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A subpopulation of neuronal M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors plays a critical role in modulating dopamine-dependent behaviors.

ABSTRACT: Acetylcholine (ACh) regulates many key functions of the CNS by activating cell surface receptors referred to as muscarinic ACh receptors (M(1)-M(5) mAChRs). Like other mAChR subtypes, the M(4) mAChR is widely expressed in different regions of the forebrain. Interestingly, M(4) mAChRs are coexpressed with D(1) dopamine receptors in a specific subset of striatal projection neurons. To investigate the physiological relevance of this M(4) mAChR subpopulation in modulating dopamine-dependent behaviors, we used Cre/loxP technology to generate mutant mice that lack M(4) mAChRs only in D(1) dopamine receptor-expressing cells. The newly generated mutant mice displayed several striking behavioral phenotypes, including enhanced hyperlocomotor activity and increased behavioral sensitization following treatment with psychostimulants. These behavioral changes were accompanied by a lack of muscarinic inhibition of D(1) dopamine receptor-mediated cAMP stimulation in the striatum and an increase in dopamine efflux in the nucleus accumbens. These novel findings demonstrate that a distinct subpopulation of neuronal M(4) mAChRs plays a critical role in modulating several important dopamine-dependent behaviors. Since enhanced central dopaminergic neurotransmission is a hallmark of several severe disorders of the CNS, including schizophrenia and drug addiction, our findings have substantial clinical relevance.

SUBMITTER: Jeon J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2824442 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Accumulating evidence suggests that selective M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) activators may offer a novel strategy for the treatment of psychosis. However, previous efforts to develop selective M4 activators were unsuccessful because of the lack of M4 mAChR subtype specificity and off-target muscarinic adverse effects. We recently developed VU0152100, a highly selective M4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) that exerts central effects after systemic administration. We now report that VU0152100 dose-dependently reverses amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in rats and wild-type mice, but not in M4 KO mice. VU0152100 also blocks amphetamine-induced disruption of the acquisition of contextual fear conditioning and prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex. These effects were observed at doses that do not produce catalepsy or peripheral adverse effects associated with non-selective mAChR agonists. To further understand the effects of selective potentiation of M4 on region-specific brain activation, VU0152100 alone and in combination with amphetamine were evaluated using pharmacologic magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI). Key neural substrates of M4-mediated modulation of the amphetamine response included the nucleus accumbens (NAS), caudate-putamen (CP), hippocampus, and medial thalamus. Functional connectivity analysis of phMRI data, specifically assessing correlations in activation between regions, revealed several brain networks involved in the M4 modulation of amphetamine-induced brain activation, including the NAS and retrosplenial cortex with motor cortex, hippocampus, and medial thalamus. Using in vivo microdialysis, we found that VU0152100 reversed amphetamine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels in NAS and CP. The present data are consistent with an antipsychotic drug-like profile of activity for VU0152100. Taken together, these data support the development of selective M4 PAMs as a new approach to the treatment of psychosis and cognitive impairments associated with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.

Project description:The generation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype-selective compounds has been challenging, requiring use of nonpharmacological approaches, such as genetically engineered animals, to deepen our understanding of the potential that members of the muscarinic receptor subtype family hold as therapeutic drug targets. The muscarinic receptor agonist 'BuTAC' was previously shown to exhibit efficacy in animal models of psychosis, although the particular receptor subtype(s) responsible for such activity was unclear. Here, we evaluate the in vitro functional agonist and antagonist activity of BuTAC using an assay that provides a direct measure of G protein activation. In addition, we employ the conditioned avoidance response paradigm, an in vivo model predictive of antipsychotic activity, and mouse genetic deletion models to investigate which presynaptic mAChR subtype mediates the antipsychotic-like effects of BuTAC. Our results show that, in vitro, BuTAC acts as a full agonist at the M2AChR and a partial agonist at the M1 and M4 receptors, with full antagonist activity at M3- and M5AChRs. In the mouse conditioned avoidance response (CAR) assay, BuTAC exhibits an atypical antipsychotic-like profile by selectively decreasing avoidance responses at doses that do not induce escape failures. CAR results using M2(-/-), M4(-/-), and M2/M4 (M2/M4(-/-)) mice found that the effects of BuTAC were near completely lost in M2/M4(-/-) double-knockout mice and potency of BuTAC was right-shifted in M4(-/-) as compared with wild-type and M2(-/-) mice. The M2/M4(-/-) mice showed no altered sensitivity to the antipsychotic effects of either haloperidol or clozapine, suggesting that these compounds mediate their actions in CAR via a non-mAChR-mediated mechanism. These data support a role for the M4AChR subtype in mediating the antipsychotic-like activity of BuTAC and implicate M4AChR agonism as a potential novel therapeutic mechanism for ameliorating symptoms associated with schizophrenia.

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A subpopulation of neuronal M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors plays a critical role in modulating dopamine-dependent behaviors.

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