Project description:Chronic stress is a major risk factor for depression, a leading cause of disability and suicide. Because current antidepressants work slowly, have common side effects, and are only effective in a minority of patients, there is an unmet need to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we identify the receptor for neuropeptides B and W, Npbwr1, as a key regulator of depressive-like symptoms. Npbwr1 is increased in the nucleus accumbens of chronically stressed mice and postmortem in patients diagnosed with depression. Using viral-mediated gene transfer, we demonstrate a causal link between Npbwr1, dendritic spine morphology, the biomarker Bdnf, and depressive-like behaviors. Importantly, microinjection of the synthetic antagonist of Npbwr1, CYM50769, rapidly ameliorates depressive-like behavioral symptoms and alters Bdnf levels. CYM50769 is selective, well tolerated, and shows effects up to 7 days after administration of a single dose. In summary, these findings advance our understanding of mood and chronic stress and warrant further investigation of CYM50769 as a potential fast-acting antidepressant.
Project description:The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is one of major targets for antidepressant treatments. Our recent research has revealed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment causes a long-lasting change in the phenotypes of mature dentate granule neurons to immature state in adult mouse DG. However, it is unknown whether this “dematuration” of DG is a common effect of antidepressant treatments and what mechanisms underlie it. Using electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS), a model of highly effective and fast-acting antidepressant therapy, here we show that neural stimulation via ECS induces rapid and lasting dematuration of granule neurons in DG. A single or few times of stimulation transiently reduced mature marker expression and mature synaptic functions. Repetitive stimulation converted this transient dematuration into a stable form lasting more than 1 month. Dematured granule neurons showed higher excitability, and an increase in GABA-mediated inhibition by the benzodiazepine diazepam prevented the lasting maintenance phase of dematuration without affecting the initial induction phase. Our study suggests that dematuration of DG is a common cellular mechanism underlying effects of different types of antidepressant treatments, and demonstrate a novel role for excitation/inhibition balance in bidirectional regulation of the state of neuronal maturation in the adult brain.
Project description:The behavioral response to antidepressants is closely associated with physiological changes in the function of neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Parvalbumin interneurons are a major class of GABAergic neurons, essential for DG function, and are involved in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the role(s) of these neurons in major depressive disorder or in mediating the delayed behavioral response to antidepressants. Here we show, in mice, that hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons express functionally silent serotonin 5A receptors, which translocate to the cell membrane and become active upon chronic, but not acute, treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Activation of these serotonergic receptors in these neurons initiates a signaling cascade through which Gi-protein reduces cAMP levels and attenuates protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 2A activities. This results in increased phosphorylation and inhibition of Kv3.1? channels, and thereby reduces the firing of the parvalbumin neurons. Through the loss of this signaling pathway in these neurons, conditional deletion of the serotonin 5A receptor leads to the loss of the physiological and behavioral responses to chronic antidepressants.
Project description:The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is one of major targets for antidepressant treatments. Our recent research has revealed that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment causes a long-lasting change in the phenotypes of mature dentate granule neurons to immature state in adult mouse DG. However, it is unknown whether this M-bM-^@M-^\dematurationM-bM-^@M-^] of DG is a common effect of antidepressant treatments and what mechanisms underlie it. Using electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS), a model of highly effective and fast-acting antidepressant therapy, here we show that neural stimulation via ECS induces rapid and lasting dematuration of granule neurons in DG. A single or few times of stimulation transiently reduced mature marker expression and mature synaptic functions. Repetitive stimulation converted this transient dematuration into a stable form lasting more than 1 month. Dematured granule neurons showed higher excitability, and an increase in GABA-mediated inhibition by the benzodiazepine diazepam prevented the lasting maintenance phase of dematuration without affecting the initial induction phase. Our study suggests that dematuration of DG is a common cellular mechanism underlying effects of different types of antidepressant treatments, and demonstrate a novel role for excitation/inhibition balance in bidirectional regulation of the state of neuronal maturation in the adult brain. Mice were decapitated after the 11 times of ECS (or Sham) or 4 weeks treatment of fluoxetine (or vehicle) at a dose of 22 mg/kg. The brains were sliced and the frequency facilitation of mossy fiber synapse was measured in each sample. The samples which exhibited low frequency facilitation were selected to be used as dematured DG (n = 3) and the dentate gyrus was dissected from each sample. Total RNA was extracted by using an RNeasy micro kit (Qiagen) and the samples of the same groups were put together. From each group, 100 ng of total RNA was amplified with 3M-bM-^@M-^YIVT Express kit (Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA). All samples were hybridized to the GeneChip mouse genome 430A 2.0 array (Affymetrix, Inc.), and the microarray suite 5.0 of the Affymetrix gene chip operating software was used for the analysis of the GeneChip data.
Project description:It remains unclear why many patients with depression do not respond to antidepressant treatment. In three cohorts of individuals with depression and treated with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (N=424) we show that responders, but not non-responders, display an increase of GPR56 mRNA in the blood. In a small group of subjects we also show that GPR56 is also downregulated in the PFC of individuals with depression that died by suicide. In mice, we show that chronic stress induced Gpr56 downregulation in the blood and prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is accompanied by depression-like behaviour, and can be reversed by antidepressant treatment. Gpr56 knockdown in mouse PFC was is associated with depressive-like behaviors, executive dysfunction and poor response to antidepressant treatment. GPR56 peptide agonists had antidepressant-like effects and up-regulated AKT/GSK3/EIF4 pathways. Our findings uncover a potential role of GPR56 in antidepressant response.
Project description:Dysregulation of brain synaptic proteins caused by chronic psychosocial stress has been linked with the development of major depression (MD). To gain insights into the pattern of synaptic proteome changes and different biological functions and pathways underlying MD and drug action, a comparative proteomic approach was employed in the hippocampus of rats exposed to chronic social isolation (CSIS, 6 weeks), an animal model of depression, with or without chronic antidepressant tianeptine (Tian) treatment (last 3 weeks of CSIS).