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Olivares-Berjaga D, Martínez-Pinteño A, Rodríguez N, Madero S, Prohens L, Martínez-Serrano I, Mas S, Morén C, Parellada E, Gassó P. Effects of the PAM of mGluR2, JNJ-46356479, on brain apoptotic protein levels in a mouse model of schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 131:110955. [PMID: 38296154 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Current treatment for schizophrenia (SZ) ameliorates the positive symptoms, but is inefficient in treating the negative and cognitive symptoms. The SZ glutamatergic dysfunction hypothesis has opened new avenues in the development of novel drugs targeting the glutamate storm, an inducer of progressive neuropathological changes. Positive allosteric modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2), such as JNJ-46356479 (JNJ), reduce the presynaptic release of glutamate, which has previously been demonstrated to attenuate glutamate- and dopamine-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cell cultures. We hypothesised that JNJ treatment would modify the brain levels of apoptotic proteins in a mouse model of ketamine (KET)-induced schizophrenia. We analysed the levels of proapoptotic (caspase-3 and Bax) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2) proteins by western blot in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of JNJ-treated mice. JNJ attenuated apoptosis in the brain by partially restoring the levels of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein, which is significantly reduced in animals exposed to KET. Additionally, a significant inverse correlation was observed between proapoptotic protein levels and behavioural deficits in the mice. Our findings suggest that JNJ may attenuate brain apoptosis in vivo, as previously described in cell cultures, providing a link between neuropathological deficits and SZ symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Albert Martínez-Pinteño
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Natalia Rodríguez
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Santiago Madero
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Llucía Prohens
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Sergi Mas
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| | - Constanza Morén
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Spain.
| | - Eduard Parellada
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit (BCSU), Dpt. of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Patricia Gassó
- Dept. of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
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