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Kim D, Yadav D, Song M. An updated review on animal models to study attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:187. [PMID: 38605002 PMCID: PMC11009407 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02893-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting both children and adolescents. Individuals with ADHD experience heterogeneous problems, such as difficulty in attention, behavioral hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Recent studies have shown that complex genetic factors play a role in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Animal models with clear hereditary traits are crucial for studying the molecular, biological, and brain circuit mechanisms underlying ADHD. Owing to their well-managed genetic origins and the relative simplicity with which the function of neuronal circuits is clearly established, models of mice can help learn the mechanisms involved in ADHD. Therefore, in this review, we highlighting the important genetic animal models that can be used to study ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daegeon Kim
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea
| | - Dhananjay Yadav
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, South Korea.
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2
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Mielnik CA, Li CK, Ramsey AJ, Salahpour A, Burnham WM, Ross RA. Cannabidiol, but Not Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Has Strain- and Genotype-Specific Effects in Models of Psychosis. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:174-187. [PMID: 36251462 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis use has been associated with an increased incidence of psychiatric disorders, yet the underlying neurobiological processes mediating these associations are poorly understood. Whereas exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been associated with the development or exacerbation of psychosis, treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) has been associated with amelioration of psychosis. In this study, we demonstrate a complex effect of CBD in mouse models of psychosis, based on factors, including dose, strain, and genotype. Methods: Adult GluN1 knockdown (GluN1KD) and dopamine transporter knockout (DATKO) mice (almost equally balanced for male/female) were acutely treated with vehicle, THC (4 mg/kg), CBD (60, 120 mg/kg), or THC:CBD (1:15, 4:60 mg/kg) and tested in behavioral assays. Results: GluN1KD and DATKO mice displayed hyperactivity, impaired habituation, and sensorimotor gating, along with increased stereotypy and vertical activity. THC, alone and in combination with CBD, produced a robust "dampening" effect on the exploratory behavior regardless of strain or genotype. CBD exhibited a more complex profile. At 60 mg/kg, CBD had minimal effects on horizontal activity, but the effects varied in terms of directionality (increase vs. decrease) in other parameters; effects on stereotypic behaviors differ by genotype, while effects on vertical exploration differ by strain×genotype. CBD at 120 mg/kg had a "dampening" effect on exploration overall, except in GluN1KD mice, where no effect was observed. In terms of sensorimotor gating, both THC and CBD had minimal effects, except for 120 mg/kg CBD, which exacerbated the acoustic startle response. Conclusions: Here, we present a study that highlights the complex mechanism of phytocannabinoids, particularly CBD, in models of psychosis-like behavior. These data require careful interpretation, as agonism of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) resulting in a decrease in locomotion can be misinterpreted as "antipsychotic-like" activity in murine behavioral outputs of psychosis. Importantly, the THC-mediated decrease in hyperexploratory behavior observed in our models (alone or in combination) was not specific to the genetic mutants, but rather was observed regardless of strain or genotype. Furthermore, CBD treatment, when comparing mutants with their wild-type littermate controls, showed little to no "antipsychotic-like" activity in our models. Therefore, it is not only important to consider dose when designing/interpreting therapeutically driven phytocannabinoid studies, but also effects of strain or genetic vulnerability respective to the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine A Mielnik
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chun Kit Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Amy J Ramsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ali Salahpour
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Ruth A Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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3
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Vallée M. Advances in steroid research from the pioneering neurosteroid concept to metabolomics: New insights into pregnenolone function. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 72:101113. [PMID: 37993022 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101113] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Advances in neuroendocrinology have led to major discoveries since the 19th century, identifying adaptive loops for maintaining homeostasis. One of the most remarkable discoveries was the concept of neurosteroids, according to which the brain is not only a target but also a source of steroid production. The identification of new membrane steroid targets now underpins the neuromodulatory effects of neurosteroids such as pregnenolone, which is involved in functions mediated by the GPCR CB1 receptor. Structural analysis of steroids is a key feature of their interactions with the phospholipid membrane, receptors and resulting activity. Therefore, mass spectrometry-based methods have been developed to elucidate the metabolic pathways of steroids, the ultimate approach being metabolomics, which allows the identification of a large number of metabolites in a single sample. This approach should enable us to make progress in understanding the role of neurosteroids in the functioning of physiological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Vallée
- University Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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4
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Sharma A, Kaur M, Yadav P, Singh G, Barnwal RP. Expediting the drug discovery for ideal leads against SARS-CoV-2 via molecular docking of repurposed drugs. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:7949-7965. [PMID: 36165445 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2127903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus spreading worldwide urges the need to repurpose drugs that can quickly enter clinical trials to combat the on-going global pandemic. A cluster of proteins are encoded for by the viral genome, each assuming a critical role in pathogen endurance inside the host. To handle the adverse circumstances, robust virtual strategies such as repurposing are coming to the fore due to being economical, efficient and rapid. Five FDA approved repurposed drugs proposed to act as inhibitors by targeting SARS-CoV-2 were used for initial evaluation via molecular docking. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the selected SARS-CoV-2 proteins against five ligands (Clemizole hydrochloride, Exemestane, Nafamostat, Pregnenolone and Umifenovir) was designed. In this regard, non-structural proteins (nsp3, nsp5, nsp10, nsp12 and nsp15), structural proteins (Spike, Nucleocapsid protein) and accessory proteins (ORF 3a, ORF 7a and ORF 9 b) were selected. Here, we aim to expedite the search for a potential drug from the five FDA approved repurposing drugs already in use for treatment of multiple diseases. Based on docking analysis, Umifenovir and Pregnenolone are suggested to show potential inhibitory effects against most of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins. These drugs are noteworthy since they exhibit high binding towards target proteins and should be used as lead compounds towards in vitro and in vivo studies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Mandeep Kaur
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Priya Yadav
- Transcription Regulation Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
| | - Gurpal Singh
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
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5
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Savchenko A, Targa G, Fesenko Z, Leo D, Gainetdinov RR, Sukhanov I. Dopamine Transporter Deficient Rodents: Perspectives and Limitations for Neuroscience. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050806. [PMID: 37238676 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050806] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The key element of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission is undoubtedly DA transporter (DAT), a transmembrane protein responsible for the synaptic reuptake of the mediator. Changes in DAT's function can be a key mechanism of pathological conditions associated with hyperdopaminergia. The first strain of gene-modified rodents with a lack of DAT were created more than 25 years ago. Such animals are characterized by increased levels of striatal DA, resulting in locomotor hyperactivity, increased levels of motor stereotypes, cognitive deficits, and other behavioral abnormalities. The administration of dopaminergic and pharmacological agents affecting other neurotransmitter systems can mitigate those abnormalities. The main purpose of this review is to systematize and analyze (1) known data on the consequences of changes in DAT expression in experimental animals, (2) results of pharmacological studies in these animals, and (3) to estimate the validity of animals lacking DAT as models for discovering new treatments of DA-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Savchenko
- Valdman Institute of Pharmacology, Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, Lev Tolstoy Str. 6-8, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Giorgia Targa
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Zoia Fesenko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Damiana Leo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya Emb., 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- St. Petersburg University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, Fontanka River Emb. 154, 190121 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ilya Sukhanov
- Valdman Institute of Pharmacology, Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, Lev Tolstoy Str. 6-8, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia
- St. Petersburg University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, Fontanka River Emb. 154, 190121 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Corsi S, Scheggi S, Pardu A, Braccagni G, Caruso D, Cioffi L, Diviccaro S, Gentile M, Fanni S, Stancampiano R, Gambarana C, Melcangi RC, Frau R, Carta M. Pregnenolone for the treatment of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol 2023; 363:114370. [PMID: 36878398 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Growing preclinical and clinical evidence highlights neurosteroid pathway imbalances in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LIDs). We recently reported that 5α-reductase (5AR) inhibitors dampen dyskinesias in parkinsonian rats; however, unraveling which specific neurosteroid mediates this effect is critical to optimize a targeted therapy. Among the 5AR-related neurosteroids, striatal pregnenolone has been shown to be increased in response to 5AR blockade and decreased after 6-OHDA lesions in the rat PD model. Moreover, this neurosteroid rescued psychotic-like phenotypes by exerting marked antidopaminergic activity. In light of this evidence, we investigated whether pregnenolone might dampen the appearance of LIDs in parkinsonian drug-naïve rats. We tested 3 escalating doses of pregnenolone (6, 18, 36 mg/kg) in 6-OHDA-lesioned male rats and compared the behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular outcomes with those induced by the 5AR inhibitor dutasteride, as positive control. The results showed that pregnenolone dose-dependently countered LIDs without affecting L-DOPA-induced motor improvements. Post-mortem analyses revealed that pregnenolone significantly prevented the increase of validated striatal markers of dyskinesias, such as phospho-Thr-34 DARPP-32 and phospho-ERK1/2, as well as D1-D3 receptor co-immunoprecipitation in a fashion similar to dutasteride. Moreover, the antidyskinetic effect of pregnenolone was paralleled by reduced striatal levels of BDNF, a well-established factor associated with the development of LIDs. In support of a direct pregnenolone effect, LC/MS-MS analyses revealed that striatal pregnenolone levels strikingly increased after the exogenous administration, with no significant alterations in downstream metabolites. All these data suggest pregnenolone as a key player in the antidyskinetic properties of 5AR inhibitors and highlight this neurosteroid as an interesting novel tool to target LIDs in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Corsi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Simona Scheggi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pardu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Giulia Braccagni
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, MI, Italy
| | - Lucia Cioffi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, MI, Italy
| | - Silvia Diviccaro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, MI, Italy
| | - Mauro Gentile
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy
| | - Silvia Fanni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy; Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Sweden
| | | | - Carla Gambarana
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, SI, Italy
| | - Roberto Cosimo Melcangi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, MI, Italy
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy; "Guy Everett Laboratory", Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Manolo Carta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, CA, Italy.
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7
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Frau R, Melis M. Sex-specific susceptibility to psychotic-like states provoked by prenatal THC exposure: Reversal by pregnenolone. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13240. [PMID: 36810840 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Sociocultural attitudes towards cannabis legalization contribute to the common misconception that it is a relatively safe drug and its use during pregnancy poses no risk to the fetus. However, longitudinal studies demonstrate that maternal cannabis exposure results in adverse outcomes in the offspring, with a heightened risk for developing psychopathology. One of the most reported psychiatric outcomes is the proneness to psychotic-like experiences during childhood. How exposure to cannabis during gestation increases psychosis susceptibility in children and adolescents remains elusive. Preclinical research has indicated that in utero exposure to the major psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), deranges brain developmental trajectories towards vulnerable psychotic-like endophenotypes later in life. Here, we present how prenatal THC exposure (PCE) deregulates mesolimbic dopamine development predisposing the offspring to schizophrenia-relevant phenotypes, exclusively when exposed to environmental challenges, such as stress or THC. Detrimental effects of PCE are sex-specific because female offspring do not display psychotic-like outcomes upon exposure to these challenges. Moreover, we present how pregnenolone, a neurosteroid that showed beneficial properties on the effects elicited by cannabis intoxication, normalizes mesolimbic dopamine function and rescues psychotic-like phenotypes. We, therefore, suggest this neurosteroid as a safe "disease-modifying" aid to prevent the onset of psychoses in vulnerable individuals. Our findings corroborate clinical evidence and highlight the relevance of early diagnostic screening and preventative strategies for young individuals at risk for mental diseases, such as male PCE offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
- The Guy Everett Laboratory for Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Miriam Melis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
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Kolas V, Bandonil JSA, Wali N, Hsia KC, Shie JJ, Chung BC. A synthetic pregnenolone analog promotes microtubule dynamics and neural development. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:190. [PMID: 36456994 PMCID: PMC9717551 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00923-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnenolone (P5) is a neurosteroid that promotes microtubule polymerization. It also reduces stress and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, promotes memory, as well as recovery from spinal cord injury. P5 is the first substance in the steroid-synthetic pathway; it can be further metabolized into other steroids. Therefore, it is difficult to differentiate the roles of P5 versus its metabolites in the brain. To alleviate this problem, we synthesized and screened a series of non-metabolizable P5 derivatives for their ability to polymerize microtubules similar to P5. RESULTS We identified compound #43 (3-beta-pregnenolone acetate), which increased microtubule polymerization. We showed that compound #43 modified microtubule dynamics in live cells, increased neurite outgrowth and changed growth cone morphology in mouse cerebellar granule neuronal culture. Furthermore, compound #43 promoted the formation of stable microtubule tracks in zebrafish developing cerebellar axons. CONCLUSIONS We have developed compound #43, a nonmetabolized P5 analog, that recapitulates P5 functions in vivo and can be a new therapeutic candidate for the treatment of neurodevelopmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoryia Kolas
- grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan ,grid.38348.340000 0004 0532 0580Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | | | - Niaz Wali
- grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan ,grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan ,grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, (TIGP-CBMB) Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Chiang Hsia
- grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Jie Shie
- grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bon-chu Chung
- grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan ,grid.38348.340000 0004 0532 0580Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan ,grid.254145.30000 0001 0083 6092Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Brain Disease Center, China Medical University, Taichung, 404 Taiwan
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9
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Osorio-Gómez D, Guzmán-Ramos K, Bermúdez-Rattoni F. Dopamine activity on the perceptual salience for recognition memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:963739. [PMID: 36275849 PMCID: PMC9583835 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.963739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must recognize relevant stimuli and distinguish them from inconspicuous information. Usually, the properties of the stimuli, such as intensity, duration, frequency, and novelty, among others, determine the salience of the stimulus. However, previously learned experiences also facilitate the perception and processing of information to establish their salience. Here, we propose “perceptual salience” to define how memory mediates the integration of inconspicuous stimuli into a relevant memory trace without apparently altering the recognition of the physical attributes or valence, enabling the detection of stimuli changes in future encounters. The sense of familiarity is essential for successful recognition memory; in general, familiarization allows the transition of labeling a stimulus from the novel (salient) to the familiar (non-salient). The novel object recognition (NOR) and object location recognition (OLRM) memory paradigms represent experimental models of recognition memory that allow us to study the neurobiological mechanisms involved in episodic memory. The catecholaminergic system has been of vital interest due to its role in several aspects of recognition memory. This review will discuss the evidence that indicates changes in dopaminergic activity during exposure to novel objects or places, promoting the consolidation and persistence of memory. We will discuss the relationship between dopaminergic activity and perceptual salience of stimuli enabling learning and consolidation processes necessary for the novel-familiar transition. Finally, we will describe the effect of dopaminergic deregulation observed in some pathologies and its impact on recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Osorio-Gómez
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Kioko Guzmán-Ramos
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Lerma, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
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Multimodal electrophysiological analyses reveal that reduced synaptic excitatory neurotransmission underlies seizures in a model of NMDAR antibody-mediated encephalitis. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1106. [PMID: 34545200 PMCID: PMC8452639 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02635-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Seizures are a prominent feature in N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor antibody (NMDAR antibody) encephalitis, a distinct neuro-immunological disorder in which specific human autoantibodies bind and crosslink the surface of NMDAR proteins thereby causing internalization and a state of NMDAR hypofunction. To further understand ictogenesis in this disorder, and to test a potential treatment compound, we developed an NMDAR antibody mediated rat seizure model that displays spontaneous epileptiform activity in vivo and in vitro. Using a combination of electrophysiological and dynamic causal modelling techniques we show that, contrary to expectation, reduction of synaptic excitatory, but not inhibitory, neurotransmission underlies the ictal events through alterations in the dynamical behaviour of microcircuits in brain tissue. Moreover, in vitro application of a neurosteroid, pregnenolone sulphate, that upregulates NMDARs, reduced established ictal activity. This proof-of-concept study highlights the complexity of circuit disturbances that may lead to seizures and the potential use of receptor-specific treatments in antibody-mediated seizures and epilepsy.
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11
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Poh L, Fann DY, Wong P, Lim HM, Foo SL, Kang SW, Rajeev V, Selvaraji S, Iyer VR, Parathy N, Khan MB, Hess DC, Jo DG, Drummond GR, Sobey CG, Lai MKP, Chen CLH, Lim LHK, Arumugam TV. AIM2 inflammasome mediates hallmark neuropathological alterations and cognitive impairment in a mouse model of vascular dementia. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:4544-4560. [PMID: 33299135 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00971-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is associated with vascular dementia (VaD). Cerebral hypoperfusion may initiate complex molecular and cellular inflammatory pathways that contribute to long-term cognitive impairment and memory loss. Here we used a bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) mouse model of VaD to investigate its effect on the innate immune response-particularly the inflammasome signaling pathway. Comprehensive analyses revealed that chronic cerebral hypoperfusion induces a complex temporal expression and activation of inflammasome components and their downstream products (IL-1β and IL-18) in different brain regions, and promotes activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic cell death pathways. Polarized glial-cell activation, white-matter lesion formation and hippocampal neuronal loss also occurred in a spatiotemporal manner. Moreover, in AIM2 knockout mice we observed attenuated inflammasome-mediated production of proinflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, and pyroptosis, as well as resistance to chronic microglial activation, myelin breakdown, hippocampal neuronal loss, and behavioral and cognitive deficits following BCAS. Hence, we have demonstrated that activation of the AIM2 inflammasome substantially contributes to the pathophysiology of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced brain injury and may therefore represent a promising therapeutic target for attenuating cognitive impairment in VaD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luting Poh
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David Y Fann
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Peiyan Wong
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Meng Lim
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sok Lin Foo
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sung-Wook Kang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vismitha Rajeev
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sharmelee Selvaraji
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vinaya Rajagopal Iyer
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nageiswari Parathy
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - David C Hess
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Dong-Gyu Jo
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Grant R Drummond
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher G Sobey
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Mitchell K P Lai
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Memory, Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christopher Li-Hsian Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Memory, Aging and Cognition Centre, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lina H K Lim
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thiruma V Arumugam
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
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12
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Kurzina NP, Volnova AB, Aristova IY, Gainetdinov RR. A New Paradigm for Training Hyperactive Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats: Influence of Novel Stimuli on Object Recognition. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:654469. [PMID: 33967714 PMCID: PMC8100052 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.654469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is believed to be connected with a high level of hyperactivity caused by alterations of the control of dopaminergic transmission in the brain. The strain of hyperdopaminergic dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats represents an optimal model for investigating ADHD-related pathological mechanisms. The goal of this work was to study the influence of the overactivated dopamine system in the brain on a motor cognitive task fulfillment. The DAT-KO rats were trained to learn an object recognition task and store it in long-term memory. We found that DAT-KO rats can learn to move an object and retrieve food from the rewarded familiar objects and not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. However, we observed that the time of task performance and the distances traveled were significantly increased in DAT-KO rats in comparison with wild-type controls. Both groups of rats explored the novel objects longer than the familiar cubes. However, unlike controls, DAT-KO rats explored novel objects significantly longer and with fewer errors, since they preferred not to move the non-rewarded novel objects. After a 3 months' interval that followed the training period, they were able to retain the learned skills in memory and to efficiently retrieve them. The data obtained indicate that DAT-KO rats have a deficiency in learning the cognitive task, but their hyperactivity does not prevent the ability to learn a non-spatial cognitive task under the presentation of novel stimuli. The longer exploration of novel objects during training may ensure persistent learning of the task paradigm. These findings may serve as a base for developing new ADHD learning paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia P. Kurzina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna B. Volnova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina Y. Aristova
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Saint Petersburg State University Hospital, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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13
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Bosse GD, Cadeddu R, Floris G, Farero RD, Vigato E, Lee SJ, Zhang T, Gaikwad NW, Keefe KA, Phillips PE, Bortolato M, Peterson RT. The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces opioid self-administration in animal models of opioid use disorder. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:143990. [PMID: 33848264 DOI: 10.1172/jci143990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) has become a leading cause of death in the United States, yet current therapeutic strategies remain highly inadequate. To identify potential treatments for OUD, we screened a targeted selection of over 100 drugs using a recently developed opioid self-administration assay in zebrafish. This paradigm showed that finasteride, a steroidogenesis inhibitor approved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenetic alopecia, reduced self-administration of multiple opioids without affecting locomotion or feeding behavior. These findings were confirmed in rats; furthermore, finasteride reduced the physical signs associated with opioid withdrawal. In rat models of neuropathic pain, finasteride did not alter the antinociceptive effect of opioids and reduced withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia. Steroidomic analyses of the brains of fish treated with finasteride revealed a significant increase in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). Treatment with precursors of DHEAS reduced opioid self-administration in zebrafish in a fashion akin to the effects of finasteride. These results highlight the importance of steroidogenic pathways as a rich source of therapeutic targets for OUD and point to the potential of finasteride as a new treatment option for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel D Bosse
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Roberto Cadeddu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Gabriele Floris
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ryan D Farero
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eva Vigato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Suhjung J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tejia Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - Kristen A Keefe
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Paul Em Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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14
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Timing behavior in genetic murine models of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:699-717. [PMID: 33404792 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-06021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
How timing behavior is altered in different neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders is a contemporary research question. Genetic murine models (GMM) that offer high construct validity also serve as useful tools to investigate this question. But the literature on timing behavior of different GMMs largely remains to be consolidated. The current paper addresses this gap by reviewing studies that have been conducted with GMMs of neurodevelopmental (e.g. ADHD, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder), neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease) as well as circadian and other mutant lines. The review focuses on those studies that specifically utilized the peak interval procedure to improve the comparability of findings both within and between different disease models. The reviewed studies revealed timing deficits that are characteristic of different disorders. Specifically, Huntington's disease models had weaker temporal control over the termination of their anticipatory responses, Alzheimer's disease models had earlier timed responses, schizophrenia models had weaker temporal control, circadian mutants had shifted timed responses consistent with shifts in the circadian periods. The differences in timing behavior were less consistent for other conditions such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and mutations related to intellectual disability. We discuss the implications of these findings for the neural basis of an internal stopwatch. Finally, we make methodological recommendations for future research for improving the comparability of the timing behavior across different murine models.
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15
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Lahiri S, Kim H, Garcia-Perez I, Reza MM, Martin KA, Kundu P, Cox LM, Selkrig J, Posma JM, Zhang H, Padmanabhan P, Moret C, Gulyás B, Blaser MJ, Auwerx J, Holmes E, Nicholson J, Wahli W, Pettersson S. The gut microbiota influences skeletal muscle mass and function in mice. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/502/eaan5662. [PMID: 31341063 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan5662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The functional interactions between the gut microbiota and the host are important for host physiology, homeostasis, and sustained health. We compared the skeletal muscle of germ-free mice that lacked a gut microbiota to the skeletal muscle of pathogen-free mice that had a gut microbiota. Compared to pathogen-free mouse skeletal muscle, germ-free mouse skeletal muscle showed atrophy, decreased expression of insulin-like growth factor 1, and reduced transcription of genes associated with skeletal muscle growth and mitochondrial function. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry analysis of skeletal muscle, liver, and serum from germ-free mice revealed multiple changes in the amounts of amino acids, including glycine and alanine, compared to pathogen-free mice. Germ-free mice also showed reduced serum choline, the precursor of acetylcholine, the key neurotransmitter that signals between muscle and nerve at neuromuscular junctions. Reduced expression of genes encoding Rapsyn and Lrp4, two proteins important for neuromuscular junction assembly and function, was also observed in skeletal muscle from germ-free mice compared to pathogen-free mice. Transplanting the gut microbiota from pathogen-free mice into germ-free mice resulted in an increase in skeletal muscle mass, a reduction in muscle atrophy markers, improved oxidative metabolic capacity of the muscle, and elevated expression of the neuromuscular junction assembly genes Rapsyn and Lrp4 Treating germ-free mice with short-chain fatty acids (microbial metabolites) partly reversed skeletal muscle impairments. Our results suggest a role for the gut microbiota in regulating skeletal muscle mass and function in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawon Lahiri
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hyejin Kim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Isabel Garcia-Perez
- Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, UK
| | - Musarrat Maisha Reza
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Katherine A Martin
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Parag Kundu
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Center for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Laura M Cox
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joel Selkrig
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joram M Posma
- Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, UK
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Catherine Moret
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Balázs Gulyás
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin J Blaser
- Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Medical Service, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative and Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elaine Holmes
- Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, UK
| | - Jeremy Nicholson
- Australian National Phenome Center, Murdoch University, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Walter Wahli
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,INRA ToxAlim Integrative Toxicology and Metabolism UMR1331, Chemin de Tournefeuille, Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Sven Pettersson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Center for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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16
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Froger N. [New therapeutic avenues for neurosteroids in psychiatric diseases]. Biol Aujourdhui 2020; 213:131-140. [PMID: 31829933 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2019023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Discovered in the eighties by Pr Baulieu and colleagues, neurosteroids are a class of neuroactive brain-born steroids, which comprises the steroid hormones, their biosynthesis precursors and their metabolites. They can act through genomic as well as non-genomic pathways. Genomic pathways, only triggered by the neurosteroid hormones, are, in the brain, the same as those largely described in the periphery: the binding of these steroid hormones to nuclear receptors leads to transcription regulations. On the other hand, their precursors and metabolites, such as pregnenolone (PREG), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), their respective sulfate esters, pregnenolone sulfate (PREG-S) and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S) and allopregnanolone (ALLOP), are defined as neurosteroids, but no corresponding nuclear receptors have been identified so far. In fact, they trigger non-genomic pathways which consist in (i) inhibitory ionotropic receptors, (ii) excitatory ionotropic receptors and (iii) the microtubular system. Hence, inhibitory neurosteroids, whose mostly studied representative is ALLOP, positively modulate, or directly activate, the ionotropic GABA-A receptors. In contrast, excitatory neurosteroids, represented by PREG-S, DHEA-S and DHEA, inhibit the GABA-A receptors, and activate, directly or indirectly, through the sigma-1 receptors, the NMDA glutamate receptors. Neurosteroids of the third group, the microtubular neurosteroids, are able to bind microtubule associated proteins, in particular MAP2, to promote microtubule assembly, neurite outgrowth and in fine structural neuroplasticity. So far, PREG, DHEA and progesterone are the three identified microtubular neurosteroids. The pharmacological properties of neurosteroids have led to specific investigations for assessing their therapeutic potentialities in psychiatric diseases, using validated animal models. In some cases, clinical trials were also performed. These studies showed that ALLOP, the main inhibitory neurosteroid, displayed clear-cut anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like efficacy in animals. It has been subsequently developed as Brexanolone and tested with success in phase III of clinical trials for the treatment of post-partum depression. Although showing pro-cognitive properties in animals, the sulfated neurosteroids, PREG-S and DHEA-S, were, in contrast, never tested in clinical trials, probably due to their poor stability and proconvulsivant side effects. Their respective non-sulfated forms, PREG and DHEA, showed antidepressant and antipsychotic efficacies in clinical trials, but these drugs never reached the phase III of clinical development because their therapeutic uses would have led to an overproduction of active metabolites responsible for intolerable side effects. The alternative strategy which has been selected consists of the development of non-metabolizable synthetic derivatives of these natural steroids, which keep the same neuroactive properties as their parent molecules, but are devoid of any hormonal side effects. An example of such innovative drugs is MAP4343, a synthetic derivative of PREG, which exhibits potent antidepressant-like efficacy in validated animal models. It is currently tested in depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Froger
- MAPREG SAS, CHU Bicêtre, 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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17
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Fazari B, Ilieva Decheva C, González García V, Abdel-Hafiz L, Nikolaus S, Hollenberg CP, Huston JP, de Souza Silva MA, Mattern C. Intranasal pregnenolone increases acetylcholine in frontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala-Preferentially in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the injected nostril. J Neurochem 2019; 153:189-202. [PMID: 31755558 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study determined the effects of intranasal pregnenolone (IN-PREG) on acetylcholine (ACh) levels in selected areas of the rat brain, using in vivo microdialysis. Previous studies showed that PREG rapidly reaches the rodent brain after intranasal administration and that direct infusion of PREG and PREG-S into the basal forebrain modulates ACh release in frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. In the present study, we investigated the effects of IN-PREG on the cholinergic system in the rat brain. In the first experiment, IN-PREG (5.6 and 11.2 mg/ml) or vehicle was applied bilaterally, and we hypothesized that IN-PREG would increase ACh levels in amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex, relative to baseline and vehicle. Dialysate was collected for 100 min, based on pilot data of duration of effect. Bilateral IN-PREG (5.6 and 11.2 mg/ml) increased frontal cortex and hippocampal ACh relative to both baseline and vehicle. Moreover, 11.2 mg/ml PREG increased ACh in the amygdala relative to baseline, the lower dose, and vehicle. Therefore, in the second experiment, IN-PREG (11.2 mg/ml) was applied only into one nostril, with vehicle applied into the other nostril, in order to determine whether ACh is predominantly increased in the ipsilateral relative to the contralateral amygdala. Unilateral application of IN-PREG increased ACh in the ipsilateral amygdala, whereas no effect was observed on the contralateral side, suggesting that PREG was transported from the nostrils to the brain via the olfactory epithelial pathway, but not by circulation. The present data provide additional information on IN-PREG action in the cholinergic system of frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. This may be relevant for therapeutic IN application of PREG in neurogenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Fazari
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Cvetana Ilieva Decheva
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Victoria González García
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Laila Abdel-Hafiz
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Cornelis P Hollenberg
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Maria A de Souza Silva
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Mattern
- M et P Pharma AG, Emetten, Switzerland.,Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
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18
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Tomaselli G, Vallée M. Stress and drug abuse-related disorders: The promising therapeutic value of neurosteroids focus on pregnenolone-progesterone-allopregnanolone pathway. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100789. [PMID: 31525393 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The pregnenolone-progesterone-allopregnanolone pathway is receiving increasing attention in research on the role of neurosteroids in pathophysiology, particularly in stress-related and drug use disorders. These disorders involve an allostatic change that may result from deficiencies in allostasis or adaptive responses, and may be downregulated by adjustments in neurotransmission by neurosteroids. The following is an overview of findings that assess how pregnenolone and/or allopregnanolone concentrations are altered in animal models of stress and after consumption of alcohol or cannabis-type drugs, as well as in patients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or psychosis and/or in those diagnosed with alcohol or cannabis use disorders. Preclinical and clinical evidence shows that pregnenolone and allopregnanolone, operating according to a different or common pharmacological profile involving GABAergic and/or endocannabinoid system, may be relevant biomarkers of psychiatric disorders for therapeutic purposes. Hence, ongoing clinical trials implicate synthetic analogs of pregnenolone or allopregnanolone, and also modulators of neurosteroidogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Tomaselli
- INSERM U1215, Neurocentre Magendie, Group "Physiopathology and Therapeutic Approaches of Stress-Related Disease", 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33000 Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Monique Vallée
- INSERM U1215, Neurocentre Magendie, Group "Physiopathology and Therapeutic Approaches of Stress-Related Disease", 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33000 Bordeaux, France; University of Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France.
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19
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Mortimer N, Ganster T, O'Leary A, Popp S, Freudenberg F, Reif A, Soler Artigas M, Ribasés M, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Lesch KP, Rivero O. Dissociation of impulsivity and aggression in mice deficient for the ADHD risk gene Adgrl3: Evidence for dopamine transporter dysregulation. Neuropharmacology 2019; 156:107557. [PMID: 30849401 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3, LPHN3) has putative roles in neuronal migration and synapse function. Various polymorphisms in ADGRL3 have been linked with an increased risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we examined the characteristics of Adgrl3-deficient mice in multiple behavioural domains related to ADHD: locomotive activity, impulsivity, gait, visuospatial and recognition memory, sociability, anxiety-like behaviour and aggression. Additionally, we investigated the effect of Adgrl3-depletion at the transcriptomic level by RNA-sequencing three ADHD-relevant brain regions: prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and striatum. Adgrl3-/- mice show increased locomotive activity across all tests and subtle gait abnormalities. These mice also show impairments across spatial memory and learning domains, alongside increased levels of impulsivity and sociability with decreased aggression. However, these alterations were absent in Adgrl3+/- mice. Across all brain regions tested, the numbers of genes found to exhibit differential expression was relatively small, indicating a specific pathway of action, rather than a broad neurobiological perturbation. Gene-set analysis of differential expression in the PFC detected a number of ADHD-relevant pathways including dopaminergic synapses as well as cocaine and amphetamine addiction. The Slc6a3 gene coding for the dopamine transporter was the most dysregulated gene in the PFC. Unexpectedly, several neurohormone/peptides which are typically only expressed in the hypothamalus were found to be dysregulated in the striatum. Our study further validates Adgrl3 constitutive knockout mice as an experimental model of ADHD while providing neuroanatomical targets for future studies involving ADGRL3 modified models. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niall Mortimer
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany; Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tatjana Ganster
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Psychoneuropharmacology, Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - María Soler Artigas
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Ribasés
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Translational Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Olga Rivero
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany.
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20
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Fanni S, Scheggi S, Rossi F, Tronci E, Traccis F, Stancampiano R, De Montis MG, Devoto P, Gambarana C, Bortolato M, Frau R, Carta M. 5alpha-reductase inhibitors dampen L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia via normalization of dopamine D1-receptor signaling pathway and D1-D3 receptor interaction. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 121:120-130. [PMID: 30261284 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although 1-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the mainstay therapy for treating Parkinson's disease (PD), its long-term administration is accompanied by the development of motor complications, particularly L-DOPA induced dyskinesia (LID), that dramatically affects patients' quality of life. LID has consistently been related to an excessive dopamine receptor transmission, particularly at the down-stream signaling of the striatal D1 receptors (D1R), resulting in an exaggerated stimulation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. We previously reported that pharmacological blockade of 5alpha-reductase (5AR), the rate-limiting enzyme in neurosteroids synthesis, attenuates the severity of a broad set of behavioral alterations induced by D1R and D3R activation, without inducing extrapyramidal symptoms. In line with this evidence, in a recent study, we found that inhibition of 5AR by finasteride (FIN) produced a significant reduction of dyskinesia induced by L-DOPA and direct dopaminergic agonists in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. In the attempt to further investigate the effect of 5AR inhibitors on dyskinesia and shed light on the mechanism of action, in the present study we compared the effect of FIN and dutasteride (DUTA), a potent dual 5AR inhibitor, on the development of LID, on the therapeutic efficacy of L-DOPA, on the molecular alterations downstream to the D1R, as well as on D1R-D3R interaction. The results indicated that both FIN and DUTA administration significantly reduced development and expression of LID; however, DUTA appeared more effective than FIN at a lower dose and produced its antidyskinetic effect without impacting the ability of L-DOPA to increase motor activation, or ameliorate forelimb use in parkinsonian rats. Moreover, this study demonstrates for the first time that 5AR inhibitors are able to prevent key events in the appearance of dyskinesia, such as L-DOPA-induced upregulation of striatal D1R-related cAMP/PKA/ERK signaling pathways and D1R-D3R coimmunoprecipitation, an index of heteromer formation. These findings are relevant as they confirm the 5AR enzyme as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of dyskinesia in PD, suggesting the first ever evidence that neurosteroidogenesis may affect functional interaction between dopamine D1R and D3R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Fanni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Simona Scheggi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Francesca Rossi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Tronci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Francesco Traccis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Roberto Stancampiano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Maria Graziella De Montis
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Paola Devoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy
| | - Carla Gambarana
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy; Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy; Sleep Medicine Center, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy; National Institute of Neuroscience (INN), University of Cagliari, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Manolo Carta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria SP 8, Monserrato 09042, Italy.
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21
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Schverer M, Lanfumey L, Baulieu EE, Froger N, Villey I. Neurosteroids: non-genomic pathways in neuroplasticity and involvement in neurological diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 191:190-206. [PMID: 29953900 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurosteroids are neuroactive brain-born steroids. They can act through non-genomic and/or through genomic pathways. Genomic pathways are largely described for steroid hormones: the binding to nuclear receptors leads to transcription regulation. Pregnenolone, Dehydroepiandrosterone, their respective sulfate esters and Allopregnanolone have no corresponding nuclear receptor identified so far whereas some of their non-genomic targets have been identified. Neuroplasticity is the capacity that neuronal networks have to change their structure and function in response to biological and/or environmental signals; it is regulated by several mechanisms, including those that involve neurosteroids. In this review, after a description of their biosynthesis, the effects of Pregnenolone, Dehydroepiandrosterone, their respective sulfate esters and Allopregnanolone on their targets will be exposed. We then shall highlight that neurosteroids, by acting on these targets, can regulate neurogenesis, structural and functional plasticity. Finally, we will discuss the therapeutic potential of neurosteroids in the pathophysiology of neurological diseases in which alterations of neuroplasticity are associated with changes in neurosteroid levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Schverer
- Inserm U894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Laurence Lanfumey
- Inserm U894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Etienne-Emile Baulieu
- MAPREG SAS, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Inserm UMR 1195, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
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22
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Rajagopal L, Soni D, Meltzer HY. Neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate, alone, and as augmentation of lurasidone or tandospirone, rescues phencyclidine-induced deficits in cognitive function and social interaction. Behav Brain Res 2018; 350:31-43. [PMID: 29763637 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnenolone sulfate (PregS), an endogenous neurosteroid, which negatively and positively modulates gamma amino butyric acid subunit A (GABAA) and N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (R) respectively, among other potential neuroplastic changes on synaptic processes, has shown some beneficial effects on treating cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) and negative symptoms. Lurasidone (Lur), an atypical antipsychotic drug (AAPD), and tandospirone (Tan), a 5-HT1A R partial agonist, have also been reported to improve cognitive or negative symptoms, or both, in some schizophrenia patients. METHODS We tested whether PregS, by itself, and in combination with Lur or Tan could rescue persistent deficits produced by subchronic treatment with the NMDAR antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP)-in episodic memory, executive functioning, and social behavior, using novel object recognition (NOR), operant reversal learning (ORL), and social interaction (SI) tasks, in male C57BL/6 J mice. RESULTS PregS (10, but not 3 mg/kg) significantly rescued subchronic PCP-induced NOR and SI deficits. Co-administration of sub-effective doses (SEDs) of PregS (3 mg/kg) + Lur (0.1 mg/kg) or Tan (0.03 mg/kg) rescued scPCP-induced NOR and SI deficits. Further, PregS (30, but not 10 mg/kg) rescued PCP-induced ORL deficit, as did the combination of SED PregS (10 mg/kg) +SED Lur (1 mg/kg) or Tan (1 mg/kg). CONCLUSION PregS was effective alone and as adjunctive treatment for treating two types of cognitive impairments and negative symptoms in this schizophrenia model. Further study of the mechanisms by which PregS alone and in combination with AAPDs and 5-HT1A R partial agonists, rescues the deficits in cognition and SI in this preclinical model is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Rajagopal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL 60611, USA
| | - D Soni
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL 60611, USA
| | - H Y Meltzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago IL 60611, USA.
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23
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Salatino-Oliveira A, Rohde LA, Hutz MH. The dopamine transporter role in psychiatric phenotypes. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:211-231. [PMID: 28766921 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) is one of the most relevant and investigated neurotransmitter transporters. DAT is a plasma membrane protein which plays a homeostatic role, controlling both extracellular and intracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA). Since unbalanced DA levels are known to be involved in numerous mental disorders, a wealth of investigations has provided valuable insights concerning DAT role into normal brain functioning and pathological processes. Briefly, this extensive but non-systematic review discusses what is recently known about the role of SLC6A3 gene which encodes the dopamine transporter in psychiatric phenotypes. DAT protein, SLC6A3 gene, animal models, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging investigations are also concisely discussed. To conclude, current challenges are reviewed in order to provide perspectives for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis A Rohde
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Institute for Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mara H Hutz
- Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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24
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Cinque S, Zoratto F, Poleggi A, Leo D, Cerniglia L, Cimino S, Tambelli R, Alleva E, Gainetdinov RR, Laviola G, Adriani W. Behavioral Phenotyping of Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats: Compulsive Traits, Motor Stereotypies, and Anhedonia. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:43. [PMID: 29520239 PMCID: PMC5826953 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in dopamine neurotransmission are generally associated with diseases such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Such diseases typically feature poor decision making and lack of control on executive functions and have been studied through the years using many animal models. Dopamine transporter (DAT) knockout (KO) and heterozygous (HET) mice, in particular, have been widely used to study ADHD. Recently, a strain of DAT KO rats has been developed (1). Here, we provide a phenotypic characterization of reward sensitivity and compulsive choice by adult rats born from DAT-HET dams bred with DAT-HET males, in order to further validate DAT KO rats as an animal model for preclinical research. We first tested DAT KO rats' sensitivity to rewarding stimuli, provided by highly appetitive food or sweet water; then, we tested their choice behavior with an Intolerance-to-Delay Task (IDT). During these tests, DAT KO rats appeared less sensitive to rewarding stimuli than wild-type (WT) and HET rats: they also showed a prominent hyperactive behavior with a rigid choice pattern and a wide number of compulsive stereotypies. Moreover, during the IDT, we tested the effects of amphetamine (AMPH) and RO-5203648, a trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) partial agonist. AMPH accentuated impulsive behaviors in WT and HET rats, while it had no effect in DAT KO rats. Finally, we measured the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine receptor 2 (D2), serotonin transporter, and TAAR1 mRNA transcripts in samples of ventral striatum, finding no significant differences between WT and KO genotypes. Throughout this study, DAT KO rats showed alterations in decision-making processes and in motivational states, as well as prominent motor and oral stereotypies: more studies are warranted to fully characterize and efficiently use them in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cinque
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Zoratto
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Poleggi
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Damiana Leo
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Cerniglia
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Cimino
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Renata Tambelli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Alleva
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Giovanni Laviola
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
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25
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Pronounced Hyperactivity, Cognitive Dysfunctions, and BDNF Dysregulation in Dopamine Transporter Knock-out Rats. J Neurosci 2018; 38:1959-1972. [PMID: 29348190 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1931-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) controls many vital physiological functions and is critically involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The major function of the plasma membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) is the rapid uptake of released DA into presynaptic nerve terminals leading to control of both the extracellular levels of DA and the intracellular stores of DA. Here, we present a newly developed strain of rats in which the gene encoding DAT knockout Rats (DAT-KO) has been disrupted by using zinc finger nuclease technology. Male and female DAT-KO rats develop normally but weigh less than heterozygote and wild-type rats and demonstrate pronounced spontaneous locomotor hyperactivity. While striatal extracellular DA lifetime and concentrations are significantly increased, the total tissue content of DA is markedly decreased demonstrating the key role of DAT in the control of DA neurotransmission. Hyperactivity of DAT-KO rats can be counteracted by amphetamine, methylphenidate, the partial Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonist RO5203648 ((S)-4-(3,4-Dichloro-phenyl)-4,5-dihydro-oxazol-2-ylamine) and haloperidol. DAT-KO rats also demonstrate a deficit in working memory and sensorimotor gating tests, less propensity to develop obsessive behaviors and show strong dysregulation in frontostriatal BDNF function. DAT-KO rats could provide a novel translational model for human diseases involving aberrant DA function and/or mutations affecting DAT or related regulatory mechanisms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here, we present a newly developed strain of rats in which the gene encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT) has been disrupted (Dopamine Transporter Knockout rats [DAT-KO rats]). DAT-KO rats display functional hyperdopaminergia accompanied by pronounced spontaneous locomotor hyperactivity. Hyperactivity of DAT-KO rats can be counteracted by amphetamine, methylphenidate, and a few other compounds exerting inhibitory action on dopamine-dependent hyperactivity. DAT-KO rats also demonstrate cognitive deficits in working memory and sensorimotor gating tests, less propensity to develop compulsive behaviors, and strong dysregulation in frontostriatal BDNF function. These observations highlight the key role of DAT in the control of brain dopaminergic transmission. DAT-KO rats could provide a novel translational model for human diseases involving aberrant dopamine functions.
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26
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Efimova EV, Gainetdinov RR, Budygin EA, Sotnikova TD. Dopamine transporter mutant animals: a translational perspective. J Neurogenet 2017; 30:5-15. [PMID: 27276191 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2016.1144751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays an important homeostatic role in the control of both the extracellular and intraneuronal concentrations of dopamine, thereby providing effective control over activity of dopaminergic transmission. Since brain dopamine is known to be involved in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, investigations using mice with genetically altered DAT function and thus intensity of dopamine-mediated signaling have provided numerous insights into the pathology of these disorders and novel pathological mechanisms that could be targeted to provide new therapeutic approaches for these disorders. In this brief overview, we discuss recent investigations involving animals with genetically altered DAT function, particularly focusing on translational studies providing new insights into pathology and pharmacology of dopamine-related disorders. Perspective applications of these and newly developed models of DAT dysfunction are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniya V Efimova
- a Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia ;,b Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , Skolkovo , Moscow Region , Russia
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- a Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia ;,b Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology , Skolkovo , Moscow Region , Russia
| | - Evgeny A Budygin
- a Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia ;,c Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , NC , USA
| | - Tatyana D Sotnikova
- a Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University , St. Petersburg , Russia
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27
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The Role of Dorsal Hippocampal Dopamine D1-Type Receptors in Social Learning, Social Interactions, and Food Intake in Male and Female Mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2344-2353. [PMID: 28240292 PMCID: PMC5645744 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms underlying social learning (ie, in which an animal's learning is influenced by another) are slowly being unraveled. Previous work with systemic treatments shows that dopamine (DA) D1-type receptors mediate social learning in the social transmission of food preferences (STFP) in mice. This study examines the involvement of one brain region underlying this effect. The ventral tegmental area has dopaminergic projections to many limbic structures, including the hippocampus-a site important for social learning in the STFP in rodents. In this study, adult male and female CD-1 mice received a dorsal hippocampal microinfusion of the D1-like receptor antagonist SCH23390 at 1, 2, 4, or 6 μg/μl 15 min before a 30 min social interaction with a same-sex conspecific, in which mice had the opportunity to learn a socially transmitted food preference. Results show that social learning was blocked in female mice microinfused with 6 μg/μl, and in males infused with 1, 4, or 6 μg/μl of SCH23390. This social learning impairment could not be explained by changes in total food intake, or olfactory discrimination. A detailed analysis of the social interactions also revealed that although SCH23390 did not affect oronasal investigation for either sex, drug treatments affected other social behaviors in a sex-specific manner; there was primarily a reduction in agonistic-related behaviors among males, and social investigatory-related behaviors among females. Thus, this study shows that dorsal hippocampal D1-type receptors mediate social learning and social behaviors in male and female mice.
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28
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Frau R, Bini V, Soggiu A, Scheggi S, Pardu A, Fanni S, Roncada P, Puligheddu M, Marrosu F, Caruso D, Devoto P, Bortolato M. The Neurosteroidogenic Enzyme 5α-Reductase Mediates Psychotic-Like Complications of Sleep Deprivation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2196-2205. [PMID: 28102229 PMCID: PMC5603808 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Acute sleep deprivation (SD) can trigger or exacerbate psychosis- and mania-related symptoms; the neurobiological basis of these complications, however, remains elusive. Given the extensive involvement of neuroactive steroids in psychopathology, we hypothesized that the behavioral complications of SD may be contributed by 5α-reductase (5αR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of progesterone into the neurosteroid allopregnanolone. We first tested whether rats exposed to SD may exhibit brain-regional alterations in 5αR isoenzymes and neuroactive steroid levels; then, we assessed whether the behavioral and neuroendocrine alterations induced by SD may be differentially modulated by the administration of the 5αR inhibitor finasteride, as well as progesterone and allopregnanolone. SD selectively enhanced 5αR expression and activity, as well as AP levels, in the prefrontal cortex; furthermore, finasteride (10-100 mg/kg, IP) dose-dependently ameliorated PPI deficits, hyperactivity, and risk-taking behaviors, in a fashion akin to the antipsychotic haloperidol and the mood stabilizer lithium carbonate. Finally, PPI deficits were exacerbated by allopregnanolone (10 mg/kg, IP) and attenuated by progesterone (30 mg/kg, IP) in SD-subjected, but not control rats. Collectively, these results provide the first-ever evidence that 5αR mediates a number of psychosis- and mania-like complications of SD through imbalances in cortical levels of neuroactive steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Monserrato,
Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center,
Monserrato, Italy,Sleep Medicine Center; University of
Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Valentina Bini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Monserrato,
Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center,
Monserrato, Italy
| | - Alessio Soggiu
- ‘L. Spallanzani’ Institute,
Proteomics Section—Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health,
University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Scheggi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental
Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy,Department of Pharmacology and
Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, UT, USA
| | - Alessandra Pardu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Monserrato,
Italy
| | - Silvia Fanni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Monserrato,
Italy
| | - Paola Roncada
- ‘L. Spallanzani’ Institute,
Proteomics Section—Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health,
University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Puligheddu
- Tourette Syndrome Center,
Monserrato, Italy,Sleep Medicine Center; University of
Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,Department of Public Health, Section of
Neurology, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Francesco Marrosu
- Tourette Syndrome Center,
Monserrato, Italy,Sleep Medicine Center; University of
Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,Department of Public Health, Section of
Neurology, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and
Biomolecular Sciences, Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases,
University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Devoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences,
Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Monserrato,
Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center,
Monserrato, Italy,Sleep Medicine Center; University of
Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and
Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, UT, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of
Pharmacy, University of Utah, Skaggs Hall, Room 3916, 30S 2000
E, Salt Lake City
84112, UT, USA, Tel: 801 587 3352, Fax:
801 585 5111, E-mail:
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29
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Frau R, Savoia P, Fanni S, Fiorentini C, Fidalgo C, Tronci E, Stancampiano R, Meloni M, Cannas A, Marrosu F, Bortolato M, Devoto P, Missale C, Carta M. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitor finasteride reduces dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol 2017; 291:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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30
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Mereu M, Contarini G, Buonaguro EF, Latte G, Managò F, Iasevoli F, de Bartolomeis A, Papaleo F. Dopamine transporter (DAT) genetic hypofunction in mice produces alterations consistent with ADHD but not schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Neuropharmacology 2017; 121:179-194. [PMID: 28454982 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
ADHD, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are psychiatric diseases with a strong genetic component which share dopaminergic alterations. Dopamine transporter (DAT) genetics might be potentially implicated in all these disorders. However, in contrast to DAT absence, the effects of DAT hypofunction especially in developmental trajectories have been scarcely addressed. Thus, we comprehensively studied DAT hypofunctional mice (DAT+/-) from adolescence to adulthood to disentangle DAT-dependent alterations in the development of psychiatric-relevant phenotypes. From pre-adolescence onward, DAT+/- displayed a hyperactive phenotype, while responses to external stimuli and sensorimotor gating abilities were unaltered. General cognitive impairments in adolescent DAT+/- were partially ameliorated during adulthood in males but not in females. Despite this, attentional and impulsivity deficits were evident in DAT+/- adult males. At the molecular level, DAT+/- mice showed a reduced expression of Homer1a in the prefrontal cortex, while other brain regions as well as Arc and Homer1b expression were mostly unaffected. Amphetamine treatments reverted DAT+/- hyperactivity and rescued cognitive deficits. Moreover, amphetamine shifted DAT-dependent Homer1a altered expression from prefrontal cortex to striatal regions. These behavioral and molecular phenotypes indicate that a genetic-driven DAT hypofunction alters neurodevelopmental trajectories consistent with ADHD, but not with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mereu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - G Contarini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - E F Buonaguro
- Section of Psychiatry. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Science, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - G Latte
- Section of Psychiatry. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Science, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - F Managò
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - F Iasevoli
- Section of Psychiatry. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Science, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - A de Bartolomeis
- Section of Psychiatry. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Science, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - F Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
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Research Domain Criteria versus DSM V: How does this debate affect attempts to model corticostriatal dysfunction in animals? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 76:301-316. [PMID: 27826070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
For decades, the nosology of mental illness has been based largely upon the descriptions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM). A recent challenge to the DSM approach to psychiatric nosology from the National Institute on Mental Health (USA) defines Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) as an alternative. For RDoC, psychiatric illnesses are not defined as discrete categories, but instead as specific behavioral dysfunctions irrespective of DSM diagnostic categories. This approach was driven by two primary weaknesses noted in the DSM: (1) the same symptoms occur in very different disease states; and (2) DSM criteria lack grounding in the underlying biological causes of mental illness. RDoC intends to ground psychiatric nosology in those underlying mechanisms. This review addresses the suitability of RDoC vs. DSM from the view of modeling mental illness in animals. A consideration of all types of psychiatric dysfunction is beyond the scope of this review, which will focus on models of conditions associated with frontostriatal dysfunction.
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Vallée M. Neurosteroids and potential therapeutics: Focus on pregnenolone. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 160:78-87. [PMID: 26433186 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Considerable evidence from preclinical and clinical studies shows that steroids and in particular neurosteroids are important endogenous modulators of several brain-related functions. In this context, it remains to be elucidated whether neurosteroids may serve as biomarkers in the diagnosis of disorders and might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of these disorders. Pregnenolone (PREG) is the main steroid synthesized from cholesterol in mammals and invertebrates. PREG has three main sources of synthesis, the gonads, adrenal glands and brain and is submitted to various metabolizing pathways which are modulated depending on various factors including species, steroidogenic tissues and steroidogenic enzymes. Looking at the whole picture of steroids, PREG is often known as the precursor to other steroids and not as an active steroid per se. Actually, physiological and brain functions have been studied mainly for steroids that are very active either binding to specific intracellular receptors, or modulating with high affinity the abundant membrane receptors, GABAA or NMDA receptors. However, when high sensitive and specific methodological approaches were available to analyze low concentrations of steroids and then match endogenous levels of different steroid metabolomes, several studies have reported more significant alterations in PREG than in other steroids in extraphysiological or pathological conditions, suggesting that PREG could play a functional role as well. Additionally, several molecular targets of PREG were revealed in the mammalian brain and beneficial effects of PREG have been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical studies. On this basis, this review will be divided into three parts. The first provides a brief overview of the molecular targets of PREG and the pharmacological effects observed in animal and human studies. The second will focus on the possible functional role of PREG with an outline of the modulation of PREG levels in animal and in human research. Finally, the review will highlight the possible therapeutic uses of PREG that point towards the development of pregnenolone-like molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Vallée
- INSERM U862, Neurocentre Magendie, Pathophysiology of Addiction, Bordeaux F33077, France; Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux F33077, France.
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Sharma AN, Fries GR, Galvez JF, Valvassori SS, Soares JC, Carvalho AF, Quevedo J. Modeling mania in preclinical settings: A comprehensive review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 66:22-34. [PMID: 26545487 PMCID: PMC4728043 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current pathophysiological understanding of mechanisms leading to onset and progression of bipolar manic episodes remains limited. At the same time, available animal models for mania have limited face, construct, and predictive validities. Additionally, these models fail to encompass recent pathophysiological frameworks of bipolar disorder (BD), e.g. neuroprogression. Therefore, there is a need to search for novel preclinical models for mania that could comprehensively address these limitations. Herein we review the history, validity, and caveats of currently available animal models for mania. We also review new genetic models for mania, namely knockout mice for genes involved in neurotransmission, synapse formation, and intracellular signaling pathways. Furthermore, we review recent trends in preclinical models for mania that may aid in the comprehension of mechanisms underlying the neuroprogressive and recurring nature of BD. In conclusion, the validity of animal models for mania remains limited. Nevertheless, novel (e.g. genetic) animal models as well as adaptation of existing paradigms hold promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajaykumar N. Sharma
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA,Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Fries
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Juan F. Galvez
- Department of Psychiatry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana School of Medicine, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Samira S. Valvassori
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Jair C. Soares
- Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - André F. Carvalho
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Joao Quevedo
- Center for Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Laboratory of Neurosciences, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
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Frau R, Abbiati F, Bini V, Casti A, Caruso D, Devoto P, Bortolato M. Targeting neurosteroid synthesis as a therapy for schizophrenia-related alterations induced by early psychosocial stress. Schizophr Res 2015; 168:640-8. [PMID: 25999042 PMCID: PMC4628592 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cogent evidence has shown that schizophrenia vulnerability is enhanced by psychosocial stress in adolescence, yet the underpinnings of this phenomenon remain elusive. One of the animal models that best capture the relationship between juvenile stress and schizophrenia is isolation rearing (IR). This manipulation, which consists in subjecting rats to social isolation from weaning through adulthood, results in neurobehavioral alterations akin to those observed in schizophrenia patients. In particular, IR-subjected rats display a marked reduction of the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex, which are posited to reflect imbalances in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We recently documented that the key neurosteroidogenic enzyme 5α-reductase (5αR) plays an important role in the dopaminergic regulation of PPI; given that IR leads to a marked down-regulation of this enzyme in the NAcc, the present study was designed to further elucidate the functional role of 5αR in the regulation of PPI of IR-subjected rats. METHODS We studied the impact of the prototypical 5αR inhibitor finasteride (FIN) on the PPI deficits and NAcc steroid profile of IR-subjected male rats, in comparison with socially reared (SR) controls. RESULTS FIN (25-100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently countered IR-induced PPI reduction, without affecting gating integrity in SR rats. The NAcc and striatum of IR-subjected rats displayed several changes in neuroactive steroid profile, including a reduction in pregnenolone in both SR and IR-subjected groups, as well as a decrease in allopregnanolone content in the latter group; both effects were significantly opposed by FIN. CONCLUSIONS These results show that 5αR inhibition counters the PPI deficits induced by IR, possibly through limbic changes in pregnenolone and/or allopregnanolone concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federico Abbiati
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases; University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bini
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alberto Casti
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases; University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Devoto
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) Network, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
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Cash-Padgett T, Sawa A, Jaaro-Peled H. Increased stereotypy in conditional Cxcr4 knockout mice. Neurosci Res 2015; 105:75-9. [PMID: 26458529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Chemokines play important roles in the central nervous system, including mediating neuroinflammation and guiding the intracortical migration of interneurons during development. Alteration in parvalbumin-positive interneurons is a key neuropathological hallmark of multiple mental conditions. We recently reported a significant reduction in the expression of CXCL12 in olfactory neurons from sporadic cases with schizophrenia compared with matched controls, suggesting a role for CXCR4/CXCL12 signaling in mental conditions. Thus, we depleted the chemokine receptor Cxcr4 from mice using the parvalbumin-2A-Cre line. The conditional knockout mice exhibited a unique behavioral phenotype involving increased stereotypy. Stereotypy is observed in many psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, autism, and dementia. Thus, the Cxcr4 conditional knockout mice may serve as a model for this symptomatic feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Cash-Padgett
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Hanna Jaaro-Peled
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States.
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Fatemi SH, Folsom TD. GABA receptor subunit distribution and FMRP-mGluR5 signaling abnormalities in the cerebellum of subjects with schizophrenia, mood disorders, and autism. Schizophr Res 2015; 167:42-56. [PMID: 25432637 PMCID: PMC5301472 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABAergic receptor abnormalities have been documented in several major psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, mood disorders, and autism. Abnormal expression of mRNA and protein for multiple GABA receptors has also been observed in multiple brain regions leading to alterations in the balance between excitatory/inhibitory signaling in the brain with potential profound consequences for normal cognition and maintenance of mood and perception. Altered expression of GABAA receptor subunits has been documented in fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) knockout mice, suggesting that loss of its protein product, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), impacts GABAA subunit expression. Recent postmortem studies from our laboratory have shown reduced expression of FMRP in the brains of subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and autism. FMRP acts as a translational repressor and, under normal conditions, inhibits metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)-mediated signaling. In fragile X syndrome (FXS), the absence of FMRP is hypothesized to lead to unregulated mGluR5 signaling, ultimately resulting in the behavioral and intellectual impairments associated with this disorder. Our laboratory has identified changes in mGluR5 expression in autism, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. In the current review article, we discuss our postmortem data on GABA receptors, FMRP, and mGluR5 levels and compare our results with other laboratories. Finally, we discuss the interactions between these molecules and the potential for new therapeutic interventions that target these interconnected signaling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hossein Fatemi
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, 321 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Timothy D Folsom
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Ervin KSJ, Lymer JM, Matta R, Clipperton-Allen AE, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Estrogen involvement in social behavior in rodents: Rapid and long-term actions. Horm Behav 2015; 74:53-76. [PMID: 26122289 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue ("Estradiol and cognition"). Estrogens have repeatedly been shown to influence a wide array of social behaviors, which in rodents are predominantly olfactory-mediated. Estrogens are involved in social behavior at multiple levels of processing, from the detection and integration of socially relevant olfactory information to more complex social behaviors, including social preferences, aggression and dominance, and learning and memory for social stimuli (e.g. social recognition and social learning). Three estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1), differently affect these behaviors. Social recognition, territorial aggression, and sexual preferences and mate choice, all requiring the integration of socially related olfactory information, seem to primarily involve ERα, with ERβ playing a lesser, modulatory role. In contrast, social learning consistently responds differently to estrogen manipulations than other social behaviors. This suggests differential ER involvement in brain regions important for specific social behaviors, such as the ventromedial and medial preoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus in social preferences and aggression, the medial amygdala and hippocampus in social recognition, and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in social learning. While the long-term effects of ERα and ERβ on social behavior have been extensively investigated, our knowledge of the rapid, non-genomic, effects of estrogens is more limited and suggests that they may mediate some social behaviors (e.g. social learning) differently from long-term effects. Further research is required to compare ER involvement in regulating social behavior in male and female animals, and to further elucidate the roles of the more recently described G protein-coupled ERs, both the GPER1 and the Gq-mER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lymer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Matta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Pregnenolone sulfate normalizes schizophrenia-like behaviors in dopamine transporter knockout mice through the AKT/GSK3β pathway. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e528. [PMID: 25781227 PMCID: PMC4354351 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnenolone sulfate, an endogenous neurosteroid in the central nervous system, is a positive allosteric modulator of the NMDA receptor, and plays a role in the modulation of learning and memory. Here, we study the actions of pregnenolone sulfate using the dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) mice, which exhibit endophenotypes that recapitulate certain symptoms of schizophrenia, including the psychomotor agitation, stereotypy, prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and cognitive impairments. We found that acute treatment with pregnenolone sulfate normalized the hyperlocomotion and stereotypic bouts, and rescued the PPI deficits of DAT-KO mice. In addition, long-term treatment with pregnenolone sulfate rescued the cognitive deficits of DAT-KO mice in the novel object recognition and social transmission of food preference tests. We also showed that pregnenolone sulfate normalized behavioral abnormalities in MK801-treated wild-type mice, whereas pregnenolone, its precursor, only partially rescued MK801-induced behavioral abnormalities. This indicates that there are distinct mechanisms of action between pregnenolone sulfate and pregnenolone, and the involvement of NMDA receptor signaling in the action of pregnenolone sulfate. Moreover, we found that acute treatment with pregnenolone sulfate increased the phosphorylation levels of striatal AKT and GSK3β in DAT-KO mice, and that long-term treatment with pregnenolone sulfate increased expression levels of NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor in hippocampus. Thus, pregnenolone sulfate was able to rescue the behavioral anomalies of DAT-KO mice through the NMDA receptor-mediated, AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.
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Marx CE, Lee J, Subramaniam M, Rapisarda A, Bautista DCT, Chan E, Kilts JD, Buchanan RW, Wai EP, Verma S, Sim K, Hariram J, Jacob R, Keefe RSE, Chong SA. Proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial of pregnenolone in schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:3647-62. [PMID: 25030803 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3673-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Preclinical and clinical data suggest that pregnenolone may be a promising therapeutic in schizophrenia. Pregnenolone is neuroprotective and enhances learning and memory, myelination, and microtubule polymerization. Treatment with pregnenolone elevates allopregnanolone (a neurosteroid that enhances GABAA receptor responses) and pregnenolone sulfate (a positive NMDA receptor modulator). Pregnenolone could thus potentially mitigate GABA dysregulation and/or NMDA receptor hypofunction in schizophrenia via metabolism to other neurosteroids. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of adjunctive pregnenolone in schizophrenia. METHODS Following a placebo lead-in, 120 participants were randomized to pregnenolone or placebo for 8 weeks (Institute for Mental Health, Singapore). Primary endpoints were changes in MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) composite scores (cognitive symptoms), UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B) composite scores (functional capacity), and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) total scores (negative symptoms). A modified intent-to-treat analysis approach was utilized. RESULTS No significant changes compared to placebo were demonstrated in composite MCCB scores. In contrast, participants randomized to pregnenolone (n = 56) demonstrated greater improvements in functional capacity (UPSA-B composite changes) compared to placebo (n = 55), p = 0.03. Pregnenolone was also superior to placebo in the communication subscale of the UPSA-B (p < 0.001). Serum pregnenolone changes post-treatment were correlated with UPSA-B composite score changes in females (r s = 0.497, p < 0.042, n = 17) but not in males. Mean total SANS scores were very low at baseline and did not improve further post-treatment. Pregnenolone was well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Pregnenolone improved functional capacity in participants with schizophrenia, but did not improve cognitive symptoms over an 8-week treatment period. Neurosteroid changes correlated with functional improvements in female participants. Neurosteroid interventions may exhibit promise as new therapeutic leads for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Marx
- Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA,
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Smith CC, Gibbs TT, Farb DH. Pregnenolone sulfate as a modulator of synaptic plasticity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:3537-56. [PMID: 24997854 PMCID: PMC4625978 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3643-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate (PregS) acts as a cognitive enhancer and modulator of neurotransmission, yet aligning its pharmacological and physiological effects with reliable measurements of endogenous local concentrations and pharmacological and therapeutic targets has remained elusive for over 20 years. OBJECTIVES New basic and clinical research concerning neurosteroid modulation of the central nervous system (CNS) function has emerged over the past 5 years, including important data involving pregnenolone and various neurosteroid precursors of PregS that point to a need for a critical status update. RESULTS Highly specific actions of PregS affecting excitatory N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic transmission and the pharmacological effects of PregS on various receptors and ion channels are discussed. The discovery of a high potency (nanomolar) signal transduction pathway for PregS-induced NMDAR trafficking to the cell surface via a Ca(2+)- and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-dependent mechanism and a potent (EC50 ~ 2 pM) direct enhancement of intracellular Ca(2+) levels is discussed in terms of its agonist effects on long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory. Lastly, preclinical and clinical studies assessing the promnestic effects of PregS and pregnenolone toward cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, and altered serum levels in epilepsy and alcohol dependence, are reviewed. CONCLUSIONS PregS is present in human and rodent brain at physiologically relevant concentrations and meets most of the criteria for an endogenous neurotransmitter/neuromodulator. PregS likely plays a significant role in modulation of glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission underlying learning and memory, yet the molecular target(s) for its action awaits identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C. Smith
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Terrell T. Gibbs
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - David H. Farb
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Mfsd2a is a transporter for the essential omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid. Nature 2014; 509:503-6. [PMID: 24828044 DOI: 10.1038/nature13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 652] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for normal brain growth and cognitive function. Consistent with its importance in the brain, DHA is highly enriched in brain phospholipids. Despite being an abundant fatty acid in brain phospholipids, DHA cannot be de novo synthesized in brain and must be imported across the blood-brain barrier, but mechanisms for DHA uptake in brain have remained enigmatic. Here we identify a member of the major facilitator superfamily--Mfsd2a (previously an orphan transporter)--as the major transporter for DHA uptake into brain. Mfsd2a is found to be expressed exclusively in endothelium of the blood-brain barrier of micro-vessels. Lipidomic analysis indicates that Mfsd2a-deficient (Mfsd2a-knockout) mice show markedly reduced levels of DHA in brain accompanied by neuronal cell loss in hippocampus and cerebellum, as well as cognitive deficits and severe anxiety, and microcephaly. Unexpectedly, cell-based studies indicate that Mfsd2a transports DHA in the form of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), but not unesterified fatty acid, in a sodium-dependent manner. Notably, Mfsd2a transports common plasma LPCs carrying long-chain fatty acids such LPC oleate and LPC palmitate, but not LPCs with less than a 14-carbon acyl chain. Moreover, we determine that the phosphor-zwitterionic headgroup of LPC is critical for transport. Importantly, Mfsd2a-knockout mice have markedly reduced uptake of labelled LPC DHA, and other LPCs, from plasma into brain, demonstrating that Mfsd2a is required for brain uptake of DHA. Our findings reveal an unexpected essential physiological role of plasma-derived LPCs in brain growth and function.
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Genetically modified mice related to schizophrenia and other psychoses: seeking phenotypic insights into the pathobiology and treatment of negative symptoms. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:800-21. [PMID: 24290531 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Modelling negative symptoms in any animal model, particularly in mice mutant for genes related to schizophrenia, is complicated by the absence of the following key elements that might assist in developing validation criteria: clinical clarity surrounding this symptom constellation; any clear association between negative symptoms and pathological signature(s) in the brain; and therapeutic strategies with material clinical efficacy against these symptoms. In this review, the application of mutant mouse models to the study of negative symptoms is subjected to critical evaluation, focussing on the following challenges: (a) conceptual issues relating to negative symptoms and their evaluation in mutant models; (b) measurement of negative symptoms in mice, in terms of social behaviour, motivational deficits/avolition and anhedonia; (c) studies in mutants with disruption of genes either regulating aspects of neurotransmission implicated in schizophrenia or associated with risk for psychotic illness; (d) the disaggregation of behavioural phenotypes into underlying pathobiological processes, as a key to the development of new therapeutic strategies for negative symptoms. Advances in genetic and molecular technologies are facilitating these processes, such that more accurate models of putative schizophrenia-linked genetic abnormalities are becoming feasible. This progress in terms of mimicking the genetic contribution to distinct domains of psychopathology associated with psychotic illness must be matched by advances in conceptual/clinical relevance and sensitivity/specificity of phenotypic assessments at the level of behaviour.
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Millan MJ, Fone K, Steckler T, Horan WP. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: clinical characteristics, pathophysiological substrates, experimental models and prospects for improved treatment. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:645-92. [PMID: 24820238 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex and multifactorial disorder generally diagnosed in young adults at the time of the first psychotic episode of delusions and hallucinations. These positive symptoms can be controlled in most patients by currently-available antipsychotics. Conversely, they are poorly effective against concomitant neurocognitive dysfunction, deficits in social cognition and negative symptoms (NS), which strongly contribute to poor functional outcome. The precise notion of NS has evolved over the past century, with recent studies - underpinned by novel rating methods - suggesting two major sub-domains: "decreased emotional expression", incorporating blunted affect and poverty of speech, and "avolition", which embraces amotivation, asociality and "anhedonia" (inability to anticipate pleasure). Recent studies implicate a dysfunction of frontocortico-temporal networks in the aetiology of NS, together with a disruption of cortico-striatal circuits, though other structures are also involved, like the insular and parietal cortices, amygdala and thalamus. At the cellular level, a disruption of GABAergic-glutamatergic balance, dopaminergic signalling and, possibly, oxytocinergic and cannibinoidergic transmission may be involved. Several agents are currently under clinical investigation for the potentially improved control of NS, including oxytocin itself, N-Methyl-d-Aspartate receptor modulators and minocycline. Further, magnetic-electrical "stimulation" strategies to recruit cortical circuits and "cognitive-behavioural-psychosocial" therapies likewise hold promise. To acquire novel insights into the causes and treatment of NS, experimental study is crucial, and opportunities are emerging for improved genetic, pharmacological and developmental modelling, together with more refined readouts related to deficits in reward, sociality and "expression". The present article comprises an integrative overview of the above issues as a platform for this Special Issue of European Neuropsychopharmacology in which five clinical and five preclinical articles treat individual themes in greater detail. This Volume provides, then, a framework for progress in the understanding - and ultimately control - of the debilitating NS of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole of Innovation in Neuropsychiatry, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, Paris, France.
| | - Kevin Fone
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Queen׳s Medical Centre, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG72UH, UK
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - William P Horan
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, University of California, Los Angeles, MIRECC 210A, Bldg. 210, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
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Brisch R, Saniotis A, Wolf R, Bielau H, Bernstein HG, Steiner J, Bogerts B, Braun K, Jankowski Z, Kumaratilake J, Henneberg M, Gos T, Henneberg M, Gos T. The role of dopamine in schizophrenia from a neurobiological and evolutionary perspective: old fashioned, but still in vogue. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:47. [PMID: 24904434 PMCID: PMC4032934 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. The revised dopamine hypothesis states that dopamine abnormalities in the mesolimbic and prefrontal brain regions exist in schizophrenia. However, recent research has indicated that glutamate, GABA, acetylcholine, and serotonin alterations are also involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. This review provides an in-depth analysis of dopamine in animal models of schizophrenia and also focuses on dopamine and cognition. Furthermore, this review provides not only an overview of dopamine receptors and the antipsychotic effects of treatments targeting them but also an outline of dopamine and its interaction with other neurochemical models of schizophrenia. The roles of dopamine in the evolution of the human brain and human mental abilities, which are affected in schizophrenia patients, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Brisch
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk , Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Arthur Saniotis
- School of Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, SA , Australia ; Centre for Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Rainer Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum , Germany
| | - Hendrik Bielau
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Hans-Gert Bernstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Zbigniew Jankowski
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk , Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Jaliya Kumaratilake
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, SA , Australia
| | - Maciej Henneberg
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, SA , Australia
| | - Tomasz Gos
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk , Gdańsk , Poland
| | - Maciej Henneberg
- Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, SA , Australia
| | - Tomasz Gos
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk , Gdańsk , Poland
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Leo D, Gainetdinov RR. Transgenic mouse models for ADHD. Cell Tissue Res 2013; 354:259-71. [PMID: 23681253 PMCID: PMC3785710 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1639-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity that adversely affect many aspects of life. Whereas the etiology of ADHD remains unknown, growing evidence indicates a genetic involvement in the development of this disorder. The brain circuits associated with ADHD are rich in monoamines, which are involved in the mechanism of action of psychostimulants and other medications used to treat this disorder. Dopamine (DA) is believed to play a major role in ADHD but other neurotransmitters are certainly also involved. Genetically modified mice have become an indispensable tool used to analyze the contribution of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of human disorders. Although rodent models cannot fully recapitulate complex human psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, transgenic mice offer an opportunity to directly investigate in vivo the specific roles of novel candidate genes identified in ADHD patients. Several knock-out and transgenic mouse models have been proposed as ADHD models, mostly based on targeting genes involved in DA transmission, including the gene encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT1). These mutant models provided an opportunity to evaluate the contribution of dopamine-related processes to brain pathology, to dissect the neuronal circuitry and molecular mechanisms involved in the antihyperkinetic action of psychostimulants and to evaluate novel treatments for ADHD. New transgenic models mouse models targeting other genes have recently been proposed for ADHD. Here, we discuss the recent advances and pitfalls in modeling ADHD endophenotypes in genetically altered animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiana Leo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy,
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