Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an extracellular protease that is induced hours after injury to peripheral nerve. This study shows that MMP-9 gene deletion and neutralization with MMP-9 antibody reduce macrophage content in injured wild-type nerves. In mice with delayed Wallerian degeneration (Wld S ), MMP-9 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) decline in association with the reduced macrophage recruitment to injured nerve that characterizes this strain of mice. We further determined that TNFα acts as an MMP-9 inducer by establishing increased MMP-9 levels after TNFα injection in rat sciatic nerve in vivo and primary Schwann cells in vitro. We found reduced MMP-9 expression in crushed TNFα knockout nerves that was rescued with exogenous TNFα. Finally, local application of MMP-9 on TNFα−/− nerves increased macrophage recruitment to the lesion. These data suggest that TNFα lies upstream of MMP-9 in the pathway of macrophage recruitment to injured peripheral nerve.

IOP elevation may directly damage mitochondria in the ONH axons by promoting reduction of COX, mitochondrial fission and cristae depletion, alterations of OPA1 and Dnm1 expression, and induction of OPA1 release. Thus, interventions to preserve mitochondria may be useful for protecting against ON degeneration in glaucoma.

Purpose To determine whether intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation alters OPA1 expression and triggers OPA1 release, as well as whether the uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist memantine blocks OPA1 release and subsequent apoptotic cell death in glaucomatous DBA/2J mouse retina. Methods Preglaucomatous DBA/2J mice received memantine (5 mg/kg, i.p. injection, twice a day for 3 months) and IOP in the eyes was measured monthly. RGC loss was counted following Fluoro-Gold labeling. OPA1, Dnm1, Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA were measured by Taqman qPCR. OPA1 protein was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Apoptotic cell death was assessed by TUNEL staining. Results Memantine treatment significantly increased RGC survival in glaucomatous DBA/2J mice. Memantine treatment increased the 75 kDa OPA1 isoform but did not alter the 80 and 90 kDa isoforms. The isoforms of OPA1 were significantly increased in the cytosol of the vehicle-treated glaucomatous retinas but were significantly decreased in memantine-treated glaucomatous retinas. OPA1 immunoreactivity was decreased in the photoreceptors of both vehicle- and memantine-treated glaucomatous retinas but was increased in the outer plexiform layer of only the memantine-treated glaucomatous retinas. Memantine blocked apoptotic cell death in the GCL, increased Bcl-2 gene expression, and decreased Bax gene expression. Conclusions OPA1 release from mitochondria in glaucomatous mouse retina is inhibited by blockade of glutamate receptor activation. Because this OPA1 effect was accompanied by increased Bcl-2 expression, decreased Bax expression and apoptosis blockade, glutamate receptor activation in the glaucomatous retina may involve a distinct mitochondria-mediated cell death pathway.

Chronic sciatic nerve constriction injury (CCI) induces Wallerian degeneration and exaggerated pain-like behaviors. These effects are mediated in large part by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). In this study, we demonstrate that systemically administered recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo) facilitates recovery from chronic neuropathic pain associated with CCI in rats. Because TNF-alpha has been implicated in the development of pain-related behaviors, we measured TNF-alpha mRNA at the nerve injury site. Systemically or locally administered rhEpo decreased TNF-alpha mRNA, compared with that observed in untreated animals. RhEpo also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased axonal degeneration. Immunohistochemistry of CCI nerve showed abundant TNF-alpha in Schwann cells, axoplasm and macrophages. In rhEpo-treated animals, TNF-alpha immunopositivity was decreased selectively in Schwann cells. These results suggest a model in which rhEpo counteracts the effects of TNF-alpha in CCI by blocking expression of TNF-alpha in Schwann cells. To further test this model, we studied primary Schwann cell cultures. RhEpo inhibited TNF-alpha expression in response to lipopolysaccharide, supporting the conclusions of our in vivo CCI experiments. In addition, rhEpo directly counteracted Schwann cell death induced by exogenously added TNF-alphain vitro. These results indicated that rhEpo regulates TNF-alpha by multiple mechanisms; rhEpo regulates TNF-alpha mRNA expression by Schwann cells but also may directly counteract TNF-alpha signaling pathways that lead to injury, chronic pain and/or death.

Mechanosensory fibers are enveloped by myelin, a unique multilamellar membrane permitting salutatory neuronal conduction. Damage to myelin is thought to contribute to severe pain evoked by innocuous tactile stimulation (i.e. mechanical allodynia). Our earlier (Liu et al, J. Neuroinflammation, 9 (1): 119, 2012) and present data demonstrate that a single injection of a myelin basic protein-derived peptide (MBP84–104) into an intact sciatic nerve produces a robust and long-lasting (>30 days) mechanical allodynia in female rats. The MBP84-104 peptide represents the immunodominant epitope and requires T cells to maintain allodynia. Surprisingly, only systemic gabapentin (a ligand of voltage-gated calcium channel α2δ1), but not ketorolac (COX inhibitor), lidocaine (sodium channel blocker) or MK801 (NMDA antagonist) reverse allodynia induced by the intrasciatic MBP84-104. The genome-wide transcriptional profiling of the sciatic nerve followed by the bioinformatics analyses of the expression changes identified interleukin (IL)-6 as the major cytokine induced by MBP84-104 in both the control and athymic T cell-deficient nude rats. The intrasciatic MBP84-104 injection resulted in both unilateral allodynia and unilateral IL-6 increase the segmental spinal cord (neurons and astrocytes). An intrathecal delivery of a function-blocking IL-6 antibody reduced the allodynia in part by the transcriptional effects in large-diameter primary afferents in DRG. Our data suggest that MBP regulates IL-6 expression in the nervous system and that the spinal IL-6 activity mediates nociceptive processing stimulated by the MBP epitopes released after damage or disease of the somatosensory nervous system.