Partial restoration of brain dystrophin by tricyclo-DNA antisense oligonucleotides alleviates emotional deficits in mice.

The mouse model recapitulates a frequent mutation profile associated with brain involvement in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Deletion of exon 52 impedes expression of two dystrophins (Dp427, Dp140) expressed in brain, and is eligible for therapeutic exon-skipping strategies. We previously showed that mice display enhanced anxiety and fearfulness, and impaired associative fear learning.

Development and Assessment of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) Amplicon Vectors with Sensory Neuron-Selective Promoters.

Background: Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) is a severe pathological condition characterized by involuntary detrusor contractions leading to urine leakage. This condition is frequent after spinal cord injury (SCI). Gene therapy for NDO requires the development of vectors that express therapeutic transgenes driven by sensory neuron-specific promoters.

Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chains Expressed by Defective Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Vectors Cleave SNARE Proteins and Inhibit CGRP Release in Rat Sensory Neurons.

A set of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) amplicon vectors expressing the light chains (LC) of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) A, B, C, D, E and F was constructed. Their properties have been assessed in primary cultures of rat embryonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, and in organotypic cultures of explanted DRG from adult rats. Following infection of primary cultures of rat embryonic DRG neurons, the different BoNT LC induced efficient cleavage of their corresponding target Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor Attachment protein Receptor (SNARE) protein (VAMP, SNAP25, syntaxin).

Nanotubular crosstalk with distressed cardiomyocytes stimulates the paracrine repair function of mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are known to repair broken heart tissues primarily through a paracrine fashion while emerging evidence indicate that MSC can communicate with cardiomyocytes (CM) through tunneling nanotubes (TNT). Nevertheless, no link has been so far established between these two processes. Here, we addressed whether cell-to-cell communication processes between MSC and suffering cardiomyocytes and more particularly those involving TNT control the MSC paracrine regenerative function.

Human mesenchymal stem cells reprogram adult cardiomyocytes toward a progenitor-like state through partial cell fusion and mitochondria transfer.

Because stem cells are often found to improve repair tissue including heart without evidence of engraftment or differentiation, mechanisms underlying wound healing are still elusive. Several studies have reported that stem cells can fuse with cardiomyocytes either by permanent or partial cell fusion processes. However, the respective physiological impact of these two processes remains unknown in part because of the lack of knowledge of the resulting hybrid cells.

How does chronic sildenafil prevent vascular oxidative stress in insulin-resistant rats?

Introduction: Insulin resistance features both endothelial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress. Both disorders are targeted by a chronic treatment with sildenafil. However, the mechanism of action by which chronic sildenafil exerts its effects on reactive oxygen species sources is still largely unknown.

Impact of a long-term sildenafil treatment on pressor response in conscious rats with insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia.

Background: Insulin resistance constitutes a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and subsequent cardiovascular diseases including hypertension. Daily treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors has beneficial effects on endothelial function in men with increased cardiovascular risk. Endothelium-dependent vasomotor function is ultimately linked to blood pressure (BP) regulation.

Low-affinity state beta1-adrenoceptor-induced vasodilation in SHR.

Low-affinity state beta1-adrenoceptor (beta1-AR) was functionally expressed in some blood vessels and was different from beta1, beta2 and beta3-AR. In rat aorta, low-affinity state beta1-AR activation produced an endothelium-independent relaxation which was impaired in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). In the present work, we investigated whether renin-angiotensin system was involved in this alteration by evaluating the effects of enalapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or losartan, an AT1 angiotensin receptor antagonist.