HIV-Tat-mediated Bcl-XL delivery protects retinal ganglion cells during experimental autoimmune optic neuritis

Neurobiol Dis. 2005 Nov;20(2):218-26. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2005.03.003.

Abstract

In multiple sclerosis (MS), post-mortem studies of human brain tissue as well as data from animal models have shown that apoptosis of neurons occurs to a significant extent during this disease. As neurodegeneration in MS correlates with permanent neurological deficits in patients, understanding the mechanisms would be an important pre-condition for designing appropriate neuroprotective therapies. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis often affects the optic nerve and leads to consecutive apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the neurons that form its axons. In this study, we fused Bcl-XL to the protein transduction domain of the HIV-transactivator of transcription. Thereby, this anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family was delivered into RGCs of rats with electrophysiologically diagnosed optic neuritis. Transduction of Bcl-XL in our study led to significant rescue of RGCs indicating the relevance of this pathway for neuronal survival under autoimmune inflammatory conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / metabolism
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / physiopathology
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / drug effects
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Products, tat / genetics
  • Gene Products, tat / pharmacology
  • Gene Products, tat / therapeutic use
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy
  • Multiple Sclerosis / metabolism
  • Multiple Sclerosis / physiopathology
  • Nerve Degeneration / drug therapy*
  • Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
  • Nerve Degeneration / prevention & control
  • Optic Nerve / drug effects
  • Optic Nerve / metabolism
  • Optic Nerve / physiopathology
  • Optic Neuritis / drug therapy*
  • Optic Neuritis / metabolism
  • Optic Neuritis / physiopathology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred BN
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / drug effects
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / metabolism*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / pathology
  • Transduction, Genetic / methods
  • Treatment Outcome
  • bcl-X Protein / genetics
  • bcl-X Protein / pharmacology*
  • bcl-X Protein / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Gene Products, tat
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • bcl-X Protein