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Grafe EL, Fontaine CJ, Thomas JD, Christie BR. Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on choline-induced long-term depression in the hippocampus. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1622-1634. [PMID: 34495785 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00136.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline is an essential nutrient under evaluation as a cognitive enhancing treatment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in clinical trials. As a result, there is increased pressure to identify therapeutic mechanism(s) of action. Choline is not only a precursor for several essential cell membrane components and signaling molecules but also has the potential to directly affect synaptic mechanisms that are believed important for cognitive processes. In the current work, we study how the direct application of choline can affect synaptic transmission in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampal slices obtained from adolescent (postnatal days 21-28) Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus). The acute administration of choline chloride (2 mM) reliably induced a long-term depression (LTD) of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the DG in vitro. The depression required the involvement of M1 receptors, and the magnitude of the effect was similar in slices obtained from male and female animals. To further study the impact of choline in an animal model of FASD, we examined offspring from dams fed an ethanol-containing diet (35.5% ethanol-derived calories) throughout gestation. In slices from the adolescent animals that experienced prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE), we found that the choline induced an LTD that uniquely involved the activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and M1 receptors. This study provides a novel insight into how choline can modulate hippocampal transmission at the level of the synapse and that it can have unique effects following PNEE.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Choline supplementation is a nutraceutical therapy with significant potential for a variety of developmental disorders; however, the mechanisms involved in its therapeutic effects remain poorly understood. Our research shows that choline directly impacts synaptic communication in the brain, inducing a long-term depression of synaptic efficacy in brain slices. The depression is equivalent in male and female animals, involves M1 receptors in control animals, but uniquely involves NMDA receptors in a model of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Grafe
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine J Fontaine
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Thomas
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Brian R Christie
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Island Medical Program, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Gu Z, Smith KG, Alexander GM, Guerreiro I, Dudek SM, Gutkin B, Jensen P, Yakel JL. Hippocampal Interneuronal α7 nAChRs Modulate Theta Oscillations in Freely Moving Mice. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107740. [PMID: 32521265 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are critically involved in hippocampal theta generation, but much less is known about the role of nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs). Here we provide evidence that α7 nAChRs expressed on interneurons, particularly those in oriens lacunosum moleculare (OLM), also regulate hippocampal theta generation. Local hippocampal infusion of a selective α7 nAChR antagonist significantly reduces hippocampal theta power and impairs Y-maze spontaneous alternation performance in freely moving mice. By knocking out receptors in different neuronal subpopulations, we find that α7 nAChRs expressed in OLM interneurons regulate theta generation. Our in vitro slice studies indicate that α7 nAChR activation increases OLM neuron activity that, in turn, enhances pyramidal cell excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). Our study also suggests that mAChR activation promotes transient theta generation, while α7 nAChR activation facilitates future theta generation by similar stimulations, revealing a complex mechanism whereby cholinergic signaling modulates different aspects of hippocampal theta oscillations through different receptor subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenglin Gu
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Kathleen G Smith
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Georgia M Alexander
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Inês Guerreiro
- Group for Neural Theory, LNC INSERM U960, DEC Ecole Normale Superieure PSL University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Serena M Dudek
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Boris Gutkin
- Group for Neural Theory, LNC INSERM U960, DEC Ecole Normale Superieure PSL University, Paris 75005, France; Center for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, NRU Higher School of Economics, Moscow 101000, Russia
| | - Patricia Jensen
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Jerrel L Yakel
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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Zakaria F, Akhtar MT, Wan Ibrahim WN, Abu Bakar N, Muhamad A, Shohaimi S, Maulidiani M, Ahmad H, Ismail IS, Shaari K. Perturbations in Amino Acid Metabolism in Reserpine-Treated Zebrafish Brain Detected by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Metabolomics. Zebrafish 2021; 18:42-54. [PMID: 33538644 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2020.1895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a complex and disabling psychiatric disorder, which is expected to be a leading cause for disability by 2030. According to World Health Organization, about 350 million people are suffering with mental health disorders around the globe, especially depression. However, the mechanisms involved in stress-induced depression have not been fully elucidated. In this study, a stress-like state was pharmacologically induced in zebrafish using reserpine, a drug widely used to mediate depression in experimental animal models. Zebrafish received single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg body weight reserpine doses and were subjected to open-field test at 2, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after the treatment. Along with observed changes in behavior and measurement of cortisol levels, the fish were further examined for perturbations in their brain metabolites by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. We found a significant increase in freezing duration, whereas total distance travelled was decreased 24 h after single intraperitoneal injection of reserpine. Cortisol level was also found to be higher after 48 h of reserpine treatment. The 1H NMR data showed that the levels of metabolites such as glutamate, glutamine, histamine, valine, leucine and histidine, lactate, l-fucose, betaine and γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), β-hydroxyisovalerate, and glutathione were significantly decreased in the reserpine-treated group. This study provided some insights into the molecular nature of stress that could contribute toward a better understanding of depression disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauziahanim Zakaria
- Discipline of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia.,Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Tayyab Akhtar
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.,Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Wan Norhamidah Wan Ibrahim
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noraini Abu Bakar
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Azira Muhamad
- Malaysia Genome Institute, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM), Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Shamarina Shohaimi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Maulidiani Maulidiani
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Hafandi Ahmad
- Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Intan Safinar Ismail
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Khozirah Shaari
- Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Products (NaturMeds), Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
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Dutta A, Karanth SS, Bhattacharya M, Liput M, Augustyniak J, Cheung M, Stachowiak EK, Stachowiak MK. A proof of concept 'phase zero' study of neurodevelopment using brain organoid models with Vis/near-infrared spectroscopy and electrophysiology. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20987. [PMID: 33268815 PMCID: PMC7710726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77929-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeostatic control of neuronal excitability by modulation of synaptic inhibition (I) and excitation (E) of the principal neurons is important during brain maturation. The fundamental features of in-utero brain development, including local synaptic E-I ratio and bioenergetics, can be modeled by cerebral organoids (CO) that have exhibited highly regular nested oscillatory network events. Therefore, we evaluated a 'Phase Zero' clinical study platform combining broadband Vis/near-infrared(NIR) spectroscopy and electrophysiology with studying E-I ratio based on the spectral exponent of local field potentials and bioenergetics based on the activity of mitochondrial Cytochrome-C Oxidase (CCO). We found a significant effect of the age of the healthy controls iPSC CO from 23 days to 3 months on the CCO activity (chi-square (2, N = 10) = 20, p = 4.5400e-05), and spectral exponent between 30-50 Hz (chi-square (2, N = 16) = 13.88, p = 0.001). Also, a significant effect of drugs, choline (CHO), idebenone (IDB), R-alpha-lipoic acid plus acetyl-L-carnitine (LCLA), was found on the CCO activity (chi-square (3, N = 10) = 25.44, p = 1.2492e-05), spectral exponent between 1 and 20 Hz (chi-square (3, N = 16) = 43.5, p = 1.9273e-09) and 30-50 Hz (chi-square (3, N = 16) = 23.47, p = 3.2148e-05) in 34 days old CO from schizophrenia (SCZ) patients iPSC. We present the feasibility of a multimodal approach, combining electrophysiology and broadband Vis-NIR spectroscopy, to monitor neurodevelopment in brain organoid models that can complement traditional drug design approaches to test clinically meaningful hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Dutta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA.
| | | | | | - Michal Liput
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA
- Department of Stem Cells Bioengineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Augustyniak
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA
- Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mancheung Cheung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA
| | - Ewa K Stachowiak
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA
| | - Michal K Stachowiak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, 14260, USA.
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Ren JM, Zhang SL, Wang XL, Guan ZZ, Qi XL. Expression levels of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and their effect on synaptic proteins in SH-SY5Y cells. Mol Med Rep 2020; 22:2063-2075. [PMID: 32582986 PMCID: PMC7411404 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.11253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative, and abnormal aggregation of the neurotoxic β amyloid (Aβ) peptide is an early event in AD. The present study aimed to determine the correlation between the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit (α7 nAChR) and Aβ in the brains of patients with AD, and to investigate whether the increased expression levels of the α7 nAChR could alter the neurotoxicity of Aβ. The expression levels of α7 nAChR and Aβ in the brains of patients with AD and healthy brains were analyzed using immunofluorescence. Moreover, SH‑SY5Y cells were used to stably overexpress or silence α7 nAChR expression levels, prior to the treatment with or without 1 µmol/l Aβ1‑42 oligomer (AβO). The mRNA and protein expression levels of α7 nAChR, synaptophysin (SYP), postsynaptic density of 95 kDa (PSD‑95) and synaptosomal‑associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP‑25) were subsequently analyzed using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting. In addition, the concentration of acetylcholine (ACh) and the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were analyzed using spectrophotometry, while the cell apoptotic rate was determined using flow cytometry. The expression of Aβ in the brains of patients with AD was found to be significantly increased, whereas the expression of α7 nAChR was significantly decreased compared with the healthy control group. In vitro, the expression levels of α7 nAChR were significantly increased or decreased following the overexpression or silencing of the gene, respectively. Consistent with these observations, the mRNA and protein expression levels of SYP, PSD‑95 and SNAP‑25 were also significantly increased following the overexpression of α7 nAChR and decreased following the genetic silencing of the receptor. In untransfected or negative control cells, the expression levels of these factors and the apoptotic rate were significantly reduced following the exposure to AβO, which was found to be attenuated by α7 nAChR overexpression, but potentiated by α7 nAChR RNA silencing. However, no significant differences were observed in either the ACh concentration or AChE activity following transfection. Collectively, these findings suggested that α7 nAChR may protect the brains of patients with AD against Aβ, as α7 nAChR overexpression increased the expression levels of SYP, SNAP‑25 and PSD‑95, and attenuated the inhibitory effect of Aβ on the expression of these synaptic proteins and cell apoptosis. Overall, this indicated that α7 nAChR may serve an important neuroprotective role in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Mou Ren
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Chinese People's Liberation Army, Secret Service Center Sanatorium of Xiamen, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Ling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Zhong Guan
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Lan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
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Alzu'bi A, Middleham W, Shoaib M, Clowry GJ. Selective Expression of Nicotinic Receptor Sub-unit mRNA in Early Human Fetal Forebrain. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:72. [PMID: 32670017 PMCID: PMC7326072 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence from animal and human studies indicate that exposure to nicotine during development, separated from the effects of smoking tobacco, can contribute to dysregulation of brain development including behavioral deficits. An RNAseq study of human fetal cerebral cortex demonstrated that 9 out of 16 genes for human nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor subunits are selectively expressed between 7.5 and 12 post-conceptional weeks (PCW). The most highly expressed subunit genes were CHNRA4 and CHNRB2, whose protein products combine to form the most ubiquitous functional receptor isoform expressed in the adult brain. They exhibited correlated expression in both RNAseq samples, and in tissue sections by in situ hybridization. Co-localization studies with other cortical markers suggest they are pre-dominantly expressed by post-mitotic glutamatergic neuron pre-cursors in both cortical plate and pre-subplate, rather than cortical progenitor cells or GABAergic interneuron pre-cursors. However, GABAergic interneuron progenitor cells in the ganglionic eminences do express these sub-units. CHNRA5 also showed moderate levels of expression and again favored post-mitotic neurons. Other subunits, e.g., CHRNA7, exhibited low but detectable levels of expression. CHRN genes found not to be expressed included genes for subunits usually considered muscle specific, e.g., CHNRA1, although some muscle specific gene expression was detected, for instance CHNRB1. Although there is little or no synthesis of acetylcholine by intrinsic cortical neurons, cholinergic fibers from basal forebrain innervate the cerebral cortex from 12 PCW at the latest. Acetylcholine may have a paracrine effect on radially migrating cortical neurons and GABAergic interneuron progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu'bi
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - William Middleham
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammed Shoaib
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin J Clowry
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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