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Li H, Guo A, Salgado M, Sáez JC, Lau CG. The connexin hemichannel inhibitor D4 produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:191. [PMID: 37599352 PMCID: PMC10440914 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02873-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common mood disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including prolonged low mood and diminished interest. Although many clinical and animal studies have provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of depression, current treatment strategies are not sufficient to manage this disorder. It has been suggested that connexin (Cx)-based hemichannels are candidates for depression intervention by modifying the state of neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of a recently discovered selective Cx hemichannel inhibitor, a small organic molecule called D4. We first showed that D4 reduced hemichannel activity following systemic inflammation after LPS injections. Next, we found that D4 treatment prevented LPS-induced inflammatory response and depressive-like behaviors. These behavioral effects were accompanied by reduced astrocytic activation and hemichannel activity in depressive-like mice induced by repeated low-dose LPS challenges. D4 treatment also reverses depressive-like symptoms in mice subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS). To test whether D4 broadly affected neural activity, we measured c-Fos expression in depression-related brain regions and found a reduction in c-Fos+ cells in different brain regions. D4 significantly normalized CRS-induced hypoactivation in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and lateral septum. Together, these results indicate that blocking Cx hemichannels using D4 can normalize neuronal activity and reduce depressive-like symptoms in mice by reducing neuroinflammation. Our work provides evidence of the antidepressant-like effect of D4 and supports glial Cx hemichannels as potential therapeutic targets for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Li
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Anni Guo
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Magdiel Salgado
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Juan C Sáez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Chunyue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
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2
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Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder caused by the pathological hyper-synchronization of neuronal discharges. The fundamental research of epilepsy mechanisms and the targets of drug design options for its treatment have focused on neurons. However, approximately 30% of patients suffering from epilepsy show resistance to standard anti-epileptic chemotherapeutic agents while the symptoms of the remaining 70% of patients can be alleviated but not completely removed by the current medications. Thus, new strategies for the treatment of epilepsy are in urgent demand. Over the past decades, with the increase in knowledge on the role of glia in the genesis and development of epilepsy, glial cells are receiving renewed attention. In a normal brain, glial cells maintain neuronal health and in partnership with neurons regulate virtually every aspect of brain function. In epilepsy, however, the supportive roles of glial cells are compromised, and their interaction with neurons is altered, which disrupts brain function. In this review, we will focus on the role of glia-related processes in epileptogenesis and their contribution to abnormal neuronal activity, with the major focus on the dysfunction of astroglial potassium channels, water channels, gap junctions, glutamate transporters, purinergic signaling, synaptogenesis, on the roles of microglial inflammatory cytokines, microglia-astrocyte interactions in epilepsy, and on the oligodendroglial potassium channels and myelin abnormalities in the epileptic brain. These recent findings suggest that glia should be considered as the promising next-generation targets for designing anti-epileptic drugs that may improve epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weida Shen
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jelena Bogdanović Pristov
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Paola Nobili
- Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Ljiljana Nikolić
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute for Biological Research Siniša Stanković, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Ma XY, Yang TT, Liu L, Peng XC, Qian F, Tang FR. Ependyma in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Radiation-Induced Brain Injury and as a Therapeutic Target for Neurotrophic Factors. Biomolecules 2023; 13:754. [PMID: 37238624 PMCID: PMC10216700 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050754] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuron loss caused by the progressive damage to the nervous system is proposed to be the main pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Ependyma is a layer of ciliated ependymal cells that participates in the formation of the brain-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCB). It functions to promotes the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the material exchange between CSF and brain interstitial fluid. Radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) shows obvious impairments of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the neuroinflammatory processes after acute brain injury, a large amount of complement proteins and infiltrated immune cells are circulated in the CSF to resist brain damage and promote substance exchange through the BCB. However, as the protective barrier lining the brain ventricles, the ependyma is extremely vulnerable to cytotoxic and cytolytic immune responses. When the ependyma is damaged, the integrity of BCB is destroyed, and the CSF flow and material exchange is affected, leading to brain microenvironment imbalance, which plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and other neurotrophic factors promote the differentiation and maturation of ependymal cells to maintain the integrity of the ependyma and the activity of ependymal cilia, and may have therapeutic potential in restoring the homeostasis of the brain microenvironment after RIBI or during the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yu Ma
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Lian Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Feng Qian
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
| | - Feng-Ru Tang
- Radiation Physiology Laboratory, Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, National University of Singapore, Singapore 138602, Singapore
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4
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Martinez Ramirez CE, Ruiz-Pérez G, Stollenwerk TM, Behlke C, Doherty A, Hillard CJ. Endocannabinoid signaling in the central nervous system. Glia 2023; 71:5-35. [PMID: 36308424 PMCID: PMC10167744 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It is hard to overestimate the influence of the endocannabinoid signaling (ECS) system on central nervous system (CNS) function. In the 40 years since cannabinoids were found to trigger specific cell signaling cascades, studies of the ECS system continue to cause amazement, surprise, and confusion! CB1 cannabinoid receptors are expressed widely in the CNS and regulate cell-cell communication via effects on the release of both neurotransmitters and gliotransmitters. CB2 cannabinoid receptors are difficult to detect in the CNS but seem to "punch above their weight" as compounds targeting these receptors have significant effects on inflammatory state and behavior. Positive and negative allosteric modulators for both receptors have been identified and examined in preclinical studies. Concentrations of the endocannabinoid ligands, N-arachidonoylethanolamine and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), are regulated by a combination of enzymatic synthesis and degradation and inhibitors of these processes are available and making their way into clinical trials. Importantly, ECS regulates many essential brain functions, including regulation of reward, anxiety, inflammation, motor control, and cellular development. While the field is on the cusp of preclinical discoveries providing impactful clinical and therapeutic insights into many CNS disorders, there is still much to be learned about this remarkable and versatile modulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- César E Martinez Ramirez
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gonzalo Ruiz-Pérez
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Todd M Stollenwerk
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christina Behlke
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ashley Doherty
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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Fukuyama K, Okada M. Brivaracetam and Levetiracetam Suppress Astroglial L-Glutamate Release through Hemichannel via Inhibition of Synaptic Vesicle Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094473. [PMID: 35562864 PMCID: PMC9101419 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of antiseizure and adverse behavioural/psychiatric effects of brivaracetam and levetiracetam, in the present study, we determined the effects of brivaracetam and levetiracetam on astroglial L-glutamate release induced by artificial high-frequency oscillation (HFO) bursts using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. Additionally, the effects of brivaracetam and levetiracetam on protein expressions of connexin43 (Cx43) and synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) in the plasma membrane of primary cultured rat astrocytes were determined using a capillary immunoblotting system. Acutely artificial fast-ripple HFO (500 Hz) burst stimulation use-dependently increased L-glutamate release through Cx43-containing hemichannels without affecting the expression of Cx43 or SV2A in the plasma membrane, whereas acute physiological ripple HFO (200 Hz) stimulation did not affect astroglial L-glutamate release or expression of Cx43 or SV2A. Contrarily, subchronic ripple HFO and acute pathological fast-ripple HFO (500 Hz) stimulations use-dependently increased L-glutamate release through Cx43-containing hemichannels and Cx43 expression in the plasma membrane. Subchronic fast-ripple HFO-evoked stimulation produced ectopic expression of SV2A in the plasma membrane, but subchronic ripple HFO stimulation did not generate ectopic SV2A. Subchronic administration of brivaracetam and levetiracetam concentration-dependently suppressed fast-ripple HFO-induced astroglial L-glutamate release and expression of Cx43 and SV2A in the plasma membrane. In contrast, subchronic ripple HFO-evoked stimulation induced astroglial L-glutamate release, and Cx43 expression in the plasma membrane was inhibited by subchronic levetiracetam administration, but was not affected by brivaracetam. These results suggest that brivaracetam and levetiracetam inhibit epileptogenic fast-ripple HFO-induced activated astroglial transmission associated with hemichannels. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of therapeutic-relevant concentrations of levetiracetam on physiological ripple HFO-induced astroglial responses probably contributes to the adverse behavioural/psychiatric effects of levetiracetam.
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Zhu Y, Sun Y, Hu J, Pan Z. Insight Into the Mechanism of Exercise Preconditioning in Ischemic Stroke. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:866360. [PMID: 35350755 PMCID: PMC8957886 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.866360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exercise preconditioning has attracted extensive attention to induce endogenous neuroprotection and has become the hotspot in neurotherapy. The training exercise is given multiple times before cerebral ischemia, effectively inducing ischemic tolerance and alleviating secondary brain damage post-stroke. Compared with other preconditioning methods, the main advantages of exercise include easy clinical operation and being readily accepted by patients. However, the specific mechanism behind exercise preconditioning to ameliorate brain injury is complex. It involves multi-pathway and multi-target regulation, including regulation of inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis inhibition, and neurogenesis promotion. The current review summarizes the recent studies on the mechanism of neuroprotection induced by exercise, providing the theoretical basis of applying exercise therapy to prevent and treat ischemic stroke. In addition, we highlight the various limitations and future challenges of translational medicine from fundamental study to clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhan Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yulin Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, China
| | - Jichao Hu
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, China
| | - Zhuoer Pan
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, China
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