Myelin sheaths: glycoproteins involved in their formation,maintenance and degeneration

Myelin sheaths are formed around axons by extending, biochemically modifying and spiraling plasma membranes of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Because glycoproteins are prominent components of plasma membranes, it is not surprising that they have important roles in the formation, maintenance and degeneration of myelin sheaths. The emphasis in this review is on four integral membrane glycoproteins. Two of them, protein zero (P0) and peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP-22), are components of compact PNS myelin. The other two are preferentially localized in membranes of sheaths that are distinct from compact myelin. One is the myelin-associated glycoprotein, which is localized at the inside of sheaths where it functions in glia-axon interactions in both the PNS and CNS. The other is the myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, which is preferentially localized on the outside of CNS myelin sheaths and appears to be an important target antigen in autoimmune demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Received 8 April 2002; received after revision 13 May 2002; accepted 22 May 2002     

Copper and zinc dismetabolism in the mouse brain upon chronic cuprizone treatment

Recent reports describe successful treatment using copper chelation therapy in neurodegenerative animal models. However, the success claimed for chelation therapy in neurodegenerative diseases is still rather controversial. To acquire new information on copper metabolism/homeostasis, we utilized cuprizone, a very sensitive and selective copper-chelating agent with well-known neurotoxic properties, as a relevant chemical model in mice. Upon cuprizone treatment, mice developed a pronounced astrocytosis, with brain oedema and spongiosis characterised by vacuolisations of the neuropil predominantly in the white matter. In addition, cuprizone treatment severely altered copper and zinc homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in all other tissues examined, with increasing metal ion concentrations particularly in the CNS. Concomitant with this increase in the Cu and Zn concentration in the brain, metallothionein-I and -II were also highly immunoreactive in astrocyte, consistent with the astrocytosis and demyelination observed in our and other laboratories.Received 23 February 2005; received after revision 3 May 2005; accepted 13 May 2005     

Neuroactive steroids: State of the art and new perspectives

Neuroactive steroids include synthetic steroidal compounds and endogenous steroids, produced by endocrine glands (hormonal steroids) or the nervous tissue (neurosteroids), which regulate neural functions. These steroids bind to nuclear receptors or act through the activation of membrane-associated signaling pathways to modulate various important processes including the development of the nervous system, neural plasticity and the adaptive responses of neurons and glial cells under pathological conditions. Reviewed and updated in the present paper are the pleiotropic and protective abilities of neuroactive steroids. The fundamental evidence and knowledge gained constitute a profound background that offers interesting possibilities for developing effective strategies against several disorders of the nervous system. Received 3 September 2007; received after revision 24 October 2007; accepted 29 October 2007     

丁丙诺啡对小鼠中脑导水管周围灰质Ca~(2)分布的影响:电镜及电子探针研究

用透射电镜及电子探针X-射线显微分析法研究了丁丙诺啡(Buprenorphine,BN)引起镇痛期间小鼠中脑导水管周围灰质区钙离子分布的改变.按照改进的Komnick方法,脑组织用含有2％焦锑酸钾的1％锇酸固定.实验结果表明,动物经腹腔注射BN(0.8mg/kg)30分钟后,在髓鞘、轴突、线粒体和细胞核中均可见到电子致密的沉淀颗粒,尤其在髓鞘的环状片层中形成大量的、密集的颗粒状沉淀.电子探针X-射线显微分析证实髓鞘中的沉淀颗粒含有元素钙,提示BN镇痛时髓鞘结合大量的钙离子,并且可能经过髓鞘的转运,钙离子进入轴突,贮存于线粒体中.本文讨论了在中枢神经系统中的钙离子转运的可能途径.     

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: Genetic and cellular pathogenesis

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) and the allelic spastic paraplegia type 2 (SPG2) arise from mutations in the X-linked gene encoding myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). Analysis of mutations affecting PLP, the major protein in central nervous system myelin, has revealed previously unsuspected roles for myelinating glia in maintaining the integrity of the nervous system. The disease spectrum for PMD and SPG2 is extraordinarily broad and can be best understood by accounting not only for the wide range of mutations that can occur but also for the effects of PLP1 mutations on both cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous processes in myelinating cells. Appreciating the wide range of genetic and cellular effects of PLP1 mutations is important for patient and family counseling, understanding disease pathogenesis, and, ultimately, for developing future disease-specific therapies. Received 24 April 2006; received after revision 3 July 2006; accepted 9 October 2006     

Disinhibition of neurite growth to repair the injured adult CNS: Focusing on Nogo

Investigations into mechanisms that restrict the recovery of functions after an injury to the brain or the spinal cord have led to the discovery of specific neurite growth inhibitory factors in the adult central nervous system (CNS) of mammals. Blocking their growth-suppressive function resulted in disinhibition of axonal growth, i.e. growth of cultured neurons on inhibitory CNS tissue in vitro and regeneration of injured axons in vivo. The enhanced regenerative and compensatory fibre growth was often accompanied by a substantial improvement in the functional recovery after CNS injury. The first clinical studies to assess the therapeutic potential of compounds that neutralize growth inhibitors or interfere with their downstream signalling are currently in progress. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of how the ‘founder molecule’ Nogo-A and other glialderived growth inhibitors restrict the regeneration and repair of disrupted neuronal circuits, thus limiting the functional recovery after CNS injuries. Received 5 April 2007; received after revision 28 September 2007; accepted 1 October 2007     

中枢髓鞘源性抑制蛋白与中枢神经再生

Nogo是一类中枢髓鞘源性抑制蛋白,主要由少突胶质细胞表达,是抑制中枢神经元轴突再生的抑制因子。这些研究成果为探讨CNS损伤的治疗提供了新思路。论文综述了Nogo的结构及在CNS中对神经元轴突再生的抑制作用。     

局部非冻结性冷暴露对豚鼠周围神经形态结构的影响

在３６ 只成年雄性豚鼠上观察了动物后半身受到４ ±２ ℃局部冷暴露后周围神经形态结构的变化。结果表明：冷暴露后坐骨神经内的微血管充血;有髓纤维从施兰氏切迹和郎飞氏结附近开始呈现进行性的髓鞘变性,以暴露后３ 天最为严重。此时电镜显示髓鞘板层分离、断裂,间距明显增大。冷暴露后７ 天显示纤维再生与变性并存。与细纤维相比,粗纤维较早发生变性,也更为明显。在非冷暴露部位的上肢桡神经上未观察到上述变化     

Myelination in the hippocampus during development and following lesion

Myelin is crucial for the stabilization of axonal projections in the developing and adult mammalian brain. However, myelin components also act as a non-permissive and repellent substrate for outgrowing axons. Therefore, one major factor which accounts for the lack of axonal regeneration in the mature brain is myelin. Here we report on the appearance of mature, fully myelinated axons during hippocampal development and following entorhinal lesion with the myelin-specific marker Black Gold. Although entorhinal axons enter the hippocampal formation at embryonic day 17, light and ultrastructural analysis revealed that mature myelinated fibers in the hippocampus occur in the second postnatal week. During postnatal development, increasing numbers of myelinated fibers appear and the distribution of myelinated fibers at postnatal day 25 was similar to that found in the adult. After entorhinal cortex lesion, a specific anterograde denervation in the hippocampus takes place, accompanied by a long-lasting loss of myelin. Quantitative analysis of myelin and myelin breakdown products at different time points after lesion revealed a temporally close correlation to the degeneration and reorganization pha-ses in the hippocampus. In contrast, electroconvulsive seizures resulted in brief demyelination and a faster recovery time course. In conclusion, we could show that the appearance of mature axons in the hippocampus is temporally regulated during development. In the adult hippocampus, demyelination was found after anterograde degeneration and also following seizures, suggesting that independent types of insult lead to demyelination. Reappearing mature axons were found in the hippocampus following axonal sprouting. Therefore, our quantitative analysis of mature axons and myelination effectively reflects the readjusted axonal density and possible electrophysiological balance following lesion. Received 22 December 2003; received after revision 11 February 2004; accepted 17 February 2004     

Myelin changes in the rats CNS following intraventricular injection of serum

Summary Normal human or rat serum administered by intraventricular injection induced demonstrable changes in the rat CNS myelin as seen from an increased recovery of dissociated myelin (DM), i.e. a myelin-related low density membrane fragments, from the tissue homogenates. The yield of DM reached a maximum on the third postinjection day and returned to the control level by day 5. In spite of the increased recovery of DM, no physico-chemical alternations in myelin isolates and no histological abnormalities in the tissue could be detected. The production of DM seems to be a sensitive index of serum-induced alteration of the myelin sheath.Acknowledgments. The authors thank J. Mellach and P. Salinas for their skillful technical assistance. The study was supported by the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society.