1
|
Chronic N-Acetylcysteine Treatment Prevents Amphetamine-Induced Hyperactivity in Heterozygous Disc1 Mutant Mice, a Putative Prodromal Schizophrenia Animal Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169419. [PMID: 36012679 PMCID: PMC9408838 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) typically emerge during adolescence to young adulthood, which gives a window before full-blown psychosis for early intervention. Strategies for preventing the conversion from the prodromal phase to the psychotic phase are warranted. Heterozygous (Het) Disc1 mutant mice are considered a prodromal model of SZ, suitable for studying psychotic conversion. We evaluated the preventive effect of chronic N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration, covering the prenatal era to adulthood, on the reaction following the Amph challenge, which mimics the outbreak or conversion of psychosis, in adult Het Disc1 mice. Biochemical and morphological features were examined in the striatum of NAC-treated mice. Chronic NAC treatment normalized the Amph-induced activity in the Het Disc1 mice. Furthermore, the striatal phenotypes of Het Disc1 mice were rescued by NAC including dopamine receptors, the expression of GSK3s, MSN dendritic impairments, and striatal PV density. The current study demonstrated a potent preventive effect of chronic NAC treatment in Disc1 Het mice on the acute Amph test, which mimics the outbreak of psychosis. Our findings not only support the benefit of NAC as a dietary supplement for SZ prodromes, but also advance our knowledge of striatal dopamine receptors, PV neurons, and GSK3 signaling pathways as therapeutic targets for treating or preventing the pathogenesis of mental disorders.
Collapse
|
2
|
Tsao CY, Tuan LH, Lee LJH, Liu CM, Hwu HG, Lee LJ. Impaired response to sleep deprivation in heterozygous Disc1 mutant mice. World J Biol Psychiatry 2022; 23:55-66. [PMID: 33783301 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2021.1907724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sleep/circadian rhythm disturbances are environmental stress factors that might interact with genetic risk factors and contribute to the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. METHODS In this study, the multiple-platform method was used to induce sleep deprivation (SD). We evaluated the impact of 72-hour SD in behavioural, anatomical, and biochemical aspects in heterozygous Disc1 mutant (Disc1 Het) mice, an animal model of schizophrenia. RESULTS The sleep pattern and circadian activity were not altered in Disc1 Het mice. Yet, we observed differential responses to SD stress between genotypes. Increased microglial density and reduced neuronal proliferative activity were found in the dentate gyrus, a neurogenic niche, in Het-SD mice. Notably, SD-induced Bdnf mRNA elevations were evident in both WT and Het mice, while only in WT-SD mice did we observe increased BDNF protein expression. Our results suggested an SD-induced physical response featured by the elevation of BDNF protein expression to counteract the harmful influences of SD and sufficient DISC1 is required in this process. CONCLUSIONS The present study proposes that sleep disturbance could be pathogenic especially in genetically predisposed subjects who fail to cope with the stress. Potential therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders targeting the mRNA translation machinery could be considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Yu Tsao
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Heng Tuan
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lukas Jyuhn-Hsiarn Lee
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.,Departments of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Neurology and Stroke Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Ph.D. Program of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Min Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hai-Gwo Hwu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Jen Lee
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Varga TG, de Toledo Simões JG, Siena A, Henrique E, da Silva RCB, Dos Santos Bioni V, Ramos AC, Rosenstock TR. Haloperidol rescues the schizophrenia-like phenotype in adulthood after rotenone administration in neonatal rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2569-2585. [PMID: 34089344 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05880-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are multifactorial disturbances that encompass several hypotheses, including changes in neurodevelopment. It is known that brain development disturbances during early life can predict psychosis in adulthood. As we have previously demonstrated, rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, could induce psychiatric-like behavior in 60-day-old rats after intraperitoneal injections from the 5th to the 11th postnatal day. Because mitochondrial deregulation is related to psychiatric disorders and the establishment of animal models is a high-value preclinical tool, we investigated the responsiveness of the rotenone (Rot)-treated newborn rats to pharmacological agents used in clinical practice, haloperidol (Hal), and methylphenidate (MPD). Taken together, our data show that Rot-treated animals exhibit hyperlocomotion, decreased social interaction, and diminished contextual fear conditioning response at P60, consistent with positive, negative, and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia (SZ), respectively, that were reverted by Hal, but not MPD. Rot-treated rodents also display a prodromal-related phenotype at P35. Overall, our results seem to present a new SZ animal model as a consequence of mitochondrial inhibition during a critical neurodevelopmental period. Therefore, our study is crucial not only to elucidate the relevance of mitochondrial function in the etiology of SZ but also to fulfill the need for new and trustworthy experimentation models and, likewise, provide possibilities to new therapeutic avenues for this burdensome disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Garcia Varga
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Amanda Siena
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Elisandra Henrique
- Department of Physiological Science, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Science, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Aline Camargo Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Rosado Rosenstock
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524 - Ed. Biomédicas I, 2º andar, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. .,Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tsai SH, Tsao CY, Lee LJ. Altered White Matter and Layer VIb Neurons in Heterozygous Disc1 Mutant, a Mouse Model of Schizophrenia. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:605029. [PMID: 33384588 PMCID: PMC7769951 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.605029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased white matter neuron density has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. However, the pathogenic features of these neurons are still largely unknown. Subplate neurons, the earliest generated neurons in the developing cortex have also been associated with schizophrenia and autism. The link between these neurons and mental disorders is also not well established. Since cortical layer VIb neurons are believed to be the remnant of subplate neurons in the adult rodent brain, in this study, we aimed to examine the cytoarchitecture of neurons in cortical layer VIb and the underlying white matter in heterozygous Disc1 mutant (Het) mice, a mouse model of schizophrenia. In the white matter, the number of NeuN-positive neurons was quite low in the external capsule; however, the density of these cells was found increased (54%) in Het mice compared with wildtype (WT) littermates. The density of PV-positive neurons was unchanged in the mutants. In the cortical layer VIb, the density of CTGF-positive neurons increased (21.5%) in Het mice, whereas the number of Cplx3-positive cells reduced (16.1%) in these mutants, compared with WT mice. Layer VIb neurons can be classified by their morphological characters. The morphology of Type I pyramidal neurons was comparable between genotypes while the dendritic length and complexity of Type II multipolar neurons were significantly reduced in Het mice. White matter neurons and layer VIb neurons receive synaptic inputs and modulate the process of sensory information and sleep/arousal pattern. Aberrances of these neurons in Disc1 mutants implies altered brain functions in these mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Hwa Tsai
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yu Tsao
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Jen Lee
- School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|