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Márquez LA, López Rubalcava C, Galván EJ. Postnatal hypofunction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors alters perforant path synaptic plasticity and filtering and impairs dentate gyrus-mediated spatial discrimination. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:2701-2724. [PMID: 38631821 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Transient hypofunction of the NMDA receptor represents a convergence point for the onset and further development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Although the cumulative evidence indicates dysregulation of the hippocampal formation in schizophrenia, the integrity of the synaptic transmission and plasticity conveyed by the somatosensorial inputs to the dentate gyrus, the perforant pathway synapses, have barely been explored in this pathological condition. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We identified a series of synaptic alterations of the lateral and medial perforant paths in animals postnatally treated with the NMDA antagonist MK-801. This dysregulation suggests decreased cognitive performance, for which the dentate gyrus is critical. KEY RESULTS We identified alterations in the synaptic properties of the lateral and medial perforant paths to the dentate gyrus synapses in slices from MK-801-treated animals. Altered glutamate release and decreased synaptic strength precede an impairment in the induction and expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) and CB1 receptor-mediated long-term depression (LTD). Remarkably, by inhibiting the degradation of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endogenous ligand of the CB1 receptor, we restored the LTD in animals treated with MK-801. Additionally, we showed for the first time, that spatial discrimination, a cognitive task that requires dentate gyrus integrity, is impaired in animals exposed to transient hypofunction of NMDA receptors. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Dysregulation of glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity from the entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus has been demonstrated, which may explain the cellular dysregulations underlying the altered cognitive processing in the dentate gyrus associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Márquez
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, CINVESTAV Unidad Sur, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Emilio J Galván
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, CINVESTAV Unidad Sur, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre el Envejecimiento, CIE-Cinvestav, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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2
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Reid HMO, Trepanier O, Gross A, Poberezhnyk P, Snowden T, Conway K, Breit KR, Rodriguez C, Thomas JD, Christie BR. Prenatal ethanol and cannabis exposure have sex- and region-specific effects on somatostatin and neuropeptide Y interneurons in the rat hippocampus. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:1289-1301. [PMID: 38789401 PMCID: PMC11236510 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis is increasingly being legalized and socially accepted around the world and is often used with alcohol in social settings. We recently showed that in utero exposure to both substances can alter the density of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in the hippocampus. Here we investigate the effects of in utero alcohol and cannabis exposure, alone or in combination, on somatostatin- and neuropeptide Y-positive (NPY) interneurons. These are separate classes of interneurons important for network synchrony and inhibition in the hippocampus. METHODS A 2 (Ethanol, Air) × 2 (tetrahydrocannabinol [THC], Vehicle) design was used to expose pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to either ethanol or air, in addition to either THC or the inhalant vehicle solution, during gestational days 5-20. Immunohistochemistry for somatostatin- and NPY-positive interneurons was performed in 50 μm tissue sections obtained at postnatal day 70. RESULTS Exposure to THC in utero had region-specific and sex-specific effects on the density of somatostatin-positive interneurons in the adult rat hippocampus. A female-specific decrease in NPY interneuron cell density was observed in the CA1 region following THC exposure. Combined exposure to alcohol and THC reduced NPY neurons selectively in the ventral dentate gyrus hippocampal subfield. However, overall, co-exposure to alcohol and cannabis had neither additive nor synergistic effects on interneuron populations in other areas of the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS These results illustrate how alcohol and cannabis exposure in utero may affect hippocampal function by altering inhibitory processes in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M O Reid
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Owen Trepanier
- Island Medical Program and Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Allyson Gross
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Polina Poberezhnyk
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Taylor Snowden
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate Conway
- Island Medical Program and Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kristen R Breit
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cristina Rodriguez
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jennifer D Thomas
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Brian R Christie
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Island Medical Program and Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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3
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Grafe EL, Fontaine CJ, Thomas JD, Christie BR. Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on choline-induced long-term depression in the hippocampus. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1622-1634. [PMID: 34495785 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00136.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline is an essential nutrient under evaluation as a cognitive enhancing treatment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in clinical trials. As a result, there is increased pressure to identify therapeutic mechanism(s) of action. Choline is not only a precursor for several essential cell membrane components and signaling molecules but also has the potential to directly affect synaptic mechanisms that are believed important for cognitive processes. In the current work, we study how the direct application of choline can affect synaptic transmission in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampal slices obtained from adolescent (postnatal days 21-28) Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus). The acute administration of choline chloride (2 mM) reliably induced a long-term depression (LTD) of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in the DG in vitro. The depression required the involvement of M1 receptors, and the magnitude of the effect was similar in slices obtained from male and female animals. To further study the impact of choline in an animal model of FASD, we examined offspring from dams fed an ethanol-containing diet (35.5% ethanol-derived calories) throughout gestation. In slices from the adolescent animals that experienced prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE), we found that the choline induced an LTD that uniquely involved the activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and M1 receptors. This study provides a novel insight into how choline can modulate hippocampal transmission at the level of the synapse and that it can have unique effects following PNEE.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Choline supplementation is a nutraceutical therapy with significant potential for a variety of developmental disorders; however, the mechanisms involved in its therapeutic effects remain poorly understood. Our research shows that choline directly impacts synaptic communication in the brain, inducing a long-term depression of synaptic efficacy in brain slices. The depression is equivalent in male and female animals, involves M1 receptors in control animals, but uniquely involves NMDA receptors in a model of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Grafe
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine J Fontaine
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Thomas
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Brian R Christie
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Island Medical Program, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Egaña-Huguet J, Saumell-Esnaola M, Achicallende S, Soria-Gomez E, Bonilla-Del Río I, García Del Caño G, Barrondo S, Sallés J, Gerrikagoitia I, Puente N, Elezgarai I, Grandes P. Lack of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Shifts Cannabinoid-Dependent Excitatory Synaptic Plasticity in the Dentate Gyrus of the Mouse Brain Hippocampus. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:701573. [PMID: 34305539 PMCID: PMC8294191 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.701573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) participates in synaptic functions in the brain. In the dentate gyrus, post-synaptic TRPV1 in the granule cell (GC) dendritic spines mediates a type of long-term depression (LTD) of the excitatory medial perforant path (MPP) synapses independent of pre-synaptic cannabinoid CB1 receptors. As CB1 receptors also mediate LTD at these synapses, both CB1 and TRPV1 might be influencing the activity of each other acting from opposite synaptic sites. We tested this hypothesis in the MPP–GC synapses of mice lacking TRPV1 (TRPV1-/-). Unlike wild-type (WT) mice, low-frequency stimulation (10 min at 10 Hz) of TRPV1-/- MPP fibers elicited a form of long-term potentiation (LTP) that was dependent on (1) CB1 receptors, (2) the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), (3) rearrangement of actin filaments, and (4) nitric oxide signaling. These functional changes were associated with an increase in the maximum binding efficacy of guanosine-5′-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTPγS) stimulated by the CB1 receptor agonist CP 55,940, and a significant decrease in receptor basal activation in the TRPV1-/- hippocampus. Finally, TRPV1-/- hippocampal synaptosomes showed an augmented level of the guanine nucleotide-binding (G) Gαi1, Gαi2, and Gαi3 protein alpha subunits. Altogether, the lack of TRPV1 modifies CB1 receptor signaling in the dentate gyrus and causes the shift from CB1 receptor-mediated LTD to LTP at the MPP–GC synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Egaña-Huguet
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Miquel Saumell-Esnaola
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Bioaraba, Neurofarmacología Celular y Molecular, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Svein Achicallende
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Edgar Soria-Gomez
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Itziar Bonilla-Del Río
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Gontzal García Del Caño
- Bioaraba, Neurofarmacología Celular y Molecular, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Sergio Barrondo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Bioaraba, Neurofarmacología Celular y Molecular, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Joan Sallés
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Bioaraba, Neurofarmacología Celular y Molecular, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Gerrikagoitia
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Nagore Puente
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Izaskun Elezgarai
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Pedro Grandes
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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5
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Reyes-García SE, Escobar ML. Calcineurin Participation in Hebbian and Homeostatic Plasticity Associated With Extinction. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:685838. [PMID: 34220454 PMCID: PMC8242195 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.685838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, animals need to adapt to constant changes in their environment. Learning and memory are cognitive capabilities that allow this to happen. Extinction, the reduction of a certain behavior or learning previously established, refers to a very particular and interesting type of learning that has been the basis of a series of therapies to diminish non-adaptive behaviors. In recent years, the exploration of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this type of learning has received increasing attention. Hebbian plasticity (the activity-dependent modification of the strength or efficacy of synaptic transmission), and homeostatic plasticity (the homeostatic regulation of plasticity) constitute processes intimately associated with memory formation and maintenance. Particularly, long-term depression (LTD) has been proposed as the underlying mechanism of extinction, while the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CaN) has been widely related to both the extinction process and LTD. In this review, we focus on the available evidence that sustains CaN modulation of LTD and its association with extinction. Beyond the classic view, we also examine the interconnection among extinction, Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity, as well as emergent evidence of the participation of kinases and long-term potentiation (LTP) on extinction learning, highlighting the importance of the balance between kinases and phosphatases in the expression of extinction. Finally, we also integrate data that shows the association between extinction and less-studied phenomena, such as synaptic silencing and engram formation that open new perspectives in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma E Reyes-García
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Aprendizaje y la Memoria, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Aprendizaje y la Memoria, División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Robledo-Menendez A, Vella M, Grandes P, Soria-Gomez E. Cannabinoid control of hippocampal functions: the where matters. FEBS J 2021; 289:2162-2175. [PMID: 33977665 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In the brain, hippocampal circuits are crucial for cognitive performance (e.g., memory) and deeply affected in pathological conditions (e.g., epilepsy, Alzheimer). Specialized molecular mechanisms regulate different cell types underlying hippocampal circuitries functions. Among them, cannabinoid receptors exhibit various roles depending on the cell type (e.g., neuron, glial cell) or subcellular organelle (e.g., mitochondria). Determining the site of action and precise mechanisms triggered by cannabinoid receptor activation at a local cellular and subcellular level helps us understand hippocampal pathophysiological states. In doing so, past and current research have advanced our knowledge of cannabinoid functions and proposed novel routes for potential therapeutics. By outlining these data in this work, we aim to showcase current findings and highlight the pathophysiological impact of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) localization/activation in hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almudena Robledo-Menendez
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain
| | - Maria Vella
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain
| | - Pedro Grandes
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain
| | - Edgar Soria-Gomez
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.,Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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