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Intra-prefrontal cyclosporine potentiates ketamine-induced fear extinction in rats. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:1401-1415. [PMID: 33666692 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06050-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Several brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), are important in the process of fear extinction learning. Ketamine is a glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, which is shown to play a role in extinction modulation. Ketamine and calcineurin (CN), an intracellular protein phosphatase, have several common targets in the cells. Therefore, in the present study, our aim is to investigate the possible role of calcineurin in the mPFC on the enhancing effects of ketamine in fear extinction. First, different doses of a CN inhibitor, cyclosporine-A (CsA), were micro-injected into the infralimbic (IL) region of the mPFC prior to extinction training in a classical conditioning model in rats. Next, sub-effective doses of CsA (Intra-mPFC) and ketamine (i.p.) were co-administered in another cohort of rats to find their possible interactions. Enzymatic activity of calcineurin was measured in the IL-mPFC following drug administration. We used the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and open field (OF) test for further behavioral assessments. The results showed that CsA can enhance the extinction of conditioned fear and inhibit the enzyme CN at a dose of 20 nM. The combination of sub-effective doses of CsA (5 nM) and ketamine (10 mg/kg) could again enhance the extinction of fear and reduce CN activity in the region. Our results propose that inhibition of CN in the IL-mPFC is involved in the extinction of fear and ketamine enhancement of extinction is probably mediated by reducing CN activity in this part of the brain.
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Alachkar A, Lotfy M, Adeghate E, Łażewska D, Kieć-Kononowicz K, Sadek B. Ameliorating effects of histamine H3 receptor antagonist E177 on acute pentylenetetrazole-induced memory impairments in rats. Behav Brain Res 2021; 405:113193. [PMID: 33626390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Histamine H3 receptors (H3Rs) are involved in several neuropsychiatric diseases including epilepsy. Therefore, the effects of H3R antagonist E177 (5 and 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)) were evaluated on acute pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced memory impairments, oxidative stress levels (glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)), various brain neurotransmitters (histamine (HA), acetylcholine (ACh), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)), and glutamate (Glu), acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity, and c-fos protein expression in rats. E177 (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly prolonged step-through latency (STL) time in single-trial passive avoidance paradigm (STPAP), and shortened transfer latency time (TLT) in elevated plus maze paradigm (EPMP) (all P < 0.05). Moreover, and in the hippocampus of PTZ-treated animals, E177 mitigated abnormal levels of AChE activity, ACh and HA (all P < 0.05), but failed to modify brain levels of GABA and Glu. Furthermore, E177 alleviated hippocampal oxidative stress by significantly decreasing the elevated levels of MDA, and increasing the abnormally decreased level of GSH (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, E177 reduced elevated levels of hippocampal c-fos protein expression in hippocampal tissues of PTZ-treated animals (all P < 0.05). The observed results propose the potential of H3R antagonist E177 with an added advantage of avoiding cognitive impairment, emphasizing the H3Rs as a prospective target for future pharmacological management of epilepsy with associated memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Alachkar
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 17666, United Arab Emirates; Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, P.O. Box 17666, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Lotfy
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ernest Adeghate
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, P.O. Box 17666, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dorota Łażewska
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Medyczna 9 St., 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kieć-Kononowicz
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Medyczna 9 St., 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 17666, United Arab Emirates; Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, P.O. Box 17666, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Bohlouli S, Mahmoodi G. Investigation of the effects of Satureja edmondi on memory impairment caused by chemical kindling in adult male rats. JOURNAL OF REPORTS IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/jrptps.jrptps_89_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Alachkar A, Ojha SK, Sadeq A, Adem A, Frank A, Stark H, Sadek B. Experimental Models for the Discovery of Novel Anticonvulsant Drugs: Focus on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures and Associated Memory Deficits. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:1693-1711. [PMID: 32003682 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200131105324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by irregular, excessive neuronal excitability, and recurrent seizures that affect millions of patients worldwide. Currently, accessible antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) do not adequately support all epilepsy patients, with around 30% patients not responding to the existing therapies. As lifelong epilepsy treatment is essential, the search for new and more effective AEDs with an enhanced safety profile is a significant therapeutic goal. Seizures are a combination of electrical and behavioral events that can induce biochemical, molecular, and anatomic changes. Therefore, appropriate animal models are required to evaluate novel potential AEDs. Among the large number of available animal models of seizures, the acute pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced myoclonic seizure model is the most widely used model assessing the anticonvulsant effect of prospective AEDs, whereas chronic PTZ-kindled seizure models represent chronic models in which the repeated administration of PTZ at subconvulsive doses leads to the intensification of seizure activity or enhanced seizure susceptibility similar to that in human epilepsy. In this review, we summarized the memory deficits accompanying acute or chronic PTZ seizure models and how these deficits were evaluated applying several behavioral animal models. Furthermore, major advantages and limitations of the PTZ seizure models in the discovery of new AEDs were highlighted. With a focus on PTZ seizures, the major biochemicals, as well as morphological alterations and the modulated brain neurotransmitter levels associated with memory deficits have been illustrated. Moreover, numerous medicinal compounds with concurrent anticonvulsant, procognitive, antioxidant effects, modulating effects on several brain neurotransmitters in rodents, and several newly developed classes of compounds applying computer-aided drug design (CADD) have been under development as potential AEDs. The article details the in-silico approach following CADD, which can be utilized for generating libraries of novel compounds for AED discovery. Additionally, in vivo studies could be useful in demonstrating efficacy, safety, and novel mode of action of AEDs for further clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Alachkar
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666 Al Ain, United States.,Zayed Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United States
| | - Shreesh K Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666 Al Ain, United States.,Zayed Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United States
| | - Adel Sadeq
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdu Adem
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666 Al Ain, United States.,Zayed Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United States
| | - Annika Frank
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Stark
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 17666 Al Ain, United States.,Zayed Centre for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United States
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