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Souza AJ, Sharmin D, Cook JM, Guimarães FS, Gomes FV. An alpha 5-GABAa receptor positive allosteric modulator attenuates social and cognitive deficits without changing dopamine system hyperactivity in an animal model for autism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.24.554679. [PMID: 37662217 PMCID: PMC10473734 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.24.554679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by core behavioral symptoms in the domains of sociability, language/communication, and repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. Deficits in the prefrontal and hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory balance due to a functional loss of GABAergic interneurons are proposed to underlie these symptoms. Increasing the postsynaptic effects of GABA with compounds that selectively modulate GABAergic receptors could be a potential target for treating ASD symptoms. In addition, deficits in GABAergic interneurons have been linked to dopamine (DA) system dysregulation, and, despite conflicting evidence, abnormalities in the DA system activity may underly some ASD symptoms. Here, we investigated whether the positive allosteric modulator of α5-containing GABA A receptors (α5-GABA A Rs) SH-053-2'F-R-CH3 (10 mg/kg) attenuates behavioral abnormalities in a rat model for autism based on in utero VPA exposure. We also evaluated if animals exposed to VPA in utero present changes in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA system activity using in vivo electrophysiology and if SH-053-2'F-R-CH3 could attenuate these changes. In utero VPA exposure caused male and female rats to present increased repetitive behavior (self-grooming) in early adolescence and deficits in social interaction in adulthood. Male, but not female VPA rats, also presented deficits in recognition memory as adults. SH-053-2'F-R-CH3 attenuated the impairments in sociability and cognitive function in male VPA-exposed rats without attenuating the decreased social interaction in females. Male and female adult VPA-exposed rats also showed an increased VTA DA neuron population activity, which was not changed by SH-053-2'F-R-CH3. Despite sex differences, our findings indicate α5-GABA A Rs positive allosteric modulators may effectively attenuate some core ASD symptoms.
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Tapias-Espinosa C, Sánchez-González A, Cañete T, Sampedro-Viana D, Castillo-Ruiz MDM, Oliveras I, Tobeña A, Aznar S, Fernández-Teruel A. Decreased activation of parvalbumin interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex in intact inbred Roman rats with schizophrenia-like reduced sensorimotor gating. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114113. [PMID: 36108777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) allows assessing schizophrenia-like sensorimotor gating deficits in rodents. Previous studies indicate that PPI is modulated by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which is in agreement with our findings showing that PPI differences in the Roman rats are associated with divergences in mPFC activity. Here, we explore whether differences in PPI and mPFC activity in male Roman rats can be explained by (i) differences in the activation (c-Fos) of inhibitory neurons (parvalbumin (PV) interneurons); and/or (ii) reduced excitatory drive (PSD-95) to PV interneurons. Our data show that low PPI in the Roman high-avoidance (RHA) rats is associated with reduced activation of PV interneurons. Moreover, the RHA rats exhibit decreased density of both PV interneurons and PSD-95 puncta on active PV interneurons. These findings point to reduced cortical inhibition as a candidate to explain the schizophrenia-like features observed in RHA rats and support the role of impaired cortical inhibition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Tapias-Espinosa
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ana Sánchez-González
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Cañete
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Sampedro-Viana
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ignasi Oliveras
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adolf Tobeña
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Aznar
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Department of Psychiatry & Forensic Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ueno H, Takahashi Y, Murakami S, Wani K, Miyazaki T, Matsumoto Y, Okamoto M, Ishihara T. Component-Specific Reduction in Perineuronal Nets in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Strains. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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Godoy LD, Prizon T, Rossignoli MT, Leite JP, Liberato JL. Parvalbumin Role in Epilepsy and Psychiatric Comorbidities: From Mechanism to Intervention. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:765324. [PMID: 35250498 PMCID: PMC8891758 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.765324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding protein present in inhibitory interneurons that play an essential role in regulating many physiological processes, such as intracellular signaling and synaptic transmission. Changes in parvalbumin expression are deeply related to epilepsy, which is considered one of the most disabling neuropathologies. Epilepsy is a complex multi-factor group of disorders characterized by periods of hypersynchronous activity and hyperexcitability within brain networks. In this scenario, inhibitory neurotransmission dysfunction in modulating excitatory transmission related to the loss of subsets of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneuron may have a prominent role in disrupted excitability. Some studies also reported that parvalbumin-positive interneurons altered function might contribute to psychiatric comorbidities associated with epilepsy, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Understanding the epileptogenic process and comorbidities associated with epilepsy have significantly advanced through preclinical and clinical investigation. In this review, evidence from parvalbumin altered function in epilepsy and associated psychiatric comorbidities were explored with a translational perspective. Some advances in potential therapeutic interventions are highlighted, from current antiepileptic and neuroprotective drugs to cutting edge modulation of parvalbumin subpopulations using optogenetics, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) techniques, transcranial magnetic stimulation, genome engineering, and cell grafting. Creating new perspectives on mechanisms and therapeutic strategies is valuable for understanding the pathophysiology of epilepsy and its psychiatric comorbidities and improving efficiency in clinical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívea Dornela Godoy
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Tamiris Prizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Matheus Teixeira Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - João Pereira Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- João Pereira Leite,
| | - José Luiz Liberato
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- *Correspondence: José Luiz Liberato,
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Reversing frontal disinhibition rescues behavioural deficits in models of CACNA1A-associated neurodevelopment disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7225-7246. [PMID: 34127816 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01175-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
CACNA1A deletions cause epilepsy, ataxia, and a range of neurocognitive deficits, including inattention, impulsivity, intellectual deficiency and autism. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we generated mice carrying a targeted Cacna1a deletion restricted to parvalbumin-expressing (PV) neurons (PVCre;Cacna1ac/+) or to cortical pyramidal cells (PC) (Emx1Cre;Cacna1ac/+). GABA release from PV-expressing GABAergic interneurons (PV-INs) is reduced in PVCre;Cacna1ac/+ mutants, resulting in impulsivity, cognitive rigidity and inattention. By contrast, the deletion of Cacna1a in PCs does not impact cortical excitability or behaviour in Emx1Cre;Cacna1ac/+ mutants. A targeted Cacna1a deletion in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) results in reversal learning deficits while a medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) deletion impairs selective attention. These deficits can be rescued by the selective chemogenetic activation of cortical PV-INs in the OFC or mPFC of PVCre;Cacna1ac/+ mutants. Thus, Cacna1a haploinsufficiency disrupts perisomatic inhibition in frontal cortical circuits, leading to a range of potentially reversible neurocognitive deficits.
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Xu H, Wang J, Jing H, Ellenbroek B, Shao F, Wang W. mPFC GABAergic transmission mediated the role of BDNF signaling in cognitive impairment but not anxiety induced by adolescent social stress. Neuropharmacology 2020; 184:108412. [PMID: 33245959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Depression with comorbid anxiety or cognitive symptoms can vary in terms of symptoms, pathophysiology and antidepressant efficacy, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Previous studies from our group and others have shown that as a classic animal model of depression, adolescent social stress (ASS) could stably induce a variety of emotional and cognitive alterations in adult animals, and accompanied by transcriptional decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) total and promoter IV levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The present study further identified the GABAergic synaptic and molecular changes downstream of BDNF signaling impairment in the mPFC and roles in various behavioral phenotypes induced by ASS. We found that ASS induced a set of emotional and cognitive symptoms, including decreased social interest, impaired cognitive function, and increased anxiety-like behavior, as well as decreased GABAergic transmission in the mPFC. The specific deletion of BDNF promoter IV directly caused impairments in social interest, cognitive function, and inhibition of GABAergic transmission, but no changes in anxiety-like behavior. Acute microinjections of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) agonists into the mPFC and chronic antidepressant treatment ameliorated the changes in social behavior and cognition, as well as the reduction in GABAergic synaptic transmission in the mPFC, but not anxiety in previously stressed adult mice. These results suggest that the downstream GABAergic transmission of BDNF signaling in the mPFC involved in depression with comorbid cognitive dysfunction induced by ASS and can be used as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in depression. This article is part of the special issue on Stress, Addiction and Plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Jiesi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyang Jing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bart Ellenbroek
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Feng Shao
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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8
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Goodwill HL, Manzano-Nieves G, LaChance P, Teramoto S, Lin S, Lopez C, Stevenson RJ, Theyel BB, Moore CI, Connors BW, Bath KG. Early Life Stress Drives Sex-Selective Impairment in Reversal Learning by Affecting Parvalbumin Interneurons in Orbitofrontal Cortex of Mice. Cell Rep 2019; 25:2299-2307.e4. [PMID: 30485800 PMCID: PMC6310486 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Poverty, displacement, and parental stress represent potent sources of early life stress (ELS). Stress disproportionately affects females, who are at increased risk for stress-related pathologies associated with cognitive impairment. Mechanisms underlying stress-associated cognitive impairment and enhanced risk of females remain unknown. Here, ELS is associated with impaired rule-reversal (RR) learning in females, but not males. Impaired performance was associated with decreased expression and density of interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV+) in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), but not other inter-neuron subtypes. Optogenetic silencing of PV+ inter-neuron activity in OFC of control mice phenocopied RR learning deficits observed in ELS females. Localization of reversal learning deficits to PV+ interneurons in OFC was confirmed by optogenetic studies in which neurons in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were silenced and associated with select deficits in rule-shift learning. Sex-, cell-, and region-specific effects show altered PV+ interneuron development can be a driver of sex differences in cognitive dysfunction. Goodwill et al. investigate the effect of early life stress (ELS) on cognitive development in a mouse model. Using a combination of genetic, histological, optogenetic, and behavioral techniques, they find that ELS leads to female-selective impairments in the ability to engage in rule reversal, but not other forms of attentional learning. Impairments are associated with diminished parvalbumin (PV) expression and a decreased density of PV+ interneurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley L Goodwill
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Patrick LaChance
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Sana Teramoto
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Shirley Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Chelsea Lopez
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Rachel J Stevenson
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Brian B Theyel
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | - Barry W Connors
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial cortical region that integrates information from numerous cortical and subcortical areas and converges updated information to output structures. It plays essential roles in the cognitive process, regulation of emotion, motivation, and sociability. Dysfunction of the mPFC has been found in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and addiction. In the present review, we summarize the preclinical and clinical studies to illustrate the role of the mPFC in these neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Ai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan China
| | - Yipeng Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Xuezhi Xing
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
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Zimmermann KS, Richardson R, Baker KD. Maturational Changes in Prefrontal and Amygdala Circuits in Adolescence: Implications for Understanding Fear Inhibition during a Vulnerable Period of Development. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E65. [PMID: 30889864 PMCID: PMC6468701 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9030065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders that develop in adolescence represent a significant burden and are particularly challenging to treat, due in no small part to the high occurrence of relapse in this age group following exposure therapy. This pattern of persistent fear is preserved across species; relative to those younger and older, adolescents consistently show poorer extinction, a key process underpinning exposure therapy. This suggests that the neural processes underlying fear extinction are temporarily but profoundly compromised during adolescence. The formation, retrieval, and modification of fear- and extinction-associated memories are regulated by a forebrain network consisting of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and the hippocampus. These regions undergo robust maturational changes in early life, with unique alterations in structure and function occurring throughout adolescence. In this review, we focus primarily on two of these regions-the PFC and the amygdala-and discuss how changes in plasticity, synaptic transmission, inhibition/excitation, and connectivity (including modulation by hippocampal afferents to the PFC) may contribute to transient deficits in extinction retention. We end with a brief consideration of how exposure to stress during this adolescent window of vulnerability can permanently disrupt neurodevelopment, leading to lasting impairments in pathways of emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey S Zimmermann
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Rick Richardson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Kathryn D Baker
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Kyyriäinen J, Bolkvadze T, Koivisto H, Lipponen A, Pérez LO, Ekolle Ndode-Ekane X, Tanila H, Pitkänen A. Deficiency of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor affects social behavior and increases seizure susceptibility. Epilepsy Res 2019; 151:67-74. [PMID: 30836238 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular proteolysis initiated by the binding of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to its receptor (uPAR) regulates the development of inhibitory neuronal circuits in the cerebral cortex and tissue remodeling after epileptogenic brain injury. To study the function of different components of the uPA-uPAR system on behavior and epileptogenesis, and to complement our previous studies on naïve and injured mice deficient in the uPA-encoding gene Plau or the uPAR-encoding gene Plaur, we analyzed the behavioral phenotype, seizure susceptibility, and perineuronal nets surrounding parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons in Plau and Plaur (double knockout dKO) mice. In a climbing test, dKO mice showed reduced interest towards the environment as compared with Wt mice (p < 0.01). In a social approach test, however, dKO mice spent more time than Wt mice exploring the compartment containing a stranger mouse than the empty compartment (p < 0.05). Moreover, in a social interaction test, dKO mice exhibited increased contact time (p < 0.01). Compared with Wt mice, the dKO mice also had a longer single contact duration (p < 0.001) with the stranger mouse. In the elevated plus-maze, grooming, and marble burying tests, the anxiety level of dKO mice did not differ from that of Wt mice. Rearing time in an exploratory activity test, and spatial learning and memory in the Morris swim navigation task were also comparable between dKO and Wt mice. In the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure-susceptibility test, dKO mice had a shorter latency to the first epileptiform spike (p = 0.0001) and a greater total number of spikes (p < 0.001) than Wt mice. The dKO genotype did not affect the number of cortical perineuronal nets. Our findings indicate that Plau/Plaur-deficiency leads to a more social phenotype toward other mice with diminished interest in the surrounding environment, and increased seizure susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Kyyriäinen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tamuna Bolkvadze
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hennariikka Koivisto
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anssi Lipponen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Laura Oliva Pérez
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Xavier Ekolle Ndode-Ekane
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Heikki Tanila
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Asla Pitkänen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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Common basis for orofacial clefting and cortical interneuronopathy. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:8. [PMID: 29317601 PMCID: PMC5802454 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0057-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Orofacial clefts (OFCs) of the lip and/or palate are among the most common human birth defects. Current treatment strategies focus on functional and cosmetic repair but even when this care is available, individuals born with OFCs are at high risk for persistent neurobehavioral problems. In addition to learning disabilities and reduced academic achievement, recent evidence associates OFCs with elevated risk for a constellation of psychiatric outcomes including anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. The relationship between these outcomes and OFCs is poorly understood and controversial. Recent neuroimaging studies in humans and mice demonstrate subtle morphological brain abnormalities that co-occur with OFCs but specific molecular and cellular mechanisms have not been investigated. Here, we provide the first evidence directly linking OFC pathogenesis to abnormal development of GABAergic cortical interneurons (cINs). Lineage tracing revealed that the structures that form the upper lip and palate develop in molecular synchrony and spatiotemporal proximity to cINs, suggesting these populations may have shared sensitivity to genetic and/or teratogenic insult. Examination of cIN development in a mouse model of nonsyndromic OFCs revealed significant disruptions in cIN proliferation and migration, culminating in misspecification of the somatostatin-expressing subgroup. These findings reveal a unified developmental basis for orofacial clefting and disrupted cIN development, and may explain the significant overlap in neurobehavioral and psychiatric outcomes associated with OFCs and cIN dysfunction. This emerging mechanistic understanding for increased prevalence of adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in OFC patients is the entry-point for developing evidence-based therapies to improve patient outcomes.
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Wong A, Dogra VR, Reichelt AC. High-sucrose diets in male rats disrupt aspects of decision making tasks, motivation and spatial memory, but not impulsivity measured by operant delay-discounting. Behav Brain Res 2017; 327:144-154. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Idell RD, Florova G, Komissarov AA, Shetty S, Girard RBS, Idell S. The fibrinolytic system: A new target for treatment of depression with psychedelics. Med Hypotheses 2017; 100:46-53. [PMID: 28236848 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2017.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Current understanding of the neurobiology of depression has grown over the past few years beyond the traditional monoamine theory of depression to include chronic stress, inflammation and disrupted synaptic plasticity. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a key factor that not only promotes fibrinolysis via the activation of plasminogen, but also contributes to regulation of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis through plasmin-mediated activation of a probrain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to mature BDNF. ProBDNF activation could potentially be supressed by competition with fibrin for plasmin and tPA. High affinity binding of plasmin and tPA to fibrin could result in a decrease of proBDNF activation during brain inflammation leading to fibrosis further perpetuating depressed mood. There is a paucity of data explaining the possible role of the fibrinolytic system or aberrant extravascular fibrin deposition in depression. We propose that within the brain, an imbalance between tPA and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and neuroserpin favors the inhibitors, resulting in changes in neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation that result in depressive behavior. Our hypothesis is that peripheral inflammation mediates neuroinflammation, and that cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) can inhibit the fibrinolytic system by up- regulating PAI-1 and potentially neuroserpin. We propose that the decrement of the activity of tPA and uPA occurs with downregulation of uPA in part involving the binding and clearance from the surface of neural cells of uPA/PAI-1 complexes by the urokinase receptor uPAR. We infer that current antidepressants and ketamine mitigate depressive symptoms by restoring the balance of the fibrinolytic system with increased activity of tPA and uPA with down-regulated intracerebral expression of their inhibitors. We lastly hypothesize that psychedelic 5-ht2a receptor agonists, such as psilocybin, can improve mood through anti- inflammatory and pro-fibrinolytic effects that include blockade of TNF-α activity leading to decreased PAI-1 activity and increased clearance. The process involves disinhibition of tPA and uPA with subsequent increased cleavage of proBDNF which promotes neurogenesis, decreased neuroinflammation, decreased fibrin deposition, normalized glial-neuronal cross-talk, and optimally functioning neuro-circuits involved in mood. We propose that psilocybin can alleviate deleterious changes in the brain caused by chronic stress leading to restoration of homeostatic brain fibrinolytic capacity leading to euthymia.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Idell
- Department of Behavioral Health, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States.
| | - G Florova
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States
| | - A A Komissarov
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States
| | - S Shetty
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States
| | - R B S Girard
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States
| | - S Idell
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, 11937 US HWY 271, Tyler, TX 75708, United States
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15
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Ansen-Wilson LJ, Lipinski RJ. Gene-environment interactions in cortical interneuron development and dysfunction: A review of preclinical studies. Neurotoxicology 2017; 58:120-129. [PMID: 27932026 PMCID: PMC5328258 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cortical interneurons (cINs) are a diverse group of locally projecting neurons essential to the organization and regulation of neural networks. Though they comprise only ∼20% of neurons in the neocortex, their dynamic modulation of cortical activity is requisite for normal cognition and underlies multiple aspects of learning and memory. While displaying significant morphological, molecular, and electrophysiological variability, cINs collectively function to maintain the excitatory-inhibitory balance in the cortex by dampening hyperexcitability and synchronizing activity of projection neurons, primarily through use of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Disruption of the excitatory-inhibitory balance is a common pathophysiological feature of multiple seizure and neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism. While most studies have focused on genetic disruption of cIN development in these conditions, emerging evidence indicates that cIN development is exquisitely sensitive to teratogenic disruption. Here, we review key aspects of cIN development, including specification, migration, and integration into neural circuits. Additionally, we examine the mechanisms by which prenatal exposure to common chemical and environmental agents disrupt these events in preclinical models. Understanding how genetic and environmental factors interact to disrupt cIN development and function has tremendous potential to advance prevention and treatment of prevalent seizure and neuropsychiatric illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia J Ansen-Wilson
- Department of Comparative Biosciences School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Robert J Lipinski
- Department of Comparative Biosciences School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1010B McArdle Building, 1400 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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16
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Akhmadeev AV, Leushkina NF, Kalimullina LB. Structural Organization of Cerebral Basolateral Nucleus of the Amygdaloid Complex in WAG-Rij Rats with Different Genotypes by the TAQ 1A Locus of Dopamine 2 Receptor Gene (DRD2). Bull Exp Biol Med 2016; 162:89-92. [PMID: 27878728 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-016-3553-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety levels and structural organization of the basolateral nucleus of the amygdaloid complex were analyzed in WAG/Rij rats with genotypes A1/A1 and A2/A2 by DRD2 locus Taq 1A. Association of anxious behavior with A2/A2 genotype and the relationship between the structural organization of the nucleus and polymorphic variants of this locus are detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Akhmadeev
- Department of Human Physiology and Zoology, Bashkir State University, Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia
| | - N F Leushkina
- Department of Human Physiology and Zoology, Bashkir State University, Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia
| | - L B Kalimullina
- Department of Human Physiology and Zoology, Bashkir State University, Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.
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17
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Insulin-Independent GABAA Receptor-Mediated Response in the Barrel Cortex of Mice with Impaired Met Activity. J Neurosci 2016; 36:3691-7. [PMID: 27030755 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0006-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by genetic variants, susceptibility alleles, and environmental perturbations. The autism associated geneMETtyrosine kinase has been implicated in many behavioral domains and endophenotypes of autism, including abnormal neural signaling in human sensory cortex. We investigated somatosensory thalamocortical synaptic communication in mice deficient in Met activity in cortical excitatory neurons to gain insights into aberrant somatosensation characteristic of ASD. The ratio of excitation to inhibition is dramatically increased due to decreased postsynaptic GABAAreceptor-mediated inhibition in the trigeminal thalamocortical pathway of mice lacking active Met in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, in contrast to wild-type mice, insulin failed to increase GABAAreceptor-mediated response in the barrel cortex of mice with compromised Met signaling. Thus, lacking insulin effects may be a risk factor in ASD pathogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A proposed common cause of neurodevelopmental disorders is an imbalance in excitatory neural transmission, provided by the glutamatergic neurons, and the inhibitory signals from the GABAergic interneurons. Many genes associated with autism spectrum disorders impair synaptic transmission in the expected cell type. Previously, inactivation of the autism-associated Met tyrosine kinase receptor in GABAergic interneurons led to decreased inhibition. In thus report, decreased Met signaling in glutamatergic neurons had no effect on excitation, but decimated inhibition. Further experiments indicate that loss of Met activity downregulates GABAAreceptors on glutamatergic neurons in an insulin independent manner. These data provide a new mechanism for the loss of inhibition and subsequent abnormal excitation/inhibition balance and potential molecular candidates for treatment or prevention.
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18
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Lucas EK, Jegarl AM, Morishita H, Clem RL. Multimodal and Site-Specific Plasticity of Amygdala Parvalbumin Interneurons after Fear Learning. Neuron 2016; 91:629-43. [PMID: 27427462 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Stimulus processing in fear conditioning is constrained by parvalbumin interneurons (PV-INs) through inhibition of principal excitatory neurons. However, the contributions of PV-IN microcircuits to input gating and long-term plasticity in the fear system remain unknown. Here we interrogate synaptic connections between afferent pathways, PV-INs, and principal excitatory neurons in the basolateral amygdala. We find that subnuclei of this region are populated two functionally distinct PV-IN networks. PV-INs in the lateral (LA), but not the basal (BA), amygdala possess complex dendritic arborizations, receive potent excitatory drive, and mediate feedforward inhibition onto principal neurons. After fear conditioning, PV-INs exhibit nucleus- and target-selective plasticity, resulting in persistent reduction of their excitatory input and inhibitory output in LA but not BA. These data reveal previously overlooked specializations of amygdala PV-INs and indicate specific circuit mechanisms for inhibitory plasticity during the encoding of associative fear memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Lucas
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anita M Jegarl
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Roger L Clem
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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19
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Beas BS, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Effects of acute administration of the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen on behavioral flexibility in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:2787-97. [PMID: 27256354 PMCID: PMC4919234 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ability to adjust response strategies when faced with changes in the environment is critical for normal adaptive behavior. Such behavioral flexibility is compromised by experimental disruption of cortical GABAergic signaling, as well as in conditions such as schizophrenia and normal aging that are characterized by cortical hyperexcitability. The current studies were designed to determine whether stimulation of GABAergic signaling using the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen can facilitate behavioral flexibility. METHODS Male Fischer 344 rats were trained in a set-shifting task in which they learned to discriminate between two response levers to obtain a food reward. Correct levers were signaled in accordance with two distinct response rules (rule 1: correct lever signaled by a cue light; rule 2: correct lever signaled by its left/right position). The order of rule presentation varied, but they were always presented sequentially, with the trials and errors to reach criterion performance on the second (set shift) rule providing the measure of behavioral flexibility. Experiments determined the effects of the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen (intraperitoneal, 0, 1.0, 2.5, and 4.0 mg/kg) administered acutely before the shift to the second rule. RESULTS Baclofen enhanced set-shifting performance. Control experiments demonstrated that this enhancement was not simply due to improved discrimination learning, nor was it due to impaired recall of the initial discrimination rule. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that baclofen can facilitate behavioral flexibility, suggesting that GABA(B) receptor agonists may have utility for treating behavioral dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Sofia Beas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL,Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
| | - Jennifer L. Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL,Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL
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20
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Bolkvadze T, Puhakka N, Pitkänen A. Epileptogenesis after traumatic brain injury in Plaur-deficient mice. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 60:187-196. [PMID: 27208924 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Binding of the extracellular matrix proteinase urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to its receptor, uPAR, regulates tissue remodeling during development and after injury in different organs, including the brain. Accordingly, mutations in the Plaur gene, which encodes uPAR, have been linked to language deficits, autism, and epilepsy, both in mouse and human. Whether uPAR deficiency modulates epileptogenesis and comorbidogenesis after brain injury, however, is unknown. To address this question, we induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) by controlled cortical impact (CCI) in 10 wild-type (Wt-CCI) and 16 Plaur-deficient (uPAR-CCI) mice. Sham-operated mice served as controls (10 Wt-sham, 10 uPAR-sham). During the 4-month follow-up, the mice were neurophenotyped by assessing the somatomotor performance with the composite neuroscore test, emotional learning and memory with fear conditioning to tone and context, and epileptogenesis with videoelectroencephalography monitoring and the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure susceptibility test. At the end of the testing, the mice were perfused for histology to analyze cortical and hippocampal neurodegeneration and mossy fiber sprouting. Fourteen percent (1/7) of the mice in the Wt-CCI and 0% in the uPAR-CCI groups developed spontaneous seizures (p>0.05; chi-square). Both the Wt-CCI and uPAR-CCI groups showed increased seizure susceptibility in the PTZ test (p<0.05), impaired recovery of motor function (p<0.001), and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus and cortex (p<0.05) compared with the corresponding sham-operated controls. Motor recovery and emotional learning showed a genotype effect, being more impaired in uPAR-CCI than in Wt-CCI mice (p<0.05). The findings of the present study indicate that uPAR deficiency does not increase susceptibility to epileptogenesis after CCI injury but has an unfavorable comorbidity-modifying effect after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamuna Bolkvadze
- Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Noora Puhakka
- Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Asla Pitkänen
- Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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21
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Copping NA, Berg EL, Foley GM, Schaffler MD, Onaga BL, Buscher N, Silverman JL, Yang M. Touchscreen learning deficits and normal social approach behavior in the Shank3B model of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and autism. Neuroscience 2016; 345:155-165. [PMID: 27189882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
SHANK3 is a synaptic scaffolding protein localized in the postsynaptic density and has a crucial role in synaptogenesis and neural physiology. Deletions and point mutations in SHANK3 cause Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS), and have also been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disabilities, leading to the hypothesis that reduced SHANK3 expression impairs basic brain functions that are important for social communication and cognition. Several mouse models of Shank3 deletions have been generated, varying in the specific domain deleted. Here we report impairments in cognitive function in mice heterozygous for exon 13-16 (coding for the PDZ domain) deletion. The touchscreen pairwise discrimination task was chosen by virtue of its: (a) conceptual and technical similarities to the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery used for testing cognitive functions in humans, (b) minimal demand on motor abilities, and (c) capability to measure many aspects of learning and memory and complex cognitive functions, including cognitive flexibility. The similarity between our mouse tasks and human cognitive assays means a high translational validity in future intervention studies using preclinical models. Our study revealed that Shank3B heterozygous mice (+/-) were slower to reach criterion in the pairwise visual discrimination task, and exhibited trends toward making more errors (first trial errors) and more correction errors than wildtype mice (+/+). Open field activity was normal in +/-, ruling out hypo- or hyperactivity as potential confounds in the touchscreen test. Sociability in the three chamber test was also normal in both +/+ and +/-. These results indicate a deficit in discrimination learning in the Shank3B model of PMS and ASD, suggesting that this mouse model is a useful preclinical tool for studying neurobiological mechanisms behind cognitive impairments in PMS and ASD. The current findings are the starting point for our future research in which we will investigate multiple domains of cognition and explore pharmacological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nycole A Copping
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Elizabeth L Berg
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Gillian M Foley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Melanie D Schaffler
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Beth L Onaga
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Nathalie Buscher
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Mu Yang
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
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22
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Çaliskan G, Müller I, Semtner M, Winkelmann A, Raza AS, Hollnagel JO, Rösler A, Heinemann U, Stork O, Meier JC. Identification of Parvalbumin Interneurons as Cellular Substrate of Fear Memory Persistence. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:2325-2340. [PMID: 26908632 PMCID: PMC4830301 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin-positive (PV) basket cells provide perisomatic inhibition in the cortex and hippocampus and control generation of memory-related network activity patterns, such as sharp wave ripples (SPW-R). Deterioration of this class of fast-spiking interneurons has been observed in neuropsychiatric disorders and evidence from animal models suggests their involvement in the acquisition and extinction of fear memories. Here, we used mice with neuron type-targeted expression of the presynaptic gain-of-function glycine receptor RNA variant GlyR α3L185L to genetically enhance the network activity of PV interneurons. These mice showed reduced extinction of contextual fear memory but normal auditory cued fear memory. They furthermore displayed increase of SPW-R activity in area CA3 and CA1 and facilitated propagation of this particular network activity pattern, as determined in ventral hippocampal slice preparations. Individual freezing levels during extinction and SPW-R propagation were correlated across genotypes. The same was true for parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the ventral hippocampus, which was generally augmented in the GlyR mutant mice and correlated with individual freezing levels. Together, these results identify PV interneurons as critical cellular substrate of fear memory persistence and associated SPW-R activity in the hippocampus. Our findings may be relevant for the identification and characterization of physiological correlates for posttraumatic stress and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gürsel Çaliskan
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Iris Müller
- Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg39120, Germany
| | - Marcus Semtner
- Division Cell Physiology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig38106, Germany
| | - Aline Winkelmann
- Division Cell Physiology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig 38106, Germany.,RNA editing and Hyperexcitability Disorders Helmholtz Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Ahsan S Raza
- Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg39120, Germany
| | - Jan O Hollnagel
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany.,Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Anton Rösler
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin14195, Germany
| | - Uwe Heinemann
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin14195, Germany
| | - Oliver Stork
- Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jochen C Meier
- Division Cell Physiology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig 38106, Germany.,RNA editing and Hyperexcitability Disorders Helmholtz Group, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
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23
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Beas BS, McQuail JA, Ban Uelos C, Setlow B, Bizon JL. Prefrontal cortical GABAergic signaling and impaired behavioral flexibility in aged F344 rats. Neuroscience 2016; 345:274-286. [PMID: 26873002 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for the ability to flexibly adapt established patterns of behavior in response to a change in environmental contingencies. Impaired behavioral flexibility results in maladaptive strategies such as perseveration on response options that no longer produce a desired outcome. Pharmacological manipulations of prefrontal cortical GABAergic signaling modulate behavioral flexibility in animal models, and prefrontal cortical interneuron dysfunction is implicated in impaired behavioral flexibility that accompanies neuropsychiatric disease. As deficits in behavioral flexibility also emerge during the normal aging process, the goal of this study was to determine the role of GABAergic signaling, specifically via prefrontal cortical GABA(B) receptors, in such age-related deficits. Young and aged rats were trained in a set shifting task performed in operant chambers. First, rats learned to discriminate between two response levers to obtain a food reward on the basis of a cue light illuminated above the correct lever. Upon acquisition of this initial discrimination, the contingencies were shifted such that rats had to ignore the cue light and respond on the levers according to their left/right positions. Both young and aged rats acquired the initial discrimination similarly; however, aged rats were impaired relative to young following the set shift. Among aged rats, GABA(B) receptor expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was strongly correlated with set shifting, such that lower expression was associated with worse performance. Subsequent experiments showed that intra-mPFC administration of the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen enhanced set shifting performance in aged rats. These data directly link GABAergic signaling via GABA(B) receptors to impaired behavioral flexibility associated with normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Beas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - J A McQuail
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - C Ban Uelos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - B Setlow
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - J L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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24
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Neurophysiology of rule switching in the corticostriatal circuit. Neuroscience 2016; 345:64-76. [PMID: 26851774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The ability to adjust behavioral responses to cues in a changing environment is crucial for survival. Activity in the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) is thought to both represent rules to guide behavior as well as detect and resolve conflicts between rules in changing contingencies. While lesion and pharmacological studies have supported a crucial role for mPFC in this type of set-shifting, an understanding of how mPFC represents current rules or detects and resolves conflict between different rules is still unclear. Meanwhile, medial dorsal striatum (mDS) receives major projections from mPFC and neural activity of mDS is closely linked to action selection, making the mDS a potential major player for enacting rule-guided action policies. However, exactly what is signaled by mPFC and how this impacts neural signals in mDS is not well known. In this review, we will summarize what is known about neural signals of rules and set shifting in both prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum, as well as provide questions and directions for future experiments.
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25
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Grayson DR, Guidotti A. Merging data from genetic and epigenetic approaches to better understand autistic spectrum disorder. Epigenomics 2015; 8:85-104. [PMID: 26551091 PMCID: PMC4864049 DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by a wide range of cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Genetic research has identified large numbers of genes that contribute to ASD phenotypes. There is compelling evidence that environmental factors contribute to ASD through influences that differentially impact the brain through epigenetic mechanisms. Both genetic mutations and epigenetic influences alter gene expression in different cell types of the brain. Mutations impact the expression of large numbers of genes and also have downstream consequences depending on specific pathways associated with the mutation. Environmental factors impact the expression of sets of genes by altering methylation/hydroxymethylation patterns, local histone modification patterns and chromatin remodeling. Herein, we discuss recent developments in the research of ASD with a focus on epigenetic pathways as a complement to current genetic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis R Grayson
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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Persistent Interneuronopathy in the Prefrontal Cortex of Young Adult Offspring Exposed to Ethanol In Utero. J Neurosci 2015; 35:10977-88. [PMID: 26245961 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1462-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Gestational exposure to ethanol has been reported to alter the disposition of tangentially migrating GABAergic cortical interneurons, but much remains to be elucidated. Here we first established the migration of interneurons as a proximal target of ethanol by limiting ethanol exposure in utero to the gestational window when tangential migration is at its height. We then asked whether the aberrant tangential migration of GABAergic interneurons persisted as an enduring interneuronopathy in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) later in the life of offspring prenatally exposed to ethanol. Time pregnant mice with Nkx2.1Cre/Ai14 embryos harboring tdTomato-fluorescent medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived cortical GABAergic interneurons were subjected to a 3 day binge-type 5% w/w ethanol consumption regimen from embryonic day (E) 13.5-16.5, spanning the peak of corticopetal interneuron migration in the fetal brain. Our binge-type regimen increased the density of MGE-derived interneurons in the E16.5 mPFC. In young adult offspring exposed to ethanol in utero, this effect persisted as an increase in the number of mPFC layer V parvalbumin-immunopositive interneurons. Commensurately, patch-clamp recording in mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons uncovered enhanced GABA-mediated spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission, shifting the inhibitory/excitatory balance toward favoring inhibition. Furthermore, young adult offspring exposed to the 3 day binge-type ethanol regimen exhibited impaired reversal learning in a modified Barnes maze, indicative of decreased PFC-dependent behavioral flexibility, and heightened locomotor activity in an open field arena. Our findings underscore that aberrant neuronal migration, inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, and thus interneuronopathy contribute to indelible abnormal cortical circuit form and function in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The significance of this study is twofold. First, we demonstrate that a time-delimited binge-type ethanol exposure in utero during early gestation alters corticopetal tangential migration of GABAergic interneurons in the fetal brain. Second, our study is the first to integrate neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral evidence that this "interneuronopathy" persists in the young adult offspring and contributes to enduring changes in (1) the distribution of parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic cortical interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, (2) GABA-mediated synaptic transmission that resulted in an inhibitory/excitatory synaptic imbalance, and (3) behavioral flexibility. These findings alert women of child-bearing age that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can be rooted very early in fetal brain development, and reinforce evidence-based counseling against binge drinking even at the earliest stages of pregnancy.
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Brisch R, Bielau H, Saniotis A, Wolf R, Bogerts B, Krell D, Steiner J, Braun K, Krzyżanowska M, Krzyżanowski M, Jankowski Z, Kaliszan M, Bernstein HG, Gos T. Calretinin and parvalbumin in schizophrenia and affective disorders: a mini-review, a perspective on the evolutionary role of calretinin in schizophrenia, and a preliminary post-mortem study of calretinin in the septal nuclei. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:393. [PMID: 26578879 PMCID: PMC4624860 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The septal nuclei are important limbic regions that are involved in emotional behavior and connect to various brain regions such as the habenular complex. Both the septal nuclei and the habenular complex are involved in the pathology of schizophrenia and affective disorders. METHODS We characterized the number and density of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons in the lateral, medial, and dorsal subregions of the septal nuclei in three groups of subjects: healthy control subjects (N = 6), patients with schizophrenia (N = 10), and patients with affective disorders (N = 6). RESULTS Our mini-review of the combined role of calretinin and parvalbumin in schizophrenia and affective disorders summarizes 23 studies. We did not observe significant differences in the numbers of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons or neuronal densities in the lateral, medial, and dorsal septal nuclei of patients with schizophrenia or patients with affective disorders compared to healthy control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Most post-mortem investigations of patients with schizophrenia have indicated significant abnormalities of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in various brain regions including the hippocampus, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. This study also provides an explanation from an evolutionary perspective for why calretinin is affected in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Brisch
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Hendrik Bielau
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Arthur Saniotis
- School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide Adelaide, SA, Australia ; Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum Bochum, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Krell
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marta Krzyżanowska
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maciej Krzyżanowski
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Jankowski
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Michał Kaliszan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Hans-Gert Bernstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tomasz Gos
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk Gdańsk, Poland
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Bissonette GB, Roesch MR. Neural correlates of rules and conflict in medial prefrontal cortex during decision and feedback epochs. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:266. [PMID: 26500516 PMCID: PMC4594023 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to properly adjust behavioral responses to cues in a changing environment is crucial for survival. Activity in the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) is thought to both represent rules to guide behavior as well as detect and resolve conflicts between rules in changing contingencies. However, while lesion and pharmacological studies have supported a crucial role for mPFC in this type of set-shifting, an understanding of how mPFC represents current rules or detects and resolves conflict between different rules is unclear. Here, we directly address the role of rat mPFC in shifting rule based behavioral strategies using a novel behavioral task designed to tease apart neural signatures of rules, conflict and direction. We demonstrate that activity of single neurons in rat mPFC represent distinct rules. Further, we show increased firing on high conflict trials in a separate population of mPFC neurons. Reduced firing in both populations of neurons was associated with poor performance. Moreover, activity in both populations increased and decreased firing during the outcome epoch when reward was and was not delivered on correct and incorrect trials, respectively. In addition, outcome firing was modulated by the current rule and the degree of conflict associated with the previous decision. These results promote a greater understanding of the role that mPFC plays in switching between rules, signaling both rule and conflict to promote improved behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory B Bissonette
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, USA ; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, USA
| | - Matthew R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, USA ; Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, USA
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Whissell PD, Cajanding JD, Fogel N, Kim JC. Comparative density of CCK- and PV-GABA cells within the cortex and hippocampus. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:124. [PMID: 26441554 PMCID: PMC4585045 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholecystokinin (CCK)- and parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons constitute the two major populations of perisomatic GABAergic neurons in the cortex and the hippocampus. As CCK- and PV-GABA neurons differ in an array of morphological, biochemical and electrophysiological features, it has been proposed that they form distinct inhibitory ensembles which differentially contribute to network oscillations and behavior. However, the relationship and balance between CCK- and PV-GABA neurons in the inhibitory networks of the brain is currently unclear as the distribution of these cells has never been compared on a large scale. Here, we systemically investigated the distribution of CCK- and PV-GABA cells across a wide number of discrete forebrain regions using an intersectional genetic approach. Our analysis revealed several novel trends in the distribution of these cells. While PV-GABA cells were more abundant overall, CCK-GABA cells outnumbered PV-GABA cells in several subregions of the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and ventrolateral temporal cortex. Interestingly, CCK-GABA cells were relatively more abundant in secondary/association areas of the cortex (V2, S2, M2, and AudD/AudV) than they were in corresponding primary areas (V1, S1, M1, and Aud1). The reverse trend was observed for PV-GABA cells. Our findings suggest that the balance between CCK- and PV-GABA cells in a given cortical region is related to the type of processing that area performs; inhibitory networks in the secondary cortex tend to favor the inclusion of CCK-GABA cells more than networks in the primary cortex. The intersectional genetic labeling approach employed in the current study expands upon the ability to study molecularly defined subsets of GABAergic neurons. This technique can be applied to the investigation of neuropathologies which involve disruptions to the GABAergic system, including schizophrenia, stress, maternal immune activation and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Whissell
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
| | | | - Nicole Fogel
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Jun Chul Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada ; Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada
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Kim DH, Choi BR, Jeon WK, Han JS. Impairment of intradimensional shift in an attentional set-shifting task in rats with chronic bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Behav Brain Res 2015; 296:169-176. [PMID: 26365458 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies of rats with chronic bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo), an animal model for vascular dementia (VaD), have reported hippocampus-dependent memory impairment and associated neuropathologies. Patients with VaD also experience attentional shifting dysfunction. However, animal models of VaD have not been used to study attentional function. Therefore, the present study examined attentional function in rats with BCCAo, using attentional set-shifting task (ASST) that required rats to choose a food-baited pot from 2 possible pots. ASST included 6 consecutive sessions including simple discrimination, compound discrimination, intradimensional shifting, extradimensional shifting, and reversals. The BCCAo rats were significantly slower at learning the intradimensional set-shifting task compared to control rats. Previous studies have demonstrated that the cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex are critical to intradimensional and extradimensional set-shifting, respectively. Additionally, inflammatory responses and neuronal dysfunction were observed in rats with chronic BCCAo. In addition, OX-6 positive microglia significantly increased in the forceps minor white matter of BCCAo rats, and glutamate decarboxylase signals co-localized with NeuN were reduced in the anterior cingulate cortex of BCCAo rats, compared to control rats. Impaired neuronal and GABAergic neuronal integrity in the anterior cingulate cortex, damage to white matter, and attentional impairments observed in BCCAo rats suggest dysfunction of brain structures that are associated with attentional impairments observed in patients with VaD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Ryoung Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Kyung Jeon
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Soo Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea.
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31
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Bissonette GB, Roesch MR. Rule encoding in dorsal striatum impacts action selection. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 42:2555-67. [PMID: 26275165 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is a hallmark of prefrontal cortical (PFC) function yet little is known about downstream area involvement. The medial dorsal striatum (mDS) receives major projections from the PFC and is uniquely situated to perform the integration of responses with rule information. In this study, we use a novel rule shifting task in rats that mirrors non-human primate and human studies in its temporal precision and counterbalanced responses. We record activity from single neurons in the mDS while rats switch between different rules for reward. Additionally, we pharmacologically inactivate mDS by infusion of a baclofen/muscimol cocktail. Inactivation of mDS impaired the ability to shift to a new rule and increased the number of regressive errors. While recording in mDS, we identified neurons modulated by direction whose activity reflected the conflict between competing rule information. We show that a subset of these neurons was also rule selective, and that the conflict between competing rule cues was resolved as behavioural performance improved. Other neurons were modulated by rule, but not direction. These neurons became selective before behavioural performance accurately reflected the current rule. These data provide an additional locus for investigating the mechanisms underlying behavioural flexibility. Converging lines of evidence from multiple human psychiatric disorders have implicated dorsal striatum as an important and understudied neural substrate of flexible cognition. Our data confirm the importance of mDS, and suggest a mechanism by which mDS mediates abstract cognition functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory B Bissonette
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Matthew R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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32
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Freeman L, Garcia-Lorenzo D, Bottin L, Leroy C, Louapre C, Bodini B, Papeix C, Assouad R, Granger B, Tourbah A, Dollé F, Lubetzki C, Bottlaender M, Stankoff B. The neuronal component of gray matter damage in multiple sclerosis: A [(11) C]flumazenil positron emission tomography study. Ann Neurol 2015; 78:554-67. [PMID: 26292991 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using positron emission tomography (PET) with [(11) C]flumazenil ([(11) C]FMZ), an antagonist of the central benzodiazepine site located within the GABAA receptor, we quantified and mapped neuronal damage in the gray matter (GM) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at distinct disease stages. We investigated the relationship between neuronal damage and white matter (WM) lesions and evaluated the clinical relevance of this neuronal PET metric. METHODS A cohort of 18 MS patients (9 progressive and 9 relapsing-remitting) was compared to healthy controls and underwent neurological and cognitive evaluations, high-resolution dynamic [(11) C]FMZ PET imaging and brain magnetic resonance imaging. [(11) C]FMZ binding was estimated using the partial saturation protocol providing voxel-wise absolute quantification of GABAA receptor concentration. PET data were evaluated using a region of interest (ROI) approach as well as on a vertex-by-vertex basis. RESULTS [(11) C]FMZ binding was significantly decreased in the cortical GM of MS patients, compared to controls (-10%). Cortical mapping of benzodiazepine receptor concentration ([(11) C]FMZ Bmax) revealed significant intergroup differences in the bilateral parietal cortices and right frontal areas. ROI analyses taking into account GM volume changes showed extensive decrease in [(11) C]FMZ binding in bilateral parietal, cingulate, and insular cortices as well as in the thalami, amygdalae, and hippocampi. These changes were significant in both progressive and relapsing-remitting forms of the disease and correlated with WM T2-weighted lesion load. [(11) C]FMZ cortical binding correlated with cognitive performance. INTERPRETATION This pilot study showed that PET with [(11) C]FMZ could be a promising and sensitive quantitative marker to assess and map the neuronal substrate of GM pathology in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léorah Freeman
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France.,Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Daniel Garcia-Lorenzo
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,Institut des Neurosciences translationnelles de Paris (IHU-A-ICM), Paris, France
| | - Laure Bottin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France
| | - Claire Leroy
- Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France
| | - Céline Louapre
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Benedetta Bodini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France
| | - Caroline Papeix
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Rana Assouad
- AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Granger
- AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Ayman Tourbah
- Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Reims, Université Champagne Ardennes, Reims, France
| | - Frédéric Dollé
- Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France
| | - Catherine Lubetzki
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France.,Institut des Neurosciences translationnelles de Paris (IHU-A-ICM), Paris, France
| | | | - Bruno Stankoff
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR S 1127, and CNRS UMR 7225, and ICM, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hopital Saint-Antoine and Hopital Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, DSV, CEA, Orsay, France
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GABAB Receptor Agonist R-Baclofen Reverses Social Deficits and Reduces Repetitive Behavior in Two Mouse Models of Autism. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2228-39. [PMID: 25754761 PMCID: PMC4613612 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed by two core behavioral criteria, unusual reciprocal social interactions and communication, and stereotyped, repetitive behaviors with restricted interests. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance is a prominent hypothesis for the etiology of autism. The selective GABAB receptor agonist R-baclofen previously reversed social deficits and reduced repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome, and Arbaclofen improved some clinical symptoms in some Fragile X and ASD patients. To evaluate R-baclofen in a broader range of mouse models of ASD, we tested both the R-baclofen enantiomer and the less potent S-baclofen enantiomer in two inbred strains of mice that display low sociability and/or high repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. R-baclofen treatment reversed social approach deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR), reduced repetitive self-grooming and high marble burying scores in BTBR, and reduced stereotyped jumping in C58/J (C58), at nonsedating doses. S-baclofen produced minimal effects at the same doses. These findings encourage investigations of R-baclofen in other preclinical model systems. Additional clinical studies may be warranted to further evaluate the hypothesis that the GABAB receptor represents a promising pharmacological target for treating appropriately stratified subsets of individuals with ASD.
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Ueda S, Niwa M, Hioki H, Sohn J, Kaneko T, Sawa A, Sakurai T. Sequence of Molecular Events during the Maturation of the Developing Mouse Prefrontal Cortex. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2015; 1:94-104. [PMID: 26457295 DOI: 10.1159/000430095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in psychiatric research has accumulated many mouse models relevant to developmental neuropsychiatric disorders using numerous genetic and environmental manipulations. Since the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for cognitive functions whose impairments are central symptoms associated with the disorders in humans, it has become crucial to clarify altered developmental processes of PFC circuits in these mice. To that end, we aimed to understand a sequence of molecular events during normal mouse PFC development. Expression profiles for representative genes covering diverse biological processes showed that while there were little changes in genes for neuroreceptors and synaptic molecules during postnatal period, there were dramatic increases in expression of myelin-related genes and parvalbumin gene, peaking at postnatal day (P) 21 and P35, respectively. The timing of the peaks is different from one observed in the striatum. Furthermore, evaluation of the circuitry maturation by measuring extracellular glutamate in PFC revealed that sensitivity to an NMDA antagonist became adult-like pattern at P56, suggesting that some of maturation processes continue till P56. The trajectory of molecular events in the PFC maturation described here should help us to characterize how the processes are affected in model mice, an important first step for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Ueda
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Hioki
- Department of Morphological Brain Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Jaerin Sohn
- Department of Morphological Brain Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kaneko
- Department of Morphological Brain Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Takeshi Sakurai
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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35
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Reichelt AC, Killcross S, Hambly LD, Morris MJ, Westbrook RF. Impact of adolescent sucrose access on cognitive control, recognition memory, and parvalbumin immunoreactivity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:215-24. [PMID: 25776039 PMCID: PMC4371171 DOI: 10.1101/lm.038000.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this study we sought to determine the effect of daily sucrose consumption in young rats on their subsequent performance in tasks that involve the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. High levels of sugar consumption have been associated with the development of obesity, however less is known about how sugar consumption influences behavioral control and high-order cognitive processes. Of particular concern is the fact that sugar intake is greatest in adolescence, an important neurodevelopmental period. We provided sucrose to rats when they were progressing through puberty and adolescence. Cognitive performance was assessed in adulthood on a task related to executive function, a rodent analog of the Stroop task. We found that sucrose-exposed rats failed to show context-appropriate responding during incongruent stimulus compounds presented at test, indicative of impairments in prefrontal cortex function. Sucrose exposed rats also showed deficits in an on object-in-place recognition memory task, indicating that both prefrontal and hippocampal function was impaired. Analysis of brains showed a reduction in expression of parvalbumin-immunoreactive GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, indicating that sucrose consumption during adolescence induced long-term pathology, potentially underpinning the cognitive deficits observed. These results suggest that consumption of high levels of sugar-sweetened beverages by adolescents may also impair neurocognitive functions affecting decision-making and memory, potentially rendering them at risk for developing mental health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Reichelt
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Simon Killcross
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Luke D Hambly
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Margaret J Morris
- School of Medical Science, University of New South Wales Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - R Fred Westbrook
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Australia, Kensington, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Kessler JA, Smith AG, Cha BS, Choi SH, Wymer J, Shaibani A, Ajroud-Driss S, Vinik A. Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of HGF gene therapy in diabetic neuropathy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2015; 2:465-78. [PMID: 26000320 PMCID: PMC4435702 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a plasmid (VM202) containing two human hepatocyte growth factor isoforms given by intramuscular injections in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients were randomized to receive injections of 8 or 16 mg VM202 per leg or placebo. Divided doses were administered on Day 0 and Day 14. The prospective primary outcome was change in the mean pain score measured by a 7 day pain diary. Secondary outcomes included a responder analysis, quality of life and pain measures, and intraepidermal nerve fiber density. RESULTS There were no significant adverse events attributable to VM202. Eighty-four patients completed the study. Patients receiving 8 mg VM202 per leg improved the most in all efficacy measures including a significant (P = 0.03) reduction at 3 months in the mean pain score and continued but not statistically significant reductions in pain at 6 and 9 months. Of these patients, 48.4% experienced a ≥50% reduction in pain compared to 17.6% of placebo patients. There were also significant improvements in the brief pain inventory for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and the questionnaire portion of the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument. Patients not on pregabalin or gabapentin had the largest reductions in pain. INTERPRETATION VM202 was safe, well tolerated and effective indicating the feasibility of a nonviral gene therapy approach to painful diabetic neuropathy. Two days of treatment were sufficient to provide symptomatic relief with improvement in quality of life for 3 months. VM202 may be particularly beneficial for patients not taking gabapentin or pregabalin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bong-Soo Cha
- Yonsei University College of Medicine Severence Hospital Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Hee Choi
- Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Seoul, South Korea
| | | | | | | | - Aaron Vinik
- Eastern Virginia Medical School Norfolk, Virginia
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Interneurons are necessary for coordinated activity during reversal learning in orbitofrontal cortex. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:454-64. [PMID: 25193243 PMCID: PMC4312743 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral cortical gamma-aminobutyric acidergic interneuron dysfunction is hypothesized to lead to cognitive deficits comorbid with human neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. We have previously shown that mice that harbor mutations in the Plaur gene, which is associated with schizophrenia, have deficits in frontal cortical parvalbumin-expressing interneurons. Plaur mice have impaired reversal learning, similar to deficits observed in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS We examined the role of parvalbumin interneurons in orbitofrontal cortex during reversal learning by recording single unit activity from 180 control and 224 Plaur mouse neurons during a serial reversal task. Neural activity was analyzed during correct and incorrect decision choices and reward receipt. RESULTS Neurons in control mice exhibited strong phasic responses both during discrimination and reversal learning to decisions and rewards, and the strength of the response was correlated with behavioral performance. Although baseline firing was significantly enhanced in Plaur mice, neural selectivity for correct or erroneous decisions was diminished and not correlated with behavior, and reward encoding was downscaled. In addition, Plaur mice showed a significant reduction in the number of neurons that encoded expected outcomes across task phases during the decision period. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that parvalbumin interneurons are necessary for the representation of outcomes in orbitofrontal cortex. Deficits in inhibition blunt selective neural firing during key decisions, contributing to behavioral inflexibility. These data provide a potential explanation for disorders of cognitive control that accompany the loss of these gamma-aminobutyric acidergic interneurons in human neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.
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Do-Monte FH, Manzano-Nieves G, Quiñones-Laracuente K, Ramos-Medina L, Quirk GJ. Revisiting the role of infralimbic cortex in fear extinction with optogenetics. J Neurosci 2015; 35:3607-15. [PMID: 25716859 PMCID: PMC4339362 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3137-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Revised: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous rodent studies have implicated the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex in extinction of auditory fear conditioning. However, these studies used pharmacological inactivation or electrical stimulation techniques, which lack temporal precision and neuronal specificity. Here, we used an optogenetic approach to either activate (with channelrhodopsin) or silence (with halorhodopsin) glutamatergic IL neurons during conditioned tones delivered in one of two phases: extinction training or extinction retrieval. Activating IL neurons during extinction training reduced fear expression and strengthened extinction memory the following day. Silencing IL neurons during extinction training had no effect on within-session extinction, but impaired the retrieval of extinction the following day, indicating that IL activity during extinction tones is necessary for the formation of extinction memory. Surprisingly, however, silencing IL neurons optogenetically or pharmacologically during the retrieval of extinction 1 day or 1 week following extinction training had no effect. Our findings suggest that IL activity during extinction training likely facilitates storage of extinction in target structures, but contrary to current models, IL activity does not appear to be necessary for retrieval of extinction memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabricio H Do-Monte
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
| | - Gabriela Manzano-Nieves
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
| | - Kelvin Quiñones-Laracuente
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
| | - Liorimar Ramos-Medina
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
| | - Gregory J Quirk
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
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Reichel JM, Nissel S, Rogel-Salazar G, Mederer A, Käfer K, Bedenk BT, Martens H, Anders R, Grosche J, Michalski D, Härtig W, Wotjak CT. Distinct behavioral consequences of short-term and prolonged GABAergic depletion in prefrontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 8:452. [PMID: 25628548 PMCID: PMC4292780 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons are essential for a functional equilibrium between excitatory and inhibitory impulses throughout the CNS. Disruption of this equilibrium can lead to various neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy or schizophrenia. Schizophrenia itself is clinically defined by negative (e.g., depression) and positive (e.g., hallucinations) symptoms as well as cognitive dysfunction. GABAergic interneurons are proposed to play a central role in the etiology and progression of schizophrenia; however, the specific mechanisms and the time-line of symptom development as well as the distinct involvement of cortical and hippocampal GABAergic interneurons in the etiology of schizophrenia-related symptoms are still not conclusively resolved. Previous work demonstrated that GABAergic interneurons can be selectively depleted in adult mice by means of saporin-conjugated anti-vesicular GABA transporter antibodies (SAVAs) in vitro and in vivo. Given their involvement in schizophrenia-related disease etiology, we ablated GABAergic interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) in adult male C57BL/6N mice. Subsequently we assessed alterations in anxiety, sensory processing, hyperactivity and cognition after long-term (>14 days) and short-term (<14 days) GABAergic depletion. Long-term GABAergic depletion in the mPFC resulted in a decrease in sensorimotor-gating and impairments in cognitive flexibility. Notably, the same treatment at the level of the dHPC completely abolished spatial learning capabilities. Short-term GABAergic depletion in the dHPC revealed a transient hyperactive phenotype as well as marked impairments regarding the acquisition of a spatial memory. In contrast, recall of a spatial memory was not affected by the same intervention. These findings emphasize the importance of functional local GABAergic networks for the encoding but not the recall of hippocampus-dependent spatial memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith M Reichel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Nissel
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gabriela Rogel-Salazar
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Mederer
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
| | - Karola Käfer
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt T Bedenk
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
| | | | - Rebecca Anders
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Grosche
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany ; Effigos AG Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Härtig
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Research Group "Neuronal Plasticity" Munich, Germany
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Rantala J, Kemppainen S, Ndode-Ekane XE, Lahtinen L, Bolkvadze T, Gurevicius K, Tanila H, Pitkänen A. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficiency has little effect on seizure susceptibility and acquired epilepsy phenotype but reduces spontaneous exploration in mice. Epilepsy Behav 2015; 42:117-28. [PMID: 25506794 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a serine protease, converts plasminogen to plasmin. Activation of plasmin leads to degradation of the extracellular matrix, which is critical for tissue recovery, angiogenesis, cell migration, and axonal and synaptic plasticity. We hypothesized that uPA deficiency would cause an abnormal neurophenotype and would lead to exacerbated epileptogenesis after brain injury. Wild-type (Wt) and uPA-/- mice underwent a battery of neurologic behavioral tests evaluating general reactivity, spontaneous exploratory activity, motor coordination, pain threshold, fear and anxiety, and memory. We placed particular emphasis on the effect of uPA deficiency on seizure susceptibility, including the response to convulsants (pentylenetetrazol, kainate, or pilocarpine) and kainate-induced epileptogenesis and epilepsy. The uPA-/- mice showed no motor or sensory impairment compared with the Wt mice. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory also remained intact. The uPA-/- mice, however, exhibited reduced exploratory activity and an enhanced response to a tone stimulus (p<0.05 compared with the Wt mice). The urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficient mice showed no increase in spontaneous or evoked epileptiform electrographic activity. Rather, the response to pilocarpine administration was reduced compared with the Wt mice (p<0.05). Also, the epileptogenesis and the epilepsy phenotype after intrahippocampal kainate injection were similar to those in the Wt mice. Taken together, uPA deficiency led to diminished interest in the environmental surroundings and enhanced emotional reactivity to unexpected aversive stimuli. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator deficiency was not associated with enhanced seizure susceptibility or worsened poststatus epilepticus epilepsy phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Rantala
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - S Kemppainen
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - X E Ndode-Ekane
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - L Lahtinen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tamuna Bolkvadze
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - K Gurevicius
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - H Tanila
- Neurobiology of Memory Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, PO Box 1777, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - A Pitkänen
- Epilepsy Research Laboratory, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, PO Box 1777, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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Abstract
Attentional set-shifting, as a measure of executive flexibility, has been a staple of investigations into human cognition for over six decades. Mediated by the frontal cortex in mammals, the cognitive processes involved in forming, maintaining and shifting an attentional set are vulnerable to dysfunction arising from a number of human neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases) and other neurological disorders (such as schizophrenia, depression, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Our understanding of these diseases and disorders, and the cognitive impairments induced by them, continues to advance, in tandem with an increasing number of tools at our disposal. In this chapter, we review and compare commonly used attentional set-shifting tasks (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task and Intradimensional/Extradimensional tasks) and their applicability across species. In addition to humans, attentional set-shifting has been observed in a number of other animals, with a substantial body of literature describing performance in monkeys and rodents. We consider the task designs used to investigate attentional set-shifting in these species and the methods used to model human diseases and disorders, and ultimately the comparisons and differences between species-specific tasks, and between performance across species.
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Bravo-Rivera C, Diehl MM, Roman-Ortiz C, Rodriguez-Romaguera J, Rosas-Vidal LE, Bravo-Rivera H, Quiñones-Laracuente K, Do-Monte FH. Long-range GABAergic neurons in the prefrontal cortex modulate behavior. J Neurophysiol 2014; 114:1357-9. [PMID: 25520436 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00861.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical glutamatergic projections are extensively studied in behavioral neuroscience, whereas cortical GABAergic projections to downstream structures have been overlooked. A recent study by Lee and colleagues (Lee AT, Vogt D, Rubenstein JL, Sohal VS. J Neurosci 34: 11519-11525, 2014) used optogenetic and electrophysiological techniques to characterize a behavioral role for long-projecting GABAergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. In this Neuro Forum, we discuss the potential implications of this study in several learning and memory models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Bravo-Rivera
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Ciorana Roman-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Luis E Rosas-Vidal
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Kelvin Quiñones-Laracuente
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Fabricio H Do-Monte
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Bukalo O, Pinard CR, Holmes A. Mechanisms to medicines: elucidating neural and molecular substrates of fear extinction to identify novel treatments for anxiety disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:4690-718. [PMID: 24835117 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The burden of anxiety disorders is growing, but the efficacy of available anxiolytic treatments remains inadequate. Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders focuses on identifying and modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and has a testable analogue in rodents in the form of fear extinction. A large preclinical literature has amassed in recent years describing the neural and molecular basis of fear extinction in rodents. In this review, we discuss how this work is being harnessed to foster translational research on anxiety disorders and facilitate the search for new anxiolytic treatments. We begin by summarizing the anatomical and functional connectivity of a medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-amygdala circuit that subserves fear extinction, including new insights from optogenetics. We then cover some of the approaches that have been taken to model impaired fear extinction and associated impairments with mPFC-amygdala dysfunction. The principal goal of the review is to evaluate evidence that various neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems mediate fear extinction by modulating the mPFC-amygdala circuitry. To that end, we describe studies that have tested how fear extinction is impaired or facilitated by pharmacological manipulations of dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-HT, GABA, glutamate, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids and various other systems, which either directly target the mPFC-amygdala circuit, or produce behavioural effects that are coincident with functional changes in the circuit. We conclude that there are good grounds to be optimistic that the progress in defining the molecular substrates of mPFC-amygdala circuit function can be effectively leveraged to identify plausible candidates for extinction-promoting therapies for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Casanova MF. Autism as a sequence: from heterochronic germinal cell divisions to abnormalities of cell migration and cortical dysplasias. Med Hypotheses 2014; 83:32-8. [PMID: 24780284 PMCID: PMC4070182 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2014.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The considerable heterogeneity in the number and severity of symptoms observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been regarded as an obstacle to any future research. Some authors believe that clinical heterogeneity results from the complex interplay of the many genetic and environmental factors that themselves define a condition as multifactorial. However, it is important to note that neuropathological findings in both idiopathic and syndromic autism suggests a single pathophysiological mechanism acting during brain development: the heterochronic division of germinal cells and subsequent migrational abnormalities of daughter cells to their target fields. Multiple exogenous (e.g., viruses, drugs) and endogenous (e.g., genetic mutations) factors are known to disrupt the division of germinal cells and provide for an autism phenotype. The variety of endogenous and exogenous factors, their timing of action during brain development, and the genetic susceptibility of affected individuals (a Triple Hit hypothesis) may all account for the clinical heterogeneity of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Louisville, 500 South Preston Street, Building A, Room 217, Louisville, KY 40202, United States.
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Xu K, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Ling P, Xie X, Jiang C, Zhang Z, Lian XY. Ginseng Rb fraction protects glia, neurons and cognitive function in a rat model of neurodegeneration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101077. [PMID: 24971630 PMCID: PMC4074135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss and injury of neurons play an important role in the onset of various neurodegenerative diseases, while both microgliosis and astrocyte loss or dysfunction are significant causes of neuronal degeneration. Previous studies have suggested that an extract enriched panaxadiol saponins from ginseng has more neuroprotective potential than the total saponins of ginseng. The present study investigated whether a fraction of highly purified panaxadiol saponins (termed as Rb fraction) was protective for both glia and neurons, especially GABAergic interneurons, against kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity in rats. Rats received Rb fraction at 30 mg/kg (i.p.), 40 mg/kg (i.p. or saline followed 40 min later by an intracerebroventricular injection of KA. Acute hippocampal injury was determined at 48 h after KA, and impairment of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory as well as delayed neuronal injury was determined 16 to 21 days later. KA injection produced significant acute hippocampal injuries, including GAD67-positive GABAergic interneuron loss in CA1, paralbumin (PV)-positive GABAergic interneuron loss, pyramidal neuron degeneration and astrocyte damage accompanied with reactive microglia in both CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. There was also a delayed loss of GAD67-positive interneurons in CA1, CA3, hilus and dentate gyrus. Microgliosis also became more severe 21 days later. Accordingly, KA injection resulted in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory impairment. Interestingly, the pretreatment with Rb fraction at 30 or 40 mg/kg significantly protected the pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons against KA-induced acute excitotoxicity and delayed injury. Rb fraction also prevented memory impairments and protected astrocytes from KA-induced acute excitotoxicity. Additionally, microglial activation, especially the delayed microgliosis, was inhibited by Rb fraction. Overall, this study demonstrated that Rb fraction protected both astrocytes and neurons, especially GABAergic interneurons, and maintained microglial homeostasis against KA-induced excitotoxicity. Therefore, Rb fraction has the potential to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangning Xu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yufen Zhang
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peng Ling
- Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Xin Xie
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenyao Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhizhen Zhang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (XYL); (ZZZ)
| | - Xiao-Yuan Lian
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (XYL); (ZZZ)
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Nava-Mesa MO, Jiménez-Díaz L, Yajeya J, Navarro-Lopez JD. GABAergic neurotransmission and new strategies of neuromodulation to compensate synaptic dysfunction in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:167. [PMID: 24987334 PMCID: PMC4070063 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline, brain atrophy due to neuronal and synapse loss, and formation of two pathological lesions: extracellular amyloid plaques, composed largely of amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ), and neurofibrillary tangles formed by intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Lesions mainly accumulate in brain regions that modulate cognitive functions such as the hippocampus, septum or amygdala. These brain structures have dense reciprocal glutamatergic, cholinergic, and GABAergic connections and their relationships directly affect learning and memory processes, so they have been proposed as highly susceptible regions to suffer damage by Aβ during AD course. Last findings support the emerging concept that soluble Aβ peptides, inducing an initial stage of synaptic dysfunction which probably starts 20–30 years before the clinical onset of AD, can perturb the excitatory–inhibitory balance of neural circuitries. In turn, neurotransmission imbalance will result in altered network activity that might be responsible of cognitive deficits in AD. Therefore, Aβ interactions on neurotransmission systems in memory-related brain regions such as amygdaloid complex, medial septum or hippocampus are critical in cognitive functions and appear as a pivotal target for drug design to improve learning and dysfunctions that manifest with age. Since treatments based on glutamatergic and cholinergic pharmacology in AD have shown limited success, therapies combining modulators of different neurotransmission systems including recent findings regarding the GABAergic system, emerge as a more useful tool for the treatment, and overall prevention, of this dementia. In this review, focused on inhibitory systems, we will analyze pharmacological strategies to compensate neurotransmission imbalance that might be considered as potential therapeutic interventions in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia Jiménez-Díaz
- Neurophysiology and Behavior Lab, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, School of Medicine of Ciudad Real, University of Castilla-La Mancha Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Javier Yajeya
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Salamanca Salamanca, Spain
| | - Juan D Navarro-Lopez
- Neurophysiology and Behavior Lab, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, School of Medicine of Ciudad Real, University of Castilla-La Mancha Ciudad Real, Spain
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Pitkänen A, Ndode-Ekane XE, Łukasiuk K, Wilczynski GM, Dityatev A, Walker MC, Chabrol E, Dedeurwaerdere S, Vazquez N, Powell EM. Neural ECM and epilepsy. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 214:229-62. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63486-3.00011-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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