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Kamińska K, Lenda T, Konieczny J, Lorenc-Koci E. Behavioral and neurochemical interactions of the tricyclic antidepressant drug desipramine with L-DOPA in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Implications for motor and psychiatric functions in Parkinson's disease. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3633-3656. [PMID: 36178508 PMCID: PMC9584871 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The pharmacological effects of antidepressants in modulating noradrenergic transmission as compared to serotonergic transmission in a rat model of Parkinson's disease under chronic L-DOPA therapy are insufficiently explored. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine administered chronically alone or jointly with L-DOPA, on motor behavior and monoamine metabolism in selected brain structures of rats with the unilateral 6-OHDA lesion. METHODS The antiparkinsonian activities of L-DOPA and desipramine were assessed behaviorally using a rotation test and biochemically based on changes in the tissue concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin and their metabolites, evaluated separately for the ipsi- and contralateral motor (striatum, substantia nigra) and limbic (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus) structures of rat brain by HPLC method. RESULTS Desipramine administered alone did not induce rotational behavior, but in combination with L-DOPA, it increased the number of contralateral rotations more strongly than L-DOPA alone. Both L-DOPA and desipramine + L-DOPA significantly increased DA levels in the ipsilateral striatum, substantia nigra, prefrontal cortex and the ipsi- and contralateral hippocampus. The combined treatment also significantly increased noradrenaline content in the ipsi- and contralateral striatum, while L-DOPA alone decreased serotonin level on both sides of the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS The performed analysis of the level of monoamines and their metabolites in the selected brain structures suggests that co-modulation of noradrenergic and dopaminergic transmission in Parkinson's disease by the combined therapy with desipramine + L-DOPA may have some positive implications for motor and psychiatric functions but further research is needed to exclude potential negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Kamińska
- Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna street 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz Lenda
- Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna street 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jolanta Konieczny
- Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna street 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Lorenc-Koci
- Department of Neuro-Psychopharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna street 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland.
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Kurbatov BK, Prokudina ES, Maslov LN, Naryzhnaya NV, Logvinov SV, Gorbunov AS, Mukhomedzyanov AV, Krylatov AV, Voronkov NS, Sementsov AS, Zavadovsky KV, Saushkin VV, Nagarajan RP, Oeltgen PR. The role of adrenergic and muscarinic receptors in stress-induced cardiac injury. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1641-1655. [PMID: 34245378 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02602-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is a rare but dangerous disease that can be fatal. The pathogenesis of TS is not well understood because there is no animal model of TS that fully mimics TS. It has now been documented that stress exposure (24 h) of rats induced the state which is similar TS in human: contracture damage of myofibrils, elevation of the serum creatine kinase MB level, increased 99mTc-pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) accumulation in the heart, QTc interval prolongation, and contractility dysfunction of the heart. Immobilization stress resulted in an increase in coronary blood flow. Emotional stress increased the serum catecholamine level. Blockade of β1-adrenergic receptor (AR) prevented stress-induced cardiac injury (SICI). Blockade of β2-AR aggravated stress-induced cardiac injury. Stimulation of β2-AR increased cardiac tolerance to stress. Inhibition of β3-AR, α1-AR had no effect on SICI. Blockade of peripheral muscarinic receptors or α2-AR aggravated SICI. Pretreatment with the selective β1-AR antagonist atenolol attenuates stress-induced cardiac contractility dysfunction, but recovery of cardiac contractility is not complete. There is indirect evidence that circulating catecholamines play an important role in SICI. Consequently, the activation of β1-AR plays a significant role in SICI. However, there are other receptors which are also involved in SICI and require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris K Kurbatov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Prokudina
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Leonid N Maslov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Natalia V Naryzhnaya
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia.
| | - Sergey V Logvinov
- Department of Histology, Embryology and Cytology, Siberian State Medical University, 634055, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Alexander S Gorbunov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Alexandr V Mukhomedzyanov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Andrey V Krylatov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Nikita S Voronkov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Andrey S Sementsov
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Konstantin V Zavadovsky
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Viktor V Saushkin
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Cardiology Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634012, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Rajendra P Nagarajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, 608002, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Peter R Oeltgen
- Department of Pathology, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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3
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Delcourte S, Etievant A, Haddjeri N. Role of central serotonin and noradrenaline interactions in the antidepressants' action: Electrophysiological and neurochemical evidence. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2021; 259:7-81. [PMID: 33541681 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of antidepressant drugs, in the last 6 decades, has been associated with theories based on a deficiency of serotonin (5-HT) and/or noradrenaline (NA) systems. Although the pathophysiology of major depression (MD) is not fully understood, numerous investigations have suggested that treatments with various classes of antidepressant drugs may lead to an enhanced 5-HT and/or adapted NA neurotransmissions. In this review, particular morpho-physiological aspects of these systems are first considered. Second, principal features of central 5-HT/NA interactions are examined. In this regard, the effects of the acute and sustained antidepressant administrations on these systems are discussed. Finally, future directions including novel therapeutic strategies are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Delcourte
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Adeline Etievant
- Integrative and Clinical Neurosciences EA481, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Nasser Haddjeri
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France.
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Murillo MDP, Aronsson P, Winder M, Carlsson T. Desipramine, commonly used as a noradrenergic neuroprotectant in 6-OHDA-lesions, leads to local functional changes in the urinary bladder and gastrointestinal tract in healthy rats. Heliyon 2020; 6:e05472. [PMID: 33251357 PMCID: PMC7679251 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model is one of the most common animal models of Parkinson's disease. When experimentally inducing dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the nigrostriatal pathway using 6-OHDA, the noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor desipramine is often systemically injected in order to protect against damages to the noradrenergic system in the brain. An increasing number of studies are focusing on understanding the pathophysiological changes underlying autonomic non-motor symptoms, in particular urinary bladder and gastrointestinal dysfunctions, of the disease. Several of these studies have investigated the contractile properties and the activation of smooth muscle in the 6-OHDA rat model. Since the injection of desipramine is commonly placed in close proximity to the urinary bladder and gastrointestinal tract, in the current study we wanted to understand if the drug alone has an effect. For this, we have injected a single dose (25 mg/kg) of desipramine either intraperitonially or subcutaneously and investigated smooth muscle contractility in vitro in the urinary bladder, proximal colon and distal ileum four weeks post injection. Our data show that desipramine significantly alters smooth muscle contractility of the urinary bladder and proximal colon in healthy rats. Conclusively, we suggest, based on our data, that desipramine should be omitted when using the 6-OHDA rat model to investigate smooth muscle function in Parkinson's disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Del Pilar Murillo
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 431, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Patrik Aronsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 431, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michael Winder
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 431, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Carlsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 431, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Horrillo I, Ortega JE, Diez-Alarcia R, Urigüen L, Meana JJ. Chronic fluoxetine reverses the effects of chronic corticosterone treatment on α 2-adrenoceptors in the rat frontal cortex but not locus coeruleus. Neuropharmacology 2019; 158:107731. [PMID: 31376424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is an established finding in patients with anxiety and/or depression. Chronic corticosterone administration in animals has been proposed as a model for the study of these stress-related disorders and the antidepressant action. Alterations of the central noradrenergic system and specifically of inhibitory α2-adrenoceptors seem to be part of the pathophysiology of depression and contribute to the antidepressant activity. The present study evaluates in male rats the effect of chronic corticosterone treatment during 35 days (16-20 mg kg-1 day-1) on the sensitivity of α2-adrenoceptors expressed in the somatodendritic and terminal noradrenergic areas locus coeruleus (LC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), respectively. Further, the effect of chronic fluoxetine treatment (5 mg kg-1, i.p., since the 15th day) on the sensitivity of α2-adrenoceptors was examined under control conditions and in corticosterone-treated rats. The α2-adrenoceptor functionality was analysed in vitro by agonist-mediated [35S]GTPγS binding stimulation and in vivo through the modulation of noradrenaline (NA) release evaluated by dual-probe microdialysis. The concentration-effect curves of the [35S]GTPγS binding stimulation by the agonist UK14304 (5-bromo-N-(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-6-quinoxalinamine) demonstrated a desensitization of cortical α2-adrenoceptors induced by corticosterone (-logEC50 = 6.7 ± 0.2 vs 8.2 ± 0.3 in controls) that was reverted by fluoxetine treatment (-logEC50 = 7.5 ± 0.3). Local administration of the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist RS79948 ((8aR,12aS,13aS)-5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a-decahydro-3-methoxy-12-(ethylsulfonyl)-6H-isoquino[2,1-g][1,6]naphthyridine) (0.1-100 μmol L-1) into the LC induced a concentration-dependent NA increase in the PFC of the control group (Emax = 191 ± 30%) but non-significant effect was observed in corticosterone-treated rats (Emax = 133 ± 46%), reflecting a desensitization of α2-adrenoceptors that control the firing of noradrenergic neurons. Fluoxetine treatment did not alter the corticosterone-induced desensitization in this area (Emax = 136 ± 19%). No effect of fluoxetine on α2-adrenoceptor functionality was observed in control animals (Emax = 223 ± 30%). In PFC, the local administration of RS79948 increased NA in controls (Emax = 226 ± 27%) without effect in the corticosterone group (Emax = 115 ± 26%), suggesting a corticosterone-induced desensitization of terminal α2-adrenoceptors. Fluoxetine administration prevented the desensitization induced by corticosterone in the PFC (Emax = 233 ± 33%) whereas desensitized α2-adrenoceptors in control animals (Emax = -24 ± 10%). These data indicate that chronic corticosterone increases noradrenergic activity by acting at different α2-adrenoceptor subpopulations. Treatment with the antidepressant fluoxetine seems to counteract these changes by acting mainly on presynaptic α2-adrenoceptors expressed in terminal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Horrillo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain
| | - Jorge E Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain
| | - Rebeca Diez-Alarcia
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain
| | - Leyre Urigüen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Spain.
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6
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Hayashida KI, Obata H. Strategies to Treat Chronic Pain and Strengthen Impaired Descending Noradrenergic Inhibitory System. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20040822. [PMID: 30769838 PMCID: PMC6412536 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20040822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin) and antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors) are often used to treat chronic pain. The descending noradrenergic inhibitory system from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord plays an important role in the analgesic mechanisms of these drugs. Gabapentinoids activate the LC by inhibiting the release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and inducing the release of glutamate, thereby increasing noradrenaline levels in the spinal cord. Antidepressants increase noradrenaline levels in the spinal cord by inhibiting reuptake, and accumulating noradrenaline inhibits chronic pain through α2-adrenergic receptors in the spinal cord. Recent animal studies, however, revealed that the function of the descending noradrenergic inhibitory system is impaired in chronic pain states. Other recent studies found that histone deacetylase inhibitors and antidepressants restore the impaired noradrenergic descending inhibitory system acting on noradrenergic neurons in the LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichiro Hayashida
- Doctorial Course in Medicine, Organ Function-Oriented Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine;1-1-1, Hondo, Akita-City, Akita 010-8543, Japan.
| | - Hideaki Obata
- Center for Pain Management and Department of Anesthesiology, Fukushima Medical University; 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima-City, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
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The onset of treatment with the antidepressant desipramine is critical for the emotional consequences of neuropathic pain. Pain 2018; 159:2606-2619. [DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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8
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Fullana MN, Ferrés-Coy A, Ortega JE, Ruiz-Bronchal E, Paz V, Meana JJ, Artigas F, Bortolozzi A. Selective Knockdown of TASK3 Potassium Channel in Monoamine Neurons: a New Therapeutic Approach for Depression. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3038-3052. [PMID: 30088175 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1288-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Current pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) are severely compromised by both slow action and limited efficacy. RNAi strategies have been used to evoke antidepressant-like effects faster than classical drugs. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA), we herein show that TASK3 potassium channel knockdown in monoamine neurons induces antidepressant-like responses in mice. TASK3-siRNAs were conjugated to cell-specific ligands, sertraline (Ser) or reboxetine (Reb), to promote their selective accumulation in serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) neurons, respectively, after intranasal delivery. Following neuronal internalization of conjugated TASK3-siRNAs, reduced TASK3 mRNA and protein levels were found in the brainstem 5-HT and NE cell groups. Moreover, Ser-TASK3-siRNA induced robust antidepressant-like behaviors, enhanced the hippocampal plasticity, and potentiated the fluoxetine-induced increase on extracellular 5-HT. Similar responses, yet of lower magnitude, were detected for Reb-TASK3-siRNA. These findings provide substantial support for TASK3 as a potential target, and RNAi-based strategies as a novel therapeutic approach to treat MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Neus Fullana
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Albert Ferrés-Coy
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge E Ortega
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU and BioCruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Esther Ruiz-Bronchal
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Verónica Paz
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Basque Country UPV/EHU and BioCruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Francesc Artigas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Analia Bortolozzi
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. .,Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IIBB-CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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Opioid and noradrenergic contributions of tapentadol to the inhibition of locus coeruleus neurons in the streptozotocin rat model of polyneuropathic pain. Neuropharmacology 2018; 135:202-210. [PMID: 29551688 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Tapentadol is an analgesic that acts as an agonist of µ opioid receptors (MOR) and that inhibits noradrenaline reuptake. Data from healthy rats show that tapentadol inhibits neuronal activity in the locus coeruleus (LC), a nucleus regulated by both the noradrenergic and opioid systems. Thus, we set out to investigate the effect of tapentadol on LC activity in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, a model of diabetic polyneuropathy, by analyzing single-unit extracellular recordings of LC neurons. Four weeks after inducing diabetes, tapentadol dose-response curves were obtained from animals pre-treated with RX821002 or naloxone (alpha2-adrenoceptors and opioid receptors antagonists, respectively). In STZ rats, the spontaneous activity of LC neurons (0.9 ± 0.1 Hz) was lower than in naïve animals (1.5 ± 0.1 Hz), and tapentadol's inhibitory effect was also weaker. Alpha2-adrenoceptors blockade by RX821002 (100 μg/kg i.v.) in STZ animals significantly increased the spontaneous activity (from 0.8 ± 0.1 to 1.4 ± 0.2 Hz) and it dampened the inhibition of LC neurons produced by tapentadol. However, opioid receptors blockade following naloxone pre-treatment (5 mg/kg i.v.) did not alter the spontaneous firing rate (0.9 ± 0.2 vs 0.9 ± 0.2 Hz) or the inhibitory effect of tapentadol on LC neurons in STZ animals. Thus, diabetic polyneuropathy appears to exert neuroplastic changes in LC neurotransmission, enhancing the sensitivity of alpha2-adrenoceptors and dampening opioid receptors expression. Tapentadol's activity seems to be predominantly mediated through its noradrenergic effects rather than its influence on opioid receptors in the STZ model of diabetic polyneuropathy.
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10
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Analgesic Mechanisms of Antidepressants for Neuropathic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18112483. [PMID: 29160850 PMCID: PMC5713449 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are used to treat chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain. Why antidepressants are effective for treatment of neuropathic pain and the precise mechanisms underlying their effects, however, remain unclear. The inhibitory effects of these antidepressants for neuropathic pain manifest more quickly than their antidepressive effects, suggesting different modes of action. Recent studies of animal models of neuropathic pain revealed that noradrenaline is extremely important for the inhibition of neuropathic pain. First, increasing noradrenaline in the spinal cord by reuptake inhibition directly inhibits neuropathic pain through α2-adrenergic receptors. Second, increasing noradrenaline acts on the locus coeruleus and improves the function of an impaired descending noradrenergic inhibitory system. Serotonin and dopamine may reinforce the noradrenergic effects to inhibit neuropathic pain. The mechanisms of neuropathic pain inhibition by antidepressants based mainly on experimental findings from animal models of neuropathic pain are discussed in this review.
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11
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Wang B, Wang Y, Wu Q, Huang HP, Li S. Effects of α2A Adrenoceptors on Norepinephrine Secretion from the Locus Coeruleus during Chronic Stress-Induced Depression. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:243. [PMID: 28507504 PMCID: PMC5410613 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stressors can often lead to the development of psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a stress sensitive brain region located in the pons, with noradrenergic neurons that project to the hypothalamus, especially the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. The purpose of this paper is to better understand how alpha 2A-adrenoceptors (α2A-ARs) and LC-hypothalamus noradrenergic system participate in the pathophysiological mechanism of depression. In vivo norepinephrine (NE) release in the PVN triggered by electrical stimulation in the LC was detected with carbon fiber electrodes in depression model of rats induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Also, the extracellular level of NE in the PVN was measured by microdialysis in vivo without any stimulation in the LC. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor (α2-AR) antagonist yohimbine and α2A-ARs antagonist BRL-44408 maleate were systemically administered to rats to determine the effects of α2A-ARs on NE release in the PVN. The peak value of elicited NE release signals in the PVN induced by electrical stimulation in the LC in the CUMS rats were lower than that in the control rats. The extracellular levels of NE in the PVN of the CUMS rats were significantly less than that of the control rats. Intraperitoneal injection of yohimbine or BRL-44408 maleate significantly potentiated NE release in the PVN of the CUMS rats. The CUMS significantly increased protein expression levels of α2A-AR in the hypothalamus, and BRL-44408 maleate significantly reversed the increase of α2A-AR protein expression levels in the CUMS rats. Our results suggest that the CUMS could significantly facilitate the effect of α2-adrenoceptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition and decrease the release of NE in the PVN from LC. Blockade of the inhibitory action of excessive α2A-adrenergic receptors in the CUMS rats could increase the level of NE in the PVN, which is effective in the treatment of depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, China.,Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Wannan Medical CollegeWuhu, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, China.,Department of Cardiology, Institute of Heart and Vessel Diseases of Dalian Medical University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, China
| | - Hong-Ping Huang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Wannan Medical CollegeWuhu, China
| | - Shao Li
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, China
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Effect of subchronic corticosterone administration on α 2-adrenoceptor functionality in rat brain: an in vivo and in vitro study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3861-3867. [PMID: 27592231 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4418-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Noradrenergic system plays a critical role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation and the stress response. A dysregulated HPA axis may be indicative of an increased biological vulnerability for depression. In addition, a variety of studies have focused on specific alterations of α2-adrenoceptors as a mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of mood disorders and antidepressant response. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effect of subchronic corticosterone administration on rat brain α2-adrenoceptor functionality by in vitro [35S]GTPγS binding stimulation assays and in vivo dual-probe microdialysis determination of extracellular noradrenaline concentrations. RESULTS Implantation of a time release corticosterone pellet during 14 days induced sustained changes in endocrine function. However, there were no differences in α2-adrenoceptor agonist UK14304-induced stimulation of [35S]GTPγS binding in prefrontal cortex (PFC) between corticosterone-treated and control rats. In the same way, the in vivo evaluation of α2-adrenoceptor-mediated noradrenaline release responses to the α2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine local administration into the locus coeruleus (LC), and the PFC did not show differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS The present results show that subchronic corticosterone administration does not induce changes on functionality of α2-adrenoceptors neither in the LC nor in noradrenergic cortical terminal areas.
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Fernández-Pastor B, Ortega JE, Grandoso L, Castro E, Ugedo L, Pazos Á, Meana JJ. Chronic citalopram administration desensitizes prefrontal cortex but not somatodendritic α 2-adrenoceptors in rat brain. Neuropharmacology 2016; 114:114-122. [PMID: 27908769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) regulate brain noradrenergic neurotransmission both at somatodendritic and nerve terminal areas. Previous studies have demonstrated that noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitors are able to desensitize α2-adrenoceptor-mediated responses. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effects of repeated treatment with the SSRI citalopram on the α2-adrenoceptor sensitivity in locus coeruleus (LC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), by using in vivo microdialysis and electrophysiological techniques, and in vitro stimulation of [35S]GTPγS binding autoradiography. Repeated, but not acute, treatment with citalopram (5 mg/kg, i.p., 14 days) increased extracellular NA concentration selectively in PFC. The α2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), administered to saline-treated animals (1 ml/kg i.p., 14 days) induced NA decrease in LC (Emax = -44 ± 4%; p < 0.001) and in PFC (Emax = -61 ± 5%, p < 0.001). In citalopram chronically-treated rats, clonidine administration exerted a lower decrease of NA (Emax = -25 ± 7%; p < 0.001) in PFC whereas the effect in LC was not different to controls (Emax = -36 ± 4%). Clonidine administration (0.625-20 μg/kg, i.v.) evoked a dose-dependent decrease of the firing activity of LC noradrenergic neurons in both citalopram- (ED50 = 3.2 ± 0.4 μg/kg) and saline-treated groups (ED50 = 2.6 ± 0.5 μg/kg). No significant differences between groups were found in ED50 values. The α2-adrenoceptor agonist UK14304 stimulated specific [35S]GTPγS binding in brain sections containing LC (144 ± 14%) and PFC (194 ± 32%) of saline-treated animals. In citalopram-treated animals, this increase did not differ from controls in LC (146 ± 22%) but was lower in PFC (141 ± 8%; p < 0.05). Taken together, long-term citalopram treatment induces a desensitization of α2-adrenoceptors acting as axon terminal autoreceptors in PFC without changes in somatodendritic α2-adrenoceptor sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge E Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - Laura Grandoso
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Elena Castro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine & Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), University of Cantabria-CSIC-IDICAN, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Luisa Ugedo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Ángel Pazos
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine & Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), University of Cantabria-CSIC-IDICAN, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental CIBERSAM, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Bizkaia, Spain
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Rivero G, Gabilondo AM, García-Sevilla JA, La Harpe R, Callado LF, Meana JJ. Increased α2- and β1-adrenoceptor densities in postmortem brain of subjects with depression: differential effect of antidepressant treatment. J Affect Disord 2015; 167:343-50. [PMID: 25020269 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain α2- and β-adrenoceptor alterations have been suggested in suicide and major depressive disorder. METHODS The densities of α2-, β1- and β2-adrenoceptors in postmortem prefrontal cortex of 26 subjects with depression were compared with those of age-, gender- and postmortem delay-matched controls. The effect of antidepressant treatment on α2- and β-adrenoceptor densities was also evaluated. α2- and β-adrenoceptor densities were measured by saturation experiments with respective radioligands [(3)H]UK14304 and [(3)H]CGP12177. β1- and β2-adrenoceptor subtype densities were dissected by means of β1-adrenoceptor selective antagonist CGP20712A. RESULTS Both, α2- and β1-adrenoceptors densities were higher in antidepressant-free depressed subjects (n=14) than those in matched controls (Δ~24%, p=0.013 and Δ~20%, p=0.044, respectively). In antidepressant-treated subjects (n=12), α2-adrenoceptor density remained increased over that in controls (Δ~20%), suggesting a resistance of α2-adrenoceptors to the down-regulatory effect of antidepressants. By contrast, β1-adrenoceptor density in antidepressant-treated depressed subjects was not different from controls, suggesting a possible down-regulation by antidepressants. The down-regulation of β1-adrenoceptor density in antidepressant-treated depressed subjects differs from the unaltered β1-adrenoceptor density observed in citalopram-treated rats and in a group of non-depressed subjects also treated with antidepressants (n=6). β2-adrenoceptor density was not altered in depressed subjects independently of treatment. LIMITATIONS Antidepressant-treated subjects had been treated with a heterogeneous variety of antidepressant drugs. The results should be understood in the context of suicide victims with depression. CONCLUSIONS These results show the up-regulation of brain α2- and β1-adrenoceptors in depression and suggest that the regulation induced by chronic antidepressant treatment would be altered in these subjects.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology
- Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use
- Depression/drug therapy
- Depression/pathology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
- Depressive Disorder, Major/pathology
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prefrontal Cortex/drug effects
- Prefrontal Cortex/pathology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/analysis
- Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/drug effects
- Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1/analysis
- Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1/drug effects
- Reference Values
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Rivero
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| | - Ane M Gabilondo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Jesús A García-Sevilla
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Romano La Harpe
- Centre Universitaire Romand de Médicine Légale-site Genève, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Luis F Callado
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
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15
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Marcinkiewcz CA, Devine DP. Modulation of OCT3 expression by stress, and antidepressant-like activity of decynium-22 in an animal model of depression. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 131:33-41. [PMID: 25597272 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The organic cation transporter-3 (OCT3) is a glucocorticoid-sensitive uptake mechanism that has been shown to regulate the bioavailability of monoamines in brain regions that are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. In the present study, the relative impacts of acute stress alone and acute stress with a history of repeated stress (chronic+acute) were evaluated in two strains of rats: the stress-vulnerable Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain and the somewhat more stress-resilient Long-Evans (LE) strain. OCT3 mRNA was significantly upregulated in the hippocampus of LE rats 2h after exposure to acute restraint stress, but not in acutely-restrained rats with a history of repeated social defeat stress. WKY rats exhibited a very different pattern. OCT3 mRNA was unaffected by acute restraint stress alone but was robustly upregulated after repeated+acute stress. There was also a corresponding increase in cytosolic OCT3 protein following repeated+acute stress in WKY rats 3h after presentation of the acute stressor. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that altered expression of the OCT3 may play a role in stress coping, and strain differences in regulation of this expression may contribute to differences in physiological and behavioral responses to stress. Furthermore, the OCT3 inhibitor, decynium 22 (1 and 10μg/kg, i.p.) reduced immobility of WKY rats, but not that of LE rats, in the forced swim test, suggesting that blockade of the OCT3 has antidepressant-like effects. Since WKY rats also appear to be resistant to the behavioral effects of traditional antidepressants, this also suggests that OCT3 antagonism may be an alternative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of depression in individuals who do not respond to conventional antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Marcinkiewcz
- University of Florida, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32610-0015, USA
| | - D P Devine
- University of Florida, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL 32610-0015, USA; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA.
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α2 Adrenergic Receptor Trafficking as a Therapeutic Target in Antidepressant Drug Action. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2015; 132:207-25. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Alba-Delgado C, Llorca-Torralba M, Horrillo I, Ortega JE, Mico JA, Sánchez-Blázquez P, Meana JJ, Berrocoso E. Chronic pain leads to concomitant noradrenergic impairment and mood disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 73:54-62. [PMID: 22854119 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Revised: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients suffering chronic pain are at high risk of suffering long-lasting emotional disturbances characterized by persistent low mood and anxiety. We propose that this might be the result of a functional impairment in noradrenergic circuits associated with locus coeruleus (LC) and prefrontal cortex, where emotional and sensorial pain processes overlap. METHODS We used a chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve as a model of neuropathic pain in male Sprague-Dawley rats to assess the time-dependent changes that might potentially precipitate mood disorders (2, 7, 14, and 28 days after injury). This was measured through a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, microdialysis, immunohistochemical, and Western blot assays. RESULTS As expected, nerve injury produced an early and stable decrease in sensorial pain threshold over the testing period. By contrast, long-term neuropathic pain (28 days after injury) resulted in an inability to cope with stressful situations, provoking depressive and anxiogenic-like behaviors, even more intense than the aversiveness associated with pain perception. The onset of these behavioral changes coincided with irruption of noradrenergic dysfunction, evident as: an increase in LC bursting activity; in tyrosine hydroxylase expression and that of the noradrenaline transporter; and enhanced expression and sensitivity of α2-adrenoceptors in the LC. CONCLUSIONS Long-term neuropathic pain leads to anxio-depressive-like behaviors that are more predominant than the aversion of a painful experience. These changes are consistent with the impairment of noradrenergic system described in depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Alba-Delgado
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain
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18
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Cottingham C, Wang Q. α2 adrenergic receptor dysregulation in depressive disorders: implications for the neurobiology of depression and antidepressant therapy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:2214-25. [PMID: 22910678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2012] [Revised: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Dysfunction in noradrenergic neurotransmission has long been theorized to occur in depressive disorders. The α2 adrenergic receptor (AR) family, as a group of key players in regulating the noradrenergic system, has been investigated for involvement in the neurobiology of depression and mechanisms of antidepressant therapies. However, a clear picture of the α2ARs in depressive disorders has not been established due to the existence of apparently conflicting findings in the literature. In this article, we report that a careful accounting of methodological differences within the literature can resolve the present lack of consensus on involvement of α2ARs in depression. In particular, the pharmacological properties of the radioligand (e.g. agonist versus antagonist) utilized for determining receptor density are crucial in determining study outcome. Upregulation of α2AR density detected by radiolabeled agonists but not by antagonists in patients with depressive disorders suggests a selective increase in the density of high-affinity conformational state α2ARs, which is indicative of enhanced G protein coupling to the receptor. Importantly, this high-affinity state α2AR upregulation can be normalized with antidepressant treatments. Thus, depressive disorders appear to be associated with increased α2AR sensitivity and responsiveness, which may represent a physiological basis for the putative noradrenergic dysfunction in depressive disorders. In addition, we review changes in some key α2AR accessory proteins in depressive disorders and discuss their potential contribution to α2AR dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cottingham
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Masana M, Castañé A, Santana N, Bortolozzi A, Artigas F. Noradrenergic antidepressants increase cortical dopamine: potential use in augmentation strategies. Neuropharmacology 2012; 63:675-84. [PMID: 22652058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Most antidepressant treatments, based on serotonin (5-HT) and/or norepinephrine (NE) transporter blockade, show limited efficacy and slow onset of action, requiring the use of augmentation strategies. Here we report on a novel antidepressant strategy to selectively increase DA function in prefrontal cortex (PFC) without the potential tolerance problems associated to DA transporter blockade. This approach is based on previous observations indicating that extracellular DA in rat medial PFC (mPFC) - but not in nucleus accumbens (NAc) - arises from noradrenergic terminals and is sensitive to noradrenergic drugs. A low dose of reboxetine (3 mg/kg i.p.; NE reuptake inhibitor) non-significantly increased extracellular DA in mPFC. Interestingly, its combined administration with 5 mg/kg s.c. mirtazapine (non-selective α₂-adrenoceptor antagonist) increased extracellular DA in mPFC (264 ± 28%), but not in NAc. Extracellular NE (but not 5-HT) in mPFC was also enhanced by the combined treatment (472 ± 70%). Repeated (×3) reboxetine + mirtazapine administration produced a moderate additional increase in mPFC DA and markedly reduced the immobility time (-51%) in the forced-swim test. Neurochemical and behavioral effects of the reboxetine + mirtazapine combination persisted in rats pretreated with citalopram (3 mg/kg, s.c.), suggesting its potential usefulness to augment SSRI effects. In situ hybridization c-fos studies were performed to examine the brain areas involved in the above antidepressant-like effects, showing changes in c-fos expression in hippocampal and cortical areas. BDNF expression was also increased in the hippocampal formation. Overall, these results indicate a synergistic effect of the reboxetine + mirtazapine combination to increase DA and NE function in mPFC and to evoke robust antidepressant-like responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercè Masana
- Department of Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Rosselló 161, 6th floor, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Alba-Delgado C, Mico JA, Sánchez-Blázquez P, Berrocoso E. Analgesic antidepressants promote the responsiveness of locus coeruleus neurons to noxious stimulation: implications for neuropathic pain. Pain 2012; 153:1438-1449. [PMID: 22591831 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Antidepressants that block the reuptake of noradrenaline and/or serotonin are among the first-line treatments for neuropathic pain, although the mechanisms underlying this analgesia remain unclear. The noradrenergic locus coeruleus is an essential element of both the ascending and descending pain modulator systems regulated by these antidepressants. Hence, we investigated the effect of analgesic antidepressants on locus coeruleus activity in Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to chronic constriction injury (CCI), a model of neuropathic pain. In vivo extracellular recordings of locus coeruleus revealed that CCI did not modify the basal tonic activity of this nucleus, although its sensory-evoked response to noxious stimuli was significantly altered. Under normal conditions, noxious stimulation evokes an early response, corresponding to the activation of myelinated A fibers, which is followed by an inhibitory period and a subsequent late capsaicin-sensitive response, consistent with the activation of unmyelinated C fibers. CCI provokes an enhanced excitatory early response in the animals and the loss of the late response. Antidepressant administration over 7 days (desipramine, 10mg/kg/day or duloxetine, 5mg/kg/day, delivered by osmotic minipumps) decreased the excitatory firing rate of the early response in the CCI group. Moreover, in all animals, these antidepressants reduced the inhibitory period and augmented the late response. We propose that N-methyl-d-aspartate and alpha-2-adrenoceptors are involved in the analgesic effect of antidepressants. Antidepressant-mediated changes were correlated with behavioral effects indicative of analgesia in healthy and neuropathic rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Alba-Delgado
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain Instituto Cajal CSIC, Madrid, Spain Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Psychobiology Area, Department of Psychology, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain
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21
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Alba-Delgado C, Borges G, Sánchez-Blázquez P, Ortega JE, Horrillo I, Mico JA, Meana JJ, Neto F, Berrocoso E. The function of alpha-2-adrenoceptors in the rat locus coeruleus is preserved in the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 221:53-65. [PMID: 22038538 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Peripheral neuropathic pain is a chronic condition that may produce plastic changes in several brain regions. The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a crucial component of ascending and descending pain pathways, both of which are frequently compromised after nerve injury. OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to examine whether chronic constriction injury (CCI), a model of neuropathic pain, alters noradrenergic activity in the rat LC. METHODS Activity in the LC was assessed by electrophysiology and microdialysis, while protein expression was monitored in western blots and by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The pain threshold had dropped in injured rats 7 days after inducing neuropathy. While alpha-2-adrenoceptors mediate activity in the LC and in its terminal areas, no alterations in either spontaneous neuronal activity or extracellular noradrenaline levels were observed following CCI. Moreover, alpha-2-adrenoceptor activity in the LC of CCI rats remained unchanged after systemic administration of UK14,304, RX821002 or desipramine. Accordingly, extracellular noradrenaline levels in the LC were similar in CCI and control animals following local administration of clonidine or RX821002. In addition, there were no changes in the expression of the alpha-2-adrenoceptors, Gαi/z subunits or the regulators of G-protein signaling. However, pERK1/2 (phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2) expression augmented in the spinal cord, paragigantocellularis nucleus (PGi) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) following CCI. CONCLUSIONS Neuropathic pain is not accompanied by modifications in tonic LC activity after the onset of pain. This may indicate that the signals from the PGi and DRN, the excitatory and inhibitory afferents of the LC, cancel one another out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Alba-Delgado
- Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cadiz, 11003 Cadiz, Spain
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Cottingham C, Jones A, Wang Q. Desipramine selectively potentiates norepinephrine-elicited ERK1/2 activation through the α2A adrenergic receptor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 420:161-5. [PMID: 22405824 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.02.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The precise physiological effects of antidepressant drugs, and in particular their actions at non-monoamine transporter targets, are largely unknown. We have recently identified the tricyclic antidepressant drug desipramine (DMI) as a direct ligand at the α(2A) adrenergic receptor (AR) without itself driving heterotrimeric G protein/downstream effector activation [5]. In this study, we report our novel finding that DMI modulates α(2A)AR signaling in response to the endogenous agonist norepinephrine (NE). DMI acted as a signaling potentiator, selectively enhancing NE-induced α(2A)AR-mediated ERK1/2 MAPK signaling. This potentiation of ERK1/2 activation was observed as an increase in NE response sensitivity and a prolongation of the activation kinetics. DMI in a physiologically relevant ratio with NE effectively turned on ERK1/2 signaling that is lacking in response to physiological NE alone. Further, the DMI-induced ERK1/2 potentiation relied on heterotrimeric G(i/o) proteins and was arrestin-independent. This modulatory effect of DMI on NE signaling provides novel insight into the effects of this antidepressant drug on the noradrenergic system which it regulates, insight which enhances our understanding of the therapeutic mechanism for DMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cottingham
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Sekar S, Van Audekerke J, Vanhoutte G, Lowe AS, Blamire AM, Van der Linden A, Steckler T, Shoaib M, Verhoye M. Neuroanatomical targets of reboxetine and bupropion as revealed by pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 217:549-57. [PMID: 21553005 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2311-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE One of the key targets of psychopharmacology research is to determine the potential sites of action of antidepressants in order to characterise their underlying mechanism of action. OBJECTIVE Using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI), the neuroanatomical target-sites of reboxetine (a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) and bupropion (an antidepressant with stimulatory effects on dopamine and potentially on noradrenaline) were mapped. METHODS Separate groups of rats were challenged acutely or chronically (daily injections for 14 days) with saline or psychoactive compounds and scanned. Subsequent statistical parametric mapping of the main effects of the drug was performed by identifying changes in the BOLD signal. RESULTS Acute reboxetine challenge at a low dose (10 mg/kg i.p.) produced positive BOLD responses specifically in the hypothalamus, whereas a larger dose (30 mg/kg i.p.) produced activations in the hypothalamus, anterior hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Chronic reboxetine (30 mg/kg i.p.) treatment induced increased BOLD responses in the posterior hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, while no significant contrast changes were observed in the hypothalamus and a significant decrease was apparent in the amygdala. In contrast, acute bupropion (15 and 30 mg/kg i.p.) challenge in both doses produced no significant contrast changes in the regions of interest. However, chronic bupropion treatment (30 mg/kg i.p.) produced robust increases in BOLD responses in the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSION In summary, this study demonstrates that reboxetine and bupropion evoke a significant increase in BOLD functional activity in specific regions of the brain, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Furthermore, the study illustrates the potential value of pharmacological MRI in rodents to delineate pharmacologically induced changes in regional brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakthivel Sekar
- Psychobiology Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
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Cottingham C, Chen Y, Jiao K, Wang Q. The antidepressant desipramine is an arrestin-biased ligand at the α(2A)-adrenergic receptor driving receptor down-regulation in vitro and in vivo. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:36063-36075. [PMID: 21859713 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.261578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms of action underlying antidepressant drugs remain poorly understood. Desipramine (DMI) is an antidepressant classically characterized as an inhibitor of norepinephrine reuptake. Available evidence, however, suggests a mechanism more complex than simple reuptake inhibition. In the present study, we have characterized the direct interaction between DMI and the α(2A)-adrenergic receptor (α(2A)AR), a key regulator of noradrenergic neurotransmission with altered expression and function in depression. DMI alone was found to be sufficient to drive receptor internalization acutely and a robust down-regulation of α(2A)AR expression and signaling following prolonged stimulation in vitro. These effects are achieved through arrestin-biased regulation of the receptor, as DMI selectively induces recruitment of arrestin but not activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. Meanwhile, a physiologically relevant concentration of endogenous agonist (norepinephrine) was unable to sustain a down-regulation response. Prolonged in vivo administration of DMI resulted in significant down-regulation of synaptic α(2A)AR expression, a response that was lost in arrestin3-null animals. We contend that direct DMI-driven arrestin-mediated α(2A)AR down-regulation accounts for the therapeutically desirable but mechanistically unexplained adaptive alterations in receptor expression associated with this antidepressant. Our results provide novel insight into both the pharmacology of this antidepressant drug and the targeting of the α(2A)AR in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cottingham
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Yunjia Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Kai Jiao
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294.
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Hache G, Coudore F, Gardier AM, Guiard BP. Monoaminergic Antidepressants in the Relief of Pain: Potential Therapeutic Utility of Triple Reuptake Inhibitors (TRIs). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2011. [PMCID: PMC4053958 DOI: 10.3390/ph4020285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 75% of depressed patients suffer from painful symptoms predicting a greater severity and a less favorable outcome of depression. Imaging, anatomical and functional studies have demonstrated the existence of common brain structures, neuronal pathways and neurotransmitters in depression and pain. In particular, the ascending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways originating from the raphe nuclei and the locus coeruleus; respectively, send projections to the limbic system. Such pathways control many of the psychological functions that are disturbed in depression and in the perception of pain. On the other hand, the descending pathways, from monoaminergic nuclei to the spinal cord, are specifically implicated in the inhibition of nociception providing rationale for the use of serotonin (5-HT) and/or norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, NRIs, SNRIs), in the relief of pain. Compelling evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) is also involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Indeed, recent insights have demonstrated a central role for DA in analgesia through an action at both the spinal and suprasinal levels including brain regions such as the periaqueductal grey (PAG), the thalamus, the basal ganglia and the limbic system. In this context, dopaminergic antidepressants (i.e., containing dopaminergic activity), such as bupropion, nomifensine and more recently triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs), might represent new promising therapeutic tools in the treatment of painful symptoms with depression. Nevertheless, whether the addition of the dopaminergic component produces more robust effects than single- or dual-acting agents, has yet to be demonstrated. This article reviews the main pathways regulating pain transmission in relation with the monoaminergic systems. It then focuses on the current knowledge regarding the in vivo pharmacological properties and mechanism of action of monoaminergic antidepressants including SSRIs, NRIs, SNRIs and TRIs. Finally, a synthesis of the preclinical studies supporting the efficacy of these antidepressants in analgesia is also addressed in order to highlight the relative contribution of 5-HT, NE and DA to nociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Hache
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: 011-331-46-83-53-61
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Vidal R, Valdizan EM, Vilaró MT, Pazos A, Castro E. Reduced signal transduction by 5-HT4 receptors after long-term venlafaxine treatment in rats. Br J Pharmacol 2011; 161:695-706. [PMID: 20880406 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00903.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 5-HT(4) receptor may be a target for antidepressant drugs. Here we have examined the effects of the dual antidepressant, venlafaxine, on 5-HT(4) receptor-mediated signalling events. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of 21 days treatment (p.o.) with high (40 mg·kg(-1)) and low (10 mg·kg(-1)) doses of venlafaxine, were evaluated at different levels of 5-HT(4) receptor-mediated neurotransmission by using in situ hybridization, receptor autoradiography, adenylate cyclase assays and electrophysiological recordings in rat brain. The selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, reboxetine (10 mg·kg(-1), 21 days) was also evaluated on 5-HT(4) receptor density. KEY RESULTS Treatment with a high dose (40 mg·kg(-1)) of venlafaxine did not alter 5-HT(4) mRNA expression, but decreased the density of 5-HT(4) receptors in caudate-putamen (% reduction = 26 ± 6), hippocampus (% reduction = 39 ± 7 and 39 ± 8 for CA1 and CA3 respectively) and substantia nigra (% reduction = 49 ± 5). Zacopride-stimulated adenylate cyclase activation was unaltered following low-dose treatment (10 mg·kg(-1)) while it was attenuated in rats treated with 40 mg·kg(-1) of venlafaxine (% reduction = 51 ± 2). Furthermore, the amplitude of population spike in pyramidal cells of CA1 of hippocampus induced by zacopride was significantly attenuated in rats receiving either dose of venlafaxine. Chronic reboxetine did not modify 5-HT(4) receptor density. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our data indicate a functional desensitization of 5-HT(4) receptors after chronic venlafaxine, similar to that observed after treatment with the classical selective inhibitors of 5-HT reuptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Vidal
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología (IBBTEC) (UC-CSIC-IDICAN), Santander, Cantabria, Spain
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Cottingham C, Chen H, Chen Y, Peng Y, Wang Q. Genetic variations of α(2)-adrenergic receptors illuminate the diversity of receptor functions. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2011; 67:161-90. [PMID: 21771490 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-384921-2.00008-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Differential modulation of α-1 adrenoceptor subtypes by antidepressants in the rat brain. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2010; 117:1423-30. [PMID: 21136124 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-010-0522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Accepted: 10/31/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of chronic antidepressants treatment on the density of α₁-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes in rat brain. Density of total α₁ and α(1A)- and α(1Β)-ARs was measured in cortex and cerebellum of rats treated with amitriptyline (AMI), desipramine (DMI) and fluoxetine (FLX), (10 mg/kg body wt), for 30 days, using [³H]prazosin in presence and absence of WB-4101. The density of cortical total α₁-ARs was significantly decreased with AMI (54%) and DMI (25%) treatment, without altering the affinity of the receptor. Fluoxetine did not alter the density of cortical α₁-ARs. The density of cortical α(1A)-ARs was also significantly decreased with AMI (85%) and DMI (50%) treatment, without affecting the affinity. The density of cerebellar total α₁-ARs was significantly decreased with AMI (37%), DMI (50%) and FLX (70%) treatment, without affecting the affinity for [³H]prazosin. The density of α(1A)-ARs was significantly decreased with AMI (67%), DMI (59%) and FLX (92%) treatment. α(1B)-AR density was decreased only with FLX (47%) and DMI (47%) treatment. Correspondingly the basal IP3 and NE (10 μM) stimulated IP3 levels were significantly decreased in AMI (47%), DMI (22%) and FLX (48%) treated rat cortex. The results suggest that chronic antidepressant (AD) treatment down-regulates the cortical and cerebellar total α₁-ARs in rat brain. However, α(1A) subtype is predominantly down-regulated by AMI and DMI, where as FLX affects cerebellar α(1A)-ARs. The region-specific and subtype specific down-regulation of α₁-ARs density, which occurs after prolonged AD treatment, may underline the therapeutic mechanism of action.
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González-Maeso J, Meana JJ. Heterotrimeric g proteins: insights into the neurobiology of mood disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol 2010; 4:127-38. [PMID: 18615130 DOI: 10.2174/157015906776359586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2005] [Revised: 11/28/2005] [Accepted: 01/05/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders such as major depression and bipolar disorder are common, severe, chronic and often life-threatening illnesses. Suicide is estimated to be the cause of death in up to approximately 10-15% of individuals with mood disorders. Alterations in the signal transduction through G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways have been reported in the etiopathology of mood disorders and the suicidal behavior. In this regard, the implication of certain GPCR subtypes such as alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor has been repeatedly described using different approaches. However, several discrepancies have been recently reported in density and functional status of the heterotrimeric G proteins both in major depression and bipolar disorder. A compilation of the most relevant research topics about the implication of heterotrimeric G proteins in the etiology of mood disorders (i.e., animal models of mood disorders, studies in peripheral tissue of depressive patients, and studies in postmortem human brain of suicide victims with mood disorders) will provide a broad perspective of this potential therapeutic target field. Proposed causes of the discrepancies reported at the level of G proteins in postmortem human brain of suicide victims will be discussed.
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Rozas I. Improving antidepressant drugs: update on recently patented compounds. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2009; 19:827-45. [DOI: 10.1517/13543770902932934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Long-term administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors alters the firing rate and pattern of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2009; 12:475-85. [PMID: 18700056 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145708009218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) exert their antidepressant action by increasing the function of the serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine and dopamine (DA) systems. There is, however, limited electrophysiological data on the effects of MAOIs on DA neurons. The effects of 2-d and 21-d administration of three MAOIs were investigated (clorgyline, selective MAOI-A; deprenyl, selective MAOI-B; phenelzine, non-selective MAOI) on the firing activity of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area using in-vivo electrophysiology in rats. Short-term clorgyline (1 mg/kg) and phenelzine (2.5 mg/kg) was devoid of effect on DA neurons, whereas prolonged administration significantly decreased their firing rate (by 30% and 20%, respectively), number of bursts (by 80% and 45%, respectively), and percentage of spikes occurring in bursts only in clorgyline-treated rats (70%). Deprenyl (0.25 mg/kg) was without effects. DA firing was restored in clorgyline-treated rats by inhibiting 5-HT synthesis using para-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA; 300 mg/kg. d for three consecutive days). The 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron (0.5 mg/kg) was devoid of effect in control rats, but completely reversed the alterations of DA neuronal activity in clorgyline-treated rats. An attenuation of DA neuronal activity was thus produced by prolonged blockade of MAOA activity. The absence of effect of MAOA inhibition after subacute administration suggested an indirect mechanism. This was confirmed by the observation that p-CPA antagonized the effects of clorgyline. Since ondansetron completely reversed the effects of clorgyline on DA neuronal activity, the effects of MAOA inhibition appeared to be mediated by 5-HT3 receptors.
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Rodriguez F, Rozas I, Ortega JE, Erdozain AM, Meana JJ, Callado LF. Guanidine and 2-aminoimidazoline aromatic derivatives as alpha2-adrenoceptor ligands: searching for structure-activity relationships. J Med Chem 2009; 52:601-9. [PMID: 19133776 DOI: 10.1021/jm800838r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we report the synthesis of three new 2-aminoimidazoline (compounds 4b, 5b, and 6b) and three new guanidine derivatives (compounds 7b, 8b, and 9b) as potential alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonists for the treatment of depression. Their pharmacological profile was evaluated in vitro in human brain tissue and compared to the potential antidepressant 1 and the agonists 2 and 3. All new substrates were evaluated by in vitro functional [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding assays in human prefrontal cortex to determine their agonistic or antagonistic activity. Compound 8b was found to be an antagonist in vitro and was subjected to in vivo microdialysis experiments in rats. Moreover, a new synthesis of the precursor amines for compounds 4b-9b is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodriguez
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Postsynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors are critical for the antidepressant-like effects of desipramine on behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009; 34:1067-77. [PMID: 18923403 PMCID: PMC2727683 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2008.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The antidepressant desipramine inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine (NE), leading to activation of both pre- and postsynaptic adrenergic receptors, including alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, and beta-2 subtypes. However, it is not clear which adrenergic receptors are involved in mediating its antidepressant effects. Treatment of mice with desipramine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced an antidepressant-like effect, as evidenced by decreased immobility in the forced-swim test; this was antagonized by pretreatment with the alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist idazoxan (0.1-2.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Similarly, idazoxan, administered peripherally (0.5-2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) or centrally (1-10 microg, i.c.v.), antagonized the antidepressant-like effect of desipramine in rats responding under a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 72-s schedule, ie, decreased response rate and increased reinforcement rate. By contrast, pretreatment with the beta-adrenergic antagonists propranolol and CGP-12177 or the alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist prazosin did not alter the antidepressant-like effect of desipramine on DRL behavior. The lack of involvement of beta-adrenergic receptors in mediating the behavioral effects of desipramine was confirmed using knockout lines. In the forced-swim test, the desipramine-induced decrease in immobility was not altered in mice deficient in beta-1, beta-2, or both beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. In addition, desipramine (3-30 mg/kg) produced an antidepressant-like effect on behavior under a DRL 36-s schedule in mice deficient in both beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors. As antagonism of presynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors facilitates NE release, which potentiates the effects of desipramine, the present results suggest that postsynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors play an important role in its antidepressant effects.
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Tose R, Kushikata T, Yoshida H, Kudo M, Furukawa K, Ueno S, Hirota K. Interaction between orexinergic neurons and NMDA receptors in the control of locus coeruleus-cerebrocortical noradrenergic activity of the rat. Brain Res 2008; 1250:81-7. [PMID: 19007758 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2008] [Revised: 10/14/2008] [Accepted: 10/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Several studies suggest that NMDA glutamate receptors may play an important role in the activation of a number of brain regions by orexin (OX). We hypothesized that OX and NMDA receptors may interact with cerebrocortical noradrenergic neuron originating from the locus coeruleus (LC). To test this hypothesis, using rats as experimental animals, we examined (i) in vitro effects of MK801 on OXA-evoked norepinephrine release from rat cerebrocortical slices, (ii) in vivo interaction between OXA and the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK801 on norepinephrine release from the prefrontal cortex assessed using microdialysis and (iii) MK801 and OXA-modulation of the electroencephalogram (EEG). We have found that MK801 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of OXA-evoked norepinephrine release from rat cerebrocortical slices with the IC(50) of 0.9 microM. Moreover, we have also found that icv OXA dose-dependently stimulated norepinephrine release from the rat prefrontal cortex saturating at 213% of baseline. In addition, ip MK801 0.1 mg/kg also significantly increased norepinephrine release in prefrontal cortex to 213%. However, these increases in norepinephrine release were significantly reduced by approximately 70% by simultaneous administration of icv OXA 1 nmol and ip MK801 0.1 mg/kg. Both OXA and MK801 decreased sleep and increased wakefulness, but co-administration caused a return to base-line sleep state. These findings strongly indicate that there is a significant interaction between orexinergic neurons and NMDA receptors in the control of LC-cerebrocortical noradrenergic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Tose
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Hirosaki Postgraduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
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Jones KL, Finn DP, Governo RJM, Prior MJ, Morris PG, Kendall DA, Marsden CA, Chapman V. Identification of discrete sites of action of chronic treatment with desipramine in a model of neuropathic pain. Neuropharmacology 2008; 56:405-13. [PMID: 18930746 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2008] [Revised: 09/11/2008] [Accepted: 09/12/2008] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are an important analgesic treatment for neuropathic pain, though the neural substrates mediating these effects are poorly understood. We have used an integrative approach combining behavioural pharmacology with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with the TCA desipramine, on touch-evoked pain (mechanical allodynia) and brain regional activity in the selective spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain. SNL and sham-operated rats received once daily i.p. administration of 10 mg/kg DMI, or saline, for 14 days. Withdrawal responses to the application of a normally non-noxious (10 g) stimulus were recorded in SNL and sham-operated rats over this period. On the final day of the study, SNL and sham-operated rats received a final challenge dose of DMI (10 mg/kg i.p.) during fMRI scanning. Chronic administration of desipramine (DMI) significantly attenuated mechancial allodynia in SNL rats. DMI challenge in chronic DMI-treated neuropathic rats produced significantly greater activation of the deep mesencephalic nucleus, primary somatosensory cortex, insular cortex, medial globus pallidus, inferior colliculus, perirhinal cortex and cerebellum compared to sham-operated rats and saline controls. By contrast, the spatial pattern of brain regional activation by chronic DMI treatment in sham controls encompassed a number of other areas including those associated with learning and memory processes. These novel findings identify key brain regions implicated in the analgesic and mood altering effects associated with chronic treatment with DMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Jones
- Institute of Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
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Goonan Á, Kahvedžić A, Rodriguez F, Nagle PS, McCabe T, Rozas I, Erdozain AM, Javier Meana J, Callado LF. Novel synthesis and pharmacological evaluation as α2-adrenoceptor ligands of O-phenylisouronium salts. Bioorg Med Chem 2008; 16:8210-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2008.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2008] [Revised: 07/07/2008] [Accepted: 07/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Mooney JJ, Samson JA, Hennen J, Pappalardo K, McHale N, Alpert J, Koutsos M, Schildkraut JJ. Enhanced norepinephrine output during long-term desipramine treatment: a possible role for the extraneuronal monoamine transporter (SLC22A3). J Psychiatr Res 2008; 42:605-11. [PMID: 17727882 PMCID: PMC2755643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2007] [Accepted: 07/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To study the delay (2-6 weeks) between initial administration of norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressants and onset of clinical antidepressant action, we examined the effects of desipramine treatment on urinary and plasma catecholamines and their metabolites during the initial 6 weeks of treatment in depressed patients. Catecholamines and metabolites in 24-h urine collections and 8:00 a.m. plasma samples were measured at baseline and after 1, 4, and 6 weeks of desipramine treatment. Desipramine treatment produced significant increases in urinary norepinephrine (NE) and normetanephrine (NMN) and plasma NE at Weeks 4 and 6, but not at Week 1. The ratio of urinary NE/NMN was increased at Weeks 4 and 6, suggesting a reduction in the metabolism of NE to NMN at extraneuronal sites by Weeks 4 and 6. The increases in urinary NE and NMN and plasma NE at Weeks 4 and 6 of desipramine treatment were associated with a reduction in the conversion of NE to NMN. This would be compatible with a blockade of the extraneuronal monoamine transporter (organic cation transporter 3; SLC22A3) by NMN. Inhibition of the extraneuronal monoamine transporter may be an important component in the clinical pharmacology of the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant drugs, such as desipramine.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Mooney
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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The effects of chronic versus acute desipramine on nicotine withdrawal and nicotine self-administration in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 198:351-62. [PMID: 18438738 PMCID: PMC2452988 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1144-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2007] [Accepted: 03/10/2008] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nicotine withdrawal is characterized by depression-like symptomatology that may be mediated by dysregulations in norepinephrine transmission. These aversive aspects of nicotine withdrawal and the rewarding effects of nicotine play major roles in maintaining nicotine dependence. OBJECTIVES The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of desipramine (DMI), a preferential norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and antidepressant, on preclinical models of nicotine dependence in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS A rate-independent current-intensity discrete-trial threshold intracranial self-stimulation procedure was used to assess brain reward function during nicotine withdrawal induced by cessation of nicotine infusion via subcutaneous osmotic mini pumps (3.16 mg/kg/day, base). Nicotine withdrawal was also measured by somatic signs of withdrawal. DMI was administered acutely (2 or 5 mg/kg, salt) during nicotine/saline withdrawal. In other naïve rats, chronic DMI treatment via mini pump (15 mg/kg/day, salt) began after 7 days of nicotine/saline exposure and continued during administration of nicotine/saline for 14 days and during nicotine/saline withdrawal. Additional rats acquired intravenous nicotine- or food-maintained responding, were prepared with DMI/vehicle-containing mini pumps, and self-administered nicotine or food during 12 days of DMI/vehicle exposure. RESULTS Acute DMI administration had no effect on threshold elevations observed in nicotine-withdrawing rats. Chronic DMI administration prevented the reward threshold elevations and the increased somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal. Although chronic DMI significantly decreased nicotine self-administration, it also decreased food-maintained responding. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors may be effective anti-smoking treatments that reduce the anhedonic depression-like and somatic components of nicotine withdrawal and may alter the rewarding effects of nicotine and food.
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Rodriguez F, Rozas I, Ortega JE, Erdozain AM, Meana JJ, Callado LF. Guanidine and 2-Aminoimidazoline Aromatic Derivatives as α2-Adrenoceptor Antagonists. 2. Exploring Alkyl Linkers for New Antidepressants. J Med Chem 2008; 51:3304-12. [DOI: 10.1021/jm800026x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodriguez
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Isabel Rozas
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Jorge E. Ortega
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Amaia M. Erdozain
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - J. Javier Meana
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Luis F. Callado
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, 48940-Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain, and CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM, Spain
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Zanella S, Mebarek S, Lajard AM, Picard N, Dutschmann M, Hilaire G. Oral treatment with desipramine improves breathing and life span in Rett syndrome mouse model. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2008; 160:116-21. [PMID: 17905670 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2007.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2007] [Revised: 08/20/2007] [Accepted: 08/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disease due to Mecp2 gene mutations that is associated to complex neurological symptoms, with bioaminergic deficits and life-threatening apneas related to sudden and unexpected death. In male mice, Mecp2-deficiency similarly induces medullary bioaminergic deficits, severe apneas and short life span. Here, we show that long-term oral treatment of Mecp2-deficient male mice with desipramine, an old drug of clinical use known to block norepinephrine uptake and to strengthen its synaptic effects, significantly alleviates their breathing symptoms and prolongs their life span. Although these mouse results identify desipramine as the first oral pharmacological treatment potentially able to alleviate breathing symptoms of Rett syndrome, we recommend further studies of desipramine effects in Mecp2-deficient mice before attempting any clinical trials in Rett patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Zanella
- MP3-Respiration, UMR CNRS 6153, 280 Boulevard Sainte Marguerite, 13009 Marseille, France
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Giaroni C, Canciani L, Zanetti E, Giuliani D, Pisani R, Oldrini R, Moro E, Trinchera M, Crema F, Lecchini S, Frigo G. Effects of chronic desipramine treatment on α2-adrenoceptors and μ-opioid receptors in the guinea pig cortex and hippocampus. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 579:116-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2007] [Revised: 08/02/2007] [Accepted: 10/05/2007] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Kawahara Y, Kawahara H, Kaneko F, Tanaka M. Long-term administration of citalopram reduces basal and stress-induced extracellular noradrenaline levels in rat brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 194:73-81. [PMID: 17534604 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0826-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2006] [Accepted: 05/07/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Panic disorders are commonly treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, the effect of SSRIs on noradrenaline systems in the brain has not been fully elucidated at the present time. OBJECTIVES The effects of long-term administration of citalopram, an SSRI, on basal as well as stress-induced extracellular noradrenaline levels in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) and the locus coeruleus (LC) were determined. In addition, the responsiveness of noradrenaline transporters and alpha2-adrenoceptors were determined after long-term administration of citalopram. MATERIALS AND METHODS Brain microdialysis was used to assess the extracellular levels of noradrenaline in conscious rats. Desipramine and clonidine were used to functionally evaluate the noradrenaline transporter and alpha2-adrenoreceptor, respectively. RESULTS In rats treated daily for 14 days with citalopram (10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) s.c.), dialysate noradrenaline levels showed remarkable decreases in both the BLA and the LC to about 25 and 45% of controls, respectively. The stress-induced increase of noradrenaline was almost completely abolished in the BLA, but was relatively stable in the LC. The effect of local application of desipramine tended to be suppressed only in the LC. The effect of local application of clonidine was enhanced only in the BLA. CONCLUSION The present results indicate that chronic administration of citalopram strongly decreases the extracellular levels of noradrenaline in the brain. The anti-panic effect of citalopram might be due to sensitization of the alpha2-adrenoceptors leading to suppression of the stress response through noradrenergic activity. This mechanism is specific for the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Kawahara
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830 0011, Japan.
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Rodriguez F, Rozas I, Ortega JE, Meana JJ, Callado LF. Guanidine and 2-Aminoimidazoline Aromatic Derivatives as α2-Adrenoceptor Antagonists, 1: Toward New Antidepressants with Heteroatomic Linkers. J Med Chem 2007; 50:4516-27. [PMID: 17691718 DOI: 10.1021/jm070229q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The efficient preparation and pharmacological characterization of different families of (bis)guanidine and (bis)2-aminoimidazoline derivatives ("twin" and "half" molecules) as potential alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonists for the treatment of depression is presented. The affinity toward the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor of all the compounds prepared was measured in vitro in human brain tissue. Additionally, the activity as agonist or antagonist of those compounds with a pK(i) larger than 7 was determined in functional [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding assays in human brain tissue. Finally, the activity of the most promising compounds was confirmed by means of in vivo microdialysis experiments in rats. Compounds 1, 2b, 3b, 12b, 13b, 17b, 18b, 22b, 25b, 26b, 28b, and 30 showed a good affinity toward the alpha(2)-ARs. In general, the 2-aminoimidazoline derivatives displayed higher affinities than their guanidine analogues. Finally and most importantly, compounds 18b and 26b showed antagonistic properties over alpha(2)-ARs not only in vitro [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding but also in vivo microdialysis experiments. Moreover, both compounds have shown to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and, therefore, they can be considered as potential antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodriguez
- Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Fisher AS, Stewart RJ, Yan T, Hunt SP, Stanford SC. Disruption of noradrenergic transmission and the behavioural response to a novel environment in NK1R-/- mice. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 25:1195-204. [PMID: 17331215 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05369.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The behaviour of neurokinin-1-receptor gene knockout (NK1R-/-) mice, which lack functional, substance P-preferring receptors, resembles that of NK1R+/+ mice treated with an antidepressant. Because all antidepressants increase central monoamine transmission, we have investigated whether noradrenergic transmission is increased in NK1R-/- mice and, if so, whether this could influence their behaviour. In anaesthetized subjects, the concentration of extracellular noradrenaline in NK1R-/- mice was two-fourfold greater than in NK1R+/+ mice. Systemic administration of the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, 2-(2,3-dihydro-2-methoxy-1,4-benzodioxan-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazoline (RX 821002), in anaesthetized or freely moving animals increased extracellular noradrenaline in NK1R+/+ mice only. This suggests that the function of alpha2a-autoreceptors, which modulate noradrenergic transmission, is impaired in NK1R-/- mice. Consistent with this, [35S]GTPgammaS binding to activated alpha2a-adrenoceptors was lower (-70%) in the locus coeruleus, but not the frontal cortex, of NK1R-/- mice compared with their NK1R+/+ counterparts. RX 821002-pretreatment, followed by retrodialysis of the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, desipramine, into the frontal cortex of anaesthetized mice increased extracellular noradrenaline to the same extent in the two genotypes. Western blots confirmed that there was no difference in the amount of noradrenaline transporter protein in NK1R-/- and NK1R+/+ mice. Finally, the effects of RX 821002 on certain behaviours in a light/dark exploration box were blunted in NK1R-/- mice, but there was no consistent effect on anxiety-like behaviour in the two genotypes. It is concluded that the greater basal efflux of noradrenaline in NK1R-/- mice is explained by increased transmitter release, coupled with desensitization of somatodendritic alpha2a-adrenoceptors. These changes could contribute to the difference in the behavioural phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Fisher
- Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Morishima M, Harada N, Hara S, Sano A, Seno H, Takahashi A, Morita Y, Nakaya Y. Monoamine oxidase A activity and norepinephrine level in hippocampus determine hyperwheel running in SPORTS rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2006; 31:2627-38. [PMID: 16421512 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
An understanding of neurological mechanisms for wheel running by rodents, especially with high exercise activity, would be applicable to a strategy for promotion of exercise motivation in humans. One of several brain regions that are candidates for the regulation of physical exercise is the hippocampus. Here we examined the running activity of Spontaneously-Running-Tokushima-Shikoku (SPORTS) rat, a new animal model for high levels of wheel-running activity, and its relation with the hippocampal norepinephrine (NE) system including the levels of NE, adrenergic receptors, and degradation enzymes for monoamines. In the hippocampus of SPORTS rats, the level of NE in extracellular fluid was augmented, whereas the level in the homogenate of the whole tissue was decreased even for sedentary conditions. Elevated extracellular NE caused downregulation of alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors in the hippocampus of SPORTS rats. Local administration of alpha(2)-adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine, but not of alpha(2)-agonist clonidine, into the hippocampus suppressed high running activity in SPORTS rats. The protein expression and the activity levels of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), a critical enzyme for the degradation of NE, were decreased in the hippocampus of SPORTS rats to increase extracellular NE level. Thus, inhibition of oxidase activity in normal Wistar rats markedly increased wheel-running activity. These results indicate that decreased MAOA activity, elevation of extracellular NE, and alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors in the hippocampus determine the neural basis of the psychological regulation of exercise behavior in SPORTS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Morishima
- Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima City, Japan
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Martín-Guerrero I, Callado LF, Saitua K, Rivero G, García-Orad A, Meana JJ. The N251K functional polymorphism in the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor gene is not associated with depression: a study in suicide completers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006; 184:82-6. [PMID: 16333651 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2005] [Accepted: 11/07/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE alpha(2A)-Adrenoceptor up-regulation and supersensitivity have been described in the postmortem brains of depressed suicide victims and in the platelets of depressed subjects. The C to G transversion at nucleotide 753 (Asn to Lys change at amino acid 251 or N251K) is a low-frequency polymorphism of the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor gene that results in a gain-of-function phenotype. A previous study has suggested an association between completed suicide and this polymorphism. OBJECTIVES The single functional polymorphism N251K was tested in a large sample (n=214) of completed suicides, controlling for the antemortem psychiatric diagnosis, and matched controls (n=176). METHODS Postmortem brain DNA was extracted and the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor gene fragment was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, followed by a StyI restriction endonuclease digestion. Amplified products were sequenced to confirm the presence of the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor gene fragment where the polymorphism is located. RESULTS The N251K polymorphism was absent in both suicide victim and control groups. No association between the polymorphism and suicide or depression was established. CONCLUSIONS The N251K polymorphism does not represent a genetic factor to explain the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor hyperactivity in the brains of depressed suicide victims. Association between suicide and this polymorphism was not replicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idoia Martín-Guerrero
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
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Parini S, Renoldi G, Battaglia A, Invernizzi RW. Chronic reboxetine desensitizes terminal but not somatodendritic alpha2-adrenoceptors controlling noradrenaline release in the rat dorsal hippocampus. Neuropsychopharmacology 2005; 30:1048-55. [PMID: 15668723 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The slow onset of antidepressant drugs' effects is thought to reflect the time required for the development of adaptive changes such as desensitization of presynaptic autoreceptors controlling the release of neurotransmitters. Using in vivo microdialysis in conscious rats, we studied the effect of a continuous infusion of the selective noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitor reboxetine on extracellular concentrations of NA. Doses of 10 mg/kg/day reboxetine through subcutaneous osmotic pumps for 2 days increased extracellular NA by 272% in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) of rats. NA rose significantly more in rats given reboxetine for 7 (469%) and 14 (437%) days. Intraperitoneal injection of 30 microg/kg clonidine, an alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist, reduced the release of NA to 49% of basal levels in rats given vehicle or reboxetine for 2 days, but this effect was markedly less in rats given reboxetine for 7 and 14 days. Likewise, the effect of intrahippocampal infusion of clonidine (0.05 and 0.2 microM) on extracellular NA was significantly attenuated in rats given reboxetine for 7 and 14 days, whereas the injection of 0.6 nmol clonidine into the locus coeruleus caused similar reductions of extracellular NA in the DH and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats infused with vehicle (DH -64%; PFC -42%) and reboxetine (DH -45%; PFC -28%) for 14 days. The results indicate that chronic treatment markedly enhances the effect of reboxetine on extracellular NA in the DH and suggest that this effect may be due to the desensitization of hippocampal alpha2-adrenoceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Parini
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
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Jacobsen JPR, Mørk A. The effect of escitalopram, desipramine, electroconvulsive seizures and lithium on brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA and protein expression in the rat brain and the correlation to 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels. Brain Res 2004; 1024:183-92. [PMID: 15451381 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.07.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2004] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The reported increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression after antidepressant treatment is a cornerstone of the BDNF hypothesis of antidepressant action. However, if this increase becomes manifest on the BDNF protein level is unknown. In the present study we performed parallel measurements of BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the rat after chronic treatment with electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), lithium, desipramine or escitalopram. ECS increased BDNF mRNA and protein in the hippocampus and BDNF protein in the frontal cortex. Desipramine moderately increased BDNF mRNA expression in the dentate gyrus but did not change BDNF protein in neither region. Escitalopram did not affect BDNF mRNA expression, but decreased BDNF protein in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus. Lithium increased BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, but overall decreased BDNF mRNA expression. Thus, here we report a striking non-correspondence between changes in BDNF mRNA and protein expression induced by the antidepressant treatments and lithium. Further, increased expression of BDNF mRNA or protein was not a common action of the treatments. We also investigated if treatment-induced modulations of the tissue contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its metabolite, 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), were related to changes in BDNF mRNA or protein expression. No correlation was found. However, all treatments increased 5-HT levels in the hippocampus.
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Weikop P, Kehr J, Scheel-Krüger J. The role of alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoreceptors on venlafaxine-induced elevation of extracellular serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine levels in the rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. J Psychopharmacol 2004; 18:395-403. [PMID: 15358984 DOI: 10.1177/026988110401800311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The role of adrenergic alpha1- and alpha2-adrenoreceptors in augmentation of venlafaxine-induced elevation of extracellular serotonin (5-HT),noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) levels in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIPP) was studied by in vivo microdialysis in anaesthetized rats. The alpha1-adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin given alone (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.) induced only a moderate reduction of hippocampal 5-HT and NA levels. The alpha2-adrenoreceptor antagonist idazoxan (1.5 mg/kg, s.c.) causes moderate increases in the levels of 5-HT and DA in the PFC. The mixed 5-HT and NA reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the efflux of 5-HT, NA and DA almost equally, to approximately 200% of the control levels in the PFC. The levels of 5-HT increased to 310%, an effect approximately twice the effect on NA in the HIPP. Venlafaxine also produced a moderate increase in DA levels in the PFC but had no effect in the HIPP. Pre-treatment with prazosin caused a significant attenuation of the venlafaxine induced 5-HT effect in the PFC, and a moderate increase in DA levels in the HIPP. Prazosin had no significant effect on the venlafaxine-induced increase of the NA levels in PFC or HIPP. A combined treatment of venlafaxine with idazoxan increased the venlafaxine NA and DA effects in PFC by a factor of two and resulted in a very robust five-fold augmentation of NA and DA concentrations in the HIPP. In summary, idazoxan was found to produce a potent enhancement of the venlafaxine effect to increase extracellular NA and DA levels in the PFC and, in particular, in the HIPP. Idazoxan had no effect on venlafaxine-induced elevation of extracellular 5-HT levels in either PFC or HIPP and prazosin induced a decrease of 5-HT in the PFC. The present data suggest that blockade of alpha2-adrenoreceptors may play an important role in augmentation of the effects of mixed monoamine reuptake inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Weikop
- Department of Microdialysis, NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark.
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50
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Invernizzi RW, Garattini S. Role of presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptors in antidepressant action: recent findings from microdialysis studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2004; 28:819-27. [PMID: 15363606 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2004.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic effect of an antidepressant drug takes at least 2 to 3 weeks to develop and a significant proportion of patients have no or only partial benefit regardless of the class of antidepressant used. Research into the neurobiological basis of antidepressant action has suggested new strategies to improve the antidepressant effect. Recent microdialysis studies show that hypofunction of the presynaptic autoreceptors enhances the increase of extracellular serotonin (5-HT) induced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) so it has been suggested that the antidepressant effect may be speeded up by blockade of the autoreceptors. The similarity between the synaptic mechanisms controlling serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission has stimulated preclinical research into the role of presynaptic alpha(2)-adrenoceptors in the effect of noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) on NA availability at central synapses. The microdialysis studies reviewed here indicate that NRIs including desipramine, reboxetine and atomoxetine, the mixed 5-HT/NA reuptake inhibitors sibutramine, duloxetine, venlafaxine or the NA/DA reuptake inhibitor amineptine, increased extracellular NA in various regions of the rat brain. The effect was enhanced by chronic treatment and even more by the co-administration of alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonists. The results support the theory that desensitization of the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor contributes to enhancing the effect of NRIs seen after chronic administration and may account for the slow onset of the antidepressant effect. Finally, they suggest that co-administration of an alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist may improve the therapeutic effect of NRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto W Invernizzi
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milano, Italy.
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