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Santana-Coelho D. Does the kynurenine pathway play a pathogenic role in autism spectrum disorder? Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 40:100839. [PMID: 39263315 PMCID: PMC11387593 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication, sociability, and repetitive/stereotyped behavior. The etiology of autism is diverse, with genetic susceptibility playing an important role alongside environmental insults and conditions. Human and preclinical studies have shown that ASD is commonly accompanied by inflammation, and inhibition of the inflammatory response can ameliorate, or prevent the phenotype in preclinical studies. The kynurenine pathway, responsible for tryptophan metabolism, is upregulated by inflammation. Hence, this metabolic route has drawn the attention of investigators across different disciplines such as cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. Over the past decade, studies have identified evidence that the kynurenine pathway is also altered in autism spectrum disorders. In this mini review, we will explore the current status quo of the link between the kynurenine pathway and ASD, shedding light on the compelling but still preliminary evidence of this relationship.
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2
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Sonego AB, Prado DS, Uliana DL, Cunha TM, Grace AA, Resstel LBM. Pioglitazone attenuates behavioral and electrophysiological dysfunctions induced by two-hit model of schizophrenia in adult rodent offspring. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 89:28-40. [PMID: 39332147 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
Maternal infection and stress exposure, especially during childhood and adolescence, have been implicated as risk factors for schizophrenia. Both insults induce an exacerbated inflammatory response, which could mediate disturbance of neurodevelopmental processes and, ultimately, malfunctioning of neural systems observed in this disorder. Thus, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as PPARγ agonists, may potentially be used to prevent the development of schizophrenia. Microglia culture was prepared from the offspring of saline or poly(I:C)-injected mice. The cells were pretreated with pioglitazone and then, stimulated by LPS. Proinflammatory mediators and phagocytic activity were measured. Also, pregnant rats were injected with saline or poly(I:C) on GD17. The offspring were subjected to footshock during adolescence and subsequently injected with pioglitazone or vehicle. At adulthood, behavior and dopaminergic activity were evaluated. Pioglitazone reduced proinflammatory mediators induced by poly(I:C) microglia stimulated by LPS without affecting their decreased phagocytic activity. The PPARγ agonist also prevented the emergence of social and cognitive impairments, as well as attenuated the increased number of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the VTA, observed in both males and females from poly(I:C) and stress group. Therefore, pioglitazone could potentially prevent the emergence of the schizophrenia-like alterations induced by the two-hit model via reduction of microglial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreza B Sonego
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Douglas S Prado
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, The Assembly Building, 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela L Uliana
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Thiago M Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Leonardo B M Resstel
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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3
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Murakami Y, Imamura Y, Kasahara Y, Yoshida C, Momono Y, Fang K, Sakai D, Konishi Y, Nishiyama T. Maternal Inflammation with Elevated Kynurenine Metabolites Is Related to the Risk of Abnormal Brain Development and Behavioral Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cells 2023; 12:1087. [PMID: 37048160 PMCID: PMC10093447 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies show that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation is considered one of the major environmental factors driving this process. The kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major route of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) catabolism in mammalian cells. Activation of the KP following neuro-inflammation can generate various endogenous neuroactive metabolites that may impact brain functions and behaviors. Additionally, neurotoxic metabolites and excitotoxicity cause long-term changes in the trophic support, glutamatergic system, and synaptic function following KP activation. Therefore, investigating the role of KP metabolites during neurodevelopment will likely promote further understanding of additional pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, we describe the changes in KP metabolism in the brain during pregnancy and represent how maternal inflammation and genetic factors influence the KP during development. We overview the patients with ASD clinical data and animal models designed to verify the role of perinatal KP elevation in long-lasting biochemical, neuropathological, and behavioral deficits later in life. Our review will help shed light on new therapeutic strategies and interventions targeting the KP for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Murakami
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Yukio Imamura
- Department of Architecture and Architectual Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8530, Japan
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kasahara
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshida
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yuta Momono
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ke Fang
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sakai
- Department of Biology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kanazawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Yukuo Konishi
- Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 619-0225, Japan
- Healthcare and Medical Data Multi-Level Integration Platform Group, RIKEN Medical Sciences Innovation Hub Program, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Nishiyama
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
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4
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Petty A, Howes O, Eyles D. Animal Models of Relevance to the Schizophrenia Prodrome. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:22-32. [PMID: 36712558 PMCID: PMC9874082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia often undergo a prodromal phase prior to diagnosis. Given the absence of significant therapeutic improvements, attention has recently shifted to the possibility of intervention during this early stage to delay or diminish symptom severity or even prevent onset. Unfortunately, the 20 or so trials of intervention to date have not been successful in either preventing onset or improving long-term outcomes in subjects who are at risk of developing schizophrenia. One reason may be that the biological pathways an effective intervention must target are not static. The prodromal phase typically occurs during late adolescence, a period during which a number of brain circuits and structures are still maturing. We propose that developing a deeper understanding of which circuits/processes and brain structures are still maturing at this time and which processes drive the transition to schizophrenia will take us a step closer to developing better prophylactic interventions. Fortunately, such knowledge is now emerging from clinical studies, complemented by work in animal models. Our task here is to describe what would constitute an appropriate animal model to study and to potentially intervene in such processes. Such a model would allow invasive analysis of the cellular and molecular substrates of the progressive neurobiology that defines the schizophrenia prodrome and hopefully offer valuable insights into potential prophylactic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Petty
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1077 Ameliorated Neurotransmitter Disorder and Neuroinflammation Closely Linked to Regulation in the Kynurenine Pathway of Autistic-like Rats. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14081615. [PMID: 35458177 PMCID: PMC9031594 DOI: 10.3390/nu14081615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The kynurenine pathway (KP) is abnormal in autistic patients and model animals. According to studies on the brain–gut axis, probiotics can help ameliorate the metabolic abnormalities of the KP in patients and model animals with neurological diseases. This study was aimed at evaluating the ability of Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) CCFM077 to enhance the gut microbiome and KP metabolism and regulate the neurotransmitter levels and neuroinflammation of autistic rats. The KP metabolism of autistic rats was significantly disordered and significantly related to the regulation of neurotransmitter (excitation and inhibition) and neuroglia states. B. longum CCFM1077 could effectively alleviate autistic-like behaviours (repetitive stereotyped behaviour, learning and memory ability, and despair mood) and regulate the KP metabolism in the periphery system (gut and blood) and brain. In particular, B. longum CCFM1077 could significant regulate the quinolinic acid (QUIN) level in the brain and markedly regulate glutamic acid (Glu) and Glu/γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the brain while alleviating microglia activity in the cerebellum. Through a correlation analysis, the QUIN level in the brain was strongly related with autistic-like behaviours and neurotransmitter levels (GABA and Glu). The QUIN level may thus be a potential therapeutic marker for treating autism through the intestinal and neural pathways.
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6
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Murlanova K, Begmatova D, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Meyer U, Pletnikov M, Pinhasov A. Double trouble: Prenatal immune activation in stress sensitive offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 99:3-8. [PMID: 34547401 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infections during pregnancy are associated with increased incidence of psychiatric disorders in offspring. The pathological outcomes of viral infection appear to be caused by the deleterious effects of innate immune response-associated factors on development of the fetus, which predispose the offspring to pathological conditions in adulthood. The negative impact of viral infections varies substantially between pregnancies. Here, we explored whether differential stress sensitivity underlies the high heterogeneity of immune reactivity and whether this may influence the pathological consequences of maternal immune activation. Using mouse models of social dominance (Dom) and submissiveness (Sub), which possess innate features of stress resilience and vulnerability, respectively, we identified differential immune reactivity to the synthetic analogue of viral double-stranded RNA, Poly(I:C), in Sub and Dom nulliparous and pregnant females. More specifically, we found that Sub females showed an exacerbated pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine response to Poly(I:C) as compared with Dom females. Sub offspring born to Sub mothers (stress sensitive offspring) showed enhanced locomotory response to the non-competitive NMDA antagonist, MK-801, which was potentiated by prenatal Poly(I:C) exposure. Our findings suggest that inherited stress sensitivity may lead to functional changes in glutamatergic signaling, which in turn is further exacerbated by prenatal exposure to viral-like infection. The maternal immunome seems to play a crucial role in these observed phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Murlanova
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Dilorom Begmatova
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mikhail Pletnikov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Albert Pinhasov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
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7
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Effects of maternal psychological stress during pregnancy on offspring brain development: Considering the role of inflammation and potential for preventive intervention. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:461-470. [PMID: 34718150 PMCID: PMC9043032 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Heightened psychological stress during pregnancy has repeatedly been associated with increased risk for offspring development of behavior problems and psychiatric disorders. This review covers a rapidly growing body of research with the potential to advance a mechanistic understanding of these associations grounded in knowledge about maternal-placental-fetal stress biology and fetal brain development. Specifically, we highlight research employing magnetic resonance imaging to examine the infant brain soon after birth in relation to maternal psychological stress during pregnancy to increase capacity to identify specific alterations in brain structure and function and to differentiate between effects of pre- versus postnatal exposures. We then focus on heightened maternal inflammation during pregnancy as a mechanism through which maternal stress influences the developing fetal brain based on extensive preclinical literature and emerging research in humans. We place these findings in the context of recent work identifying psychotherapeutic interventions found to be effective for reducing psychological stress among pregnant individuals, which also show promise for reducing inflammation. We argue that a focus on inflammation, among other mechanistic pathways, has the potential to lead to a productive and necessary integration of research focused on the effects of maternal psychological stress on offspring brain development and prevention and intervention studies aimed at reducing maternal psychological stress during pregnancy. In addition to increasing capacity for common measurements and understanding potential mechanisms of action relevant to maternal mental health and fetal neurodevelopment, this focus can inform and broaden thinking about prevention and intervention strategies.
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8
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Notarangelo FM, Schwarcz R. A single prenatal lipopolysaccharide injection has acute, but not long-lasting, effects on cerebral kynurenine pathway metabolism in mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5968-5981. [PMID: 34363411 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In rodents, a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during gestation causes chemical and functional abnormalities in the offspring. These effects may involve changes in the kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan degradation and may provide insights into the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases. Using CD1 mice, we examined acute and long-term effects of prenatal LPS treatment on the levels of kynurenine and its neuroactive downstream products kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid. To this end, LPS (100 μg/kg, i.p.) was administered on gestational day 15, and KP metabolites were measured 4 and 24 h later or in adulthood. After 4 h, kynurenine, KYNA and 3-HK levels were elevated in the fetal brain, 3-HK and KYNA levels were increased in the maternal plasma, and kynurenine was increased in the maternal brain, whereas no changes were seen in the placenta. These effects were less prominent after 24 h, and prenatal LPS did not affect the basal levels of KP metabolites in the forebrain of adult animals. In addition, a second LPS injection (1 mg/kg) in adulthood in the offspring of prenatally saline- and LPS-treated mice caused a similar elevation in 3-HK levels in both groups after 24 h, but the effect was significantly more pronounced in male mice. Thus, acute immune activation during pregnancy has only short-lasting effects on KP metabolism and does not cause cerebral KP metabolites to be disproportionally affected by a second immune challenge in adulthood. However, prenatal KYNA elevations still contribute to functional abnormalities in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca M Notarangelo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Schwarcz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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9
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Collier ME, Zhang S, Scrutton NS, Giorgini F. Inflammation control and improvement of cognitive function in COVID-19 infections: is there a role for kynurenine 3-monooxygenase inhibition? Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1473-1481. [PMID: 33609782 PMCID: PMC7889466 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The novel respiratory virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), emerged during late 2019 and spread rapidly across the world. It is now recognised that the nervous system can be affected in COVID-19, with several studies reporting long-term cognitive problems in patients. The metabolic pathway of tryptophan degradation, known as the kynurenine pathway (KP), is significantly activated in patients with COVID-19. KP metabolites have roles in regulating both inflammatory/immune responses and neurological functions. In this review, we speculate on the effects of KP activation in patients with COVID-19, and how modulation of this pathway might impact inflammation and reduce neurological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ew Collier
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
| | - Shaowei Zhang
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Flaviano Giorgini
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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10
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MacDowell KS, Munarriz-Cuezva E, Meana JJ, Leza JC, Ortega JE. Paliperidone Reversion of Maternal Immune Activation-Induced Changes on Brain Serotonin and Kynurenine Pathways. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:682602. [PMID: 34054556 PMCID: PMC8156415 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.682602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that early-life exposure to environmental factors may increase the risk for schizophrenia via inflammatory mechanisms. Inflammation can alter the metabolism of tryptophan through the oxidative kynurenine pathway to compounds with neurotoxic and neuroprotective activity and compromise serotonin (5-HT) synthesis. Here we investigate the role of serotonergic and kynurenine pathways in the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model of schizophrenia. The potential reversion exerted by long-term antipsychotic treatment was also evaluated. MIA was induced by prenatal administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)) in mice. Expression of different proteins and the content of different metabolites involved in the function of serotonergic and kynurenine pathways was assessed by RT-PCR, immunoblot and ELISA analyses in frontal cortex of the offspring after puberty. MIA decreased tissue 5-HT content and promoted changes in the expression of serotonin transporter, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors. Expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2) and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) was increased by poly (I:C) whereas kynurenine aminotransferase II and its metabolite kynurenic acid were not altered. Long-term paliperidone was able to counteract MIA-induced changes in 5-HT and KMO, and to increase tryptophan availability and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 expression in poly (I:C) mice but not in controls. MIA-induced increase of the cytotoxic risk ratio of kynurenine metabolites (quinolinic/kynurenic acid) was also reversed by paliperidone. MIA induces specific long-term brain effects on serotonergic activity. Such effects seem to be related with alternative activation of the kynurenine metabolic pathway towards a cytotoxic status. Atypical antipsychotic paliperodine partially remediates abnormalities observed after MIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina S MacDowell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Bizkaia, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Munarriz-Cuezva
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Bizkaia, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Bizkaia, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Juan C Leza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Bizkaia, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), IUIN-UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge E Ortega
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Bizkaia, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
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11
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Haider S, Shahzad S, Batool Z, Sadir S, Liaquat L, Tabassum S, Perveen T. Spirulina platensis reduces the schizophrenic-like symptoms in rat model by restoring altered APO-E and RTN-4 protein expression in prefrontal cortex. Life Sci 2021; 277:119417. [PMID: 33794248 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Schizophrenia (SZ) is recognized as a neuropsychiatric disorder in humans with accelerated mortality and profound morbidity followed with impairments in social as well as vocational functioning. Though various antipsychotics are being considered as approved treatment therapy for the psychotic symptoms of SZ but they also exert adverse effects and also lack efficacy in treating full spectrum of the disorder. Spirulina platensis (blue-green algae), a nutritional supplement, constitutes a variety of multi-nutrients and possesses a large number of neuroprotective activities. Therefore, present experimental work was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of spirulina in ameliorating the psychosis-like symptoms in dizocilpine-induced rat model of SZ. MATERIALS AND METHODS The spirulina was tested as preventive and therapeutic regimen at the dose of 180 mg/kg. After pre- and post-treatment with spirulina, rats were subjected to behavioral assessments followed by biochemical and neurochemical estimations. Biomarkers including APO-E, RTN-4, TNF-α, and IL-6 were also estimated using ELISA. KEY FINDINGS Present results showed that administration of spirulina not only improved behavioral deficits induced by dizocilpine but it also regulates neurotransmission, oligodendrocyte dysfunction and APO-E over expression. Moreover, it also restores the immune response dysfunction by reducing inflammatory cytokines. SIGNIFICANCE Thus, from present findings it may be suggested that spirulina aids in ameliorating the psychosis-like symptoms induced by dizocilpine in animal model possibly via regulation of neurotransmission and other biomarkers that are extensively used to uncover the etiopathology of SZ. Hence, blue-green algae can be used as an effective therapy for preventive or therapeutic measures in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saida Haider
- Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sidrah Shahzad
- Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; Pakistan Navy Medical Training School and College, PNS Shifa, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zehra Batool
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Sadia Sadir
- Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Laraib Liaquat
- Multidisciplinary Research Lab, Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Bahria University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Saiqa Tabassum
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Life Science, Shaheed Zulfqar Ali, Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Tahira Perveen
- Neurochemistry and Biochemical Neuropharmacology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
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12
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Goh JY, O'Sullivan SE, Shortall SE, Zordan N, Piccinini AM, Potter HG, Fone KCF, King MV. Gestational poly(I:C) attenuates, not exacerbates, the behavioral, cytokine and mTOR changes caused by isolation rearing in a rat 'dual-hit' model for neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 89:100-117. [PMID: 32485291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses have a multifactorial etiology involving genetic and environmental risk factors that trigger persistent neurodevelopmental impairments. Several risk factors have been individually replicated in rodents, to understand disease mechanisms and evaluate novel treatments, particularly for poorly-managed negative and cognitive symptoms. However, the complex interplay between various factors remains unclear. Rodent dual-hit neurodevelopmental models offer vital opportunities to examine this and explore new strategies for early therapeutic intervention. This study combined gestational administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C); PIC, to mimic viral infection during pregnancy) with post-weaning isolation of resulting offspring (to mirror adolescent social adversity). After in vitro and in vivo studies required for laboratory-specific PIC characterization and optimization, we administered 10 mg/kg i.p. PIC potassium salt to time-mated Lister hooded dams on gestational day 15. This induced transient hypothermia, sickness behavior and weight loss in the dams, and led to locomotor hyperactivity, elevated striatal cytokine levels, and increased frontal cortical JNK phosphorylation in the offspring at adulthood. Remarkably, instead of exacerbating the well-characterized isolation syndrome, gestational PIC exposure actually protected against a spectrum of isolation-induced behavioral and brain regional changes. Thus isolation reared rats exhibited locomotor hyperactivity, impaired associative memory and reversal learning, elevated hippocampal and frontal cortical cytokine levels, and increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in the frontal cortex - which were not evident in isolates previously exposed to gestational PIC. Brains from adolescent littermates suggest little contribution of cytokines, mTOR or JNK to early development of the isolation syndrome, or resilience conferred by PIC. But notably hippocampal oxytocin, which can protect against stress, was higher in adolescent PIC-exposed isolates so might contribute to a more favorable outcome. These findings have implications for identifying individuals at risk for disorders like schizophrenia who may benefit from early therapeutic intervention, and justify preclinical assessment of whether adolescent oxytocin manipulations can modulate disease onset or progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Yin Goh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Saoirse E O'Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Sinead E Shortall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nicole Zordan
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna M Piccinini
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Harry G Potter
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kevin C F Fone
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Madeleine V King
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
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13
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Brain Structural and Functional Alterations in Mice Prenatally Exposed to LPS Are Only Partially Rescued by Anti-Inflammatory Treatment. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090620. [PMID: 32906830 PMCID: PMC7564777 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant immune activity during neurodevelopment could participate in the generation of neurological dysfunctions characteristic of several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Numerous epidemiological studies have shown a link between maternal infections and NDDs risk; animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) have confirmed this association. Activation of maternal immune system during pregnancy induces behavioral and functional alterations in offspring but the biological mechanisms at the basis of these effects are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in peripheral and central inflammation, cortical cytoarchitecture and behavior of offspring (LPS-mice). LPS-mice reported a significant increase in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) serum level, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)- and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1)-positive cells in the cortex. Furthermore, cytoarchitecture analysis in specific brain areas, showed aberrant alterations in minicolumns’ organization in LPS-mice adult brain. In addition, we demonstrated that LPS-mice presented behavioral alterations throughout life. In order to better understand biological mechanisms whereby LPS induced these alterations, dams were treated with meloxicam. We demonstrated for the first time that exposure to LPS throughout pregnancy induces structural permanent alterations in offspring brain. LPS-mice also present severe behavioral impairments. Preventive treatment with meloxicam reduced inflammation in offspring but did not rescue them from structural and behavioral alterations.
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Bauman MD, Van de Water J. Translational opportunities in the prenatal immune environment: Promises and limitations of the maternal immune activation model. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104864. [PMID: 32278881 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The prenatal environment, and in particular, the maternal-fetal immune environment, has emerged as a targeted area of research for central nervous system (CNS) diseases with neurodevelopmental origins. Converging evidence from both clinical and preclinical research indicates that changes in the maternal gestational immune environment can alter fetal brain development and increase the risk for certain neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we focus on the translational potential of one prenatal animal model - the maternal immune activation (MIA) model. This model stems from the observation that a subset of pregnant women who are exposed to infection during pregnancy have an increased risk of giving birth to a child who will later be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or schizophrenia (SZ). The preclinical MIA model provides a system in which to explore causal relationships, identify underlying neurobiological mechanisms, and, ultimately, develop novel therapeutic interventions and preventative strategies. In this review, we will highlight converging evidence from clinical and preclinical research that links changes in the maternal-fetal immune environment with lasting changes in offspring brain and behavioral development. We will then explore the promises and limitations of the MIA model as a translational tool to develop novel therapeutic interventions. As the translational potential of the MIA model has been the focus of several excellent review articles, here we will focus on what is perhaps the least well developed area of MIA model research - novel preventative strategies and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States of America; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, United States of America.
| | - Judy Van de Water
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, United States of America; Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, United States of America
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15
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Dysregulation of kynurenine metabolism is related to proinflammatory cytokines, attention, and prefrontal cortex volume in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2860-2872. [PMID: 30940904 PMCID: PMC7577855 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0401-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan (TRP) catabolism links immune system activation with neurotransmitter signaling. The KP metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) is increased in the brains of people with schizophrenia. We tested the extent to which: (1) brain KP enzyme mRNAs, (2) brain KP metabolites, and (3) plasma KP metabolites differed on the basis of elevated cytokines in schizophrenia vs. control groups and the extent to which plasma KP metabolites were associated with cognition and brain volume in patients displaying elevated peripheral cytokines. KP enzyme mRNAs and metabolites were assayed in two independent postmortem brain samples from a total of 71 patients with schizophrenia and 72 controls. Plasma KP metabolites, cognition, and brain volumes were measured in an independent cohort of 96 patients with schizophrenia and 81 healthy controls. Groups were stratified based on elevated vs. normal proinflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. In the prefrontal cortex (PFC), kynurenine (KYN)/TRP ratio, KYNA levels, and mRNA for enzymes, tryptophan dioxygenase (TDO) and kynurenine aminotransferases (KATI/II), were significantly increased in the high cytokine schizophrenia subgroup. KAT mRNAs significantly correlated with mRNA for glial fibrillary acidic protein in patients. In plasma, the high cytokine schizophrenia subgroup displayed an elevated KYN/TRP ratio, which correlated inversely with attention and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) volume. This study provides further evidence for the role of inflammation in a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia and suggests a molecular mechanism through which inflammation could lead to schizophrenia. Proinflammatory cytokines may elicit conversion of TRP to KYN in the periphery and increase the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist KYNA via increased KAT mRNA and possibly more enzyme synthesis activity in brain astrocytes, leading to DLPFC volume loss, and attention impairment in schizophrenia.
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16
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Baines KJ, Rampersaud AM, Hillier DM, Jeyarajah MJ, Grafham GK, Eastabrook G, Lacefield JC, Renaud SJ. Antiviral Inflammation during Early Pregnancy Reduces Placental and Fetal Growth Trajectories. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 204:694-706. [PMID: 31882516 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many viruses are detrimental to pregnancy and negatively affect fetal growth and development. What is not well understood is how virus-induced inflammation impacts fetal-placental growth and developmental trajectories, particularly when inflammation occurs in early pregnancy during nascent placental and embryo development. To address this issue, we simulated a systemic virus exposure in early pregnant rats (gestational day 8.5) by administering the viral dsRNA mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PolyI:C). Maternal exposure to PolyI:C induced a potent antiviral response and hypoxia in the early pregnant uterus, containing the primordial placenta and embryo. Maternal PolyI:C exposure was associated with decreased expression of the maternally imprinted genes Mest, Sfrp2, and Dlk1, which encode proteins critical for placental growth. Exposure of pregnant dams to PolyI:C during early pregnancy reduced fetal growth trajectories throughout gestation, concomitant with smaller placentas, and altered placental structure at midgestation. No detectable changes in placental hemodynamics were observed, as determined by ultrasound biomicroscopy. An antiviral response was not evident in rat trophoblast stem (TS) cells following exposure to PolyI:C, or to certain PolyI:C-induced cytokines including IL-6. However, TS cells expressed high levels of type I IFNR subunits (Ifnar1 and Ifnar2) and responded to IFN-⍺ by increasing expression of IFN-stimulated genes and decreasing expression of genes associated with the TS stem state, including Mest IFN-⍺ also impaired the differentiation capacity of TS cells. These results suggest that an antiviral inflammatory response in the conceptus during early pregnancy impacts TS cell developmental potential and causes latent placental development and reduced fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Baines
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Amanda M Rampersaud
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Dendra M Hillier
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Mariyan J Jeyarajah
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Grace K Grafham
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Genevieve Eastabrook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6H 5W9.,Children's Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada N6C 2V5
| | - James C Lacefield
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7; and.,Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Stephen J Renaud
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1; .,Children's Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada N6C 2V5
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17
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Dunn GA, Nigg JT, Sullivan EL. Neuroinflammation as a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 182:22-34. [PMID: 31103523 PMCID: PMC6855401 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a persistent, and impairing pediatric-onset neurodevelopmental condition. Its high prevalence, and recurrent controversy over its widespread identification and treatment, drive strong interest in its etiology and mechanisms. Emerging evidence for a role for neuroinflammation in ADHD pathophysiology is of great interest. This evidence includes 1) the above-chance comorbidity of ADHD with inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, 2) initial studies indicating an association with ADHD and increased serum cytokines, 3) preliminary evidence from genetic studies demonstrating associations between polymorphisms in genes associated with inflammatory pathways and ADHD, 4) emerging evidence that early life exposure to environmental factors may increase risk for ADHD via an inflammatory mechanism, and 5) mechanistic evidence from animal models of maternal immune activation documenting behavioral and neural outcomes consistent with ADHD. Prenatal exposure to inflammation is associated with changes in offspring brain development including reductions in cortical gray matter volume and the volume of certain cortical areas -parallel to observations associated with ADHD. Alterations in neurotransmitter systems, including the dopaminergic, serotonergic and glutamatergic systems, are observed in ADHD populations. Animal models provide strong evidence that development and function of these neurotransmitters systems are sensitive to exposure to in utero inflammation. In summary, accumulating evidence from human studies and animal models, while still incomplete, support a potential role for neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Confirmation of this association and the underlying mechanisms have become valuable targets for research. If confirmed, such a picture may be important in opening new intervention routes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel T Nigg
- Oregon Health and Science University, United States of America
| | - Elinor L Sullivan
- University of Oregon, United States of America; Oregon Health and Science University, United States of America; Oregon National Primate Research Center, United States of America.
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18
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Clark SM, Notarangelo FM, Li X, Chen S, Schwarcz R, Tonelli LH. Maternal immune activation in rats blunts brain cytokine and kynurenine pathway responses to a second immune challenge in early adulthood. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:286-294. [PMID: 30267854 PMCID: PMC6249106 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) with the viral mimic poly I:C provides an established rodent model for studying schizophrenia (SZ) and other human neurodevelopmental disorders. Postnatal infections are additional risk factors in SZ and may cumulatively contribute to the emergence of pathophysiology. Underlying mechanisms may involve metabolites of the kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan degradation, which is readily induced by inflammatory stimuli. Here we compared the expression of selected cytokines and KP enzymes, and the levels of selected KP metabolites, in the brain of MIA offspring following a second, acute immune challenge with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on postnatal day (PND) 35 (adolescence) or PND 60 (early adulthood). Assessed in adolescence, MIA did not alter the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (except TNF-α) or KP metabolite levels compared to controls, but substantially reduced the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 and influenced the expression of two of the four KP enzymes examined (IDO1 and TDO2). LPS treatment caused distinct changes in the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as KP enzymes in MIA offspring, but had no effect on KP metabolites compared to control rats. Several of these effects were blunted in MIA offspring receiving LPS on PND 60. Notably, LPS caused a significant reduction in brain kynurenine levels in these animals. Of relevance for SZ-related hypotheses, these results indicate that MIA leads to an increasingly defective, rather than an overactive, immune regulation of cerebral KP metabolism during the postnatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Clark
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Francesca M Notarangelo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Schwarcz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leonardo H Tonelli
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroimmunology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Missault S, Anckaerts C, Ahmadoun S, Blockx I, Barbier M, Bielen K, Shah D, Kumar-Singh S, De Vos WH, Van der Linden A, Dedeurwaerdere S, Verhoye M. Hypersynchronicity in the default mode-like network in a neurodevelopmental animal model with relevance for schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2019; 364:303-316. [PMID: 30807809 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune activation during pregnancy is an important risk factor for schizophrenia. Brain dysconnectivity and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction have been postulated to be central to schizophrenia pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (resting-state functional MRI-rsfMRI), microstructure (diffusion tension imaging-DTI) and response to NMDAR antagonist (pharmacological fMRI-phMRI) using multimodal MRI in offspring of pregnant dams exposed to immune challenge (maternal immune activation-MIA model), and determine whether these neuroimaging readouts correlate with schizophrenia-related behaviour. METHODS Pregnant rats were injected with Poly I:C or saline on gestational day 15. The maternal weight response was assessed. Since previous research has shown behavioural deficits can differ between MIA offspring dependent on the maternal response to immune stimulus, offspring were divided into three groups: controls (saline, n = 11), offspring of dams that gained weight (Poly I:C WG, n = 12) and offspring of dams that lost weight post-MIA (Poly I:C WL, n = 16). Male adult offspring were subjected to rsfMRI, DTI, phMRI with NMDAR antagonist, behavioural testing and histological assessment. RESULTS Poly I:C WL offspring exhibited increased functional connectivity in default mode-like network (DMN). Poly I:C WG offspring showed the most pronounced attenuation in NMDAR antagonist response versus controls. DTI revealed no differences in Poly I:C offspring versus controls. Poly I:C offspring exhibited anxiety. CONCLUSIONS MIA offspring displayed a differential pathophysiology depending on the maternal response to immune challenge. While Poly I:C WL offspring displayed hypersynchronicity in the DMN, altered NMDAR antagonist response was most pronounced in Poly I:C WG offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Missault
- Experimental Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience and Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Cynthia Anckaerts
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Soumaya Ahmadoun
- Experimental Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience and Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ines Blockx
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Michaël Barbier
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Kenny Bielen
- Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Disha Shah
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Samir Kumar-Singh
- Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Cell Systems & Imaging, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Dedeurwaerdere
- Experimental Laboratory of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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20
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Bergdolt L, Dunaevsky A. Brain changes in a maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:1-19. [PMID: 30590095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of insults. Epidemiological studies have identified prenatal exposure to infection as a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this association and have been used to probe the contribution of gene-environment interactions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we review the behavior and brain phenotypes that have been characterized in MIA offspring, including the studies that have looked at the interaction between maternal immune activation and genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. These phenotypes include behaviors relevant to autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders, alterations in brain anatomy, and structural and functional neuronal impairments. The link between maternal infection and these phenotypic changes is not fully understood, but there is increasing evidence that maternal immune activation induces prolonged immune alterations in the offspring's brain which could underlie epigenetic alterations which in turn may mediate the behavior and brain changes. These concepts will be discussed followed by a summary of the pharmacological interventions that have been tested in the maternal immune activation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Bergdolt
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Anna Dunaevsky
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States.
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21
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Bryn V, Verkerk R, Skjeldal OH, Saugstad OD, Ormstad H. Kynurenine Pathway in Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children. Neuropsychobiology 2018; 76:82-88. [PMID: 29694960 DOI: 10.1159/000488157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing evidence that altered immune responses play a role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), together with dysfunction of the serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. Since the kynurenine (KYN) pathway that degrades tryptophan (TRP) is activated in various neuroinflammatory states, we aimed to determine whether this pathway is activated in ASD. METHODS Sixty-five pediatric ASD patients (including 52 boys) were enrolled from an epidemiological survey covering 2 counties in Norway; 30 (46.5%) of these patients were diagnosed with childhood autism, 16 (24.6%) with Asperger syndrome, 12 (18.5%) with atypical autism, 1 (1.5%) with Rett syndrome, and 6 (9.2%) with other ASD. The serum levels of the following markers were measured in the children with ASD and compared to those in 30 healthy children: TRP, KYN, kynurenic acid (KA), 3-hydroxykynurenine, and quinolinic acid. RESULTS The mean serum level of KA was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the healthy controls (28.97 vs. 34.44 nM, p = 0.040), while the KYN/KA ratio was significantly higher in the ASD group (61.12 vs. 50.39, p = 0.006). The same relative values were found when comparing the childhood autism subgroup with the controls. Also, the mean serum level of TRP was significantly lower in children with a subdiagnosis of childhood autism than in those with Asperger syndrome (67.26 vs. 77.79 μM, p = 0.020). CONCLUSION Our study indicates that there is an increased neurotoxic potential and also a possible lower KYN aminotransferase activity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Bryn
- Department of Pediatrics, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Robert Verkerk
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ola H Skjeldal
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ola Didrik Saugstad
- Pediatric Research Institute, Rikshospitalet Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Heidi Ormstad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Buskerud University College, Drammen, Norway
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22
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Hyperactive behavior in female rats in utero-exposed to group B Streptococcus-induced inflammation. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 69:17-22. [PMID: 29920305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one the most common bacterium responsible of maternal infections during pregnancy. Offspring in utero-exposed to GBS-induced placental inflammation displayed sex-specific forebrain injuries. Sex differences have been reported in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Hence, we hypothesized that female rats in utero-exposed to GBS may present sex-specific neurobehavioral impairments. Lewis rats were injected intraperitoneally every 12 h from gestational day (G) 19 to G22 with either saline (controls) or inactivated serotype Ia GBS (109 CFU). Before puberty, no difference in terms of spontaneous motor activity, exploratory or anxiety-related behaviors was noticed between experimental conditions. During puberty, GBS-exposed females - but not males - performed worse than same-sex controls in a forced motor task. During adulthood, GBS-exposed females - but not males - displayed increased spontaneous locomotor activity and decreased inhibition. In conclusion, our findings show for the first time that adult females - but not males - in utero-exposed to GBS-induced inflammation presented a hyperactive and disinhibited phenotype emerging after puberty.
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23
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Solek CM, Farooqi N, Verly M, Lim TK, Ruthazer ES. Maternal immune activation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dev Dyn 2017; 247:588-619. [PMID: 29226543 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging lines of evidence from basic science and clinical studies suggest a relationship between maternal immune activation (MIA) and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. The mechanisms through which MIA increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders have become a subject of intensive research. This review aims to describe how dysregulation of microglial function and immune mechanisms may link MIA and neurodevelopmental pathologies. We also summarize the current evidence in animal models of MIA. Developmental Dynamics 247:588-619, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Solek
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nasr Farooqi
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Myriam Verly
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tony K Lim
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Edward S Ruthazer
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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24
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Goeden N, Notarangelo FM, Pocivavsek A, Beggiato S, Bonnin A, Schwarcz R. Prenatal Dynamics of Kynurenine Pathway Metabolism in Mice: Focus on Kynurenic Acid. Dev Neurosci 2017; 39:519-528. [PMID: 29080891 DOI: 10.1159/000481168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The kynurenine pathway (KP), the major catabolic route of tryptophan in mammals, contains several neuroactive metabolites, including kynurenic acid (KYNA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK). KP metabolism, and especially the fate of KYNA, during pregnancy is poorly understood, yet it may play a significant role in the development of psychiatric disorders later in life. The present study was designed to investigate the prenatal features of KP metabolism in vivo, with special focus on KYNA. To this end, pregnant CD-1 mice were treated systemically with kynurenine (100 mg/kg), KYNA (10 mg/kg), or saline on embryonic day 18. As expected, administration of either kynurenine or KYNA increased KYNA levels in the maternal plasma and placenta. Maternal kynurenine treatment also raised kynurenine levels in the fetal plasma and brain, demonstrating the ability of this pivotal KP metabolite to cross the placenta and increase the levels of both KYNA and 3-HK in the fetal brain. In contrast, maternal administration of KYNA caused only a small, nonsignificant elevation in KYNA levels in fetal plasma and brain. Complementary experiments using an ex vivo placental perfusion procedure confirmed the significant transplacental transfer of kynurenine and demonstrated that only a very small fraction of maternal kynurenine is converted to KYNA in the placenta and released into the fetal compartment under physiological conditions. Jointly, these results help to clarify the contributions of the maternal circulation and the placenta to fetal KYNA in the late prenatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Goeden
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Notarangelo FM, Schwarcz R. Restraint Stress during Pregnancy Rapidly Raises Kynurenic Acid Levels in Mouse Placenta and Fetal Brain. Dev Neurosci 2017; 38:458-468. [PMID: 28214871 DOI: 10.1159/000455228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful events during pregnancy adversely affect brain development and may increase the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life. Early changes in the kynurenine (KYN) pathway (KP) of tryptophan (TRP) degradation, which contains several neuroactive metabolites, including kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), and quinolinic acid (QUIN), may constitute a molecular link between prenatal stress and delayed pathological consequences. To begin testing this hypothesis experimentally, we examined the effects of a 2-h restraint stress on KP metabolism in pregnant FVB/N mice on gestational day 17. TRP, KYN, KYNA, 3-HK, and QUIN levels were measured in maternal and fetal plasma and brain, as well as in the placenta, immediately after stress termination and 2 h later. In the same animals, we determined the activity of TRP 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) in the maternal liver and in the placenta. Compared to unstressed controls, mostly transient changes in KP metabolism were observed in all of the tissues examined. Specifically, stress caused significant elevations of KYNA levels in the maternal plasma, placenta, and fetal brain, and also resulted in increased levels of TRP and KYN in the placenta, fetal plasma, and fetal brain. In contrast, 3-HK and QUIN levels remained unchanged from control values in all tissues at any time point. In the maternal liver, TDO activity was increased 2 h after stress cessation. Taken together, these findings indicate that an acute stress during the late gestational period preferentially affects the KYNA branch of KP metabolism in the fetal brain. Possible long-term consequences for postnatal brain development and pathology remain to be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca M Notarangelo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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da Silveira VT, Medeiros DDC, Ropke J, Guidine PA, Rezende GH, Moraes MFD, Mendes EMAM, Macedo D, Moreira FA, de Oliveira ACP. Effects of early or late prenatal immune activation in mice on behavioral and neuroanatomical abnormalities relevant to schizophrenia in the adulthood. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 58:1-8. [PMID: 28122258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy in rodents increases the risk of the offspring to develop schizophrenia-related behaviors, suggesting a relationship between the immune system and the brain development. Here we tested the hypothesis that MIA induced by the viral mimetic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) in early or late gestation of mice leads to behavioral and neuroanatomical disorders in the adulthood. On gestational days (GDs) 9 or 17 pregnant dams were treated with poly I:C or saline via intravenous route and the offspring behaviors were measured during adulthood. Considering the progressive structural neuroanatomical alterations in the brain of individuals with schizophrenia, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to perform brain morphometric analysis of the offspring aged one year. MIA on GD9 or GD17 led to increased basal locomotor activity, enhanced motor responses to ketamine, a psychotomimetic drug, and reduced time spent in the center of the arena, suggesting an increased anxiety-like behavior. In addition, MIA on GD17 reduced glucose preference in the offspring. None of the treatments altered the relative volume of the lateral ventricles. However, a decrease in brain volume, especially for posterior structures, was observed for one-year-old animals treated with poly I:C compared with control groups. Thus, activation of the maternal immune system at different GDs lead to neuroanatomical and behavioral alterations possibly related to the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. These results provide insights on neuroimmunonological and neurodevelopmental aspects of certain psychopathologies, such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian T da Silveira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel de Castro Medeiros
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jivago Ropke
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Patricia A Guidine
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Rezende
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcio Flavio D Moraes
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Mazoni A M Mendes
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Danielle Macedo
- Drug Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical School, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil
| | - Fabricio A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Gomes FV, Rincón-Cortés M, Grace AA. Adolescence as a period of vulnerability and intervention in schizophrenia: Insights from the MAM model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:260-270. [PMID: 27235082 PMCID: PMC5074867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of extensive neuroanatomical, functional and chemical reorganization of the brain, which parallels substantial maturational changes in behavior and cognition. Environmental factors that impinge on the timing of these developmental factors, including stress and drug exposure, increase the risk for psychiatric disorders. Indeed, antecedents to affective and psychotic disorders, which have clinical and pathophysiological overlap, are commonly associated with risk factors during adolescence that predispose to these disorders. In the context of schizophrenia, psychosis typically begins in late adolescence/early adulthood, which has been replicated by animal models. Rats exposed during gestational day (GD) 17 to the mitotoxin methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) exhibit behavioral, pharmacological, and anatomical characteristics consistent with an animal model of schizophrenia. Here we provide an overview of adolescent changes within the dopamine system and the PFC and review recent findings regarding the effects of stress and cannabis exposure during the peripubertal period as risk factors for the emergence of schizophrenia-like deficits. Finally, we discuss peripubertal interventions appearing to circumvent the emergence of adult schizophrenia-like deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe V Gomes
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, United States
| | | | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, United States.
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Gene × Environment Interactions in Schizophrenia: Evidence from Genetic Mouse Models. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:2173748. [PMID: 27725886 PMCID: PMC5048038 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2173748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of gene × environment, as well as epistatic interactions in schizophrenia, has provided important insight into the complex etiopathologic basis of schizophrenia. It has also increased our understanding of the role of susceptibility genes in the disorder and is an important consideration as we seek to translate genetic advances into novel antipsychotic treatment targets. This review summarises data arising from research involving the modelling of gene × environment interactions in schizophrenia using preclinical genetic models. Evidence for synergistic effects on the expression of schizophrenia-relevant endophenotypes will be discussed. It is proposed that valid and multifactorial preclinical models are important tools for identifying critical areas, as well as underlying mechanisms, of convergence of genetic and environmental risk factors, and their interaction in schizophrenia.
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Forrest CM, Kennedy PGE, Rodgers J, Dalton RN, Turner C, Darlington LG, Cobb SR, Stone TW. Kynurenine pathway metabolism following prenatal KMO inhibition and in Mecp2 +/- mice, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Neurochem Int 2016; 100:110-119. [PMID: 27623092 PMCID: PMC5115650 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To quantify the full range of tryptophan metabolites along the kynurenine pathway, a liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and used to analyse brain extracts of rodents treated with the kynurenine-3-mono-oxygenase (KMO) inhibitor Ro61-8048 during pregnancy. There were significant increases in the levels of kynurenine, kynurenic acid, anthranilic acid and 3-hydroxy-kynurenine (3-HK) in the maternal brain after 5 h but not 24 h, while the embryos exhibited high levels of kynurenine, kynurenic acid and anthranilic acid after 5 h which were maintained at 24 h post-treatment. At 24 h there was also a strong trend to an increase in quinolinic acid levels (P = 0.055). No significant changes were observed in any of the other kynurenine metabolites. The results confirm the marked increase in the accumulation of some neuroactive kynurenines when KMO is inhibited, and re-emphasise the potential importance of changes in anthranilic acid. The prolonged duration of metabolite accumulation in the embryo brains indicates a trapping of compounds within the embryonic CNS independently of maternal levels. When brains were examined from young mice heterozygous for the meCP2 gene – a potential model for Rett syndrome - no differences were noted from control mice, suggesting that the proposed roles for kynurenines in autism spectrum disorder are not relevant to Rett syndrome, supporting its recognition as a distinct, independent, condition. Pregnant rats were treated with an inhibitor of kynurenine-3-monoxygenase. Levels of several kynurenine metabolites increased in the maternal and foetal brains. The maternal changes at 5 h disappeared by 24 h, but were maintained in embryos. No changes were noted in the brains of Mecp2+/− mice. KMO inhibition but not Mecp2+/− suppression alters kynurenine metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Forrest
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Peter G E Kennedy
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jean Rodgers
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - R Neil Dalton
- WellChild Laboratory, Evelina London Children's Hospital, King's College London, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Charles Turner
- WellChild Laboratory, Evelina London Children's Hospital, King's College London, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - L Gail Darlington
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ashtead Hospital, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2SB, UK
| | - Stuart R Cobb
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Trevor W Stone
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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Effects of scallop shell extract on scopolamine-induced memory impairment and MK801-induced locomotor activity. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2016; 9:662-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2016.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Abstract
Despite a lack of recent progress in the treatment of schizophrenia, our understanding of its genetic and environmental causes has considerably improved, and their relationship to aberrant patterns of neurodevelopment has become clearer. This raises the possibility that 'disease-modifying' strategies could alter the course to - and of - this debilitating disorder, rather than simply alleviating symptoms. A promising window for course-altering intervention is around the time of the first episode of psychosis, especially in young people at risk of transition to schizophrenia. Indeed, studies performed in both individuals at risk of developing schizophrenia and rodent models for schizophrenia suggest that pre-diagnostic pharmacotherapy and psychosocial or cognitive-behavioural interventions can delay or moderate the emergence of psychosis. Of particular interest are 'hybrid' strategies that both relieve presenting symptoms and reduce the risk of transition to schizophrenia or another psychiatric disorder. This Review aims to provide a broad-based consideration of the challenges and opportunities inherent in efforts to alter the course of schizophrenia.
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Astrocytes as Pharmacological Targets in the Treatment of Schizophrenia. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800981-9.00025-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Lim CK, Essa MM, de Paula Martins R, Lovejoy DB, Bilgin AA, Waly MI, Al-Farsi YM, Al-Sharbati M, Al-Shaffae MA, Guillemin GJ. Altered kynurenine pathway metabolism in autism: Implication for immune-induced glutamatergic activity. Autism Res 2015; 9:621-31. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chai K. Lim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW Australia
| | - Musthafa M. Essa
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Sultan Qaboos University; Sultanate of Oman
- Ageing and Dementia Research Group; Sultan Qaboos University; Sultanate of Oman
| | - Roberta de Paula Martins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW Australia
| | - David B. Lovejoy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW Australia
| | - Ayse A. Bilgin
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Engineering; Macquarie University; NSW Australia
| | - Mostafa I. Waly
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition; Sultan Qaboos University; Sultanate of Oman
| | - Yahya M. Al-Farsi
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health; Sultan Qaboos University; Sultanate of Oman
| | - Marwan Al-Sharbati
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health; Sultan Qaboos University; Sultanate of Oman
| | | | - Gilles J. Guillemin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Macquarie University; NSW Australia
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Möller M, Swanepoel T, Harvey BH. Neurodevelopmental Animal Models Reveal the Convergent Role of Neurotransmitter Systems, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress as Biomarkers of Schizophrenia: Implications for Novel Drug Development. ACS Chem Neurosci 2015; 6:987-1016. [PMID: 25794269 DOI: 10.1021/cn5003368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a life altering disease with a complex etiology and pathophysiology, and although antipsychotics are valuable in treating the disorder, certain symptoms and/or sufferers remain resistant to treatment. Our poor understanding of the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of schizophrenia hinders the discovery and development of improved pharmacological treatment, so that filling these gaps is of utmost importance for an improved outcome. A vast amount of clinical data has strongly implicated the role of inflammation and oxidative insults in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Preclinical studies using animal models are fundamental in our understanding of disease development and pathology as well as the discovery and development of novel treatment options. In particular, social isolation rearing (SIR) and pre- or postnatal inflammation (PPNI) have shown great promise in mimicking the biobehavioral manifestations of schizophrenia. Furthermore, the "dual-hit" hypothesis of schizophrenia states that a first adverse event such as genetic predisposition or a prenatal insult renders an individual susceptible to develop the disease, while a second insult (e.g., postnatal inflammation, environmental adversity, or drug abuse) may be necessary to precipitate the full-blown syndrome. Animal models that emphasize the "dual-hit" hypothesis therefore provide valuable insight into understanding disease progression. In this Review, we will discuss SIR, PPNI, as well as possible "dual-hit" animal models within the context of the redox-immune-inflammatory hypothesis of schizophrenia, correlating such changes with the recognized monoamine and behavioral alterations of schizophrenia. Finally, based on these models, we will review new therapeutic options, especially those targeting immune-inflammatory and redox pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Möller
- Department of Pharmacology and ‡Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - T. Swanepoel
- Department of Pharmacology and ‡Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - B. H. Harvey
- Department of Pharmacology and ‡Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Since decades immunological aberrancies have been reported in schizophrenia patients. As schizophrenia represents a heterogenous disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations, complex interactions between the immune system in the brain might have important etiological implications. RECENT FINDINGS Recent findings of altered expression of immune-related genes, changes of peripheral and central cytokines, antibodies and immune cells point toward dysbalanced immune response processes in schizophrenia. SUMMARY Based on immunogenetic factors, immune dysfunctions caused by infections, increased autoimmune reactivity and low-grade inflammatory processes in the periphery as well as in central nervous system may affect neurobiological circuits including changed neurotransmitter metabolisms contributing to pathophysiological alterations in schizophrenia. These immunological abnormalities might provide tools for better diagnostic characterization of this heterogenous disease and on the other side, they may also support the development of immune-related therapeutic strategies.
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Samsom JN, Wong AHC. Schizophrenia and Depression Co-Morbidity: What We have Learned from Animal Models. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:13. [PMID: 25762938 PMCID: PMC4332163 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia are at an increased risk for the development of depression. Overlap in the symptoms and genetic risk factors between the two disorders suggests a common etiological mechanism may underlie the presentation of comorbid depression in schizophrenia. Understanding these shared mechanisms will be important in informing the development of new treatments. Rodent models are powerful tools for understanding gene function as it relates to behavior. Examining rodent models relevant to both schizophrenia and depression reveals a number of common mechanisms. Current models which demonstrate endophenotypes of both schizophrenia and depression are reviewed here, including models of CUB and SUSHI multiple domains 1, PDZ and LIM domain 5, glutamate Delta 1 receptor, diabetic db/db mice, neuropeptide Y, disrupted in schizophrenia 1, and its interacting partners, reelin, maternal immune activation, and social isolation. Neurotransmission, brain connectivity, the immune system, the environment, and metabolism emerge as potential common mechanisms linking these models and potentially explaining comorbid depression in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N Samsom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Albert H C Wong
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
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Maternal immune activation and abnormal brain development across CNS disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2014; 10:643-60. [PMID: 25311587 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2014.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 604] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown a clear association between maternal infection and schizophrenia or autism in the progeny. Animal models have revealed maternal immune activation (mIA) to be a profound risk factor for neurochemical and behavioural abnormalities in the offspring. Microglial priming has been proposed as a major consequence of mIA, and represents a critical link in a causal chain that leads to the wide spectrum of neuronal dysfunctions and behavioural phenotypes observed in the juvenile, adult or aged offspring. Such diversity of phenotypic outcomes in the mIA model are mirrored by recent clinical evidence suggesting that infectious exposure during pregnancy is also associated with epilepsy and, to a lesser extent, cerebral palsy in children. Preclinical research also suggests that mIA might precipitate the development of Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Here, we summarize and critically review the emerging evidence that mIA is a shared environmental risk factor across CNS disorders that varies as a function of interactions between genetic and additional environmental factors. We also review ongoing clinical trials targeting immune pathways affected by mIA that may play a part in disease manifestation. In addition, future directions and outstanding questions are discussed, including potential symptomatic, disease-modifying and preventive treatment strategies.
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