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Zhuo M. Long-term plasticity of NMDA GluN2B (NR2B) receptor in anterior cingulate cortical synapses. Mol Pain 2024; 20:17448069241230258. [PMID: 38246915 PMCID: PMC10851716 DOI: 10.1177/17448069241230258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a key cortical area for pain perception, emotional fear and anxiety. Cortical excitation is thought to be the major mechanism for chronic pain and its related emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression. GluN2B (or called NR2B) containing NMDA receptors play critical roles for such excitation. Not only does the activation of GluN2B contributes to the induction of the postsynaptic form of LTP (post-LTP), long-term upregulation of GluN2B subunits through tyrosine phosphorylation were also detected after peripheral injury. In addition, it has been reported that presynaptic NMDA receptors may contribute to the modulation of the release of glutamate from presynaptic terminals in the ACC. It is believed that inhibiting subtypes of NMDA receptors and/or downstream signaling proteins may serve as a novel therapeutic mechanism for future treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhuo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Qingdao International Academician Park, Zhuomin Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao, China
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Li X, Xiong M, Gao Y, Xu X, Ke C. Upregulation of Calhm2 in the anterior cingulate cortex contributes to the maintenance of bilateral mechanical allodynia and comorbid anxiety symptoms in inflammatory pain conditions. Brain Res Bull 2023; 204:110808. [PMID: 37926398 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110808] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral inflammation-induced chronic pain tends to evoke concomitant anxiety disorders. It's common knowledge that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a vital role in maintaining pain modulation and negative emotions. However, the potential mechanisms of chronic inflammation pain and pain-related anxiety remain elusive. Here, it was reported that injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) unilaterally resulted in bilateral mechanical allodynia and anxiety-like symptoms in mice via behavioral tests. In addition, CFA induced the bilateral upregulation and activation of calcium homeostasis modulator 2 (Calhm2) in ACC pyramidal neurons by quantitative analysis and double immunofluorescence staining. The knockdown of Calhm2 in the bilateral ACC by a lentiviral vector harboring ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference sequence reversed CFA-induced pain behaviors and neuronal sensitization. Furthermore, the modulating of ACC pyramidal neuronal activities via a designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD)-hM4D(Gi) greatly changed Calhm2 expression, mechanical paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) and comorbid anxiety symptoms. Moreover, it was found that Calhm2 regulates inflammation pain promoting the upregulation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor 2B (NR2B) subunits. Calhm2 knockdown in ACC exhibited a significant decrease in NR2B expression. These results demonstrated that Calhm2 in ACC pyramidal neurons modulates chronic inflammation pain and pain-related anxiety symptoms, which provides a novel underlying mechanism for the development of inflammation pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Li
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
| | - Mengyuan Xiong
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
| | - Yan Gao
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
| | - Xueqin Xu
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
| | - Changbin Ke
- Institute of Anesthesiology & Pain (IAP), Department of Anesthesiology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province 442000, PR China.
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Flynn LT, Gao WJ. DNA methylation and the opposing NMDAR dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depression disorders: a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds in the treatment of psychiatric illness. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4553-4567. [PMID: 37679470 PMCID: PMC11034997 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelic compounds are being increasingly explored as a potential therapeutic option for treating several psychiatric conditions, despite relatively little being known about their mechanism of action. One such possible mechanism, DNA methylation, is a process of epigenetic regulation that changes gene expression via chemical modification of nitrogenous bases. DNA methylation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this review, we propose alterations to DNA methylation as a converging model for the therapeutic effects of psychedelic compounds, highlighting the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a crucial mediator of synaptic plasticity with known dysfunction in both diseases, as an example and anchoring point. We review the established evidence relating aberrant DNA methylation to NMDAR dysfunction in SZ and MDD and provide a model asserting that psychedelic substances may act through an epigenetic mechanism to provide therapeutic effects in the context of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Taylor Flynn
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- MD/PhD program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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5-HT-dependent synaptic plasticity of the prefrontal cortex in postnatal development. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21015. [PMID: 36470912 PMCID: PMC9723183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23767-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Important functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are established during early life, when neurons exhibit enhanced synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. This developmental stage drives the organization of cortical connectivity, responsible for establishing behavioral patterns. Serotonin (5-HT) emerges among the most significant factors that modulate brain activity during postnatal development. In the PFC, activated 5-HT receptors modify neuronal excitability and interact with intracellular signaling involved in synaptic modifications, thus suggesting that 5-HT might participate in early postnatal plasticity. To test this hypothesis, we employed intracellular electrophysiological recordings of PFC layer 5 neurons to study the modulatory effects of 5-HT on plasticity induced by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in two postnatal periods of rats. Our results indicate that 5-HT is essential for TBS to result in synaptic changes during the third postnatal week, but not later. TBS coupled with 5-HT2A or 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors stimulation leads to long-term depression (LTD). On the other hand, TBS and synergic activation of 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT7 receptors lead to long-term potentiation (LTP). Finally, we also show that 5-HT dependent synaptic plasticity of the PFC is impaired in animals that are exposed to early-life chronic stress.
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Lee JHA, Chen Q, Zhuo M. Synaptic Plasticity in the Pain-Related Cingulate and Insular Cortex. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2745. [PMID: 36359264 PMCID: PMC9687873 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cumulative animal and human studies have consistently demonstrated that two major cortical regions in the brain, namely the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insular cortex (IC), play critical roles in pain perception and chronic pain. Neuronal synapses in these cortical regions of adult animals are highly plastic and can undergo long-term potentiation (LTP), a phenomenon that is also reported in brain areas for learning and memory (such as the hippocampus). Genetic and pharmacological studies show that inhibiting such cortical LTP can help to reduce behavioral sensitization caused by injury as well as injury-induced emotional changes. In this review, we will summarize recent progress related to synaptic mechanisms for different forms of cortical LTP and their possible contribution to behavioral pain and emotional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hyun Alex Lee
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Qiyu Chen
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266199, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Min Zhuo
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266199, China
- Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou 325000, China
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Zhou Z, Ye P, Li XH, Zhang Y, Li M, Chen QY, Lu JS, Xue M, Li Y, Liu W, Lu L, Shi W, Xu PY, Zhuo M. Synaptic potentiation of anterior cingulate cortex contributes to chronic pain of Parkinson's disease. Mol Brain 2021; 14:161. [PMID: 34742316 PMCID: PMC8572509 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00870-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multi-system neurodegenerative disorder. Patients with PD often suffer chronic pain. In the present study, we investigated motor, sensory and emotional changes in three different PD mice models. We found that 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treatment caused significant changes in all measurements. Mechanical hypersensitivity of PD model induced by MPTP peaked at 3 days and persisted for at least 14 days. Using Fos transgenic mice, we found that neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were activated after MPTP treatment. Inhibiting ACC by bilateral microinjection of muscimol significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity and anxiety-like responses. By contrast, MPTP induced motor deficit was not affected, indicating ACC activity is mostly responsible for sensory and emotional changes. We also investigated excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity using brain slices of MPTP treated animals. While L-LTP was blocked or significantly reduced. E-LTP was not significantly affected in slices of MPTP treated animals. LTD induced by repetitive stimulation was not affected. Furthermore, we found that paired-pulse facilitation and spontaneous release of glutamate were also altered in MPTP treated animals, suggesting presynaptic enhancement of excitatory transmission in PD. Our results suggest that ACC synaptic transmission is enhanced in the animal model of PD, and cortical excitation may play important roles in PD related pain and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxiang Zhou
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Penghai Ye
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xu-Hui Li
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Muhang Li
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Qi-Yu Chen
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jing-Shan Lu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Man Xue
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Weiqi Liu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Lin Lu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wantong Shi
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Ping-Yi Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China. .,Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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The Recovery of Cognitive and Affective Deficiencies Linked with Chronic Osteoarthritis Pain and Implicated Pathways by Slow-Releasing Hydrogen Sulfide Treatment. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10101632. [PMID: 34679766 PMCID: PMC8533578 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10101632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic osteoarthritis pain is accompanied by several comorbidities whose treatment has not been completely resolved. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidepressant effects of slow-releasing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors during osteoarthritic pain have been shown, but their actions in the accompanying memory impairment and anxious-like behaviors have not yet been demonstrated. Using female mice with chronic osteoarthritic pain, the effects of natural, diallyl disulfide (DADS) or synthetic, morpholin-4-ium 4-methoxyphenyl(morpholino) phosphinodithioate dichloromethane complex (GYY4137) slow-releasing H2S donors, on associated cognitive and grip strength deficits and anxiodepressive-like behaviors, were assessed. Their effects on specific brain areas implicated in the modulation of pain and emotional responses were also determined. Results demonstrated an improvement in memory and grip strength deficits, as well as in the anxious-like behaviors associated with chronic pain in GYY4137 and/or DADS treated mice. The painkiller and antidepressant properties of both treatments were also established. Treatment with DADS and/or GYY4137 inhibited: oxidative stress in the amygdala; phosphoinositide 3-kinase overexpression in the amygdala, periaqueductal gray matter, and anterior cingulate cortex; protein kinase B activation in the amygdala and infralimbic cortex; up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the amygdala, periaqueductal gray matter and infralimbic cortex and apoptotic responses in the amygdala. These results might explain the recovery of memory and grip strength and the inhibition of allodynia and associated anxiodepressive-like behaviors by these treatments. In conclusion, this study revealed new properties of slow-releasing H2S donors in cognitive impairment and affective disorders linked with chronic osteoarthritis pain and their effects on the central nervous system.
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Chen QY, Li XH, Zhuo M. NMDA receptors and synaptic plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108749. [PMID: 34364898 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in pain modulation, and pain-related emotional disorders. In the ACC, two major forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) coexist in excitatory synapses and lay the basis of chronic pain and pain-related emotional disorders. The induction of postsynaptic LTP is dependent on the activation of postsynaptic NMDA receptors (NMDARs), while the presynaptic LTP is NMDAR-independent. Long-term depression (LTD) can also be divided into two types according to the degree of sensitivity to the inhibition of NMDARs. NMDAR heteromers containing GluN2A and GluN2B act as key molecules in both the NMDAR-dependent postsynaptic LTP and LTD. Additionally, NMDARs also exist in presynaptic terminals and modulate the evoked and spontaneous transmitter release. From a translational point of view, inhibiting subtypes of NMDARs and/or downstream signaling proteins may provide potential drug targets for chronic pain and its related emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Yu Chen
- International Institute for Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, China; Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xu-Hui Li
- International Institute for Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, China; Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Min Zhuo
- International Institute for Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, China; Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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