Microglia coordinate cellular interactions during spinal cord repair in mice.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers a neuro-inflammatory response dominated by tissue-resident microglia and monocyte derived macrophages (MDMs). Since activated microglia and MDMs are morphologically identical and express similar phenotypic markers in vivo, identifying injury responses specifically coordinated by microglia has historically been challenging. Here, we pharmacologically depleted microglia and use anatomical, histopathological, tract tracing, bulk and single cell RNA sequencing to reveal the cellular and molecular responses to SCI controlled by microglia. We show that microglia are vital for SCI recovery and coordinate injury responses in CNS-resident glia and infiltrating leukocytes. Depleting microglia exacerbates tissue damage and worsens functional recovery. Conversely, restoring select microglia-dependent signaling axes, identified through sequencing data, in microglia depleted mice prevents secondary damage and promotes recovery. Additional bioinformatics analyses reveal that optimal repair after SCI might be achieved by co-opting key ligand-receptor interactions between microglia, astrocytes and MDMs.

Spinal cord injury causes chronic bone marrow failure.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes immune dysfunction, increasing the risk of infectious morbidity and mortality. Since bone marrow hematopoiesis is essential for proper immune function, we hypothesize that SCI disrupts bone marrow hematopoiesis. Indeed, SCI causes excessive proliferation of bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC), but these cells cannot leave the bone marrow, even after challenging the host with a potent inflammatory stimulus. Sequestration of HSPCs in bone marrow after SCI is linked to aberrant chemotactic signaling that can be reversed by post-injury injections of Plerixafor (AMD3100), a small molecule inhibitor of CXCR4. Even though Plerixafor liberates HSPCs and mature immune cells from bone marrow, competitive repopulation assays show that the intrinsic long-term functional capacity of HSPCs is still impaired in SCI mice. Together, our data suggest that SCI causes an acquired bone marrow failure syndrome that may contribute to chronic immune dysfunction.

Human immune cells infiltrate the spinal cord and impair recovery after spinal cord injury in humanized mice.

Humanized mice can be used to better understand how the human immune system responds to central nervous system (CNS) injury and inflammation. The optimal parameters for using humanized mice in preclinical CNS injury models need to be established for appropriate use and interpretation. Here, we show that the developmental age of the human immune system significantly affects anatomical and functional outcome measures in a preclinical model of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, it takes approximately 3-4 months for a stable and functionally competent human immune system to develop in neonatal immune compromised mice after they are engrafted with human umbilical cord blood stem cells. Humanized mice receiving a SCI before or after stable engraftment exhibit significantly different neuroinflammatory profiles. Importantly, the development of a mature human immune system was associated with worse lesion pathology and neurological recovery after SCI. In these mice, human T cells infiltrate the spinal cord lesion and directly contact human macrophages. Together, data in this report establish an optimal experimental framework for using humanized mice to help translate promising preclinical therapies for CNS injury.

Docosahexaenoic acid reduces microglia phagocytic activity via miR-124 and induces neuroprotection in rodent models of spinal cord contusion injury.

Microglia are activated after spinal cord injury (SCI), but their phagocytic mechanisms and link to neuroprotection remain incompletely characterized. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to have significant neuroprotective effects after hemisection and compression SCI and can directly affect microglia in these injury models. In rodent contusion SCI, we demonstrate that DHA (500 nmol/kg) administered acutely post-injury confers neuroprotection and enhances locomotor recovery, and also exerts a complex modulation of the microglial response to injury. In rodents, at 7 days after SCI, the level of phagocytosed myelin within Iba1-positive or P2Y12-positive cells was significantly lower after DHA treatment, and this occurred in parallel with an increase in intracellular miR-124 expression. Furthermore, intraspinal administration of a miR-124 inhibitor significantly reduced the DHA-induced decrease in myelin phagocytosis in mice at 7 days post-SCI. In rat spinal primary microglia cultures, DHA reduced the phagocytic response to myelin, which was associated with an increase in miR-124, but not miR-155. A similar response was observed in a microglia cell line (BV2) treated with DHA, and the effect was blocked by a miR-124 inhibitor. Furthermore, the phagocytic response of BV2 cells to stressed neurones was also reduced in the presence of DHA. In peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages, the expression of the M1, but not the M0 or M2 phenotype, was reduced by DHA, but the phagocytic activation was not altered. These findings show that DHA induces neuroprotection in contusion injury. Furthermore, the improved outcome is via a miR-124-dependent reduction in the phagocytic response of microglia.

Deletion of the Fractalkine Receptor, CX3CR1, Improves Endogenous Repair, Axon Sprouting, and Synaptogenesis after Spinal Cord Injury in Mice.

Impaired signaling via CX3CR1, the fractalkine receptor, promotes recovery after traumatic spinal contusion injury in mice, a benefit achieved in part by reducing macrophage-mediated injury at the lesion epicenter. Here, we tested the hypothesis that CX3CR1-dependent changes in microglia and macrophage functions also will enhance neuroplasticity, at and several segments below the injury epicenter. New data show that in the presence of inflammatory stimuli, CX3CR1-deficient (CX3CR1-/-) microglia and macrophages adopt a reparative phenotype and increase expression of genes that encode neurotrophic and gliogenic proteins. At the lesion epicenter (mid-thoracic spinal cord), the microenvironment created by CX3CR1-/- microglia/macrophages enhances NG2 cell responses, axon sparing, and sprouting of serotonergic axons. In lumbar spinal cord, inflammatory signaling is reduced in CX3CR1-/- microglia. This is associated with reduced dendritic pathology and improved axonal and synaptic plasticity on ventral horn motor neurons. Together, these data indicate that CX3CR1, a microglia-specific chemokine receptor, is a novel therapeutic target for enhancing neuroplasticity and recovery after SCI. Interventions that specifically target CX3CR1 could reduce the adverse effects of inflammation and augment activity-dependent plasticity and restoration of function. Indeed, limiting CX3CR1-dependent signaling could improve rehabilitation and spinal learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Published data show that genetic deletion of CX3CR1, a microglia-specific chemokine receptor, promotes recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury in mice, a benefit achieved in part by reducing macrophage-mediated injury at the lesion epicenter. Data in the current manuscript indicate that CX3CR1 deletion changes microglia and macrophage function, creating a tissue microenvironment that enhances endogenous repair and indices of neuroplasticity, at and several segments below the injury epicenter. Interventions that specifically target CX3CR1 might be used in the future to reduce the adverse effects of intraspinal inflammation and augment activity-dependent plasticity (e.g., rehabilitation) and restoration of function.

Gut dysbiosis impairs recovery after spinal cord injury.

The trillions of microbes that exist in the gastrointestinal tract have emerged as pivotal regulators of mammalian development and physiology. Disruption of this gut microbiome, a process known as dysbiosis, causes or exacerbates various diseases, but whether gut dysbiosis affects recovery of neurological function or lesion pathology after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. Data in this study show that SCI increases intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation from the gut. These changes are associated with immune cell activation in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) and significant changes in the composition of both major and minor gut bacterial taxa. Postinjury changes in gut microbiota persist for at least one month and predict the magnitude of locomotor impairment. Experimental induction of gut dysbiosis in naive mice before SCI (e.g., via oral delivery of broad-spectrum antibiotics) exacerbates neurological impairment and spinal cord pathology after SCI. Conversely, feeding SCI mice commercial probiotics (VSL#3) enriched with lactic acid-producing bacteria triggers a protective immune response in GALTs and confers neuroprotection with improved locomotor recovery. Our data reveal a previously unknown role for the gut microbiota in influencing recovery of neurological function and neuropathology after SCI.

miR-155 Deletion in Mice Overcomes Neuron-Intrinsic and Neuron-Extrinsic Barriers to Spinal Cord Repair.

UNLABELLED: Axon regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) fails due to neuron-intrinsic mechanisms and extracellular barriers including inflammation. microRNA (miR)-155-5p is a small, noncoding RNA that negatively regulates mRNA translation. In macrophages, miR-155-5p is induced by inflammatory stimuli and elicits a response that could be toxic after SCI. miR-155 may also independently alter expression of genes that regulate axon growth in neurons. Here, we hypothesized that miR-155 deletion would simultaneously improve axon growth and reduce neuroinflammation after SCI by acting on both neurons and macrophages. New data show that miR-155 deletion attenuates inflammatory signaling in macrophages, reduces macrophage-mediated neuron toxicity, and increases macrophage-elicited axon growth by ∼40% relative to control conditions. In addition, miR-155 deletion increases spontaneous axon growth from neurons; adult miR-155 KO dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons extend 44% longer neurites than WT neurons. In vivo, miR-155 deletion augments conditioning lesion-induced intraneuronal expression of SPRR1A, a regeneration-associated gene; ∼50% more injured KO DRG neurons expressed SPRR1A versus WT neurons. After dorsal column SCI, miR-155 KO mouse spinal cord has reduced neuroinflammation and increased peripheral conditioning-lesion-enhanced axon regeneration beyond the epicenter. Finally, in a model of spinal contusion injury, miR-155 deletion improves locomotor function at postinjury times corresponding with the arrival and maximal appearance of activated intraspinal macrophages. In miR-155 KO mice, improved locomotor function is associated with smaller contusion lesions and decreased accumulation of inflammatory macrophages. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-155 is a novel therapeutic target capable of simultaneously overcoming neuron-intrinsic and neuron-extrinsic barriers to repair after SCI. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Axon regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI) fails due to neuron-intrinsic mechanisms and extracellular barriers, including inflammation. Here, new data show that deleting microRNA-155 (miR-155) affects both mechanisms and improves repair and functional recovery after SCI. Macrophages lacking miR-155 have altered inflammatory capacity, which enhances neuron survival and axon growth of cocultured neurons. In addition, independent of macrophages, adult miR-155 KO neurons show enhanced spontaneous axon growth. Using either spinal cord dorsal column crush or contusion injury models, miR-155 deletion improves indices of repair and recovery. Therefore, miR-155 has a dual role in regulating spinal cord repair and may be a novel therapeutic target for SCI and other CNS pathologies.

Intravenous AAV9 efficiently transduces myenteric neurons in neonate and juvenile mice.

Gene therapies for neurological diseases with autonomic or gastrointestinal involvement may require global gene expression. Gastrointestinal complications are often associated with Parkinson's disease and autism. Lewy bodies, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's brains, are routinely identified in the neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) following colon biopsies from patients. The ENS is the intrinsic nervous system of the gut, and is responsible for coordinating the secretory and motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract. ENS dysfunction can cause severe patient discomfort, malnourishment, or even death as in intestinal pseudo-obstruction (Ogilvie syndrome). Importantly, ENS transduction following systemic vector administration has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here we show that systemic injection of AAV9 into neonate or juvenile mice results in transduction of 25-57% of ENS myenteric neurons. Transgene expression was prominent in choline acetyltransferase positive cells, but not within vasoactive intestinal peptide or neuronal nitric oxide synthase cells, suggesting a bias for cells involved in excitatory signaling. AAV9 transduction in enteric glia is very low compared to CNS astrocytes. Enteric glial transduction was enhanced by using a glial specific promoter. Furthermore, we show that AAV8 results in comparable transduction in neonatal mice to AAV9 though AAV1, 5, and 6 are less efficient. These data demonstrate that systemic AAV9 has high affinity for peripheral neural tissue and is useful for future therapeutic development and basic studies of the ENS.

IL-4 signaling drives a unique arginase+/IL-1ß+ microglia phenotype and recruits macrophages to the inflammatory CNS: consequences of age-related deficits in IL-4Rα after traumatic spinal cord injury.

Alternative activation of microglia/macrophages (M2a) by interleukin (IL)-4 is purported to support intrinsic growth and repair processes after CNS injury. Nonetheless, alternative activation of microglia is poorly understood in vivo, particularly in the context of inflammation, injury, and aging. Here, we show that aged mice (18-19 months) had reduced functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) associated with impaired induction of IL-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) on microglia. The failure to successfully promote an IL-4/IL-4Rα response in aged mice resulted in attenuated arginase (M2a associated), IL-1ß, and chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) expression, and diminished recruitment of IL-4Rα(+) macrophages to the injured spinal cord. Furthermore, the link between reduced IL-4Rα expression and reduced arginase, IL-1ß, and CCL2 expression was confirmed using adult IL-4Rα knock-out (IL-4Rα(KO)) mice. To better understand IL-4Rα-mediated regulation of active microglia, a series of studies was completed in mice that were peripherally injected with lipopolysaccharide and later provided IL-4 by intracerebroventricular infusion. These immune-based studies demonstrate that inflammatory-induced IL-4Rα upregulation on microglia was required for the induction of arginase by IL-4. In addition, IL-4-mediated reprogramming of active microglia enhanced neurite growth ex vivo and increased inflammatory gene expression (i.e., IL-1ß and CCL2) and the corresponding recruitment of CCR2(+)/IL-4Rα(+)/arginase(+) myeloid cells in vivo. IL-4 reprogrammed active microglia to a unique and previously unreported phenotype (arginase(+)/IL-1ß(+)) that augmented neurite growth and enhanced recruitment of peripheral IL-4Rα(+) myeloid cells to the CNS. Moreover, this key signaling cascade was impaired with age corresponding with reduced functional recovery after SCI.

Improved outcome after spinal cord compression injury in mice treated with docosahexaenoic acid.

In this study we have characterised the locomotor recovery, and temporal profile of cell loss, in a novel thoracic compression spinal cord injury (SCI) in the mouse. We have also shown that treatment with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is neuroprotective in this model of SCI, strengthening the growing literature demonstrating that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are neuroprotective after SCI. Compression SCI in C57BL/6 mice was produced by placing a 10 g weight for 5 min onto a 2 mm × 1.5 mm platform applied to the dura at vertebral level T12. Mice partly recovered from complete hindlimb paralysis and by 28 days post-surgery had plateaued at an average BMS locomotor score of 4.2, equivalent to weight support with plantar stepping. During the same period, neuronal loss at the epicentre increased from 26% of ventral horn neurons by day 1, to 68% by day 28. Delayed loss of oligodendrocytes was also seen (e.g. 84% by day 28 in the dorsal columns) and microglia/macrophage activation was maximal at 7 days. In contrast, axonal damage, judged by a decrease in the non-phosphorylated form of 200 kD neurofilament, was an early event, as the loss was seen by day 1 and did not change markedly over time. Mice that received an intravenous (i.v.) injection of 500 nmol/kg DHA 30 min after SCI, showed improved locomotor recovery and, at 28 day survival, reduced neuronal, oligodendrocyte and neurofilament loss, and reduced microglia/macrophage activation. For some of these indices of SCI, enrichment of the diet with 400 mg/kg/day DHA led to further improvement. However, dietary DHA supplementation, without the initial i.v. injection, was ineffective.

Docosahexaenoic acid, but not eicosapentaenoic acid, reduces the early inflammatory response following compression spinal cord injury in the rat.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 : 6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 : 5) are omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) with distinct anti-inflammatory properties. Both have neuroprotective effects acutely following spinal cord injury (SCI). We examined the effect of intravenous DHA and EPA on early inflammatory events after SCI. Saline, DHA or EPA (both 250 nmol/kg) were administered 30 min after T12 compression SCI, to female Sprague-Dawley rats. DHA significantly reduced the number of neutrophils to some areas of the injured epicentre at 4 h and 24 h. DHA also reduced C-reactive protein plasma levels, whereas EPA did not significantly reduce neutrophils or C-reactive protein. Laminectomy and SCI elicited a sustained inflammatory response in the liver, which was not reversed by the PUFAs. The chemokine KC/GRO/CINC and the cytokine IL-6 provide gradients for chemotaxis of neutrophils to the epicentre. At 4 h after injury, there was a significant increase in IL-6, KC/GRO/CINC, IL-1ß and tumour necrosis factor-α in the epicentre, with a return to baseline at 24 h. Neither DHA nor EPA returned their levels to control values. These results indicate that the acute neuroprotective effects of n-3 PUFAs in rat compression SCI may be only partly attributed to reduction of some of the early inflammatory events occurring after injury.

The acute administration of eicosapentaenoic acid is neuroprotective after spinal cord compression injury in rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) after spinal cord compression injury in adult rats. Saline or EPA (250 nmol/kg) was administered intravenously 30 min after compression injury. Locomotor recovery was assessed daily using the BBB open-field locomotor score. One week after injury, animals were sacrificed and the spinal cord tissue containing the compression epicenter, and the adjacent rostral and caudal segments, was immunostained using specific markers for neurons, oligodendrocytes, axonal injury, and macrophages/microglia. Administration of EPA resulted in decreased axonal injury and increased neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival, in the lesion epicenter and adjacent tissue. The behavioural assessment mirrored the neuroprotective effects and showed a significantly improved functional recovery in animals treated with EPA compared to the saline-treated controls over the 7-day period. These observations suggest that EPA has neuroprotective properties when administered after spinal cord trauma.

Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone is neuroprotective after spinal cord injury.

In spinal cord injury (SCI), neuronal and oligodendroglial loss occurs as a result of the initial trauma and the secondary damage that is triggered by excitotoxicity, free radicals, and inflammation. There is evidence that SCI ellicits increased cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) activity. The cleavage of phospholipids by cPLA(2) leads to release of fatty acids, and in particular arachidonic acid (AA), the metabolites of which have been associated with increased inflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the inhibition of cPLA(2) following SCI leads to tissue protection and an improved functional outcome. Adult rats received compression SCI and 30 min after injury they were treated intravenously with either saline or the cPLA(2) inhibitor arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3) (7.13 mg/kg). The animals were sacrificed at 7 days post-injury and the lesioned tissue was labeled using markers for neurons, oligodendrocytes, and macrophages/activated microglia. We also assessed locomotor recovery using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score. The number of surviving neurons and oligodendrocytes was significantly increased in animals treated with the cPLA(2) inhibitor compared to saline controls. The behavioral analysis mirrored the neuroprotective effects and showed that the inhibitor-treated group had better locomotor recovery compared to saline controls. Our results show that AACOCF3 has neuroprotective potential, and support the idea that cPLA(2) is critically involved in acute spinal injury.