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Balan I, Grusca A, Chéry SL, Materia BR, O’Buckley TK, Morrow AL. Neurosteroid [3α,5α]-3-Hydroxy-pregnan-20-one Enhances the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 Pathway in the Brain of Alcohol-Preferring Rats with Sex-Specificity. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:860. [PMID: 39063614 PMCID: PMC11277648 DOI: 10.3390/life14070860] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of allopregnanolone ([3α,5α]3-hydroxypregnan-20-one or 3α,5α-tetrahydroprogesterone (3α,5α-THP); 10 mg/kg, IP) on fractalkine/CX3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) levels, associated signaling components, and markers for microglial and astrocytic cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of male and female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Previous research suggested that 3α,5α-THP enhances anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) cytokine production in the brains of male P rats, with no similar effect observed in females. This study reveals that 3α,5α-THP elevates CX3CL1 levels by 16% in the NAc of female P rats, with no significant changes observed in males. The increase in CX3CL1 levels induced by 3α,5α-THP was observed in females across multiple brain regions, including the NAc, amygdala, hypothalamus, and midbrain, while no significant effect was noted in males. Additionally, female P rats treated with 3α,5α-THP exhibited notable increases in CX3CL1 receptor (CX3CR1; 48%) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1; 24%) levels, along with heightened activation (phosphorylation) of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1; 85%) in the NAc. Conversely, no similar alterations were observed in male P rats. Furthermore, 3α,5α-THP decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels by 19% in both female and male P rat NAc, without affecting microglial markers ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA1) and transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119). These findings indicate that 3α,5α-THP enhances the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 pathway in the female P rat brain but not in males, primarily influencing astrocyte reactivity, with no observed effect on microglial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Balan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Adelina Grusca
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
| | - Samantha Lucenell Chéry
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
- Neuroscience Curriculum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Baylee R. Materia
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
| | - Todd K. O’Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
| | - A. Leslie Morrow
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (I.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Joshi VV, Patel ND, Rehan MA, Kuppa A. Mysterious Mechanisms of Memory Formation: Are the Answers Hidden in Synapses? Cureus 2019; 11:e5795. [PMID: 31728242 PMCID: PMC6827877 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
After decades of research on memory formation and retention, we are still searching for the definite concept and process behind neuroplasticity. This review article will address the relationship between synapses, memory formation, and memory retention and their genetic correlations. In the last six decades, there have been enormous improvements in the neurochemistry domain, especially in the area of neural plasticity. In the central nervous system, the complexity of the synapses between neurons allows communication among them. It is believed that each time certain types of sensory signals pass through sequences of synapses, these synapses can transmit the same signals more efficiently the following time. The concept of Hebb synapse has provided revolutionary thinking about the nature of neural mechanisms of learning and memory formation. To improve the local circuitry for memory formation and behavioral change and stabilization in the mammalian central nervous system, long-term potentiation and long-term depression are the crucial components of Hebbian plasticity. In this review, we will be discussing the role of glutamatergic synapses, engram cells, cytokines, neuropeptides, neurosteroids and many aspects, covering the synaptic basis of memory. Lastly, we have tried to cover the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders due to synaptic dysfunction. To enhance pharmacological interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, we need more research in this direction. With the help of technology, and a better understanding of the disease etiology, not only can we identify the missing pieces of synaptic functions, but we might also cure or even prevent serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Viraj V Joshi
- Neuropsychiatry, California Instititute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Nishita D Patel
- Research, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Muhammad Awais Rehan
- Miscellenous, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA
| | - Annapurna Kuppa
- Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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Mouro FM, Miranda-Lourenço C, Sebastião AM, Diógenes MJ. From Cannabinoids and Neurosteroids to Statins and the Ketogenic Diet: New Therapeutic Avenues in Rett Syndrome? Front Neurosci 2019; 13:680. [PMID: 31333401 PMCID: PMC6614559 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused mainly by mutations in the MECP2 gene, being one of the leading causes of mental disability in females. Mutations in the MECP2 gene are responsible for 95% of the diagnosed RTT cases and the mechanisms through which these mutations relate with symptomatology are still elusive. Children with RTT present a period of apparent normal development followed by a rapid regression in speech and behavior and a progressive deterioration of motor abilities. Epilepsy is one of the most common symptoms in RTT, occurring in 60 to 80% of RTT cases, being associated with worsening of other symptoms. At this point, no cure for RTT is available and there is a pressing need for the discovery of new drug candidates to treat its severe symptoms. However, despite being a rare disease, in the last decade research in RTT has grown exponentially. New and exciting evidence has been gathered and the etiopathogenesis of this complex, severe and untreatable disease is slowly being unfolded. Advances in gene editing techniques have prompted cure-oriented research in RTT. Nonetheless, at this point, finding a cure is a distant reality, highlighting the importance of further investigating the basic pathological mechanisms of this disease. In this review, we focus our attention in some of the newest evidence on RTT clinical and preclinical research, evaluating their impact in RTT symptomatology control, and pinpointing possible directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Melo Mouro
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Miranda-Lourenço
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Maria Sebastião
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria José Diógenes
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Cai H, Cao T, Zhou X, Yao JK. Neurosteroids in Schizophrenia: Pathogenic and Therapeutic Implications. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:73. [PMID: 29568275 PMCID: PMC5852066 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are a group of important endogenous molecules affecting many neural functions in the brain. Increasing evidence suggests a possible role of these neurosteroids in the pathology and symptomatology of schizophrenia (SZ) and other mental disorders. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about the neural functions of neurosteroids in the brain, and to evaluate the role of the key neurosteroids as candidate modulators in the etiology and therapeutics of SZ. The present paper provides a brief introduction of neurosteroid metabolism and distribution, followed by a discussion of the mechanisms underlying neurosteroid actions in the brain. The content regarding the modulation of the GABAA receptor is elaborated, given the considerable knowledge of its interactions with other neurotransmitter and neuroprotective systems, as well as its ameliorating effects on stress that may play a role in the SZ pathophysiology. In addition, several preclinical and clinical studies suggested a therapeutic benefit of neurosteroids in SZ patients, even though the presence of altered neurosteroid pathways in the circulating blood and/or brain remains debatable. Following treatment of antipsychotic drugs in SZ, therapeutic benefits have also been linked to the regulation of neurosteroid signaling. Specifically, the neurosteroids such as pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone affect a broad spectrum of behavioral functions through their unique molecular characteristics and may represent innovative therapeutic targets for SZ. Future investigations in larger cohorts with long-term follow-ups will be required to ascertain the neuropsychopharmacological role of this yet unexploited class of neurosteroid agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- HuaLin Cai
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- The Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ting Cao
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- The Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Medical Research Service, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jeffrey K. Yao
- Medical Research Service, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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