Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor neurones in motor cortex, brain stem and spinal cord. This inevitably leads to paralysis, respiratory failure and death. In about 5% of patients with ALS there is an association with mutations in gene for the abundant intracellular scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase1, SOD1. The noxious property of SOD1 is proposed to be due to gain of function. In familial cases the inheritance is most commonly dominant. This study focus on two disparate SOD1 mutations occurring in Scandinavia. The recessive D90A mutation which has properties similar to that of the normal wild-type human SOD1. The dominantly inherited G127insTGGG mutation, G127X, causes a C-terminal truncation of the last 21 amino acids and is a highly unstable protein. Transgenic mice were created expressing D90A and G127X mutated human SOD1. Results from studies of tissue from the central nervous system of patients carrying either of these mutations were compared with similar tissue collected from transgenic mice generated with the same mutations. Tissue from the mice were also compared to central nervous tissue from several other transgenic mouse strains expressing human wild type SOD1 as well as other ALS associated human SOD1 mutations. The transgenic mice expressing D90A respectively G127X mutated human SOD1 develop motor neurone disease. Microscopic studies of central nervous tissues from G127X transgenic mice reveals inclusions of aggregated misfolded SOD1 in motor neurones and adjacent supporting cells. These inclusions are composed of detergent resistant aggregates and preceded by accumulations of minute quantities of detergent-soluble aggregates. The inclusions mimic those found in G127X patients. In D90A transgenic mice the progression, as in the humans, was slower and the mice, as the patients, showed bladder disturbance. In the D90A patients, the SOD1 inclusions mimic those found in sporadic ALS patients. Aggregation of SOD1 in central nervous tissue appears to be related to severity of disease. Degenerative features as vacuolization and gliosis precedes phenotypic alterations. Changes are seen not only in motor areas but also in higher centres of the telencephalon.

Utilisée depuis plus d'un siècle en chirurgie esthétique, la greffe autologue de tissu adipeux, ou lipofilling, est une technique sûre permettant le comblement des tissus mous. Cependant, bien que la technique ait connue de nettes améliorations au cours du temps, les chirurgiens font toujours face à une résorption du greffon qui oblige dans la majorité des cas à planifier plusieurs autres interventions afin que le résultat esthétique soit en adéquation avec les attentes du patient. Le procédé MICROFILL® a été développé dans le but d'augmenter le taux de prise de greffe en favorisant la survie cellulaire au sein du greffon. Cette dernière est optimisée par : un prélèvement et une réinjection de lobules adipeux de petite taille permettant de diminuer l'ischémie et la mauvaise nutrition des cellules - une élimination des éléments délétères (anesthésiques, cytokines inflammatoires) par un protocole de lavages et centrifugations non traumatique. D'autre part, au cours de ces dernières années, le tissu adipeux s'est révélé posséder un pouvoir thérapeutique plus important par l'hébergement de cellules souches mésenchymateuses au fort potentiel. Ces cellules sont présentes en grande quantité et facilement accessibles à partir d'une simple lipoaspiration. Cependant, la lipoaspiration implique bien souvent l'usage d'un anesthésique local et d'un vasoconstricteur qui peuvent nuire aux cellules. Nos études ont en effet montré que la lidocaïne, un anesthésique couramment utilisé, est cytotoxique pour les cellules souches du tissu adipeux, ayant pour effets l'inhibition de la prolifération cellulaire (arrêt du cycle cellulaire en phase G0-G1) et la nécrose des cellules. En revanche, une manipulation appropriée du tissu adipeux, se rapprochant du protocole MICROFILL®, permet de diminuer la mortalité cellulaire. L'effet délétère de la lidocaïne semble lié à l'apparition d'une vacuolisation cytoplasmique dont la nature est à ce jour non élucidée. De plus, la lidocaïne induit également un processus d'autophagie, dont les mécanismes moléculaires d'induction sont eux aussi inconnus et dont la finalité physiologique serait le maintien en vie de la cellule malgré le stress provoqué. Les conclusions de ces études mènent à certaines recommandations à suivre quant à l'usage de la lidocaïne en vue de la réinjection extemporanée de cellules souches adipeuses chez un patient. Aussi, dans le but de traiter les tendinopathies équines, ces études ont permis d'optimiser le protocole de prélèvement du tissu adipeux chez le cheval ainsi que le protocole d'extraction des cellules souches du tissu adipeux. Cette thèse a finalement permis de développer un kit à usage vétérinaire permettant de traiter les tendinopathies équines. Ce nouveau procédé de thérapie cellulaire a été testé chez des chevaux et s'est avéré très prometteur, permettant la régénération de la structure tendineuse et un retour au travail rapide des chevaux. / Despite the dark side of obesity in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, adipose tissue has been shown to be a good therapeutic tool. First, autologous fat grafting, also named lipofilling, has been used for over a century and represents a safe technique for soft tissue filling. However, although the technique has seen marked improvements over time, surgeons are still facing graft resorption that often requires overcorrection of the treated area or other interventions so that the aesthetic result is in line with expectations of the patient. Thus, MICROFILL® process has been developed in order to increase the rate of engraftment by promoting cell survival within the graft. The latter is enhanced by: - sampling and reinjection of small fat lobules in order to reduce ischemia and poor nutrition of the cells- elimination of deleterious elements (anesthetics, inflammatory cytokines) by a non-traumatic protocol involving soft centrifugations and washings. Furthermore, in recent years, adipose tissue has been found to have a greater therapeutic power by hosting mesenchymal stem cells with great potential. These adipose stem cells (ASCs) are present in large quantities and can be easily obtained from a simple liposuction. However, liposuction procedure often involves the use of a local anesthetic and a vasoconstrictor that can harm cells. Our studies have shown that lidocaine, an anesthetic commonly used, exerts cytotoxic effects on adipose stem cells, inhibiting cell proliferation (cell cycle arrest in G0-G1 phase) and inducing necrosis. Nonetheless, appropriate handling of adipose tissue, quite similarly to MICROFILL® protocol, reduces cell death. The deleterious effects of lidocaine appear to be related to the occurrence of cytoplasmic vacuolization whose nature is so far unclear. In addition, lidocaine also induces a process of autophagy, including molecular mechanisms of induction also unknown and whose physiological purpose could be cell survival despite the stress. The findings of these studies lead to some recommendations to follow regarding the use of lidocaine for the extemporaneous reinjection of ASCs in a patient. Also, in order to treat equine tendinopathy, these studies have been used to optimize adipose tissue harvest by liposuction on horses and the protocol of extraction of ASCs.Finally, this thesis has allowed developing a kit for veterinary use to treat equine tendinopathy. This new method of cell therapy has been tested in horses and has shown very promising results for tendon regeneration, knowing that treated horses could rapidly return to work.