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Janušonis S, Haiman JH, Metzler R, Vojta T. Predicting the distribution of serotonergic axons: a supercomputing simulation of reflected fractional Brownian motion in a 3D-mouse brain model. Front Comput Neurosci 2023; 17:1189853. [PMID: 37265780 PMCID: PMC10231035 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2023.1189853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-organization of the brain matrix of serotonergic axons (fibers) remains an unsolved problem in neuroscience. The regional densities of this matrix have major implications for neuroplasticity, tissue regeneration, and the understanding of mental disorders, but the trajectories of its fibers are strongly stochastic and require novel conceptual and analytical approaches. In a major extension to our previous studies, we used a supercomputing simulation to model around one thousand serotonergic fibers as paths of superdiffusive fractional Brownian motion (FBM), a continuous-time stochastic process. The fibers produced long walks in a complex, three-dimensional shape based on the mouse brain and reflected at the outer (pial) and inner (ventricular) boundaries. The resultant regional densities were compared to the actual fiber densities in the corresponding neuroanatomically-defined regions. The relative densities showed strong qualitative similarities in the forebrain and midbrain, demonstrating the predictive potential of stochastic modeling in this system. The current simulation does not respect tissue heterogeneities but can be further improved with novel models of multifractional FBM. The study demonstrates that serotonergic fiber densities can be strongly influenced by the geometry of the brain, with implications for brain development, plasticity, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skirmantas Janušonis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Justin H. Haiman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Ralf Metzler
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Thomas Vojta
- Department of Physics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, United States
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Adori M, Bhat S, Gramignoli R, Valladolid-Acebes I, Bengtsson T, Uhlèn M, Adori C. Hepatic Innervations and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Semin Liver Dis 2023; 43:149-162. [PMID: 37156523 PMCID: PMC10348844 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-57237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disorder. Increased sympathetic (noradrenergic) nerve tone has a complex role in the etiopathomechanism of NAFLD, affecting the development/progression of steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and liver hemodynamical alterations. Also, lipid sensing by vagal afferent fibers is an important player in the development of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, disorganization and progressive degeneration of liver sympathetic nerves were recently described in human and experimental NAFLD. These structural alterations likely come along with impaired liver sympathetic nerve functionality and lack of adequate hepatic noradrenergic signaling. Here, we first overview the anatomy and physiology of liver nerves. Then, we discuss the nerve impairments in NAFLD and their pathophysiological consequences in hepatic metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, and hemodynamics. We conclude that further studies considering the spatial-temporal dynamics of structural and functional changes in the hepatic nervous system may lead to more targeted pharmacotherapeutic advances in NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Adori
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sadam Bhat
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Roberto Gramignoli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ismael Valladolid-Acebes
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tore Bengtsson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute (MBW), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlèn
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute (MBW), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Hingorani M, Viviani AML, Sanfilippo JE, Janušonis S. High-resolution spatiotemporal analysis of single serotonergic axons in an in vitro system. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:994735. [PMID: 36353595 PMCID: PMC9638127 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.994735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate brains have a dual structure, composed of (i) axons that can be well-captured with graph-theoretical methods and (ii) axons that form a dense matrix in which neurons with precise connections operate. A core part of this matrix is formed by axons (fibers) that store and release 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), an ancient neurotransmitter that supports neuroplasticity and has profound implications for mental health. The self-organization of the serotonergic matrix is not well understood, despite recent advances in experimental and theoretical approaches. In particular, individual serotonergic axons produce highly stochastic trajectories, fundamental to the construction of regional fiber densities, but further advances in predictive computer simulations require more accurate experimental information. This study examined single serotonergic axons in culture systems (co-cultures and monolayers), by using a set of complementary high-resolution methods: confocal microscopy, holotomography (refractive index-based live imaging), and super-resolution (STED) microscopy. It shows that serotonergic axon walks in neural tissue may strongly reflect the stochastic geometry of this tissue and it also provides new insights into the morphology and branching properties of serotonergic axons. The proposed experimental platform can support next-generation analyses of the serotonergic matrix, including seamless integration with supercomputing approaches.
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Gilvesy A, Husen E, Magloczky Z, Mihaly O, Hortobágyi T, Kanatani S, Heinsen H, Renier N, Hökfelt T, Mulder J, Uhlen M, Kovacs GG, Adori C. Spatiotemporal characterization of cellular tau pathology in the human locus coeruleus-pericoerulear complex by three-dimensional imaging. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:651-676. [PMID: 36040521 PMCID: PMC9468059 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathology of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a hallmark of several age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. However, a comprehensive neuropathological examination of the LC is difficult due to its small size and rod-like shape. To investigate the LC cytoarchitecture and tau cytoskeletal pathology in relation to possible propagation patterns of disease-associated tau in an unprecedented large-scale three-dimensional view, we utilized volume immunostaining and optical clearing technology combined with light sheet fluorescence microscopy. We examined AT8+ pathological tau in the LC/pericoerulear region of 20 brains from Braak neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) stage 0-6. We demonstrate an intriguing morphological complexity and heterogeneity of AT8+ cellular structures in the LC, representing various intracellular stages of NFT maturation and their diverse transition forms. We describe novel morphologies of neuronal tau pathology such as AT8+ cells with fine filamentous somatic protrusions or with disintegrating soma. We show that gradual dendritic atrophy is the first morphological sign of the degeneration of tangle-bearing neurons, even preceding axonal lesions. Interestingly, irrespective of the Braak NFT stage, tau pathology is more advanced in the dorsal LC that preferentially projects to vulnerable forebrain regions in Alzheimer's disease, like the hippocampus or neocortical areas, compared to the ventral LC projecting to the cerebellum and medulla. Moreover, already in the precortical Braak 0 stage, 3D analysis reveals clustering tendency and dendro-dendritic close appositions of AT8+ LC neurons, AT8+ long axons of NFT-bearing cells that join the ascending dorsal noradrenergic bundle after leaving the LC, as well as AT8+ processes of NFT-bearing LC neurons that target the 4th ventricle wall. Our study suggests that the unique cytoarchitecture, comprised of a densely packed and dendritically extensively interconnected neuronal network with long projections, makes the human LC to be an ideal anatomical template for early accumulation and trans-neuronal spreading of hyperphosphorylated tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abris Gilvesy
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Evelina Husen
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zsofia Magloczky
- Human Brain Research Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Medicine, ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Mihaly
- Department of Pathology, St. Borbála Hospital, Tatabánya, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Age-Related Medicine, SESAM, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shigeaki Kanatani
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- Clinic of Psychiatry and Institute of Forensic Pathology, University of Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- LIM-44, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Renier
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute-ICM, INSERM, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Mulder
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlen
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Adori C, Daraio T, Kuiper R, Barde S, Horvathova L, Yoshitake T, Ihnatko R, Valladolid-Acebes I, Vercruysse P, Wellendorf AM, Gramignoli R, Bozoky B, Kehr J, Theodorsson E, Cancelas JA, Mravec B, Jorns C, Ellis E, Mulder J, Uhlén M, Bark C, Hökfelt T. Disorganization and degeneration of liver sympathetic innervations in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease revealed by 3D imaging. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/30/eabg5733. [PMID: 34290096 PMCID: PMC8294768 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg5733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic nerves have a complex role in synchronizing liver metabolism. Here, we used three-dimensional (3D) immunoimaging to explore the integrity of the hepatic nervous system in experimental and human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We demonstrate parallel signs of mild degeneration and axonal sprouting of sympathetic innervations in early stages of experimental NAFLD and a collapse of sympathetic arborization in steatohepatitis. Human fatty livers display a similar pattern of sympathetic nerve degeneration, correlating with the severity of NAFLD pathology. We show that chronic sympathetic hyperexcitation is a key factor in the axonal degeneration, here genetically phenocopied in mice deficient of the Rac-1 activator Vav3. In experimental steatohepatitis, 3D imaging reveals a severe portal vein contraction, spatially correlated with the extension of the remaining nerves around the portal vein, enlightening a potential intrahepatic neuronal mechanism of portal hypertension. These fundamental alterations in liver innervation and vasculature uncover previously unidentified neuronal components in NAFLD pathomechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Adori
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Teresa Daraio
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raoul Kuiper
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Swapnali Barde
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lubica Horvathova
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Takashi Yoshitake
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert Ihnatko
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 58285 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ismael Valladolid-Acebes
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pauline Vercruysse
- The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ashley M Wellendorf
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA
| | - Roberto Gramignoli
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bela Bozoky
- Department of Clinical Pathology/Cytology, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan Kehr
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elvar Theodorsson
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 58285 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jose A Cancelas
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA
- Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0055, USA
| | - Boris Mravec
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Carl Jorns
- PO Transplantation, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ewa Ellis
- Department of Transplantation Surgery and Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Mulder
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Bark
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Petschner P, Balogh N, Adori C, Tamasi V, Kumar S, Juhasz G, Bagdy G. Downregulation of the Vitamin D Receptor Regulated Gene Set in the Hippocampus After MDMA Treatment. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1373. [PMID: 30559663 PMCID: PMC6287013 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The active ingredient of ecstasy, ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), in addition to its initial reinforcing effects, induces selective and non-selective brain damage. Evidences suggest that the hippocampus (HC), a central region for cognition, may be especially vulnerable to impairments on the long-run, nevertheless, transcription factors that may precede and regulate such chronic changes remained uninvestigated in this region. In the current study, we used gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to reveal possible transcription factor candidates responsible for enhanced vulnerability of HC after MDMA administration. Dark Agouti rats were intraperitoneally injected with saline or 15 mg/kg MDMA. Three weeks later HC gene expression was measured by Illumina whole-genome beadarrays and GSEA was performed with MSigDB transcription factor sets. The number of significantly altered genes on the genome level (significance < 0.001) in up/downregulated sets was also counted. MDMA upregulated one, and downregulated 13 gene sets in the HC of rats, compared to controls, including Pax4, Pitx2, FoxJ2, FoxO1, Oct1, Sp3, AP3, FoxO4, and vitamin D receptor (VDR)-regulated sets (q-value <0.05). VDR-regulated set contained the second highest number of significantly altered genes, including among others, Camk2n2, Gria3, and Grin2a. Most identified transcription factors are implicated in the response to ischemia confirming that serious hypoxia/ischemia occurs in the HC after MDMA administration, which may contribute to the selective vulnerability of this brain region. Moreover, our results also raise the possibility that vitamin D supplementation, in addition to the commonly used antioxidants, could be a potential alternative method to attenuate MDMA-induced chronic hippocampal impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Petschner
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology and Neurochemistry Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Noemi Balogh
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viola Tamasi
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sahel Kumar
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Juhasz
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,SE-NAP 2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Bagdy
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology and Neurochemistry Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Petschner P, Tamasi V, Adori C, Kirilly E, Ando RD, Tothfalusi L, Bagdy G. Gene expression analysis indicates reduced memory and cognitive functions in the hippocampus and increase in synaptic reorganization in the frontal cortex 3 weeks after MDMA administration in Dark Agouti rats. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:580. [PMID: 30071829 PMCID: PMC6090855 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4929-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") is a widely used entactogenic drug known to impair cognitive functions on the long-run. Both hippocampal and frontal cortical regions have well established roles in behavior, memory formation and other cognitive tasks and damage of these regions is associated with altered behavior and cognitive functions frequently described in otherwise healthy MDMA users. Meanwhile, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients seem to benefit from therapeutic application of the drug, where damage in hippocampal cue extinction may play a role. The aim of this study was to examine the hippocampus, frontal cortex and dorsal raphe of Dark Agouti rats with gene expression arrays (Illumina RatRef bead arrays) looking for possible mechanisms and new candidates contributing to the consequences of a single dose of MDMA (15 mg/kg) 3 weeks earlier. RESULTS The number of differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and the dorsal raphe were 481, 155, and 15, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis of the microarray data revealed reduced expression of 'memory' and 'cognition', 'dendrite development' and 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' gene sets in the hippocampus, parallel to the downregulation of CaMK II subunits, glutamate-, CB1 cannabinoid- and EphA4, EphA5, EphA6 receptors. Downregulated gene sets in the frontal cortex were related to protein synthesis, chromatin organization, transmembrane transport processes, while 'dendrite development', 'regulation of synaptic plasticity' and 'positive regulation of synapse assembly' gene sets were upregulated besides elevated levels of a CaMK II subunit and NMDA2B glutamate receptor. Changes in the dorsal raphe region were mild and in most cases not significant. CONCLUSION The present data raise the possibility of new synapse formation / synaptic reorganization in the frontal cortex 3 weeks after a single neurotoxic dose of MDMA. In contrast, a prolonged depression of new neurite formation in the hippocampus is proposed by downregulations of members in long-term potentiation pathway and synaptic plasticity emphasizing the particular vulnerability of this brain region and proposing a mechanism responsible for cognitive problems in healthy individuals. At the same time, these results underpin benefits of MDMA in PTSD, where the drug may help memory extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Petschner
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Viola Tamasi
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.,4 Retzius Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eszter Kirilly
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Romeo D Ando
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Tothfalusi
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Bagdy
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary. .,MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary. .,NAP-2-SE New Antidepressant Target Research Group, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, H-1089, Hungary.
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Feio-Azevedo R, Costa VM, Barbosa DJ, Teixeira-Gomes A, Pita I, Gomes S, Pereira FC, Duarte-Araújo M, Duarte JA, Marques F, Fernandes E, Bastos ML, Carvalho F, Capela JP. Aged rats are more vulnerable than adolescents to “ecstasy”-induced toxicity. Arch Toxicol 2018; 92:2275-2295. [DOI: 10.1007/s00204-018-2226-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ma KH, Liu TT, Weng SJ, Chen CFF, Huang YS, Chueh SH, Liao MH, Chang KW, Sung CC, Hsu TH, Huang WS, Cheng CY. Effects of dextromethorphan on MDMA-induced serotonergic aberration in the brains of non-human primates using [ 123I]-ADAM/SPECT. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38695. [PMID: 27941910 PMCID: PMC5150522 DOI: 10.1038/srep38695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a common recreational drug, is known to cause serotonergic neurotoxicity in the brain. Dextromethorphan (DM) is a widely used antitussive reported to exert anti-inflammatory effect in vivo. In this study, we examined the long-term effect of MDMA on the primate serotonergic system and the protective property of DM against MDMA-induced serotonergic abnormality using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Nine monkeys (Macaca cyclopis) were divided into three groups, namely control, MDMA and co-treatment (MDMA/DM). [123I]-ADAM was used as the radioligand for serotonin transporters (SERT) in SPECT scans. SERT levels of the brain were evaluated and presented as the uptake ratios (URs) of [123I]-ADAM in several regions of interest of the brain including midbrain, thalamus and striatum. We found that the URs of [123I]-ADAM were significantly lower in the brains of MDMA than control group, indicating lower brain SERT levels in the MDMA-treated monkeys. This MDMA-induced decrease in brain SERT levels could persist for over four years. However, the loss of brain SERT levels was not observed in co-treatment group. These results suggest that DM may exert a protective effect against MDMA-induced serotonergic toxicity in the brains of the non-human primate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Hsing Ma
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Ta Liu
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Ju Weng
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Fu F Chen
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yuahn-Sieh Huang
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheau-Huei Chueh
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsiu Liao
- Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Chi-Chang Sung
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Te-Hung Hsu
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sheng Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yi Cheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Unipolar depression is the third highest contributor to the global burden of disease, yet current pharmacotherapies typically take about 6 weeks to have an effect. A rapid-onset agent is an attractive prospect, not only to alleviate symptoms before first-line antidepressants display therapeutic action, but as a further treatment option in nonresponsive cases. It has been suggested that 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) could play a part in the treatment of depression, either as a rapid-onset pharmacological agent or as an adjunct to psychotherapy. Whilst these hypotheses are in keeping with the monoamine theory of depression and the principles surrounding psychotherapy, explicit experimental evidence of an antidepressant effect of MDMA has rarely been established. AIMS To address the hypothesis surrounding MDMA as a rapid-onset antidepressant by examining pharmacological, psychological and behavioural studies. We consider whether this therapy could be safe by looking at the translation of neurotoxicity data from animals to humans. METHOD A literature review of the evidence supporting this hypothesis was performed. CONCLUSIONS The pharmacology of MDMA offers a promising target as a rapid-onset agent and MDMA is currently being investigated for use in psychotherapy in anxiety disorders; translation from these studies for use in depression may be possible. However, experimental evidence and safety analysis are insufficient to confirm or reject this theory at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Patel
- Green Templeton College, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HG, UK
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Ádori C, Glück L, Barde S, Yoshitake T, Kovacs GG, Mulder J, Maglóczky Z, Havas L, Bölcskei K, Mitsios N, Uhlén M, Szolcsányi J, Kehr J, Rönnbäck A, Schwartz T, Rehfeld JF, Harkany T, Palkovits M, Schulz S, Hökfelt T. Critical role of somatostatin receptor 2 in the vulnerability of the central noradrenergic system: new aspects on Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2015; 129:541-63. [PMID: 25676386 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-015-1394-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders are associated with deterioration of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC), a probable trigger for mood and memory dysfunction. LC noradrenergic neurons exhibit particularly high levels of somatostatin binding sites. This is noteworthy since cortical and hypothalamic somatostatin content is reduced in neurodegenerative pathologies. Yet a possible role of a somatostatin signal deficit in the maintenance of noradrenergic projections remains unknown. Here, we deployed tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, quantitative morphometry and mRNA profiling in a cohort of Alzheimer's and age-matched control brains in combination with genetic models of somatostatin receptor deficiency to establish causality between defunct somatostatin signalling and noradrenergic neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer's disease, we found significantly reduced somatostatin protein expression in the temporal cortex, with aberrant clustering and bulging of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive afferents. As such, somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) mRNA was highly expressed in the human LC, with its levels significantly decreasing from Braak stages III/IV and onwards, i.e., a process preceding advanced Alzheimer's pathology. The loss of SSTR2 transcripts in the LC neurons appeared selective, since tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine β-hydroxylase, galanin or galanin receptor 3 mRNAs remained unchanged. We modeled these pathogenic changes in Sstr2(-/-) mice and, unlike in Sstr1(-/-) or Sstr4(-/-) genotypes, they showed selective, global and progressive degeneration of their central noradrenergic projections. However, neuronal perikarya in the LC were found intact until late adulthood (<8 months) in Sstr2(-/-) mice. In contrast, the noradrenergic neurons in the superior cervical ganglion lacked SSTR2 and, as expected, the sympathetic innervation of the head region did not show any signs of degeneration. Our results indicate that SSTR2-mediated signaling is integral to the maintenance of central noradrenergic projections at the system level, and that early loss of somatostatin receptor 2 function may be associated with the selective vulnerability of the noradrenergic system in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Ádori
- Department of Neuroscience, Retzius Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden,
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12
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Nogueira T, da Costa Araújo S, Carvalho F, Pereira F, Fernandes E, Bastos M, Costa V, Capela J. Modeling chronic brain exposure to amphetamines using primary rat neuronal cortical cultures. Neuroscience 2014; 277:417-34. [PMID: 25047998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Turner JJD, Parrott AC, Goodwin J, Moore DG, Fulton S, Min MO, Singer LT. Psychiatric profiles of mothers who take Ecstasy/MDMA during pregnancy: reduced depression 1 year after giving birth and quitting Ecstasy. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:55-61. [PMID: 24327452 PMCID: PMC5111163 DOI: 10.1177/0269881113515061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recreational drug MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or 'Ecstasy' is associated with heightened psychiatric distress and feelings of depression. The Drugs and Infancy Study (DAISY) monitored the psychiatric symptom profiles of mothers who used Ecstasy/MDMA while pregnant, and followed them over the first year post-partum. METHODS We compared 28 young women whom took MDMA during their pregnancy with a polydrug control group of 68 women who took other psychoactive drugs while pregnant. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was completed for several periods: The first trimester of pregnancy; and 1, 4 and 12 months after childbirth. Recreational drug use was monitored at each time point. RESULTS During the first trimester of pregnancy, MDMA-using mothers reported higher depression scores than the polydrug controls. At 1 year after childbirth, their BSI depression scores were significantly lower, now closer to the control group values. At the same time point, their self-reported use of MDMA became nearly zero, in contrast to their continued use of Cannabis/marijuana, nicotine and alcohol. We found significant symptom reductions in those with BSI obsessive-compulsive and interpersonal sensitivity, following Ecstasy/MDMA cessation. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this unique prospective study of young recreational drug-using mothers are consistent with previous reports of improved psychiatric health after quitting MDMA.
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Schenk S, Abraham B, Aronsen D, Colussi-Mas J, Do J. Effects of repeated exposure to MDMA on 5HT1a autoreceptor function: behavioral and neurochemical responses to 8-OHDPAT. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 227:355-61. [PMID: 23354536 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-2980-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A consistent effect of repeated exposure to 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a decrease in the tissue levels of serotonin (5-HT). A variety of behavioural and neurochemical tests were conducted to determine whether the tissue deficits were accompanied by an increased sensitivity of the 5-HT1a autoreceptor. Tests were conducted 2 weeks following MDMA exposure (four injections of 10.0 mg/kg, IP, administered at 2-h intervals in a single day). The response to the 5-HT1a agonist, 8-OHDPAT (0.003-0.5 mg/kg, SC), was assessed using lower lip retraction (LLR), hypoactivity, and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) accumulation following decarboxylase inhibition. The 8-OHDPAT produced a dose-dependent increase in LLR and hypoactivity, but these effects were comparable for MDMA and saline pretreated groups. MDMA decreased tissue levels of 5-HT and the accumulation of 5-HTP, but these effects were not reflected in the changes in autoreceptor sensitivity. The data suggest that the decrease in tissue levels of 5-HT produced by MDMA is accompanied by a decrease in tryptophan hydroxylase activity but cannot be explained by supersensitivity of the 5-HT1a autoreceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Schenk
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand.
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Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy'): Neurodegeneration versus Neuromodulation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2011. [PMCID: PMC4058674 DOI: 10.3390/ph4070992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The amphetamine analogue 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’) is widely abused as a recreational drug due to its unique psychological effects. Of interest, MDMA causes long-lasting deficits in neurochemical and histological markers of the serotonergic neurons in the brain of different animal species. Such deficits include the decline in the activity of tryptophan hydroxylase in parallel with the loss of 5-HT and its main metabolite 5-hydoxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) along with a lower binding of specific ligands to the 5-HT transporters (SERT). Of concern, reduced 5-HIAA levels in the CSF and SERT density have also been reported in human ecstasy users, what has been interpreted to reflect the loss of serotonergic fibers and terminals. The neurotoxic potential of MDMA has been questioned in recent years based on studies that failed to show the loss of the SERT protein by western blot or the lack of reactive astrogliosis after MDMA exposure. In addition, MDMA produces a long-lasting down-regulation of SERT gene expression; which, on the whole, has been used to invoke neuromodulatory mechanisms as an explanation to MDMA-induced 5-HT deficits. While decreased protein levels do not necessarily reflect neurodegeneration, the opposite is also true, that is, neuroregulatory mechanisms do not preclude the existence of 5-HT terminal degeneration.
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