Characterization of spontaneous, transient adenosine release in the caudate-putamen and prefrontal cortex

Effect of adenosinergic manipulations on amygdala-kindled seizures in mice: Implications for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) results in more years of potential life lost than any neurological condition with the exception of stroke. It is generally agreed that SUDEP happens due to some form of respiratory, cardiac, and electrocerebral dysfunction following a seizure; however, the mechanistic cause of these perturbations is unclear. One possible explanation lies with adenosinergic signaling. Extracellular levels of the inhibitory neuromodulator adenosine rapidly rise during seizures, a countermeasure that is necessary for seizure termination. Previous evidence has suggested that excessive adenosinergic inhibition could increase the risk of SUDEP by silencing brain areas necessary for life, such as the respiratory nuclei of the brainstem. The goal of this investigation was to further clarify the role of adenosine in seizure-induced respiratory and electrocerebral dysfunction.

METHODS

To determine the role of adenosine in postictal physiological dysregulation, we pharmacologically manipulated adenosine signaling prior to amygdala-kindled seizures in mice while recording electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram, and breathing using whole body plethysmography. The adenosinergic drugs used in this study included selective and nonselective adenosine receptor antagonists and inhibitors of adenosine metabolism.

RESULTS

We found that high doses of adenosine receptor antagonists caused some seizures to result in seizure-induced death; however, counterintuitively, animals in these conditions that did not experience seizure-induced death had little or no postictal generalized EEG suppression. Inhibitors of adenosine metabolism had no effect on postictal breathing but did worsen some postictal electrocerebral outcomes.

SIGNIFICANCE

The unexpected effect of high doses of adenosine antagonists on seizure-induced death observed in this study may be due to the increase in seizure severity, vasoconstriction, or phosphodiesterase inhibition caused by these drugs at high doses. These findings further clarify the role of adenosine in seizure-induced death and may have implications for the consumption of caffeine in epilepsy patients and the prevention of SUDEP.

Adenosinergic Modulation of Layer 6 Microcircuitry in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Is Specific to Presynaptic Cell Type

Adenosinergic modulation in the PFC is recognized for its involvement in various behavioral aspects including sleep homoeostasis, decision-making, spatial working memory and anxiety. While the principal cells of layer 6 (L6) exhibit a significant morphological diversity, the detailed cell-specific regulatory mechanisms of adenosine in L6 remain unexplored. Here, we quantitatively analyzed the morphological and electrophysiological parameters of L6 neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) using whole-cell recordings combined with morphological reconstructions. We were able to identify two different morphological categories of excitatory neurons in the mPFC of both juvenile and young adult rats with both sexes. These categories were characterized by a leading dendrite that was oriented either upright (toward the pial surface) or inverted (toward the white matter). These two excitatory neuron subtypes exhibited different electrophysiological and synaptic properties. Adenosine at a concentration of 30 µM indiscriminately suppressed connections with either an upright or an inverted presynaptic excitatory neuron. However, using lower concentrations of adenosine (10 µM) revealed that synapses originating from L6 upright neurons have a higher sensitivity to adenosine-induced inhibition of synaptic release. Adenosine receptor activation causes a reduction in the probability of presynaptic neurotransmitter release that could be abolished by specifically blocking A1 adenosine receptors (A1ARs) using 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT). Our results demonstrate a differential expression level of A1ARs at presynaptic sites of two functionally and morphologically distinct subpopulations of L6 principal neurons, suggesting the intricate functional role of adenosine in neuronal signaling in the brain.

Transient Adenosine Modulates Serotonin Release Indirectly in the Dorsal Raphe Nuclei

Rapid adenosine transiently regulates dopamine and glutamate via A1 receptors, but other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, have not been studied. In this study, we examined the rapid modulatory effect of adenosine on serotonin release in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN) of mouse brain slices by using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. To mimic adenosine release during damage, a rapid microinjection of adenosine at 50 pmol was applied before electrical stimulation of serotonin release. Transient adenosine significantly reduced electrically evoked serotonin release in the first 20 s after application, but serotonin release recovered to baseline as adenosine was cleared from the slice. The continuous perfusion of adenosine did not change the evoked serotonin release. Surprisingly, the modulatory effects of adenosine were not regulated by A1 receptors as adenosine still inhibited serotonin release in A1KO mice and also after perfusion of an A1 antagonist (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropyl xanthine). The inhibition was also not regulated by A3 receptors as perfusion of the A3 antagonist (MRS 1220) in A1KO brain slices did not eliminate the inhibitory effects of transient adenosine. In addition, adenosine also inhibited serotonin release in A2AKO mice, showing that A2A did not modulate serotonin. However, perfusion of a selective 5HT1A autoreceptor antagonist drug [(S)-WAY 100135 dihydrochloride] abolished the inhibitory effect of transient adenosine on serotonin release. Thus, the transient neuromodulatory effect of adenosine on DRN serotonin release is regulated by serotonin autoreceptors and not by adenosine receptors. Rapid, transient adenosine modulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin may have important implications for diseases such as depression and brain injury.

Extracellular ATP/adenosine dynamics in the brain and its role in health and disease

Extracellular ATP and adenosine are neuromodulators that regulate numerous neuronal functions in the brain. Neuronal activity and brain insults such as ischemic and traumatic injury upregulate these neuromodulators, which exert their effects by activating purinergic receptors. In addition, extracellular ATP/adenosine signaling plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. Virtually every cell type in the brain contributes to the elevation of ATP/adenosine, and various mechanisms underlying this increase have been proposed. Extracellular adenosine is thought to be mainly produced via the degradation of extracellular ATP. However, adenosine is also released from neurons and glia in the brain. Therefore, the regulation of extracellular ATP/adenosine in physiological and pathophysiological conditions is likely far more complex than previously thought. To elucidate the complex mechanisms that regulate extracellular ATP/adenosine levels, accurate methods of assessing their spatiotemporal dynamics are needed. Several novel techniques for acquiring spatiotemporal information on extracellular ATP/adenosine, including fluorescent sensors, have been developed and have started to reveal the mechanisms underlying the release, uptake and degradation of ATP/adenosine. Here, we review methods for analyzing extracellular ATP/adenosine dynamics as well as the current state of knowledge on the spatiotemporal dynamics of ATP/adenosine in the brain. We focus on the mechanisms used by neurons and glia to cooperatively produce the activity-dependent increase in ATP/adenosine and its physiological and pathophysiological significance in the brain.

Measuring neuron-regulated immune cell physiology via the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor in an ex vivo murine spleen model

The communication between the nervous and immune systems plays a crucial role in regulating immune cell function and inflammatory responses. Sympathetic neurons, which innervate the spleen, have been implicated in modulating immune cell activity. The neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), released by sympathetic neurons, influences immune cell responses by binding to adrenergic receptors on their surface. The alpha-2 adrenergic receptor (α2AR), expressed predominantly on sympathetic neurons, has received attention due to its autoreceptor function and ability to modulate NE release. In this study, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) to provide the first subsecond measurements of NE released in the white pulp region of the spleen and validated it with yohimbine, a known antagonist of α2AR. For further application of FSCV in neuroimmunology, we investigated the extent to which subsecond NE from sympathetic neurons is important for immune cell physiology and cytokine production, focusing on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Our findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying sympathetic-immune interactions and show the significance of using FSCV, a traditional neurochemistry technique, to study these neuroimmune mechanisms.

Cardiovascular and respiratory evaluation in adenosine A2A receptor knockout mice submitted to short-term sustained hypoxia

Sustained hypoxia (SH) in mice induces changes in the respiratory pattern and increase in the parasympathetic tone to the heart. Among adenosine G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the A2A receptors are especially important in mediating adenosine actions during hypoxia due to their expression in neurons involved with the generation and modulation of the autonomic and respiratory functions. Herein, we performed an in vivo evaluation of the baseline cardiovascular and respiratory parameters and their changes in response to SH in knockout mice for A2A receptors (A2A KO). SH produced similar and significant reductions in mean arterial pressure and heart rate in both wild-type (WT) and A2A KO mice when compared to their respective normoxic controls. Mice from WT and A2A KO groups submitted to normoxia or SH presented similar cardiovascular responses to peripheral chemoreflex activation (KCN). Under normoxic conditions A2A KO mice presented a respiratory frequency (fR ) significantly higher in relation to the WT group, which was reduced in response to SH. These data show that the lack of adenosine A2A receptors in mice does not affect the cardiovascular parameters and the autonomic responses to chemoreflex activation in control (normoxia) and SH mice. We conclude that the A2A receptors play a major role in the control of respiratory frequency and in the tachypnoeic response to SH in mice. NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Are cardiovascular and respiratory parameters and their changes in response to sustained hypoxia (SH) altered in adenosine A2A receptor knockout mice? What is the main finding and its importance? Cardiovascular parameters and their changes in response to SH were not altered in A2A KO mice. The respiratory frequency in A2A KO was higher than in WT mice. In response to SH the respiratory frequency increased in WT, while it was reduced in A2A KO mice. A2A receptors play a major role in the modulation of respiratory frequency and in the tachypnoeic response to SH in mice.

Carbon nanospikes have improved sensitivity and antifouling properties for adenosine, hydrogen peroxide, and histamine

Carbon nanospikes (CNSs) are a new nanomaterial that has enhanced surface roughness and surface oxide concentration, increasing the sensitivity for dopamine detection. However, CNS-modified electrodes (CNSMEs) have not been characterized for other neurochemicals, particularly those with higher oxidation potentials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CNSMEs for the detection of adenosine, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and histamine. The sensitivity increased with CNSs, and signals at CNSMEs were about 3.3 times higher than CFMEs. Normalizing for surface area differences using background currents, CNSMEs show an increased signal of 4.8 times for adenosine, 1.5 times for H2O2, and 2 times for histamine. CNSMEs promoted the formation of secondary products for adenosine and histamine, which enables differentiation from other analytes with similar oxidation potentials. CNSs also selectively enhance the sensitivity for adenosine and histamine compared to H2O2. A scan rate test reveals that adenosine is more adsorption-controlled at CNS electrodes than CFMEs. CNSMEs are antifouling for histamine, with less fouling because the polymers formed after histamine electrooxidation do not adsorb due to an elevated number of edge planes. CNSMEs were useful for detecting each analyte applied in brain slices. Because of the hydrophilic surface compared to CFMEs, CNSMEs also have reduced biofouling when used in tissue. Therefore, CNSMEs are useful for tissue measurements of adenosine, hydrogen peroxide, and histamine with high selectivity and low fouling.

Metal Nanoparticle Modified Carbon-Fiber Microelectrodes Enhance Adenosine Triphosphate Surface Interactions with Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an important rapid signaling molecule involved in a host of pathologies in the body. Historically, ATP is difficult to directly detect electrochemically with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) due to limited interactions at bare carbon-fibers. Systematic investigations of how ATP interacts at electrode surfaces is necessary for developing more sensitive electrochemical detection methods. Here, we have developed gold nanoparticle (AuNP), and platinum nanoparticle (PtNP) modified carbon-fiber microelectrodes coupled to FSCV to measure the extent to which ATP interacts at metal nanoparticle-modified surfaces and to improve the sensitivity of direct electrochemical detection. AuNP and PtNPs were electrodeposited on the carbon-fiber surface by scanning from -1.2 to 1.5 V for 30 s in 0.5 mg/mL HAuCl₄ or 0.5 mg/mLK₂PtCl₆. Overall, we demonstrate an average 4.1 ± 1.0-fold increase in oxidative ATP current at AuNP-modified and a 3.5 ± 0.3-fold increase at PtNP-modified electrodes. Metal nanoparticle-modified surfaces promoted improved electrocatalytic conversion of ATP oxidation products at the surface, facilitated enhanced adsorption strength and surface coverage, and significantly improved sensitivity. ATP was successfully detected within living murine lymph node tissue following exogenous application. Overall, this study demonstrates a detailed characterization of ATP oxidation at metal nanoparticle surfaces and a significantly improved method for direct electrochemical detection of ATP in tissue.

Pannexin1 channels regulate mechanically stimulated but not spontaneous adenosine release

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a rapid technique to measure neuromodulators, and using FSCV, two modes of rapid adenosine have been discovered. Spontaneous transients occur randomly in the brain, while mechanical stimulation also causes a rapid adenosine event. Pannexin1 channels are membrane channels that transport ions, including ATP, out of the cell where it is rapidly broken down into adenosine. Pannexin 1 channels (Panx1) have a flickering mode of rapid opening and are also mechanically stimulated. Here, we test the extent to which pannexin channels, specifically pannexin1 (Panx1) channels, are responsible for rapid adenosine events. Spontaneous adenosine release or mechanosensitive adenosine release were measured using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in hippocampal (CA1) brain slices. In global Panx1KO mice, there is no significant difference in the frequency or concentration of spontaneous adenosine release, indicating Panx1 is not a release mechanism for spontaneous adenosine. Spontaneous adenosine frequency decreased slightly after administration of a large (100 µM) dose of carbenoxolone, a nonspecific inhibitor of many pannexin and connexin channels, suggesting other hemichannels only play a small role at most. For mechanically stimulated adenosine release, the concentration of each adenosine event significantly decreased 30% in Panx1KO mice and the frequency of stimulations that evoked adenosine also decreased. The response was similar in WT mice with carbenoxolone. Thus, Panx1 is a release mechanism for mechanically stimulated adenosine release, but not the only mechanism. These results demonstrate that pannexin channels differentially regulate rapid adenosine release and could be targeted to differentially affect mechanically stimulated adenosine due to brain damage.

Graphene-Fiber Microelectrodes for Ultrasensitive Neurochemical Detection

Here, we have synthesized and characterized graphene-fiber microelectrodes (GFME's) for subsecond detection of neurochemicals with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) for the first time. GFME's exhibited extraordinary properties including faster electron transfer kinetics, significantly improved sensitivity, and ease of tunability that we anticipate will have major impacts on neurochemical detection for years to come. GF's have been used in the literature for various applications; however, scaling their size down to microelectrodes and implementing them as neurochemical microsensors is significantly less developed. The GF's developed in this paper were on average 20-30 μm in diameter and both graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) fibers were characterized with FSCV. Neat GF's were synthesized using a one-step dimension-confined hydrothermal strategy. FSCV detection has traditionally used carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFME's) and more recently carbon nanotube fiber electrodes; however, uniform functionalization and direct control of the 3D surface structure of these materials remain limited. The expansion to GFME's will certainly open new avenues for fine-tuning the electrode surface for specific electrochemical detection. When comparing to traditional CFME's, our GFME's exhibited significant increases in electron transfer, redox cycling, fouling resistance, higher sensitivity, and frequency independent behavior which demonstrates their incredible utility as biological sensors.

Porous Carbon Nanofiber-Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Dopamine Detection

We present a method to modify carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFME) with porous carbon nanofibers (PCFs) to improve detection and to investigate the impact of porous geometry for dopamine detection with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). PCFs were fabricated by electrospinning, carbonizing, and pyrolyzing poly(acrylonitrile)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PAN-b-PMMA) block copolymer nanofiber frameworks. Commonly, porous nanofibers are used for energy storage applications, but we present an application of these materials for biosensing which has not been previously studied. This modification impacted the topology and enhanced redox cycling at the surface. PCF modifications increased the oxidative current for dopamine 2.0 ± 0.1-fold (n = 33) with significant increases in detection sensitivity. PCF are known to have more edge plane sites which we speculate lead to the two-fold increase in electroactive surface area. Capacitive current changes were negligible providing evidence that improvements in detection are due to faradaic processes at the electrode. The ΔE_p for dopamine decreased significantly at modified CFMEs. Only a 2.2 ± 2.2 % change in dopamine current was observed after repeated measurements and only 10.5 ± 2.8% after 4 hours demonstrating the stability of the modification over time. We show significant improvements in norepinephrine, ascorbic acid, adenosine, serotonin, and hydrogen peroxide detection. Lastly, we demonstrate that the modified electrodes can detect endogenous, unstimulated release of dopamine in living slices of rat striatum. Overall, we provide evidence that porous nanostructures significantly improve neurochemical detection with FSCV and echo the necessity for investigating the extent to which geometry impacts electrochemical detection.

Dual-Channel Electrochemical Measurements Reveal Rapid Adenosine is Localized in Brain Slices

Rapid adenosine signaling has been detected spontaneously or after mechanical stimulation in the brain, providing rapid neuromodulation in a local area. To measure rapid adenosine signaling, a single carbon-fiber microelectrode has traditionally been used, which limits spatial resolution and an understanding of regional coordination. In this study, we utilized dual-channel fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure the spontaneous or mechanically stimulated adenosine release at two electrodes placed at different spacings in hippocampal CA1 mouse brain slices. For mechanically stimulated adenosine release, adenosine can be detected up to 150 μm away from where it was stimulated, although the signal is smaller and delayed. While spontaneous adenosine transients were detected at both electrodes, only 10 percent of the events were detected concurrently, and that number was similar at 50 and 200 μm electrode spacings. Thus, most adenosine transients were not caused by the widespread coordination of release. There was no evidence of diffusion of spontaneous transients to a second electrode 50-200 μm away. This study shows that spontaneous adenosine events are very localized and thus provide only local neuromodulation. Injury, such as mechanical stimulation, allows adenosine to diffuse farther, but the neuroprotective effects are still regional. These results provide a better understanding of the spatial and temporal profiles of adenosine available to act at receptors, which is crucial for future studies that design neuroprotective treatments based on rapid adenosine signaling.

Spontaneous, transient adenosine release is not enhanced in the CA1 region of hippocampus during severe ischemia models

Ischemic stroke causes damage in the brain, and a slow buildup of adenosine is neuroprotective during ischemic injury. Spontaneous, transient adenosine signaling, lasting only 3 s per event, has been discovered that increases in frequency in the caudate-putamen during early stages of mild ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, spontaneous adenosine changes have not been studied in the hippocampus during ischemia, an area highly susceptible to stroke. Here, we investigated changes of spontaneous, transient adenosine in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus during three different models of the varied intensity of ischemia. During the early stages of the milder bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) model, there were fewer spontaneous, transient adenosine, but no change in the concentration of individual events. In contrast, during the moderate 2 vertebral artery occlusion (2VAO) and severe 4 vessel occlusion (4VO) models, both the frequency of spontaneous, transient adenosine and the average event adenosine concentration decreased. Blood flow measurements validate that the ischemia models decreased blood flow, and corresponding pathological changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 4VO occlusion showed the most severe damage in histology and BCCAO showed the least. Overall, our data suggest that there is no enhanced spontaneous adenosine release in the hippocampus during moderate and severe ischemia, which could be due to depletion of the rapidly releasable adenosine pool. Thus, during ischemic stroke, there are fewer spontaneous adenosine events that could inhibit neurotransmission, which might lead to more damage and less neuroprotection in the hippocampus CA1 region. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 800.

Spontaneous Adenosine and Dopamine Cotransmission in the Caudate-Putamen Is Regulated by Adenosine Receptors

Transient changes in adenosine and dopamine have been measured in vivo, but no studies have examined if these transient changes occur simultaneously. In this study, we characterized spontaneous adenosine and dopamine transients in anesthetized mice, examining coincident release in the caudate-putamen for the first time. We found that in C57B mice, most of the dopamine transients (77%) were coincident with adenosine, but fewer adenosine transients (12%) were coincident with a dopamine transient. On average, the dopamine transient started 200 ms before its coincident adenosine transient, so they occurred concurrently. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.7292) of adenosine and dopamine concentrations during coincident release. ATP is quickly broken down to adenosine in the extracellular space, and the coincident events may be due to corelease, where dopaminergic vesicles are packaged with ATP, or cotransmission, where ATP is packaged in different vesicles released simultaneously with dopamine. The high frequency of adenosine transients compared to that of dopamine transients suggests that adenosine is also released from nondopaminergic vesicles. We investigated how A₁ and A_2A adenosine receptors regulate adenosine and dopamine transients using A₁ and A_2AKO mice. In A₁KO mice, the frequency of adenosine and dopamine transients increased, while in A_2AKO mice, the frequency of adenosine alone increased. Adenosine receptors modulate coincident transients and could be drug targets to modulate both dopamine and adenosine release. Many spontaneous dopamine transients have coincident adenosine release, and regulating adenosine and dopamine cotransmission could be important for designing treatments for dopamine diseases, such as Parkinson's or addiction.

Cerebral A1 adenosine receptor availability in female and male participants and its relationship to sleep

The neuromodulator adenosine and its receptors are mediators of sleep-wake regulation which is known to differ between sexes. We, therefore, investigated sex differences in A₁ adenosine receptor (A₁AR) availability in healthy human subjects under well-rested conditions using [¹⁸F]CPFPX and positron emission tomography (PET). [¹⁸F]CPFPX PET scans were acquired in 50 healthy human participants (20 females; mean age ± SD 28.0 ± 5.3 years). Mean binding potential (BP_ND; Logan's reference tissue model with cerebellum as reference region) and volume of distribution (V_T) values were calculated in 12 and 15 grey matter brain regions, respectively. [¹⁸F]CPFPX BP_ND was higher in females compared to males in all investigated brain regions (p < 0.025). The largest differences were found in the pallidum and anterior cingulate cortex, where mean BP_ND values were higher by 29% in females than in males. In females, sleep efficiency correlated positively and sleep latency negatively with BP_ND in most brain regions. V_T values did not differ between sexes. Sleep efficiency correlated positively with V_T in most brain regions in female participants. In conclusion, our analysis gives a first indication for potential sex differences in A₁AR availability even under well-rested conditions. A₁AR availability as measured by [¹⁸F]CPFPX BP_ND is higher in females compared to males. Considering the involvement of adenosine in sleep-wake control, this finding might partially explain the known sex differences in sleep efficiency and sleep latency.

The critical balance between dopamine D2 receptor and RGS for the sensitive detection of a transient decay in dopamine signal

In behavioral learning, reward-related events are encoded into phasic dopamine (DA) signals in the brain. In particular, unexpected reward omission leads to a phasic decrease in DA (DA dip) in the striatum, which triggers long-term potentiation (LTP) in DA D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing spiny-projection neurons (D2 SPNs). While this LTP is required for reward discrimination, it is unclear how such a short DA-dip signal (0.5-2 s) is transferred through intracellular signaling to the coincidence detector, adenylate cyclase (AC). In the present study, we built a computational model of D2 signaling to determine conditions for the DA-dip detection. The DA dip can be detected only if the basal DA signal sufficiently inhibits AC, and the DA-dip signal sufficiently disinhibits AC. We found that those two requirements were simultaneously satisfied only if two key molecules, D2R and regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) were balanced within a certain range; this balance has indeed been observed in experimental studies. We also found that high level of RGS was required for the detection of a 0.5-s short DA dip, and the analytical solutions for these requirements confirmed their universality. The imbalance between D2R and RGS is associated with schizophrenia and DYT1 dystonia, both of which are accompanied by abnormal striatal LTP. Our simulations suggest that D2 SPNs in patients with schizophrenia and DYT1 dystonia cannot detect short DA dips. We finally discussed that such psychiatric and movement disorders can be understood in terms of the imbalance between D2R and RGS.

Autocrine and paracrine purinergic signaling in the most lethal types of cancer

Cancer comprises a collection of diseases that occur in almost any tissue and it is characterized by an abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth that results in tumor formation and propagation to other tissues, causing tissue and organ malfunction and death. Despite the undeniable improvement in cancer diagnostics and therapy, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic and preventive strategies with improved efficacy and fewer side effects. In this context, purinergic signaling emerges as an interesting candidate as a cancer biomarker or therapeutic target. There is abundant evidence that tumor cells have significant changes in the expression of purinergic receptors, which comprise the G-protein coupled P2Y and AdoR families of receptors and the ligand-gated ion channel P2X receptors. Tumor cells also exhibit changes in the expression of nucleotidases and other enzymes involved in nucleotide metabolism, and the concentrations of extracellular nucleotides are significantly higher than those observed in normal cells. In this review, we will focus on the potential role of purinergic signaling in the ten most lethal cancers (lung, breast, colorectal, liver, stomach, prostate, cervical, esophagus, pancreas, and ovary), which together are responsible for more than 5 million annual deaths.

Amine-functionalized carbon-fiber microelectrodes for enhanced ATP detection with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Here, we provide evidence that functionalizing the carbon-fiber surface with amines significantly improves direct electrochemical adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). ATP is an important extracellular signaling molecule throughout the body and can function as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Several methods have been developed over the years to monitor and quantitate ATP signaling in cells and tissues; however, many of them are limited in temporal resolution or are not capable of measuring ATP directly. FSCV at carbon-fiber microelectrodes is a widely used technique to measure neurotransmitters in real-time. Many electrode treatments have been developed to study the interaction of cationic compounds like dopamine at the carbon surface yet studies investigating how to improve anionic compounds, like ATP, at the carbon fiber surface are lacking. In this work, carbon-fibers were treated with N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) which reacts with carboxylic acid groups on the carbon surface followed by reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA) to produce NH2-functionalized carbon surfaces. Overall, we a 5.2 ± 2.5-fold increase in ATP current with an approximately 9-fold increase in amine functionality, as analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, on the carbon surface was observed after modification with EDC-EDA. This provides evidence that amine-rich surfaces improve interactions with ATP on the surface. This study provides a detailed analysis of ATP interaction at carbon surfaces and ultimately a method to improve direct and rapid neurological ATP detection in the future.

Biological insights from the direct measurement of purine release

Although purinergic signalling has been a well-established and accepted mechanism of chemical communication for many years, it remains important to measure the extracellular concentration of ATP and adenosine in real time. In this review I summarize the reasons why such measurements are still needed, how they provide additional mechanistic insight and give an overview of the techniques currently available to make spatially localised measurements of ATP and adenosine in real time. To illustrate the impact of direct real-time measurements, I explore CO2 and nutrient sensing in the medulla oblongata and hypothalamus. In both of these examples, the sensing involves hemichannel mediated ATP release from glial cells. For CO2 the hemichannels involved, connexin26, are directly CO2-sensitive. This mechanism contributes to the chemosensory control of breathing. In the hypothamalus, specialised glial cells, tanycytes, directly contact the cerebrospinal fluid in the 3rd ventricle and sense nutrients via sweet and umami taste receptors. Nutrient sensing by tanycytes is likely to contribute to the control of body weight as their selective stimulation alters food intake. To illustrate the importance of direct adenosine measurements, I consider the complex and multiple mechanisms of activity-dependent adenosine release in different brain regions. This activity dependent release of adenosine is likely to mediate important feedback regulation and may also be involved in controlling the sleep-wake state. I finish by briefly considering the potential of whole blood purine measurements in clinical practice.

Polymer Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Precision Neurotransmitter Metabolite Measurements

Carbon fiber-microelectrodes (CFMEs) are considered to be one of the standard electrodes for neurotransmitter detection such as dopamine (DA). DA is physiologically important for many pharmacological and behavioral states, but is readily metabolized on a fast, subsecond timescale. Recently, DA metabolites such as 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) were found to be involved in physiological functions, such as movement control and progressive neuro degeneration. However, there is no current assay to detect and differentiate them from DA. In this study, we demonstrate the co-detection of similarly structured neurochemicals such as DA, 3-MT, and DOPAL. We accomplished this through electrodepositing CFMEs with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) polymers. This endowed the bare unmodified CFMEs with surface charge, physical, and chemical differences, which resulted in the improved sensitivity and selectivity of neurotransmitter detection. The differentiation and detection of 3-MT, DOPAL, and DA will potentially help further understand the important physiological roles that these dopaminergic metabolites play in vivo.

A1 and A2A Receptors Modulate Spontaneous Adenosine but Not Mechanically Stimulated Adenosine in the Caudate

Adenosine is a neuromodulator, and rapid increases in adenosine in the brain occur spontaneously or after mechanical stimulation. However, the regulation of rapid adenosine by adenosine receptors is unclear, and understanding it would allow better manipulation of neuromodulation. The two main adenosine receptors in the brain are A₁ receptors, which are inhibitory, and A_2A receptors, which are excitatory. Here, we investigated the regulation of spontaneous adenosine and mechanically stimulated adenosine by adenosine receptors, using global A₁ or A_2A knockout mice. Results were compared in vivo and in brain slices' models. A₁ KO mice have increased frequency of spontaneous adenosine events, but no change in the average concentration of an event, while A_2A KO mice had no change in frequency but increased average event concentration. Thus, both A₁ and A_2A self-regulate spontaneous adenosine release; however, A₁ acts on the frequency of events, while A_2A receptors regulate concentration. The trends are similar both in vivo and slices, so brain slices are a good model system to study spontaneous adenosine release. For mechanically stimulated adenosine, there was no effect of A₁ or A_2A KO in vivo, but in brain slices, there was a significant increase in concentration evoked in A₁KO mice. Mechanically stimulated release was largely unregulated by A₁ and A_2A receptors, likely because of a different release mechanism than spontaneous adenosine. Thus, A₁ receptors affect the frequency of spontaneous adenosine transients, and A_2A receptors affect the concentration. Therefore, future studies could probe drug treatments targeting A₁ and A_2A receptors to increase rapid adenosine neuromodulation.

Structural Similarity Image Analysis for Detection of Adenosine and Dopamine in Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Color Plots

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is widely used for in vivo detection of neurotransmitters, but identifying analytes, particularly mixtures, is difficult. Data analysis has focused on identifying dopamine from cyclic voltammograms, but it would be better to analyze all the data in the three-dimensional FSCV color plot. Here, the goal was to use image analysis-based analysis of FSCV color plots for the first time, specifically the structural similarity index (SSIM), to identify rapid neurochemical events. Initially, we focused on identifying spontaneous adenosine events, as adenosine cyclic voltammograms have a primary oxidation at 1.3 V and a secondary oxidation peak that grows in over time. Using SSIM, sample FSCV color plots were compared with reference color plots, and the SSIM cutoff score was optimized to distinguish adenosine. High-pass digital filtering was also applied to remove the background drift and lower the noise, which produced a better LOD. The SSIM algorithm detected more adenosine events than a previous algorithm based on current versus time traces, with 99.5 ± 0.6% precision, 95 ± 3% recall, and 97 ± 2% F₁ score (n = 15 experiments from three researchers). For selectivity, it successfully rejected signals from pH changes, histamine, and H₂O₂. To prove it is a broad strategy useful beyond adenosine, SSIM analysis was optimized for dopamine detection and is able to detect simultaneous events with dopamine and adenosine. Thus, SSIM is a general strategy for FSCV data analysis that uses three-dimensional data to detect multiple analytes in an efficient, automated analysis.

Polymer-Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Neurochemical Detection of Dopamine and Metabolites

Carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) are considered to be the standard electrodes for neurotransmitter detection. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), an electro analytical method, has the ability to follow neurochemical dynamics in real time using CFMEs. Improvements in neurochemical detection with CFMEs were previously made through the coating of polymers onto the surface of the carbon-fiber. Polymers such as PEI, PEDOT, and Nafion were electrodeposited onto the surface of the electrodes to enhance neurochemical detection. This work demonstrates applications for enhancements in co-detection of similarly structured neurochemicals such as dopamine, DOPAL, 3-methoxytyramine, DOPAC, and other neurotransmitters. Manipulating the charge and surface structure of the carbon electrode allows for the improvement of sensitivity and selectivity of neurotransmitter detection. The analytes are detected and differentiated by the shape and the peak positions of their respective cyclic voltammograms.

CD73 or CD39 Deletion Reveals Different Mechanisms of Formation for Spontaneous and Mechanically Stimulated Adenosine and Sex Specific Compensations in ATP Degradation

Adenosine is important for local neuromodulation, and rapid adenosine signaling can occur spontaneously or after mechanical stimulation, but little is known about how adenosine is formed in the extracellular space for those stimulations. Here, we studied mechanically stimulated and spontaneous adenosine to determine if rapid adenosine is formed by extracellular breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using mice globally deficient in extracellular breakdown enzymes, either CD39 (nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1, NTPDase1) or CD73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase). CD39 knockout (KO) mice have a lower frequency of spontaneous adenosine events than wild-type (WT, C57BL/6). Surprisingly, CD73KO mice demonstrate sex differences in spontaneous adenosine; males maintain similar event frequencies as WT, but females have significantly fewer events and lower concentrations. Examining the mRNA expression of other enzymes that metabolize ATP revealed tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) was upregulated in male CD73KO mice, but not secreted prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) or transmembrane PAP. Thus, TNAP upregulation compensates for CD73 loss in males but not in females. These sex differences highlight that spontaneous adenosine is formed by metabolism of extracellular ATP by many enzymes. For mechanically stimulated adenosine, CD39KO or CD73KO did not change stimulation frequency, concentration, or t_1/2. Thus, the mechanism of formation for mechanically stimulated adenosine is likely direct release of adenosine, different than spontaneous adenosine. Understanding these different mechanisms of rapid adenosine formation will help to develop pharmacological treatments that differentially target modes of rapid adenosine signaling, and all treatments should be studied in both sexes, given possible differences in extracellular ATP degradation.

Complex sex and estrous cycle differences in spontaneous transient adenosine

Adenosine is a ubiquitous neuromodulator that plays a role in sleep, vasodilation, and immune response and manipulating the adenosine system could be therapeutic for Parkinson's disease or ischemic stroke. Spontaneous transient adenosine release provides rapid neuromodulation; however, little is known about the effect of sex as a biological variable on adenosine signaling and this is vital information for designing therapeutics. Here, we investigate sex differences in spontaneous, transient adenosine release using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to measure adenosine in vivo in the hippocampus CA1, basolateral amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. The frequency and concentration of transient adenosine release were compared by sex and brain region, and in females, the stage of estrous. Females had larger concentration transients in the hippocampus (0.161 ± 0.003 µM) and the amygdala (0.182 ± 0.006 µM) than males (hippocampus: 0.134 ± 0.003, amygdala: 0.115 ± 0.002 µM), but the males had a higher frequency of events. In the prefrontal cortex, the trends were reversed. Males had higher concentrations (0.189 ± 0.003 µM) than females (0.170 ± 0.002 µM), but females had higher frequencies. Examining stages of the estrous cycle, in the hippocampus, adenosine transients are higher concentration during proestrus and diestrus. In the cortex, adenosine transients were higher in concentration during proestrus, but were lower during all other stages. Thus, sex and estrous cycle differences in spontaneous adenosine are complex, and not completely consistent from region to region. Understanding these complex differences in spontaneous adenosine between the sexes and during different stages of estrous is important for designing effective treatments manipulating adenosine as a neuromodulator.

Fundamentals of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry for dopamine detection

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is used with carbon-fiber microelectrodes for the real-time detection of neurotransmitters on the subsecond time scale. With FSCV, the potential is ramped up from a holding potential to a switching potential and back, usually at a 400 V s-1 scan rate and a frequency of 10 Hz. The plot of current vs. applied potential, the cyclic voltammogram (CV), has a very different shape for FSCV than for traditional cyclic voltammetry collected at scan rates which are 1000-fold slower. Here, we explore the theory of FSCV, with a focus on dopamine detection. First, we examine the shape of the CVs. Background currents, which are 100-fold higher than faradaic currents, are subtracted out. Peak separation is primarily due to slow electron transfer kinetics, while the symmetrical peak shape is due to exhaustive electrolysis of all the adsorbed neurotransmitters. Second, we explain the origins of the dopamine waveform, and the factors that limit the holding potential (oxygen reduction), switching potential (water oxidation), scan rate (electrode instability), and repetition rate (adsorption). Third, we discuss data analysis, from data visualization with color plots, to the automated algorithms like principal components regression that distinguish dopamine from pH changes. Finally, newer applications are discussed, including optimization of waveforms for analyte selectivity, carbon nanomaterial electrodes that trap dopamine, and basal level measurements that facilitate neurotransmitter measurements on a longer time scale. FSCV theory is complex, but understanding it enables better development of new techniques to monitor neurotransmitters in vivo.

Recent advances in fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) is a versatile electrochemical technique to probe neurochemical dynamics in vivo. Progress in FSCV methodology continues to address analytical challenges arising from biological needs to measure low concentrations of neurotransmitters at specific sites. This review summarizes recent advances in FSCV method development in three areas: (1) waveform optimization, (2) electrode development, and (3) data analysis. First, FSCV waveform parameters such as holding potential, switching potential, and scan rate have been optimized to monitor new neurochemicals. The new waveform shapes introduce better selectivity toward specific molecules such as serotonin, histamine, hydrogen peroxide, octopamine, adenosine, guanosine, and neuropeptides. Second, CFMEs have been modified with nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes or replaced with conducting polymers to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and antifouling properties. Different geometries can be obtained by 3D-printing, manufacturing arrays, or fabricating carbon nanopipettes. Third, data analysis is important to sort through the thousands of CVs obtained. Recent developments in data analysis include preprocessing by digital filtering, principal components analysis for distinguishing analytes, and developing automated algorithms to detect peaks. Future challenges include multisite measurements, machine learning, and integration with other techniques. Advances in FSCV will accelerate research in neurochemistry to answer new biological questions about dynamics of signaling in the brain.

New frontiers in probing the dynamics of purinergic transmitters in vivo

Purinergic transmitters such as adenosine, ADP, ATP, UTP, and UDP-glucose play important roles in a wide range of physiological processes, including the sleep-wake cycle, learning and memory, cardiovascular function, and the immune response. Moreover, impaired purinergic signaling has been implicated in various pathological conditions such as pain, migraine, epilepsy, and drug addiction. Examining the function of purinergic transmission in both health and disease requires direct, sensitive, non-invasive tools for monitoring structurally similar purinergic transmitters; ideally, these tools should have high spatial and temporal resolution in in vivo applications. Here, we review the recent progress with respect to the development and application of new methods for detecting purinergic transmitters, focusing on optical tools; in addition, we provide discussion regarding future perspectives.

Advances in neurochemical measurements: A review of biomarkers and devices for the development of closed-loop deep brain stimulation systems

Neurochemical recording techniques have expanded our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurological disorders, as well as the mechanisms of action of treatment modalities like deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS is used to treat diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others. Although DBS is effective at alleviating symptoms related to these diseases and improving the quality of life of these patients, the mechanism of action of DBS is currently not fully understood. A leading hypothesis is that DBS modulates the electrical field potential by modifying neuronal firing frequencies to non-pathological rates thus providing therapeutic relief. To address this gap in knowledge, recent advances in electrochemical sensing techniques have given insight into the importance of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and adenosine, in disease pathophysiology. These studies have also highlighted their potential use in tandem with electrophysiology to serve as biomarkers in disease diagnosis and progression monitoring, as well as characterize response to treatment. Here, we provide an overview of disease-relevant neurotransmitters and their roles and implications as biomarkers, as well as innovations to the biosensors used to record these biomarkers. Furthermore, we discuss currently available neurochemical and electrophysiological recording devices, and discuss their viability to be implemented into the development of a closed-loop DBS system.

Mechanism of Histamine Oxidation and Electropolymerization at Carbon Electrodes

Histamine plays an important role in neuromodulation and the biological immune response. Although many electrochemical methods have been developed for histamine detection, the mechanism of its redox reaction has not been directly investigated. Here, we studied the mechanism of histamine oxidation at carbon electrodes and used that mechanistic information to design better fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) methods for histamine. Using amperometry, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we demonstrate that histamine oxidation requires a potential of at least +1.1 V vs Ag/AgCl. We propose that histamine undergoes one-electron oxidation on an imidazole nitrogen that produces a radical. The radical species dimerize and continue to undergo oxidation, leading to electropolymerization, which fouls the electrode. CV shows a peak at 1.3 V that is pH dependent, consistent with a one-proton, one-electron oxidation reaction. This mechanism is confirmed using 1- and 3-methylhistamine, which do not electropolymerize, compared to N^α-methylhistamine, which does. XPS also revealed a nitrogen-containing product adsorbed on the electrode surface after histamine oxidation. For FSCV detection of histamine at carbon-fiber microelectrodes, histamine oxidation was adsorption-controlled, and the anodic peak was observed at +1.2 V on the backward scan because of the rapid scan rate. However, the oxidation fouled the electrode and convoluted the FSCV temporal response; therefore, we implemented Nafion coating to alleviate the electrode fouling and preserve the time response of FSCV. Knowing the mechanism of histamine oxidation will facilitate design of better electrochemical methods for real-time monitoring of histamine.

Electrochemistry at the Synapse

Electrochemical measurements of neurotransmitters provide insight into the dynamics of neurotransmission. In this review, we describe the development of electrochemical measurements of neurotransmitters and how they started with extrasynaptic measurements but now are pushing toward synaptic measurements. Traditionally, biosensors or fast-scan cyclic voltammetry have monitored extrasynaptic levels of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, adenosine, glutamate, and acetylcholine. Amperometry and electrochemical cytometry techniques have revealed mechanisms of exocytosis, suggesting partial release. Advances in nanoelectrodes now allow spatially resolved, electrochemical measurements in a synapse, which is only 20-100 nm wide. Synaptic measurements of dopamine and acetylcholine have been made. In this article, electrochemical measurements are also compared to optical imaging and mass spectrometry measurements, and while these other techniques provide enhanced spatial or chemical information, electrochemistry is best at monitoring real-time neurotransmission. Future challenges include combining electrochemistry with these other techniques in order to facilitate multisite and multianalyte monitoring.

Caffeine Modulates Spontaneous Adenosine and Oxygen Changes during Ischemia and Reperfusion

Adenosine is an endogenous neuroprotectant that modulates vasodilation in the central nervous system. Oxygen changes occur when there is an increase in local cerebral blood flow and thus are a measure of vasodilation. Transient oxygen events following rapid adenosine events have been recently discovered, but the relationship between adenosine and blood flow change during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) has not been characterized. Caffeine is a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist that can modulate the effects of adenosine in the brain, but how it affects adenosine and oxygen levels during I/R is also unknown. In this study, extracellular changes in adenosine and oxygen were simultaneously monitored using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry during bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) and the effects of a specific A2A antagonist, SCH 442416, or general antagonist, caffeine, were studied. Measurements were made in the caudate-putamen for 1 h of normoxia, followed by 30 min of BCCAO and 30 min of reperfusion. The frequency and number of both adenosine and oxygen transient events significantly increased during I/R. The specific A2A antagonist, SCH 442416 (3 mg/kg, i.p.), eliminated the increase in adenosine and oxygen events caused by I/R. The general adenosine receptor antagonist, caffeine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), decreased the frequency of adenosine and oxygen transient events during I/R. These results demonstrate that, during BCCAO, there are more rapid release events of the neuromodulator adenosine and correlated local oxygen changes, and these rapid, local effects are dampened by caffeine and other A2A antagonists.

Surface Fouling of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Microelectrodes during Dopamine Detection: Improving Lifetime via Electrochemical Cycling

In this work, we report the electrochemical response of a boron-doped ultrananocrystalline diamond (BDUNCD) microelectrode during long-term dopamine (DA) detection. Specifically, changes to its electrochemical activity and electroactive area due to DA byproducts and surface oxidation are studied via scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and silver deposition imaging (SDI). The fouling studies with amperometry (AM) and fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) methods suggest that the microelectrodes are heavily fouled due to poor DA-dopamine- o-quinone cyclization rates followed by a combination of polymer formation and major changes in their surface chemistry. SDI data confirms the presence of the insulating polymer with sparsely distributed tiny electroactive regions. This resulted in severely distorted DA signals and a 90% loss in signal starting as early as 3 h for AM and a 56% loss at 6.5 h for FSCV. This underscores the need for cleaning of the fouled microelectrodes if they have to be used long-term. Out of the three in vivo suitable electrochemical cycling cleaning waveforms investigated, the standard waveform (-0.4 V to +1.0 V) provides the best cleaned surface with a fully retained voltammogram shape, no hysteresis, no DA signal loss (a 90 ± 0.72 nA increase), and the smallest charge transfer resistance value of 0.4 ± 0.02 MΩ even after 6.5 h of monitoring. Most importantly, this is the same waveform that is widely used for in vivo detection with carbon fiber microelectrodes. Future work to test these microelectrodes for more than 24 h of DA detection is anticipated.

Comparison of spontaneous and mechanically-stimulated adenosine release in mice

Rapid adenosine signaling, on the time frame of seconds, has been discovered in the brain that can modulate neurotransmission or blood flow. Rapid adenosine release can occur spontaneously or be evoked after a mechanical stimulation, but these two modes of adenosine have not been compared. Here, we compared spontaneous and mechanically-stimulated adenosine release in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus of anesthetized mice. For spontaneous adenosine, the number of adenosine events in the prefrontal cortex (40 ± 4 per hour) was significantly lower than in the striatum (54 ± 3) or hippocampus (56 ± 3). Similarly, the concentration per transient was lower in the prefrontal cortex but highest in the striatum. For mechanically-stimulated adenosine, the peak concentration in the prefrontal cortex (8 ± 2 μM) and striatum (8 ± 1 μM) were significantly lower than in the hippocampus (16 ± 2 μM). Comparing the two modes, the hippocampus had high mechanically-stimulated concentration and high spontaneous frequency, while the prefrontal cortex had lower spontaneous frequency and mechanically-stimulated release. However, there is no pattern with the striatum and thus no direct correlations between spontaneous and mechanically-stimulated adenosine. Thus, there may be different pools of adenosine or mechanisms of formation for these two modes. Because of the high frequency of spontaneous events and high concentration of mechanically-stimulated release in the hippocampus, there may be some areas that have stronger adenosine signaling and thus stronger neuromodulatory control by adenosine.

Adenosine A2A and histamine H3 receptors interact at the cAMP/PKA pathway to modulate depolarization-evoked [3H]-GABA release from rat striato-pallidal terminals

We previously reported that the activation of histamine H₃ receptors (H₃Rs) selectively counteracts the facilitatory action of adenosine A_2A receptors (A_2ARs) on GABA release from rat globus pallidus (GP) isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes). In this work, we examined the mechanisms likely to underlie this functional interaction. Three possibilities were explored: (a) changes in receptor affinity for agonists induced by physical A_2AR/H₃R interaction, (b) opposite actions of A_2ARs and H₃Rs on depolarization-induced Ca²⁺ entry, and (c) an A_2AR/H₃R interaction at the level of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) formation. In GP synaptosomal membranes, H₃R activation with immepip reduced A_2AR affinity for the agonist 2-p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenethylamino-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine hydrochloride hydrate (CGS-21680) (K_i control 4.53 nM; + immepip 9.32 nM), whereas A_2AR activation increased H₃R affinity for immepip (K_i control 0.63 nM; + CGS-21680 0.26 nM). Neither A_2AR activation nor H₃R stimulation modified calcium entry through voltage-gated calcium channels in GP synaptosomes, as evaluated by microfluorometry. A_2AR-mediated facilitation of depolarization-evoked [2,3-³H]-γ-aminobutyric acid ([³H]-GABA) release from GP synaptosomes (130.4 ± 3.6% of control values) was prevented by the PKA inhibitor H-89 and mimicked by the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin or by 8-Bromo-cAMP, a membrane permeant cAMP analogue (169.5 ± 17.3 and 149.5 ± 14.5% of controls). H₃R activation failed to reduce the facilitation of [³H]-GABA release induced by 8-Bromo-cAMP. In GP slices, A_2AR activation stimulated cAMP accumulation (290% of basal) and this effect was reduced (- 75%) by H₃R activation. These results indicate that in striato-pallidal nerve terminals, A_2ARs and H₃Rs interact at the level of cAMP formation to modulate PKA activity and thus GABA release.

Continuous monitoring of adenosine and its metabolites using microdialysis coupled to microchip electrophoresis with amperometric detection

Rapid monitoring of concentration changes of neurotransmitters and energy metabolites is important for understanding the biochemistry of neurological disease as well as for developing therapeutic options. This paper describes the development of a separation-based sensor using microchip electrophoresis (ME) with electrochemical (EC) detection coupled to microdialysis (MD) sampling for continuous on-line monitoring of adenosine and its downstream metabolites. The device was fabricated completely in PDMS. End-channel electrochemical detection was accomplished using a carbon fiber working electrode embedded in the PDMS. The separation conditions for adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and guanosine were investigated using a ME-EC chip with a 5-cm long separation channel. The best resolution was achieved using a background electrolyte consisting of 35 mM sodium borate at pH 10, 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and 2 mM sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and a field strength of 222 V/cm. Under these conditions, all four purines were separated in less than 85 s. Using a working electrode detection potential of 1.4 vs Ag/AgCl, the limits of detection were 25, 33, 10, and 25 μM for adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and guanosine, respectively. The ME-EC chip was then coupled to microdialysis sampling using a novel all-PDMS microdialysis-microchip interface that was reversibly sealed. This made alignment of the working electrode with the end of the separation channel much easier and more reproducible than could be obtained with previous MD-ME-EC systems. The integrated device was then used to monitor the enzymatic conversion of adenosine to inosine in vitro.

Early changes in transient adenosine during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury

Adenosine is an important neuromodulator in the central nervous system, and tissue adenosine levels increase during ischemic events, attenuating excitotoxic neuronal injury. Recently, our lab developed an electrochemical fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) method that identified rapid, spontaneous changes in adenosine concentrations that last only about 3 seconds. Here, we investigated the effects of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion on the concentration and frequency of transient adenosine release in the caudate-putamen. In anesthetized rats, data were collected for four hours: two hours of normoxia, 30 min of cerebral ischemia induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion, and 90 min of reperfusion. Transient adenosine release was increased during the cerebral ischemia period and remained elevated during reperfusion. The total number of adenosine transients increased by 52% during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion compared to normoxia. The concentration of adenosine per event did not increase but the cumulative adenosine concentration during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion increased by 53% because of the higher frequency of events. Further, we evaluated the role of A_2A antagonist, SCH442416, a putative neuroprotective agent to affect adenosine transients. SCH442416 significantly decreased the transient frequency during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by 27% and the cumulative concentration by 31%. Our results demonstrate that this mode of rapid adenosine release increases during early cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Rapid adenosine release could provide fast, local neuromodulation and neuroprotection during cerebral ischemia.

Pharmacological Blockade of Adenosine A2A but Not A1 Receptors Enhances Goal-Directed Valuation in Satiety-Based Instrumental Behavior

The balance and smooth shift between flexible, goal-directed behaviors and repetitive, habitual actions are critical to optimal performance of behavioral tasks. The striatum plays an essential role in control of goal-directed versus habitual behaviors through a rich interplay of the numerous neurotransmitters and neuromodulators to modify the input, processing and output functions of the striatum. The adenosine receptors (namely A_2AR and A₁R), with their high expression pattern in the striatum and abilities to interact and integrate dopamine, glutamate and cannabinoid signals in the striatum, may represent novel therapeutic targets for modulating instrumental behavior. In this study, we examined the effects of pharmacological blockade of the A_2ARs and A₁Rs on goal-directed versus habitual behaviors in different information processing phases of instrumental learning using a satiety-based instrumental behavior procedure. We found that A_2AR antagonist acts at the coding, consolidation and expression phases of instrumental learning to modulate animals’ sensitivity to goal-directed valuation without modifying action-outcome contingency. However, pharmacological blockade and genetic knockout of A₁Rs did not affect acquisition or sensitivity to goal-valuation of instrumental behavior. These findings provide pharmacological evidence for a potential therapeutic strategy to control abnormal instrumental behaviors associated with drug addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder by targeting the A_2AR.

Regional Variations of Spontaneous, Transient Adenosine Release in Brain Slices

Transient adenosine signaling has been recently discovered in vivo, where the concentration is on average 180 nM and the duration only 3-4 s. In order to rapidly screen different brain regions and mechanisms of formation and regulation, here we develop a rat brain slice model to study adenosine transients. The frequency, concentration, and duration of transient adenosine events were compared in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (CA1), and thalamus. Adenosine transients in the PFC were similar to those in vivo, with a concentration of 160 ± 10 nM, and occurred frequently, averaging one every 50 ± 5 s. In the thalamus, transients were infrequent, occurring every 280 ± 40 s, and lower concentration (110 ± 10 nM), but lasted twice as long as in the PFC. In the hippocampus, adenosine transients were less frequent than those in the PFC, occurring every 79 ± 7 s, but the average concentration (240 ± 20 nM) was significantly higher. Adenosine transients are largely maintained after applying 200 nM tetrodotoxin, implying they are not activity dependent. The response to adenosine A₁ antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) differed by region; DPCPX had no significant effects in the PFC, but increased the average transient concentration in the thalamus and both the transient frequency and concentration in the hippocampus. Thus, the amount of adenosine available to activate receptors, and the ability to upregulate adenosine signaling with DPCPX, varies by brain region. This is an important consideration for designing treatments that modulate adenosine in order to cause neuroprotective effects.

Detection of phasic dopamine by D1 and D2 striatal medium spiny neurons

KEY POINTS

Brief dopamine events are critical actors of reward-mediated learning in the striatum; the intracellular cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) response of striatal medium spiny neurons to such events was studied dynamically using a combination of biosensor imaging in mouse brain slices and in silico simulations. Both D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons can sense brief dopamine transients in the sub-micromolar range. While dopamine transients profoundly change cAMP levels in both types of medium spiny neurons, the PKA-dependent phosphorylation level remains unaffected in D2 neurons. At the level of PKA-dependent phosphorylation, D2 unresponsiveness depends on protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) inhibition by DARPP-32. Simulations suggest that D2 medium spiny neurons could detect transient dips in dopamine level.

ABSTRACT

The phasic release of dopamine in the striatum determines various aspects of reward and action selection, but the dynamics of the dopamine effect on intracellular signalling remains poorly understood. We used genetically encoded FRET biosensors in striatal brain slices to quantify the effect of transient dopamine on cAMP or PKA-dependent phosphorylation levels, and computational modelling to further explore the dynamics of this signalling pathway. Medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), which express either D1 or D2 dopamine receptors, responded to dopamine by an increase or a decrease in cAMP, respectively. Transient dopamine showed similar sub-micromolar efficacies on cAMP in both D1 and D2 MSNs, thus challenging the commonly accepted notion that dopamine efficacy is much higher on D2 than on D1 receptors. However, in D2 MSNs, the large decrease in cAMP level triggered by transient dopamine did not translate to a decrease in PKA-dependent phosphorylation level, owing to the efficient inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 by DARPP-32. Simulations further suggested that D2 MSNs can also operate in a 'tone-sensing' mode, allowing them to detect transient dips in basal dopamine. Overall, our results show that D2 MSNs may sense much more complex patterns of dopamine than previously thought.

Enhanced dopamine detection sensitivity by PEDOT/graphene oxide coating on in vivo carbon fiber electrodes

Dopamine (DA) is a monoamine neurotransmitter responsible for regulating a variety of vital life functions. In vivo detection of DA poses a challenge due to the low concentration and high speed of physiological signaling. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFEs) is an effective method to monitor real-time in vivo DA signaling, however the sensitivity is somewhat limited. Electrodeposition of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/graphene oxide (GO) onto the CFE surface is shown to increase the sensitivity and lower the limit of detection for DA compared to bare CFEs. Thicker PEDOT/GO coatings demonstrate higher sensitivities for DA, but display the negative drawback of slow adsorption and electron transfer kinetics. The moderate thickness resulting from 25 s electrodeposition of PEDOT/GO produces the optimal electrode, exhibiting an 880% increase in sensitivity, a 50% decrease in limit of detection and minimally altered electrode kinetics. PEDOT/GO coated electrodes rapidly and robustly detect DA, both in solution and in the rat dorsal striatum. This increase in DA sensitivity is likely due to increasing the electrode surface area with a PEDOT/GO coating and improved adsorption of DA's oxidation product (DA-o-quinone). Increasing DA sensitivity without compromising electrode kinetics is expected to significantly improve our understanding of the DA function in vivo.

Automated Algorithm for Detection of Transient Adenosine Release

Spontaneous adenosine release events have been discovered in the brain that last only a few seconds. The identification of these adenosine events from fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) data is difficult due to the random nature of adenosine release. In this study, we develop an algorithm that automatically identifies and characterizes adenosine transient features, including event time, concentration, and duration. Automating the data analysis reduces analysis time from 10 to 18 h to about 40 min per experiment. The algorithm identifies adenosine based on its two oxidation peaks, the time delay between them, and their current vs time peak ratios. In order to validate the program, four data sets from three independent researchers were analyzed by the algorithm and then compared to manual identification by an analyst. The algorithm resulted in 10 ± 4% false negatives and 9 ± 3% false positives. The specificity of the algorithm was verified by comparing calibration data for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), histamine, hydrogen peroxide, and pH changes and these analytes were not identified as adenosine. Stimulated histamine release in vivo was also not identified as adenosine. The code is modular in design and could be easily adjusted to detect features of spontaneous dopamine or other neurochemical transients in FSCV data.

Transient Adenosine Release Is Modulated by NMDA and GABAB Receptors

Adenosine is a neuroprotective agent that modulates neurotransmission and is modulated by other neurotransmitters. Spontaneous, transient adenosine is a recently discovered mode of signaling where adenosine is released and cleared from the extracellular space quickly, in less than three seconds. Spontaneous adenosine release is regulated by adenosine A₁ and A_2a receptors, but regulation by other neurotransmitter receptors has not been studied. Here, we examined the effect of glutamate and GABA receptors on the concentration and frequency of spontaneous, transient adenosine release by measuring adenosine with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the rat caudate-putamen. The glutamate NMDA antagonist, 3-(R-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP, 6.25 mg/kg i.p.), increased the frequency of adenosine transients and the concentration of individual transients, but NMDA (agonist, 50 mg/kg, i.p.) did not change the frequency. In contrast, antagonists of other glutamate receptors had no effect on the frequency or concentration of transient adenosine release, including the AMPA antagonist NBQX (15 mg/kg i.p.) and the mGlu2/3 glutamate receptor antagonist LY 341495 (5 mg/kg i.p.). The GABA_B antagonist CGP 52432 (30 mg/kg i.p.) significantly decreased the number of adenosine release events while the GABA_B agonist baclofen (4 mg/kg i.p.) increased the frequency of adenosine release. The GABA_A antagonist bicuculline (5 mg/kg i.p.) had no significant effects on adenosine. NMDA and GABA_B likely act presynaptically, affecting the overall cell excitability for vesicular release. The ability to regulate adenosine with NMDA and GABA_B receptors will help control the modulatory effects of transient adenosine release.

Adenosine receptors regulate gap junction coupling of the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells hCMEC/D3 by Ca2+ influx through cyclic nucleotide-gated channels

KEY POINTS

Gap junction channels are essential for the formation and regulation of physiological units in tissues by allowing the lateral cell-to-cell diffusion of ions, metabolites and second messengers. Stimulation of the adenosine receptor subtype A_2B increases the gap junction coupling in the human blood-brain barrier endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3. Although the increased gap junction coupling is cAMP-dependent, neither the protein kinase A nor the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP were involved in this increase. We found that cAMP activates cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels and thereby induces a Ca²⁺ influx, which leads to the increase in gap junction coupling. The report identifies CNG channels as a possible physiological link between adenosine receptors and the regulation of gap junction channels in endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier.

ABSTRACT

The human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3 was used to characterize the physiological link between adenosine receptors and the gap junction coupling in endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier. Expressed adenosine receptor subtypes and connexin (Cx) isoforms were identified by RT-PCR. Scrape loading/dye transfer was used to evaluate the impact of the A_2A and A_2B adenosine receptor subtype agonist 2-phenylaminoadenosine (2-PAA) on the gap junction coupling. We found that 2-PAA stimulated cAMP synthesis and enhanced gap junction coupling in a concentration-dependent manner. This enhancement was accompanied by an increase in gap junction plaques formed by Cx43. Inhibition of protein kinase A did not affect the 2-PAA-related enhancement of gap junction coupling. In contrast, the cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel inhibitor l-cis-diltiazem, as well as the chelation of intracellular Ca²⁺ with BAPTA, or the absence of external Ca²⁺ , suppressed the 2-PAA-related enhancement of gap junction coupling. Moreover, we observed a 2-PAA-dependent activation of CNG channels by a combination of electrophysiology and pharmacology. In conclusion, the stimulation of adenosine receptors in hCMEC/D3 cells induces a Ca²⁺ influx by opening CNG channels in a cAMP-dependent manner. Ca²⁺ in turn induces the formation of new gap junction plaques and a consecutive sustained enhancement of gap junction coupling. The report identifies CNG channels as a physiological link that integrates gap junction coupling into the adenosine receptor-dependent signalling of endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier.

Correlation of transient adenosine release and oxygen changes in the caudate-putamen

Adenosine is an endogenous nucleoside that modulates important physiological processes, such as vasodilation, in the central nervous system. A rapid, 2-4 s, mode of adenosine signaling has been recently discovered, but the relationship between this type of adenosine and blood flow change has not been characterized. In this study, adenosine and oxygen changes were simultaneously measured using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Oxygen changes occur when there is an increase in local cerebral blood flow and thus are a measure of vasodilation. About 34% of adenosine transients in the rat caudate-putamen are correlated with a subsequent transient change in oxygen. The amount of oxygen was correlated with the concentration of adenosine release and larger adenosine transients (over 0.4 μM) always had subsequent oxygen changes. The average duration of adenosine and oxygen transients was 3.2 and 3.5 s, respectively. On average, the adenosine release starts and peaks 0.2 s prior to the oxygen. The A_2a antagonist, SCH442416, decreased the number of both adenosine and oxygen transient events by about 32%. However, the A₁ antagonist, DPCPX, did not significantly affect simultaneous adenosine and oxygen release. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor l-NAME also did not affect the concentration or number of adenosine and oxygen release events. These results demonstrate that both adenosine and oxygen release are modulated via A_2a receptors. The correlation of transient concentrations, time delay between adenosine and oxygen peaks, and effect of A_2a receptors suggests that adenosine modulates blood flow on a rapid, sub-second time scale. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 10.

Laser Treated Carbon Nanotube Yarn Microelectrodes for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Dopamine in Vivo

Carbon nanotube yarn microelectrodes (CNTYMEs) exhibit rapid and selective detection of dopamine with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV); however, the sensitivity limits their application in vivo. In this study, we introduce laser treatment as a simple, reliable, and efficient approach to improve the sensitivity of CNTYMEs by three fold while maintaining high temporal resolution. The effect of laser treatment on the microelectrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and laser confocal microscopy. Laser treatment increases the surface area and oxygen containing functional groups on the surface, which provides more adsorption sites for dopamine than at unmodified CNTYMEs. Moreover, similar to unmodified CNTYMEs, the dopamine signal at laser treated CNTYMEs is not dependent on scan repetition frequency, unlike the current at carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) which decreases with increasing scan repetition frequency. This frequency independence is caused by the significantly larger surface roughness which would trap dopamine-o-quinone and amplify the dopamine signal. CNTYMEs were applied as an in vivo sensor with FSCV for the first time and laser treated CNTYMEs maintained high dopamine sensitivity compared to CFMEs with an increased scan repetition frequency of 50 Hz, which is five-fold faster than the conventional frequency. CNTYMEs with laser treatment are advantageous because of their easy fabrication, high reproducibility, fast electron transfer kinetics, high sensitivity, and rapid in vivo measurement of dopamine and could be a potential alternative to CFMEs in the future.