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Wang X, Yang J, Huang P, Wang D, Zhang Z, Zhou Z, Liang L, Yao R, Yang L. Cytisine: State of the art in pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 171:116210. [PMID: 38271893 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytisine is a naturally occurring bioactive compound, an alkaloid mainly isolated from legume plants. In recent years, various biological activities of cytisine have been explored, showing certain effects in smoking cessation, reducing drinking behavior, anti-tumor, cardiovascular protection, blood sugar regulation, neuroprotection, osteoporosis prevention and treatment, etc. At the same time, cytisine has the advantages of high efficiency, safety, and low cost, has broad development prospects, and is a drug of great application value. However, a summary of cytisine's biological activities is currently lacking. Therefore, this paper summarizes the pharmacological action, mechanism, and pharmacokinetics of cytisine by referring to numerous databases, and analyzes the new and core targets of cytisine with the help of computer simulation technology, to provide reference for doctors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezhen Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Jiaming Yang
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Peifeng Huang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Dong Wang
- The First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Zehua Zhou
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Leiqin Liang
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
| | - Rongmei Yao
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
| | - Long Yang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China; Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China; School of Public Health, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
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Tan J, Zhang G, Hao J, Cai H, Wu D, Su Z, Liu B, Wu M. Progress in the application of molecular imaging in psychiatric disorders. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad020. [PMID: 38666107 PMCID: PMC10917387 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders have always attracted a lot of attention from researchers due to the difficulties in their diagnoses and treatments. Molecular imaging, as an emerging technology, has played an important role in the researchers of various diseases. In recent years, molecular imaging techniques including magnetic resonance spectroscopy, nuclear medicine imaging, and fluorescence imaging have been widely used in the study of psychiatric disorders. This review will briefly summarize the progression of molecular imaging in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Tan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guangying Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Banan People's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Jiaqi Hao
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huawei Cai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Laboratory of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dingping Wu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhuoxiao Su
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Beibei Liu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
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Mineur YS, Picciotto MR. How can I measure brain acetylcholine levels in vivo? Advantages and caveats of commonly used approaches. J Neurochem 2023; 167:3-15. [PMID: 37621094 PMCID: PMC10616967 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15943] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) plays a central role in the regulation of multiple cognitive and behavioral processes, including attention, learning, memory, motivation, anxiety, mood, appetite, and reward. As a result, understanding ACh dynamics in the brain is essential for elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying these processes. In vivo measurements of ACh in the brain have been challenging because of the low concentrations and rapid turnover of this neurotransmitter. Here, we review a number of techniques that have been developed to measure ACh levels in the brain in vivo. We follow this with a deeper focus on use of genetically encoded fluorescent sensors coupled with fiber photometry, an accessible technique that can be used to monitor neurotransmitter release with high temporal resolution and specificity. We conclude with a discussion of methods for analyzing fiber photometry data and their respective advantages and disadvantages. The development of genetically encoded fluorescent ACh sensors is revolutionizing the field of cholinergic signaling, allowing temporally precise measurement of ACh release in awake, behaving animals. Use of these sensors has already begun to contribute to a mechanistic understanding of cholinergic modulation of complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S. Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3 Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3 Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
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Abdulla ZI, Mineur YS, Crouse RB, Etherington IM, Yousuf H, Na JJ, Picciotto MR. Acetylcholine signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates the ability to learn an active avoidance response following learned helplessness training. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.23.559126. [PMID: 37790481 PMCID: PMC10542494 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.23.559126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Increased brain levels of acetylcholine (ACh) are observed in subsets of patients with depression and increasing ACh levels chronically can precipitate stress-related behaviors in humans and animals. Conversely, optimal ACh levels are required for cognition and memory. We hypothesize that ACh signaling is important for encoding both appetitive and stress-relevant memories, but that excessive increases in ACh result in a negative encoding bias in which memory formation of a stressful event is aberrantly strengthened, potentially contributing to the excessive focus on negative experience that could lead to depressive symptoms. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical to control the limbic system to filter exteroceptive cues and stress-related circuits. We therefore evaluated the role of ACh signaling in the mPFC in a learned helplessness task in which mice were exposed to repeated inescapable stressors followed by an active avoidance task. Using fiber photometry with a genetically-encoded ACh sensor, we found that ACh levels in the mPFC during exposure to inescapable stressors were positively correlated with later escape deficits in an active avoidance test in males, but not females. Consistent with these measurements, we found that both pharmacologically- and chemogenetically-induced increases in mPFC ACh levels resulted in escape deficits in both male and female mice, whereas chemogenetic inhibition of ACh neurons projecting to the mPFC improved escape performance in males, but impaired escape performance in females. These results highlight the adaptive role of ACh release in stress response, but also support the idea that sustained elevated ACh levels contribute to maladaptive behaviors. Furthermore, mPFC ACh signaling may contribute to depressive symptomology differentially in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuhair I. Abdulla
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | - Yann S. Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | | | | | - Hanna Yousuf
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | | | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
- Yale University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale
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Ortega MA, Álvarez-Mon MA, García-Montero C, Fraile-Martínez Ó, Monserrat J, Martinez-Rozas L, Rodríguez-Jiménez R, Álvarez-Mon M, Lahera G. Microbiota-gut-brain axis mechanisms in the complex network of bipolar disorders: potential clinical implications and translational opportunities. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2645-2673. [PMID: 36707651 PMCID: PMC10615769 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01964-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar disorders (BD) represent a severe leading disabling mental condition worldwide characterized by episodic and often progressive mood fluctuations with manic and depressive stages. The biological mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of BD remain incompletely understood, but it seems that there is a complex picture of genetic and environmental factors implicated. Nowadays, gut microbiota is in the spotlight of new research related to this kind of psychiatric disorder, as it can be consistently related to several pathophysiological events observed in BD. In the context of the so-called microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, it is shown to have a strong influence on host neuromodulation and endocrine functions (i.e., controlling the synthesis of neurotransmitters like serotonin or mediating the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), as well as in modulation of host immune responses, critically regulating intestinal, systemic and brain inflammation (neuroinflammation). The present review aims to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms derived from the MGB axis disruption and possible therapeutic approaches mainly focusing on gut microbiota in the complex network of BD. Understanding the mechanisms of gut microbiota and its bidirectional communication with the immune and other systems can shed light on the discovery of new therapies for improving the clinical management of these patients. Besides, the effect of psychiatric drugs on gut microbiota currently used in BD patients, together with new therapeutical approaches targeting this ecosystem (dietary patterns, probiotics, prebiotics, and other novelties) will also be contemplated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Ortega
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Miguel Angel Álvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cielo García-Montero
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar Fraile-Martínez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Monserrat
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Martinez-Rozas
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Jiménez
- Department of Legal Medicine and Psychiatry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Health Research 12 de Octubre Hospital, (Imas 12)/CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Mental Health), Madrid, Spain
| | - Melchor Álvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology, Oncology Service an Internal Medicine, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias (CIBEREHD), Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Psychiatry Service, Center for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Guillermo Lahera
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Psychiatry Service, Center for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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Terry AV, Jones K, Bertrand D. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Pharmacol Res 2023; 191:106764. [PMID: 37044234 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are widely distributed both pre- and post-synaptically in the mammalian brain. By modulating cation flux across cell membranes, neuronal nAChRs regulate neuronal excitability and the release of a variety of neurotransmitters to influence multiple physiologic and behavioral processes including synaptic plasticity, motor function, attention, learning and memory. Abnormalities of neuronal nAChRs have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurologic disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and Tourette´s syndrome, as well as psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. The potential role of nAChRs in a particular illness may be indicated by alterations in the expression of nAChRs in relevant brain regions, genetic variability in the genes encoding for nAChR subunit proteins, and/or clinical or preclinical observations where specific ligands showed a therapeutic effect. Over the past 25 years, extensive preclinical and some early clinical evidence suggested that ligands at nAChRs might have therapeutic potential for neurologic and psychiatric disorders. However, to date the only approved indications for nAChR ligands are smoking cessation and the treatment of dry eye disease. It has been argued that progress in nAChR drug discovery has been limited by translational gaps between the preclinical models and the human disease as well as unresolved questions regarding the pharmacological goal (i.e., agonism, antagonism or receptor desensitization) depending on the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin V Terry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, 30912.
| | - Keri Jones
- Educational Innovation Institute, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, 30912
| | - Daniel Bertrand
- HiQScreen Sàrl, 6, rte de Compois, 1222 Vésenaz, Geneva, Switzerland
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Mineur YS, Soares AR, Etherington IM, Abdulla ZI, Picciotto MR. Pathophysiology of nAChRs: limbic circuits and related disorders. Pharmacol Res 2023; 191:106745. [PMID: 37011774 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Human epidemiological studies have identified links between nicotine intake and stress disorders, including anxiety, depression and PTSD. Here we review the clinical evidence for activation and desensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) relevant to affective disorders. We go on to describe clinical and preclinical pharmacological studies suggesting that nAChR function may be involved in the etiology of anxiety and depressive disorders, may be relevant targets for medication development, and may contribute to the antidepressant efficacy of non-nicotinic therapeutics. We then review what is known about nAChR function in a subset of limbic system areas (amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex), and how this contributes to stress-relevant behaviors in preclinical models that may be relevant to human affective disorders. Taken together, the preclinical and clinical literature point to a clear role for ACh signaling through nAChRs in regulation of behavioral responses to stress. Disruption of nAChR homeostasis is likely to contribute to the psychopathology observed in anxiety and depressive disorders. Targeting specific nAChRs may therefore be a strategy for medication development to treat these disorders or to augment the efficacy of current therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | - Ian M Etherington
- Department of Psychiatry, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
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Kan HW, Peng WH, Wu CC, Wang DW, Lee MT, Lee YK, Chu TH, Ho YC. Rapid antidepressant-like effects of muscarinic receptor antagonists require BDNF-dependent signaling in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3805-3818. [PMID: 36221037 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06250-1] [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: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Clinical reports reveal that scopolamine, an acetylcholine muscarinic receptor antagonist, exerts rapid antidepressant effects in depressed patients, but the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects have not been fully identified. OBJECTIVES The present study examines the cellular mechanisms by which scopolamine produces antidepressant-like effects through its action in the ventrolateral midbrain periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). METHODS We used a well-established mouse model of depression induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS) exposure for 14 days. Behaviors were tested using the forced swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), female urine sniffing test (FUST), novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), and locomotor activity (LMA). Synaptic transmission in the vlPAG was measured by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. IntravlPAG microinjection was used to pharmacologically verify the signaling cascades of scopolamine in the vlPAG. RESULTS The results demonstrated that intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine produced antidepressant-like effects in a dose-dependent manner without affecting locomotor activity. CRS elicited depression-like behaviors, whereas intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine alleviated CRS-induced depression-like behaviors. CRS diminished glutamatergic transmission in the vlPAG, while scopolamine reversed the above effects. Moreover, intravlPAG microinjection of the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) blocker verapamil, tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor antagonist ANA-12, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor rapamycin, and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPA) antagonist CNQX prevented scopolamine-induced antidepressant-like effects. CONCLUSIONS Scopolamine ameliorated CRS-elicited depression-like behavior required activation of VDCC, resulting in activity-dependent release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), engaging the TrkB receptor and downstream mTORC1 signaling in the vlPAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Wei Kan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wei-Hao Peng
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China.,School of Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Chun Wu
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, No.8, Yida Rd., Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Deng-Wu Wang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, No.8, Yida Rd., Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China.,Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ming Tatt Lee
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yung-Kuo Lee
- Medical Laboratory, Medical Education and Research Center, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung City, 80284, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Tian-Huei Chu
- Medical Laboratory, Medical Education and Research Center, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung City, 80284, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yu-Cheng Ho
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, No.8, Yida Rd., Yanchao District, Kaohsiung City, 82445, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Innervation Induces Depression-Like Behaviors Through Ventral Subiculum Hyperactivation. Neurosci Bull 2022; 39:617-630. [PMID: 36342657 PMCID: PMC10073402 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00962-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMalfunction of the ventral subiculum (vSub), the main subregion controlling the output connections from the hippocampus, is associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). Although the vSub receives cholinergic innervation from the medial septum and diagonal band of Broca (MSDB), whether and how the MSDB-to-vSub cholinergic circuit is involved in MDD is elusive. Here, we found that chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) induced depression-like behaviors with hyperactivation of vSub neurons, measured by c-fos staining and whole-cell patch-clamp recording. By retrograde and anterograde tracing, we confirmed the dense MSDB cholinergic innervation of the vSub. In addition, transient restraint stress in CUMS increased the level of ACh in the vSub. Furthermore, chemogenetic stimulation of this MSDB-vSub innervation in ChAT-Cre mice induced hyperactivation of vSub pyramidal neurons along with depression-like behaviors; and local infusion of atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, into the vSub attenuated the depression-like behaviors induced by chemogenetic stimulation of this pathway and CUMS. Together, these findings suggest that activating the MSDB-vSub cholinergic pathway induces hyperactivation of vSub pyramidal neurons and depression-like behaviors, revealing a novel circuit underlying vSub pyramidal neuronal hyperactivation and its associated depression.
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10
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Mineur YS, Mose TN, Vanopdenbosch L, Etherington IM, Ogbejesi C, Islam A, Pineda CM, Crouse RB, Zhou W, Thompson DC, Bentham MP, Picciotto MR. Hippocampal acetylcholine modulates stress-related behaviors independent of specific cholinergic inputs. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1829-1838. [PMID: 34997190 PMCID: PMC9106825 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01404-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) levels are elevated in actively depressed subjects. Conversely, antagonism of either nicotinic or muscarinic ACh receptors can have antidepressant effects in humans and decrease stress-relevant behaviors in rodents. Consistent with a role for ACh in mediating maladaptive responses to stress, brain ACh levels increase in response to stressful challenges, whereas systemically blocking acetylcholinesterase (AChE, the primary ACh degradative enzyme) elicits depression-like symptoms in human subjects, and selectively blocking AChE in the hippocampus increases relevant behaviors in rodents. We used an ACh sensor to characterize stress-evoked ACh release, then used chemogenetic, optogenetic and pharmacological approaches to determine whether cholinergic inputs from the medial septum/diagonal bands of Broca (MSDBB) or ChAT-positive neurons intrinsic to the hippocampus mediate stress-relevant behaviors in mice. Chemogenetic inhibition or activation of MSDBB cholinergic neurons did not result in significant behavioral effects, while inhibition attenuated the behavioral effects of physostigmine. In contrast, optogenetic stimulation of septohippocampal terminals or selective chemogenetic activation of ChAT-positive inputs to hippocampus increased stress-related behaviors. Finally, stimulation of sparse ChAT-positive hippocampal neurons increased stress-related behaviors in one ChAT-Cre line, which were attenuated by local infusion of cholinergic antagonists. These studies suggest that ACh signaling results in maladaptive behavioral responses to stress if the balance of signaling is shifted toward increased hippocampal engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Tenna N Mose
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Laura Vanopdenbosch
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Ian M Etherington
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Chika Ogbejesi
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Ashraful Islam
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Cristiana M Pineda
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Richard B Crouse
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Wenliang Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - David C Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Matthew P Bentham
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
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11
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Walczak-Nowicka ŁJ, Herbet M. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Role of Acetylcholinesterase in their Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9290. [PMID: 34502198 PMCID: PMC8430571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases by influencing the inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress and aggregation of pathological proteins. There is a search for new compounds that can prevent the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases and slow down their course. The aim of this review is to present the role of AChE in the pathomechanism of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, this review aims to reveal the benefits of using AChE inhibitors to treat these diseases. The selected new AChE inhibitors were also assessed in terms of their potential use in the described disease entities. Designing and searching for new drugs targeting AChE may in the future allow the discovery of therapies that will be effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariola Herbet
- Chair and Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8bStreet, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
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12
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Gibbons A, McPherson K, Gogos A, Dean B. An investigation into nicotinic receptor involvement in mood disorders uncovers novel depression candidate genes. J Affect Disord 2021; 288:154-160. [PMID: 33895417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously reported reduced expression of the cholinergic autoreceptor CHRM2 in Brodmann's Area (BA) 24 of the anterior cingulate cortex from subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), consistent with a hypercholinergic state. This led us to investigate whether levels of the high affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are also altered in BA 24. METHODS We measured the binding levels of a high-affinity nicotinic receptor-selective radioligand, [3H]epibatidine, in BA 24 from subjects with MDD (n = 20), BD (n = 18) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 20). We used qPCR to measure mRNA expression of the high affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit CHRNB2 in these subjects. RESULTS [3H]Epibatidine binding density and CHRNB2 mRNA expression were not significantly altered in either MDD or BD compared to control levels. While validating reference genes for our qPCR experiments, we found that the mRNA levels of 3 putative reference genes, TFB1M, PPIA and SNCA, were increased in MDD but not BD compared to controls. Further investigations in other cortical regions showed that these changes were specific to BA24. LIMITATIONS Cohort size and available patient data were limited due to standard constraints associated with post-mortem studies. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that decreased CHRM2 in BA24 in mood disorders is not associated with a corresponding change in high affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression. Our findings of increased TFB1M, PPIA and SNCA expression in MDD point to a broader derangement of several homeostatic pathways in MDD that are distinct from BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gibbons
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Kate McPherson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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13
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Smart K, Naganawa M, Baldassarri SR, Nabulsi N, Ropchan J, Najafzadeh S, Gao H, Navarro A, Barth V, Esterlis I, Cosgrove KP, Huang Y, Carson RE, Hillmer AT. PET Imaging Estimates of Regional Acetylcholine Concentration Variation in Living Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2787-2798. [PMID: 33442731 PMCID: PMC8355478 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa387] [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: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) has distinct functional roles in striatum compared with cortex, and imbalance between these systems may contribute to neuropsychiatric disease. Preclinical studies indicate markedly higher ACh concentrations in the striatum. The goal of this work was to leverage positron emission tomography (PET) imaging estimates of drug occupancy at cholinergic receptors to explore ACh variation across the human brain, because these measures can be influenced by competition with endogenous neurotransmitter. PET scans were analyzed from healthy human volunteers (n = 4) and nonhuman primates (n = 2) scanned with the M1-selective radiotracer [11C]LSN3172176 in the presence of muscarinic antagonist scopolamine, and human volunteers (n = 10) scanned with the α4β2* nicotinic ligand (-)-[18F]flubatine during nicotine challenge. In all cases, occupancy estimates within striatal regions were consistently lower (M1/scopolamine human scans, 31 ± 3.4% occupancy in striatum, 43 ± 2.9% in extrastriatal regions, p = 0.0094; nonhuman primate scans, 42 ± 26% vs. 69 ± 28%, p < 0.0001; α4β2*/nicotine scans, 67 ± 15% vs. 74 ± 16%, p = 0.0065), indicating higher striatal ACh concentration. Subject-level measures of these concentration differences were estimated, and whole-brain images of regional ACh concentration gradients were generated. These results constitute the first in vivo estimates of regional variation in ACh concentration in the living brain and offer a novel experimental method to assess potential ACh imbalances in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Smart
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Stephen R Baldassarri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jim Ropchan
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - Hong Gao
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | | | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Yale PET Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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14
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Abstract
Tobacco smoking results in more than five million deaths each year and accounts for ∼90% of all deaths from lung cancer.3 Nicotine, the major reinforcing component of tobacco smoke, acts in the brain through the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs are allosterically regulated, ligand-gated ion channels consisting of five membrane-spanning subunits. Twelve mammalian α subunits (α2-α10) and three β subunits (β2-β4) have been cloned. The predominant nAChR subtypes in mammalian brain are those containing α4 and β2 subunits (denoted as α4β2* nAChRs). The α4β2* nAChRs mediate many behaviors related to nicotine addiction and are the primary targets for currently approved smoking cessation agents. Considering the large number of nAChR subunits in the brain, it is likely that nAChRs containing subunits in addition to α4 and β2 also play a role in tobacco smoking. Indeed, genetic variation in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster, encoding the α5, α3, and β4 nAChR subunits, respectively, has been shown to increase vulnerability to tobacco dependence and smoking-associated diseases including lung cancer. Moreover, mice, in which expression of α5 or β4 subunits has been genetically modified, have profoundly altered patterns of nicotine consumption. In addition to the reinforcing properties of nicotine, the effects of nicotine on appetite, attention, and mood are also thought to contribute to establishment and maintenance of the tobacco smoking habit. Here, we review recent insights into the behavioral actions of nicotine, and the nAChR subtypes involved, which likely contribute to the development of tobacco dependence in smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
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15
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Arias HR, Targowska-Duda KM, García-Colunga J, Ortells MO. Is the Antidepressant Activity of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Mediated by Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors? Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082149. [PMID: 33917953 PMCID: PMC8068400 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally assumed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) induce antidepressant activity by inhibiting serotonin (5-HT) reuptake transporters, thus elevating synaptic 5-HT levels and, finally, ameliorates depression symptoms. New evidence indicates that SSRIs may also modulate other neurotransmitter systems by inhibiting neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are recognized as important in mood regulation. There is a clear and strong association between major depression and smoking, where depressed patients smoke twice as much as the normal population. However, SSRIs are not efficient for smoking cessation therapy. In patients with major depressive disorder, there is a lower availability of functional nAChRs, although their amount is not altered, which is possibly caused by higher endogenous ACh levels, which consequently induce nAChR desensitization. Other neurotransmitter systems have also emerged as possible targets for SSRIs. Studies on dorsal raphe nucleus serotoninergic neurons support the concept that SSRI-induced nAChR inhibition decreases the glutamatergic hyperstimulation observed in stress conditions, which compensates the excessive 5-HT overflow in these neurons and, consequently, ameliorates depression symptoms. At the molecular level, SSRIs inhibit different nAChR subtypes by noncompetitive mechanisms, including ion channel blockade and induction of receptor desensitization, whereas α9α10 nAChRs, which are peripherally expressed and not directly involved in depression, are inhibited by competitive mechanisms. According to the functional and structural results, SSRIs bind within the nAChR ion channel at high-affinity sites that are spread out between serine and valine rings. In conclusion, SSRI-induced inhibition of a variety of nAChRs expressed in different neurotransmitter systems widens the complexity by which these antidepressants may act clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo R. Arias
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tahlequah, OK 74464, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-918-525-6324; Fax: +1-918-280-2515
| | | | - Jesús García-Colunga
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Campus Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro 76230, Mexico;
| | - Marcelo O. Ortells
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Morón, CONICET, Morón 1708, Argentina;
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16
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Feng K, Law S, Ravindran N, Chen GF, Ma XY, Bo X, Zhang XQ, Shen CY, Li J, Wang Y, Liu XM, Sun JJ, Hu S, Liu PZ. Differentiating between bipolar and unipolar depression using prefrontal activation patterns: Promising results from functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) findings. J Affect Disord 2021; 281:476-484. [PMID: 33373907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar depression (BD) is a unique, severe and prevalent mental illness that shares many similarities in symptoms with unipolar depression (UD). Improving precision of their diagnoses would enhance treatment outcome and prognosis for both conditions. This study aims to provide evidence from functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a potential tool to differentiate UD and BD based on their differences in hemodynamic change in the prefrontal cortex during verbal fluency tasks (VFT). METHODS We enrolled 179 participants with clinically confirmed diagnoses, including 69 UD patients, 68 BD patients and 42 healthy controls(HC). Every participant was assessed using a 45-channel fNIRS and various clinical scales. FINDINGS Compared with HC, region-specific fNIR leads show UD patients had significant lower hemodynamic activation in 4 particular pre-frontal regions: 1) the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), 2) orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), 3) bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and 4) left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In contrast, BD vs. HC comparisons showed only significant lower hemodynamic activation in the LIFG area. Furthermore, compared to BD patients, UD patients showed decreased hemodynamic activation changes in the VLPFC region. CONCLUSION Our results show significant frontal lobe activation pattern differences between UD and BD groups. fNIRS can be a potential tool to increase diagnostic precision for these conditions. In particular, the VLPFC area holds promise to be a useful site for such differentiation for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Feng
- School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China.
| | - Samuel Law
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Gui-Fang Chen
- School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China
| | - Xiang-Yun Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Bo
- YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China
| | | | - Chen-Yu Shen
- YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China
| | - Juan Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Xiao-Min Liu
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Shuang Hu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Po-Zi Liu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; YuQuan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 10000 China.
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Mineur YS, Picciotto MR. The role of acetylcholine in negative encoding bias: Too much of a good thing? Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:114-125. [PMID: 31821620 PMCID: PMC7282966 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Optimal acetylcholine (ACh) signaling is important for sustained attention and facilitates learning and memory. At the same time, human and animal studies have demonstrated increased levels of ACh in the brain during depressive episodes and increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and reactivity to stress when ACh breakdown is impaired. While it is possible that the neuromodulatory roles of ACh in cognitive and affective processes are distinct, one possibility is that homeostatic levels of ACh signaling are necessary for appropriate learning, but overly high levels of cholinergic signaling promote encoding of stressful events, leading to the negative encoding bias that is a core symptom of depression. In this review, we outline this hypothesis and suggest potential neural pathways and underlying mechanisms that may support a role for ACh signaling in negative encoding bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S. Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3 Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3 Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
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18
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Guidi J, Fava GA. The emerging role of euthymia in psychotherapy research and practice. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 82:101941. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Converging evidence that short-active photoperiod increases acetylcholine signaling in the hippocampus. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:1173-1183. [PMID: 32794101 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00824-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal variations in environmental light influence switches between moods in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar disorder (BD), with depression arising during short active (SA) winter periods. Light-induced changes in behavior are also seen in healthy animals and are intensified in mice with reduced dopamine transporter expression. Specifically, decreasing the nocturnal active period (SA) of mice increases punishment perseveration and forced swim test (FST) immobility. Elevating acetylcholine with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine induces depression symptoms in people and increases FST immobility in mice. We used SA photoperiods and physostigmine to elevate acetylcholine prior to testing in a probabilistic learning task and the FST, including reversing subsequent deficits with nicotinic and scopolamine antagonists and targeted hippocampal adeno-associated viral administration. We confirmed that physostigmine also increases punishment sensitivity in a probabilistic learning paradigm. In addition, muscarinic and nicotinic receptor blockade attenuated both physostigmine-induced and SA-induced phenotypes. Finally, viral-mediated hippocampal expression of human AChE used to lower ACh levels blocked SA-induced elevation of FST immobility. These results indicate that increased hippocampal acetylcholine neurotransmission is necessary for the expression of SA exposure-induced behaviors. Furthermore, these studies support the potential for cholinergic treatments in depression. Taken together, these results provide evidence for hippocampal cholinergic mechanisms in contributing to seasonally depressed affective states induced by short day lengths.
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20
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Predicted Cellular and Molecular Actions of Lithium in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: An In Silico Study. CNS Drugs 2020; 34:521-533. [PMID: 32306228 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-020-00723-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lithium remains the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), but patients respond to it variably. While a myriad of studies have attributed many genes and signaling pathways to lithium responsiveness, a comprehensive study with an integrated conclusion is still lacking. OBJECTIVE We aim to present an integrated mechanism for the therapeutic actions of lithium in BD. METHODS First, a list of lithium responsiveness-associated genes (LRAGs) was collected by searching in the literature. Thereafter, gene set enrichment analysis together with gene-gene interaction network analysis was performed, in order to find the cellular and molecular events related to the LRAGs. RESULTS Gene set enrichment analyses showed that the chromosomal regions 3p26, 4p21, 5q34 and 7p13 could be novel associated loci for lithium responsiveness in BD. Also, expression pattern analysis of the LRAGs showed their enrichment in adulthood stages and different cell lineages of brain, blood and immune system. Most of the LRAGs exhibited enriched expression in central parts of human brain, suggesting major contribution of these parts in lithium responsiveness. Beside the prediction of several biological processes and signaling pathways related to lithium responsiveness, an interaction network between these processes was constructed that was found to be regulated by a set of microRNAs. Proteins of the network were mainly classified as transcription factors and kinases, which also highlighted the crucial role of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in lithium responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS The predicted cellular and molecular events in this study could be considered as mechanisms and also determinants of lithium responsiveness in BD.
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21
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Abstract
Psychiatrists often consider the positive characteristics displayed by a patient in their clinical judgment, yet current assessment and treatment strategies are shifted on the side of psychological dysfunction. Euthymia is a transdiagnostic construct referring to the presence of positive affects and psychological well-being, i.e., balance and integration of psychic forces (flexibility), a unifying outlook on life which guides actions and feelings for shaping future accordingly (consistency), and resistance to stress (resilience and tolerance to anxiety or frustration). There is increasing evidence that the evaluation of euthymia and its components has major clinical implications. Specific instruments (clinical interviews and questionnaires) may be included in a clinimetric assessment strategy encompassing macro-analysis and staging. The pursuit of euthymia cannot be conceived as a therapeutic intervention for specific mental disorders, but as a transdiagnostic strategy to be incorporated in an individualized therapeutic plan. A number of psychotherapeutic techniques aiming to enhance positive affects and psychological well-being (such as well-being therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy) have been developed and validated in randomized controlled clinical trials. The findings indicate that flourishing and resilience can be promoted by specific interventions leading to a positive evaluation of one's self, a sense of continuing growth and development, the belief that life is purposeful and meaningful, satisfaction with one's relations with others, the capacity to manage effectively one's life, and a sense of self-determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni A Fava
- Department of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jenny Guidi
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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22
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α7 nicotinic receptor full agonist reverse basolateral amygdala hyperactivity and attenuation of dopaminergic neuron activity in rats exposed to chronic mild stress. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1343-1353. [PMID: 31615702 PMCID: PMC6934081 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging and preclinical studies showing that nicotinic receptors (nAChR) may play a role in mood control has increased interest in targeting the cholinergic system for treatment of major depressive disorder. Indeed, modulation of nAChRs in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are sufficient to produce an anti-immobility effect in the mouse tail suspension test. However, how α7 nAChR modulation impacts BLA neuronal activity in vivo as well as the downstream mechanisms involved in its mood-related effects are not understood. In this work, we used the unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS) model to investigate the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effect of an α7 nAChR full agonist on BLA-induced changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to four weeks of CMS. Behavioral and electrophysiological experiments were performed within one week following stress. CMS exposure increased rats' immobility time in the forced swimming test, decreased the number of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area and increased the firing rate of putative projection neurons in the BLA. Stress-induced behavioral and electrophysiological changes were reversed by a single systemic administration of PNU282987. In summary, our findings corroborate previous descriptions of a potential rapid antidepressant effect for the α7 nAChR full agonist. This effect appears to involve a mechanism distinct from those of classic antidepressants: normalization of BLA hyperactivity and, consequently, of DA hypofunction. These observations corroborate the role of α7 nAChR as a potential target for novel antidepressant drug development.
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23
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Bambico FR, Li Z, Creed M, De Gregorio D, Diwan M, Li J, McNeill S, Gobbi G, Raymond R, Nobrega JN. A Key Role for Prefrontocortical Small Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels in Stress Adaptation and Rapid Antidepressant Response. Cereb Cortex 2019; 30:1559-1572. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist scopolamine elicits rapid antidepressant activity, but its underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In a chronic stress model, a single low-dose administration of scopolamine reversed depressive-like reactivity. This antidepressant-like effect was mediated via a muscarinic M1 receptor–SKC pathway because it was mimicked by intra-medial prefrontal cortex (intra-mPFC) infusions of scopolamine, of the M1 antagonist pirenzepine or of the SKC antagonist apamin, but not by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant fluoxetine. Extracellular and whole-cell recordings revealed that scopolamine and ketamine attenuate the SKC-mediated action potential hyperpolarization current and rapidly enhance mPFC neuronal excitability within the therapeutically relevant time window. The SKC agonist 1-EBIO abrogated scopolamine-induced antidepressant activity at a dose that completely suppressed burst firing activity. Scopolamine also induced a slow-onset activation of raphe serotonergic neurons, which in turn was dependent on mPFC-induced neuroplasticity or excitatory input, since mPFC transection abolished this effect. These early behavioral and mPFC activational effects of scopolamine did not appear to depend on prefrontocortical brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin-1A activity, classically linked to SSRIs, and suggest a novel mechanism associated with antidepressant response onset through SKC-mediated regulation of activity-dependent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Rodriguez Bambico
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Zhuoliang Li
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Meaghan Creed
- Département des Neurosciences Fondamentales & Service de Neurologie, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Danilo De Gregorio
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Mustansir Diwan
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Jessica Li
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Sean McNeill
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Roger Raymond
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - José N Nobrega
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
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24
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Dulawa SC, Janowsky DS. Cholinergic regulation of mood: from basic and clinical studies to emerging therapeutics. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:694-709. [PMID: 30120418 PMCID: PMC7192315 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0219-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders are highly prevalent and are the leading cause of disability worldwide. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying depression remain poorly understood, although theories regarding dysfunction within various neurotransmitter systems have been postulated. Over 50 years ago, clinical studies suggested that increases in central acetylcholine could lead to depressed mood. Evidence has continued to accumulate suggesting that the cholinergic system has a important role in mood regulation. In particular, the finding that the antimuscarinic agent, scopolamine, exerts fast-onset and sustained antidepressant effects in depressed humans has led to a renewal of interest in the cholinergic system as an important player in the neurochemistry of major depression and bipolar disorder. Here, we synthesize current knowledge regarding the modulation of mood by the central cholinergic system, drawing upon studies from human postmortem brain, neuroimaging, and drug challenge investigations, as well as animal model studies. First, we describe an illustrative series of early discoveries which suggest a role for acetylcholine in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Then, we discuss more recent studies conducted in humans and/or animals which have identified roles for both acetylcholinergic muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in different mood states, and as targets for novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C. Dulawa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego,Corresponding author: Stephanie Dulawa, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mailcode 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA ()
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Interaction between noradrenergic and cholinergic signaling in amygdala regulates anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2118-2125. [PMID: 29472646 PMCID: PMC6098039 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Medications that target the noradrenergic system are important therapeutics for depression and anxiety disorders. More recently, clinical studies have shown that the α2-noradrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonist guanfacine can decrease stress-induced smoking relapse during acute abstinence, suggesting that targeting the noradrenergic system may aid in smoking cessation through effects on stress pathways in the brain. Acetylcholine (ACh), like the nicotine in tobacco, acts at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) to regulate behaviors related to anxiety and depression. We therefore investigated interactions between guanfacine and ACh signaling in tests of anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy in female and male C57BL/6J mice, focusing on the amygdala as a potential site of noradrenergic/cholinergic interaction. The antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine were blocked by shRNA-mediated knockdown of α2AR in amygdala. Knockdown of the high-affinity β2 nAChR subunit in amygdala also prevented antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine, suggesting that these behavioral effects require ACh signaling through β2-containing nAChRs in this brain area. Ablation of NE terminals prevented the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of the nicotinic partial agonist cytisine, whereas administration of the cholinesterase antagonist physostigmine induced a depression-like phenotype that was not altered by knocking down α2AR in the amygdala. These studies suggest that ACh and NE have opposing actions on behaviors related to anxiety and depression and that cholinergic signaling through β2-containing nAChRs and noradrenergic signaling through α2a receptors in neurons of the amygdala are critical for regulation of these behaviors.
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26
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Schafer M, Kim JW, Joseph J, Xu J, Frangou S, Doucet GE. Imaging Habenula Volume in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:456. [PMID: 30319463 PMCID: PMC6165901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The habenula (Hb), a bilateral nucleus located next to the dorsomedial thalamus, is of particular relevance to psychiatric disorders based on preclinical evidence linking the Hb to depressive and amotivational states. However, studies in clinical samples are scant because segmentation of the Hb in neuroimaging data is challenging due to its small size and low contrast from the surrounding tissues. Negative affective states dominate the clinical course of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and represent a major cause of disability. Diagnosis-related alterations in the volume of Hb in these disorders have therefore been hypothesized but remain largely untested. To probe this question, we used a recently developed objective and reliable semi-automated Hb segmentation method based on myelin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We ascertained case-control differences in Hb volume from high resolution structural MRI data obtained from patients with schizophrenia (n = 95), bipolar disorder (n = 44) and demographically matched healthy individuals (n = 52). Following strict quality control of the MRI data, the final sample comprised 68 patients with schizophrenia, 32 with bipolar disorder and 40 healthy individuals. Regardless of diagnosis, age, sex, and IQ were not correlated with Hb volume. This was also the case for age of illness onset and medication (i.e., antipsychotic dose and lithium-treatment status). Case-control differences in Hb volume did not reach statistical significance; their effect size (Cohen's d) was negligible on the left (schizophrenia: 0.14; bipolar disorder: -0.03) and small on the right (schizophrenia: 0.34; bipolar disorder: 0.26). Nevertheless, variability in the volume of the right Hb was associated with suicidality in the entire patient sample (ρ = 0.29, p = 0.004) as well as in each patient group (bipolar disorder: ρ = 0.34, p = 0.04; schizophrenia: ρ = 0.25, p = 0.04). These findings warrant replication in larger samples and longitudinal designs and encourage more comprehensive characterization of Hb connectivity and function in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Schafer
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joo-Won Kim
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joshmi Joseph
- Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Junqian Xu
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sophia Frangou
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gaelle E Doucet
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Pharmacologic activation of cholinergic alpha7 nicotinic receptors mitigates depressive-like behavior in a mouse model of chronic stress. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:234. [PMID: 29197398 PMCID: PMC5712092 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-1007-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It has been shown that chronic stress-induced depression is associated with exaggerated inflammatory response in the brain. Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) regulate the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, but the role of cholinergic signaling and α7nAChR in chronic stress has not yet been examined. Methods In this study, we used a well-documented model of depression in which mice were exposed to 6 h of restraint stress for 21 consecutive days. Components of cholinergic signaling and TLR4 signaling were analyzed in the hippocampus. The main targets of neuroinflammation and neuronal damage were also evaluated after a series of tests for depression-like behavior. Results Chronic restraint stress (CRS) induced alterations in components of central cholinergic signaling in hippocampus, including increases in choline acetyltransferase protein expression and decreases in nuclear STAT3 signaling. CRS also increased TLR4 signaling activity, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α expression, microglial activation, and neuronal morphologic changes. Cholinergic stimulation with the α7nAChR agonist DMXBA significantly alleviated CRS-induced depressive-like behavior, neuroinflammation, and neuronal damage, but these effects were abolished by the selective α7nAChR antagonist α-bungarotoxin. Furthermore, activation of α7nAChRs restored the central cholinergic signaling function, inhibited TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling and microglial activity, and increased the number of regulatory T cells in the hippocampus. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that α7nAChR activation mitigates CRS-induced neuroinflammation and cell death, suggesting that α7nAChRs could be a new therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of depression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-017-1007-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Bhatt S, Hillmer AT, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Lim K, Lin SF, Esterlis I, Carson RE, Huang Y, Cosgrove KP. Evaluation of (-)-[ 18 F]Flubatine-specific binding: Implications for reference region approaches. Synapse 2017; 72. [PMID: 29105121 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to characterize changes in binding of (-)-[18 F]Flubatine to α4 β2 *-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4 β2 *-nAChRs) during a tobacco cigarette smoking challenge. Displacement of (-)-[18 F]Flubatine throughout the brain was quantified as change in (-)-[18 F]Flubatine distribution volume (VT ), with particular emphasis on regions with low VT . Three tobacco smokers were imaged with positron emission tomography (PET) during a 210 min bolus-plus-constant infusion of (-)-[18 F]Flubatine. A tobacco cigarette was smoked in the PET scanner ∼125 min after the start of (-)-[18 F]Flubatine injection. Equilibrium analysis was used to estimate VT at baseline (90-120 min) and after cigarette challenge (180-210 min), at the time of greatest receptor occupancy by nicotine. Smoking reduced VT by 21 ± 9% (average ±SD) in corpus callosum, 17 ± 9% in frontal cortex, 36 ± 11% in cerebellum, and 22 ± 10% in putamen. The finding of displaceable (-)-[18 F]Flubatine binding throughout the brain is an important consideration for reference region-based quantification approaches with this tracer. We observed displacement of (-)-[18 F]Flubatine binding to α4 β2 *-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in corpus callosum by a tobacco cigarette challenge. We conclude that reference region approaches utilizing corpus callosum should first perform careful characterization of displaceable (-)-[18 F]Flubatine binding and nondisplaceable kinetics in this putative reference region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Bhatt
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - David Matuskey
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Keunpoong Lim
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shu-Fei Lin
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,West Haven VA Hospital, National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Richard E Carson
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,West Haven VA Hospital, National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut
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Beyer DKE, Freund N. Animal models for bipolar disorder: from bedside to the cage. Int J Bipolar Disord 2017; 5:35. [PMID: 29027157 PMCID: PMC5638767 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-017-0104-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is characterized by recurrent manic and depressive episodes. Patients suffering from this disorder experience dramatic mood swings with a wide variety of typical behavioral facets, affecting overall activity, energy, sexual behavior, sense of self, self-esteem, circadian rhythm, cognition, and increased risk for suicide. Effective treatment options are limited and diagnosis can be complicated. To overcome these obstacles, a better understanding of the neurobiology underlying bipolar disorder is needed. Animal models can be useful tools in understanding brain mechanisms associated with certain behavior. The following review discusses several pathological aspects of humans suffering from bipolar disorder and compares these findings with insights obtained from several animal models mimicking diverse facets of its symptomatology. Various sections of the review concentrate on specific topics that are relevant in human patients, namely circadian rhythms, neurotransmitters, focusing on the dopaminergic system, stressful environment, and the immune system. We then explain how these areas have been manipulated to create animal models for the disorder. Even though several approaches have been conducted, there is still a lack of adequate animal models for bipolar disorder. Specifically, most animal models mimic only mania or depression and only a few include the cyclical nature of the human condition. Future studies could therefore focus on modeling both episodes in the same animal model to also have the possibility to investigate the switch from mania-like behavior to depressive-like behavior and vice versa. The use of viral tools and a focus on circadian rhythms and the immune system might make the creation of such animal models possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik K. E. Beyer
- Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Nadja Freund
- Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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Roberts W, Verplaetse TL, Moore K, Oberleitner L, Picciotto MR, McKee SA. Effects of varenicline on alcohol self-administration and craving in drinkers with depressive symptoms. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:906-914. [PMID: 28351203 PMCID: PMC5823265 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117699618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Varenicline (VAR) is approved to aid in smoking cessation and has been shown to be effective for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers. Little is known, however, about treatment moderators that may influence efficacy. The current study reanalyzed data from a human laboratory study (Verplaetse et al., 2016) to determine whether VAR was more effective at reducing alcohol use among drinkers reporting symptoms of depression. Participants were 60 adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol use disorders ( n = 60) who were randomly assigned to receive VAR (1 mg/day, 2 mg/day) or placebo. Following 7 days of medication pretreatment, participants attended a laboratory testing session. They provided self-reported ratings of alcohol craving and performed an ad libitum alcohol consumption task after receiving a priming dose of alcohol (target blood alcohol concentration = 0.030 g/dL). Higher blood VAR plasma levels were associated with less alcohol craving and less drinking among participants with more depressive symptoms. Among participants with fewer depressive symptoms, VAR was associated with more drinking during the ad libitum drinking task. These findings show that depression symptoms may be a moderator of VAR efficacy in alcohol users and provides evidence for the role of nAChRs in depression and alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Roberts
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Kelly Moore
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Sherry A McKee
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
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31
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Muneer A. Mixed States in Bipolar Disorder: Etiology, Pathogenesis and Treatment. Chonnam Med J 2017; 53:1-13. [PMID: 28184334 PMCID: PMC5299125 DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2017.53.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 08/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bipolar disorder patients exhibit mixed affective states, which portend a generally more severe illness course and treatment resistance. In the previous renditions of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual mixed states were narrowly defined in the context of bipolar I disorder, but with the advent of DSM-5 the term “mixed episode” was dropped and replaced by “mixed features” specifier which could be broadly applied to manic, hypomanic and depressive episodes in both the bipolar spectrum and major depressive disorders. This paradigm shift reflected their significance in the prognosis and overall management of mood disorders, so that the clinicians should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the contemporary notions surrounding these conditions. The purpose of this manuscript is to bring to light the current conceptualizations regarding the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of mixed states. To achieve this goal, in June 2016 an extensive literature search was undertaken using the PubMed database. Some exploratory terms utilized included “mixed states”, “mixed episodes”, “switching”, “rapid cycling” cross referenced with “bipolar disorder”. Focusing on the most relevant and up to date studies, it was revealed that mixed states result from genetic susceptibility in the circadian and dopamine neurotransmission apparatuses and disturbance in the intricate catecholamine-acetylcholine neurotransmission balance which leads to mood fluctuations. The management of mixed states is challenging with atypical antipsychotics, newer anticonvulsants and electroconvulsive therapy emerging as the foremost treatment options. In conclusion, while progress has been made in the neurobiological understanding of mixed states, the currently available therapeutic modalities have only shown limited effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ather Muneer
- Islamic International Medical College, Riphah International University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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32
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Davis MT, Holmes SE, Pietrzak RH, Esterlis I. Neurobiology of Chronic Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders: Evidence from Molecular Imaging Studies. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547017710916. [PMID: 29862379 PMCID: PMC5976254 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017710916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress accounts for billions of dollars of economic loss annually in the United States alone, and is recognized as a major source of disability and mortality worldwide. Robust evidence suggests that chronic stress plays a significant role in the onset of severe and impairing psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Application of molecular imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography in recent years has begun to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which chronic stress confers risk for these disorders. The present paper provides a comprehensive review and synthesis of all positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography imaging publications focused on the examination of molecular targets in individuals with major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or bipolar disorder to date. Critical discussion of discrepant findings and broad strengths and weaknesses of the current body of literature is provided. Recommended future directions for the field of molecular imaging to further elucidate the neurobiological substrates of chronic stress-related disorders are also discussed. This article is part of the inaugural issue for the journal focused on various aspects of chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret T. Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sophie E. Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert H. Pietrzak
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National
Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT,
USA
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National
Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT,
USA
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Fava GA, Bech P. The Concept of Euthymia. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2016; 85:1-5. [PMID: 26610048 DOI: 10.1159/000441244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni A Fava
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Evaluation of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor-Associated Proteome at Baseline and Following Nicotine Exposure in Human and Mouse Cortex. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0166-16. [PMID: 27559543 PMCID: PMC4985585 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0166-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) support the initiation and maintenance of smoking, but the long-term changes occurring in the protein complex as a result of smoking and the nicotine in tobacco are not known. Human studies and animal models have also demonstrated that increasing cholinergic tone increases behaviors related to depression, suggesting that the nAChR-associated proteome could be altered in individuals with mood disorders. We therefore immunopurified nAChRs and associated proteins for quantitative proteomic assessment of changes in protein–protein interactions of high-affinity nAChRs containing the β2 subunit (β2*-nAChRs) from either cortex of mice treated with saline or nicotine, or postmortem human temporal cortex tissue from tobacco-exposed and nonexposed individuals, with a further comparison of diagnosed mood disorder to control subjects. We observed significant effects of nicotine exposure on the β2*-nAChR-associated proteome in human and mouse cortex, particularly in the abundance of the nAChR subunits themselves, as well as putative interacting proteins that make up core components of neuronal excitability (Na/K ATPase subunits), presynaptic neurotransmitter release (syntaxins, SNAP25, synaptotagmin), and a member of a known nAChR protein chaperone family (14-3-3ζ). These findings identify candidate-signaling proteins that could mediate changes in cholinergic signaling via nicotine or tobacco use. Further analysis of identified proteins will determine whether these interactions are essential for primary function of nAChRs at presynaptic terminals. The identification of differences in the nAChR-associated proteome and downstream signaling in subjects with various mood disorders may also identify novel etiological mechanisms and reveal new treatment targets.
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Hillmer AT, Esterlis I, Gallezot JD, Bois F, Zheng MQ, Nabulsi N, Lin SF, Papke RL, Huang Y, Sabri O, Carson RE, Cosgrove KP. Imaging of cerebral α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with (-)-[(18)F]Flubatine PET: Implementation of bolus plus constant infusion and sensitivity to acetylcholine in human brain. Neuroimage 2016; 141:71-80. [PMID: 27426839 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand (-)-[(18)F]flubatine is specific to α4β2(⁎) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and has promise for future investigation of the acetylcholine system in neuropathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders. The two goals of this work were to develop a simplified method for α4β2(⁎) nAChR quantification with bolus plus constant infusion (B/I) (-)-[(18)F]flubatine administration, and to assess the radioligand's sensitivity to acetylcholine fluctuations in humans. Healthy human subjects were imaged following either bolus injection (n=8) or B/I (n=4) administration of (-)-[(18)F]flubatine. The metabolite-corrected input function in arterial blood was measured. Free-fraction corrected distribution volumes (VT/fP) were estimated with modeling and graphical analysis techniques. Next, sensitivity to acetylcholine was assessed in two ways: 1. A bolus injection paradigm with two scans (n=6), baseline (scan 1) and physostigmine challenge (scan 2; 1.5mg over 60min beginning 5min prior to radiotracer injection); 2. A single scan B/I paradigm (n=7) lasting up to 240min with 1.5mg physostigmine administered over 60min beginning at 125min of radiotracer infusion. Changes in VT/fP were measured. Baseline VT/fP values were 33.8±3.3mL/cm(3) in thalamus, 12.9±1.6mL/cm(3) in cerebellum, and ranged from 9.8 to 12.5mL/cm(3) in other gray matter regions. The B/I paradigm with equilibrium analysis at 120min yielded comparable VT/fP values with compartment modeling analysis of bolus data in extrathalamic gray matter regions (regional means <4% different). Changes in VT/fP following physostigmine administration were small and most pronounced in cortical regions, ranging from 0.8 to 4.6% in the two-scan paradigm and 2.8 to 6.5% with the B/I paradigm. These results demonstrate the use of B/I administration for accurate quantification of (-)-[(18)F]flubatine VT/fP in 120min, and suggest possible sensitivity of (-)-[(18)F]flubatine binding to physostigmine-induced changes in acetylcholine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Hillmer
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - I Esterlis
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - J D Gallezot
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - F Bois
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - M Q Zheng
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - N Nabulsi
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - S F Lin
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - R L Papke
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Y Huang
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - O Sabri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - R E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - K P Cosgrove
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Multiple Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subtypes in the Mouse Amygdala Regulate Affective Behaviors and Response to Social Stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1579-87. [PMID: 26471256 PMCID: PMC4832019 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Electrophysiological and neurochemical studies implicate cholinergic signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in behaviors related to stress. Both animal studies and human clinical trials suggest that drugs that alter nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) activity can affect behaviors related to mood and anxiety. Clinical studies also suggest that abnormalities in cholinergic signaling are associated with major depressive disorder, whereas pre-clinical studies have implicated both β2 subunit-containing (β2*) and α7 nAChRs in the effects of nicotine in models of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. We therefore investigated whether nAChR signaling in the amygdala contributes to stress-mediated behaviors in mice. Local infusion of the non-competitive non-selective nAChR antagonist mecamylamine or viral-mediated downregulation of the β2 or α7 nAChR subunit in the amygdala all induced robust anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in several mouse behavioral models. Further, whereas α7 nAChR subunit knockdown was somewhat more effective at decreasing anxiety-like behavior, only β2 subunit knockdown decreased resilience to social defeat stress and c-fos immunoreactivity in the BLA. In contrast, α7, but not β2, subunit knockdown effectively reversed the effect of increased ACh signaling in a mouse model of depression. These results suggest that signaling through β2* nAChRs is essential for baseline excitability of the BLA, and a decrease in signaling through β2 nAChRs alters anxiety- and depression-like behaviors even in unstressed animals. In contrast, stimulation of α7 nAChRs by acetylcholine may mediate the increased depression-like behaviors observed during the hypercholinergic state observed in depressed individuals.
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Mineur YS, Bentham MP, Zhou WL, Plantenga ME, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine and sex-specific differences in effects on c-fos immunoreactivity and paired-pulse ratio in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3539-49. [PMID: 26146014 PMCID: PMC4561580 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The a2A-noradrenergic agonist guanfacine can decreases stress-induced smoking in female, but not male, human smokers. It is not known whether these effects are due to effects on mood regulation and/or result from nicotinic-cholinergic interactions. OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to determine whether there are sex differences in the effect of guanfacine in tests of anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy in mice at baseline and in a hypercholinergic model of depression induced by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine. METHODS The effects of guanfacine were measured in the light/dark box, tail suspension, and the forced swim test in female and male C57BL/6J mice. In parallel, electrophysiological properties were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex, a critical brain region involved in stress responses. c-fos immunoreactivity was measured in other brain regions known to regulate mood. RESULTS Despite a baseline sex difference in behavior in the forced swim test (female mice were more immobile), guanfacine had similar, dose-dependent, antidepressant-like effects in mice of both sexes (optimal dose, 0.15 mg/kg). An antidepressant-like effect of guanfacine was also observed following pre-treatment with physostigmine. A sex difference in the paired-pulse ratio in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (male, 1.4; female, 2.1) was observed at baseline that was normalized by guanfacine. Other brain areas involved in cholinergic control of depression-like behaviors, including the basolateral amygdala and lateral septum, showed sex-specific changes in c-fos expression. CONCLUSIONS Guanfacine has a robust antidepressant-like effect and can reverse a depression-like state induced by increased acetylcholine (ACh) signaling. These data suggest that different brain areas are recruited in female and male mice, despite similar behavioral responses to guanfacine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Marina R. Picciotto, Dept.
of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street – 3rd floor
research, New Haven, CT 06508, Phone: 203-737-2041; Fax: 203-737-2043;
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van Enkhuizen J, Milienne-Petiot M, Geyer MA, Young JW. Modeling bipolar disorder in mice by increasing acetylcholine or dopamine: chronic lithium treats most, but not all features. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:3455-67. [PMID: 26141192 PMCID: PMC4537820 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4000-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Bipolar disorder (BD) is a disabling and life-threatening disease characterized by states of depression and mania. New and efficacious treatments have not been forthcoming partly due to a lack of well-validated models representing both facets of BD. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that cholinergic- and dopaminergic-pharmacological manipulations would model depression and mania respectively, each attenuated by lithium treatment. METHODS C57BL/6 J mice received the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine or saline before testing for "behavioral despair" (immobility) in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). Physostigmine effects on exploration and sensorimotor gating were assessed using the cross-species behavioral pattern monitor (BPM) and prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigms. Other C57BL/6 J mice received chronic lithium drinking water (300, 600, or 1200 mg/l) before assessing their effects alone in the BPM or with physostigmine on FST performance. Another group was tested with acute GBR12909 (dopamine transporter inhibitor) and chronic lithium (1000 mg/l) in the BPM. RESULTS Physostigmine (0.03 mg/kg) increased immobility in the TST and FST without affecting activity, exploration, or PPI. Lithium (600 mg/l) resulted in low therapeutic serum concentrations and normalized the physostigmine-increased immobility in the FST. GBR12909 induced mania-like behavior in the BPM of which hyper-exploration was attenuated, though not reversed, after chronic lithium (1000 mg/ml). CONCLUSIONS Increased cholinergic levels induced depression-like behavior and hyperdopaminergia induced mania-like behavior in mice, while chronic lithium treated some, but not all, facets of these effects. These data support a cholinergic-monoaminergic mechanism for modeling BD aspects and provide a way to assess novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordy van Enkhuizen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Morgane Milienne-Petiot
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A. Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
| | - Jared W. Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
- Correspondence: Jared W. Young, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, California, 92093-0804, Tel: +1 619 543 3582, Fax: +1 619 735 9205,
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van Enkhuizen J, Geyer MA, Minassian A, Perry W, Henry BL, Young JW. Investigating the underlying mechanisms of aberrant behaviors in bipolar disorder from patients to models: Rodent and human studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 58:4-18. [PMID: 26297513 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric patients with bipolar disorder suffer from states of depression and mania, during which a variety of symptoms are present. Current treatments are limited and neurocognitive deficits in particular often remain untreated. Targeted therapies based on the biological mechanisms of bipolar disorder could fill this gap and benefit patients and their families. Developing targeted therapies would benefit from appropriate animal models which are challenging to establish, but remain a vital tool. In this review, we summarize approaches to create a valid model relevant to bipolar disorder. We focus on studies that use translational tests of multivariate exploratory behavior, sensorimotor gating, decision-making under risk, and attentional functioning to discover profiles that are consistent between patients and rodent models. Using this battery of translational tests, similar behavior profiles in bipolar mania patients and mice with reduced dopamine transporter activity have been identified. Future investigations should combine other animal models that are biologically relevant to the neuropsychiatric disorder with translational behavioral assessment as outlined here. This methodology can be utilized to develop novel targeted therapies that relieve symptoms for more patients without common side effects caused by current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordy van Enkhuizen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States; Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States.
| | - Arpi Minassian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States
| | - William Perry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States
| | - Brook L Henry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, United States; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
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Investigating the mechanism(s) underlying switching between states in bipolar disorder. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 759:151-62. [PMID: 25814263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a unique disorder that transcends domains of function since the same patient can exhibit depression or mania, states with polar opposite mood symptoms. During depression, people feel helplessness, reduced energy, and risk aversion, while with mania behaviors include grandiosity, increased energy, less sleep, and risk preference. The neural mechanism(s) underlying each state are gaining clarity, with catecholaminergic disruption seen during mania, and cholinergic dysfunction during depression. The fact that the same patient cycles/switches between these states is the defining characteristic of BD however. Of greater importance therefore, is the mechanism(s) underlying cycling from one state - and its associated neural changes - to another, considered the 'holy grail' of BD research. Herein, we review studies investigating triggers that induce switching to these states. By identifying such triggers, researchers can study neural mechanisms underlying each state and importantly how such mechanistic changes can occur in the same subject. Current animal models of this switch are also discussed, from submissive- and dominant-behaviors to kindling effects. Focus however, is placed on how seasonal changes can induce manic and depressive states in BD sufferers. Importantly, changing photoperiod lengths can induce local switches in neurotransmitter expression in normal animals, from increased catecholaminergic expression during periods of high activity, to increased somatostatin and corticotrophin releasing factor during periods of low activity. Identifying susceptibilities to this switch would enable the development of targeted animal models. From animal models, targeted treatments could be developed and tested that would minimize the likelihood of switching.
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Mineur YS, Einstein EB, Bentham MP, Wigestrand MB, Blakeman S, Newbold SA, Picciotto MR. Expression of the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor in the hippocampus is required for social stress resilience and the antidepressant-like effects induced by the nicotinic partial agonist cytisine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:938-46. [PMID: 25288485 PMCID: PMC4330507 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) blockers potentiate the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in some treatment-resistant patients; however, it is not known whether these effects are independent, or whether the two neurotransmitter systems act synergistically. We first determined that the SSRI fluoxetine and the nicotinic partial agonist cytisine have synergistic effects in a mouse model of antidepressant efficacy, whereas serotonin depletion blocked the effects of cytisine. Using a pharmacological approach, we found that the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT also potentiated the antidepressant-like effects of cytisine, suggesting that this subtype might mediate the interaction between the serotonergic and cholinergic systems. The 5-HT1A receptors are located both presynaptically and postsynaptically. We therefore knocked down 5-HT1A receptors in either the dorsal raphe (presynaptic autoreceptors) or the hippocampus (a brain area with high expression of 5-HT1A heteroreceptors sensitive to cholinergic effects on affective behaviors). Knockdown of 5-HT1A receptors in hippocampus, but not dorsal raphe, significantly decreased the antidepressant-like effect of cytisine. This study suggests that serotonin signaling through postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the hippocampus is critical for the antidepressant-like effects of a cholinergic drug and begins to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying interactions between the serotonergic and cholinergic systems related to mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emily B Einstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matthew P Bentham
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mattis B Wigestrand
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sam Blakeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sylvia A Newbold
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA, Tel: +203 737 2041, Fax: +203 737 2043, E-mail:
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Lim SAO, Kang UJ, McGehee DS. Striatal cholinergic interneuron regulation and circuit effects. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2014; 6:22. [PMID: 25374536 PMCID: PMC4204445 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The striatum plays a central role in motor control and motor learning. Appropriate responses to environmental stimuli, including pursuit of reward or avoidance of aversive experience all require functional striatal circuits. These pathways integrate synaptic inputs from limbic and cortical regions including sensory, motor and motivational information to ultimately connect intention to action. Although many neurotransmitters participate in striatal circuitry, one critically important player is acetylcholine (ACh). Relative to other brain areas, the striatum contains exceptionally high levels of ACh, the enzymes that catalyze its synthesis and breakdown, as well as both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor types that mediate its postsynaptic effects. The principal source of striatal ACh is the cholinergic interneuron (ChI), which comprises only about 1-2% of all striatal cells yet sends dense arbors of projections throughout the striatum. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the factors affecting the excitability of these neurons through acute effects and long term changes in their synaptic inputs. In addition, we discuss the physiological effects of ACh in the striatum, and how changes in ACh levels may contribute to disease states during striatal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Un Jung Kang
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel S McGehee
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA
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Esterlis I, Bois F, Pittman B, Picciotto MR, Shearer L, Anticevic A, Carlson J, Niciu M, Cosgrove KP, D’Souza DC, D'Souza DC. In vivo evidence for β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit upregulation in smokers as compared with nonsmokers with schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 76:495-502. [PMID: 24360979 PMCID: PMC4019710 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is associated with very high rates of tobacco smoking. The latter may be related to an attempt to self-medicate symptoms and/or to alterations in function of high-affinity β2-subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (β2*-nAChRs). METHODS Smoking and nonsmoking subjects with schizophrenia (n=31) and age-, smoking-, and sex-matched comparison subjects (n=31) participated in one [123I]5-IA-85380 single photon emission computed tomography scan to quantify β2*-nAChR availability. Psychiatric, cognitive, nicotine craving, and mood assessments were obtained during active smoking, as well as smoking abstinence. RESULTS There were no differences in smoking characteristics between smokers with and without schizophrenia. Subjects with schizophrenia had lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to comparison group, and nonsmokers had lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to smokers. However, there was no smoking by diagnosis interaction. Relative to nonsmokers with schizophrenia, smokers with schizophrenia had higher β2*-nAChR availability in limited brain regions. In smokers with schizophrenia, higher β2*-nAChR availability was associated with lower negative symptoms of schizophrenia and better performance on tests of executive control. Chronic exposure to antipsychotic drugs was not associated with changes in β2*-nAChR availability in schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Although subjects with schizophrenia have lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to comparison group, smokers with schizophrenia appear to upregulate in the cortical regions. Lower receptor availability in smokers with schizophrenia in the cortical regions is associated with a greater number of negative symptoms and worse performance on tests of executive function, suggesting smoking subjects with schizophrenia who upregulate to a lesser degree may be at risk for poorer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Frederic Bois
- School of Medicine, Yale University,Departments of Psychiatry VACHS
| | | | | | | | | | - Jon Carlson
- School of Medicine, Yale University,Departments of Psychiatry VACHS
| | | | - Kelly P. Cosgrove
- School of Medicine, Yale University,Departments of Psychiatry VACHS
| | - D. Cyril D’Souza
- School of Medicine, Yale University,Departments of Psychiatry VACHS
| | - D Cyril D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
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van Enkhuizen J, Janowsky DS, Olivier B, Minassian A, Perry W, Young JW, Geyer MA. The catecholaminergic-cholinergic balance hypothesis of bipolar disorder revisited. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:114-26. [PMID: 25107282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.05.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Revised: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is a unique illness characterized by fluctuations between mood states of depression and mania. Originally, an adrenergic-cholinergic balance hypothesis was postulated to underlie these different affective states. In this review, we update this hypothesis with recent findings from human and animal studies, suggesting that a catecholaminergic-cholinergic hypothesis may be more relevant. Evidence from neuroimaging studies, neuropharmacological interventions, and genetic associations support the notion that increased cholinergic functioning underlies depression, whereas increased activations of the catecholamines (dopamine and norepinephrine) underlie mania. Elevated functional acetylcholine during depression may affect both muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in a compensatory fashion. Increased functional dopamine and norepinephrine during mania on the other hand may affect receptor expression and functioning of dopamine reuptake transporters. Despite increasing evidence supporting this hypothesis, a relationship between these two neurotransmitter systems that could explain cycling between states of depression and mania is missing. Future studies should focus on the influence of environmental stimuli and genetic susceptibilities that may affect the catecholaminergic-cholinergic balance underlying cycling between the affective states. Overall, observations from recent studies add important data to this revised balance theory of bipolar disorder, renewing interest in this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordy van Enkhuizen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA; Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David S Janowsky
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA
| | - Berend Olivier
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arpi Minassian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA
| | - William Perry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Higley MJ, Picciotto MR. Neuromodulation by acetylcholine: examples from schizophrenia and depression. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:88-95. [PMID: 24983212 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of acetylcholine to psychiatric illnesses remains an area of active research. For example, increased understanding of mechanisms underlying cholinergic modulation of cortical function has provided insight into attentional dysfunction in schizophrenia. Acetylcholine normally enhances cortical sensitivity to external stimuli and decreases corticocortical communication, increasing focused attention; however, increases in ACh signaling can lead to symptoms related to anxiety and depression. For example, while stress-induced ACh release can result in adaptive responses to environmental stimuli, chronic elevations in cholinergic signaling may produce maladaptive behaviors. Here, we review several innovations in human imaging, molecular genetics and physiological control of circuits that have begun to identify mechanisms linking altered cholinergic neuromodulation to schizophrenia and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Higley
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
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Lewis AS, Picciotto MR. High-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression and trafficking abnormalities in psychiatric illness. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 229:477-85. [PMID: 23624811 PMCID: PMC3766461 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3126-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a critical component of the cholinergic system of neurotransmission in the brain that modulates important physiological processes such as reward, cognition, and mood. Abnormalities in this system are accordingly implicated in multiple psychiatric illnesses, including addiction, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. There is significantly increased tobacco use, and therefore nicotine intake, in patient populations, and pharmacological agents that act on various nicotinic receptor subtypes ameliorate clinical features of these disorders. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cholinergic dysfunction in psychiatric disease will permit more targeted design of novel therapeutic agents. RESULTS The objective of this review is to describe the multiple cellular pathways through which chronic nicotine exposure regulates nAChR expression, and to juxtapose these mechanisms with evidence for altered expression of high-affinity nAChRs in human psychiatric illness. Here, we summarize multiple studies from pre-clinical animal models to human in vivo imaging and post-mortem experiments demonstrating changes in nAChR regulation and expression in psychiatric illness. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that a mechanistic explanation of nAChR abnormalities in psychiatric illness will arise from a fuller understanding of normal nAChR trafficking, along with the detailed study of human tissue, perhaps using novel biotechnological advances, such as induced pluripotent stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Correspondence Dr. Marina R. Picciotto, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, 3rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA, , Phone: (203) 737-2041
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