Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) tract of the androgen receptor (AR-polyQ). Characteristics of SBMA include proximal muscular atrophy, weakness, contraction fasciculation and bulbar involvement. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a diverse class of highly conserved small RNA molecules that function as crucial regulators of gene expression in animals and plants. Recent functional studies have shown the potent activity of specific miRNAs as disease modifiers both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, potential therapeutic approaches that target the miRNA processing pathway have recently attracted attention. Here we describe a novel therapeutic approach using the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector–mediated delivery of a specific miRNA for SBMA. We found that miR-196a enhanced the decay of the AR mRNA by silencing CUGBP, Elav-like family member 2 (CELF2). CELF2 directly acted on AR mRNA and enhanced the stability of AR mRNA. Furthermore, we found that the early intervention of miR-196a delivered by an AAV vector ameliorated the SBMA phenotypes in a mouse model. Our results establish the proof of principle that disease-specific miRNA delivery could be useful in neurodegenerative diseases.

Seventy-one cases of distal and segmental muscular atrophy of the upper extremities with juvenile onset were studied. The clinical features consisted of: juvenile onset, male preponderance, unique distribution of the muscular atrophy in the hand and forearm, tendon reflexes hypoactive in most cases but hyperactive in some, no definite sensory disturbances, no involvement of the cranial nerves, and autonomic nerve disorders in the affected region. There was rapid progression during the 2 to 3 years after onset with a slowly progressive course thereafter. There were no abnormal laboratory findings except for electrophysiological and morphological findings of the affected muscles. The site of lesion was surmised to be from the C5 to T1 spinal segments with intramedullary involvement. The cause is unknown.

Senescence of vascular endothelial cells leads to endothelial dysfunction and contributes to the progression of atherosclerosis. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors whose activation protects against atherosclerosis by transcriptional regulation of genes important in promoting cholesterol efflux and inhibiting inflammation. Here we found that LXR activation with specific ligands reduced the increase in senescence-associated (SA) β-gal activity, a senescence marker, and reversed the decrease in telomerase activity, a replicative senescence marker, in human endothelial cells under high glucose. This effect of LXR activation was associated with reduced reactive oxygen species and increased endothelial NO synthase activity. A series of experiments that used siRNAs indicated that LXRβ mediates the prevention of endothelial cellular senescence, and that sterol regulatory element binding protein-1, which was up-regulated as a direct LXRβ target gene, may act as a brake of endothelial cellular senescence. Although oral administration of the LXR ligand led to severe fatty liver in diabetic rats, concomitant therapy with metformin avoided the development of hepatic steatosis. However, the preventive effect of the LXR ligand on SA β-gal-stained cells in diabetic aortic endothelium was preserved even if metformin was coadministered. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that an additional mechanism, such as the regulation of endothelial cellular senescence, is related to the antiatherogenic properties of LXRs, and concomitant treatment with metformin may provide a clinically useful therapeutic strategy to alleviate an LXR activation-mediated adverse effects on liver triglyceride metabolism.T0901317 | cholesterol efflux transporter N uclear receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors that play an important role in the regulation of cellular metabolic function such as lipid and glucose metabolism (1). Dysregulation of these processes causes development of metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In humans, 48 different types of nuclear receptors have been identified. These include the receptor for a metabolite of vitamin A, retinoic acid, retinoic acid receptor (RAR); the vitamin D receptor (VDR); the fatty acid receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ); the oxysterol receptor, liver X receptor (LXR); and their obligate heterodimeric partner, the retinoid X receptor (RXR) (2, 3). LXRs act as potent transcriptional switches for the coordinated regulation of genes involved in the control of hepatic lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and have a crucial role in reverse cholesterol transport,

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Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that affects males, results from a CAG triplet repeat/polyglutamine expansions in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Patients develop progressive muscular weakness and atrophy, and no effective therapy is currently available. The tissue-specific pathogenesis, especially relative pathological contributions between degenerative motor neurons and muscles, remains inconclusive. Though peripheral pathology in skeletal muscle caused by toxic AR protein has been recently reported to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of SBMA using mouse models, the role of motor neuron degeneration in SBMA has not been rigorously investigated. Here, we exploited synthetic antisense oligonucleotides to inhibit the RNA levels of mutant AR in the central nervous system (CNS) and explore its therapeutic effects in our SBMA mouse model that harbors a mutant AR gene with 97 CAG expansions and characteristic SBMA-like neurogenic phenotypes. A single intracerebroventricular administration of the antisense oligonucleotides in the presymptomatic phase efficiently suppressed the mutant gene expression in the CNS, and delayed the onset and progression of motor dysfunction, improved body weight gain and survival with the amelioration of neuronal histopathology in motor units such as spinal motor neurons, neuromuscular junctions and skeletal muscle. These findings highlight the importance of the neurotoxicity of mutant AR protein in motor neurons as a therapeutic target.