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Brennan FH, Swarts EA, Kigerl KA, Mifflin KA, Guan Z, Noble BT, Wang Y, Witcher KG, Godbout JP, Popovich PG. Microglia promote maladaptive plasticity in autonomic circuitry after spinal cord injury in mice. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadi3259. [PMID: 38865485 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi3259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Robust structural remodeling and synaptic plasticity occurs within spinal autonomic circuitry after severe high-level spinal cord injury (SCI). As a result, normally innocuous visceral or somatic stimuli elicit uncontrolled activation of spinal sympathetic reflexes that contribute to systemic disease and organ-specific pathology. How hyperexcitable sympathetic circuitry forms is unknown, but local cues from neighboring glia likely help mold these maladaptive neuronal networks. Here, we used a mouse model of SCI to show that microglia surrounded active glutamatergic interneurons and subsequently coordinated multi-segmental excitatory synaptogenesis and expansion of sympathetic networks that control immune, neuroendocrine, and cardiovascular functions. Depleting microglia during critical periods of circuit remodeling after SCI prevented maladaptive synaptic and structural plasticity in autonomic networks, decreased the frequency and severity of autonomic dysreflexia, and prevented SCI-induced immunosuppression. Forced turnover of microglia in microglia-depleted mice restored structural and functional indices of pathological dysautonomia, providing further evidence that microglia are key effectors of autonomic plasticity. Additional data show that microglia-dependent autonomic plasticity required expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2) and α2δ-1-dependent synaptogenesis. These data suggest that microglia are primary effectors of autonomic neuroplasticity and dysautonomia after SCI in mice. Manipulating microglia may be a strategy to limit autonomic complications after SCI or other forms of neurologic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith H Brennan
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Emily A Swarts
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Kristina A Kigerl
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Katherine A Mifflin
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Zhen Guan
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Benjamin T Noble
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kristina G Witcher
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jonathan P Godbout
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Phillip G Popovich
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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2
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Chen Y, Luan P, Liu J, Wei Y, Wang C, Wu R, Wu Z, Jing M. Spatiotemporally selective astrocytic ATP dynamics encode injury information sensed by microglia following brain injury in mice. Nat Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41593-024-01680-w. [PMID: 38862791 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01680-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Injuries to the brain result in tunable cell responses paired with stimulus properties, suggesting the existence of intrinsic processes that encode and transmit injury information; however, the molecular mechanism of injury information encoding is unclear. Here, using ATP fluorescent indicators, we identify injury-evoked spatiotemporally selective ATP dynamics, Inflares, in adult mice of both sexes. Inflares are actively released from astrocytes and act as the internal representations of injury. Inflares encode injury intensity and position at their population level through frequency changes and are further decoded by microglia, driving changes in their activation state. Mismatches between Inflares and injury severity lead to microglia dysfunction and worsening of injury outcome. Blocking Inflares in ischemic stroke in mice reduces secondary damage and improves recovery of function. Our results suggest that astrocytic ATP dynamics encode injury information and are sensed by microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Chen
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Pengwei Luan
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yelan Wei
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Department of College of Physical Education and Sport, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenyu Wang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Capital Medical University, Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Wu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaofa Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Jing
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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3
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McKay DM, Defaye M, Rajeev S, MacNaughton WK, Nasser Y, Sharkey KA. Neuroimmunophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2024; 326:G712-G725. [PMID: 38626403 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00075.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Gut physiology is the epicenter of a web of internal communication systems (i.e., neural, immune, hormonal) mediated by cell-cell contacts, soluble factors, and external influences, such as the microbiome, diet, and the physical environment. Together these provide the signals that shape enteric homeostasis and, when they go awry, lead to disease. Faced with the seemingly paradoxical tasks of nutrient uptake (digestion) and retarding pathogen invasion (host defense), the gut integrates interactions between a variety of cells and signaling molecules to keep the host nourished and protected from pathogens. When the system fails, the outcome can be acute or chronic disease, often labeled as "idiopathic" in nature (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease). Here we underscore the importance of a holistic approach to gut physiology, placing an emphasis on intercellular connectedness, using enteric neuroimmunophysiology as the paradigm. The goal of this opinion piece is to acknowledge the pace of change brought to our field via single-cell and -omic methodologies and other techniques such as cell lineage tracing, transgenic animal models, methods for culturing patient tissue, and advanced imaging. We identify gaps in the field and hope to inspire and challenge colleagues to take up the mantle and advance awareness of the subtleties, intricacies, and nuances of intestinal physiology in health and disease by defining communication pathways between gut resident cells, those recruited from the circulation, and "external" influences such as the central nervous system and the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek M McKay
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Manon Defaye
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sruthi Rajeev
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Wallace K MacNaughton
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yasmin Nasser
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith A Sharkey
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Gastrointestinal Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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4
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Courtney CD, Sobieski C, Ramakrishnan C, Ingram RJ, Wojnowski NM, DeFazio RA, Deisseroth K, Christian-Hinman CA. Optoα1AR activation in astrocytes modulates basal hippocampal synaptic excitation and inhibition in a stimulation-specific manner. Hippocampus 2023; 33:1277-1291. [PMID: 37767862 PMCID: PMC10842237 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23580] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes play active roles at synapses and can monitor, respond, and adapt to local synaptic activity. While there is abundant evidence that astrocytes modulate excitatory transmission in the hippocampus, evidence for astrocytic modulation of hippocampal synaptic inhibition remains more limited. Furthermore, to better investigate roles for astrocytes in modulating synaptic transmission, more tools that can selectively activate native G protein signaling pathways in astrocytes with both spatial and temporal precision are needed. Here, we utilized AAV8-GFAP-Optoα1AR-eYFP (Optoα1AR), a viral vector that enables activation of Gq signaling in astrocytes via light-sensitive α1-adrenergic receptors. To determine if stimulating astrocytic Optoα1AR modulates hippocampal synaptic transmission, recordings were made in CA1 pyramidal cells with surrounding astrocytes expressing Optoα1AR, channelrhodopsin (ChR2), or GFP. Both high-frequency (20 Hz, 45-ms light pulses, 5 mW, 5 min) and low-frequency (0.5 Hz, 1-s pulses at increasing 1, 5, and 10 mW intensities, 90 s per intensity) blue light stimulation were tested. 20 Hz Optoα1AR stimulation increased both inhibitory and excitatory postsynaptic current (IPSC and EPSC) frequency, and the effect on miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) was largely reversible within 20 min. However, low-frequency stimulation of Optoα1AR did not modulate either IPSCs or EPSCs, suggesting that astrocytic Gq -dependent modulation of basal synaptic transmission in the hippocampus is stimulation-dependent. By contrast, low-frequency stimulation of astrocytic ChR2 was effective in increasing both synaptic excitation and inhibition. Together, these data demonstrate that Optoα1AR activation in astrocytes changes basal GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission, but only following high-frequency stimulation, highlighting the importance of temporal dynamics when using optical tools to manipulate astrocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor D Courtney
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Courtney Sobieski
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Robbie J Ingram
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Natalia M Wojnowski
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - R Anthony DeFazio
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Catherine A Christian-Hinman
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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5
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Li Y, Que M, Wang X, Zhan G, Zhou Z, Luo X, Li S. Exploring Astrocyte-Mediated Mechanisms in Sleep Disorders and Comorbidity. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2476. [PMID: 37760916 PMCID: PMC10525869 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, the most abundant cells in the brain, are integral to sleep regulation. In the context of a healthy neural environment, these glial cells exert a profound influence on the sleep-wake cycle, modulating both rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM sleep phases. However, emerging literature underscores perturbations in astrocytic function as potential etiological factors in sleep disorders, either as protopathy or comorbidity. As known, sleep disorders significantly increase the risk of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, metabolic, or psychiatric diseases. Meanwhile, sleep disorders are commonly screened as comorbidities in various neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, and others. Building on existing research that examines the role of astrocytes in sleep disorders, this review aims to elucidate the potential mechanisms by which astrocytes influence sleep regulation and contribute to sleep disorders in the varied settings of brain diseases. The review emphasizes the significance of astrocyte-mediated mechanisms in sleep disorders and their associated comorbidities, highlighting the need for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Mengxin Que
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Gaofeng Zhan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Zhiqiang Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Xiaoxiao Luo
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shiyong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (Y.L.); (M.Q.); (X.W.); (G.Z.); (Z.Z.)
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Miguel-Quesada C, Zaforas M, Herrera-Pérez S, Lines J, Fernández-López E, Alonso-Calviño E, Ardaya M, Soria FN, Araque A, Aguilar J, Rosa JM. Astrocytes adjust the dynamic range of cortical network activity to control modality-specific sensory information processing. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112950. [PMID: 37543946 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical neuron-astrocyte communication in response to peripheral sensory stimulation occurs in a topographic-, frequency-, and intensity-dependent manner. However, the contribution of this functional interaction to the processing of sensory inputs and consequent behavior remains unclear. We investigate the role of astrocytes in sensory information processing at circuit and behavioral levels by monitoring and manipulating astrocytic activity in vivo. We show that astrocytes control the dynamic range of the cortical network activity, optimizing its responsiveness to incoming sensory inputs. The astrocytic modulation of sensory processing contributes to setting the detection threshold for tactile and thermal behavior responses. The mechanism of such astrocytic control is mediated through modulation of inhibitory transmission to adjust the gain and sensitivity of responding networks. These results uncover a role for astrocytes in maintaining the cortical network activity in an optimal range to control behavior associated with specific sensory modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Miguel-Quesada
- Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain; Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Marta Zaforas
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Salvador Herrera-Pérez
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Justin Lines
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Elena Fernández-López
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Elena Alonso-Calviño
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Maria Ardaya
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 San Sebastian, Spain; Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Federico N Soria
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Juan Aguilar
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain.
| | - Juliana M Rosa
- Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), 45071 Toledo, Spain.
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7
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Pereira MJ, Ayana R, Holt MG, Arckens L. Chemogenetic manipulation of astrocyte activity at the synapse- a gateway to manage brain disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1193130. [PMID: 37534103 PMCID: PMC10393042 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1193130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are the major glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS). Initially regarded as supportive cells, it is now recognized that this highly heterogeneous cell population is an indispensable modulator of brain development and function. Astrocytes secrete neuroactive molecules that regulate synapse formation and maturation. They also express hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that, once activated by neurotransmitters, trigger intracellular signalling pathways that can trigger the release of gliotransmitters which, in turn, modulate synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Considering this, it is not surprising that astrocytic dysfunction, leading to synaptic impairment, is consistently described as a factor in brain diseases, whether they emerge early or late in life due to genetic or environmental factors. Here, we provide an overview of the literature showing that activation of genetically engineered GPCRs, known as Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), to specifically modulate astrocyte activity partially mimics endogenous signalling pathways in astrocytes and improves neuronal function and behavior in normal animals and disease models. Therefore, we propose that expressing these genetically engineered GPCRs in astrocytes could be a promising strategy to explore (new) signalling pathways which can be used to manage brain disorders. The precise molecular, functional and behavioral effects of this type of manipulation, however, differ depending on the DREADD receptor used, targeted brain region and timing of the intervention, between healthy and disease conditions. This is likely a reflection of regional and disease/disease progression-associated astrocyte heterogeneity. Therefore, a thorough investigation of the effects of such astrocyte manipulation(s) must be conducted considering the specific cellular and molecular environment characteristic of each disease and disease stage before this has therapeutic applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria João Pereira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rajagopal Ayana
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew G. Holt
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Laboratory of Synapse Biology, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lutgarde Arckens
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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8
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Lin J, Cheng X, Wang H, Du L, Li X, Zhao G, Xie C. Activation of astrocytes in the basal forebrain in mice facilitates isoflurane-induced loss of consciousness and prolongs recovery. BMC Anesthesiol 2023; 23:213. [PMID: 37340348 DOI: 10.1186/s12871-023-02166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES General anesthesia results in a state of unconsciousness that is similar to sleep. In recent years, increasing evidence has reported that astrocytes play a crucial role in regulating sleep. However, whether astrocytes are involved in general anesthesia is unknown. METHODS In the present study, the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) approach was utilized to specifically activate astrocytes in the basal forebrain (BF) and observed its effect on isoflurane anesthesia. One the other side, L-α-aminoadipic acid was used to selectively inhibit astrocytes in the BF and investigated its influence on isoflurane-induced hypnotic effect. During the anesthesia experiment, cortical electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded as well. RESULTS The chemogenetic activation group had a significantly shorter isoflurane induction time, longer recovery time, and higher delta power of EEG during anesthesia maintenance and recovery periods than the control group. Inhibition of astrocytes in the BF delayed isoflurane-induced loss of consciousness, promoted recovery, decreased delta power and increased beta and gamma power during maintenance and recovery periods. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that astrocytes in the BF region are involved in isoflurane anesthesia and may be a potential target for regulating the consciousness state of anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoyuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Du
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaofeng Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China.
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chuangbo Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, 510120, People's Republic of China.
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, 510120, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Delgado L, Navarrete M. Shining the Light on Astrocytic Ensembles. Cells 2023; 12:1253. [PMID: 37174653 PMCID: PMC10177371 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While neurons have traditionally been considered the primary players in information processing, the role of astrocytes in this mechanism has largely been overlooked due to experimental constraints. In this review, we propose that astrocytic ensembles are active working groups that contribute significantly to animal conduct and suggest that studying the maps of these ensembles in conjunction with neurons is crucial for a more comprehensive understanding of behavior. We also discuss available methods for studying astrocytes and argue that these ensembles, complementarily with neurons, code and integrate complex behaviors, potentially specializing in concrete functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Navarrete
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain
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10
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Delepine C, Shih J, Li K, Gaudeaux P, Sur M. Differential Effects of Astrocyte Manipulations on Learned Motor Behavior and Neuronal Ensembles in the Motor Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2696-2713. [PMID: 36894315 PMCID: PMC10089242 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1982-22.2023] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Although motor cortex is crucial for learning precise and reliable movements, whether and how astrocytes contribute to its plasticity and function during motor learning is unknown. Here, we report that astrocyte-specific manipulations in primary motor cortex (M1) during a lever push task alter motor learning and execution, as well as the underlying neuronal population coding. Mice that express decreased levels of the astrocyte glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) show impaired and variable movement trajectories, whereas mice with increased astrocyte Gq signaling show decreased performance rates, delayed response times, and impaired trajectories. In both groups, which include male and female mice, M1 neurons have altered interneuronal correlations and impaired population representations of task parameters, including response time and movement trajectories. RNA sequencing further supports a role for M1 astrocytes in motor learning and shows changes in astrocytic expression of glutamate transporter genes, GABA transporter genes, and extracellular matrix protein genes in mice that have acquired this learned behavior. Thus, astrocytes coordinate M1 neuronal activity during motor learning, and our results suggest that this contributes to learned movement execution and dexterity through mechanisms that include regulation of neurotransmitter transport and calcium signaling.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We demonstrate for the first time that in the M1 of mice, astrocyte function is critical for coordinating neuronal population activity during motor learning. We demonstrate that knockdown of astrocyte glutamate transporter GLT1 affects specific components of learning, such as smooth trajectory formation. Altering astrocyte calcium signaling by activation of Gq-DREADD upregulates GLT1 and affects other components of learning, such as response rates and reaction times as well as trajectory smoothness. In both manipulations, neuronal activity in motor cortex is dysregulated, but in different ways. Thus, astrocytes have a crucial role in motor learning via their influence on motor cortex neurons, and they do so by mechanisms that include regulation of glutamate transport and calcium signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Delepine
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Jennifer Shih
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Keji Li
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Pierre Gaudeaux
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Mriganka Sur
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Simons Center for the Social Brain, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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11
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Lee SH, Mak A, Verheijen MHG. Comparative assessment of the effects of DREADDs and endogenously expressed GPCRs in hippocampal astrocytes on synaptic activity and memory. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1159756. [PMID: 37051110 PMCID: PMC10083367 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1159756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) have proven themselves as one of the key in vivo techniques of modern neuroscience, allowing for unprecedented access to cellular manipulations in living animals. With respect to astrocyte research, DREADDs have become a popular method to examine the functional aspects of astrocyte activity, particularly G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated intracellular calcium (Ca2+) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) dynamics. With this method it has become possible to directly link the physiological aspects of astrocytic function to cognitive processes such as memory. As a result, a multitude of studies have explored the impact of DREADD activation in astrocytes on synaptic activity and memory. However, the emergence of varying results prompts us to reconsider the degree to which DREADDs expressed in astrocytes accurately mimic endogenous GPCR activity. Here we compare the major downstream signaling mechanisms, synaptic, and behavioral effects of stimulating Gq-, Gs-, and Gi-DREADDs in hippocampal astrocytes of adult mice to those of endogenously expressed GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie H. Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Research Master’s Programme Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aline Mak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mark H. G. Verheijen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Mark Verheijen,
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12
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Looking to the stars for answers: Strategies for determining how astrocytes influence neuronal activity. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4146-4156. [PMID: 36016711 PMCID: PMC9379862 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are critical components of neural circuits positioned in close proximity to the synapse, allowing them to rapidly sense and respond to neuronal activity. One repeatedly observed biomarker of astroglial activation is an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels. These astroglial Ca2+ signals are often observed spreading throughout various cellular compartments from perisynaptic astroglial processes, to major astrocytic branches and on to the soma or cell body. Here we review recent evidence demonstrating that astrocytic Ca2+ events are remarkably heterogeneous in both form and function, propagate through the astroglial syncytia, and are directly linked to the ability of astroglia to influence local neuronal activity. As many of the cellular functions of astroglia can be linked to intracellular Ca2+ signaling, and the diversity and heterogeneity of these events becomes more apparent, there is an increasing need for novel experimental strategies designed to better understand the how these signals evolve in parallel with neuronal activity. Here we review the recent advances that enable the characterization of both subcellular and population-wide astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics. Additionally, we also outline the experimental design required for simultaneous in vivo Ca2+ imaging in the context of neuronal or astroglial manipulation, highlighting new experimental strategies made possible by recent advances in viral vector, imaging, and quantification technologies. Through combined usage of these reagents and methodologies, we provide a conceptual framework to study how astrocytes functionally integrate into neural circuits and to what extent they influence and direct the synaptic activity underlying behavioral responses.
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13
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Noble BT, Brennan FH, Wang Y, Guan Z, Mo X, Schwab JM, Popovich PG. Thoracic VGluT2 + Spinal Interneurons Regulate Structural and Functional Plasticity of Sympathetic Networks after High-Level Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3659-3675. [PMID: 35304427 PMCID: PMC9053847 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2134-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) above the major spinal sympathetic outflow (T6 level) disinhibits sympathetic neurons from supraspinal control, causing systems-wide "dysautonomia." We recently showed that remarkable structural remodeling and plasticity occurs within spinal sympathetic circuitry, creating abnormal sympathetic reflexes that exacerbate dysautonomia over time. As an example, thoracic VGluT2+ spinal interneurons (SpINs) become structurally and functionally integrated with neurons that comprise the spinal-splenic sympathetic network and immunological dysfunction becomes progressively worse after SCI. To test whether the onset and progression of SCI-induced sympathetic plasticity is neuron activity dependent, we selectively inhibited (or excited) thoracic VGluT2+ interneurons using chemogenetics. New data show that silencing VGluT2+ interneurons in female and male mice with a T3 SCI, using hM4Di designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (Gi DREADDs), blocks structural plasticity and the development of dysautonomia. Specifically, silencing VGluT2+ interneurons prevents the structural remodeling of spinal sympathetic networks that project to lymphoid and endocrine organs, reduces the frequency of spontaneous autonomic dysreflexia (AD), and reduces the severity of experimentally induced AD. Features of SCI-induced structural plasticity can be recapitulated in the intact spinal cord by activating excitatory hM3Dq-DREADDs in VGluT2+ interneurons. Collectively, these data implicate VGluT2+ excitatory SpINs in the onset and propagation of SCI-induced structural plasticity and dysautonomia, and reveal the potential for neuromodulation to block or reduce dysautonomia after severe high-level SCI.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In response to stress or dangerous stimuli, autonomic spinal neurons coordinate a "fight or flight" response marked by increased cardiac output and release of stress hormones. After a spinal cord injury (SCI), normally harmless stimuli like bladder filling can result in a "false" fight or flight response, causing pathological changes throughout the body. We show that progressive hypertension and immune suppression develop after SCI because thoracic excitatory VGluT2+ spinal interneurons (SpINs) provoke structural remodeling in autonomic networks within below-lesion spinal levels. These pathological changes can be prevented in SCI mice or phenocopied in uninjured mice using chemogenetics to selectively manipulate activity in VGluT2+ SpINs. Targeted neuromodulation of SpINs could prevent structural plasticity and subsequent autonomic dysfunction in people with SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Noble
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Faith H Brennan
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Zhen Guan
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Xiaokui Mo
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Jan M Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Phillip G Popovich
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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14
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Lee B, Di Pietro F, Henderson LA, Austin PJ. Altered basal ganglia infraslow oscillation and resting functional connectivity in complex regional pain syndrome. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1487-1505. [PMID: 35441738 PMCID: PMC9543905 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25057] [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: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition commonly accompanied by movement disturbances and often affects the upper limbs. The basal ganglia motor loop is central to movement, however, non-motor basal ganglia loops are involved in pain, sensory integration, visual processing, cognition, and emotion. Systematic evaluation of each basal ganglia functional loop and its relation to motor and non-motor disturbances in CRPS has not been investigated. We recruited 15 upper limb CRPS and 45 matched healthy control subjects. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, infraslow oscillations (ISO) and resting-state functional connectivity in motor and non-motor basal ganglia loops were investigated using putamen and caudate seeds. Compared to controls, CRPS subjects displayed increased ISO power in the putamen contralateral to the CRPS affected limb, specifically, in contralateral putamen areas representing the supplementary motor area hand, motor hand, and motor tongue. Furthermore, compared to controls, CRPS subjects displayed increased resting connectivity between these putaminal areas as well as from the caudate body to cortical areas such as the primary motor cortex, supplementary and cingulate motor areas, parietal association areas, and the orbitofrontal cortex. These findings demonstrate changes in basal ganglia loop function in CRPS subjects and may underpin motor disturbances of CRPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Lee
- School of Medical Sciences and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Flavia Di Pietro
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.,Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Luke A Henderson
- School of Medical Sciences and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul J Austin
- School of Medical Sciences and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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Xie AX, Iguchi N, Clarkson TC, Malykhina AP. Pharmacogenetic inhibition of lumbosacral sensory neurons alleviates visceral hypersensitivity in a mouse model of chronic pelvic pain. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262769. [PMID: 35077502 PMCID: PMC8789164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The study investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) underlying the symptoms of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) in mice. This work also aimed to test the feasibility of reversing peripheral sensitization in vivo in alleviating UCPPS symptoms. Intravesical instillation of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was used to induce UCPPS-like symptoms in mice. Spontaneous voiding spot assays and manual Von Frey tests were used to evaluate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and visceral hypersensitivity in VEGFA-instilled mice. Bladder smooth muscle strip contractility recordings (BSMSC) were used to identify the potential changes in myogenic and neurogenic detrusor muscle contractility at the tissue-level. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and fluorescent immunohistochemistry were performed to compare the expression levels of VEGF receptors and nociceptors in lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) between VEGFA-instilled mice and saline-instilled controls. To manipulate primary afferent activity, Gi-coupled Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (Gi-DREADD) were expressed in lumbosacral DRG neurons of TRPV1-Cre-ZGreen mice via targeted adeno-associated viral vector (AAVs) injections. A small molecule agonist of Gi-DREADD, clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), was injected into the peritoneum (i. p.) in awake animals to silence TRPV1 expressing sensory neurons in vivo during physiological and behavioral recordings of bladder function. Intravesical instillation of VEGFA in the urinary bladders increased visceral mechanical sensitivity and enhanced RTX-sensitive detrusor contractility. Sex differences were identified in the baseline detrusor contractility responses and VEGF-induced visceral hypersensitivity. VEGFA instillations in the urinary bladder led to significant increases in the mRNA and protein expression of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 (TRPA1) in lumbosacral DRG, whereas the expression levels of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) and VEGF receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2) remained unchanged when compared to saline-instilled animals. Importantly, the VEGFA-induced visceral hypersensitivity was reversed by Gi-DREADD-mediated neuronal silencing in lumbosacral sensory neurons. Activation of bladder VEGF signaling causes sensory neural plasticity and visceral hypersensitivity in mice, confirming its role of an UCPPS biomarker as identified by the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) research studies. Pharmacogenetic inhibition of lumbosacral sensory neurons in vivo completely reversed VEGFA-induced pelvic hypersensitivity in mice, suggesting the strong therapeutic potential for decreasing primary afferent activity in the treatment of pain severity in UCPPS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Xiaoqiao Xie
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nao Iguchi
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Taylor C. Clarkson
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Anna P. Malykhina
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
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16
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Lyon KA, Allen NJ. From Synapses to Circuits, Astrocytes Regulate Behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:786293. [PMID: 35069124 PMCID: PMC8772456 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.786293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are non-neuronal cells that regulate synapses, neuronal circuits, and behavior. Astrocytes ensheath neuronal synapses to form the tripartite synapse where astrocytes influence synapse formation, function, and plasticity. Beyond the synapse, recent research has revealed that astrocyte influences on the nervous system extend to the modulation of neuronal circuitry and behavior. Here we review recent findings on the active role of astrocytes in behavioral modulation with a focus on in vivo studies, primarily in mice. Using tools to acutely manipulate astrocytes, such as optogenetics or chemogenetics, studies reviewed here have demonstrated a causal role for astrocytes in sleep, memory, sensorimotor behaviors, feeding, fear, anxiety, and cognitive processes like attention and behavioral flexibility. Current tools and future directions for astrocyte-specific manipulation, including methods for probing astrocyte heterogeneity, are discussed. Understanding the contribution of astrocytes to neuronal circuit activity and organismal behavior will be critical toward understanding how nervous system function gives rise to behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krissy A Lyon
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
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17
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Abstract
Drug addiction remains a key biomedical challenge facing current neuroscience research. In addition to neural mechanisms, the focus of the vast majority of studies to date, astrocytes have been increasingly recognized as an "accomplice." According to the tripartite synapse model, astrocytes critically regulate nearby pre- and postsynaptic neuronal substrates to craft experience-dependent synaptic plasticity, including synapse formation and elimination. Astrocytes within brain regions that are implicated in drug addiction exhibit dynamic changes in activity upon exposure to cocaine and subsequently undergo adaptive changes themselves during chronic drug exposure. Recent results have identified several key astrocytic signaling pathways that are involved in cocaine-induced synaptic and circuit adaptations. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the role of astrocytes in regulating synaptic transmission and neuronal function, and discuss how cocaine influences these astrocyte-mediated mechanisms to induce persistent synaptic and circuit alterations that promote cocaine seeking and relapse. We also consider the therapeutic potential of targeting astrocytic substrates to ameliorate drug-induced neuroplasticity for behavioral benefits. While primarily focusing on cocaine-induced astrocytic responses, we also include brief discussion of other drugs of abuse where data are available.
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18
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van Weperen VYH, Vos MA, Ajijola OA. Autonomic modulation of ventricular electrical activity: recent developments and clinical implications. Clin Auton Res 2021; 31:659-676. [PMID: 34591191 PMCID: PMC8629778 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-021-00823-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This review aimed to provide a complete overview of the current stance and recent developments in antiarrhythmic neuromodulatory interventions, focusing on lifethreatening vetricular arrhythmias. METHODS Both preclinical studies and clinical studies were assessed to highlight the gaps in knowledge that remain to be answered and the necessary steps required to properly translate these strategies to the clinical setting. RESULTS Cardiac autonomic imbalance, characterized by chronic sympathoexcitation and parasympathetic withdrawal, destabilizes cardiac electrophysiology and promotes ventricular arrhythmogenesis. Therefore, neuromodulatory interventions that target the sympatho-vagal imbalance have emerged as promising antiarrhythmic strategies. These strategies are aimed at different parts of the cardiac neuraxis and directly or indirectly restore cardiac autonomic tone. These interventions include pharmacological blockade of sympathetic neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, cardiac sympathetic denervation, thoracic epidural anesthesia, and spinal cord and vagal nerve stimulation. CONCLUSION Neuromodulatory strategies have repeatedly been demonstrated to be highly effective and very promising anti-arrhythmic therapies. Nevertheless, there is still much room to gain in our understanding of neurocardiac physiology, refining the current neuromodulatory strategic options and elucidating the chronic effects of many of these strategic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Y H van Weperen
- Department of Medical Physiology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, UCLA Neurocardiology Research Center, UCLA Neurocardiology Research Program of Excellence, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, 100 Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA
| | - Marc A Vos
- Department of Medical Physiology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Olujimi A Ajijola
- UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, UCLA Neurocardiology Research Center, UCLA Neurocardiology Research Program of Excellence, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, 100 Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1679, USA.
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19
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Circuit-specific enteric glia regulate intestinal motor neurocircuits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025938118. [PMID: 34593632 PMCID: PMC8501758 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025938118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glia in the central nervous system exert precise spatial and temporal regulation over neural circuitry on a synapse-specific basis, but it is unclear if peripheral glia share this exquisite capacity to sense and modulate circuit activity. In the enteric nervous system (ENS), glia control gastrointestinal motility through bidirectional communication with surrounding neurons. We combined glial chemogenetics with genetically encoded calcium indicators expressed in enteric neurons and glia to study network-level activity in the intact myenteric plexus of the proximal colon. Stimulation of neural fiber tracts projecting in aboral, oral, and circumferential directions activated distinct populations of enteric glia. The majority of glia responded to both oral and aboral stimulation and circumferential pathways, while smaller subpopulations were activated only by ascending and descending pathways. Cholinergic signaling functionally specifies glia to the descending circuitry, and this network plays an important role in repressing the activity of descending neural pathways, with some degree of cross-inhibition imposed upon the ascending pathway. Glial recruitment by purinergic signaling functions to enhance activity within ascending circuit pathways and constrain activity within descending networks. Pharmacological manipulation of glial purinergic and cholinergic signaling differentially altered neuronal responses in these circuits in a sex-dependent manner. Collectively, our findings establish that the balance between purinergic and cholinergic signaling may differentially control specific circuit activity through selective signaling between networks of enteric neurons and glia. Thus, enteric glia regulate the ENS circuitry in a network-specific manner, providing profound insights into the functional breadth and versatility of peripheral glia.
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20
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Akther S, Hirase H. Assessment of astrocytes as a mediator of memory and learning in rodents. Glia 2021; 70:1484-1505. [PMID: 34582594 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The classical view of astrocytes is that they provide supportive functions for neurons, transporting metabolites and maintaining the homeostasis of the extracellular milieu. This view is gradually changing with the advent of molecular genetics and optical methods allowing interrogation of selected cell types in live experimental animals. An emerging view that astrocytes additionally act as a mediator of synaptic plasticity and contribute to learning processes has gained in vitro and in vivo experimental support. Here we focus on the literature published in the past two decades to review the roles of astrocytes in brain plasticity in rodents, whereby the roles of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are considered to be comparable to those in humans. We outline established inputs and outputs of astrocytes and discuss how manipulations of astrocytes have impacted the behavior in various learning paradigms. Multiple studies suggest that the contribution of astrocytes has a considerably longer time course than neuronal activation, indicating metabolic roles of astrocytes. We advocate that exploring upstream and downstream mechanisms of astrocytic activation will further provide insight into brain plasticity and memory/learning impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonam Akther
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hajime Hirase
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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21
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Van Den Herrewegen Y, Sanderson TM, Sahu S, De Bundel D, Bortolotto ZA, Smolders I. Side-by-side comparison of the effects of Gq- and Gi-DREADD-mediated astrocyte modulation on intracellular calcium dynamics and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal CA1. Mol Brain 2021; 14:144. [PMID: 34544455 PMCID: PMC8451082 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00856-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes express a plethora of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are crucial for shaping synaptic activity. Upon GPCR activation, astrocytes can respond with transient variations in intracellular Ca2+. In addition, Ca2+-dependent and/or Ca2+-independent release of gliotransmitters can occur, allowing them to engage in bidirectional neuron-astrocyte communication. The development of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) has facilitated many new discoveries on the roles of astrocytes in both physiological and pathological conditions. They are an excellent tool, as they can target endogenous GPCR-mediated intracellular signal transduction pathways specifically in astrocytes. With increasing interest and accumulating research on this topic, several discrepancies on astrocytic Ca2+ signalling and astrocyte-mediated effects on synaptic plasticity have emerged, preventing a clear-cut consensus about the downstream effects of DREADDs in astrocytes. In the present study, we performed a side-by-side evaluation of the effects of bath application of the DREADD agonist, clozapine-N-oxide (10 µM), on Gq- and Gi-DREADD activation in mouse CA1 hippocampal astrocytes. In doing so, we aimed to avoid confounding factors, such as differences in experimental procedures, and to directly compare the actions of both DREADDs on astrocytic intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and synaptic plasticity in acute hippocampal slices. We used an adeno-associated viral vector approach to transduce dorsal hippocampi of male, 8-week-old C57BL6/J mice, to drive expression of either the Gq-DREADD or Gi-DREADD in CA1 astrocytes. A viral vector lacking the DREADD construct was used to generate controls. Here, we show that agonism of Gq-DREADDs, but not Gi-DREADDs, induced consistent increases in spontaneous astrocytic Ca2+ events. Moreover, we demonstrate that both Gq-DREADD as well as Gi-DREADD-mediated activation of CA1 astrocytes induces long-lasting synaptic potentiation in the hippocampal CA1 Schaffer collateral pathway in the absence of a high frequency stimulus. Moreover, we report for the first time that astrocytic Gi-DREADD activation is sufficient to elicit de novo potentiation. Our data demonstrate that activation of either Gq or Gi pathways drives synaptic potentiation through Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent mechanisms, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Van Den Herrewegen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas M Sanderson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Tankard's Cl, University Walk, BS8 1TD, Bristol, UK
| | - Surajit Sahu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dimitri De Bundel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Zuner A Bortolotto
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Tankard's Cl, University Walk, BS8 1TD, Bristol, UK
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
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22
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Cui QN, Stein LM, Fortin SM, Hayes MR. The role of glia in the physiology and pharmacology of GLP-1: Implications for obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative processes including glaucoma. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 179:715-726. [PMID: 34519040 PMCID: PMC8820182 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The medical application of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists is ever-growing in scope, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which GLP-1R activation impacts physiology and behavior. A new wave of research aims to elucidate the role GLP-1R signaling in glia plays in regulating energy balance, glycemic control, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Once controversial, existing evidence now suggests that subsets of glia (e.g., microglia, tanycytes, and astrocytes) and infiltrating macrophages express GLP-1R. In this review, we discuss the implications of these findings, with particular focus on the utility of both clinically available and novel GLP-1R agonists for treating metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, enhancing cognition, and combating substance abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi N Cui
- Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren M Stein
- Department of Psychiatry Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Samantha M Fortin
- Department of Psychiatry Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew R Hayes
- Department of Psychiatry Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
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23
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Van Steenbergen V, Bareyre FM. Chemogenetic approaches to unravel circuit wiring and related behavior after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2021; 345:113839. [PMID: 34389362 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
A critical shortcoming of the central nervous system is its limited ability to repair injured nerve connections. Trying to overcome this limitation is not only relevant to understand basic neurobiological principles but also holds great promise to advance therapeutic strategies related, in particular, to spinal cord injury (SCI). With barely any SCI patients re-gaining complete neurological function, there is a high need to understand how we could target and improve spinal plasticity to re-establish neuronal connections into a functional network. The development of chemogenetic tools has proven to be of great value to understand functional circuit wiring before and after injury and to correlate novel circuit formation with behavioral outcomes. This review covers commonly used chemogenetic approaches based on metabotropic receptors and their use to improve our understanding of circuit wiring following spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Van Steenbergen
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Florence M Bareyre
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Biomedical Center Munich (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany.
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24
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Smit T, Deshayes NAC, Borchelt DR, Kamphuis W, Middeldorp J, Hol EM. Reactive astrocytes as treatment targets in Alzheimer's disease-Systematic review of studies using the APPswePS1dE9 mouse model. Glia 2021; 69:1852-1881. [PMID: 33634529 PMCID: PMC8247905 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes regulate synaptic communication and are essential for proper brain functioning. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) astrocytes become reactive, which is characterized by an increased expression of intermediate filament proteins and cellular hypertrophy. Reactive astrocytes are found in close association with amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposits. Synaptic communication and neuronal network function could be directly modulated by reactive astrocytes, potentially contributing to cognitive decline in AD. In this review, we focus on reactive astrocytes as treatment targets in AD in the APPswePS1dE9 AD mouse model, a widely used model to study amyloidosis and gliosis. We first give an overview of the model; that is, how it was generated, which cells express the transgenes, and the effect of its genetic background on Aβ pathology. Subsequently, to determine whether modifying reactive astrocytes in AD could influence pathogenesis and cognition, we review studies using this mouse model in which interventions were directly targeted at reactive astrocytes or had an indirect effect on reactive astrocytes. Overall, studies specifically targeting astrocytes to reduce astrogliosis showed beneficial effects on cognition, which indicates that targeting astrocytes should be included in developing novel therapies for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Smit
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life SciencesCenter for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Natasja A. C. Deshayes
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life SciencesCenter for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - David R. Borchelt
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute, Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Florida College of MedicineGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Willem Kamphuis
- Netherlands Institute for NeuroscienceAn Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Jinte Middeldorp
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Department of ImmunobiologyBiomedical Primate Research CentreRijswijkThe Netherlands
| | - Elly M. Hol
- Department of Translational NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
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25
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Sherwood MW, Arizono M, Panatier A, Mikoshiba K, Oliet SHR. Astrocytic IP 3Rs: Beyond IP 3R2. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:695817. [PMID: 34393726 PMCID: PMC8363081 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.695817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are sensitive to ongoing neuronal/network activities and, accordingly, regulate neuronal functions (synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, behavior, etc.) by the context-dependent release of several gliotransmitters (e.g., glutamate, glycine, D-serine, ATP). To sense diverse input, astrocytes express a plethora of G-protein coupled receptors, which couple, via Gi/o and Gq, to the intracellular Ca2+ release channel IP3-receptor (IP3R). Indeed, manipulating astrocytic IP3R-Ca2+ signaling is highly consequential at the network and behavioral level: Depleting IP3R subtype 2 (IP3R2) results in reduced GPCR-Ca2+ signaling and impaired synaptic plasticity; enhancing IP3R-Ca2+ signaling affects cognitive functions such as learning and memory, sleep, and mood. However, as a result of discrepancies in the literature, the role of GPCR-IP3R-Ca2+ signaling, especially under physiological conditions, remains inconclusive. One primary reason for this could be that IP3R2 has been used to represent all astrocytic IP3Rs, including IP3R1 and IP3R3. Indeed, IP3R1 and IP3R3 are unique Ca2+ channels in their own right; they have unique biophysical properties, often display distinct distribution, and are differentially regulated. As a result, they mediate different physiological roles to IP3R2. Thus, these additional channels promise to enrich the diversity of spatiotemporal Ca2+ dynamics and provide unique opportunities for integrating neuronal input and modulating astrocyte–neuron communication. The current review weighs evidence supporting the existence of multiple astrocytic-IP3R isoforms, summarizes distinct sub-type specific properties that shape spatiotemporal Ca2+ dynamics. We also discuss existing experimental tools and future refinements to better recapitulate the endogenous activities of each IP3R isoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Sherwood
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Misa Arizono
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Aude Panatier
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Katsuhiko Mikoshiba
- ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Japan.,RIKEN CLST, Kobe, Japan
| | - Stéphane H R Oliet
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
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26
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Boender AJ, Bontempi L, Nava L, Pelloux Y, Tonini R. Striatal Astrocytes Shape Behavioral Flexibility via Regulation of the Glutamate Transporter EAAT2. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1045-1057. [PMID: 33516457 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Striatal circuits must be modulated for behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt to environmental changes. Striatal astrocytes contribute to circuit neuromodulation by controlling the activity of ambient neurotransmitters. In particular, extracellular glutamate levels are tightly controlled by the astrocytic glutamate transporter EAAT2, influencing synaptic functioning and neural network activity. However, it remains unclear if EAAT2 responds to environmental cues to specifically shape action control. METHODS To investigate the relationship between behavioral flexibility and experience-dependent regulation of EAAT2 expression in the dorsal striatum, mice were trained on an instrumental task. We manipulated EAAT2 expression using chemogenetic activation of astrocytic Gq signaling or in vivo morpholinos and determined the ability to adapt to novel environmental contingencies. RESULTS The loss of behavioral flexibility with task overtraining is associated with the upregulation of EAAT2, which results in enhanced glutamate clearance and altered modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the lateral part of the dorsal striatum. Interfering with EAAT2 upregulation in this striatal area preserves behavioral flexibility. CONCLUSIONS Astrocytes are emerging as critical regulators of striatal functions. This work demonstrates that plasticity of EAAT2 expression in the lateral part of the dorsal striatum shapes behavior, thus providing novel mechanistic insights into how flexibility in action control is regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen J Boender
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Leonardo Bontempi
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Nava
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Yann Pelloux
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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27
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Nwachukwu KN, Evans WA, Sides TR, Trevisani CP, Davis A, Marshall SA. Chemogenetic manipulation of astrocytic signaling in the basolateral amygdala reduces binge-like alcohol consumption in male mice. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1957-1972. [PMID: 33844860 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking is a common occurrence in the United States, but a high concentration of alcohol in the blood has been shown to have reinforcing and reciprocal effects on the neuroimmune system in both dependent and non-dependent scenarios. The first part of this study examined alcohol's effects on the astrocytic response in the central amygdala and basolateral amygdala (BLA) in a non-dependent model. C57BL/6J mice were given access to either ethanol, water, or sucrose during a "drinking in the dark" paradigm, and astrocyte number and astrogliosis were measured using immunohistochemistry. Results indicate that non-dependent consumption increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) density but not the number of GFAP+ cells, suggesting that non-dependent ethanol is sufficient to elicit astrocyte activation. The second part of this study examined how astrocytes impacted behaviors and the neurochemistry related to alcohol using the chemogenetic tool, DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs). Transgenic GFAP-hM3Dq mice were administered clozapine N-oxide both peripherally, affecting the entire central nervous system (CNS), or directly into the BLA. In both instances, GFAP-Gq-signaling activation significantly reduced ethanol consumption and correlating blood ethanol concentrations. However, GFAP-Gq-DREADD activation throughout the CNS had more broad effects resulting in decreased locomotor activity and sucrose consumption. More targeted GFAP-Gq-signaling activation in the BLA only impacted ethanol consumption. Finally, a glutamate assay revealed that after GFAP-Gq-signaling activation glutamate concentrations in the amygdala were partially normalized to control levels. Altogether, these studies support the theory that astrocytes represent a viable target for alcohol use disorder therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kala N Nwachukwu
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - William A Evans
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred P. Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
| | - Tori R Sides
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christopher P Trevisani
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred P. Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
| | - Ambryia Davis
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred P. Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
| | - S Alex Marshall
- Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fred P. Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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28
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Nuzzaci D, Cansell C, Liénard F, Nédélec E, Ben Fradj S, Castel J, Foppen E, Denis R, Grouselle D, Laderrière A, Lemoine A, Mathou A, Tolle V, Heurtaux T, Fioramonti X, Audinat E, Pénicaud L, Nahon JL, Rovère C, Benani A. Postprandial Hyperglycemia Stimulates Neuroglial Plasticity in Hypothalamic POMC Neurons after a Balanced Meal. Cell Rep 2021; 30:3067-3078.e5. [PMID: 32130907 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic studies in rodents evidenced synaptic remodeling in neuronal circuits that control food intake. However, the physiological relevance of this process is not well defined. Here, we show that the firing activity of anorexigenic POMC neurons located in the hypothalamus is increased after a standard meal. Postprandial hyperactivity of POMC neurons relies on synaptic plasticity that engages pre-synaptic mechanisms, which does not involve structural remodeling of synapses but retraction of glial coverage. These functional and morphological neuroglial changes are triggered by postprandial hyperglycemia. Chemogenetically induced glial retraction on POMC neurons is sufficient to increase POMC activity and modify meal patterns. These findings indicate that synaptic plasticity within the melanocortin system happens at the timescale of meals and likely contributes to short-term control of food intake. Interestingly, these effects are lost with a high-fat meal, suggesting that neuroglial plasticity of POMC neurons is involved in the satietogenic properties of foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danaé Nuzzaci
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Céline Cansell
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Fabienne Liénard
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Emmanuelle Nédélec
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Selma Ben Fradj
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Julien Castel
- Unité "Biologie Fonctionnelle & Adaptative," CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ewout Foppen
- Unité "Biologie Fonctionnelle & Adaptative," CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Raphael Denis
- Unité "Biologie Fonctionnelle & Adaptative," CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Dominique Grouselle
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Amélie Laderrière
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Aleth Lemoine
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Alexia Mathou
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Virginie Tolle
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Tony Heurtaux
- Luxembourg Center of Neuropathology, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Xavier Fioramonti
- Laboratoire NutriNeuro, INRA, Université de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Etienne Audinat
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, 34094 Montpellier, France
| | - Luc Pénicaud
- StromaLab, CNRS, EFS, INP-ENVT, INSERM, Université Paul Sabatier, 31100 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Louis Nahon
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Carole Rovère
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Alexandre Benani
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France.
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29
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Iwai Y, Ozawa K, Yahagi K, Mishima T, Akther S, Vo CT, Lee AB, Tanaka M, Itohara S, Hirase H. Transient Astrocytic Gq Signaling Underlies Remote Memory Enhancement. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:658343. [PMID: 33828463 PMCID: PMC8019746 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.658343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes elicit transient Ca2+ elevations induced by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), yet their role in vivo remains unknown. To address this, transgenic mice with astrocytic expression of the optogenetic Gq-type GPCR, Optoα1AR, were established, in which transient Ca2+ elevations similar to those in wild type mice were induced by brief blue light illumination. Activation of cortical astrocytes resulted in an adenosine A1 receptor-dependent inhibition of neuronal activity. Moreover, sensory stimulation with astrocytic activation induced long-term depression of sensory evoked response. At the behavioral level, repeated astrocytic activation in the anterior cortex gradually affected novel open field exploratory behavior, and remote memory was enhanced in a novel object recognition task. These effects were blocked by A1 receptor antagonism. Together, we demonstrate that GPCR-triggered Ca2+ elevation in cortical astrocytes has causal impacts on neuronal activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youichi Iwai
- Laboratory for Neuron-Glia Circuitry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Katsuya Ozawa
- Laboratory for Neuron-Glia Circuitry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Kazuko Yahagi
- Laboratory for Neuron-Glia Circuitry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Tsuneko Mishima
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sonam Akther
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Trang Vo
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ashley Bomin Lee
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mika Tanaka
- Laboratory for Neuron-Glia Circuitry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Itohara
- Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Hajime Hirase
- Laboratory for Neuron-Glia Circuitry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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30
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Chemogenetic manipulation of astrocytic activity: Is it possible to reveal the roles of astrocytes? Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 186:114457. [PMID: 33556341 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are the major glial cells in the central nervous system, but unlike neurons, they do not produce action potentials. For many years, astrocytes were considered supporting cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Technological advances over the last two decades are changing the face of glial research. Accumulating data from recent investigations show that astrocytes display transient calcium spikes and regulate synaptic transmission by releasing transmitters called gliotransmitters. Many new powerful technologies are used to interfere with astrocytic activity, in order to obtain a better understanding of the roles of astrocytes in the brain. Among these technologies, chemogenetics has recently been used frequently. In this review, we will summarize new functions of astrocytes in the brain that have been revealed using this cutting-edge technique. Moreover, we will discuss the possibilities and challenges of manipulating astrocytic activity using this technology.
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31
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Yi MH, Liu YU, Liu K, Chen T, Bosco DB, Zheng J, Xie M, Zhou L, Qu W, Wu LJ. Chemogenetic manipulation of microglia inhibits neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 92:78-89. [PMID: 33221486 PMCID: PMC7897256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia play an important role in the central sensitization and chronic pain. However, a direct connection between microglial function and pain development in vivo remains incompletely understood. To address this issue, we applied chemogenetic approach by using CX3CR1creER/+:R26LSL-hM4Di/+ transgenic mice to enable expression of inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (Gi DREADD) in microglia. We found that microglial Gi DREADD activation inhibited spinal nerve transection (SNT)-induced microglial reactivity as well as chronic pain in both male and female mice. Gi DREADD activation downregulated the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) and its downstream target pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β). Using in vivo spinal cord recording, we found that activation of microglial Gi DREADD attenuated synaptic transmission following SNT. Our results demonstrate that microglial Gi DREADD reduces neuroinflammation, synaptic function and neuropathic pain after SNT. Thus, chemogenetic approaches provide a potential opportunity for interrogating microglial function and neuropathic pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hee Yi
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Yong U. Liu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Kevin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA,Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854 USA
| | - Tingjun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Dale B. Bosco
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jiaying Zheng
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Manling Xie
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lijun Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wenchun Qu
- Department of Pain Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Long-Jun Wu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Departments of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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32
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van Weperen VYH, Littman RJ, Arneson DV, Contreras J, Yang X, Ajijola OA. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of satellite glial cells in stellate ganglia reveals developmental and functional axial dynamics. Glia 2021; 69:1281-1291. [PMID: 33432730 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Stellate ganglion neurons, important mediators of cardiopulmonary neurotransmission, are surrounded by satellite glial cells (SGCs), which are essential for the function, maintenance, and development of neurons. However, it remains unknown whether SGCs in adult sympathetic ganglia exhibit any functional diversity, and what role this plays in modulating neurotransmission. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse stellate ganglia (n = 8 animals), focusing on SGCs (n = 11,595 cells). SGCs were identified by high expression of glial-specific transcripts, S100b and Fabp7. Microglia and Schwann cells were identified by expression of C1qa/C1qb/C1qc and Ncmap/Drp2, respectively, and excluded from further analysis. Dimensionality reduction and clustering of SGCs revealed six distinct transcriptomic subtypes, one of which was characterized the expression of pro-inflammatory markers and excluded from further analyses. The transcriptomic profiles and corresponding biochemical pathways of the remaining subtypes were analyzed and compared with published astrocytic transcriptomes. This revealed gradual shifts of developmental and functional pathways across the subtypes, originating from an immature and pluripotent subpopulation into two mature populations of SGCs, characterized by upregulated functional pathways such as cholesterol metabolism. As SGCs aged, these functional pathways were downregulated while genes and pathways associated with cellular stress responses were upregulated. These findings were confirmed and furthered by an unbiased pseudo-time analysis, which revealed two distinct trajectories involving the five subtypes that were studied. These findings demonstrate that SGCs in mouse stellate ganglia exhibit transcriptomic heterogeneity along maturation or differentiation axes. These subpopulations and their unique biochemical properties suggest dynamic physiological adaptations that modulate neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Y H van Weperen
- UCLA Neurocardiology Research Center of Excellence, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Russell J Littman
- UCLA Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Integrative Biology and Physiology, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Douglas V Arneson
- UCLA Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Integrative Biology and Physiology, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCSF Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jaime Contreras
- UCLA Neurocardiology Research Center of Excellence, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xia Yang
- UCLA Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Integrative Biology and Physiology, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Olujimi A Ajijola
- UCLA Neurocardiology Research Center of Excellence, Los Angeles, California, USA.,UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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33
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Giacometti LL, Chandran K, Figueroa LA, Barker JM. Astrocyte modulation of extinction impairments in ethanol-dependent female mice. Neuropharmacology 2020; 179:108272. [PMID: 32801026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Rates of alcohol use disorders are increasing in women, and there is growing evidence that both the cognitive and biological consequences of alcohol dependence are distinct in women as compared to men. Despite this, the neurobehavioral outcomes of chronic alcohol exposure are poorly characterized in women and female animals. In this study, we find that ethanol dependence impaired extinction of reward seeking in a food conditioned place preference task in female mice. At the same time point, ethanol-dependent females exhibited astrocytic dysregulation as indicated by a brain region-specific reduction in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. Using a chemogenetic strategy, we demonstrate that modulating astrocyte function via chemogenetic activation of Gq-signaling in nucleus accumbens astrocytes transiently rescued extinction in ethanol-dependent females without impacting basal reward seeking. These findings identify astrocyte function as a potential target for the restoration of behavioral flexibility following chronic alcohol exposure in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Giacometti
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Kelsey Chandran
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Laura A Figueroa
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
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34
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Activation of Astrocytes in the Dorsomedial Striatum Facilitates Transition From Habitual to Goal-Directed Reward-Seeking Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:797-808. [PMID: 32564901 PMCID: PMC7584758 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Habitual reward-seeking behavior is a hallmark of addictive behavior. The role of the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) in regulating goal-directed reward-seeking behavior has been long appreciated. However, it remains unclear how the astrocytic activities in the DMS differentially affect the behavioral shift. METHODS To investigate the astrocytic activity-driven neuronal synaptic events and behavioral consequences, we chemogenetically activated astrocytes in the DMS using GFAP promoter-driven expression of hM3Dq, the excitatory DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs). First, we confirmed the chemogenetically induced cellular activity in the DMS astrocytes using calcium imaging. Then, we recorded electrophysiological changes in the synaptic activity of the two types of medium spiny neurons (MSNs): direct and indirect pathway MSNs. To evaluate the behavioral consequences, we trained mice in nose-poking operant chambers that developed either habitual or goal-directed reward-seeking behaviors. RESULTS The activation of DMS astrocytes reduced the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in the direct pathway MSNs, whereas it increased the amplitude of the spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and decreased the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in the indirect pathway MSNs. Interestingly, astrocyte-induced DMS neuronal activities are regulated by adenosine metabolism, receptor signaling, and transport. Importantly, mice lacking an astrocytic adenosine transporter, ENT1 (equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1; Slc29a1), show no transition from habitual to goal-directed reward-seeking behaviors upon astrocyte activation, while restoring ENT1 expression in the DMS facilitated this transition. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that DMS astrocyte activation differentially regulates MSNs' activity and facilitates shifting from habitual to goal-directed reward-seeking behavior.
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35
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Tedoldi A, Argent L, Montgomery JM. The role of the tripartite synapse in the heart: how glial cells may contribute to the physiology and pathophysiology of the intracardiac nervous system. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2020; 320:C1-C14. [PMID: 33085497 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00363.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
One of the major roles of the intracardiac nervous system (ICNS) is to act as the final site of signal integration for efferent information destined for the myocardium to enable local control of heart rate and rhythm. Multiple subtypes of neurons exist in the ICNS where they are organized into clusters termed ganglionated plexi (GP). The majority of cells in the ICNS are actually glial cells; however, despite this, ICNS glial cells have received little attention to date. In the central nervous system, where glial cell function has been widely studied, glia are no longer viewed simply as supportive cells but rather have been shown to play an active role in modulating neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity. Pioneering studies have demonstrated that in addition to glia within the brain stem, glial cells within multiple autonomic ganglia in the peripheral nervous system, including the ICNS, can also act to modulate cardiovascular function. Clinically, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing catheter ablation show high plasma levels of S100B, a protein produced by cardiac glial cells, correlated with decreased AF recurrence. Interestingly, S100B also alters GP neuron excitability and neurite outgrowth in the ICNS. These studies highlight the importance of understanding how glial cells can affect the heart by modulating GP neuron activity or synaptic inputs. Here, we review studies investigating glia both in the central and peripheral nervous systems to discuss the potential role of glia in controlling cardiac function in health and disease, paying particular attention to the glial cells of the ICNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Tedoldi
- Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Mānawa Centre for Heart Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Liam Argent
- Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Mānawa Centre for Heart Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Johanna M Montgomery
- Department of Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Manaaki Mānawa Centre for Heart Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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36
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Trujillo-Estrada L, Gomez-Arboledas A, Forner S, Martini AC, Gutierrez A, Baglietto-Vargas D, LaFerla FM. Astrocytes: From the Physiology to the Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2020; 16:675-698. [PMID: 31470787 DOI: 10.2174/1567205016666190830110152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are key cells for adequate brain formation and regulation of cerebral blood flow as well as for the maintenance of neuronal metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis and exocytosis, and synaptic transmission. Many of these functions are intrinsically related to neurodegeneration, allowing refocusing on the role of astrocytes in physiological and neurodegenerative states. Indeed, emerging evidence in the field indicates that abnormalities in the astrocytic function are involved in the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In the present review, we highlight the physiological role of astrocytes in the CNS, including their communication with other cells in the brain. Furthermore, we discuss exciting findings and novel experimental approaches that elucidate the role of astrocytes in multiple neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Trujillo-Estrada
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States
| | - Angela Gomez-Arboledas
- Department of Cell Biology, Genetic and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefânia Forner
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States
| | - Alessandra Cadete Martini
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States
| | - Antonia Gutierrez
- Department of Cell Biology, Genetic and Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Baglietto-Vargas
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Frank M LaFerla
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4545, United States.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
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37
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Okubo Y. Astrocytic Ca2+ signaling mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum in health and disease. J Pharmacol Sci 2020; 144:83-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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38
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Rabah Y, Rubino B, Moukarzel E, Agulhon C. Characterization of transgenic mouse lines for selectively targeting satellite glial cells and macrophages in dorsal root ganglia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229475. [PMID: 32915783 PMCID: PMC7485865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of glial cells in the modulation of neuronal processes is now generally accepted. In particular, enormous progress in our understanding of astrocytes and microglia physiology in the central nervous system (CNS) has been made in recent years, due to the development of genetic and molecular toolkits. However, the roles of satellite glial cells (SGCs) and macrophages-the peripheral counterparts of astrocytes and microglia-remain poorly studied despite their involvement in debilitating conditions, such as pain. Here, we characterized in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), different genetically-modified mouse lines previously used for studying astrocytes and microglia, with the goal to implement them for investigating DRG SGC and macrophage functions. Although SGCs and astrocytes share some molecular properties, most tested transgenic lines were found to not be suitable for studying selectively a large number of SGCs within DRGs. Nevertheless, we identified and validated two mouse lines: (i) a CreERT2 recombinase-based mouse line allowing transgene expression almost exclusively in SGCs and in the vast majority of SGCs, and (ii) a GFP-expressing line allowing the selective visualization of macrophages. In conclusion, among the tools available for exploring astrocyte functions, a few can be used for studying selectively a great proportion of SGCs. Thus, efforts remain to be made to characterize other available mouse lines as well as to develop, rigorously characterize and validate new molecular tools to investigate the roles of DRG SGCs, but also macrophages, in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Rabah
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (CNRS UMR8002), Glia-Glia & Glia-Neuron Interactions Laboratory, Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Bruna Rubino
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (CNRS UMR8002), Glia-Glia & Glia-Neuron Interactions Laboratory, Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Elsie Moukarzel
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (CNRS UMR8002), Glia-Glia & Glia-Neuron Interactions Laboratory, Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Cendra Agulhon
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (CNRS UMR8002), Glia-Glia & Glia-Neuron Interactions Laboratory, Faculty of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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39
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Xie AX, Madayag A, Minton SK, McCarthy KD, Malykhina AP. Sensory satellite glial Gq-GPCR activation alleviates inflammatory pain via peripheral adenosine 1 receptor activation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14181. [PMID: 32843670 PMCID: PMC7447794 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71073-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glial fibrillary acidic protein expressing (GFAP+) glia modulate nociceptive neuronal activity in both the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS). Resident GFAP+ glia in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) known as satellite glial cells (SGCs) potentiate neuronal activity by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and neuroactive compounds. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that SGC Gq-coupled receptor (Gq-GPCR) signaling modulates pain sensitivity in vivo using Gfap-hM3Dq mice. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was used to induce inflammatory pain, and mechanical sensitivity and thermal sensitivity were used to assess the neuromodulatory effect of glial Gq-GPCR activation in awake mice. Pharmacogenetic activation of Gq-GPCR signaling in sensory SGCs decreased heat-induced nociceptive responses and reversed inflammation-induced mechanical allodynia via peripheral adenosine A1 receptor activation. These data reveal a previously unexplored role of sensory SGCs in decreasing afferent excitability. The identified molecular mechanism underlying the analgesic role of SGCs offers new approaches for reversing peripheral nociceptive sensitization.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Benzilates/pharmacology
- Clozapine/analogs & derivatives
- Clozapine/pharmacology
- Freund's Adjuvant/toxicity
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11/physiology
- Genes, Synthetic
- Hot Temperature
- Hyperalgesia/physiopathology
- Hyperalgesia/prevention & control
- Inflammation/chemically induced
- Inflammation/physiopathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Muscarinic Agonists/pharmacology
- Neuroglia/enzymology
- Neuroglia/physiology
- Nociception/physiology
- Nortropanes/pharmacology
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Purinergic P1 Receptor Agonists/pharmacology
- Purinergic P1 Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology
- Receptor, Adenosine A1/drug effects
- Receptor, Adenosine A1/physiology
- Receptor, Muscarinic M3/drug effects
- Receptor, Muscarinic M3/genetics
- Receptor, Muscarinic M3/physiology
- Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/drug effects
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Theophylline/analogs & derivatives
- Theophylline/pharmacology
- Touch
- Xanthines/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Xiaoqiao Xie
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Chapel Hill, USA.
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Denver (UCD), Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), 12700E 19th Ave., Room 6440D, Mail stop C317, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
- Department of Surgery, UCD-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Aric Madayag
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Chapel Hill, USA
- NeuroCycle Therapeutics, Inc., 3829 N Cramer St., Shorewood, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Suzanne K Minton
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Chapel Hill, USA
- Certara, 5511 Capital Center Drive, Ste. 204, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Ken D McCarthy
- Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 120 Mason Farm Road, 4010 Genetic Medicine Bldg, Campus Box 7365, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7365, USA
| | - Anna P Malykhina
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Denver (UCD), Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), 12700E 19th Ave., Room 6440D, Mail stop C317, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12700 East 19th Ave., Rm 6001, Mail Stop C317, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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40
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Taylor MJ, Ullenbruch MR, Frucci EC, Rege J, Ansorge MS, Gomez-Sanchez CE, Begum S, Laufer E, Breault DT, Rainey WE. Chemogenetic activation of adrenocortical Gq signaling causes hyperaldosteronism and disrupts functional zonation. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:83-93. [PMID: 31738186 DOI: 10.1172/jci127429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The mineralocorticoid aldosterone is produced in the adrenal zona glomerulosa (ZG) under the control of the renin-angiotensin II (AngII) system. Primary aldosteronism (PA) results from renin-independent production of aldosterone and is a common cause of hypertension. PA is caused by dysregulated localization of the enzyme aldosterone synthase (Cyp11b2), which is normally restricted to the ZG. Cyp11b2 transcription and aldosterone production are predominantly regulated by AngII activation of the Gq signaling pathway. Here, we report the generation of transgenic mice with Gq-coupled designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) specifically in the adrenal cortex. We show that adrenal-wide ligand activation of Gq DREADD receptors triggered disorganization of adrenal functional zonation, with induction of Cyp11b2 in glucocorticoid-producing zona fasciculata cells. This result was consistent with increased renin-independent aldosterone production and hypertension. All parameters were reversible following termination of DREADD-mediated Gq signaling. These findings demonstrate that Gq signaling is sufficient for adrenocortical aldosterone production and implicate this pathway in the determination of zone-specific steroid production within the adrenal cortex. This transgenic mouse also provides an inducible and reversible model of hyperaldosteronism to investigate PA therapeutics and the mechanisms leading to the damaging effects of aldosterone on the cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Taylor
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew R Ullenbruch
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Emily C Frucci
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Juilee Rege
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mark S Ansorge
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Celso E Gomez-Sanchez
- Endocrine Section, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Salma Begum
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edward Laufer
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William E Rainey
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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41
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Melanopsin for Time-Controlling Activation of Astrocyte -Neuron Networks. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 32651909 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0755-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Melanopsin, a mammalian G-protein-coupled photopigment, is a novel optical tool which enables studying astrocyte-neuron networks. Here, we describe the required guidelines to take advantage of this promising optical tool for functional neuron-glia studies. The selective expression of melanopsin in astrocytes allows triggering astrocytic Ca2+ signaling, changes in synaptic transmission, and modifying behavioral responses.
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42
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MacDonald AJ, Ellacott KLJ. Astrocytes in the nucleus of the solitary tract: Contributions to neural circuits controlling physiology. Physiol Behav 2020; 223:112982. [PMID: 32535136 PMCID: PMC7378570 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the primary brainstem centre for the integration of physiological information from the periphery transmitted via the vagus nerve. In turn, the NTS feeds into downstream circuits regulating physiological parameters. Astrocytes are glial cells which have key roles in maintaining CNS tissue homeostasis and regulating neuronal communication. Recently an increasing number of studies have implicated astrocytes in the regulation of synaptic transmission and physiology. This review aims to highlight evidence for a role for astrocytes in the functions of the NTS. Astrocytes maintain and modulate NTS synaptic transmission contributing to the control of diverse physiological systems namely cardiovascular, respiratory, glucoregulatory, and gastrointestinal. In addition, it appears these cells may have a role in central control of feeding behaviour. As such these cells are a key component of signal processing and physiological control by the NTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J MacDonald
- Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Level 4, RILD, Barrack Rd, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Kate L J Ellacott
- Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Level 4, RILD, Barrack Rd, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK.
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43
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Otsu Y, Darcq E, Pietrajtis K, Mátyás F, Schwartz E, Bessaih T, Abi Gerges S, Rousseau CV, Grand T, Dieudonné S, Paoletti P, Acsády L, Agulhon C, Kieffer BL, Diana MA. Control of aversion by glycine-gated GluN1/GluN3A NMDA receptors in the adult medial habenula. Science 2020; 366:250-254. [PMID: 31601771 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax1522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The unconventional N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits GluN3A and GluN3B can, when associated with the other glycine-binding subunit GluN1, generate excitatory conductances purely activated by glycine. However, functional GluN1/GluN3 receptors have not been identified in native adult tissues. We discovered that GluN1/GluN3A receptors are operational in neurons of the mouse adult medial habenula (MHb), an epithalamic area controlling aversive physiological states. In the absence of glycinergic neuronal specializations in the MHb, glial cells tuned neuronal activity via GluN1/GluN3A receptors. Reducing GluN1/GluN3A receptor levels in the MHb prevented place-aversion conditioning. Our study extends the physiological and behavioral implications of glycine by demonstrating its control of negatively valued emotional associations via excitatory glycinergic NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Otsu
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - E Darcq
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - K Pietrajtis
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - F Mátyás
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1083 Budapest, Hungary.,Research Centre for Natural Sciences Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - E Schwartz
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - T Bessaih
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - S Abi Gerges
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - C V Rousseau
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - T Grand
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - S Dieudonné
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - P Paoletti
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - L Acsády
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - C Agulhon
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS UMR8002, Glia-Glia and Glia-Neuron Interactions Group, Paris Descartes University, 75006 Paris, France
| | - B L Kieffer
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Douglas Hospital Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - M A Diana
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS-IBPS), 75005 Paris, France.
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44
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Peeters LM, Missault S, Keliris AJ, Keliris GA. Combining designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs and neuroimaging in experimental models: A powerful approach towards neurotheranostic applications. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:992-1002. [PMID: 31658365 PMCID: PMC7042113 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of chemogenetics targeting specific brain cell populations with in vivo imaging techniques provides scientists with a powerful new tool to study functional neural networks at the whole-brain scale. A number of recent studies indicate the potential of this approach to increase our understanding of brain function in health and disease. In this review, we discuss the employment of a specific chemogenetic tool, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs, in conjunction with non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as PET and MRI. We highlight the utility of using this multiscale approach in longitudinal studies and its ability to identify novel brain circuits relevant to behaviour that can be monitored in parallel. In addition, some identified shortcomings in this technique and more recent efforts to overcome them are also presented. Finally, we discuss the translational potential of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs in neuroimaging and the promise it holds for future neurotheranostic applications.
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45
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Enes J, Haburčák M, Sona S, Gerard N, Mitchell AC, Fu W, Birren SJ. Satellite glial cells modulate cholinergic transmission between sympathetic neurons. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0218643. [PMID: 32017764 PMCID: PMC6999876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Postganglionic sympathetic neurons and satellite glial cells are the two major cell types of the peripheral sympathetic ganglia. Sympathetic neurons project to and provide neural control of peripheral organs and have been implicated in human disorders ranging from cardiovascular disease to peripheral neuropathies. Here we show that satellite glia regulate synaptic activity of cultured postnatal sympathetic neurons, providing evidence for local ganglionic control of sympathetic drive. In addition to modulating neuron-to-neuron cholinergic neurotransmission, satellite glia promote synapse formation and contribute to neuronal survival. Examination of the cellular architecture of the rat sympathetic ganglia in vivo shows this regulation of neuronal properties takes place during a developmental period in which neuronal morphology and density are actively changing and satellite glia enwrap sympathetic neuronal somata. Cultured satellite glia make and release factors that promote neuronal activity and that can partially rescue the neurons from cell death following nerve growth factor deprivation. Thus, satellite glia play an early and ongoing role within the postnatal sympathetic ganglia, expanding our understanding of the contributions of local and target-derived factors in the regulation of sympathetic neuron function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Enes
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Marián Haburčák
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Surbhi Sona
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Nega Gerard
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Alexander C. Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Wenqi Fu
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
| | - Susan J. Birren
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hirbec H, Déglon N, Foo LC, Goshen I, Grutzendler J, Hangen E, Kreisel T, Linck N, Muffat J, Regio S, Rion S, Escartin C. Emerging technologies to study glial cells. Glia 2020; 68:1692-1728. [PMID: 31958188 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Development, physiological functions, and pathologies of the brain depend on tight interactions between neurons and different types of glial cells, such as astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Assessing the relative contribution of different glial cell types is required for the full understanding of brain function and dysfunction. Over the recent years, several technological breakthroughs were achieved, allowing "glio-scientists" to address new challenging biological questions. These technical developments make it possible to study the roles of specific cell types with medium or high-content workflows and perform fine analysis of their mutual interactions in a preserved environment. This review illustrates the potency of several cutting-edge experimental approaches (advanced cell cultures, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human glial cells, viral vectors, in situ glia imaging, opto- and chemogenetic approaches, and high-content molecular analysis) to unravel the role of glial cells in specific brain functions or diseases. It also illustrates the translation of some techniques to the clinics, to monitor glial cells in patients, through specific brain imaging methods. The advantages, pitfalls, and future developments are discussed for each technique, and selected examples are provided to illustrate how specific "gliobiological" questions can now be tackled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Hirbec
- Institute for Functional Genomics (IGF), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation, Neuroscience Research Center, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lynette C Foo
- Neuroimmunology and Neurodegeneration Section, The Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Inbal Goshen
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jaime Grutzendler
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Emilie Hangen
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Département de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 9199, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Tirzah Kreisel
- Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nathalie Linck
- Institute for Functional Genomics (IGF), University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Muffat
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sara Regio
- Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation, Neuroscience Research Center, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sybille Rion
- Neuroimmunology and Neurodegeneration Section, The Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carole Escartin
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Département de la Recherche Fondamentale, Institut de Biologie François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 9199, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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Rogers RC, Burke SJ, Collier JJ, Ritter S, Hermann GE. Evidence that hindbrain astrocytes in the rat detect low glucose with a glucose transporter 2-phospholipase C-calcium release mechanism. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2020; 318:R38-R48. [PMID: 31596114 PMCID: PMC6985801 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00133.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes generate robust cytoplasmic calcium signals in response to reductions in extracellular glucose. This calcium signal, in turn, drives purinergic gliotransmission, which controls the activity of catecholaminergic (CA) neurons in the hindbrain. These CA neurons are critical to triggering glucose counter-regulatory responses (CRRs) that, ultimately, restore glucose homeostasis via endocrine and behavioral means. Although the astrocyte low-glucose sensor involvement in CRR has been accepted, it is not clear how astrocytes produce an increase in intracellular calcium in response to a decrease in glucose. Our ex vivo calcium imaging studies of hindbrain astrocytes show that the glucose type 2 transporter (GLUT2) is an essential feature of the astrocyte glucosensor mechanism. Coimmunoprecipitation assays reveal that the recombinant GLUT2 binds directly with the recombinant Gq protein subunit that activates phospholipase C (PLC). Additional calcium imaging studies suggest that GLUT2 may be connected to a PLC-endoplasmic reticular-calcium release mechanism, which is amplified by calcium-induced calcium release (CICR). Collectively, these data help outline a potential mechanism used by astrocytes to convert information regarding low-glucose levels into intracellular changes that ultimately regulate the CRR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C. Rogers
- 1Laboratory of Autonomic Neuroscience, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Susan J. Burke
- 2Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - J. Jason Collier
- 3Laboratory of Islet Biology and Inflammation, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Sue Ritter
- 4Department of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Gerlinda E. Hermann
- 1Laboratory of Autonomic Neuroscience, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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MacDonald AJ, Holmes FE, Beall C, Pickering AE, Ellacott KLJ. Regulation of food intake by astrocytes in the brainstem dorsal vagal complex. Glia 2019; 68:1241-1254. [PMID: 31880353 PMCID: PMC7187409 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A role for glial cells in brain circuits controlling feeding has begun to be identified with hypothalamic astrocyte signaling implicated in regulating energy homeostasis. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), within the brainstem dorsal vagal complex (DVC), integrates vagal afferent information from the viscera and plays a role in regulating food intake. We hypothesized that astrocytes in this nucleus respond to, and influence, food intake. Mice fed high‐fat chow for 12 hr during the dark phase showed NTS astrocyte activation, reflected in an increase in the number (65%) and morphological complexity of glial‐fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐immunoreactive cells adjacent to the area postrema (AP), compared to control chow fed mice. To measure the impact of astrocyte activation on food intake, we delivered designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) to DVC astrocytes (encompassing NTS, AP, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus) using an adeno‐associated viral (AAV) vector (AAV‐GFAP‐hM3Dq_mCherry). Chemogenetic activation with clozapine‐N‐oxide (0.3 mg/kg) produced in greater morphological complexity in astrocytes and reduced dark‐phase feeding by 84% at 4 hr postinjection compared with vehicle treatment. hM3Dq‐activation of DVC astrocytes also reduced refeeding after an overnight fast (71% lower, 4 hr postinjection) when compared to AAV‐GFAP‐mCherry expressing control mice. DREADD‐mediated astrocyte activation did not impact locomotion. hM3Dq activation of DVC astrocytes induced c‐FOS in neighboring neuronal feeding circuits (including in the parabrachial nucleus). This indicates that NTS astrocytes respond to acute nutritional excess, are involved in the integration of peripheral satiety signals, and can reduce food intake when activated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J MacDonald
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, UK
| | - Fiona E Holmes
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, UK
| | - Craig Beall
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Anthony E Pickering
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, UK.,Anaesthesia, Pain and Critical Care Sciences, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kate L J Ellacott
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
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Panthi S, Leitch B. The impact of silencing feed-forward parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons in the cortico-thalamocortical network on seizure generation and behaviour. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104610. [PMID: 31494287 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Feed-forward inhibition (FFI) is an essential mechanism within the brain, to regulate neuronal firing and prevent runaway excitation. In the cortico-thalamocortical (CTC) network, fast spiking parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) inhibitory interneurons regulate the firing of pyramidal cells in the cortex and relay neurons in the thalamus. PV+ interneuron dysfunction has been implicated in several neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Previously, we demonstrated that loss of excitatory AMPA-receptors, specifically at synapses on PV+ interneurons in CTC feedforward microcircuits, occurs in the stargazer mouse model of absence epilepsy. These mice present with absence seizures characterized by spike and wave discharges (SWDs) on electroencephalogram (EEG) and concomitant behavioural arrest, similar to childhood absence epilepsy. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of loss of FFI within the CTC on absence seizure generation and behaviour using new Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drug (DREADD) technology. We crossed PV-Cre mice with Cre-dependent hM4Di DREADD strains of mice, which allowed Cre-recombinase-mediated restricted expression of inhibitory Gi-DREADDs in PV+ interneurons. We then tested the impact of global and focal (within the CTC network) silencing of PV+ interneurons. CNO mediated silencing of all PV+ interneurons by intraperitoneal injection caused the impairment of motor control, decreased locomotion and increased anxiety in a dose-dependent manner. Such silencing generated pathological oscillations similar to absence-like seizures. Focal silencing of PV+ interneurons within cortical or thalamic feedforward microcircuits, induced SWD-like oscillations and associated behavioural arrest. Epileptiform activity on EEG appeared significantly sooner after focal injection compared to peripheral injection of CNO. However, the mean duration of each oscillatory burst and spike frequency was similar, irrespective of mode of CNO delivery. No significant changes were observed in vehicle-treated or non-DREADD wild-type control animals. These data suggest that dysfunctional feed-forward inhibition in CTC microcircuits may be an important target for future therapy strategies for some patients with absence seizures. Additionally, silencing of PV+ interneurons in other brain regions may contribute to anxiety related neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandesh Panthi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Beulah Leitch
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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50
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Abstract
Our understanding of astrocytes and their role in neurological diseases has increased considerably over the past two decades as the diverse roles of these cells have become recognized. Our evolving understanding of these cells suggests that they are more than support cells for neurons and that they play important roles in CNS homeostasis under normal conditions, in neuroprotection and in disease exacerbation. These multiple functions make them excellent candidates for targeted therapies to treat neurological disorders. New technological advances, including in vivo imaging, optogenetics and chemogenetics, have allowed us to examine astrocytic functions in ways that have uncovered new insights into the dynamic roles of these cells. Furthermore, the use of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from patients with a host of neurological disorders can help to tease out the contributions of astrocytes to human disease. In this Review, we explore some of the technological advances developed over the past decade that have aided our understanding of astrocyte function. We also highlight neurological disorders in which astrocyte function or dysfunction is believed to have a role in disease pathogenesis or propagation and discuss how the technological advances have been and could be used to study each of these diseases.
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