Development and characterization of novel agar and gelatin injectable hydrogel as filler for peripheral nerve guidance channels

Injectable hydrogels are becoming of increasing interest in the field of tissue engineering thanks to their versatile properties and to the possibility of being injected into tissues or devices during surgery. In peripheral nerve tissue engineering, injectable hydrogels having shear‐thinning properties are advantageous as filler of nerve guidance channels (NGCs) to improve the regeneration process. In the present work, gelatin‐based hydrogels were developed and specifically designed for the insertion into the lumen of hollow NGCs through a syringe during surgery. Injectable hydrogels were obtained using an agar–gelatin 20:80 weight ratio, (wt/wt) blend crosslinked by the addition of genipin (A/GL_GP). The physicochemical properties of the A/GL_GP hydrogels were analysed, including their injectability, rheological, swelling and dissolution behaviour, and their mechanical properties under compression. The hydrogel developed showed shear‐thinning properties and was applied as filler of NGCs. The A/GL_GP hydrogel was tested in vitro using different cell lines, among them Schwann cells which have been used because they have an important role in peripheral nerve regeneration. Viability assays demonstrated the lack of cytotoxicity. In vitro experiments showed that the hydrogel is able to promote cell adhesion and proliferation. Two‐ and three‐dimensional migration assays confirmed the capability of the cells to migrate both on the surface and within the internal framework of the hydrogel. These data show that A/GL_GP hydrogel has characteristics that make it a promising scaffold material for tissue engineering and nerve regeneration. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neurologic Autoimmunity in the Era of Checkpoint Inhibitor Cancer Immunotherapy

Neurologic autoimmune disorders in the context of systemic cancer reflect antitumor immune responses against onconeural proteins that are autoantigens in the nervous system. These responses observe basic principles of cancer immunity and are highly pertinent to oncological practice since the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapy. The patient’s autoantibody profile is consistent with the antigenic composition of the underlying malignancy. A major determinant of the pathogenic outcome is the anatomic and subcellular location of the autoantigen. IgGs targeting plasma membrane proteins (eg, muscle acetylcholine receptor -IgG in patients with paraneoplastic myasthenia gravis) have pathogenic potential. However, IgGs specific for intracellular antigens (eg, antineuronal nuclear antibody 1 [anti-Hu] associated with sensory neuronopathy and small cell lung cancer) are surrogate markers for CD8⁺ T lymphocytes targeting peptides derived from nuclear or cytoplasmic proteins. In an inflammatory milieu, those peptides translocate to neural plasma membranes as major histocompatibility complex class I protein complexes. Paraneoplastic neurologic autoimmunity can affect any level of the neuraxis and may be mistaken for cancer progression. Importantly, these disorders generally respond favorably to early-initiated immunotherapy and cancer treatment. Small cell lung cancer and thymoma are commonly associated with neurologic autoimmunity, but in the context of checkpoint inhibitor therapy, other malignancy associations are increasingly recognized.     

Papillary tumor of the pineal region: Case report and review of the literature

Papillary tumor of the pineal region is a rare neuroepithelial tumor characterized by papillary architecture and epithelial cytology, immunopositivity for cytokeratin and ependymal differentiation. It is considered grade II–III by the World Health Organization and was first described by Jouvet in 2003. We present a 34-year-old male with headaches, blurred vision and normal examination. Radiological study showed a nodulocystic lesion in the pineal region compatible with pineocytoma. Surgery was performed using an infratentorial supracerebellar approach, finding a cystic tumor in the quadrigeminal cistern which was completely resected. Histopathology reported a papillary tumor of the pineal region. The patient made good progress without adjuvant therapy, and after 57 months of follow-up he remained asymptomatic and free of recurrence. A review of the literature was performed to collect all the cases published with gross total resection and no complementary treatment. In conclusion, there is still much to be learned about the pathogenesis, prognosis and management of this tumor.     

甲基强的松龙对伽玛刀照射后胶质细胞Cx43和GFAP表达的影响

目的 研究甲基强的松龙（MP）对伽玛刀照射后胶质细胞缝隙连接蛋白43（Cx43）和胶质纤维酸蛋白（GFAP）表达的影响。方法体外培养原代星形胶质细胞,经伽玛刀照射（边缘剂量32Gy）并培养36h后随机分为1μg／ml、5μg／ml、10μg／ml、20μg／ml、30μg／ml、40μg/ml组及实验对照组,各组进一步随机分为48h、72h、96h、120h4个亚组。将各组胶质细胞与相应剂量MP共培养,于48、72、96、120h各时间点采用免疫组化方法检测GFAP及Cx43的表达。结果伽玛刀照射后,胶质细胞Cx43表达降低,GFAp表达增高。添加MP后,20μg／ml、30μg／ml组Cx43呈时间依赖性上调;GFAP表达虽呈时间依赖性上升,但其峰值低于实验对照组,峰值出现时间亦晚于实验对照组。结论MP可上凋伽玛刀照射后胶质细胞Cx43的表达,抑制GFAP表达的上升趋势。     

Olfactory Schwann cells are derived from precursor cells in the olfactory epithelium

In this morphological and immunohistochemical study we show that olfactory schwann cells (OSC) are derived from precursor cells residing in the olfactory epithelium. During development, they migrate out of the epithelium and extend processes to ensheath the olfactory axons. Olfactory mucosa from E14 rat embryos and juvenile rats were treated with trypsin-pancreatin to remove the underlying connective tissue. The epithelial explant was then maintained for two days in culture, during which cells migrated out from the explant. Among them were spindly bipolar cells which were identified as OSC by their positive immunoreaction for glial fibrillary acidic protein, ultrastructure, and association with growing axons. Axonal growth was significantly more profuse in the embryonic explants, in which the polarity of the OSC was oriented parallel with the axons. Ultrastructural observations showed that ensheathment of the bundles of axons resembled those in vivo.     

Long-term proliferation and dopaminergic differentiation of human mesencephalic neural precursor cells

We report on generation of dopamine neurons from long-term cultures of human fetal mesencephalic precursor cells. These CNS precursor cells were successfully expanded in vitro using the mitogens epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). Incubation of these cultures in 3% atmospheric oxygen resulted in higher cellular yields than room air. Following incubation in differentiation media containing interleukin (IL)-1b (IL-1b), IL-11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), up to 1% of the precursor cells converted into cells immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker for dopamine neurons. The TH immunoreactive cells exhibited morphological and functional properties characteristic of dopamine neurons in culture. These precursor cells might serve as a useful source of human dopamine neurons for studying the development and degeneration of human dopamine neurons and may further serve as a continuous, on-demand source of cells for therapeutic transplantation in patients with Parkinson's disease.     

痛刺激后大鼠三叉神经尾侧亚核星形细胞和神经元相互关系的电镜观察

目的：观察大鼠上唇皮下注射福尔马林后，三叉神经尾侧亚核（Sp5C)内反应性星形细胞和神经元之间相互关系的超微结构。方法：用DAB染色的抗胶质原纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）、抗connexin43(Cx43）和金颗粒标记抗Cx32双标记免疫电镜方法。结果：电镜下观察到Sp5C内反应性星形细胞和神经元之间存在4种联系结构：第一种是突触样结构；第二种是三种成分的突触复合体，第三种是缝隙连接；第四种是由Cx32和Cx43构成的异源性缝隙连接（HGJ）。HGJ表现为两侧膜增厚，Cx43阳性物质和Cx32阳性金颗粒分别位于星形细胞和神经元一侧，痛刺激后HGJ数明明显增加。结论：神经元和星形细胞之间有多种信息通道，HGJ可能是一种快速，适应性信息通道。Sp5C星形细胞可能通过HGJ调节神经元的活动，共同参与中枢神经系统对刺激反应的调节。     

雌激素、褪黑素对Aβ诱导的大鼠海马的神经损害的影响

目的:探讨雌激素(Estrogen,E)、褪黑素(Melatonin,MT)对β淀粉样蛋白(Beta-amyloid,Aβ)注入海马齿状回(Dentate gyrus,DG)诱导的神经损害的影响。方法:将老年动物随机分为假手术、生理盐水(NS)对照、正常+Aβ、雌二醇(E_2)+Aβ、MT+Aβ、E_2+MT+Aβ组,将体外孵育的Aβ_(1-40)注入海马DG分子层后,E_2、MT注射组立即分别皮下、腹腔注射E_2 10μg、MT 0.5 mg·100 mg~(-1)体重,持续7 d,观察海马DG神经病理损害情况。结果:假手术组无海马DG损害,NS组仅针道处海马CA1锥体细胞带略有紊乱、中断、胶质细胞少量,两组偶有细胞凋亡。Aβ诱导的海马DG细胞带的受损长度、胶质细胞增生数及细胞凋亡,在正常+Aβ、E_2+Aβ、MT+Aβ、E_2+MT+Aβ各组依次显著减少(P<0.01),前两变量之间线性相关系数(r_1)=0.914(P<0.01),后两变量之间r_2=0.956(P<0.01)。结论:Aβ注入海马DG可导致神经毒性,细胞凋亡参与了神经毒性过程,其神经毒性与胶质细胞增生成正相关;E_2、MT可显著减轻Aβ神经毒性,而且E_2+MT>MT>E_2,其影响与E_2、MT可减轻胶质细胞增生有关。     

Neuregulin‐1 positively modulates glial response and improves neurological recovery following traumatic spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in glial activation and neuroinflammation, which play pivotal roles in the secondary injury mechanisms with both pro‐ and antiregeneration effects. Presently, little is known about the endogenous molecular mechanisms that regulate glial functions in the injured spinal cord. We previously reported that the expression of neuregulin‐1 (Nrg‐1) is acutely and chronically declined following traumatic SCI. Here, we investigated the potential ramifications of Nrg‐1 dysregulation on glial and immune cell reactivity following SCI. Using complementary in vitro approaches and a clinically‐relevant model of severe compressive SCI in rats, we demonstrate that immediate delivery of Nrg‐1 (500 ng/day) after injury enhances a neuroprotective phenotype in inflammatory cells associated with increased interleukin‐10 and arginase‐1 expression. We also found a decrease in proinflammatory factors including IL‐1β, TNF‐α, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP‐2 and 9) and nitric oxide after injury. In addition, Nrg‐1 modulates astrogliosis and scar formation by reducing inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans after SCI. Mechanistically, Nrg‐1 effects on activated glia are mediated through ErbB2 tyrosine phosphorylation in an ErbB2/3 heterodimer complex. Furthermore, Nrg‐1 exerts its effects through downregulation of MyD88, a downstream adaptor of Toll‐like receptors, and increased phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and STAT3. Nrg‐1 treatment with the therapeutic dosage of 1.5 μg/day significantly improves tissue preservation and functional recovery following SCI. Our findings for the first time provide novel insights into the role and mechanisms of Nrg‐1 in acute SCI and suggest a positive immunomodulatory role for Nrg‐1 that can harness the beneficial properties of activated glia and inflammatory cells in recovery following SCI.