Bimodal effects of fluoxetine on cerebral nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation in porcine large cerebral arteries

Is the Antidepressant Activity of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Mediated by Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors?

It is generally assumed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) induce antidepressant activity by inhibiting serotonin (5-HT) reuptake transporters, thus elevating synaptic 5-HT levels and, finally, ameliorates depression symptoms. New evidence indicates that SSRIs may also modulate other neurotransmitter systems by inhibiting neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are recognized as important in mood regulation. There is a clear and strong association between major depression and smoking, where depressed patients smoke twice as much as the normal population. However, SSRIs are not efficient for smoking cessation therapy. In patients with major depressive disorder, there is a lower availability of functional nAChRs, although their amount is not altered, which is possibly caused by higher endogenous ACh levels, which consequently induce nAChR desensitization. Other neurotransmitter systems have also emerged as possible targets for SSRIs. Studies on dorsal raphe nucleus serotoninergic neurons support the concept that SSRI-induced nAChR inhibition decreases the glutamatergic hyperstimulation observed in stress conditions, which compensates the excessive 5-HT overflow in these neurons and, consequently, ameliorates depression symptoms. At the molecular level, SSRIs inhibit different nAChR subtypes by noncompetitive mechanisms, including ion channel blockade and induction of receptor desensitization, whereas α9α10 nAChRs, which are peripherally expressed and not directly involved in depression, are inhibited by competitive mechanisms. According to the functional and structural results, SSRIs bind within the nAChR ion channel at high-affinity sites that are spread out between serine and valine rings. In conclusion, SSRI-induced inhibition of a variety of nAChRs expressed in different neurotransmitter systems widens the complexity by which these antidepressants may act clinically.

Differential blockade by huperzine A and donepezil of sympathetic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated nitrergic neurogenic dilations in porcine basilar arteries

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation on the perivascular sympathetic nerves via axo-axonal interaction mechanism causes norepinephrine release, which triggers the neurogenic nitrergic relaxation in basilar arteries to meet the need of a brain. Donepezil and huperzine A, which are the cholinesterase inhibitors used for Alzheimer's disease therapy, exert controversial effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Therefore, we investigated how donepezil and huperzine A via the axo-axonal interaction regulate the neurogenic vasodilation of isolated porcine basilar arteries and define their action on different subtypes of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor by using blood vessel myography, calcium imaging, and electrophysiological techniques. Both nicotine (100 μM) and transmural nerve stimulation (TNS, 8 Hz) induce NO-mediated dilation in the arteries. Nicotine-induced vasodilations were concentration-dependently inhibited by huperzine A and donepezil, with the former being 30 fold less potent than the latter. Both cholinesterase inhibitors weakly and equally decreased TNS-elicited nitrergic vasodilations. Neither huperzine A nor donepezil affected isoproterenol (a β adrenoceptor-agonist)- or sodium nitroprusside (a NO donor)-induced vasodilation. Further, huperzine A was less potent than donepezil in inhibiting nicotine-elicited calcium influxes in rodent superior cervical ganglionic neurons and inward currents in α7- and α3β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-expressing Xenopus oocytes. In conclusion, huperzine A may exert less harmful effect over donepezil on maintaining brainstem circulation and on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-associated cognition deficits during treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Betulinic acid‑induced expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‑diaphorase in the immune organs of mice: A possible role of nitric oxide in immunomodulation

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of betulinic acid (BetA) on the expression and distribution pattern of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH‑d), an indirect indicator of nitric oxide (NO) synthase in the thymus and spleen of mice. Mice were randomly assigned to four main groups (n=48 per group): Experimental group (BetA), positive control group (goniothalamin), vehicle control group (dimethyl sulfoxide) and control group (without vehicle). Each group was further divided into three equal subgroups according to the treatment length (4, 8 and 12 days). BetA treatment induced the expression of NADPH‑d activity in the thymus and spleen without any significant changes in the morphology of the organs. Furthermore, the expression pattern of NADPH‑d in BetA‑treated animals was significantly increased compared with that in the control animals. NADPH‑d expression in the thymus and spleen suggests that NO signaling may be a potential mechanism underlying the BetA‑induced immunomodulation in these organs. These findings are of direct clinical relevance and may contribute to the further development of BetA as a therapeutic drug.

L-type calcium channels in sympathetic α3β2-nAChR-mediated cerebral nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation

AIM

Nicotine stimulation of α3β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α3β2-nAChRs) located on sympathetic nerves innervating basilar arteries causes calcium-dependent noradrenaline release, leading to activation of parasympathetic nitrergic nerves and dilation of basilar arteries. This study aimed to investigate the major subtype of calcium channels located on cerebral peri-vascular sympathetic nerves, which is involved in nicotine-induced α3β2-nAChR-mediated nitrergic vasodilation in basilar arteries.

METHODS

Nicotine- and transmural nerve stimulation (TNS)-induced dilation of isolated porcine basilar arteries was examined using in vitro tissue bath. Nicotine-induced calcium influx, nicotine-induced noradrenaline release and nicotine-induced inward currents were evaluated in rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurones, peri-vascular sympathetic nerves of porcine basilar arteries and α3β2-nAChRs-expressing oocytes respectively. mRNA and protein expression of Cav 1.2 and Cav 1.3 channels were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Nicotine-induced vasodilation was not affected by ω-agatoxin TK (selective P/Q-type calcium channel blocker) or ω-conotoxin GVIA (N-type calcium channel blocker). The vasodilation, however, was inhibited by nicardipine (L-type calcium channel blocker) in concentrations which did not affect TNS-induced vasodilation, suggesting the specific blockade. Nicardipine concentration-dependently inhibited nicotine-induced calcium influx in rat SCG neurones and reduced nicotine-induced noradrenaline release from peri-vascular sympathetic nerves of porcine basilar arteries. Nicardipine (10 μm), which significantly blocked nicotine-induced vasorelaxation by 70%, did not appreciably affect nicotine-induced inward currents in α3β2-nAChRs-expressing oocytes. Furthermore, the mRNAs and proteins of Cav 1.2 and Cav 1.3 channels were expressed in porcine SCG and peri-vascular nerve terminals.

CONCLUSION

The sympathetic neuronal calcium influx through L-type calcium channels is modulated by α3β2-nAChRs. This calcium influx causes noradrenaline release, initiating sympathetic-parasympathetic (axo-axonal) interaction-induced nitrergic dilation of porcine basilar arteries.

Memantine inhibits α3β2-nAChRs-mediated nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation in porcine basilar arteries

Memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist used for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is known to block the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we examined by wire myography if memantine inhibited α3β2-nAChRs located on cerebral perivascular sympathetic nerve terminals originating in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG), thus, leading to inhibition of nicotine-induced nitrergic neurogenic dilation of isolated porcine basilar arteries. Memantine concentration-dependently blocked nicotine-induced neurogenic dilation of endothelium-denuded basilar arteries without affecting that induced by transmural nerve stimulation, sodium nitroprusside, or isoproterenol. Furthermore, memantine significantly inhibited nicotine-elicited inward currents in Xenopous oocytes expressing α3β2-, α7- or α4β2-nAChR, and nicotine-induced calcium influx in cultured rat SCG neurons. These results suggest that memantine is a non-specific antagonist for nAChR. By directly inhibiting α3β2-nAChRs located on the sympathetic nerve terminals, memantine blocks nicotine-induced neurogenic vasodilation of the porcine basilar arteries. This effect of memantine is expected to reduce the blood supply to the brain stem and possibly other brain regions, thus, decreasing its clinical efficacy in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.