The ontogeny of excitatory amino acid receptors in rat forebrain--I. N-methyl-D-aspartate and quisqualate receptors

Ontogeny of the stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol in male and female Swiss mice: gradual changes from weaning to adulthood

RATIONALE

The adolescent period is characterized by a specific sensitivity to the effects of alcohol, which is believed to contribute to the enhanced risks of alcohol dependence when drinking is initiated early during adolescence. In adolescent rodents, while the reduced sensitivity to the sedative effects of ethanol has been well characterized, its stimulant effects have not yet been extensively studied.

OBJECTIVES

The present study characterized the development of the stimulant and the sedative effects of acute ethanol in male and female Swiss mice from weaning to early adulthood and tested whether both effects are interrelated.

METHODS

In a first experiment, mice aged 21, 28, 35, 42, and 60 days were injected with various ethanol doses and tested for ethanol-induced locomotor activity. In an independent experiment, mice of the same groups of age were injected with 4 g/kg ethanol and ethanol-induced sedation was quantified with the loss of righting reflex procedure.

RESULTS

In male and female mice, the stimulant effects of ethanol gradually decreased, whereas its sedative effects increased with age. When the sedation was statistically controlled using a covariance analysis, the differences between adult and juvenile mice in the locomotor stimulation were significantly reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

From weaning to early adulthood, the acute stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol show gradual changes that are similar in male and female mice. Although the initial tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol contributes to the changes in ethanol-induced locomotor activity, young mice also show a higher sensitivity to the stimulant effects of ethanol.

Persisting cognitive deficits induced by low-dose, subchronic treatment with MK-801 in adolescent rats

Cognitive impairments have been proposed as a core feature of schizophrenia. Studies have shown that chronic or subchronic treatment with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists could induce cognitive deficits that resemble the symptoms of schizophrenia, yet few studies have investigated the effects of repeated NMDA blockade during adolescence on cognition. In the current study, adolescent, male rats were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of MK-801 (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2mg/kg) once daily for 14days. They were then tested 24h and 14days after drug cessation, respectively, in a series of behavioural tasks, including the object recognition task, the object-in-context recognition task and the working memory task of the Morris water maze (MWM). Results showed that object-in-context recognition and spatial working memory in the MWM were significantly impaired by repeated MK-801 treatment when animals were tested 24h after drug cessation, but object recognition was left intact. In particular, such deficits were observed 14days after drug cessation in the 0.2mg/kg group. The cognition-impairing effect of MK-801 could not be attributed to malnutrition or alterations in motor functions. Taken together, this study may provide support for establishing an animal model of cognitive deficits of schizophrenia based on low-dose, repeated treatment of MK-801 during adolescence.

Neonatal status epilepticus

Seizures are more prevalent during the neonatal period than at any other time in the human lifespan. During early development, neonates are developmentally predisposed to excitatory neuronal activity increasing their susceptibility to seizures. Status epilepticus is poorly defined in this subpopulation with a lack of a consensus definition. In this review, we discuss the common etiologies of recurrent seizures in the newborn in addition to current trends on monitoring and treatment. Finally, we discuss the current evidence in both animal and human studies that indicate that neonatal seizures may be harmful to the immature brain with adverse long-term neurodevelopment outcomes.

Adolescent brain maturation, the endogenous cannabinoid system and the neurobiology of cannabis-induced schizophrenia

Cannabis use during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychotic disorders later in life. However, the neurobiological processes underlying this relationship are unknown. This review reports the results of a literature search comprising various neurobiological disciplines, ultimately converging into a model that might explain the neurobiology of cannabis-induced schizophrenia. The article briefly reviews current insights into brain development during adolescence. In particular, the role of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in experience-dependent maturation of specific cortical circuitries is examined. The review also covers recent hypotheses regarding disturbances in strengthening and pruning of synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex, and the link with latent psychotic disorders. In the present model, cannabis-induced schizophrenia is considered to be a distortion of normal late postnatal brain maturation. Distortion of glutamatergic transmission during critical periods may disturb prefrontal neurocircuitry in specific brain areas. Our model postulates that adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive substance in cannabis, transiently disturbs physiological control of the endogenous cannabinoid system over glutamate and GABA release. As a result, THC may adversely affect adolescent experience-dependent maturation of neural circuitries within prefrontal cortical areas. Depending on dose, exact time window and duration of exposure, this may ultimately lead to the development of psychosis or schizophrenia. The proposed model provides testable hypotheses which can be addressed in future studies, including animal experiments, reanalysis of existing epidemiological data, and prospective epidemiological studies in which the role of the dose-time-effect relationship should be central.

Adolescent development, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, and programming of adult learning and memory

Chronic exposure to stress is known to affect learning and memory in adults through the release of glucocorticoid hormones by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In adults, glucocorticoids alter synaptic structure and function in brain regions that express high levels of glucocorticoid receptors and that mediate goal-directed behaviour and learning and memory. In contrast to relatively transient effects of stress on cognitive function in adulthood, exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids in early life can produce enduring changes through substantial remodeling of the developing nervous system. Adolescence is another time of significant brain development and maturation of the HPA axis, thereby providing another opportunity for glucocorticoids to exert programming effects on neurocircuitry involved in learning and memory. These topics are reviewed, as is the emerging research evidence in rodent models highlighting that adolescence may be a period of increased vulnerability compared to adulthood in which exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids results in enduring changes in adult cognitive function.

One-trial cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in preweanling rats: role of contextual stimuli

Using a one-trial procedure, preweanling rats exhibit robust sensitization regardless of whether drug pretreatment and testing occur in the same or different environments. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether one-trial context-specific and context-independent sensitization of preweanling rats could be dissociated by varying the pretreatment dose of cocaine, by varying the pretreatment drug, or by minimizing interoceptive cues. In Experiments 1a and 1b, rats were pretreated with a broad dose range of cocaine (0-40 mg/kg) before placement in a novel activity chamber or the home cage. In Experiment 2, rats were pretreated with a locomotor-enhancing drug (e.g., methylphenidate, U50,488, or MK-801) before placement in a novel activity or anesthesia chamber. In Experiment 3, rats were anesthetized with isoflurane before cocaine administration to minimize the effects of interoceptive and injection cues. In all experiments, rats were challenged with cocaine on the test day (24 hr later), with locomotion being measured in activity chambers. Results showed that (a) the pretreatment dose of cocaine (10-40 mg/kg) did not differentially affect context-specific and context-independent sensitization; (b) cross-sensitization between methylphenidate and cocaine was observed in the context-specific condition, but not when using a context-independent procedure; and (c) sensitization was evident if injection and interoceptive cues were minimized. One possibility is that associative processes do not modulate the one-trial sensitization of preweanling rats. Alternatively, "unitization" may cause preweanling rats to treat the different environments as equivalent, thus permitting robust sensitization even when drug pretreatment and testing occur in different environments.

Ontogeny of ethanol-induced motor impairment following acute ethanol: assessment via the negative geotaxis reflex in adolescent and adult rats

Adolescent rats have been observed to be less sensitive than adults to a number of ethanol effects that may serve as feedback cues to reduce further ethanol intake. Among these findings are a few reports of attenuated sensitivities of adolescents to ethanol-induced motor impairment. The purpose of the present study was to further explore potential age-related differences in ethanol-induced motor impairment in both male and female adolescent (postnatal day [P]28-32), and adult (P68-72) Sprague-Dawley rats using an inclined plane assessment of the negative geotaxis reflex. Adult males displayed significant motor impairment at 1.5 g/kg, whereas adolescent males required higher doses, showing significant motor impairment only at doses of 2.25 g/kg ethanol or greater. Intoxicated practice did not significantly influence level of motor impairment at either age. When female rats of both ages were separately analyzed in terms of their response to ethanol, a dose of 1.5 g/kg ethanol was found to significantly impair adults, whereas adolescent females showed significant motor impairment when challenged with 2.25 g/kg but not 1.5 g/kg ethanol. Yet when the 1.5 g/kg data of females at the two ages were directly compared, no significant age difference was seen at this dose. These data document an attenuated sensitivity of adolescent relative to adult rats to the motor impairing effects of ethanol using a stationary inclined plane test, an effect particularly robust in male animals, and demonstrates the utility of this test for assessment of motor coordination in adolescent and adult rats.

Adolescent ethanol exposure: does it produce long-lasting electrophysiological effects?

This review discusses evidence for long-lasting neurophysiological changes that may occur following exposure to ethanol during adolescent development in animal models. Adolescence is the time that most individuals first experience ethanol exposure, and binge drinking is not uncommon during adolescence. If alcohol exposure is neurotoxic to the developing brain during adolescence, not unlike it is during fetal development, then understanding how ethanol affects the developing adolescent brain becomes a major public health issue. Adolescence is a critical time period when cognitive, emotional, and social maturation occurs and it is likely that ethanol exposure may affect these complex processes. To study the effects of ethanol on adolescent brain, animal models where the dose and time of exposure can be carefully controlled that closely mimic the human condition are needed. The studies reviewed provide evidence that demonstrates that relatively brief exposure to high levels of ethanol, via ethanol vapors, during a period corresponding to parts of adolescence in the rat is sufficient to cause long-lasting changes in functional brain activity. Disturbances in waking electroencephalogram and a reduction in the P3 component of the event-related potential (ERP) have been demonstrated in adult rats that were exposed to ethanol vapor during adolescence. Adolescent ethanol exposure was also found to produce long-lasting reductions in the mean duration of slow-wave sleep (SWS) episodes and the total amount of time spent in SWS, a finding consistent with a premature aging of sleep. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings, in a range of strains, and to link those findings to the neuroanatomical and neurochemical mechanisms potentially underlying the lasting effects of adolescent ethanol exposure.

Research on alcohol and adolescent brain development: opportunities and future directions

In the past 15 years, both human and animal studies have advanced our understanding of the effects of adolescent alcohol exposure on behavioral and neural development, particularly in the areas of the ontogeny of initial sensitivity and tolerance to alcohol, the consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure on subsequent drinking patterns, as well as cognitive and neural function. Despite these advances, there are still substantial gaps in our understanding of whether heavy adolescent drinking interferes with normal brain development at the cellular and molecular level, and if so, how these changes may translate into patterns of brain connectivity that result in the emergence of alcohol use disorders. This article discusses our current knowledge of the cellular and molecular brain changes that stem from heavy alcohol exposure, including binge patterns, during adolescence. Progress has been made in linking the behavioral effects of adolescent drinking to underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. However, it is suggested that future research on the etiology and consequences of adolescent drinking use an integrative approach to this problem by combining multiple levels, including genetic, cellular and molecular, systems (neuroimaging), and behavioral, with an emphasis on integrating the different levels of analysis.

Mechanisms involved in the neurotoxic, cognitive, and neurobehavioral effects of alcohol consumption during adolescence

Studies over the last decade demonstrate that adolescence is a brain maturation period from childhood to adulthood. Plastic and dynamic processes drive adolescent brain development, creating flexibility that allows the brain to refine itself, specialize, and sharpen its functions for specific demands. Maturing connections enable increased communication among brain regions, allowing greater integration and complexity. Compelling evidence has shown that the developing brain is vulnerable to the damaging effects of ethanol. It is possible to infer, therefore, that alcohol exposure during the critical adolescent developmental stages could disrupt the brain plasticity and maturation processes, resulting in behavioral and cognitive deficits. Recent neuroimaging studies have provided evidence of the impact of human adolescent drinking in brain structure and functions. Findings in experimental animals have also given new insight into the potential mechanisms of the toxic effects of ethanol on both adolescent brain maturation and the short- and long-term cognitive consequences of adolescent drinking. Adolescence is also characterized by the rapid maturation of brain systems mediating reward and by changes in the secretion of stress-related hormones, events that might participate in the increasing in anxiety and the initiation pattern of alcohol and drug consumption. Studies in human adolescents demonstrate that drinking at early ages can enhance the likelihood of developing alcohol-related problems. Experimental evidence suggests that early exposure to alcohol sensitizes the neurocircuitry of addiction and affects chromatin remodeling, events that could induce abnormal plasticity in reward-related learning processes that contribute to adolescents' vulnerability to drug addiction. In this article, we review the potential mechanisms by which ethanol impacts brain development and lead to brain impairments and cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions as well as the neurobiological and neurochemical processes underlying the adolescent-specific vulnerability to drug addiction.

Neuroprotective strategies in excitotoxic brain injury: potential applications to the preterm brain

Neuronal and oligodendroglial cell death owing to increased glutamate levels plays an important role in the pathophysiology of hypoxic-, ischemic- and inflammation-mediated brain injury as well as in disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease. In addition, excitotoxic brain injury is known to be a major contributing factor to brain injury in preterm infants. Excitotoxicity is characterized as excessive glutamatergic activation of postsynaptic receptors that consequently leads to cell injury and cell death. The major excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter is glutamate. Glutamate plays a key role in brain development, affecting progenitor cell differentiation, proliferation, migration and survival. In physiological conditions the presence of glutamate in the synapse is regulated by ATP-dependent glutamate transporters in neurons and glial cells, with astrocytes being responsible for a major part of glutamate uptake in the brain. In pathologic circumstances the function of the transporters is impaired, leading to glutamate accumulation in the synaptic cleft and in turn excessive activation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors with subsequent massive Ca2+ influx, activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase, translocation of proapoptotic genes to the mitochondria, mitochondrial dysfunction, release of cytochrome C into the cytosol, activation of caspases and subsequent cell death. Based on the pathogenic concept of an overactivation of the excitatory pathways, glutamate receptors have been a longstanding therapeutic target for rational drug design. This article reviews the pathophysiology of excitotoxic brain injury in the example of preterm brain injury, as well as current research on therapeutic antiexcitotoxic strategies.

Maturation of coordinated immediate early gene expression by cocaine during adolescence

Adolescence may be a critical period for drug addiction. Young adolescent male rats have greater locomotor responses than adults after acute low dose cocaine administration. Further, repeated cocaine administration produces as much or more conditioned place preference but reduced locomotor sensitization in adolescents compared to adults. Acute activation of neurons by cocaine induces long-term changes in behavior by activating transcriptional complexes. The purpose of the present study was to correlate cocaine-induced locomotor activity with neuronal activation in subregions of the striatum and cortex by acute cocaine in young adolescent (postnatal (PN) 28) and adult (PN 65) male rats by measuring the induction of the plasticity-associated immediate early genes (IEGs) c-fos and zif268 using in situ hybridization. Animals were treated with saline, low (10 mg/kg), or high (40 mg/kg) dose cocaine in locomotor activity chambers and killed 30 min later. Low dose cocaine induced more locomotor activity and striatal c-fos expression in adolescents than adults whereas high dose cocaine induced more locomotor activity, striatal c-fos, and striatal zif268 expression in adults. Locomotor activity correlated with the expression of both genes in adults but correlated with striatal c-fos only in adolescents. Finally, there was a significant correlation between the expression of c-fos and zif268 in the adult striatum but not in adolescents. Our results suggest that the coordinated expression of transcription factors by cocaine continues to develop during adolescence. The immature regulation of transcription factors by cocaine could explain why adolescents show unique sensitivity to specific long-term behavioral alterations following cocaine treatment.

Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is chronically altered following perinatal NMDA receptor blockade

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade in rodents induces behavioural and neurochemical changes reminiscent of schizophrenia symptoms and pathology. To examine how NMDA receptor blockade affects glutamatergic and GABAergic pathways when administered during early brain development, [3H]MK-801 and [3H]muscimol binding to NMDA and GABA(A) receptors was examined at four time-points following injections of phencyclidine (PCP) or saline on postnatal days (PN)7, 9 and 11. [3H]MK-801 binding was significantly increased in PCP-treated rats in the thalamus from PN18 to PN96, in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices at PN32, and in the hippocampus at PN96. In a similar manner, [3H]muscimol binding was increased in PCP-treated rats in the thalamus and hippocampus from PN18 to PN96, and in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices at PN32. Glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission is therefore chronically altered by this treatment, which has relevance to disease processes that may be involved in schizophrenia.

Effects of risperidone on glutamate receptor subtypes in developing rat brain

Levels of ionotropic glutamate (Glu) N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA), 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA), and kainic acid (KA) receptors in forebrain regions of juvenile rats (age 42 days) were quantified after 3 weeks of treatment with three different doses of risperidone (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) and compared findings to those in adult rats treated with risperidone (3.0 mg/kg/day) previously. Risperidone (at 0.3 mg/kg/day) did not alter levels of three ionotropic Glu receptors in all brain regions examined. Risperidone (at 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased NMDA binding in caudate-putamen of juvenile and adult animals. In contrast, the same two doses of risperidone decreased NMDA receptors in nucleus accumbens of juveniles and not adults. Risperidone (at 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg/day) increased AMPA receptors in medial prefrontal cortex and caudate-putamen of juvenile animals, whereas risperidone (at 3.0 mg/kg) increased AMPA receptors in caudate-putamen and hippocampus of adults. Kainate receptors were not altered by any dose of risperidone in any brain region examined in developing and mature animals. The findings indicate that risperidone exerts dose-dependent effects on Glu receptor subtypes in developing animals, and that Glu receptor responses to repeated administration of risperidone are different in juvenile animals than adults.

Different effects of two N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists on seizures, spontaneous behavior, and motor performance in immature rats

Typical N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists exhibit anticonvulsant action and unwanted effects, even in developing rats. Therefore, we studied the actions of the low-affinity, noncompetitive antagonist memantine and the NR2B-specific antagonist ifenprodil. Seizures (minimal clonic and generalized tonic-clonic) were elicited with pentylenetetrazol (100mg/kg subcutaneously) in rats 7, 12, 18, and 25 days old pretreated with memantine (2.5-40 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or ifenprodil (10-60 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The effects of both drugs were studied in open field and motor performance tests in 12-, 18-, and 25-day-old rats. Memantine suppressed generalized tonic-clonic seizures in all age groups; minimal seizures were potentiated. Ifenprodil abolished the tonic phase of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 7-, 12-, and 18-day-old rats only; minimal seizures remained untouched. Memantine induced locomotor hyperactivity and compromised motor performance in all age groups. Ifenprodil exerted these effects only in 12-day-old rats; older animals were less active in open field tests. Memantine exhibits both anti- and pro-convulsant and behavioral effects typical of NMDA antagonists. Ifenprodil exerted the same effects in 12-day-old rats, but its anticonvulsant action in 18-day-old rats was accompanied by a decrease in locomotion.

Development and persistence of long-lasting behavioral sensitization to cocaine in female mice: role of the nNOS gene

Our recent studies have shown that the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene is required for the development and persistence of psychomotor sensitization to cocaine in adult but not adolescent male mice (Balda, M.A., Anderson, K.L., Itzhak, Y., 2008. Differential role of the nNOS gene in the development of behavioral sensitization to cocaine in adolescent and adult B6;129S mice. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 200, 509-519.). The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of the nNOS gene to cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in adolescent and adult female mice. Adolescent and adult wild type (WT) and nNOS knockout (KO) mice received saline or cocaine (20 mg/kg) for 5 days and then were challenged with cocaine (20 mg/kg) after a drug-free period of either 10, 30, or 90 days. Context-dependent sensitization was determined by measuring saline-induced locomotor activity in the previously cocaine-paired environment. Results show that adolescent females of both genotypes, like their adult counterparts, developed long-lasting behavioral sensitization to cocaine (a three-month period), suggesting high vulnerability of females to cocaine regardless of age. An effect of genotype was observed in the initiation of sensitization, e.g., delayed onset in the absence of the nNOS gene. The only age-dependent difference observed was that adult, but not adolescent mice developed context-dependent sensitization. The present study suggests that long-term expression of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in females (adolescent and adult) is nNOS-independent, unlike our previous findings in adult males.

Effects of adolescent ethanol exposure on sleep in adult rats

Although adolescent ethanol (EtOH) exposure has been associated with long-lasting changes in brain function, little is known as to whether EtOH exposure during adolescence alters sleep and cortical arousal. This study examined protracted alterations in sleep in adult rats exposed to EtOH during adolescence. Adolescent male Wistar rats were exposed to EtOH vapor for 12 h/day for 5 weeks. Cortical electroencephalograms were obtained during 4-h recording sessions after 5 weeks of withdrawal from EtOH. Adolescent EtOH exposure significantly reduced the mean duration of slow-wave sleep (SWS) episodes and the total amount of time spent in SWS in EtOH-exposed rats, compared to controls. Spectral analysis revealed that adolescent EtOH exposure significantly increased cortical peak frequencies during SWS in the 2-4, 4-6, and 6-8 Hz bands. Taken together, our findings suggest that chronic EtOH exposure in adolescent rats reduces measures of SWS, an effect also seen as part of normal aging. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating the consequences of EtOH exposure on the aging process are not known, the similarities between adolescent EtOH exposure and aging merits further investigation.

Electrophysiological effects of dizocilpine (MK-801) in adult rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence showing persistent changes in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor function following ethanol (EtOH) exposure, the contribution of NMDA systems to the long-term neurophysiological consequences of adolescent EtOH exposure is unclear. The aims of this study were the following: (1) to determine whether adolescent EtOH exposure produces neurophysiological changes after a prolonged withdrawal period in adult rats and (2) to assess protracted alterations in neurophysiological responses to the NMDA antagonist MK-801 in adult rats exposed to EtOH during adolescence.

METHODS

Adolescent male Wistar rats were exposed to EtOH vapor for 12 h/d for 5 weeks. The effects of MK-801 (0.0 to 0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on the electroencephalogram (EEG) and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were assessed after 8 weeks of abstinence from EtOH.

RESULTS

Experiments in aim 1 revealed that adolescent EtOH exposure reduced EEG variability in the frontal cortex in the 4 to 6 Hz band but had no effect on cortical and hippocampal EEG power and ERPs. Experiments in aim 2 showed that MK-801 significantly reduced EEG power in the parietal cortex (4 to 6 Hz, 6 to 8 Hz, 8 to 16 Hz, 16 to 32 Hz) and hippocampus (16 to 32 Hz) and EEG variability in the parietal cortex (6 to 8 Hz, 16 to 32 Hz) following adolescent EtOH exposure. MK-801 produced a significant decrease in hippocampal EEG variability (4 to 6 Hz, 8 to 16 Hz, 16 to 32 Hz) in control, but not in EtOH-exposed rats. MK-801 reduced frontal P1 ERP amplitude and latency in response to the rare tone in EtOH-exposed rats compared to controls. In contrast, MK-801 significantly reduced P3 ERP amplitude and latency in control, but not in EtOH-exposed rats.

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of MK-801 on hippocampal EEG variability and P3 ERP amplitude and latency are significantly attenuated after a prolonged withdrawal period following adolescent EtOH exposure. However, the inhibitory effects of MK-801 on cortical and hippocampal EEG power were enhanced in rats exposed to EtOH during adolescence. Taken together, these data suggest protracted changes in NMDA systems following adolescent EtOH exposure.

Interactions between age and the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal under mecamylamine-precipitated and spontaneous conditions in male Wistar rats

RATIONALE

Adolescent onset of smoking is associated with a rapid progression to dependence. Although adolescents may exhibit a greater susceptibility to nicotine addiction, relatively little is known about the influence of the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal in maintaining smoking behavior.

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated age differences in the motivational effects of mecamylamine-precipitated and spontaneous nicotine withdrawal in adolescent and adult rats using the conditioned place aversion procedure (CPA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In experiment 1, adolescent (postnatal day (PD) 28) and adult (PD60) male Wistar rats chronically treated with nicotine (3 or 6 mg/kg/day, s.c.) received mecamylamine (1 mg/kg, s.c.), a nicotinic receptor antagonist, or vehicle prior to place conditioning; physical withdrawal signs were also measured. Experiment 2 was conducted to increase nicotine levels in which adolescents were treated with 4.5 or 9 mg/kg/day nicotine. In experiment 3, age differences in spontaneous nicotine withdrawal were evaluated.

RESULTS

Nicotine-treated adults developed a CPA to the mecamylamine-associated compartment and expressed significant physical withdrawal signs, whereas similarly treated adolescents did not. Increasing nicotine exposure levels did not modify the adolescent response to mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal. Spontaneous nicotine withdrawal produced similar physical withdrawal signs in adolescents and adults, but did not elicit CPA.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study indicates that adolescent rats are less responsive to the aversive effects of mecamylamine-precipitated, but not spontaneous, nicotine withdrawal compared to adult rats. These findings suggest that adolescents and adults may exhibit similar sensitivity to the affective and physical effects of withdrawal following smoking cessation.

Age and gender differences in response to neonatal ethanol withdrawal and polyamine challenge in organotypic hippocampal cultures

BACKGROUND

Polyamines are synthesized and released in high concentrations during CNS development. These agents can potentiate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function and appear to play an important role in CNS development. Previous work has shown that polyamine release is increased during ethanol withdrawal (EWD). This likely promotes NMDAR overactivity and contributes to neurotoxicity during EWD, however, little is known regarding such effects in early neonatal brain. The present study compared the effects of EWD and polyamine exposure on toxicity in hippocampal slice cultures derived from postnatal day 2 (PND 2) or postnatal day 8 (PND 8) day-old rats. Due to changes in NMDAR subtypes and response to polyamines, we predicted that slices taken from PND 2 pups would be more sensitive to EWD and polyamine challenge.

METHODS

Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were obtained from neonatal rats either 2 or 8 days of age (PND 2 or PND 8). Five days after explantation, cultures were exposed to ETOH (50 mM- typically subthreshold for EWD induced cell death) for 10 days and then withdrawn from ETOH for 24-hour in the presence of 100 microM of the polyamine spermidine and/or 100 microM ifenprodil, an NMDAR antagonist that blocks the NMDAR that is the most sensitive to polyamine modulation. Cytotoxicity was measured after 24-hour by visualization of propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence.

RESULTS

There were clear age and gender-dependent differences in response to EWD and to polyamines. EWD produced significant increases in PI uptake in all subregions (CA1, CA3 and DG) of cultures derived from PND 2 pups, but not PND 8 pups. Exposure of cultures to spermidine for 24-hour also produced significant increases in cytotoxicity in all 3 regions of PND 2 cultures with no gender differences. In contrast, there were both gender and region-specific differences in response to spermidine in cultures from PND 8. While the CA1 region of both sexes displayed increased cytotoxicity following spermidine exposure, only females showed increased cytotoxicity in the CA3 region while the DG appeared relatively insensitive to spermidine. Exposure to spermidine during EWD produced enhanced toxicity in all 3 hippocampal subregions in tissue from both PND 2 and PND 8 rats and this was reduced or prevented by co-exposure to ifenprodil. Of interest, the PND 2 hippocampus was significantly more sensitive than the PND 8 hippocampus to the toxic effects of EWD and to spermidine during EWD in the DG and CA3 regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Hippocampal slice cultures derived from PND 2 rats were more sensitive to the toxic effects of both EWD and EWD + spermidine exposure than were those derived from PND 8 rats. These findings are similar to recent behavioral data collected from our lab showing greater sensitivity to ETOH's behavioral teratogenic effects when ETOH exposure in vivo occurred during the first postnatal week relative to the second postnatal week. Ifenprodil's ability to block the toxic effects of spermidine during EWD suggests that excess activity of NR2B subunits of the NMDAR contributed to the excitatory and cytotoxic effects of EWD plus spermidine. While no sex differences in toxicity were observed in cultures taken from pups during the first postnatal week, these data do suggest that later in neonatal life (i.e., the second postnatal week), the female hippocampus may be more sensitive to polyamine-induced neurotoxicity than males.

Effects of adolescent exposure to cocaine on locomotor activity and extracellular dopamine and glutamate levels in nucleus accumbens of DBA/2J mice

Adolescents differ from adults in their acute sensitivity to several drugs of abuse, but little is known about the long-term neurobehavioral effects of adolescent drug exposure. To explore this further, we evaluated the locomotor responses to repeated cocaine administration in adolescent and adult male DBA/2J mice and alterations in extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and glutamate (GLU) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in response to a subsequent cocaine challenge. Adolescent and adult mice were treated daily with saline or cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p) for 9 consecutive days. Ten days following the last injection, animals were implanted with microdialysis probes and 24 h later microdialysis samples were collected before and after an acute cocaine challenge. Adolescents but not adults demonstrated development of behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Microdialysis procedures revealed that cocaine-treated mice displayed greater peak increases in extracellular DA in response to a subsequent cocaine challenge as compared to saline-treated mice, in contrast with lower peak increases in extracellular GLU. While adults exhibited greater peaks in extracellular DA in response to cocaine than adolescents did, adolescent mice presented a more rapid onset of peak extracellular DA levels than adults. Our results indicate differences in the behavioral and neurochemical responses to cocaine in adolescent versus adult mice, which may be relevant to the increased risk of developing addiction in humans who are exposed to drugs of abuse during adolescence.

Gene x environment effects: stress and memory dysfunctions caused by stress and gonadal factor irregularities during puberty in control and TGF-alpha hypomorphic mice

The maturation of many neural functions occurs during puberty. An abnormal development of these processes, in the context of genetic vulnerability, may result in sex- and age-dependent penetrance of neuropsychiatric disorders. Reduced transforming growth factors-alpha (TGF-alpha) expression in Waved-1 (Wa-1) mice impairs the stress response and fear memory in adult males, but are absent or far less prominent in adult females and in pubertal males. Gonadectomy around the onset of puberty, when the mutant anatomical and behavioral phenotypes are undetectable, results in significant gene x environment effects. Adult control males show reduced physiological stress response as a result of gonadectomy, but not adult Wa-1 males. In females, pubertal gonadectomy elevates specific anxiety parameters only in adult control mice. There also are general sex-specific effects of pubertal gonadectomy on adult stress and fear memory. Surgical stress alone also induces sex- and genotype-dependent effects, albeit in different behavioral parameters than those affected by gonadectomy. We conclude that normal development of stress and memory processes is reliant on the levels of stress and gonadal factors during puberty, the effects of which are modulated by genetic factors and sex.

Chronic cognitive deficits and long-term histopathological alterations following contusive brain injury in the immature rat

Although diffuse axonal injury is the primary pathology in pediatric brain trauma, the additional presence of focal contusions may contribute to the poor prognosis in brain-injured children younger than 4 years of age. Because existing models of pediatric brain trauma focus on diffuse brain injury, a model of contusive brain trauma was developed using postnatal day (PND) 11 and 17 rats, ages that are neurologically equivalent to a human infant and toddler, respectively. Closed head injury was modeled by subjecting the intact skull over the left parietal cortex of the immature rat to an impact with a metal-tipped indenter. Brain trauma on PND11 or PND17 led to significant spatial learning deficits at 28 days post-injury, compared to age-matched control rats (p < 0.05). Although both groups of rats sustained skull fractures on impact, the histopathologic response of the brain was distinctly age-dependent. At 3 days post-injury in PND11 rats, the cortex below the impact site was contused and hemorrhagic, and contained reactive astrocytes, while the subcortical white matter and thalamus contained injured (swollen) axons. At 14 and 28 days post-injury, the cortex, white matter, and hippocampus were substantially atrophied, and the lateral ventricle was enlarged. In contrast, in PND17 rats, the contused cortex observed at 3 days post-injury matured into a pronounced cavity lined with a glia limitans at 14 days; reactive astrocytes were present in both the hippocampus and thalamus up to 28 days post-injury. No evidence of traumatic axonal injury was observed in any region of the brain-injured PND17 rat. These data suggest that contusive brain trauma in the immature rat is associated with chronic cognitive deficits, but underscore the effect of the age-at-injury on behavioral and histopathologic outcomes.

Stress before puberty exerts a sex- and age-related impact on auditory and contextual fear conditioning in the rat

Adolescence is a period of major physical, hormonal, and psychological changes. It is also characterized by a significant increase in the incidence of psychopathologies and this increase is gender-specific. Stress during adolescence is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders later in life. In this study, we evaluated the impact of psychogenic stress (exposure to predator odor followed by placement on an elevated platform) experienced before puberty (days 28–30) on fear memories and hormonal response of male and female rats during adolescence and early adulthood. Stress before puberty impacted in a sex- and age-specific way on the responses to auditory and contextual fear conditioning in adolescence and adulthood: (a) increased conditioned fear to the tone in males during adolescence but not during adulthood; (b) impaired extinction to the tone in adult males; and (c) reduced freezing responses to the context in adolescent females. Stress before puberty did not influence the corticosterone levels 30 minutes after an additional stressor given in adulthood. These results indicate that stress experienced prior to puberty can exert a sex-related differential impact on fear-related behaviors displayed by individuals during late adolescence and early adulthood.

Age and brain structural related effects of glutaric and 3-hydroxyglutaric acids on glutamate binding to plasma membranes during rat brain development

(1) In the present study we determined the effects of glutaric (GA, 0.01-1 mM) and 3-hydroxyglutaric (3-OHGA, 1.0-100 microM) acids, the major metabolites accumulating in glutaric acidemia type I (GA I), on Na(+)-independent and Na(+)-dependent [(3)H]glutamate binding to synaptic plasma membranes from cerebral cortex and striatum of rats aged 7, 15 and 60 days. (2) GA selectively inhibited Na(+)-independent [(3)H]glutamate binding (binding to receptors) in cerebral cortex and striatum of rats aged 7 and 15 days, but not aged 60 days. In contrast, GA did not alter Na(+)-dependent glutamate binding (binding to transporters) to synaptic membranes from brain structures of rats at all studied ages. Furthermore, experiments using the glutamatergic antagonist CNQX indicated that GA probably binds to non-NMDA receptors. In addition, GA markedly inhibited [(3)H]kainate binding to synaptic plasma membranes in cerebral cortex of 15-day-old rats, indicating that this effect was probably directed towards kainate receptors. On the other hand, experiments performed with 3-OHGA revealed that this organic acid did not change Na(+)-independent [(3)H]glutamate binding to synaptic membranes from cerebral cortex and striatum of rats from all ages, but inhibited Na(+)-dependent [(3)H]glutamate binding to membranes in striatum of 7-day-old rats, but not in striatum of 15- and 60-day-old rats and in cerebral cortex of rats from all studied ages. We also provided some evidence that 3-OHGA competes with the glutamate transporter inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate, suggesting a possible interaction of 3-OHGA with glutamate transporters on synaptic membranes. (3) These results indicate that glutamate binding to receptors and transporters can be inhibited by GA and 3-OHGA in cerebral cortex and striatum in a developmentally regulated manner. It is postulated that a disturbance of glutamatergic neurotransmission caused by the major metabolites accumulating in GA I at early development may possibly explain, at least in part, the window of vulnerability of striatum and cerebral cortex to injury in patients affected by this disorder.

Neonatal Seizures: Gaps Between the Laboratory and the Clinic

Seizures in neonates (NBs) remain the most frequent neurological problem in the nursery. Considerable debate about their consequences exists between data and deductions reached through animal experimentations and those obtained through clinical investigations. The main conflicting issues are whether seizures in NBs can plant the roots for epileptogenesis and cause long-term deficits. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate both laboratory and clinical results.

METHODS

Clinical data will be presented, including a 20-year-long cohort of NBs. This will be followed by the main seminal discoveries obtained in neonatal models. The phenomenon of transient or persistent dysmaturity following NB seizures will be discussed in relation to etiological factors.

RESULTS

The findings and deductions from animal models support the notions that epileptogenesis and cognitive deficits result from NB seizures. These conclusions contrast with clinical investigations maintaining that NB seizures, per se, are symptomatic markers of preexisting or of ongoing morbidities. The reasons for contrasting views will be discussed. Suggestions will be advanced for more animal models whose seizures are consistent with the etiologies and the phenotypes of human NB seizures.

Juvenile stress induces a predisposition to either anxiety or depressive-like symptoms following stress in adulthood

Epidemiological studies indicate that childhood trauma is predominantly associated with later emergence of several stress-related psychopathologies. While most 'early-stress' animal models focus on pre-weaning exposure, we examined the consequences of exposure to stress during the early pre-pubertal period, "juvenile stress", on adulthood stress responses. Following two different juvenile stress protocols, predator scent or short-term variable stress, we examined adulthood stress responses using the elevated plus-maze and startle response or exploration and avoidance learning. Employing Cut-off Behavioral Criteria analyses of clustering symptoms on the rats' altered stress responses discriminated between different patterns of maladaptive behaviors. Exposure to either juvenile stress protocols resulted in lasting alteration of stress responses with the majority of rats exhibiting anxiety-like behaviors, while the remaining third displayed depressive-like behaviors. The results suggest that the presented "Juvenile stress" model may be relevant to the reported predisposition to develop both anxiety and depression following childhood trauma.

Behavioral and neurochemical responses to cocaine in periadolescent and adult rats

Although recreational drug use by human adolescents is a well-known and long-standing problem, relatively little is known regarding differences in behavioral and physiological responses to abused substances in adolescent vs adult animals. The present study compared effects of the psychomotor stimulant, cocaine, in periadolescent (postnatal days 37-52) and adult (postnatal days 75-90) male Wistar rats. Locomotion and motor stereotypy were recorded after acute and repeated cocaine injections (0, 10, or 20 mg/kg cocaine, intraperitoneal (i.p.), four injections spaced 5 days apart). Spontaneous acquisition of intravenous (i.v.) cocaine self-administration was investigated in two dose groups ( approximately 0.37 or 0.74 mg/kg/infusion) over 14 days. Dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens were recorded under basal conditions (no net flux method) and after cocaine administration ( approximately 0.37, 0.74, and 2.92 mg/kg/i.v. infusion or 20 mg/kg i.p.) using in vivo microdialysis. The locomotor data are in partial agreement with previous reports of hyposensitivity to acute cocaine in periadolescent vs adult rats; periadolescents were less active overall than adults. Moreover, adult rats exhibited significant locomotor sensitization after repeated injection of 10 mg/kg cocaine, whereas periadolescents required the high dose of 20 mg/kg cocaine to demonstrate sensitization. Neither age group showed sensitization of motor stereotypies. No age-related difference was observed in acquisition of cocaine self-administration, or in basal or cocaine-stimulated nucleus accumbens dopamine. These experiments imply a developmental dissociation between the motor activating and reinforcing effects of cocaine. Similarities in dopamine levels across age groups suggest that age-specific motor responses to cocaine are not mediated by dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.

Adolescent cortical development: a critical period of vulnerability for addiction

Cortical growth and remodeling continues from birth through youth and adolescence to stable adult levels changing slowly into senescence. There are critical periods of cortical development when specific experiences drive major synaptic rearrangements and learning that only occur during the critical period. For example, visual cortex is characterized by a critical period of plasticity involved in establishing visual acuity. Adolescence is defined by characteristic behaviors that include high levels of risk taking, exploration, novelty and sensation seeking, social interaction and play behaviors. In addition, adolescence is the final period of development of the adult during which talents, reasoning and complex adult behaviors mature. This maturation of behaviors corresponds with periods of marked changes in neurogenesis, cortical synaptic remodeling, neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, as well as major changes in hormones. Frontal cortical development is later in adolescence and likely contributes to refinement of reasoning, goal and priority setting, impulse control and evaluating long and short term rewards. Adolescent humans have high levels of binge drinking and experimentation with other drugs. This review presents findings supporting adolescence as a critical period of cortical development important for establishing life long adult characteristics that are disrupted by alcohol and drug use.

Is the late preterm infant more vulnerable to gray matter injury than the term infant?

This article addresses the issue of whether the late preterm infant is more susceptible to gray matter injury induced by hypoxia-ischemia than the term infant. Although different gray matter regions display varying patterns of neuronal injury in the face of hypoxia-ischemia during advancing gestational development, little is known about the specific patterns of injury faced by the late preterm infant. This changing pattern of neuronal vulnerability with age likely reflects developmental changes of susceptibility and protective factors essential for responding to energy deprivation at the molecular, cellular, biochemical, and vascular levels. Future research involving closer examination of the late preterm period is essential to provide a greater understanding of the neuronal vulnerability in the face of hypoxic-ischemic injury.

Chronic tolerance to the social consequences of ethanol in adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats

Adolescence is a time when experimentation with ethanol becomes normative, with high levels of use becoming apparent in some adolescents. Little is known, however, as to whether ethanol adaptations emerging in adolescents with repeated ethanol use are similar to those emerging in adults. The presents study used a rodent model to investigate the development of chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced alterations in social behavior. The study focused both on ethanol-induced social facilitations, typically evident in adolescents but not adult animals at low doses of ethanol, as well as the inhibition of social behavior occurring at higher doses in both adolescent and adult rats. Adolescent and adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with either isotonic saline or 1 g/kg ethanol for 7 consecutive days: postnatal day (P) 27-33 for adolescents and P62-68 for adults. Acute effects of ethanol (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 g/kg) on social behavior, social motivation (measured in terms of social preference), and locomotor activity were assessed 48 h after the last chronic exposure using a modified social interaction test in a familiar environment. Adolescents chronically exposed to ethanol developed tolerance to ethanol-induced social facilitation. Animals of both ages likewise developed chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced social inhibition. Metabolic tolerance emerged in adults, as indexed by a decrease in blood ethanol concentrations after chronic ethanol at this age, whereas only functional tolerance was evident in adolescents. Unexpectedly, chronic ethanol diminished baseline levels of social preference in adolescents, but made them more responsive to ethanol-induced enhancement of social preference. Chronic ethanol exposure in adulthood, however, only induced tolerance to the suppressing effects of higher ethanol doses on social preference. Thus, whereas adolescents and adult both develop adaptations following repeated exposure to ethanol, adolescents are more vulnerable to the disruptive effects of chronic ethanol exposure on social preference than their more mature counterparts.

NMDA-NR1 and AMPA-GluR4 receptor subunit immunoreactivities in the absence epileptic WAG/Rij rat

From an age of 2-3 months onwards, the WAG/Rij rat, a genetic model for absence epilepsy, develops spike-wave discharges (SWD). SWD start in the peri-oral somatosensory cortex (POsc), whereas the rostral reticular thalamic nucleus (rRTN) contributes to synchronizing the thalamo-cortical oscillations. We hypothesize that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in the POsc and rRTN are involved in, respectively, the initiation and synchronization of SWD activity. As a first step to test this hypothesis, 3 months old non-epileptic and 6 months old absence epileptic WAG/Rij rats were compared with age-matched non-epileptic ACI control rats. The presence of NMDA and AMPA receptors was assessed by quantifying immunostaining for the NMDA-NR1 subunit and the AMPA-GluR4 subunit, respectively. In the POsc, WAG/Rij rats of both ages showed less NMDA-NR1 (-14.7%) and AMPA-GluR4 (-8.7%) subunit staining than ACI rats. From 3 to 6 months, AMPA-GluR4 subunit staining more strongly increased in the rRTN of WAG/Rij rats than of ACI rats. Further studies should support our assumption that in the POsc of the WAG/Rij rat, SWD start as a result of reduced NMDA- and AMPA-mediated glutamatergic stimulation, and that AMPA-GluR4 containing neurons in the rRTN of this rat strain contribute to synchronization of thalamic and cortical neurons.

Estradiol modulation of kainic acid-induced calcium elevation in neonatal hippocampal neurons

The developing hippocampus of both males and females is exposed to high levels of the gonadal steroid estradiol. The impact of this estradiol exposure on developing hippocampal neurons is essentially unknown. In the rat, the newborn hippocampus is relatively insensitive to excitotoxic brain injury, which in adults is associated with the release of amino acids, in particular glutamate, resulting in a significant increase in intracellular calcium and eventual cell death. We have shown previously in the rat that administration of the glutamate agonist, kainic acid (KA), on the day of birth results in limited hippocampal damage, which is ameliorated by treatment with the gonadal steroid, estradiol. We now show that KA induces an increase in intracellular calcium through L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels early in development and, later in development, through polyamine-sensitive alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors with a modest increase through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Pretreatment with the gonadal steroid, estradiol, decreases the percentage of neurons responding to KA and decreases the peak amplitude of the calcium transient early in development but has no effect later in development. Taken together, these data suggest that there is a developmental shift in the route of KA-induced intracellular calcium and estradiol modulates KA-induced intracellular calcium to a time restricted to early development, but whether this is the basis of the neuroprotective effect of estradiol remains to be determined.

Daily patterns of ethanol drinking in peri-adolescent and adult alcohol-preferring (P) rats

Alcohol abuse among adolescents continues to be a major health problem for our society. Our laboratory has used the peri-adolescent alcohol-preferring, P, rat as an animal model of adolescent alcohol abuse. Even though peri-adolescent P rats consume more alcohol (g/kg/day) than their adult counterparts, it is uncertain whether their drinking is sufficiently aggregated to result in measurable blood ethanol concentrations (BECs). The objectives of this study were to examine daily alcohol drinking patterns of adolescent and adult, male and female P rats, and to determine whether alcohol drinking episodes were sufficiently aggregated to result in meaningful BECs. Male and female P rats were given 30 days of 24 h free-choice access to alcohol (15%, v/v) and water, with ad lib access to food, starting at the beginning of adolescence (PND 30) or adulthood (PND 90). Water and alcohol drinking patterns were monitored 22 h/day with a "lickometer" set-up. The results indicated that (a) peri-adolescent P rats consumed more water and total fluids than adult P rats, (b) female P rats consumed more water and total fluids than male P rats, (c) there were differences in alcohol, and water, licking patterns between peri-adolescent and adult and female and male P rats, (d) individual licking patterns revealed that alcohol was consumed in bouts often exceeding the amount required to self-administer 1 g/kg of alcohol, and (e) BECs at the end of the dark cycle, on the 30th day of alcohol access, averaged 50 mg%, with alcohol intakes during the last 1 to 2 h averaging 1.2 g/kg. Overall, these findings indicate that alcohol drinking patterns differ across the age and sex of P rats. This suggests that the effectiveness of treatments for reducing excessive alcohol intake may vary depending upon the age and/or sex of the subjects being tested.

Increases in [(3)H]-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor binding and mRNA expression of AMPA-sensitive glutamate receptor A (GluR-A) subunits in rats withdrawn from butorphanol

An autoradiographic study of [(3)H]-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid(AMPA) receptor binding and an assessment of in situ hybridization of AMPA-sensitive glutamate receptor A (GluR-A) subunits in the rat brain were performed 7 h after withdrawal from butorphanol infusion. Animals were rendered dependent by intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of butorphanol (26 nmol/microl/h) via osmotic minipumps for 3 d. Brain sections for binding of [(3)H]AMPA were incubated with 15 nM [(3)H]AMPA. The probes for in situ hybridization were labeled at its 3 cent end using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and [(35)S]dATP. The highest degree of [(3)H]AMPA binding was shown in the hippocampus. The extent of [(3)H]AMPA binding was increased significantly in each of the brain areas examined, cortex, septum, caudate putamen, and hippocampus of rats, following withdrawal from butorphanol. The highest level of mRNA for GluR-A receptor for flop and flip subunits, was found in the dentate gyrus and in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. The amounts of mRNA for the flop form of GluR-A receptor were significantly increased in the cortex, caudate putamen, thalamus, and dentate gyrus of hippocampus of rat brain. The amounts of mRNA for the flip form of GluR-A receptor were markedly elevated in the cortex, thalamus, caudate putamen, and hippocampus. These findings suggest that increases in expression of mRNA for the GluR-A receptor and in the binding of AMPA to its receptor may play an important role during withdrawal from butorphanol dependence.

Rearranging receptors

The immature brain is highly susceptible to seizures. The heightened susceptibility to seizures appears to be due, at least in part, to developmental changes that skew the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems in the brain in favor of a state of excitation. Multiple factors, including changes in GABAergic and glutaminergic receptor composition, number, and distribution, all contribute to produce the characteristic limbic hyperexcitability seen during the early postnatal period. Infants and young children who experience prolonged or repetitive seizures have an increased risk of subsequently developing epilepsy. Evidence to date suggests that status epilepticus produces permanent changes in the molecular and cellular structure of limbic circuitry that, in turn, result in a long-lasting increase in hippocampal excitability and lower seizure thresholds in later life.

The molecular pharmacology and cell biology of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors

Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) are of fundamental importance in the brain. They are responsible for the majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission, and their overactivation is potently excitotoxic. Recent findings have implicated AMPARs in synapse formation and stabilization, and regulation of functional AMPARs is the principal mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity. Changes in AMPAR activity have been described in the pathology of numerous diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy. Unsurprisingly, the developmental and activity-dependent changes in the functional synaptic expression of these receptors are under tight cellular regulation. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that control the postsynaptic insertion, arrangement, and lifetime of surface-expressed AMPARs are the subject of intense and widespread investigation. For example, there has been an explosion of information about proteins that interact with AMPAR subunits, and these interactors are beginning to provide real insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the cell biology of AMPARs. As a result, there has been considerable progress in this field, and the aim of this review is to provide an account of the current state of knowledge.

Distinctive stress effects on learning during puberty

Puberty is a time of significant change in preparation for adulthood. Here, we examined how stressful experience affects cognitive and related hormonal responses in male and female rats prior to, during and after puberty. Groups were exposed to an acute stressor of brief periodic tailshocks and tested 24 h later in an associative memory task of trace eyeblink conditioning. Exposure to the stressor did not alter conditioning in males or females prior to puberty but enhanced conditioning in both males and females during puberty. The enhancement occurred in pubescent females irrespective of the estrous cycle. In adulthood, sex differences in trace conditioning and the response to stress emerged: females outperformed males under unstressed conditions, but after stressor exposure, trace conditioning in females was impaired whereas that in males was enhanced. These differences were not related to changes in gross motor activity or other nonspecific measures of performance. The effects of acute stress on corticosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone were also measured. Stressor exposure increased the concentration of corticosterone in all age groups, although sex differences were only evident in adults. All reproductive hormones except estradiol increased with age in a predictable and sex dependent fashion and none were affected by stressor exposure. Estradiol decreased in male rats across age, and remained stable for female rats. Together, these data indicate that males and female respond similarly to learning opportunities and stressful experience before and during puberty; it is in adulthood that sex differences and the opposite responses to stress arise.

Neocortical and hippocampal changes after multiple pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rats

PURPOSE

Multiple episodes of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) in developing rats (P7-P9) lead to progressive epileptiform activity and severe cognitive impairment in adulthood. The present work studied possible underlying abnormalities in the neocortex and hippocampus of pilocarpine-treated animals.

METHODS

Wistar rats were submitted to pilocarpine-induced SE at P7, P8, and P9, and were killed at P35. Immunocytochemistry was performed on 50-microm vibratome sections, by using antibodies against nonphosphorylated neurofilament (SMI-311), parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD-65). Ten-micron cryostat sections were processed for immunohistoblot by using antibodies against GluR1, GluR2/3, and GluR4 alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunits and NR2ab N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit.

RESULTS

Adult rats submitted to SE at P7-9 showed: (a) altered distribution of neocortical interneurons; (b) increased cortical and reduced hippocampal GAD-65 expression; and (c) altered expression of hippocampal AMPA and NMDA receptors.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that multiple SE episodes during P7-9 generate long-lasting disturbances that underlie behavioral and electrographic abnormalities later in life.

Advances in the pathophysiology of developmental epilepsies

Pediatric epilepsies display unique characteristics that differ significantly from epilepsy in adults. The immature brain exhibits a decreased seizure threshold and an age-specific response to seizure-induced brain injury. Many idiopathic epilepsy syndromes and symptomatic epilepsies commonly present during childhood. This review highlights recent advances in the pathophysiology of developmental epilepsies. Cortical development involves maturational regulation of multiple cellular and molecular processes, such as neurogenesis, neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and expression of neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels. These normal developmental changes of the immature brain also contribute to the increased risk for seizures and unique responses to seizure-induced brain injury in pediatric epilepsies. Recent technological advances, especially in genetics and imaging, have yielded exciting discoveries about the pathophysiology of specific pediatric epilepsy syndromes, such as the emergence of channelopathies as the cause of many idiopathic epilepsies and identification of malformations of cortical development as a major source of symptomatic epilepsies in children.

Cortical epileptic afterdischarges in immature rats are differently influenced by NMDA receptor antagonists

Epileptic afterdischarges elicited by stimulation of sensorimotor cortex were chosen to test anticonvulsant effects of NMDA receptor antagonists in developing rats (12, 18 and 25 days old) with implanted electrodes. Afterdischarges were elicited four times with 10-min intervals in the experiments with dizocilpine and 20 min with the other two drugs. Dizocilpine (0.5 or 1 mg/kg), CGP 40116 (0.1, 0.5 or 1 mg/kg) or 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP7, 30 or 60 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally between the first and second stimulation. Intensity of movements accompanying stimulation was diminished regularly only by CGP 40116. Duration of afterdischarges was reduced and intensity of clonic seizures was decreased by CGP 40116 in all age groups; dizocilpine exhibited similar action in 25- and 18-day-old rats, AP7 only in 25-day-old animals. Anticonvulsant action of the three NMDA antagonists exhibited different developmental profiles in our model; this difference might be due to developmental changes of NMDA receptors.

Increased seizure susceptibility of the hippocampus compared with the neocortex of the immature mouse brain in vitro

PURPOSE

The temporal lobe seems particularly susceptible to seizure activity. Mesial temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus, have the lowest seizure thresholds in the brain. Conversely, thresholds in the frontal neocortex are significantly higher. The development of intact, isolated preparations of hippocampus and neocortex in vitro allows for study into mechanisms governing seizure threshold.

METHODS

Epileptiform discharges in isolated mouse neocortical blocks were compared with the contralateral intact hippocampus, isolated from the same brain, by using the low-Mg2+, 4 aminopyridine (4-AP), and low-Ca2+ in vitro seizure models. The pharmacology of low Mg(2+)-induced ictal-like events (ILEs) generated in the hippocampus and neocortex was then compared by using glutamatergic antagonists DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) and 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), and the Ca2+ channel antagonist, nifedipine.

RESULTS

Neocortical blocks generated both recurrent, spontaneous ILEs and interictal-like events under low-Mg2+ artificial CSF (aCSF) perfusion, distinct from those generated in the hippocampus. ILEs from the hippocampus displayed lower thresholds and longer durations as compared with isolated neocortical blocks. Similar results were obtained during 4-AP perfusion. Perfusion with low-Ca2+ ACSF did not produce stereotypical ILEs in the neocortical block, producing instead recurrent, slow depolarizations. Both ILEs and recurrent, slow depolarizations were produced in the hippocampus. Application of APV and nifedipine exacerbated low Mg(2+)-induced ILEs in the hippocampus but not the neocortex, indicating a distinct pharmacology for partial seizures of different brain regions.

CONCLUSIONS

The developing mouse hippocampus demonstrates increased ictogenesis compared with the developing neocortex in vitro, consistent with clinical observations and in vivo experimental models.

Ontogenetic study of metaphit-induced audiogenic seizures in rats

Ontogenetic differences in susceptibility to metaphit (1-(1-(3-isothiocyanatophenyl)cyclohexyl)-piperidine)-induced audiogenic seizures were examined in young, developing (ages: 12, 18, and 25 days) and adult (90 days old) Wistar albino rats. Metaphit was injected in a dose of 10 mg/kg i.p. and animals were subjected to intense audio stimulation (100 +/- 3 dB, 60 s) at hourly intervals after administration. Audiogenic seizures (AGS) were scored according to a four point descriptive rating scale (0-3). AGS were elicited in all age groups; they were induced for 12, 15, 15, and 30 h in 12-, 18-, 25-day-old, and adult rats, respectively. Younger animals reached a peak incidence and severity of seizures before adult rats. Twenty-five-day-old rats showed greatest incidence and severity of seizures, and shortest latency. Twelve-day-old animals had longest latencies. Besides audiogenic seizures, we observed convulsions induced by metaphit only in the form of running episodes, forelimb clonus, clonic convulsions, and rearing. Results suggest that young rats develop metaphit-induced sound seizures more rapidly, but that adults have longer period of seizure susceptibility. Different susceptibility to seizures is probably due to changes in excitatory and inhibitory pathways, while maturation of blood-brain barrier is less probable, since metaphit has a lipophilic nature.