Hepatitis C virus upregulates B-cell receptor signaling: a novel mechanism for HCV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling is essential for the development of B cells and has a critical role in B-cell neoplasia. Increasing evidence indicates an association between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and B-cell lymphoma, however, the mechanisms by which HCV causes B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder are still unclear. Herein, we demonstrate the expression of HCV viral proteins in B cells of HCV-infected patients and show that HCV upregulates BCR signaling in human primary B cells. HCV nonstructural protein NS3/4A interacts with CHK2 and downregulates its activity, modulating HuR posttranscriptional regulation of a network of target mRNAs associated with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Interestingly, the BCR signaling pathway was found to have the largest number of transcripts with increased association with HuR and was upregulated by NS3/4A. Our study reveals a previously unidentified role of NS3/4A in regulation of host BCR signaling during HCV infection, contributing to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

The use of microarrays to characterize neuropsychiatric disorders: postmortem studies of substance abuse and schizophrenia.

Neuropsychiatric disorders are generally diagnosed based on a classification of behavioral and, in some cases, specific neurological deficits. The lack of distinct quantitative and qualitative biological descriptors at the anatomical and cellular level complicates the search for and understanding of the neurobiology of these disorders. The advent of microarray technology has enabled large-scale profiling of transcriptional activity, allowing a comprehensive characterization of transcriptional patterns relating to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. We review some of the unique methodological constraints related to the use of human postmortem brain tissue in addition to the generally applicable requirements for microarray experiments. Microarray studies undertaken in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and substance abuse by the use of postmortem brain tissue indicate that transcriptional changes relating to synaptic function and plasticity, cytoskeletal function, energy metabolism, oligodendrocytes, and distinct intracellular signaling pathways are generally present. These have been supported by microarray studies in experimental models, and have produced multiple avenues to be explored at the functional level. The quality and specificity of information obtained from human postmortem tissue is rapidly increasing with the maturation and refinement of array-related methodologies and analysis tools, and with the use of focused cell populations. The development of experimental models of gene regulation in these disorders will serve as the initial step towards a comprehensive genome-linked analysis of the brain and associated disorders, and help characterize the integration and coordinate regulation of complex functions within the CNS.

Transcriptional profiling in the human prefrontal cortex: evidence for two activational states associated with cocaine abuse.

CNS-focused cDNA microarrays were used to examine gene expression profiles in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC, Area 46) from seven individual sets of age- and post-mortem interval-matched male cocaine abusers and controls. The presence of cocaine and related metabolites was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sixty-five transcripts were differentially expressed, indicating alterations in energy metabolism, mitochondria and oligodendrocyte function, cytoskeleton and related signaling, and neuronal plasticity. There was evidence for two distinct states of transcriptional regulation, with increases in gene expression predominating in subjects testing positive for a metabolite indicative of recent 'crack' cocaine abuse and decreased expression profiles in the remaining cocaine subjects. This pattern was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for select transcripts. These data suggest that cocaine abuse targets a distinct subset of genes in the dlPFC, resulting in either a state of acute activation in which increased gene expression predominates, or a relatively destimulated, refractory phase.

Immunohistochemical visualization of newly formed quinolinate in the normal and excitotoxically lesioned rat striatum.

Intracerebral infusion of 3-hydroxyanthranilate (3HANA) rapidly increases the brain content of the endogenous excitotoxin quinolinate (QUIN). QUIN formation from 3HANA is readily prevented by coadministration of the specific 3-hydroxyanthranilate oxygenase inhibitor 4-chloro-3HANA (4-Cl-3HANA). This experimental paradigm was used to identify the cell populations which are responsible for the rapid de novo production of QUIN in the rat striatum in vivo. Rats received an intrastriatal infusion of 3HANA, alone or together with equimolar 4-Cl-3HANA, for 1 h. Striatal QUIN immunoreactivity (ir) was assessed immunohistochemically, using an antibody against protein-conjugated QUIN. This antibody displayed no significant crossreactivity with compounds structurally or functionally related to QUIN. QUIN-ir cells were detected after infusion with > or =300 microM 3HANA, but not in naïve striata or after co-infusion of 4-Cl-3HANA. Cellular staining was also abolished by preabsorption of the antibody with protein-conjugated QUIN. In the normal striatum, QUIN-ir was detected exclusively in cells of an apparent microglial morphology. When examined in the excitotoxically lesioned striatum, 3HANA-induced QUIN-ir localized exclusively to OX42-ir cells of an activated microglial/macrophage morphology. These data indicate that microglia and macrophages are the major source of QUIN in the rat striatum when hyperphysiological concentrations of 3HANA are used to drive QUIN synthesis. Comparison with earlier biochemical and immunohistochemical studies suggests that the enzyme responsible for microglial QUIN production is a distinct 3-hydroxyanthranilate oxygenase with high capacity and low affinity for 3HANA.

Focal cerebral ischemia induces increased myelin basic protein and growth-associated protein-43 gene transcription in peri-infarct areas in the rat brain.

Although oligodendrocytes are vulnerable to focal cerebral ischemia, remyelination of denuded or regenerating axons in the peri-infarct area has been observed in the central nervous system. We studied the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), a major component of central nervous system myelin, in peri-infarct areas in adult rat brain after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and correlated it to the expression of the growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a marker for axonal regeneration and sprouting, using non-radioactive in situ hybridization techniques. Within the infarct, MBP messenger RNA (mRNA) had disappeared by 24 h, whereas myelin protein, identified by MBP and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) immunohistochemistry, appeared structurally intact until day 3. Peri-infarct oligodendrocytes increased their expression of MBP mRNA from 24 h to maximal levels at day 7, corresponding to the appearance of process-bearing MBP and occasional MOG-immunoreactive oligodendrocytes in parallel sections. Quantitative analysis revealed significant increases in the density of oligodendrocytes (up to 7.6-fold) and in the level of MBP mRNA expressed by individual cells. Parallel sections showed that increased expression of GAP-43 mRNA in neurons was concomitant to MBP mRNA upregulation in oligodendrocytes. While the mechanisms regulating oligodendrocyte survival and myelination signals are not clear at this point, axonal sprouting could putatively serve as a stimulus for the upregulation of oligodendrocyte cell numbers, differentiation state, and/or active myelination in the peri-infarct areas.

Microglia and macrophages are major sources of locally produced transforming growth factor-beta1 after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

The potentially neurotrophic cytokine transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is locally expressed following human stroke and experimental ischemic lesions, but the cellular source(s) and profile of induction have so far not been established in experimental focal cerebral ischemia. This study presents the time course and a cellular localization of TGF-beta1 mRNA, visualized by in situ hybridization combined with immunohistochemical staining for microglia, macrophages, or astrocytes, on brain sections from adult spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to transient proximal occlusion of their middle cerebral artery. Six hours after ischemia, an early and transient neuronal and microglial expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA was observed in the extraischemic cingulate and frontal cortices. Both early and protracted expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA in the caudate-putamen and neocortical infarcts and in the caudate-putamen penumbra colocalized with OX42/ED1-immunoreactive microglia and macrophages, whereas TGF-beta1 mRNA in the neocortical penumbra colocalized with OX42/ED1-immunoreactive cells of a microglial morphology. No astrocytes were double-labeled. The number of TGF-beta1 mRNA-expressing microglia and macrophages increased strongly during the first week. Thereafter, TGF-beta1 mRNA became increasingly restricted to the neocortical penumbra (3 weeks), and after 3 months it was confined to activated microglia in the anterior commissure. Our data establish activated microglia and macrophages as the major source of TGF-beta1 mRNA following experimental focal cerebral ischemia. Consequently, TGF-beta1-mediated functions may be exerted by microglia both in the early degenerative phase, and later in combination with blood-borne macrophages, in the remodeling and healing phase after focal cerebral ischemia.

Microglial and macrophage reactions mark progressive changes and define the penumbra in the rat neocortex and striatum after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats leads to infarction of the lateral part of the striatum and adjacent neocortex, with selective neuronal necrosis in the bordering penumbral zones. Administration of glutamate, cytokine, and leukocyte antagonists have rescued mainly neocortical neurons, indicating differences in the degenerative processes. The aim of this study was, therefore, to describe the microglial/macrophage activation and polymorphonuclear leukocyte recruitment patterns and to correlate these with the ischemia-induced degenerative processes. The analysis showed significant differences in the characteristics and timing of the microglial/macrophage responses between the caudate putamen and neocortical infarct zones, the infarct zones and their associated penumbral zones, as well as between the striatal and the neocortical penumbral zone. Infiltrations with polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the infarct zones were limited and shortlasting and confined to the acutely degenerating striatum and piriform cortex. A delayed, massive infiltration with lipid phagocytes into the caudate putamen infarct markedly contrasted an early recruitment and activation of microglia/macrophages in the adjacent penumbra. Within the neocortex, a later onset of degeneration along the insular-parietal axis was marked by neuronal expression of heat shock protein and a progressive microglial activation with induction of the full repertoire of microglial activation markers, including a widespread microglial major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen expression. We interpret the present results as delineating two differentially progressing penumbral zones, which are likely to reflect differences in the underlying degenerative processes. Differences in the microglial/macrophage activation pattern attract special attention, as these cells may constitute specific targets for therapeutic intervention.

Cytokines in cerebral ischemia: expression of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA in the postischemic adult rat hippocampus.

Transient global cerebral ischemia induces selective neuronal degeneration in the adult rat hippocampus, which is both preceded and accompanied by activation of microglia and astrocytes. Altered expression patterns of cytokines and growth factors might influence the postischemic neuron-glial interactions as well as the degenerative neuronal processes. Northern blotting of hippocampal tissue from ischemic animals revealed elevated levels of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA, and in the present in situ hybridization study we examine the endogenous expression and cellular localization of TGF-beta 1 mRNA in the adult rat hippocampus at various intervals following 10 min of global cerebral ischemia. Six hours after ischemia, a diffuse expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA was found throughout the brain, which further intensified until Day 2 and thereafter subsided. In parallel, a massive increase of signal was observed in the hilus fascia dentata from Day 1 and in area CA1 from Day 2 to 4, both areas displaying selective neuronal degeneration. Peak levels of TGF-beta 1 mRNA were found in the hilus around Day 4, whereas expression in the CA1 area persisted through Day 21, the latest time point examined. A similar biphasic response, consisting of a transient, generalized reaction and a persistent lesion-associated activation in areas undergoing selective neuronal degeneration, was previously described for microglia and is reconfirmed in the present study. Cells of the microglial/macrophage lineage thus include the potent modulatory cytokine TGF-beta 1 in their potential repertoire of responses to both CNS activation and lesioning.