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  • Multiple therapeutic effects of progranulin on experimental acute ischaemic stroke.

Multiple therapeutic effects of progranulin on experimental acute ischaemic stroke.

Brain : a journal of neurology (2015-04-04)
Masato Kanazawa, Kunio Kawamura, Tetsuya Takahashi, Minami Miura, Yoshinori Tanaka, Misaki Koyama, Masafumi Toriyabe, Hironaka Igarashi, Tsutomu Nakada, Masugi Nishihara, Masatoyo Nishizawa, Takayoshi Shimohata
ABSTRACT

In the central nervous system, progranulin, a glycoprotein growth factor, plays a crucial role in maintaining physiological functions, and progranulin gene mutations cause TAR DNA-binding protein-43-positive frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Although several studies have reported that progranulin plays a protective role against ischaemic brain injury, little is known about temporal changes in the expression level, cellular localization, and glycosylation status of progranulin after acute focal cerebral ischaemia. In addition, the precise mechanisms by which progranulin exerts protective effects on ischaemic brain injury remains unknown. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of progranulin against acute focal cerebral ischaemia, including combination treatment with tissue plasminogen activator, remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to determine temporal changes in the expression and localization of progranulin after ischaemia as well as the therapeutic effects of progranulin on ischaemic brain injury using in vitro and in vivo models. First, we demonstrated a dynamic change in progranulin expression in ischaemic Sprague-Dawley rats, including increased levels of progranulin expression in microglia within the ischaemic core, and increased levels of progranulin expression in viable neurons as well as induction of progranulin expression in endothelial cells within the ischaemic penumbra. We also demonstrated that the fully glycosylated mature secretory isoform of progranulin (∼88 kDa) decreased, whereas the glycosylated immature isoform of progranulin (58-68 kDa) markedly increased at 24 h and 72 h after reperfusion. In vitro experiments using primary cells from C57BL/6 mice revealed that the glycosylated immature isoform was secreted only from the microglia. Second, we demonstrated that progranulin could protect against acute focal cerebral ischaemia by a variety of mechanisms including attenuation of blood-brain barrier disruption, neuroinflammation suppression, and neuroprotection. We found that progranulin could regulate vascular permeability via vascular endothelial growth factor, suppress neuroinflammation after ischaemia via anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 in the microglia, and render neuroprotection in part by inhibition of cytoplasmic redistribution of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 as demonstrated in progranulin knockout mice (C57BL/6 background). Finally, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of progranulin against acute focal cerebral ischaemia using a rat autologous thrombo-embolic model with delayed tissue plasminogen activator treatment. Intravenously administered recombinant progranulin reduced cerebral infarct and oedema, suppressed haemorrhagic transformation, and improved motor outcomes (P = 0.007, 0.038, 0.007 and 0.004, respectively). In conclusion, progranulin may be a novel therapeutic target that provides vascular protection, anti-neuroinflammation, and neuroprotection related in part to vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin 10, and TAR DNA-binding protein-43, respectively.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Propidium iodide, ≥94.0% (HPLC)
Sigma-Aldrich
Propidium iodide solution
Sigma-Aldrich
Progranulin human, recombinant, expressed in HEK 293 cells, untagged, >95% (SDS-PAGE)
Sigma-Aldrich
Poly-D-lysine hydrobromide, mol wt >300,000, lyophilized powder, γ-irradiated, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
DAPI, for nucleic acid staining
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Triton X-100, laboratory grade
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Progranulin rat, recombinant, expressed in HEK 293 cells, FLAG® tagged, >95% (SDS-PAGE)
Sigma-Aldrich
Progranulin mouse, recombinant, expressed in HEK 293 cells, untagged, >95% (SDS-PAGE)
Sigma-Aldrich
Progranulin mouse, recombinant, expressed in HEK 293 cells, FLAG® tagged, >95% (SDS-PAGE)