Impairment of Executive Functions Associated With Lower D-Serine Serum Levels in Patients With Schizophrenia

A core symptom that is frequently linked with dysregulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in regard to schizophrenia is impairment or damage of executive functioning as a component of cognitive deficiency. The amino acid D-serine plays the role of an endogenous coagonist at the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor glycine modulatory site. Considerably reduced serum levels of D-serine were found in patients suffering from schizophrenia compared with healthy control participants. An increase in D-serine led to augmented cognitive functionality in patients suffering from schizophrenia who were undergoing clinical trials and given the treatment of first- and second-generation antipsychotics. The study proposed the hypothesis that the D-serine blood serum levels may be linked with the extent of executive functionality in those suffering from the mental illness in question. For the purpose of examining executive function in such patients, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, Trail Making, and Wisconsin Card Sorting tests were applied (n = 50). High-performance liquid chromatography was used to gauge the total serine and D-serine levels. The extent of damage was examined through neuropsychological tests and was found to be considerably linked to D-serine serum level and the D-serine/total serine ratio (p < 0.05) in the sample being considered. A lower average serum level of D-serine and lower D-serine/total serine ratio were observed in participants with the worst performance compared with those displaying the best performance-this was true when the patients were split into quartile groups based on their results (p < 0.05). The findings of modified D-serine serum levels and the D-serine/total serine ratio linked to the extent of damage in executive functioning indicate that serine metabolism that is coresponsible for NMDA receptor dysfunction has been changed.

Excitotoxicity: Still Hammering the Ischemic Brain in 2020

Interest in excitotoxicity expanded following its implication in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury in the 1980s, but waned subsequent to the failure of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists in high profile clinical stroke trials. Nonetheless there has been steady progress in elucidating underlying mechanisms. This review will outline the historical path to current understandings of excitotoxicity in the ischemic brain, and suggest that this knowledge should be leveraged now to develop neuroprotective treatments for stroke.

AMPA receptor expression in mouse testis and spermatogonial GC-1 cells: A study on its regulation by excitatory amino acids

Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) are found present in the nervous and reproductive systems of animals. Numerous studies have demonstrated a regulatory role for Glutamate (Glu), d-aspartate ( d-Asp) and N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) in the control of spermatogenesis. EAAs are able to stimulate the Glutamate receptors, including the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR). Here in, we assess expression of the main AMPAR subunits, GluA1 and GluA2/3, in the mouse testis and in spermatogonial GC-1 cells. The results showed that both GluA1 and GluA2/3 were localized in mouse testis prevalently in spermatogonia. The subunit GluA2/3 was more highly expressed compared with GluA1 in both the testis and the GC-1 cells. Subsequently, GC-1 cells were incubated with medium containing l-Glu, d-Glu, d-Asp or NMDA to determine GluA1 and GluA2/3 expressions. At 30 minutes and 2 hours of incubation, EAA-treated GC-1 cells showed significantly higher expression levels of both GluA1 and GluA2/3. Furthermore, p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p-Akt, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and Aurora B expressions were assayed in l-Glu-, d-Glu-, and NMDA-treated GC-1 cells. At 30 minutes and 2 hours of incubation, treated GC-1 cells showed significantly higher expression levels of p-ERK and p-Akt. A consequent increase of PCNA and Aurora B expressions was induced by l-Glu and NMDA, but not by d-Glu. Our study demonstrates a direct effect of the EAAs on spermatogonial activity. In addition, the increased protein expression levels of GluA1 and GluA2/3 in EAA-treated GC-1 cells suggest that EAAs could activate ERK and Akt pathways through the AMPAR. Finally, the increased PCNA and Aurora B levels may imply an enhanced proliferative activity.

Inhibition of p38 MAPK Signaling Regulates the Expression of EAAT2 in the Brains of Epileptic Rats

Seizures induce the release of excitatory amino acids (EAAs) from the intracellular fluid to the extracellular fluid, and the released EAAs primarily comprise glutamic acid (Glu) and asparaginic acid (Asp). Glu neurotransmission functions via EAA transporters (EAATs) to maintain low concentrations of Glu in the extracellular space and avoid excitotoxicity. EAAT2, the most abundant Glu transporter subtype in the central nervous system (CNS), plays a key role in the regulation of glutamate transmission. Previous studies have shown that SB203580 promotes EAAT2 expression by inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, but whether SB203580 upregulates EAAT2 expression in epileptic rats is unknown. This study demonstrated that EAAT2 expression was increased in the brain tissue of epileptic rats. Intraperitoneal injection of a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, SB203580, reduced the time to the first epileptic seizure and attenuated the seizure severity. In addition, SB203580 treatment increased the EAAT2 expression levels in the brain tissue of epileptic rats. These results suggest that SB203580 could regulate epileptic seizures via EAAT2.

Intermittent Fasting Applied in Combination with Rotenone Treatment Exacerbates Dopamine Neurons Degeneration in Mice

Intermittent fasting (IF) was suggested to be a powerful nutritional strategy to prevent the onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases associated with compromised brain bioenergetics. Whether the application of IF in combination with a mitochondrial insult could buffer the neurodegenerative process has never been explored yet. Herein, we defined the effects of IF in C57BL/6J mice treated once per 24 h with rotenone (Rot) for 28 days. Rot is a neurotoxin that inhibits the mitochondrial complex I and causes dopamine neurons degeneration, thus reproducing the neurodegenerative process observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD). IF (24 h alternate-day fasting) was applied alone or in concomitance with Rot treatment (Rot/IF). IF and Rot/IF groups showed the same degree of weight loss when compared to control and Rot groups. An accelerating rotarod test revealed that only Rot/IF mice have a decreased ability to sustain the test at the higher speeds. Rot/IF group showed a more marked decrease of dopaminergic neurons and increase in alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation with respect to Rot group in the substantia nigra (SN). Through lipidomics and metabolomics analyses, we found that in the SN of Rot/IF mice a significant elevation of excitatory amino acids, inflammatory lysophospholipids and sphingolipids occurred. Collectively, our data suggest that, when applied in combination with neurotoxin exposure, IF does not exert neuroprotective effects but rather exacerbate neuronal death by increasing the levels of excitatory amino acids and inflammatory lipids in association with altered brain membrane composition.

Effect of dexmedetomidine priming on convulsion reaction induced by lidocaine

To study the effect of dexmedetomidine priming on convulsion reaction induced by lidocaine.The New Zealand white rabbits were applied for the mechanism study of dexmedetomidine priming for preventing convulsion reaction induced by lidocaine. The influence of dexmedetomidine priming with different doses on the time for convulsion occurrence and the duration time of convulsion induced by lidocaine, as well as contents of excitatory amino acids (aspartate [Asp], glutamate [Glu]) and inhibitory amino acids (glycine [Gly], γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) in the brain tissue were investigated.With 3 and 5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine priming, the occurrence times of convulsion were prolonged from 196 seconds to 349 and 414 seconds, respectively. With dexmedetomidine priming, the contents of excitatory amino acids (Asp, Glu) were much reduced at occurrence time of convulsion comparing with that without dexmedetomidine priming, while content of inhibitory amino acids Gly was much enhanced.The application of dexmedetomidine before local anesthetics can improve intoxication dose threshold of the lidocaine, delay occurrence of the convulsion, and helped for the recovery of convulsion induced by lidocaine. The positive effect of dexmedetomidine on preventing convulsion would owe to not only the inhibition of excitatory amino acids (Asp, Glu), but also the promotion of inhibitory amino acids Gly secretion.

Mechanisms of stress in the brain

The brain is the central organ involved in perceiving and adapting to social and physical stressors via multiple interacting mediators, from the cell surface to the cytoskeleton to epigenetic regulation and nongenomic mechanisms. A key result of stress is structural remodeling of neural architecture, which may be a sign of successful adaptation, whereas persistence of these changes when stress ends indicates failed resilience. Excitatory amino acids and glucocorticoids have key roles in these processes, along with a growing list of extra- and intracellular mediators that includes endocannabinoids and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The result is a continually changing pattern of gene expression mediated by epigenetic mechanisms involving histone modifications and CpG methylation and hydroxymethylation as well as by the activity of retrotransposons that may alter genomic stability. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of plasticity and vulnerability of the brain provides a basis for understanding the efficacy of interventions for anxiety and depressive disorders as well as age-related cognitive decline.

Intracellular levels of glutamate in swollen astrocytes are preserved via neurotransmitter reuptake and de novo synthesis: implications for hyponatremia

Hyponatremia and several other CNS pathologies are associated with substantial astrocytic swelling. To counteract cell swelling, astrocytes lose intracellular osmolytes, including l-glutamate and taurine, through volume-regulated anion channel. In vitro, when swollen by exposure to hypo-osmotic medium, astrocytes lose endogenous taurine faster, paradoxically, than l-glutamate or l-aspartate. Here, we explored the mechanisms responsible for differences between the rates of osmolyte release in primary rat astrocyte cultures. In radiotracer assays, hypo-osmotic efflux of preloaded [(14) C]taurine was indistinguishable from d-[(3) H]aspartate and only 30-40% faster than l-[(3) H]glutamate. However, when we used HPLC to measure the endogenous intracellular amino acid content, hypo-osmotic loss of taurine was approximately fivefold greater than l-glutamate, and no loss of l-aspartate was detected. The dramatic difference between loss of endogenous taurine and glutamate was eliminated after inhibition of both glutamate reuptake [with 300 μM dl-threo-β-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA)] and glutamate synthesis by aminotransferases [with 1 mM aminooxyacetic acid (AOA)]. Treatment with TBOA+AOA made reductions in the intracellular taurine and l-glutamate levels approximately equal. Taken together, these data suggest that swollen astrocytes actively conserve intracellular glutamate via reuptake and de novo synthesis. Our findings likely also explain why in animal models of acute hyponatremia, extracellular levels of taurine are dramatically elevated with minimal impact on extracellular l-glutamate. We identified mechanisms that allow astrocytes to conserve intracellular l-glutamate (Glu) upon exposure to hypo-osmotic environment. Cell swelling activates volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) and triggers loss of Glu, taurine (Tau), and other cytosolic amino acids. Glu is conserved via reuptake by Na(+) -dependent transporters and de novo synthesis in the reactions of mitochondrial transamination (TA). These findings explain why, in acute hyponatremia, extracellular levels of Tau can be dramatically elevated with minimal changes in extracellular Glu.

Effects of oxysophoridine on amino acids after cerebral ischemic injury in mice

Background:

Our previous studies demonstrated that oxysophoridine (OSR) had neuroprotective effects on mice through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, we investigated whether OSR could influence the release of amino acids in ischemic mice brains.

Materials and Methods:

Male ICR mice were scheduled to undergo 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 24 h reperfusion. Before MCAO, mice in corresponding groups were intraperitoneally injected with OSR (62.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg) for seven successive days. After reperfusion, neurological scores were estimated, infarct volume and the brain water content were assessed. The levels of glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glycine (Gly) were measured by amino acid analyzer.

Results:

OSR significantly decreased neurological scores, reduced infarct volume and the brain water content. After treatment with OSR of 250 mg/kg, the contents of Glu, Asp, GABA and Gly in mice brains could maintain at a normal level compared with MCAO group mice. The Glu/GABA ratio was significantly decreased in OSR group mice.

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that OSR has a protective effect on cerebral ischemic injury and helps to maintain the amino acids homeostasis after reperfusion for a long time.

TGF-β1 attenuates spinal neuroinflammation and the excitatory amino acid system in rats with neuropathic pain

Previous studies have reported that the intrathecal (i.t.) administration of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) prevents and reverses neuropathic pain. However, only limited information is available regarding the possible role and effects of spinal TGF-β1 in neuropathic pain. We aimed to investigate the antinociceptive effects of exogenous TGF-β1 on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in rats. We demonstrated that sciatic nerve injury caused a downregulation of endogenous TGF-β1 levels on the ipsilateral side of the lumbar spinal dorsal gray matter, and that the i.t. administration of TGF-β1 (.01-10 ng) significantly attenuated CCI-induced thermal hyperalgesia in neuropathic rats. TGF-β1 significantly inhibited CCI-induced spinal neuroinflammation, microglial and astrocytic activation, and upregulation of tumor necrosis factor-α. Moreover, i.t. TGF-β1 significantly attenuated the CCI-induced downregulation of glutamate transporter 1, the glutamate aspartate transporter, and the excitatory amino acid carrier 1 on the ipsilateral side. Furthermore, i.t. TGF-β1 significantly decreased the concentrations of 2 excitatory amino acids, aspartate and glutamate, in the spinal dialysates in CCI rats. In summary, we conclude that the mechanisms of the antinociceptive effects of i.t. TGF-β1 in neuropathy may include attenuation of spinal neuroinflammation, attenuation, or upregulation of glutamate transporter downregulation, and a decrease of spinal extracellular excitatory amino acids.

PERSPECTIVE

Clinically, medical treatment is usually initiated after the onset of intractable pain. Therefore, in the present study, i.t. TGF-β1 was designed to be administered 2 weeks after the establishment of CCI pain. Compared to the continuous TGF-β1 infusion mode, single-dose administration seems more convenient and practical to use.

Excitatory amino acid changes in the brains of rhesus monkeys following selective cerebral deep hypothermia and blood flow occlusion

Selective cerebral deep hypothermia and blood flow occlusion can enhance brain tolerance to ischemia and hypoxia and reduce cardiopulmonary complications in monkeys. Excitotoxicity induced by the release of a large amount of excitatory amino acids after cerebral ischemia is the major mechanism underlying ischemic brain injury and nerve cell death. In the present study, we used selective cerebral deep hypothermia and blood flow occlusion to block the bilateral common carotid arteries and/or bilateral vertebral arteries in rhesus monkey, followed by reperfusion using Ringer's solution at 4°C. Microdialysis and transmission electron microscope results showed that selective cerebral deep hypothermia and blood flow occlusion inhibited the release of glutamic acid into the extracellular fluid in the brain frontal lobe and relieved pathological injury in terms of the ultrastructure of brain tissues after severe cerebral ischemia. These findings indicate that cerebral deep hypothermia and blood flow occlusion can inhibit cytotoxic effects and attenuate ischemic/hypoxic brain injury through decreasing the release of excitatory amino acids, such as glutamic acid.

Increased glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 expression reduces visceral nociceptive response in mice

Visceral hypersensitivity is the leading complaint of functional bowel disorders. Central sensitization mediated by glutamate receptor activation is implicated in pathophysiology of visceral pain. The glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 is the principal mediator of glutamate clearance to terminate glutamate-mediated responses. Transgenic mice overexpressing human EAAT2 (EAAT2 mice), which exhibited a twofold enhanced glutamate uptake, showed 39% less writhing response to intraperitoneal acetic acid than nontransgenic littermates. Moreover, EAAT2 transgenic mice showed a 53-64% reduction in visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) in assessments of the response to graded increase in pressures. Corroborating the involvement of enhanced glutamate uptake, wild-type mice treated for 1 wk with ceftriaxone, an EAAT2 expression activator, showed a 49-70% reduction in VMR to CRD. Moreover, systemic pretreatment with the selective EAAT2 transporter blocker dihydrokainate reversed the ceftriaxone-blunted nociceptive response to CRD. However, the enhanced VMR to CRD produced by intracolonic ethanol was not significantly attenuated by 1-wk ceftriaxone pretreatment. The data suggest that enhanced glutamate uptake provides protective effects against colonic distension-induced nociception and represents an exciting new mechanistic approach leading to better therapeutic options to visceral pain disorders.

The developmental decrease in REM sleep: the role of transmitters and electrical coupling

STUDY OBJECTIVES

This mini-review considers certain factors related to the developmental decrease in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which occurs in favor of additional waking time, and its relationship to developmental factors that may influence its potential role in brain development.

DESIGN

Specifically, we discuss some of the theories proposed for the occurrence of REM sleep and agree with the classic notion that REM sleep is, at the least, a mechanism that may play a role in the maturation of thalamocortical pathways. The developmental decrease in REM sleep occurs gradually from birth until close to puberty in the human, and in other mammals it is brief and coincides with eye and ear opening and the beginning of massive exogenous activation. Therefore, the purported role for REM sleep may change to involve a number of other functions with age.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

We describe recent findings showing that morphologic and physiologic properties as well as cholinergic, gamma amino-butyric acid, kainic acid, n-methyl-d-aspartic acid, noradrenergic, and serotonergic synaptic inputs to mesopontine cholinergic neurons, as well as the degree of electrical coupling between mostly noncholinergic mesopontine neurons and levels of the neuronal gap-junction protein connexin 36, change dramatically during this critical period in development. A novel mechanism for sleep-wake control based on well-known transmitter interactions, as well as electrical coupling, is described.

CONCLUSION

We hypothesize that a dysregulation of this process could result in life-long disturbances in arousal and REM sleep drive, leading to hypervigilance or hypovigilance such as that observed in a number of disorders that have a mostly postpubertal age of onset.

The glutamate story

Glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system was slowly established over a period of some 20 years, dating from the 1950s. Realisation that glutamate and like amino acids (collectively known as excitatory amino acids (EAA)) mediated their excitatory actions via multiple receptors preceded establishment of these receptors as synaptic transmitter receptors. EAA receptors were initially classified as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors, the latter subdivided into quisqualate (later AMPA) and kainate receptors after agonists that appeared to activate these receptors preferentially, and by their sensitivity to a range of differentially acting antagonists developed progressively during the 1970s. NMDA receptors were definitively shown to be synaptic receptors on spinal neurones by the sensitivity of certain excitatory pathways in the spinal cord to a range of specific NMDA receptor antagonists. Importantly, specific NMDA receptor antagonists appeared to be less effective at synapses in higher centres. In contrast, antagonists that also blocked non-NMDA as well as NMDA receptors were almost universally effective at blocking synaptic excitation within the brain and spinal cord, establishing both the existence and ubiquity of non-NMDA synaptic receptor systems throughout the CNS. In the early 1980s, NMDA receptors were shown to be involved in several central synaptic pathways, acting in concert with non-NMDA receptors under conditions where a protracted excitatory postsynaptic potential was effected in response to intense stimulation of presynaptic fibres. Such activation of NMDA receptors together with non-NMDA receptors led to the phenomenon of long-term potentiation (LTP), associated with lasting changes in synaptic efficacy (synaptic plasticity) and considered to be an important process in memory and learning. During the 1980s, it was shown that certain glutamate receptors in the brain mediated biochemical changes that were not susceptible to NMDA or non-NMDA receptor antagonists. This dichotomy was resolved in the early 1990s by the techniques of molecular biology, which identified two families of glutamate-binding receptor proteins (ionotropic (iGlu) and metabotropic (mGlu) receptors). Development of antagonists binding to specific protein subunits is currently enabling precise identification of discrete iGlu or mGlu receptor subtypes that participate in a range of central synaptic processes, including synaptic plasticity.

Neuroprotection by alpha 2-adrenergic agonists in cerebral ischemia

Ischemic brain injury is implicated in the pathophysiology of stroke and brain trauma, which are among the top killers worldwide, and intensive studies have been performed to reduce neural cell death after cerebral ischemia. Alpha 2-adrenergic agonists have been shown to improve the histomorphological and neurological outcome after cerebral ischemic injury when administered during ischemia, and recent studies have provided considerable evidence that alpha 2-adrenergic agonists can protect the brain from ischemia/reperfusion injury. Thus, alpha 2-adrenergic agonists are promising potential drugs in preventing cerebral ischemic injury, but the mechanisms by which alpha 2-adrenergic agonists exert their neuroprotective effect are unclear. Activation of both the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor and imidazoline receptor may be involved. This mini review examines the recent progress in alpha 2-adrenergic agonists - induced neuroprotection and its proposed mechanisms in cerebral ischemic injury.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor activation enhances the activities of two types of Ca2+-activated k+ channels in rat hippocampal astrocytes

The influence of activation of glutamate receptor (GluR) on outward K(+) current in cultured neonate rat hippocampal astrocytes was investigated. Patch-clamp analysis of K(+) channel currents in cultured astrocytes identified the existence of 71 +/- 6 and 161 +/- 11 pS single-channel K(+) currents that were sensitive to changes in voltage and [Ca(2+)](i) and blocked by external TEA but not by charybdotoxin, iberiotoxin, apamin, or 4-aminopyridine. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and Northern blot analysis revealed transcripts of the Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (K(Ca)) beta(4)-subunit (beta4) (KCNMB4) in cultured astrocytes. Expression of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtypes mGluR1 and mGluR5 and the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) subtypes iGluR1 and iGluR4 were detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence analysis in cultured astrocytes. The mGluR agonists L-glutamate and quisqualate increased the open state probability (NP(o)) of the 71 and 161 pS K(+) channel currents that were prevented by the mGluR receptor antagonists 1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid or L-(+)-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid and not by the iGluR antagonists (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo [a,d] cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate or CNQX. Activation of the two types of K(+) channel currents by mGluR agonists was attenuated by pertussis toxin and by inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC) or cytochrome P450 arachidonate epoxygenase. These results indicate that brain astrocytes contain the KCNMB4 transcript and express two novel types of K(Ca) channels that are gated by activation of a G-protein coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor functionally linked to PLC and cytochrome P450 arachidonate epoxygenase activity.

Effect of agmatine on locus coeruleus neuron activity: possible involvement of nitric oxide

1. To investigate whether agmatine (the proposed endogenous ligand for imidazoline receptors) controls locus coeruleus neuron activity and to elucidate its mechanism of action, we used single-unit extracellular recording techniques in anaesthetized rats. 2. Agmatine (10, 20 and 40 microg, i.c.v.) increased in a dose-related manner the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons (maximal increase: 95 +/- 13% at 40 microg). 3. I(1)-imidazoline receptor ligands stimulate locus coeruleus neuron activity through an indirect mechanism originated in the paragigantocellularis nucleus via excitatory amino acids. However, neither electrolytic lesions of the paragigantocellularis nucleus nor pretreatment with the excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid (1 micromol, i.c.v.) modified agmatine effect (10 microg, i.c.v.). 4. After agmatine administration (20 microg, i.c.v.), dose-response curves for the effect of clonidine (0.625 - 10 microg kg(-1) i.v.) or morphine (0.3 - 4.8 mg kg(-1) i.v.) on locus coeruleus neurons were not different from those obtained in the control groups. 5. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (10 microg, i.c.v.) or N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (100 microg, i.c.v.) but not with the less active stereoisomer N(omega)-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (100 microg, i.c.v.) completely blocked agmatine effect (10 and 40 microg, i.c.v.). 6. Similarly, when agmatine (20 pmoles) was applied into the locus coeruleus there was an increase that was blocked by N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (100 microg, i.c.v.) in the firing rate of the locus coeruleus neurons (maximal increase 53 +/- 11% and 14 +/- 10% before and after nitric oxide synthase inhibition, respectively). 7. This study demonstrates that agmatine stimulates the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons via a nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanism located in this nucleus.

BTS 72664-- a novel CNS drug with potential anticonvulsant, neuroprotective, and antimigraine properties

BTS 72664, (R)-7-[1-(4-chlorophenoxy)]ethyl]-1,2,4-triazolo(1,5-alpha)pyrimidine, was identified as a drug development candidate from a research program designed to discover novel, broad-spectrum, non-sedative anticonvulsant drugs. BTS 72664 antagonized bicuculline (BIC)- and maximal electroshock (MES)-induced convulsions with ED(50) values of 1.9 and 47.5 mg/kg p.o., respectively. In rodents, it has a wide spectrum of activity preventing seizures induced by picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazol, i.c.v. 4-aminopyridine or NMDA, and audiogenic seizures in DBA-2 mice and GEPR-9 rats. BTS 72664 was also effective in preventing convulsions in amygdala-kindled rats The lack of sedative potential was predicted on the basis of wide separation between ED(50) in anticonvulsant models and TD(50) for motor impairment in mice in rotating rod and inverted horizontal grid tests. BTS 72664 is likely to produce its anticonvulsant effect by enhancing chloride currents through picrotoxin-sensitive chloride channels, and by weak inhibition of Na(+) and NMDA channels. It does not act, however, at the benzodiazepine binding site. In addition to its potential use in the treatment of epilepsy BTS 72664 may be useful in the treatment of stroke. At 50 mg/kg p.o. x 4, given to rats at 12 hourly intervals, starting at 15 min after permanent occlusion of middle cerebral artery (MCA), it reduced cerebral infarct size by 31% (measured at 2 days after insult) and accelerated recovery in a functional behavioral model. BTS 72664 prevented increases in extraneuronal concentrations of glutamate, glycine and serine brain levels induced by a cortical insult to rats (cf. cortical spreading depression). It may, therefore, have also antimigraine activity.

Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cortical neurons is regulated by striatal target area

Changes in BDNF expression after different types of brain insults are related to neuroprotection, stimulation of sprouting, and synaptic reorganization. In the cerebral cortex, an autocrine-paracrine mechanism for BDNF has been proposed because the distribution patterns of BDNF and TrkB expression are almost identical. Moreover, cortical BDNF is anterogradely transported to the striatum, suggesting a role of BDNF in the functional interaction between the two brain regions. Here we have examined the expression of this neurotrophin in the cerebral cortex after various striatal lesions. Intrastriatal injection of quinolinate, kainate, 3-nitropropionic acid, or colchicine increased BDNF mRNA levels in cerebral cortex. In contrast, stimulation of neuronal activity in the striatum did not change cortical BDNF expression. Both excitatory amino acids increased BDNF expression in neurons of cortical layers II/III, V, and VI that project to the striatum. Moreover, grafting a BDNF-secreting cell line prevented both the loss of striatal neurons and the cortical upregulation of BDNF induced by excitotoxins. Because retrograde transport in the corticostriatal pathway was intact after striatal lesions, our results suggest that striatal damage upregulates endogenous BDNF in corticostriatal neurons by a transneuronal mechanism, which may constitute a protective mechanism for striatal and/or cortical cells.

Protein kinase C potentiation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activity is not mediated by phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are Ca(2+)-permeable glutamate-gated ion channels whose physiological properties in neurons are modulated by protein kinase C (PKC). The present study was undertaken to determine the role in PKC-induced potentiation of the NR1 and NR2A C-terminal tails, which serve as targets of PKC phosphorylation [Tingley, W. G., Ehlers, M. D., Kameyama, K., Doherty, C., Ptak, J. B., Riley, C. T. & Huganir, R. L. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 5157-5166]. Serine residue 890 in the C1 cassette is a primary target of PKC phosphorylation and a critical residue in receptor clustering at the membrane. We report herein that the presence of the C1 cassette reduces PKC potentiation and that mutation of Ser-890 significantly restores PKC potentiation. Splicing out or deletion of other C-terminal cassettes singly or in combination had little or no effect on PKC potentiation. Moreover, experiments involving truncation mutants reveal the unexpected finding that NMDARs assembled from subunits lacking all known sites of PKC phosphorylation can show PKC potentiation. These results indicate that PKC-induced potentiation of NMDAR activity does not occur by direct phosphorylation of the receptor protein but rather of associated targeting, anchoring, or signaling protein(s). PKC potentiation of NMDAR function is likely to be an important mode of NMDAR regulation in vivo and may play a role in NMDA-dependent long-term potentiation.

Opposing effects of excitatory amino acids on chick embryo spinal cord motoneurons: excitotoxic degeneration or prevention of programmed cell death

Acute administration of a single dose of NMDA on embryonic day (E) 7 or later induces a marked excitotoxic injury in the chick spinal cord, including massive necrotic motoneuron (MN) death. When the same treatment was performed before E7, little, if any, excitotoxic response was observed. Chronic treatment with NMDA starting on E5 prevents the excitotoxic response produced by a later "acute" administration of NMDA. Additionally, chronic NMDA treatment also prevents the later excitotoxic injury induced by non-NMDA glutamate receptor agonists, such as kainate or AMPA. Chronic NMDA treatment also reduces normal MN death when treatment is maintained during the period of naturally occurring programmed cell death (PCD) of MNs and rescues MNs from PCD induced by early peripheral target deprivation. The trophic action of chronic NMDA treatment appears to involve a downregulation of glutamate receptors as shown by both a reduction in the obligatory NR1 subunit protein of the NMDA receptor and a decrease in the kainate-induced Co(2+) uptake in MNs. Both tolerance to excitotoxicity and trophic effects of chronic NMDA treatment are prevented by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. Additionally, administration of MK-801 alone results in an increase in MN PCD. These data indicate for the first time that early activation of NMDA receptors in developing avian MNs in vivo has a trophic, survival-promoting effect, inhibiting PCD by a target-independent mechanism that involves NMDA receptor downregulation.

Alterations in AMPA receptor subunit expression after experimental spinal cord contusion injury

The AMPA-preferring subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) is a hetero-oligomeric ion channel assembled from various combinations of four subunits: GluR1, GluR2, GluR3, and GluR4. Antagonists of these receptors can mitigate the effects of experimental spinal cord injury (SCI), indicating that these receptors play a significant role in pathophysiology after spinal trauma. We tested the hypothesis that SCI alters expression of AMPA receptors using a standardized thoracic weight-drop model of rat contusive spinal cord injury. AMPA receptor subunit expression was measured at 24 hr and at 1 month after SCI with quantitative Western blot analysis and in situ hybridization. GluR2 protein levels were preferentially reduced near the injury site 24 hr after SCI. This reduction persisted at 1 month. At a cellular level, a significant decrease in both GluR2 and GluR4 mRNA was found in spared ventral motor neurons adjacent to the injury site and distal to it, with other AMPA subunit mRNAs maintained at control levels. In contrast, only GluR1 mRNA was decreased in the sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the intermediolateral horn. These results suggest population-specific and long-lasting changes in neuronal AMPA receptor composition, which may alter response to glutamate after SCI. These alterations may contribute not only to acute neuropathological consequences of injury, but they may also be partially responsible for the altered functional state of preserved tissue seen chronically after SCI.

Glutamate-triggered events inducing corticostriatal long-term depression

Repetitive activation of corticostriatal fibers produces long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory synaptic potentials recorded from striatal spiny neurons. This form of synaptic plasticity might be considered the possible neural basis of some forms of motor learning and memory. In the present study, intracellular recordings were performed from rat corticostriatal slice preparations to study the role of glutamate and other critical factors underlying striatal LTD. In current-clamp, but not in voltage-clamp experiments, brief focal applications of glutamate, as well as high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of corticostriatal fibers, induced LTD. This pharmacological LTD and the HFS-induced LTD were mutually occlusive, suggesting that both forms of synaptic plasticity share common induction mechanisms. Isolated activation of either non-NMDA-ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) or metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), respectively by AMPA and t-ACPD failed to produce significant long-term changes of corticostriatal synaptic transmission. Conversely, LTD was obtained after the simultaneous application of AMPA plus t-ACPD. Moreover, also quisqualate, a compound that activates both iGluRs and group I mGluRs, was able to induce this form of pharmacological LTD. Electrical depolarization of the recorded neurons either alone or in the presence of t-ACPD and dopamine (DA) failed to mimic the effects of the activation of glutamate receptors in inducing LTD. However, electrical depolarization was able to induce LTD when preceded by coadministration of t-ACPD, DA, and a low dose of hydroxylamine, a compound generating nitric oxide (NO) in the tissue. None of these compounds alone produced LTD. Glutamate-induced LTD, as well as the HFS-induced LTD, was blocked by L-sulpiride, a D2 DA receptor antagonist, and by 7-nitroindazole monosodium salt, a NO synthase inhibitor. The present study indicates that four main factors are required to induce corticostriatal LTD: (1) membrane depolarization of the postsynaptic neuron; (2) activation of mGluRs; (3) activation of DA receptors; and (4) release of NO from striatal interneurons.

An in vitro electrophysiological study on the effects of phenytoin, lamotrigine and gabapentin on striatal neurons

We performed intracellular recordings from a rat corticostriatal slice preparation in order to compare the electrophysiological effects of the classical antiepileptic drug (AED) phenytoin (PHT) and the new AEDs lamotrigine (LTG) and gabapentin (GBP) on striatal neurons. PHT, LTG and GBP affected neither the resting membrane potential nor the input resistance/membrane conductance of the recorded cells. In contrast, these agents depressed in a dose-dependent and reversible manner the current-evoked repetitive firing discharge. These AEDs also reduced the amplitude of glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by cortical stimulation. However, substantial pharmacological differences between these drugs were found. PHT was the most effective and potent agent in reducing sustained repetitive firing of action potentials, whereas LTG and GBP preferentially inhibited corticostriatal excitatory transmission. Concentrations of LTG and GBP effective in reducing EPSPs, in fact, produced only a slight inhibition of the firing activity of these cells. LTG, but not PHT and GBP, depressed cortically-evoked EPSPs increasing paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) of synaptic transmission, suggesting that a presynaptic site of action was implicated in the effect of this drug. Accordingly, PHT and GBP, but not LTG reduced the membrane depolarizations induced by exogenously-applied glutamate, suggesting that these drugs preferentially reduce postsynaptic sensitivity to glutamate released from corticostriatal terminals. These data indicate that in the striatum PHT, LTG and GBP decrease neuronal excitability by modulating multiple sites of action. The preferential modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission may represent the cellular substrate for the therapeutic effects of new AEDs whose use may be potentially extended to the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases involving the basal ganglia.

The mammalian brain high-affinity L-proline transporter is enriched preferentially in synaptic vesicles in a subpopulation of excitatory nerve terminals in rat forebrain

The expression of a brain-specific high-affinity Na+-dependent (and Cl--dependent) L-proline transporter (PROT) in subpopulations of putative glutamatergic neurons in mammalian brain suggests a physiological role for this carrier in excitatory neurotransmission (). To gain insights into potential sites where PROT may function, we used a C-terminal domain antipeptide antibody to determine the regional distribution and subcellular localization of PROT in rat forebrain. PROT immunoreactivity was seen in processes having a regional light microscopic distribution comparable to that of known glutamatergic projections within the cortex, caudate putamen nucleus (CPN), hippocampal formation, and other forebrain regions. In all regions examined by electron microscopy (cortex, CPN, and the stratum oriens of CA1), PROT labeling was observed primarily within subpopulations of axon terminals forming asymmetric excitatory-type synapses. Immunogold labeling for PROT was detected in close contact with membranes of small synaptic vesicles (SSVs) and more rarely with the plasma membrane in these axon terminals. Subcellular fractionation studies confirmed the preferential distribution of PROT to synaptic vesicles. The topology of PROT in synaptic vesicles was found to be inverted with respect to the plasma membrane, suggesting that PROT-containing vesicles are generated by a process involving endocytosis from the plasma membrane. Because PROT lacks any of the known characteristics of other vesicular transporters, these results suggest that certain excitatory terminals have a reserve pool of PROT associated with SSVs. The delivery of PROT to the plasma membrane by exocytosis could play a critical role in the plasticity of certain glutamatergic pathways.

Thiol oxidation and loss of mitochondrial complex I precede excitatory amino acid-mediated neurodegeneration

Human ingestion of "chickling peas" from the plant Lathyrus sativus, which contains an excitatory amino acid, L-BOAA (L-beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine), leads to a progressive corticospinal neurodegenerative disorder, neurolathyrism. Exposure to L-BOAA, but not its optical enantiomer D-BOAA, causes mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by loss of complex I activity in vitro in male mouse brain slices and in vivo in selected regions of mouse CNS (lumbosacral cord and motor cortex). Loss of complex I activity in lumbosacral cord after L-BOAA administration to mice was accompanied by concurrent loss of glutathione. The inhibited complex I activity in mitochondria isolated from lumbosacral cord of animals treated with L-BOAA rebounded after incubation with the thiol-reducing agent dithiothreitol, indicating that oxidation of protein thiols to disulfides was responsible for enzyme inhibition. The inhibition of complex I could be abolished by pretreatment with antioxidant thiols such as glutathione ester and alpha-lipoic acid. Chronic treatment of male mice, but not female mice, with L-BOAA resulted in loss of complex I activity and vacuolation and dendritic swelling of neurons in the motor cortex and lumbar cord, paralleling the regionality of the aforementioned biochemical effects on CNS mitochondria. These results support the view that thiol oxidation and concomitant mitochondrial dysfunction (also implicated in other neurodegenerative disorders), occurring downstream of glutamate receptor activation by L-BOAA, are primary events leading to neurodegeneration. Maintenance of protein thiol homeostasis by thiol delivery agents could potentially offer protection against excitotoxic insults such as those seen with L-BOAA.

Evidence that excitatory amino acid receptors within the temporomandibular joint region are involved in the reflex activation of the jaw muscles

We have previously shown that injection of the inflammatory irritant and small-fiber excitant mustard oil (MO) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region can reflexively induce a prolonged increase in the activity of both digastric and masseter muscles in rats. It is possible that peripheral excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors play a role in this effect, because MO-evoked increases in jaw muscle activity are attenuated by preapplication of the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 into the TMJ region. In the present study the EAA receptor agonists glutamate, NMDA, kainate, and AMPA were applied locally to the TMJ region. Jaw muscle responses similar to those evoked by MO application to the TMJ region were achieved with glutamate, NMDA, AMPA, and kainate. Repeated application of glutamate, NMDA, or AMPA at intervals of 30 min evoked responses in the ipsilateral jaw muscles that were of comparable magnitude. Co-application of the NMDA receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (0.5 micromol) significantly reduced the magnitude of the glutamate- and NMDA-evoked ipsilateral jaw muscle responses without affecting responses evoked by AMPA. In contrast, co-application of the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (1 nmol) significantly reduced the magnitude of the glutamate- and AMPA-evoked ipsilateral jaw muscle responses without affecting responses evoked by NMDA. This evidence suggests that both NMDA and non-NMDA EAA receptor types are located within the TMJ region and may contribute to jaw muscle activity that can be reflexively evoked from the TMJ region.

Interaction of GABA and excitatory amino acids in the basolateral amygdala: role in cardiovascular regulation

Activation of the amygdala in rats produces cardiovascular changes that include increases in heart rate and arterial pressure as well as behavioral changes characteristic of emotional arousal. The objective of the present study was to examine the interaction of GABA and excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in regulating cardiovascular function. Microinjection of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI) or the E A A receptor agonists NMDA or AMPA into the same region of the BLA of conscious rats produced dose-related increases in heart rate and arterial pressure. Injection of the nonselective EAA receptor antagonist kynurenic acid into the BLA prevented or reversed the cardiovascular changes caused by local injection of BMI or the noncompetitive GABA antagonist picrotoxin. Conversely, local pretreatment with the glutamate reuptake inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid enhanced the effects of intra-amygdalar injection of BMI. The cardiovascular effects of BMI were also attenuated by injection of either the NMDA antagonist 3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) or the AMPA receptor antagonist 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2, 3-dioxo-benzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBQX). When these two EAA receptor antagonists were combined, their ability to suppress BMI-induced tachycardic and pressor responses was additive. These findings indicate that the cardiovascular effects caused by blockade of GABAergic inhibition in the BLA of the rat are dependent on activation of local NMDA and AMPA receptors.

Role of glutamate in the regulation of the outgrowth and motility of neurites from mouse spinal cord neurons in culture

The excitatory amino acid glutamate has been shown to be toxic to a number of neuronal cell types both in vitro and in vivo. It has also been shown to be capable of controlling the development of neurons grown in vitro. Using time-lapse video microscopy techniques the effects of glutamate on the rate of neurite outgrowth and growth cone motility were examined on cultured mouse spinal cord neurons. Concentrations in the range of 1 to 100 microM caused a significant inhibition of neurite outgrowth and concentrations of 10 and 100 microM significantly inhibited growth cone activity. In addition it was shown that the kainate/AMPA receptor antagonist (+/-)3-(2-carbvoxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-l-phosphonic acid, but not the NMDA receptor antagonist 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, was capable of blocking the inhibitory actions of glutamate on both outgrowth and motility. These results show that, at least in the culture system employed, glutamate might have a role in regulating neuronal development and function.

Glutamatergic enteric neurons

We tested the hypothesis that glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the CNS, is also an excitatory neurotransmitter in the enteric nervous system (ENS). Glutamate immunoreactivity was found in cholinergic enteric neurons, many of which were identified as sensory by their co-storage of substance P and/or calbindin. Glutamate immunoreactivity was concentrated in terminal varicosities with a majority of small clear synaptic vesicles. The immunoreactivities of both AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits were also detected on neurons in both submucosal and myenteric plexuses. The immunoreactivity of the EAAC1 neuronal glutamate transporter was widespread in both plexuses. Glutamate evoked depolarizing responses in myenteric neurons that had fast and slow components. The fast component was mimicked by AMPA, and the slow component was mimicked by NMDA. The fast component and the response to AMPA mimicked fast EPSPs evoked in 2/AH neurons; moreover, fast EPSPs as well as fast glutamate and AMPA responses were blocked by selective AMPA antagonists and potentiated by the glutamate uptake inhibitor L-(-)-threo-3-hydroxyaspartic acid. These observations demonstrate, for the first time, the presence of glutamatergic neurons and glutamate-mediated neurotransmission in the ENS.

Endogenous adenosine mediates the presynaptic inhibition induced by aglycemia at corticostriatal synapses

Energy deprivation, as a result of aglycemia, leads to depression of the central synaptic transmission. Endogenous adenosine has been implicated in this depressant effect. We have studied the possible involvement of endogenous adenosine in the depression of corticostriatal excitatory transmission induced by glucose deprivation by using intracellular recordings in brain slices. After stimulation of corticostriatal fibers, EPSPs were recorded from striatal spiny neurons. Adenosine (3-300 microM) or brief periods (5-10 min) of aglycemia reduced the EPSP amplitude but did not alter the membrane potential and the resistance of the recorded cells. These inhibitory effects were not associated with an alteration of the postsynaptic sensitivity to exogenous glutamate but were coupled with an increased paired-pulse facilitation, suggesting the involvement of presynaptic mechanisms. A delayed postsynaptic membrane depolarization/inward current was detected after 15-20 min of glucose deprivation. The presynaptic inhibitory effects induced by adenosine and aglycemia were both antagonized either by the nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist caffeine (2.5 mM) or by the A1 receptor antagonists 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine (CPT, 1 microM) and 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (CPX, 300 nM). Conversely, these antagonists affected neither the delayed membrane depolarization/inward current nor the underlying conductance increase produced by glucose deprivation. The ATP-sensitive potassium channel blockers tolbutamide (1 mM) and glipizide (100 nM) had no effect on the aglycemia-induced decrease of EPSP amplitude. Our data demonstrate that endogenous adenosine acting on A1 receptors mediates the presynaptic inhibition induced by aglycemia at corticostriatal synapses, whereas ATP-dependent potassium channels do not play a significant role in this presynaptic inhibition.

Opposite membrane potential changes induced by glucose deprivation in striatal spiny neurons and in large aspiny interneurons

We have studied the electrophysiological effects of glucose deprivation on morphologically identified striatal neurons recorded from a corticostriatal slice preparation. The large majority of the recorded cells were spiny neurons and responded to aglycemia with a slow membrane depolarization coupled with a reduction of the input resistance. In voltage-clamp experiments aglycemia caused an inward current. This current was associated with a conductance increase and reversed at -40 mV. The aglycemia-induced membrane depolarization was not affected by tetrodotoxin (TTX) or 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione plus aminophosphonovalerate, antagonists acting respectively on AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptors. Also, the intracellular injection of bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N, N',N'-tetra-acetic acid, a calcium (Ca2+) chelator, and low Ca2+/high Mg2+-containing solutions failed to reduce this phenomenon. Conversely, it was reduced by lowering external sodium (Na+) concentration. A minority of the recorded cells had the morphological characteristics of large aspiny interneurons and the electrophysiological properties of "long-lasting afterhyperpolarization (LA) cells." These cells responded to aglycemia with a membrane hyperpolarization/outward current that was coupled with an increased conductance. This current was not altered by TTX, blockers of ATP-dependent potassium (K+) channels, and adenosine A1 receptor antagonists, whereas it was reduced by solutions containing low Ca2+/high Mg2+. This current reversed at -105 mV and was blocked by barium, suggesting the involvement of a K+ conductance. We suggest that the opposite membrane responses of striatal neuronal subtypes to glucose deprivation might account for their differential neuronal vulnerability to aglycemia and ischemia.

Epileptogenesis in vivo enhances the sensitivity of inhibitory presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors in basolateral amygdala neurons in vitro

Modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission by presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) was examined in brain slices from control rats and rats with amygdala-kindled seizures. Using whole-cell voltage-clamp and current-clamp recordings, this study shows for the first time that in control and kindled basolateral amygdala neurons, two pharmacologically distinct presynaptic mGluRs mediate depression of synaptic transmission. Moreover, in kindled neurons, agonists at either group II- or group III-like mGluRs exhibit a 28- to 30-fold increase in potency and suppress synaptically evoked bursting. The group II mGluR agonist (2S,3S,4S)-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (L-CCG) dose-dependently depressed monosynaptic EPSCs evoked by stimulation in the lateral amygdala with EC50 values of 36 nM (control) and 1.2 nM (kindled neurons). The group III mGluR agonist L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (L-AP4) was less potent, with EC50 values of 297 nM (control) and 10.8 nM (kindled neurons). The effects of L-CCG and L-AP4 were fully reversible. Neither L-CCG (0.0001-10 microM) nor L-AP4 (0.001-50 microM) caused membrane currents or changes in the current-voltage relationship. The novel mGluR antagonists (2S,3S,4S)-2-methyl-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)-glycine (MCCG; 100 microM) and (S)-2-methyl-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (MAP4; 100 microM) selectively reversed the inhibition by L-CCG and L-AP4 to 81.3 +/- 12% and 65.3 +/- 6.6% of predrug, respectively. MCCG and MAP4 (100-300 microM) themselves did not significantly affect synaptic transmission. The exquisite sensitivity of agonists in the kindling model of epilepsy and the lack of evidence for endogenous receptor activation suggest that presynaptic group II- and group III-like mGluRs might be useful targets for suppression of excessive synaptic activation in neurological disorders such as epilepsy.

Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase induction by cerebral ischemia and neurotoxicity of the mitochondrial toxin methylmalonic acid

Differential screening of gerbil brain hippocampal cDNA libraries was used to search for genes expressed in ischemic, but not normal, brain. The methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) cDNA was highly expressed after ischemia and showed a 95% similarity to mouse and 91% similarity to the human MCM cDNAs. Transient global ischemia induced a fourfold increase in MCM mRNA on Northern blots from both hippocampus and whole forebrain. MCM protein exhibited a similar induction on Western blots of gerbil cerebral cortex 8 and 24 hr after ischemia. Treatment of primary brain astrocytes with either the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) isoleucine or the BCAA metabolite, propionate, induced MCM mRNA fourfold. Increased concentrations of BCAAs and odd-chain fatty acids, both of which are metabolized to propionate, may contribute to inducing the MCM gene during ischemia. Methylmalonic acid, which is formed from the MCM substrate methylmalonyl-CoA and which inhibits succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), produced dose-related cell death when injected into the basal ganglia of adult rat brain. This neurotoxicity is similar to that of structurally related mitochondrial SDH inhibitors, malonate and 3-nitropropionic acid. Methylmalonic acid may contribute to neuronal injury in human conditions in which it accumulates, including MCM mutations and B12 deficiency. This study shows that methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is induced by several stresses, including ischemia, and would serve to decrease the accumulation of an endogenous cellular mitochondrial inhibitor and neurotoxin, methylmalonic acid.

Functional NMDA receptors are transiently active and support the survival of Purkinje cells in culture

Conflicting evidence exists concerning the activity of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in cerebellar Purkinje cells and their possible functions. To investigate the activity of NMDARS, we used whole-cell recording on immunocytochemically identified Purkinje cells in primary culture. In addition, we used mice with a disrupted NMDAR1 gene that lack functional NMDARs (NR1-/-) to assess the physiological role of NMDARs. In cultures from normal mice, NMDA-medicated currents were detected in all identified Purkinje cells at 4 d in vitro (div). After 14 d, however, NMDA responses were reduced in amplitude, whereas the responses to kainate and glutamate increased steadily in amplitude. In addition, the NMDA-induced current displayed a pronounced desensitization at these later stages; peak current declined to zero during steady application of NMDA. At 7 div, the number of surviving Purkinje cells was less in cultures treated with NMDA antagonists, and their survival was dose-dependent. Purkinje cell survival was correspondingly poorer in cultures from the NR1-/- mice than in wild-type controls, suggesting that NMDAR activity enhances the survival of Purkinje cells in vitro. The addition of moderate doses of NMDA promoted the survival of wild-type Purkinje cells in the presence of tetrodotoxin. Feeder layers of cerebellar granule cells derived from wild-type or NR1-/- mice promoted survival of Purkinje cells to a similar degree, suggesting that the NMDAR in Purkinje cells, but not in other cells, is directly involved in Purkinje cell viability. The results demonstrate that NMDARs transiently produce membrane current in Purkinje cells and may serve as one of the epigenetic factors that support the survival of Purkinje cells in vitro.

Synchronous GABA-mediated potentials and epileptiform discharges in the rat limbic system in vitro

Application of 4-aminopyridine (4AP, 50 microM) to combined slices of adult rat hippocampus-entorhinal cortex-induced ictal and interictal epileptiform discharges, as well as slow field potentials that were abolished by the mu-opioid agonist [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol5] enkephalin (DAGO, 10 microM) or the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI, 10 microM); hence, they represented synchronous GABA-mediated potentials. Ictal discharges originated in the entorhinal cortex and propagated to the hippocampus, whereas interictal activity of CA3 origin was usually recorded in the hippocampus. The GABA-mediated potentials had no fixed site of origin or modality of propagation; they closely preceded (0.2-5 sec) and thus appeared to initiate ictal discharges. Only ictal discharges were blocked by the antagonist of the NMDA receptor 3,3-(2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonate (CPP, 10 microM), whereas the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX, 10 microM) abolished all epileptiform activities. The GABA-mediated potentials continued to occur synchronously in all regions even after concomitant application of CNQX and CPP. [K+]o elevations were recorded in the entorhinal cortex during the ictal discharge (peak values = 13.9 +/- 0.9 mM) and the synchronous GABA-mediated potentials (peak values = 4.2 +/- 0.1 mM); the latter increases were presumably attributable to postsynaptic GABAa-receptor activation because they were abolished by DAGO or BMI. Their role in initiating ictal activity was demonstrated by using DAGO, which abolished both GABA-mediated synchronous potentials and ictal discharges. These data indicate that NMDA-mediated ictal discharges induced by 4AP originate in the entorhinal cortex; such a conclusion is in line with clinical evidence obtained in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. 4AP also induces GABA-mediated potentials that spread within the limbic system when excitatory transmission is blocked and may play a role in initiating ictal discharge by increasing [K+]o.

Systemic NMDA receptor antagonist CGP-40116 does not impair memory acquisition but protects against NMDA neurotoxicity in rhesus monkeys

A widely accepted hypothesis is that long-term potentiation (LTP) is a synaptic mechanism of memory. NMDA receptors are critically involved in induction but not maintenance of LTP; therefore, their blockade should impair memory acquisition but not retrieval. In Experiment 1, we investigated the effect of a systemic NMDA receptor antagonist, CGP-40116 [D-isomer of CGP-37849: (E)-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid (6 mg/kg, i.m.) 60 min before the testing session] on memory acquisition and retrieval by monkeys in the "object-in-place" visual memory task, an analog of human episodic memory. Only a small increase in error rate was produced (< 3%), and this increase was observed in both retention and acquisition tests. This deficit is substantially smaller than the previously reported deficit after fornix transection in the same task, and is not specific to memory acquisition. In Experiment 2, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of CGP-40116. NMDA (68 nmol) was injected into the right hippocampus, then CGP-40116 (6 mg/kg) was given intramuscularly, and then NMDA was injected into the left hippocampus. The area of cell loss in CA1 and CA3 fields was smaller in both hemispheres compared with unprotected monkeys (without CGP-40116). Thus, CGP-40116 provides both retrograde and anterograde protection against NMDA neurotoxicity. These data (1) demonstrate that acquisition of episodic memories remains almost intact when an NMDA receptor antagonist is given in a dose sufficient to block NMDA receptors in the hippocampus, and (2) indirectly oppose the hypothesis that NMDA receptor-dependent LTP plays the key role in memory.

Chronic psychosocial stress causes apical dendritic atrophy of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in subordinate tree shrews

We have shown previously that repeated laboratory restraint stress or daily corticosterone administration affects the structure of CA3 hippocampal neurons in rats. In the present study, we investigated the effect of repeated daily psychosocial stress on the structure of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in male tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri). Male tree shrews develop social hierarchies in which subordinates show characteristic changes in physiological and behavioral parameters when confronted with a dominant. In the present experiments, subordinate animals lost body weight soon after starting the daily social conflict, and urinary excretion of cortisol was elevated throughout the experiment as compared with the control period. Golgi-impregnated brain tissue from subordinates exposed to 28 d (1 hr/d) of social confrontations was compared with that from control nonstressed animals. The apical dendrites of the CA3 pyramidal cells from subordinates had a decreased number of branch points and total dendritic length as compared with controls. No differences were observed in apical dendritic spine density or in the basal dendritic tree morphology. The stress-induced CA3 apical dendritic atrophy in subordinates was prevented by administering daily oral doses of the antiepileptic drug phenytoin (Dilantin, Sigma, St. Louis, MO) (200 mg/kg), which interferes with excitatory amino acid (EAA) action. These results suggest that the naturalistic stressor psychosocial stress induces specific structural changes in hippocampal neurons of subordinate male tree shrews. These changes, like those in the rat after glucocorticoid treatment or restraint stress, probably are mediated by activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal-axis acting in concert with endogenous EAAs from mossy fiber input.