Acute stress enhances glutamatergic transmission in prefrontal cortex and facilitates working memory

Homeostatic regulation of glutamatergic transmission by dopamine D4 receptors

Alterations of synaptic transmission have been considered a core feature of mental disorders; thus, we examined the role of dopamine D(4) receptors, which is highly implicated in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia, in regulating synaptic functions of prefrontal cortex, a brain region critical for cognitive and emotional processes. We found that D(4) stimulation caused a profound depression or potentiation of AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons when their activity was elevated or dampened, respectively, which was accompanied by a D(4)-induced decrease or increase of AMPARs at synapses. The dual effects of D(4) on AMPAR trafficking and function was dependent on the D(4)-mediated bidirectional regulation of CaMKII activity via coupling to distinct signaling pathways, which provides a unique mechanism for D(4) receptors to serve as a homeostatic synaptic factor to stabilize cortical excitability.

Glucocorticoids in the prefrontal cortex enhance memory consolidation and impair working memory by a common neural mechanism

It is well established that acute administration of adrenocortical hormones enhances the consolidation of memories of emotional experiences and, concurrently, impairs working memory. These different glucocorticoid effects on these two memory functions have generally been considered to be independently regulated processes. Here we report that a glucocorticoid receptor agonist administered into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male Sprague-Dawley rats both enhances memory consolidation and impairs working memory. Both memory effects are mediated by activation of a membrane-bound steroid receptor and depend on noradrenergic activity within the mPFC to increase levels of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. These findings provide direct evidence that glucocorticoid effects on both memory consolidation and working memory share a common neural influence within the mPFC.

Pregnenolone sulfate and cortisol induce secretion of acyl-CoA-binding protein and its conversion into endozepines from astrocytes

Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) functions both intracellularly as part of fatty acid metabolism and extracellularly as diazepam binding inhibitor, the precursor of endozepine peptides. Two of these peptides, ODN and TTN, bind to the GABA(A) receptor and modulate its sensitivity to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). We have found that depolarization of mouse primary astrocytes induces the rapid release and processing of ACBP to the active peptides. We previously showed that ODN can trigger the rapid sporulation of the social amoeba Dictyostelium. Using this bioassay, we now show that astrocytes release the endozepine peptides within 10 min of exposure to the steroids cortisol, pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, or progesterone. ACBP lacks a signal sequence for secretion through the endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi pathway and its secretion is not affected by addition of brefeldin A, a well known inhibitor of the classical secretion pathway, suggesting that it follows an unconventional pathway for secretion. Moreover, induction of autophagy by addition of rapamycin also resulted in rapid release of ACBP indicating that this protein uses components of the autophagy pathway for secretion. Following secretion, ACBP is proteolytically cleaved to the active neuropeptides by protease activity on the surface of astrocytes. Neurosteroids, such as pregnenolone sulfate, were previously shown to modulate the excitatory/inhibitory balance in brain through increased release of glutamate and decreased release of GABA. These effects of steroids in neurons will be reinforced by the release of endozepines from astrocytes shown here, and suggest an orchestrated astrocyte-neuron cross-talk that can affect a broad spectrum of behavioral functions.

Acute stress impairs hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 long-term potentiation by enhancing cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase 4 activity

The mossy fiber synapses onto hippocampal CA3 neurons show unique molecular features and a wide dynamic range of plasticity. Although acute stress has been well recognized to alter bidirectional long-term synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal CA1 region and dentate gyrus, it remains unclear whether the same effect may also occur at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. Here, we report that hippocampal slices prepared from adult mice that had experienced an acute unpredictable and inescapable restraint tail-shock stress showed a marked impairment of long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by high-frequency stimulation or adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin. This effect was prevented when animals were submitted to bilateral adrenalectomy or given the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486 before experiencing stress. In contrast, stress has no effect on synaptic potentiation induced by the non-hydrolysable and membrane-permeable cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) analog Sp-8-bromo-cAMPS. No obvious differences were observed between control and stressed mice in the basal synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation, or frequency facilitation at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. We also found that the inhibitory effect of stress on mossy fiber LTP was obviated by the adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3,-dipropylxanthine, the non-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor 3-isobutyl-methylxanthine, and the specific PDE4 inhibitor 4-(3-butoxy-4-methoxyphenyl)methyl-2-imidazolidone. In addition, stress induces a sustained and profound increase in cAMP-specific PDE4 activity. These results suggest that the inhibition of mossy fiber LTP by acute stress treatment seems originating from a corticosterone-induced sustained increase in the PDE4 activity to accelerate the metabolism of cAMP to adenosine, in turn triggering an adenosine A(1) receptor-mediated impairment of transmitter release machinery.

Critical brain circuits at the intersection between stress and learning

The effects of stressful life experience on learning are pervasive and vary greatly both within and between individuals. It is therefore unlikely that any one mechanism will underlie these complicated processes. Nonetheless, without identifying the necessary and sufficient circuitry, no complete mechanism or set of mechanisms can be identified. In this review, we provide two anatomical frameworks through which stressful life experience can influence processes related to learning and memory. In the first, stressful experience releases stress hormones, primarily from the adrenals, which directly impact brain areas engaged in learning. In the second, stressful experience indirectly alters the circuits used in learning via intermediary brain regions. Importantly, these intermediary brain regions are not integral to the stress response or learning itself, but rather link the consequences of a stressful experience with circuits used to learn associations. As reviewed, the existing literature provides support for both frameworks, with somewhat more support for the first but sufficient evidence for the latter which involves intermediary structures. Once we determine the circumstances that engage each framework and identify which one is most predominant, we can begin to focus our efforts on describing the neuronal and hormonal mechanisms that operate within these circuits to influence cognitive processes after stressful life experience.

Acute stress increases depolarization-evoked glutamate release in the rat prefrontal/frontal cortex: the dampening action of antidepressants

BACKGROUND

Behavioral stress is recognized as a main risk factor for neuropsychiatric diseases. Converging evidence suggested that acute stress is associated with increase of excitatory transmission in certain forebrain areas. Aim of this work was to investigate the mechanism whereby acute stress increases glutamate release, and if therapeutic drugs prevent the effect of stress on glutamate release.

METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS

Rats were chronically treated with vehicle or drugs employed for therapy of mood/anxiety disorders (fluoxetine, desipramine, venlafaxine, agomelatine) and then subjected to unpredictable footshock stress. Acute stress induced marked increase in depolarization-evoked release of glutamate from synaptosomes of prefrontal/frontal cortex in superfusion, and the chronic drug treatments prevented the increase of glutamate release. Stress induced rapid increase in the circulating levels of corticosterone in all rats (both vehicle- and drug-treated), and glutamate release increase was blocked by previous administration of selective antagonist of glucocorticoid receptor (RU 486). On the molecular level, stress induced accumulation of presynaptic SNARE complexes in synaptic membranes (both in vehicle- and drug-treated rats). Patch-clamp recordings of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex revealed that stress increased glutamatergic transmission through both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, and that antidepressants may normalize it by reducing release probability.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Acute footshock stress up-regulated depolarization-evoked release of glutamate from synaptosomes of prefrontal/frontal cortex. Stress-induced increase of glutamate release was dependent on stimulation of glucocorticoid receptor by corticosterone. Because all drugs employed did not block either elevation of corticosterone or accumulation of SNARE complexes, the dampening action of the drugs on glutamate release must be downstream of these processes. This novel effect of antidepressants on the response to stress, shown here for the first time, could be related to the therapeutic action of these drugs.

The stress hormone corticosterone increases synaptic alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors via serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK) regulation of the GDI-Rab4 complex

Corticosterone, the major stress hormone, plays an important role in regulating neuronal functions of the limbic system, although the cellular targets and molecular mechanisms of corticosteroid signaling are largely unknown. Here we show that a short treatment of corticosterone significantly increases alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic transmission and AMPAR membrane trafficking in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex, a key region involved in cognition and emotion. This enhancing effect of corticosterone is through a mechanism dependent on Rab4, the small GTPase-controlling receptor recycling between early endosome and plasma membrane. Guanosine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI), which regulates the cycle of Rab proteins between membrane and cytosol, forms an increased complex with Rab4 after corticosterone treatment. Corticosterone also triggers an increased GDI phosphorylation at Ser-213 by the serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK). Moreover, AMPAR synaptic currents and surface expression and their regulation by corticosterone are altered by mutating Ser-213 on GDI. These results suggest that corticosterone, via SGK phosphorylation of GDI at Ser-213, increases the formation of GDI-Rab4 complex, facilitating the functional cycle of Rab4 and Rab4-mediated recycling of AMPARs to the synaptic membrane. It provides a potential mechanism underlying the role of corticosteroid stress hormone in up-regulating excitatory synaptic efficacy in cortical neurons.