CXCL12 and CXCR4 proteins and mRNAs were monitored in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) of lumbar (L4-L5) and cervical (C7-C8) spinal segments of naïve rats, rats subjected to sham operation, and those undergoing unilateral complete sciatic nerve transection (CSNT) on post-operation day 7 (POD7). Immunohistochemical, Western blot, and RT-PCR analyses revealed bilaterally increased levels of CXCR4 protein and mRNA in both lumbar and cervical DRG neurons after CSNT. Similarly, CXCL12 protein levels increased, and CXCL12 mRNA was upregulated primarily in lumbar DRGs ipsilateral to the nerve lesion. Intrathecal application of the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 following CSNT reduced CXCL12 and CXCR4 protein levels in cervical DRG neurons, as well as the length of afferent axons regenerated distal to the ulnar nerve crush. Furthermore, treatment with the CXCR4 inhibitor decreased levels of activated Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), a critical transforming factor in the neuronal regeneration program. Administration of IL-6 increased CXCR4 levels, whereas the JAK2-dependent STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitor (AG490) conversely decreased CXCR4 levels. This indicates a link between the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis and IL-6-induced activation of STAT3 in the sciatic nerve injury-induced pro-regenerative state of cervical DRG neurons. The role of CXCR4 signaling in the axon-promoting state of DRG neurons was confirmed through in vitro cultivation of primary sensory neurons in a medium supplemented with CXCL12, with or without AMD3100. The potential involvement of conditioned cervical DRG neurons in the induction of neuropathic pain is discussed.

• Klíčová slova
• AMD3100, IL-6, STAT3, axon regeneration, pre-conditioning, sciatic nerve, transection,
• MeSH
• benzylaminy MeSH
• chemokin CXCL12 metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• cyklamy MeSH
• interleukin-6 metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• nemoci sedacího nervu * metabolismus   MeSH
• nervové receptory * metabolismus   MeSH
• nervus ischiadicus * zranění   metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Sprague-Dawley MeSH
• receptory CXCR4 * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• regenerace nervu * MeSH
• signální transdukce * MeSH
• spinální ganglia metabolismus   MeSH
• transkripční faktor STAT3 metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• benzylaminy MeSH
• chemokin CXCL12 MeSH
• CXCL12 protein, rat MeSH Prohlížeč
• Cxcr4 protein, rat MeSH Prohlížeč
• cyklamy MeSH
• interleukin-6 MeSH
• plerixafor MeSH Prohlížeč
• receptory CXCR4 * MeSH
• Stat3 protein, rat MeSH Prohlížeč
• transkripční faktor STAT3 MeSH

One of the changes brought about by Wallerian degeneration distal to nerve injury is disintegration of axonal mitochondria and consequent leakage of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-the natural ligand for the toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). RT-PCR and immunohistochemical or Western blot analyses were used to detect TLR9 mRNA and protein respectively in the lumbar (L4-L5) and cervical (C7-C8) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) ipsilateral and contralateral to a sterile unilateral sciatic nerve compression or transection. The unilateral sciatic nerve lesions led to bilateral increases in levels of both TLR9 mRNA and protein not only in the lumbar but also in the remote cervical DRG compared with naive or sham-operated controls. This upregulation of TLR9 was linked to activation of the Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFκB) and nuclear translocation of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), implying innate neuronal immune reaction and a pro-regenerative state in uninjured primary sensory neurons of the cervical DRG. The relationship of TLR9 to the induction of a pro-regenerative state in the cervical DRG neurons was confirmed by the shorter lengths of regenerated axons distal to ulnar nerve crush following a previous sciatic nerve lesion and intrathecal chloroquine injection compared with control rats. The results suggest that a systemic innate immune reaction not only triggers the regenerative state of axotomized DRG neurons but also induces a pro-regenerative state further along the neural axis after unilateral nerve injury.

• Klíčová slova
• axon regeneration, compression, early endosomes, mitochondrial DNA, sciatic nerve, the endoplasmic reticulum, transection,
• MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• nemoci sedacího nervu imunologie   metabolismus   patologie   terapie   MeSH
• neurony cytologie   imunologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• přirozená imunita imunologie   MeSH
• spinální ganglia cytologie   MeSH
• toll-like receptor 9 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• transkripční faktor STAT3 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• Stat3 protein, rat MeSH Prohlížeč
• Tlr9 protein, rat MeSH Prohlížeč
• toll-like receptor 9 MeSH
• transkripční faktor STAT3 MeSH

To assess the potential role of IL-6 in sciatic nerve injury-induced activation of a pro-regenerative state in remote dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, we compared protein levels of SCG-10 and activated STAT3, as well as axon regeneration in IL-6 knockout (IL-6ko) mice and their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Unilateral sciatic nerve compression and transection upregulated SCG-10 protein levels and activated STAT3 in DRG neurons not only in lumbar but also in cervical segments of WT mice. A pro-regenerative state induced by prior sciatic nerve lesion in cervical DRG neurons of WT mice was also shown by testing for axon regeneration in crushed ulnar nerve. DRG neurons from IL-6ko mice also displayed bilaterally increased levels of SCG-10 and STAT3 in both lumbar and cervical segments after sciatic nerve lesions. However, levels of SCG-10 protein in lumbar and cervical DRG of IL-6ko mice were significantly lower than those of their WT counterparts. Sciatic nerve injury induced a lower level of SCG-10 in cervical DRG of IL-6ko than WT mice, and this correlates with significantly shorter regeneration of axons distal to the crushed ulnar nerve. These results suggest that IL-6 contributes, at the very least, to initiation of the neuronal regeneration program in remote DRG neurons after unilateral sciatic nerve injury.

• Klíčová slova
• Primary sensory neuron, SCG10, STAT3, Sciatic nerve lesion, Ulnar nerve crush,
• MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• interleukin-6 analýza   nedostatek   metabolismus   MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny analýza   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• neurony chemie   cytologie   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• poranění periferního nervu metabolismus   patologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• proteiny vázající vápník MeSH
• regenerace nervu * MeSH
• spinální ganglia cytologie   metabolismus   patologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• stathmin MeSH
• transkripční faktor STAT3 analýza   MeSH
• western blotting MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• interleukin-6 MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH
• proteiny vázající vápník MeSH
• Stat3 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• stathmin MeSH
• Stmn2 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• transkripční faktor STAT3 MeSH

The primary sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are a very useful model to study the neuronal regenerative program that is a prerequisite for successful axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Seven days after a unilateral sciatic nerve injury by compression or transection, we detected a bilateral increase in growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and superior cervical ganglion-10 (SCG-10) mRNA and protein levels not only in DRG neurons of lumbar spinal cord segments (L4-L5) associated with injured nerve, but also in remote cervical segments (C6-C8). The increase in regeneration-associated proteins in the cervical DRG neurons was associated with the greater length of regenerated axons 1 day after ulnar nerve crush following prior sciatic nerve injury as compared to controls with only ulnar nerve crush. The increased axonal regeneration capacity of cervical DRG neurons after a prior conditioning sciatic nerve lesion was confirmed by neurite outgrowth assay of in vitro cultivated DRG neurons. Intrathecal injection of IL-6 or a JAK2 inhibitor (AG490) revealed a role for the IL-6 signaling pathway in activating the pro-regenerative state in remote DRG neurons. Our results suggest that the pro-regenerative state induced in the DRG neurons non-associated with the injured nerve reflects a systemic reaction of these neurons to unilateral sciatic nerve injury.

• Klíčová slova
• GAP-43, IL-6, SCG-10, neurite outgrowth assay, primary sensory neurons, pro-regenerative state, ulnar nerve crush, unilateral nerve injury,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Activated Schwann cells put out cytoplasmic processes that play a significant role in cell migration and axon regeneration. Following nerve injury, axonal mitochondria release mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (mtDAMPs), including formylated peptides and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We hypothesize that mtDAMPs released from disintegrated axonal mitochondria may stimulate Schwann cells to put out cytoplasmic processes. We investigated RT4-D6P2T schwannoma cells (RT4) in vitro treated with N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or cytosine-phospho-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN) for 1, 6 and 24 h. We also used immunohistochemical detection to monitor the expression of formylpeptide receptor 2 (FPR2) and toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), the canonical receptors for formylated peptides and mtDNA, in RT4 cells and Schwann cells distal to nerve injury. RT4 cells treated with fMLP put out a significantly higher number of cytoplasmic processes compared to control cells. Preincubation with PBP10, a selective inhibitor of FPR2 resulted in a significant reduction of cytoplasmic process outgrowth. A significantly higher number of cytoplasmic processes was also found after treatment with CpG ODN compared to control cells. Pretreatment with inhibitory ODN (INH ODN) resulted in a reduced number of cytoplasmic processes after subsequent treatment with CpG ODN only at 6 h, but 1 and 24 h treatment with CpG ODN demonstrated an additive effect of INH ODN on the development of cytoplasmic processes. Immunohistochemistry and western blot detected increased levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated paxillin in RT4 cells associated with cytoplasmic process outgrowth after fMLP or CpG ODN treatment. We found increased immunofluorescence of FPR2 and TLR9 in RT4 cells treated with fMLP or CpG ODN as well as in activated Schwann cells distal to the nerve injury. In addition, activated Schwann cells displayed FPR2 and TLR9 immunostaining close to GAP43-immunopositive regenerated axons and their growth cones after nerve crush. Increased FPR2 and TLR9 immunoreaction was associated with activation of p38 and NFkB, respectively. Surprisingly, the growth cones displayed also FPR2 and TLR9 immunostaining. These results present the first evidence that potential mtDAMPs may play a key role in the induction of Schwann cell processes. This reaction of Schwann cells can be mediated via FPR2 and TLR9 that are canonical receptors for formylated peptides and mtDNA. The possible role for FPR2 and TLR9 in growth cones is also discussed.

• Klíčová slova
• CpG ODN, FPR2, RT4-D6P2T schwannoma cells, TLR9, fMLP, growth conus, in vitro, nerve injury,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH