👤 Cynthia M Carlsson

To determine whether long-term residential air pollution [AP; ozone (O₃) and fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅)] is associated with (1) incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), (2) biomarkers of core and AD-relevant pathology, and (3) whether these relationships are moderated by APOE4+/- (carrier/non-carrier of one or both ε4 alleles) status or mediated by neuroinflammation. Sample included 795 participants (Mage 68.7 ± 7.9; 68% female) from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention parent studies, both enriched for AD risk at enrollment based on parental AD history. Residential zip code and 2009–2021 EPA-based annual AP reports were used to estimate individual exposure. Cox proportional hazards models assessed MCI/AD risk. Linear regressions examined the relationships between AP exposure and biomarkers of core and AD-relevant pathology, with and without APOE4 + stratification. Causal mediation analysis examined whether markers of inflammation mediated the AP-AD pathology relationships. Neither O₃ nor PM₂.₅ exposure predicted MCI/AD incidence nor core AD pathology (Ps > 0.05). Higher PM₂.₅ was associated with higher CSF GFAP levels ( Show less

This study aimed to compare cytokine and adipokine levels in patients with obesity with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) at baseline and 6 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with healthy controls. A total of 34 patients (21 with T2D) with BMI of 30 to 45 kg/m Significant decreases in weight and glycated hemoglobin A The altered cytokine profile of patients with obesity persisted after RYGB despite large weight loss and improved metabolic status, thus reflecting an inherent inflammatory state. Show less

Insulin resistance (IR) is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, diabetic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) is the most effective form of bariatric surgery for improving insulin sensitivity. To identify plasma proteins correlating with the early restoration of insulin sensitivity after BPD. Prospective single-center study including 20 insulin-resistant men with morbid obesity scheduled for BPD. Patient characteristics and blood samples were repeatedly collected from baseline up to 4 weeks postsurgery. IR was assessed by homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Matsuda Index, and by studying metabolic profiles during meal tolerance tests. Unbiased proteomic analysis was performed to identify plasma proteins altered by BPD. Detailed plasma profiles were made on a selected set of proteins by targeted multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (MRM/MS). Changes in plasma proteome were evaluated in relation to metabolic and inflammatory changes. BPD resulted in improved insulin sensitivity and reduced body weight. Proteomic analysis identified 29 proteins that changed following BPD. Changes in plasma levels of afamin, apolipoprotein A-IV (ApoA4), and apolipoprotein A-II (ApoA2) correlated significantly with changes in IR. Circulating levels of afamin, ApoA4, and ApoA2 were associated with and may contribute to the rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity after BPD. Show less

Alpha-synuclein (SNCA) protein aggregation plays a causal role in Parkinson's disease (PD). The SNCA protein modulates neurotransmission via the SNAP receptor (SNARE) complex assembly and presynaptic vesicle trafficking. The striatal presynaptic dopamine deficit is alleviated by treatment with levodopa (L-DOPA), but postsynaptic plastic changes induced by this treatment lead to a development of involuntary movements (dyskinesia). While this process is currently modeled in rodents harboring neurotoxin-induced lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway, we have here explored the postsynaptic supersensitivity of dopamine receptor-mediated signaling in a genetic mouse model of early PD. To this end, we used mice with prion promoter-driven overexpression of A53T-SNCA in the nigrostriatal and corticostriatal projections. At a symptomatic age (18 months), mice were challenged with apomorphine (5 mg/kg s.c.) and examined using both behavioral and molecular assays. After the administration of apomorphine, A53T-transgenic mice showed more severe stereotypic and dystonic movements in comparison with wild-type controls. Molecular markers of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, and Fos messenger RNA (mRNA), were examined in striatal tissue at 30 and 100 min after apomorphine injection. At 30 min, wild-type and transgenic mice showed a similar induction of phosphorylated ERK1/2, Dusp1, and Dusp6 mRNA (two MAPK phosphatases). At the same time point, Fos mRNA was induced more strongly in mutant mice than in wild-type controls. At 100 min after apomorphine treatment, the induction of both Fos, Dusp1, and Dusp6 mRNA was significantly larger in mutant mice than wild-type controls. At this time point, apomorphine caused a reduction in phospho-ERK1/2 levels specifically in the transgenic mice. Our results document for the first time a disturbance of ERK1/2 signaling regulation associated with apomorphine-induced involuntary movements in a genetic mouse model of synucleinopathy. This mouse model will be useful to identify novel therapeutic targets that can counteract abnormal dopamine-dependent striatal plasticity during both prodromal and manifest stages of PD. Show less

The magnitude of weight loss-induced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) changes may depend on genetic factors. We examined the associations of eight candidate genes, identified by genome-wide association studies, with HDL-C at baseline and 10 yr after bariatric surgery in the Swedish Obese Subjects study. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (n = 60) in the following gene loci were genotyped: ABCA1, APOA5, CETP, GALNT2, LIPC, LIPG, LPL, and MMAB/MVK. Cross-sectional associations were tested before (n = 1771) and 2 yr (n = 1583) and 10 yr (n = 1196) after surgery. Changes in HDL-C were tested between baseline and yr 2 (n = 1518) and yr 2 and 10 (n = 1149). A multiple testing corrected threshold of P = 0.00125 was used for statistical significance. In adjusted multivariate models, CETP SNP rs3764261 explained from 3.2-4.2% (P < 10(-14)) of the variation in HDL-C at all three time points, whereas CETP SNP rs9939224 contributed an additional 0.6 and 0.9% at baseline and yr 2, respectively. LIPC SNP rs1077834 showed consistent associations across all time points (R(2) = 0.4-1.1%; 3.8 × 10(-6) < P < 3 × 10(-3)), whereas LPL SNP rs6993414 contributed approximately 0.5% (5 × 10(-4) < P < 0.0012) at yr 2 and 10. In aggregate, four SNP in three genes explained 4.2, 6.8, and 5.6% of the HDL-C variance at baseline, yr 2, and yr 10, respectively. None of the SNP was significantly associated with weight loss-related changes in HDL-C. SNP in the CETP, LIPC, and LPL loci contribute significantly to plasma HDL-C levels in obese individuals, and the associations persist even after considerable weight loss due to bariatric surgery. However, they are not associated with surgery-induced changes in HDL-C levels. Show less

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans influence embryonic development and adult physiology through interactions with protein ligands. The interactions depend on HS structure, which is determined largely during biosynthesis by Golgi enzymes. How biosynthesis is regulated is more or less unknown. During polymerization of the HS chain, carried out by a complex of the exostosin proteins EXT1 and EXT2, the first modification enzyme, glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (NDST), introduces N-sulfate groups into the growing polymer. Unexpectedly, we found that the level of expression of EXT1 and EXT2 affected the amount of NDST1 present in the cell, which, in turn, greatly influenced HS structure. Whereas overexpression of EXT2 in HEK 293 cells enhanced NDST1 expression, increased NDST1 N-glycosylation, and resulted in elevated HS sulfation, overexpression of EXT1 had opposite effects. Accordingly, heart tissue from transgenic mice overexpressing EXT2 showed increased NDST activity. Immunoprecipitaion experiments suggested an interaction between EXT2 and NDST1. We speculate that NDST1 competes with EXT1 for binding to EXT2. Increased NDST activity in fibroblasts with a gene trap mutation in EXT1 supports this notion. These results support a model in which the enzymes of HS biosynthesis form a complex, or a GAGosome. Show less