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Sotiropoulos MG, Poulogiannopoulou E, Delis F, Dalla C, Antoniou K, Kokras N. Innovative screening models for the discovery of new schizophrenia drug therapies: an integrated approach. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:791-806. [PMID: 33467920 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1877657] [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] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder affecting millions worldwide. However, available treatment options do not fully address the disease. Whereas current antipsychotics may control psychotic symptoms, they seem notoriously ineffective in improving negative and cognitive symptoms or in preventing functional decline. As the etiology of schizophrenia eludes us, the development of valid animal models for screening new drug targets appears to be a strenuous task.Areas covered: In this review, the authors present the key concepts that validate animal models of schizophrenia, as well as the different screening approaches for novel schizophrenia treatments. The models covered are either based on major neurotransmitter systems or neurodevelopmental, immune, and genetic approaches.Expert opinion: Sadly, due to inertia, research focuses on developing 'anti-psychotics', instead of 'anti-schizophrenia' drugs that would tackle the entire syndrome of schizophrenia. Whereas no perfect model may ever exist, combining different experimental designs may enhance validity, as the over-reliance on a single model is inappropriate. Multi-model approaches incorporating vulnerability, the 'two-hit' hypothesis, and endophenotypes offer a promise for developing new strategies for schizophrenia treatment. Forward and reverse translation between preclinical and clinical research will increase the probability of success and limit failures in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinos G Sotiropoulos
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Poulogiannopoulou
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Foteini Delis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Antoniou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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2
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Larijani B, Parhizkar Roudsari P, Hadavandkhani M, Alavi-Moghadam S, Rezaei-Tavirani M, Goodarzi P, Sayahpour FA, Mohamadi-Jahani F, Arjmand B. Stem cell-based models and therapies: a key approach into schizophrenia treatment. Cell Tissue Bank 2021; 22:207-223. [PMID: 33387152 DOI: 10.1007/s10561-020-09888-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia can generate distress and disability along with heavy costs on individuals and health care systems. Different genetic and environmental factors play a pivotal role in the appearance of the mentioned disorders. Since the conventional treatment options for psychiatric disorders are suboptimal, investigators are trying to find novel strategies. Herein, stem cell therapies have been recommended as novel choices. In this context, the preclinical examination of stem cell-based therapies specifically using appropriate models can facilitate passing strong filters and serious examination to ensure proper quality and safety of them as a novel treatment approach. Animal models cannot be adequately helpful to follow pathophysiological features. Nowadays, stem cell-based models, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells reflected as suitable alternative models in this field. Accordingly, the importance of stem cell-based models, especially to experiment with the regenerative medicine outcomes for schizophrenia as one of the severe typing of psychiatric disorders, is addressed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bagher Larijani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Peyvand Parhizkar Roudsari
- Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Hadavandkhani
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Alavi-Moghadam
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Parisa Goodarzi
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Azam Sayahpour
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Mohamadi-Jahani
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Arjmand
- Metabolomics and Genomics Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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3
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Tricklebank MD, Robbins TW, Simmons C, Wong EHF. Time to re-engage psychiatric drug discovery by strengthening confidence in preclinical psychopharmacology. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1417-1436. [PMID: 33694032 PMCID: PMC7945970 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05787-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is urgent need for new medications for psychiatric disorders. Mental illness is expected to become the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2030. Yet, the last two decades have seen the pharmaceutical industry withdraw from psychiatric drug discovery after costly late-stage trial failures in which clinical efficacy predicted pre-clinically has not materialised, leading to a crisis in confidence in preclinical psychopharmacology. METHODS Based on a review of the relevant literature, we formulated some principles for improving investment in translational neuroscience aimed at psychiatric drug discovery. RESULTS We propose the following 8 principles that could be used, in various combinations, to enhance CNS drug discovery: (1) consider incorporating the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach; (2) engage the power of translational and systems neuroscience approaches; (3) use disease-relevant experimental perturbations; (4) identify molecular targets via genomic analysis and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells; (5) embrace holistic neuroscience: a partnership with psychoneuroimmunology; (6) use translational measures of neuronal activation; (7) validate the reproducibility of findings by independent collaboration; and (8) learn and reflect. We provide recent examples of promising animal-to-human translation of drug discovery projects and highlight some that present re-purposing opportunities. CONCLUSIONS We hope that this review will re-awaken the pharma industry and mental health advocates to the opportunities for improving psychiatric pharmacotherapy and so restore confidence and justify re-investment in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark David Tricklebank
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, CB23EB, Cambridge, UK
| | - Camilla Simmons
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College, London, UK
| | - Erik H. F. Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Garcés MS, Alústiza I, Albajes-Eizagirre A, Goena J, Molero P, Radua J, Ortuño F. An fMRI Study Using a Combined Task of Interval Discrimination and Oddball Could Reveal Common Brain Circuits of Cognitive Change. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:786113. [PMID: 34987432 PMCID: PMC8721204 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.786113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent functional neuroimaging studies suggest that the brain networks responsible for time processing are involved during other cognitive processes, leading to a hypothesis that time-related processing is needed to perform a range of tasks across various cognitive functions. To examine this hypothesis, we analyze whether, in healthy subjects, the brain structures activated or deactivated during performance of timing and oddball-detection type tasks coincide. To this end, we conducted two independent signed differential mapping (SDM) meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies assessing the cerebral generators of the responses elicited by tasks based on timing and oddball-detection paradigms. Finally, we undertook a multimodal meta-analysis to detect brain regions common to the findings of the two previous meta-analyses. We found that healthy subjects showed significant activation in cortical areas related to timing and salience networks. The patterns of activation and deactivation corresponding to each task type partially coincided. We hypothesize that there exists a time and change-detection network that serves as a common underlying resource used in a broad range of cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Sol Garcés
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Colegio de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador.,Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Irene Alústiza
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Anton Albajes-Eizagirre
- Imaging of Mood and Anxiety Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM ES, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Goena
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Patricio Molero
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Imaging of Mood and Anxiety Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM ES, Barcelona, Spain.,Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-Detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet SE, Solna, Sweden
| | - Felipe Ortuño
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
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Yadav A, Seth B, Chaturvedi RK. Brain Organoids: Tiny Mirrors of Human Neurodevelopment and Neurological Disorders. Neuroscientist 2020; 27:388-426. [PMID: 32723210 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420943192] [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: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Unravelling the complexity of the human brain is a challenging task. Nowadays, modern neurobiologists have developed 3D model systems called "brain organoids" to overcome the technical challenges in understanding human brain development and the limitations of animal models to study neurological diseases. Certainly like most model systems in neuroscience, brain organoids too have limitations, as these minuscule brains lack the complex neuronal circuitry required to begin the operational tasks of human brain. However, researchers are hopeful that future endeavors with these 3D brain tissues could provide mechanistic insights into the generation of circuit complexity as well as reproducible creation of different regions of the human brain. Herein, we have presented the contemporary state of brain organoids with special emphasis on their mode of generation and their utility in modelling neurological disorders, drug discovery, and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Yadav
- Developmental Toxicology Laboratory, Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Brashket Seth
- Developmental Toxicology Laboratory, Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar Chaturvedi
- Developmental Toxicology Laboratory, Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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6
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Kim T, Song B, Lee IS. Drosophila Glia: Models for Human Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4859. [PMID: 32660023 PMCID: PMC7402321 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cells are key players in the proper formation and maintenance of the nervous system, thus contributing to neuronal health and disease in humans. However, little is known about the molecular pathways that govern glia-neuron communications in the diseased brain. Drosophila provides a useful in vivo model to explore the conserved molecular details of glial cell biology and their contributions to brain function and disease susceptibility. Herein, we review recent studies that explore glial functions in normal neuronal development, along with Drosophila models that seek to identify the pathological implications of glial defects in the context of various central nervous system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Im-Soon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for CHANS, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (T.K.); (B.S.)
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Eltokhi A, Kurpiers B, Pitzer C. Behavioral tests assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes in adolescent mice reveal strain- and sex-specific effects. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11263. [PMID: 32647155 PMCID: PMC7347854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67758-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, infancy and adolescence are associated with major changes in synaptic functions and ongoing maturation of neural networks, which underlie the major behavioral changes during these periods. Among adult cases with neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity, and bipolar disorders, 50% have developed behavioral symptoms and received a diagnosis before 15 years of age. However, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we explored which behavioral experiments assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes can be performed during a specific window of development in adolescent male and female C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N mice that are typically used as background strains for generating genetically-modified mouse models. The three wild-type strains were evaluated across anxiety, social behaviors, and cognitive functions in order to cover the main behavioral impairments that occur in neuropsychiatric disorders. During adolescence, the three strains displayed significant differences under certain behavioral paradigms. In addition, C57BL/6N and FVB/N, but not DBA/2 mice revealed some sex-related differences. Our results provide new insights into discrete behaviors during development and emphasize the crucial importance of the genetic background, sex, and experimental settings in the age-dependent regulation of different behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltokhi
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Kurpiers
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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Casamassa A, Ferrari D, Gelati M, Carella M, Vescovi AL, Rosati J. A Link between Genetic Disorders and Cellular Impairment, Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Reveal the Functional Consequences of Copy Number Variations in the Central Nervous System-A Close Look at Chromosome 15. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051860. [PMID: 32182809 PMCID: PMC7084702 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent cutting-edge human genetics technology has allowed us to identify copy number variations (CNVs) and has provided new insights for understanding causative mechanisms of human diseases. A growing number of studies show that CNVs could be associated with physiological mechanisms linked to evolutionary trigger, as well as to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer, autoimmune disease and mental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, intellectual disabilities or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Their incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity make diagnosis difficult and hinder comprehension of the mechanistic bases of these disorders. Additional elements such as co-presence of other CNVs, genomic background and environmental factors are involved in determining the final phenotype associated with a CNV. Genetically engineered animal models are helpful tools for understanding the behavioral consequences of CNVs. However, the genetic background and the biology of these animal model systems have sometimes led to confusing results. New cellular models obtained through somatic cellular reprogramming technology that produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human subjects are being used to explore the mechanisms involved in the pathogenic consequences of CNVs. Considering the vast quantity of CNVs found in the human genome, we intend to focus on reviewing the current literature on the use of iPSCs carrying CNVs on chromosome 15, highlighting advantages and limits of this system with respect to mouse model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Casamassa
- Cellular Reprogramming Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale dei Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy;
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Abramo Lincoln 5, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Daniela Ferrari
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Gelati
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale dei Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.)
| | - Massimo Carella
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale dei Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.)
| | - Angelo Luigi Vescovi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126 Milan, Italy;
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale dei Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy; (M.G.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence: (A.L.V.); (J.R.)
| | - Jessica Rosati
- Cellular Reprogramming Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Viale dei Cappuccini 1, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy;
- Correspondence: (A.L.V.); (J.R.)
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9
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Santillán-Urquiza MA, Herrera-Ruiz M, Zamilpa A, Jiménez-Ferrer E, Román-Ramos R, Alegría-Herrera EY, Tortoriello J. Galphimia glauca and Natural Galphimines Block Schizophrenia-Like Symptoms Induced with Apomorphine and MK-801 in Mice. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2019; 2019:8404258. [PMID: 31428176 PMCID: PMC6679897 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8404258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Galphimia glauca has been used for many years in Mexican Traditional Medicine to calm "insane people." Triterpenes, known as galphimines, were identified in this species. One of them, Galphimine-B (G-B), acts selectively on dopaminergic neurons by antagonizing the effect of glutamate on NMDA receptors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of G. glauca methanolic extract (GgMeOH), a Galphimine-Rich Fraction (GRF), as well as the galphimines G-A, G-B, and G-E, on the acute psychosis induced by Apomorphine (APO) in mice and on schizophrenia-like symptoms induced by subchronic administration of MK-801. METHOD On the first day, ICR male mice were given GgMeOH, GRF, or one of the galphimines. On day two, animals were treated with APO, and on day 3, they were subjected to behavioral tests. In a second test, MK-801 was administered daily for 28 days. In this case, animals were treated daily with G. glauca products from day 9 to day 28 and then subjected to behavioral tests (passive avoidance test, open field test, forced swimming test, and social interaction test). RESULTS The increased number of stereotyped behaviors and grooming behaviors induced with APO were counteracted by all of the experimental treatments. MK-801 induced an increase in immobility time, which was blocked with G-B; GRF counteracted the decreased social interaction, and GgMeOH and GRF prevented the memory loss induced by MK-801. CONCLUSION G. glauca and their derivatives products (GRF and galphimines) were able to interact with the dopaminergic and glutamatergic drugs and to block different behaviors associated with some of the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of induced schizophrenia in mice. It is necessary to continue with this research, in order to identify their mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Alejandra Santillán-Urquiza
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Maribel Herrera-Ruiz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Zamilpa
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Enrique Jiménez-Ferrer
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Rubén Román-Ramos
- Laboratorio de Farmacología, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Elian Yuritzi Alegría-Herrera
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jaime Tortoriello
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Sur, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Argentina 1, 62790 Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico
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10
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Oberlander VC, Xu X, Chini M, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Developmental dysfunction of prefrontal-hippocampal networks in mouse models of mental illness. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:3072-3084. [PMID: 31087437 PMCID: PMC6851774 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite inherent difficulties to translate human cognitive phenotype into animals, a large number of animal models for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, have been developed over the last decades. To which extent they reproduce common patterns of dysfunction related to mental illness and abnormal processes of maturation is still largely unknown. While the devastating symptoms of disease are firstly detectable in adulthood, they are considered to reflect profound miswiring of brain circuitry as result of abnormal development. To reveal whether different disease models share common dysfunction early in life, we investigate the prefrontal-hippocampal communication at neonatal age in (a) mice mimicking the abnormal genetic background (22q11.2 microdeletion, DISC1 knockdown), (b) mice mimicking the challenge by environmental stressors (maternal immune activation during pregnancy), (c) mice mimicking the combination of both aetiologies (dual-hit models) and pharmacological mouse models. Simultaneous extracellular recordings in vivo from all layers of prelimbic subdivision (PL) of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and CA1 area of intermediate/ventral hippocampus (i/vHP) show that network oscillations have a more fragmented structure and decreased power mainly in neonatal mice that mimic both genetic and environmental aetiology of disease. These mice also show layer-specific firing deficits in PL. Similar early network dysfunction was present in mice with 22q11.2 microdeletion. The abnormal activity patterns are accompanied by weaker synchrony and directed interactions within prefrontal-hippocampal networks. Thus, only severe genetic defects or combined genetic environmental stressors are disruptive enough for reproducing the early network miswiring in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Oberlander
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Xiaxia Xu
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mattia Chini
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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11
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12
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Data calibration and reduction allows to visualize behavioural profiles of psychosocial influences in mice towards clinical domains. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 265:483-96. [PMID: 25236183 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-014-0532-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress-particularly in combination with genetic vulnerability-is a critical environmental risk factor for psychiatric diseases in humans. Isolation rearing (IR) and social defeat (SD) paradigms model psychosocial risk factors in rodents, while enriched environment (EE) protects them from behavioural deficits. Studying the influence of various environmental conditions, e.g., on genetic mouse models can help to dissect the complex gene-environment relationships underlying human psychiatric diseases. Such studies may require analysing multiple mouse cohorts; however, the comparability of behavioural experiments is challenging and often compromised by practical limitations such as group sizes and influences of handling. Therefore, protocol standardization as well as appropriate statistical normalization is necessary to compare different experiments. In this study, we analysed two independent cohorts to compare the behavioural profiles of wild-type male mice subjected to IR and SD. In both cases, EE conditions served as a reference. Multivariate statistics was applied to merge the data from individual measures into broader categories (such as curiosity, anxiety and fear memory) by estimating their calibrated joint effect within a category. Plotting and overlaying these calibrated effect sizes in a single graph allowed intuitive comparison of IR and SD behavioural profiles. This approach allows analysing multiple behavioural tests at once, which is more relevant to psychiatric syndromes than focusing on single behavioural measures. Our method revealed that motivation and fear memory are impaired by both conditions, whereas ambulation and pain sensitivity are affected only by IR and curiosity is mainly diminished upon SD. Thus, IR could be a paradigm of choice in studies focusing on positive symptoms, while SD might be more relevant for negative and cognitive symptoms.
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13
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Crabtree GW, Gogos JA. Synaptic plasticity, neural circuits, and the emerging role of altered short-term information processing in schizophrenia. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2014; 6:28. [PMID: 25505409 PMCID: PMC4243504 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity alters the strength of information flow between presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons and thus modifies the likelihood that action potentials in a presynaptic neuron will lead to an action potential in a postsynaptic neuron. As such, synaptic plasticity and pathological changes in synaptic plasticity impact the synaptic computation which controls the information flow through the neural microcircuits responsible for the complex information processing necessary to drive adaptive behaviors. As current theories of neuropsychiatric disease suggest that distinct dysfunctions in neural circuit performance may critically underlie the unique symptoms of these diseases, pathological alterations in synaptic plasticity mechanisms may be fundamental to the disease process. Here we consider mechanisms of both short-term and long-term plasticity of synaptic transmission and their possible roles in information processing by neural microcircuits in both health and disease. As paradigms of neuropsychiatric diseases with strongly implicated risk genes, we discuss the findings in schizophrenia and autism and consider the alterations in synaptic plasticity and network function observed in both human studies and genetic mouse models of these diseases. Together these studies have begun to point toward a likely dominant role of short-term synaptic plasticity alterations in schizophrenia while dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may be due to a combination of both short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg W. Crabtree
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph A. Gogos
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia UniversityNew York, NY, USA
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14
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Desbonnet L, O’Tuathaigh CMP, Waddington JL. Modeling schizophrenia: uncovering novel therapeutic targets. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2014; 5:667-76. [DOI: 10.1586/ecp.12.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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15
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de Bartolomeis A, Latte G, Tomasetti C, Iasevoli F. Glutamatergic postsynaptic density protein dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity and dendritic spines morphology: relevance to schizophrenia and other behavioral disorders pathophysiology, and implications for novel therapeutic approaches. Mol Neurobiol 2013; 49:484-511. [PMID: 23999870 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8534-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging researches point to a relevant role of postsynaptic density (PSD) proteins, such as PSD-95, Homer, Shank, and DISC-1, in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. The PSD is a thickness, detectable at electronic microscopy, localized at the postsynaptic membrane of glutamatergic synapses, and made by scaffolding proteins, receptors, and effector proteins; it is considered a structural and functional crossroad where multiple neurotransmitter systems converge, including the dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic ones, which are all implicated in the pathophysiology of psychosis. Decreased PSD-95 protein levels have been reported in postmortem brains of schizophrenia patients. Variants of Homer1, a key PSD protein for glutamate signaling, have been associated with schizophrenia symptoms severity and therapeutic response. Mutations in Shank gene have been recognized in autism spectrum disorder patients, as well as reported to be associated to behaviors reminiscent of schizophrenia symptoms when expressed in genetically engineered mice. Here, we provide a critical appraisal of PSD proteins role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Then, we discuss how antipsychotics may affect PSD proteins in brain regions relevant to psychosis pathophysiology, possibly by controlling synaptic plasticity and dendritic spine rearrangements through the modulation of glutamate-related targets. We finally provide a framework that may explain how PSD proteins might be useful candidates to develop new therapeutic approaches for schizophrenia and related disorders in which there is a need for new biological treatments, especially against some symptom domains, such as negative symptoms, that are poorly affected by current antipsychotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatologic Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy,
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16
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Yee BK, Singer P. A conceptual and practical guide to the behavioural evaluation of animal models of the symptomatology and therapy of schizophrenia. Cell Tissue Res 2013; 354:221-46. [PMID: 23579553 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-013-1611-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating brain disorder characterized by a complex set of perceptual and behavioural symptoms that severely disrupt and undermine the patient's psychological well-being and quality of life. Since the exact disease mechanisms remain essentially unknown, holistic animal models are indispensable tools for any serious investigation into the neurobiology of schizophrenia, including the search for remedies, prevention of the disease and possible biological markers. This review provides some practical advice to those confronted with the task of evaluating their animal models for relevance to schizophrenia, a task that inevitably involves behavioural tests with animals. To a novice, this challenge not only is a technical one but also entails attention to interpretative issues concerning validity and translational power. Here, we attempt to offer some guidance to help overcome these obstacles by drawing on our experience of diverse animal models of schizophrenia based on genetics, strain difference, brain lesions, pharmacological induction and early life developmental manipulations. The review pays equal emphasis to the general (theoretical) considerations of experimental design and the illustration of the problems related to critical test parameters and the data analysis of selected exemplar behavioural tests. Finally, the individual differences of behavioural expression in relevant tests observed in wild-type animals might offer an alternative approach in order to explore the mechanism of schizophrenia-related behavioural dysfunction at the molecular, cellular and structural levels, all of which are of more immediate relevance to cell and tissue research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Yee
- Robert Stone Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research Institute, 1225 NE Second Avenue, Portland, OR 97232, USA,
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17
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Lepagnol-Bestel AM, Kvajo M, Karayiorgou M, Simonneau M, Gogos JA. A Disc1 mutation differentially affects neurites and spines in hippocampal and cortical neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 54:84-92. [PMID: 23396153 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A balanced chromosomal translocation segregating with schizophrenia and affective disorders in a large Scottish family disrupting DISC1 implicated this gene as a susceptibility gene for major mental illness. Here we study neurons derived from a genetically engineered mouse strain with a truncating lesion disrupting the endogenous Disc1 ortholog. We provide a detailed account of the consequences of this mutation on axonal and dendritic morphogenesis as well as dendritic spine development in cultured hippocampal and cortical neurons. We show that the mutation has distinct effects on these two types of neurons, supporting a cell-type specific role of Disc1 in establishing structural connections among neurons. Moreover, using a validated antibody we provide evidence indicating that Disc1 localizes primarily to Golgi apparatus-related vesicles. Our results support the notion that in vitro cultures derived from Disc1(Tm1Kara) mice provide a valuable model for future mechanistic analysis of the cellular and biochemical effects of this mutation, and can thus serve as a platform for drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Lepagnol-Bestel
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, 630 West, 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
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18
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Gelfand Y, Kaplitt MG. Gene therapy for psychiatric disorders. World Neurosurg 2012; 80:S32.e11-8. [PMID: 23268195 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2012.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy has become of increasing interest in clinical neurosurgery with the completion of numerous clinical trials for Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and pediatric genetic disorders. With improved understanding of the dysfunctional circuitry mediating various psychiatric disorders, deep brain stimulation for refractory psychiatric diseases is being increasingly explored in human patients. These factors are likely to facilitate development of gene therapy for psychiatric diseases. Because delivery of gene therapy agents would require the same surgical techniques currently being employed for deep brain stimulation, neurosurgeons are likely to lead the development of this field, as has occurred in other areas of clinical gene therapy for neurologic disorders. We review the current state of gene therapy for psychiatric disorders and focus specifically on particular areas of promising research that may translate into human trials for depression, drug addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. Issues that are relatively unique to psychiatric gene therapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav Gelfand
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurosurgery, Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
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Mihali A, Subramani S, Kaunitz G, Rayport S, Gaisler-Salomon I. Modeling resilience to schizophrenia in genetically modified mice: a novel approach to drug discovery. Expert Rev Neurother 2012; 12:785-99. [PMID: 22853787 DOI: 10.1586/ern.12.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Complex psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, arise from a combination of genetic, developmental, environmental and social factors. These vulnerabilities can be mitigated by adaptive factors in each of these domains engendering resilience. Modeling resilience in mice using transgenic approaches offers a direct path to intervention, as resilience mutations point directly to therapeutic targets. As prototypes for this approach, we discuss the three mouse models of schizophrenia resilience, all based on modulating glutamatergic synaptic transmission. This motivates the broader development of schizophrenia resilience mouse models independent of specific pathophysiological hypotheses as a strategy for drug discovery. Three guiding validation criteria are presented. A resilience-oriented approach should identify pharmacologically tractable targets and in turn offer new insights into pathophysiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Mihali
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 62, New York, NY 10032, USA
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20
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Xu B, Hsu PK, Karayiorgou M, Gogos JA. MicroRNA dysregulation in neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunction. Neurobiol Dis 2012; 46:291-301. [PMID: 22406400 PMCID: PMC3329786 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2011] [Revised: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNA), a class of non-coding RNAs, are emerging as important modulators of neuronal development, structure and function. A connection has been established between abnormalities in miRNA expression and miRNA-mediated gene regulation and psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders as well as cognitive dysfunction. Establishment of this connection has been driven by progress in elucidating the genetic etiology of these phenotypes and has provided a context to interpret additional supporting evidence accumulating from parallel expression profiling studies in brains and peripheral blood of patients. Here we review relevant evidence that supports this connection and explore possible mechanisms that underlie the contribution of individual miRNAs and miRNA-related pathways to the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of these complex clinical phenotypes. The existing evidence provides useful hypotheses for further investigation as well as important clues for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Pei-Ken Hsu
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Joseph A. Gogos
- Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY
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21
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Drew LJ, Crabtree GW, Markx S, Stark KL, Chaverneff F, Xu B, Mukai J, Fenelon K, Hsu PK, Gogos JA, Karayiorgou M. The 22q11.2 microdeletion: fifteen years of insights into the genetic and neural complexity of psychiatric disorders. Int J Dev Neurosci 2011; 29:259-81. [PMID: 20920576 PMCID: PMC3074020 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 09/17/2010] [Accepted: 09/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last fifteen years it has become established that 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a true genetic risk factor for schizophrenia. Carriers of deletions in chromosome 22q11.2 develop schizophrenia at rate of 25-30% and such deletions account for as many as 1-2% of cases of sporadic schizophrenia in the general population. Access to a relatively homogeneous population of individuals that suffer from schizophrenia as the result of a shared etiological factor and the potential to generate etiologically valid mouse models provides an immense opportunity to better understand the pathobiology of this disease. In this review we survey the clinical literature associated with the 22q11.2 microdeletions with a focus on neuroanatomical changes. Then, we highlight results from work modeling this structural mutation in animals. The key biological pathways disrupted by the mutation are discussed and how these changes impact the structure and function of neural circuits is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Drew
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Gregg W. Crabtree
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Sander Markx
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Kimberly L. Stark
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Florence Chaverneff
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Jun Mukai
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Karine Fenelon
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Pei-Ken Hsu
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biophysical Studies, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Joseph A. Gogos
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Maria Karayiorgou
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA
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22
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Mitchell KJ. The miswired brain: making connections from neurodevelopment to psychopathology. BMC Biol 2011; 9:23. [PMID: 21489316 PMCID: PMC3076292 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-9-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/12/2011] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Mitchell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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23
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Effect of pre- versus post-weaning environmental disturbances on social behaviour in mice. Neurosci Lett 2011; 488:221-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2010] [Revised: 11/05/2010] [Accepted: 11/11/2010] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Abstract
Modeling of human neuropsychiatric disorders in animals is extremely challenging given the subjective nature of many symptoms, the lack of biomarkers and objective diagnostic tests, and the early state of the relevant neurobiology and genetics. Nonetheless, progress in understanding pathophysiology and in treatment development would benefit greatly from improved animal models. Here we review the current state of animal models of mental illness, with a focus on schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. We argue for areas of focus that might increase the likelihood of creating more useful models, at least for some disorders, and for explicit guidelines when animal models are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
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Ben Abdallah NMB, Fuss J, Trusel M, Galsworthy MJ, Bobsin K, Colacicco G, Deacon RMJ, Riva MA, Kellendonk C, Sprengel R, Lipp HP, Gass P. The puzzle box as a simple and efficient behavioral test for exploring impairments of general cognition and executive functions in mouse models of schizophrenia. Exp Neurol 2010; 227:42-52. [PMID: 20851119 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2010.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Revised: 08/12/2010] [Accepted: 09/04/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in executive functions are key features of schizophrenia. Rodent behavioral paradigms used so far to find animal correlates of such deficits require extensive effort and time. The puzzle box is a problem-solving test in which mice are required to complete escape tasks of increasing difficulty within a limited amount of time. Previous data have indicated that it is a quick but highly reliable test of higher-order cognitive functioning. We evaluated the use of the puzzle box to explore executive functioning in five different mouse models of schizophrenia: mice with prefrontal cortex and hippocampus lesions, mice treated sub-chronically with the NMDA-receptor antagonist MK-801, mice constitutively lacking the GluA1 subunit of AMPA-receptors, and mice over-expressing dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum. All mice displayed altered executive functions in the puzzle box, although the nature and extent of the deficits varied between the different models. Deficits were strongest in hippocampus-lesioned and GluA1 knockout mice, while more subtle deficits but specific to problem solving were found in the medial prefrontal-lesioned mice, MK-801-treated mice, and in mice with striatal overexpression of D2 receptors. Data from this study demonstrate the utility of the puzzle box as an effective screening tool for executive functions in general and for schizophrenia mouse models in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada M-B Ben Abdallah
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (CIMH), RG Behavioral Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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