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- Balayssac, David, et al.
(author)
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Neurofilament light chain in plasma as a sensitive diagnostic biomarker of peripheral neurotoxicity : In Vivo mouse studies with oxaliplatin and paclitaxel - NeuroDeRisk project
- 2023
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In: Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. - : Elsevier. - 0753-3322 .- 1950-6007. ; 167
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Identifying compounds that are neurotoxic either toward the central or the peripheral nervous systems (CNS or PNS) would greatly benefit early stages of drug development by derisking liabilities and selecting safe compounds. Unfortunately, so far assays mostly rely on histopathology findings often identified after repeated-dose toxicity studies in animals. The European NeuroDeRisk project aimed to provide comprehensive tools to identify compounds likely inducing neurotoxicity. As part of this project, the present work aimed to identify diagnostic non-invasive biomarkers of PNS toxicity in mice. We used two neurotoxic drugs in vivo to correlate functional, histopathological and biological findings. CD1 male mice received repeated injections of oxaliplatin or paclitaxel followed by an assessment of drug exposure in CNS/PNS tissues. Functional signs of PNS toxicity were assessed using electronic von Frey and cold paw immersion tests (oxaliplatin), and functional observational battery, rotarod and cold plate tests (paclitaxel). Plasma concentrations of neurofilament light chain (NF-L) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) were measured, and histopathological evaluations were performed on a comprehensive list of CNS and PNS tissues. Functional PNS toxicity was observed only in oxaliplatin-treated mice. Histopathological findings were observed dose-dependently only in paclitaxel groups. While no changes of VEGF-A concentrations was recorded, NF-L concentrations were increased only in paclitaxel-treated animals as early as 7 days after the onset of drug administration. These results show that plasma NF-L changes correlated with microscopic changes in the PNS, thus strongly suggesting that NF-L could be a sensitive and specific biomarker of PNS toxicity in mice.
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2. |
- Gioia, Roberta, et al.
(author)
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Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and social behavioural deficits in the R451C Neuroligin3 mouse model of autism are reverted by the antidepressant fluoxetine
- 2023
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In: Journal of Neurochemistry. - : Wiley. - 0022-3042 .- 1471-4159. ; 165:3, s. 318-333
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neuron generation persists throughout life in the hippocampus but is altered in animal models of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, suggesting that disease-associated decline in cognitive and emotional hippocampal-dependent behaviours might be functionally linked with dysregulation of postnatal neurogenesis. Depletion of the adult neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPCs) pool and neurogenic decline have been recently described in mice expressing synaptic susceptibility genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs). To gain further insight into mechanisms regulating neurogenesis in mice carrying mutations in synaptic genes related to monogenic ASDs, we used the R451C Neuroligin3 knock-in (Nlgn3 KI) mouse, which is characterized by structural brain abnormalities, deficits in synaptic functions and reduced sociability. We show that the number of adult-born neurons, but not the size of the NSPC pool, was reduced in the ventral dentate gyrus in knock-in mice. Notably, this neurogenic decline was rescued by daily injecting mice with 10 mg/Kg of the antidepressant fluoxetine for 20 consecutive days. Sustained treatment also improved KI mice's sociability and increased the number of c-Fos active adult-born neurons, compared with vehicle-injected KI mice. Our study uncovers neurogenesis-mediated alterations in the brain of R451C KI mouse, showing that the R451C Nlgn3 mutation leads to lasting, albeit pharmacologically reversible, changes in the brain, affecting neuron formation in the adult hippocampus. Our results suggest that fluoxetine can ameliorate social behaviour in KI mice, at least in part, by rescuing adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which may be relevant for the pharmacological treatment of ASDs. (Figure presented.).
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