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Combined electrochemistry and mass spectrometry imaging to interrogate the mechanism of action of modafinil, a cognition-enhancing drug, at the cellular and sub-cellular level. QRB DISCOVERY 2021. [PMID: 37529675 PMCID: PMC10392688 DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2021.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractModafinil is a mild psychostimulant-like drug enhancing wakefulness, improving attention and developing performance in various cognitive tasks, but its mechanism of action is not completely understood. This is the first combination of amperometry, electrochemical cytometry and mass spectrometry to interrogate the mechanism of action of a drug, here modafinil, at cellular and sub-cellular level. We employed single-cell amperometry (SCA) and intracellular vesicle impact electrochemical cytometry (IVIEC) to investigate the alterations in exocytotic release and vesicular catecholamine storage following modafinil treatment. The SCA results reveal that modafinil slows down the exocytosis process so that, the number of catecholamines released per exocytotic event is enhanced in the modafinil-treated cells. Also, IVIEC results offer an upregulation effect of modafinil on the vesicular catecholamine storage. Mass spectrometry imaging by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) illustrates that treatment with modafinil reduces the cylindrical-shaped phosphatidylcholine at the cellular membrane, while the high curvature lipids with conical structures such as phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol are elevated after modafinil treatment. Combining the results obtained by SCA, IVIEC and ToF-SIMS suggests that modafinil-treated cells release a larger portion of their vesicular content at least in part by changing the lipid composition of the cell membrane, suggesting regulation of cognition.
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Omidi-Ardali H, Badi AG, Saghaei E, Amini-Khoei H. Nitric oxide mediates the antidepressant-like effect of modafinil in mouse forced swimming and tail suspension tests. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2020; 32:25-31. [PMID: 33011691 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous studies have suggested antidepressant properties for modafinil; however, the underlying mechanisms mediating the antidepressant effect of modafinil have not been well recognized in clinical and animal studies. Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the pathophysiology of depression. We attempted to investigate the possible role of NO in the antidepressant-like effect of modafinil in mouse forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). METHODS The antidepressant-like effect of modafinil (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg), alone and in combination with l-arginine, l-arg, (100 mg/kg) and NG-l-arginine methyl ester, l-NAME (5 mg/kg), was evaluated using FST and TST. Following behavioral tests, the hippocampi were dissected out to measure nitrite levels. RESULTS Findings suggested that administration of modafinil at doses of 50 and 75 mg/kg significantly reduced immobility time in the FST and TST. Furthermore, administration of l-arg and l-NAME increased and decreased, respectively, the immobility time in the FST and TST. We showed that co-administration of a sub-effective dose of modafinil (25 mg/kg) plus l-NAME potentiated the antidepressant-like effect of the sub-effective dose of modafinil. In addition, co-treatment of an effective dose of modafinil (75 mg/kg) with l-arg attenuated the antidepressant-like effect of the effective dose of modafinil. We showed that the antidepressant-like effect of modafinil is associated with decreased nitrite levels in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings for the first time support that the modulation of NO, partially at least, is involved in the antidepressant-like effect of modafinil in mouse FST and TST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Omidi-Ardali
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Abolfazl Ghasemi Badi
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Elham Saghaei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Islamic Republic of Iran
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In search of optimal psychoactivation: stimulants as cognitive performance enhancers. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2019; 70:150-159. [PMID: 32597132 DOI: 10.2478/aiht-2019-70-3298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of people, students in particular, seek substances that improve their cognitive functioning. The most popular group of pharmacological cognitive enhancers (PCEs) are stimulants. Available studies suggest a small beneficial effect of methylphenidate and amphetamine on memory, executive functions, and processing speed. However small, this effect can make the difference between success and failure. In recent years, research has focused on the additional beneficial effect on the emotional state, increased motivation, and placebo-induced cognitive enhancement. This paper briefly reviews the latest and most important research on the relationship between popular stimulants and cognitive enhancement. One cannot understand this relationship without understanding the Yerkes-Dodson law, which explains the relationship between the degree of arousal and performance. It suggests that the effect of stimulants is a dose-dependent continuum. This law has repeatedly been confirmed by studies in which an optimal level of psychoactivation for cognitive enhancement was obtained with low stimulant doses, whereas exceeding the effective dose resulted in cognitive deficits, psychomotor agitation, and addiction. A separate section has been devoted to modafinil, an increasingly popular stimulant that differs from the rest in neurochemical profile and behavioural effects.
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Murillo-Rodríguez E, Barciela Veras A, Barbosa Rocha N, Budde H, Machado S. An Overview of the Clinical Uses, Pharmacology, and Safety of Modafinil. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:151-158. [PMID: 29115823 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Modafinil (MOD) is a wakefulness-inducing compound prescribed for treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness as a consequence of sleep disturbances such as shift work sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or narcolepsy. While providing effective results in patients with sleepiness, MOD also produces positive outcomes in the management of fatigue associated with different conditions including depression, cancer, or tiredness in military personnel. Although there is clear evidence of the stimulant effects of MOD, current data also show that administration of this drug apparently induces positive neurobiological effects, such as improvement in memory. However, serious concerns have been raised since some reports have suggested MOD dependence. Taken together, these findings highlight the need to characterize the changes induced by MOD which have been observed in several neurobiological functions. Moreover, further work should follow up on the likely long-term effects of this drug if used for treatment of drowsiness and tiredness. Here, we review and summarize recent findings of the medical uses of MOD in the management of sleepiness and fatigue associated with depression or cancer as well as exhaustion in military personnel. We also discuss the available literature related with the cognitive enhancing properties of this stimulant, as well as what is known and unknown about MOD addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Murillo-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio
de Neurociencias Moleculares e Integrativas, Escuela de Medicina División
Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México
- Grupo
de Investigación en Envejecimiento, División Ciencias
de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México
- Intercontinental Neuroscience Research Group, Yucatán, México
| | - André Barciela Veras
- Intercontinental Neuroscience Research Group, Yucatán, México
- Grupo de Pesquisa Translacional em
Saúde Mental, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo
Grande, Mato Grosso del Sur 79117-900, Brazil
- Panic
and Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry Federal, University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
| | - Nuno Barbosa Rocha
- Intercontinental Neuroscience Research Group, Yucatán, México
- Health School, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Henning Budde
- Intercontinental Neuroscience Research Group, Yucatán, México
- Faculty
of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
- Physical
Activity, Physical Education, Health and Sport Research Centre (PAPESH),
Sports Science Department, School of Science and Engineering, Reykjavik University, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
- Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas 44221, Lithuania
| | - Sérgio Machado
- Intercontinental Neuroscience Research Group, Yucatán, México
- Panic
and Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry Federal, University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
- Physical
Activity Neuroscience Laboratory, Physical Activity Sciences Postgraduate
Program-Salgado de Oliveira University, Salgado de Oliveira University, Niterói 24030-060, Brazil
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Fernández A, Mascayano F, Lips W, Painel A, Norambuena J, Madrid E. Effects of modafinil on attention performance, short-term memory and executive function in university students: a randomized trial. Medwave 2015; 15:e6166. [DOI: 10.5867/medwave.2015.05.6166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Scoriels L, Jones PB, Sahakian BJ. Modafinil effects on cognition and emotion in schizophrenia and its neurochemical modulation in the brain. Neuropharmacology 2012; 64:168-84. [PMID: 22820555 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Modafinil is a central nervous system wake promoting agent used for the treatment of excessive daytime sleeping. Its vigilance promoting properties and low abuse potential has intrigued the scientific community and has led to use it as a cognitive enhancer, before its neural functions were understood. Here, we review the effects of modafinil in human cognition and emotion and its specific actions on symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and whether these are consistently effective throughout the literature. We also performed a systematic review on the effects of modafinil on neurotransmitter signalling in different areas of the brain in order to better understand the neuromechanisms of its cognitive and emotional enhancing properties. A review of its effects in schizophrenia suggests that modafinil facilitates cognitive functions, with pro-mnemonic effects and problem solving improvements. Emotional processing also appears to be enhanced by the drug, although to date there are only a limited number of studies. The systematic review on the neurochemical modulation of the modafinil suggests that its mnemonic enhancing properties might be the result of glutamatergic and dopaminergic increased neuronal activation in the hippocampus and in the prefrontal cortex respectively. Other neurotransmitters were also activated by modafinil in various limbic brain areas, suggesting that the drug acts on these brain regions to influence emotional responses. These reviews seek to delineate the neuronal mechanisms by which modafinil affects cognitive and emotional function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'.
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Choi S, Kim MY, Joo KY, Park S, Kim JA, Jung JC, Oh S, Suh SH. Modafinil inhibits K(Ca)3.1 currents and muscle contraction via a cAMP-dependent mechanism. Pharmacol Res 2012; 66:51-9. [PMID: 22414869 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2012] [Revised: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Modafinil has been used as a psychostimulant for the treatment of narcolepsy. However, its primary mechanism of action remains elusive. Therefore, we examined the effects of modafinil on K(Ca)3.1 channels and vascular smooth muscle contraction. K(Ca)3.1 currents and channel activity were measured using a voltage-clamp technique and inside-out patches in mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line, NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. Intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) concentration was measured, and the phosphorylation of K(Ca)3.1 channel protein was examined using western blotting in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and/or primary cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Muscle contractions were recorded from mouse aorta and rat pulmonary artery by using a myograph developed in-house. Modafinil was found to inhibit K(Ca)3.1 currents in a concentration-dependent manner, and the half-maximal inhibition (IC(50)) of modafinil for the current inhibition was 6.8 ± 0.7 nM. The protein kinase A (PKA) activator forskolin also inhibited K(Ca)3.1 currents. The inhibitory effects of modafinil and forskolin on K(Ca)3.1 currents were blocked by the PKA inhibitors PKI(14-22) or H-89. In addition, modafinil relaxed blood vessels (mouse aorta and rat pulmonary artery) in a concentration-dependent manner. Modafinil increased cAMP concentrations in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts or primary cultured mouse aortic SMCs and phosphorylated K(Ca)3.1 channel protein in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. However, open probability and single-channel current amplitudes of K(Ca)3.1 channels were not changed by modafinil. From these results, we conclude that modafinil inhibits K(Ca)3.1 channels and vascular smooth muscle contraction by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation, suggesting that modafinil can be used as a cAMP-dependent K(Ca)3.1 channel blocker and vasodilator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinkyu Choi
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
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Pharmacotherapeutics directed at deficiencies associated with cocaine dependence: focus on dopamine, norepinephrine and glutamate. Pharmacol Ther 2012; 134:260-77. [PMID: 22327234 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Much effort has been devoted to research focused on pharmacotherapies for cocaine dependence yet there are no FDA-approved medications for this brain disease. Preclinical models have been essential to defining the central and peripheral effects produced by cocaine. Recent evidence suggests that cocaine exerts its reinforcing effects by acting on multiple neurotransmitter systems within mesocorticolimibic circuitry. Imaging studies in cocaine-dependent individuals have identified deficiencies in dopaminergic signaling primarily localized to corticolimbic areas. In addition to dysregulated striatal dopamine, norepinephrine and glutamate are also altered in cocaine dependence. In this review, we present these brain abnormalities as therapeutic targets for the treatment of cocaine dependence. We then survey promising medications that exert their therapeutic effects by presumably ameliorating these brain deficiencies. Correcting neurochemical deficits in cocaine-dependent individuals improves memory and impulse control, and reduces drug craving that may decrease cocaine use. We hypothesize that using medications aimed at reversing known neurochemical imbalances is likely to be more productive than current approaches. This view is also consistent with treatment paradigms used in neuropsychiatry and general medicine.
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Abstract
Narcolepsy is a lifelong sleep disorder characterized by a classic tetrad of excessive daytime sleepiness with irresistible sleep attacks, cataplexy (sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone), hypnagogic hallucination, and sleep paralysis. There are two distinct groups of patients, ie, those having narcolepsy with cataplexy and those having narcolepsy without cataplexy. Narcolepsy affects 0.05% of the population. It has a negative effect on the quality of life of its sufferers and can restrict them from certain careers and activities. There have been advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of narcolepsy. It is thought that narcolepsy with cataplexy is secondary to loss of hypothalamic hypocretin neurons in those genetically predisposed to the disorder by possession of human leukocyte antigen DQB1*0602. The diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy are based on symptoms, laboratory sleep tests, and serum levels of hypocretin. There is no cure for narcolepsy, and the present mainstay of treatment is pharmacological treatment along with lifestyle changes. Some novel treatments are also being developed and tried. This article critically appraises the evidence for diagnosis and treatment of narcolepsy.
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Heller SR. Minimizing hypoglycemia while maintaining glycemic control in diabetes. Diabetes 2008; 57:3177-83. [PMID: 19033404 PMCID: PMC2584120 DOI: 10.2337/db08-1195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2008] [Accepted: 09/18/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Heller
- Unit of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, UK.
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