn, JR ; Morgan, DL ; Callister, R ; Callister, RJ ; Galea, MP (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2016)
    BACKGROUND: Several studies in rodents with complete spinal cord transections have demonstrated that treadmill training improves stepping movements. However, results from studies in incomplete spinal cord injured animals have been conflicting and questions regarding the training dosage after injury remain unresolved. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of treadmill-training regimen (20 minutes daily, 5 days a week) for 3, 6 or 9 weeks on the recovery of locomotion in hemisected SCI mice. METHODS: A randomized and blinded controlled experimental trial used a mouse model of incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). After a left hemisection at T10, adult male mice were randomized to trained or untrained groups. The trained group commenced treadmill training one week after surgery and continued for 3, 6 or 9 weeks. Quantitative kinematic gait analysis was used to assess the spatiotemporal characteristics of the left hindlimb prior to injury and at 1, 4, 7 and 10 weeks post-injury. RESULTS: One week after injury there was no movement of the left hindlimb and some animals dragged their foot. Treadmill training led to significant improvements in step duration, but had limited effect on the hindlimb movement pattern. Locomotor improvements in trained animals were most evident at the hip and knee joints whereas recovery of ankle movement was limited, even after 9 weeks of treadmill training. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that treadmill training may lead to only modest improvement in recovery of hindlimb movement after incomplete spinal cord injury in mice.
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    AAV-Mediated CRISPR/Cas Gene Editing of Retinal Cells In Vivo
    Hung, SSC ; Chrysostomou, V ; Li, F ; Lim, JKH ; Wang, J-H ; Powell, JE ; Tu, L ; Daniszewski, M ; Lo, C ; Wong, RC ; Crowston, JG ; Pebay, A ; King, AE ; Bui, BV ; Liu, G-S ; Hewitt, AW (ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2016-06)
    PURPOSE: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) has recently been adapted to enable efficient editing of the mammalian genome, opening novel avenues for therapeutic intervention of inherited diseases. In seeking to disrupt yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) in a Thy1-YFP transgenic mouse, we assessed the feasibility of utilizing the adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) to deliver CRISPR/Cas for gene modification of retinal cells in vivo. METHODS: Single guide RNA (sgRNA) plasmids were designed to target YFP, and after in vitro validation, selected guides were cloned into a dual AAV system. One AAV2 construct was used to deliver Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9), and the other delivered sgRNA against YFP or LacZ (control) in the presence of mCherry. Five weeks after intravitreal injection, retinal function was determined using electroretinography, and CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene modifications were quantified in retinal flat mounts. RESULTS: Adeno-associated virus 2-mediated in vivo delivery of SpCas9 with sgRNA targeting YFP significantly reduced the number of YFP fluorescent cells of the inner retina of our transgenic mouse model. Overall, we found an 84.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81.8-86.9) reduction of YFP-positive cells in YFP-sgRNA-infected retinal cells compared to eyes treated with LacZ-sgRNA. Electroretinography profiling found no significant alteration in retinal function following AAV2-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas components compared to contralateral untreated eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Thy1-YFP transgenic mice were used as a rapid quantifiable means to assess the efficacy of CRISPR/Cas-based retinal gene modification in vivo. We demonstrate that genomic modification of cells in the adult retina can be readily achieved by viral-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas.
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    Assessing structural and functional responses of murine hearts to acute and sustained β-adrenergic stimulation in vivo
    Puhl, S-L ; Weeks, KL ; Ranieri, A ; Avkiran, M (ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2016)
    INTRODUCTION: Given the importance of β-adrenoceptor signalling in regulating cardiac structure and function, robust protocols are required to assess potential alterations in such regulation in murine models in vivo. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed in naïve and stressed (isoprenaline; 30μg/g/day s.c. for up to 14days) mice, in the absence or presence of acute β-adrenergic stimulation (dobutamine 0.75μg/g, i.p.). Controls received saline infusion and/or injection. Hearts were additionally analysed gravimetrically, histologically and biochemically. RESULTS: In naïve mice, acute β-adrenoceptor stimulation with dobutamine increased heart rate, left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (LVFS), ejection fraction (LVEF) and wall thickness and decreased LV diameter (p<0.05). In stressed mice, dobutamine failed to induce further inotropic and chronotropic responses. Furthermore, following dobutamine injection, these mice exhibited lower LVEF and LVFS at identical heart rates, relative to corresponding controls. Sustained isoprenaline infusion induced LV hypertrophy (increased heart weight, heart weight/body weight ratio, heart weight/tibia length ratio and LV wall thickness (p<0.05)) by 3days, with little further change at 14days. In contrast, increases in LVEF and LVFS were seen only at 14days (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: We describe protocols for and illustrative data from the assessment of murine cardiac responses to acute and sustained β-adrenergic stimulation in vivo, which would be of value in determining the impact of genetic or pharmacological interventions on such responses. Additionally, our data indicate that acute dobutamine stimulation unmasks early signs of LV dysfunction in the remodelled heart, even at a stage when basal function is enhanced.
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    Toluene inhalation in adolescent rats reduces flexible behaviour in adulthood and alters glutamatergic and GABAergic signalling
    Furlong, TM ; Duncan, JR ; Corbit, LH ; Rae, CD ; Rowlands, BD ; Maher, AD ; Nasrallah, FA ; Milligan, CJ ; Petrou, S ; Lawrence, AJ ; Balleine, BW (WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2016-12)
    Toluene is a commonly abused inhalant that is easily accessible to adolescents. Despite the increasing incidence of use, our understanding of its long-term impact remains limited. Here, we used a range of techniques to examine the acute and chronic effects of toluene exposure on glutameteric and GABAergic function, and on indices of psychological function in adult rats after adolescent exposure. Metabolomics conducted on cortical tissue established that acute exposure to toluene produces alterations in cellular metabolism indicative of a glutamatergic and GABAergic profile. Similarly, in vitro electrophysiology in Xenopus oocytes found that acute toluene exposure reduced NMDA receptor signalling. Finally, in an adolescent rodent model of chronic intermittent exposure to toluene (10 000 ppm), we found that, while toluene exposure did not affect initial learning, it induced a deficit in updating that learning when response-outcome relationships were reversed or degraded in an instrumental conditioning paradigm. There were also group differences when more effort was required to obtain the reward; toluene-exposed animals were less sensitive to progressive ratio schedules and to delayed discounting. These behavioural deficits were accompanied by changes in subunit expression of both NMDA and GABA receptors in adulthood, up to 10 weeks after the final exposure to toluene in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and ventromedial striatum; regions with recognized roles in behavioural flexibility and decision-making. Collectively, our data suggest that exposure to toluene is sufficient to induce adaptive changes in glutamatergic and GABAergic systems and in adaptive behaviour that may underlie the deficits observed following adolescent inhalant abuse, including susceptibility to further drug-use.
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    The antiepileptic medications carbamazepine and phenytoin inhibit native sodium currents in murine osteoblasts
    Petty, SJ ; Milligan, CJ ; Todaro, M ; Richards, KL ; Kularathna, PK ; Pagel, CN ; French, CR ; Hill-Yardin, EL ; O'Brien, TJ ; Wark, JD ; Mackie, EJ ; Petrou, S (WILEY, 2016-09)
    OBJECTIVE: Fracture risk is a serious comorbidity in epilepsy and may relate to the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Many AEDs inhibit ion channel function, and the expression of these channels in osteoblasts raises the question of whether altered bone signaling increases bone fragility. We aimed to confirm the expression of voltage-gated sodium (NaV ) channels in mouse osteoblasts, and to investigate the action of carbamazepine and phenytoin on NaV channels. METHODS: Immunocytochemistry was performed on primary calvarial osteoblasts extracted from neonatal C57BL/6J mice and additional RNA sequencing (RNASeq) was included to confirm expression of NaV . Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made to identify the native currents expressed and to assess the actions of carbamazepine (50 μm) or phenytoin (50 μm). RESULTS: NaV expression was demonstrated with immunocytochemistry, RNA sequencing, and functionally, with demonstration of robust tetrodotoxin-sensitive and voltage-activated inward currents. Application of carbamazepine or phenytoin resulted in significant inhibition of current amplitude for carbamazepine (31.6 ± 5.9%, n = 9; p < 0.001), and for phenytoin (35.5 ± 6.9%, n = 7; p < 0.001). SIGNIFICANCE: Mouse osteoblasts express NaV , and native NaV currents are blocked by carbamazepine and phenytoin, supporting our hypothesis that AEDs can directly influence osteoblast function and potentially affect bone strength.
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    Characterization of Phenotypic and Transcriptional Differences in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells under 2D and 3D Culture Conditions
    Kamei, K-I ; Koyama, Y ; Tokunaga, Y ; Mashimo, Y ; Yoshioka, M ; Fockenberg, C ; Mosbergen, R ; Korn, O ; Wells, C ; Chen, Y (WILEY, 2016-11-23)
    Human pluripotent stem cells hold great promise for applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Microfluidic technology is a promising approach for creating artificial microenvironments; however, although a proper 3D microenvironment is required to achieve robust control of cellular phenotypes, most current microfluidic devices provide only 2D cell culture and do not allow tuning of physical and chemical environmental cues simultaneously. Here, the authors report a 3D cellular microenvironment plate (3D-CEP), which consists of a microfluidic device filled with thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-β-poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel (HG), which enables systematic tuning of both chemical and physical environmental cues as well as in situ cell monitoring. The authors show that H9 human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and 253G1 human induced pluripotent stem cells in the HG/3D-CEP system maintain their pluripotent marker expression under HG/3D-CEP self-renewing conditions. Additionally, global gene expression analyses are used to elucidate small variations among different test environments. Interestingly, the authors find that treatment of H9 hESCs under HG/3D-CEP self-renewing conditions results in initiation of entry into the neural differentiation process by induction of PAX3 and OTX1 expression. The authors believe that this HG/3D-CEP system will serve as a versatile platform for developing targeted functional cell lines and facilitate advances in drug screening and regenerative medicine.
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    Understanding the role of new systemic agents in the treatment of prostate cancer
    Corfield, J ; Crozier, J ; Joshua, AM ; Bolton, DM ; Lawrentschuk, N (WILEY, 2016-10)
    OBJECTIVES: To examine the current literature and identify key consensus findings from the available studies to better educate urologists and medical oncologists on agents used in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer (mPC). METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of the available literature on reported trials of systemic therapies for mPC. Two search terms were used: 'metastatic prostate cancer' and 'treatment'. RESULTS: A variety of agents have demonstrated improved overall survival in patients with mPC. Twenty recently documented trials were reported in the literature with a focus on enzalutamide, abiraterone acetate, docetaxel and other newer agents. These studies were grouped based on patient populations. CONCLUSION: The increasing number of high-quality clinical trials, with overlapping patient populations has made defining the correct therapy for men with mPC challenging for urologists and medical oncologists. The data suggests that the optimal sequence of drugs is not only unknown but also not necessarily the same for each patient. As such, we suggest a more individualized approach to the treatment of prostate cancer depending on patient and disease factors.
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    The splanchnic anti-inflammatory pathway: could it be the efferent arm of the inflammatory reflex?
    Martelli, D ; Farmer, DGS ; Yao, ST (WILEY, 2016-10)
    What is the topic of this review? We review the current literature on the neural reflex termed the 'inflammatory reflex' that inhibits an excessive release of inflammatory mediators in response to an immune challenge. What advances does it highlight? The original model proposed that the inflammatory reflex is a vago-vagal reflex that controls immune function. We posit that, in the endotoxaemic animal model, the vagus nerves do not appear to play a role. The evidence suggests that the efferent motor pathway, termed here the 'splanchnic anti-inflammatory pathway', is purely sympathetic, travelling via the greater splanchnic nerves to regulate the ensuing inflammatory response to immune challenges. Exposure to immune challenges results in the development of inflammation. An insufficient inflammatory response can be life-threatening, whereas an exaggerated response is also detrimental because it causes tissue damage and, in extreme cases, septic shock that can lead to death. Hence, inflammation must be finely regulated. It is generally accepted that the brain inhibits inflammation induced by an immune challenge in two main ways: humorally, by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to release glucocorticoids; and neurally, via a mechanism that has been termed the 'inflammatory reflex'. The efferent arm of this reflex (the neural-to-immune link) was thought to be the 'cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway'. Here, we discuss data that support the hypothesis that the vagus nerves play no role in the control of inflammation in the endotoxaemic animal model. We have shown and posit that it is the greater splanchnic nerves that are activated in response to the immune challenge and that, in turn, drive postganglionic sympathetic neurons to inhibit inflammation.
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    Expanding the genotypic spectrum of CCBE1 mutations in Hennekam syndrome
    Crawford, J ; Bower, NI ; Hogan, BM ; Taft, RJ ; Gabbett, MT ; McGaughran, J ; Simons, C (WILEY, 2016-10)