Volatile anesthetic isoflurane inhibits LTP induction of hippocampal CA1 neurons through α4β2 nAChR subtype-mediated mechanisms

Ascorbic Acid Supplementation Improves Adolescent Stress-induced Cognitive Impairment Through Restoration of Behavioral, Biochemical and Electrophysiological Alterations in Male Rats

The present research study aimed to investigate the role of Ascorbic acid (AA) on synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory impairment induced by unpredicted chronic mild stress (CUMS) in adolescent male rats. Adolescent male rats were divided into: 1) vehicle, 2) CUMS, 3-5) CUMS plus various doses of AA by oral gavage (CUMS-10/100/400 mg/kg), and 6) AA400 mg/kg by oral gavage. In Morris Water Maze, the time latency decreased, while the time spent in the target quadrant increased in CUMS group treated with AA at the dose of 400 mg/kg. In passive avoidance, the latency of entering into the dark chamber decreased in CUMS group treated with AA (400 mg/kg). In biochemical test results, nitrite and MDA significantly decreased, while thiol content, SOD, and catalase activity in CUMS group that received AA400mg/kg was increased. IL-10, BDNF and Ki67 increased, while TNF-a and AChE activity were decreased in CUMS group treated with AA simultaneously. The results of our study showed that chronic stress during adolescence could cause learning and memory disorders as well as synaptic plasticity. In addition, we showed that AA can prevent this problem by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, increasing the amount of BDNF, and neurogenesis.

Auditory brainstem responses are resistant to pharmacological modulation in Sprague Dawley wild-type and Neurexin1α knockout rats

Sensory processing in the auditory brainstem can be studied with auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) across species. There is, however, a limited understanding of ABRs as tools to assess the effect of pharmacological interventions. Therefore, we set out to understand how pharmacological agents that target key transmitter systems of the auditory brainstem circuitry affect ABRs in rats. Given previous studies, demonstrating that Nrxn1α KO Sprague Dawley rats show substantial auditory processing deficits and altered sensitivity to GABAergic modulators, we used both Nrxn1α KO and wild-type littermates in our study. First, we probed how different commonly used anesthetics (isoflurane, ketamine/xylazine, medetomidine) affect ABRs. In the next step, we assessed the effects of different pharmacological compounds (diazepam, gaboxadol, retigabine, nicotine, baclofen, and bitopertin) either under isoflurane or medetomidine anesthesia. We found that under our experimental conditions, ABRs are largely unaffected by diverse pharmacological modulation. Significant modulation was observed with (i) nicotine, affecting the late ABRs components at 90 dB stimulus intensity under isoflurane anesthesia in both genotypes and (ii) retigabine, showing a slight decrease in late ABRs deflections at 80 dB stimulus intensity, mainly in isoflurane anesthetized Nrxn1α KO rats. Our study suggests that ABRs in anesthetized rats are resistant to a wide range of pharmacological modulators, which has important implications for the applicability of ABRs to study auditory brainstem physiology.

Effects of general anesthetics on synaptic transmission and plasticity

General anesthetics depress excitatory and/or enhance inhibitory synaptic transmission principally by modulating the function of glutamatergic or GABAergic synapses, respectively, with relative anesthetic agent-specific mechanisms. Synaptic signaling proteins, including ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels, are targeted by general anesthetics to modulate various synaptic mechanisms, including presynaptic neurotransmitter release, postsynaptic receptor signaling, and dendritic spine dynamics to produce their characteristic acute neurophysiological effects. As synaptic structure and plasticity mediate higher-order functions such as learning and memory, long-term synaptic dysfunction following anesthesia may lead to undesirable neurocognitive consequences depending on the specific anesthetic agent and the vulnerability of the population. Here we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms of transient and persistent general anesthetic alterations of synaptic transmission and plasticity.

Regulation of habenular G-protein gamma 8 on learning and memory via modulation of the central acetylcholine system

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) gamma 8 (Gng8) is a subunit of G proteins and expressed in the medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Recent studies have demonstrated that Gng8 is involved in brain development; however, the roles of Gng8 on cognitive function have not yet been addressed. In the present study, we investigated the expression of Gng8 in the brain and found that Gng8 was predominantly expressed in the MHb-IPN circuit of the mouse brain. We generated Gng8 knockout (KO) mice by CRISPR/Cas9 system in order to assess the role of Gng8 on cognitive function. Gng8 KO mice exhibited deficiency in learning and memory in passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests. In addition, Gng8 KO mice significantly reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus compared to that of wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, we observed that levels of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the MHb and IPN of Gng8 KO mice were significantly decreased, compared to WT mice. The administration of nAChR α4β2 agonist A85380 rescued memory impairment in the Gng8 KO mice, suggesting that Gng8 regulates cognitive function via modulation of cholinergic activity. Taken together, Gng8 is a potential therapeutic target for memory-related diseases and/or neurodevelopmental diseases.

Neuroprotective and long term potentiation improving effects of vitamin E in juvenile hypothyroid rats

Abstract. Protective effects of vitamin E (Vit E) on long term potentiation (LTP) impairment, neuronal apoptosis and increase of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites in the hippocampus of juvenile rats were examined. The rats were grouped (n=13) as: (1) control; (2) hypothyroid (Hypo) and (3) Hypo-Vit E. Propylthiouracil (PTU) was given in drinking water (0.05%) during 6 weeks. Vit E (20 mg/ kg) was daily injected (IP). To evaluate synaptic plasticity, LTP from the CA1 area of the hippocampus followed by high frequency stimulation to the ipsilateral Schafer collateral pathway was carried out. The cortical and hippocampal tissues were then removed to measure NO metabolites. The brains of 5 animals in each group were removed for apoptosis study. The hypothyroidism status decreased the slope, 10–90% slope and amplitude of field excitatory post synaptic potential (fEPSP) compared to the control group (P<0.01–P<0.001). Injection of Vit E increased the slope, 10–90% slope and amplitude of the fEPSP in the Hypo-Vit E group in comparison to the Hypo group (P<0.05–P<0.01). TUNEL positive neurons and NO metabolites were higher in the hippocampus of the Hypo rats, as compared to those in the hippocampus of the control ones (P<0.001). Treatment of the Hypo rats by Vit E decreased apoptotic neurons (P<0.01–P<0.001) and NO metabolites (P<0.001) in the hippocampus compared to the Hypo rats. The results of the present study showed that Vit E prevented the LTP impairment and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of juvenile hypothyroid rats.

The Effects of General Anesthetics on Synaptic Transmission

General anesthetics are a class of drugs that target the central nervous system and are widely used for various medical procedures. General anesthetics produce many behavioral changes required for clinical intervention, including amnesia, hypnosis, analgesia, and immobility; while they may also induce side effects like respiration and cardiovascular depressions. Understanding the mechanism of general anesthesia is essential for the development of selective general anesthetics which can preserve wanted pharmacological actions and exclude the side effects and underlying neural toxicities. However, the exact mechanism of how general anesthetics work is still elusive. Various molecular targets have been identified as specific targets for general anesthetics. Among these molecular targets, ion channels are the most principal category, including ligand-gated ionotropic receptors like γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate and acetylcholine receptors, voltage-gated ion channels like voltage-gated sodium channel, calcium channel and potassium channels, and some second massager coupled channels. For neural functions of the central nervous system, synaptic transmission is the main procedure for which information is transmitted between neurons through brain regions, and intact synaptic function is fundamentally important for almost all the nervous functions, including consciousness, memory, and cognition. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of general anesthetics on synaptic transmission via modulations of specific ion channels and relevant molecular targets, which can lead to the development of safer general anesthetics with selective actions. The present review will summarize the effects of various general anesthetics on synaptic transmissions and plasticity.

Isoflurane mediated neuropathological and cognitive impairments in the triple transgenic Alzheimer's mouse model are associated with hippocampal synaptic deficits in an age-dependent manner

Many in vivo studies suggest that inhalational anesthetics can accelerate or prevent the progression of neuropathology and cognitive impairments in Alzheimer Disease (AD), but the synaptic mechanisms mediating these ambiguous effects are unclear. Here, we show that repeated exposures of neonatal and old triple transgenic AD (3xTg) and non-transgenic (NonTg) mice to isoflurane (Iso) distinctly increased neurodegeneration as measured by S100β levels, intracellular Aβ, Tau oligomerization, and apoptotic markers. Spatial cognition measured by reference and working memory testing in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) were altered in young NonTg and 3xTg. Field recordings in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) hippocampus showed that neonatal control 3xTg mice exhibited hypo-excitable synaptic transmission, reduced paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), and normal long-term potentiation (LTP) compared to NonTg controls. By contrast, the old control 3xTg mice exhibited hyper-excitable synaptic transmission, enhanced PPF, and unstable LTP compared to NonTg controls. Repeated Iso exposures reduced synaptic transmission and PPF in neonatal NonTg and old 3xTg mice. LTP was normalized in old 3xTg mice, but reduced in neonates. By contrast, LTP was reduced in old but not neonatal NonTg mice. Our results indicate that Iso-mediated neuropathologic and cognitive defects in AD mice are associated with synaptic pathologies in an age-dependent manner. Based on these findings, the extent of this association with age and, possibly, treatment paradigms warrant further study.

L-655,708 Does not Prevent Isoflurane-induced Memory Deficits in Old Mice

Background

General anesthesia and increasing age are two main risk factors for postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Effective agents for the prevention or treatment of POCD are urgently needed. L-655,708, an inverse agonist of α5 subunit-containing γ-aminobutyric acid subtype A (α5GABA_A) receptors, can prevent anesthesia-induced memory deficits in young animals. However, there is a lack of evidence of its efficacy in old animals.

Methodology

Young (3- to 5-month-old) and old (18- to 20-month-old) mice were given an inhalation of 1.33% isoflurane for 1 hour and their associative memory was evaluated 24 hours after anesthesia using fear-conditioning tests (FCTs). To evaluate the effect of L-655,708, mice received intraperitoneal injections of L-655,708 (0.7 mg/kg) or vehicle 30 minutes before anesthesia.

Results

Old mice exhibited impaired memory and lower hippocampal α5GABA_A levels than young mice under physiological conditions. Pre-injections of L-655,708 significantly alleviated isoflurane-induced memory decline in young mice, but not in old mice.

Conclusions

L-655,708 is not as effective for the prevention of POCD in old mice as it is in young mice. The use of inverse agonists of α5GABA_A in preventing POCD in old patients should be carefully considered.

Anesthetics: from modes of action to unconsciousness and neurotoxicity

Modern anesthetic compounds and advanced monitoring tools have revolutionized the field of medicine, allowing for complex surgical procedures to occur safely and effectively. Faster induction times and quicker recovery periods of current anesthetic agents have also helped reduce health care costs significantly. Moreover, extensive research has allowed for a better understanding of anesthetic modes of action, thus facilitating the development of more effective and safer compounds. Notwithstanding the realization that anesthetics are a prerequisite to all surgical procedures, evidence is emerging to support the notion that exposure of the developing brain to certain anesthetics may impact future brain development and function. Whereas the data in support of this postulate from human studies is equivocal, the vast majority of animal research strongly suggests that anesthetics are indeed cytotoxic at multiple brain structure and function levels. In this review, we first highlight various modes of anesthetic action and then debate the evidence of harm from both basic science and clinical studies perspectives. We present evidence from animal and human studies vis-à-vis the possible detrimental effects of anesthetic agents on both the young developing and the elderly aging brain while discussing potential ways to mitigate these effects. We hope that this review will, on the one hand, invoke debate vis-à-vis the evidence of anesthetic harm in young children and the elderly, and on the other hand, incentivize the search for better and less toxic anesthetic compounds.

Novel neurosteroid hypnotic blocks T-type calcium channel-dependent rebound burst firing and suppresses long-term potentiation in the rat subiculum

BACKGROUND

Hypnotics and general anaesthetics impair memory by altering hippocampal synaptic plasticity. We recently reported on a neurosteroid analogue with potent hypnotic activity [(3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile; 3β-OH], which does not cause developmental neurotoxicity in rat pups. Here, we investigated the effects of 3β-OH on neuronal excitability in the subiculum, the major output structure of the hippocampal formation, and synaptic plasticity at two key hippocampal synapses in juvenile rats.

METHODS

Biophysical properties of isolated T-type calcium currents (T-currents) in the rat subiculum were investigated using acute slice preparations. Subicular T-type calcium channel (T-channel) subtype mRNA expression was compared using qRT-PCR. Using electrophysiological recordings, we examined the effects of 3β-OH and an endogenous neuroactive steroid, allopregnanolone (Allo), on T-currents and burst firing properties of subicular neurones, and on the long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA3-CA1 and CA1-subiculum pathways.

RESULTS

Biophysical and molecular studies confirmed that Ca_V3.1 channels represent the dominant T-channel isoform in the subiculum of juvenile rats. 3β-OH and Allo inhibited rebound burst firing by decreasing the amplitude of T-currents in a voltage-dependent manner with similar potency, with 30-80% inhibition. Both neurosteroids suppressed LTP at the CA1-subiculum, but not at the CA3-CA1 Schaffer collateral synapse.

CONCLUSIONS

Neurosteroid effects on T-channels modulate hippocampal output and provide possible molecular mechanisms for the amnestic action of the novel hypnotic 3β-OH. Effects on T-channels in the subiculum provide a novel target for amnestic effects of hypnotics.

Sevoflurane Blocks the Induction of Long-term Potentiation When Present during, but Not When Present Only before, the High-frequency Stimulation

Background

This study tests the hypothesis that sevoflurane blocks long-term potentiation only if it is present during the high-frequency stimulation that induces long-term potentiation.

Methods

Long-term potentiation, an electrophysiologic correlate of memory, was induced by high-frequency stimulation and measured as a persistent increase in the field excitatory postsynaptic potential slope in the CA1 region.

Results

Long-term potentiation was induced in the no sevoflurane group (171 ± 58% vs. 96 ± 11%; n = 13, mean ± SD); when sevoflurane (4%) was present during the high-frequency stimulation, long-term potentiation was blocked (92 ± 22% vs. 99 ± 7%, n = 6). While sevoflurane reduced the size of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential to single test stimuli by 59 ± 17%, it did not significantly reduce the size of the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials during the 100 Hz high-frequency stimulation. If sevoflurane was removed from the artificial cerebrospinal fluid superfusing the slices 10 min before the high-frequency stimulation, then long-term potentiation was induced (185 ± 48%, n = 7); this was not different from long-term potentiation in the no sevoflurane slices (171 ± 58). Sevoflurane before, but not during, ⊖-burst stimulation, a physiologic stimulus, did not block the induction of long-term potentiation (151 ± 37% vs. 161 ± 34%, n = 7).

Conclusions

Sevoflurane blocks long-term potentiation formation if present during the high-frequency stimulation; this blockage of long-term potentiation does not persist if sevoflurane is discontinued before the high-frequency stimulation. These results may explain why short periods of insufficient sevoflurane anesthesia may lead to recall of painful or traumatic events during surgery.

Synthesis, Structure, and Analgesic Properties of Halogen-Substituted 4-Hydroxy-2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ6,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxanilides

As potential new analgesics, the corresponding 4-hydroxy-2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ⁶,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxanilides have been obtained by amidation of ethyl 4-hydroxy-2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ⁶,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxylate with aniline and its halogenated analogsin boiling dry xylene. The peculiarities of the mass and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹Н and ¹³С) spectra of the synthesized compounds are discussed. Using X-ray diffraction analysis, the ability of the compounds to form stable solvates with N,N-dimethylformamide has been shown on the example of 4-bromo-substituted derivative. It should be further studied to be considered in their crystallization. According to the results of the pharmacological testing conducted on the model of the thermal tail-flick (tail immersion test) among halogen-substituted 4-hydroxy-2,2-dioxo-1H-2λ⁶,1-benzothiazine-3-carboxanilides, substances which are considerably superior to meloxicam and piroxicam by their analgesic activity have been found. They are of interest for further profound studies.

Learning, memory and synaptic plasticity in hippocampus in rats exposed to sevoflurane

PURPOSE

Developmental exposure to volatile anesthetics has been associated with cognitive deficits at adulthood. Rodent studies have revealed impairments in performance in learning tasks involving the hippocampus. However, how the duration of anesthesia exposure impact on hippocampal synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory is as yet not fully elucidated.

METHODS

On postnatal day 7(P7), rat pups were divided into 3 groups: control group (n=30), 3% sevoflurane treatment for 1h (Sev 1h group, n=30) and 3% sevoflurane treatment for 6h (Sev 6h group, n=28). Following anesthesia, synaptic vesicle-associated proteins and dendrite spine density and synapse ultrastructure were measured using western blotting, Golgi staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on P21. In addition, the effects of sevoflurane treatment on long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), two molecular correlates of memory, were studied in CA1 subfields of the hippocampus, using electrophysiological recordings of field potentials in hippocampal slices on P35-42. Rats' neurocognitive performance was assessed at 2 months of age, using the Morris water maze and novel-object recognition tasks.

RESULTS

Our results showed that neonatal exposure to 3% sevoflurane for 6h results in reduced spine density of apical dendrites along with elevated expression of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins (SNAP-25 and syntaxin), and synaptic ultrastructure damage in the hippocampus. The electrophysiological evidence indicated that hippocampal LTP, but not LTD, was inhibited and that learning and memory performance were impaired in two behavioral tasks in the Sev 6h group. In contrast, lesser structural and functional damage in the hippocampus was observed in the Sev 1h group.

CONCLUSION

Our data showed that 6-h exposure of the developing brain to 3% sevoflurane could result in synaptic plasticity impairment in the hippocampus and spatial and nonspatial hippocampal-dependent learning and memory deficits. In contrast, shorter-duration exposure (1h) results in less damage. These results provide further evidences that duration of anesthesia exposure could have differential effects on neuronal plasticity and neurocognitive performance.

The effects of L-arginine on spatial memory and synaptic plasticity impairments induced by lipopolysaccharide

Background:

An important role of nitric oxide (NO) in neuroinflammation has been suggested. It is also suggested that NO has a critical role in learning and memory. Neuro-inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been reported that deteriorates learning and memory. The effect of L-arginine (LA) as a precursor of NO on LPS-induced spatial learning and memory and neuronal plasticity impairment was evaluated.

Materials and Methods:

The animals were grouped into: (1) Control, (2) LPS, (3) LA-LPS, and (4) LA. The rats received intraperitoneally LPS (1 mg/kg) 2 h before experiments and LA (200 mg/kg) 30 min before LPS. The animals were examined in Morris water maze (MWM). Long-term potentiation (LTP) from CA₁ area of the hippocampus was also assessed by 100 Hz stimulation in the ipsilateral Schaffer collateral pathway.

Results:

In MWM, time latency and traveled path were higher in LPS group than the control group (P < 0.001) whereas in LA-LPS group they were shorter than LPS group (P < 0.001). The amplitude and slope of field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) decreased in LPS group compared to control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) whereas, there was not any significant difference in these parameters between LPS and LA-LPS groups.

Conclusion:

Administration of LPS impaired spatial memory and synaptic plasticity. Although LA ameliorated deleterious effects of LPS on learning of spatial tasks, it could not restore LPS-induced LTP impairment.

GABAA receptor drugs and neuronal plasticity in reward and aversion: focus on the ventral tegmental area

GABA_A receptors are the main fast inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian brain, and targets for many clinically important drugs widely used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, insomnia and in anesthesia. Nonetheless, there are significant risks associated with the long-term use of these drugs particularly related to development of tolerance and addiction. Addictive mechanisms of GABA_A receptor drugs are poorly known, but recent findings suggest that those drugs may induce aberrant neuroadaptations in the brain reward circuitry. Recently, benzodiazepines, acting on synaptic GABA_A receptors, and modulators of extrasynaptic GABA_A receptors (THIP and neurosteroids) have been found to induce plasticity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and their main target projections. Furthermore, depending whether synaptic or extrasynaptic GABA_A receptor populations are activated, the behavioral outcome of repeated administration seems to correlate with rewarding or aversive behavioral responses, respectively. The VTA dopamine neurons project to forebrain centers such as the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex, and receive afferent projections from these brain regions and especially from the extended amygdala and lateral habenula, forming the major part of the reward and aversion circuitry. Both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA_A drugs inhibit the VTA GABAergic interneurons, thus activating the VTA DA neurons by disinhibition and this way inducing glutamatergic synaptic plasticity. However, the GABA_A drugs failed to alter synaptic spine numbers as studied from Golgi-Cox-stained VTA dendrites. Since the GABAergic drugs are known to depress the brain metabolism and gene expression, their likely way of inducing neuroplasticity in mature neurons is by disinhibiting the principal neurons, which remains to be rigorously tested for a number of clinically important anxiolytics, sedatives and anesthetics in different parts of the circuitry.