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Yoshizawa K, Ukai S, Kuroda J, Yamauchi T, Yamada D, Saitoh A, Iriyama S, Nishino S, Miyazaki S. Alfaxalone improved in acute stress-induced tactile hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behavior in mice. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2022; 42:213-217. [PMID: 35118831 PMCID: PMC9216362 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress has been shown to affect brain activity and exert potent and complex modulatory effects on pain. Several behavioral tests have shown that acute stress produces hyperalgesia, depending on the stress conditions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of single restraint stress on the tactile threshold and anxiety sensitivity in mice. Mice were evaluated for the tactile threshold using von Frey filaments and for anxiety sensitivity using the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Tactile thresholds were lowered by both 2 and 4 hour of restraint stress, but anxiety-like behaviors were observed only after 4 hour of restraint stress in the EPM test. In addition, we found that alfaxalone, which is a positive allosteric modulator of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor, prevented restraint stress-induced hyperalgesia-like and anxiety-like behaviors. These results indicate that GABAergic function appears to be critical in the regulation of physical stress-induced hyperalgesia and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Yoshizawa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Saki Ukai
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junpei Kuroda
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tsugumi Yamauchi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yamada
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Saitoh
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Iriyama
- Laboratory of Quantum Information Dynamics, Department of Information Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Satoru Miyazaki
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Department of Medical and Life Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba, Japan
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The Neuroactive Steroid Pregnanolone Glutamate: Anticonvulsant Effect, Metabolites and Its Effect on Neurosteroid Levels in Developing Rat Brains. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:ph15010049. [PMID: 35056106 PMCID: PMC8780580 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnanolone glutamate (PA-G) is a neuroactive steroid that has been previously demonstrated to be a potent neuroprotective compound in several biological models in vivo. Our in vitro experiments identified PA-G as an inhibitor of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and a potentiator of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAARs). In this study, we addressed the hypothesis that combined GABAAR potentiation and NMDAR antagonism could afford a potent anticonvulsant effect. Our results demonstrated the strong age-related anticonvulsive effect of PA-G in a model of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures. PA-G significantly decreased seizure severity in 12-day-old animals, but only after the highest dose in 25-day-old animals. Interestingly, the anticonvulsant effect of PA-G differed both qualitatively and quantitatively from that of zuranolone, an investigational neurosteroid acting as a potent positive allosteric modulator of GABAARs. Next, we identified 17-hydroxy-pregnanolone (17-OH-PA) as a major metabolite of PA-G in 12-day-old animals. Finally, the administration of PA-G demonstrated direct modulation of unexpected neurosteroid levels, namely pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. These results suggest that compound PA-G might be a pro-drug of 17-OH-PA, a neurosteroid with a promising neuroprotective effect with an unknown mechanism of action that may represent an attractive target for studying perinatal neural diseases.
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Astroglial glutamate transporter 1 and glutamine synthetase of the nucleus accumbens are involved in the antidepressant-like effects of allopregnanolone in learned helplessness rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 401:113092. [PMID: 33359844 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Clinical studies have demonstrated that allopregnanolone (3α5α-tetrahydroprogesterone, ALLO) has antidepressant-like effects on patients with depression. Previous studies have shown alteration of the astroglial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and glutamine synthetase (GS) in depression, and ALLO is known to modulate glutamate release. The present study aimed to investigate whether astroglial GLT-1 and GS are indeed involved in the antidepressant-like effects of ALLO in learned helplessness (LH) rats, a validated animal model of depression. The results of this study showed that bilateral microinjection of ALLO into the lateral ventricles could normalize the levels of GLT-1 and GS in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and of GS in the hippocampal CA1 region of LH rats. These results suggest a certain connection between the antidepressant-like effects of ALLO and the astroglial GLT-1/GS system of the NAc in LH rats.
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GABA-A receptor modulating steroids in acute and chronic stress; relevance for cognition and dementia? Neurobiol Stress 2019; 12:100206. [PMID: 31921942 PMCID: PMC6948369 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are increasing as the population worldwide ages. Therapeutics for these conditions is an unmet need. This review focuses on the role of the positive GABA-A receptor modulating steroid allopregnanolone (APα), it's role in underlying mechanisms for impaired cognition and of AD, and to determine options for therapy of AD. On one hand, APα given intermittently promotes neurogenesis, decreases AD-related pathology and improves cognition. On the other, continuous exposure of APα impairs cognition and deteriorates AD pathology. The disparity between these two outcomes led our groups to analyze the mechanisms underlying the difference. We conclude that the effects of APα depend on administration pattern and that chronic slightly increased APα exposure is harmful to cognitive function and worsens AD pathology whereas single administrations with longer intervals improve cognition and decrease AD pathology. These collaborative assessments provide insights for the therapeutic development of APα and APα antagonists for AD and provide a model for cross laboratory collaborations aimed at generating translatable data for human clinical trials.
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Abstract
The term neurosteroid refers to rapid membrane actions of steroid hormones and their derivatives that can modulate physiological functions and behavior via their interactions with ligand-gated ion channels. This chapter will highlight recent advances pertaining to the modulatory effects of a select group of neurosteroids that are primarily potent positive allosteric modulators of γ-aminobutyric acidA receptors (GABAARs). Nanomolar concentrations of neurosteroids, which occur in vivo, potentiate phasic and tonic forms of GABAAR-mediated inhibition, indicating that both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAARs possess sensitivity to neurosteroids and contribute to the overall ability of neurosteroids to modulate central nervous system excitability. Common effects of alcohol and neurosteroids at GABAARs have stimulated research on the ability of neurosteroids to modulate alcohol's acute and chronic effects. Background on neurosteroid pharmacology and biosynthetic enzymes will be provided as it relates to experimental findings. Data will be summarized on alcohol and neurosteroid interactions across neuroanatomical regions and models of intoxication, consumption, dependence, and withdrawal. Evidence supports independent regulation of neurosteroid synthesis between periphery and brain as well as across brain regions following acute alcohol administration and during withdrawal. Local mechanisms for fine-tuning neuronal excitability via manipulation of neurosteroid synthesis exert predicted behavioral and electrophysiological responses on GABAAR-mediated inhibition. Collectively, targeting neurosteroidogenesis may be a beneficial treatment strategy for alcohol use disorders.
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Chang Y, Hsieh HL, Huang SK, Wang SJ. Neurosteroid allopregnanolone inhibits glutamate release from rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals. Synapse 2018; 73:e22076. [PMID: 30362283 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Allopregnanolone, an active metabolite of progesterone, has been reported to exhibit neuroprotective activity in several preclinical models. Considering that the excitotoxicity caused by excessive glutamate is implicated in many brain disorders, the effect of allopregnanolone on glutamate release in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals and possible underlying mechanism were investigated. We observed that allopregnanolone inhibited 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-evoked glutamate release, and this inhibition was prevented by chelating the extracellular Ca2+ ions and the vesicular transporter inhibitor. Allopregnanolone reduced the elevation of 4-AP-evoked intrasynaptosomal Ca2+ levels, but did not affect the synaptosomal membrane potential. In the presence of N-, P/Q-, and R-type channel blockers, allopregnanolone-mediated inhibition of 4-AP-evoked glutamate release was markedly reduced; however, the intracellular Ca2+ -release inhibitors did not affect the allopregnanolone effect. Furthermore, allopregnanolone-mediated inhibition of 4-AP-evoked glutamate release was completely abolished in the synaptosomes pretreated with inhibitors of Ca2+ /calmodulin, adenylate cyclase, and protein kinase A (PKA), namely calmidazolium, MDL12330A, and H89, respectively. Additionally, the allopregnanolone effect on evoked glutamate release was antagonized by the GABAA receptor antagonist SR95531. Our data are the first to suggest that allopregnanolone reduce the Ca2+ influx through N-, P/Q-, and R-type Ca2+ channels, through the activation of GABAA receptors present on cerebrocortical nerve terminals, subsequently suppressing the Ca2+ -calmodulin/PKA cascade and decreasing 4-AP-evoked glutamate release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hsi Lung Hsieh
- Department of Nursing, Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Shu Kuei Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Far-Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Su Jane Wang
- School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Schverer M, Lanfumey L, Baulieu EE, Froger N, Villey I. Neurosteroids: non-genomic pathways in neuroplasticity and involvement in neurological diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2018; 191:190-206. [PMID: 29953900 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurosteroids are neuroactive brain-born steroids. They can act through non-genomic and/or through genomic pathways. Genomic pathways are largely described for steroid hormones: the binding to nuclear receptors leads to transcription regulation. Pregnenolone, Dehydroepiandrosterone, their respective sulfate esters and Allopregnanolone have no corresponding nuclear receptor identified so far whereas some of their non-genomic targets have been identified. Neuroplasticity is the capacity that neuronal networks have to change their structure and function in response to biological and/or environmental signals; it is regulated by several mechanisms, including those that involve neurosteroids. In this review, after a description of their biosynthesis, the effects of Pregnenolone, Dehydroepiandrosterone, their respective sulfate esters and Allopregnanolone on their targets will be exposed. We then shall highlight that neurosteroids, by acting on these targets, can regulate neurogenesis, structural and functional plasticity. Finally, we will discuss the therapeutic potential of neurosteroids in the pathophysiology of neurological diseases in which alterations of neuroplasticity are associated with changes in neurosteroid levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Schverer
- Inserm U894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Laurence Lanfumey
- Inserm U894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Etienne-Emile Baulieu
- MAPREG SAS, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Inserm UMR 1195, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
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Beattie MC, Reguyal CS, Porcu P, Daunais JB, Grant KA, Morrow AL. Neuroactive Steroid (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) and Pro-inflammatory Cytokine MCP-1 Levels in Hippocampus CA1 are Correlated with Voluntary Ethanol Consumption in Cynomolgus Monkey. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 42:12-20. [PMID: 29112774 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroactive steroids such as (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP, allopregnanolone) are potent neuromodulators that enhance GABAergic neurotransmission and produce inhibitory neurobehavioral and anti-inflammatory effects. Chronic ethanol (EtOH) consumption reduces 3α,5α-THP levels in human plasma, but has brain region- and species-specific effects on central nervous system levels of 3α,5α-THP. We explored the relationship between 3α,5α-THP levels in the hippocampus and voluntary EtOH consumption in the cynomolgus monkey following daily self-administration of EtOH for 12 months and further examined the relationship with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function prior to EtOH exposure. We simultaneously explored hippocampus levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in the neuroimmune response to EtOH, following chronic self-administration. METHODS Monkeys were subjected to scheduled induction of water and EtOH consumption (0 to 1.5 g/kg) over 4 months, followed by free access to EtOH or water for 22 h/d over 12 months. Immunohistochemistry was performed using an anti-3α,5α-THP or anti-MCP-1 antibody. Prolonged voluntary drinking resulted in individual differences in EtOH consumption that ranged from 1.2 to 4.2 g/kg/d over 12 months. RESULTS Prolonged EtOH consumption increased cellular 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity by 12 ± 2% (p < 0.05) and reduced MCP-1 immunoreactivity by 23 ± 9% (p < 0.05) in the hippocampus CA1. In both cases, the effect of EtOH was most pronounced in heavy drinkers that consumed ≥3 g/kg for ≥20% of days. 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity was positively correlated with average daily EtOH intake (Spearman r = 0.76, p < 0.05) and dexamethasone inhibition of HPA axis function (Spearman r = 0.9, p < 0.05). In contrast, MCP-1 immunoreactivity was negatively correlated with average daily EtOH intake (Spearman r = -0.78, p < 0.05) and dexamethasone suppression of HPA axis function (Spearman r = -0.76, p < 0.05). Finally, 3α,5α-THP and MCP-1 immunoreactivity were inversely correlated with each other (Spearman r = -0.68, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that voluntary, long-term EtOH consumption results in higher levels of 3α,5α-THP, while decreasing levels of MCP-1 in the CA1 hippocampus, and that both changes may be linked to HPA axis function and the magnitude of voluntary EtOH consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Beattie
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Christopher S Reguyal
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - James B Daunais
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Abstract
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND In animal models, levels of the neurosteroid pregnenolone increase after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration and pregnenolone appears to attenuate the brain effects of THC. Given these interactions between pregnenolone and THC, we evaluated baseline neurosteroid levels in participants with a history of a cannabis use disorders (CUDs). METHODS/PROCEDURES Bipolar depressed participants were enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of add-on pregnenolone for depression and before receiving pregnenolone or placebo. Baseline serum levels of neurosteroids (pregnenolone, allopregnanolone, pregnanolone, and androsterone) were analyzed in 53 participants with highly sensitive and specific gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Current, active substance use disorders, or a positive baseline urine drug screen, were exclusionary. Participants were classified by past cannabis abuse or dependence diagnosis using the structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Data were analyzed by independent t tests for separate neurosteroids. FINDINGS/RESULTS Participants with a history of CUD had higher serum pregnanolone, lower allopregnanolone, a higher pregnanolone to allopregnanolone ratio, and a lower pregnenolone to pregnanolone ratio compared with those without a history of cannabis use. Similar findings were not observed based on a history of other substance use disorders with the exception of lower allopregnanolone in those with opioid use disorders. Notably, the majority of those with an opioid use disorder also had a CUD (75%). IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS These findings potentially suggest either enduring changes in neurosteroids in people with past CUDs or represent a vulnerability marker for a CUD.
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Gunn BG, Baram TZ. Stress and Seizures: Space, Time and Hippocampal Circuits. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:667-679. [PMID: 28916130 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a major trigger of seizures in people with epilepsy. Exposure to stress results in the release of several stress mediators throughout the brain, including the hippocampus, a region sensitive to stress and prone to seizures. Stress mediators interact with their respective receptors to produce distinct effects on the excitability of hippocampal neurons and networks. Crucially, these stress mediators and their actions exhibit unique spatiotemporal profiles, generating a complex combinatorial output with time- and space-dependent effects on hippocampal network excitability and seizure generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- B G Gunn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - T Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
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Jensen JP, Nipper MA, Helms ML, Ford MM, Crabbe JC, Rossi DJ, Finn DA. Ethanol withdrawal-induced dysregulation of neurosteroid levels in plasma, cortex, and hippocampus in genetic animal models of high and low withdrawal. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2793-2811. [PMID: 28664280 PMCID: PMC5990276 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4671-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Endogenous γ-aminobutyric acidA receptor (GABAAR)-active neurosteroids (e.g., allopregnanolone) regulate central nervous system excitability and many physiological functions, so fluctuations are implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Pertinently, evidence supports an inverse relationship between endogenous GABAAR-active neurosteroid levels and behavioral changes in excitability during ethanol withdrawal (WD). OBJECTIVES The present studies determined mouse genotype differences in ten neurosteroid levels in plasma, cortex, and hippocampus over the time course of ethanol WD in the WD Seizure-Prone (WSP) and WD Seizure-Resistant (WSR) selected lines and in the DBA/2J (DBA) inbred strain. METHODS Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was utilized to simultaneously quantify neurosteroid levels from control-treated male WSP-1, WSR-1, and DBA mice and during 8 and 48 h of WD. RESULTS Combined with our prior work, there was a consistent decrease in plasma allopregnanolone levels at 8 h WD in all three genotypes, an effect that persisted at 48 h WD only in DBA mice. WSR-1 and WSP-1 mice exhibited unexpected divergent changes in cortical neurosteroids at 8 h WD, with the majority of neurosteroids (including allopregnanolone) being significantly decreased in WSR-1 mice, but unaffected or significantly increased in WSP-1 mice. In DBA mice, hippocampal allopregnanolone and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone were significantly decreased at 8 h WD. The pattern of significant correlations between allopregnanolone and other GABAAR-active neurosteroid levels differed between controls and withdrawing mice. CONCLUSIONS Ethanol WD dysregulated neurosteroid synthesis. Results in WSP-1 mice suggest that diminished GABAAR function is more important for their high WD phenotype than fluctuations in neurosteroid levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah P Jensen
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Michelle A Nipper
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Melinda L Helms
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Matthew M Ford
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - John C Crabbe
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - David J Rossi
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Deborah A Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA.
- , 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road (R&D-49), Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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Beattie MC, Maldonado-Devincci AM, Porcu P, O'Buckley TK, Daunais JB, Grant KA, Morrow AL. Voluntary ethanol consumption reduces GABAergic neuroactive steroid (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) in the amygdala of the cynomolgus monkey. Addict Biol 2017; 22:318-330. [PMID: 26625954 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Neuroactive steroids such as (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP, allopregnanolone) enhance the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic effects of ethanol and modulate excessive drinking in rodents. Moreover, chronic ethanol consumption reduces 3α,5α-THP levels in human plasma, rat hippocampus and mouse limbic regions. We explored the relationship between 3α,5α-THP levels in limbic brain areas and voluntary ethanol consumption in the cynomolgus monkey following daily self-administration of ethanol for 12 months and further examined the relationship to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function prior to ethanol exposure. Monkeys were subjected to scheduled induction of ethanol consumption followed by free access to ethanol or water for 22 h/day over 12 months. Immunohistochemistry was performed using an anti-3α,5α-THP antibody. Prolonged voluntary drinking resulted in individual differences in ethanol consumption that ranged from 1.2 to 4.2 g/kg/day over 12 months. Prolonged ethanol consumption reduced cellular 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity by 13 ± 2 percent (P < 0.05) in the lateral amygdala and 17 ± 2 percent (P < 0.05) in the basolateral amygdala. The effect of ethanol was most pronounced in heavy drinkers that consumed ≥3 g/kg ≥ 20 percent of days. Consequently, 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity in both the lateral and basolateral amygdala was inversely correlated with average daily ethanol intake (Spearman r = -0.87 and -0.72, respectively, P < 0.05). However, no effect of ethanol and no correlation between drinking and 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity were observed in the basomedial amygdala. 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity following ethanol exposure was also correlated with HPA axis function prior to ethanol exposure. These data indicate that voluntary ethanol drinking reduces amygdala levels of 3α,5α-THP in non-human primates and that amygdala 3α,5α-THP levels may be linked to HPA axis function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Beattie
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Antoniette M. Maldonado-Devincci
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill NC USA
- Neuroscience Institute; National Research Council of Italy (CNR); Italy
| | - Todd K. O'Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - James B. Daunais
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Wake Forest School of Medicine; Winston Salem NC USA
| | - Kathleen A. Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center; Oregon Health and Science University; Beaverton OR USA
| | - A. Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill NC USA
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13
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Uppari N, Joseph V, Bairam A. Inhibitory respiratory responses to progesterone and allopregnanolone in newborn rats chronically treated with caffeine. J Physiol 2015; 594:373-89. [PMID: 26497835 DOI: 10.1113/jp270914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS In premature newborns, recurrent apnoea is systematically treated with caffeine to prevent long-term neurocognitive disorders, but a substantial percentage of apnoea persists particularly in neonates born before 28 weeks of gestation. Progesterone has been proposed as a respiratory stimulant potentially suitable for the treatment of newborn apnoea persistent to caffeine. Accordingly we asked whether acute progesterone administration reduces apnoea frequency in newborn rats treated with caffeine. Surprisingly our results show that in newborn rats treated with caffeine, administration of progesterone inhibits breathing and increases apnoea frequency. Additional experiments showed an enhanced GABAergic inhibitory drive on breathing after caffeine treatment, and that progesterone is converted to allopregnanolone (an allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors) to inhibit breathing. We conclude that combining progesterone and chronic caffeine is not an option in preterm neonates, unless the effects of allopregnanolone can be counteracted. ABSTRACT Caffeine is the main treatment for apnoea in preterm neonates, but its interactions with other respiratory stimulants like progesterone are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of progesterone to caffeine treatments further stimulates ventilation. Newborn rats were treated with water (control) or caffeine (15 mg kg(-1)) by daily gavage between postnatal day (P)3 and P12. At P4 and P12, we measured apnoea frequency, ventilatory responses and metabolic parameters under both normoxia and hypoxia (12% O2, 20 min) following an acute administration of either saline or progesterone (4 mg kg(-1); i.p.). Progesterone injection increased the serum levels of both progesterone and its neuroactive metabolite allopregnanolone. Progesterone had no effect on ventilation in control rats under normoxia. Progesterone depressed ventilation in P12 caffeine-treated rats under normoxia and hypoxia and increased apnoea frequency in both P4 and P12 rats. Because allopregnanolone is an allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors and caffeine may enhance GABAergic inhibition in newborns, we studied the effects of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline at 0, 1, 2 and 3 mg kg(-1) doses and allopregnanolone (10 mg kg(-1) dose) in P12 rats. In caffeine-treated rats, bicuculline enhanced ventilation, while allopregnanolone decreased ventilation and increased total apnoea time. Progesterone had no effect on ventilation and apnoea frequency in caffeine-treated rats injected with finasteride, which blocks the conversion of progesterone to allopregnanolone. We conclude that combining progesterone and chronic caffeine therapy is not an option for the treatment of persistent apnoea in preterm neonates, unless the effects of allopregnanolone can be counteracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- NagaPraveena Uppari
- Unité de recherche en périnatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Joseph
- Unité de recherche en périnatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Aida Bairam
- Unité de recherche en périnatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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14
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Dhir A, Chopra K. On the anticonvulsant effect of allopregnanolone (a neurosteroid) in neonatal rats. Life Sci 2015; 143:202-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Wakita M, Nagami H, Takase Y, Nakanishi R, Kotani N, Akaike N. Modifications of excitatory and inhibitory transmission in rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons by acute lithium treatment. Brain Res Bull 2015; 117:39-44. [PMID: 26247839 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The acute effects of high-dose Li(+) treatment on glutamatergic and GABAergic transmissions were studied in the "synaptic bouton" preparation of isolated rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons by using focal electrical stimulation. Both action potential-dependent glutamatergic excitatory and GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eEPSC and eIPSC, respectively) were dose-dependently inhibited in the external media containing 30-150 mM Li(+), but the sensitivity for Li(+) was greater tendency for eEPSCs than for eIPSCs. When the effects of Li(+) on glutamate or GABAA receptor-mediated whole-cell responses (IGlu and IGABA) elicited by an exogenous application of glutamate or GABA were examined in the postsynaptic soma membrane of CA3 neurons, Li(+) slightly inhibited both IGlu and IGABA at the 150 mM Li(+) concentration. Present results suggest that acute treatment with high concentrations of Li(+) acts preferentially on presynaptic terminals, and that the Li(+)-induced inhibition may be greater for excitatory than for inhibitory transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Wakita
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Juryokai, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, 6-8-1, Yamamuro, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 860-8518, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nagami
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Juryokai, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, 6-8-1, Yamamuro, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 860-8518, Japan
| | - Yuko Takase
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Juryokai, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, 6-8-1, Yamamuro, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 860-8518, Japan
| | - Ryoji Nakanishi
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Juryokai, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, 6-8-1, Yamamuro, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 860-8518, Japan
| | - Naoki Kotani
- Research Division of Neurophysiology, Kitamoto Hospital, 3-7-6, Kawarasone, Koshigaya 343-0821, Japan
| | - Norio Akaike
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Juryokai, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, 6-8-1, Yamamuro, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 860-8518, Japan; Research Division of Neurophysiology, Kitamoto Hospital, 3-7-6, Kawarasone, Koshigaya 343-0821, Japan; Department of Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan.
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16
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Tan C, Shard C, Ranieri E, Hynes K, Pham DH, Leach D, Buchanan G, Corbett M, Shoubridge C, Kumar R, Douglas E, Nguyen LS, Mcmahon J, Sadleir L, Specchio N, Marini C, Guerrini R, Moller RS, Depienne C, Haan E, Thomas PQ, Berkovic SF, Scheffer IE, Gecz J. Mutations of protocadherin 19 in female epilepsy (PCDH19-FE) lead to allopregnanolone deficiency. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:5250-9. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Wakita M, Kotani N, Shoudai K, Yamaga T, Akaike N. Modulation of inhibitory and excitatory fast neurotransmission in the rat CNS by heavy water (D2O). J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:1109-18. [PMID: 26019316 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00801.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) on GABAergic and glutamatergic spontaneous and evoked synaptic transmission were investigated in acute brain slice and isolated "synaptic bouton" preparations of rat hippocampal CA3 neurons. The substitution of D2O for H2O reduced the frequency and amplitude of GABAergic spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in a concentration-dependent manner but had no effect on glutamatergic spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). In contrast, for evoked synaptic responses in isolated neurons, the amplitude of both inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs and eEPSCs) was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. This was associated with increases of synaptic failure rate (Rf) and paired-pulse ratio (PPR). The effect was larger for eIPSCs compared with eEPSCs. These results clearly indicate that D2O acts differently on inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter release machinery. Furthermore, D2O significantly suppressed GABAA receptor-mediated whole cell current (IGABA) but did not affect glutamate receptor-mediated whole cell current (IGlu). The combined effects of D2O at both the pre- and postsynaptic sites may explain the greater inhibition of eIPSCs compared with eEPSCs. Finally, D2O did not enhance or otherwise affect the actions of the general anesthetics nitrous oxide and propofol on spontaneous or evoked GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmissions, or on IGABA and IGlu. Our results suggest that previously reported effects of D2O to mimic and/or modulate anesthesia potency result from mechanisms other than modulation of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Wakita
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Jyuryo Group, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; Research Division for Life Science, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; and
| | - Naoki Kotani
- Research Division of Neurophysiology, Kitamoto Hospital, Koshigaya, Japan
| | - Kiyomitsu Shoudai
- Research Division for Life Science, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; and
| | - Toshitaka Yamaga
- Research Division for Life Science, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; and
| | - Norio Akaike
- Research Division for Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Corporation, Jyuryo Group, Kumamoto Kinoh Hospital, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; Research Division for Life Science, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kitaku, Kumamoto, Japan; and Research Division of Neurophysiology, Kitamoto Hospital, Koshigaya, Japan
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18
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Gordon JL, Girdler SS, Meltzer-Brody SE, Stika CS, Thurston RC, Clark CT, Prairie BA, Moses-Kolko E, Joffe H, Wisner KL. Ovarian hormone fluctuation, neurosteroids, and HPA axis dysregulation in perimenopausal depression: a novel heuristic model. Am J Psychiatry 2015; 172:227-36. [PMID: 25585035 PMCID: PMC4513660 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14070918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this conceptual review, the authors propose a novel mechanistic candidate in the etiology of depression with onset in the menopause transition ("perimenopausal depression") involving alterations in stress-responsive pathways, induced by ovarian hormone fluctuation. METHOD The relevant literature in perimenopausal depression, including prevalence, predictors, and treatment with estrogen therapy, was reviewed. Subsequently, the growing evidence from animal models and clinical research in other reproductive mood disorders was synthesized to describe a heuristic model of perimenopausal depression development. RESULTS The rate of major depressive disorder and clinically meaningful elevations in depressive symptoms increases two- to threefold during the menopause transition. While the mechanisms by which ovarian hormone fluctuation might impact mood are poorly understood, growing evidence from basic and clinical research suggests that fluctuations in ovarian hormones and derived neurosteroids result in alterations in regulation of the HPA axis by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The authors' heuristic model suggests that for some women, failure of the GABAA receptor to regulate overall GABA-ergic tone in the face of shifting levels of these neurosteroids may induce HPA axis dysfunction, thereby increasing sensitivity to stress and generating greater vulnerability to depression. CONCLUSIONS The proposed model provides a basis for understanding the mechanisms by which the changing hormonal environment of the menopause transition may interact with the psychosocial environment of midlife to contribute to perimenopausal depression risk. Future research investigating this model may inform the development of novel pharmacological treatments for perimenopausal depression and related disorders, such as postpartum depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan S. Girdler
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Drive, C.B. 7160, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3366, United States. Tel: +1 919 966 2544; fax: +1 919 966 0708.
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Ishikawa M, Yoshitomi T, Zorumski CF, Izumi Y. Neurosteroids are endogenous neuroprotectants in an ex vivo glaucoma model. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2014; 55:8531-41. [PMID: 25406290 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Allopregnanolone is a neurosteroid and powerful modulator of neuronal excitability. The neuroprotective effects of allopregnanolone involve potentiation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory responses. Although glutamate excitotoxicity contributes to ganglion cell death in glaucoma, the role of GABA in glaucoma remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine whether allopregnanolone synthesis is induced by high pressure in the retina and whether allopregnanolone modulates pressure-mediated toxicity. METHODS Ex vivo rat retinas were exposed to hydrostatic pressure (10, 35, and 75 mm Hg) for 24 hours. Endogenous allopregnanolone production was determined by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immunochemistry. We also examined the effects of allopregnanolone, finasteride, and dutasteride (inhibitors of 5α-reductase), picrotoxin (a GABA(A) receptor antagonist), and D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV, a broad-spectrum N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor [NMDAR] antagonist). RESULTS Pressure loading at 75 mm Hg significantly increased allopregnanolone levels as measured by LC-MS/MS. Elevated hydrostatic pressure also increased neurosteroid immunofluorescence, especially in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layers. Staining was negligible at lower pressures. Enhanced allopregnanolone levels and immunostaining were substantially blocked by finasteride, but more effectively inhibited by dutasteride and APV. Administration of exogenous allopregnanolone suppressed pressure-induced axonal swelling in a concentration-dependent manner, while picrotoxin overcame these neuroprotective effects. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the synthesis of allopregnanolone is enhanced mainly via NMDARs in the pressure-loaded retina, and that allopregnanolone diminishes pressure-mediated retinal degeneration via GABAA receptors. Allopregnanolone and other related neurosteroids may serve as potential novel therapeutic targets for the prevention of pressure-induced retinal damage in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Ishikawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Akita Graduate University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yoshitomi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Akita Graduate University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Charles F Zorumski
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Yukitoshi Izumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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20
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Maldonado-Devincci AM, Cook JB, O'Buckley TK, Morrow DH, McKinley RE, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Morrow AL. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure and withdrawal alters (3α,5α)-3-hydroxy-pregnan-20-one immunostaining in cortical and limbic brain regions of C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:2561-71. [PMID: 25293837 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The GABAergic neuroactive steroid (3α,5α)-3-hydroxy-pregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP; allopregnanolone) has been studied during withdrawal from ethanol (EtOH) in humans, rats, and mice. Serum 3α,5α-THP levels decreased, and brain levels were not altered following acute EtOH administration (2 g/kg) in male C57BL/6J mice; however, the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on 3α,5α-THP levels have not been examined. Given that CIE exposure changes subsequent voluntary EtOH drinking in a time-dependent fashion following repeated cycles of EtOH exposure, we conducted a time-course analysis of CIE effects on 3α,5α-THP levels in specific brain regions known to influence drinking behavior. METHODS Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 4 cycles of CIE to induce EtOH dependence. All mice were sacrificed and perfused at 1 of 2 time points, 8 or 72 hours following the final exposure cycle. Free-floating brain sections (40 μm; 3 to 5 sections/region/animal) were immunostained and analyzed to determine relative levels of cellular 3α,5α-THP. RESULTS Withdrawal from CIE exposure produced time-dependent and region-specific effects on immunohistochemical detection of 3α,5α-THP levels across cortical and limbic brain regions. A transient reduction in 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity was observed in the central nucleus of the amygdala 8 hours after withdrawal from CIE (-31.4 ± 9.3%). Decreases in 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity were observed 72 hours following withdrawal in the medial prefrontal cortex (-25.0 ± 9.3%), nucleus accumbens core (-29.9 ± 6.6%), and dorsolateral striatum (-18.5 ± 6.0%), while an increase was observed in the CA3 pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus (+42.8 ± 19.5%). Sustained reductions in 3α,5α-THP immunoreactivity were observed at both time points in the lateral amygdala (8 hours -28.3 ± 12.8%; 72 hours -27.5 ± 12.4%) and in the ventral tegmental area (8 hours -26.5 ± 9.9%; 72 hours -31.6 ± 13.8%). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that specific neuroadaptations in 3α,5α-THP levels may be present in regions of brain that mediate anxiety, stress, and reinforcement relevant to EtOH dependence. The changes that occur at different time points likely modulate neurocircuitry involved in EtOH withdrawal as well as the elevated drinking observed after CIE exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoniette M Maldonado-Devincci
- Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Koncz I, Szász BK, Szabó SI, Kiss JP, Mike A, Lendvai B, Sylvester Vizi E, Zelles T. The tricyclic antidepressant desipramine inhibited the neurotoxic, kainate-induced [Ca(2+)]i increases in CA1 pyramidal cells in acute hippocampal slices. Brain Res Bull 2014; 104:42-51. [PMID: 24742525 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Kainate (KA), used for modelling neurodegenerative diseases, evokes excitotoxicity. However, the precise mechanism of KA-evoked [Ca(2+)]i increase is unexplored, especially in acute brain slice preparations. We used [Ca(2+)]i imaging and patch clamp electrophysiology to decipher the mechanism of KA-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise and its inhibition by the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (DMI) in CA1 pyramidal cells in rat hippocampal slices and in cultured hippocampal cells. The effect of KA was dose-dependent and relied totally on extracellular Ca(2+). The lack of effect of dl-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5) and abolishment of the response by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) suggested the involvement of non-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (non-NMDARs). The predominant role of the Ca(2+)-impermeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) in the initiation of the Ca(2+) response was supported by the inhibitory effect of the selective AMPAR antagonist GYKI 53655 and the ineffectiveness of 1-naphthyl acetylspermine (NASPM), an inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-permeable AMPARs. The voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCC), blocked by ω-Conotoxin MVIIC+nifedipine+NiCl2, contributed to the [Ca(2+)]i rise. VGCCs were also involved, similarly to AMPAR current, in the KA-evoked depolarisation. Inhibition of voltage-gated Na(+) channels (VGSCs; tetrodotoxin, TTX) did not affect the depolarisation of pyramidal cells but blocked the depolarisation-evoked action potential bursts and reduced the Ca(2+) response. The tricyclic antidepressant DMI inhibited the KA-evoked [Ca(2+)]i rise in a dose-dependent manner. It directly attenuated the AMPA-/KAR current, but its more potent inhibition on the Ca(2+) response supports additional effect on VGCCs, VGSCs and Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers. The multitarget action on decisive players of excitotoxicity holds out more promise in clinical therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Koncz
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Bernadett K Szász
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szilárd I Szabó
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Arpád Mike
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Lendvai
- Gedeon Richter Plc., Pharmacology and Drug Safety Department, Budapest, Hungary
| | - E Sylvester Vizi
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Zelles
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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Kovačević J, Timić T, Tiruveedhula VV, Batinić B, Namjoshi OA, Milić M, Joksimović S, Cook JM, Savić MM. Duration of treatment and activation of α1-containing GABAA receptors variably affect the level of anxiety and seizure susceptibility after diazepam withdrawal in rats. Brain Res Bull 2014; 104:1-6. [PMID: 24695241 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Long-term use of benzodiazepine-type drugs may lead to physical dependence, manifested by withdrawal syndrome after abrupt cessation of treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of duration of treatment, as well as the role of α1-containing GABAA receptors, in development of physical dependence to diazepam, assessed through the level of anxiety and susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures, 24h after withdrawal from protracted treatment in rats. Withdrawal of 2mg/kg diazepam after 28, but not after 14 or 21 days of administration led to an anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze. Antagonism of the diazepam effects at α1-containing GABAA receptors, achieved by daily administration of the neutral modulator βCCt (5mg/kg), did not affect the anxiety level during withdrawal. An increased susceptibility to PTZ-induced seizures was observed during diazepam withdrawal after 21 and 28 days of treatment. Daily co-administration of βCCt further decreased the PTZ-seizure threshold after 21 days of treatment, whilst it prevented the diazepam withdrawal-elicited decrease of the PTZ threshold after 28 days of treatment. In conclusion, the current study suggests that the role of α1-containing GABAA receptors in mediating the development of physical dependence may vary based on the effect being studied and duration of protracted treatment. Moreover, the present data supports previous findings that the lack of activity at α1-containing GABAA receptors is not sufficient to eliminate physical dependence liability of ligands of the benzodiazepine type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Kovačević
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tamara Timić
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Veera V Tiruveedhula
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Bojan Batinić
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ojas A Namjoshi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Marija Milić
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Srđan Joksimović
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Miroslav M Savić
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia.
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