Suchergebnisse

Conventional MRI is frequently used during the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis but provides only little additional pathological information. Proton MRS (H-1-MRS), however, provides biochemical information on the lesion pathology by visualization of a spectrum of metabolites. In this study we aimed to better understand the changes in metabolite concentrations following demyelination of the white matter. Therefore, we used the cuprizone model, a wellestablished mouse model to mimic type III human multiple sclerosis demyelinating lesions. First, we identified CX(3)CL1/CX(3)CR1 signaling as a major regulator of microglial activity in the cuprizone mouse model. Compared with control groups (heterozygous CX(3)CR1(+/-) C57BL/6 mice and wild type CX3CR1(+/+) C57BL/6 mice), microgliosis, astrogliosis, oligodendrocyte cell death and demyelination were shown to be highly reduced or absent in CX3CR1(-/-) C57BL/6 mice. Second, we show that 1H-MRS metabolite spectra are different when comparing cuprizone-treated CX3CR1(-/-) mice showing mild demyelination with cuprizone-treated CX3CR1(+/+) mice showing severe demyelination and demyelination-associated inflammation. Following cuprizone treatment, CX3CR1(+/+) mice show a decrease in the Glu, tCho and tNAA concentrations as well as an increased Tau concentration. In contrast, following cuprizone treatment CX3CR1(-/-) mice only showed a decrease in tCho and tNAA concentrations. Therefore, H-1-MRS might possibly allow us to discriminate demyelination from demyelination-associated inflammation via changes in Tau and Glu concentration. In addition, the observed decrease in tCho concentration in cuprizoneinduced demyelinating lesions should be further explored as a possible diagnostic tool for the early identification of human MS type III lesions. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ; This work was supported by research grants G.0136.11 and G.0130.11 (granted to ZB, AVdL and PP) of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO - Vlaanderen, Belgium) and in addition by an "FWO - Krediet aan Navorsers" grant of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO -Vlaanderen, Belgium, granted to MV); next, by a Methusalem research grant from the Flemish government (granted to ZB) and in part by funding received from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 278850 (INMiND) (granted to AVdL). Caroline Guglielmetti is holder of an IWT PhD grant (Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders, IWT - Vlaanderen). Firat Kara is holder of an "FWO - Postdoc" grant of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (FWO - Vlaanderen, Belgium). MRI equipment was funded by the Flemish Impulse funding for heavy scientific equipment (granted to AVdL).

Detrimental inflammatory responses in the central nervous system are a hallmark of various brain injuries and diseases. With this study we provide evidence that lentiviral vector-mediated expression of the immune-modulating cytokine interleukin 13 (IL-13) induces an alternative activation program in both microglia and macrophages conferring protection against severe oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination in the cuprizone mouse model for multiple sclerosis (MS). First, IL-13 mediated modulation of cuprizone induced lesions was monitored using T-2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and magnetization transfer imaging, and further correlated with quantitative histological analyses for inflammatory cell influx, oligodendrocyte death, and demyelination. Second, following IL-13 immune gene therapy in cuprizone-treated eGFP(+) bone marrow chimeric mice, we provide evidence that IL-13 directs the polarization of both brain-resident microglia and infiltrating macrophages towards an alternatively activated phenotype, thereby promoting the conversion of a pro-inflammatory environment toward an anti-inflammatory environment, as further evidenced by gene expression analyses. Finally, we show that IL-13 immune gene therapy is also able to limit lesion severity in a pre-existing inflammatory environment. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of IL-13 to modulate microglia/macrophage responses and to improve disease outcome in a mouse model for MS. ; This work was supported by research grants G.0136.11 (granted to PP, AVDL and ZB), G.0130.11 (granted to PP, AVDL and ZB) and G.0834.11 (granted to PP and SH) of the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen, Belgium), in part by a Methusalem research grant from the Flemish government (granted to HG), in part by funding received from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 278850 (INMiND) (granted to AVdL and AMP), in part by the Brainpath project (MSCA IAPP project granted to AVdL) and in part by funding received from the Belgian Charcot Foundation (granted to PP and AVdL). DLB, DS and CG hold a PhD-studentship from the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology (IWT-Vlaanderen). NDV and CH hold a PhD-studentship from the FWO-Vlaanderen. FK and JP hold a post-doctoral fellowship from the FWO-Vlaanderen.