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Vasilkovska T, Salajeghe S, Vanreusel V, Van Audekerke J, Verschuuren M, Hirschler L, Warnking J, Pintelon I, Pustina D, Cachope R, Mrzljak L, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Barbier EL, De Vos WH, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Longitudinal alterations in brain perfusion and vascular reactivity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:37. [PMID: 38627751 PMCID: PMC11022401 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is marked by a CAG-repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene that causes neuronal dysfunction and loss, affecting mainly the striatum and the cortex. Alterations in the neurovascular coupling system have been shown to lead to dysregulated energy supply to brain regions in several neurological diseases, including HD, which could potentially trigger the process of neurodegeneration. In particular, it has been observed in cross-sectional human HD studies that vascular alterations are associated to impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF). To assess whether whole-brain changes in CBF are present and follow a pattern of progression, we investigated both resting-state brain perfusion and vascular reactivity longitudinally in the zQ175DN mouse model of HD. METHODS Using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling (pCASL) MRI in the zQ175DN model of HD and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice, we assessed whole-brain, resting-state perfusion at 3, 6 and 9 and 13 months of age, and assessed hypercapnia-induced cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), at 4.5, 6, 9 and 15 months of age. RESULTS We found increased perfusion in cortical regions of zQ175DN HET mice at 3 months of age, and a reduction of this anomaly at 6 and 9 months, ages at which behavioural deficits have been reported. On the other hand, under hypercapnia, CBF was reduced in zQ175DN HET mice as compared to the WT: for multiple brain regions at 6 months of age, for only somatosensory and retrosplenial cortices at 9 months of age, and brain-wide by 15 months. CVR impairments in cortical regions, the thalamus and globus pallidus were observed in zQ175DN HET mice at 9 months, with whole brain reactivity diminished at 15 months of age. Interestingly, blood vessel density was increased in the motor cortex at 3 months, while average vessel length was reduced in the lateral portion of the caudate putamen at 6 months of age. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal early cortical resting-state hyperperfusion and impaired CVR at ages that present motor anomalies in this HD model, suggesting that further characterization of brain perfusion alterations in animal models is warranted as a potential therapeutic target in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Vasilkovska
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Somaie Salajeghe
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Verdi Vanreusel
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marlies Verschuuren
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lydiane Hirschler
- C.J. Gorter MRI Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Warnking
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Isabel Pintelon
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dorian Pustina
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ladislav Mrzljak
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Present Address: Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Present Address: Cajal Neuroscience Inc, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emmanuel L Barbier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp Centre for Advanced Microscopy, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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2
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Vidas-Guscic N, van Rijswijk J, Van Audekerke J, Jeurissen B, Nnah I, Tang H, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Pustina D, Cachope R, Van der Linden A, Bertoglio D, Verhoye M. Diffusion MRI marks progressive alterations in fiber integrity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106438. [PMID: 38365045 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor and cognitive abilities. Multiple studies have found white matter anomalies in HD-affected humans and animal models of HD. The identification of sensitive white-matter-based biomarkers in HD animal models will be important in understanding disease mechanisms and testing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Here we investigated the progression of white matter deficits in the knock-in zQ175DN heterozygous (HET) mouse model of HD at 3, 6 and 11 months of age (M), reflecting different states of phenotypic progression. We compared findings from traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced fixel-based analysis (FBA) diffusion metrics for their sensitivity in detecting white matter anomalies in the striatum, motor cortex, and segments of the corpus callosum. FBA metrics revealed progressive and widespread reductions of fiber cross-section and fiber density in myelinated bundles of HET mice. The corpus callosum genu was the most affected structure in HET mice at 6 and 11 M based on the DTI and FBA metrics, while the striatum showed the earliest progressive differences starting at 3 M based on the FBA metrics. Overall, FBA metrics detected earlier and more prominent alterations in myelinated fiber bundles compared to the DTI metrics. Luxol fast blue staining showed no loss in myelin density, indicating that diffusion anomalies could not be explained by myelin reduction but diffusion anomalies in HET mice were accompanied by increased levels of neurofilament light chain protein at 11 M. Altogether, our findings reveal progressive alterations in myelinated fiber bundles that can be measured using diffusion MRI, representing a candidate noninvasive imaging biomarker to study phenotype progression and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in zQ175DN mice. Moreover, our study exposed higher sensitivity of FBA than DTI metrics, suggesting a potential benefit of adopting these advanced metrics in other contexts, including biomarker development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Vidas-Guscic
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Joëlle van Rijswijk
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ben Jeurissen
- μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Israel Nnah
- Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury, MA, United states
| | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Dorian Pustina
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Daniele Bertoglio
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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3
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Adhikari MH, Vasilkovska T, Cachope R, Tang H, Liu L, Keliris GA, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Pustina D, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Longitudinal investigation of changes in resting-state co-activation patterns and their predictive ability in the zQ175 DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10194. [PMID: 37353500 PMCID: PMC10290061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36812-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded (≥ 40) glutamine-encoding CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene, which leads to dysfunction and death of predominantly striatal and cortical neurons. While the genetic profile and clinical signs and symptoms of the disease are better known, changes in the functional architecture of the brain, especially before the clinical expression becomes apparent, are not fully and consistently characterized. In this study, we sought to uncover functional changes in the brain in the heterozygous (HET) zQ175 delta-neo (DN) mouse model at 3, 6, and 10 months of age, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). This mouse model shows molecular, cellular and circuitry alterations that worsen through age. Motor function disturbances are manifested in this model at 6 and 10 months of age. Specifically, we investigated, longitudinally, changes in co-activation patterns (CAPs) that are the transient states of brain activity constituting the resting-state networks (RSNs). Most robust changes in the temporal properties of CAPs occurred at the 10-months time point; the durations of two anti-correlated CAPs, characterized by simultaneous co-activation of default-mode like network (DMLN) and co-deactivation of lateral-cortical network (LCN) and vice-versa, were reduced in the zQ175 DN HET animals compared to the wild-type mice. Changes in the spatial properties, measured in terms of activation levels of different brain regions, during CAPs were found at all three ages and became progressively more pronounced at 6-, and 10 months of age. We then assessed the cross-validated predictive power of CAP metrics to distinguish HET animals from controls. Spatial properties of CAPs performed significantly better than the chance level at all three ages with 80% classification accuracy at 6 and 10 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit H Adhikari
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Tamara Vasilkovska
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management for CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management for CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management for CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Georgios A Keliris
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | | | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- µNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Vasilkovska T, Adhikari M, Van Audekerke J, Salajeghe S, Pustina D, Cachope R, Tang H, Liu L, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Resting-state fMRI reveals longitudinal alterations in brain network connectivity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 181:106095. [PMID: 36963694 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is an autosomal, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene. Neuronal degeneration and dysfunction that precedes regional atrophy result in the impairment of striatal and cortical circuits that affect the brain's large-scale network functionality. However, the evolution of these disease-driven, large-scale connectivity alterations is still poorly understood. Here we used resting-state fMRI to investigate functional connectivity changes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease in several relevant brain networks and how they are affected at different ages that follow a disease-like phenotypic progression. Towards this, we used the heterozygous (HET) form of the zQ175DN Huntington's disease mouse model that recapitulates aspects of human disease pathology. Seed- and Region-based analyses were performed at different ages, on 3-, 6-, 10-, and 12-month-old HET and age-matched wild-type mice. Our results demonstrate decreased connectivity starting at 6 months of age, most prominently in regions such as the retrosplenial and cingulate cortices, pertaining to the default mode-like network and auditory and visual cortices, part of the associative cortical network. At 12 months, we observe a shift towards decreased connectivity in regions such as the somatosensory cortices, pertaining to the lateral cortical network, and the caudate putamen, a constituent of the subcortical network. Moreover, we assessed the impact of distinct Huntington's Disease-like pathology of the zQ175DN HET mice on age-dependent connectivity between different brain regions and networks where we demonstrate that connectivity strength follows a nonlinear, inverted U-shape pattern, a well-known phenomenon of development and normal aging. Conversely, the neuropathologically driven alteration of connectivity, especially in the default mode and associative cortical networks, showed diminished age-dependent evolution of functional connectivity. These findings reveal that in this Huntington's disease model, altered connectivity starts with cortical network aberrations which precede striatal connectivity changes, that appear only at a later age. Taken together, these results suggest that the age-dependent cortical network dysfunction seen in rodents could represent a relevant pathological process in Huntington's disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Vasilkovska
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Mohit Adhikari
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Somaie Salajeghe
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; μNEURO Research Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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5
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Ladduwahetty T, Lee MR, Maillard MC, Cachope R, Todd D, Barnes M, Beaumont V, Chauhan A, Gallati C, Haughan AF, Kempf G, Luckhurst CA, Matthews K, McAllister G, Mitchell P, Patel H, Rose M, Saville-Stones E, Steinbacher S, Stott AJ, Thatcher E, Tierney J, Urbonas L, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C. Identification of a Potent, Selective, and Brain-Penetrant Rho Kinase Inhibitor and its Activity in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. J Med Chem 2022; 65:9819-9845. [PMID: 35816678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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
The Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of several conditions, including neurological diseases. In Huntington's disease (HD), ROCK is implicated in mutant huntingtin (HTT) aggregation and neurotoxicity, and members of the ROCK pathway are increased in HD mouse models and patients. To validate this mode of action as a potential treatment for HD, we sought a potent, selective, central nervous system (CNS)-penetrant ROCK inhibitor. Identifying a compound that could be dosed orally in mice with selectivity against other AGC kinases, including protein kinase G (PKG), whose inhibition could potentially activate the ROCK pathway, was paramount for the program. We describe the optimization of published ligands to identify a novel series of ROCK inhibitors based on a piperazine core. Morphing of the early series developed in-house by scaffold hopping enabled the identification of a compound exhibiting high potency and desired selectivity and demonstrating a robust pharmacodynamic (PD) effect by the inhibition of ROCK-mediated substrate (MYPT1) phosphorylation after oral dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammy Ladduwahetty
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Matthew R Lee
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Michel C Maillard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Daniel Todd
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Michael Barnes
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Alka Chauhan
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Caroline Gallati
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Alan F Haughan
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Georg Kempf
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Kim Matthews
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - George McAllister
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Philip Mitchell
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Hiral Patel
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Mark Rose
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | | | - Stefan Steinbacher
- Proteros Biostructures GmbH, Bunsenstr. 7a, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andrew J Stott
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Emma Thatcher
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Jason Tierney
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Liudvikas Urbonas
- Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Ignacio Munoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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6
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Van de Poël A, Toledo-Sherman L, Breccia P, Cachope R, Bate JR, Angulo-Herrera I, Wishart G, Matthews KL, Martin SL, Peacock M, Barnard A, Cox HC, Jones G, McAllister G, Vater H, Esmieu W, Clissold C, Lamers M, Leonard P, Jarvis RE, Blackaby W, Eznarriaga M, Lazari O, Yates D, Rose M, Jang SW, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C. Structure-Based Exploration of Selectivity for ATM Inhibitors in Huntington's Disease. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5018-5036. [PMID: 33783225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Our group has recently shown that brain-penetrant ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase inhibitors may have potential as novel therapeutics for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD). However, the previously described pyranone-thioxanthenes (e.g., 4) failed to afford selectivity over a vacuolar protein sorting 34 (Vps34) kinase, an important kinase involved with autophagy. Given that impaired autophagy has been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases such as HD, achieving selectivity over Vps34 became an important objective for our program. Here, we report the successful selectivity optimization of ATM over Vps34 by using X-ray crystal structures of a Vps34-ATM protein chimera where the Vps34 ATP-binding site was mutated to approximate that of an ATM kinase. The morpholino-pyridone and morpholino-pyrimidinone series that resulted as a consequence of this selectivity optimization process have high ATM potency and good oral bioavailability and have lower molecular weight, reduced lipophilicity, higher aqueous solubility, and greater synthetic tractability compared to the pyranone-thioxanthenes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Perla Breccia
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Jennifer R Bate
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | | | - Grant Wishart
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Kim L Matthews
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Sarah L Martin
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Marcus Peacock
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Amy Barnard
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Helen C Cox
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Graham Jones
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - George McAllister
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Huw Vater
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - William Esmieu
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Cole Clissold
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Marieke Lamers
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Philip Leonard
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Rebecca E Jarvis
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Wesley Blackaby
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Maria Eznarriaga
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Ovadia Lazari
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Dawn Yates
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Mark Rose
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Sung-Wook Jang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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7
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Cachope R, Pereda AE. Regulatory Roles of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors on Synaptic Communication Mediated by Gap Junctions. Neuroscience 2020; 456:85-94. [PMID: 32619474 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Variations of synaptic strength are thought to underlie forms of learning and can functionally reshape neural circuits. Metabotropic glutamate receptors play key roles in regulating the strength of chemical synapses. However, information within neural circuits is also conveyed via a second modality of transmission: gap junction-mediated synapses. We review here evidence indicating that metabotropic glutamate receptors also play important roles in the regulation of synaptic communication mediated by neuronal gap junctions, also known as 'electrical synapses'. Activity-driven interactions between metabotropic glutamate receptors and neuronal gap junctions can lead to long-term changes in the strength of electrical synapses. Further, the regulatory action of metabotropic glutamate receptors on neuronal gap junctions is not restricted to adulthood but is also of critical relevance during brain development and contributes to the pathological mechanisms that follow brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- CHDI Foundation, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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8
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Zlebnik NE, Gildish I, Sesia T, Fitoussi A, Cole EA, Carson BP, Cachope R, Cheer JF. Motivational Impairment is Accompanied by Corticoaccumbal Dysfunction in the BACHD-Tg5 Rat Model of Huntington's Disease. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:4763-4774. [PMID: 30753343 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 06/09/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as avolition, apathy, and anhedonia, precede the onset of debilitating motor symptoms in Huntington's disease (HD), and their development may give insight into early disease progression and treatment. However, the neuronal and circuit mechanisms of premanifest HD pathophysiology are not well-understood. Here, using a transgenic rat model expressing the full-length human mutant HD gene, we find early and profound deficits in reward motivation in the absence of gross motor abnormalities. These deficits are accompanied by significant and progressive dysfunction in corticostriatal processing and communication among brain areas critical for reward-driven behavior. Together, our results define early corticostriatal dysfunction as a possible pathogenic contributor to psychiatric disturbances and may help identify potential pharmacotherapeutic targets for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie E Zlebnik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Iness Gildish
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thibaut Sesia
- Department of Stereotaxy and Functional Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62 Cologne, Germany
| | - Aurelie Fitoussi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ellen A Cole
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian P Carson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA.,CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St., Baltimore, MD, USA
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9
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Toledo-Sherman L, Breccia P, Cachope R, Bate JR, Angulo-Herrera I, Wishart G, Matthews KL, Martin SL, Cox HC, McAllister G, Penrose SD, Vater H, Esmieu W, Van de Poël A, Van de Bospoort R, Strijbosch A, Lamers M, Leonard P, Jarvis RE, Blackaby W, Barnes K, Eznarriaga M, Dowler S, Smith GD, Fischer DF, Lazari O, Yates D, Rose M, Jang SW, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Dominguez C. Optimization of Potent and Selective Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Inhibitors Suitable for a Proof-of-Concept Study in Huntington’s Disease Models. J Med Chem 2019; 62:2988-3008. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Toledo-Sherman
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Perla Breccia
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Jennifer R. Bate
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | | | - Grant Wishart
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Kim L. Matthews
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Sarah L. Martin
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Helen C. Cox
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - George McAllister
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | | | - Huw Vater
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - William Esmieu
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | | | | | | | - Marieke Lamers
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Philip Leonard
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Rebecca E. Jarvis
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Wesley Blackaby
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Karen Barnes
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Maria Eznarriaga
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Simon Dowler
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Graham D. Smith
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - David F. Fischer
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Ovadia Lazari
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Dawn Yates
- Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K
| | - Mark Rose
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Sung-Wook Jang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
| | - Celia Dominguez
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045, United States
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10
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Perez-Rosello T, Gelman S, Tombaugh G, Cachope R, Beaumont V, Surmeier DJ. Enhanced striatopallidal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor transmission in mouse models of huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2019; 34:684-696. [PMID: 30726572 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. This mutation leads to progressive dysfunction that is largely attributable to dysfunction of the striatum. The earliest signs of striatal pathology in HD are found in indirect pathway gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic spiny projection neurons that innervate the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe). What is less clear is whether the synaptic coupling of spiny projection neurons with GPe neurons changes in HD. OBJECTIVES The principal goal of this study was to determine whether striatopallidal synaptic transmission was altered in 2 mouse models of HD. METHODS Striatopallidal synaptic transmission was studied using electrophysiological and optogenetic approaches in ex vivo brain slices from 2 HD models: Q175 heterozygous (het) and R6/2 mice. RESULTS Striatopallidal synaptic transmission increased in strength with the progression of behavioral deficits in Q175 and R6/2 mice. The alteration in synaptic transmission was evident in both prototypical and arkypallidal GPe neurons. This change did not appear attributable to an increase in the probability of GABA release but, rather, to an enhancement in the postsynaptic response to GABA released at synaptic sites. This alteration significantly increased the ability of striatopallidal axon terminals to pause ongoing GPe activity. CONCLUSIONS In 2 mouse models of HD, striatopallidal synaptic transmission increased in parallel with the progression of behavioral deficits. This adaptation could compensate in part for the concomitant deficit in the ability of corticostriatal signals to activate spiny projection neurons and pause GPe activity. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Perez-Rosello
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - D James Surmeier
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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11
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Wang HL, Zhang S, Qi J, Wang H, Cachope R, Mejias-Aponte CA, Gomez JA, Mateo-Semidey GE, Beaudoin GMJ, Paladini CA, Cheer JF, Morales M. Dorsal Raphe Dual Serotonin-Glutamate Neurons Drive Reward by Establishing Excitatory Synapses on VTA Mesoaccumbens Dopamine Neurons. Cell Rep 2019; 26:1128-1142.e7. [PMID: 30699344 PMCID: PMC6489450 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [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: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dorsal raphe (DR) serotonin neurons provide a major input to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here, we show that DR serotonin transporter (SERT) neurons establish both asymmetric and symmetric synapses on VTA dopamine neurons, but most of these synapses are asymmetric. Moreover, the DR-SERT terminals making asymmetric synapses on VTA dopamine neurons coexpress vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3; transporter for accumulation of glutamate for its synaptic release), suggesting the excitatory nature of these synapses. VTA photoactivation of DR-SERT fibers promotes conditioned place preference, elicits excitatory currents on mesoaccumbens dopamine neurons, increases their firing, and evokes dopamine release in nucleus accumbens. These effects are blocked by VTA inactivation of glutamate and serotonin receptors, supporting the idea of glutamate release in VTA from dual DR SERT-VGluT3 inputs. Our findings suggest a path-specific input from DR serotonergic neurons to VTA that promotes reward by the release of glutamate and activation of mesoaccumbens dopamine neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electron Microscopy Core, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jia Qi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Jorge A Gomez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Gerard M J Beaudoin
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Carlos A Paladini
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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12
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Piiponniemi TO, Parkkari T, Heikkinen T, Puoliväli J, Park LC, Cachope R, Kopanitsa MV. Impaired Performance of the Q175 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease in the Touch Screen Paired Associates Learning Task. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:226. [PMID: 30333735 PMCID: PMC6176131 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive disturbances often predate characteristic motor dysfunction in individuals with Huntington’s disease (HD) and place an increasing burden on the HD patients and caregivers with the progression of the disorder. Therefore, application of maximally translational cognitive tests to animal models of HD is imperative for the development of treatments that could alleviate cognitive decline in human patients. Here, we examined the performance of the Q175 mouse knock-in model of HD in the touch screen version of the paired associates learning (PAL) task. We found that 10–11-month-old heterozygous Q175 mice had severely attenuated learning curve in the PAL task, which was conceptually similar to previously documented impaired performance of individuals with HD in the PAL task of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Besides high rate of errors in PAL task, Q175 mice exhibited considerably lower responding rate than age-matched wild-type (WT) animals. Our examination of effortful operant responding during fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) reinforcement schedules in a separate cohort of similar age confirmed slower and unselective performance of mutant animals, as observed during PAL task, but suggested that motivation to work for nutritional reward in the touch screen setting was similar in Q175 and WT mice. We also demonstrated that pronounced sensorimotor disturbances in Q175 mice can be detected at early touch screen testing stages, (e.g., during “Punish Incorrect” phase of operant pretraining), so we propose that shorter test routines may be utilised for more expedient studies of treatments aimed at the rescue of HD-related phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Larry C Park
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maksym V Kopanitsa
- Charles River Discovery Services, Kuopio, Finland.,UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Mateo Y, Johnson KA, Covey DP, Atwood BK, Wang HL, Zhang S, Gildish I, Cachope R, Bellocchio L, Guzmán M, Morales M, Cheer JF, Lovinger DM. Endocannabinoid Actions on Cortical Terminals Orchestrate Local Modulation of Dopamine Release in the Nucleus Accumbens. Neuron 2017; 96:1112-1126.e5. [PMID: 29216450 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [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: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) transmission mediates numerous aspects of behavior. Although DA release is strongly linked to firing of DA neurons, recent developments indicate the importance of presynaptic modulation at striatal dopaminergic terminals. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system regulates DA release and is a canonical gatekeeper of goal-directed behavior. Here we report that extracellular DA increases induced by selective optogenetic activation of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are inhibited by CB1 agonists and eCBs. This modulation requires CB1 receptors on cortical glutamatergic afferents. Dopamine increases driven by optogenetic activation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) terminals in the NAc are similarly modulated by activation of these CB1 receptors. We further demonstrate that this same population of CB1 receptors modulates optical self-stimulation sustained by activation of PFC afferents in the NAc. These results establish local eCB actions on PFC terminals within the NAc that inhibit mesolimbic DA release and constrain reward-driven behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Mateo
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Kari A Johnson
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Dan P Covey
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- Neuronal Networks Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Neuronal Networks Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Iness Gildish
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luigi Bellocchio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Guzmán
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) and Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marisela Morales
- Neuronal Networks Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
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14
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Whittaker DS, Wang H, Loh DH, Cachope R, Colwell CS. Possible use of a H3R antagonist for the management of nonmotor symptoms in the Q175 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2017; 5:e00344. [PMID: 28971617 PMCID: PMC5625154 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 06/24/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor as well as nonmotor symptoms for which there is currently no cure. The Q175 mouse model of HD recapitulates many of the symptoms identified in HD patients including disruptions of the sleep/wake cycle. In this study, we sought to determine if the daily administration of the histamine-3 receptor (H3R) antagonist/inverse agonist 6-[(3-cyclobutyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepin-7-yl)oxy]-N-methyl-3-pyridinecarboxamide hydrochloride (GSK189254) would improve nonmotor symptoms in the Q175 line. This class of drugs acts on autoreceptors found at histaminergic synapses and results in increased levels of histamine (HA). HA is a neuromodulator whose levels vary with a daily rhythm with peak release during the active cycle and relatively lower levels during sleep. H3Rs are widely expressed in brain regions involved in cognitive processes and activation of these receptors promotes wakefulness. We administered GSK189254 nightly to homozygote and heterozygote Q175 mice for 4 weeks and confirmed that the plasma levels of the drug were elevated to a therapeutic range. We demonstrate that daily treatment with GSK189254 improved several behavioral measures in the Q175 mice including strengthening activity rhythms, cognitive performance and mood as measured by the tail suspension test. The treatment also reduced inappropriate activity during the normal sleep time. The drug treatment did not alter motor performance and coordination as measured by the challenging beam test. Our findings suggest that drugs targeting the H3R system may show benefits as cognitive enhancers in the management of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Whittaker
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia90095‐1751
| | - Huei‐Bin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia90095‐1751
| | - Dawn H. Loh
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia90095‐1751
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Foundation6080 Center DriveSuite 100Los AngelesCalifornia90045
| | - Christopher S. Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia90095‐1751
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15
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Khakh BS, Beaumont V, Cachope R, Munoz-Sanjuan I, Goldman SA, Grantyn R. Unravelling and Exploiting Astrocyte Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease. Trends Neurosci 2017; 40:422-437. [PMID: 28578789 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [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: 02/18/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are abundant within mature neural circuits and are involved in brain disorders. Here, we summarize our current understanding of astrocytes and Huntington's disease (HD), with a focus on correlative and causative dysfunctions of ion homeostasis, calcium signaling, and neurotransmitter clearance, as well as on the use of transplanted astrocytes to produce therapeutic benefit in mouse models of HD. Overall, the data suggest that astrocyte dysfunction is an important contributor to the onset and progression of some HD symptoms in mice. Additional exploration of astrocytes in HD mouse models and humans is needed and may provide new therapeutic opportunities to explore in conjunction with neuronal rescue and repair strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
| | - Vahri Beaumont
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, 6080 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Rosemarie Grantyn
- Exzellenzcluster NeuroCure & Abt. Experimentelle Neurologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Robert-Koch-Platz 4, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Terrillion CE, Dao DT, Cachope R, Lobo MK, Puche AC, Cheer JF, Gould TD. Reduced levels of Cacna1c attenuate mesolimbic dopamine system function. Genes Brain Behav 2017; 16:495-505. [PMID: 28186690 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variation in CACNA1C, which codes for the L-type calcium channel (LTCC) Cav 1.2, is associated with clinical diagnoses of bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia. Dysregulation of the mesolimbic-dopamine (ML-DA) system is linked to these syndromes and LTCCs are required for normal DAergic neurotransmission between the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). It is unclear, however, how variations in CACNA1C genotype, and potential subsequent changes in expression levels in these regions, modify risk. Using constitutive and conditional knockout mice, and treatment with the LTCC antagonist nimodipine, we examined the role of Cacna1c in DA-mediated behaviors elicited by psychomotor stimulants. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, DA release and reuptake in the NAc were measured. We find that subsecond DA release in Cacna1c haploinsufficient mice lacks normal sensitivity to inhibition of the DA transporter (DAT). Constitutive haploinsufficiency of Cacna1c led to attenuation of hyperlocomotion following acute administration of stimulants specific to DAT, and locomotor sensitization of these mice to the DAT antagonist GBR12909 did not reach the same level as wild-type mice. The maintenance of sensitization to GBR12909 was attenuated by administration of nimodipine. Sensitization to GBR12909 was attenuated in mice with reduced Cacna1c selectively in the VTA but not in the NAc. Our findings show that Cacna1c is crucial for normal behavioral responses to DA stimulants and that its activity in the VTA is required for behavioral sensitization. Cacna1c likely exerts these effects through modifications to presynaptic ML-DA system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Terrillion
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - D T Dao
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - R Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M K Lobo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A C Puche
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J F Cheer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - T D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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17
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Can A, Frost DO, Cachope R, Cheer JF, Gould TD. Chronic lithium treatment rectifies maladaptive dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. J Neurochem 2016; 139:576-585. [PMID: 27513916 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic lithium treatment effectively reduces behavioral phenotypes of mania in humans and rodents. The mechanisms by which lithium exerts these actions are poorly understood. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence have implicated increased mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurotransmission with mania. We used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to characterize changes in extracellular DA concentrations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core evoked by 20 and 60 Hz electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in C57BL6/J mice treated either acutely or chronically with lithium. The effects of chronic lithium treatment on the availability of DA for release were assessed by depleting readily releasable DA using short inter-train intervals, or administering d-amphetamine acutely to mobilize readily releasable DA. Chronic, but not acute, lithium treatment decreased the amplitude of DA responses in the NAc following 60 Hz pulse train stimulation. Neither lithium treatment altered the kinetics of DA release or reuptake. Chronic treatment did not impact the progressive reduction in the amplitude of DA responses when, using 20 or 60 Hz pulse trains, the VTA was stimulated every 6 s to deplete DA. Specifically, the amplitude of DA responses to 60 Hz pulse trains was initially reduced compared to control mice, but by the fifth pulse train, there was no longer a treatment effect. However, chronic lithium treatment attenuated d-amphetamine-induced increases in DA responses to 20 Hz pulse trains stimulation. Our data suggest that long-term administration of lithium may ameliorate mania phenotypes by normalizing the readily releasable DA pool in VTA axon terminals in the NAc. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on Page 520.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adem Can
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Douglas O Frost
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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18
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Cachope R, Pereda AE. Opioids potentiate electrical transmission at mixed synapses on the Mauthner cell. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:689-97. [PMID: 26019311 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00165.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid receptors were shown to modulate a variety of cellular processes in the vertebrate central nervous system, including synaptic transmission. While the effects of opioid receptors on chemically mediated transmission have been extensively investigated, little is known of their actions on gap junction-mediated electrical synapses. Here we report that pharmacological activation of mu-opioid receptors led to a long-term enhancement of electrical (and glutamatergic) transmission at identifiable mixed synapses on the goldfish Mauthner cells. The effect also required activation of both dopamine D1/5 receptors and postsynaptic cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, suggesting that opioid-evoked actions are mediated indirectly via the release of dopamine from varicosities known to be located in the vicinity of the synaptic contacts. Moreover, inhibitory inputs situated in the immediate vicinity of these excitatory synapses on the lateral dendrite of the Mauthner cell were not affected by activation of mu-opioid receptors, indicating that their actions are restricted to electrical and glutamatergic transmissions co-existing at mixed contacts. Thus, as their chemical counterparts, electrical synapses can be a target for the modulatory actions of the opioid system. Because gap junctions at these mixed synapses are formed by fish homologs of the neuronal connexin 36, which is widespread in mammalian brain, it is likely that this regulatory property applies to electrical synapses elsewhere as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; and
| | - Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
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19
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Oleson EB, Cachope R, Fitoussi A, Cheer JF. Tales from the dark side: do neuromodulators of drug withdrawal require changes in endocannabinoid tone? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 52:17-23. [PMID: 23911441 PMCID: PMC3874071 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Revised: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Environmental and interoceptive cues are theorized to serve as 'signals' that motivate drug seeking and effects that may be augmented in the withdrawn state. Phasic dopamine release events are observed in the nucleus accumbens in response to such motivational salient stimuli and are thought to be necessary for drug-associated cues to trigger craving. We recently demonstrated how dopamine neurons encode stimuli conditioned to a negative event, as might occur during conditioned withdrawal, and stimuli predicting the avoidance of negative events, as might occur as an addict seeks out drugs to prevent withdrawal. In this review we first discuss how the subsecond dopamine release events might process conditioned withdrawal and drug seeking driven by negative reinforcement processes within the context of our dopamine data obtained during conditioned avoidance procedures. We next describe how the endocannabinoid system modulates phasic dopamine release events and how it might be harnessed to treat negative affective states in addiction. Specifically, we have demonstrated that endocannabinoids in the ventral tegmentum sculpt cue-induced accumbal surges in dopamine release and, therefore, may also be mobilized during drug withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik B. Oleson
- University of Maryland, School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. Baltimore MD 21201,University of Colorado Denver, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217
| | - Roger Cachope
- University of Maryland, School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. Baltimore MD 21201
| | - Aurelie Fitoussi
- University of Maryland, School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. Baltimore MD 21201
| | - Joseph F. Cheer
- University of Maryland, School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. Baltimore MD 21201
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20
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Abstract
The mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) systems play a key role in the physiology of reward seeking, motivation and motor control. Importantly, they are also involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia and addiction. Control of DA release in the striatum is tightly linked to firing of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the substantia nigra (SN). However, local influences in the striatum affect release by exerting their action directly on axon terminals. For example, endogenous glutamatergic and cholinergic activity is sufficient to trigger striatal DA release independently of cell body firing. Recent developments involving genetic manipulation, pharmacological selectivity or selective stimulation have allowed for better characterization of these phenomena. Such termino-terminal forms of control of DA release transform considerably our understanding of the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems, and have strong implications as potential mechanisms to modify impaired control of DA release in the diseased brain. Here, we review these and related mechanisms and their implications in the physiology of ascending DA systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA ; CHDI Foundation Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Oleson EB, Cachope R, Fitoussi A, Tsutsui K, Wu S, Gallegos JA, Cheer JF. Cannabinoid receptor activation shifts temporally engendered patterns of dopamine release. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:1441-52. [PMID: 24345819 PMCID: PMC3988547 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ability to discern temporally pertinent environmental events is essential for the generation of adaptive behavior in conventional tasks, and our overall survival. Cannabinoids are thought to disrupt temporally controlled behaviors by interfering with dedicated brain timing networks. Cannabinoids also increase dopamine release within the mesolimbic system, a neural pathway generally implicated in timing behavior. Timing can be assessed using fixed-interval (FI) schedules, which reinforce behavior on the basis of time. To date, it remains unknown how cannabinoids modulate dopamine release when responding under FI conditions, and for that matter, how subsecond dopamine release is related to time in these tasks. In the present study, we hypothesized that cannabinoids would accelerate timing behavior in an FI task while concurrently augmenting a temporally relevant pattern of dopamine release. To assess this possibility, we measured subsecond dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens while mice responded for food under the influence of the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 in an FI task. Our data reveal that accumbal dopamine concentrations decrease proportionally to interval duration--suggesting that dopamine encodes time in FI tasks. We further demonstrate that WIN 55,212-2 dose-dependently increases dopamine release and accelerates a temporal behavioral response pattern in a CB1 receptor-dependent manner--suggesting that cannabinoid receptor activation modifies timing behavior, in part, by augmenting time-engendered patterns of dopamine release. Additional investigation uncovered a specific role for endogenous cannabinoid tone in timing behavior, as elevations in 2-arachidonoylglycerol, but not anandamide, significantly accelerated the temporal response pattern in a manner akin to WIN 55,212-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik B Oleson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aurelie Fitoussi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly Tsutsui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sharon Wu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA, Tel: +1 410 706 0112, Fax: +1 410 706 2512, E-mail:
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Abstract
Endocannabinoids (eCBs) act as modulators of synaptic transmission through activation of a number of receptors, including, but not limited to, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). eCBs share CB1 receptors as a common target with Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Although THC has been used for recreational and medicinal purposes for thousands of years, little was known about its effects at the cellular level or on neuronal circuits. Identification of CB1 receptors and the subsequent development of its specific ligands has therefore enhanced our ability to study and bring together a substantial amount of knowledge regarding how marijuana and eCBs modify interneuronal communication. To date, the eCB system, composed of cannabinoid receptors, ligands and the relevant enzymes, is recognized as the best-described retrograde signalling system in the brain. Its impact on synaptic transmission is widespread and more diverse than initially thought. The aim of this review is to succinctly present the most common forms of eCB-mediated modulation of synaptic transmission, while also illustrating the multiplicity of effects resulting from specializations of this signalling system at the circuital level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Oleson EB, Beckert MV, Morra JT, Lansink CS, Cachope R, Abdullah RA, Loriaux AL, Schetters D, Pattij T, Roitman MF, Lichtman AH, Cheer JF. Endocannabinoids shape accumbal encoding of cue-motivated behavior via CB1 receptor activation in the ventral tegmentum. Neuron 2012; 73:360-73. [PMID: 22284189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Transient increases in nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine concentration are observed when animals are presented with motivationally salient stimuli and are theorized to energize reward seeking. They arise from high-frequency firing of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which also results in the release of endocannabinoids from dopamine cell bodies. In this context, endocannabinoids are thought to regulate reward seeking by modulating dopamine signaling, although a direct link has never been demonstrated. To test this, we pharmacologically manipulated endocannabinoid neurotransmission in the VTA while measuring transient changes in dopamine concentration in the NAc during reward seeking. Disrupting endocannabinoid signaling dramatically reduced, whereas augmenting levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) increased, cue-evoked dopamine concentrations and reward seeking. These data suggest that 2AG in the VTA regulates reward seeking by sculpting ethologically relevant patterns of dopamine release during reward-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik B Oleson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Cachope R, Pereda AE. Two independent forms of activity-dependent potentiation regulate electrical transmission at mixed synapses on the Mauthner cell. Brain Res 2012; 1487:173-82. [PMID: 22771708 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Mixed (electrical and chemical) synaptic contacts on the Mauthner cells, known as Club endings, constitute a valuable model for the study of vertebrate electrical transmission. While electrical synapses are still perceived by many as passive intercellular channels that lack modifiability, a wealth of experimental evidence shows that gap junctions at Club endings are subject to dynamic regulatory control by two independent activity-dependent mechanisms that lead to potentiation of electrical transmission. One of those mechanisms relies on activation of NMDA receptors and postsynaptic CaMKII. A second mechanism relies on mGluR activation and endocannabinoid production and is indirectly mediated via the release of dopamine from nearby varicosities, which in turn leads to potentiation of the synaptic response via a PKA-mediated postsynaptic mechanism. We review here these two forms of potentiation and their signaling mechanisms, which include the activation of two kinases with well-established roles as regulators of synaptic strength, as well as the functional implications of these two forms of potentiation. Special Issue entitled Electrical Synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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25
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Pereda AE, Curti S, Hoge G, Cachope R, Flores CE, Rash JE. Gap junction-mediated electrical transmission: regulatory mechanisms and plasticity. Biochim Biophys Acta 2012; 1828:134-46. [PMID: 22659675 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The term synapse applies to cellular specializations that articulate the processing of information within neural circuits by providing a mechanism for the transfer of information between two different neurons. There are two main modalities of synaptic transmission: chemical and electrical. While most efforts have been dedicated to the understanding of the properties and modifiability of chemical transmission, less is still known regarding the plastic properties of electrical synapses, whose structural correlate is the gap junction. A wealth of data indicates that, rather than passive intercellular channels, electrical synapses are more dynamic and modifiable than was generally perceived. This article will discuss the factors determining the strength of electrical transmission and review current evidence demonstrating its dynamic properties. Like their chemical counterparts, electrical synapses can also be plastic and modifiable. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Communicating junctions, roles and dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Cachope R, Mackie K, Triller A, O'Brien J, Pereda AE. Potentiation of electrical and chemical synaptic transmission mediated by endocannabinoids. Neuron 2008; 56:1034-47. [PMID: 18093525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2007] [Revised: 10/10/2007] [Accepted: 11/08/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are well established as inhibitors of chemical synaptic transmission via presynaptic activation of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R). Contrasting this notion, we show that dendritic release of endocannabinoids mediates potentiation of synaptic transmission at mixed (electrical and chemical) synaptic contacts on the goldfish Mauthner cell. Remarkably, the observed enhancement was not restricted to the glutamatergic component of the synaptic response but also included a parallel increase in electrical transmission. This effect involved the activation of CB1 receptors and was indirectly mediated via the release of dopamine from nearby varicosities, which in turn led to potentiation of the synaptic response via a cAMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated postsynaptic mechanism. Thus, endocannabinoid release can potentiate synaptic transmission, and its functional roles include the regulation of gap junction-mediated electrical synapses. Similar interactions between endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems may be widespread and potentially relevant for the motor and rewarding effects of cannabis derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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