Cardiotrophin-1 (16. Cardiotrophin-1 and Neural tissue)

CT-1 reduced neuronal cell death caused by FeSO4 and also attenuated the neurotoxic effect of the peroxynitrite-producing agent 3-morpholinosyd­nonimine on cultured cortical neurons in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that CT-1 is neuroprotective in an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia ^Ref . Astrocyte differentiation in the developing brain involves CT-1signaling which cooperates with BMP2 ^Ref . Using cortical precursor cultures, a study demonstrates that cortical neurons synthesize and secrete cardiotrophin-1, which activates the gp130-JAK-STAT pathway and is essential for the timed genesis of astrocytes in vitro. Data indicate that a similar phenomenon also occurs in vivo. In utero electroporation of neurotrophic cytokines in the environment of embryonic cortical precursors causes premature gliogenesis, while acute perturbation of gp130 in cortical precursors delays the normal timed appearance of astrocytes. Moreover, the neonatal cardiotrophin-1-/- cortex contains fewer astrocytes. Together, these results describe a neural feedback mechanism; newly born neurons produce cardiotrophin-1, which instructs multipotent cortical precursors to generate astrocytes, thereby ensuring that gliogenesis does not occur until neurogenesis is largely complete ^Ref . Using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay with rat sympathetic neuron cultures, it was found that CT-1 induces and suppresses the expression of the same set of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter synthetic enzyme mRNAs as do LIF and CNTF. In addition, the effects of CT-1 and LIF are not additive, and CT-1 does not require a GPI-linked component to mediate its actions ^Ref . A study in rat pheochromocytoma cells used glutamate, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), and staurosporine to induce excitatory damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, respectively, because these mechanisms are thought to participate in various disease processes leading to degeneration of cells. Denovirus vectors were utilised for efficient gene transfer of trophic factors (glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor [GDNF] and cardiotrophin-1 [CT-1]). It was found that GDNF and CT-1 gene transfers were equally effective in saving PC12 cells from injury ^Ref . The influence of CT-1 and IL-11 on newborn rat dorsal root ganglion neuron survival in vitro was studied. Mouse CT-1 showed prominent trophic effects that were comparable to those of CNTF and LIF. Mouse IL-11 alone did not enhance neuronal survival, but soluble mouse IL-11 receptor alpha rendered neurons sensitive to IL-11. Surprisingly, soluble IL-11 receptor alpha even had slight neurotrophic effects by itself.these results suggest that CT-1 and IL-11 might also be involved in the physiological regulation of sensory neuron survival. Thus, they might, like CNTF, become tools for the therapeutic intervention in neurodegeneration due to disease,toxici­ty,and trauma ^Ref .astudy investigated whether adenoviral huCT-1 gene transfer protected injured neurons from cell death or atrophy and promoted regeneration of rubrospinal tract (RST) after spinal cord injury in adult rats. Administration of the adenoviral CT-1 vector (Adv-CT1) to C3–4 lateral funiculus hemisection cavity, that completely interrupted RST, led to sustained CT-1 expression. Providing Adv-CT1, which rescued 20% of neurons, could prevent the loss of injured rubrospinal neurons 8 weeks post-injury. Retrograde tracing with FluoroGold showed that 1.2% of RST neurons regenerated at least two segments caudal to the injury site. Anterograde tracing with biotinylated dextran amine revealed that the RST axons terminated in white matter and gray matter. Behavioral testing revealed a significant functional recovery in limb usage. This observation indicated that adenoviral CT-1 gene transfer into the injured cord promoted survival and regeneration of rubrospinal neurons in adult rats ^Ref .Western blot analysis showed that CT-1 was the only IL-6 cytokine family member detectable in adult rat choroid plexus and in leptomeninges. The specificity of detection was verified with blots of the same tissues from CT-1-deficient mice. Levels of both CT-1 mRNA and protein were constitutively high in rat from birth through adulthood in choroid plexus, up-regulated postnatally in leptomeninges and undetectable in brain parenchyma. Using antigen retrieval, CT-1 immunolocalized to choroid epithelial cells in all choroid plexuses in addition to leptomeninges (arachnoid and pial-glial membranes). Ependymal cells lining the ventricular neuroaxis, unlike the central canal, were also CT-1-immunoreactive­.Western blots indicated that rat choroid epithelial cells express and release CT-1 immunoreactivity under defined culture conditions and also revealed the presence of a CT-1-like protein in human choroid plexus and CSF. Previously, CT-1 has been conceptualized to function as a target-derived factor for periferal neurons. This study clearly demonstrates production of CT-1 in the postnatal and adult CNS, specifically by cell types comprising the blood-CSF barrier, and its accumulation in ventricular ependyma. This finding has broad implications for CT-1 functioning apart from other leukemia inhibitory factor receptor ligands as a CSF-borne signal of brain homeostasis, one possibly involving regulation of the barrier itself, the ependyma or target cells in the surrounding parenchyma, including the subventricular zone ^Ref .