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De Deurwaerdère P, Casarrubea M, Cassar D, Radic M, Puginier E, Chagraoui A, Crescimanno G, Crunelli V, Di Giovanni G. Cannabinoid 1/2 Receptor Activation Induces Strain-Dependent Behavioral and Neurochemical Changes in Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats From Strasbourg and Non-epileptic Control Rats. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:886033. [PMID: 35677756 PMCID: PMC9169225 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.886033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is characterized by absence seizures, which are episodes of lack of consciousness accompanied by electrographic spike-wave discharges. About 60% of children and adolescents with absence seizures are affected by major neuropsychological comorbidities, including anxiety. Endocannabinoids and monoamines are likely involved in the pathophysiology of these CAE psychiatric comorbidities. Here, we show that the synthetic cannabinoid receptor type 1/2 (CB1/2R) agonist WIN 55,212-2 (2 mg/kg) has a strain-dependent effect on anxiety-like and motor behavior when assess in the hole board test and cerebral monoaminergic levels in Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) and their non-epileptic control (NEC) rat strain. Using quantitative and Temporal pattern (T-pattern) analyses, we found that WIN 55,212-2 did not affect the emotional status of GAERS, but it was anxiolytic in NEC. Conversely, WIN 55,212-2 had a sedative effect in GAERS but was ineffective in NEC. Moreover, vehicle-treated GAERS more motivated to explore by implementing more complex and articulated strategies. These behavioral changes correlate with the reduction of 5-HT in the hippocampus and substantia nigra (SN) and noradrenaline (NA) in the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN) in vehicle-treated GAERS compared to NEC rats, which could contribute to their low anxiety status and hypermotility, respectively. On the other hand, the increased level of NA in the EPN and 5-HT in the SN is consistent with an activation of the basal ganglia output-mediated motor suppression observed in WIN 55,212-2-treated GAERS rats. These data support the view of a strain-dependent alteration of the endocannabinoid system in absence epilepsy by adding evidence of a lower emotional responsiveness and a basal ganglia hypersensitivity to cannabinoids in GAERS compared to NEC rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurizio Casarrubea
- Laboratory of Behavioral Physiology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Human Physiology Section “Giuseppe Pagano”, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- *Correspondence: Maurizio Casarrubea,
| | - Daniel Cassar
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Manuela Radic
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Emilie Puginier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5287, Bordeaux Cedex, France
| | - Abdeslam Chagraoui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
- Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, CHU Rouen, Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication Laboratory, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine of Normandy (IRIB), Rouen, France
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Giuseppe Crescimanno
- Laboratory of Behavioral Physiology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Human Physiology Section “Giuseppe Pagano”, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Crunelli
- Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Giuseppe Di Giovanni,
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Crunelli V, Lőrincz ML, McCafferty C, Lambert RC, Leresche N, Di Giovanni G, David F. Clinical and experimental insight into pathophysiology, comorbidity and therapy of absence seizures. Brain 2020; 143:2341-2368. [PMID: 32437558 PMCID: PMC7447525 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Absence seizures in children and teenagers are generally considered relatively benign because of their non-convulsive nature and the large incidence of remittance in early adulthood. Recent studies, however, show that 30% of children with absence seizures are pharmaco-resistant and 60% are affected by severe neuropsychiatric comorbid conditions, including impairments in attention, cognition, memory and mood. In particular, attention deficits can be detected before the epilepsy diagnosis, may persist even when seizures are pharmacologically controlled and are aggravated by valproic acid monotherapy. New functional MRI-magnetoencephalography and functional MRI-EEG studies provide conclusive evidence that changes in blood oxygenation level-dependent signal amplitude and frequency in children with absence seizures can be detected in specific cortical networks at least 1 min before the start of a seizure, spike-wave discharges are not generalized at seizure onset and abnormal cortical network states remain during interictal periods. From a neurobiological perspective, recent electrical recordings and imaging of large neuronal ensembles with single-cell resolution in non-anaesthetized models show that, in contrast to the predominant opinion, cortical mechanisms, rather than an exclusively thalamic rhythmogenesis, are key in driving seizure ictogenesis and determining spike-wave frequency. Though synchronous ictal firing characterizes cortical and thalamic activity at the population level, individual cortico-thalamic and thalamocortical neurons are sparsely recruited to successive seizures and consecutive paroxysmal cycles within a seizure. New evidence strengthens previous findings on the essential role for basal ganglia networks in absence seizures, in particular the ictal increase in firing of substantia nigra GABAergic neurons. Thus, a key feature of thalamic ictogenesis is the powerful increase in the inhibition of thalamocortical neurons that originates at least from two sources, substantia nigra and thalamic reticular nucleus. This undoubtedly provides a major contribution to the ictal decrease in total firing and the ictal increase of T-type calcium channel-mediated burst firing of thalamocortical neurons, though the latter is not essential for seizure expression. Moreover, in some children and animal models with absence seizures, the ictal increase in thalamic inhibition is enhanced by the loss-of-function of the astrocytic GABA transporter GAT-1 that does not necessarily derive from a mutation in its gene. Together, these novel clinical and experimental findings bring about paradigm-shifting views of our understanding of absence seizures and demand careful choice of initial monotherapy and continuous neuropsychiatric evaluation of affected children. These issues are discussed here to focus future clinical and experimental research and help to identify novel therapeutic targets for treating both absence seizures and their comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Crunelli
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK
| | - Magor L Lőrincz
- Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Cian McCafferty
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Régis C Lambert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine and Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Leresche
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine and Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.,Neuroscience Division, School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, UK
| | - François David
- Cerebral dynamics, learning and plasticity, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center - UMR 8002, Paris, France
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Di Giovanni G, Grandi LC, Fedele E, Orban G, Salvadè A, Song W, Cuboni E, Stefani A, Kaelin-Lang A, Galati S. Acute and Chronic Dopaminergic Depletion Differently Affect Motor Thalamic Function. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082734. [PMID: 32326424 PMCID: PMC7215393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The motor thalamus (MTh) plays a crucial role in the basal ganglia (BG)-cortical loop in motor information codification. Despite this, there is limited evidence of MTh functionality in normal and Parkinsonian conditions. To shed light on the functional properties of the MTh, we examined the effects of acute and chronic dopamine (DA) depletion on the neuronal firing of MTh neurons, cortical/MTh interplay and MTh extracellular concentrations of glutamate (GLU) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in two states of DA depletion: acute depletion induced by the tetrodotoxin (TTX) and chronic denervation obtained by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), both infused into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) in anesthetized rats. The acute TTX DA depletion caused a clear-cut reduction in MTh neuronal activity without changes in burst content, whereas the chronic 6-OHDA depletion did not modify the firing rate but increased the burst firing. The phase correlation analysis underscored that the 6-OHDA chronic DA depletion affected the MTh-cortical activity coupling compared to the acute TTX-induced DA depletion state. The TTX acute DA depletion caused a clear-cut increase of the MTh GABA concentration and no change of GLU levels. On the other hand, the 6-OHDA-induced chronic DA depletion led to a significant reduction of local GABA and an increase of GLU levels in the MTh. These data show that MTh is affected by DA depletion and support the hypothesis that a rebalancing of MTh in the chronic condition counterbalances the profound alteration arising after acute DA depletion state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
- Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Laura Clara Grandi
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
| | - Ernesto Fedele
- Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacy, Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gergely Orban
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
| | - Agnese Salvadè
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
| | - Wei Song
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Cuboni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
| | - Alessandro Stefani
- Department of system medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Alain Kaelin-Lang
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
- Medical Faculty, University of Bern, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Salvatore Galati
- Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Taverne, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Center for Movement Disorders, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
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Di Giovanni G, Chagraoui A, Bharatiya R, De Deurwaerdère P. Serotonergic control of excitability: from neuron to networks. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64125-0.00010-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Russo M, Carrarini C, Dono F, Rispoli MG, Di Pietro M, Di Stefano V, Ferri L, Bonanni L, Sensi SL, Onofrj M. The Pharmacology of Visual Hallucinations in Synucleinopathies. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1379. [PMID: 31920635 PMCID: PMC6913661 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual hallucinations (VH) are commonly found in the course of synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The incidence of VH in these conditions is so high that the absence of VH in the course of the disease should raise questions about the diagnosis. VH may take the form of early and simple phenomena or appear with late and complex presentations that include hallucinatory production and delusions. VH are an unmet treatment need. The review analyzes the past and recent hypotheses that are related to the underlying mechanisms of VH and then discusses their pharmacological modulation. Recent models for VH have been centered on the role played by the decoupling of the default mode network (DMN) when is released from the control of the fronto-parietal and salience networks. According to the proposed model, the process results in the perception of priors that are stored in the unconscious memory and the uncontrolled emergence of intrinsic narrative produced by the DMN. This DMN activity is triggered by the altered functioning of the thalamus and involves the dysregulated activity of the brain neurotransmitters. Historically, dopamine has been indicated as a major driver for the production of VH in synucleinopathies. In that context, nigrostriatal dysfunctions have been associated with the VH onset. The efficacy of antipsychotic compounds in VH treatment has further supported the notion of major involvement of dopamine in the production of the hallucinatory phenomena. However, more recent studies and growing evidence are also pointing toward an important role played by serotonergic and cholinergic dysfunctions. In that respect, in vivo and post-mortem studies have now proved that serotonergic impairment is often an early event in synucleinopathies. The prominent cholinergic impairment in DLB is also well established. Finally, glutamatergic and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic modulations and changes in the overall balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling are also contributing factors. The review provides an extensive overview of the pharmacology of VH and offers an up to date analysis of treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirella Russo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudia Carrarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Fedele Dono
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marianna Gabriella Rispoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Martina Di Pietro
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Stefano
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Laura Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanni
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Luca Sensi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Behavioral Neurology and Molecular Neurology Units, Center of Excellence on Aging and Translational Medicine—CeSI-MeT, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Departments of Neurology and Pharmacology, Institute for Mind Impairments and Neurological Disorders—iMIND, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Marco Onofrj
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Yavuz M, Albayrak N, Özgür M, Gülçebi İdriz Oğlu M, Çavdar S, Onat F. The effect of prenatal and postnatal caffeine exposure on pentylentetrazole induced seizures in the non-epileptic and epileptic offsprings. Neurosci Lett 2019; 713:134504. [PMID: 31539618 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, has been reported to modulate seizure activity in various studies. In this study the effects of caffeine exposure on the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure thresholds and seizure stages in the Wistar and genetic absence epilepsy model offsprings were examined. Adult female and male Wistar rats and genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) consumed caffeine dissolved in water (0.3 g/L) before conception, during the gestational periods and lactation period whereas control groups of each strain received tap water. All offsprings at postnatal day 30 (PN30) subjected to 70 mg/kg of PTZ were evaluated in terms of overall seizure stages, the latency to the first generalized seizure and the c-Fos protein activity in the brain regions of somatosensorial cortex (SSCx), reticular thalamic nucleus (Rt), ventrobasal thalamus (VB), centromedial nucleus (CM) and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The Wistar caffeine group had significantly shorter latency to the first generalized seizure (1.53 ± 0.49 min) comparing to the Wistar control offsprings (3.40 ± 0.68 min). GAERS caffeine group (6.52 ± 2.48 min) showed significantly longer latency comparing to Wistar caffeine group (1.53 ± 0.49 min). Although statistically not significant, GAERS caffeine group showed a longer latency comparing to the GAERS control group (4.71 ± 1.82 min). In all regions of SSCx, Rt, VB, CM and LGN, GAERS caffeine group had lower c-Fos protein expression comparing to the GAERS control group (p < 0.05). Wistar caffeine rats had lower expression of c-Fos protein comparing to the Wistar control group only in SSCx. In CM, GAERS rats expressed lower c-Fos protein comparing to the Wistar control (p < 0.05). In conclusion differential effects of caffeine in the seizure modulation may involve c-Fos protein activity-dependent protection mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Yavuz
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nazlı Albayrak
- School of Medicine, Acibadem M. A. Aydınlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Merve Özgür
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Medine Gülçebi İdriz Oğlu
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey; Epilepsy Research Centre (EPAM), Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Safiye Çavdar
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Filiz Onat
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey; Epilepsy Research Centre (EPAM), Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Shangguan Y, Xu X, Ganbat B, Li Y, Wang W, Yang Y, Lu X, Du C, Tian X, Wang X. CNTNAP4 Impacts Epilepsy Through GABAA Receptors Regulation: Evidence From Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients and Mouse Models. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3491-3504. [PMID: 28968899 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a serious neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. The exact etiology of epilepsy is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that the expression of contactin-associated protein-like 4 (CNTNAP4) was decreased in the temporal neocortex of epileptic patients and in the hippocampus and cortex of epileptic mice. Lentivirus-mediated knock-down of CNTNAP4 in the hippocampus increased mice susceptibility to epilepsy. Conversely, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of CNTNAP4 decreased epileptic behavior in mice. CNTNAP4 affected neuronal excitability and inhibitory synaptic transmission via postsynaptic receptors in Mg2+-free epilepsy cell model. Down-regulation or overexpression of CNTNAP4 in the hippocampus influenced the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor β2/3 (GABAARβ2/3) membrane protein, without affecting total GABAARβ2/3 protein concentration in epileptic mice. Protein interactions between CNTNAP4, GABAARβ2/3 and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein (GABARAP) were observed in the hippocampus of epileptic mice. These findings suggest CNTNAP4 may be involved in the occurrence and development of epilepsy through the regulation of GABAAR function, and may be a promising target for the development of epilepsy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Shangguan
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Baigalimaa Ganbat
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Xi Lu
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Du
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Tian
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
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Esmaeeli S, Murphy K, Swords GM, Ibrahim BA, Brown JW, Llano DA. Visual hallucinations, thalamocortical physiology and Lewy body disease: A review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:337-351. [PMID: 31195000 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
One of the core diagnostic criteria for Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) is the presence of visual hallucinations. The presence of hallucinations, along with fluctuations in the level of arousal and sleep disturbance, point to potential pathological mechanisms at the level of the thalamus. However, the potential role of thalamic dysfunction in DLB, particularly as it relates to the presence of formed visual hallucinations is not known. Here, we review the literature on the pathophysiology of DLB with respect to modern theories of thalamocortical function and attempt to derive an understanding of how such hallucinations arise. Based on the available literature, we propose that combined thalamic-thalamic reticular nucleus and thalamocortical pathology may explain the phenomenology of visual hallucinations in DLB. In particular, diminished α7 cholinergic activity in the thalamic reticular nucleus may critically disinhibit thalamocortical activity. Further, concentrated pathological changes within the posterior regions of the thalamus may explain the predilection for the hallucinations to be visual in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shooka Esmaeeli
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Kathleen Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Gabriel M Swords
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Baher A Ibrahim
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey W Brown
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States; Carle Neuroscience Institute, Urbana, IL, United States.
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Svob Strac D, Pivac N, Smolders IJ, Fogel WA, De Deurwaerdere P, Di Giovanni G. Monoaminergic Mechanisms in Epilepsy May Offer Innovative Therapeutic Opportunity for Monoaminergic Multi-Target Drugs. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:492. [PMID: 27891070 PMCID: PMC5102907 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A large body of experimental and clinical evidence has strongly suggested that monoamines play an important role in regulating epileptogenesis, seizure susceptibility, convulsions, and comorbid psychiatric disorders commonly seen in people with epilepsy (PWE). However, neither the relative significance of individual monoamines nor their interaction has yet been fully clarified due to the complexity of these neurotransmitter systems. In addition, epilepsy is diverse, with many different seizure types and epilepsy syndromes, and the role played by monoamines may vary from one condition to another. In this review, we will focus on the role of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, histamine, and melatonin in epilepsy. Recent experimental, clinical, and genetic evidence will be reviewed in consideration of the mutual relationship of monoamines with the other putative neurotransmitters. The complexity of epileptic pathogenesis may explain why the currently available drugs, developed according to the classic drug discovery paradigm of "one-molecule-one-target," have turned out to be effective only in a percentage of PWE. Although, no antiepileptic drugs currently target specifically monoaminergic systems, multi-target directed ligands acting on different monoaminergic proteins, present on both neurons and glia cells, may represent a new approach in the management of seizures, and their generation as well as comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nela Pivac
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic InstituteZagreb, Croatia
| | - Ilse J. Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Analysis, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrussels, Belgium
| | - Wieslawa A. Fogel
- Department of Hormone Biochemistry, Medical University of LodzLodz, Poland
| | | | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of MaltaMsida, Malta
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Effects of DA-Phen, a dopamine-aminoacidic conjugate, on alcohol intake and forced abstinence. Behav Brain Res 2016; 310:109-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Angioni L, Cocco C, Ferri GL, Argiolas A, Melis MR, Sanna F. Involvement of nigral oxytocin in locomotor activity: A behavioral, immunohistochemical and lesion study in male rats. Horm Behav 2016; 83:23-38. [PMID: 27189764 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin is involved in the control of different behaviors, from sexual behavior and food consumption to empathy, social and affective behaviors. An imbalance of central oxytocinergic neurotransmission has been also associated with different mental pathologies, from depression, anxiety and anorexia/bulimia to schizophrenia, autism and drug dependence. This study shows that oxytocin may also play a role in the control of locomotor activity. Accordingly, intraperitoneal oxytocin (0.5-2000μg/kg) reduced locomotor activity of adult male rats. This effect was abolished by d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)(2)-Orn(8)-vasotocin, an oxytocin receptor antagonist, given into the lateral ventricles at the dose of 2μg/rat, which was ineffective on locomotor activity. Oxytocin (50-200ng/site) also reduced and d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)(2)-Orn(8)-vasotocin (2μg/site) increased locomotor activity when injected bilaterally into the substantia nigra, a key area in the control of locomotor activity. Conversely, the destruction of nigral neurons bearing oxytocin receptors by the recently characterized neurotoxin oxytocin-saporin injected into the substantia nigra, increased basal locomotor activity. Since oxytocin-saporin injected into the substantia nigra caused a marked reduction of neurons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (e.g., nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons) and for vesicular glutamate transporters VGluT1, VGluT2 and VGluT3 (e.g., glutamatergic neurons), but not for glutamic acid decarboxylase (e.g., GABAergic neurons), together these findings suggest that oxytocin influences locomotor activity by acting on receptors localized presynaptically in nigral glutamatergic nerve terminals (which control the activity of nigral GABAergic efferent neurons projecting to brain stem nuclei controlling locomotor activity), rather than on receptors localized in the cell bodies/dendrites of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Angioni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, NEF Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Cristina Cocco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, NEF Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Gian-Luca Ferri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, NEF Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Antonio Argiolas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Melis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Neuropsychobiology Laboratory, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
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12
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Di Giovanni G, De Deurwaerdère P. New therapeutic opportunities for 5-HT2C receptor ligands in neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2015; 157:125-62. [PMID: 26617215 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The 5-HT2C receptor (R) displays a widespread distribution in the CNS and is involved in the action of 5-HT in all brain areas. Knowledge of its functional role in the CNS pathophysiology has been impaired for many years due to the lack of drugs capable of discriminating among 5-HT2R subtypes, and to a lesser extent to the 5-HT1B, 5-HT5, 5-HT6 and 5-HT7Rs. The situation has changed since the mid-90s due to the increased availability of new and selective synthesized compounds, the creation of 5-HT2C knock out mice, and the progress made in molecular biology. Many pharmacological classes of drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics display affinities toward 5-HT2CRs and new 5-HT2C ligands have been developed for various neuropsychiatric disorders. The 5-HT2CR is presumed to mediate tonic/constitutive and phasic controls on the activity of different central neurobiological networks. Preclinical data illustrate this complexity to a point that pharmaceutical companies developed either agonists or antagonists for the same disease. In order to better comprehend this complexity, this review will briefly describe the molecular pharmacology of 5-HT2CRs, as well as their cellular impacts in general, before addressing its central distribution in the mammalian brain. Thereafter, we review the preclinical efficacy of 5-HT2C ligands in numerous behavioral tests modeling human diseases, highlighting the multiple and competing actions of the 5-HT2CRs in neurobiological networks and monoaminergic systems. Notably, we will focus this evidence in the context of the physiopathology of psychiatric and neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia, and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Department of Physiology & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta; Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Philippe De Deurwaerdère
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5293) 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
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13
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Enhanced GABAA-Mediated Tonic Inhibition in Auditory Thalamus of Rats with Behavioral Evidence of Tinnitus. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9369-80. [PMID: 26109660 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5054-14.2015] [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] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests a role for inhibitory neurotransmitter dysfunction in the pathology of tinnitus. Opposing hypotheses proposed either a pathologic decrease or increase of GABAergic inhibition in medial geniculate body (MGB). In thalamus, GABA mediates fast synaptic inhibition via synaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) and persistent tonic inhibition via high-affinity extrasynaptic GABAARs. Given that extrasynaptic GABAARs control the firing mode of thalamocortical neurons, we examined tonic GABAAR currents in MGB neurons in vitro, using the following three groups of adult rats: unexposed control (Ctrl); sound exposed with behavioral evidence of tinnitus (Tin); and sound exposed with no behavioral evidence of tinnitus (Non-T). Tonic GABAAR currents were evoked using the selective agonist gaboxadol. Months after a tinnitus-inducing sound exposure, gaboxadol-evoked tonic GABAAR currents showed significant tinnitus-related increases contralateral to the sound exposure. In situ hybridization studies found increased mRNA levels for GABAAR δ-subunits contralateral to the sound exposure. Tin rats showed significant increases in the number of spikes per burst evoked using suprathreshold-injected current steps. In summary, we found little evidence of tinnitus-related decreases in GABAergic neurotransmission. Tinnitus and chronic pain may reflect thalamocortical dysrhythmia, which results from abnormal theta-range resonant interactions between thalamus and cortex, due to neuronal hyperpolarization and the initiation of low-threshold calcium spike bursts (Walton and Llinás, 2010). In agreement with this hypothesis, we found tinnitus-related increases in tonic extrasynaptic GABAAR currents, in action potentials/evoked bursts, and in GABAAR δ-subunit gene expression. These tinnitus-related changes in GABAergic function may be markers for tinnitus pathology in the MGB.
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14
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Depaulis A, David O, Charpier S. The genetic absence epilepsy rat from Strasbourg as a model to decipher the neuronal and network mechanisms of generalized idiopathic epilepsies. J Neurosci Methods 2015; 260:159-74. [PMID: 26068173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
First characterized in 1982, the genetic absence epilepsy rat from Strasbourg (GAERS) has emerged as an animal model highly reminiscent of a specific form of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Both its electrophysiological (spike-and-wave discharges) and behavioral (behavioral arrest) features fit well with those observed in human patients with typical absence epilepsy and required by clinicians for diagnostic purposes. In addition, its sensitivity to antiepileptic drugs closely matches what has been described in the clinic, making this model one of the most predictive. Here, we report how the GAERS, thanks to its spontaneous, highly recurrent and easily recognizable seizures on electroencephalographic recordings, allows to address several key-questions about the pathophysiology and genetics of absence epilepsy. In particular, it offers the unique possibility to explore simultaneously the neural circuits involved in the generation of seizures at different levels of integration, using multiscale methodologies, from intracellular recording to functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, it has recently allowed to perform proofs of concept for innovative therapeutic strategies such as responsive deep brain stimulation or synchrotron-generated irradiation based radiosurgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Depaulis
- Inserm, U836, F-38000 Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CHU de Grenoble, Hôpital Michallon, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Olivier David
- Inserm, U836, F-38000 Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Stéphane Charpier
- Brain and Spine Institute, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France
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15
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Guiard BP, Di Giovanni G. Central serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) receptor dysfunction in depression and epilepsy: the missing link? Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:46. [PMID: 25852551 PMCID: PMC4362472 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors (5-HT2A-Rs) are G-protein coupled receptors. In agreement with their location in the brain, they have been implicated not only in various central physiological functions including memory, sleep, nociception, eating and reward behaviors, but also in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Interestingly, a bidirectional link between depression and epilepsy is suspected since patients with depression and especially suicide attempters have an increased seizure risk, while a significant percentage of epileptic patients suffer from depression. Such epidemiological data led us to hypothesize that both pathologies may share common anatomical and neurobiological alteration of the 5-HT2A signaling. After a brief presentation of the pharmacological properties of the 5-HT2A-Rs, this review illustrates how these receptors may directly or indirectly control neuronal excitability in most networks involved in depression and epilepsy through interactions with the monoaminergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmissions. It also synthetizes the preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrating the role of these receptors in antidepressant and antiepileptic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno P Guiard
- CNRS, Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, UMR 5169, Toulouse France ; CNRS, Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale Université de Toulouse 3, UMR 5169, Toulouse, France ; INSERM U1178 Team ≪Depression and Antidepressants≫ Faculté de Pharmacie Paris Sud, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Neurophysiology Unit, Laboratory for the Study of Neurological Disorders, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Malta, Msida Malta ; School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff UK
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Cortical alterations in a model for absence epilepsy and febrile seizures: in vivo findings in mice carrying a human GABA(A)R gamma2 subunit mutation. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 77:62-70. [PMID: 25731747 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is one of the most common forms of epilepsy among children. The study of a large Australian family demonstrated that a point mutation in the gene encoding the gamma2 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor (G2R43Q) leads to an autosomal dominantly inherited form of CAE and febrile seizures (FS). In a transgenic mouse model carrying the gamma2 (R43Q) mutation heterozygous animals recapitulate the human phenotype. In-vitro experiments indicated that this point mutation impairs cortical inhibition and thus increases the likelihood of seizures. Here, using whole-cell (WC) and extracellular (EC) recordings as well as voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI), we systematically searched for an in vivo correlate of cortical alterations caused by the G2R43Q mutation, as suggested by the mentioned in vitro results. We measured spontaneous and whisker-evoked activity in the primary somatosensory cortex and ventral posteriomedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM) before and after intraperitoneal injection of the ictogenic substance pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in urethane-anesthetized G2R43Q mice and controls in a blinded setting. Compared to wildtype controls in G2R43Q mice after PTZ injection we found 1.) Increased cortical spontaneous activity in layer 2/3 and layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons (increased standard deviation of the mean membrane potential in WC recordings), 2.) Increased variance of stimulus evoked cortical responses in VSDI experiments. 3.) The cortical effects are not due to increased strength or precision of thalamic output. In summary our findings support the hypothesis of a cortical pathology in this mouse model of human genetic absence epilepsy. Further study is needed to characterize underlying molecular mechanisms.
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17
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The substantia nigra conveys target-dependent excitatory and inhibitory outputs from the basal ganglia to the thalamus. J Neurosci 2014; 34:8032-42. [PMID: 24899724 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0236-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG), which influence cortical activity via the thalamus, play a major role in motor activity, learning and memory, sensory processing, and many aspects of behavior. The substantia nigra (SN) consists of GABAergic neurons of the pars reticulata that inhibit thalamic neurons and provide the primary output of the BG, and dopaminergic neurons of the pars compacta that modulate thalamic excitability. Little is known about the functional properties of the SN→thalamus synapses, and anatomical characterization has been controversial. Here we use a combination of anatomical, electrophysiological, genetic, and optogenetic approaches to re-examine these synaptic connections in mice. We find that neurons in the SN inhibit neurons in the ventroposterolateral nucleus of the thalamus via GABAergic synapses, excite neurons in the thalamic nucleus reticularis, and both excite and inhibit neurons within the posterior nucleus group. Glutamatergic SN neurons express the vesicular glutamate receptor transporter vGluT2 and receive inhibitory synapses from striatal neurons, and many also express tyrosine hydroxylase, a marker of dopaminergic neurons. Thus, in addition to providing inhibitory outputs, which is consistent with the canonical circuit, the SN provides glutamatergic outputs that differentially target thalamic nuclei. This suggests that an increase in the activity of glutamatergic neurons in the SN allows the BG to directly excite neurons in specific thalamic nuclei. Elucidating an excitatory connection between the BG and the thalamus provides new insights into how the BG regulate thalamic activity, and has important implications for understanding BG function in health and disease.
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18
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Nguyen M, Roth A, Kyzar EJ, Poudel MK, Wong K, Stewart AM, Kalueff AV. Decoding the contribution of dopaminergic genes and pathways to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neurochem Int 2014; 66:15-26. [PMID: 24412511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a debilitating brain illness causing social deficits, delayed development and repetitive behaviors. ASD is a heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with poorly understood and complex etiology. The central dopaminergic system is strongly implicated in ASD pathogenesis. Genes encoding various elements of this system (including dopamine receptors, the dopamine transporter or enzymes of synthesis and catabolism) have been linked to ASD. Here, we comprehensively evaluate known molecular interactors of dopaminergic genes, and identify their potential molecular partners within up/down-steam signaling pathways associated with dopamine. These in silico analyses allowed us to construct a map of molecular pathways, regulated by dopamine and involved in ASD. Clustering these pathways reveals groups of genes associated with dopamine metabolism, encoding proteins that control dopamine neurotransmission, cytoskeletal processes, synaptic release, Ca(2+) signaling, as well as the adenosine, glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric systems. Overall, our analyses emphasize the important role of the dopaminergic system in ASD, and implicate several cellular signaling processes in its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, 415 Lane Road, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Andrew Roth
- School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Evan J Kyzar
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 808 S. Wood Street, Room 165 CME, M/C 783, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Manoj K Poudel
- ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA
| | - Keith Wong
- University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adam Michael Stewart
- ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- ZENEREI Institute, 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
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