(The FASEB Journal. 1999;13:297-304.)
© 1999 FASEB
Myelinolytic lesions in spinal cord of cobalamin-deficient rats are TNF-
-mediated
FRANCESCA R. BUCCELLATOa ,
MARIAROSARIA MILOSOb ,
MASSIMILIANO BRAGAd ,
GABRIELLA NICOLINIb ,
ALBERTO MORABITOc ,
GIULIO PRAVETTONIe ,
GIOVANNI TREDICIb and
GIUSEPPE SCALABRINOa , 1
a Institutes of General Pathology,
b Human Anatomy,
c Biometrics and Medical Statistics,
d 2nd Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan, Milano, Italy; and
e Gife Laboratory, Lugano, Switzerland
 |
ABSTRACT
|
|---|
Repeated intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.)microinjection
of tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-
) into normal rats causes
intramyelin and interstitial edema in the white matter of the spinal
cord (SC). This response is identical to that observed in the SC white
matter of rats made cobalamin (Cbl) deficient by total gastrectomy
(TG). Immunoblot analysis showed that: 1) the level of the
biologically active form of the TNF-
protein (17 kDa) is higher in
the SC of totally gastrectomized (TGX) rats 2 months after TG, i.e., at
the postoperative time when edema is observed; 2) SC levels
of TNF-
protein (17 kDa) in 2-mo-TGX-, Cbl-treated rats are reduced
to control. Repeated i.c.v. microinjections of anti-TNF-
antibodies,
transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) or
interleukin-6 (IL-6) into TGX rats, begun shortly after TG,
substantially reduced both intramyelin and interstitial edema in the SC
white matter. This study provides the first evidence that the hallmark
myelin damage of Cbl-deficient central neuropathy, which is a pure
myelinolytic disease, is not caused directly by the withdrawal of the
vitamin itself, but reflects enhanced production of the biologically
active form of TNF-
by SC cells. This study thus supports the view
that TGF-ß1 and IL-6 may act as neuroprotective agents in
Cbl deficiency central neuropathy.Buccellato, F. R., Miloso,
M., Braga, M., Nicolini, G., Morabito, A., Pravettoni, G., Tredici, G.,
Scalabrino, G. Myelinolytic lesions in spinal cord of
cobalamin-deficient rats are TNF-
-mediated.
Key Words: myelinolysis subacute combined degeneration tumor necrosis factor
 |
INTRODUCTION
|
|---|
EQUIVALENT ANIMAL MODELS of human neurodegenerative
diseases are needed to enable detailed analysis of the pathogenetic
mechanism(s) involved and for the development and evaluation of new
therapeutic strategies. The totally gastrectomized (TGX)2
rat, on becoming permanently cobalamin(Cbl) deficient, reproduces all
the key neuropathological features of human Cbl-deficient neuropathy
[classically known as subacute combined degeneration (SCD)]
(1
, 2
) in both the central (CNS)
(1
, 2
) and peripheral nervous systems
(3)
. The pathogenesis of SCD is largely unknown and still
controversial; it remains unclear, for example, whether SCD reflects
impairment of myelin synthesis or destruction of the existing myelin
(1
, 2
, 4
). To explain the
pathogenesis of this neuropathy in mammalians, many theories have
arisen from experimental investigations and have recently been reviewed
(1
, 2
, 4
).
In mammalian cells there are only two known Cbl-dependent enzymes.
L-Methylmalonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) mutase (EC 5.4.99.2) requires
adenosyl-Cbl and catalyzes the conversion of L- methylmalonyl-CoA to
succinyl-CoA (4)
. Methionine synthase (EC 2.1.1.13)
requires methyl-Cbl and catalyzes the simultaneous conversion of
N5-methyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate and of
homocysteine (HCYS) to methionine (4)
. The metabolites
methylmalonic acid (MMA) and HCYS accumulate when these two enzymatic
reactions are impaired by Cbl deficiency (4)
. In a
previous paper (5)
we described in reproducing in TGX rats
the typical triad of biochemical abnormalities (i.e., decreased Cbl
level and increased concentrations of MMA and HCYS) in serum components
characteristic of humans with pernicious anemia and other disorders
associated with Cbl deficiency (4)
. We have previously
shown (5)
that the severity of the neuropathological
features of experimental SCD in the spinal cord (SC) in TGX rats does
not correlate with the accumulation in their sera and/or tissues of MMA
and HCYS. These studies thus demonstrated that accumulation of putative
neurotoxic metabolites such as MMA and HCYS is unlikely to be the cause
of SCD in the SC of TGX rats (5)
. Furthermore, we have
demonstrated no substantial increase in the severity of SCD-like
lesions in the SC white matter of 2-month(mo) -TGX rats, as the time
after total gastrectomy (TG) lengthened (2
,
5
).
It has been well established that various cytokines are released
in large amounts from different CNS cell types, mainly from glial cells
6-11)
, although the physiological role of these
molecules in the mammalian CNS is only just beginning to be understood.
Much attention has recently focused on the role of cytokines,
especially of tumor necrosis factor-
(TNF-
) produced by CNS cells
12-23)
, in the pathogenesis of neurological disease,
especially those characterized by demyelination, since cytokines are
rapidly produced in the mammalian CNS by experimental or clinical
injury, ischemia, infection, or inflammation 12-23)
. On
the other hand, some cytokines [especially interleukin-6 (IL-6),
transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), and
interleukin-10], all of which are produced in the CNS cells mainly by
glial cells (7
, 10-12
), have recently been
claimed to be neurotrophic and, therefore, potentially therapeutic in
some neurological disease states 24-32)
. Nevertheless,
the key unanswered question is whether cytokines in the CNS serve to
protect both neurons and glial cells, when either or both are injured,
and stimulate the repair process or, conversely, whether they play a
leading role in the pathophysiology of neuronal damage and/or death
(33)
.
In the present study we hypothesized that TNF-
may be involved in
the pathogenesis of the SCD-like lesions, chiefly intramyelin and
interstitial edema (34)
in the SC of TGX rats and,
conversely, that IL-6 and TGF-ß1 may act as
neuroprotective molecules in the same situation. We therefore
administered TNF-
to normal rats by repeated intracerebroventricular
(i.c.v.) microinjection in order to investigate its morphologic effects
on SC myelin and compare them with the SCD-like lesions in the SC of
2-mo-TGX rats. In addition, we have examined SCs of 2-mo-TGX rats and
of 2-mo-TGX-, Cbl-treated rats for the presence of TNF-
protein by
immunoblot analysis. Third, we administered anti-TNF-
antibodies,
IL-6, or TGF-ß1 into TGX rats by repeated i.c.v.
microinjection in order to evaluate whether each of these treatments,
begun shortly after TG, might ameliorate the SCD-like lesions in SC
white matter. We have used both optical and electron microscopy to
gauge the extent of intramyelin and interstitial edema in SC sections
from rats treated as described above in order to establish whether the
injected material acted as a neuroprotective or neurotoxic agent, and
have quantified the in vivo effects of the above treatments
by morphometry.
 |
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
|---|
Animals, induction of the Cbl-deficient central neuropathy (SCD),
and i.c.v. drug administrations
Adult male albino non-inbred Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River,
Caleo, Italy) weighing 250 g at the beginning of the experiment
were used, housed as previously described (1
,
2
). To induce experimental SCD, TG was performed as
previously reported (1
, 2
). Laparotomy was
performed as described previously, as was postoperative treatment
(1
, 2
). Cbl was injected subcutaneously into
some TGX rats weekly over the first two postoperative months at the
dosage previously reported (2)
. To perform the i.c.v.
microinjections, a polyethylene guide cannula was stereotaxically
placed (1 mm posterior and 4 mm lateral from bregma) in the left
lateral ventricle of all rats under ketamine anesthesia, in TGX rats 1
wk after TG. Cannulae were attached to the skull with dental acrylic.
Correct placement of cannulae was checked by the drinking response
elicited by injection of 200400 µg of angiotensin II, dissolved in
34 µl of sterile pyrogen-free saline, and only rats with positive
responses to angiotensin II were used. Control normal rats and control
TGX rats were given i.c.v. microinjections of sterile pyrogen-free
saline; other normal rats received i.c.v. microinjections of rmTNF-
(Calbiochem, San Diego, Calif.), h-TGF-ß1 (PeproTech,
Inc., Rocky Hill, N.J.), rmIL-6 (Calbiochem), or rabbit anti-mouse
TNF-
antibodies (Genzyme, Boston, Mass.). TGX rats were given i.c.v.
h-TGF-ß1, rmIL-6, or rabbit anti-mouse TNF-
antibodies. All in vivo treatments included two i.c.v.
microinjections weekly for 7 wk after attachment of the cannula,
performed with a 10 µl Hamilton syringe and a volume ranging between
5 and 7 µl. The dose per injection was: 0.5 µg TNF-
, 0.75 µg
IL-6, 1 µg TGF-ß1, and 7 µl anti-TNF-
antibodies
(10 µl of antibody neutralize 1000 units of TNF-
bioactivity in
the standard L929 cytotoxicity assay). Killing time was always fixed at
48 h after the last i.c.v. microinjection. At death, all rats were
the same age. Procedures involving animals and their care conformed
with institutional guidelines, in compliance with national and
international laws and policies (EEC Council Directive 86/609, 0J L
358, 1, Dec. 12 1987; NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, NIH Publication no. 86-23, 1985).
Histological processing, staining, and morphometric analysis
Rats were anesthetized with ketamine and perfused via the heart
with 1% paraformaldehyde and 1.25% glutaraldehyde in 0.12 M phosphate
buffer solution, pH 7.4, as described in detail elsewhere
(34)
. SC segments were carefully dissected out from the
cervical (C)7 and C8, thoracic
(Th)10 and Th11, and lumbar (L)5
and L6 cord. From these segments, thin slices (0.5 mm) were
osmified, dehydrated, and embedded in epoxy resin. Semithin sections (1
µm) were stained with toluidine blue for light microscopy; ultrathin
sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed
in a CM 10 Philips electron microscope (34)
. For each SC,
four serially 10 µm-spaced semithin sections from each of the three
above-mentioned SC levels were analyzed morphometrically
(stereology-based measurements) (35)
. With a camera
lucida, a grid of 389 regularly spaced points was superimposed onto the
microscopic field with a fixed magnification (objective lens: 63x).
For each SC section, two samples of each funiculus (anterior, lateral,
and posterior) were analyzed morphometrically. Therefore, the total
number of the points (observations) for each white matter of each SC
was 9336. Points falling on pathological findings (i.e., interstitial
edema, intramyelin edema, myelin splitting) and on apparently normal
structures in the SC white matter were counted. All examinations of the
semithin SC sections and all electron microscopic examinations of SC
sections were made blind, i.e., without knowledge of to which
experimental group the SC sections belonged.
In situ nick-end labeling
Sections of SCs from 2-mo-TGX rats and from TNF-
-treated rats
were processed for apoptosis recognition. The sections were cut from
the different SC segments (C, Th, L), as described above, and examined
by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin
nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining (36)
.
Immunoblot analysis for TNF-
protein
Total proteins were extracted from the SC of control rats and
2-mo-TGX rats by a single-step method (Tripure isolation reagent,
Boehringer Mannheim, Germany). The protein pellets obtained were
sonicated in lysis buffer (50 mM HEPES pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 10%
glycerol, 1% Triton X100, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 5 mM EGTA, 4 mM
phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1% aprotinin, 10 mM sodium
orthovanadate, 20 mM sodium pyrophosphate) with a microultrasonic cell
disrupter (Kontes, Vineland, N.J.). Total proteins were measured by the
Bio-Rad method. An aliquot of total lysate (150 µg) was mixed with
5x Laemmli buffer, boiled, run on a 15% sodium dodecyl
sulfate-polyacrylamide gel, and transferred to nitrocellulose membrane
(Schleicher & Schuell, Keene, N.H.). The membrane was blocked for
1 h at room temperature (RT) in Blotto A (10 mM Tris HCl pH 7.5,
150 mM NaCl, 0.05% Tween-20, 5% non-fat milk) and then incubated for
1 h at RT with primary antibody anti-TNF-
1 µg/ml in Blotto A
(TNF-
goat polyclonal antibody) (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.,
Santa Cruz, Calif.). After three washes with triphosphate-buffered
saline (TBS) (10 mM Tris HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl), 0.05% Tween-20, the
membrane was incubated for 45 min at RT with secondary antibody
(horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-goat IgG, 1:3000) (Amersham
Pharmacia, Amersham, U.K.) diluted 1:3000 in Blotto A. The membrane was
then washed three times with TBS, 0.05% Tween-20 and once in TBS
buffer. The immunoreactive proteins were visualized on an ECL
chemiluminescence system (Amersham Pharmacia) and changes in TNF-
expression were assessed by densitometric analysis of autoluminographs.
Additional details are reported elsewhere (37)
.
Studies of blood components
Red cell count, hemoglobin concentration, and serum Cbl level
were determined in all 2-mo-TGX rats immediately before killing, as
described previously (1
, 2
, 4
).
Anemia and very low serum levels of Cbl were observed in 2-mo-TGX rats
whether untreated or treated with the drugs. Changes in serum folate
levels were never observed in TGX rats (1
,
5
). The Cbl level in sera of TGX rats given Cbl
postoperatively was 30% lower than normal values (2
,
5
).
Cbl concentration in SC
SC Cbl concentration was determined as previously described
(2)
. The Cbl content of the SCs from the 2-mo-TGX rats,
untreated or treated with the drugs, was greatly reduced
(2)
. Chronic in vivo administration of Cbl to
TGX rats over the first 2 months after TG was effective in restoring a
normal SC Cbl content in TGX rats (2)
.
Statistical analyses
The Shapiro-Wilk test (38)
was used to check the
normality of the distribution of our morphometric data. The result of
this test was statistically significant at the 5% level, providing
statistical evidence against a normal distribution of the morphometric
data. These data were then transformed by the Box-Cox transformation
(39)
. Thereafter, we evaluated the difference between each
pair of means of the different treatments using the Student's
t test for unpaired data at the 0.05 level of statistical
significance. P levels are reported in Table 1
.Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for a two-factor (i.e., TG and
TGF-ß1 or TG and anti-TNF-
antibodies) experimental
design was performed in order to evaluate the presence of an
interaction. An
-level of 0.05 was taken as the limit of statistical
significance.
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Table 1. Morphometry of the pathological structures in SC white matter in rats
treated with different drugs (see Materials and
Methods)a
|
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 |
RESULTS
|
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Morphometry of cytokine-induced effects on SC white matter
The SC white matter of intact rats, saline-injected rats,
TNF-
-treated rats, 2-mo-TGX rats, TGX- and saline-injected rats, and
TGX rats treated with TGF-ß1, IL-6, or anti-TNF-
antibodies is shown at the structural and ultrastructural levels in
Fig. 1
and Fig. 2
. I.c.v. microinjection of sterile pyrogen-free saline
into normal rats caused no pathological changes in the SC white matter
(Fig. 1A
).This parallels the morphometrical analysis (Table 1)
, which shows no
statistical difference between the SC white matter from normal
untreated rats and that from normal saline-injected rats. Figure 1B
shows the hallmark myelin alterations in the SC white
matter from 2-mo-TGX rats, intramyelin and interstitial edema, as
described previously in detail (34)
. The SC white matter
of a typical TNF-
-treated rat (Fig. 1C
) shows similar
intramyelin and interstitial edema and is morphologically identical to
the SC white matter of 2-mo-TGX rats (Fig. 1B
). Repeated
i.c.v. administration of TNF-
affects both large and small fibers of
the SC white matter, with splitting of the myelin sheath and a
reduction in its thickness (Fig. 1C
). The statistical
analysis of morphometrical data (Table 1)
shows a highly significant
increase in the number of lesions in SC white matter of TNF-
-treated
rats compared with either intact or normal saline-injected rats. The
neuropathological lesions clearly imply edema at both the interstitial
and intramyelin levels in the SC white matter of TNF-
-treated rats.

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Figure 1. Semithin sections of white matter of a typical SC from a normal
saline-injected rat (A), a 2-mo-TGX rat (B), a
TNF- -treated rat (C), a 2-mo-TGX rat treated with
anti-TNF- antibodies (D), a 2-mo-TGX-,
TGF-ß1-treated rat (E), and a 2-mo-TGX-,
IL-6-treated rat (F). The areas of interstitial edema are
evident, as indicated by asterisks (B, C). Scale bar, 5
µm.
|
|
Figure 1DF
shows areas of white matter in the SC of
typical 2-mo-TGX rats treated with anti-TNF-
antibodies,
TGF-ß1, or IL-6. Chronic i.c.v. microinjection of sterile
pyrogen-free saline into TGX rats did not modify their appearance (see
Table 1
for morphometric analysis). Chronic i.c.v. treatment with
anti-TNF-
antibodies (Fig. 1D
) or TGF-ß1
(Fig. 1E
) substantially reduced the severity of the hallmark
neuropathological lesions in the SC white matter of 2-mo-TGX rats.
Statistical analysis of the morphometric data similarly shows a
significant reduction in the number of lesions in the SC white matter
in both 2-mo-TGX-, TGF-ß1-treated rats, and 2-mo-TGX,
anti-TNF-
-antibody-treated rats compared with untreated 2-mo-TGX
rats (P <0.003 for TGF-ß1-treated rats;
P <0.04 for anti-TNF-
-antibody-treated rats) (see Table 1
). Although improvement in edema in the SC white matter of 2-mo-TGX-,
IL-6-treated rats is morphologically evident, as shown in Fig. 1F
, and seems similar to that observed in the SC white
matter of TGX rats treated with TGF-ß1 or anti-TNF-
antibodies, statistical analysis of the morphometric data shows no
statistically significant difference (Table 1)
. ANOVA does not show any
statistically significant interaction between the two experimental
factors (TG and TGF-ß1 or TG and anti-TNF-
antibodies)
(results not reported). It is almost unnecessary to say that SCs from
normal rats treated by i.c.v. microinjection of anti-TNF-
antibodies, TGF-ß1, or IL-6 show no pathological change
(figures not shown); Table 1
contains morphometric analysis of these
data.
No histological signs of apoptosis by the TUNEL method
(36)
were observed in any SC region of TNF-
-treated
rats or of 2-mo-TGX rats (figures not shown), despite reports of
apoptosis from elsewhere in the CNS of TNF-
-treated rats
(18
, 40-42
) and in cultured Cbl-deprived
neoplastic cells (43)
.
Ultrastructural effects of cytokines on SC white matter
Plates AD of Fig. 2
show typical ultrastructural findings in the SC of TNF-
-treated rats
(panel A) and of TGX rats treated with anti-TNF-
antibodies (panel B), TGF-ß1 (panel
C), or IL-6 (panel D). SC white matter of
TNF-
-treated rats shows overt splitting of the myelin lamellae (Fig. 2A
) identical to that previously described for SC white
matter of 2-mo-TGX rats (34)
. Chronic i.c.v. treatment of
TGX rats with anti-TNF-
antibodies (Fig. 2B
),
TGF-ß1 (Fig. 2C
), or IL-6 (Fig. 2D
)
substantially reduced both types of edema observed in the SC white
matter of 2-mo-TGX rats (34)
.
We never observed any structural or ultrastructural feature of an
inflammatory reaction or of oligodendrocyte death in SCs from
TNF-
-treated rats (figures not shown), which differs from findings
(14
, 44-48
).
Immunoblot analysis for TNF-
protein
Immunoblot analysis shows that the TNF-
protein in its mature
form (17 kDa) (46
, 49
, 50
) is
present in the SC of both control and 2-mo-TGX rats (see Fig. 3
).On densitometric analysis, TNF-
levels in Cbl-deficient SCs from
2-mo-TGX rats are 2.62.8 higher than control. Chronic postoperative
Cbl treatment of TGX rats substantially reduced SC levels of TNF-
protein almost to control levels (Fig. 3)
.
 |
DISCUSSION
|
|---|
This in vivo study presents the first evidence that:
1) the biologically active 17 kDa form of TNF-
(46
, 49
, 50
) is overexpressed in
Cbl-deficient SC of 2-mo-TGX rats; 2) a chronic
postoperative Cbl treatment to TGX rats substantially reduces the SC
level of the biologically active form of TNF-
near to that of
normal; 3) a chronic i.c.v. treatment with TNF-
reproduces the hallmark structural and ultrastructural lesions
(intramyelin and interstitial edema) that we (34)
and
others (51
, 52
) observed previously in
animals with experimentally induced SCD; and 4) chronic
i.c.v. treatment with different agentsone of which (i.e., the
anti-TNF-
antibodies) antagonizes TNF-
and the others (i.e.,
TGF-ß1 and IL-6) substantially reduce its cellular
production (15
, 27
,
53-55
)largely prevents SCD-like lesions in the SC white
matter of 2-mo-TGX rats. These results clearly provide both direct and
indirect evidence that TNF-
is involved in the pathogenesis of
Cbl-deficient central neuropathy, which is typically characterized by
myelinolytic damage (1
, 34
, 56
)
without inflammation or demyelination (1
, 2
,
34
, 51
, 52
). Different drugs
that are directly or indirectly anti-TNF-
have been shown to be
neuroprotective in experimental SCD of TGX rats. The deleterious effect
on myelin structures of TNF-
in the rat SC, without simultaneous
damage to the myelin-producing cells, agrees with the results of other
investigators (17
, 57
, 58
); the
lack of histological evidence for apoptosis or ultrastructural evidence
for complete demyelination (1
, 2
,
34
) in TNF-
-treated or 2-mo-TGX rats also supports this
interpretation. In the current debate as to whether TNF-
is
neuroprotective 59-62)
or has a pathological role in
several neurological disorders 62-69)
, our data clearly
support a toxic effect of this cytokine on SC myelin structures in the
rat. Our results are also in keeping with those of others showing that
blockade of TNF-
activity inhibits in different ways the development
of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (20
,
70-73
). In addition, in vivo administration of
TGF-ß1 into mice with experimental allergic
encephalomyelitis is successful in prevention and/or improvement of the
clinical course of the disease (32
, 74
,
75
).
Our results also support the view that TGF-ß1 and IL-6
may function as endogenous neuroprotectants. TGF-ß1 and
IL -6, traditionally viewed as pivotal modulators of immune and/or
inflammatory responses 24-32)
, have neurotrophic
properties in a myelinolytic disease, i.e., Cbl-deficient central
neuropathy. This activity appears to be independent of the modulation
of immune and/or inflammatory processes 24-32)
, since
neither inflammatory nor immune-mediated processes appear to be
required for Cbl-deficient central neuropathy (1
,
2
, 34
, 56
). We cannot say with
certainty whether the neuroprotective effect of TGF-ß1 we
observe is due to the direct action of this cytokine or to an increase
in IL-6 production by the CNS cells in response to TGF-ß1
(11
, 27
). Similarly, what cannot be excluded
at this time is whether the improvement of the SCD-like lesions by IL-6
may reflect increased release of adrenocorticotropic hormone, elicited
by the cytokine and elevating glucocorticoids (9
,
76
, 77
). Whatever the mechanism(s) of the
neuroprotective effect of IL-6 might be, the present studies confirm
the neurotrophic activity of IL-6 in vivo, in agreement with
other authors (24
, 25
, 29
),
although neurological diseases have also been found in mice
overexpressing IL-6 (23
, 78
).
In conclusion, these data support the hypothesis that altered
expression of cytokines in the CNS of TGX rats may play a crucial role
in the pathogenesis of Cbl-deficient central neuropathy, although the
sequence of molecular events that trigger this response awaits
investigation. It is thus possible that abnormal production of TNF-
,
TGF-ß1, and/or IL-6 is induced in the rat SC by permanent
Cbl deficiency and is responsible for the onset of the
neuropathological lesions typical of Cbl-deficient central neuropathy.
In keeping with this is the fact that morphological improvement of the
SCD-like lesions in TGX rats is seen after chronic i.c.v. treatments
with TGF-ß1 or IL-6 or with anti-TNF-
antibodies,
improvement of which is identical from a structural and ultrastructural
point of view to that observed in SC white matter from 2-mo-TGX rats
after chronic postoperative Cbl treatment (34)
.
Furthermore, it is well known that one of the major hypotheses advanced
to explain the pathogenesis of SCD envisions a decrease in methionine
synthase activity (4
, 79
). It is also known
that the ability of TNF-
to induce type II nitric oxide (NO)
synthase in CNS (80)
results in an increased NO
concentration. NO has been shown to be implicated in the pathogenesis
of several CNS diseases (80)
and to be able to
specifically inhibit the methionine synthase activity (4
,
81
). Thus, it is conceivable that the increase in TNF-
in SCs of 2-mo-TGX rats might ultimately produce a decreased
concentration of methionine and a methylation deficiency via increased
NO concentrations. However, against this hypothesis lie the following:
1) the content of S-adenosyl-L-methionine of SCs of 2-mo-TGX
rats is significantly increased (1)
; and 2)
serum levels of methionine are significantly increased in 4-mo-TGX- and
in 6-mo-TGX-rats (J. Lindenbaum et al., unpublished results).
This last result apparently does not agree with the report
(82)
showing decreased methionine levels in plasma of
nitrous oxide-treated pigs.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
|
|---|
G.S. is deeply indebted to Prof. J. W. Funder (Melbourne,
Australia) for critical reading of the manuscript and helpful
discussions. G.S. expresses his deep gratitude to Prof. P. Mantegazza
(President of the University of Milan) for his continued interest in
this research. G.S. also wishes to thank the Hoechst Foundation (Milan)
for the financial support given for part of this research. This work
was supported in part by grants from the Ministero
dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (MURST
40% and 60%, Rome, Italy) and from C.N.R. Center for Research in Cell
Pathology (Institute of General Pathology, University of Milan).
 |
FOOTNOTES
|
|---|
1 Correspondence: Institute of General Pathology, University of Milan, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133 Milano, Italy. E-mail: scalb{at}imiucca.csi.unimi.it 
2 Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; C, cervical;
Cbl, cobalamin; CNS, central nervous system; HCYS, homocysteine;
i.c.v., intracerebroventricular; IL-6, interleukin-6; L, lumbar; MMA,
L-methylmalonic acid; mo, month; NO, nitric oxide; NS, not significant;
R, rat; RT, room temperature; SC, spinal cord; SCD, subacute combined
degeneration; TBS, triphosphate-buffered saline; TG, total gastrectomy;
TGF-ß1, transforming growth factor-ß1; TGX,
totally gastrectomized; Th, thoracic; TNF-
, tumor necrosis
factor-
; TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated
dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling.
Received for publication July 27, 1998.
Revision received October 2, 1998.
 |
REFERENCES
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