GM1 gangliosidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency in the catabolizing enzyme β-galactosidase (βgal). This leads to accumulation of GM1-ganglioside (GM1) in the lysosome inducing ER stress and cell death. GM1 gangliosidosis is primarily a disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with peripheral organ involvement. In this work we report two major findings, 1) systemic treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis with an adenoassociated virus (AAV9) encoding mouse-βgal (mβgal) in a GM1 gangliosidosis mouse model (βGal-/-), and 2) an investigation into an intracranial injection of a therapeutic AAVrh8 encoding mβgal. Systemic treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis with AAV9 resulted in a moderate expression of enzyme in the CNS, reduction of GM1 storage, significant retention of motor function and a significant increase in lifespan. Interestingly, the therapeutic effect was more robust in females. Intracranial injections of AAVrh8 vector expressing high levels of βgal resulted in enzyme spread throughout the brain, significant retention of motor function and a significant increase in lifespan. Histological alterations were also found at the injection site in both βGal-/- and normal animals. We constructed a series of vectors with a range of decreasing enzyme expression levels to investigate the cause for the unanticipated result. Microarrays were performed on the injection site and we showed that a lower expressing AAVrh8-mβgal vector mitigated the negative response. Intracranial injection of this newly developed vector was shown to clear lysosomal storage throughout the CNS of βGal-/- mice. Taken together, these studies indicate that a combined systemic and fine-tuned intracranial approach may be the most effective in clearing lysosomal storage completely in the CNS while providing therapeutic benefit to the periphery.

En aquesta tesi s'ha realitzat una aproximació genètica i molecular a les malalties Gangliosidosi GM1 i Morquio B. Aquestes dues malalties són causades per mutacions en un únic gen, el gen GLB1. Aquest gen codifica per la proteïna beta-galactosidasa lisosòmica, de manera que mutacions al gen GLB1 alteren la funcionalitat d'aquesta proteïna. Això pot conduir a l'acumulació dels diferents substrats que normalment són degradats per la beta-galactosidasa: el gangliòsid GM1, el queratà sulfat i diferents oligasacàrids proteics. En aquesta tesi es presenten els resultats de la cerca de mutacions en 49 pacients amb Gangliosidosi GM1 i 5 amb Morquio B. Els pacients estudiats provenien bàsicament d'Espanya i d'Argentina. Es van poder identificar 52 mutacions diferents de les que 32 no havien estat descrites prèviament. A més a més, per a la majoria de mutacions identificades es va poder establir una correlació entre la mutació trobada i un fenotip determinat de la malaltia. La mutació R59H va ser la mutació més prevalent a les poblacions analitzades, essent especialment prevalent als pacients d'ètnia gitana, on aquesta va ser l'única mutació descrita. A més a més, en aquests pacients la mutació R59H sempre es va trobar associada a un mateix haplotip, cosa que indicaria un origen únic del canvi R59H dins de la població gitana.Posteriorment, algunes de les mutacions identificades van ser expressades in vitro utilitzant com a sistema d'expressió les cèl.lules COS-7 transfectades amb Lipofectamina. D'aquesta manera es van expressar 15 variants mutades de la beta-galactosidasa. Les variants causants de la forma infantil (la forma més severa) van mostrar una activitat enzimàtica residual nul.la, mentre que 3 variants associades a formes més lleus (el tipus adult i la malaltia de Morquio B) van resultar en activitats residuals amb un rang del 7-15%. Per altra banda, 3 canvis que eren polimòrfics (no patogènics) van ser els que van presentar una activitat enzimàtica residual més elevada, al voltant del 30-60%. Així doncs, es va poder concloure que el sistema d'expressió emprat era un bon sistema per establir correlacions entre les activitats residuals de les variants mutades i el fenotip associat a cadascuna d'elles.Finalment, es van dur a terme una sèrie d'experiments per entendre el mecanisme que regula el procés d'splicing alternatiu del gen GLB1. Aquest gen codifica dues proteïnes diferents (la beta-galactosidasa i l'EBP) gràcies a un mecanisme d'splicing alternatiu. Al transcrit de l'EBP, els exons 3, 4 i 6 són exclosos del transcrit madur. Diferents experiments van mostrar que el mecanisme d'NMD ("Nonsense-mediated decay") s'encarrega d'eliminar les combinacions d'exons errònies, fent que únicament els dos transcrits funcionals romanguin estables a la cèl.lula. Paral.lelament, mitjançant la cotransfecció de plasmidis que codificaven diferents proteïnes SR junt amb un minigèn construït amb els exons implicats en l'splicing alternatiu del gen GLB1, es va poder comprovar que les proteïnes SR tenien la capacitat de modificar la proporció en que es generaven les diferents combinacions d'exons en els transcrits obtinguts a partir del minigèn. Això indicaria que les proteïnes SR, que juguen un paper essencial en el procés d'splicing cel.lular, podrien tenir també una funció en la regulació de l'splicing alternatiu del gen GLB1.

Orientador: Ricardo de Lima Zollner / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T03:27:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rossi_Thiago_M.pdf: 1494758 bytes, checksum: f7e58a6f6f514ba2db33bcbae7ab9586 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: A linhagem de camundongos NOD (non obese diabetic) desenvolve espontaneamente diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DM-1) com marcante similaridade ao observado em humanos, que se estabelece entre 12ª e 24ª semana de vida. Os gangliosideos são glicoesfingolipídeos de membrana que contém ácido siálico em sua composição e estão presentes na maioria das células dos vertebrados sendo particularmente abundantes no sistema nervoso. Gangliosídeos exógenos são capazes de acelerar a regeneração de nervos periféricos danificados, porém tem sido relacionados com síndromes neuropáticas periféricas como a síndrome de Guilláin Barret onde os pacientes apresentam anticorpos anti-gangliosídeos especificamente contra o gangliosídeo GM1. Entretanto os mecanismos ainda permanecem controversos. Nossos resultados sugerem que administração de GM1 na dose de 100mg/kg/dia em camundongos NOD e Balb/C fêmeas a partir da 4ª semana de vida não é capaz de provocar neuropatia clínica e que animais diabéticos apresentaram maior imunoreatividade para GM1 nos nervos periféricos com presença de marcação para NGF somente em camundongos Balb/C. Os animais diabéticos tratados com GM1 demonstraram queda na atividade nervosa, em contraste os camundongos Balb/C tratados com GM1 apresentaram aumento significativo na atividade nervosa / Abstract: The strain of NOD mice (non obese diabetic) spontaneously develops diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM-1) similarity to the observed in humans. In this model, the diabetes manifestation occurs between 12th and 24th weeks of life, with presence of pancreas-specific autoantibodies. The gangliosides are glycosphingolipids of membrane that contains sialic acid in their composition and are present in the majority of cells from vertebrates and are particularly abundant in the nervous system. Exogenous gangliosides are capable to increase regeneration in damaged peripheral nerves. However, the gangliosides are related with peripheral neuropathics syndromes as the syndrome of Guilláin Barret in which the patients specifically present antibodies against gangliosides GM1, however these mechanisms still remain controversial. Our results suggest that administration of GM1 in the dose of 100mg/kg/day in female NOD and Balb/C mice at the 4th week of life is not capable to provoke clinical peripheral neuropathy and that diabetic animals present major immunoreactivity for GM1 in peripheral nerves with the presence of immunoreactivity to NGF only in Balb/C mice. Diabetic animals treated with GM1 showed lower nervous activity when compared to Balb/C mice, which presented significant increase / Mestrado / Ciencia Basica / Mestre em Clinica Medica

Rotavirus, the major cause of life-threatening infantile gastroenteritis, is a member of the Reoviridae family and is considered to be the single most important cause of virus-based severe diarrheal illness in infants and young children particularly 6 months to 2 years of age in industrialized and developing countries. Infection in infants and young children is often accompanied by severe life threatening diarrhea, most commonly following primary infection. Diarrhea is the major cause of death among children around the world. Responsible for 4 to 6 million deaths per year according to the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrhea is especially dangerous for infants and young children. Globally, it is estimated that 1.4 billion episodes of diarrhea occur in children less than five years of age annually. In the United States alone, rotavirus causes more than 3 million cases of childhood diarrhea each year, leading to an estimated 55,000 to 100,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 100 deaths. And is a major cause of mortality for children in developing countries with approximately one million deaths annually. Rotaviruses belong to the family Reoviridae and are spherical 70-nm particles. The virus genome contains 11 segments of double-stranded RNA, each encoding a viral capsid or nonstructural protein. The identification of a rotavirus nonstructural protein gene (NSP4) encoding a peptide, which functions both as a viral enterotoxin and as a factor involved in the acquisition of host cell membrane during virus budding from cells, provides a new approach for mucosal immunization. Protein expression through chloroplast transformation system offers a number of advantages like high level of transgene expression, transgene containment via maternal inheritance, lack of gene silencing and position effect due to site specific gene integration and also the possibility of multi gene engineering in single transformation event. It is also an environmentally friendly approach due to effective gene containment and lack of transgene expression in pollen. To achieve an enhanced immune response to rotavirus infection, a fusion gene encoding the cholera toxin B subunit linked to rotavirus enterotoxin 90 aa protein (CTB-NSP490) was introduced into transgenic chloroplast and was transformed into chloroplast genome of Nicotiana tabacum by homologous recombination. The chloroplast integration of CTB-NSP4(90) fusion gene was confirmed in transgenic tobacco plants by PCR analysis. Southern blot analysis further confirmed site specific gene integration and homoplasmy. Immunoblot analysis of transformed chloroplast confirmed the expression of CTBNSP490 fusion protein both in monomeric and pentameric forms that retained the binding affinity to the enterocytes GM1 ganglioside receptor. Expression levels of CTB-NSP4 protein was quantified by GM1 ganglioside binding ELISA assay; mature leaves expressed CTB-NSP4 fusion protein to upto 2.45 % in total soluble protein, 100-400 fold higher than nuclear expression which was only 0.006%-0.026%. Antibody titration and virus challenge experiments will be performed in mice at Loma Linda University to evaluate the antigenic and protective properties of the chloroplast derived CTB-NSP4 fusion protein.

Orientador: Ricardo de Lima Zollner / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T22:15:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Domingos_PriscilaPerez_D.pdf: 2379926 bytes, checksum: df7f068098f3454b58caf0a13e61f196 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: O camundongo não obeso diabético (NOD) é caracterizado por desenvolver naturalmente diabetes mellitus tipo 1 (DM-1) com similaridade ao diabetes mellitus tipo 1 em humanos. A manifestação espontânea do diabetes neste modelo animal é caracterizado por infiltração progressiva das ilhotas de Langerhans por células mononucleares linfócitos T (CD4+ e CD8+) e destruição das células ß pancreáticas produtoras de insulina. O fator de crescimento neural (NGF) e algumas citocinas estão associados a regeneração neural, além de atuarem sobre células do sistema imune. Em adição a estes efeitos, NGF age na liberação de insulina pelas células betas das ilhotas pancreáticas, tornando-se foco de interesse com relação as suas propriedades moduladoras no processo inflamatório na ilhota pancreática. O gangliosídeo GM1 liga-se ao receptor de alta afinidade (TrkA) do NGF-ß, mimetizando seus efeitos. No presente trabalho, avaliamos a ação modulatória de GM1 e NGF em cultura de ilhotas pancreáticas, provenientes de camundongos NOD. Foram avaliados por meio de RT-PCR a expressão gênica de NGF-ß, TrkA e insulina e, por ensaio imunoenzimático, a concentração de citocinas IL-1ß, IL-12, TNF-a, INF-y e insulina. Nossos resultados sugerem ação moduladora similar entre GM1 e NGF sobre as ilhotas de NOD não diabéticos e pré-diabéticos. NGF e GM1 aumentam a expressão gênica de NGF e TrkA e diminuem a expressão gênica de insulina em NOD não diabéticos e pré-diabéticos. Além disso, aumentam a liberação de insulina e diminui a de citocinas inflamatórias IL-1ß, IL-12, TNF-a, IFN-y que caracterizam a resposta Th1. / Abstract: The non-obese diabetic mice (NOD) lineage is characterized by developing type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM-1) naturally, bearing a similarity to DM-1 in human beings. The spontaneous manifestation of diabetes is characterized by gradual infiltration in pancreatic islets by mononuclear cells lymphocytes T (CD4+ and CD8+) and destruction of the ß-cells producers of insulin. One consequence of this effect, is the release of neurotrophins trying modulate the insulin release by the ß cells of pancreatic islets. Thus, the neurotrophins have been the focus of interest in the modulation of the inflammatory process in the pancreatic islets. The ganglioside GM1 binds to the high affinity receptor (TrkA) of the NGF-ß, enhancing its effect. In the present work, we evaluate the immune modulation properties of GM1 and NGF in culture of pancreatic islets from NOD mice. The gene expression of NGF-ß, TrkA and insulin for immune enzymatic assay, the concentration of cytokines IL 1ß, IL-12, TNF-a, IFN-y and insulin were evaluated by RT-PCR and ELISA. Our results suggest similar modulation action between GM1 and NGF on islets of NOD non-diabetic and pre-diabetic. GM1 and NGF action increases the gene expression of NGF and TrkA and the decrease of insulin in mice NOD non-diabetic and pre-diabetic. Moreover, GM1 and NGF increase the insulin release and decrease inflammatory cytokines that characterize the Th1 reply. / Doutorado / Ciencias Basicas / Doutor em Clínica Médica

No description available.

This Thesis is a characterization study on substances having potency as drugs as well as on a lipid based drug-delivery matrix. The optical properties of newly synthesized molecules with proven pilicide properties have been characterized with several spectroscopic methods. These methods include optical absorption and fluorescence as well as time-resolved fluorescence. Upon covalently linking compounds with high quantum yields of fluorescence to specific parts of the pilicide, the biological impact was found to increase for some of the derivatives. Furthermore, by expanding the aromatic part of the pilicide molecule, a significant increase in the inherent fluorescence was obtained. The S0-S1 absorption band for these molecules was found to originate from an impure electronic transition, vibronically promoted by intensity borrowing from higher electronic states. Included in this Thesis is the measurement of how deeply some in this class of newly synthesized molecules become situated when placed inside ganglioside GM1 micelles, and how the molecules’ reorientation is affected. By means of radiation-less energy transfer, it was shown that the molecules place themselves close to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface inside the GM1 micelles. As a consequence they are exposed to a densely packed environment, which inhibits the free tumbling of the molecule. This restricted tumbling could be measured by means of time-resolved depolarization experiments. The release of drug-like fluorescent molecules is investigated from a lipid mixture, which upon equilibrium with water forms a mixture of inverted hexagonal and cubic phases. The lipid matrix displayed an extended release over the course of weeks, in vitro, for molecules having a large variation in hydrophobicity.

Objetivo: avaliar os efeitos do monossialogangliosídeo (GM1) administrado pela via de transdérmica por laser a baixa temperatura, após lesão medular experimental em ratos. Métodos: o estudo incluiu 40 ratos Wistar, machos, com idade entre 20 e 21 semanas, submetidos à lesão medular contusa pelo equipamento NYU Impactor, a altura de 25 mm, de acordo com o protocolo MASCIS. Foram formados 4 grupos de 10 animais. No grupo 1, os ratos receberam diariamente 0,2 ml de soro fisiológico, via intraperitoneal; no grupo 2, GM1 via intraperitoneal, na concentração 30 mg/kg por dia; no grupo 3, sessão diária de laser a baixa temperatura na topografia da lesão; no grupo 4 sessão diária de laser contendo GM1 na concentração de 30 mg/kg pela via transcutânea por Laser Ice. Todos os animais foram tratados por 42 dias. Foram avaliados por meio da escala de avaliação funcional Basso, Baettie e Bresnahan (BBB) em 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 e 42 dias após a lesão, pelo exame histopatológico e por potencial evocado motor após 42 dias da lesão. Resultados: os animais do grupo 4 apresentaram os escores da escala BBB superiores aos demais grupos até a quarta semana, sendo equiparado aos demais na sexta semana. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos e as semanas. A avaliação histológica não demonstrou resultados com significância estatística. Os exames de potencial evocado motor demonstraram maior latência média no grupo 1, sem significância estatística. Conclusão: o emprego de GM1 associado a laser em baixa temperatura demonstra resultados funcionais superiores nas primeiras semanas, mas sem evidenciar diferença estatisticamente significante / Objective: To evaluate the effects of monossialoganglioside (GM1) administered transdermally, and laser at low temperature, in the functional and histological recovery of spinal cord injury in rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar rats, aged between 20 and 21 weeks, underwent spinal cord contusion at NYU Impactor, according to the MASCIS protocol. They were divided into four groups: in Group 1, rats received 0.2 ml of saline intraperitoneally daily; in Group 2, GM1 was administered intraperitoneally at a concentration 30 mg/kg per day; in Group 3, rats were treated with laser at low temperature on the skin, daily and in Group 4, the daily laser session also contained GM1. All the groups were treated for 42 days. The animals were evaluated by the Basso, Baettie and Bresnahan (BBB) functional scale on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after injury, and by histopathology and motor evoked potentials after 42 days of injury. Results: The animals in Group 4 had higher BBB scores compared to the other groups, until the 4th week. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups, or in the comparisons over time, i.e. from one week to the next. Histological evaluation showed no statistically significant results, and no significant differences were found in the motor evoked potential tests either. Conclusion: GM1 associated with the use of low-temperature laser shows no superior functional, neurological or histological results in the treatment of spinal cord lesions in rats

Objetivo: avaliar os efeitos do monossialogangliosídeo (GM1) administrado pela via de transdérmica por laser a baixa temperatura, após lesão medular experimental em ratos. Métodos: o estudo incluiu 40 ratos Wistar, machos, com idade entre 20 e 21 semanas, submetidos à lesão medular contusa pelo equipamento NYU Impactor, a altura de 25 mm, de acordo com o protocolo MASCIS. Foram formados 4 grupos de 10 animais. No grupo 1, os ratos receberam diariamente 0,2 ml de soro fisiológico, via intraperitoneal; no grupo 2, GM1 via intraperitoneal, na concentração 30 mg/kg por dia; no grupo 3, sessão diária de laser a baixa temperatura na topografia da lesão; no grupo 4 sessão diária de laser contendo GM1 na concentração de 30 mg/kg pela via transcutânea por Laser Ice. Todos os animais foram tratados por 42 dias. Foram avaliados por meio da escala de avaliação funcional Basso, Baettie e Bresnahan (BBB) em 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 e 42 dias após a lesão, pelo exame histopatológico e por potencial evocado motor após 42 dias da lesão. Resultados: os animais do grupo 4 apresentaram os escores da escala BBB superiores aos demais grupos até a quarta semana, sendo equiparado aos demais na sexta semana. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos e as semanas. A avaliação histológica não demonstrou resultados com significância estatística. Os exames de potencial evocado motor demonstraram maior latência média no grupo 1, sem significância estatística. Conclusão: o emprego de GM1 associado a laser em baixa temperatura demonstra resultados funcionais superiores nas primeiras semanas, mas sem evidenciar diferença estatisticamente significante / Objective: To evaluate the effects of monossialoganglioside (GM1) administered transdermally, and laser at low temperature, in the functional and histological recovery of spinal cord injury in rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar rats, aged between 20 and 21 weeks, underwent spinal cord contusion at NYU Impactor, according to the MASCIS protocol. They were divided into four groups: in Group 1, rats received 0.2 ml of saline intraperitoneally daily; in Group 2, GM1 was administered intraperitoneally at a concentration 30 mg/kg per day; in Group 3, rats were treated with laser at low temperature on the skin, daily and in Group 4, the daily laser session also contained GM1. All the groups were treated for 42 days. The animals were evaluated by the Basso, Baettie and Bresnahan (BBB) functional scale on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after injury, and by histopathology and motor evoked potentials after 42 days of injury. Results: The animals in Group 4 had higher BBB scores compared to the other groups, until the 4th week. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups, or in the comparisons over time, i.e. from one week to the next. Histological evaluation showed no statistically significant results, and no significant differences were found in the motor evoked potential tests either. Conclusion: GM1 associated with the use of low-temperature laser shows no superior functional, neurological or histological results in the treatment of spinal cord lesions in rats

No description available.