protectin-d1 and Brain-Diseases

Somatic migration of Toxocara canis- and T. cati-larvae in humans may cause neurotoxocarosis (NT) when larvae accumulate and persist in the central nervous system (CNS). Host- or parasite-induced immunoregulatory processes contribute to the pathogenesis; however, detailed data on involvement of bioactive lipid mediators, e.g. oxylipins or eico-/docosanoids, which are involved in the complex molecular signalling network during infection and inflammation, are lacking.. To elucidate if T. canis- and T. cati-induced NT affects the homeostasis of oxylipins during the course of infection, a comprehensive lipidomic profiling in brains (cerebra and cerebella) of experimentally infected C57BL/6J mice was conducted at six different time points post infection (pi) by liquid-chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Only minor changes were detected regarding pro-inflammatory prostaglandins (cyclooxygenase pathway). In contrast, a significant increase of metabolites resulting from lipoxygenase pathways was observed for both infection groups and brain regions, implicating a predominantly anti-inflammatory driven immune response. This observation was supported by a significantly increased 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HODE)/9-HODE ratio during the subacute phase of infection, indicating an anti-inflammatory response to neuroinfection. Except for the specialised pro-resolving mediator (SPM) neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), which was detected in mice infected with both pathogens during the subacute phase of infection, no other SPMs were detected.. The obtained results demonstrate the influence of Toxocara spp. on oxylipins as part of the immune response of the paratenic hosts. Furthermore, this study shows differences in the alteration of the oxylipin composition between T. canis- and T. cati-brain infection. Results contribute to a further understanding of the largely unknown pathogenesis and mechanisms of host-parasite interactions during NT.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Brain Diseases; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Female; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Larva; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Oxylipins; Toxocara canis; Toxocariasis

The significance of the selective enrichment in omega-3 essential fatty acids (docosahexaenoyl - DHA - chains of membrane phospholipids, 22C and 6 double bonds) in the nervous system (e.g. synaptic membranes and dendrites) has remained, until recently, incompletely understood. While studying mechanisms of neuronal survival, we contributed to the discovery of a docosanoid synthesized by 15-lipoxygenase-1 from DHA, which we dubbed neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1;10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,11E,13E,15E,19Z hexaenoic acid). NPD1 is a docosanoid because it is derived from a 22C precursor (DHA), unlike eicosanoids, which are derived from the 20C arachidonic acid family of essential fatty acids not enriched in the nervous system. We found that NPD1 is promptly made in response to oxidative stress, seizures and brain ischemia-reperfusion. NPD1 is neuroprotective in experimental brain damage, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and in human brain cells. Thus, NPD1 acts as a protective sentinel, one of the very first defenses activated when cell homeostasis is threatened by neurodegenerations. NPD1 also has been shown to have a specificity and potency that provides beneficial bioactivity during initiation and early progression of neuronal and retinal degenerations, epilepsy and stroke. In short, NPD1 regulation promotes homeostatic regulation of neural circuitry integrity.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Brain Diseases; Brain Ischemia; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Epilepsy; Humans; Oxidative Stress; Retina; Retinal Degeneration; Stroke