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Luchicchi A, Muñoz‐Gonzalez G, Halperin ST, Strijbis E, van Dijk LHM, Foutiadou C, Uriac F, Bouman PM, Schouten MAN, Plemel J, 't Hart BA, Geurts JJG, Schenk GJ. Micro-diffusely abnormal white matter: An early multiple sclerosis lesion phase with intensified myelin blistering. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2024; 11:973-988. [PMID: 38425098 PMCID: PMC11021636 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.52015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic central nervous system disease whose white matter lesion origin remains debated. Recently, we reported subtle changes in the MS normal appearing white matter (NAWM), presenting with an increase in myelin blisters and myelin protein citrullination, which may recapitulate some of the prodromal degenerative processes involved in MS pathogenesis. Here, to clarify the relevance of these changes for subsequent MS myelin degeneration we explored their prevalence in WM regions characterized by subtly reduced myelination (dubbed as micro-diffusely abnormal white matter, mDAWM). METHODS We used an in-depth (immuno)histochemistry approach in 27 MS donors with histological presence of mDAWM and 5 controls. An antibody panel against degenerative markers was combined and the presence of myelin/axonal aberrations was analyzed and compared with the NAWM from the same cases/slices/regions. RESULTS mDAWM-defined areas exhibit ill-defined borders, no signs of Wallerian degeneration, and they associate with visible veins. Remarkably, such areas present with augmented myelin blister frequency, enhanced prevalence of polar myelin phospholipids, citrullination, and degradation of myelin basic protein (MBP) when compared with the NAWM. Furthermore, enhanced reactivity of microglia/macrophages against citrullinated MBP was also observed in this tissue. INTERPRETATION We report a new histologically defined early phase in MS lesion formation, namely mDAWM, which lacks signs of Wallerian pathology. These results support the prelesional nature of the mDAWM. We conceptualize that evolution to pathologically evident lesions comprises the previously documented imbalance of axo-myelinic units (myelin blistering) leading to their degeneration and immune system activation by released myelin components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Gema Muñoz‐Gonzalez
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Saar T. Halperin
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Eva Strijbis
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Department of NeurologyAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Laura H. M. van Dijk
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Chrisa Foutiadou
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Florence Uriac
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Piet M. Bouman
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Maxime A. N. Schouten
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Jason Plemel
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Bert A. 't Hart
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J. G. Geurts
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Geert J. Schenk
- Department of Anatomy and NeurosciencesAmsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical Center, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- MS Centrum Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VU Medical CenterAmsterdamthe Netherlands
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Halperin ST, ’t Hart BA, Luchicchi A, Schenk GJ. The Forgotten Brother: The Innate-like B1 Cell in Multiple Sclerosis. Biomedicines 2022; 10:606. [PMID: 35327408 PMCID: PMC8945227 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), traditionally considered a chronic autoimmune attack against the insulating myelin sheaths around axons. However, the exact etiology has not been identified and is likely multi-factorial. Recently, evidence has been accumulating that implies that autoimmune processes underlying MS may, in fact, be triggered by pathological processes initiated within the CNS. This review focuses on a relatively unexplored immune cell-the "innate-like" B1 lymphocyte. The B1 cell is a primary-natural-antibody- and anti-inflammatory-cytokine-producing cell present in the healthy brain. It has been recently shown that its frequency and function may differ between MS patients and healthy controls, but its exact involvement in the MS pathogenic process remains obscure. In this review, we propose that this enigmatic cell may play a more prominent role in MS pathology than ever imagined. We aim to shed light on the human B1 cell in health and disease, and how dysregulation in its delicate homeostatic role could impact MS. Furthermore, novel therapeutic avenues to restore B1 cells' beneficial functions will be proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.T.H.); (B.A.’t.H.)
| | - Geert J. Schenk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.T.H.); (B.A.’t.H.)
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Huitema MJD, Strijbis EMM, Luchicchi A, Bol JGJM, Plemel JR, Geurts JJG, Schenk GJ. Myelin Quantification in White Matter Pathology of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Post-Mortem Brain Samples: A New Approach for Quantifying Remyelination. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312634. [PMID: 34884445 PMCID: PMC8657470 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Repair through remyelination can be extensive, but quantification of remyelination remains challenging. To date, no method for standardized digital quantification of remyelination of MS lesions exists. This methodological study aims to present and validate a novel standardized method for myelin quantification in progressive MS brains to study myelin content more precisely. Fifty-five MS lesions in 32 tissue blocks from 14 progressive MS cases and five tissue blocks from 5 non-neurological controls were sampled. MS lesions were selected by macroscopic investigation of WM by standard histopathological methods. Tissue sections were stained for myelin with luxol fast blue (LFB) and histological assessment of de- or remyelination was performed by light microscopy. The myelin quantity was estimated with a novel myelin quantification method (MQM) in ImageJ. Three independent raters applied the MQM and the inter-rater reliability was calculated. We extended the method to diffusely appearing white matter (DAWM) and encephalitis to test potential wider applicability of the method. Inter-rater agreement was excellent (ICC = 0.96) and there was a high reliability with a lower- and upper limit of agreement up to −5.93% to 18.43% variation in myelin quantity. This study builds on the established concepts of histopathological semi-quantitative assessment of myelin and adds a novel, reliable and accurate quantitative measurement tool for the assessment of myelination in human post-mortem samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marije J. D. Huitema
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (M.J.D.H.); (A.L.); (J.G.J.M.B.); (J.J.G.G.)
| | - Eva M. M. Strijbis
- Department of Neurology, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (M.J.D.H.); (A.L.); (J.G.J.M.B.); (J.J.G.G.)
| | - John G. J. M. Bol
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (M.J.D.H.); (A.L.); (J.G.J.M.B.); (J.J.G.G.)
| | - Jason R. Plemel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada;
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - Jeroen J. G. Geurts
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (M.J.D.H.); (A.L.); (J.G.J.M.B.); (J.J.G.G.)
| | - Geert J. Schenk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (M.J.D.H.); (A.L.); (J.G.J.M.B.); (J.J.G.G.)
- Correspondence:
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't Hart BA, Luchicchi A, Schenk GJ, Stys PK, Geurts JJG. Mechanistic underpinning of an inside-out concept for autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:1709-1719. [PMID: 34156169 PMCID: PMC8351380 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuroinflammatory disease multiple sclerosis is driven by autoimmune pathology in the central nervous system. However, the trigger of the autoimmune pathogenic process is unknown. MS models in immunologically naïve, specific‐pathogen‐free bred rodents support an exogenous trigger, such as an infection. The validity of this outside–in pathogenic concept for MS has been frequently challenged by the difficulty to translate pathogenic concepts developed in these models into effective therapies for the MS patient. Studies in well‐validated non‐human primate multiple sclerosis models where, just like in humans, the autoimmune pathogenic process develops from an experienced immune system trained by prior infections, rather support an endogenous trigger. Data reviewed here corroborate the validity of this inside–out pathogenic concept for multiple sclerosis. They also provide a plausible sequence of events reminiscent of Wilkin’s primary lesion theory: (i) that autoimmunity is a physiological response of the immune system against excess antigen turnover in diseased tissue (the primary lesion) and (ii) that individuals developing autoimmune disease are (genetically predisposed) high responders against critical antigens. Data obtained in multiple sclerosis brains reveal the presence in normally appearing white matter of myelinated axons where myelin sheaths have locally dissociated from their enwrapped axon (i.e., blistering). The ensuing disintegration of axon–myelin units potentially causes the excess systemic release of post‐translationally modified myelin. Data obtained in a unique primate multiple sclerosis model revealed a core pathogenic role of T cells present in the normal repertoire, which hyper‐react to post‐translationally modified (citrullinated) myelin–oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and evoke clinical and pathological aspects of multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert A 't Hart
- Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University of Groningen, University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Geert J Schenk
- Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jeroen J G Geurts
- Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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de Kloet SF, Bruinsma B, Terra H, Heistek TS, Passchier EMJ, van den Berg AR, Luchicchi A, Min R, Pattij T, Mansvelder HD. Bi-directional regulation of cognitive control by distinct prefrontal cortical output neurons to thalamus and striatum. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1994. [PMID: 33790281 PMCID: PMC8012364 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22260-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) steers goal-directed actions and withholds inappropriate behavior. Dorsal and ventral mPFC (dmPFC/vmPFC) circuits have distinct roles in cognitive control, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we use neuroanatomical tracing techniques, in vitro electrophysiology, chemogenetics and fiber photometry in rats engaged in a 5-choice serial reaction time task to characterize dmPFC and vmPFC outputs to distinct thalamic and striatal subdomains. We identify four spatially segregated projection neuron populations in the mPFC. Using fiber photometry we show that these projections distinctly encode behavior. Postsynaptic striatal and thalamic neurons differentially process synaptic inputs from dmPFC and vmPFC, highlighting mechanisms that potentially amplify distinct pathways underlying cognitive control of behavior. Chemogenetic silencing of dmPFC and vmPFC projections to lateral and medial mediodorsal thalamus subregions oppositely regulate cognitive control. In addition, dmPFC neurons projecting to striatum and thalamus divergently regulate cognitive control. Collectively, we show that mPFC output pathways targeting anatomically and functionally distinct striatal and thalamic subregions encode bi-directional command of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybren F de Kloet
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Bastiaan Bruinsma
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Huub Terra
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tim S Heistek
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emma M J Passchier
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Neurology, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexandra R van den Berg
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rogier Min
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Neurology, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Luchicchi A, Preziosa P, 't Hart B. Editorial: "Inside-Out" vs "Outside-In" Paradigms in Multiple Sclerosis Etiopathogenesis. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:666529. [PMID: 33732113 PMCID: PMC7957074 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.666529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paolo Preziosa
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Neurology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Bert 't Hart
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Teo W, Caprariello AV, Morgan ML, Luchicchi A, Schenk GJ, Joseph JT, Geurts JJG, Stys PK. Nile Red fluorescence spectroscopy reports early physicochemical changes in myelin with high sensitivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2016897118. [PMID: 33593907 PMCID: PMC7923366 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016897118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular composition of myelin membranes determines their structure and function. Even minute changes to the biochemical balance can have profound consequences for axonal conduction and the synchronicity of neural networks. Hypothesizing that the earliest indication of myelin injury involves changes in the composition and/or polarity of its constituent lipids, we developed a sensitive spectroscopic technique for defining the chemical polarity of myelin lipids in fixed frozen tissue sections from rodent and human. The method uses a simple staining procedure involving the lipophilic dye Nile Red, whose fluorescence spectrum varies according to the chemical polarity of the microenvironment into which the dye embeds. Nile Red spectroscopy identified histologically intact yet biochemically altered myelin in prelesioned tissues, including mouse white matter following subdemyelinating cuprizone intoxication, as well as normal-appearing white matter in multiple sclerosis brain. Nile Red spectroscopy offers a relatively simple yet highly sensitive technique for detecting subtle myelin changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wulin Teo
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Andrew V Caprariello
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Megan L Morgan
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Geert J Schenk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey T Joseph
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jeroen J G Geurts
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada;
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Bergaglio T, Luchicchi A, Schenk GJ. Engine Failure in Axo-Myelinic Signaling: A Potential Key Player in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:610295. [PMID: 33642995 PMCID: PMC7902503 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.610295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complex and chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by both degenerative and inflammatory processes leading to axonal damage, demyelination, and neuronal loss. In the last decade, the traditional outside-in standpoint on MS pathogenesis, which identifies a primary autoimmune inflammatory etiology, has been challenged by a complementary inside-out theory. By focusing on the degenerative processes of MS, the axo-myelinic system may reveal new insights into the disease triggering mechanisms. Oxidative stress (OS) has been widely described as one of the means driving tissue injury in neurodegenerative disorders, including MS. Axonal mitochondria constitute the main energy source for electrically active axons and neurons and are largely vulnerable to oxidative injury. Consequently, axonal mitochondrial dysfunction might impair efficient axo-glial communication, which could, in turn, affect axonal integrity and the maintenance of axonal, neuronal, and synaptic signaling. In this review article, we argue that OS-derived mitochondrial impairment may underline the dysfunctional relationship between axons and their supportive glia cells, specifically oligodendrocytes and that this mechanism is implicated in the development of a primary cytodegeneration and a secondary pro-inflammatory response (inside-out), which in turn, together with a variably primed host’s immune system, may lead to the onset of MS and its different subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Bergaglio
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam MS Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam MS Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Geert J Schenk
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam MS Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Luchicchi A, Hart B, Frigerio I, van Dam AM, Perna L, Offerhaus HL, Stys PK, Schenk GJ, Geurts JJG. Axon-Myelin Unit Blistering as Early Event in MS Normal Appearing White Matter. Ann Neurol 2021; 89:711-725. [PMID: 33410190 PMCID: PMC8048993 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Although the prevalent view regards a CD4+‐lymphocyte autoimmune reaction against myelin at the root of the disease, recent studies propose autoimmunity as a secondary reaction to idiopathic brain damage. To gain knowledge about this possibility we investigated the presence of axonal and myelinic morphological alterations, which could implicate imbalance of axon‐myelin units as primary event in MS pathogenesis. Methods Using high resolution imaging histological brain specimens from patients with MS and non‐neurological/non‐MS controls, we explored molecular changes underpinning imbalanced interaction between axon and myelin in normal appearing white matter (NAWM), a region characterized by normal myelination and absent inflammatory activity. Results In MS brains, we detected blister‐like swellings formed by myelin detachment from axons, which were substantially less frequently retrieved in non‐neurological/non‐MS controls. Swellings in MS NAWM presented altered glutamate receptor expression, myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) distribution, and lipid biochemical composition of myelin sheaths. Changes in tethering protein expression, widening of nodes of Ranvier and altered distribution of sodium channels in nodal regions of otherwise normally myelinated axons were also present in MS NAWM. Finally, we demonstrate a significant increase, compared with controls, in citrullinated proteins in myelin of MS cases, pointing toward biochemical modifications that may amplify the immunogenicity of MS myelin. Interpretation Collectively, the impaired interaction of myelin and axons potentially leads to myelin disintegration. Conceptually, the ensuing release of (post‐translationally modified) myelin antigens may elicit a subsequent immune attack in MS. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:711–725
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bert't Hart
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Frigerio
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie van Dam
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Perna
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Herman L Offerhaus
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Peter K Stys
- Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Geert J Schenk
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J G Geurts
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Poerwoatmodjo A, Schenk GJ, Geurts JJG, Luchicchi A. Cysteine Proteases and Mitochondrial Instability: A Possible Vicious Cycle in MS Myelin? Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:612383. [PMID: 33335477 PMCID: PMC7736044 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.612383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Poerwoatmodjo
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra (UMC), Location Vrije Universiteit (VU) Medical Center, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Geert J Schenk
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra (UMC), Location Vrije Universiteit (VU) Medical Center, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J G Geurts
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra (UMC), Location Vrije Universiteit (VU) Medical Center, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Division Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra (UMC), Location Vrije Universiteit (VU) Medical Center, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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11
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Oudejans E, Luchicchi A, Strijbis EMM, Geurts JJG, van Dam AM. Is MS affecting the CNS only? Lessons from clinic to myelin pathophysiology. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2020; 8:8/1/e914. [PMID: 33234720 PMCID: PMC7803330 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000000914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
MS is regarded as a disease of the CNS where a combination of demyelination, inflammation, and axonal degeneration results in neurologic disability. However, various studies have also shown that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) can be involved in MS, expanding the consequences of this disorder outside the brain and spinal cord, and providing food for thought to the still unanswered questions about MS origin and treatment. Here, we review the emerging concept of PNS involvement in MS by looking at it from a clinical, molecular, and biochemical point of view. Clinical, pathologic, electrophysiologic, and imaging studies give evidence that the PNS is functionally affected during MS and suggest that the disease might be part of a spectrum of demyelinating disorders instead of being a distinct entity. At the molecular level, similarities between the anatomic structure of the myelin and its interaction with axons in CNS and PNS are evident. In addition, a number of biochemical alterations that affect the myelin during MS can be assumed to be shared between CNS and PNS. Involvement of the PNS as a relevant disease target in MS pathology may have consequences for reaching the diagnosis and for therapeutic approaches of patients with MS. Hence, future MS studies should pay attention to the involvement of the PNS, i.e., its myelin, in MS pathogenesis, which could advance MS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Oudejans
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences (E.O., A.L., J.J.G.G., A.-M.v.D.), Department of Neurology (E.M.M.S.), and Department of Child Neurology (E.O.), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences (E.O., A.L., J.J.G.G., A.-M.v.D.), Department of Neurology (E.M.M.S.), and Department of Child Neurology (E.O.), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | - Eva M M Strijbis
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences (E.O., A.L., J.J.G.G., A.-M.v.D.), Department of Neurology (E.M.M.S.), and Department of Child Neurology (E.O.), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J G Geurts
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences (E.O., A.L., J.J.G.G., A.-M.v.D.), Department of Neurology (E.M.M.S.), and Department of Child Neurology (E.O.), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie van Dam
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences (E.O., A.L., J.J.G.G., A.-M.v.D.), Department of Neurology (E.M.M.S.), and Department of Child Neurology (E.O.), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands.
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12
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Luchicchi A, Pattij T, Viaña JNM, de Kloet S, Marchant N. Tracing goes viral: Viruses that introduce expression of fluorescent proteins in chemically-specific neurons. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 348:109004. [PMID: 33242528 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the last century, there has been great progress in understanding how the brain works. In particular, the last two decades have been crucial in gaining more awareness over the complex functioning of neurotransmitter systems. The use of viral vectors in neuroscience has been pivotal for such development. Exploiting the properties of viral particles, modifying them according to the research needs, and making them target chemically-specific neurons, techniques such as optogenetics and chemogenetics have been developed, which could lead to a giant step toward gene therapy for brain disorders. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of some of the most widely used viral techniques in neuroscience. We will discuss advantages and disadvantages of these methods. In particular, attention is dedicated to the pivotal role played by the introduction of adeno-associated virus and the retrograde tracer canine-associated-2 Cre virus in order to achieve optimal visualization, and interrogation, of chemically-specific neuronal populations and their projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John Noel M Viaña
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081HZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, ANU College of Science, The Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Sybren de Kloet
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081HZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nathan Marchant
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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13
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Obermayer J, Luchicchi A, Heistek TS, de Kloet SF, Terra H, Bruinsma B, Mnie-Filali O, Kortleven C, Galakhova AA, Khalil AJ, Kroon T, Jonker AJ, de Haan R, van de Berg WDJ, Goriounova NA, de Kock CPJ, Pattij T, Mansvelder HD. Prefrontal cortical ChAT-VIP interneurons provide local excitation by cholinergic synaptic transmission and control attention. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5280. [PMID: 31754098 PMCID: PMC6872593 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13244-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-expressing interneurons are a subclass of vasoactive intestinal peptide (ChAT-VIP) neurons of which circuit and behavioural function are unknown. Here, we show that ChAT-VIP neurons directly excite neighbouring neurons in several layers through fast synaptic transmission of acetylcholine (ACh) in rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Both interneurons in layers (L)1-3 as well as pyramidal neurons in L2/3 and L6 receive direct inputs from ChAT-VIP neurons mediated by fast cholinergic transmission. A fraction (10-20%) of postsynaptic neurons that received cholinergic input from ChAT-VIP interneurons also received GABAergic input from these neurons. In contrast to regular VIP interneurons, ChAT-VIP neurons did not disinhibit pyramidal neurons. Finally, we show that activity of these neurons is relevant for behaviour and they control attention behaviour distinctly from basal forebrain ACh inputs. Thus, ChAT-VIP neurons are a local source of cortical ACh that directly excite neurons throughout cortical layers and contribute to attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Obermayer
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Clinical Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Tim S Heistek
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Sybren F de Kloet
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Huub Terra
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Bruinsma
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Ouissame Mnie-Filali
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Kortleven
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Anna A Galakhova
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Ayoub J Khalil
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Kroon
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
- MRC Centre-Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Allert J Jonker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Roel de Haan
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Natalia A Goriounova
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands.
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Neuroscience, The Netherlands.
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14
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Lecca S, Luchicchi A, Scherma M, Fadda P, Muntoni AL, Pistis M. Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol During Adolescence Attenuates Disruption of Dopamine Function Induced in Rats by Maternal Immune Activation. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:202. [PMID: 31551729 PMCID: PMC6743372 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of prenatal, such as maternal infections, and postnatal environmental insults (e.g., adolescent drug abuse) increases risks for psychosis, as predicted by the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia. Cannabis abuse during adolescence is widespread and is associated with increased risk of psychoses later in life. Here, we hypothesized that adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) worsens the impact of prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA) on ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine cells in rat offspring. Additionally, since substance abuse disorder is particularly prevalent among schizophrenia patients, we also tested how VTA dopamine neurons in MIA offspring respond to acute nicotine and cocaine administration. We used a model of neurodevelopmental disruption based on prenatal administration of the polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid [poly (I:C)] in rats, which activates the maternal immune system by mimicking a viral infection and induces behavioral abnormalities and disruption of dopamine transmission relevant to psychiatric disorders in the offspring. Male offspring were administered THC (or vehicle) during adolescence (PND 45–55). Once adult (PND 70–90), we recorded the spontaneous activity of dopamine neurons in the VTA and their responses to nicotine and cocaine. MIA male offspring displayed reduced number, firing rate and altered activity pattern of VTA dopamine cells. Adolescent THC attenuated several MIA-induced effects. Both prenatal [poly (I:C)] and postnatal (THC) treatments affected the response to nicotine but not to cocaine. Contrary to our expectations, adolescent THC did not worsen MIA-induced deficits. Results indicate that the impact of cannabinoids in psychosis models is complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Lecca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Maria Scherma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Paola Fadda
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy.,Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Monserrato, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marco Pistis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy.,Section of Cagliari, Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Monserrato, Italy
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15
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Obermayer J, Verhoog MB, Luchicchi A, Mansvelder HD. Cholinergic Modulation of Cortical Microcircuits Is Layer-Specific: Evidence from Rodent, Monkey and Human Brain. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:100. [PMID: 29276477 PMCID: PMC5727016 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) signaling shapes neuronal circuit development and underlies specific aspects of cognitive functions and behaviors, including attention, learning, memory and motivation. During behavior, activation of muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs and nAChRs) by ACh alters the activation state of neurons, and neuronal circuits most likely process information differently with elevated levels of ACh. In several brain regions, ACh has been shown to alter synaptic strength as well. By changing the rules for synaptic plasticity, ACh can have prolonged effects on and rearrange connectivity between neurons that outlasts its presence. From recent discoveries in the mouse, rat, monkey and human brain, a picture emerges in which the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic system targets the neocortex with much more spatial and temporal detail than previously considered. Fast cholinergic synapses acting on a millisecond time scale are abundant in the mammalian cerebral cortex, and provide BF cholinergic neurons with the possibility to rapidly alter information flow in cortical microcircuits. Finally, recent studies have outlined novel mechanisms of how cholinergic projections from the BF affect synaptic strength in several brain areas of the rodent brain, with behavioral consequences. This review highlights these exciting developments and discusses how these findings translate to human brain circuitries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Obermayer
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Matthijs B Verhoog
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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16
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Luchicchi A, Mnie-Filali O, Terra H, Bruinsma B, de Kloet SF, Obermayer J, Heistek TS, de Haan R, de Kock CPJ, Deisseroth K, Pattij T, Mansvelder HD. Sustained Attentional States Require Distinct Temporal Involvement of the Dorsal and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:70. [PMID: 27630545 PMCID: PMC5005373 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Attending the sensory environment for cue detection is a cognitive operation that occurs on a time scale of seconds. The dorsal and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) contribute to separate aspects of attentional processing. Pyramidal neurons in different parts of the mPFC are active during cognitive behavior, yet whether this activity is causally underlying attentional processing is not known. We aimed to determine the precise temporal requirements for activation of the mPFC subregions during the seconds prior to cue detection. To test this, we used optogenetic silencing of dorsal or ventral mPFC pyramidal neurons at defined time windows during a sustained attentional state. We find that the requirement of ventral mPFC pyramidal neuron activity is strictly time-locked to stimulus detection. Inhibiting the ventral mPFC 2 s before or during cue presentation reduces response accuracy and hampers behavioral inhibition. The requirement for dorsal mPFC activity on the other hand is temporally more loosely related to a preparatory attentional state, and short lapses in pyramidal neuron activity in dorsal mPFC do not affect performance. This only occurs when the dorsal mPFC is inhibited during the entire preparatory period. Together, our results reveal that a dissociable temporal recruitment of ventral and dorsal mPFC is required during attentional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ouissame Mnie-Filali
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huub Terra
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Bruinsma
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sybren F de Kloet
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joshua Obermayer
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tim S Heistek
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Roel de Haan
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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17
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Luchicchi A, Lecca S, Melis M, De Felice M, Cadeddu F, Frau R, Muntoni AL, Fadda P, Devoto P, Pistis M. Maternal Immune Activation Disrupts Dopamine System in the Offspring. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 19:pyw007. [PMID: 26819283 PMCID: PMC4966272 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyw007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In utero exposure to maternal viral infections is associated with a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders with a supposed neurodevelopmental origin, including schizophrenia. Hence, immune response factors exert a negative impact on brain maturation that predisposes the offspring to the emergence of pathological phenotypes later in life. Although ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons and their target regions play essential roles in the pathophysiology of psychoses, it remains to be fully elucidated how dopamine activity and functionality are disrupted in maternal immune activation models of schizophrenia. METHODS Here, we used an immune-mediated neurodevelopmental disruption model based on prenatal administration of the polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid in rats, which mimics a viral infection and recapitulates behavioral abnormalities relevant to psychiatric disorders in the offspring. Extracellular dopamine levels were measured by brain microdialysis in both the nucleus accumbens shell and the medial prefrontal cortex, whereas dopamine neurons in ventral tegmental area were studied by in vivo electrophysiology. RESULTS Polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid-treated animals, at adulthood, displayed deficits in sensorimotor gating, memory, and social interaction and increased baseline extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens, but not in the prefrontal cortex. In polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid rats, dopamine neurons showed reduced spontaneously firing rate and population activity. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that maternal immune activation severely impairs dopamine system and that the polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid model can be considered a proper animal model of a psychiatric condition that fulfills a multidimensional set of validity criteria predictive of a human pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marco Pistis
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy (Drs Luchicchi, Lecca, Melis, Ms De Felice, Drs Cadeddu, Frau, Fadda, Devoto, and Pistis); Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Italy (Drs Muntoni and Pistis).Present address (A.L.): Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.Present address (S.L.): Institut du Fer à Moulin, 75005, Paris, France; Inserm, UMR-S 839, 75005, Paris, France.
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18
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Sagheddu C, Aroni S, De Felice M, Lecca S, Luchicchi A, Melis M, Muntoni AL, Romano R, Palazzo E, Guida F, Maione S, Pistis M. Enhanced serotonin and mesolimbic dopamine transmissions in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Neuropharmacology 2015; 97:383-93. [PMID: 26113399 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In humans, affective consequences of neuropathic pain, ranging from depression to anxiety and anhedonia, severely impair quality of life and are a major disease burden, often requiring specific medications. Depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors have also been observed in animal models of peripheral nerve injury. Dysfunctions in central nervous system monoamine transmission have been hypothesized to underlie depressive and anxiety disorders in neuropathic pain. To assess whether these neurons display early changes in their activity that in the long-term might lead to chronicization, maladaptive plasticity and affective consequences, we carried out in vivo extracellular single unit recordings from serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and from dopamine neurons in ventral tegmental area (VTA) in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain in rats. Extracellular dopamine levels and the expression of dopamine D1, D2 receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were measured in the nucleus accumbens. We report that, two weeks following peripheral nerve injury, discharge rate of serotonin DRN neurons and burst firing of VTA dopamine cells are enhanced, when compared with sham-operated animals. We also observed higher extracellular dopamine levels and reduced expression of D2, but not D1, receptors and TH in the nucleus accumbens. Our study confirms that peripheral neuropathy induces changes in the serotonin and dopamine systems that might be the early result of chronic maladaptation to persistent pain. The allostatic activation of these neural systems, which mirrors that already described as a consequence of stress, might lead to depression and anxiety previously observed in neuropathic animals but also an attempt to cope positively with the negative experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Sagheddu
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Sonia Aroni
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marta De Felice
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Salvatore Lecca
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Miriam Melis
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rosaria Romano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, The Second University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Enza Palazzo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, The Second University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; Department of Anaesthesiology, Surgery and Emergency, The Second University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Guida
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, The Second University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Sabatino Maione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, The Second University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Pistis
- Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy; Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Section of Cagliari, Italy.
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Luchicchi A, Bloem B, Viaña JNM, Mansvelder HD, Role LW. Illuminating the role of cholinergic signaling in circuits of attention and emotionally salient behaviors. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2014; 6:24. [PMID: 25386136 PMCID: PMC4209819 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) signaling underlies specific aspects of cognitive functions and behaviors, including attention, learning, memory and motivation. Alterations in ACh signaling are involved in the pathophysiology of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. In the central nervous system, ACh transmission is mainly guaranteed by dense innervation of select cortical and subcortical regions from disperse groups of cholinergic neurons within the basal forebrain (BF; e.g., diagonal band, medial septal, nucleus basalis) and the pontine-mesencephalic nuclei, respectively. Despite the fundamental role of cholinergic signaling in the CNS and the long standing knowledge of the organization of cholinergic circuitry, remarkably little is known about precisely how ACh release modulates cortical and subcortical neural activity and the behaviors these circuits subserve. Growing interest in cholinergic signaling in the CNS focuses on the mechanism(s) of action by which endogenously released ACh regulates cognitive functions, acting as a neuromodulator and/or as a direct transmitter via nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. The development of optogenetic techniques has provided a valuable toolbox with which we can address these questions, as it allows the selective manipulation of the excitability of cholinergic inputs to the diverse array of cholinergic target fields within cortical and subcortical domains. Here, we review recent papers that use the light-sensitive opsins in the cholinergic system to elucidate the role of ACh in circuits related to attention and emotionally salient behaviors. In particular, we highlight recent optogenetic studies which have tried to disentangle the precise role of ACh in the modulation of cortical-, hippocampal- and striatal-dependent functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bernard Bloem
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands ; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John Noel M Viaña
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lorna W Role
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Wouterlood FG, Bloem B, Mansvelder HD, Luchicchi A, Deisseroth K. A fourth generation of neuroanatomical tracing techniques: exploiting the offspring of genetic engineering. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 235:331-48. [PMID: 25107853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The first three generations of neuroanatomical tract-tracing methods include, respectively, techniques exploiting degeneration, retrograde cellular transport and anterograde cellular transport. This paper reviews the most recent development in third-generation tracing, i.e., neurochemical fingerprinting based on BDA tracing, and continues with an emerging tracing technique called here 'selective fluorescent protein expression' that in our view belongs to an entirely new 'fourth-generation' class. Tracing techniques in this class lean on gene expression technology designed to 'label' projections exclusively originating from neurons expressing a very specific molecular phenotype. Genetically engineered mice that express cre-recombinase in a neurochemically specific neuronal population receive into a brain locus of interest an injection of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying a double-floxed promoter-eYFP DNA sequence. After transfection this sequence is expressed only in neurons metabolizing recombinase protein. These particular neurons promptly start manufacturing the fluorescent protein which then accumulates and labels to full detail all the neuronal processes, including fibers and terminal arborizations. All other neurons remain optically 'dark'. The AAV is not replicated by the neurons, prohibiting intracerebral spread of 'infection'. The essence is that the fiber projections of discrete subpopulations of neurochemically specific neurons can be traced in full detail. One condition is that the transgenic mouse strain is recombinase-perfect. We illustrate selective fluorescent protein expression in parvalbumin-cre (PV-cre) mice and choline acetyltransferase-cre (ChAT-cre) mice. In addition we compare this novel tracing technique with observations in brains of native PV mice and ChAT-GFP mice. We include a note on tracing techniques using viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris G Wouterlood
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Bernard Bloem
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Bioengineering Department, James E. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Luchicchi A, Pistis M. Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol: Pharmacological Properties, Functional Features, and Emerging Specificities of the Two Major Endocannabinoids. Mol Neurobiol 2012; 46:374-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-012-8299-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Panlilio LV, Justinova Z, Mascia P, Pistis M, Luchicchi A, Lecca S, Barnes C, Redhi GH, Adair J, Heishman SJ, Yasar S, Aliczki M, Haller J, Goldberg SR. Novel use of a lipid-lowering fibrate medication to prevent nicotine reward and relapse: preclinical findings. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1838-47. [PMID: 22453137 PMCID: PMC3376316 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Experimental drugs that activate α-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα) have recently been shown to reduce the rewarding effects of nicotine in animals, but these drugs have not been approved for human use. The fibrates are a class of PPARα-activating medications that are widely prescribed to improve lipid profiles and prevent cardiovascular disease, but these drugs have not been tested in animal models of nicotine reward. Here, we examine the effects of clofibrate, a representative of the fibrate class, on reward-related behavioral, electrophysiological, and neurochemical effects of nicotine in rats and squirrel monkeys. Clofibrate prevented the acquisition of nicotine-taking behavior in naive animals, substantially decreased nicotine taking in experienced animals, and counteracted the relapse-inducing effects of re-exposure to nicotine or nicotine-associated cues after a period of abstinence. In the central nervous system, clofibrate blocked nicotine's effects on neuronal firing in the ventral tegmental area and on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens shell. All of these results suggest that fibrate medications might promote smoking cessation. The fact that fibrates are already approved for human use could expedite clinical trials and subsequent implementation of fibrates as a treatment for tobacco dependence, especially in smokers with abnormal lipid profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh V Panlilio
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zuzana Justinova
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paola Mascia
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marco Pistis
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Lecca
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Chanel Barnes
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Godfrey H Redhi
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan Adair
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephen J Heishman
- Intramural Research Program, Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sevil Yasar
- Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mano Aliczki
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Science, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jozsef Haller
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Science, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Steven R Goldberg
- Intramural Research Program, Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA,National Institute on Drug Abuse, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA, Tel: +1 443 740 2519; Fax: +1 443 740 2733; E-mail:
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Lecca S, Melis M, Luchicchi A, Muntoni AL, Pistis M. Inhibitory inputs from rostromedial tegmental neurons regulate spontaneous activity of midbrain dopamine cells and their responses to drugs of abuse. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1164-76. [PMID: 22169942 PMCID: PMC3306878 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a structure located just posterior to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), is an important site involved in aversion processes. The RMTg contains γ-aminobutyric acid neurons responding to noxious stimuli, densely innervated by the lateral habenula and providing a major inhibitory projection to reward-encoding dopamine (DA) neurons in the VTA. Here, we studied how RMTg neurons regulate both spontaneous firing of DA cells and their response to the cannabinoid agonist WIN55212-2 (WIN), morphine, cocaine, and nicotine. We utilized single-unit extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats and whole-cell patch clamp recordings in brain slices to study RMTg-induced inhibition of DA cells and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked by stimulation of caudal afferents, respectively. The electrical stimulation of the RMTg elicited a complete suppression of spontaneous activity in approximately half of the DA neurons examined. RMTg-induced inhibition correlated with firing rate and pattern of DA neurons and with their response to a noxious stimulus, highlighting that inhibitory inputs from the RMTg strongly control spontaneous activity of DA cells. Both morphine and WIN depressed RMTg-induced inhibition of DA neurons in vivo and IPSCs evoked by RMTg stimulation in brain slices with presynaptic mechanisms. Conversely, neither cocaine nor nicotine modulated DA neuron responses to RMTg stimulation. Our results further support the role of the RMTg as one of the main inhibitory afferents to DA cells and suggest that cannabinoids and opioids might disinhibit DA neurons by profoundly influencing synaptic responses evoked by RMTg activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Lecca
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Miriam Melis
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,CNR Neuroscience Institute-Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marco Pistis
- BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,CNR Neuroscience Institute-Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,BB Brodie Department of Neuroscience, Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Monserrato, CA 09042, Italy, Tel: +39 070 675 4324, Fax: +39 070 675 4320, E-mail:
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Mascia P, Pistis M, Justinova Z, Panlilio LV, Luchicchi A, Lecca S, Scherma M, Fratta W, Fadda P, Barnes C, Redhi GH, Yasar S, Le Foll B, Tanda G, Piomelli D, Goldberg SR. Blockade of nicotine reward and reinstatement by activation of alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 69:633-41. [PMID: 20801430 PMCID: PMC2994947 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2010] [Revised: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent findings indicate that inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) counteract the rewarding effects of nicotine in rats. Inhibition of FAAH increases levels of several endogenous substances in the brain, including the endocannabinoid anandamide and the noncannabinoid fatty acid ethanolamides oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide, which are ligands for alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptors (PPAR-α). Here, we evaluated whether directly acting PPAR-α agonists can modulate reward-related effects of nicotine. METHODS We combined behavioral, neurochemical, and electrophysiological approaches to evaluate effects of the PPAR-α agonists [[4-Chloro-6-[(2,3-dimethylphenyl)amino]-2-pyrimidinyl]thio]acetic acid (WY14643) and methyl oleoylethanolamide (methOEA; a long-lasting form of OEA) on 1) nicotine self-administration in rats and squirrel monkeys; 2) reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behavior in rats and monkeys; 3) nicotine discrimination in rats; 4) nicotine-induced electrophysiological activity of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in anesthetized rats; and 5) nicotine-induced elevation of dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell of freely moving rats. RESULTS The PPAR-α agonists dose-dependently decreased nicotine self-administration and nicotine-induced reinstatement in rats and monkeys but did not alter food- or cocaine-reinforced operant behavior or the interoceptive effects of nicotine. The PPAR-α agonists also dose-dependently decreased nicotine-induced excitation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area and nicotine-induced elevations of dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell of rats. The ability of WY14643 and methOEA to counteract the behavioral, electrophysiological, and neurochemical effects of nicotine was reversed by the PPAR-α antagonist 1-[(4-Chlorophenyl)methyl]-3-[(1,1-dimethylethyl)thio]-a,a-dimethyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-1H-Indole-2-propanoic acid (MK886). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that PPAR-α might provide a valuable new target for antismoking medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Mascia
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Medications Discovery Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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Lecca S, Melis M, Luchicchi A, Ennas MG, Castelli MP, Muntoni AL, Pistis M. Effects of drugs of abuse on putative rostromedial tegmental neurons, inhibitory afferents to midbrain dopamine cells. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:589-602. [PMID: 21048703 PMCID: PMC3055682 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent findings have underlined the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a structure located caudally to the ventral tegmental area, as an important site involved in the mechanisms of aversion. RMTg contains γ-aminobutyric acid neurons responding to noxious stimuli, densely innervated by the lateral habenula and providing a major inhibitory projection to reward-encoding midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. One of the key features of drug addiction is the perseverance of drug seeking in spite of negative and unpleasant consequences, likely mediated by response suppression within neural pathways mediating aversion. To investigate whether the RMTg has a function in the mechanisms of addicting drugs, we studied acute effects of morphine, cocaine, the cannabinoid agonist WIN55212-2 (WIN), and nicotine on putative RMTg neurons. We utilized single unit extracellular recordings in anesthetized rats and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in brain slices to identify and characterize putative RMTg neurons and their responses to drugs of abuse. Morphine and WIN inhibited both firing rate in vivo and excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked by stimulation of rostral afferents in vitro, whereas cocaine inhibited discharge activity without affecting EPSC amplitude. Conversely, nicotine robustly excited putative RMTg neurons and enhanced EPSCs, an effect mediated by α7-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Our results suggest that activity of RMTg neurons is profoundly influenced by drugs of abuse and, as important inhibitory afferents to midbrain DA neurons, they might take place in the complex interplay between the neural circuits mediating aversion and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Lecca
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Miriam Melis
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonio Luchicchi
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | | | - Maria Paola Castelli
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,C.N.R. Neuroscience Institute-Cagliari, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marco Pistis
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy,B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, Center of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Monserrato (CA) 09042, Italy. Tel: +39 070 675 4324; Fax: +39 070 675 4320; E-mail:
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Luchicchi A, Lecca S, Carta S, Pillolla G, Muntoni AL, Yasar S, Goldberg SR, Pistis M. Effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition on neuronal responses to nicotine, cocaine and morphine in the nucleus accumbens shell and ventral tegmental area: involvement of PPAR-alpha nuclear receptors. Addict Biol 2010; 15:277-88. [PMID: 20477753 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2010.00222.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system regulates neurotransmission in brain regions relevant to neurobiological and behavioral actions of addicting drugs. We recently demonstrated that inhibition by URB597 of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the main enzyme that degrades the endogenous cannabinoid N-acylethanolamine (NAE) anandamide and the endogenous non-cannabinoid NAEs oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide, blocks nicotine-induced excitation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons and DA release in the shell of the nucleus accumbens (ShNAc), as well as nicotine-induced drug self-administration, conditioned place preference and relapse in rats. Here, we studied whether effects of FAAH inhibition on nicotine-induced changes in activity of VTA DA neurons were specific for nicotine or extended to two drugs of abuse acting through different mechanisms, cocaine and morphine. We also evaluated whether FAAH inhibition affects nicotine-, cocaine- or morphine-induced actions in the ShNAc. Experiments involved single-unit electrophysiological recordings from DA neurons in the VTA and medium spiny neurons in the ShNAc in anesthetized rats. We found that URB597 blocked effects of nicotine and cocaine in the ShNAc through activation of both surface cannabinoid CB1-receptors and alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptor. URB597 did not alter the effects of either cocaine or morphine on VTA DA neurons. These results show that the blockade of nicotine-induced excitation of VTA DA neurons, which we previously described, is selective for nicotine and indicate novel mechanisms recruited to regulate the effects of addicting drugs within the ShNAc of the brain reward system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy
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Perra S, Pillolla G, Luchicchi A, Pistis M. Alcohol inhibits spontaneous activity of basolateral amygdala projection neurons in the rat: involvement of the endocannabinoid system. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2008; 32:443-9. [PMID: 18215217 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00588.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large body of evidence indicates that the limbic system is involved in the neural processing underlying drug addiction. Among limbic regions, the basolateral nucleus of amygdala (BLA) is implicated in some aspects of the neurobiological mechanisms of drugs of abuse, including alcohol and cannabinoids. It is recently emerging that the endocannabinoid system is involved in many pharmacological and behavioral effects of alcohol. The BLA possesses a very high density of CB1 cannabinoid receptors, and endocannabinoids modulate forms of synaptic plasticity in this region. The aims of our study were first to investigate in vivo the sensitivity of BLA pyramidal neurons to alcohol and second to determine the role of the endocannabinoid system in the acute effects of alcohol. METHODS We utilized extracellular single cell recordings in urethane anesthetized rats from BLA principal neurons, antidromically identified from their projection site in the nucleus accumbens. RESULTS Alcohol (0.25 to 2.0 g/kg i.v.) induced a marked decrease in the spontaneous firing rate of BLA projecting neurons (51.1 +/- 16% of baseline at 0.5 g/kg alcohol, p < 0.0001). The involvement of the endogenous cannabinoid system was investigated by administering the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A (rimonabant, SR) (1.0 mg/kg i.v.) before alcohol. SR per se did not significantly affect firing rate of BLA neurons, but it prevented the inhibition produced by alcohol (98 +/- 18% of baseline firing at 0.5 g/kg alcohol, p < 0.01). Then, we studied the actions of alcohol following a chronic treatment with the CB1 agonist WIN55212-2 (WIN). Animals were administered WIN for 6.5 days (2.0 mg/kg, i.p. twice daily) and alcohol dose-response curves were carried out on firing rate of BLA neurons 24 hours following the last injection of the cannabinoid agonist. In WIN-treated animals the inhibitory effect of alcohol was significantly reduced as compared with controls (95 +/- 16% of baseline firing at 0.5 g/kg, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence of the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the effects of alcohol on BLA projection neurons. They also further point to the endocannabinoid system as a possible molecular target in the treatment of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Perra
- B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience and Centre of Excellence for Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (CA), Italy
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