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Abstract 8-Oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a major oxidative base lesion, is highly accumulated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains during the pathogenic process. MTH1 hydrolyzes 8-oxo-dGTP to 8-oxo-dGMP, thereby avoiding 8-oxo-dG incorporation into DNA. 8-OxoG DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1) excises 8-oxoG paired with cytosine in DNA, thereby minimizing 8-oxoG accumulation in DNA. Levels of MTH1 and OGG1 are significantly reduced in the brains of sporadic AD cases. To understand how 8-oxoG accumulation in the genome is involved in AD pathogenesis, we established an AD mouse model with knockout of Mth1 and Ogg1 genes in a 3xTg-AD background. MTH1 and OGG1 deficiency increased 8-oxoG accumulation in nuclear and, to a lesser extent, mitochondrial genomes, causing microglial activation and neuronal loss with impaired cognitive function at 4–5 months of age. Furthermore, minocycline, which inhibits microglial activation and reduces neuroinflammation, markedly decreased the nuclear accumulation of 8-oxoG in microglia, and inhibited microgliosis and neuronal loss. Gene expression profiling revealed that MTH1 and OGG1 efficiently suppress progression of AD by inducing various protective genes against AD pathogenesis initiated by Aß/Tau accumulation in 3xTg-AD brain. Our findings indicate that efficient suppression of 8-oxoG accumulation in brain genomes is a new approach for prevention and treatment of AD.

Inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPA) hydrolyzes inosine triphosphate (ITP) and other deaminated purine nucleotides to the corresponding nucleoside monophosphates. In humans, ITPA deficiency causes severe encephalopathy with epileptic seizure, microcephaly, and developmental retardation. In this study, we established neural stem cell–specific Itpa–conditional KO mice (Itpa-cKO mice) to clarify the effects of ITPA deficiency on the neural system. The Itpa-cKO mice showed growth retardation and died within 3 weeks of birth. We did not observe any microcephaly in the Itpa-cKO mice, although the female Itpa-cKO mice did show adrenal hypoplasia. The Itpa-cKO mice showed limb-clasping upon tail suspension and spontaneous and/or audiogenic seizure. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from entorhinal cortex neurons in brain slices revealed a depolarized resting membrane potential, increased firing, and frequent spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic current and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current in the Itpa-cKO mice compared with ITPA-proficient controls. Accumulated ITP or its metabolites, such as cyclic inosine monophosphates, or RNA containing inosines may cause membrane depolarization and hyperexcitability in neurons and induce the phenotype of ITPA-deficient mice, including seizure.

There is growing evidence that galectin-1 (GAL-1) and galectin-3 (GAL-3) are involved in the process of axonal regeneration after injury and the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies, but the precise roles of these galectins in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) remain unclear. In this paper, we summarized the distribution and possible functions of GAL-1 and GAL-3 in the PNS at mature stages under normal and pathological conditions. Predominant expression of GAL-1 and GAL-3 in isolectin B4 (IB4)-binding small non-peptidergic sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) accords with the involvement of these molecules in nociceptive and thermoceptive functions and GDNF-induced neurite outgrowth. Up-regulation of GAL-1 mRNA/protein in the neurons and Schwann cells upon peripheral nerve injury suggests its active participation in axonal regeneration; both GAL-1 in the reduced and oxidized forms appear to be key molecules for normal onset of Wallerian degeneration and subsequent neurite outgrowth, but the latter lacks lectin activity and may promote the process by stimulating macrophages rather than directly acting on neurons. GAL-3 deficient mice exhibited the acceleration in the process of Wallerian degeneration, but there is room for argument on its pathological roles in axonal regeneration. Up-regulation of GAL-3 protein in immortalized Schwann cells IFRS1 under diabetic conditions and its cytoprotective functions on the cells suggest that it may act as a factor against the progression of diabetic neuropathy, but further evidence is needed to support this idea. All these findings have shed light on both physiological and pathological roles of GAL-1 and GAL-3 in the PNS, and further evidence will be helpful to develop novel strategies for functional restoration after peripheral nerve injury and therapeutic efficacy against diabetic and other neuropathies.

Oxidative damage to DNA is mainly repaired via base excision repair, a pathway that is catalyzed by DNA glycosylases such as 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1). While OGG1 has been implicated in maintaining genomic integrity and preventing tumorigenesis, we report a novel role for OGG1 in altering cellular and whole body energy homeostasis. OGG1-deficient (Ogg1(-/-)) mice have increased adiposity and hepatic steatosis following exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD), compared to wild-type (WT) animals. Ogg1(-/-) animals also have higher plasma insulin levels and impaired glucose tolerance upon HFD feeding, relative to WT counterparts. Analysis of energy expenditure revealed that HFD-fed Ogg1(-/-) mice have a higher resting VCO(2) and consequently, an increased respiratory quotient during the resting phase, indicating a preference for carbohydrate metabolism over fat oxidation in these mice. Additionally, microarray and quantitative PCR analyses revealed that key genes of fatty acid oxidation, including carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1, and the integral transcriptional co-activator Pgc-1α were significantly downregulated in Ogg1(-/-) livers. Multiple genes involved in TCA cycle metabolism were also significantly reduced in livers of Ogg1(-/-) mice. Furthermore, hepatic glycogen stores were diminished, and fasting plasma ketones were significantly reduced in Ogg1(-/-) mice. Collectively, these data indicate that OGG1 deficiency alters cellular substrate metabolism, favoring a fat sparing phenotype, that results in increased susceptibility to obesity and related pathologies in Ogg1(-/-) mice.

It has been shown that molecular hydrogen (H(2)) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant and suppresses brain injury by buffering the effects of oxidative stress. Chronic oxidative stress causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we show that drinking H(2)-containing water significantly reduced the loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD model mice using both acute and chronic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The concentration-dependency of H(2) showed that H(2) as low as 0.08 ppm had almost the same effect as saturated H(2) water (1.5 ppm). MPTP-induced accumulation of cellular 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a marker of DNA damage, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), a marker of lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased in the nigro-striatal dopaminergic pathway in mice drinking H(2)-containing water, whereas production of superoxide (O(2)*(-)) detected by intravascular injection of dihydroethidium (DHE) was not reduced significantly. Our results indicated that low concentration of H(2) in drinking water can reduce oxidative stress in the brain. Thus, drinking H(2)-containing water may be useful in daily life to prevent or minimize the risk of life style-related oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.