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Siafis S, Chiocchia V, Macleod MR, Austin C, Homiar A, Tinsdeall F, Friedrich C, Ramage FJ, Kennett J, Nomura N, Maksym O, Rutigliano G, Vano LJ, McCutcheon RA, Gilbert D, Ostinelli EG, Stansfield C, Dehdarirad H, Juma DO, Wright S, Simple O, Elugbadebo O, Tonia T, Mantas I, Howes OD, Furukawa TA, Milligan L, Moreno C, Elliott JH, Hastings J, Thomas J, Michie S, Sena ES, Seedat S, Egger M, Potts J, Cipriani A, Salanti G, Leucht S. Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism for psychosis: a living systematic review and meta-analysis of human and non-human data. Wellcome Open Res 2024; 9:182. [PMID: 39036710 PMCID: PMC11258611 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.21302.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonism shows promise for treating psychosis, prompting us to synthesise data from human and non-human studies. Methods We co-produced a living systematic review of controlled studies examining TAAR1 agonists in individuals (with or without psychosis/schizophrenia) and relevant animal models. Two independent reviewers identified studies in multiple electronic databases (until 17.11.2023), extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Primary outcomes were standardised mean differences (SMD) for overall symptoms in human studies and hyperlocomotion in animal models. We also examined adverse events and neurotransmitter signalling. We synthesised data with random-effects meta-analyses. Results Nine randomised trials provided data for two TAAR1 agonists (ulotaront and ralmitaront), and 15 animal studies for 10 TAAR1 agonists. Ulotaront and ralmitaront demonstrated few differences compared to placebo in improving overall symptoms in adults with acute schizophrenia (N=4 studies, n=1291 participants; SMD=0.15, 95%CI: -0.05, 0.34), and ralmitaront was less efficacious than risperidone (N=1, n=156, SMD=-0.53, 95%CI: -0.86, -0.20). Large placebo response was observed in ulotaront phase-III trials. Limited evidence suggested a relatively benign side-effect profile for TAAR1 agonists, although nausea and sedation were common after a single dose of ulotaront. In animal studies, TAAR1 agonists improved hyperlocomotion compared to control (N=13 studies, k=41 experiments, SMD=1.01, 95%CI: 0.74, 1.27), but seemed less efficacious compared to dopamine D 2 receptor antagonists (N=4, k=7, SMD=-0.62, 95%CI: -1.32, 0.08). Limited human and animal data indicated that TAAR1 agonists may regulate presynaptic dopaminergic signalling. Conclusions TAAR1 agonists may be less efficacious than dopamine D 2 receptor antagonists already licensed for schizophrenia. The results are preliminary due to the limited number of drugs examined, lack of longer-term data, publication bias, and assay sensitivity concerns in trials associated with large placebo response. Considering their unique mechanism of action, relatively benign side-effect profile and ongoing drug development, further research is warranted. Registration PROSPERO-ID: CRD42023451628.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyridon Siafis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site München/Augsburg, Germany
| | - Virginia Chiocchia
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Malcolm R. Macleod
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Charlotte Austin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Ava Homiar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Francesca Tinsdeall
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Claire Friedrich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Fiona J. Ramage
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Jaycee Kennett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Nobuyuki Nomura
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site München/Augsburg, Germany
| | - Olena Maksym
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
| | - Luke J. Vano
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
| | - Robert A. McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - David Gilbert
- GALENOS Global Experiential Advisory Board, InHealth Associates, London, UK
| | - Edoardo G. Ostinelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Claire Stansfield
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Hossein Dehdarirad
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Damian Omari Juma
- My Mind Our Humanity, Young Leaders for Global Mental Health, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Simonne Wright
- Stellenbosch University/South African Medical Research Council Genomics of Brain Disorders Extramural Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Ouma Simple
- Stellenbosch University/South African Medical Research Council Genomics of Brain Disorders Extramural Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Olufisayo Elugbadebo
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | - Thomy Tonia
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis Mantas
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oliver D. Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, England, UK
| | - Toshi A. Furukawa
- Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Carmen Moreno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
| | - Julian H. Elliott
- Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Future Evidence Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Hastings
- Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - James Thomas
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Susan Michie
- Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Emily S. Sena
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Stellenbosch University/South African Medical Research Council Genomics of Brain Disorders Extramural Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Matthias Egger
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Potts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrea Cipriani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Georgia Salanti
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Leucht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site München/Augsburg, Germany
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Chen L, Lu Y, Hua X, Zhang H, Sun S, Han C. Three methods of behavioural testing to measure anxiety - A review. Behav Processes 2024; 215:104997. [PMID: 38278425 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.104997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural test is very useful to assess the anxiety activity, screen new anxiolytic drugs, explore the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. Methods of behavioural testing that reflects different aspects of anxiety emotionality simultaneously have always been a critical issue for academics. In this paper, we reviewed previous methods to use behavioural test to evaluate the anxiety activity. A single test was used to measure only one aspect of anxiety emotionality. A battery of behavioural tests could get a comprehensive information of anxiety profile. In one single trial, open field test, elevated plus maze and light/dark box are integrated to assess different types of emotional behaviours. This new paradigm is useful for evaluating multiple dimensions of behaviours simultaneously, minimizing general concerns about previous test experience and inter-test intervals between tests. It is proposed as a promising alternative to using test battery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, PR China
| | - Yi Lu
- The People's Hospital of Huaiyin, Jinan 250000, PR China
| | - Xiaokai Hua
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, PR China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, PR China
| | - Shiguang Sun
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, PR China.
| | - Chunchao Han
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China; Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Quality Control and Construction of the Whole Industrial Chain of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250355, PR China.
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Spark DL, Ma S, Nowell CJ, Langmead CJ, Stewart GD, Nithianantharajah J. Sex-Dependent Attentional Impairments in a Subchronic Ketamine Mouse Model for Schizophrenia. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:229-239. [PMID: 38298794 PMCID: PMC10829638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The development of more effective treatments for schizophrenia targeting cognitive and negative symptoms has been limited, partly due to a disconnect between rodent models and human illness. Ketamine administration is widely used to model symptoms of schizophrenia in both humans and rodents. In mice, subchronic ketamine treatment reproduces key dopamine and glutamate dysfunction; however, it is unclear how this translates into behavioral changes reflecting positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Methods In male and female mice treated with either subchronic ketamine or saline, we assessed spontaneous and amphetamine-induced locomotor activity to measure behaviors relevant to positive symptoms, and used a touchscreen-based progressive ratio task of motivation and the rodent continuous performance test of attention to capture specific negative and cognitive symptoms, respectively. To explore neuronal changes underlying the behavioral effects of subchronic ketamine treatment, we quantified expression of the immediate early gene product, c-Fos, in key corticostriatal regions using immunofluorescence. Results We showed that spontaneous locomotor activity was unchanged in male and female subchronic ketamine-treated animals, and amphetamine-induced locomotor response was reduced. Subchronic ketamine treatment did not alter motivation in either male or female mice. In contrast, we identified a sex-specific effect of subchronic ketamine on attentional processing wherein female mice performed worse than control mice due to increased nonselective responding. Finally, we showed that subchronic ketamine treatment increased c-Fos expression in prefrontal cortical and striatal regions, consistent with a mechanism of widespread disinhibition of neuronal activity. Conclusions Our results highlight that the subchronic ketamine mouse model reproduces a subset of behavioral symptoms that are relevant for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy L. Spark
- Drug Discovery Biology Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sherie Ma
- Drug Discovery Biology Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron J. Nowell
- Drug Discovery Biology Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Langmead
- Drug Discovery Biology Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gregory D. Stewart
- Drug Discovery Biology Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jess Nithianantharajah
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Siafis S, McCutcheon R, Chiocchia V, Ostinelli EG, Wright S, Stansfield C, Juma DO, Mantas I, Howes OD, Rutigliano G, Ramage F, Tinsdeall F, Friedrich C, Milligan L, Moreno C, Elliott JH, Thomas J, Macleod MR, Sena ES, Seedat S, Salanti G, Potts J, Cipriani A, Leucht S. Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonists for psychosis: protocol for a living systematic review and meta-analysis of human and non-human studies. Wellcome Open Res 2023; 8:365. [PMID: 38634067 PMCID: PMC11021884 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19866.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an urgent need to develop more effective and safer antipsychotics beyond dopamine 2 receptor antagonists. An emerging and promising approach is TAAR1 agonism. Therefore, we will conduct a living systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize and triangulate the evidence from preclinical animal experiments and clinical studies on the efficacy, safety, and underlying mechanism of action of TAAR1 agonism for psychosis. METHODS Independent searches will be conducted in multiple electronic databases to identify clinical and animal experimental studies comparing TAAR1 agonists with licensed antipsychotics or other control conditions in individuals with psychosis or animal models for psychosis, respectively. The primary outcomes will be overall psychotic symptoms and their behavioural proxies in animals. Secondary outcomes will include side effects and neurobiological measures. Two independent reviewers will conduct study selection, data extraction using predefined forms, and risk of bias assessment using suitable tools based on the study design. Ontologies will be developed to facilitate study identification and data extraction. Data from clinical and animal studies will be synthesized separately using random-effects meta-analysis if appropriate, or synthesis without meta-analysis. Study characteristics will be investigated as potential sources of heterogeneity. Confidence in the evidence for each outcome and source of evidence will be evaluated, considering the summary of the association, potential concerns regarding internal and external validity, and reporting biases. When multiple sources of evidence are available for an outcome, an overall conclusion will be drawn in a triangulation meeting involving a multidisciplinary team of experts. We plan trimonthly updates of the review, and any modifications in the protocol will be documented. The review will be co-produced by multiple stakeholders aiming to produce impactful and relevant results and bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research on psychosis. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION PROSPERO-ID: CRD42023451628.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spyridon Siafis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
| | - Virginia Chiocchia
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Edoardo G. Ostinelli
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Simonne Wright
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Claire Stansfield
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
| | | | - Ioannis Mantas
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oliver D. Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, England, UK
| | - Fiona Ramage
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Francesca Tinsdeall
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Claire Friedrich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | | | - Carmen Moreno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
| | - Julian H. Elliott
- Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Future Evidence Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
| | - James Thomas
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Malcolm R. Macleod
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Emily S. Sena
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Georgia Salanti
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Potts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Andrea Cipriani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
| | - Stefan Leucht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - the GALENOS team
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, UK
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
- Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
- EPPI Centre, Social Research Institute, University College London, London, England, UK
- My Mind Our Humanity, Mombasa, Kenya
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, England, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- MQ Mental Health Research, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
- Cochrane Australia, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Future Evidence Foundation, Melbourne, Australia
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Yang Y, Wang Y, Bian H, Yu S, Jin Y, Ye X, Li T, Huang L. Effect of evaluation timing and duration of anxiety-like behaviors induced by conditioned fear in rats: Assessment using the triple test. Physiol Behav 2022; 257:113974. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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6
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van den Berg H. Evaluating the validity of animal models of mental disorder: from modeling syndromes to modeling endophenotypes. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 44:59. [PMID: 36357538 PMCID: PMC9649475 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00537-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides a historical analysis of a shift in the way animal models of mental disorders were conceptualized: the shift from the mid-twentieth-century view, adopted by some, that animal models model syndromes classified in manuals such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), to the later widespread view that animal models model component parts of psychiatric syndromes. I argue that in the middle of the twentieth century the attempt to maximize the face validity of animal models sometimes led to the pursuit of the ideal of an animal model that represented a behaviorally defined psychiatric syndrome as described in manuals such as the DSM. I show how developments within psychiatric genetics and related criticism of the DSM in the 1990s and 2000s led to the rejection of this ideal and how researchers in the first decade of the twenty-first century came to believe that animal models of mental disorders should model component parts of mental disorders, adopting a so-called endophenotype approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hein van den Berg
- Department of Philosophy, Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94201 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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7
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Muhia M, YuanXiang P, Sedlacik J, Schwarz JR, Heisler FF, Gromova KV, Thies E, Breiden P, Pechmann Y, Kreutz MR, Kneussel M. Muskelin regulates actin-dependent synaptic changes and intrinsic brain activity relevant to behavioral and cognitive processes. Commun Biol 2022; 5:589. [PMID: 35705737 PMCID: PMC9200775 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Muskelin (Mkln1) is implicated in neuronal function, regulating plasma membrane receptor trafficking. However, its influence on intrinsic brain activity and corresponding behavioral processes remains unclear. Here we show that murine Mkln1 knockout causes non-habituating locomotor activity, increased exploratory drive, and decreased locomotor response to amphetamine. Muskelin deficiency impairs social novelty detection while promoting the retention of spatial reference memory and fear extinction recall. This is strongly mirrored in either weaker or stronger resting-state functional connectivity between critical circuits mediating locomotor exploration and cognition. We show that Mkln1 deletion alters dendrite branching and spine structure, coinciding with enhanced AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission but selective impairment in synaptic potentiation maintenance. We identify muskelin at excitatory synapses and highlight its role in regulating dendritic spine actin stability. Our findings point to aberrant spine actin modulation and changes in glutamatergic synaptic function as critical mechanisms that contribute to the neurobehavioral phenotype arising from Mkln1 ablation. A murine muskelin knockout induces increased exploratory drive and alters cognition and functional connectivity. These effects correlate with actin-dependent changes in dendritic branching, spine structure, and AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Muhia
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany. .,Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
| | - PingAn YuanXiang
- RG Neuroplasticity Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jan Sedlacik
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Biomedical Engineering Department, Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jürgen R Schwarz
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank F Heisler
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kira V Gromova
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Edda Thies
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra Breiden
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Pechmann
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael R Kreutz
- RG Neuroplasticity Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118, Magdeburg, Germany.,Leibniz Group 'Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function', Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Kneussel
- Institute of Molecular Neurogenetics, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
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Białoń M, Wąsik A. Advantages and Limitations of Animal Schizophrenia Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5968. [PMID: 35682647 PMCID: PMC9181262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental illness modeling is still a major challenge for scientists. Animal models of schizophrenia are essential to gain a better understanding of the disease etiopathology and mechanism of action of currently used antipsychotic drugs and help in the search for new and more effective therapies. We can distinguish among pharmacological, genetic, and neurodevelopmental models offering various neuroanatomical disorders and a different spectrum of symptoms of schizophrenia. Modeling schizophrenia is based on inducing damage or changes in the activity of relevant regions in the rodent brain (mainly the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). Such artificially induced dysfunctions approximately correspond to the lesions found in patients with schizophrenia. However, notably, animal models of mental illness have numerous limitations and never fully reflect the disease state observed in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnieszka Wąsik
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Cracow, Poland;
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9
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Spark DL, Fornito A, Langmead CJ, Stewart GD. Beyond antipsychotics: a twenty-first century update for preclinical development of schizophrenia therapeutics. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:147. [PMID: 35393394 PMCID: PMC8991275 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01904-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite 50+ years of drug discovery, current antipsychotics have limited efficacy against negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, and are ineffective-with the exception of clozapine-against any symptom domain for patients who are treatment resistant. Novel therapeutics with diverse non-dopamine D2 receptor targets have been explored extensively in clinical trials, yet often fail due to a lack of efficacy despite showing promise in preclinical development. This lack of translation between preclinical and clinical efficacy suggests a systematic failure in current methods that determine efficacy in preclinical rodent models. In this review, we critically evaluate rodent models and behavioural tests used to determine preclinical efficacy, and look to clinical research to provide a roadmap for developing improved translational measures. We highlight the dependence of preclinical models and tests on dopamine-centric theories of dysfunction and how this has contributed towards a self-reinforcing loop away from clinically meaningful predictions of efficacy. We review recent clinical findings of distinct dopamine-mediated dysfunction of corticostriatal circuits in patients with treatment-resistant vs. non-treatment-resistant schizophrenia and suggest criteria for establishing rodent models to reflect such differences, with a focus on objective, translational measures. Finally, we review current schizophrenia drug discovery and propose a framework where preclinical models are validated against objective, clinically informed measures and preclinical tests of efficacy map onto those used clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy L Spark
- Drug Discovery Biology, Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, and Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Biomedical Imaging, and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher J Langmead
- Drug Discovery Biology, Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, and Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - Gregory D Stewart
- Drug Discovery Biology, Neuroscience & Mental Health Therapeutic Program Area, and Neuromedicines Discovery Centre, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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10
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Chang CY, Luo DZ, Pei JC, Kuo MC, Hsieh YC, Lai WS. Not Just a Bystander: The Emerging Role of Astrocytes and Research Tools in Studying Cognitive Dysfunctions in Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105343. [PMID: 34069523 PMCID: PMC8160762 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction is one of the core symptoms in schizophrenia, and it is predictive of functional outcomes and therefore useful for treatment targets. Rather than improving cognitive deficits, currently available antipsychotics mainly focus on positive symptoms, targeting dopaminergic/serotoninergic neurons and receptors in the brain. Apart from investigating the neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, emerging evidence indicates the importance of glial cells in brain structure development and their involvement in cognitive functions. Although the etiopathology of astrocytes in schizophrenia remains unclear, accumulated evidence reveals that alterations in gene expression and astrocyte products have been reported in schizophrenic patients. To further investigate the role of astrocytes in schizophrenia, we highlighted recent progress in the investigation of the effect of astrocytes on abnormalities in glutamate transmission and impairments in the blood–brain barrier. Recent advances in animal models and behavioral methods were introduced to examine schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits and negative symptoms. We also highlighted several experimental tools that further elucidate the role of astrocytes. Instead of focusing on schizophrenia as a neuron-specific disorder, an additional astrocytic perspective provides novel and promising insight into its causal mechanisms and treatment. The involvement of astrocytes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and other brain disorders is worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Ming-Che Kuo
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100225, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; (C.-Y.C.); (D.-Z.L.); (J.-C.P.); (Y.-C.H.)
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-2-3366-3112; Fax: +886-2-3362-9909
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11
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Kim NS, Wen Z, Liu J, Zhou Y, Guo Z, Xu C, Lin YT, Yoon KJ, Park J, Cho M, Kim M, Wang X, Yu H, Sakamuru S, Christian KM, Hsu KS, Xia M, Li W, Ross CA, Margolis RL, Lu XY, Song H, Ming GL. Pharmacological rescue in patient iPSC and mouse models with a rare DISC1 mutation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1398. [PMID: 33658519 PMCID: PMC7930023 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21713-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a causal link between a rare patient mutation in DISC1 (disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1) and synaptic deficits in cortical neurons differentiated from isogenic patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here we find that transcripts related to phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) signaling are significantly elevated in human cortical neurons differentiated from iPSCs with the DISC1 mutation and that inhibition of PDE4 or activation of the cAMP signaling pathway functionally rescues synaptic deficits. We further generated a knock-in mouse line harboring the same patient mutation in the Disc1 gene. Heterozygous Disc1 mutant mice exhibit elevated levels of PDE4s and synaptic abnormalities in the brain, and social and cognitive behavioral deficits. Pharmacological inhibition of the PDE4 signaling pathway rescues these synaptic, social and cognitive behavioral abnormalities. Our study shows that patient-derived isogenic iPSC and humanized mouse disease models are integral and complementary for translational studies with a better understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Cell Biology, and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ying Zhou
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyuan Guo
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chongchong Xu
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Cell Biology, and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yu-Ting Lin
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Junhyun Park
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michelle Cho
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Minji Kim
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xinyuan Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Huimei Yu
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Srilatha Sakamuru
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly M Christian
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kuei-Sen Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Menghang Xia
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Weidong Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Russell L Margolis
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xin-Yun Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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12
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Sellgren CM, Imbeault S, Larsson MK, Oliveros A, Nilsson IAK, Codeluppi S, Orhan F, Bhat M, Tufvesson-Alm M, Gracias J, Kegel ME, Zheng Y, Faka A, Svedberg M, Powell SB, Caldwell S, Kamenski ME, Vawter MP, Schulmann A, Goiny M, Svensson CI, Hökfelt T, Schalling M, Schwieler L, Cervenka S, Choi DS, Landén M, Engberg G, Erhardt S. GRK3 deficiency elicits brain immune activation and psychosis. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6820-6832. [PMID: 33976392 PMCID: PMC8760053 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01106-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) family member protein GRK3 has been linked to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Expression, as well as protein levels, of GRK3 are reduced in post-mortem prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia subjects. Here, we investigate functional behavior and neurotransmission related to immune activation and psychosis using mice lacking functional Grk3 and utilizing a variety of methods, including behavioral, biochemical, electrophysiological, molecular, and imaging methods. Compared to wildtype controls, the Grk3-/- mice show a number of aberrations linked to psychosis, including elevated brain levels of IL-1β, increased turnover of kynurenic acid (KYNA), hyper-responsiveness to D-amphetamine, elevated spontaneous firing of midbrain dopamine neurons, and disruption in prepulse inhibition. Analyzing human genetic data, we observe a link between psychotic features in bipolar disorder, decreased GRK expression, and increased concentration of CSF KYNA. Taken together, our data suggest that Grk3-/- mice show face and construct validity relating to the psychosis phenotype with glial activation and would be suitable for translational studies of novel immunomodulatory agents in psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M. Sellgren
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sophie Imbeault
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Markus K. Larsson
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alfredo Oliveros
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Ida A. K. Nilsson
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Translational Psychiatry, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.24381.3c0000 0000 9241 5705Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simone Codeluppi
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Funda Orhan
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Bhat
- grid.418151.80000 0001 1519 6403Research and Development, Innovative Medicines, Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers, Translational Science Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, AstraZeneca, Solna, Sweden ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maximilian Tufvesson-Alm
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica Gracias
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magdalena E. Kegel
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yiran Zheng
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anthi Faka
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Svedberg
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susan B. Powell
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Sorana Caldwell
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Mary E. Kamenski
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Marquis P. Vawter
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Anton Schulmann
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Michel Goiny
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Camilla I. Svensson
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Schalling
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Translational Psychiatry, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.24381.3c0000 0000 9241 5705Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lilly Schwieler
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Cervenka
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN USA ,grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Mikael Landén
- grid.8761.80000 0000 9919 9582Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Engberg
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sophie Erhardt
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Kätzel D, Wolff AR, Bygrave AM, Bannerman DM. Hippocampal Hyperactivity as a Druggable Circuit-Level Origin of Aberrant Salience in Schizophrenia. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:486811. [PMID: 33178010 PMCID: PMC7596262 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.486811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of current neuroleptics was largely aiming to decrease excessive dopaminergic signaling in the striatum. However, the notion that abnormal dopamine creates psychotic symptoms by causing an aberrant assignment of salience that drives maladaptive learning chronically during disease development suggests a therapeutic value of early interventions that correct salience-related neural processing. The mesolimbic dopaminergic output is modulated by several interconnected brain-wide circuits centrally involving the hippocampus and key relays like the ventral and associative striatum, ventral pallidum, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus reuniens, lateral and medial septum, prefrontal and cingulate cortex, among others. Unraveling the causal relationships between these circuits using modern neuroscience techniques holds promise for identifying novel cellular-and ultimately molecular-treatment targets for reducing transition to psychosis and symptoms of schizophrenia. Imaging studies in humans have implicated a hyperactivity of the hippocampus as a robust and early endophenotype in schizophrenia. Experiments in rodents, in turn, suggested that the activity of its output region-the ventral subiculum-may modulate dopamine release from ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons in the ventral striatum. Even though these observations suggested a novel circuit-level target for anti-psychotic action, no therapy has yet been developed along this rationale. Recently evaluated treatment strategies-at least in part-target excess glutamatergic activity, e.g. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), levetiracetam, and mGluR2/3 modulators. We here review the evidence for the central implication of the hippocampus-VTA axis in schizophrenia-related pathology, discuss its symptom-related implications with a particular focus on aberrant assignment of salience, and evaluate some of its short-comings and prospects for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Kätzel
- Institute for Applied Physiology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Amy R. Wolff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Alexei M. Bygrave
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David M. Bannerman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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14
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Ibi D, Nakasai G, Koide N, Sawahata M, Kohno T, Takaba R, Nagai T, Hattori M, Nabeshima T, Yamada K, Hiramatsu M. Reelin Supplementation Into the Hippocampus Rescues Abnormal Behavior in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:285. [PMID: 32982694 PMCID: PMC7492784 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the majority of schizophrenia patients, chronic atypical antipsychotic administration produces a significant reduction in or even complete remission of psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. However, these drugs are not effective in improving cognitive and emotional deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Atypical antipsychotic drugs have a high affinity for the dopamine D2 receptor, and a modest affinity for the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. The cognitive and emotional deficits in schizophrenia are thought to involve neural networks beyond the classical dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, however, including serotonergic systems. For example, mutations in the RELN gene, which encodes Reelin, an extracellular matrix protein involved in neural development and synaptic plasticity, are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, hippocampal Reelin levels are down-regulated in the brains of both schizophrenic patients and in rodent models of schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Reelin microinjection into the mouse hippocampus on behavioral phenotypes to evaluate the role of Reelin in neurodevelopmental disorders and to test a therapeutic approach that extends beyond classical monoamine targets. To model the cognitive and emotional deficits, as well as histological decreases in Reelin-positive cell numbers and hippocampal synaptoporin distribution, a synaptic vesicle protein, offspring that were prenatally exposed to maternal immune activation were used. Microinjections of recombinant Reelin protein into the hippocampus rescued impairments in object memory and anxiety-like behavior and recruited synaptoporin in the hippocampus in offspring exposed to antenatal inflammation. These results suggest that Reelin supplementation has the potential to treat cognitive and emotional impairments, as well as synaptic disturbances, in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Genki Nakasai
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Nayu Koide
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahito Sawahata
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takao Kohno
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rika Takaba
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Project Office for Neuropsychological Research Center, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Mitsuharu Hattori
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hiramatsu
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
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15
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Donegan JJ, Lodge DJ. Stem Cells for Improving the Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Stem Cells Dev 2020; 29:1118-1130. [PMID: 32008442 PMCID: PMC7469694 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are currently limited. Antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are not effective for all patients, do not target all symptoms of the disease, and have serious adverse side effects. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs to treat the core symptoms of autism. In an effort to develop new and more effective treatment strategies, stem cell technologies have been used to reprogram adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be differentiated into neuronal cells and even three-dimensional brain organoids. This new technology has the potential to elucidate the complex mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders, offer more relevant platforms for drug discovery and personalized medicine, and may even be used to treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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16
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Ruan Z, Delpech JC, Venkatesan Kalavai S, Van Enoo AA, Hu J, Ikezu S, Ikezu T. P2RX7 inhibitor suppresses exosome secretion and disease phenotype in P301S tau transgenic mice. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:47. [PMID: 32811520 PMCID: PMC7436984 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00396-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuronal accumulation of misfolded microtubule-associated protein tau is a hallmark of neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and other tauopathies, and has been a therapeutic target. Microglia can spread tau pathology by secreting tau-containing exosomes, although the specific molecular target is yet to be identified for the therapeutic intervention. P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2RX7) is an ATP-gated cation channel, enriched in microglia and triggers exosome secretion. The purpose of the study is to examine the therapeutic effect of an orally applicable, CNS-penetrant P2RX7 specific inhibitor on the early disease stage of a tauopathy mouse model. Methods Three-months-old P301S tau mice were treated with P2RX7-specific inhibitor GSK1482160 or vehicle for 30 days, followed by behavioral, biochemical and immunohistochemical assessment. GSK1482160 was also tested for exosome secretion from primary cultured murine astrocytes, neurons and microglia in vitro. Results Oral administration of GSK1482160 significantly reduced accumulation of MC1+ and Alz50+ misfolded tau in hippocampal regions, which was accompanied with reduced accumulation of Tsg101, an exosome marker, in hippocampal neurons. Proximity ligation assay demonstrated complex formation of Alz50+ tau and Tsg101 in hippocampal neurons, which was reduced by GSK1482160. On the other hand, GSK1482160 had no effect on microglial ramification or CD68 expression, which was significantly enhanced in P301S mice, or pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression. Strikingly, GSK1482160-treated P301S mice show significantly improved working and contextual memory as determined by Y-maze and fear conditioning tests. GSK1482160 also significantly increased accumulation of Tsg101 and CD81 in microglia in vivo, suggesting its suppression of P2RX7-induced exosome secretion from microglia. This effect was confirmed in vitro, as ATP-induced secretion of tau-containing exosome was significantly suppressed by GSK1482160 treatment from primary murine microglia, but not from neurons or astrocytes. Discussion The oral administration of P2RX7 inhibition mitigates disease phenotypes in P301S mice, likely by suppressing release of microglial exosomes. P2RX7 could be a novel therapeutic target for the early stage tauopathy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Ruan
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Delpech
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Srinidhi Venkatesan Kalavai
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Alicia A Van Enoo
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Jianqiao Hu
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Seiko Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. .,Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. .,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. .,Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, L-606B, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
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17
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Liao X, Li Y. Genetic associations between voltage-gated calcium channels and autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review. Mol Brain 2020; 13:96. [PMID: 32571372 PMCID: PMC7310353 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00634-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present review systematically summarized existing publications regarding the genetic associations between voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather pertinent studies in three online databases. Two authors independently screened the included records based on the selection criteria. Discrepancies in each step were settled through discussions. RESULTS From 1163 resulting searched articles, 28 were identified for inclusion. The most prominent among the VGCCs variants found in ASD were those falling within loci encoding the α subunits, CACNA1A, CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D, CACNA1E, CACNA1F, CACNA1G, CACNA1H, and CACNA1I as well as those of their accessory subunits CACNB2, CACNA2D3, and CACNA2D4. Two signaling pathways, the IP3-Ca2+ pathway and the MAPK pathway, were identified as scaffolds that united genetic lesions into a consensus etiology of ASD. CONCLUSIONS Evidence generated from this review supports the role of VGCC genetic variants in the pathogenesis of ASD, making it a promising therapeutic target. Future research should focus on the specific mechanism that connects VGCC genetic variants to the complex ASD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Liao
- Xiangya Nursing School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yamin Li
- Clinical Nursing Teaching and Research Section, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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18
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Gogos JA, Crabtree G, Diamantopoulou A. The abiding relevance of mouse models of rare mutations to psychiatric neuroscience and therapeutics. Schizophr Res 2020; 217:37-51. [PMID: 30987923 PMCID: PMC6790166 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies using powerful family-based designs aided by large scale case-control studies, have been instrumental in cracking the genetic complexity of the disease, identifying rare and highly penetrant risk mutations and providing a handle on experimentally tractable model systems. Mouse models of rare mutations, paired with analysis of homologous cognitive and sensory processing deficits and state-of-the-art neuroscience methods to manipulate and record neuronal activity have started providing unprecedented insights into pathogenic mechanisms and building the foundation of a new biological framework for understanding mental illness. A number of important principles are emerging, namely that degradation of the computational mechanisms underlying the ordered activity and plasticity of both local and long-range neuronal assemblies, the building blocks necessary for stable cognition and perception, might be the inevitable consequence and the common point of convergence of the vastly heterogeneous genetic liability, manifesting as defective internally- or stimulus-driven neuronal activation patterns and triggering the constellation of schizophrenia symptoms. Animal models of rare mutations have the unique potential to help us move from "which" (gene) to "how", "where" and "when" computational regimes of neural ensembles are affected. Linking these variables should improve our understanding of how symptoms emerge and how diagnostic boundaries are established at a circuit level. Eventually, a better understanding of pathophysiological trajectories at the level of neural circuitry in mice, aided by basic human experimental biology, should guide the development of new therapeutics targeting either altered circuitry itself or the underlying biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Gogos
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA,Correspondence should be addressed to: Joseph A. Gogos ()
| | - Gregg Crabtree
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anastasia Diamantopoulou
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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19
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Pei JC, Hung WL, Lin BX, Shih MH, Lu LY, Luo DZ, Tai HC, Studer V, Min MY, Lai WS. Therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism of sarcosine (N-methylglycine) in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction models of schizophrenia. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1288-1302. [PMID: 31294644 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119856558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compelling animal and clinical studies support the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia and suggest promising pharmacological agents to ameliorate negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, including sarcosine, a glycine transporter-1 inhibitor. AIMS AND METHODS It is imperative to evaluate the therapeutic potential of sarcosine in animal models, which provide indispensable tools for testing drug effects in detail and elucidating the underlying mechanisms. In this study, a series of seven experiments was conducted to investigate the effect of sarcosine in ameliorating behavioral deficits and the underlying mechanism in pharmacological (i.e., MK-801-induced) and genetic (i.e., serine racemase-null mutant (SR-/-) mice) NMDAR hypofunction models. RESULTS In Experiment 1, the acute administration of 500/1000 mg/kg sarcosine (i.p.) had no adverse effects on motor function and serum biochemical responses. In Experiments 2-4, sarcosine significantly alleviated MK-801-induced (0.2 mg/kg) brain abnormalities and behavioral deficits in MK-801-induced and SR-/- mouse models. In Experiment 5, the injection of sarcosine enhanced CSF levels of glycine and serine in rat brain. In Experiments 6-7, we show for the first time that sarcosine facilitated NMDAR-mediated hippocampal field excitatory postsynaptic potentials and influenced the movement of surface NMDARs at extrasynaptic sites. CONCLUSIONS Sarcosine effectively regulated the surface trafficking of NMDARs, NMDAR-evoked electrophysiological activity, brain glycine levels and MK-801-induced abnormalities in the brain, which contributed to the amelioration of behavioral deficits in mouse models of NMDAR hypofunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Li Hung
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bei-Xuan Lin
- Institute of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Han Shih
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Yin Lu
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hwan-Ching Tai
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Vincent Studer
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Bordeaux, France
| | - Ming-Yuan Min
- Institute of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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20
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Insights on current and novel antipsychotic mechanisms from the MAM model of schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2019; 163:107632. [PMID: 31077730 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Current antipsychotic drugs (APDs) act on D2 receptors, and preclinical studies demonstrate that repeated D2 antagonist administration downregulates spontaneously active DA neurons by producing overexcitation-induced inactivation of firing (depolarization block). Animal models of schizophrenia based on the gestational MAM administration produces offspring with adult phenotypes consistent with schizophrenia, including ventral hippocampal hyperactivity and a DA neuron overactivity. The MAM model reveals that APDs act differently in a hyperdopamineregic system compared to a normal one, including rapid onset of depolarization block in response to acute D2 antagonist administration and downregulation of DA neuron population activity following acute and repeated D2 partial agonist administration, none of which are observed in normal rats. Novel target compounds have been developed based on the theory that glutamatergic dysfunction is central to schizophrenia pathology. Despite showing promise in preclinical research, none of the novel drugs succeeded in clinical trials. However, preclinical research is generally performed in normal, drug-naïve rats, whereas models with disease-relevant pathology and prior APD exposure may improve the predictive validity of preclinical research. Indeed, in MAM rats, chronic D2 antagonist treatment leads to persistent DA supersensitivity that interferes with the response to drugs that target upstream pathology. Moreover, MAM rats revealed that the peri-pubertal period is a stress-sensitive window that can be targeted to prevent the development of MAM pathology in adulthood. Neurodevelopmental models, such as the MAM model, can thus be used to test potential pharmacotherapies that may be able to treat schizophrenia in early stages of the disease. This article is part of the issue entitled 'Special Issue on Antipsychotics'.
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21
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Dalla Vecchia E, Mortimer N, Palladino VS, Kittel-Schneider S, Lesch KP, Reif A, Schenck A, Norton WH. Cross-species models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder: lessons from CNTNAP2, ADGRL3, and PARK2. Psychiatr Genet 2019; 29:1-17. [PMID: 30376466 PMCID: PMC7654943 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animal and cellular models are essential tools for all areas of biological research including neuroscience. Model systems can also be used to investigate the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, we provide a summary of animal and cellular models for three genes linked to ADHD and ASD in human patients - CNTNAP2, ADGRL3, and PARK2. We also highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each model system. By bringing together behavioral and neurobiological data, we demonstrate how a cross-species approach can provide integrated insights into gene function and the pathogenesis of ADHD and ASD. The knowledge gained from transgenic models will be essential to discover and validate new treatment targets for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Niall Mortimer
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Centre of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Viola S. Palladino
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Centre of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - William H.J. Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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22
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Nrg1 deficiency modulates the behavioural effects of prenatal stress in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:86-95. [PMID: 29964074 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the exact genes that confer vulnerability or resilience to environmental stressors during early neurodevelopment. Partial genetic deletion of neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) moderates the neurobehavioural effects of stressors applied in adolescence and adulthood, however, no study has yet examined its impact on prenatal stress. Here we examined whether Nrg1 deficiency in mice modulated the impact of prenatal stress on various behaviours in adulthood. Male heterozygous Nrg1 mice were mated with wild-type female mice who then underwent daily restraint stress from days 13 to 19 of gestation. Surprisingly, prenatal stress had overall beneficial effects by facilitating sensorimotor gating, increasing sociability, decreasing depressive-like behaviour, and improving spatial memory in adulthood. Such benefits were not due to any increase in maternal care, as prenatal stress decreased nurturing of the offspring. Nrg1 deficiency negated the beneficial behavioural effects of prenatal stress on all measures except sociability. However, Nrg1 deficiency interacted with prenatal stress to trigger locomotor hyperactivity. Nrg1 deficiency, prenatal stress or their combination failed to alter acute stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations. Collectively these results demonstrate that Nrg1 deficiency moderates the effects of prenatal stress on adult behaviour, but it does so in a complex, domain-specific fashion.
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23
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Role of mGlu2 in the 5-HT 2A receptor-dependent antipsychotic activity of clozapine in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:3149-3165. [PMID: 30209534 PMCID: PMC6408231 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5015-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotonin 5-HT2A and metabotropic glutamate 2 (mGlu2) are neurotransmitter G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in the signaling mechanisms underlying psychosis and schizophrenia treatment. Previous findings in mGlu2 knockout (KO) mice suggested that mGlu2 is necessary for head-twitch behavior, a rodent phenotype characteristic of hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonists. However, the role of mGlu2 in the behavioral effects induced by antipsychotic drugs remains poorly understood. Here, we tested antipsychotic-like behavioral phenotypes induced by the atypical antipsychotic clozapine in mGlu2-KO mice and wild-type control littermates. METHODS Locomotor activity was tested in mGlu2-KO mice and control littermates injected (i.p.) with clozapine (1.5 mg/kg) or vehicle followed by MK801 (0.5 mg/kg), PCP (7.5 mg/kg), amphetamine (6 mg/kg), scopolamine (2 mg/kg), or vehicle. Using a virally (HSV) mediated transgene expression approach, the role of frontal cortex mGlu2 in the modulation of MK801-induced locomotor activity by clozapine treatment was also evaluated. RESULTS The effect of clozapine on hyperlocomotor activity induced by the dissociative drugs MK801 and phencyclidine (PCP) was decreased in mGlu2-KO mice as compared to controls. Clozapine treatment, however, reduced hyperlocomotor activity induced by the stimulant drug amphetamine and the deliriant drug scopolamine in both wild-type and mGlu2-KO mice. Virally mediated over-expression of mGlu2 in the frontal cortex of mGlu2-KO mice rescued the ability of clozapine to reduce MK801-induced hyperlocomotion. CONCLUSION These findings further support the existence of a functionally relevant crosstalk between 5-HT2A and mGlu2 receptors in different preclinical models of antipsychotic activity.
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24
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Brown AS, Meyer U. Maternal Immune Activation and Neuropsychiatric Illness: A Translational Research Perspective. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:1073-1083. [PMID: 30220221 PMCID: PMC6408273 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17121311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies, including prospective birth cohort investigations, have implicated maternal immune activation in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal infectious pathogens and inflammation are plausible risk factors for these outcomes and have been associated with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder. Concurrent with epidemiologic research are animal models of prenatal immune activation, which have documented behavioral, neurochemical, neuroanatomic, and neurophysiologic disruptions that mirror phenotypes observed in these neuropsychiatric disorders. Epidemiologic studies of maternal immune activation offer the advantage of directly evaluating human populations but are limited in their ability to uncover pathogenic mechanisms. Animal models, on the other hand, are limited in their generalizability to psychiatric disorders but have made significant strides toward discovering causal relationships and biological pathways between maternal immune activation and neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Incorporating these risk factors in reverse translational animal models of maternal immune activation has yielded a wealth of data supporting the predictive potential of epidemiologic studies. To further enhance the translatability between epidemiology and basic science, the authors propose a complementary approach that includes deconstructing neuropsychiatric outcomes of maternal immune activation into key pathophysiologically defined phenotypes that are identifiable in humans and animals and that evaluate the interspecies concordance regarding interactions between maternal immune activation and genetic and epigenetic factors, including processes involving intergenerational disease transmission. [AJP AT 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future October 1857: The Pathology of Insanity J.C. Bucknill: "In the brain the state of inflammation itself either very quickly ceases or very soon causes death; but when it does cease it leaves behind it consequences which are frequently the causes of insanity, and the conditions of cerebral atrophy." (Am J Psychiatry 1857; 14:172-193 )].
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan S. Brown
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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25
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Crabtree GW, Gogos JA. Role of Endogenous Metabolite Alterations in Neuropsychiatric Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2101-2113. [PMID: 30044078 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential role in neuropsychiatric disease risk arising from alterations and derangements of endogenous small-molecule metabolites remains understudied. Alterations of endogenous metabolite concentrations can arise in multiple ways. Marked derangements of single endogenous small-molecule metabolites are found in a large group of rare genetic human diseases termed "inborn errors of metabolism", many of which are associated with prominent neuropsychiatric symptomology. Whether such metabolites act neuroactively to directly lead to distinct neural dysfunction has been frequently hypothesized but rarely demonstrated unequivocally. Here we discuss this disease concept in the context of our recent findings demonstrating that neural dysfunction arising from accumulation of the schizophrenia-associated metabolite l-proline is due to its structural mimicry of the neurotransmitter GABA that leads to alterations in GABA-ergic short-term synaptic plasticity. For cases in which a similar direct action upon neurotransmitter binding sites is suspected, we lay out a systematic approach that can be extended to assessing the potential disruptive action of such candidate disease metabolites. To address the potentially important and broader role in neuropsychiatric disease, we also consider whether the more subtle yet more ubiquitous variations in endogenous metabolites arising from natural allelic variation may likewise contribute to disease risk but in a more complex and nuanced manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg W. Crabtree
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, New York 10025, United States
| | - Joseph A. Gogos
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, New York 10025, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
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26
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Mätlik K, Võikar V, Vilenius C, Kulesskaya N, Andressoo JO. Two-fold elevation of endogenous GDNF levels in mice improves motor coordination without causing side-effects. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11861. [PMID: 30089897 PMCID: PMC6082872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29988-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) promotes the survival of dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in vivo. For this reason, GDNF is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, how endogenous GDNF influences dopamine system function and animal behavior is not fully understood. We recently generated GDNF hypermorphic mice that express increased levels of endogenous GDNF from the native locus, resulting in augmented function of the nigrostriatal dopamine system. Specifically, Gdnf wt/hyper mice have a mild increase in striatal and midbrain dopamine levels, increased dopamine transporter activity, and 15% increased numbers of midbrain dopamine neurons and striatal dopaminergic varicosities. Since changes in the dopamine system are implicated in several neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression, and ectopic GDNF delivery associates with side-effects in PD models and clinical trials, we further investigated Gdnf wt/hyper mice using 20 behavioral tests. Despite increased dopamine levels, dopamine release and dopamine transporter activity, there were no differences in psychiatric disease related phenotypes. However, compared to controls, male Gdnf wt/hyper mice performed better in tests measuring motor function. Therefore, a modest elevation of endogenous GDNF levels improves motor function but does not induce adverse behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kärt Mätlik
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine & Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vootele Võikar
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carolina Vilenius
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Natalia Kulesskaya
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaan-Olle Andressoo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine & Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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27
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Wolf R, Dobrowolny H, Nullmeier S, Bogerts B, Schwegler H. Effects of neonatal excitotoxic lesions in ventral thalamus on social interaction in the rat. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 268:461-470. [PMID: 28361258 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-017-0781-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The role of the thalamus in schizophrenia has increasingly been studied in recent years. Deficits in the ventral thalamus have been described in only few postmortem and neuroimaging studies. We utilised our previously introduced neurodevelopmental animal model, the neonatal excitotoxic lesion of the ventral thalamus of Sprague-Dawley rats (Wolf et al., Pharmacopsychiatry 43:99-109, 22). At postnatal day (PD7), male pubs received bilateral thalamic infusions with ibotenic acid (IBA) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (control). In adulthood, social interaction of two animals not familiar to each other was studied by a computerised video tracking system. This study displays clear lesion effects on social interaction of adult male rats. The significant reduction of total contact time and the significant increase in distance between the animals in the IBA group compared to controls can be interpreted as social withdrawal modelling a negative symptom of schizophrenia. The significant increase of total distance travelled in the IBA group can be hypothesised as agitation modelling a positive symptom of schizophrenia. Using a triple concept of social interaction, the percentage of no social interaction (Non-SI%) was significantly larger, and inversely, the percentage of passive social interaction (SI-passive%) was significantly smaller in the IBA group when compared to controls. In conclusion, on the background of findings in schizophrenic patients, the effects of neonatal ventral thalamic IBA lesions in adult male rats support the hypothesis of face and construct validity as animal model of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Wolf
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sven Nullmeier
- Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Herbert Schwegler
- Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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28
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Lloyd D, Talmage D, Shannon Weickert C, Karl T. Reduced type III neuregulin 1 expression does not modulate the behavioural sensitivity of mice to acute Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (D 9 -THC). Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 170:64-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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29
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McGarrity S, Mason R, Fone KC, Pezze M, Bast T. Hippocampal Neural Disinhibition Causes Attentional and Memory Deficits. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4447-4462. [PMID: 27550864 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Subconvulsive hippocampal neural disinhibition, that is reduced GABAergic inhibition, has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by attentional and memory deficits, including schizophrenia and age-related cognitive decline. Considering that neural disinhibition may disrupt both intra-hippocampal processing and processing in hippocampal projection sites, we hypothesized that hippocampal disinhibition disrupts hippocampus-dependent memory performance and, based on strong hippocampo-prefrontal connectivity, also prefrontal-dependent attention. In support of this hypothesis, we report that acute hippocampal disinhibition by microinfusion of the GABA-A receptor antagonist picrotoxin in rats impaired hippocampus-dependent everyday-type rapid place learning performance on the watermaze delayed-matching-to-place test and prefrontal-dependent attentional performance on the 5-choice-serial-reaction-time test, which does not normally require the hippocampus. For comparison, we also examined psychosis-related sensorimotor effects, using startle/prepulse inhibition (PPI) and locomotor testing. Hippocampal picrotoxin moderately increased locomotion and slightly reduced startle reactivity, without affecting PPI. In vivo electrophysiological recordings in the vicinity of the infusion site showed that picrotoxin mainly enhanced burst firing of hippocampal neurons. In conclusion, hippocampal neural disinhibition disrupts hippocampus-dependent memory performance and also manifests through deficits in not normally hippocampus-dependent attentional performance. These behavioral deficits may reflect a disrupted control of burst firing, which may disrupt hippocampal processing and cause aberrant drive to hippocampal projection sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie McGarrity
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.,Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Rob Mason
- Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Kevin C Fone
- Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Marie Pezze
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.,Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Tobias Bast
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.,Neuroscience@Nottingham, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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30
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Hartung H, Cichon N, De Feo V, Riemann S, Schildt S, Lindemann C, Mulert C, Gogos JA, Hanganu-Opatz IL. From Shortage to Surge: A Developmental Switch in Hippocampal-Prefrontal Coupling in a Gene-Environment Model of Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Cereb Cortex 2018; 26:4265-4281. [PMID: 27613435 PMCID: PMC5066837 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive deficits represent a major burden of neuropsychiatric disorders and result in part from abnormal communication within hippocampal–prefrontal circuits. While it has been hypothesized that this network dysfunction arises during development, long before the first clinical symptoms, experimental evidence is still missing. Here, we show that pre-juvenile mice mimicking genetic and environmental risk factors of disease (dual-hit GE mice) have poorer recognition memory that correlates with augmented coupling by synchrony and stronger directed interactions between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The network dysfunction emerges already during neonatal development, yet it initially consists in a diminished hippocampal theta drive and consequently, a weaker and disorganized entrainment of local prefrontal circuits in discontinuous oscillatory activity in dual-hit GE mice when compared with controls. Thus, impaired maturation of functional communication within hippocampal–prefrontal networks switching from hypo- to hyper-coupling may represent a mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrike Hartung
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.,Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicole Cichon
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Vito De Feo
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.,Laboratory of Neural Computation, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Stephanie Riemann
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.,Current address: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Schildt
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Lindemann
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joseph A Gogos
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.,Department of Physiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
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31
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Managò F, Papaleo F. Schizophrenia: What's Arc Got to Do with It? Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:181. [PMID: 28979198 PMCID: PMC5611489 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human studies of schizophrenia are now reporting a previously unidentified genetic convergence on postsynaptic signaling complexes such as the activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated (Arc) gene. However, because this evidence is still very recent, the neurobiological implication of Arc in schizophrenia is still scattered and unrecognized. Here, we first review current and developing findings connecting Arc in schizophrenia. We then highlight recent and previous findings from preclinical mouse models that elucidate how Arc genetic modifications might recapitulate schizophrenia-relevant behavioral phenotypes following the novel Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. Building on this, we finally compare and evaluate several lines of evidence demonstrating that Arc genetics can alter both glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems in a very selective way, again consistent with molecular alterations characteristic of schizophrenia. Despite being only initial, accumulating and compelling data are showing that Arc might be one of the primary biological players in schizophrenia. Synaptic plasticity alterations in the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders might be a rule, not an exception. Thus, we anticipate that additional evidence will soon emerge to clarify the Arc-dependent mechanisms involved in the psychiatric-related dysfunctional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Managò
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
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32
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Introducing Therioepistemology: the study of how knowledge is gained from animal research. Lab Anim (NY) 2017; 46:103-113. [PMID: 28328885 DOI: 10.1038/laban.1224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
This focus issue of Lab Animal coincides with a tipping point in biomedical research. For the first time, the scale of the reproducibility and translatability crisis is widely understood beyond the small cadre of researchers who have been studying it and the pharmaceutical and biotech companies who have been living it. Here we argue that an emerging literature, including the papers in this focus issue, has begun to congeal around a set of recurring themes, which themselves represent a paradigm shift. This paradigm shift can be characterized at the micro level as a shift from asking "what have we controlled for in this model?" to asking "what have we chosen to ignore in this model, and at what cost?" At the macro level, it is a shift from viewing animals as tools (the furry test tube), to viewing them as patients in an equivalent human medical study. We feel that we are witnessing the birth of a new discipline, which we term Therioepistemology, or the study of how knowledge is gained from animal research. In this paper, we outline six questions that serve as a heuristic for critically evaluating animal-based biomedical research from a therioepistemological perspective. These six questions sketch out the broad reaches of this new discipline, though they may change or be added to as this field evolves. Ultimately, by formalizing therioepistemology as a discipline, we can begin to discuss best practices that will improve the reproducibility and translatability of animal-based research, with concomitant benefits in terms of human health and animal well-being.
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33
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Loss-of-function mutation in Mirta22/Emc10 rescues specific schizophrenia-related phenotypes in a mouse model of the 22q11.2 deletion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E6127-E6136. [PMID: 28696314 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615719114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of protective loss-of-function (LoF) mutations holds great promise for devising novel therapeutic interventions, although it faces challenges due to the scarcity of protective LoF alleles in the human genome. Exploiting the detailed mechanistic characterization of animal models of validated disease mutations offers an alternative. Here, we provide insights into protective-variant biology based on our characterization of a model of the 22q11.2 deletion, a strong genetic risk factor for schizophrenia (SCZ). Postnatal brain up-regulation of Mirta22/Emc10, an inhibitor of neuronal maturation, represents the major transcriptional effect of the 22q11.2-associated microRNA dysregulation. Here, we demonstrate that mice in which the Df(16)A deficiency is combined with a LoF Mirta22 allele show rescue of key SCZ-related deficits, namely prepulse inhibition decrease, working memory impairment, and social memory deficits, as well as synaptic and structural plasticity abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. Additional analysis of homozygous Mirta22 knockout mice, in which no alteration is observed in the above-mentioned SCZ-related phenotypes, highlights the deleterious effects of Mirta22 up-regulation. Our results support a causal link between dysregulation of a miRNA target and SCZ-related deficits and provide key insights into beneficial LoF mutations and potential new treatments.
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34
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Spencer SJ, Meyer U. Perinatal programming by inflammation. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:1-7. [PMID: 28196717 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since Levine and then Barker's seminal work mid to late last century demonstrating the importance of early life environment, intensive research has revealed the plasticity, vulnerability and resilience of the developing brain to environmental challenges. In particular, early exposure to infectious pathogens and inflammatory stimuli has a lasting impact on brain and behavior. These data establish clear effects on vulnerability to later disease and neuroinflammatory injury, cognitive function and emotionality, and even responses to pain and susceptibility to metabolic disorders. They also highlight the issues with defining rodent models of complex diseases like autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia, as well as the complexity of experimental design, for instance when deciding the appropriate allocation of subjects to experimental groups when dealing with whole-litter manipulations in rodents. The studies presented in this special issue of Brain Behavior and Immunity are a collection of the very latest advances in the science of perinatal inflammation and its implications for perinatal programming of brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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35
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McArthur RA. Aligning physiology with psychology: Translational neuroscience in neuropsychiatric drug discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:4-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Breuss MW, Hansen AH, Landler L, Keays DA. Brain-specific knockin of the pathogenic Tubb5 E401K allele causes defects in motor coordination and prepulse inhibition. Behav Brain Res 2017; 323:47-55. [PMID: 28130172 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The generation, migration, and differentiation of neurons requires the functional integrity of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Mutations in the tubulin gene family are known to cause various neurological diseases including lissencephaly, ocular motor disorders, polymicrogyria and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We have previously reported that mutations in TUBB5 cause microcephaly that is accompanied by severe intellectual impairment and motor delay. Here we present the characterization of a Tubb5 mouse model that allows for the conditional expression of the pathogenic E401K mutation. Homozygous knockin animals exhibit a severe reduction in brain size and in body weight. These animals do not show any significant impairment in general activity, anxiety, or in the acoustic startle response, however, present with notable defects in motor coordination. When assessed on the static rod apparatus mice took longer to orient and often lost their balance completely. Interestingly, mutant animals also showed defects in prepulse inhibition, a phenotype associated with sensorimotor gating and considered an endophenotype for schizophrenia. This study provides insight into the behavioral consequences of tubulin gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin W Breuss
- IMP, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna 1030, Austria.
| | - Andi H Hansen
- IMP, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Lukas Landler
- IMP, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - David A Keays
- IMP, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna 1030, Austria.
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37
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Gleitz HFE, O’Leary C, Holley RJ, Bigger BW. Identification of age-dependent motor and neuropsychological behavioural abnormalities in a mouse model of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172435. [PMID: 28207863 PMCID: PMC5313159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a progressive lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the IDS gene, leading to a deficiency in the iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme that is involved in heparan sulphate and dermatan sulphate catabolism. In constitutive form, MPS II is a multi-system disease characterised by progressive neurocognitive decline, severe skeletal abnormalities and hepatosplenomegaly. Although enzyme replacement therapy has been approved for treatment of peripheral organs, no therapy effectively treats the cognitive symptoms of the disease and novel therapies are in development to remediate this. Therapeutic efficacy and subsequent validation can be assessed using a variety of outcome measures that are translatable to clinical practice, such as behavioural measures. We sought to consolidate current knowledge of the cognitive, skeletal and motor abnormalities present in the MPS II mouse model by performing time course behavioural examinations of working memory, anxiety, activity levels, sociability and coordination and balance, up to 8 months of age. Cognitive decline associated with alterations in spatial working memory is detectable at 8 months of age in MPS II mice using spontaneous alternation, together with an altered response to novel environments and anxiolytic behaviour in the open-field. Coordination and balance on the accelerating rotarod were also significantly worse at 8 months, and may be associated with skeletal changes seen in MPS II mice. We demonstrate that the progressive nature of MPS II disease is also seen in the mouse model, and that cognitive and motor differences are detectable at 8 months of age using spontaneous alternation, the accelerating rotarod and the open-field tests. This study establishes neurological, motor and skeletal measures for use in pre-clinical studies to develop therapeutic approaches in MPS II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène F. E. Gleitz
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O’Leary
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. Holley
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Brian W. Bigger
- Stem Cell & Neurotherapies, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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38
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Håkansson K, Runker AE, O'Sullivan GJ, Mitchell KJ, Waddington JL, O'Tuathaigh CMP. Semaphorin 6A knockout mice display abnormalities across ethologically-based topographies of exploration and in motor learning. Neurosci Lett 2017; 641:70-76. [PMID: 28109776 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Semaphorins are secreted or membrane-bound proteins implicated in neurodevelopmental processes of axon guidance and cell migration. Exploratory behaviour and motor learning was examined ethologically in Semaphorin 6A (Sema6A) mutant mice. The ethogram of initial exploration in Sema6A knockout mice was characterised by increased rearing to wall with decreased sifting; over subsequent habituation, locomotion, sniffing and rearing to wall were increased, with reduced habituation of rearing seated. Rotarod analysis indicated delayed motor learning in Sema6A heterozygous mutants. Disruption to the axonal guidance and cell migration processes regulated by Sema6A is associated with topographically specific disruption to fundamental aspects of behaviour, namely the ethogram of initial exploration and subsequent habituation to the environment, and motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Håkansson
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Annette E Runker
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Gerard J O'Sullivan
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kevin J Mitchell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - John L Waddington
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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39
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Mastwal S, Cao V, Wang KH. Genetic Feedback Regulation of Frontal Cortical Neuronal Ensembles Through Activity-Dependent Arc Expression and Dopaminergic Input. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:100. [PMID: 27999532 PMCID: PMC5138219 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental functions involve coordinated activities of specific neuronal ensembles that are embedded in complex brain circuits. Aberrant neuronal ensemble dynamics is thought to form the neurobiological basis of mental disorders. A major challenge in mental health research is to identify these cellular ensembles and determine what molecular mechanisms constrain their emergence and consolidation during development and learning. Here, we provide a perspective based on recent studies that use activity-dependent gene Arc/Arg3.1 as a cellular marker to identify neuronal ensembles and a molecular probe to modulate circuit functions. These studies have demonstrated that the transcription of Arc is activated in selective groups of frontal cortical neurons in response to specific behavioral tasks. Arc expression regulates the persistent firing of individual neurons and predicts the consolidation of neuronal ensembles during repeated learning. Therefore, the Arc pathway represents a prototypical example of activity-dependent genetic feedback regulation of neuronal ensembles. The activation of this pathway in the frontal cortex starts during early postnatal development and requires dopaminergic (DA) input. Conversely, genetic disruption of Arc leads to a hypoactive mesofrontal dopamine circuit and its related cognitive deficit. This mutual interaction suggests an auto-regulatory mechanism to amplify the impact of neuromodulators and activity-regulated genes during postnatal development. Such a mechanism may contribute to the association of mutations in dopamine and Arc pathways with neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders. As the mesofrontal dopamine circuit shows extensive activity-dependent developmental plasticity, activity-guided modulation of DA projections or Arc ensembles during development may help to repair circuit deficits related to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Mastwal
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vania Cao
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD, USA
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40
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Lander SS, Linder-Shacham D, Gaisler-Salomon I. Differential effects of social isolation in adolescent and adult mice on behavior and cortical gene expression. Behav Brain Res 2016; 316:245-254. [PMID: 27618762 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Intact function of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) function relies on proper development of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations and on integral myelination processes. Social isolation (SI) affects behavior and brain circuitry in adulthood, but previous rodent studies typically induced prolonged (post-weaning) exposure and failed to directly compare between the effects of SI in adolescent and adulthood. Here, we assessed the impact of a 3-week SI period, starting in mid-adolescence (around the onset of puberty) or adulthood, on a wide range of behaviors in adult male mice. Additionally, we asked whether adolescent SI would differentially affect the expression of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal markers and myelin-related genes in mPFC. Our findings indicate that mid-adolescent or adult SI increase anxiogenic behavior and locomotor activity. However, SI in adolescence uniquely affects the response to the psychotomimetic drug amphetamine, social and novelty exploration and performance in reversal and attentional set shifting tasks. Furthermore, adolescent but not adult SI increased the expression of glutamate markers in the adult mPFC. Our results imply that adolescent social deprivation is detrimental for normal development and may be particularly relevant to the investigation of developmental psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon S Lander
- Haifa University, Psychology Dept., 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Donna Linder-Shacham
- Haifa University, Psychology Dept., 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Inna Gaisler-Salomon
- Haifa University, Psychology Dept., 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; Columbia University, Neuroscience Dept., 1051 Riverside Drive 10032, USA.
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41
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A systematic review comparing sex differences in cognitive function in schizophrenia and in rodent models for schizophrenia, implications for improved therapeutic strategies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:979-1000. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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42
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DNA Damage and Repair in Schizophrenia and Autism: Implications for Cancer Comorbidity and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17060856. [PMID: 27258260 PMCID: PMC4926390 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are multi-factorial and multi-symptomatic psychiatric disorders, each affecting 0.5%-1% of the population worldwide. Both are characterized by impairments in cognitive functions, emotions and behaviour, and they undermine basic human processes of perception and judgment. Despite decades of extensive research, the aetiologies of schizophrenia and ASD are still poorly understood and remain a significant challenge to clinicians and scientists alike. Adding to this unsatisfactory situation, patients with schizophrenia or ASD often develop a variety of peripheral and systemic disturbances, one prominent example of which is cancer, which shows a direct (but sometimes inverse) comorbidity in people affected with schizophrenia and ASD. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of cells, the molecular origin of which derives from mutations of a cell's DNA sequence. To counteract such mutations and repair damaged DNA, cells are equipped with intricate DNA repair pathways. Oxidative stress, oxidative DNA damage, and deficient repair of oxidative DNA lesions repair have been proposed to contribute to the development of schizophrenia and ASD. In this article, we summarize the current evidence of cancer comorbidity in these brain disorders and discuss the putative roles of oxidative stress, DNA damage and DNA repair in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia and ASD.
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43
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Muguruza C, Meana JJ, Callado LF. Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors as Targets for Novel Antipsychotic Drugs. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:130. [PMID: 27242534 PMCID: PMC4873505 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder which substantially impairs patients' quality of life. Despite the extensive research in this field, the pathophysiology and etiology of schizophrenia remain unknown. Different neurotransmitter systems and functional networks have been found to be affected in the brain of patients with schizophrenia. In this context, postmortem brain studies as well as genetic assays have suggested alterations in Group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in schizophrenia. Despite many years of drug research, several needs in the treatment of schizophrenia have not been addressed sufficiently. In fact, only 5-10% of patients with schizophrenia successfully achieve a full recovery after treatment. In recent years mGluRs have turned up as novel targets for the design of new antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia. Concretely, Group II mGluRs are of particular interest due to their regulatory role in neurotransmission modulating glutamatergic activity in brain synapses. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that orthosteric Group II mGluR agonists exhibit antipsychotic-like properties in animal models of schizophrenia. However, when these compounds have been tested in human clinical studies with schizophrenic patients results have been inconclusive. Nevertheless, it has been recently suggested that this apparent lack of efficacy in schizophrenic patients may be related to previous exposure to atypical antipsychotics. Moreover, the role of the functional heterocomplex formed by 5-HT2A and mGlu2 receptors in the clinical response to Group II mGluR agonists is currently under study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Muguruza
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHULeioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud MentalMadrid, Spain
| | - J. Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHULeioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud MentalMadrid, Spain
| | - Luis F. Callado
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHULeioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud MentalMadrid, Spain
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Zhang Z, Zheng F, You Y, Ma Y, Lu T, Yue W, Zhang D. Growth arrest specific gene 7 is associated with schizophrenia and regulates neuronal migration and morphogenesis. Mol Brain 2016; 9:54. [PMID: 27189492 PMCID: PMC4870797 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-016-0238-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a highly heritable chronic mental disorder with significant abnormalities in brain function. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis proposes that schizophrenia originates in the prenatal period due to impairments in neuronal developmental processes such as migration and arborization, leading to abnormal brain maturation. Previous studies have identified multiple promising candidate genes that drive functions in neurodevelopment and are associated with schizophrenia. However, the molecular mechanisms of how they exert effects on the pathophysiology of schizophrenia remain largely unknown. RESULTS In our research, we identified growth arrest specific gene 7 (GAS7) as a schizophrenia risk gene in two independent Han Chinese populations using a two-stage association study. Functional experiments were done to further explore the underlying mechanisms of the role of Gas7 in cortical development. In vitro, we discovered that Gas7 contributed to neurite outgrowth through the F-BAR domain. In vivo, overexpression of Gas7 arrested neuronal migration by increasing leading process branching, while suppression of Gas7 could inhibit neuronal migration by lengthening leading processes. Through a series of behavioral tests, we also found that Gas7-deficient mice showed sensorimotor gating deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate GAS7 as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Gas7 might participate in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia by regulating neurite outgrowth and neuronal migration through its C-terminal F-BAR domain. The impaired pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of Gas7-deficient mice might mirror the disease-related behavior in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fanfan Zheng
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China. .,Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 95 Zhong Guan Cun East Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Yang You
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yuanlin Ma
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Tianlan Lu
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital, Peking University, 51 Hua Yuan Bei Road, Hai Dian District, Beijing, 100191, China. .,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University), Beijing, 100191, China. .,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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45
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O'Tuathaigh CMP, Desbonnet L, Moran PM, Kirby BP, Waddington JL. Molecular genetic models related to schizophrenia and psychotic illness: heuristics and challenges. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2016; 7:87-119. [PMID: 21298380 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heritable disorder that may involve several common genes of small effect and/or rare copy number variation, with phenotypic heterogeneity across patients. Furthermore, any boundaries vis-à-vis other psychotic disorders are far from clear. Consequently, identification of informative animal models for this disorder, which typically relate to pharmacological and putative pathophysiological processes of uncertain validity, faces considerable challenges. In juxtaposition, the majority of mutant models for schizophrenia relate to the functional roles of a diverse set of genes associated with risk for the disorder or with such putative pathophysiological processes. This chapter seeks to outline the evidence from phenotypic studies in mutant models related to schizophrenia. These have commonly assessed the degree to which mutation of a schizophrenia-related gene is associated with the expression of several aspects of the schizophrenia phenotype or more circumscribed, schizophrenia-related endophenotypes; typically, they place specific emphasis on positive and negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, and extend to structural and other pathological features. We first consider the primary technological approaches to the generation of such mutants, to include their relative merits and demerits, and then highlight the diverse phenotypic approaches that have been developed for their assessment. The chapter then considers the application of mutant phenotypes to study pathobiological and pharmacological mechanisms thought to be relevant for schizophrenia, particularly in terms of dopaminergic and glutamatergic dysfunction, and to an increasing range of candidate susceptibility genes and copy number variants. Finally, we discuss several pertinent issues and challenges within the field which relate to both phenotypic evaluation and a growing appreciation of the functional genomics of schizophrenia and the involvement of gene × environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland,
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Mingote S, Masson J, Gellman C, Thomsen GM, Lin CS, Merker RJ, Gaisler-Salomon I, Wang Y, Ernst R, Hen R, Rayport S. Genetic Pharmacotherapy as an Early CNS Drug Development Strategy: Testing Glutaminase Inhibition for Schizophrenia Treatment in Adult Mice. Front Syst Neurosci 2016; 9:165. [PMID: 26778975 PMCID: PMC4705219 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic pharmacotherapy is an early drug development strategy for the identification of novel CNS targets in mouse models prior to the development of specific ligands. Here for the first time, we have implemented this strategy to address the potential therapeutic value of a glutamate-based pharmacotherapy for schizophrenia involving inhibition of the glutamate recycling enzyme phosphate-activated glutaminase. Mice constitutively heterozygous for GLS1, the gene encoding glutaminase, manifest a schizophrenia resilience phenotype, a key dimension of which is an attenuated locomotor response to propsychotic amphetamine challenge. If resilience is due to glutaminase deficiency in adulthood, then glutaminase inhibitors should have therapeutic potential. However, this has been difficult to test given the dearth of neuroactive glutaminase inhibitors. So, we used genetic pharmacotherapy to ask whether adult induction of GLS1 heterozygosity would attenuate amphetamine responsiveness. We generated conditional floxGLS1 mice and crossed them with global CAGERT2cre∕+ mice to produce GLS1 iHET mice, susceptible to tamoxifen induction of GLS1 heterozygosity. One month after tamoxifen treatment of adult GLS1 iHET mice, we found a 50% reduction in GLS1 allelic abundance and glutaminase mRNA levels in the brain. While GLS1 iHET mice showed some recombination prior to tamoxifen, there was no impact on mRNA levels. We then asked whether induction of GLS heterozygosity would attenuate the locomotor response to propsychotic amphetamine challenge. Before tamoxifen, control and GLS1 iHET mice did not differ in their response to amphetamine. One month after tamoxifen treatment, amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion was blocked in GLS1 iHET mice. The block was largely maintained after 5 months. Thus, a genetically induced glutaminase reduction—mimicking pharmacological inhibition—strongly attenuated the response to a propsychotic challenge, suggesting that glutaminase may be a novel target for the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. These results demonstrate how genetic pharmacotherapy can be implemented to test a CNS target in advance of the development of specific neuroactive inhibitors. We discuss further the advantages, limitations, and feasibility of the wider application of genetic pharmacotherapy for neuropsychiatric drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Mingote
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York, NY, USA
| | - Justine Masson
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA; Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR 894 and Université Paris DescartesParis, France
| | - Celia Gellman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Chyuan-Sheng Lin
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert J Merker
- Department of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
| | - Inna Gaisler-Salomon
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA; Psychobiology Labs, Department of Psychology, University of HaifaHaifa, Israel
| | - Yvonne Wang
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Ernst
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
| | - René Hen
- Department of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York, NY, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen Rayport
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA; Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York, NY, USA
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Kim HJ, Koh HY. Impaired Reality Testing in Mice Lacking Phospholipase Cβ1: Observed by Persistent Representation-Mediated Taste Aversion. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146376. [PMID: 26731530 PMCID: PMC4701129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hallucinations and delusions are the most prominent symptoms of schizophrenia and characterized by impaired reality testing. Representation-mediated taste aversion (RMTA) has been proposed as a potential behavioral assessment of reality testing and has been applied to a neurodevelopmental rat model of schizophrenia. However, the theory underlying this approach has not been generalized yet with any demonstration of impaired reality testing in other animal models of schizophrenia, such as genetically-modified mice. We devised a RMTA procedure for mice that combines a Pavlovian association protocol pairing odor conditioned stimulus (CS) with sugar reward unconditioned stimulus (US), and a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) method. In this RMTA paradigm, we compared performances of wild-type (PLCβ1+/+) mice and phospholipase C β1 knock-out (PLCβ1-/-) mice which are known as one of the genetic models for schizophrenia. With a minimal amount of initial odor-sugar associative training, both PLCβ1+/+ and PLCβ1-/- mice were able to form an aversion to the sugar reward when the odor CS predicting sugar was paired with nausea. With an extended initial training, however, only PLCβ1-/- mice could form a RMTA. This persistent RMTA displayed by PLCβ1-/- mice shows their inability to distinguish real sugar from the CS-evoked representation of sugar at a stage in associative learning where wild-type mice normally could differentiate the two. These results demonstrate an impaired reality testing first observed in a genetic mouse model of schizophrenia, and suggest that RMTA paradigm may, with general applicability, allow diverse biological approaches to impaired reality testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hea-jin Kim
- Center for Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 136–791, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neuroscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejon, 305–333, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Young Koh
- Center for Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 136–791, Republic of Korea
- Department of Neuroscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejon, 305–333, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Ibi D, Yamada K. Therapeutic Targets for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Emerging from Animal Models with Perinatal Immune Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:28218-29. [PMID: 26633355 PMCID: PMC4691039 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161226092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing epidemiological evidence indicates that perinatal infection with various viral pathogens enhances the risk for several psychiatric disorders. The pathophysiological significance of astrocyte interactions with neurons and/or gut microbiomes has been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders triggered by pre- and postnatal immune insults. Recent studies with the maternal immune activation or neonatal polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid models of neurodevelopmental disorders have identified various candidate molecules that could be responsible for brain dysfunction. Here, we review the functions of several candidate molecules in neurodevelopment and brain function and discuss their potential as therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8503, Japan.
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan.
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Parvalbumin-positive interneurons of the prefrontal cortex support working memory and cognitive flexibility. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16778. [PMID: 26608841 PMCID: PMC4660359 DOI: 10.1038/srep16778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of parvalbumin (PV)-positive GABAergic interneurons (PVIs) within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in schizophrenia pathology. It is however unclear, how impaired signaling of these neurons may contribute to PFC dysfunction. To identify how PVIs contribute to PFC-dependent behaviors we inactivated PVIs in the PFC in mice using region- and cell-type-selective expression of tetanus toxin light chain (TeLC) and compared the functional consequences of this manipulation with non-cell-type-selective perturbations of the same circuitry. By sampling for behavioral alterations that map onto distinct symptom categories in schizophrenia, we show that dysfunction of PVI signaling in the PFC specifically produces deficits in the cognitive domain, but does not give rise to PFC-dependent correlates of negative or positive symptoms. Our results suggest that distinct aspects of the complex symptomatology of PFC dysfunction in schizophrenia can be attributed to specific prefrontal circuit elements.
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Mice Lacking the Serotonin Htr2B Receptor Gene Present an Antipsychotic-Sensitive Schizophrenic-Like Phenotype. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2764-73. [PMID: 25936642 PMCID: PMC4864652 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Impulsivity and hyperactivity share common ground with numerous mental disorders, including schizophrenia. Recently, a population-specific serotonin 2B (5-HT2B) receptor stop codon (ie, HTR2B Q20*) was reported to segregate with severely impulsive individuals, whereas 5-HT2B mutant (Htr2B(-/-)) mice also showed high impulsivity. Interestingly, in the same cohort, early-onset schizophrenia was more prevalent in HTR2B Q*20 carriers. However, the putative role of 5-HT2B receptor in the neurobiology of schizophrenia has never been investigated. We assessed the effects of the genetic and the pharmacological ablation of 5-HT2B receptors in mice subjected to a comprehensive series of behavioral test screenings for schizophrenic-like symptoms and investigated relevant dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurochemical alterations in the cortex and the striatum. Domains related to the positive, negative, and cognitive symptom clusters of schizophrenia were affected in Htr2B(-/-) mice, as shown by deficits in sensorimotor gating, in selective attention, in social interactions, and in learning and memory processes. In addition, Htr2B(-/-) mice presented with enhanced locomotor response to the psychostimulants dizocilpine and amphetamine, and with robust alterations in sleep architecture. Moreover, ablation of 5-HT2B receptors induced a region-selective decrease of dopamine and glutamate concentrations in the dorsal striatum. Importantly, selected schizophrenic-like phenotypes and endophenotypes were rescued by chronic haloperidol treatment. We report herein that 5-HT2B receptor deficiency confers a wide spectrum of antipsychotic-sensitive schizophrenic-like behavioral and psychopharmacological phenotypes in mice and provide first evidence for a role of 5-HT2B receptors in the neurobiology of psychotic disorders.
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