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Mice exposed to standard (SE) or enriched environment (EE) were transplanted with murine or human glioma cells and differences in tumour development were evaluated. We report that EE exposure affects: (i) tumour size, increasing mice survival; (ii) glioma establishment, proliferation and invasion; (iii) microglia/macrophage (M/Mφ) activation; (iv) natural killer (NK) cell infiltration and activation; and (v) cerebral levels of IL-15 and BDNF. Direct infusion of IL-15 or BDNF in the brain of mice transplanted with glioma significantly reduces tumour growth. We demonstrate that brain infusion of IL-15 increases the frequency of NK cell infiltrating the tumour and that NK cell depletion reduces the efficacy of EE and IL-15 on tumour size and of EE on mice survival. BDNF infusion reduces M/Mφ infiltration and CD68 immunoreactivity in tumour mass and reduces glioma migration inhibiting the small G protein RhoA through the truncated TrkB.T1 receptor. These results suggest alternative approaches for glioma treatment. Enriched environment is known to be beneficial in several disease settings. Here the authors show that mice pre-exposed to enriched environment survive longer when challenged with glioma due to increased antitumour immunity, and identify soluble factors that mediate these effects.

In the CNS, the chemokine CX3CL1 (fractalkine) is expressed on neurons while its specific receptor CX3CR1 is expressed on microglia and macrophages. Microglia play an important role in health and disease through CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling, and in many neurodegenerative disorders, microglia dysregulation has been associated with neuro-inflammation. We have previously shown that CX3CL1 has neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia injury. Here, we investigated the involvement of CX3CL1 in the modulation of microglia phenotype and the underlying neuroprotective effect on ischemia injury. The expression profiles of anti- and pro-inflammatory genes showed that CX3CL1 markedly inhibited microglial activation both in vitro and in vivo after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO), accompanied by an increase in the expression of anti-inflammatory genes. Moreover, CX3CL1 induces a metabolic switch in microglial cells with an increase in the expression of genes related to the oxidative pathway and a reduction in those related to glycolytic pathway, which is the metabolic state associated to the pro-inflammatory phenotype for energy production. The data reported in this paper suggest that CX3CL1 protects against cerebral ischemia modulating the activation state of microglia and its metabolism in order to restrain inflammation and organize a neuroprotective response against the ischemic insult.

In glioma, microglia and infiltrating macrophages are exposed to factors that force them to produce cytokines and chemokines, which contribute to tumor growth and to maintaining a pro-tumorigenic, immunosuppressed microenvironment. We demonstrate that housing glioma-bearing mice in enriched environment (EE) reverts the immunosuppressive phenotype of infiltrating myeloid cells, by modulating inflammatory gene expression. Under these conditions, the branching and patrolling activity of myeloid cells is increased, and their phagocytic activity is promoted. Modulation of gene expression depends on interferon-(IFN)-γ produced by natural killer (NK) cells. This modulation disappears in mice depleted of NK cells or lacking IFN-γ, and was mimicked by exogenous interleukin-15 (IL-15). Further, we describe a key role for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that is produced in the brain of mice housed in EE, in mediating the expression of IL-15 in CD11b cells. These data define novel mechanisms linking environmental cues to the acquisition of a pro-inflammatory, anti-tumor microenvironment in mouse brain.

Extracellular-released vesicles (EVs), such as microvesicles (MV) and exosomes (Exo) provide a new type of inter-cellular communication, directly transferring a ready to use box of information, consisting of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. In the nervous system, EVs participate to neuron-glial cross-talk, a bidirectional communication important to preserve brain homeostasis and, when dysfunctional, involved in several CNS diseases. We investigated whether microglia-derived EVs could be used to transfer a protective phenotype to dysfunctional microglia in the context of a brain tumor. When MV, isolated from microglia stimulated with LPS/IFNγ were brain injected in glioma-bearing mice, we observed a phenotype switch of tumor associated myeloid cells (TAMs) and a reduction of tumor size. Our findings indicate that the MV cargo, which contains upregulated transcripts for several inflammation-related genes, can transfer information in the brain of glioma bearing mice modifying microglial gene expression, reducing neuronal death and glioma invasion, thus promoting the recovery of brain homeostasis.

Background N -Methyl- d -aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play fundamental roles in basic brain functions such as excitatory neurotransmission and learning and memory processes. Their function is largely regulated by factors released by glial cells, including the coagonist d -serine. We investigated whether the activation of microglial CX 3 CR1 induces the release of factors that modulate NMDAR functions. Methods We recorded the NMDAR component of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (NMDA-fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 stratum radiatum of mouse hippocampal slices by Shaffer collateral stimulation and evaluated d -serine content in the extracellular medium of glial primary cultures by mass spectrometry analysis. Results We demonstrated that CX 3 CL1 increases NMDA-fEPSPs by a mechanism involving the activity of the adenosine receptor type A2 (A 2A R) and the release of the NMDAR coagonist d -serine. Specifically (1) the selective A 2A R blocker 7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (SCH58261) and the genetic ablation of A 2A R prevent CX 3 CL1 action while the A 2A R agonist 5-(6-amino-2-(phenethylthio)-9H-purin-9-yl)- N -ethyl-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-carboxamide (VT7) mimics CX 3 CL1 effect, and (2) the selective blocking of the NMDAR glycine (and d -serine) site by 5,7-dicholorokynurenic acid (DCKA), the enzymatic degradation of d -serine by d -amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and the saturation of the coagonist site by d -serine, all block the CX 3 CL1 effect. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that stimulation of microglia and astrocytes with CX 3 CL1 or VT7 increases d -serine release in the extracellular medium. Conclusions CX 3 CL1 transiently potentiates NMDAR function though mechanisms involving A 2A R activity and the release of d -serine.

Background: N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play fundamental roles in basic brain functions such as excitatory neurotransmission and learning and memory processes. Their function is largely regulated by factors released by glial cells, including the coagonist d-serine. We investigated whether the activation of microglial CX sub(3)CR1 induces the release of factors that modulate NMDAR functions. Methods: We recorded the NMDAR component of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (NMDA-fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 stratum radiatum of mouse hippocampal slices by Shaffer collateral stimulation and evaluated d-serine content in the extracellular medium of glial primary cultures by mass spectrometry analysis. Results: We demonstrated that CX sub(3)CL1 increases NMDA-fEPSPs by a mechanism involving the activity of the adenosine receptor type A2 (A sub(2A)R) and the release of the NMDAR coagonist d-serine. Specifically (1) the selective A sub(2A)R blocker 7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triaz o lo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (SCH58261) and the genetic ablation of A sub(2A)R prevent CX sub(3)CL1 action while the A sub(2A)R agonist 5-(6-amino-2-(phenethylthio)-9H-purin-9-yl)-N-ethyl-3,4-dihydroxyt e trahydrofuran-2-carboxamide (VT7) mimics CX sub(3)CL1 effect, and (2) the selective blocking of the NMDAR glycine (and d-serine) site by 5,7-dicholorokynurenic acid (DCKA), the enzymatic degradation of d-serine by d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and the saturation of the coagonist site by d-serine, all block the CX sub(3)CL1 effect. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that stimulation of microglia and astrocytes with CX sub(3)CL1 or VT7 increases d-serine release in the extracellular medium. Conclusions: CX sub(3)CL1 transiently potentiates NMDAR function though mechanisms involving A sub(2A)R activity and the release of d-serine.

Fractalkine/CX3CL1 is a neuron-associated chemokine, which modulates microglia-induced neurotoxicity activating the specific and unique receptor CX3CR1. CX3CL1/CX3CR1 interaction modulates the release of cytokines from microglia, reducing the level of tumor necrosis factor- α , interleukin-1- β , and nitric oxide and induces the production of neurotrophic substances, both in vivo and in vitro . We have recently shown that blocking adenosine A 1 receptors (A 1 R) with the specific antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX) abolishes CX3CL1-mediated rescue of neuronal excitotoxic death and that CX3CL1 induces the release of adenosine from microglia. In this study, we show that the presence of extracellular adenosine is mandatory for the neurotrophic effect of CX3CL1 as reducing adenosine levels in hippocampal cultures, by adenosine deaminase treatment, strongly impairs CX3CL1-mediated neuroprotection. Furthermore, we confirm the predominant role of microglia in mediating the neuronal effects of CX3CL1, because the selective depletion of microglia from hippocampal cultures treated with clodronate-filled liposomes causes the complete loss of effect of CX3CL1. We also show that hippocampal neurons obtained from A 1 R −/− mice are not protected by CX3CL1 whereas A 2A R −/− neurons are. The requirement of functional A 1 R for neuroprotection is not unique for CX3CL1 as A 1 R −/− hippocampal neurons are not rescued from Glu-induced cell death by other neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor and erythropoietin, which are fully active on wt neurons.

Upon noxious insults, cells of the brain parenchyma activate endogenous self-protective mechanisms to counteract brain damage. Interplay between microglia and astrocytes can be determinant to build a physiological response to noxious stimuli arisen from injury or stress, thus understanding the cross talk between microglia and astrocytes would be helpful to elucidate the role of glial cells in endogenous protective mechanisms and might contribute to the development of new strategy to mobilize such program and reduce brain cell death. Here we demonstrate that chemokines CX3CL1 and CXCL16 are molecular players that synergistically drive cross-talk between neurons, microglia and astrocytes to promote physiological neuroprotective mechanisms that counteract neuronal cell death due to ischemic and excitotoxic insults. In an in vivo model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) we found that exogenous administration of soluble CXCL16 reduces ischemic volume and that, upon pMCAO, endogenous CXCL16 signaling restrains brain damage, being ischemic volume reduced in mice that lack CXCL16 receptor. We demonstrated that CX3CL1, acting on microglia, elicits CXCL16 release from glia and this is important to induce neroprotection since lack of CXCL16 signaling impairs CX3CL1 neuroprotection against both in vitro Glu-excitotoxic insult and pMCAO. Moreover the activity of adenosine receptor A3R and the astrocytic release of CCL2 play also a role in trasmembrane chemokine neuroprotective effect, since their inactivation reduces CX3CL1- and CXCL16 induced neuroprotection.

Neuronal death induced by overactivation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) is implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury. This toxic effect is mainly mediated by NR2B-containing extrasynaptic NMDARs, while NR2A-containing synaptic NMDARs contribute to cell survival, suggesting the possibility of therapeutic approaches targeting specific receptor subunits. We report that fractalkine/CX3CL1 protects hippocampal neurons from NMDA-induced cell death with a mechanism requiring the adenosine receptors type 2A (A2AR). This is different from CX3CL1-induced protection from glutamate (Glu)-induced cell death, that fully depends on A1R and requires in part A3R. We show that CX3CL1 neuroprotection against NMDA excitotoxicity involves D-serine, a co-agonist of NR2A/NMDAR, resulting in cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor cyclic-AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation.

N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play fundamental roles in basic brain functions such as excitatory neurotransmission and learning and memory processes. Their function is largely regulated by factors released by glial cells, including the coagonist d-serine. We investigated whether the activation of microglial CX.sub.3CR1 induces the release of factors that modulate NMDAR functions. We recorded the NMDAR component of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (NMDA-fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 stratum radiatum of mouse hippocampal slices by Shaffer collateral stimulation and evaluated d-serine content in the extracellular medium of glial primary cultures by mass spectrometry analysis. We demonstrated that CX.sub.3CL1 increases NMDA-fEPSPs by a mechanism involving the activity of the adenosine receptor type A2 (A.sub.2AR) and the release of the NMDAR coagonist d-serine. Specifically (1) the selective A.sub.2AR blocker 7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (SCH58261) and the genetic ablation of A.sub.2AR prevent CX.sub.3CL1 action while the A.sub.2AR agonist 5-(6-amino-2-(phenethylthio)-9H-purin-9-yl)-N-ethyl-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-carboxamide (VT7) mimics CX.sub.3CL1 effect, and (2) the selective blocking of the NMDAR glycine (and d-serine) site by 5,7-dicholorokynurenic acid (DCKA), the enzymatic degradation of d-serine by d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and the saturation of the coagonist site by d-serine, all block the CX.sub.3CL1 effect. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that stimulation of microglia and astrocytes with CX.sub.3CL1 or VT7 increases d-serine release in the extracellular medium. CX.sub.3CL1 transiently potentiates NMDAR function though mechanisms involving A.sub.2AR activity and the release of d-serine.