gamma-Aminobutyric acidA receptor pharmacology in rat cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomes

GABAA Receptor Expression in the Forebrain of Ataxic Rolling Nagoya Mice

The human CACNA1A gene encodes the pore-forming α₁ subunit of Ca_V2.1 (P/Q-type) calcium channels and is the locus for several neurological disorders, including episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2), spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) and Familial Hemiplegic Migraine type 1 (FHM1). Several spontaneous mouse Cacna1a mutant strains exist, among them Rolling Nagoya (tg^rol), carrying the R1262G point mutation in the mouse Cacna1a gene. tg^rol mice display a phenotype of severe gait ataxia and motor dysfunction of the hind limbs. At the functional level, the R1262G mutation results in a positive shift of the activation voltage of the Ca_V2.1 channel and reduced current density. γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABA_A) receptor subunit expression depends critically on neuronal calcium influx, and GABA_A receptor dysfunction has previously been described for the cerebellum of tg^rol and other ataxic Cacna1a mutant mice. Given the expression pattern of Ca_V2.1, it was hypothesized that calcium dysregulation in tg^rol might affect GABA_A receptor expression in the forebrain. Herein, functional GABA_A receptors in the forebrain of tg^rol mice were quantified and pharmacologically dissociated using [³H] radioligand binding. No gross changes to functional GABA_A receptors were identified. Future cell type-specific analyses are required to identify possible cortical contributions to the psychomotor phenotype of tg^rol mice.

Prototypic GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol acts preferentially through forebrain high-affinity binding sites

Muscimol has been regarded as a universal agonist for all gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABA(A)-R) subtypes. However, brain regional distribution of muscimol's high-affinity binding sites greatly differs from those of other binding sites of the GABA(A)-R. To test whether behavioral effects of muscimol correlated with the density of high-affinity [(3)H]muscimol binding, we examined several GABA(A)-R subunit gene-modified mouse lines: alpha1, alpha4, or delta-knockouts (KO), alpha4+delta-double KO, and Thy1.2 promoter-driven alpha6 transgenic mice (Thy1alpha6). We determined the high-affinity [(3)H]muscimol binding in brain sections by quantitative autoradiography and sedative/ataxic effects induced in vivo by muscimol using a constant speed rotarod. alpha4-KO mice had reduced [(3)H]muscimol binding in the caudate-putamen, thalamus, and hippocampus, and were less sensitive to the behavioral impairment by muscimol. Similarly, delta-KO mice also had reduced binding to forebrain regions and a lower behavioral sensitivity to muscimol than their wild-type controls. In contrast, alpha1-KO mice had unaltered behavioral sensitivity to muscimol and unaltered [(3)H]muscimol binding, even though previous studies have demonstrated dramatically reduced binding to various other GABA(A)-R sites in these mice. Finally, Thy1alpha6 mice exhibited increased behavioral sensitivity to muscimol, and to another direct GABA-site agonist gaboxadol, and increased [(3)H]muscimol binding in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Thus, the differences in sedative and motor-impairing actions of muscimol in various mouse models correlated with the level of forebrain high-affinity [(3)H]muscimol binding. These data suggest that a small special population of GABA(A)-Rs, most likely extrasynaptic non-alpha1-containing receptors, strongly contributes to the in vivo pharmacological effects of muscimol.

Low dose acute alcohol effects on GABA A receptor subtypes

GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs) are the main inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors and have long been implicated in mediating at least part of the acute actions of ethanol. For example, ethanol and GABAergic drugs including barbiturates and benzodiazepines share many pharmacological properties. Besides the prototypical synaptic GABA(A)R subtypes, nonsynaptic GABA(A)Rs have recently emerged as important regulators of neuronal excitability. While high doses (> or =100 mM) of ethanol have been reported to enhance activity of most GABA(A)R subtypes, most abundant synaptic GABA(A)Rs are essentially insensitive to ethanol concentrations that occur during social ethanol consumption (< 30 mM). However, extrasynaptic delta and beta3 subunit-containing GABA(A)Rs, associated in the brain with alpha4 or alpha6 subunits, are sensitive to low millimolar ethanol concentrations, as produced by drinking half a glass of wine. Additionally, we found that a mutation in the cerebellar alpha6 subunit (alpha6R100Q), initially reported in rats selectively bred for increased alcohol sensitivity, is sufficient to produce increased alcohol-induced motor impairment and further increases of alcohol sensitivity in recombinant alpha6beta3delta receptors. Furthermore, the behavioral alcohol antagonist Ro15-4513 blocks the low dose alcohol enhancement on alpha4/6/beta3delta receptors, without reducing GABA-induced currents. In binding assays alpha4beta3delta GABA(A)Rs bind [(3)H]Ro15-4513 with high affinity, and this binding is inhibited, in an apparently competitive fashion, by low ethanol concentrations, as well as analogs of Ro15-4513 that are active to antagonize ethanol or Ro15-4513's block of ethanol. We conclude that most low to moderate dose alcohol effects are mediated by alcohol actions on alcohol/Ro15-4513 binding sites on GABA(A)R subtypes.

Alcohol effects on gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors: are extrasynaptic receptors the answer?

GABA(A) receptors have long been implicated in mediating at least part of the actions of ethanol in mammalian brain. However, until very recently, reports of the actions of EtOH on recombinant receptors have required very high doses of ethanol and animals lacking receptor subunits shown to be important for ethanol actions in vitro did not support the view that these subunits are crucial in ethanol actions. Recombinant alpha4beta3delta and alpha6beta3delta GABA(A) receptors are uniquely sensitive to ethanol, with a dose-response relationship mirroring the well known effects of alcohol consumption on the human brain. Receptors containing the delta subunit are thought to be located extrasynaptically and it will be important to determine if these extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptor subunit combinations mediate low dose alcohol effects in vivo.

Potentiation of GABA(A) receptor agonists by GABA uptake inhibitors in the rat ventral midbrain

Whole-cell patch recordings were made from dopamine-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra zona compacta (SNC). Isoguvacine evoked an outward current (at -60 mV) in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC50 of 62+/-8 microM. The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake inhibitor 1-(2(((diphenylmethylene)imino)oxy)ethyl)-1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid hydrochloride (NO 711) (3 microM) shifted the isoguvacine concentration-response curve to the left, with a new EC50 of 22+/-4 microM. L-Arginine (3 mM) also shifted the isoguvacine concentration-response curve to the left, with a new EC50 of 29+/-5 microM. L-Arginine (3 mM) increased the currents evoked by GABA (100 microM) and muscimol (1 microM) by 208% and 261%, respectively. The GABA uptake inhibitor 4,5,6,7,-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5-c]-pyridin-3-ol hydrobromide (THPO) (300 microM) not only mimicked but also occluded the ability of L-arginine (3 mM) to potentiate currents evoked by isoguvacine. Equimolar replacement of Na+ with choline increased GABA-evoked currents, suggesting that a low Na+ concentration has an inhibitory effect on GABA transport. Low Na+ concentration (25 mM) inhibited isoguvacine currents but still occluded the potentiating effects of L-arginine. We conclude that GABA uptake inhibitors potentiate the actions of the GABA(A) receptor agonists, isoguvacine and muscimol, probably because they are effective substrates for GABA transporters in the ventral midbrain.

Evidence for a G protein-coupled gamma-hydroxybutyric acid receptor

gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a naturally occurring metabolite of GABA that has been postulated to exert ubiquitous neuropharmacological effects through GABA(B) receptor (GABA(B)R)-mediated mechanisms. The alternative hypothesis that GHB acts via a GHB-specific, G protein-coupled presynaptic receptor that is different from the GABA(B)R was tested. The effect of GHB on regional and subcellular brain adenylyl cyclase in adult and developing rats was determined and compared with that of the GABA(B)R agonist (-)-baclofen. Also, using guanosine 5'-O:-(3-[(35)S]thiotriphosphate) ([(35)S]GTPgammaS) binding and low-K:(m) GTPase activity as markers the effects of GHB and (-)-baclofen on G protein activity in the brain were determined. Neither GHB nor baclofen had an effect on basal cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels. GHB significantly decreased forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels by 40-50% in cortex and hippocampus but not thalamus or cerebellum, whereas (-)-baclofen had an effect throughout the brain. The effect of GHB on adenylyl cyclase was observed in presynaptic and not postsynaptic subcellular tissue preparations, but the effect of baclofen was observed in both subcellular preparations. The GHB-induced alteration in forskolin-induced cAMP formation was blocked by a specific GHB antagonist but not a specific GABA(B)R antagonist. The (-)-baclofen-induced alteration in forskolin-induced cAMP formation was blocked by a specific GABA(B)R antagonist but not a specific GHB antagonist. The negative coupling of GHB to adenylyl cyclase appeared at postnatal day 21, a developmental time point that is concordant with the developmental appearance of [(3)H]GHB binding in cerebral cortex, but the effects of (-)-baclofen were present by postnatal day 14. GHB and baclofen both stimulated [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding and low-K:(m) GTPase activity by 40-50%. The GHB-induced effect was blocked by GHB antagonists but not by GABA(B)R antagonists and was seen only in cortex and hippocampus. The (-)-baclofen-induced effect was blocked by GABA(B)R antagonists but not by GHB antagonists and was observed throughout the brain. These data support the hypothesis that GHB induces a G protein-mediated decrease in adenylyl cyclase via a GHB-specific G protein-coupled presynaptic receptor that is different from the GABA(B)R.

Isolation and characterization of synaptoneurosomes from single rat hippocampal slices

A technique for recovering functional synaptoneurosomes containing vesicularized elements of the presynapse and postsynapse into an enriched fraction has been modified to allow for small amounts of starting brain tissue. Single 400 microm rat hippocampal slices were homogenized and sequentially filtered in a 1 cc tuberculin syringe to produce an enriched synaptoneurosome fraction. Data from Western immunoblots for specific synaptic proteins suggest that these fractions are neurochemically similar to synaptosome fractions generated by sucrose gradients. Electron micrographs show that the 'small scale' preparations contain an abundant population of fused presynaptic and postsynaptic vesicularized bodies as previously published for synaptoneurosome fractions prepared from relatively large amounts of starting tissue. The single slice synaptoneurosome preparation is a quick, easy and reliable method for use in the study of synaptic function.

Inhibition of GABAA ligand-gated Cl- channels by zinc in adult rat brain: a regional study

Zinc (Zn2+) was shown to invariably inhibit muscimol-stimulated 36Cl- uptake by synaptoneurosomes in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. The Zn2+ sensitivity of the GABAA receptor-gated 36Cl- uptake in the cerebral cortex was comparable to that in the hippocampus, whereas the uptake in the cerebellum was less sensitive to Zn2+. Although diazepam-potentiation of muscimol-stimulated 36Cl- uptake was unaltered by 100 microM Zn2+ in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, diazepam caused no enhancement in the presence of Zn2+ in the cerebellum. Zn2+ inhibited [3H]diazepam binding significantly at 1 mM in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, whereas Ni2+ increased the binding in a concentration-dependent manner in both regions. Although lower concentrations of Zn2+ did not affect [3H]Ro 15-4513 binding to diazepam-sensitive sites, higher concentrations of ZN2+ increased the binding in both regions. Unlike the diazepam-sensitive sites, the diazepam-insensitive [3H]Ro 15-4513 binding was not affected by Zn2+ or Ni2+ at any of the tested concentrations. These results suggest that the GABAA ligand-gated Cl- flux and its diazepam-potentiation are heterogeneously modulated in various brain regions. It is also suggested that cerebellar diazepam-insensitive [3H]Ro 15-4513 binding sites are insensitive to Zn2+ and Ni2+.

From ion currents to genomic analysis: recent advances in GABAA receptor research

The gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor represents an elementary switching mechanism integral to the functioning of the central nervous system and a locus for the action of many mood- and emotion-altering agents such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, steroids, and alcohol. Anxiety, sleep disorders, and convulsive disorders have been effectively treated with therapeutic agents that enhance the action of GABA at the GABAA receptor or increase the concentration of GABA in nervous tissue. The GABAA receptor is a multimeric membrane-spanning ligand-gated ion channel that admits chloride upon binding of the neurotransmitter GABA and is modulated by many endogenous and therapeutically important agents. Since GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, modulation of its response has profound implications for brain functioning. The GABAA receptor is virtually the only site of action for the centrally acting benzodiazepines, the most widely prescribed of the anti-anxiety medications. Increasing evidence points to an important role for GABA in epilepsy and various neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent advances in molecular biology and complementary information derived from pharmacology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, anatomy and cell biology, and behavior have led to a phenomenal growth in our understanding of the structure, function, regulation, and evolution of the GABAA receptor. Benzodiazepines, barbiturates, steroids, polyvalent cations, and ethanol act as positive or negative modulators of receptor function. The description of a receptor gene superfamily comprising the subunits of the GABAA, nicotinic acetylcholine, and glycine receptors has led to a new way of thinking about gene expression and receptor assembly in the nervous system. Seventeen genetically distinct subunit subtypes (alpha 1-alpha 6, beta 1-beta 4, gamma 1-gamma 4, delta, p1-p2) and alternatively spliced variants contribute to the molecular architecture of the GABAA receptor. Mysteriously, certain preferred combinations of subunits, most notably the alpha 1 beta 2 gamma 2 arrangement, are widely codistributed, while the expression of other subunits, such as beta 1 or alpha 6, is severely restricted to specific neurons in the hippocampal formation or cerebellar cortex. Nervous tissue has the capacity to exert control over receptor number, allosteric uncoupling, subunit mRNA levels, and posttranslational modifications through cellular signal transduction mechanisms under active investigation. The genomic organization of the GABAA receptor genes suggests that the present abundance of subtypes arose during evolution through the duplication and translocations of a primordial alpha-beta-gamma gene cluster. This review describes these varied aspects of GABAA receptor research with special emphasis on contemporary cellular and molecular discoveries.

Effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on binding and function of mouse and human GABAA receptors

Both 5-HT3 receptor antagonists and benzodiazepine receptor ligands have effects on anxiety, and alter the behavioral action of ethanol. For these reasons, we tested the ability of several 5-HT3 receptor antagonists to inhibit the ligand binding and function of the gamma-aminobutyric acidA/benzodiazepine receptor Cl- channel complex of mouse brain membranes. MDL 72222 (1-a-H-3-a-5-aH-optropan-3yl-3,5-dichlorobenzoate) and LY 278584 (1-methyl-N-(8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1.]oct-3-yl)-1H-indazole-3- carboxamide) inhibited [3H]flunitrazepam binding with Ki values of approximately 20 microM; ICS 205-930 (3 alpha-tropanyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid ester) was more potent with a Ki of 0.8 microM. ICS 205-930 (50 microM) had no effect on [3H]muscimol binding. ICS 205-930, MDL 72222, and LY 278584 all inhibited the binding of [35S]TBPS (tert-butylbicyclophosphorothionate) with Ki values of approximately 10 microM and reduced muscimol-dependent 36Cl- flux into mouse cortical microsacs by 30-45% at a concentration of 10 microM. ICS 205-930, MDL 72222, and LY 278584 (at micromolar concentrations) reduced GABA-gated chloride currents studied in Xenopus oocytes expressing human alpha 1 beta 1 gamma 2S GABAA receptor subunits. ICS 205-930 differed from the other two 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in that it induced a biphasic effect on GABA-gated currents: at concentrations from 0.1 to 5 microM it potentiated GABA responses, whereas at higher concentrations (50-100 microM) it produced inhibition. The stimulatory action induced by ICS 205-930 was due to interaction at the benzodiazepine recognition site because expression of the gamma 2 subunit was required and Ro 15-1788 (1 microM) completely prevented the potentiation caused by ICS 205-930. Thus, several 5-HT3 receptor antagonists inhibit benzodiazepine binding and affect GABAA receptor function. These actions are most pronounced for ICS 205-930 and likely involve direct affects on the GABA/benzodiazepine complex rather than interactions with 5-HT3 receptors.

Interpretation and analysis of receptor binding experiments which yield non-linear Scatchard plots and binding constants dependent upon receptor concentration

Receptor-binding assays with radiolabelled ligands are widely used to evaluate the biological activity of drugs and hormones. The affinity, usually expressed as the dissociation constant (Kd), and the capacity (Bmax) of the receptor preparation for various ligands are determined in order to compare quantitatively various agonists and antagonists. Experiments with the same ligand and receptor, however, often yield rather disparate values for these binding parameters. One obvious reason for variability in Kd is that straight lines are fitted to data that are clearly curved. Another and more serious reason is that a ligand's apparent dissociation constant decreases when the receptor preparation is diluted and so experiments done at different receptor concentrations do not give identical results. We demonstrate that both of these observations, i.e. the effect of receptor concentration and the curvature of Scatchard plots, can be explained by the presence of a competitive inhibitor in the receptor preparation, a possibility which is not normally considered in the analysis and interpretation of receptor binding assays. We show that the apparent Kd obtained by the conventional one- or two-site analysis may be several orders of magnitude larger than the true dissociation constant and the affinity is therefore seriously underestimated. Application of a model, which assumes that an inhibitor is present in the receptor preparation, will improve the quantitative determination of Kd and Bmax significantly. As a simple alternative method we explain how the apparent binding parameters obtained by the conventional method should be interpreted and how they can be used to estimate the true affinity, provided sufficiently low concentration data are available.

Studies on picrotoxin binding sites of GABAA receptors in rat cortical synaptoneurosomes

Experiments were performed to characterize [35S]TBPS binding in rat cortical synaptoneurosomes, which have vesicular structures containing both pre- and postsynaptic elements. Scatchard analysis revealed a single component of [35S]TBPS binding sites with KD and Bmax values of 76.1 nM and 1.97 pmoles/mg protein, respectively, under physiological conditions. GABA and muscimol inhibited [35S]TBPS binding in a concentration-dependent manner. IC50 values of these GABAA agonists in displacing synaptoneurosomal [35S]TBPS binding are comparable to previously reported EC50 values of the agonist-stimulated 36Cl- uptake in synaptoneurosomes by these agents. Furthermore, the IC50 values of these GABAA agonists were better correspondence to those determined by [3H]muscimol binding in synaptoneurosomal preparations as reported by Delorey and Brown (3) than those determined in membrane preparations. Although bicuculline increased [35S]TBPS binding in a concentration dependent manner in cortical membranes, it did not affect synaptoneurosomal [35S]TBPS binding. Benzodiazepine agonists and inverse agonists (0.1 to 10 microM) did not show any effects on the binding in the absence of muscimol. However, benzodiazepine agonists potentiated and inverse agonists antagonized muscimol-induced inhibition of synaptoneurosomal [35S]TBPS binding. In addition, an anesthetic steroid, THDOC, and pentobarbital inhibited synaptoneurosomal [35S]TBPS binding in a concentration dependent manner. These results suggest that allosteric modulation of [35S]TBPS binding by various ligands which interact with GABAA supramolecular complexes remain intact in synaptoneurosomes. It appears that this preparation is useful for investigating correlation between functional 36Cl- uptake and individual binding studies of each of the GABAA receptor complex.