1
|
Dogra S, Aguayo C, Xiang Z, Putnam J, Smith J, Johnston C, Foster DJ, Lindsley CW, Niswender CM, Conn PJ. Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 3 Modulates Thalamo-accumbal Transmission and Rescues Schizophrenia-Like Physiological and Behavioral Deficits. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:230-242. [PMID: 38061467 PMCID: PMC11150332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in the gene encoding for metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGlu3) are associated with an increased likelihood of schizophrenia diagnosis and can predict improvements in negative symptoms following treatment with antipsychotics. However, the mechanisms by which mGlu3 can regulate brain circuits involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology are not clear. METHODS We employed selective pharmacological tools and a variety of approaches including whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, slice optogenetics, and fiber photometry to investigate the effects of mGlu3 activation on phencyclidine (PCP)-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. A chemogenetic approach was used to evaluate the role of thalamo-accumbal transmission in PCP-induced sociability deficits. RESULTS We first established that PCP treatment augmented excitatory transmission onto dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and induced sociability deficits. Our studies revealed a selective increase in glutamatergic synaptic transmission from thalamic afferents to D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. Chemogenetic silencing of thalamo-accumbal inputs rescued PCP-induced sociability deficits. Pharmacological activation of mGlu3 normalized PCP-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. Mechanistic studies revealed that mGlu3 activation induced robust long-term depression at synapses from the thalamic projections onto D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that activation of mGlu3 decreases thalamo-accumbal transmission and thereby rescues sociability deficits in mouse modeling schizophrenia-like symptoms. These findings provide novel insights into the NAc-specific mechanisms and suggest that agents modulating glutamatergic signaling in the NAc may provide a promising approach for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Dogra
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Caleb Aguayo
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Zixiu Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jason Putnam
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Joshua Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Curran Johnston
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Daniel J Foster
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ferranti AS, Luessen DJ, Niswender CM. Novel pharmacological targets for GABAergic dysfunction in ADHD. Neuropharmacology 2024; 249:109897. [PMID: 38462041 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109897] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopment disorder that affects approximately 5% of the population. The disorder is characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and deficits in attention and cognition, although symptoms vary across patients due to the heterogenous and polygenic nature of the disorder. Stimulant medications are the standard of care treatment for ADHD patients, and their effectiveness has led to the dopaminergic hypothesis of ADHD in which deficits in dopaminergic signaling, especially in cortical brain regions, mechanistically underly ADHD pathophysiology. Despite their effectiveness in many individuals, almost one-third of patients do not respond to stimulant treatments and the long-term negative side effects of these medications remain unclear. Emerging clinical evidence is beginning to highlight an important role of dysregulated excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in ADHD. These deficits in E/I balance are related to functional abnormalities in glutamate and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) signaling in the brain, with increasing emphasis placed on GABAergic interneurons driving specific aspects of ADHD pathophysiology. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have also highlighted how genes associated with GABA function are mutated in human populations with ADHD, resulting in the generation of several new genetic mouse models of ADHD. This review will discuss how GABAergic dysfunction underlies ADHD pathophysiology, and how specific receptors/proteins related to GABAergic interneuron dysfunction may be pharmacologically targeted to treat ADHD in subpopulations with specific comorbidities and symptom domains. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony S Ferranti
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Deborah J Luessen
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lu C, Li S, Kang L, Li Q, Chen H, Lin Y, Zhang H, Tang Z, Bai M, Xiong P. Aripiprazole combined with nerve growth factor improves cognitive function in mice with schizophrenia model. Neurosci Lett 2023; 812:137410. [PMID: 37495071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) remains a challenge. Exploring new effective treatment strategies is relevant for the improvement of cognitive function. Aripiprazole (ARI) is an atypical antipsychotic that improves some cognitive functions. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to improve cognitive function in certain neurological impairments and partial neurological deficits, but its mechanism of action in cognitive dysfunction in SCZ is unclear. In this study, we established schizophrenia mouse model with dizocilpine (MK-801); treated mice with ARI alone or in combination with NGF; assessed spontaneous activity and cognitive function using open field test and Morris water maze test; and measured brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA expression levels using immunohistochemistry and molecular biology assays. The results showed that ARI alone or in combination with NGF can improve increased spontaneous activity and spatial learning memory deficits in model mice by elevating BDNF expression levels in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIP). The results suggest that ARI combined with NGF can improve cognitive function in SCZ, which provides new ideas and directions for the clinical treatment of cognitive dysfunction in SCZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cailian Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lin Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hongxu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanwen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ziling Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Meiyan Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Peng Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China; Yunnan Clinical Research Center for Mental Health, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hoglund BK, Carfagno V, Olive MF, Leyrer-Jackson JM. Metabotropic glutamate receptors and cognition: From underlying plasticity and neuroprotection to cognitive disorders and therapeutic targets. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 168:367-413. [PMID: 36868635 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are G protein-coupled receptors that play pivotal roles in mediating the activity of neurons and other cell types within the brain, communication between cell types, synaptic plasticity, and gene expression. As such, these receptors play an important role in a number of cognitive processes. In this chapter, we discuss the role of mGlu receptors in various forms of cognition and their underlying physiology, with an emphasis on cognitive dysfunction. Specifically, we highlight evidence that links mGlu physiology to cognitive dysfunction across brain disorders including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Fragile X syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. We also provide recent evidence demonstrating that mGlu receptors may elicit neuroprotective effects in particular disease states. Lastly, we discuss how mGlu receptors can be targeted utilizing positive and negative allosteric modulators as well as subtype specific agonists and antagonist to restore cognitive function across these disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon K Hoglund
- Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Vincent Carfagno
- School of Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States
| | - M Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Jonna M Leyrer-Jackson
- Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, United States.
| |
Collapse
|