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Jayaprakash P, Isaev D, Yang KHS, Beiram R, Oz M, Sadek B. Apigenin Alleviates Autistic-like Stereotyped Repetitive Behaviors and Mitigates Brain Oxidative Stress in Mice. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:482. [PMID: 38675442 PMCID: PMC11054933 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Studying the involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), specifically α7-nAChRs, in neuropsychiatric brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has gained a growing interest. The flavonoid apigenin (APG) has been confirmed in its pharmacological action as a positive allosteric modulator of α7-nAChRs. However, there is no research describing the pharmacological potential of APG in ASD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the subchronic systemic treatment of APG (10-30 mg/kg) on ASD-like repetitive and compulsive-like behaviors and oxidative stress status in the hippocampus and cerebellum in BTBR mice, utilizing the reference drug aripiprazole (ARP, 1 mg/kg, i.p.). BTBR mice pretreated with APG (20 mg/kg) or ARP (1 mg/g, i.p.) displayed significant improvements in the marble-burying test (MBT), cotton-shredding test (CST), and self-grooming test (SGT) (all p < 0.05). However, a lower dose of APG (10 mg/kg, i.p.) failed to modulate behaviors in the MBT or SGT, but significantly attenuated the increased shredding behaviors in the CST of tested mice. Moreover, APG (10-30 mg/kg, i.p.) and ARP (1 mg/kg) moderated the disturbed levels of oxidative stress by mitigating the levels of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the hippocampus and cerebellum of treated BTBR mice. In patch clamp studies in hippocampal slices, the potency of choline (a selective agonist of α7-nAChRs) in activating fast inward currents was significantly potentiated following incubation with APG. Moreover, APG markedly potentiated the choline-induced enhancement of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents. The observed results propose the potential therapeutic use of APG in the management of ASD. However, further preclinical investigations in additional models and different rodent species are still needed to confirm the potential relevance of the therapeutic use of APG in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petrilla Jayaprakash
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates (R.B.)
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dmytro Isaev
- Department of Cellular Membranology, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, 01024 Kiev, Ukraine;
| | - Keun-Hang Susan Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA;
| | - Rami Beiram
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates (R.B.)
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Murat Oz
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates (R.B.)
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
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Nicotine's effect on cognition, a friend or foe? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 124:110723. [PMID: 36736944 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Smoking comes in form of absorption of many compounds, among which nicotine is the main psychoactive component of tobacco and its positive and negative reinforcement effects are proposed to be the key mechanism for the initiation and maintenance of smoking. Growing evidence suggests that the cognitive enhancement effects of nicotine may also contribute to the difficulty of quitting smoking, especially in individuals with psychiatric disorders. In this review, we first introduce the beneficial effect of nicotine on cognition including attention, short-term memory and long-term memory. We next summarize the beneficial effect of nicotine on cognition under pathological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Schizophrenia, Stress-induced Anxiety, Depression, and drug-induced memory impairment. The possible mechanism underlying nicotine's effect is also explored. Finally, nicotine's detrimental effect on cognition is discussed, including in the prenatal and adolescent periods, and high-dose nicotine- and withdrawal-induced memory impairment is emphasized. Therefore, nicotine serves as both a friend and foe. Nicotine-derived compounds could be a promising strategy to alleviate neurological disease-associated cognitive deficit, however, due to nicotine's detrimental effect, continued educational programs and public awareness campaigns are needed to reduce tobacco use among pregnant women and smoking should be quitted even if it is e-cigarette, especially for the adolescents.
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Matthiesen M, Khlaifia A, Steininger CFD, Dadabhoy M, Mumtaz U, Arruda-Carvalho M. Maturation of nucleus accumbens synaptic transmission signals a critical period for the rescue of social deficits in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Mol Brain 2023; 16:46. [PMID: 37226266 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01028-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behavior emerges early in development, a time marked by the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders featuring social deficits, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although social deficits are at the core of the clinical diagnosis of ASD, very little is known about their neural correlates at the time of clinical onset. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region extensively implicated in social behavior, undergoes synaptic, cellular and molecular alterations in early life, and is particularly affected in ASD mouse models. To explore a link between the maturation of the NAc and neurodevelopmental deficits in social behavior, we compared spontaneous synaptic transmission in NAc shell medium spiny neurons (MSNs) between the highly social C57BL/6J and the idiopathic ASD mouse model BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J at postnatal day (P) 4, P6, P8, P12, P15, P21 and P30. BTBR NAc MSNs display increased spontaneous excitatory transmission during the first postnatal week, and increased inhibition across the first, second and fourth postnatal weeks, suggesting accelerated maturation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs compared to C57BL/6J mice. BTBR mice also show increased optically evoked medial prefrontal cortex-NAc paired pulse ratios at P15 and P30. These early changes in synaptic transmission are consistent with a potential critical period, which could maximize the efficacy of rescue interventions. To test this, we treated BTBR mice in either early life (P4-P8) or adulthood (P60-P64) with the mTORC1 antagonist rapamycin, a well-established intervention for ASD-like behavior. Rapamycin treatment rescued social interaction deficits in BTBR mice when injected in infancy, but did not affect social interaction in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Matthiesen
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Abdessattar Khlaifia
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | | | - Maryam Dadabhoy
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Unza Mumtaz
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada.
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G5, Canada.
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Murakami Y, Imamura Y, Kasahara Y, Yoshida C, Momono Y, Fang K, Sakai D, Konishi Y, Nishiyama T. Maternal Inflammation with Elevated Kynurenine Metabolites Is Related to the Risk of Abnormal Brain Development and Behavioral Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071087. [PMID: 37048160 PMCID: PMC10093447 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies show that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation is considered one of the major environmental factors driving this process. The kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major route of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) catabolism in mammalian cells. Activation of the KP following neuro-inflammation can generate various endogenous neuroactive metabolites that may impact brain functions and behaviors. Additionally, neurotoxic metabolites and excitotoxicity cause long-term changes in the trophic support, glutamatergic system, and synaptic function following KP activation. Therefore, investigating the role of KP metabolites during neurodevelopment will likely promote further understanding of additional pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, we describe the changes in KP metabolism in the brain during pregnancy and represent how maternal inflammation and genetic factors influence the KP during development. We overview the patients with ASD clinical data and animal models designed to verify the role of perinatal KP elevation in long-lasting biochemical, neuropathological, and behavioral deficits later in life. Our review will help shed light on new therapeutic strategies and interventions targeting the KP for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Murakami
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Yukio Imamura
- Department of Architecture and Architectual Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8530, Japan
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kasahara
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshida
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yuta Momono
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ke Fang
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sakai
- Department of Biology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kanazawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Yukuo Konishi
- Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 619-0225, Japan
- Healthcare and Medical Data Multi-Level Integration Platform Group, RIKEN Medical Sciences Innovation Hub Program, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Nishiyama
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
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Hammad AM, Alhusban AA, Alzaghari LF, Alasmari F, Sari Y. Effect of Cigarette Smoke Exposure and Aspirin Treatment on Neurotransmitters’ Tissue Content in Rats’ Hippocampus and Amygdala. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040515. [PMID: 37110173 PMCID: PMC10145483 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cigarette smoke withdrawal can cause anxiety-like behavior and modulate neurotransmitter-related proteins in the brain. We examined the effects of cigarette smoke with and without aspirin treatment on the concentrations of neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, glutamine, and GABA in the amygdala and hippocampus. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four different groups: (1) control group exposed only to standard room air, (2) cigarette smoke exposed group treated with saline vehicle, (3) cigarette smoke exposed group treated with aspirin (30 mg/kg), and (4) control group treated only with aspirin (30 mg/kg). Cigarette smoke exposure was performed for 2 h/day, 5 days/week, for 31 days. Behavioral testing was carried out weekly, 24 h after cigarette smoke exposure, during acute withdrawal. At the end of week 4, rats were given either distilled water (1 mL) or aspirin 45 min before cigarette exposure for 11 days. Dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, glutamine, and GABA were extracted from both the amygdala and hippocampus and were separated and quantified using a developed and validated HPLC-MS/MS method. Cigarette smoke withdrawal induced anxiety behaviors, and aspirin treatment reduced this effect. Cigarette smoke exposure increased tissue content of dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, glutamine, and GABA, and aspirin treatment reversed this effect. Cigarette smoke caused an increase in tissue content of several neurotransmitters as well as anxiety-like behavior, and these effects were normalized by aspirin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa M. Hammad
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Ala A. Alhusban
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Lujain F. Alzaghari
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Fawaz Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Youssef Sari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
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Zhou B, Zheng X, Chen Y, Yan X, Peng J, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Tang L, Wen M. The Changes of Amygdala Transcriptome in Autism Rat Model After Arginine Vasopressin Treatment. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:838942. [PMID: 35401102 PMCID: PMC8990166 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.838942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some studies have shown that arginine vasopressin (AVP) can significantly improve the social interaction disorder of autism, but the mechanism remains unclear. Methods Female Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with VPA or normal saline at embryonic day 12.5 to establish an autism model or normal control in their offspring. Male offspring prenatally exposed to VPA were randomly assigned to two groups: the VPA-induced autism model group and the AVP group. The rats in the AVP group were treated with intranasal AVP at postnatal day (PND) 21 and for 3 weeks. The VPA-induced autism model group was given the same dose of normal saline in the same way. Behavioral responses were evaluated in the open field and three-chambered social test apparatus; the expression levels of AVP in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and the gene expression levels on the amygdala were measured by RNA-seq at PND42. Results Intranasal administration of AVP can significantly improve the social interaction disorder and elevate the levels of AVP in serum. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that 518 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the VPA-induced autism model group compared with the control in this study. Gene Ontology biological process enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that the VPA-induced autism model group had significant nervous system developmental impairments compared with the normal group, particularly in gliogenesis, glial cell differentiation, and oligodendrocyte differentiation. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) enrichment analysis also showed that biological process of oligodendrocyte differentiation, axoneme assembly, and axon ensheathment were inhibited in the VPA-induced autism model group. Pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs between the control and VPA-induced autism model group showed that the PI3K/AKT and Wnt pathways were significantly dysregulated in the VPA-induced autism model group. Few DEGs were found when compared with the transcriptome between the VPA-induced autism model group and the AVP treatment group. GSEA enrichment analysis showed deficits in oligodendrocyte development and function were significantly improved after AVP treatment; the pathways were mainly enriched in the NOTCH, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and focal adhesion signaling pathways, but not in the PI3K/AKT and Wnt pathways. The expression patterns analysis also showed the same results. Conclusion AVP can significantly improve the social interaction disorder of VPA-induced autism model, and AVP may target behavioral symptoms in autism by modulating the vasopressin pathways, rather than primary disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yunhua Chen
- College of Basic Medical, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xuehui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jinggang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yibu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Lei Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- *Correspondence: Lei Tang,
| | - Min Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Chemical Drug R&D, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Min Wen,
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Xu Z, Tian Y, Li AX, Tang J, Jing XY, Deng C, Mo Z, Wang J, Lai J, Liu X, Guo X, Li T, Li S, Wang L, Lu Z, Chen Z, Liu XA. Menthol Flavor in E-Cigarette Vapor Modulates Social Behavior Correlated With Central and Peripheral Changes of Immunometabolic Signalings. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:800406. [PMID: 35359576 PMCID: PMC8960730 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.800406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) has been increasing dramatically worldwide. More than 8,000 flavors of e-cigarettes are currently marketed and menthol is one of the most popular flavor additives in the electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). There is a controversy over the roles of e-cigarettes in social behavior, and little is known about the potential impacts of flavorings in the ENDS. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of menthol flavor in ENDS on the social behavior of long-term vapor-exposed mice with a daily intake limit, and the underlying immunometabolic changes in the central and peripheral systems. We found that the addition of menthol flavor in nicotine vapor enhanced the social activity compared with the nicotine alone. The dramatically reduced activation of cellular energy measured by adenosine 5′ monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in the hippocampus were observed after the chronic exposure of menthol-flavored ENDS. Multiple sera cytokines including C5, TIMP-1, and CXCL13 were decreased accordingly as per their peripheral immunometabolic responses to menthol flavor in the nicotine vapor. The serum level of C5 was positively correlated with the alteration activity of the AMPK-ERK signaling in the hippocampus. Our current findings provide evidence for the enhancement of menthol flavor in ENDS on social functioning, which is correlated with the central and peripheral immunometabolic disruptions; this raises the vigilance of the cautious addition of various flavorings in e-cigarettes and the urgency of further investigations on the complex interplay and health effects of flavoring additives with nicotine in e-cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - A.-Xiang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jiahang Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Jing
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunshan Deng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhizhun Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaxuan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juan Lai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuantong Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zuxin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Zuxin Chen,
| | - Xin-an Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zuxin Chen,
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Curcumin Potentiates α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Alleviates Autistic-Like Social Deficits and Brain Oxidative Stress Status in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147251. [PMID: 34298871 PMCID: PMC8303708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction and cognitive deficit, restricted repetitive behaviors, altered immune responses, and imbalanced oxidative stress status. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in studying the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), specifically α7-nAChRs, in the CNS. Influence of agonists for α7-nAChRs on the cognitive behavior, learning, and memory formation has been demonstrated in neuro-pathological condition such as ASD and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Curcumin (CUR), the active compound of the spice turmeric, has been shown to act as a positive allosteric modulator of α7-nAChRs. Here we hypothesize that CUR, acting through α7-nAChRs, influences the neuropathology of ASD. In patch clamp studies, fast inward currents activated by choline, a selective agonist of α7-nAChRs, were significantly potentiated by CUR. Moreover, choline induced enhancement of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents was markedly increased in the presence of CUR. Furthermore, CUR (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) ameliorated dose-dependent social deficits without affecting locomotor activity or anxiety-like behaviors of tested male Black and Tan BRachyury (BTBR) mice. In addition, CUR (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) mitigated oxidative stress status by restoring the decreased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the hippocampus and the cerebellum of treated mice. Collectively, the observed results indicate that CUR potentiates α7-nAChRs in native central nervous system neurons, mitigates disturbed oxidative stress, and alleviates ASD-like features in BTBR mice used as an idiopathic rodent model of ASD, and may represent a promising novel pharmacological strategy for ASD treatment.
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Santana-Santana M, Bayascas JR, Giménez-Llort L. Fine-Tuning the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Intensity by Sex and Genotype-Load: Sex-Dependent Homozygotic Threshold for Somatic Growth but Feminization of Anxious Phenotype in Middle-Aged PDK1 K465E Knock-In and Heterozygous Mice. Biomedicines 2021; 9:747. [PMID: 34203450 PMCID: PMC8301321 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), phenotypic differences among disorders may be explained by variations in the nature and degree of neural circuitry disruptions and/or dysfunctions modulated by several biological and environmental factors. We recently demonstrated the in vivo behavioral translation of tweaking the PI3K/Akt signaling, an essential pathway for regulating cellular processes and physiology, and its modulation through aging. Here we describe, for the first time, the in vivo behavioral impact of the sex and genetic-load tweaking this pathway. The anxiety-like phenotypes of 61 mature (11-14-month-old) male and female PDK1 K465E knock-in, heterozygous, and WT mice were studied. Forced (open-field) anxiogenic environmental conditions were sensitive to detect sex and genetic-load differences at middle age. Despite similar neophobia and horizontal activity among the six groups, females exhibited faster ethograms than males, with increased thigmotaxis, increased wall and bizarre rearing. Genotype-load unveiled increased anxiety in males, resembling female performances. The performance of mutants in naturalistic conditions (marble test) was normal. Homozygotic-load was needed for reduced somatic growth only in males. Factor interactions indicated the complex interplay in the elicitation of different negative valence system's items and the fine-tuning of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway intensity by genotype-load and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Santana-Santana
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José-Ramón Bayascas
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lydia Giménez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08016 Barcelona, Spain
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Gimenez-Llort L, Alveal-Mellado D. Digging Signatures in 13-Month-Old 3xTg-AD Mice for Alzheimer's Disease and Its Disruption by Isolation Despite Social Life Since They Were Born. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:611384. [PMID: 33536883 PMCID: PMC7847935 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.611384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The severity of this pandemic's scenarios will leave significant psychological traces in low resistant and resilient individuals. Increased incidence of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder has already been reported. The loss of human lives and the implementation of physical distance measures in the pandemic and post-COVID scenarios may have a greater impact on the elderly, mostly in those with dementia, as OCD and other neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are quite prevalent in this population. Modeling NPS in animals relies in neuroethological perspectives since the response to new situations and traumatic events, critical for survival and adaptation to the environment, is strongly preserved in the phylogeny. In the laboratory, mice dig vigorously in deep bedding to bury food pellets or small objects they may find. This behavior, initially used to screen anxiolytic activity, was later proposed to model better meaningless repetitive and perseverative behaviors characteristic of OCD or autism spectrum disorders. Other authors found that digging can also be understood as part of the expression of the animals' general activity. In the present brief report, we studied the digging ethograms in 13-month-old non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice modeling normal aging and advanced Alzheimer's disease (AD), respectively. This genetic model presents AD-like cognitive dysfunction and NPS-like phenotype, with high mortality rates at this age, mostly in males. This allowed us to observe the digging pattern's disruption in a subgroup of 3xTg-AD mice that survived to their cage mates. Two digging paradigms involving different anxiogenic and contextual situations were used to investigate their behavior. The temporal course and intensity of digging were found to increase in those 3xTg-AD mice that had lost their "room partners" despite having lived in social structures since they were born. However, when tested under neophobia conditions, this behavior's incidence was low (delayed), and the temporal pattern was disrupted, suggesting worsening of this NPS-like profile. The outcomes showed that this combined behavioral paradigm unveiled distinct features of digging signatures that can be useful to study these perseverative behaviors and their interplay with anxiety states already present in the AD scenario and their worsening by naturalistic/forced isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Gimenez-Llort
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Alveal-Mellado
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Khalid M, Raza H, M. Driessen T, J. Lee P, Tejwani L, Sami A, Nawaz M, Mehmood Baig S, Lim J, Kaukab Raja G. Genetic Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Pakistani Population. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11101206. [PMID: 33076578 PMCID: PMC7602870 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex multifactorial neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in children characterized by impairment of communication and social interaction. Several genes with associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified for ASD in different genetic association studies, meta-analyses, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, associations between different SNPs and ASD vary from population to population. Four SNPs in genes CNTNAP2, EIF4E, ATP2B2, CACNA1C, and SNP rs4307059 (which is found between CDH9 and CDH10 genes) have been identified and reported as candidate risk factors for ASD. The aim of the present study was, for the first time, to assess the association of SNPs in these genes with ASD in the Pakistani population. PCR-based genotyping was performed using allele-specific primers in 93 ASD and 93 control Pakistani individuals. All genetic associations, genotype frequencies, and allele frequencies were computed as odds’ ratios (ORs) using logistic regression with a threshold of p ≤ 0.01 to determine statistical significance. We found that the homozygous genotypes of mutant T alleles of CNTNAP2 and ATP2B2 were significantly associated with Pakistani ASD patients in unadjusted ORs (p < 0.01), but their significance score was lost in the adjusted model. Other SNPs such as rs4307059, rs17850950 of EIF4E, and rs1006737 of CACNA1C were not statistically significant. Based on this, we conclude that SNPs are not associated with, or are not the main cause of, autism in the Pakistani population, indicating the involvement of additional players, which need to be investigated in future studies in a large population size. One of the limitations of present study is its small sample size. However, this study, being the first on Pakistani ASD patients, may lay the foundations for future studies in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madiha Khalid
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Hashim Raza
- Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Terri M. Driessen
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Paul J. Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
| | - Abdul Sami
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Muhammad Nawaz
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41346 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Shahid Mehmood Baig
- Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (P.J.L.); (L.T.)
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (G.K.R.); Tel.: +1-203-737-6268 (J.L.); +92-(051)-9062-742 (G.K.R.)
| | - Ghazala Kaukab Raja
- Department of Biochemistry, University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan; (M.K.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (G.K.R.); Tel.: +1-203-737-6268 (J.L.); +92-(051)-9062-742 (G.K.R.)
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