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Jellinger KA. Pathomechanisms of behavioral abnormalities in Huntington disease: an update. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:999-1012. [PMID: 38874766 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02794-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD), a devastating autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat, is clinically characterized by a triad of symptoms including involuntary motions, behavior problems and cognitive deficits. Behavioral symptoms with anxiety, irritability, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, apathy and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, occurring in over 50% of HD patients are important features of this disease and contribute to impairment of quality of life, but their pathophysiology is poorly understood. Behavior problems, more frequent than depression, can be manifest before obvious motor symptoms and occur across all HD stages, usually correlated with duration of illness. While specific neuropathological data are missing, the relations between gene expression and behavior have been elucidated in transgenic models of HD. Disruption of interneuronal communications, with involvement of prefronto-striato-thalamic networks and hippocampal dysfunctions produce deficits in multiple behavioral domains. These changes that have been confirmed by multistructural neuroimaging studies are due to a causal cascade linking molecular pathologies (glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunctions inducing multiple biochemical and structural alterations) and deficits in multiple behavioral domains. The disruption of large-scale connectivities may explain the variability of behavior profiles and is useful in understanding the biological backgrounds of functional decline in HD. Such findings offer new avenues for targeted treatments in terms of minimizing neurobehavioral impairment in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt A Jellinger
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Alberichgasse 5/13, Vienna, A-1150, Austria.
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2
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Li G, Lu C, Yin M, Wang P, Zhang P, Wu J, Wang W, Wang D, Wang M, Liu J, Lin X, Zhang JX, Wang Z, Yu Y, Zhang YF. Neural substrates for regulating self-grooming behavior in rodents. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38993075 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2300562] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Grooming, as an evolutionarily conserved repetitive behavior, is common in various animals, including humans, and serves essential functions including, but not limited to, hygiene maintenance, thermoregulation, de-arousal, stress reduction, and social behaviors. In rodents, grooming involves a patterned and sequenced structure, known as the syntactic chain with four phases that comprise repeated stereotyped movements happening in a cephalocaudal progression style, beginning from the nose to the face, to the head, and finally ending with body licking. The context-dependent occurrence of grooming behavior indicates its adaptive significance. This review briefly summarizes the neural substrates responsible for rodent grooming behavior and explores its relevance in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases with aberrant grooming phenotypes. We further emphasize the utility of rodent grooming as a reliable measure of repetitive behavior in neuropsychiatric models, holding promise for translational psychiatry. Herein, we mainly focus on rodent self-grooming. Allogrooming (grooming being applied on one animal by its conspecifics via licking or carefully nibbling) and heterogrooming (a form of grooming behavior directing towards another animal, which occurs in other contexts, such as maternal, sexual, aggressive, or social behaviors) are not covered due to space constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Chanyi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Development Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Miaomiao Yin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Medical Center for Human Reproduction, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pengbo Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the People's Hospital of Zhaoyuan City, Zhaoyuan 265400, China
| | - Jialiang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Ding Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mengyue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jiahan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Xinghan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jian-Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhenshan Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
| | - Yiqun Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China. ,
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute, Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China. ,
- Clinical and Research Center for Olfactory Disorders, Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China. ,
| | - Yun-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. ,
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. ,
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3
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Tassan Mazzocco M, Murtaj V, Martins D, Schellino R, Coliva A, Toninelli E, Vercelli A, Turkheimer F, Belloli S, Moresco RM. Exploring the neuroprotective effects of montelukast on brain inflammation and metabolism in a rat model of quinolinic acid-induced striatal neurotoxicity. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:34. [PMID: 36782185 PMCID: PMC9923670 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02714-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid (QA) in rats induces a lesion with features resembling those observed in Huntington's disease. Our aim is to evaluate the effects of the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast (MLK), which exhibited neuroprotection in different preclinical models of neurodegeneration, on QA-induced neuroinflammation and regional metabolic functions. METHODS The right and left striatum of Sprague Dawley and athymic nude rats were injected with QA and vehicle (VEH), respectively. Starting from the day before QA injection, animals were treated with 1 or 10 mg/kg of MLK or VEH for 14 days. At 14 and 30 days post-lesion, animals were monitored with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) using [18F]-VC701, a translocator protein (TSPO)-specific radiotracer. Striatal neuroinflammatory response was measured post-mortem in rats treated with 1 mg/kg of MLK by immunofluorescence. Rats treated with 10 mg/kg of MLK also underwent a [18F]-FDG PET study at baseline and 4 months after lesion. [18F]-FDG PET data were then used to assess metabolic connectivity between brain regions by applying a covariance analysis method. RESULTS MLK treatment was not able to reduce the QA-induced increase in striatal TSPO PET signal and MRI lesion volume, where we only detected a trend towards reduction in animals treated with 10 mg/kg of MLK. Post-mortem immunofluorescence analysis revealed that MLK attenuated the increase in striatal markers of astrogliosis and activated microglia in the lesioned hemisphere. We also found a significant increase in a marker of anti-inflammatory activity (MannR) and a trend towards reduction in a marker of pro-inflammatory activity (iNOS) in the lesioned striatum of MLK-compared to VEH-treated rats. [18F]-FDG uptake was significantly reduced in the striatum and ipsilesional cortical regions of VEH-treated rats at 4 months after lesion. MLK administration preserved glucose metabolism in these cortical regions, but not in the striatum. Finally, MLK was able to counteract changes in metabolic connectivity and measures of network topology induced by QA, in both lesioned and non-lesioned hemispheres. CONCLUSIONS Overall, MLK treatment produced a significant neuroprotective effect by reducing neuroinflammation assessed by immunofluorescence and preserving regional brain metabolism and metabolic connectivity from QA-induced neurotoxicity in cortical and subcortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Tassan Mazzocco
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Medicine and Surgery Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Murtaj
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Medicine and Surgery Department, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Roberta Schellino
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini" and Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Angela Coliva
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Toninelli
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vercelli
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini" and Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federico Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sara Belloli
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), CNR, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Moresco
- Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (IRCCS), Milan, Italy.
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), CNR, Milan, Italy.
- Technomed Foundation and Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
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Motaghinejad M, Motevalian M. Neuroprotective Properties of Minocycline Against Methylphenidate-Induced Neurodegeneration: Possible Role of CREB/BDNF and Akt/GSK3 Signaling Pathways in Rat Hippocampus. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:689-713. [PMID: 35446003 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-021-00454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a side effect of methylphenidate (MPH), and minocycline possesses neuroprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of minocycline against methylphenidate-induced neurodegeneration mediated by signaling pathways of CREB/BDNF and Akt/GSK3. Seven groups of seventy male rats were randomly distributed in seven groups (n = 10). Group 1 received 0.7 ml/rat of normal saline (i.p.), and group 2 was treated with MPH (10 mg/kg, i.p.). Groups 3, 4, 5, and 6 were simultaneously administered MPH (10 mg/kg) and minocycline (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 days. Minocycline alone (40 mg/kg, i.p.) was administrated to group 7. Open field test (OFT) (on day 22), forced swim test (FST) (on day 24), and elevated plus maze (on day 26) were conducted to analyze the mood-related behaviors; hippocampal oxidative stress, inflammatory, and apoptotic parameters, as well as the levels of protein kinase B (Akt-1), glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were also assessed. Furthermore, localization of total CREB, Akt, and GSK3 in the DG and CA1 areas of the hippocampus were measured using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Histological changes in the mentioned areas were also evaluated. Minocycline treatment inhibited MPH-induced mood disorders and decreased lipid peroxidation, oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), alpha tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), Bax, and GSK3 levels. In the contrary, it increased the levels of reduced form of glutathione (GSH), Bcl-2, CREB, BDNF, and Akt-1 and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in the experimental animals' hippocampus. IHC data showed that minocycline also improved the localization and expression of CREB and Akt positive cells and decreased the GSK3 positive cells in the DG and CA1 regions of the hippocampus of MPH-treated rats. Minocycline also inhibited MPH-induced changes of hippocampal cells' density and shape in both DG and CA1 areas of the hippocampus. According to obtained data, it can be concluded that minocycline probably via activation of the P-CREB/BDNF or Akt/GSK3 signaling pathway can confer its neuroprotective effects against MPH-induced neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Motaghinejad
- Razi Drug Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Shahid Hemmat High way, Iran Univ. Med. Sci., P.O. Box 14496-14525, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Manijeh Motevalian
- Razi Drug Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Shahid Hemmat High way, Iran Univ. Med. Sci., P.O. Box 14496-14525, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Hemmat High way, Iran Univ. Med. Sci., P.O. Box 14496-14525, Tehran, Iran.
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5
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Verma MK, Goel R, Nandakumar K, Nemmani KV. Bilateral quinolinic acid-induced lipid peroxidation, decreased striatal monoamine levels and neurobehavioral deficits are ameliorated by GIP receptor agonist D-Ala 2 GIP in rat model of Huntington's disease. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 828:31-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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6
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Feng W, Wang Y, Liu ZQ, Zhang X, Han R, Miao YZ, Qin ZH. Microglia activation contributes to quinolinic acid-induced neuronal excitotoxicity through TNF-α. Apoptosis 2018; 22:696-709. [PMID: 28315174 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-017-1363-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
It has been reported that activation of NF-κB is involved in excitotoxicity; however, it is not fully understood how NF-κB contributes to excitotoxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate if NF-κB contributes to quinolinic acid (QA)-mediated excitotoxicity through activation of microglia. In the cultured primary cortical neurons and microglia BV-2 cells, the effects of QA on cell survival, NF-κB expression and cytokines production were investigated. The effects of BV-2-conditioned medium (BCM) on primary cortical neurons were examined. The effects of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of NF-κB, and minocycline (MC), an inhibitor of microglia activation, on QA-induced excitotoxicity were assessed. QA-induced NF-κB activation and TNF-α secretion, and the roles of TNF-α in excitotoxicity were studied. QA at the concentration below 1 mM had no apparent toxic effects on cultured primary neurons or BV-2 cells. However, addition of QA-primed BCM to primary neurons did aggravate QA-induced excitotoxicity. The exacerbation of QA-induced excitotoxicity by BCM was partially ameliorated by inhibiting NF-κB and microglia activation. QA induced activation of NF-κB and upregulation of TNF-α in BV-2 cells. Addition of recombinant TNF-α mimicked QA-induced excitotoxic effects on neurons, and neutralizing TNF-α with specific antibodies partially abolished exacerbation of QA-induced excitotoxicity by BCM. These studies suggested that QA activated microglia and upregulated TNF-α through NF-κB pathway in microglia. The microglia-mediated inflammatory pathway contributed, at least in part, to QA-induced excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Feng
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Zi-Qi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Rong Han
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - You-Zhu Miao
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Zheng-Hong Qin
- Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases (SZS0703), College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the medium spiny projection neurons of the neostriatum degenerate early in the course of the disease. While genetic mutant models of HD provide an excellent resource for studying the molecular and cellular effects of the inherited polyQ huntingtin mutation, they do not typically present with overt atrophy of the basal ganglia, despite this being a major pathophysiological hallmark of the disease. By contrast, excitotoxic lesion models, which use quinolinic acid to specifically target the striatal projection neurons, are employed to study the functional consequences of striatal atrophy and to investigate potential therapeutic interventions that target the neuronal degeneration. This chapter provides a detailed guide to the generation of excitotoxic lesion models of HD in rats.
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8
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Tartaglione AM, Popoli P, Calamandrei G. Regenerative medicine in Huntington's disease: Strengths and weaknesses of preclinical studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:32-47. [PMID: 28223129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by impairment in motor, cognitive and psychiatric domains. Currently, there is no specific therapy to act on the onset or progression of HD. The marked neuronal death observed in HD is a main argument in favour of stem cells (SCs) transplantation as a promising therapeutic perspective to replace the population of lost neurons and restore the functionality of the damaged circuitry. The availability of rodent models of HD encourages the investigation of the restorative potential of SCs transplantation longitudinally. However, the results of preclinical studies on SCs therapy in HD are so far largely inconsistent; this hampers the individuation of the more appropriate model and precludes the comparative analysis of transplant efficacy on behavioural end points. Thus, this review will describe the state of the art of in vivo research on SCs therapy in HD, analysing in a translational perspective the strengths and weaknesses of animal studies investigating the therapeutic potential of cell transplantation on HD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Tartaglione
- Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - P Popoli
- National Centre for Medicines Research and Preclinical/Clinical Evaluation, Rome, Italy
| | - G Calamandrei
- Centre for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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9
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Tartaglione AM, Armida M, Potenza RL, Pezzola A, Popoli P, Calamandrei G. Aberrant self-grooming as early marker of motor dysfunction in a rat model of Huntington's disease. Behav Brain Res 2016; 313:53-57. [PMID: 27374158 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the study of neurodegenerative diseases, rodent models provide experimentally accessible systems to study multiple pathogenetic aspects. The identification of early and robust behavioural changes is crucial to monitoring disease progression and testing potential therapeutic strategies in animals. Consistent experimental data support the translational value of rodent self-grooming as index of disturbed motor functions and perseverative behaviour patterns in different rodent models of brain disorders. Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by severe degeneration of basal ganglia, cognitive and psychiatric impairments and motor abnormalities. In the rat species, intrastriatal injection of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA) mimics some of the neuroanatomical and behavioural changes found in HD, including the loss of GABAergic neurons and the appearance of motor and cognitive deficits. We show here that striatal damage induced by unilateral QA injection in dorsal striatum of rats triggers aberrant grooming behaviour as early as three weeks post-lesion in absence of other motor impairments: specifically, both quantitative (frequency and duration) and qualitative (the sequential pattern of movements) features of self-grooming behaviour were significantly altered in QA-lesioned rats placed in either the elevated plus-maze and the open-field. The consistent abnormalities in self-grooming recorded in two different experimental contexts support the use of this behavioural marker in rodent models of striatal damage such as HD, to assess the potential effects of drug and cell replacement therapy in the early stage of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Tartaglione
- Unit of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Armida
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Luisa Potenza
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pezzola
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Popoli
- Unit of Central Nervous System Pharmacology, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicine Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Calamandrei
- Unit of Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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10
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Kalueff AV, Stewart AM, Song C, Berridge KC, Graybiel AM, Fentress JC. Neurobiology of rodent self-grooming and its value for translational neuroscience. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 17:45-59. [PMID: 26675822 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2015.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 482] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Self-grooming is a complex innate behaviour with an evolutionarily conserved sequencing pattern and is one of the most frequently performed behavioural activities in rodents. In this Review, we discuss the neurobiology of rodent self-grooming, and we highlight studies of rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders--including models of autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder--that have assessed self-grooming phenotypes. We suggest that rodent self-grooming may be a useful measure of repetitive behaviour in such models, and therefore of value to translational psychiatry. Assessment of rodent self-grooming may also be useful for understanding the neural circuits that are involved in complex sequential patterns of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan V Kalueff
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.,Neuroscience Research Laboratory, ZENEREI Research Center, Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg 199034, Russia.,Institutes of Chemical Technologies and Natural Sciences, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- Neuroscience Research Laboratory, ZENEREI Research Center, Slidell, Louisiana 70458, USA
| | - Cai Song
- Research Institute of Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada.,Graduate Institute of Neural Cognitive Science, China Medical University, Taichung 000001, Taiwan
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 525E University Str, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Ann M Graybiel
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - John C Fentress
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada
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11
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Kuzdas-Wood D, Fellner L, Premstaller M, Borm C, Bloem B, Kirik D, Wenning GK, Stefanova N. Overexpression of α-synuclein in oligodendrocytes does not increase susceptibility to focal striatal excitotoxicity. BMC Neurosci 2015; 16:86. [PMID: 26627686 PMCID: PMC4667489 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-015-0227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disease characterized by α-synuclein (α-syn) positive oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions. The latter are associated with a neuronal multisystem neurodegeneration targeting central autonomic, olivopontocerebellar and striatonigral pathways, however the underlying mechanisms of neuronal cell death are poorly understood. Previous experiments have shown that oligodendroglial α-syn pathology increases the susceptibility to mitochondrial stress and proteasomal dysfunction leading to enhanced MSA-like neurodegeneration. Here we analyzed whether oligodendroglial α-syn overexpression in a transgenic mouse model of MSA synergistically interacts with focal neuronal excitotoxic damage generated by a striatal injection of quinolinic acid (QA) to affect the degree of striatal neuronal loss. Results QA injury led to comparable striatal neuronal loss and optical density of astro- and microgliosis in the striatum of transgenic and control mice. Respectively, no differences were identified in drug-induced rotation behavior or open field behavior between the groups. Conclusions The failure of oligodendroglial α-syn pathology to exacerbate striatal neuronal loss resulting from QA excitotoxicity contrasts with enhanced striatal neurodegeneration due to oxidative or proteolytic stress, suggesting that enhanced vulnerability to excitotoxicity does not occur in oligodendroglial α-synucleinopathy like MSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Kuzdas-Wood
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 66/G2, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Lisa Fellner
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 66/G2, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Melanie Premstaller
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 66/G2, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Carlijn Borm
- Department of Neurology, Parkinson Center Nijmegen (ParC), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Bastiaan Bloem
- Department of Neurology, Parkinson Center Nijmegen (ParC), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Deniz Kirik
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, BMC D11, Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems (BRAINS), Lund University, Klinikgatan 32, 22184, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Gregor K Wenning
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 66/G2, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Nadia Stefanova
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 66/G2, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
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12
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Macrì S, Ceci C, Proietti Onori M, Invernizzi RW, Bartolini E, Altabella L, Canese R, Imperi M, Orefici G, Creti R, Margarit I, Magliozzi R, Laviola G. Mice repeatedly exposed to Group-A β-Haemolytic Streptococcus show perseverative behaviors, impaired sensorimotor gating, and immune activation in rostral diencephalon. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13257. [PMID: 26304458 PMCID: PMC4548234 DOI: 10.1038/srep13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated exposure to Group-A β-Haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) may constitute a vulnerability factor in the onset and course of pediatric motor disturbances. GAS infections/colonization can stimulate the production of antibodies, which may cross the blood brain barrier, target selected brain areas (e.g. basal ganglia), and exacerbate motor alterations. Here, we exposed developing SJL male mice to four injections with a GAS homogenate and evaluated the following domains: motor coordination; general locomotion; repetitive behaviors; perseverative responses; and sensorimotor gating (pre-pulse inhibition, PPI). To demonstrate that behavioral changes were associated with immune-mediated brain alterations, we analyzed, in selected brain areas, the presence of infiltrates and microglial activation (immunohistochemistry), monoamines (HPLC), and brain metabolites (in vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy). GAS-exposed mice showed increased repetitive and perseverative behaviors, impaired PPI, and reduced concentrations of serotonin in prefrontal cortex, a brain area linked to the behavioral domains investigated, wherein they also showed remarkable elevations in lactate. Active inflammatory processes were substantiated by the observation of infiltrates and microglial activation in the white matter of the anterior diencephalon. These data support the hypothesis that repeated GAS exposure may elicit inflammatory responses in brain areas involved in motor control and perseverative behavior, and result in phenotypic abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Macrì
- Sect. Behavioural Neuroscience, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Chiara Ceci
- Sect. Behavioural Neuroscience, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Martina Proietti Onori
- Sect. Behavioural Neuroscience, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Erika Bartolini
- Research Centre, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Luisa Altabella
- Sect. Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Rossella Canese
- Sect. Molecular and Cellular Imaging, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Monica Imperi
- Sect. Respiratory and Systemic Bacterial Diseases, Dept. of Infectious, Parasitic, and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Graziella Orefici
- Sect. Respiratory and Systemic Bacterial Diseases, Dept. of Infectious, Parasitic, and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Roberta Creti
- Sect. Respiratory and Systemic Bacterial Diseases, Dept. of Infectious, Parasitic, and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Immaculada Margarit
- Research Centre, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Roberta Magliozzi
- Sect. Demyelinating and Inflammatory Diseases of the CNS, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Giovanni Laviola
- Sect. Behavioural Neuroscience, Dept. Cell Biology &Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Roma, Italy
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13
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Hosseini M, Moghadas M, Edalatmanesh MA, Hashemzadeh MR. Xenotransplantation of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells in a rodent model of Huntington’s disease: motor and non-motor outcomes. Neurol Res 2014; 37:309-19. [DOI: 10.1179/1743132814y.0000000456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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14
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Pierozan P, Fernandes CG, Dutra MF, Pandolfo P, Ferreira F, de Lima BO, Porciúncula L, Wajner M, Pessoa-Pureur R. Biochemical, histopathological and behavioral alterations caused by intrastriatal administration of quinolic acid to young rats. FEBS J 2014; 281:2061-73. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Pierozan
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Carolina G. Fernandes
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Márcio F. Dutra
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Embriologia e Genética; Centro Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Florianópolis SC Brasil
| | - Pablo Pandolfo
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
- Departamento de Neurobiologia; Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal Fluminense; Niterói RJ Brasil
| | - Fernanda Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Bárbara O. de Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Lisiane Porciúncula
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Moacir Wajner
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
| | - Regina Pessoa-Pureur
- Departamento de Bioquímica; Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde; UFRGS; Porto Alegre RS Brasil
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Van Camp N, Blockx I, Camón L, de Vera N, Verhoye M, Veraart J, Van Hecke W, Martínez E, Soria G, Sijbers J, Planas AM, Van der Linden A. A complementary diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-histological study in a model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:945-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Revised: 06/30/2010] [Accepted: 07/03/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Campolongo P, Ratano P, Manduca A, Scattoni ML, Palmery M, Trezza V, Cuomo V. The endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 differentially modulates recognition memory in rats depending on environmental aversiveness. Front Behav Neurosci 2012; 6:11. [PMID: 22454620 PMCID: PMC3308193 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid compounds may influence both emotional and cognitive processes depending on the level of environmental aversiveness at the time of drug administration. However, the mechanisms responsible for these responses remain to be elucidated. The present experiments investigated the effects induced by the endocannabinoid transport inhibitor AM404 (0.5-5 mg/kg, i.p.) on both emotional and cognitive performances of rats tested in a Spatial Open Field task and subjected to different experimental settings, named High Arousal (HA) and Low Arousal (LA) conditions. The two different experimental conditions influenced emotional reactivity independently of drug administration. Indeed, vehicle-treated rats exposed to the LA condition spent more time in the center of the arena than vehicle-treated rats exposed to the HA context. Conversely, the different arousal conditions did not affect the cognitive performances of vehicle-treated animals such as the capability to discriminate a spatial displacement of the objects or an object substitution. AM404 administration did not alter locomotor activity or emotional behavior of animals exposed to both environmental conditions. Interestingly, AM404 administration influenced the cognitive parameters depending on the level of emotional arousal: it impaired the capability of rats exposed to the HA condition to recognize a novel object while it did not induce any impairing effect in rats exposed to the LA condition. These findings suggest that drugs enhancing endocannabinoid signaling induce different effects on recognition memory performance depending on the level of emotional arousal induced by the environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Campolongo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
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Casteels C, Martinez E, Bormans G, Camon L, de Vera N, Baekelandt V, Planas AM, Van Laere K. Type 1 cannabinoid receptor mapping with [18F]MK-9470 PET in the rat brain after quinolinic acid lesion: a comparison to dopamine receptors and glucose metabolism. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2010; 37:2354-63. [PMID: 20680268 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-010-1574-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Several lines of evidence imply early alterations in metabolic, dopaminergic and endocannabinoid neurotransmission in Huntington's disease (HD). Using [18F]MK-9470 and small animal PET, we investigated cerebral changes in type 1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor binding in the quinolinic acid (QA) rat model of HD in relation to glucose metabolism, dopamine D2 receptor availability and amphetamine-induced turning behaviour. METHODS Twenty-one Wistar rats (11 QA and 10 shams) were investigated. Small animal PET acquisitions were conducted on a Focus 220 with approximately 18 MBq of [18F]MK-9470, [18F]FDG and [11C]raclopride. Relative glucose metabolism and parametric CB1 receptor and D2 binding images were anatomically standardized to Paxinos space and analysed voxel-wise using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM2). RESULTS In the QA model, [18F]MK-9470 uptake, glucose metabolism and D2 receptor binding were reduced in the ipsilateral caudate-putamen by 7, 35 and 77%, respectively (all p<2.10(-5)), while an increase for these markers was observed on the contralateral side (>5%, all p<7.10(-4)). [18F]MK-9470 binding was also increased in the cerebellum (p=2.10(-5)), where it was inversely correlated to the number of ipsiversive turnings (p=7.10(-6)), suggesting that CB1 receptor upregulation in the cerebellum is related to a better functional outcome. Additionally, glucose metabolism was relatively increased in the contralateral hippocampus, thalamus and sensorimotor cortex (p=1.10(-6)). CONCLUSION These data point to in vivo changes in endocannabinoid transmission, specifically for CB1 receptors in the QA model, with involvement of the caudate-putamen, but also distant regions of the motor circuitry, including the cerebellum. These data also indicate the occurrence of functional plasticity on metabolism, D2 and CB1 neurotransmission in the contralateral hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Casteels
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Shemesh N, Sadan O, Melamed E, Offen D, Cohen Y. Longitudinal MRI and MRSI characterization of the quinolinic acid rat model for excitotoxicity: peculiar apparent diffusion coefficients and recovery of N-acetyl aspartate levels. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2010; 23:196-206. [PMID: 19950122 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Quinolinic acid (QA) induced striatal lesion is an important model for excitotoxicity that is also used for efficacy studies. To date, the morphological and spectroscopic indices of this model have not been studied longitudinally by MRI; therefore the objectives of this study were aimed at following the lesion progression and changes in N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) as viewed by MRI and MRSI, respectively, in-vivo over a period of 49 days. We found that the affected areas exhibited both high and low apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) even 49 days post QA injection in three of the six tested animals. MRI-guided histological analysis correlated areas characterized by high ADCs on day 49 with cellular loss, while areas characterized by lower ADCs were correlated with macrophage infiltration (CD68 positive stain). Our MRSI study revealed an initial reduction of NAA levels in the lesioned striatum, which significantly recovered with time, although not to control levels. Total-striatum normalized NAA levels recovered from 0.67 +/- 0.15 (of the contralateral row) on day 1 to 0.90 +/- 0.12 on day 49. Our findings suggest that NAA should be considered as a marker for neuronal dysfunction, in addition to neuronal viability. Some behavioral indices could be correlated to permanent neuronal damage while others demonstrated a spontaneous recovery parallel to the NAA recovery. Our findings may have implications in efficacy-oriented studies performed on the QA model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Shemesh
- School of Chemistry, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel
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Velloso NA, Dalmolin GD, Gomes GM, Rubin MA, Canas PM, Cunha RA, Mello CF. Spermine improves recognition memory deficit in a rodent model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2009; 92:574-80. [PMID: 19632348 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2009.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2008] [Revised: 07/14/2009] [Accepted: 07/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with motor and cognitive impairment. Intrastriatal administration of quinolinic acid (QA) causes neurodegeneration, glial proliferation and cognitive impairment in animals, which are similar to these seen in human HD. Since polyamines improve memory in cognitive tasks, we now tested if the post-training intrastriatal administration of spermine, an agonist of the polyamine site at the NMDA receptor, reverses the deficits in the object recognition task induced by QA. Bilateral striatal injections of QA (180 or 360 nmol/site) caused object recognition impairment, neuronal death and reactive astrogliosis. A single injection of spermine (0.1 and 1 nmol/site), 5 days after QA injection, reversed QA-induced impairment of object recognition task. Spermine (0.1 nmol/site) also inhibited QA-induced reactive astrogliosis measured by a semi-quantitative determination of GFAP immunolabelling, but did not alter neuronal death, measured by a semi-quantitative determination of fluoro-Jade C staining. These results suggest that polyamine binding sites may be considered a novel therapeutic target to prevent reactive astrogliosis and mnemonic deficits in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nádia A Velloso
- Department of Chemistry, Center of Exact and Natural Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
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20
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A trouble shared is a trouble halved: social context and status affect pain in mouse dyads. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4143. [PMID: 19129917 PMCID: PMC2613518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2008] [Accepted: 11/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In mice behavioral response to pain is modulated by social status. Recently, social context also has been shown to affect pain sensitivity. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of interaction between status and social context in dyads of outbred CD-1 male mice in which the dominance/submission relationship was stable. Mice were assessed for pain response in a formalin (1% concentration) test either alone (individually tested-IT), or in pairs of dominant and subordinate mice. In the latter condition, they could be either both injected (BI) or only one injected (OI) with formalin. We observed a remarkable influence of social context on behavioral response to painful stimuli regardless of the social status of the mice. In the absence of differences between OI and IT conditions, BI mice exhibited half as much Paw-licking behavior than OI group. As expected, subordinates were hypoalgesic in response to the early phase of the formalin effects compared to dominants. Clear cut-differences in coping strategies of dominants and subordinates appeared. The former were more active, whereas the latter were more passive. Finally, analysis of behavior of the non-injected subjects (the observers) in the OI dyads revealed that dominant observers were more often involved in Self-grooming behavior upon observation of their subordinate partner in pain. This was not the case for subordinate mice observing the pain response of their dominant partner. In contrast, subordinate observers Stared at the dominant significantly more frequently compared to observer dominants in other dyads. The observation of a cagemate in pain significantly affected the observer's behavior. Additionally, the quality of observer's response was also modulated by the dominance/submission relationship.
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Moresco RM, Lavazza T, Belloli S, Lecchi M, Pezzola A, Todde S, Matarrese M, Carpinelli A, Turolla E, Zimarino V, Popoli P, Malgaroli A, Fazio F. Quinolinic acid induced neurodegeneration in the striatum: a combined in vivo and in vitro analysis of receptor changes and microglia activation. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2007; 35:704-15. [PMID: 18080815 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-007-0651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2007] [Accepted: 11/04/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterised by prominent neuronal cell loss in the basal ganglia with motor and cognitive disturbances. One of the most well-studied pharmacological models of HD is produced by local injection in the rat brain striatum of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA), which produces many of the distinctive features of this human neurodegenerative disorder. Here, we report a detailed analysis, obtained both in vivo and in vitro of this pharmacological model of HD. MATERIALS AND METHODS By combining emission tomography (PET) with autoradiographic and immunocytochemical confocal laser techniques, we quantified in the QA-injected striatum the temporal behavior (from 1 to 60 days from the excitotoxic insult) of neuronal cell density and receptor availability (adenosine A(2A) and dopamine D(2) receptors) together with the degree of microglia activation. RESULTS Both approaches showed a loss of adenosine A(2A) and dopamine D(2) receptors paralleled by an increase of microglial activation. CONCLUSION This combined longitudinal analysis of the disease progression, which suggested an impairment of neurotransmission, neuronal integrity and a reversible activation of brain inflammatory processes, might represent a more quantitative approach to compare the differential effects of treatments in slowing down or reversing HD in rodent models with potential applications to human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Moresco
- IBFM-CNR, University of Milan Bicocca, Nuclear Medicine Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy.
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22
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Pintor A, Tebano MT, Martire A, Grieco R, Galluzzo M, Scattoni ML, Pèzzola A, Coccurello R, Felici F, Cuomo V, Piomelli D, Calamandrei G, Popoli P. The cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 attenuates the effects induced by quinolinic acid in the rat striatum. Neuropharmacology 2006; 51:1004-12. [PMID: 16895732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2006.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2006] [Revised: 05/15/2006] [Accepted: 06/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ability of CB(1) receptors to regulate the release of glutamate in the striatum, together with the finding that, in experimental models of Huntington disease (HD), both endocannabinoid levels and CB(1) receptor densities are reduced, has prompted the investigation on the neuroprotective role of the cannabinoids in HD. Quinolinic acid (QA) is an excitotoxin that, when injected in the rat striatum reproduces many features of HD and that acts by stimulating glutamate outflow. The aim of the present study was to test the ability of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 to prevent the effects induced by QA in the rat striatum. In microdialysis experiments, probe perfusion with WIN 55,212-2 significantly and dose-dependently prevented the increase in extracellular glutamate induced by QA. In electrophysiological recordings in corticostriatal slices, the application of WIN 55,212-2 prevented QA-induced reduction of the field potential amplitude. Both effects of WIN 55,212-2 were prevented by the CB(1) receptor antagonist AM 251. In in vivo experiments, intrastriatal WIN 55,212-2 significantly attenuated the striatal damage induced by QA, although no significant effects were observed on a behavioural ground. These data demonstrate that the stimulation of CB(1) receptors might lead to neuroprotective effects against excitotoxic striatal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pintor
- Department of Drug Research and Evaluation, Central Nervous System Pharmacology Division, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Klivenyi P, Bende Z, Hartai Z, Penke Z, Nemeth H, Toldi J, Vecsei L. Behaviour changes in a transgenic model of Huntington's disease. Behav Brain Res 2006; 169:137-41. [PMID: 16443291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2005] [Revised: 12/21/2005] [Accepted: 01/02/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder, caused by an expanded polyglutamine region of a protein called huntingtin with unknown function. Transgenic mice expressing the N-terminal of huntingtin, containing 82 glutamines, exhibit a progressive disorder, which resembles to the human disease. In this study, we tested the longitudinal behaviour changes in this transgenic line in open-field and elevated-plus-maze tests. The motor performance deteriorated at 12 weeks of age and the disease progressed as indicated by the decreased total distance covered, the decreased mean velocity and the decreased exploratory behaviour. The level of anxiety was unchanged in transgenic mice as compared with their littermate controls. The motor deterioration was similar to that in other Huntington's disease models, while the level of anxiety was different. These tests are suitable means of following the progression of the disease and useful for studies of the effects of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Klivenyi
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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