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PubMed2026

Progressive cardiac phenotypes and reduced reversibility from long-term CUGexp RNA expression in a DM1 mouse model.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by an expanded CTG repeat in the DMPK gene, resulting in mutant transcripts that form expanded CUG (CUGexp) RNA foci and sequester muscleblind-like (MBNL) RNA-binding proteins. DM1 is multisystemic, with progressive worsening of disease manifestations in affected tissues. Disease progression is attributed to somatic expansion of the CTG repeats with age, resulting in production of CUGexp RNA with enhanced intrinsic toxicity due to increased MBNL sequestration. To determine the degree to which cardiac disease progression can occur independently of repeat expansion, we used a transgenic DM1 mouse model with inducible heart-specific expression of a stable, interrupted 960-CUG-repeat RNA. Sustained CUGexp RNA expression caused progressive cardiac enlargement, contractile dysfunction, conduction delay, myocardial fibrosis, and reduced survival, while MBNL-dependent splicing defects remained static, consistent with the stable repeat length. We also determined the degree of reversibility after different periods of CUGexp RNA expression by shutting off the repeat-containing transgene. Suppression of CUGexp RNA expression rescued cardiac abnormalities, but reversibility declined with longer exposure to the toxic RNA. These findings demonstrate that prolonged expression of stable CUGexp RNA drives progressive cardiac pathology, revealing a mechanism of disease progression in DM1 in addition to somatic expansion.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Mouse model for protoporphyria. I. The liver and hepatic protoporphyrin crystals.

Outbred albino mice were rendered protoporphyric by a diet containing 2.5% (weight) of griseofulvin. There was a 5-fold increase in liver weight, hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis, cholestasis, ductular proliferation and cirrhosis. Liver protoporphyrin values were elevated and brown pigment granules were present in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and bile ducts. The granules showed red fluorescence, birefringence, and, at the ultrastructural level, consisted of aggregates of needle-like crystals. Crystals isolated from such livers showed solubility and absorption characteristics of protoporphyrin; in vitro recrystallization of protoporphyrin, extracted from protoporphyric mouse livers, yielded crystals identical with those observed in vivo, and commercial protoporphyrin exhibited similar morphologic features. The liver pathology and protoporphyrin crystals observed in these animals are identical to the liver pathology and crystals observed in the human disease, erythropoietic protoporphyria. In this mouse model, protoporphyrin crystals are intimately associated with hepatocellular injury and it appears that their accumulation within hepatocytes leads to hepatocellular destruction. A similar pathogenesis is postulated for the hepatic damage that occurs in some cases of erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Maraviroc alleviates neuropathic pain symptoms in a mouse model of spared nerve injury.

Chronic pain represents a major health problem in the health care system. According to the CDC data brief in 2020, 20.4% of adults have chronic pain. There has been no promising therapy for chronic pain. Currently available treatments include medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptic drugs, tricyclic antidepressants, corticosteroids, opioids, and cannabinoids, all of which may cause various negative side effects. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel, efficacious, and safe interventions for treating pain. Studies have shown that proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines make important contributions to the initiation and persistence of pain. We have found that C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 levels increased at day 14 post-spared nerve injury (SNI). This study was designed to investigate the effect of maraviroc (MVC), an FDA-approved CCR5 antagonist, on neuropathic pain in a mouse model of SNI. We found that MVC alleviated SNI-induced mechanical allodynia at 3, 7, and 14 days postinjury. MVC treatment also prevented SNI-mediated thermal hypersensitivity at 7 and 14 days postinjury in both male and female cohorts. SNI resulted in weight-bearing deficits, which were corrected by MVC administration in male mice. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that MVC rescued SNI-induced dysregulation of sex-specific canonical pathways in the spinal cord. Collectively, our findings showed that MVC could reduce neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury, providing a base for the repurposing of this FDA-approved human immunodeficiency virus drug as a pain reducer in clinical applications. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain is associated with upregulation of the C-C motif chemokine ligand 5. Targeting the C-C motif chemokine ligand 5-CCR5 axis with FDA-approved maraviroc alleviated pain phenotype through modulating different pathways in male and female mice.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Multiplexed genome editing by CRISPR-Un1Cas12f1 restores dystrophin expression in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The compact type V clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) nuclease Un1Cas12f1 is compatible with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated genome editing, although the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) requirements and capacity for multiplexed genome editing remain undefined. Here, we show that Un1Cas12f1 exhibits a broad tolerance for non-canonical PAMs, including Y-rich motifs with a preference for TTCR and TCTA PAMs, thereby expanding the genomic targeting range. We further demonstrate that a tandem sgRNA array expressed from a single transcript supports Un1Cas12f1-mediated multiplexed genome editing at up to five distinct genomic loci. Leveraging this multiplexing capability, we achieved targeted excision of the Dmd exon 23 through intramuscular delivery of an all-in-one AAV vector encoding Un1Cas12f1 and a CRISPR array. This treatment restored the disrupted open reading frame and dystrophin expression in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Together, these findings establish Un1Cas12f1 as a compact CRISPR system capable of multiplexed genome editing and demonstrate its therapeutic potential for DMD.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2025

Targeting the bile acid receptor TGR5 with Gentiopicroside to activate Nrf2 antioxidant signaling and mitigate Parkinson's disease in an MPTP mouse model.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by classical symptoms including bradykinesia, rest tremor and rigidity. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are recognized as pivotal factors in PD progression. Gentiopicroside (GPS), a secoiridoid derived from Gentiana manshurica Kitagawa, exhibits antioxidant and mitophagy induction properties. Nonetheless, the effects and mechanisms by which GPS mitigates neurodegeneration in PD remain to be thoroughly elucidated. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of GPS in PD models. METHODS: We established the MPTP/MPP+-induced PD models to measure the neuroprotection of GPS. Transcriptomic analysis, oxidative biochemical kits, western blot and cell immunofluorescence were conducted to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms at play. Subsequently, the targeting and activation of the transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor-5 (TGR5) by GPS were measured by molecular docking, cellular thermal shift assay, microscale thermophoresis (MST) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) quantitation. Finally, we verified whether the neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of GPS were dependent on TGR5 by using specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), pharmacological antagonist and knockout mice. RESULTS: GPS significantly attenuated dopaminergic (DAergic) neuron loss and restored motor function in the MPTP-induced PD mouse model. Whole-genome RNA sequencing and subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that GPS enhanced the expression and facilitated nuclear entry of factor erythroid-related 2-factor 2 (Nrf2), and reduced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction stimulated by neurotoxin. Additionally, GPS could target TGR5 and prevent its downregulation in PD model. TGR5's silencing or inhibition weakened the neuroprotective effect of GPS and blocked GPS-mediated activation of Nrf2 antioxidant signaling in PD model. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of GPS in mitigating motor deficits and neurodegeneration was also abolished in Tgr5 knockout mice. CONCLUSION: These findings collectively indicated that GPS targeted TGR5 to activate Nrf2 antioxidant signaling and ultimately ameliorated the pathological progression of PD.

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PubMed2026

The HTT1a protein initiates HTT aggregation in a knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease.

The mutation that causes Huntington's disease is a CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (HTT) that leads to an abnormally long polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein (HTT). Mutant CAG repeats are unstable and increase in size in specific neurons and brain regions with age, a phenomenon that constitutes the first step in the pathogenesis of the disease. In the presence of an expanded CAG repeat, cryptic polyadenylation (polyA) sites in intron 1 of the HTT pre-mRNA can become activated leading to the polyadenylation of a prematurely terminated transcript, HTT1a. This encodes the HTT1a protein, which is known to be very aggregation-prone and highly pathogenic. Given that the longer the CAG repeat the more HTT1a is generated, could the production of HTT1a be the mechanism through which somatic CAG repeat expansion exerts its pathogenic consequences? Resolving this issue is very important for the design of therapeutic approaches to lower huntingtin levels. We have used a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 approach to prevent the production of HTT1a in a knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease. All potential cryptic polyA sites were deleted from Htt intron 1 in HdhQ150 mice and colonies were established that were heterozygous for the intron 1 deletion on a mutant allele (HdhQ150ΔI) and heterozygous for the deletion on a wild-type allele (WTΔI). The CAG repeat sizes in the HdhQ150 and HdhQ150ΔI colonies were well-matched at approximately 195 CAGs. As predicted, the deletion of the cryptic polyA sites from Htt intron 1 prevented the generation of the Htt1a transcript in the HdhQ150ΔI mice. However, very low levels of the HTT1a protein were detected, which resulted from a Htt readthrough product of exon 1 and exon 2, that had retained the deleted intron and terminated at a cryptic polyA site in intron 2. HdhQ150, HdhQ150ΔI, wild-type and WTΔI mice were studied until 17 months of age. Immunohistochemical and homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence analysis showed that HTT aggregation in both HdhQ150 and HdhQ150ΔI brains contained HTT1a, but the dramatic decrease in soluble HTT1a levels in HdhQ150ΔI brains delayed the appearance of aggregated HTT1a by several months. Although this delay in aggregate pathology only partially reversed transcriptional dysregulation, the biomarkers neurofilament light polypeptide (NEFL) and breast regression protein 39 (BRP39) (YKL40) remained at wild-type levels in HdhQ150ΔI mice at 17 months of age. These data demonstrate that the production of HTT1a initiates HTT aggregation and that it is important to target HTT1a in huntingtin-lowering therapeutic strategies.

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PubMed1979

Nude mouse models as predictors of chemotherapy in man: thymidine and pyrimidines.

The National Cancer Institute cancer treatment screening program has been reorganized incorporating, as an important feature, a panel of human tumors growing as xenografts in congenitally athymic mice. The new screening program is a prospective experiment in the search for new and more effective agents for the treatment of clinical neoplasia. The new program is described and questions that are being asked prospectively are presented. Data are summarized on the activity against human tumor xenografts for a number of clinically established antitumor drugs and examples are presented in which there is interest in compounds for the clinic on the basis of activity in the new screen. Studies are outlined in which high dose thymidine inhibited the growth of human melanoma and teratocarcinoma transplanted in athymic mice. Studies are discussed employing murine tumors in which marked augmentation of the in vivo antitumor activity of 5-fluorouracil was obtained by combination therapy with the pyrimidine nucleosides thymidine, uridine and cytidine. The desirability of investigating combination chemotherapy with pyrimidine nucleosides and 5-fluorouracil and other pyrimidine antagonists in the treatment of human tumor xenografts is stressed. There is a broad range of investigations that can be conducted in nude mouse models and it is important to conduct such programs in relation to the clinic.

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PubMed2025

Granulopoietic Dysregulation in a Patient-Tailored Mouse Model of Barth Syndrome.

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by cardiomyopathy, skeletal muscle myopathy and fatigue, growth restriction, and neutropenia. Neutropenia increases the risk of life-threatening bacterial infections, a major cause of death in individuals with BTHS. Currently, there is no curative treatment for BTHS or associated neutropenia. The development of therapeutic strategies to correct BTHS-associated neutropenia has been hindered by a limited understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved. BTHS is caused by a mutation in the Tafazzin gene encoding a transacylase required for the maturation of cardiolipin, an inner mitochondrial membrane phospholipid crucial for mitochondrial structure and function. We introduced a BTHS patient's point mutation (TAZD75H) into the mouse Tafazzin enzyme's critical acyltransferase site using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, resulting in a patient-tailored point mutant knock-in BTHS model (TazD75H) that expresses a stable mutant TazD75H protein lacking transacylase activity. TazD75H mice were then used to investigate how loss of Tafazzin enzymatic activity impacts hematopoiesis. Male TazD75H mice exhibited impaired granulopoiesis and neutropenia secondary to impaired function of hematopoietic progenitors. Furthermore, they demonstrated age-dependent neutrophil maturation impairment reflecting the variable neutropenia observed in BTHS patients. Additionally, male TazD75H mice exhibit chronic lymphopenia that persists post TazD75H bone marrow transplantation. Mechanistically, the TAZD75H point mutation caused hematopoietic cell mitochondrial dysfunction in patient-derived immortalized TAZD75H lymphoblasts, increasing reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Likewise, Cyclosporine A treatment rescued these mitochondrial phenotypes in vitro, confirming TAZD75H mitochondrial dysfunction. Overall, our findings demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction secondary to TAFAZZIN loss of enzymatic function underlies BTHS-associated neutropenia and lymphopenia.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

A solid phase micro-radioimmunoassay to detect minute amounts of Ig class specific anti-viral antibody in a mouse model system.

A simple and rapid micro-radioimmunoassay was developed to detect and quantitate class specific mouse anti-Sendai virus antibodies. Two different 125I-labelled indicator systems were studied. After incubation of test serum with antigen one system used 125I-rabbit anti-mouse IgG (RIA 1) and the second employed rabbit anti-mouse IgG, IgA or IgM followed by 125I-sheep anti-rabbit immunoglobulin reagent (RIA 2). The RIA 2 method was adopted for routine use as it was more sensitive, gave better discrimination between sample and background counts and eliminated the need for several labelled rabbit anti-mouse Ig class specific antisera. The technique was found to be about 100 times more sensitive than conventional HI tests, specific, reliable and economical of reagents and time.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Lysosomes and melanin granules of the retinal pigment epithelium in a mouse model of the Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

The origin of giant granules in the retinal pigment epithelium of the beige mouse was investigated with electron microscopy and ultrastructural histochemistry. These granules were found to contain melanin and acid phosphatase. Apparently they arise from fusions of primary lysosomes with melanin granules which are already enlarged from multiple fusions among melanosomes. Therefore, the giant granules are not primary lysosomes, nor are they simply enlarged melanin granules as suspected from light microscopic studies. A deficiency of primary lysosomes in the pigment epithelium results, suggesting a defect in intracellular digestion similar to that found in the leukocytes of Chediak-Higashi patients and several animal models. Affected humans probably have defective digestion in their retinal pigment epithelium also; which could impair the renewal process for rod outer segments. Thus, Chediak-Higashi patients may show an increased susceptibility to light damage due not only to hypopigmentation, but to defective intracellular digestion, as well.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed1977

Secondary effects of aganglionosis in the piebald-lethal mouse model of Hirschsprung's disease.

An attempt was made to identify the factors secondary to fecal stasis and megacolon that are related to overall debilitation and eventual death of the piebald mouse. The piebald mouse showed periodic leukocytosis and bacteremia that were associated with lesions in the mucosal surface of the megacolon. Defective growth, loss of weight, and retardation of development with megacolon were documented by systematic study of body weight and of the relationship between body weight and organ weights. Alterations in body weight and in organ weight to body weight ratios were parallel in the piebald mouse, in mice with imperforate anus, and in mice with surgically-induced megacolon. Histologic studies confirmed a pattern of hypertrophy of the muscularis externa in the piebald mouse. The body temperature was lower than for normal siblings, but the sodium, potassium, and water content of the feces, the general blood chemistry profiles, and the intestinal microflora did not differ from those of the normal mouse. There was no evidence of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine of the piebald mouse with fecal stasis and megacolon.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Generation and Phenotypic Characterization of a CRISPR/Cas9-Engineered Cracd-Deficient Mouse Model for Post-Myocardial Infarction Remodeling Studies.

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This protocol describes a method for generating and characterizing a Cracd-deficient mouse line on the C57BL/6N background using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Zygotes were co-injected with Cas9 mRNA, a gRNA construct, and a donor template designed to generate a 3153-bp genomic deletion. The edited allele was confirmed by PCR genotyping and Sanger sequencing. To assess the functional role of CRACD in post-MI remodeling, Cracd-deficient and wild-type (WT, C57BL/6N) mice underwent MI induced by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. On postoperative day 7, cardiac function and left ventricular wall motion were assessed using transthoracic echocardiography and speckle-tracking strain imaging, followed by histopathological evaluation with H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. Representative results showed that Cracd-deficient mice exhibited reduced ventricular dilation and preserved systolic function compared to WT controls. This protocol provides a reliable experimental platform for mechanistic studies of CRACD in cardiac pathophysiology.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Visualization and quantification of rDNA instabilities in mammalian cells and mouse models.

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encodes the 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rRNA, accounting for ∼70% of cellular transcription. Despite its essential role and links to cancer and aging, quantifying rDNA instability in mammals remains challenging due to its repetitive organization and inherent heterogeneity. Here, we developed a murine rDNA FISH probe and genomic tools tailored for laboratory mouse strains. The results confirmed rDNA cluster locations, revealed substantial inter- and intra-strain as well as intercellular heterogeneity in rDNA organization within inbred mice and unstressed cells, and identified sources of spontaneous and replication-associated DNA double-strand breaks in the rDNA transcription termination region. Using mouse embryonic stem cells, we showed that BRCA1-mediated homologous recombination promotes rDNA instability, the non-homologous end joining factor XRCC1, but not Ku, suppresses intra-cluster deletions, and ATM kinase preserves rDNA cluster stability. Together, these findings establish a platform and tools for studying rDNA instability in animal models relevant to aging and cancer research.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

The defect in transcellular transport of phosphate in the nephron is located in brush-border membranes in X-linked hypophosphatemia (Hyp mouse model).

We purified renal cortex brush-border membranes from mutant hemizygous hypophosphatemic (Hyp/Y) mice and male control (+/Y) littermates. Tenfold purification of mutant and wild-type membranes was obtained. Phosphate enters +/Y brush-border membrane vesicles by a saturable Na+-dependent arsenate-inhibited component and also by a diffusional component observed in the presence of a potassium gradient. Phosphate is not bound or incorporated significantly by mouse brush-border membrane vesicles. Parallel studies with rat renal cortex brush-border membrane vesicles revealed that phosphate and D-glucose transport in rat and mouse vesicles are similar and have the characteristics reported by other workers. Brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from Hyp/Y renal cortex have significant (p less than 0.001) partial loss of phosphate transport on the Na+-dependent arsenate-inhibited component. D-Glucose transport is not affected. Our previous studies reveal that other components of transcellular phosphate flux in kidney are normal. Therefore, we conclude that the mutant gene product in the Hyp mouse is confined to the brush-border membrane. Stability of the X-chromosome in mammalian evolution implied that the same gene product is involved in the classic human disease, familial 'vitamin D 'resistant' X-linked hypophosphatemia.

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PubMed2026

Heat shock protein 40 enhances axon regeneration in a mouse model of traumatic optic neuropathy.

Retinal ganglion cell death occurs following injury to the optic nerve either by trauma or in disease such as glaucoma, leading to severe vision loss. Recent innovations have demonstrated that optic nerve regeneration is feasible; however, the regeneration is limited. The aim of the present study is to identify genomic elements enhancing axon regeneration. We have taken a forward genetics approach using the BXD recombinant mouse strains to identify a gene that increases the extent of optic nerve regeneration. Axon regeneration was induced by knocking down Pten in retinal ganglion cells using adeno-associated virus to deliver an shRNA followed by an intravitreal injection of Zymosan with CPT-cAMP that produced a mild inflammatory response. Retinal ganglion cell axons were damaged by optic nerve crush. Following a 12-day survival period, regenerating axons were labeled by intravitreal injection of Cholera Toxin B conjugated with Alexa Fluor 647. Two days later, labeled axons within the optic nerve were examined to determine the number of regenerating axons and the distance they traveled down the optic nerve. The analysis revealed a surprising difference in the amount of axonal regeneration across all 33 BXD strains. There was a 7.5-fold difference in the number of regenerating axons and a 4-fold difference in the distance traveled by regenerating axons. These data were used to generate an interval map defining genomic loci that modulate enhanced axonal regeneration. A quantitative trait locus modulating axon regeneration was identified on Chromosome 14 (115 to 119 Mb). Within this locus were 16 annotated genes. Subsequent testing revealed that one candidate gene, Dnajc3, modulated axonal regeneration. Dnajc3 encodes heat shock protein 40 (HSP40), a molecular chaperone. Knocking down Dnajc3 in the high regenerative strain (BXD90) led to a decreased regeneration response, whereas, overexpression of Dnajc3 in a low regenerative strain (BXD34) resulted in an increased regeneration response. These findings reveal that Dnajc3 not only increases the number of regenerating axons, but also increases the distance that axons travel. The enhanced regeneration will prove to be critical for functional recovery in humans, where the distance axons travel to their targets is considerably longer than that of mice.

axon regeneration↗

PubMed2026

Deep learning-assisted, pathogenesis-informed lung histopathology scoring in preclinical mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A infection.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus (IAV) cause viral pneumonia, yet their lung lesions evolve with distinct spatial organization and resolution-phase architecture. In preclinical murine studies, H&E histopathology is a primary endpoint, but burden-focused semiquantitative scoring can miss pathogen- and phase-specific differences in lesion topology, compartmental involvement, inflammatory organization, and repair. We aimed to define virus- and phase-specific morphologic signatures and translate them into a practical, pathogenesis-informed scoring guide, supported by whole-slide convolutional neural network (CNN) analysis with class activation mapping (CAM). METHODS: Mice were infected under standardized conditions and evaluated during the early, peak-injury, and late phases of infection, corresponding to 2~3, 5~8, and 14 days post-infection (dpi), respectively. Lungs were assessed by H&E with semiquantitative scoring and by immunostaining to map viral antigen distribution and epithelial tropism. Whole-slide CNN models were trained for virus- and phase-specific classification, and CAM localized discriminative regions. RESULTS: Dose titration established reproducible lethal and sublethal infection conditions for both viruses. Viral antigen kinetics diverged, with SARS-CoV-2 peaking early and declining toward clearance by the resolution phase, whereas IAV peaked later and declined by the resolution phase, paralleling distinct injury-repair trajectories. CNN/CAM analysis distinguished virus- and phase-specific histologic patterns across the early, peak-injury, and resolution phases of infection and highlighted spatial signatures consistent with expert review. At the peak-injury phase, SARS-CoV-2 lungs showed broad alveolar/interstitial involvement, whereas IAV exhibited bronchocentric inflammatory organization. During the resolution phase, IAV showed prominent epithelial regeneration with remodeling-forward architecture, while SARS-CoV-2 more often retained localized residual inflammatory foci. Across both infections, tissue inflammatory composition shifted over time, with higher neutrophil representation during the peak-injury phase and a relative increase in lymphocytic representation during the resolution phase. Integrating lesion topology/distribution, edema, epithelial injury-regeneration, remodeling features, and lymphocyte predominance, we proposed a pathogen-resolved, phase-informed histopathology scoring guide with recommended evaluation windows for each model. CONCLUSION: Together, these findings define virus- and phase-specific morphologic programs that inform respiratory virus pathogenesis in mice and can be translated into practical scoring criteria for preclinical respiratory virus studies.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

Blood phenylalanine lowering partially reverses white matter changes in a mouse model of phenylketonuria.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic defect caused by lack of the liver enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). This deficiency results in elevated blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels and neurotoxicity, which is manifested by reduced brain size, lower neurotransmitter levels, and reduced myelination. The goal of this study was to investigate brain myelination defects and their reversibility upon blood Phe lowering by analyzing the corpus callosum (CC) of adult Pahenu2 (PAH-deficient) mice. MRI and immunostaining demonstrated a significant reduction in CC volume in Pahenu2 mice. Treatment with an adeno-associated vector (AAV) encoding mouse PAH for 3.5 months improved but did not completely normalize CC volume. Total cholesterol, a major component of myelin, was unchanged in the CC of Pahenu2 mouse, while some sterol intermediates were significantly reduced by treatment. Single-nuclei transcriptomics showed an upregulation of oxidative stress-related pathways and increased expression of transthyretin, ApoE, Cst3, and Cd81 in CC in Pahenu2 mice. Normalization of blood Phe restored gene expression to levels comparable to those of heterozygous mice and was associated with the generation of differentiated myelin-producing oligodendrocyte subtypes and neuroprotective astrocytes. In summary, Pahenu2 mice showed white matter abnormalities and changes in transcriptome and sterol profiles, which were partially corrected by the normalization of blood Phe.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

The role of estrogen receptors and house dust mite-induced DNA methylation in a mouse model.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease affecting over 230 million people worldwide, with higher prevalence in women. Environmental allergens such as house dust mite (HDM) trigger airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness (AHR), yet the epigenetic mechanisms underlying these responses remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the role of estrogen receptors in the context of asthma is understudied. We aimed to investigate whether estrogen receptor-specific DNA methylation contributes to HDM-induced airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness. Male and female C57BL/6J wild-type mice and estrogen receptor α and β knockout mice (Esr1-/- and Esr2-/-) were exposed to HDM or phosphate-buffered saline for 5 wk. DNA methylation and RNA sequencing data were obtained from snap-frozen whole lung tissues. HDM exposure resulted in widespread differential methylation of genes associated with inflammation and AHR, including Itgal, Tmem267, Rap1b, Bmf, Mid1, Fgd1, Ddx4, Comtd1, Filip1l, Grb10, and Chst7. Notably, the absence of estrogen receptor β (in Esr2-/- mice) produced the most pronounced methylation patterns, particularly in females. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed asthma-relevant processes such as extracellular matrix remodeling, leukocyte adhesion and migration, airway smooth muscle contraction, and inflammatory signaling. Integration of methylation and gene expression data confirmed significant correlations (P < 0.05) for Itgal, Rap1b, and Tmem267, and a marginal correlation for Chst7 (P < 0.1), implicating these genes in allergic asthma pathogenesis. Our findings demonstrate that HDM exposure induces sex-specific epigenetic changes mediated by estrogen receptor status, highlighting a potential mechanism for increased asthma susceptibility in women. These results can inform estrogen receptor-targeted treatment strategies for allergic airway diseases.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Understanding estrogen receptor-mediated epigenetic regulation provides a foundation for developing sex-specific interventions for asthma, addressing the higher prevalence and severity observed in women. In this study, we demonstrate that exposure to house dust mite in the mouse lung is associated with epigenetic alterations in genes linked to airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation. These alterations were dependent on the presence or absence of estrogen receptors.

Animals↗