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Chang Z, Wang QY, Li LH, Jiang B, Zhou XM, Zhu H, Sun YP, Pan X, Tu XX, Wang W, Liu CY, Kuang HX. Potential Plausible Role of Stem Cell for Treating Depressive Disorder: a Retrospective Review. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:4454-4472. [PMID: 38097915 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03843-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Depression poses a significant threat to global physical and mental health, impacting around 3.8% of the population with a rising incidence. Current treatment options primarily involve medication and psychological support, yet their effectiveness remains limited, contributing to high relapse rates. There is an urgent need for innovative and more efficacious treatment modalities. Stem cell therapy, a promising avenue in regenerative medicine for a spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions, has recently garnered attention for its potential application in depression. While much of this work remains preclinical, it has demonstrated considerable promise. Identified mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of stem cell therapy encompass the stimulation of neurotrophic factors, immune function modulation, and augmented monoamine levels. Nonetheless, these pathways and other undiscovered mechanisms necessitate further investigation. Depression fundamentally manifests as a neurodegenerative disorder. Given stem cell therapy's success in addressing a range of neurodegenerative pathologies, it opens the door to explore its application in depression treatment. This exploration may include repairing damaged nerves directly or indirectly and inhibiting neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, significant challenges must be overcome before stem cell therapies can be applied clinically. Successful resolution of these issues will ultimately determine the feasibility of incorporating stem cell therapies into the clinical landscape. This narrative review provides insights into the progress of research, potential avenues for exploration, and the prevailing challenges in the implementation of stem cell therapy for treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Qing-Yi Wang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Lu-Hao Li
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Bei Jiang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Xue-Ming Zhou
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Yan-Ping Sun
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Xue Pan
- Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xu-Xu Tu
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China
| | - Wei Wang
- First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chen-Yue Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Xue Kuang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 26, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China.
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2
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Pereira MF, Shyti R, Testa G. In and out: Benchmarking in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and xenografting approaches for an integrative brain disease modeling pipeline. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:767-795. [PMID: 38865969 PMCID: PMC11390705 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cellular models and their neuronal derivatives have afforded unprecedented advances in elucidating pathogenic mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases. Notwithstanding their indispensable contribution, animal models remain the benchmark in neurobiological research. In an attempt to harness the best of both worlds, researchers have increasingly relied on human/animal chimeras by xenografting human cells into the animal brain. Despite the unparalleled potential of xenografting approaches in the study of the human brain, literature resources that systematically examine their significance and advantages are surprisingly lacking. We fill this gap by providing a comprehensive account of brain diseases that were thus far subjected to all three modeling approaches (transgenic rodents, in vitro human lineages, human-animal xenografting) and provide a critical appraisal of the impact of xenografting approaches for advancing our understanding of those diseases and brain development. Next, we give our perspective on integrating xenografting modeling pipeline with recent cutting-edge technological advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene F Pereira
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122 Milan, Italy; Neurogenomics Centre, Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy.
| | - Reinald Shyti
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy; Neurogenomics Centre, Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122 Milan, Italy; Neurogenomics Centre, Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi-Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy.
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3
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Elam HB, Perez SM, Donegan JJ, Eassa NE, Lodge DJ. Knockdown of Lhx6 during embryonic development results in neurophysiological alterations and behavioral deficits analogous to schizophrenia in adult rats. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:113-121. [PMID: 38531158 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.032] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
A decreased expression of specific interneuron subtypes, containing either the calcium binding protein parvalbumin (PV) or the neurotransmitter somatostatin (SST), are observed in the cortex and hippocampus of both patients with schizophrenia and rodent models used to study the disorder. Moreover, preclinical studies suggest that this loss of inhibitory function is a key pathological mechanism underlying the symptoms of schizophrenia. Interestingly, decreased expression of Lhx6, a key transcriptional regulator specific to the development and migration of PV and SST interneurons, is seen in human postmortem studies and following multiple developmental disruptions used to model schizophrenia preclinically. These results suggest that disruptions in interneuron development in utero may contribute to the pathology of the disorder. To recapitulate decreased Lhx6 expression during development, we used in utero electroporation to introduce an Lhx6 shRNA plasmid and knockdown Lhx6 expression in the brains of rats on gestational day 17. We then examined schizophrenia-like neurophysiological and behavioral alterations in the offspring once they reached adulthood. In utero Lhx6 knockdown resulted in increased ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron population activity and a sex-specific increase in locomotor response to a psychotomimetic, consistent with positive symptomology of schizophrenia. However, Lhx6 knockdown had no effect on social interaction or spatial working memory, suggesting behaviors associated with negative and cognitive symptom domains were unaffected. These results suggest that knockdown of Lhx6 during development results in neurophysiological and behavioral alterations consistent with the positive symptom domain of schizophrenia in adult rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School at UT Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nicole E Eassa
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, USA
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4
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McCoy AM, Prevot TD, Mian MY, Sharmin D, Ahmad AN, Cook JM, Sibille EL, Lodge DJ. Extrasynaptic localization is essential for α5GABA A receptor modulation of dopamine system function. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0344-23.2023. [PMID: 38413199 PMCID: PMC10972738 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0344-23.2023] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction, observed in animal models with psychosis-like symptomatology, can be restored by targeting Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid type A receptors (GABAAR) containing the α5, but not α1, subunit in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp). The reason for this discrepancy in efficacy remains elusive; however, one key difference is that α1GABAARs are primarily located in the synapse, whereas α5GABAARs are mostly extrasynaptic. To test whether receptor location is responsible for this difference in efficacy, we injected a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) into the vHipp to knock down radixin, a scaffolding protein that holds α5GABAARs in the extrasynaptic space. We then administered GL-II-73, a positive allosteric modulator of α5GABAARs (α5-PAM) known to reverse shock-induced deficits in dopamine system function, to determine if shifting α5GABAARs from the extrasynaptic space to the synapse would prevent the effects of α5-PAM on dopamine system function. As expected, knockdown of radixin significantly decreased radixin-associated α5GABAARs and increased the proportion of synaptic α5GABAARs, without changing the overall expression of α5GABAARs. Importantly, GL-II-73 was no longer able to modulate dopamine neuron activity in radixin-knockdown rats, indicating that the extrasynaptic localization of α5GABAARs is critical for hippocampal modulation of the dopamine system. These results may have important implications for clinical use of GL-II-73, as periods of high hippocampal activity appear to favor synaptic α5GABAARs, thus efficacy may be diminished in conditions where aberrant hippocampal activity is present.Significance Statement Currently available treatments for psychosis, a debilitating symptom linked with several brain disorders, are inadequate. While they can help manage symptoms in some patients, they do so imperfectly. They are also associated with severe side effects that can cause discontinuation of medication. This study provides preclinical evidence that the drug, GL-II-73, possesses the ability to modulate dopamine activity, a key player in psychosis symptoms, and further provides some mechanistic details regarding these effects. Overall, this work contributes to the growing body of literature suggesting that GL-II-73 and similar compounds may possess antipsychotic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. McCoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas 78229
| | - Thomas D. Prevot
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Md Yeunus Mian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Dishary Sharmin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Adeeba N. Ahmad
- University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas 78539
| | - James M. Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
| | - Etienne L. Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas 78229
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5
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Paterno R, Vu T, Hsieh C, Baraban SC. Host brain environmental influences on transplanted medial ganglionic eminence progenitors. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3610. [PMID: 38351191 PMCID: PMC10864292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52478-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Interneuron progenitor transplantation can ameliorate disease symptoms in a variety of neurological disorders. The strategy is based on transplantation of embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) progenitors. Elucidating how host brain environment influences the integration of interneuron progenitors is critical for optimizing this strategy across different disease states. Here, we systematically evaluated the influence of age and brain region on survival, migration, and differentiation of transplant-derived cells. We find that early postnatal MGE transplantation yields superior survival and more extensive migratory capabilities compared to transplantation during the juvenile or adult stages. MGE progenitors migrate more widely in the cortex compared to the hippocampus. Maturation to interneuron subtypes is regulated by age and brain region. MGE progenitors transplanted into the dentate gyrus sub-region of the early postnatal hippocampus can differentiate into astrocytes. Our results suggest that the host brain environment critically regulates survival, spatial distribution, and maturation of MGE-derived interneurons following transplantation. These findings inform and enable optimal conditions for interneuron transplant therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Paterno
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, 513 Parnassus Ave, Health Science East, E840, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Thy Vu
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, 513 Parnassus Ave, Health Science East, E840, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Caroline Hsieh
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, 513 Parnassus Ave, Health Science East, E840, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Scott C Baraban
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California, 513 Parnassus Ave, Health Science East, E840, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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6
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Lodge DJ, Elam HB, Boley AM, Donegan JJ. Discrete hippocampal projections are differentially regulated by parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6653. [PMID: 37863893 PMCID: PMC10589277 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42484-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
People with schizophrenia show hyperactivity in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) and we have previously demonstrated distinct behavioral roles for vHipp cell populations. Here, we test the hypothesis that parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) interneurons differentially innervate and regulate hippocampal pyramidal neurons based on their projection target. First, we use eGRASP to show that PV-positive interneurons form a similar number of synaptic connections with pyramidal cells regardless of their projection target while SST-positive interneurons preferentially target nucleus accumbens (NAc) projections. To determine if these anatomical differences result in functional changes, we used in vivo opto-electrophysiology to show that SST cells also preferentially regulate the activity of NAc-projecting cells. These results suggest vHipp interneurons differentially regulate that vHipp neurons that project to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and NAc. Characterization of these cell populations may provide potential molecular targets for the treatment schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders associated with vHipp dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Angela M Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Center for Early Life Adversity, Department of Neuroscience, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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7
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Eassa NE, Perez SM, Boley AM, Elam HB, Sharmin D, Cook JM, Lodge DJ. α5-GABAA Receptor Modulation Reverses Behavioral and Neurophysiological Correlates of Psychosis in Rats with Ventral Hippocampal Alzheimer's Disease-like Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11788. [PMID: 37511546 PMCID: PMC10380527 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Of the 35 million people in the world suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD), up to half experience comorbid psychosis. Antipsychotics, used to treat psychosis, are contraindicated in elderly patients because they increase the risk of premature death. Reports indicate that the hippocampus is hyperactive in patients with psychosis and those with AD. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) can regulate dopamine system function, which is thought to underlie symptoms of psychosis. A viral-mediated approach was used to express mutated human genes known to contribute to AD pathology: the Swedish (K670N, M671L), Florida (I716V), and London (V717I) mutations of amyloid precursor protein and two mutations (M146L and L286V) of presenilin 1 specifically in the vHipp, to investigate the selective contribution of AD-like pathology in this region. We observed a significant increase in dopamine neuron population activity and behavioral deficits in this AD-AAV model that mimics observations in rodent models with psychosis-like symptomatologies. Further, systemic administration of MP-III-022 (α5-GABAA receptor selective positive allosteric modulator) was able to reverse aberrant dopamine system function in AD-AAV rats. This study provides evidence for the development of drugs that target α5-GABAA receptors for patients with AD and comorbid psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E. Eassa
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.E.E.); (A.M.B.); (H.B.E.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.E.E.); (A.M.B.); (H.B.E.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Angela M. Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.E.E.); (A.M.B.); (H.B.E.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Hannah B. Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.E.E.); (A.M.B.); (H.B.E.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Dishary Sharmin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute of Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA; (D.S.); (J.M.C.)
| | - James M. Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute of Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA; (D.S.); (J.M.C.)
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (N.E.E.); (A.M.B.); (H.B.E.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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McCoy AM, Prevot TD, Sharmin D, Cook JM, Sibille EL, Lodge DJ. GL-II-73, a Positive Allosteric Modulator of α5GABA A Receptors, Reverses Dopamine System Dysfunction Associated with Pilocarpine-Induced Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11588. [PMID: 37511346 PMCID: PMC10380722 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411588] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although seizures are a hallmark feature of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), psychiatric comorbidities, including psychosis, are frequently associated with TLE and contribute to decreased quality of life. Currently, there are no defined therapeutic protocols to manage psychosis in TLE patients, as antipsychotic agents may induce epileptic seizures and are associated with severe side effects and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions with antiepileptic drugs. Thus, novel treatment strategies are necessary. Several lines of evidence suggest that hippocampal hyperactivity is central to the pathology of both TLE and psychosis; therefore, restoring hippocampal activity back to normal levels may be a novel therapeutic approach for treating psychosis in TLE. In rodent models, increased activity in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) results in aberrant dopamine system function, which is thought to underlie symptoms of psychosis. Indeed, we have previously demonstrated that targeting α5-containing γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (α5GABAARs), an inhibitory receptor abundant in the hippocampus, with positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), can restore dopamine system function in rodent models displaying hippocampal hyperactivity. Thus, we posited that α5-PAMs may be beneficial in a model used to study TLE. Here, we demonstrate that pilocarpine-induced TLE is associated with increased VTA dopamine neuron activity, an effect that was completely reversed by intra-vHipp administration of GL-II-73, a selective α5-PAM. Further, pilocarpine did not alter the hippocampal α5GABAAR expression or synaptic localization that may affect the efficacy of α5-PAMs. Taken together, these results suggest augmenting α5GABAAR function as a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of psychosis in TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M McCoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Dishary Sharmin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Etienne L Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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McCoy AM, Prevot TD, Mian MY, Sharmin D, Ahmad AN, Cook JM, Sibille EL, Lodge DJ. Extrasynaptic localization is essential for α5GABA A receptor modulation of dopamine system function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.12.548744. [PMID: 37502875 PMCID: PMC10370028 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.12.548744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine system dysfunction, observed in animal models with psychosis-like symptomatology, can be restored by targeting Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid type A receptors (GABA A R) containing the α5, but not α1, subunit in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp). The reason for this discrepancy in efficacy remains elusive; however, one key difference is that α1GABA A Rs are primarily located in the synapse, whereas α5GABA A Rs are mostly extrasynaptic. To test whether receptor location is responsible for this difference in efficacy, we injected a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) into the vHipp to knock down radixin, a scaffolding protein that holds α5GABA A Rs in the extrasynaptic space. We then administered GL-II-73, a positive allosteric modulator of α5GABA A Rs (α5-PAM) known to reverse shock-induced deficits in dopamine system function, to determine if shifting α5GABA A Rs from the extrasynaptic space to the synapse would prevent the effects of α5-PAM on dopamine system function. As expected, knockdown of radixin significantly decreased radixin-associated α5GABA A Rs and increased the proportion of synaptic α5GABA A Rs, without changing the overall expression of α5GABA A Rs. Importantly, GL-II-73 was no longer able to modulate dopamine neuron activity in radixin-knockdown rats, indicating that the extrasynaptic localization of α5GABA A Rs is critical for hippocampal modulation of the dopamine system. These results may have important implications for clinical use of GL-II-73, as periods of high hippocampal activity appear to favor synaptic α5GABA A Rs, thus efficacy may be diminished in conditions where aberrant hippocampal activity is present. Significance Statement Dopamine activity is known to be altered in both psychosis patients and in animal models, with promising new antipsychotics restoring normal dopamine system function. One such drug is GL-II-73, a positive allosteric modulator of α5GABA A Rs (α5-PAM). Interestingly, previous research has shown that a positive allosteric modulator of α1GABA A Rs (α1-PAM) does not share this ability, even when directly given to the ventral hippocampus, a region known to modulate dopamine activity. One potential explanation for this difference we examined in this study is that α1GABA A Rs are primarily located in the synapse, whereas α5GABA A Rs are mostly extrasynaptic. Determining the mechanism of this differential efficacy could lead to the refinement of antipsychotic treatment and improve patient outcomes overall.
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10
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Perez SM, Boley AM, McCoy AM, Lodge DJ. Aberrant Dopamine System Function in the Ferrous Amyloid Buthionine (FAB) Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:7196. [PMID: 37108357 PMCID: PMC10138591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antipsychotics increase the risk of death in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, there is an immediate need for novel therapies to treat comorbid psychosis in AD. Psychosis has been attributed to a dysregulation of the dopamine system and is associated with aberrant regulation by the hippocampus. Given that the hippocampus is a key site of pathology in AD, we posit that aberrant regulation of the dopamine system may contribute to comorbid psychosis in AD. A ferrous amyloid buthionine (FAB) rodent model was used to model a sporadic form of AD. FAB rats displayed functional hippocampal alterations, which were accompanied by decreases in spontaneous, low-frequency oscillations and increases in the firing rates of putative pyramidal neurons. Additionally, FAB rats exhibited increases in dopamine neuron population activity and augmented responses to the locomotor-inducing effects of MK-801, as is consistent with rodent models of psychosis-like symptomatology. Further, working memory deficits in the Y-maze, consistent with an AD-like phenotype, were observed in FAB rats. These data suggest that the aberrant hippocampal activity observed in AD may contribute to dopamine-dependent psychosis, and that the FAB model may be useful for the investigation of comorbid psychosis related to AD. Understanding the pathophysiology that leads to comorbid psychosis in AD will ultimately lead to the discovery of novel targets for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.M.B.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Angela M. Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.M.B.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Alexandra M. McCoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.M.B.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.M.B.); (D.J.L.)
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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11
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Adult stress exposure blunts dopamine system hyperresponsivity in a neurodevelopmental rodent model of schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:30. [PMID: 35338155 PMCID: PMC8956652 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for the development of both schizophrenia and depression, and comorbidity between the two is common in schizoaffective disorders. However, the effects of stress exposure (i.e. chronic mild stress-CMS) on depression-related phenotypes in a neurodevelopmental model relevant to schizophrenia (i.e. methylazoxymethanol acetate—MAM) have yet to be explored and could provide insight into shared mechanisms of disease. To this end, we combined the prenatal MAM model with adult CMS exposure and explored the resultant pathophysiology using the social approach test (SAT), immobility in the forced swim test (FST) and amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion (AIH) as depression- and schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and performed extracellular recordings of ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons. MAM rats exhibited a reduction in social approach and increased VTA DA neuron activity compared to SAL rats or CMS groups. Separate cohorts of MAM animals were subjected to FST and AIH testing (counterbalanced order) or FST only. CMS groups exhibited increased FST immobility. Post-FST, both MAM groups (MAM-CON, MAM-CMS) exhibited blunted locomotor response to amphetamine compared with their SAL counterparts exposed to the same tests. Post-FST, MAM rats exhibited comparable VTA population activity to SAL rats, and CMS groups exhibited attenuated VTA population activity. Apomorphine administration results were consistent with the model suggesting that reductions in VTA DA neuron activity in MAM rats following FST exposure resulted from over-excitation, or depolarization block. These data suggest stress-induced DA downregulation in MAM rats, as FST exposure was sufficient to block the DA hyperresponsivity phenotype.
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12
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Knight S, McCutcheon R, Dwir D, Grace AA, O'Daly O, McGuire P, Modinos G. Hippocampal circuit dysfunction in psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:344. [PMID: 36008395 PMCID: PMC9411597 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite strong evidence of the neurodevelopmental origins of psychosis, current pharmacological treatment is not usually initiated until after a clinical diagnosis is made, and is focussed on antagonising striatal dopamine receptors. These drugs are only partially effective, have serious side effects, fail to alleviate the negative and cognitive symptoms of the disorder, and are not useful as a preventive treatment. In recent years, attention has turned to upstream brain regions that regulate striatal dopamine function, such as the hippocampus. This review draws together these recent data to discuss why the hippocampus may be especially vulnerable in the pathophysiology of psychosis. First, we describe the neurodevelopmental trajectory of the hippocampus and its susceptibility to dysfunction, exploring this region's proneness to structural and functional imbalances, metabolic pressures, and oxidative stress. We then examine mechanisms of hippocampal dysfunction in psychosis and in individuals at high-risk for psychosis and discuss how and when hippocampal abnormalities may be targeted in these groups. We conclude with future directions for prospective studies to unlock the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies targeting hippocampal circuit imbalances to prevent or delay the onset of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Knight
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Robert McCutcheon
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daniella Dwir
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Owen O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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13
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McCoy AM, Prevot TD, Mian MY, Cook JM, Frazer A, Sibille EL, Carreno FR, Lodge DJ. Positive Allosteric Modulation of α5-GABAA Receptors Reverses Stress-Induced Alterations in Dopamine System Function and Prepulse Inhibition of Startle. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:688-698. [PMID: 35732272 PMCID: PMC9380714 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Up to 64% of patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience psychosis, likely attributable to aberrant dopamine neuron activity. We have previously demonstrated that positive allosteric modulators of α5-GABAARs can selectively decrease hippocampal activity and reverse psychosis-like physiological and behavioral alterations in a rodent model used to study schizophrenia; however, whether this approach translates to a PTSD model remains to be elucidated. METHODS We utilized a 2-day inescapable foot shock (IS) procedure to induce stress-related pathophysiology in male Sprague-Dawley rats. We evaluated the effects of intra-ventral hippocampus (vHipp) administration GL-II-73, an α5-GABAAR, or viral overexpression of the α5 subunit, using in vivo electrophysiology and behavioral measures in control and IS-treated rats. RESULTS IS significantly increased ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron population activity, or the number of dopamine neurons firing spontaneously (n = 6; P = .016), consistent with observation in multiple rodent models used to study psychosis. IS also induced deficits in sensorimotor gating, as measured by reduced prepulse inhibition of startle (n = 12; P = .039). Interestingly, intra-vHipp administration of GL-II-73 completely reversed IS-induced increases in dopamine neuron population activity (n = 6; P = .024) and deficits in prepulse inhibition (n = 8; P = .025), whereas viral overexpression of the α5 subunit in the vHipp was not effective. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that pharmacological intervention augmenting α5-GABAAR function, but not α5 overexpression in itself, can reverse stress-induced deficits related to PTSD in a rodent model, providing a potential site of therapeutic intervention to treat comorbid psychosis in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M McCoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Md Yenus Mian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alan Frazer
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Etienne L Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Flavia R Carreno
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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14
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Elam HB, Donegan JJ, Hsieh J, Lodge DJ. Gestational buprenorphine exposure disrupts dopamine neuron activity and related behaviors in adulthood. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0499-21.2022. [PMID: 35851301 PMCID: PMC9337603 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0499-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid misuse among pregnant women is rapidly increasing in the United States. The number of maternal opioid-related diagnoses increased by 131% in the last ten years, resulting in an increased number of infants exposed to opioids in utero and a subsequent increase in infants developing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The most prescribed treatment to combat maternal opioid use disorder is buprenorphine, a partial μ-opioid receptor agonist and κ-opioid receptor antagonist. Buprenorphine treatment effectively reduces NAS but has been associated with disrupted cortical development and neurodevelopmental consequences in childhood. Less is known about the long-term neurodevelopmental consequences following buprenorphine exposure in utero Previous research has shown that gestational buprenorphine exposure can induce anxiety- and depressive-like phenotypes in adult rats, suggesting that exposure to buprenorphine in utero may render individuals more susceptible to psychiatric illness in adulthood. A common pathology observed across multiple psychiatric illnesses is dopamine system dysfunction. Here, we administered the highly-abused opioid, oxycodone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or a therapeutic used to treat opioid use disorder, buprenorphine (1 mg/kg, i.p) to pregnant Sprague Dawley rats from gestational day 11 through 21, then examined neurophysiological alterations in the mesolimbic dopamine system and dopamine-dependent behaviors in adult offspring. We found that gestational exposure to buprenorphine or oxycodone increases dopamine neuron activity in adulthood. Moreover, prenatal buprenorphine exposure disrupts the afferent regulation of dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Taken together, we posit that gestational buprenorphine or oxycodone exposure can have profound effects on the mesolimbic dopamine system in adulthood.Significance StatementThe opioid epidemic in the United States is a growing problem that affects people from all demographics, including pregnant women. In 2017, nearly 21,000 pregnant women reported misusing opioids during pregnancy, which can lead to many physiological and neurodevelopmental complications in infants. To combat illicit opioid use during pregnancy, buprenorphine is the priority treatment option, as it reduces illicit opioid use and alleviates symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants. However, less is known about the long-term neurophysiological consequences of in utero opioid or buprenorphine exposure. Here, we demonstrate that both oxycodone and buprenorphine exposure, in utero, can result in aberrant dopamine system function in adult rats. These results provide evidence of potential long-lasting effects of opioid exposure during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School at UT Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jenny Hsieh
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, USA
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15
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Li D, Wu Q, Han X. Application of Medial Ganglionic Eminence Cell Transplantation in Diseases Associated With Interneuron Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:939294. [PMID: 35865112 PMCID: PMC9294455 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.939294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons primarily accomplish the neural activity of the cerebral cortex, and an imbalance of excitatory-inhibitory neural networks may lead to neuropsychiatric diseases. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons mediate inhibition, and the embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) is a source of GABAergic interneurons. After transplantation, MGE cells migrate to different brain regions, differentiate into multiple subtypes of GABAergic interneurons, integrate into host neural circuits, enhance synaptic inhibition, and have tremendous application value in diseases associated with interneuron disorders. In the current review, we describe the fate of MGE cells derived into specific interneurons and the related diseases caused by interneuron loss or dysfunction and explore the potential of MGE cell transplantation as a cell-based therapy for a variety of interneuron disorder-related diseases, such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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16
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Wada M, Noda Y, Iwata Y, Tsugawa S, Yoshida K, Tani H, Hirano Y, Koike S, Sasabayashi D, Katayama H, Plitman E, Ohi K, Ueno F, Caravaggio F, Koizumi T, Gerretsen P, Suzuki T, Uchida H, Müller DJ, Mimura M, Remington G, Grace AA, Graff-Guerrero A, Nakajima S. Dopaminergic dysfunction and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and novel neuromodulatory treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2950-2967. [PMID: 35444257 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01572-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs are the mainstay in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, one-third of patients do not show adequate improvement in positive symptoms with non-clozapine antipsychotics. Additionally, approximately half of them show poor response to clozapine, electroconvulsive therapy, or other augmentation strategies. However, the development of novel treatment for these conditions is difficult due to the complex and heterogenous pathophysiology of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Therefore, this review provides key findings, potential treatments, and a roadmap for future research in this area. First, we review the neurobiological pathophysiology of TRS, particularly the dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways. Next, the limitations of existing and promising treatments are presented. Specifically, this article focuses on the therapeutic potential of neuromodulation, including electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Finally, we propose multivariate analyses that integrate various perspectives of the pathogenesis, such as dopaminergic dysfunction and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, thereby elucidating the heterogeneity of TRS that could not be obtained by conventional statistics. These analyses can in turn lead to a precision medicine approach with closed-loop neuromodulation targeting the detected pathophysiology of TRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Iwata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Yamanashi Faculty of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Sakiko Tsugawa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hideaki Tani
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoji Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Neural Dynamics Laboratory, Research Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Art and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daiki Sasabayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Katayama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eric Plitman
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kazutaka Ohi
- Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Ueno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Caravaggio
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Teruki Koizumi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital Organization Shimofusa Psychiatric Medical Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Philip Gerretsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Takefumi Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Yamanashi Faculty of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uchida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gary Remington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ariel Graff-Guerrero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. .,Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada.
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17
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Structural and Functional Deviations of the Hippocampus in Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Animal Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105482. [PMID: 35628292 PMCID: PMC9143100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a grave neuropsychiatric disease which frequently onsets between the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood. It is characterized by a variety of neuropsychiatric abnormalities which are categorized into positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Most therapeutical strategies address the positive symptoms by antagonizing D2-dopamine-receptors (DR). However, negative and cognitive symptoms persist and highly impair the life quality of patients due to their disabling effects. Interestingly, hippocampal deviations are a hallmark of schizophrenia and can be observed in early as well as advanced phases of the disease progression. These alterations are commonly accompanied by a rise in neuronal activity. Therefore, hippocampal formation plays an important role in the manifestation of schizophrenia. Furthermore, studies with animal models revealed a link between environmental risk factors and morphological as well as electrophysiological abnormalities in the hippocampus. Here, we review recent findings on structural and functional hippocampal abnormalities in schizophrenic patients and in schizophrenia animal models, and we give an overview on current experimental approaches that especially target the hippocampus. A better understanding of hippocampal aberrations in schizophrenia might clarify their impact on the manifestation and on the outcome of this severe disease.
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18
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Perez SM, McCoy AM, Prevot TD, Mian MY, Carreno FR, Frazer A, Cook JM, Sibille E, Lodge DJ. Hippocampal α5-GABA A Receptors Modulate Dopamine Neuron Activity in the Rat Ventral Tegmental Area. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 3:78-86. [PMID: 36712569 PMCID: PMC9874136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant dopamine neuron activity is attributable to hyperactivity in hippocampal subfields driving a pathological increase in dopamine neuron activity, which is positively correlated with psychosis in humans. Evidence indicates that hippocampal hyperactivity is due to loss of intrinsic GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) inhibition. We have previously demonstrated that hippocampal GABAergic neurotransmission can be modulated by targeting α5-GABAA receptors, which are preferentially expressed in hippocampal regions. Positive and negative allosteric modulators of α5-GABAA receptors (α5-PAMs and α5-NAMs) elicit effects on hippocampal-dependent behaviors. We posited that the selective manipulation of hippocampal inhibition, using α5-PAMs or α5-NAMs, would modulate dopamine activity in control rats. Further, α5-PAMs would reverse aberrant dopamine neuron activity in a rodent model with schizophrenia-related pathophysiologies (methylazoxymethanol acetate [MAM] model). Methods We performed in vivo extracellular recordings of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in anesthetized rats to compare the effects of two novel, selective α5-PAMs (GL-II-73, MP-III-022), a nonselective α-PAM (midazolam), and two selective α5-NAMs (L-655,708, TB 21007) in control and MAM-treated male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 5-9). Results Systemic or intracranial administration of selective α5-GABAA receptor modulators regulated dopamine activity. Specifically, both α5-NAMs increased dopamine neuron activity in control rats, whereas GL-II-73, MP-III-022, and L-655,708 attenuated aberrant dopamine neuron activity in MAM-treated rats, an effect mediated by the ventral hippocampus. Conclusions This study demonstrated that α5-GABAA receptor modulation can regulate dopamine neuron activity under control or abnormal activity, providing additional evidence that α5-PAMs and α5-NAMs may have therapeutic applications in psychosis and other psychiatric diseases where aberrant hippocampal activity is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas,Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas,Address correspondence to Stephanie M. Perez, Ph.D.
| | - Alexandra M. McCoy
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas,Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Thomas D. Prevot
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Md Yeunus Mian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Flavia R. Carreno
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Alan Frazer
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas,Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas
| | - James M. Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas,Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas
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19
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Perez SM, Elam HB, Lodge DJ. Increased Presynaptic Dopamine Synthesis Capacity Is Associated With Aberrant Dopamine Neuron Activity in the Methylazoxymethanol Acetate Rodent Model Used to Study Schizophrenia-Related Pathologies. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN OPEN 2022; 3:sgac067. [PMID: 36387971 PMCID: PMC9642313 DOI: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant dopamine system function is thought to contribute to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Clinical imaging studies have demonstrated that the largest dopamine abnormality in patients appears to be an increase in presynaptic dopamine activity. Indeed, studies utilizing [ 18 F]DOPA positive emission tomography reliably report increases in presynaptic dopamine bioavailability in patients and may serve as a biomarker for treatment response. The mechanisms contributing to this increased presynaptic activity in human patients is not yet fully understood, which necessitates the use of preclinical models. Dopamine system function can be directly examined in experimental animals using in vivo electrophysiology. One consistent finding from preclinical studies in rodent models used to study schizophrenia-like neuropathology is a 2-fold increase in the number of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), termed population activity. We posit that increased striatal dopamine synthesis capacity is attributed to an augmented VTA dopamine neuron population activity. Here, we directly test this hypothesis using [3H]DOPA ex vivo autoradiography, to quantify striatal dopamine synthesis capacity, in the methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) model, a validated rodent model displaying neurophysiological and behavioral alterations consistent with schizophrenia-like symptomatologies. Consistent with human imaging studies, dopamine synthesis capacity was significantly increased in dorsal and ventral striatal subregionis, including the caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens, of MAM-treated rats and associated with specific increases in dopamine neuron population activity. Taken together, these data provide a link between mechanistic studies in rodent models and clinical studies of increased presynaptic dopamine function in human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, TX, USA
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20
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Varga TG, de Toledo Simões JG, Siena A, Henrique E, da Silva RCB, Dos Santos Bioni V, Ramos AC, Rosenstock TR. Haloperidol rescues the schizophrenia-like phenotype in adulthood after rotenone administration in neonatal rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2569-2585. [PMID: 34089344 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05880-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are multifactorial disturbances that encompass several hypotheses, including changes in neurodevelopment. It is known that brain development disturbances during early life can predict psychosis in adulthood. As we have previously demonstrated, rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, could induce psychiatric-like behavior in 60-day-old rats after intraperitoneal injections from the 5th to the 11th postnatal day. Because mitochondrial deregulation is related to psychiatric disorders and the establishment of animal models is a high-value preclinical tool, we investigated the responsiveness of the rotenone (Rot)-treated newborn rats to pharmacological agents used in clinical practice, haloperidol (Hal), and methylphenidate (MPD). Taken together, our data show that Rot-treated animals exhibit hyperlocomotion, decreased social interaction, and diminished contextual fear conditioning response at P60, consistent with positive, negative, and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia (SZ), respectively, that were reverted by Hal, but not MPD. Rot-treated rodents also display a prodromal-related phenotype at P35. Overall, our results seem to present a new SZ animal model as a consequence of mitochondrial inhibition during a critical neurodevelopmental period. Therefore, our study is crucial not only to elucidate the relevance of mitochondrial function in the etiology of SZ but also to fulfill the need for new and trustworthy experimentation models and, likewise, provide possibilities to new therapeutic avenues for this burdensome disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Garcia Varga
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Amanda Siena
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Elisandra Henrique
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Aline Camargo Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Rosado Rosenstock
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. .,Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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21
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Sonnenschein SF, Grace AA. Peripubertal mGluR2/3 Agonist Treatment Prevents Hippocampal Dysfunction and Dopamine System Hyperactivity in Adulthood in MAM Model of Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1806-1814. [PMID: 33928393 PMCID: PMC8530391 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pomaglumetad methionil (POM), a group 2 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) agonist, showed promise as a novel antipsychotic in preclinical research but failed to show efficacy in clinical trials, though it has been suggested that it may be effective in certain patient populations, including early in disease patients. We used the methyazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rat model of schizophrenia to determine whether POM may prevent the development of dopamine (DA) system dysfunction in a model representative of the hyperdopaminergic state thought to underlie psychosis, compared to control (SAL) rats. MAM and SAL rats were administered either POM (3 mg/kg, i.p.), vehicle (1 ml/kg), or no injection during postnatal day (PD) 31-40. In either late adolescence (PD 47-56) or adulthood (PD 83-96), novel object recognition (NOR) was tested, followed by anesthetized in vivo electrophysiological recordings of VTA DA neuron activity or ventral hippocampal (vHPC) pyramidal neuron activity. MAM rats treated with POM demonstrated increased NOR in adulthood compared to no injection MAM rats, but not compared to vehicle-treated MAM rats. POM-treated MAM rats demonstrated normalized DA neuron population activity and vHPC pyramidal neuron activity compared to vehicle and no injection MAM rats in both late adolescence and adulthood. No significant differences were observed across treatment groups in SAL rats. These results suggest that peripubertal mGluR2/3 agonist administration can prevent the emergence of vHPC pyramidal neuron hyperactivity and increased DA neuron population activity in adult MAM rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan F Sonnenschein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Forbes Ave. Suite 530, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, US; tel: 989-600-9132, fax: 412-624-9198, e-mail:
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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22
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GABAergic deficits in absence of LPA 1 receptor, associated anxiety-like and coping behaviors, and amelioration by interneuron precursor transplants into the dorsal hippocampus. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1479-1495. [PMID: 33792787 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02261-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Defects in GABAergic function can cause anxiety- and depression-like behaviors among other neuropsychiatric disorders. Therapeutic strategies using the transplantation of GABAergic interneuron progenitors derived from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) into the adult hippocampus reversed the symptomatology in multiple rodent models of interneuron-related pathologies. In turn, the lysophosphatidic acid receptor LPA1 has been reported to be essential for hippocampal function. Converging evidence suggests that deficits in LPA1 receptor signaling represent a core feature underlying comparable hippocampal dysfunction and behaviors manifested in common neuropsychiatric conditions. Here, we first analyzed the GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus of wild-type and maLPA1-null mice, lacking the LPA1 receptor. Our data revealed a reduction in the number of neurons expressing GABA, calcium-binding proteins, and neuropeptides such as somatostatin and neuropeptide Y in the hippocampus of maLPA1-null mice. Then, we used interneuron precursor transplants to test links between hippocampal GABAergic interneuron deficit, cell-based therapy, and LPA1 receptor-dependent psychiatric disease-like phenotypes. For this purpose, we transplanted MGE-derived interneuron precursors into the adult hippocampus of maLPA1-null mice, to test their effects on GABAergic deficit and behavioral symptoms associated with the absence of the LPA1 receptor. Transplant studies in maLPA1-null mice showed that grafted cells were able to restore the hippocampal host environment, decrease the anxiety-like behaviors and neutralize passive coping, with no abnormal effects on motor activity. Furthermore, grafted MGE-derived cells maintained their normal differentiation program. These findings reinforce the use of cell-based strategies for brain disorders and suggest that the LPA1 receptor represents a potential target for interneuron-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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23
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Elam HB, Perez SM, Donegan JJ, Lodge DJ. Orexin receptor antagonists reverse aberrant dopamine neuron activity and related behaviors in a rodent model of stress-induced psychosis. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:114. [PMID: 33558469 PMCID: PMC7870676 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent condition affecting approximately 8% of the United States population and 20% of United States combat veterans. In addition to core symptoms of the disorder, up to 64% of individuals diagnosed with PTSD experience comorbid psychosis. Previous research has demonstrated a positive correlation between symptoms of psychosis and increases in dopamine transmission. We have recently demonstrated projections from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) can regulate dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Specifically, inactivation of the PVT leads to a reversal of aberrant dopamine system function and psychosis-like behavior. The PVT receives dense innervation from orexin containing neurons, therefore, targeting orexin receptors may be a novel approach to restore dopamine neuron activity and alleviate PTSD-associated psychosis. In this study, we induced stress-related pathophysiology in male Sprague Dawley rats using an inescapable foot-shock procedure. We observed a significant increase in VTA dopamine neuron population activity, deficits in sensorimotor gating, and hyperresponsivity to psychomotor stimulants. Administration of selective orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) and orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) antagonists (SB334867 and EMPA, respectively) or the FDA-approved, dual-orexin receptor antagonist, Suvorexant, were found to reverse stress-induced increases in dopamine neuron population activity. However, only Suvorexant and SB334867 were able to reverse deficits in behavioral corelates of psychosis. These results suggest that the orexin system may be a novel pharmacological target for the treatment of comorbid psychosis related to PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B Elam
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division, San Antonio, USA
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24
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Zhu X, Grace AA. Prepubertal Environmental Enrichment Prevents Dopamine Dysregulation and Hippocampal Hyperactivity in MAM Schizophrenia Model Rats. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:298-307. [PMID: 33357630 PMCID: PMC7927755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a progressive, prolonged course. Early prevention for SCZ is promising but overall lacks support from preclinical evidence. Previous studies have tested environmental enrichment (EE) in certain models of SCZ and discovered a broadly beneficial effect in preventing behavioral abnormalities relevant, yet not specific, to the disorder. Nonetheless, whether EE can prevent dopamine (DA) dysregulation, a hallmark of psychosis and SCZ, had not been tested. METHODS Using the MAM (methylazoxymethanol acetate) rat model of schizophrenia and saline-treated control animals, we investigated the long-term electrophysiological effects of prepubertal (postnatal day 21-40) EE on DA neurons, pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus, and projection neurons in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-related behaviors in the elevated plus maze and locomotor responses to amphetamine were also analyzed. RESULTS Prepubertal EE prevented the increased population activity of DA neurons and the associated increase in locomotor response to amphetamine. Prepubertal EE also prevented hyperactivity in the ventral hippocampus but did not prevent hyperactivity in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-like behaviors in MAM rats were not ameliorated by prepubertal exposure to EE. CONCLUSIONS Twenty-day prepubertal EE is sufficient to prevent DA hyperresponsivity in the MAM model, measured by electrophysiological recordings and locomotor response to amphetamine. This effect is potentially mediated by normalizing excessive firing in the ventral hippocampus without affecting anxiety-like behaviors and basolateral amygdala firing. This study identified EE as a useful preventative approach that may protect against the pathophysiological development of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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25
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Larijani B, Parhizkar Roudsari P, Hadavandkhani M, Alavi-Moghadam S, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Goodarzi P, Sayahpour FA, Mohamadi-Jahani F, Arjmand B. Stem cell-based models and therapies: a key approach into schizophrenia treatment. Cell Tissue Bank 2021; 22:207-223. [PMID: 33387152 DOI: 10.1007/s10561-020-09888-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia can generate distress and disability along with heavy costs on individuals and health care systems. Different genetic and environmental factors play a pivotal role in the appearance of the mentioned disorders. Since the conventional treatment options for psychiatric disorders are suboptimal, investigators are trying to find novel strategies. Herein, stem cell therapies have been recommended as novel choices. In this context, the preclinical examination of stem cell-based therapies specifically using appropriate models can facilitate passing strong filters and serious examination to ensure proper quality and safety of them as a novel treatment approach. Animal models cannot be adequately helpful to follow pathophysiological features. Nowadays, stem cell-based models, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells reflected as suitable alternative models in this field. Accordingly, the importance of stem cell-based models, especially to experiment with the regenerative medicine outcomes for schizophrenia as one of the severe typing of psychiatric disorders, is addressed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Peyvand Parhizkar Roudsari
- Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Hadavandkhani
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Alavi-Moghadam
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Parisa Goodarzi
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Azam Sayahpour
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Mohamadi-Jahani
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Arjmand
- Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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26
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Sonnenschein SF, Grace AA. Emerging therapeutic targets for schizophrenia: a framework for novel treatment strategies for psychosis. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2021; 25:15-26. [PMID: 33170748 PMCID: PMC7855878 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2021.1849144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Antipsychotic drugs are central to the treatment of schizophrenia, but their limitations necessitate improved treatment strategies. Multiple lines of research have implicated glutamatergic dysfunction in the hippocampus as an early source of pathophysiology in schizophrenia. Novel compounds have been designed to treat glutamatergic dysfunction, but they have produced inconsistent results in clinical trials. Areas covered: This review discusses how the hippocampus is thought to drive psychotic symptoms through its influence on the dopamine system. It offers the reader an evaluation of proposed treatment strategies including direct modulation of GABA or glutamate neurotransmission or reducing the deleterious impact of stress on circuit development. Finally, we offer a perspective on aspects of future research that will advance our knowledge and may create new therapeutic opportunities. PubMed was searched for relevant literature between 2010 and 2020 and related studies. Expert opinion: Targeting aberrant excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmission in the hippocampus and its related circuits has the potential to alleviate symptoms and reduce the risk of transition to psychosis if implemented as an early intervention. Longitudinal multimodal brain imaging combined with mechanistic theories generated from animal models can be used to better understand the progression of hippocampal-dopamine circuit dysfunction and heterogeneity in treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony A. Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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27
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Donegan JJ, Lodge DJ. Stem Cells for Improving the Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Stem Cells Dev 2020; 29:1118-1130. [PMID: 32008442 PMCID: PMC7469694 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are currently limited. Antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are not effective for all patients, do not target all symptoms of the disease, and have serious adverse side effects. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs to treat the core symptoms of autism. In an effort to develop new and more effective treatment strategies, stem cell technologies have been used to reprogram adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be differentiated into neuronal cells and even three-dimensional brain organoids. This new technology has the potential to elucidate the complex mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders, offer more relevant platforms for drug discovery and personalized medicine, and may even be used to treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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28
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Donegan JJ, Boley AM, Glenn JP, Carless MA, Lodge DJ. Developmental alterations in the transcriptome of three distinct rodent models of schizophrenia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232200. [PMID: 32497066 PMCID: PMC7272013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder affecting just under 1% of the population. While the symptoms of this disorder do not appear until late adolescence, pathological alterations likely occur earlier, during development in utero. While there is an increasing literature examining transcriptome alterations in patients, it is not possible to examine the changes in gene expression that occur during development in humans that will develop schizophrenia. Here we utilize three distinct rodent developmental disruption models of schizophrenia to examine potential overlapping alterations in the transcriptome, with a specific focus on markers of interneuron development. Specifically, we administered either methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM), Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), or chronic protein malnutrition, on GD 17 and examined mRNA expression in the developing hippocampus of the offspring 18 hours later. Here, we report alterations in gene expression that may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, including significant alterations in interneuron development and ribosome function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela M. Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Jeremy P. Glenn
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Melanie A. Carless
- Population Health Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
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29
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Freedman R, Olsen-Dufour AM, Olincy A. P50 inhibitory sensory gating in schizophrenia: analysis of recent studies. Schizophr Res 2020; 218:93-98. [PMID: 32061454 PMCID: PMC7299819 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Inhibitory sensory gating of the P50 cerebral evoked potential to paired auditory stimuli (S1, S2) is a widely used paradigm for the study of schizophrenia and related conditions. Its use to measure genetic, treatment, and developmental effects requires a metric with more stable properties than the simple ratio of the paired responses. METHODS This study assessed the ratio P50S2μV/P50S1μV and P50S2μV co-varied for P50S1μV in all 27 independent published studies that compared schizophrenia patients with healthy controls from 2000 to 2019. The largest study from each research group was selected. The Colorado research group's studies were excluded to eliminate bias from the first report of the phenomenon. RESULTS Across the 27 studies encompassing 1179 schizophrenia patients and 1091 healthy controls, both P50S2μV co-varied for P50S1μV and P50S2μV/P50S1μV significantly separated the patients from the controls (both P < 0.0001). Effect size for P50S2μV co-varied for P50S1μV is d' = 1.23. The normal distribution of P50S2μV co-varied for P50S1μV detected influences of maternal inflammation and effects on behavior in a recent developmental study, an emerging use for the P50 inhibitory gating measure. P50S2μV/P50S1μV was not normally distributed. Results from two multi-site NIMH genetics collaborations also support the use of P50S2μV as a biomarker. CONCLUSION Both methods detect an abnormality of cerebral inhibition in schizophrenia with high significance across multiple independent laboratories. The normal distribution of P50S2μV co-varied for P50S1μV makes it more suitable for studies of genetic, treatment, and other influences on the development and expression of inhibitory deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Freedman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, Mail Stop F546, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Amanda M. Olsen-Dufour
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, Mail Stop F546, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
| | - Ann Olincy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Center, Mail Stop F546, Aurora, CO 80045 USA
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Perez SM, Lodge DJ. Adolescent stress contributes to aberrant dopamine signaling in a heritable rodent model of susceptibility. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 95:109701. [PMID: 31299274 PMCID: PMC6708463 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Rodent models of the disorder have been developed that model either genetic or environment factors to recapitulate various aspects of the disease; however, the examination of gene by environment interactions requires a model of susceptibility. We have previously demonstrated that a proportion of the F2 generation of MAM-treated rats display a schizophrenia-like phenotype, defined as an increase in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron population activity. Here we use this model to examine the consequence of adolescent stress (AS), a known risk factor for psychiatric disease, on dopamine neuron activity in the VTA. Specifically, F2 MAM rats were exposed to predator odor, a stressor of high ethological relevance, intermittently over 10 days throughout the adolescent period and VTA dopamine neuron activity was evaluated in adulthood. Both saline and MAM F2 rats exposed to AS displayed significant increases in population activity; however, the proportion of F2 MAM rats exhibiting this increase was significantly greater (approximately 70%) compared to their respective controls. Given that we have previously demonstrated that the augmented dopamine neuron activity in rodent models of psychosis is directly attributable to aberrant activity in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp), we examined whether AS altered activity within the vHipp. Indeed, there was a positive correlation between dopamine neuron activity and hippocampal firing rates, such that those rats that displayed increases in population activity also had increases in the firing rates of vHipp putative pyramidal neurons. Taken together, these data further demonstrate a role for AS as a risk factor for psychosis, particularly in those with a heritable predisposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Perez
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA,Corresponding author at: 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
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Perez SM, Boley A, Lodge DJ. Region specific knockdown of Parvalbumin or Somatostatin produces neuronal and behavioral deficits consistent with those observed in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:264. [PMID: 31636253 PMCID: PMC6803626 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are regions linked to symptoms of schizophrenia. The anterior hippocampus is believed to be a key regulator of the mesolimbic dopamine system and is thought to be the driving force contributing to positive symptoms, while the prefrontal cortex is involved in cognitive flexibility and negative symptoms. Aberrant activity in these regions is associated with decreases in GABAergic markers, indicative of an interneuron dysfunction. Specifically, selective decreases are observed in interneurons that contain parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST). Here, we used viral knockdown in rodents to recapitulate this finding and examine the region-specific roles of PV and SST on neuronal activity and behaviors associated with positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. We found that PV and SST had differential effects on neuronal activity and behavior when knocked down in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Specifically, SST or PV knockdown in the vHipp increased pyramidal cell activity of the region and produced downstream effects on dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In contrast, mPFC knockdown did not affect the activity of VTA dopamine neuron activity; however, it did produce deficits in negative (social interaction) and cognitive (reversal learning) domains. Taken together, decreases in PV and/or SST were sufficient to produce schizophrenia-like deficits that were dependent on the region targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Angela Boley
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
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32
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Pre-frontal parvalbumin interneurons in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of post-mortem studies. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019; 126:1637-1651. [PMID: 31529297 PMCID: PMC6856257 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-019-02080-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Parvalbumin interneurons are fast-spiking GABAergic neurons that provide inhibitory control of cortical and subcortical circuits and are thought to be a key locus of the pathophysiology underlying schizophrenia. In view of the contradictory results regarding the nature of parvalbumin post-mortem findings in schizophrenia, we conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of the data on parvalbumin cell density and parvalbumin mRNA levels in pre-frontal regions in the brains of patients with schizophrenia (n = 274) compared with healthy controls (n = 275). The results suggest that parvalbumin interneurons are reduced in density in the frontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia (Hedges’ g = − 0.27; p = 0.03) and there is a non-significant reduction in parvalbumin mRNA levels (g = − 0.44; p = 0.12). However, certain methodological issues need to be considered in interpreting such results and are discussed in more detail. A meta-regression was conducted for post-mortem interval and year of publication as covariates which were both non-significant, except in the mRNA meta-analysis where post-mortem interval was found to be significant. Overall our findings provide tentative support for the hypothesis that the GABAergic system is deficient in schizophrenia and that parvalbumin-containing interneurons offer a potential target for treatment. However, further well-controlled studies that examine multiple regions and layers are warranted to determine whether parvalbumin alterations are region or layer specific and to test the robustness of the findings further.
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Insights on current and novel antipsychotic mechanisms from the MAM model of schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2019; 163:107632. [PMID: 31077730 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Current antipsychotic drugs (APDs) act on D2 receptors, and preclinical studies demonstrate that repeated D2 antagonist administration downregulates spontaneously active DA neurons by producing overexcitation-induced inactivation of firing (depolarization block). Animal models of schizophrenia based on the gestational MAM administration produces offspring with adult phenotypes consistent with schizophrenia, including ventral hippocampal hyperactivity and a DA neuron overactivity. The MAM model reveals that APDs act differently in a hyperdopamineregic system compared to a normal one, including rapid onset of depolarization block in response to acute D2 antagonist administration and downregulation of DA neuron population activity following acute and repeated D2 partial agonist administration, none of which are observed in normal rats. Novel target compounds have been developed based on the theory that glutamatergic dysfunction is central to schizophrenia pathology. Despite showing promise in preclinical research, none of the novel drugs succeeded in clinical trials. However, preclinical research is generally performed in normal, drug-naïve rats, whereas models with disease-relevant pathology and prior APD exposure may improve the predictive validity of preclinical research. Indeed, in MAM rats, chronic D2 antagonist treatment leads to persistent DA supersensitivity that interferes with the response to drugs that target upstream pathology. Moreover, MAM rats revealed that the peri-pubertal period is a stress-sensitive window that can be targeted to prevent the development of MAM pathology in adulthood. Neurodevelopmental models, such as the MAM model, can thus be used to test potential pharmacotherapies that may be able to treat schizophrenia in early stages of the disease. This article is part of the issue entitled 'Special Issue on Antipsychotics'.
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Ma L, Wang Y, Hui Y, Du Y, Chen Z, Feng H, Zhang S, Li N, Song J, Fang Y, Xu X, Shi L, Zhang B, Cheng J, Zhou S, Liu L, Zhang X. WNT/NOTCH Pathway Is Essential for the Maintenance and Expansion of Human MGE Progenitors. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 12:934-949. [PMID: 31056478 PMCID: PMC6524734 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-like cells yielded from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great potentials for cell therapies of related neurological disorders. However, cues that orchestrate the maintenance versus differentiation of human MGE progenitors, and ways for large-scale expansion of these cells have not been investigated. Here, we report that WNT/CTNNB1 signaling plays an essential role in maintaining MGE-like cells derived from hPSCs. Ablation of CTNNB1 in MGE cells led to precocious cell-cycle exit and advanced neuronal differentiation. Activation of WNT signaling through genetic or chemical approach was sufficient to maintain MGE cells in an expandable manner with authentic neuronal differentiation potencies through activation of endogenous NOTCH signaling. Our findings reveal that WNT/NOTCH signaling cascade is a key player in governing the maintenance versus terminal differentiation of MGE progenitors in humans. Large-scale expansion of functional MGE progenitors for cell therapies can therefore be achieved by modifying WNT/NOTCH pathway. WNT/CTNNB1 signaling is robustly activated in specified human MGE progenitors Ablation of CTNNB1 in human MGE cells leads to advanced neuronal differentiation Activation of WNT signaling maintains MGE progenitors in a proliferative state WNT/CTNNB1 signaling maintains MGE progenitors via activation of NOTCH signaling
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ma
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yiran Wang
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yi Hui
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanhua Du
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hexi Feng
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shuwei Zhang
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Nan Li
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jianren Song
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Reconstruction and Regeneration of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Yujiang Fang
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiangjie Xu
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Bowen Zhang
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jiayi Cheng
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Reconstruction and Regeneration of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhang
- Brain and Spinal Cord Innovative Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Reconstruction and Regeneration of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200065, China; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Room 508, Shanghai 200092, China; Tsingtao Advanced Research Institute, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, Shanghai 200120, China; Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China.
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Perez SM, Donegan JJ, Lodge DJ. Effect of estrous cycle on schizophrenia-like behaviors in MAM exposed rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:258-265. [PMID: 30660776 PMCID: PMC6394843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although there are clear sex differences in individuals with schizophrenia, preclinical research has historically favored the use of male rats for behavioral studies. The methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) model is a gestational disruption model of schizophrenia and has been reported to produce robust behavioral, neurophysiological and anatomical alterations in male rats; however, whether similar effects are observed in female rats is less well known. In this study, we characterize the behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular alterations induced by prenatal MAM administration in female rats while also examining the potential effects of the estrous cycle on schizophrenia-like behaviors. Specifically, MAM-treated female offspring demonstrated deficits in sensorimotor gating, latent inhibition, and social interaction, consistent with those observed in male animals. Interestingly, amphetamine-induced locomotor activity, latent inhibition, and social interaction were also affected by the estrous cycle. To examine the potential cellular mechanisms associated with these behavioral alterations, we analyzed hippocampal parvalbumin (PV) interneurons. Deficits in PV interneuron number and high-frequency gamma oscillations were disrupted in female MAM-treated rats regardless of the stage of the estrous cycle; however, alterations in PV protein expression were more prominent during metestrus/diestrus. Taken together, these data suggest that prenatal MAM exposure in female rats produces robust behavioral, molecular, and physiological deficits consistent with those observed in the male MAM model of schizophrenia. Moreover, our results also suggest that specific schizophrenia-like symptoms can also be influenced by the estrous cycle, and further emphasize the importance of sex as a biological variable when using preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- UT Health San Antonio, Department of Pharmacology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Perez SM, Donegan JJ, Boley AM, Aguilar DD, Giuffrida A, Lodge DJ. Ventral hippocampal overexpression of Cannabinoid Receptor Interacting Protein 1 (CNRIP1) produces a schizophrenia-like phenotype in the rat. Schizophr Res 2019; 206:263-270. [PMID: 30522798 PMCID: PMC6525642 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent cannabis use has been implicated as a risk factor for schizophrenia; however, it is neither necessary nor sufficient. Previous studies examining this association have focused primarily on the role of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) with relatively little known about a key regulatory protein, the cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1 (CNRIP1). CNRIP1 is an intracellular protein that interacts with the C-terminal tail of CB1R and regulates its intrinsic activity. Previous studies have demonstrated aberrant CNRIP1 DNA promoter methylation in post-mortem in human patients with schizophrenia, and we have recently reported decreased methylation of the CNRIP1 DNA promoter in the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) of a rodent model of schizophrenia susceptibility. To examine whether augmented CNRIP1 expression could contribute to the pathology of schizophrenia, we performed viral-mediated overexpression of CNRIP1 in the vHipp of Sprague Dawley rats. We then tested these rats for behavioral correlates of schizophrenia symptoms, followed by electrophysiology to determine the effects on the dopamine system, known to underlie psychosis. Here, we report that overexpression of vHipp CNRIP1 induces impairments in latent inhibition and social interaction, similar to those observed in individuals with schizophrenia and in rodent models of the disease. Furthermore, rats overexpressing vHipp CNRIP1 displayed a significant increase in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron population activity, a putative correlate of psychosis. These data provide evidence that alterations in CNRIP1 may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, as overexpression is sufficient to produce neurophysiological and behavioral correlates consistently observed in rodent models of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Angela M Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - David D Aguilar
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132, USA
| | - Andrea Giuffrida
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7764, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Gill BJA, Khan FA, McKhann GM. You're Not Hallucinating: Potential New Targets for Schizophrenia Treatment. Neurosurgery 2018; 84:E146-E147. [DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyy628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Perez SM, Lodge DJ. Convergent Inputs from the Hippocampus and Thalamus to the Nucleus Accumbens Regulate Dopamine Neuron Activity. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10607-10618. [PMID: 30355626 PMCID: PMC6290296 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2629-16.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant hippocampal activity is observed in individuals with schizophrenia and is thought to underlie the augmented dopamine system function associated with psychosis. The pathway by which the ventral hippocampus (vHipp) regulates dopamine neuron activity has been demonstrated previously and involves a glutamatergic projection to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Recent postmortem studies have confirmed glutamatergic abnormalities in the NAc of individuals with schizophrenia. Specifically, an increase in vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGlut2) expression was reported. Although projections from the hippocampus do express vGlut2, inputs from the thalamus are more likely to account for this alteration; however, the role of thalamic inputs to the NAc in the regulation of dopamine neuron activity has not been elucidated. Here, using male Sprague Dawley rats, we demonstrate that a subset of NAc medium spiny neurons receive convergent inputs from the vHipp and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), with both regions working synergistically to regulate dopamine neuron activity. Activation of either the vHipp or PVT increases the number of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Moreover, this regulation requires simultaneous activity in both regions because PVT inactivation can reverse vHipp-induced increases in dopamine neuron population activity and vHipp inactivation can reverse PVT-induced increases. This is relevant to schizophrenia because inactivation of either the vHipp or PVT is sufficient to reverse aberrant dopamine system function in two distinct rodent models. These data suggest that thalamic abnormalities may contribute to the aberrant dopamine system function observed in schizophrenia and that the PVT represents a novel site of intervention for psychosis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Current treatments for schizophrenia are far from adequate and a more complete understanding of the pathophysiology underlying this disease is warranted if we are to discover novel therapeutic targets. We have previously demonstrated that the aberrant dopamine system function observed in individuals with schizophrenia and rodent models is driven by increases in hippocampal activity. We now demonstrate that thalamic (paraventricular nucleus, PVT) and ventral hippocampal afferents converge in the nucleus accumbens to regulate dopamine system function. Such information provides a potential site for therapeutic intervention for schizophrenia. Indeed, inactivation of the PVT can effectively reverse aberrant dopamine system function in two distinct rodent models displaying circuit level alterations and corresponding behavioral deficits relevant to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78229
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Nirzhor SSR, Khan RI, Neelotpol S. The Biology of Glial Cells and Their Complex Roles in Alzheimer's Disease: New Opportunities in Therapy. Biomolecules 2018; 8:biom8030093. [PMID: 30201881 PMCID: PMC6164719 DOI: 10.3390/biom8030093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of significant interest to the scientific community, its pathogenesis is very complicated and not well-understood. A great deal of progress has been made in AD research recently and with the advent of these new insights more therapeutic benefits may be identified that could help patients around the world. Much of the research in AD thus far has been very neuron-oriented; however, recent studies suggest that glial cells, i.e., microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (NG2 glia), are linked to the pathogenesis of AD and may offer several potential therapeutic targets against AD. In addition to a number of other functions, glial cells are responsible for maintaining homeostasis (i.e., concentration of ions, neurotransmitters, etc.) within the central nervous system (CNS) and are crucial to the structural integrity of neurons. This review explores the: (i) role of glial cells in AD pathogenesis; (ii) complex functionalities of the components involved; and (iii) potential therapeutic targets that could eventually lead to a better quality of life for AD patients.
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Huo C, Liu X, Zhao J, Zhao T, Huang H, Ye H. Abnormalities in behaviour, histology and prefrontal cortical gene expression profiles relevant to schizophrenia in embryonic day 17 MAM-Exposed C57BL/6 mice. Neuropharmacology 2018; 140:287-301. [PMID: 30056124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Gestational and perinatal disruption of neural development increases the risk of developing schizophrenia (SCZ) later in life. Embryonic day 17 (E17) methylazoxymethanol (MAM) treatment leads to histological, physiological and behavioural abnormalities in post-puberty rats that model the neuropathological and cognitive deficits reported in SCZ patients. However, the validity of E17 MAM-exposed mice to model SCZ has not been explored. Here we treated E17 C57BL/6 mouse dams with various dosages of MAM. We found that this mouse strain was more vulnerable to MAM treatment than rats and there were gender differences in behavioural abnormalities, histological changes and prefrontal cortical gene expression profiles in MAM (7.5 mg/kg)-exposed mice. Both male and female MAM-exposed mice had deficits in prepulse inhibition. Female MAM-exposed mice exhibited mildly increased spontaneous locomotion activity and social recognition deficits, while male mice were normal. Consistently, only female MAM-exposed mice exhibited reduced brain weight, decreased size of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and enlarged lateral ventricles. Transcriptome analysis of the PFC revealed that there were more differentially expressed genes in female MAM-exposed mice than those in male mice. Moreover, expression of Pvalb, Arc and genes in their association networks were downregulated in the PFC of female MAM-exposed mice. These results indicate that E17 MAM-exposure in C57BL/6 mice leads to behavioural changes that model certain deficits reported in SCZ patients. MAM-exposed female mice may be used to study gene expression changes, inhibitory neural circuit dysfunction and glutamatergic synaptic plasticity deficits with a possible relation to those in the brains of SCZ patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyue Huo
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Yanjing Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Xu Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jialu Zhao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Tian Zhao
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Huiling Huang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Haihong Ye
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
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Donegan JJ, Boley AM, Lodge DJ. Embryonic stem cell transplants as a therapeutic strategy in a rodent model of autism. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1789-1798. [PMID: 29453447 PMCID: PMC6006318 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0021-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by disruptions in three core behavioral domains: deficits in social interaction, impairments in communication, and repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior or thought. There are currently no drugs available for the treatment of the core symptoms of ASD and drugs that target comorbid symptoms often have serious adverse side effects, suggesting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. The neurobiology of autism is complex, but converging evidence suggests that ASD involves disruptions in the inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmitter system. Specifically, people with autism have a reduction in parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons in the PFC, leading to the suggestion that restoring interneuron function in this region may be a novel therapeutic approach for ASD. Here we used a dual-reporter embryonic stem cell line to generate enriched populations of PV-positive interneurons, which were transplanted into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the Poly I:C rodent model of autism. PV interneuron transplants were able to decrease pyramidal cell firing in the mPFC and alleviated deficits in social interaction and cognitive flexibility. Our results suggest that restoring PV interneuron function in the mPFC may be a novel and effective treatment strategy to reduce the core symptoms of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Angela M Boley
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
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LaMarca EA, Powell SK, Akbarian S, Brennand KJ. Modeling Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases With Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:82. [PMID: 29666786 PMCID: PMC5891587 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have revolutionized our ability to model neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, and recent progress in the field is paving the way for improved therapeutics. In this review, we discuss major advances in generating hiPSC-derived neural cells and cutting-edge techniques that are transforming hiPSC technology, such as three-dimensional "mini-brains" and clustered, regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas systems. We examine specific examples of how hiPSC-derived neural cells are being used to uncover the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, and consider the future of this groundbreaking research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. LaMarca
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Samuel K. Powell
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kristen J. Brennand
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Bulin SE, Mendoza ML, Richardson DR, Song KH, Solberg TD, Yun S, Eisch AJ. Dentate gyrus neurogenesis ablation via cranial irradiation enhances morphine self-administration and locomotor sensitization. Addict Biol 2018. [PMID: 28626932 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adult dentate gyrus (DG) neurogenesis is important for hippocampal-dependent learning and memory, but the role of new neurons in addiction-relevant learning and memory is unclear. To test the hypothesis that neurogenesis is involved in the vulnerability to morphine addiction, we ablated adult DG neurogenesis and examined morphine self-administration (MSA) and locomotor sensitization. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent hippocampal-focused, image-guided X-ray irradiation (IRR) to eliminate new DG neurons or sham treatment (Sham). Six weeks later, rats underwent either MSA (Sham = 16, IRR = 15) or locomotor sensitization (Sham = 12, IRR = 12). Over 21 days of MSA, IRR rats self-administered ~70 percent more morphine than Sham rats. After 28 days of withdrawal, IRR rats pressed the active lever 40 percent more than Sham during extinction. This was not a general enhancement of learning or locomotion, as IRR and Sham groups had similar operant learning and inactive lever presses. For locomotor sensitization, both IRR and Sham rats sensitized, but IRR rats sensitized faster and to a greater extent. Furthermore, dose-response revealed that IRR rats were more sensitive at a lower dose. Importantly, these increases in locomotor activity were not apparent after acute morphine administration and were not a byproduct of irradiation or post-irradiation recovery time. Therefore, these data, along with other previously published data, indicate that reduced hippocampal neurogenesis confers vulnerability for multiple classes of drugs. Thus, therapeutics to specifically increase or stabilize hippocampal neurogenesis could aid in preventing initial addiction as well as future relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Bulin
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
- Department of Pharmacology; University of Texas Health Science Center; San Antonio TX USA
| | - Matthew L. Mendoza
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
| | - Devon R. Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
| | - Kwang H. Song
- Department of Radiology Oncology; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
- Texas Oncology PA; Fort Worth TX USA
| | - Timothy D. Solberg
- Department of Radiology Oncology; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology; University of California; San Francisco CA USA
| | - Sanghee Yun
- Mahoney Institute of Neurosciences; University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Amelia J. Eisch
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX USA
- Mahoney Institute of Neurosciences; University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Philadelphia PA USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Philadelphia PA USA
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44
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CRISPR interference-based specific and efficient gene inactivation in the brain. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:447-454. [PMID: 29403034 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0077-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 has been demonstrated to delete genes in postmitotic neurons. Compared to the establishment of proliferative cell lines or animal strains, it is more challenging to acquire a highly homogeneous consequence of gene editing in a stable neural network. Here we show that dCas9-based CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) can efficiently silence genes in neurons. Using a pseudotarget fishing strategy, we demonstrate that CRISPRi shows superior targeting specificity without detectable off-target activity. Furthermore, CRISPRi can achieve multiplex inactivation of genes fundamental for neurotransmitter release with high efficiency. By developing conditional CRISPRi tools targeting synaptotagmin I (Syt1), we modified the excitatory to inhibitory balance in the dentate gyrus of the mouse hippocampus and found that the dentate gyrus has distinct regulatory roles in learning and affective processes in mice. We therefore recommend CRISPRi as a useful tool for more rapid investigation of gene function in the mammalian brain.
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Aguilar DD, Giuffrida A, Lodge DJ. Adolescent Synthetic Cannabinoid Exposure Produces Enduring Changes in Dopamine Neuron Activity in a Rodent Model of Schizophrenia Susceptibility. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 21:393-403. [PMID: 29329382 PMCID: PMC5887672 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies recognize cannabis intake as a risk factor for schizophrenia, yet the majority of adolescents who use marijuana do not develop psychosis. Similarly, the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids poses a risk for psychosis. For these reasons, it is imperative to understand the effects of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in susceptible individuals. METHODS We recently developed a novel rodent model of schizophrenia susceptibility, the F2 methylazoxymethanol acetate rat, where only a proportion (~40%) of rats display a schizophrenia-like phenotype. Using this model, we examined the effects of adolescent synthetic cannabinoid exposure (0.2 mg/kg WIN55, 212-2, i.p.) or adolescent endocannabinoid upregulation (0.3 mg/kg URB597, i.p.) on dopamine neuron activity and amphetamine sensitivity in adulthood. RESULTS Adolescent synthetic cannabinoid exposure significantly increased the proportion of susceptible rats displaying a schizophrenia-like hyperdopaminergic phenotype after puberty without producing any observable alterations in control rats. Furthermore, this acquired phenotype appears to correspond with alterations in parvalbumin interneuron function within the hippocampus. Endocannabinoid upregulation during adolescence also increased the proportion of susceptible rats developing an increase in dopamine neuron activity; however, it did not alter the behavioral response to amphetamine, further emphasizing differences between exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these studies provide experimental evidence that adolescent synthetic cannabinoid exposure may contribute to psychosis in susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D Aguilar
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas,Correspondence: David D. Aguilar, PhD, Boston VA Medical Center, West Roxbury Research, Bldg 3, 2A115 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132 ()
| | - Andrea Giuffrida
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas
| | - Daniel J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickole Kanyuch
- Medical Scientist Training Program, The University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Stewart Anderson
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Child and Adolsecent Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, ARC 517, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5127, US; tel: 215-590-6527; fax: 215-590-6523; e-mail:
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Donegan JJ, Tyson JA, Branch SY, Beckstead MJ, Anderson SA, Lodge DJ. Stem cell-derived interneuron transplants as a treatment for schizophrenia: preclinical validation in a rodent model. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:1492-1501. [PMID: 27480492 PMCID: PMC5290293 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
An increasing literature suggests that schizophrenia is associated with a reduction in hippocampal interneuron function. Thus, we posit that stem cell-derived interneuron transplants may be an effective therapeutic strategy to reduce hippocampal hyperactivity and attenuate behavioral deficits in schizophrenia. Here we used a dual-reporter embryonic stem cell line to generate enriched populations of parvalbumin (PV)- or somatostatin (SST)-positive interneurons, which were transplanted into the ventral hippocampus of the methylazoxymethanol rodent model of schizophrenia. These interneuron transplants integrate within the existing circuitry, reduce hippocampal hyperactivity and normalize aberrant dopamine neuron activity. Further, interneuron transplants alleviate behaviors that model negative and cognitive symptoms, including deficits in social interaction and cognitive inflexibility. Interestingly, PV- and SST-enriched transplants produced differential effects on behavior, with PV-enriched populations effectively normalizing all the behaviors examined. These data suggest that the stem cell-derived interneuron transplants may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - J A Tyson
- Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S Y Branch
- Department of Physiology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - M J Beckstead
- Department of Physiology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - S A Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - D J Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Soliman MA, Aboharb F, Zeltner N, Studer L. Pluripotent stem cells in neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:1241-1249. [PMID: 28322279 PMCID: PMC5582162 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders place an enormous medical burden on patients across all social and economic ranks. The current understanding of the molecular and cellular causes of neuropsychiatric disease remains limited, which leads to a lack of targeted therapies. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers a novel platform for modeling the genetic contribution to mental disorders and yields access to patient-specific cells for drug discovery and personalized medicine. Here, we review recent progress in using iPSC technology to model and potentially treat neuropsychiatric disorders by focusing on the most prevalent conditions in psychiatry, including depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Soliman
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology and Center of Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - F Aboharb
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - N Zeltner
- Developmental Biology and Center of Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - L Studer
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology and Center of Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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49
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Ruggiero RN, Rossignoli MT, De Ross JB, Hallak JEC, Leite JP, Bueno-Junior LS. Cannabinoids and Vanilloids in Schizophrenia: Neurophysiological Evidence and Directions for Basic Research. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:399. [PMID: 28680405 PMCID: PMC5478733 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Much of our knowledge of the endocannabinoid system in schizophrenia comes from behavioral measures in rodents, like prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle and open-field locomotion, which are commonly used along with neurochemical approaches or drug challenge designs. Such methods continue to map fundamental mechanisms of sensorimotor gating, hyperlocomotion, social interaction, and underlying monoaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic disturbances. These strategies will require, however, a greater use of neurophysiological tools to better inform clinical research. In this sense, electrophysiology and viral vector-based circuit dissection, like optogenetics, can further elucidate how exogenous cannabinoids worsen (e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol, THC) or ameliorate (e.g., cannabidiol, CBD) schizophrenia symptoms, like hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive deficits. Also, recent studies point to a complex endocannabinoid-endovanilloid interplay, including the influence of anandamide (endogenous CB1 and TRPV1 agonist) on cognitive variables, such as aversive memory extinction. In fact, growing interest has been devoted to TRPV1 receptors as promising therapeutic targets. Here, these issues are reviewed with an emphasis on the neurophysiological evidence. First, we contextualize imaging and electrographic findings in humans. Then, we present a comprehensive review on rodent electrophysiology. Finally, we discuss how basic research will benefit from further combining psychopharmacological and neurophysiological tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael N Ruggiero
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Matheus T Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jana B De Ross
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil.,National Institute for Science and Technology-Translational Medicine, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Joao P Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lezio S Bueno-Junior
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São PauloRibeirão Preto, Brazil
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Medial Ganglionic Eminence Progenitors Transplanted into Hippocampus Integrate in a Functional and Subtype-Appropriate Manner. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0359-16. [PMID: 28413826 PMCID: PMC5388838 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0359-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) transplantation rescues disease phenotypes in various preclinical models with interneuron deficiency or dysfunction, including epilepsy. While underlying mechanism(s) remains unclear to date, a simple explanation is that appropriate synaptic integration of MGE-derived interneurons elevates GABA-mediated inhibition and modifies the firing activity of excitatory neurons in the host brain. However, given the complexity of interneurons and potential for transplant-derived interneurons to integrate or alter the host network in unexpected ways, it remains unexplored whether synaptic connections formed by transplant-derived interneurons safely mirror those associated with endogenous interneurons. Here, we combined optogenetics, interneuron-specific Cre driver mouse lines, and electrophysiology to study synaptic integration of MGE progenitors. We demonstrated that MGE-derived interneurons, when transplanted into the hippocampus of neonatal mice, migrate in the host brain, differentiate to mature inhibitory interneurons, and form appropriate synaptic connections with native pyramidal neurons. Endogenous and transplant-derived MGE progenitors preferentially formed inhibitory synaptic connections onto pyramidal neurons but not endogenous interneurons. These findings demonstrate that transplanted MGE progenitors functionally integrate into the postnatal hippocampal network.
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