Parmentier R, Anaclet C, Guhennec C, Brousseau E, Bricout D, Giboulot T, Bozyczko-Coyne D, Spiegel K, Ohtsu H, Williams M, Lin JS. The brain H3-receptor as a novel therapeutic target for vigilance and sleep–wake disorders.
Biochem Pharmacol 2007;
73:1157-71. [PMID:
17288995 DOI:
10.1016/j.bcp.2007.01.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2006] [Revised: 11/28/2006] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Brain histaminergic neurons play a prominent role in arousal and maintenance of wakefulness (W). H(3)-receptors control the activity of histaminergic neurons through presynaptic autoinhibition. The role of H(3)-receptor antagonists/inverse agonists (H(3)R-antagonists) in the potential therapy of vigilance deficiency and sleep-wake disorders were studied by assessing their effects on the mouse cortical EEG and sleep-wake cycle in comparison to modafinil and classical psychostimulants. The H(3)R-antagonists, thioperamide and ciproxifan increased W and cortical EEG fast rhythms and, like modafinil, but unlike amphetamine and caffeine, their waking effects were not accompanied by sleep rebound. Conversely, imetit (H(3)R-agonist) enhanced slow wave sleep and dose-dependently attenuated ciproxifan-induced W, indicating that the effects of both ligands involve H(3)-receptor mechanisms. Additional studies using knockout (KO) mice confirmed the essential role of H(3)-receptors and histamine-mediated transmission in the wake properties of H(3)R-antagonists. Thus ciproxifan produced no increase in W in either histidine-decarboxylase (HDC, histamine-synthesizing enzyme) or H(1)- or H(3)-receptor KO-mice whereas its waking effects persisted in H(2)-receptor KO-mice. These data validate the hypothesis that H(3)R-antagonists, through disinhibition of H(3)-autoreceptors, enhancing synaptic histamine that in turn activates postsynaptic H(1)-receptors promoting W. Interestingly amphetamine and modafinil, despite their potent arousal effects, appear unlikely to depend on histaminergic mechanism as their effects still occurred in HDC KO-mice. The present study thus distinguishes two classes of wake-improving agents: the first acting through non-histaminergic mechanisms and the second acting via histamine and supports brain H(3)-receptors as potentially novel therapeutic targets for vigilance and sleep-wake disorders.
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