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Cattane N, Mazzelli M, Begni V, Mombelli E, Papp M, Maj C, Riva MA, Cattaneo A. Molecular mechanisms underlying stress vulnerability and resilience in the chronic mild stress model: New insights from mRNA and miRNAs data combining. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 121:340-350. [PMID: 39074628 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, including depression. However, its effects are not the same in all the subjects as only a portion of individuals exposed to stress will eventually develop negative mental outcomes, while others can be considered resilient. However, the biological processes underlying the development of a vulnerable or resilient phenotype are still poor understood. In order to cover this, we here used both transcriptomic and miRNomic based approaches in the ventral hippocampus of control (CON) and rats exposed to the chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm, which were then divided into vulnerable (VULN) or resilient (RES) animals according to the sucrose consumption test. Transcriptomic analyses in VULN rats, compared to both the group of CON and RES animals, revealed the activation of inflammatory/immune-related pathways, specifically involved in antibodies and cytokine production, and the inhibition of pathways involved in protein synthesis. Conversely, transcriptomic data in RES animals suggested the activation of several pathways involved in neurotransmission. We then performed a mRNA-miRNA integration analysis by using miRComb R package, and we found that the most significant mRNA-miRNA pairs were involved in promoting the inflammatory status in VULN animals and, vice versa, by decreasing it in RES rats. Moreover, in VULN animals, the mRNA-miRNA combining analyses revealed the modulation of the olfactory sensory system, a key biological process that has been already found involved in the etiology of stress related disorders such as depression. Overall, our mRNA-miRNA integration-based approach identified distinct biological processes that are relevant for the development of a vulnerable or resilient phenotype in response to the negative effects of CMS exposure, which could allow the identification of novel targets for prevention or treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Cattane
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Monica Mazzelli
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elisa Mombelli
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mariusz Papp
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Carlo Maj
- Center for Human Genetics, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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2
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De Jager JE, Boesjes R, Roelandt GHJ, Koliaki I, Sommer IEC, Schoevers RA, Nuninga JO. Shared effects of electroconvulsive shocks and ketamine on neuroplasticity: A systematic review of animal models of depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105796. [PMID: 38981574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) and ketamine are antidepressant treatments with a relatively fast onset of therapeutic effects compared to conventional medication and psychotherapy. While the exact neurobiological mechanisms underlying the antidepressant response of ECS and ketamine are unknown, both interventions are associated with neuroplasticity. Restoration of neuroplasticity may be a shared mechanism underlying the antidepressant efficacy of these interventions. In this systematic review, literature of animal models of depression is summarized to examine the possible role of neuroplasticity in ECS and ketamine on a molecular, neuronal, synaptic and functional level, and specifically to what extent these mechanisms are shared between both interventions. The results highlight that hippocampal neurogenesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are consistently increased after ECS and ketamine. Moreover, both interventions positively affect glutamatergic neurotransmission, astrocyte and neuronal morphology, synaptic density, vasculature and functional plasticity. However, a small number of studies investigated these processes after ECS. Understanding the shared fundamental mechanisms of fast-acting antidepressants can contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with severe depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesca E De Jager
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Center, University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Rutger Boesjes
- University Centre of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Gijs H J Roelandt
- University Centre of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ilektra Koliaki
- University Centre of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris E C Sommer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Center, University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Robert A Schoevers
- University Centre of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper O Nuninga
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Center, University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands; University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Psychiatry, the Netherlands
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3
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Fogaça MV, Daher F, Picciotto MR. Effects of ketamine on GABAergic and glutamatergic activity in the mPFC: biphasic recruitment of GABA function in antidepressant-like responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.29.605610. [PMID: 39131322 PMCID: PMC11312475 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.29.605610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with disruptions in glutamatergic and GABAergic activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), leading to altered synaptic formation and function. Low doses of ketamine rapidly rescue these deficits, inducing fast and sustained antidepressant effects. While it is suggested that ketamine produces a rapid glutamatergic enhancement in the mPFC, the temporal dynamics and the involvement of GABA interneurons in its sustained effects remain unclear. Using simultaneous photometry recordings of calcium activity in mPFC pyramidal and GABA neurons, as well as chemogenetic approaches in Gad1-Cre mice, we explored the hypothesis that initial effects of ketamine on glutamate signaling trigger subsequent enhancement of GABAergic responses, contributing to its sustained antidepressant responses. Calcium recordings revealed a biphasic effect of ketamine on activity of mPFC GABA neurons, characterized by an initial transient decrease (phase 1, <30 min) followed by an increase (phase 2, >60 min), in parallel with a transient increase in excitation/inhibition levels (10 min) and lasting enhancement of glutamatergic activity (30-120 min). Previous administration of ketamine enhanced GABA neuron activity during the sucrose splash test (SUST) and novelty suppressed feeding test (NSFT), 24 h and 72 h post-treatment, respectively. Chemogenetic inhibition of GABA interneurons during the surge of GABAergic activity (phase 2), or immediately before the SUST or NSFT, occluded ketamine's behavioral actions. These results indicate that time-dependent modulation of GABAergic activity is required for the sustained antidepressant-like responses induced by ketamine, suggesting that approaches to enhance GABAergic plasticity and function are promising therapeutic targets for antidepressant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela V. Fogaça
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Fernanda Daher
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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4
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Nicosia N, Giovenzana M, Misztak P, Mingardi J, Musazzi L. Glutamate-Mediated Excitotoxicity in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Neurodevelopmental and Adult Mental Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6521. [PMID: 38928227 PMCID: PMC11203689 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain wherein it controls cognitive functional domains and mood. Indeed, brain areas involved in memory formation and consolidation as well as in fear and emotional processing, such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, are predominantly glutamatergic. To ensure the physiological activity of the brain, glutamatergic transmission is finely tuned at synaptic sites. Disruption of the mechanisms responsible for glutamate homeostasis may result in the accumulation of excessive glutamate levels, which in turn leads to increased calcium levels, mitochondrial abnormalities, oxidative stress, and eventually cell atrophy and death. This condition is known as glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and is considered as a pathogenic mechanism in several diseases of the central nervous system, including neurodevelopmental, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, these disorders share neuroplasticity impairments in glutamatergic brain areas, which are accompanied by structural remodeling of glutamatergic neurons. In the current narrative review, we will summarize the role of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in both the pathophysiology and therapeutic interventions of neurodevelopmental and adult mental diseases with a focus on autism spectrum disorders, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders. Indeed, glutamatergic drugs are under preclinical and clinical development for the treatment of different mental diseases that share glutamatergic neuroplasticity dysfunctions. Although clinical evidence is still limited and more studies are required, the regulation of glutamate homeostasis is attracting attention as a potential crucial target for the control of brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Nicosia
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Mattia Giovenzana
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Paulina Misztak
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
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5
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Valenza M, Facchinetti R, Torazza C, Ciarla C, Bronzuoli MR, Balbi M, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Steardo L, Milanese M, Musazzi L, Bonifacino T, Scuderi C. Molecular signatures of astrocytes and microglia maladaptive responses to acute stress are rescued by a single administration of ketamine in a rodent model of PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:209. [PMID: 38796504 PMCID: PMC11127980 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02928-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress affects the brain and alters its neuroarchitecture and function; these changes can be severe and lead to psychiatric disorders. Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes and microglia play an essential role in the stress response by contributing to the maintenance of cerebral homeostasis. These cells respond rapidly to all stimuli that reach the brain, including stressors. Here, we used a recently validated rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder in which rats can be categorized as resilient or vulnerable after acute inescapable footshock stress. We then investigated the functional, molecular, and morphological determinants of stress resilience and vulnerability in the prefrontal cortex, focusing on glial and neuronal cells. In addition, we examined the effects of a single subanesthetic dose of ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant recently approved for the treatment of resistant depression and proposed for other stress-related psychiatric disorders. The present results suggest a prompt glial cell response and activation of the NF-κB pathway after acute stress, leading to an increase in specific cytokines such as IL-18 and TNF-α. This response persists in vulnerable individuals and is accompanied by a significant change in the levels of critical glial proteins such as S100B, CD11b, and CX43, brain trophic factors such as BDNF and FGF2, and proteins related to dendritic arborization and synaptic architecture such as MAP2 and PSD95. Administration of ketamine 24 h after the acute stress event rescued many of the changes observed in vulnerable rats, possibly contributing to support brain homeostasis. Overall, our results suggest that pivotal events, including reactive astrogliosis, changes in brain trophic factors, and neuronal damage are critical determinants of vulnerability to acute traumatic stress and confirm the therapeutic effect of acute ketamine against the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valenza
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Facchinetti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudia Ciarla
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Matilde Balbi
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Steardo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Caterina Scuderi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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6
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Klein AK, Austin EW, Cunningham MJ, Dvorak D, Gatti S, Hulls SK, Kiss L, Kruegel AC, Marek GJ, Papp M, Sporn J, Hughes ZA. GM-1020: a novel, orally bioavailable NMDA receptor antagonist with rapid and robust antidepressant-like effects at well-tolerated doses in rodents. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:905-914. [PMID: 38177696 PMCID: PMC11039472 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine has shown great potential as a rapid-acting antidepressant; however, its use is limited by poor oral bioavailability and a side effect profile that necessitates in-clinic dosing. GM-1020 is a novel NMDAR antagonist that was developed to address these limitations of ketamine as a treatment for depression. Here, we present the preclinical characterization of GM-1020 alongside ketamine, for comparison. In vitro, we profiled GM-1020 for binding to NMDAR and functional inhibition using patch-clamp electrophysiology. In vivo, GM-1020 was assessed for antidepressant-like efficacy using the Forced Swim Test (FST) and Chronic Mild Stress (CMS), while motor side effects were assessed in spontaneous locomotor activity and on the rotarod. The pharmacokinetic properties of GM-1020 were profiled across multiple preclinical species. Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed to determine indirect target engagement and provide a potentially translational biomarker. These results demonstrate that GM-1020 is an orally bioavailable NMDAR antagonist with antidepressant-like efficacy at exposures that do not produce unwanted motor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dino Dvorak
- Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Laszlo Kiss
- Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Mariusz Papp
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
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7
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Nibuya M, Kezuka D, Kanno Y, Wakamatsu S, Suzuki E. Behavioral stress and antidepressant treatments altered hippocampal expression of Nogo signal-related proteins in rats. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 170:207-216. [PMID: 38157668 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Some immune molecules including neurite outgrowth inhibitor (Nogo) ligands and their receptor(Nogo receptor-1: NgR1)are expressed at the neuronal synaptic sites. Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) is another Nogo receptor that also binds to major histocompatibility complex I and β-amyloid and suppresses dendritic immune cell functions and neuronal plasticity in the central nervous system. Augmenting structural and functional neural plasticity by manipulating the Nogo signaling pathway is a novel promising strategy for treating brain ischemia and degenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease. In recent decades psychiatric research using experimental animals has focused on the attenuation of neural plasticity by stress loadings and on the enhanced resilience by psychopharmacological treatments. In the present study, we examined possible expressional alterations in Nogo signal-related proteins in the rat hippocampus after behavioral stress loadings and antidepressant treatments. To validate the effectiveness of the procedures, previously reported increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by ECS or ketamine administration and decrease of BDNF by stress loadings are also shown in the present study. Significant increases in hippocampal NgR1 and PirB expression were observed following chronic variable stress, and a significant increase in NgR1 expression was observed under a single prolonged stress paradigm. These results indicate a possible contribution of enhanced Nogo signaling to the attenuation of neural plasticity in response to stressful experiences. Additionally, the suppression of hippocampal NgR1 expression using electroconvulsive seizure treatment and administration of subanesthetic dose of ketamine supported the increased neural plasticity induced by the antidepressant treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Nibuya
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino, Sendai City, Miyagi, 983-8536, Japan.
| | - Dai Kezuka
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino, Sendai City, Miyagi, 983-8536, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Kanno
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino, Sendai City, Miyagi, 983-8536, Japan
| | - Shunosuke Wakamatsu
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino, Sendai City, Miyagi, 983-8536, Japan
| | - Eiji Suzuki
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino, Sendai City, Miyagi, 983-8536, Japan
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8
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Derosa S, Misztak P, Mingardi J, Mazzini G, Müller HK, Musazzi L. Changes in neurotrophic signaling pathways in brain areas of the chronic mild stress rat model of depression as a signature of ketamine fast antidepressant response/non-response. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 128:110871. [PMID: 37793481 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and anhedonia. Traditional antidepressants have a delayed onset of action and lack of efficacy in up to one third of patients, leading to treatment resistant depression (TRD). Recent years have witnessed a revolutionary treatment of TRD with the introduction of the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine. However, ketamine's mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. Here, we used the chronic mild stress animal model of depression on male rats to investigate the involvement of neurotrophic signaling pathways in stress vulnerability/resilience and fast antidepressant response/non-response to acute subanesthetic ketamine. We performed our analysis on both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, two brain areas implicated in stress-related disorders, considering different subcellular fractions. We measured the activation by phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3 β), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), key effectors in the regulation of neuroplasticity and glutamatergic transmission which were previously associated to ketamine's fast antidepressant effect. We showed here for the first time that both stress and ketamine induced brain area and subcellular fraction specific changes in these pathways. Our study represents the first attempt to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the response/non-response to ketamine in an animal model of depression. This approach could give a crucial contribution to the study of etiopathogenetic mechanisms as well as to the identification of novel targets for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Derosa
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Paulina Misztak
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Mazzini
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Heidi Kaastrup Müller
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
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9
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Chen T, Cheng L, Ma J, Yuan J, Pi C, Xiong L, Chen J, Liu H, Tang J, Zhong Y, Zhang X, Liu Z, Zuo Y, Shen H, Wei Y, Zhao L. Molecular mechanisms of rapid-acting antidepressants: New perspectives for developing antidepressants. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106837. [PMID: 37379962 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic relapsing psychiatric disorder. Conventional antidepressants usually require several weeks of continuous administration to exert clinically significant therapeutic effects, while about two-thirds of the patients are prone to relapse of symptoms or are completely ineffective in antidepressant treatment. The recent success of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine as a rapid-acting antidepressant has propelled extensive research on the action mechanism of antidepressants, especially in relation to its role in synaptic targets. Studies have revealed that the mechanism of antidepressant action of ketamine is not limited to antagonism of postsynaptic NMDA receptors or GABA interneurons. Ketamine produces powerful and rapid antidepressant effects by affecting α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptors, adenosine A1 receptors, and the L-type calcium channels, among others in the synapse. More interestingly, the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin has demonstrated potential for rapid antidepressant effects in depressed mouse models and clinical studies. This article focuses on a review of new pharmacological target studies of emerging rapid-acting antidepressant drugs such as ketamine and hallucinogens (e.g., psilocybin) and briefly discusses the possible strategies for new targets of antidepressants, with a view to shed light on the direction of future antidepressant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Ling Cheng
- Hospital-Acquired Infection Control Department, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jingwen Ma
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jiyuan Yuan
- Clinical trial center, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Chao Pi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China
| | - Linjin Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jinglin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Huiyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Jia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Yueting Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Xiaomei Zhang
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, Institute of medicinal chemistry of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Zerong Liu
- Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Credit Pharmaceutical CO., Ltd., Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
| | - Ying Zuo
- Department of Comprehensive Medicine, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University; Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Hongping Shen
- Clinical trial center, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Yumeng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000 China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Ling Zhao
- Luzhou Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Chronic Diseases Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000 China; Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Development Planning Department of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China; Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Pharmacy of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China.
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10
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Berrio JP, Kalliokoski O. Rethinking data treatment: The sucrose preference threshold for anhedonia in stress-induced rat models of depression. J Neurosci Methods 2023:109910. [PMID: 37394102 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposing rats to repeated unpredictable stressors is a popular method for modelling depression. The sucrose preference test is used to assess the validity of this method, as it measures a rat´s preference for a sweet solution as an indicator of its ability to experience pleasure. Typically, if stressed rats show a lower preference compared to unstressed rats, it is concluded they are experiencing stress-induced anhedonia. METHODS While conducting a systematic review, we identified 18 studies that used thresholds to define anhedonia and to distinguish "susceptible" from "resilient" individuals. Based on their definitions, researchers either excluded "resilient" animals from further analyses or treated them as a separate cohort. We performed a descriptive analysis to understand the rationale behind these criteria. RESULTS we found that the methods used for characterizing the stressed rats were largely unsupported. Many authors failed to justify their choices or relied exclusively on referencing previous studies. When tracing back the method to its origins, we converged on a pioneering article that, although employed as a universal evidence-based justification, cannot be regarded as such. What is more, through a simulation study, we provided evidence that removing or splitting data, based on an arbitrary threshold, introduces statistical bias by overestimating the effect of stress. CONCLUSION Caution must be exercised when implementing a predefined cut-off for anhedonia. Researchers should be aware of potential biases introduced by their data treatment strategies and strive for transparent reporting of methodological decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny P Berrio
- Department of Experimental Medicine. Section of Research and Education. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. University of Copenhagen. Blegdamsvej 3, Building 16.1; 2200 Copenhagen N. Denmark.
| | - Otto Kalliokoski
- Department of Experimental Medicine. Section of Research and Education. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. University of Copenhagen. Blegdamsvej 3, Building 16.1; 2200 Copenhagen N. Denmark
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11
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Mingardi J, Ndoj E, Bonifacino T, Misztak P, Bertoli M, La Via L, Torazza C, Russo I, Milanese M, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Barbon A, Musazzi L. Functional and Molecular Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex of the Chronic Mild Stress Rat Model of Depression and Modulation by Acute Ketamine. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10814. [PMID: 37445990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a primary risk factor in the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). We have previously used the chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression in male rats to show that CMS induces morphological, functional, and molecular changes in the hippocampus of vulnerable animals, the majority of which were recovered using acute subanesthetic ketamine in just 24 h. Here, we focused our attention on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain area regulating emotional and cognitive functions, and asked whether vulnerability/resilience to CMS and ketamine antidepressant effects were associated with molecular and functional changes in the mPFC of rats. We found that most alterations induced by CMS in the mPFC were selectively observed in stress-vulnerable animals and were rescued by acute subanesthetic ketamine, while others were found only in resilient animals or were induced by ketamine treatment. Importantly, only a few of these modifications were also previously demonstrated in the hippocampus, while most are specific to mPFC. Overall, our results suggest that acute antidepressant ketamine rescues brain-area-specific glutamatergic changes induced by chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Elona Ndoj
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paulina Misztak
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Matteo Bertoli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Russo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
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12
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Zhornitsky S, Oliva HNP, Jayne LA, Allsop ASA, Kaye AP, Potenza MN, Angarita GA. Changes in synaptic markers after administration of ketamine or psychedelics: a systematic scoping review. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1197890. [PMID: 37435405 PMCID: PMC10331617 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1197890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ketamine and psychedelics have abuse liability. They can also induce "transformative experiences" where individuals experience enhanced states of awareness. This enhanced awareness can lead to changes in preexisting behavioral patterns which could be beneficial in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that ketamine and psychedelics may alter markers associated with synaptic density, and that these changes may underlie effects such as sensitization, conditioned place preference, drug self-administration, and verbal memory performance. In this scoping review, we examined studies that measured synaptic markers in animals and humans after exposure to ketamine and/or psychedelics. Methods A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, through PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, and Web of Science, based on a published protocol (Open Science Framework, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/43FQ9). Both in vivo and in vitro studies were included. Studies on the following synaptic markers were included: dendritic structural changes, PSD-95, synapsin-1, synaptophysin-1, synaptotagmin-1, and SV2A. Results Eighty-four studies were included in the final analyses. Seventy-one studies examined synaptic markers following ketamine treatment, nine examined psychedelics, and four examined both. Psychedelics included psilocybin/psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine, and ibogaine/noribogaine. Mixed findings regarding synaptic changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been reported when ketamine was administered in a single dose under basal conditions. Similar mixed findings were seen under basal conditions in studies that used repeated administration of ketamine. However, studies that examined animals during stressful conditions found that a single dose of ketamine counteracted stress-related reductions in synaptic markers in the hippocampus and PFC. Repeated administration of ketamine also counteracted stress effects in the hippocampus. Psychedelics generally increased synaptic markers, but results were more consistently positive for certain agents. Conclusion Ketamine and psychedelics can increase synaptic markers under certain conditions. Heterogeneous findings may relate to methodological differences, agents administered (or different formulations of the same agent), sex, and type of markers. Future studies could address seemingly mixed results by using meta-analytical approaches or study designs that more fully consider individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Henrique N. P. Oliva
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Laura A. Jayne
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Aza S. A. Allsop
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Alfred P. Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, VA National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Hartford, CT, United States
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gustavo A. Angarita
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
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13
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Forti L, Ndoj E, Mingardi J, Secchi E, Bonifacino T, Schiavon E, Carini G, La Via L, Russo I, Milanese M, Gennarelli M, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Barbon A, Musazzi L. Dopamine-Dependent Ketamine Modulation of Glutamatergic Synaptic Plasticity in the Prelimbic Cortex of Adult Rats Exposed to Acute Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108718. [PMID: 37240064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic stress is the main environmental risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders. We have previously shown that acute footshock (FS) stress in male rats induces rapid and long-lasting functional and structural changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which are partly reversed by acute subanesthetic ketamine. Here, we asked if acute FS may also induce any changes in glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in the PFC 24 h after stress exposure and whether ketamine administration 6 h after stress may have any effect. We found that the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in PFC slices of both control and FS animals is dependent on dopamine and that dopamine-dependent LTP is reduced by ketamine. We also found selective changes in ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit expression, phosphorylation, and localization at synaptic membranes induced by both acute stress and ketamine. Although more studies are needed to understand the effects of acute stress and ketamine on PFC glutamatergic plasticity, this first report suggests a restoring effect of acute ketamine, supporting the potential benefit of ketamine in limiting the impact of acute traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Forti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, University of Insubria, 21052 Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Elona Ndoj
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Emanuele Secchi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, University of Insubria, 21052 Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
| | - Emanuele Schiavon
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, University of Insubria, 21052 Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Giulia Carini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Isabella Russo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
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14
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Martini P, Mingardi J, Carini G, Mattevi S, Ndoj E, La Via L, Magri C, Gennarelli M, Russo I, Popoli M, Musazzi L, Barbon A. Transcriptional Profiling of Rat Prefrontal Cortex after Acute Inescapable Footshock Stress. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030740. [PMID: 36981011 PMCID: PMC10048409 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a primary risk factor for psychiatric disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The response to stress involves the regulation of transcriptional programs, which is supposed to play a role in coping with stress. To evaluate transcriptional processes implemented after exposure to unavoidable traumatic stress, we applied microarray expression analysis to the PFC of rats exposed to acute footshock (FS) stress that were sacrificed immediately after the 40 min session or 2 h or 24 h after. While no substantial changes were observed at the single gene level immediately after the stress session, gene set enrichment analysis showed alterations in neuronal pathways associated with glia development, glia-neuron networking, and synaptic function. Furthermore, we found alterations in the expression of gene sets regulated by specific transcription factors that could represent master regulators of the acute stress response. Of note, these pathways and transcriptional programs are activated during the early stress response (immediately after FS) and are already turned off after 2 h-while at 24 h, the transcriptional profile is largely unaffected. Overall, our analysis provided a transcriptional landscape of the early changes triggered by acute unavoidable FS stress in the PFC of rats, suggesting that the transcriptional wave is fast and mild, but probably enough to activate a cellular response to acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Martini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Carini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mattevi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Elona Ndoj
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Magri
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Isabella Russo
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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15
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Calhoun CA, Lattouf C, Lewis V, Barrientos H, Donaldson ST. Chronic mild stress induces differential depression-like symptoms and c-Fos and 5HT1A protein levels in high-anxiety female Long Evans rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114202. [PMID: 36343695 PMCID: PMC9990717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders overlap in clinical populations, suggesting common mechanisms that may be further investigated in reliable animal models. We used filial 8 female Long-Evans rats bred for high (HAn; n = 19) and low anxiety (LAn)-like behavior (n = 21) to assess forced swim test mobility strategies and chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depression-like symptoms. We measured (1) weight, (2) fur piloerection, (3) sweet food consumption, (4) grooming behavior, and (5) circulating estradiol (E2). One month after CMS terminated and following a terminal forced swim test, brains were processed for immunohistochemistry targeting c-Fos and serotonin 1 A receptor (5-HT1AR) protein in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. HAn female rats showed increased anxiety-like behavior (i.e., lower open to closed arm ratios, increased closed arm entries), more swimming (i.e., mobility), and less floating (i.e., immobility) behavior in the forced swim test. Overall, HAn females weighed less than their LAn counterparts. After chronic mild stress, HAn lines displayed even greater mobility and consumed fewer Froot Loops™. Fur and grooming analyses indicated no significant differences in mean counts across experimental groups. One month after CMS, cycling E2 concentrations (pg/ml) did not differ between HAn and LAn animals. Elevated c-Fos and 5-HT1AR expression were observed in the PVN, where HAn CMS rats expressed the most c-Fos and 5-HT1AR immunoreactivity. In summary, outbred HAn rats show robust anxiety-like behavior, exhibit more mobility in the forced swim test, and are more sensitive to chronic mild stress-induced grooming and decline in palatable food ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey A Calhoun
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Christine Lattouf
- Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Victoria Lewis
- Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heidi Barrientos
- Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Tiffany Donaldson
- Developmental and Brain Sciences Program, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Martins-Macedo J, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Alves C, Veloso F, Gomes ED, Ribeiro I, Correia JS, Silveira-Rosa T, Alves ND, Rodrigues AJ, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Oliveira JF, Patrício P, Pinto L. StressMatic: A Novel Automated System to Induce Depressive- and Anxiety-like Phenotype in Rats. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030381. [PMID: 36766724 PMCID: PMC9913774 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multidimensional psychiatric disorder that is estimated to affect around 350 million people worldwide. Generating valid and effective animal models of depression is critical and has been challenging for neuroscience researchers. For preclinical studies, models based on stress exposure, such as unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS), are amongst the most reliable and used, despite presenting concerns related to the standardization of protocols and time consumption for operators. To overcome these issues, we developed an automated system to expose rodents to a standard uCMS protocol. Here, we compared manual (uCMS) and automated (auCMS) stress-exposure protocols. The data shows that the impact of the uCMS exposure by both methods was similar in terms of behavioral (cognition, mood, and anxiety) and physiological (cell proliferation and endocrine variations) measurements. Given the advantages of time and standardization, this automated method represents a step forward in this field of preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Martins-Macedo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - António Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Cátia Alves
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Department of Marketing and International Business, University of Vienna, Oskar Morgenstern-Platz 1, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando Veloso
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- 2Ai—School of Technology, IPCA, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
- LASI—Associate Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Eduardo D. Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Inês Ribeiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana S. Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Tiago Silveira-Rosa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno D. Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana J. Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João M. Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - João F. Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- 2Ai—School of Technology, IPCA, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-253-604-929
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Involvement of miR-135a-5p Downregulation in Acute and Chronic Stress Response in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021552. [PMID: 36675068 PMCID: PMC9865685 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a key risk factor in the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. The study of the mechanisms underlying stress response is important to understand the etiopathogenetic mechanisms and identify new putative therapeutic targets. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of the complex patterns of gene/protein expression changes in the brain, where they have a crucial role in the regulation of neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, and neuronal differentiation. Among them, miR-135a-5p has been associated with stress response, synaptic plasticity, and the antidepressant effect in different brain areas. Here, we used acute unavoidable foot-shock stress (FS) and chronic mild stress (CMS) on male rats to study whether miR-135a-5p was involved in stress-induced changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Both acute and chronic stress decreased miR-135a-5p levels in the PFC, although after CMS the reduction was induced only in animals vulnerable to CMS, according to a sucrose preference test. MiR-135a-5p downregulation in the primary neurons reduced dendritic spine density, while its overexpression exerted the opposite effect. Two bioinformatically predicted target genes, Kif5c and Cplx1/2, were increased in FS rats 24 h after stress. Altogether, we found that miR-135a-5p might play a role in stress response in PFC involving synaptic mechanisms.
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G Modrak C, S Wilkinson C, L Blount H, Schwendt M, A Knackstedt L. The role of mGlu receptors in susceptibility to stress-induced anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 168:221-264. [PMID: 36868630 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Stress and trauma exposure contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a subset of people. A large body of preclinical work has found that the metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) family of G protein-coupled receptors regulate several behaviors that are part of the symptom clusters for both PTSD and MDD, including anhedonia, anxiety, and fear. Here, we review this literature, beginning with a summary of the wide variety of preclinical models used to assess these behaviors. We then summarize the involvement of Group I and II mGlu receptors in these behaviors. Bringing together this extensive literature reveals that mGlu5 signaling plays distinct roles in anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior. mGlu5 promotes susceptibility to stress-induced anhedonia and resilience to stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, while serving a fundamental role in the learning underlying fear conditioning. The medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and ventral hippocampus are key regions where mGlu5, mGlu2, and mGlu3 regulate these behaviors. There is strong support that stress-induced anhedonia arises from decreased glutamate release and post-synaptic mGlu5 signaling. Conversely, decreasing mGlu5 signaling increases resilience to stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Consistent with opposing roles for mGlu5 and mGlu2/3 in anhedonia, evidence suggests that increased glutamate transmission may be therapeutic for the extinction of fear learning. Thus, a large body of literature supports the targeting of pre- and post-synaptic glutamate signaling to ameliorate post-stress anhedonia, fear, and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra G Modrak
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Courtney S Wilkinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Harrison L Blount
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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Filipović D, Costina V, Findeisen P, Inta D. Fluoxetine Enhances Synaptic Vesicle Trafficking and Energy Metabolism in the Hippocampus of Socially Isolated Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315351. [PMID: 36499675 PMCID: PMC9735484 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic social isolation (CSIS)-induced alternation in synaptic and mitochondrial function of specific brain regions is associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite the wide number of available medications, treating MDD remains an important challenge. Although fluoxetine (Flx) is the most frequently prescribed antidepressant, its mode of action is still unknown. To delineate affected molecular pathways of depressive-like behavior and identify potential targets upon Flx treatment, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of hippocampal purified synaptic terminals (synaptosomes) of rats exposed to six weeks of CSIS, an animal model of depression, and/or followed by Flx treatment (lasting three weeks of six-week CSIS) to explore synaptic protein profile changes. Results showed that Flx in controls mainly induced decreased expression of proteins involved in energy metabolism and the redox system. CSIS led to increased expression of proteins that mainly participate in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (Camk2)-related neurotransmission, vesicle transport, and ubiquitination. Flx treatment of CSIS rats predominantly increased expression of proteins involved in synaptic vesicle trafficking (exocytosis and endocytosis), and energy metabolism (glycolytic and mitochondrial respiration). Overall, these Flx-regulated changes in synaptic and mitochondrial proteins of CSIS rats might be critical targets for new therapeutic development for the treatment of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragana Filipović
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, “VINČA”, Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +381-(11)-6455-561
| | - Victor Costina
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the University of Heidelberg, University Hospital Mannheim, 68159 Mannhem, Germany
| | - Peter Findeisen
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the University of Heidelberg, University Hospital Mannheim, 68159 Mannhem, Germany
| | - Dragos Inta
- Department for Community Health Faculty of Natural Sciences, Medicine University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
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20
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Paoli C, Misztak P, Mazzini G, Musazzi L. DNA Methylation in Depression and Depressive-Like Phenotype: Biomarker or Target of Pharmacological Intervention? Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:2267-2291. [PMID: 35105292 PMCID: PMC9890294 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220201084536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder, the third leading global cause of disability. Regarding aetiopathogenetic mechanisms involved in the onset of depressive disorders, the interaction between genetic vulnerability traits and environmental factors is believed to play a major role. Although much is still to be elucidated about the mechanisms through which the environment can interact with genetic background shaping the disease risk, there is a general agreement about a key role of epigenetic marking. In this narrative review, we focused on the association between changes in DNA methylation patterns and MDD or depressive-like phenotype in animal models, as well as mechanisms of response to antidepressant drugs. We discussed studies presenting DNA methylation changes at specific genes of interest and profiling analyses in both patients and animal models of depression. Overall, we collected evidence showing that DNA methylation could not only be considered as a promising epigenetic biomarker of pathology but could also help in predicting antidepressant treatment efficacy. Finally, we discussed the hypothesis that specific changes in DNA methylation signature could play a role in aetiopathogenetic processes as well as in the induction of antidepressant effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Paoli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Paulina Misztak
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Mazzini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
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21
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The effect of ketamine on anhedonia: improvements in dimensions of anticipatory, consummatory, and motivation-related reward deficits. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2011-2039. [PMID: 35292831 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia is a common, persistent, and disabling condition. However, available therapeutics primarily focus on the reduction of depressive and negative symptoms rather than amelioration of deficits in positive affect. As such, extant drug treatments remain largely ineffective in treating symptoms of anhedonia. Ketamine is a rapid-acting and novel therapeutic treatment for treatment-resistant depression, which has also been demonstrated to attenuate symptoms of anhedonia. However, the literature on the anti-anhedonic effects of ketamine is limited-especially within independent dimensions of this symptom domain. Herein, this review examined the impact of ketamine treatment on anhedonia and its dimensions on anticipatory, consummatory, and motivation-related reward deficits. Overall, the findings have shown a trend towards symptom reduction and/or improvements in anhedonia and their respective subdomains, in both human and preclinical studies, as well as its potential to provide additional benefit in reducing suicidality and improving quality-of-life. Although further research is required in understanding the long-term efficacy and mechanism, ketamine may provide an effective and rapid-acting therapeutic in an otherwise unmet domain.
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22
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Lamanna J, Isotti F, Ferro M, Spadini S, Racchetti G, Musazzi L, Malgaroli A. Occlusion of dopamine-dependent synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex mediates the expression of depressive-like behavior and is modulated by ketamine. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11055. [PMID: 35773275 PMCID: PMC9246912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14694-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS) is among the most popular protocols used to induce depressive-like behaviors such as anhedonia in rats. Differences in CMS protocols often result in variable degree of vulnerability, and the mechanisms behind stress resilience are of great interest in neuroscience due to their involvement in the development of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder. Expression of depressive-like behaviors is likely driven by long-term alterations in the corticolimbic system and by downregulation of dopamine (DA) signaling. Although we have a deep knowledge about the dynamics of tonic and phasic DA release in encoding incentive salience and in response to acute/chronic stress, its modulatory action on cortical synaptic plasticity and the following implications on animal behavior remain elusive. Here, we show that the expression of DA-dependent synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is occluded in rats vulnerable to CMS, likely reflecting differential expression of AMPA receptors. Interestingly, such difference is not observed when rats are acutely treated with sub-anesthetic ketamine, possibly through the recruitment of dopaminergic nuclei such as the ventral tegmental area. In addition, by applying the synaptic activity sensor SynaptoZip in vivo, we found that chronic stress unbalances the synaptic drive from the infralimbic and prelimbic subregions of the mPFC toward the basolateral amygdala, and that this effect is counteracted by ketamine. Our results provide novel insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms behind the expression of vulnerability to stress, as well as behind the antidepressant action of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Lamanna
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy. .,Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy.
| | - Francesco Isotti
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Ferro
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, 20143, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Spadini
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Racchetti
- Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900, Monza, Italy
| | - Antonio Malgaroli
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy. .,Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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23
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The role of serotonin neurotransmission in rapid antidepressant actions. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1823-1838. [PMID: 35333951 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06098-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Ketamine has rapid antidepressant effects that represent a significant advance in treating depression, but its poor safety and tolerability limit its clinical utility. Accreting evidence suggests that serotonergic neurotransmission participates in the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine and hallucinogens. Thus, understanding how serotonin contributes to these effects may allow identification of novel rapid antidepressant mechanisms with improved tolerability. OBJECTIVE The goal of this paper is to understand how serotonergic mechanisms participate in rapid antidepressant mechanisms. METHODS We review the relevance of serotonergic neurotransmission for rapid antidepressant effects and evaluate the role of 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT4 receptors in synaptic plasticity, BDNF signaling, and GSK-3β activity. Subsequently, we develop hypotheses on the relationship of these receptor systems to rapid antidepressant effects. RESULTS We found that 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors may participate in ketamine's rapid antidepressant mechanisms, while agonists at 5-HT2A and 5-HT4 receptors may independently behave as rapid antidepressants. 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT4 receptors increase synaptic plasticity in the cortex or hippocampus but do not consistently increase BDNF signaling. We found that 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors may participate in rapid antidepressant mechanisms as a consequence of increased BDNF signaling, rather than a cause. 5-HT2A and 5-HT4 receptor agonists may increase BDNF signaling, but these relationships are tenuous and need more study. Finally, we found that ketamine and several serotonergic receptor systems may mechanistically converge on reduced GSK-3β activity. CONCLUSIONS We find it plausible that serotonergic neurotransmission participates in rapid antidepressant mechanisms by increasing synaptic plasticity, perhaps through GSK-3β inhibition.
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Kim JJ, Sapio MR, Vazquez FA, Maric D, Loydpierson AJ, Ma W, Zarate CA, Iadarola MJ, Mannes AJ. Transcriptional Activation, Deactivation and Rebound Patterns in Cortex, Hippocampus and Amygdala in Response to Ketamine Infusion in Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:892345. [PMID: 35706427 PMCID: PMC9190438 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.892345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonist, is a recently revitalized treatment for pain and depression, yet its actions at the molecular level remain incompletely defined. In this molecular-pharmacological investigation in the rat, we used short- and longer-term infusions of high dose ketamine to stimulate neuronal transcription processes. We hypothesized that a progressively stronger modulation of neuronal gene networks would occur over time in cortical and limbic pathways. A continuous intravenous administration paradigm for ketamine was developed in rat consisting of short (1 h) and long duration (10 h, and 10 h + 24 h recovery) infusions of anesthetic concentrations to activate or inhibit gene transcription in a pharmacokinetically controlled fashion. Transcription was measured by RNA-Seq in three brain regions: frontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Cellular level gene localization was performed with multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization. Induction of a shared transcriptional regulatory network occurred within 1 h in all three brain regions consisting of (a) genes involved in stimulus-transcription factor coupling that are induced during altered synaptic activity (immediate early genes, IEGs, such as c-Fos, 9–12 significant genes per brain region, p < 0.01 per gene) and (b) the Nrf2 oxidative stress-antioxidant response pathway downstream from glutamate signaling (Nuclear Factor Erythroid-Derived 2-Like 2) containing 12–25 increasing genes (p < 0.01) per brain region. By 10 h of infusion, the acute results were further reinforced and consisted of more and stronger gene alterations reflecting a sustained and accentuated ketamine modulation of regional excitation and plasticity. At the cellular level, in situ hybridization localized up-regulation of the plasticity-associated gene Bdnf, and the transcription factors Nr4a1 and Fos, in cortical layers III and V. After 24 h recovery, we observed overshoot of transcriptional processes rather than a smooth return to homeostasis suggesting an oscillation of plasticity occurs during the transition to a new phase of neuronal regulation. These data elucidate critical molecular regulatory actions during and downstream of ketamine administration that may contribute to the unique drug actions of this anesthetic agent. These molecular investigations point to pathways linked to therapeutically useful attributes of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny J. Kim
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Matthew R. Sapio
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Fernando A. Vazquez
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Amelia J. Loydpierson
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Wenting Ma
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Carlos A. Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michael J. Iadarola
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Michael J. Iadarola, ,
| | - Andrew J. Mannes
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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25
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Global Proteome Profiling of the Temporal Cortex of Female Rats Exposed to Chronic Stress and the Western Diet. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14091934. [PMID: 35565902 PMCID: PMC9103025 DOI: 10.3390/nu14091934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing consumption of highly processed foods with high amounts of saturated fatty acids and simple carbohydrates is a major contributor to the burden of overweight and obesity. Additionally, an unhealthy diet in combination with chronic stress exposure is known to be associated with the increased prevalence of central nervous system diseases. In the present study, the global brain proteome approach was applied to explore protein alterations after exposure to the Western diet and/or stress. Female adult rats were fed with the Western diet with human snacks and/or subjected to chronic stress induced by social instability for 12 weeks. The consumption of the Western diet resulted in an obese phenotype and induced changes in the serum metabolic parameters. Consuming the Western diet resulted in changes in only 5.4% of the proteins, whereas 48% of all detected proteins were affected by chronic stress, of which 86.3% were down-regulated due to this exposure to chronic stress. However, feeding with a particular diet modified stress-induced changes in the brain proteome. The down-regulation of proteins involved in axonogenesis and mediating the synaptic clustering of AMPA glutamate receptors (Nptx1), as well as proteins related to metabolic processes (Atp5i, Mrps36, Ndufb4), were identified, while increased expression was detected for proteins involved in the development and differentiation of the CNS (Basp1, Cend1), response to stress, learning and memory (Prrt2), and modulation of synaptic transmission (Ncam1, Prrt2). In summary, global proteome analysis provides information about the impact of the combination of the Western diet and stress exposure on cerebrocortical protein alterations and yields insight into the underlying mechanisms and pathways involved in functional and morphological brain alterations as well as behavioral disturbances described in the literature.
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de Sousa Maciel I, Sales AJ, Casarotto PC, Castrén E, Biojone C, Joca SRL. Nitric Oxide Synthase inhibition counteracts the stress-induced DNA methyltransferase 3b expression in the hippocampus of rats. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:2421-2434. [PMID: 33170977 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It has been postulated that the activation of NMDA receptors (NMDAr) and nitric oxide (NO) production in the hippocampus is involved in the behavioral consequences of stress. Stress triggers NMDAr-induced calcium influx in limbic areas, such as the hippocampus, which in turn activates neuronal NO synthase (nNOS). Inhibition of nNOS or NMDAr activity can prevent stress-induced effects in animal models, but the molecular mechanisms behind this effect are still unclear. In this study, cultured hippocampal neurons treated with NMDA or dexamethasone showed an increased of DNA methyltransferase 3b (DNMT3b) mRNA expression, which was blocked by pre-treatment with nNOS inhibitor nω -propyl-l-arginine (NPA). In rats submitted to the Learned Helplessness paradigm (LH), we observed that inescapable stress increased DNMT3b mRNA expression at 1h and 24h in the hippocampus. The NOS inhibitors 7-NI and aminoguanidine (AMG) decreased the number of escape failures in LH and counteracted the changes in hippocampal DNMT3b mRNA induced in this behavioral paradigm. Altogether, our data suggest that NO produced in response to NMDAr activation following stress upregulates DNMT3b in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izaque de Sousa Maciel
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto - SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda J Sales
- School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto - SP, Brazil
| | | | - Eero Castrén
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sâmia R L Joca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto -SP, Brazil
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Wang SD, Wang X, Zhao Y, Xue BH, Wang XT, Chen YX, Zhang ZQ, Tian YR, Xie F, Qian LJ. Homocysteine-Induced Disturbances in DNA Methylation Contribute to Development of Stress-Associated Cognitive Decline in Rats. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:887-900. [PMID: 35435568 PMCID: PMC9352847 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00852-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is generally accepted as the main risk factor in the development of cognitive decline; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previous data have demonstrated that the levels of homocysteine (Hcy) are significantly elevated in the plasma of stressed animals, which suggests that Hcy is associated with stress and cognitive decline. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the cognitive function, plasma concentrations of Hcy, and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels in rats undergoing chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS). The results showed that decreased cognitive behavioral performance and decreased BDNF transcription and protein expression were correlated with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) levels in stressed rats. Diet-induced HHcy mimicked the cognitive decline and BDNF downregulation in the same manner as CUMS, while Hcy reduction (by means of vitamin B complex supplements) alleviated the cognitive deficits and BDNF reduction in CUMS rats. Furthermore, we also found that both stress and HHcy disturbed the DNA methylation process in the brain and induced DNA hypermethylation in the BDNF promoter. In contrast, control of Hcy blocked BDNF promoter methylation and upregulated BDNF levels in the brain. These results imply the possibility of a causal role of Hcy in stress-induced cognitive decline. We also used ten-eleven translocation (TET1), an enzyme that induces DNA demethylation, to verify the involvement of Hcy and DNA methylation in the regulation of BDNF expression and the development of stress-related cognitive decline. The data showed that TET1-expressing viral injection into the hippocampus inhibited BDNF promoter methylation and significantly mitigated the cognitive decline in HHcy rats. Taken together, novel evidence from the present study suggests that Hcy is likely involved in chronic stress-induced BDNF reduction and related cognitive deficits. In addition, the negative side-effects of HHcy may be associated with Hcy-induced DNA hypermethylation in the BDNF promoter. The results also suggest the possibility of Hcy as a target for therapy and the potential value of vitamin B intake in preventing stress-induced cognitive decline.
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28
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Sala N, Paoli C, Bonifacino T, Mingardi J, Schiavon E, La Via L, Milanese M, Tornese P, Datusalia AK, Rosa J, Facchinetti R, Frumento G, Carini G, Salerno Scarzella F, Scuderi C, Forti L, Barbon A, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Musazzi L. Acute Ketamine Facilitates Fear Memory Extinction in a Rat Model of PTSD Along With Restoring Glutamatergic Alterations and Dendritic Atrophy in the Prefrontal Cortex. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:759626. [PMID: 35370690 PMCID: PMC8968915 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.759626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress represents a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recently, we dissected the destabilizing effects of acute stress on the excitatory glutamate system in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we assessed the effects of single subanesthetic administration of ketamine (10 mg/kg) on glutamate transmission and dendritic arborization in the PFC of footshock (FS)-stressed rats, along with changes in depressive, anxious, and fear extinction behaviors. We found that ketamine, while inducing a mild increase of glutamate release in the PFC of naïve rats, blocked the acute stress-induced enhancement of glutamate release when administered 24 or 72 h before or 6 h after FS. Accordingly, the treatment with ketamine 6 h after FS also reduced the stress-dependent increase of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude in prelimbic (PL)-PFC. At the same time, ketamine injection 6 h after FS was found to rescue apical dendritic retraction of pyramidal neurons induced by acute stress in PL-PFC and facilitated contextual fear extinction. These results show rapid effects of ketamine in animals subjected to acute FS, in line with previous studies suggesting a therapeutic action of the drug in PTSD models. Our data are consistent with a mechanism of ketamine involving re-establishment of synaptic homeostasis, through restoration of glutamate release, and structural remodeling of dendrites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Sala
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Caterina Paoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emanuele Schiavon
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paolo Tornese
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Ashok K Datusalia
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, India
| | - Jessica Rosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Roberta Facchinetti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Frumento
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Carini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Scuderi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lia Forti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Busto Arsizio, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
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Computational synthesis of cortical dendritic morphologies. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110586. [PMID: 35385736 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal morphologies provide the foundation for the electrical behavior of neurons, the connectomes they form, and the dynamical properties of the brain. Comprehensive neuron models are essential for defining cell types, discerning their functional roles, and investigating brain-disease-related dendritic alterations. However, a lack of understanding of the principles underlying neuron morphologies has hindered attempts to computationally synthesize morphologies for decades. We introduce a synthesis algorithm based on a topological descriptor of neurons, which enables the rapid digital reconstruction of entire brain regions from few reference cells. This topology-guided synthesis generates dendrites that are statistically similar to biological reconstructions in terms of morpho-electrical and connectivity properties and offers a significant opportunity to investigate the links between neuronal morphology and brain function across different spatiotemporal scales. Synthesized cortical networks based on structurally altered dendrites associated with diverse brain pathologies revealed principles linking branching properties to the structure of large-scale networks.
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30
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Belelli D, Phillips GD, Atack JR, Lambert JJ. Relating neurosteroid modulation of inhibitory neurotransmission to behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13045. [PMID: 34644812 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Studies in the 1980s revealed endogenous metabolites of progesterone and deoxycorticosterone to be potent, efficacious, positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABAA receptor (GABAA R). The discovery that such steroids are locally synthesised in the central nervous system (CNS) promoted the thesis that neural inhibition in the CNS may be "fine-tuned" by these neurosteroids to influence behaviour. In preclinical studies, these neurosteroids exhibited anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, analgesic and sedative properties and, at relatively high doses, induced a state of general anaesthesia, a profile consistent with their interaction with GABAA Rs. However, realising the therapeutic potential of either endogenous neurosteroids or synthetic "neuroactive" steroids has proven challenging. Recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the use of allopregnanolone (brexanolone) to treat postpartum depression has rekindled enthusiasm for exploring their potential as new medicines. Although neurosteroids are selective for GABAA Rs, they exhibit little or no selectivity across the many GABAA R subtypes. Nevertheless, a relatively minor population of receptors incorporating the δ-subunit (δ-GABAA Rs) appears to be an important contributor to their behavioural effects. Here, we consider how neurosteroids acting upon GABAA Rs influence neuronal signalling, as well as how such effects may acutely and persistently influence behaviour, and explore the case for developing selective PAMs of δ-GABAA R subtypes for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Belelli
- Neuroscience, Division of Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Grant D Phillips
- Neuroscience, Division of Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - John R Atack
- Medicines Discovery Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy J Lambert
- Neuroscience, Division of Systems Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
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31
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Sanacora G, Yan Z, Popoli M. The stressed synapse 2.0: pathophysiological mechanisms in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:86-103. [PMID: 34893785 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00540-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a primary risk factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Evidence from preclinical models and clinical studies of depression have revealed an array of structural and functional maladaptive changes, whereby adverse environmental factors shape the brain. These changes, observed from the molecular and transcriptional levels through to large-scale brain networks, to the behaviours reveal a complex matrix of interrelated pathophysiological processes that differ between sexes, providing insight into the potential underpinnings of the sex bias of neuropsychiatric disorders. Although many preclinical studies use chronic stress protocols, long-term changes are also induced by acute exposure to traumatic stress, opening a path to identify determinants of resilient versus susceptible responses to both acute and chronic stress. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression has emerged as a key player underlying the persistent impact of stress on the brain. Indeed, histone modification, DNA methylation and microRNAs are closely involved in many aspects of the stress response and reveal the glutamate system as a key player. The success of ketamine has stimulated a whole line of research and development on drugs directly or indirectly targeting glutamate function. However, the challenge of translating the emerging understanding of stress pathophysiology into effective clinical treatments remains a major challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Sanacora
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
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32
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Chen J, Liu C, Xu M, Zhu J, Xia Z. Upregulation of miR-19b-3p exacerbates chronic stress-induced changes in synaptic plasticity and cognition by targeting Drebrin. Neuropharmacology 2022; 207:108951. [PMID: 35041806 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is associate with impairment of synapse plasticity in hippocampus and cognitive dysfunction in rodent and human. Notably, corticosterone (CORT) is believed to take responsible for dendritic atrophy and reduction of spine number induced by chronic stress in hippocampus. But little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying CORT induced abnormal synapse plasticity and cognitive dysfunction. Drebrin is an F-actin binding protein that modulates memory formation and maintenance by controlling the genesis and morphology of dendritic spines. In addition, miRNAs have been reported to participate in the negative regulation of protein-coding genes. In this study, five miRNAs capable of targeting Drebrin were selected by searching miRNA databases. One of these miRNAs, miR-19b-3p, was found to be upregulated in the hippocampal neurons of mice with chronic restraint stress (CRS). Luciferase reporter assay and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were employed to identified the interaction between miR-19b-3p and Drebrin. In addition, silencing miR-19b-3p expression in vivo using an antagomir or in vitro using an inhibitor increased Drebrin expression, ameliorated the abnormal dendritic structure and upregulated the spine density in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of CRS mice and primary hippocampal neurons cultured under CORT stimulation, respectively. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that inhibition of miR-19b-3p rescued the limited synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons. Moreover, blocking miR-19b-3p drastically protected against cognitive deficits in CRS mice. These in vivo and in vitro findings indicate that the upregulation of miR-19b-3p exacerbates CRS-induced abnormal synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairment by targeting Drebrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingli Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China; Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China
| | - Mu Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China; Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China
| | - Jiaxi Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China; Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, Hubei, China
| | - Zhongyuan Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China.
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33
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Moraga-Amaro R, Guerrin CGJ, Reali Nazario L, Lima Giacobbo B, J O Dierckx RA, Stehberg J, de Vries EFJ, Doorduin J. A single dose of ketamine cannot prevent protracted stress-induced anhedonia and neuroinflammation in rats. Stress 2022; 25:145-155. [PMID: 35384793 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2022.2045269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, millions of people suffer from treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine, a glutamatergic receptor antagonist, can have a rapid antidepressant effect even in treatment-resistant patients. A proposed mechanism for the antidepressant effect of ketamine is the reduction of neuroinflammation. To further explore this hypothesis, we investigated whether a single dose of ketamine can modulate protracted neuroinflammation in a repeated social defeat (RSD) stress rat model, which resembles features of depression. To this end, male animals exposed to RSD were injected with ketamine (20 mg/kg) or vehicle. A combination of behavioral analyses and PET scans of the inflammatory marker TSPO in the brain were performed. Rats submitted to RSD showed anhedonia-like behavior in the sucrose preference test, decreased weight gain, and increased TSPO levels in the insular and entorhinal cortices, as observed by [11C]-PK11195 PET. Whole brain TSPO levels correlated with corticosterone levels in several brain regions of RSD exposed animals, but not in controls. Ketamine injection 1 day after RSD disrupted the correlation between TSPO levels and serum corticosterone levels, but had no effect on depressive-like symptoms, weight gain or the protracted RSD-induced increase in TSPO expression in male rats. These results suggest that ketamine does not exert its effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by modulation of neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Moraga-Amaro
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Cyprien G J Guerrin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Luiza Reali Nazario
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno Lima Giacobbo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi A J O Dierckx
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jimmy Stehberg
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina y Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Erik F J de Vries
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
| | - Janine Doorduin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, GZ, The Netherlands
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34
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Infralimbic BDNF signaling is necessary for the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting in stressed rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:507-515. [PMID: 34497360 PMCID: PMC8674269 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01171-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Current pharmacotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are ineffective for many patients, and often do not restore cognitive dysfunction associated with these disorders. Behavioral therapies, such as exposure therapy, can be effective for treatment-resistant patients. The mechanisms underlying exposure therapy are not well-understood. Fear extinction as an intervention after chronic stress can model the beneficial effects of exposure therapy in rats. Extinction requires neuronal activity and protein synthesis in the infralimbic (IL) cortex for its beneficial effects. We hypothesized that extinction requires Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) activity in the IL cortex to reverse stress-induced cognitive flexibility impairments. Extinction learning reversed set-shifting deficits induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS), tested 24 h after extinction. Blocking BDNF signaling in the IL cortex during extinction by local administration of a neutralizing antibody prevented the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting after stress. Extinction induced activation of the BDNF TrkB receptor, and signaling pathways associated with BDNF (Akt and Erk). Administration of exogenous BDNF into IL cortex in the absence of extinction was sufficient to reverse the effects of stress on set shifting. The effects of extinction were prevented by blocking either Erk or Akt signaling in the IL cortex, whereas the effects of exogenous BDNF were dependent on Erk, but not Akt, signaling. Our observations suggest that BDNF-Erk signaling induced by extinction underlies plastic changes that can reverse or counteract the effects of chronic stress in the IL cortex.
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35
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Miao Z, Li Y, Mao F, Zhang J, Sun ZS, Wang Y. Prenatal witness stress induces intergenerational anxiety-like behaviors and altered gene expression profiles in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2022; 202:108857. [PMID: 34728220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal cues imposed on an organism can exert long-term and even cross-generational influences on the physiology and behaviors. To date, numerous rodent models have been developed to mimic the effects of prenatal physical stress on offspring. Whether psychological stress during gestation exerts adverse influences on offspring remains investigated. Here, we report that prenatal witnessing the defeat process of the mated partner induces anxiety-like behaviors in F1 male, but not female offspring. These abnormal behaviors were not present in the F2 generation, indicating a sex-specific intergenerational effects. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling identified 71 up-regulated and 120 down-regulated genes shared in F0 maternal and F1 male hippocampus. F0 and F1 hippocampi also shared witness stress-sensitive and -resistant genes. Whole transcriptome comparison reveals that F1 dentate gyrus showed differential expression profiles from hippocampus. Few differentially expressed genes were identified in the dentate gyrus of F1 stress female mice, explaining why females were resistant to the stress. Finally, candidate drugs as the potential treatment for psychological stress were predicted according to transcriptional signatures, including the histone deacetylase inhibitor and dopamine receptor agonist. Our work provides a new model for better understanding the molecular basis of prenatal psychological stress, highlighting the complexity of stress and sex factors on emotion and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Miao
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fengbiao Mao
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianghong Zhang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhong Sheng Sun
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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36
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Kang MJY, Hawken E, Vazquez GH. The Mechanisms Behind Rapid Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine: A Systematic Review With a Focus on Molecular Neuroplasticity. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:860882. [PMID: 35546951 PMCID: PMC9082546 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.860882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of action underlying ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in patients with depression, both suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), including treatment resistant depression (TRD), remains unclear. Of the many speculated routes that ketamine may act through, restoring deficits in neuroplasticity may be the most parsimonious mechanism in both human patients and preclinical models of depression. Here, we conducted a literature search using PubMed for any reports of ketamine inducing neuroplasticity relevant to depression, to identify cellular and molecular events, relevant to neuroplasticity, immediately observed with rapid mood improvements in humans or antidepressant-like effects in animals. After screening reports using our inclusion/exclusion criteria, 139 publications with data from cell cultures, animal models, and patients with BD or MDD were included (registered on PROSPERO, ID: CRD42019123346). We found accumulating evidence to support that ketamine induces an increase in molecules involved in modulating neuroplasticity, and that these changes are paired with rapid antidepressant effects. Molecules or complexes of high interest include glutamate, AMPA receptors (AMPAR), mTOR, BDNF/TrkB, VGF, eEF2K, p70S6K, GSK-3, IGF2, Erk, and microRNAs. In summary, these studies suggest a robust relationship between improvements in mood, and ketamine-induced increases in molecular neuroplasticity, particularly regarding intracellular signaling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody J Y Kang
- Center of Neuroscience Studies (CNS), Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Emily Hawken
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Gustavo Hector Vazquez
- Center of Neuroscience Studies (CNS), Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
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37
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Wang J, Sun Y, Ai P, Cui V, Shi H, An D, Wu A, Wei C. The effect of intravenous ketamine on depressive symptoms after surgery: A systematic review. J Clin Anesth 2021; 77:110631. [PMID: 34971992 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2021.110631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE The development of depressive symptoms is an important complication experienced by patients postoperatively and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Ketamine is a feasible treatment option for depressive symptoms after surgery due to its known antidepressant effect. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the current body of research regarding the effects of intravenous ketamine on depressive symptoms after surgery. DESIGN A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. SETTING Perioperative care area. PATIENTS Adult surgical patients. MEASUREMENTS Systematic literature search was performed in the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases, for randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of intravenous ketamine versus placebo on postoperative depressive symptoms as the primary outcome, with no language restrictions. Two independent reviewers screened records for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Random effects models were used to pool overall estimates. Postoperative pain intensity was also examined. The GRADE approach was used to assess the quality of evidence. MAIN RESULTS Out of 834 records screened, 9 studies met our inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 2468 patients. Compared with the control group, ketamine provided significant reduction of postoperative depression scale scores, by a standardized mean difference (SMD) of -0.89 (95% CI [-1.23, -0.73], P = 0.33, I2 = 13%; 4 studies) on postoperative day (POD) 1, SMD -0.51 (95% CI [-0.99, -0.04], P < 0.001, I2 = 93%; 4 studies) on POD 3, suggesting clinically relevant reduction in postoperative depressive symptoms. Postoperative depression scale scores on POD 7 were also reduced in patients receiving ketamine compared to the control group, with SMD -0.33 (95% CI [-0.52, -0.14], P = 0.36, I2 = 2%; 3 studies), but the minimal clinical difference of 0.5 SMD was not reached. No significant difference was observed in the postoperative depression scale over the long term at 30 days' follow-up (SMD -0.13, 95% CI [-0.25, 0.00], P = 0.07, I2 = 52%; 5 studies). A significant reduction of postoperative pain intensity on POD 1 was identified in patients following ketamine administration (SMD -1.29, 95% CI [-2.57, -0.01], P = 0.05, I2 = 98%; 5 studies). However, administration of ketamine resulted in a significantly increased risk of nausea and vomiting (RR 1.71, 95% CI [1.25, 2.33], P = 0.17, I2 = 35%; 6 studies), headache (RR 4.88, 95% CI [1.97, 12.06], P = 0.83, I2 = 0%; 4 studies), and hallucination (RR 34.94, 95% CI [8.59, 142.17], P = 0.44, I2 = 0%; 4 studies). CONCLUSIONS The current evidence supports intravenous ketamine administration for the treatment of depressive symptoms after surgery. While ketamine administration has clinically significant side effects, future studies are needed in surgical populations at high risk of complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Pan Ai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Victoria Cui
- Department of General Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Hui Shi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Dongjiao An
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Anshi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China.
| | - Changwei Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China.
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38
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Analysis of Antidepressant-like Effects and Action Mechanisms of GSB-106, a Small Molecule, Affecting the TrkB Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413381. [PMID: 34948177 PMCID: PMC8704497 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Induction of BDNF-TrkB signaling is associated with the action mechanisms of conventional and fast-acting antidepressants. GSB-106, developed as a small dimeric dipeptide mimetic of BDNF, was previously shown to produce antidepressant-like effects in the mouse Porsolt test, tail suspension test, Nomura water wheel test, in the chronic social defeat stress model and in the inflammation-induced model of depression. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of chronic per os administration of GSB-106 to Balb/c mice under unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). It was observed for the first time that long term GSB-106 treatment (1 mg/kg, 26 days) during ongoing UCMS procedure ameliorated the depressive-like behaviors in mice as indicated by the Porsolt test. In addition, chronic per os administration of GSB-106 resulted in an increase in BDNF levels, which were found to be decreased in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mice after UCMS. Furthermore, prolonged GSB-106 treatment was accompanied by an increase in the content of pTrkB706/707 in the prefrontal cortex and by a pronounced increase in the level of pTrkB816 in both studied brain structures of mice subjected to UCMS procedure. In summary, the present data show that chronic GSB-106 treatment produces an antidepressant-like effect in the unpredictable chronic mild stress model, which is likely to be associated with the regulation of the BDNF-TrkB signaling.
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Hesperidin Preserves Cognitive Functions and Hippocampus Histological Architecture in Albino Wistar Rats Subjected to Stress Through Enhancement of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Neurotox Res 2021; 40:179-185. [PMID: 34826046 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-021-00433-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Hesperidin (HSD) is a natural compound with antioxidant potential. On the other hand, chronic stress had been linked to impaired cognitive functions as it affects many neurotransmitters and brain regions such as the hippocampus. The current study was conducted to examine the effect of HSD on learning and memory after chronic mild stress. Albino Wistar rats were subjected to chronic mild stress with HSD administered as supplements. HSD was found to decrease hippocampal amyloid beta and malondialdehyde levels, in addition, to preserve cognitive functions together with preserving hippocampus histological architecture. In conclusion, the present study sheds the light on the potential of HSD to ameliorate the deleterious effects of chronic mild stress on cognitive functions through brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhancement and reduction in Aβ formation in addition to activation of the antioxidant pathway.
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Mingardi J, La Via L, Tornese P, Carini G, Trontti K, Seguini M, Tardito D, Bono F, Fiorentini C, Elia L, Hovatta I, Popoli M, Musazzi L, Barbon A. miR-9-5p is involved in the rescue of stress-dependent dendritic shortening of hippocampal pyramidal neurons induced by acute antidepressant treatment with ketamine. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100381. [PMID: 34458512 PMCID: PMC8379501 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging clinical and preclinical evidence demonstrates that depressive phenotypes are associated with synaptic dysfunction and dendritic simplification in cortico-limbic glutamatergic areas. On the other hand, the rapid antidepressant effect of acute ketamine is consistently reported to occur together with the rescue of dendritic atrophy and reduction of spine number induced by chronic stress in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of animal models of depression. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these morphological alterations remain largely unknown. Here, we found that miR-9-5p levels were selectively reduced in the hippocampus of rats vulnerable to Chronic Mild Stress (CMS), while acute subanesthetic ketamine restored its levels to basal condition in just 24h; miR-9-5p expression inversely correlated with the anhedonic phenotype. A decrease of miR-9-5p was reproduced in an in vitro model of stress, based on primary hippocampal neurons incubated with the stress hormone corticosterone. In both CMS animals and primary neurons, decreased miR-9-5p levels were associated with dendritic simplification, while treatment with ketamine completely rescued the changes. In vitro modulation of miR-9-5p expression showed a direct role of miR-9-5p in regulating dendritic length and spine density in mature primary hippocampal neurons. Among the putative target genes tested, Rest and Sirt1 were validated as biological targets in primary neuronal cultures. Moreover, in line with miR-9-5p changes, REST protein expression levels were remarkably increased in both CMS vulnerable animals and corticosterone-treated neurons, while ketamine completely abolished this alteration. Finally, the shortening of dendritic length in corticosterone-treated neurons was shown to be partly rescued by miR-9-5p overexpression and dependent on REST protein expression. Overall, our data unveiled the functional role of miR-9-5p in the remodeling of dendritic arbor induced by stress/corticosterone in vulnerable animals and its rescue by acute antidepressant treatment with ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mingardi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca La Via
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Tornese
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Carini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Kalevi Trontti
- Sleep Well Research Program, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, and Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mara Seguini
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Tardito
- Department of Technical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy
| | - Federica Bono
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Fiorentini
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Leonardo Elia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Rozzano, MI, Italy
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- Sleep Well Research Program, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, and Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Papp M, Gruca P, Lason M, Litwa E, Solecki W, Willner P. Insufficiency of ventral hippocampus to medial prefrontal cortex transmission explains antidepressant non-response. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1253-1264. [PMID: 34617804 PMCID: PMC8521380 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211048281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is extensive evidence that antidepressant drugs restore normal brain function by repairing damage to ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). While the damage is more extensive in hippocampus, the evidence of treatments, such as deep brain stimulation, suggests that functional changes in prefrontal cortex may be more critical. We hypothesized that antidepressant non-response may result from an insufficiency of transmission from vHPC to mPFC. METHOD Antidepressant non-responsive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS), then treated with chronic daily administration of the antidepressant drug venlafaxine (VEN) and/or repeated weekly optogenetic stimulation (OGS) of afferents to mPFC originating from vHPC or dorsal HPC (dHPC). RESULTS As in many previous studies, CMS decreased sucrose intake, open-arm entries on the elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object recognition (NOR). Neither VEN nor vHPC-mPFC OGS alone was effective in reversing the effects of CMS, but the combination of chronic VEN and repeated OGS restored normal behaviour on all three measures. dHPC-mPFC OGS restored normal behaviour in the EPM and NOR test irrespective of concomitant VEN treatment, and had no effect on sucrose intake. CONCLUSIONS The synergism between VEN and vHPC-mPFC OGS supports the hypothesis that the antidepressant non-responsiveness of WKY rats results from a failure of antidepressant treatment fully to restore transmission in the vHPC-mPFC pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Papp
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland,Mariusz Papp, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow 31-343, Poland.
| | - Piotr Gruca
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Lason
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Litwa
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wojciech Solecki
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paul Willner
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Haloperidol and aripiprazole impact on the BDNF and glucocorticoid receptor levels in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex: effect of the chronic mild stress. Endocr Regul 2021; 55:153-162. [PMID: 34523299 DOI: 10.2478/enr-2021-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective. Changes in the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIP) are associated with psychiatric diseases and stress response. Chronic mild stress (CMS) may alter BDNF as well as GR levels in both the PFC and the HIP. The aim of the present study was to find out whether chronic treatment with a typical antipsychotic haloperidol (HAL) and an atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole (ARI) may modify the CMS effect on the BDNF and GR expression in the above-mentioned structures. Methods. The rats were exposed to CMS for 3 weeks and from the 7th day of CMS injected with vehicle (VEH), HAL (1 mg/kg) or ARI (10 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. BDNF and GR mRNA levels were established in the PFC and the HIP by Real Time PCR, whereas, PFC and HIP samples were obtained by punching them from 500 µm thick frozen sections. C-Fos immunoreactivity was analyzed in the PFC and the HIP on 30 µm thick paraformaldehyde fixed sections. Weight gain and corticosterone (CORT) levels were also measured. Results. The CMS and HAL suppressed the BDNF and GR mRNA levels in the PFC. In the HIP, CMS elevated BDNF mRNA levels that were suppressed by HAL and ARI treatments. The CMS decreased the c-Fos immunoreactivity in the PFC in both HAL- and ARI-treated animals. In the HIP, HAL increased the c-Fos immunoreactivity that was again diminished in animals exposed to CMS. Stressed animals gained markedly less weight until the 7th day of CMS, however, later their weight gain did not differ from the unstressed ones or was even higher in CMS+HAL group. Un-stressed HAL and ARI animals gained less weight than the VEH ones. Neither CMS nor HAL/ARI affected the plasma CORT levels. Conclusion. The present data indicate that HAL and ARI in the doses 1 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg, respectively, does not modify the effect of the CMS preconditioning on the BDNF and GR mRNA levels in the PFC or the HIP. However, HAL seems to modify the CMS effect on the HIP activation.
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Bakhtiari-Dovvombaygi H, Izadi S, Zare M, Asgari Hassanlouei E, Dinpanah H, Ahmadi-Soleimani SM, Beheshti F. Vitamin D3 administration prevents memory deficit and alteration of biochemical parameters induced by unpredictable chronic mild stress in rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16271. [PMID: 34381124 PMCID: PMC8357828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95850-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D3 (Vit D) administration on memory function, hippocampal level of amyloid-beta (Aβ), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxidative stress status in a rat model of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Vit D was intraperitoneally administered at doses of 100, 1000, and 10,000 IU/kg. Animals were subjected to UCMS for a total period of 4 weeks. Memory function was assessed using morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tests. Biochemical markers were measured to reveal the status of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense system. In addition, the levels of Aβ and BDNF were measured in hippocampal region. In the UCMS group, latency to find the platform was greater and the time spent in target quadrant (MWM test) as well as the latency to enter the dark compartment (PA test), were less than the vehicle group. Hippocampal malondialdehyde (MDA) and Aβ concentrations in the UCMS group were higher than the vehicle group. Hippocampal level of thiol and BDNF plus the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were reduced in UCMS group compared to the control subjects (i.e. vehicle group). Interestingly, Vit D treatment supplementation reversed the mentioned effects of UCMS. Our findings indicated that Vit D administration improves UCMS-induced impairment of learning and memory through prevention of adverse effects on Aβ, BDNF and oxidative stress parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Bakhtiari-Dovvombaygi
- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Saeed Izadi
- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Mostafa Zare
- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.,Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | | | - Hossein Dinpanah
- Department of Emergency Medicine, 9 Dey Educational Hospital, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - S Mohammad Ahmadi-Soleimani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. .,Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
| | - Farimah Beheshti
- Neuroscience Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran. .,Departments of Physiology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
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Himmelseher S, Kochs EF. Ready for a "breakthrough" with ketamine? A look at recent pharmacological insights! Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 2021; 34:393-401. [PMID: 34052823 DOI: 10.1097/aco.0000000000001017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To update pharmacological insights on ketamine integrating information from different disciplines for developing steps to "breakthrough" approaches in clinical challenges. RECENT FINDINGS Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models have incorporated recirculation, ketamine metabolites, drug-drug interaction, and covariates such as age. Ketamine-induced relief from treatment-resistant depression has been explained by "disinhibition" of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons and synaptogenic mechanisms requiring neurotrophic signals. Neuroimaging/electroencephalographic investigations have shown an increase in gamma spectral power in healthy volunteers and patients with depression, but also opposite changes in functional network connectivity after subanesthetic ketamine. Volunteer data may not be transferable to clinical conditions. Altered states of consciousness induced by subanesthetic ketamine have been described by disruption of resisting-state functional networks and frontoparietal connectivity with preservation of multisensory and sensor-motor networks. This has been interpreted as a "disconnected consciousness". SUMMARY More precise PK/PD models may improve the ketamine use regimen. The findings from research on depression are an important discovery because ketamine's impact on neuronal plasticity and synaptogenesis in human brain disease has directly been documented. Psychic adverse effects with subanesthetic ketamine are related to a "disconnected consciousness". Overall, progress has been made, but the "breakthrough" still has to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Himmelseher
- Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Technische Universität München, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
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Papp M, Cubala WJ, Swiecicki L, Newman-Tancredi A, Willner P. Perspectives for therapy of treatment-resistant depression. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:4181-4200. [PMID: 34128229 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A high proportion of depressed patients fail to respond to antidepressant drug treatment. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a major challenge for the psychopharmacology of mood disorders. Only in the past decade have novel treatments, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) and ketamine, been discovered that provide rapid and sometimes prolonged relief to a high proportion of TRD sufferers. In this review, we consider the current status of TRD from four perspectives: the challenge of developing an appropriate regulatory framework for novel rapidly acting antidepressants; the efficacy of non-pharmacological somatic therapies; the development of an animal model of TRD and its use to understand the neural basis of antidepressant non-response; and the potential for rapid antidepressant action from targets (such as 5-HT1A receptors) beyond the glutamate receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Papp
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Wiesław Jerzy Cubala
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Lukasz Swiecicki
- Second Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Paul Willner
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Carboni E, Carta AR, Carboni E, Novelli A. Repurposing Ketamine in Depression and Related Disorders: Can This Enigmatic Drug Achieve Success? Front Neurosci 2021; 15:657714. [PMID: 33994933 PMCID: PMC8120160 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.657714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Repurposing ketamine in the therapy of depression could well represent a breakthrough in understanding the etiology of depression. Ketamine was originally used as an anesthetic drug and later its use was extended to other therapeutic applications such as analgesia and the treatment of addiction. At the same time, the abuse of ketamine as a recreational drug has generated a concern for its psychotropic and potential long-term effects; nevertheless, its use as a fast acting antidepressant in treatment-resistant patients has boosted the interest in the mechanism of action both in psychiatry and in the wider area of neuroscience. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the actions of ketamine and intends to cover: (i) the evaluation of its clinical use in the treatment of depression and suicidal behavior; (ii) the potential use of ketamine in pediatrics; (iii) a description of its mechanism of action; (iv) the involvement of specific brain areas in producing antidepressant effects; (v) the potential interaction of ketamine with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; (vi) the effect of ketamine on neuronal transmission in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis and on its output; (vii) the evaluation of any gender-dependent effects of ketamine; (viii) the interaction of ketamine with the inflammatory processes involved in depression; (ix) the evaluation of the effects observed with single or repeated administration; (x) a description of any adverse or cognitive effects and its abuse potential. Finally, this review attempts to assess whether ketamine's use in depression can improve our knowledge of the etiopathology of depression and whether its therapeutic effect can be considered an actual cure for depression rather than a therapy merely aimed to control the symptoms of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezio Carboni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna R. Carta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elena Carboni
- Unit of Paediatrics, ASST Cremona Maggiore Hospital, Cremona, Italy
| | - Antonello Novelli
- Department of Psychology and University Institute of Biotechnology of Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- Sanitary Institute of the Princedom of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
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Yi LT, Zhang MM, Cheng J, Wan HQ, Li CF, Zhu JX, Zhang QP, Liu Q, Xu GH. Antidepressant-like Effects of Degraded Porphyran Isolated from Porphyra haitanensis. Mol Nutr Food Res 2021; 65:e2000869. [PMID: 33783973 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202000869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Degraded porphyran is a bioactive polysaccharide extracted from Porphyra haitanensis (P. haitanensis). According to the previous studies, it produced anti-inflammatory activity, but little is known about its effects on depression. METHODS AND RESULTS As inflammation is one of the critical factors involved in the development of depression, this study aims to elucidate the potential antidepressant-like effects of degraded porphyran. The results show that acute porphyran treatment decreased the immobility time in despair tests. In addition, subchronic porphyran administration reverses depressive-like behaviors in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice. Meanwhile, porphyran inhibits NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling, proinflammatory cytokine release, and microglial activation in the hippocampus. Moreover, chronic porphyran treatment activates hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB/ERK/CREB signaling pathway in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice. As a result, neurogenesis and spinogenesis are maintained. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study indicate that degraded porphyran intake provides a potential strategy for depression treatment, which is mediated by the inhibition of neuroinflammation and the enhancement of neurogenesis and spinogenesis in the central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Tao Yi
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, PR China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Biochemical Technology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, PR China
| | - Man-Man Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, PR China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, PR China
| | - Hui-Qi Wan
- Xiamen Medicine Research Institute, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361008, PR China
| | - Cheng-Fu Li
- Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361009, PR China
| | - Ji-Xiao Zhu
- Research Center of Natural Resources of Chinese Medicinal Materials and Ethnic Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330004, PR China
| | - Qiu-Ping Zhang
- Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361009, PR China
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, PR China
| | - Guang-Hui Xu
- Xiamen Medicine Research Institute, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361008, PR China
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Czéh B, Simon M. Benefits of animal models to understand the pathophysiology of depressive disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110049. [PMID: 32735913 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a potentially life-threatening mental disorder imposing severe social and economic burden worldwide. Despite the existence of effective antidepressant treatment strategies the exact pathophysiology of the disease is still unknown. Large number of animal models of MDD have been developed over the years, but all of them suffer from significant shortcomings. Despite their limitations these models have been extensively used in academic research and drug development. The aim of this review is to highlight the benefits of animal models of MDD. We focus here on recent experimental data where animal models were used to examine current theories of this complex disease. We argue, that despite their evident imperfections, these models provide invaluable help to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to the development of MDD. Furthermore, animal models are utilized in research to find clinically useful biomarkers. We discuss recent neuroimaging and microRNA studies since these investigations yielded promising candidates for biomarkers. Finally, we briefly summarize recent progresses in drug development, i.e. the FDA approval of two novel antidepressant drugs: S-ketamine and brexanolone (allopregnanolone). Deeper understanding of the exact molecular and cellular mechanisms of action responsible for the antidepressant efficacy of these rapid acting drugs could aid us to design further compounds with similar effectiveness, but less side effects. Animal studies are likely to provide valuable help in this endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boldizsár Czéh
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Maria Simon
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
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HUZARD D, RAPPENEAU V, MEIJER OC, TOUMA C, ARANGO-LIEVANO M, GARABEDIAN MJ, JEANNETEAU F. Experience and activity-dependent control of glucocorticoid receptors during the stress response in large-scale brain networks. Stress 2021; 24:130-153. [PMID: 32755268 PMCID: PMC7907260 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1806226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of actions of the glucocorticoid stress hormones among individuals and within organs, tissues and cells is shaped by age, gender, genetics, metabolism, and the quantity of exposure. However, such factors cannot explain the heterogeneity of responses in the brain within cells of the same lineage, or similar tissue environment, or in the same individual. Here, we argue that the stress response is continuously updated by synchronized neural activity on large-scale brain networks. This occurs at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels by crosstalk communication between activity-dependent and glucocorticoid signaling pathways, which updates the diversity of responses based on prior experience. Such a Bayesian process determines adaptation to the demands of the body and external world. We propose a framework for understanding how the diversity of glucocorticoid actions throughout brain networks is essential for supporting optimal health, while its disruption may contribute to the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders, such as major depression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien HUZARD
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie RAPPENEAU
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onno C. MEIJER
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chadi TOUMA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Margarita ARANGO-LIEVANO
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Freddy JEANNETEAU
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author:
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Almeida FB, Barros HMT, Pinna G. Neurosteroids and Neurotrophic Factors: What Is Their Promise as Biomarkers for Major Depression and PTSD? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041758. [PMID: 33578758 PMCID: PMC7916492 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the most prevalent and incapacitating mental illnesses in the world, their diagnosis still relies solely on the characterization of subjective symptoms (many of which are shared by multiple disorders) self-reported by patients. Thus, the need for objective measures that aid in the detection of and differentiation between psychiatric disorders becomes urgent. In this paper, we explore the potential of neurosteroids and neurotrophic proteins as biomarkers for MDD and PTSD. Circulating levels of the GABAergic neuroactive steroid, allopregnanolone, are diminished in MDD and PTSD patients, which corroborates the finding of depleted neurosteroid levels observed in animal models of these disorders. The neurotrophic protein, brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), is also reduced in the periphery and in the brain of MDD patients and depressed-like animals that express lower neurosteroid levels. Although the role of BDNF in PTSD psychopathology seems less clear and merits more research, we propose a causal link between allopregnanolone levels and BDNF expression that could function as a biomarker axis for the diagnosis of both MDD and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Borges Almeida
- Graduate Program in Health Science, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil; (F.B.A.); (H.M.T.B.)
| | - Helena Maria Tannhauser Barros
- Graduate Program in Health Science, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Brazil; (F.B.A.); (H.M.T.B.)
| | - Graziano Pinna
- Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor Str., Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence: or
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