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PubMed2004

Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans cytoplasmic dynein components reveal specificity of neuronal retrograde cargo.

We describe Caenorhabditis elegans dynein complex mutants, which misaccumulate synaptic proteins at the ends of neuronal processes. Ultrastructural analysis revealed irregularly sized vesicles that likely represent accumulation of cargo. We propose that synaptobrevin, synaptotagmin, and UNC-104 are specific cargoes of the dynein complex. Many cargoes link to dynein via interactions between dynactin and vesicle-associated spectrin. However, loss of spectrin results in only mild and occasional defects in synaptobrevin localization. Thus, the dynein-dynactin complex shows neuronal cargo selectivity without spectrin being a critical component of cargo binding. We observed parallels to progressive motor neuron disease symptoms in these animals. With age, neuronal misaccumulations increase in size and frequency; locomotion becomes progressively slower; and life span is shortened. These mutants provide a model to assess whether defects in transport of specific cargo mediate neuronal dysfunction.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

Dithiobiuret neurotoxicity: an ultrastructural investigation of the lesion in preterminal axons and motor endplates in the rat lumbrical muscle.

2,4-Dithiobiuret was given i.p. to rats for 4 days at a daily dosage of 1 mg/kg and the development of the lesion associated with neuromuscular dysfunction studied in hindlimb lumbrical muscles. The first morphological indication of neurointoxication was the appearance in some motor endplates of masses of branching tubular smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) on day 2 which correlated with the initial functional disturbances. By the 3rd day, most motor endplates were distended by accumulations of dense-cored, lucent and synaptic vesicles, abnormally swollen mitochondria, intermediate filaments and branching, tubular SER. Evidence of collateral axonal sprouting was seen first at this time. On days 4 and 5, many motor endplates were markedly enlarged and showed axoplasmic organelle congestion. A significant increase in synaptic vesicle size was noted at these times in some terminals. Interposition of Schwann cell processes between the pre- and postsynaptic membranes and terminal retraction was now evident. Some intramuscular nerves showed hydropic Schwann cell cytoplasm with separation of the outermost myelin lamellae, mitochondrial swelling and adaxonal vacuoles as early as the 1st day. Proliferation and segregation of SER around central cores of neurofilaments was seen in myelinated nerve fibres and preterminals on the 3rd day. At this and later times accumulations of SER and swollen mitochondria were found at sites of axonal varicosities and at the paranodal constrictions at nodes of Ranvier. These ultrastructural data are discussed with regard to reduced terminal Ca2+ content (demonstrated by oxalate-pyroantimonate cytochemistry) and compared with the sequelae of botulinum intoxication.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Hypoxia recruits a respiratory-related excitatory pathway to brainstem premotor cardiac vagal neurons in animals exposed to prenatal nicotine.

The most ubiquitous form of arrhythmia is respiratory sinus arrhythmia in which the heart beat slows during expiration and heart rate increases during inspiration. Whereas respiratory sinus arrhythmia benefits pulmonary gas exchange respiratory dysfunction presents a major challenge to the cardiorespiratory system. Hypoxia evokes a pronounced bradycardia mediated by increases in parasympathetic cardiac activity. It has been hypothesized that the fatal events in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are exaggerated cardiorespiratory responses to hypoxia. This study tests whether premotor cardiac vagal neurons receive rhythmic respiratory-related excitatory synaptic inputs during normoxia and hypoxia, and if animals exposed to nicotine in the prenatal period have exaggerated responses to hypoxia. Premotor cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus were identified in rats by the presence of a fluorescent tracer in medullary slices that generate rhythmic inspiratory-related motor discharge. Respiratory activity was recorded from the hypoglossal nerve and excitatory synaptic events in cardiac vagal neurons were isolated using patch clamp techniques. Adult female rats were implanted with osmotic minipumps that delivered nicotine at a level approximately equivalent to those that occur in moderate to heavy smokers. During normal eupneic respiration, as well as during hypoxia, premotor cardiac vagal neurons from control animals did not receive any rhythmic respiratory-related excitatory inputs. However in animals exposed to nicotine throughout the prenatal period respiratory bursts during hypoxia dramatically increased the frequency of excitatory synaptic events in cardiac vagal neurons. In summary, in animals exposed to nicotine throughout the prenatal period, but not in unexposed animals, respiratory bursts that occur during hypoxia dramatically increase the frequency of excitatory synaptic events in cardiac vagal neurons. This study establishes a likely neurochemical mechanism for the heart rate responses to hypoxia and a link between prenatal nicotine exposure and exaggerated bradycardia responses during hypoxia that may contribute to sudden infant death syndrome.

6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione↗
PubMed1998

The disconnection hypothesis.

This article reviews the disconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia and presents a mechanistic account of how dysfunctional integration among neuronal systems might arise. This neurobiological account is based on the central role played by neuronal plasticity in shaping the connections and the ensuing dynamics that underlie brain function. The particular hypothesis put forward here is that the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is expressed at the level of modulation of associative changes in synaptic efficacy; specifically the modulation of plasticity in those brain systems responsible for emotional learning and memory, in the post-natal period. This modulation is mediated by ascending neurotransmitter systems that: (i) have been implicated in schizophrenia; and (ii) are known to be involved in consolidating synaptic connections during learning. The proposed pathophysiology would translate, in functional terms, into a disruption of the reinforcement of adaptive behaviour that is consistent with the disintegrative aspects of schizophrenic neuropsychology.

Brain↗
PubMed2001

Memory failures, dream illusions and mental malfunction.

Dreams are widely believed to be produced as the brain's memory circuits are reinforced during sleep by self-generated brain waves. Reinforcement maintains synaptic strengths in the 'dedicated' ranges that support circuit functions. Without these activations, turnover of molecules essential for synaptic function would lead to deleterious alterations in, and eventual loss of, memories. The pathological processes underlying many mental disorders appear to exert their deleterious influences by inducing abnormalities in brain waves, largely in slow waves of less than about 14 cycles/s. The pathologically altered slow waves, in turn, cause long-lasting weakening or dysfunction of synapses of affected circuits, frequently resulting in mental disorders and deviant sleep. These abnormalities can be remediated for varying periods by therapies that restore normal brain waves. With many trillions of synapses between billions of neurons in enormously complex circuits needing reinforcement during sleep, the process is susceptible to failures. As a result, some synapses 'normally' weaken or become dysfunctional, accumulating to the greatest extent in old memory circuits. Activation of resulting incompetent circuits during waking may lead to hallucinations and delusions; activation during sleep may lead to dreams with bizarre, incoherent or impossible contents.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMed2006

Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor as a molecular target for psychiatric and neurological disorders.

The mammalian bombesin (BB)-like peptide gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) stimulates cell proliferation, displays a range of neuroendocrine activities, and acts as a growth factor in the pathogenesis of several types of human cancer. Several lines of evidence have indicated that GRP and its receptor (GRPR) might also be involved in the neurochemical alterations associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders. GRP and GRPR are distributed throughout the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Altered levels of BB-like peptides have been found in the CNS of patients with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Dysfunctions in GRPR-induced cellular calcium signaling have been reported in fibroblasts from patients with Alzheimer's disease. A translocation in the GRPR gene has been associated with autism. Pharmacological and genetic studies in rodents have shown that GRPRs in brain areas such as the dorsal hippocampus and amygdala are importantly involved in regulating synaptic plasticity and aspects of behavior that might be altered in disorders such as anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, autism and dementia. Behaviors modulated by the GRPR in rodents include grooming, food intake, stereotypy, social behavior, and emotionally-motivated learning and memory. Together, these findings support the view that the GRPR should be considered a therapeutic target for a subset of CNS diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Role of cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission in the opioids-mediated GnRH release mechanism of EBP-primed OVX rats.

The effect of intracerebroventricular administration of mu-opioid agonist, morphine (a drug of potential abuse), and its antagonist, naloxone, followed by morphine was studied on the metabolism of acetylcholine and gamma amino butyric acid in seven discrete regions of brain from EBP-primed ovariectomized rats. We also assayed serum luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone after morphine and naloxone + morphine treatments. Cholineacetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase, gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities were found to decrease significantly in hypothalamic as well as other brain regions studied. Naloxone given prior to morphine injection was seen to reverse the effect of morphine on enzymes activities. Our study provides evidence that opioidergic modulation of GnRH release is mediated through cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission besides monoaminergic control and the results may further help to elucidate the basis of neuronal dysfunction in opiate addicts.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1987

Autonomic dysfunction.

The autonomic nervous system is closely involved in the majority of bodily functions. Different disease processes and a variety of drugs can result in autonomic dysfunction, some with minor but others with major consequences. This review considers factors which relate to the recognition, investigation and principles of management of such disorders.

Autonomic Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed2026

Multiomic single-nucleus profiling reveals cell-type-specific epigenetic and transcriptional dysregulation in major depressive disorder brain.

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading global cause of disability, marked by persistent mood disturbances, cognitive deficits, and changes in prefrontal cortex neural circuitry. In this study, we aimed to define cell-type-specific molecular and regulatory mechanisms underlying MDD by mapping gene-expression and chromatin-accessibility changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) (dlPFC). METHODS: Postmortem dlPFC (BA9) tissue from 7 MDD and 8 well-matched controls was analyzed using 10× Genomics snRNA-seq and paired ATAC+RNA multiome sequencing. Sequencing data were processed with Cell Ranger pipelines, nuclei were filtered for quality and doublets/debris, and datasets were integrated and clustered using Seurat/Signac packages. Differential gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and transcription factor motif activity were tested between MDD and controls within each cell type, followed by peak-to-gene linkage and Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and PsyGeNET enrichment to interpret dysregulated regulatory mechanisms. RESULTS: A total of 20 distinct clusters encompassing major neuronal and non-neuronal populations were identified. Differential analyses uncovered extensive cell type-specific changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression, particularly within excitatory layer 5/6 and inhibitory Pvalb neurons, as well as glial and vascular populations. Functional enrichment indicated dysregulation of synaptic organization, neurotransmission, myelination, stress-response, and immune-regulatory pathways across neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Notably, glucocorticoid-responsive transcription factors NR3C1/NR3C2 exhibited conserved regulatory networks implicating stress signaling in MDD pathophysiology. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings provide a comprehensive single-nucleus atlas of gene regulation in the MDD PFC, highlighting coordinated dysfunction across neurons, glia, and vascular cells.

Major Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed2006

Abnormal neurotransmitter release underlying behavioral and cognitive disorders: toward concepts of dynamic and function-specific dysregulation.

Abnormalities in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and/or abnormal levels of extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations have remained core components of hypotheses on the neuronal foundations of behavioral and cognitive disorders and the symptoms of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, therapeutic drugs for the treatment of these disorders have been developed and categorized largely on the basis of their effects on neurotransmitter release and resulting receptor stimulation. This perspective stresses the theoretical and practical implications of hypotheses that address the dynamic nature of neurotransmitter dysregulation, including the multiple feedback mechanisms regulating synaptic processes, phasic and tonic components of neurotransmission, compartmentalized release, differentiation between dysregulation of basal vs activated release, and abnormal release from neuronal systems recruited by behavioral and cognitive activity. Several examples illustrate that the nature of the neurotransmitter dysregulation in animal models, including the direction of drug effects on neurotransmitter release, depends fundamentally on the state of activity of the neurotransmitter system of interest and on the behavioral and cognitive functions recruiting these systems. Evidence from evolving techniques for the measurement of neurotransmitter release at high spatial and temporal resolution is likely to advance hypotheses describing the pivotal role of neurotransmitter dysfunction in the development of essential symptoms of major neuropsychiatric disorders, and also to refine neuropharmacological mechanisms to serve as targets for new treatment approaches. The significance and usefulness of hypotheses concerning the abnormal regulation of the release of extracellular concentrations of primary messengers depend on the effective integration of emerging concepts describing the dynamic, compartmentalized, and activity-dependent characteristics of dysregulated neurotransmitter systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Deafness disrupts chloride transporter function and inhibitory synaptic transmission.

Loss of sensory function leads to atrophy or death within the developing CNS, yet little is known about the physiology of remaining synapses. After bilateral deafening, gramicidin-perforated-patch recordings were obtained from gerbil inferior colliculus neurons in a brain slice preparation. Afferent-evoked IPSPs had a diminished ability to block current-evoked action potentials in deafened neurons. This change could be attributed, in part, to a loss of potassium-dependent chloride transport function, with little change in K-Cl cotransporter expression. Treatments that suppressed chloride cotransport (bumetanide, cesium, and genistein) had little or no effect on neurons from deafened animals. These same treatments depolarized the E(IPSC) of control neurons. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining indicated no change in the expression of chloride cotransporter mRNA or protein after deafness. Therefore, profound hearing loss leads rapidly to the disruption of chloride homeostasis, which is likely attributable to the dysfunction of the potassium-dependent chloride cotransport mechanism, rather than a downregulation of its expression. This results in inhibitory synapses that are less able to block excitatory events.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Critical dependence of neurons on mitochondrial dynamics.

The selective disruption of certain cell types--notably neurons--in diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to reflect the high-energy requirements of these cells, but few details are known. Recent studies have provided clues to the cellular basis of this mitochondrial requirement. Mitochondria are regionally organized within some nerve cells, with higher accumulations in the soma, the hillock, the nodes of Ranvier and the nerve terminal. In the synaptic region, mitochondria regulate calcium and ATP levels, thereby maintaining synaptic transmission and structure. Defects in mitochondrial dynamics can cause deficits in mitochondrial respiration, morphology and motility. Moreover, mutations in the mitochondrial fusion genes Mitofusin-2 and OPA1 lead to the peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A and dominant optic atrophy. Perhaps it is the strict spatial and functional requirements for mitochondria in neurons that cause defects in mitochondrial fusion to manifest primarily as neurodegenerative diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Extracellular matrix molecules, long-term potentiation, memory consolidation and the brain angiotensin system.

Considerable evidence now suggests an interrelationship among long-term potentiation (LTP), extracellular matrix (ECM) reconfiguration, synaptogenesis, and memory consolidation within the mammalian central nervous system. Extracellular matrix molecules provide the scaffolding necessary to permit synaptic remodeling and contribute to the regulation of ionic and nutritional homeostasis of surrounding cells. These molecules also facilitate cellular proliferation, movement, differentiation, and apoptosis. The present review initially focuses on characterizing the ECM and the roles of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), in the maintenance and degradation of the ECM. The induction and maintenance of LTP is described. Debate continues over whether LTP results in some form of synaptic strengthening and in turn promotes memory consolidation. Next, the contribution of CAMs and TIMPs to the facilitation of LTP and memory consolidation is discussed. Finally, possible roles for angiotensins, MMPs, and tissue plasminogen activators in the facilitation of LTP and memory consolidation are described. These enzymatic pathways appear to be very important to an understanding of dysfunctional memory diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and infections.

Angiotensins↗
PubMed2001

The 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist SB-271046 selectively enhances excitatory neurotransmission in the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus.

Preclinical evidence has suggested a possible role for the 5-HT(6) receptor in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction. However, currently there is little neurochemical evidence suggesting the mechanism(s) which may be involved. Using the selective 5-HT(6) antagonist SB-271046 and in vivo microdialysis, we have evaluated the effects of this compound on the modulation of basal neurotransmitter release within multiple brain regions of the freely moving rat. SB-271046 produced no change in basal levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) or 5-HT in the striatum, frontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus or nucleus accumbens. Similarly, this compound had no effect on excitatory neurotransmission in the striatum or nucleus accumbens. Conversely, SB-271046 produced 3- and 2-fold increases in extracellular glutamate levels in both frontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus, respectively. These effects were completely attenuated by infusion of tetrodotoxin but unaffected by the muscarinic antagonist, atropine. Here we demonstrate for the first time the selective enhancement of excitatory neurotransmission by SB-271046 in those brain regions implicated in cognitive and memory function, and provide mechanistic evidence in support of a possible therapeutic role for 5-HT(6) receptor antagonists in the treatment of cognitive and memory dysfunction.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Inhibitory effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on non-cholinergic motor transmission in rat detrusor and its prevention by sorbinil.

1. Non-cholinergic motor transmission in the urinary bladder of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats was studied by recording contractile activity of strips of detrusor in vitro. 2. The neurogenic contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) of atropine-treated detrusor strips were decreased in 4, 8 and 12 week STZ-diabetic rats. The decrease was most marked in 12 week diabetic rats and least in 4 week ones. 3. Concentration-response curves showed no change in sensitivity of the detrusor to acetylcholine (ACh) in diabetic rats. The maximum tension generated by ACh was similar in diabetic and non-diabetic animals. 4. The contractile responses to EFS at frequencies greater than or equal to 1 Hz were not maintained during stimulation. The 'fade' was significantly greater in detrusor strips of diabetic rats. 5. The contractile response of detrusor to EFS was significantly greater in 12 week diabetic rats treated with the aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil, than in untreated 12 week diabetic rats. The sensitivity to ACh was similar in the two groups. 6. It is concluded that the reduction of the neurogenic non-cholinergic responses of detrusor to EFS in STZ-diabetic rats is probably caused by a reduction in the release of the non-cholinergic motor transmitter. The results are discussed in relation to bladder dysfunction in human diabetes mellitus.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1998

Coupled temporal memories in Parkinson's disease: a dopamine-related dysfunction.

Dysfunction of the basal ganglia and the brain nuclei interconnected with them leads to disturbances of movement and cognition, including disordered timing of movement and perceptual timing deficits. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were studied in temporal reproduction tasks. We examined PD patients when brain dopamine (DA) transmission was impaired (OFF state) and when DA transmission was reestablished, at the time of maximal clinical benefit following administration of levodopa + apomorphine (ON state). Patients reproduced target times of 8 and 21 sec trained in blocked trials with the peak interval procedure, which were veridical in the ON state, comparable to normative performance by healthy young and aged controls (Experiment 1). In the OFF state, temporal reproduction was impaired in both accuracy and precision (variance). The 8-sec signal was reproduced as longer and the 21-sec signal was reproduced as shorter than they actually were (Experiment 1). This "migration" effect was dependent upon training of two different durations. When PD patients were trained on 21 sec only (Experiment 2), they showed a reproduction error in the long direction, opposite to the error produced under the dual training condition of Experiment 1. The results are discussed as a mutual attraction between temporal processing systems, in memory and clock stages, when dopaminergic regulation in the striatum is dysfunctional.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Synaptotagmin-2 is essential for survival and contributes to Ca2+ triggering of neurotransmitter release in central and neuromuscular synapses.

Biochemical and genetic data suggest that synaptotagmin-2 functions as a Ca2+ sensor for fast neurotransmitter release in caudal brain regions, but animals and/or synapses lacking synaptotagmin-2 have not been examined. We have now generated mice in which the 5' end of the synaptotagmin-2 gene was replaced by lacZ. Using beta-galactosidase as a marker, we show that, consistent with previous studies, synaptotagmin-2 is widely expressed in spinal cord, brainstem, and cerebellum, but is additionally present in selected forebrain neurons, including most striatal neurons and some hypothalamic, cortical, and hippocampal neurons. Synaptotagmin-2-deficient mice were indistinguishable from wild-type littermates at birth, but subsequently developed severe motor dysfunction, and perished at approximately 3 weeks of age. Electrophysiological studies in cultured striatal neurons revealed that the synaptotagmin-2 deletion slowed the kinetics of evoked neurotransmitter release without altering the total amount of release. In contrast, synaptotagmin-2-deficient neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) suffered from a large reduction in evoked release and changes in short-term synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, in mutant NMJs, the frequency of spontaneous miniature release events was increased both at rest and during stimulus trains. Viewed together, our results demonstrate that the synaptotagmin-2 deficiency causes a lethal impairment in synaptic transmission in selected synapses. This impairment, however, is less severe than that produced in forebrain neurons by deletion of synaptotagmin-1, presumably because at least in NMJs, synaptotagmin-1 is coexpressed with synaptotagmin-2, and both together mediate fast Ca2+-triggered release. Thus, synaptotagmin-2 is an essential synaptotagmin isoform that functions in concert with other synaptotagmins in the Ca2+ triggering of neurotransmitter release.

Animals↗