Retinoid X receptor activation reverses age-related deficiencies in myelin debris phagocytosis and remyelination.

ABSTRACT: The efficiency of central nervous system remyelination declines with age. This is in part due to an age-associated decline in the phagocytic removal of myelin debris, which contains inhibitors of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation. In this study, we show that expression of genes involved in the retinoid X receptor pathway are decreased with ageing in both myelin-phagocytosing human monocytes and mouse macrophages using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches. Disruption of retinoid X receptor function in young macrophages, using the antagonist HX531, mimics ageing by reducing myelin debris uptake. Macrophage-specific RXRα (Rxra) knockout mice revealed that loss of function in young mice caused delayed myelin debris uptake and slowed remyelination after experimentally-

SUBMITTER: Natrajan MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4668920 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature