Supersmart mice: Surprising or surprised? Theoretical comment on Singer, Boison, M?hler, Feldon, and Yee (2007).

The glycine transporter (GlyT1) regulates levels of the neurotransmitter glycine, a coagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and as such may represent a novel site for developing cognition-enhancing drugs. Genetically modified mice with reduced levels of GlyT1 have been generated to test this hypothesis. P. Singer, D. Boison, H. M?hler, J. Feldon, and B. K. Yee (see record 2007-13974-001) now show, through a spontaneous exploration task, that mice in which GlyT1 has been deleted, specifically in neurons in the forebrain, demonstrate enhanced object recognition memory. Whereas both control and mutant mice show a preference for a novel object over a familiar object 2 min after the initial presentation of 1 of the objects, only the mutant mice show a preference for the novel object when tested after a 2-hr delay. The longer-lasting habituation displayed by the GlyT1 mice is consistent with a role for glycine/NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity in supporting a nonassociative, short-term memory trace of a recently experienced stimulus. This short-term habituation process may be independent of associative learning mechanisms and may be best described by A. R. Wagner's (1981) sometimes opponent process model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Olfactory repeated discrimination reversal in rats: Effects of chlordiazepoxide, dizocilpine, and morphine.

Effects of a benzodiazepine (chlordiazepoxide), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist (dizocilpine), and an opiate agonist (morphine) were studied with a procedure designed to assess effects of drugs and other manipulations on nonspatial learning in rats. In each session, rats were exposed to 2 different 2-choice odor-discrimination problems with food reinforcement for correct responses. One problem (performance discrimination) remained the same throughout the study. That is, 1 odor was always correct (S+) and the other was never correct (S-). For the other problem (reversal discrimination), stimuli changed every session. Six different odors were used to program the reversal discrimination; on any given session, S+ was a stimulus that had served as S- the last time it had appeared, S- was a stimulus that had been S+ on its last appearance. Thus, in each session, learning a discrimination reversal could be studied along with the performance of a comparable, but previously learned, discrimination. Chlordiazepoxide interfered with reversal learning at doses that had no effect on the performance discrimination. Morphine and dizocilpine also impaired reversal learning but only at doses that also affected performance of the well-learned performance discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition of Spinal TRPV1 Reduces NMDA Receptor 2B Phosphorylation and Produces Anti-Nociceptive Effects in Mice with Inflammatory Pain

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) has been implicated in peripheral inflammation and is a mediator of the inflammatory response to various noxious stimuli. However, the interaction between TRPV1 and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the regulation of inflammatory pain remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effects of intrathecal administration of capsazepine, a TRPV1 antagonist, on carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain in mice and to identify its interactions with NMDA receptors. Inflammatory pain was induced by intraplantar injection of 2% carrageenan in male ICR mice. To investigate the analgesic effects of capsazepine, pain-related behaviors were evaluated using von Frey filaments and a thermal stimulator placed on the hind paw. TRPV1 expression and NMDA receptor phosphorylation in the spinal cord and glutamate concentration in the spinal cord and serum were measured. Intrathecal treatment with capsazepine significantly attenuated carrageenan-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Moreover, carrageenan-enhanced glutamate and phosphorylation of NMDA receptor subunit 2B in the spinal cord were suppressed by capsazepine administration. These results indicate that TRPV1 and NMDA receptors in the spinal cord are associated with inflammatory pain transmission, and inhibition of TRPV1 may reduce inflammatory pain via NMDA receptors.     

N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸型谷氨酸受体的调节与氰化物中枢毒作用

氰化物可通过间接与直接两条途径激活(N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸型)NMDA受体,首先氰化物引起的能量障碍能通过促使细胞外谷氨酸(Glu)浓度增高和细胞内Ca²⁺稳态失调,间接地激活NMDA受体,其次氰化物可能作为NMDA受体直接的调节剂,通过调节NMDA受体中NR₁或NR₂亚型等半胱氨酸残基的氧化还原位点,提高NMDA受体的活性,随着间接和直接NMDA受体的激活,产生一系列由NMDA受体介导的中枢毒作用,最终导致神经元细胞损伤、凋亡及死亡。由此认为NMDA受体的激活在氰化物诱导的神经损伤机制中可能起关键的作用。     

Impairments of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus of Young Rats during the Latent Phase of the Lithium-Pilocarpine Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Status epilepticus (SE) causes persistent abnormalities in the functioning of neuronal networks, often resulting in worsening epileptic seizures. Many details of cellular and molecular mechanisms of seizure-induced changes are still unknown. The lithium–pilocarpine model of epilepsy in rats reproduces many features of human temporal lobe epilepsy. In this work, using the lithium–pilocarpine model in three-week-old rats, we examined the morphological and electrophysiological changes in the hippocampus within a week following pilocarpine-induced seizures. We found that almost a third of the neurons in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus died on the first day, but this was not accompanied by impaired synaptic plasticity at that time. A diminished long-term potentiation (LTP) was observed following three days, and the negative effect of SE on plasticity increased one week later, being accompanied by astrogliosis. The attenuation of LTP was caused by the weakening of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent signaling. NMDAR-current was more than two-fold weaker during high-frequency stimulation in the post-SE rats than in the control group. Application of glial transmitter D-serine, a coagonist of NMDARs, allows the enhancement of the NMDAR-dependent current and the restoration of LTP. These results suggest that the disorder of neuron–astrocyte interactions plays a critical role in the impairment of synaptic plasticity.     

Age-Dependent Contributions of NMDA Receptors and L-Type Calcium Channels to Long-Term Depression in the Piriform Cortex

In the hippocampus, the contributions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) to neuronal transmission and synaptic plasticity change with aging, underlying calcium dysregulation and cognitive dysfunction. However, the relative contributions of NMDARs and LTCCs in other learning encoding structures during aging are not known. The piriform cortex (PC) plays a significant role in odor associative memories, and like the hippocampus, exhibits forms of long-term synaptic plasticity. Here, we investigated the expression and contribution of NMDARs and LTCCs in long-term depression (LTD) of the PC associational fiber pathway in three cohorts of Sprague Dawley rats: neonatal (1–2 weeks), young adult (2–3 months) and aged (20–25 months). Using a combination of slice electrophysiology, Western blotting, fluorescent immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging, we observed a shift from an NMDAR to LTCC mediation of LTD in aged rats, despite no difference in the amount of LTD expression. These changes in plasticity are related to age-dependent differential receptor expression in the PC. LTCC Cav1.2 expression relative to postsynaptic density protein 95 is increased in the associational pathway of the aged PC layer Ib. Enhanced LTCC contribution in synaptic depression in the PC may contribute to altered olfactory function and learning with aging.     

Study of chemical kinetics on labeling of 99mTc-N-ethyl-N2S2-Memantine

In this work,a calculation method of chemical kinetics was established for labeling reaction of 99mTc-N-ethyl-N2S2-memantine,a potential NMDA receptor imaging agent prepared in our laboratory.Four groups of vials (3 vials per group) were added with 0.02 mL (1 mg/mL) N-ethyl-N2S2Memantine,0.08 mL (40 mg/mL) GH,0.05 mL (10 mg/mL) EDTA-2Na,0.035 mL (2 mg/mL) SnF2,0.8 mL phosphate buffer(1mol/L,pH 6.5) and 37 MBq Na99mTcO4.The vials were incubated at 70℃,80℃,90℃ or 100℃.Samples were taken with capillary from the vials at 2,5,10,20,30,40 and 60min.Labeling yields were determined by TLC.Order of reaction n,rate constant k,activation energy Ea and half life t1/2 of labeling reaction were calculated with the kinetics software we compiled.Mean labeling yields of 99m Tc-N-ethyl-N2S2-memantine at 2,5,10,20,30,40 and 60min were (1) 13.5,15.7,34.0,64.8,81.9,91.4 and 95.4 at 70℃;(2) 13.2,20.5,40.1,70.0,88.2,94.5 and 95.6 at 80℃;(3) 15.6,22.9,43.7,74.3,87.2,93.4 and 96.1 at 90℃;and (4) 20.5,25.8,45.3,81.1,92.2,95.6 and 96.0 at 100℃.The other parameters were;n =1;k=0.053,0.061,0.063 and 0.076 L/min at 70℃,80℃,90℃ and 100℃,respectively;Ea=12.38 kJ/L;t1/2=13.11,11.45,11.05 and 9.07min at 70℃,80℃,90℃ and 100℃,respectively.The mean labeling yield increased with temperature and time,optimized at 100℃ and 40-60min.The concentration of 99mTc-N-ethyl-N2S2-Memantine was larger than that of Na99mTcO4,so n=1.The k increased with reaction,hence the accelerated reaction rate at higher temperatures.The labeling reaction was not so difficult because of the low Ea.The t1/2 decreased with increasing reaction temperature,hence the acceleration of labeling reaction.     

Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Recombinant Human 3-Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase

The human enzyme D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (hPHGDH) catalyzes the reversible dehydrogenation of 3-phosphoglycerate (3PG) into 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate (PHP) using the NAD⁺/NADH redox cofactor, the first step in the phosphorylated pathway producing L-serine. We focused on the full-length enzyme that was produced in fairly large amounts in E. coli cells; the effect of pH, temperature and ligands on hPHGDH activity was studied. The forward reaction was investigated on 3PG and alternative carboxylic acids by employing two coupled assays, both removing the product PHP; 3PG was by far the best substrate in the forward direction. Both PHP and α-ketoglutarate were efficiently reduced by hPHGDH and NADH in the reverse direction, indicating substrate competition under physiological conditions. Notably, neither PHP nor L-serine inhibited hPHGDH, nor did glycine and D-serine, the coagonists of NMDA receptors related to L-serine metabolism. The investigation of NADH and phosphate binding highlights the presence in solution of different conformations and/or oligomeric states of the enzyme. Elucidating the biochemical properties of hPHGDH will enable the identification of novel approaches to modulate L-serine levels and thus to reduce cancer progression and treat neurological disorders.     

Novel 3‐Carboxy‐ and 3‐Phosphonopyrazoline Amino Acids as Potent and Selective NMDA Receptor Antagonists: Design,Synthesis, and Pharmacological Characterization

The design and synthesis of new N1‐substituted 3‐carboxy‐ and 3‐phosphonopyrazoline and pyrazole amino acids that target the glutamate binding site of NMDA receptors are described. An analysis of the stereochemical requirements for high‐affinity interaction with these receptors was performed. We identified two highly potent and selective competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, (5S,αR)‐ 1 and (5S,αR)‐ 4 , which exhibit good in vitro neuroprotective activity and in vivo anticonvulsant activity by i.p. administration, suggesting that these molecules may have potential use as therapeutic agents.     

NMDARs Containing NR2B Subunit Do Not Contribute to the LTP Form of Hippocampal Plasticity: In Vivo Pharmacological Evidence in Rats

Synaptic plasticity is the key to synaptic health, and aberrant synaptic plasticity, which in turn impairs the functioning of large-scale brain networks, has been associated with neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. The best known and most studied form of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity remains long-term potentiation (LTP), which is controlled by glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors (NMDAR) and considered to be a mechanism crucial for cellular learning and memory. Over the past two decades, discrepancies have arisen in the literature regarding the contribution of NMDAR subunit assemblies in the direction of NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity. Here, the nonspecific NMDAR antagonist ketamine (5 and 10 mg/kg), and the selective NR2B antagonists CP-101606 and Ro 25-6981 (6 and 10 mg/kg), were administered intraperitoneally in Sprague Dawley rats to disentangle the contribution of NR2B subunit in the LTP induced at the Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapse using the theta burst stimulation protocol (TBS). Ketamine reduced, while CP-101606 and Ro 25-6981 did not alter the LTP response. The administration of CP-101606 before TBS did not influence the effects of ketamine when administered half an hour after tetanization, suggesting a limited contribution of the NR2B subunit in the action of ketamine. This work confirms the role of NMDAR in the LTP form of synaptic plasticity, whereas specific blockade of the NR2B subunit was not sufficient to modify hippocampal LTP. Pharmacokinetics at the doses used may have contributed to the lack of effects with specific antagonists. The findings refute the role of the NR2B subunit in the plasticity mechanism of ketamine in the model.