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Biomedical subjects

Olle Lindvall

Publications and source records attributed to Olle Lindvall.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Environment matters: synaptic properties of neurons born in the epileptic adult brain develop to reduce excitability.

Neural progenitors in the adult dentate gyrus continuously produce new functional granule cells. Here we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to explore whether a pathological environment influences synaptic properties of new granule cells labeled with a GFP-retroviral vector. Rats were exposed to a physiological stimulus, i.e., running, or a brain insult, i.e., status epilepticus, which gave rise to neuronal death, inflammation, and chronic seizures. Granule cells formed after these stimuli exhibited similar intrinsic membrane properties. However, the new neurons born into the pathological environment differed with respect to synaptic drive and short-term plasticity of both excitatory and inhibitory afferents. The new granule cells formed in the epileptic brain exhibited functional connectivity consistent with reduced excitability. We demonstrate a high degree of plasticity in synaptic inputs to adult-born new neurons, which could act to mitigate pathological brain function.

Animals↗

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 is a negative regulator of progenitor proliferation in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine, acting through the TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 receptors. The two receptors have been proposed to mediate distinct TNF-alpha effects in the CNS, TNF-R1 contributing to neuronal damage and TNF-R2 being neuroprotective. Whether TNF-alpha and its receptors play any role for neurogenesis in the adult brain is unclear. Here we used mouse models with loss of TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 function to establish whether signaling through these receptors could influence hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo under basal conditions, as well as after status epilepticus (SE), which is associated with inflammation and elevated TNF-alpha levels. Notably, in the intact brain, the number of new, mature hippocampal neurons was elevated in TNF-R1(-/-) and TNF-R1/R2(-/-) mice, whereas no significant changes were detected in TNF-R2(-/-) mice. Also after SE, the TNF-R1(-/-) and TNF-R1/R2(-/-) mice produced more new neurons. In contrast, the TNF-R2(-/-) mice showed reduced SE-induced neurogenesis. Cell proliferation in the dentate subgranular zone was elevated in TNF-R1(-/-) and TNF-R1/R2(-/-) mice both under basal conditions and after SE. The TNF-R2(-/-) mice either showed no change or minor decrease of cell proliferation. TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 receptors were expressed by hippocampal progenitors, as assessed with reverse transcription-PCR on sorted or cultured cells and immunocytochemistry on cultures. Our data reveal differential actions of TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 signaling in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and identify for the first time TNF-R1 as a negative regulator of neural progenitor proliferation in both the intact and pathological brain.

Animals↗

Intracerebral infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor promotes striatal neurogenesis after stroke in adult rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke triggers increased progenitor proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the generation of medium spiny neurons in the damaged striatum of rodents. We explored whether intrastriatal infusion of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes neurogenesis after stroke. METHODS: Adult rats were subjected to 2-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). GDNF was infused into the ischemic striatum either during the first week after MCAO, with the animals being killed directly thereafter, or during the third and fourth weeks, with the rats being killed 1 week later. New cells were labeled with 5'-bromo-2'deoxyuridine (BrdU) on day 7 or during the second week, respectively. Neurogenesis was assessed immunocytochemically with antibodies against BrdU and neuronal, glial, or progenitor markers. GDNF receptor expression was analyzed in SVZ tissue and neurospheres by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: GDNF infusion increased cell proliferation in the ipsilateral SVZ and the recruitment of new neuroblasts into the striatum after MCAO and improved survival of new mature neurons. The GDNF receptor GFRalpha1 was upregulated in the SVZ 1 week after MCAO and was coexpressed with markers of dividing progenitor cells. CONCLUSIONS: Intrastriatal infusion of GDNF in the postischemic period promotes several steps of striatal neurogenesis after stroke, partly through direct action on SVZ progenitors. Because delivery of GDNF has biological effects in the human brain, our data suggest that administration of this factor may promote neuroregenerative responses in stroke patients.

Animals↗

Stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Many common neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis, are caused by a loss of neurons and glial cells. In recent years, neurons and glia have been generated successfully from stem cells in culture, fueling efforts to develop stem-cell-based transplantation therapies for human patients. More recently, efforts have been extended to stimulating the formation and preventing the death of neurons and glial cells produced by endogenous stem cells within the adult central nervous system. The next step is to translate these exciting advances from the laboratory into clinically useful therapies.

Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy↗

Estimating the value of novel interventions for Parkinson's disease: an early decision-making model with application to dopamine cell replacement.

A long-term cost-effectiveness model for early decision-making and estimation of outcomes of novel therapeutic procedures for Parkinson's disease (PD) was developed based on the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stages of PD. Results provided support for model validity. Model application to a future dopamine cell replacement therapy indicated long-term cost offsets and gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in early onset PD (HY III-IV), as compared to standard drug therapy. The maximum price premium (i.e., profit or compensation for developmental costs) for the intervention to remain cost-effective was estimated to euro12000-64000 according to cost-per-QALY thresholds of euro38000-70000 and depending on whether all or only medical direct costs are considered. The study illustrates the value of early health economic modeling and the described model shows promise as a means to estimate outcomes and aid decision-making regarding novel interventions for PD.

Adult↗

Prostaglandin E2 and BDNF levels in rat hippocampus are negatively correlated with status epilepticus severity: no impact on survival of seizure-generated neurons.

Partial and generalized status epilepticus (pSE and gSE) trigger the same level of progenitor cell proliferation in adult dentate gyrus, but survival of new neurons is poor after gSE. Here, we show markedly elevated levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rat hippocampal formation at 7 days following pSE but not gSE. Administration of the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor flurbiprofen for 1 week, starting at day 8 post-SE, abated PGE2 and decreased BDNF levels, but did not affect survival of new neurons 4 weeks later. Thus, high PGE2 and BDNF levels induced by pSE are probably not of major importance for survival of new neurons during the first days after formation. We propose that they modulate other aspects of synaptic and cellular plasticity, and thereby may influence epileptogenesis.

Animals↗

Long-term assessment of striatal dopamine transporters in Parkinsonian patients with intrastriatal embryonic mesencephalic grafts.

PURPOSE: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of striatal dopamine transporters (DAT) has been used to demonstrate presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction and to monitor the progression of Parkinson's disease. In parkinsonian patients who were implanted with embryonic mesencephalic tissue in the striatum, positron emission tomography (PET) has shown an increase in striatal [(18)F]dopa uptake as an indicator of graft survival and striatal reinnervation. The aim of this study was to investigate two patients who had undergone bilateral intrastriatal transplantation of human embryonic mesencephalic tissue using SPECT and the (123)I-labelled DAT ligand N-(3-iodopropen-2-yl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane (IPT). METHODS: Two patients were subjected to [(123)I]IPT SPECT according to a standardised protocol prospectively and repeatedly up to 8 years after transplantation. RESULTS: From baseline to year 3 after transplantation, mean striatal DAT availability increased by a mean of 61% (93% and 29% in patients 1 and 2, respectively). It then remained relatively stable up to 8 years in patient 2, but increased further by another 77% of baseline values in patient 1. Clinically, both patients experienced a moderate improvement in motor performance but developed moderate (patient 2) to severe (patient 1) off-medication dyskinesias. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that DAT imaging using IPT and SPECT can be used to demonstrate graft survival following dopaminergic tissue implantation. Because SPECT with DAT ligands is widely available in the routine clinical setting, this methodology may be a useful alternative to [(18)F]dopa PET for repeated scanning of grafted parkinsonian patients. The relevance of the long-term increase in DAT binding for the development of off-medication dyskinesias remains to be elucidated further.

Corpus Striatum↗

Human fetal cortical and striatal neural stem cells generate region-specific neurons in vitro and differentiate extensively to neurons after intrastriatal transplantation in neonatal rats.

Human fetal brain is a potential source of neural stem cells (NSCs) for cell replacement therapy in neurodegenerative diseases. We explored whether NSCs isolated from cortex and striatum of human fetuses, aged 6-9 weeks post-conception, maintain their regional identity and differentiate into specific neuron types in culture and after intrastriatal transplantation in neonatal rats. We observed no differences between cortex- and striatum-derived NSCs expanded as neurospheres in proliferative capacity, growth rate, secondary sphere formation, and expression of neural markers. After 4 weeks of differentiation in vitro, cortical and striatal NSCs gave rise to similar numbers of GABAergic and VMAT2- and parvalbumin-containing neurons. However, whereas cortical NSCs produced higher number of glutamatergic and tyrosine hydroxylase- and calretinin-positive neurons, several-fold more neurons expressing the striatal projection neuron marker, DARPP-32, were observed in cultures of striatal NSCs. Human cortical and striatal NSCs survived and migrated equally well after transplantation. The two NSC types also generated similar numbers of mature NeuN-positive neurons, which were several-fold higher at 4 months as compared to at 1 month after grafting. At 4 months, the grafts contained cells with morphologic characteristics of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Many of neurons were expressing parvalbumin. Our data show that NSCs derived from human fetal cortex and striatum exhibit region-specific differentiation in vitro, and survive, migrate, and form mature neurons to the same extent after intrastriatal transplantation in newborn rats.

Animals↗

Health-related quality of life in multiple system atrophy.

Although multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to progressive disability and decreased life expectancy, little is known about patients' own evaluation of their illness and factors associated with poor health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL). We, therefore, assessed Hr-QoL and its determinants in MSA. The following scales were applied to 115 patients in the European MSA-Study Group (EMSA-SG) Natural History Study: Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36), EQ-5D, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE), Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) Parkinson's disease staging scale, Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale (COMPASS), and Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). Forty-six percent of patients had moderate to severe depression (BDI > or = 17); Hr-QoL scores on the SF-36 and EQ-5D were significantly impaired. Pain, the only domain with similar scores in MSA and published PD patients, was reported more frequently in patients with MSA-P (predominantly parkinsonian motor subtype) than MSA-C (predominantly cerebellar motor subtype; 76% vs. 50%; P = 0.005). Hr-QoL scores correlated most strongly with UMSARS motor, COMPASS, and BDI scores but not with MMSE scores, age at onset, or disease duration. The COMPASS and UMSARS activities of daily living scores were moderate-to-strong predictors for the SF-36 physical summary score and the BDI and UMSARS motor scores for the SF-36 mental summary score. This report is the first study to show that Hr-QoL is significantly impaired in MSA. Although not all possible factors related to impaired Hr-QoL in MSA could be assessed, autonomic dysfunction, motor impairment, and depression were most closely associated with poor Hr-QoL, and therapeutic management, therefore, should concentrate upon these aspects of the disease.

Anxiety↗

Regulation of stroke-induced neurogenesis in adult brain--recent scientific progress.

Stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult rodents induces the formation of new neurons in the damaged striatum, a region that normally does not show neurogenesis. Here we describe recent findings on the regulation of neurogenesis after stroke, in particular regarding the duration of the neurogenic response and the influence of age, as well as the molecular mechanisms influencing migration and survival of the new neurons. We also discuss some crucial issues that need to be addressed in the further exploration of this potential self-repair mechanism after damage to the adult brain.

Animals↗

Long-term neuronal replacement in adult rat hippocampus after status epilepticus despite chronic inflammation.

Dentate gyrus (DG) neurogenesis is transiently increased during the first weeks after status epilepticus (SE). Survival of the new neurons is initially compromised by an acute inflammatory response, but the long-term fate of the remaining ones in the post-SE environment is unknown. Here adult rats were subjected to 2 h electrically evoked self-sustained SE and perfused after 5 weeks or 6 months. Rats exhibited partial or generalized SE followed by spontaneous behavioural seizures and abnormal electroencephalographic activity during 6 months. Numbers of activated microglia in the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ)-granule cell layer (GCL) and in the hilus declined after 5 weeks, but were still elevated at 6 months after SE, with no differences between the milder partial and the more severe generalized SE. At 6 months, partial and generalized SE rats showed a seven-fold increase in the number of mature SGZ-GCL neurons formed during the first 2 weeks along with aberrant neurons in the hilus. Total numbers of mature neurons in SGZ-GCL were unaltered, indicating that SE-generated neurons replaced dead granule cells. Neuroblast formation had returned to normal levels in SGZ-GCL but generation of aberrant neurons in the hilus was still ongoing at 6 months. Our data indicate that long-term impairment of neurogenesis, as reported previously after kainic acid-induced SE, is not a general feature of chronic epilepsy. We have found that a substantial proportion of the mature granule cells at 6 months are generated during the first 2 weeks after SE and survive despite chronic inflammation, and that SE triggers continuous production of aberrant hilar neurons.

Analysis of Variance↗

Factors affecting the clinical outcome after neural transplantation in Parkinson's disease.

Intrastriatal grafts of embryonic mesencephalic tissue can survive in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease, but the degree of symptomatic relief is highly variable and some cases develop troublesome dyskinesias. Here we explored, using clinical assessment and 18F-dopa and 11C-raclopride PET, factors which may influence the functional outcome after transplantation. We observed increased 18F-dopa uptake in the grafted putamen, signifying continued survival of the transplanted dopaminergic neurons, in parallel with a progressive reduction of 18F-dopa uptake in non-grafted regions for the whole patient group. The patients with the best functional outcome after transplantation exhibited no dopaminergic denervation in areas outside the grafted areas either preoperatively or at 1 or 2 years post-operatively. In contrast, patients with no or modest clinical benefit showed reduction of 18F-dopa in ventral striatum prior to or following transplantation, which may have limited graft-induced improvement. We obtained no evidence that dyskinesias were caused by abnormal dopamine (DA) release from the grafts. As has been observed for intrinsic dopaminergic neurons, there was a significant correlation between 18F-dopa uptake and methamphetamine-induced change of 11C-raclopride binding (as a measure of DA release) in the putamen containing the graft. Furthermore, we observed no correlation between 11C-raclopride binding in anterior, posterior or entire putamen under basal conditions or after methamphetamine, and dyskinesia severity scores in the contralateral side of the body. Withdrawal of immunosuppression at 29 months after transplantation caused no reduction of 18F-dopa uptake or worsening of UPDRS motor score, indicating continued survival and function of the graft. However, patients showed increased dyskinesia scores, which might have been caused either by growth of the graft or worsening of a low-grade inflammation around the graft. These findings indicate that poor outcome after transplantation is associated with progressive dopaminergic denervation in areas outside the grafts, a process which may have started already before surgery. Also, that the development of dyskinesias after transplantation is not associated with excessive DA release from the grafts. Finally, our data provide evidence that long-term immunosuppression can be withdrawn without interfering with graft survival or the motor recovery induced by transplantation.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗

Persistent production of neurons from adult brain stem cells during recovery after stroke.

Neural stem cells in the subventricular zone of adult rodents produce new striatal neurons that may replace those that have died after stroke; however, the neurogenic response has been considered acute and transient, yielding only small numbers of neurons. In contrast, we show herein that striatal neuroblasts are generated without decline at least for 4 months after stroke in adult rats. Neuroblasts formed early or late after stroke either differentiate into mature neurons, which survive for several months, or die through caspase-mediated apoptosis. The directed migration of the new neurons toward the ischemic damage is regulated by stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha and its receptor CXCR4. These results show that endogenous neural stem cells continuously supply the injured adult brain with new neurons, which suggests novel self-repair strategies to improve recovery after stroke.

Animals↗

TNF-alpha antibody infusion impairs survival of stroke-generated neuroblasts in adult rat brain.

Stroke induced by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion triggers increased striatal and hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rats. We investigated the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibition on the survival of the new neurons. The mitotic marker BrdU was given on days 5 to 7, and TNF-alpha antibody or control protein was infused into the lateral ventricle of the ischemic hemisphere from day 8 to 14 after stroke. At the end of infusions, the TNF-alpha antibody-treated rats showed markedly fewer new striatal and hippocampal neurons, as compared to animals given control protein. The present findings suggest that TNF-alpha, probably acting via its receptor TNFR2, can promote the survival of stroke-generated hippocampal and striatal neurons.

Animals↗

Increased fiber outgrowth from xeno-transplanted human embryonic dopaminergic neurons with co-implants of polymer-encapsulated genetically modified cells releasing glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.

We investigated whether a continuous supply of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) via encapsulated genetically modified cells can promote survival and fiber outgrowth from xenotransplanted human dopaminergic neurons. Cells genetically engineered to continuously secrete GDNF were confined in hollow fiber-based macrocapsules. Each hemiparkinsonian rat received either a single C2C12-hGDNF capsule (n=8) or a C2C12-control capsule (n=8) concomitantly with human embryonic ventral mesencephalic cell suspension transplants. Our results show that fiber outgrowth in the area between the capsule and the graft is more extensive in rats with GDNF-releasing capsules than in rats with control capsules. We suggest that continuous and safe delivery of GDNF to the brain could be a potential way to optimize neural transplantation as a therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Analysis of Variance↗

Stroke-induced neurogenesis in aged brain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) triggers increased neurogenesis in the damaged striatum and nondamaged hippocampus of young adult rodents. We explored whether stroke influences neurogenesis similarly in the aged brain. METHODS: Young adult (3 months) and old (15 months) rats were subjected to 1 hour of MCAO, and new cells were labeled by intraperitoneal injection of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate (BrdU), a marker for dividing cells, for 2 weeks thereafter. Animals were euthanized at 7 weeks after the insult, and neurogenesis was assessed immunocytochemically with antibodies against BrdU and neuronal markers with epifluorescence or confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Young and old rats exhibited the same increased numbers of new striatal neurons after stroke, despite basal cell proliferation in the subventricular zone being reduced in the aged brain. In contrast, both the number of stroke-generated granule cells and basal neurogenesis in the dentate subgranular zone were lower in old compared with young animals. Also, the ability of newly formed cells to differentiate into neurons was impaired in the aged dentate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: Basal neurogenesis is impaired in the subgranular and subventricular zones of aged animals, but both regions react to stroke with increased formation of new neurons. The magnitude of striatal neurogenesis after stroke is similar in young and old animals, indicating that this potential mechanism for self-repair also operates in the aged brain.

Aging↗

Quantitative analysis of the generation of different striatal neuronal subtypes in the adult brain following excitotoxic injury.

Recent findings in adult rodents have provided evidence for the formation of new striatal neurons from subventricular zone (SVZ) precursors following stroke. Little is known about which factors determine the magnitude of striatal neurogenesis in the damaged brain. Here we studied striatal neurogenesis following an excitotoxic lesion to the adult rat striatum induced by intrastriatal quinolinic acid (QA) infusion. New cells were labeled with the thymidine-analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and their identity was determined immunocytochemically with various phenotypic markers. The unilateral lesion gave rise to increased cell proliferation mainly in the ipsilateral SVZ. At 2 weeks following the insult, there was a pronounced increase of the number of new neurons co-expressing BrdU and a marker of migrating neuroblasts, doublecortin, in the ipsilateral striatum, particularly its non-damaged medial parts. About 80% of the new neurons survived up to 6 weeks, when they expressed the mature neuronal marker NeuN and were preferentially located in the outer parts of the damaged area. Lesion-generated neurons expressed phenotypic markers of striatal medium spiny neurons (DARPP-32) and interneurons (parvalbumin or neuropeptide Y). The magnitude of neurogenesis correlated to the size of the striatal damage. Our data show for the first time that an excitotoxic lesion to the striatum can trigger the formation of new striatal neurons with phenotypes of both projection neurons and interneurons.

Analysis of Variance↗