Journal Article

Posttranscriptional Regulation of Gene Expression Participates in the Myelin Restoration in Mouse Models of Multiple Sclerosis: Antisense Modulation of HuR and HuD ELAV RNA Binding Protein

Galeotti, Nicoletta, Borgonetti, Vittoria

2023

Overview

Neuropathic pain is the most difficult-to-treat pain syndrome in multiple sclerosis. Evidence relates neuropathic pain to demyelination, which often originates from unresolved neuroinflammation or altered immune response. Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression might play a fundamental role in the regulation of these processes. The ELAV RNA-binding proteins HuR and HuD are involved in the promotion of inflammatory phenomena and in neuronal development and maintenance, respectively. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of HuR and HuD in demyelination-associated neuropathic pain in the mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. HuR resulted overexpressed in the spinal cord of MOG 35-55 –EAE and PLP 139-151 –EAE mice and was detected in CD11b + cells. Conversely, HuD was largely downregulated in the MOG–EAE spinal cord, along with GAP43 and neurofilament H, while in PLP-EAE mice, HuD and neuronal markers remained unaltered. Intranasal antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) delivery to knockdown HuR, increased myelin basic protein expression, and Luxol Fast Blue staining in both EAE models, an indication of increased myelin content. These effects temporally coincided with attenuation of pain hypersensitivity. Anti-HuR ASO increased the expression of HuD in GAP43-expressing cells and promoted a HuD-mediated neuroprotective activity in MOG–EAE mice, while in PLP–EAE mice, HuR silencing dampened pro-inflammatory responses mediated by spinal microglia activation. In conclusion, anti-HuR ASO showed myelin protection at analgesic doses with multitarget mechanisms, and it deserves further consideration as an innovative agent to counteract demyelination in neuropathic pain states. Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Analgesics / Animal models / Animals / Antisense oligonucleotides / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / CD11b antigen / Cell Biology / Demyelination / Disease Models, Animal / ELAV Proteins - metabolism / Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - drug therapy / Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation / HuR protein / Hypersensitivity / Immune response / Inflammation / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Microglia / Multiple sclerosis / Multiple Sclerosis - drug therapy / Myelin / Myelin basic protein / Myelin proteolipid protein / Myelin Sheath - metabolism / Neuralgia / Neuralgia - genetics / Neuralgia - metabolism / Neurobiology / Neurofilaments / Neurology / Neuroprotection / Neurosciences / Oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein / Pain / Post-transcription / RNA-binding protein / Spinal cord / Spinal Cord - metabolism