BET protein inhibition in macrophages enhances dorsal root ganglion neurite outgrowth in female mice

Peripheral nerve regeneration is limited after injury, especially in humans, due to the large distance the axons have to grow in the limbs. This process is highly dependent on the expression of neuroinflammatory factors produced by macrophages and glial cells. Given the importance of the epigenetic...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Palomés Borrajo, Georgina|||0000-0002-8217-2054, Navarro, X. (Xavier)|||0000-0001-9849-902X, Penas Pérez, Clara|||0000-0003-0554-3832
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:258280
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/258280
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1002/jnr.25036
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:BET proteins
Cytokines
Inflammation
Neurite outgrowth
Regeneration
Descripción
Sumario:Peripheral nerve regeneration is limited after injury, especially in humans, due to the large distance the axons have to grow in the limbs. This process is highly dependent on the expression of neuroinflammatory factors produced by macrophages and glial cells. Given the importance of the epigenetic BET proteins on inflammation, we aimed to ascertain if BET inhibition may have an effect on axonal outgrowth. For this purpose, we treated female mice with JQ1 or vehicle after sciatic nerve crush injury and analyzed target reinnervation. We also used dorsal root ganglion (DRG) culture explants to analyze the effects of direct BET inhibition or treatment with conditioned medium from BET-inhibited macrophages. We observed that although JQ1 produced an enhancement of IL-4, IL-13, and GAP43 expression, it did not have an effect on sensory or motor reinnervation after crush injury in vivo. In contrast, JQ1 reduced neurite growth when interacting directly with DRG neurons ex vivo, whereas conditioned medium from JQ1-treated macrophages promoted neurite outgrowth. Therefore, BET-inhibited macrophages secrete pro-regenerative factors that induce neurite outgrowth, and that may counteract the direct inhibition of BET proteins in neurons in vivo. Finally, we observed an activation of the STAT6 pathway in DRG explants treated with conditioned medium from JQ1-treated macrophages. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that BET protein inhibition in macrophages provides a mechanism to enhance axonal outgrowth. However, specific targeting of BET proteins to macrophages will be needed to efficiently enhance functional recovery after nerve injury.