Complement C3 Enhances LPS-Elicited Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Via the Mac1/NOX2 Pathway

Recent studies showed increased expression of complements in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. However, the mechanism regulating the expression of complements and their roles in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration are unclear. We hypothesized that acute neuroinflammation increases the expression and activation of brain complements, which, in turn, participate in chronic neuroinflammation and progressive neurodegeneration. We initially focused on the complement component C3, because C3 can activate microglia by binding to C3 receptors and attaching to damaged neurons destined to be phagocytosed by microglia. We found that complement C3 is upregulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated neuron/glial cultures. Mechanistic studies revealed that microglia-released proinflammatory factors initiated the enhanced expression of C3 in astroglia during acute neuroinflammation. On the other hand, the sustained C3 expression during chronic neuroinflammation requires releasing damage-associated molecule patterns (DAMPs) from damaged/degenerating brain cells. Our results suggested that DAMPs might act on microglial integrin receptor Mac1 to trigger the activation of NADPH oxidase (NOX2). Activated microglial NOX2 increases the production of extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevating the levels of intracellular ROS of astroglia and sustaining the astroglial C3 expression. This was supported by the findings showing reduced C3 expression and attenuated neurodegeneration in LPS-treated neuron/glial cultures prepared from mice deficient in Mac1 or NOX2. LPS-induced neurodegeneration and oxidative stress are significantly reduced in C3 KO neuron/glial cultures and mouse brains. Together, this study provides the first evidence demonstrating the role of C3 in regulating chronic neuroinflammation and in driving progressive neurodegeneration.