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Secondary degeneration following an initial injury to the central nervous system (CNS) results in increased tissue loss and is associated with increasing functional impairment. Unilateral partial dorsal transection of the adult rat optic nerve (ON) has proved to be a useful experimental model in which to study factors that contribute to secondary degenerative events. Using this injury model, we here quantified the protective effects of intravitreally administered bi-cistronic adeno-associated viral (AAV2) vectors encoding either brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or a mutant, phospho-resistant, version of collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2T555A) on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), their axons, and associated myelin. To test for potential synergistic interactions, some animals received combined injections of both vectors. Three months post-injury, all treatments maintained RGC numbers in central retina, but only AAV2-BDNF significantly protected ventrally located RGCs exclusively vulnerable to secondary degeneration. Behaviourally, treatments that involved AAV2-BDNF significantly restored the number of smooth-pursuit phases of optokinetic nystagmus. While all therapeutic regimens preserved axonal density and proportions of typical complexes, including heminodes and single nodes, BDNF treatments were generally more effective in maintaining the length of the node of Ranvier in myelin surrounding ventral ON axons after injury. Both AAV2-BDNF and AAV2-CRMP2T555A prevented injury-induced changes in G-ratio and overall myelin thickness, but only AAV2-BDNF administration protected against large-scale myelin decompaction in ventral ON. In summary, in a model of secondary CNS degeneration, both BDNF and CRMP2T555A vectors were neuroprotective, however different efficacies were observed for these overexpressed proteins in the retina and ON, suggesting disparate cellular and molecular targets driving responses for neural repair. The potential use of these vectors to treat other CNS injuries and pathologies is discussed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Partial transection (PT) of the optic nerve is an established experimental model of secondary degeneration in the central nervous system. After a dorsal transection, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with axons in ventral optic nerve are intact but vulnerable to secondary degeneration, whereas RGCs in dorsal retina with dorsal axons are affected by primary and secondary injuries. Using microarray, we quantified gene expression changes in dorsal and ventral retina at 1 and 7 days post PT, to characterize pathogenic pathways linked to primary and secondary degeneration., Results: In comparison to uninjured retina Cryba1, Cryba2 and Crygs, were significantly downregulated in injured dorsal retina at days 1 and 7. While Ecel1, Timp1, Mt2A and CD74, which are associated with reducing excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation, were significantly upregulated. Genes associated with oxygen binding pathways, immune responses, cytokine receptor activity and apoptosis were enriched in dorsal retina at day 1 after PT. Oxygen binding and apoptosis remained enriched at day 7, as were pathways involved in extracellular matrix modification. Fewer changes were observed in ventral retina at day 1 after PT, most associated with the regulation of protein homodimerization activity. By day 7, apoptosis, matrix organization and signal transduction pathways were enriched. Discriminant analysis was also performed for specific functional gene groups to compare expression intensities at each time point. Altered expression of selected genes (ATF3, GFAP, Ecel1, TIMP1, Tp53) and proteins (GFAP, ECEL1 and ATF3) were semi-quantitatively assessed by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively., Conclusion: There was an acute and complex primary injury response in dorsal retina indicative of a dynamic interaction between neuroprotective and neurodegenerative events; ventral retina vulnerable to secondary degeneration showed a delayed injury response. Both primary and secondary injury resulted in the upregulation of numerous genes linked to RGC death, but differences in the nature of these changes strongly suggest that death occurred via different molecular mechanisms.

Background: Following partial injury to the central nervous system, cells beyond the initial injury site undergo secondary degeneration, exacerbating loss of neurons, compact myelin and function. Changes in Ca 2+ flux are associated with metabolic and structural changes, but it is not yet clear how flux through specific ion channels contributes to the various pathologies. Here, partial optic nerve transection in adult female rats was used to model secondary degeneration. Treatment with combinations of three ion channel inhibitors was used as a tool to investigate which elements of oxidative and structural damage related to long term functional outcomes. The inhibitors employed were the voltage gated Ca 2+ channel inhibitor Lomerizine (Lom), the Ca 2+ permeable AMPA receptor inhibitor YM872 and the P2X 7 receptor inhibitor oxATP., Results: Following partial optic nerve transection, hyper-phosphorylation of Tau and acetylated tubulin immunoreactivity were increased, and Nogo-A immunoreactivity was decreased, indicating that axonal changes occurred acutely. All combinations of ion channel inhibitors reduced hyper-phosphorylation of Tau and increased Nogo-A immunoreactivity at day 3 after injury. However, only Lom/oxATP or all three inhibitors in combination significantly reduced acetylated tubulin immunoreactivity. Most combinations of ion channel inhibitors were effective in restoring the lengths of the paranode and the paranodal gap, indicative of the length of the node of Ranvier, following injury. However, only all three inhibitors in combination restored to normal Ankyrin G length at the node of Ranvier. Similarly, HNE immunoreactivity and loss of oligodendrocyte precursor cells were only limited by treatment with all three ion channel inhibitors in combination., Conclusions: Data indicate that inhibiting any of a range of ion channels preserves certain elements of axon and node structure and limits some oxidative damage following injury, whereas ionic flux through all three channels must be inhibited to prevent lipid peroxidation and preserve Ankyrin G distribution and OPCs.

Studies have shown that a combined application of several ion channel inhibitors immediately after central nervous system injury can inhibit secondary degeneration. However, for clinical use, it is necessary to determine how long after injury the combined treatment of several ion channel inhibitors can be delayed and efficacy maintained. In this study, we delivered Ca 2+ entry-inhibiting P2X7 receptor antagonist oxidized-ATP and AMPA receptor antagonist YM872 to the optic nerve injury site via an iPRECIO @ pump immediately, 6 hours, 24 hours and 7 days after partial optic nerve transection surgery. In addition, all of the ion channel inhibitor treated rats were administered with calcium channel antagonist lomerizine hydrochloride. It is important to note that as a result of implantation of the particular pumps required for programmable delivery of therapeutics directly to the injury site, seromas occurred in a significant proportion of animals, indicating infection around the pumps in these animals. Improvements in visual function were observed only when treatment was delayed by 6 hours; phosphorylated Tau was reduced when treatment was delayed by 24 hours or 7 days. Improvements in structure of node/paranode of Ranvier and reductions in oxidative stress indicators were also only observed when treatment was delayed for 6 hours, 24 hours, or 7 days. Benefits of ion channel inhibitors were only observed with time-delayed treatment, suggesting that delayed therapy of Ca 2+ ion channel inhibitors produces better neuroprotective effects on secondary degeneration, at least in the presence of seromas., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None declared.