John A. Gruner

Hindlimb Motor Neurons Require Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase for Maintenance of Neuromuscular Junctions

The role of oxidative damage in neurodegenerative disease was investigated in mice lacking cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), created by deletion of the SOD1 gene (SOD1(-/-)). SOD1(-/-) mice developed a chronic peripheral hindlimb axonopathy. Mild denervation of muscle was detected at 2 months, and behavioral and physiological motor deficits were present at 5-7 months of age. Ventral root axons were shrunken but were normal in number. The somatosensory system in SOD1(-/-) mice was mildly affected. SOD1(-/-) mice expressing Cu/Zn SOD only in brain and spinal cord were generated using transgenic mice expressing mouse SOD1 driven by the neuron-specific synapsin promoter. Neuron-specific expression of Cu/Zn SOD in SOD1(-/-) mice rescued motor neurons from the neuropathy. Therefore, Cu/Zn SOD is not required for normal motor neuron survival, but is necessary for the maintenance of normal neuromuscular junctions by hindlimb motor neurons.

Histological and functional evaluation of experimental spinal cord injury: evidence of a stepwise response to graded compression

Most experimental spinal cord injury studies described to date have relied on a limited number of injury gradations, and have tacitly assumed that outcome (functional, histological, and/or neurophysiological) is a monotonically graded function of injury severity. In contrast, the present study provides evidence that functional and morphological outcome after spinal cord compression injury may occur in a discontinuous, non-graded manner in response to linearly graded injury levels. The thoracic spinal cord of adult rats was transiently compressed to thicknesses from 1.8 to 0.8 mm in 0.2 mm steps, or sham injury was administered. Open field motor behavior and segmental reflexes were evaluated up to 21 days post injury and correlated with histological measures and injury level. The highest correlation was between histological outcome and open field motor scores. Among the six injury groups, only three significantly different outcomes were apparent in the open field, reflex, and histological measures, consisting of the injury group pairs 1.8/1.6, 1.4/1.2, and 1.0/0.8 mm. At day 21, the 1.8/1.6 mm injury groups were also indistinguishable from the sham injury group. The implications of these findings in terms of therapeutic studies are discussed. Comparison of the temporal outcome patterns among contusion and compression injuries in rats and other species also revealed a significant species difference: a period of delayed or secondary functional loss reported in the guinea pig was not present in the rat.

Correlation between ex Vivo Receptor Occupancy and Wake-Promoting Activity of Selective H3 Receptor Antagonists

The histamine H3 receptor (H3R) modulates the release of neurotransmitters that are involved in vigilance, cognition, and sleep-wake regulation. H3R antagonism has been proposed as a novel approach to the treatment of cognitive and attention deficit as well as sleep disorders. It is apparent that H3R antagonists produce pharmacological effects in preclinical animal models across a wide dose range. Several H3R antagonists were reported to be effective at producing cognitive enhancing effects at low doses, while producing robust wake enhancement at higher doses. To better understand the effect of H3R antagonists across a broad dose range, an ex vivo receptor binding assay has been used to estimate the degree of H3R occupancy in vivo. The H3R antagonists ciproxifan, thioperamide, GSK189254 (6-[(3-cyclobutyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepin-7-yl)oxy]-N-methyl-3-pyridinecarboxamide hydrochloride), and ABT-239 ([4-(2-{2-[(2R)-2-methylpyrrolidinyl]ethyl}-benzofuran-5-yl)benzonitrile) produced wake-promoting activity in vivo and a dose-dependent inhibition of H3R binding ex vivo. For ciproxifan, thioperamide, and GSK189254, a relatively low level of cumulative wake activity was linearly correlated with up to 80% of the receptor occupancy. In contrast, an abrupt break from linearity and a robust increase of waking activity was observed at doses that produce greater than 80% occupancy. Our results suggest a relatively small increase of waking activity at low levels of receptor occupancy that may be consistent with reported enhancement of attention and cognitive function. Robust waking activity at higher levels of H3R occupancy may be mechanistically different from activities at low levels of H3R occupancy.

Insulin-like growth factor-I prevents development of a vincristine neuropathy in mice

Vincristine is a commonly used antitumor agent whose major dose-limiting side-effect is a mixed sensorimotor neuropathy. To assess whether insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a neurotrophic agent that supports the survival of motoneurons and enhances regeneration of motor and sensory neurons, could prevent the peripheral neuropathy produced by vincristine, mice were treated with both vincristine (1.7 mg/kg, i.p., 2 x /week) and/or IGF-I (0.3 or 1 mg/kg, s.c. daily) for 10 weeks. In mice treated with vincristine alone, there was evidence of a mixed sensorimotor neuropathy as indicated by changes in behavior, nerve conduction and histology. Caudal nerve conduction velocity was significantly slower in mice treated with vincristine alone as compared with vehicle-treated mice. Vincristine treatment alone also significantly increased hot-plate latencies and reduced gait support and stride length, but not toe spread distances. The effects of vincristine were accompanied by degeneration of sciatic nerve fibers and demyelination, indicating a peripheral neuropathy. IGF-I (1 mg/kg, s.c.) administered to vincristine-treated mice prevented the neurotoxic effects of vincristine as measured by nerve conduction, gait, response to noxious stimuli and nerve histology. At a lower dose of 0.3 mg/kg administered s.c., IGF-I partially ameliorated the neuropathy induced by vincristine as this dose only prevented the change in nerve conduction and hot-plate latencies. IGF-I administered alone had no effect on any of these parameters. These results suggest that IGF-I prevents both motor and sensory components of vincristine neuropathy and may be useful clinically in preventing the neuropathy induced by vincristine treatment.

CEP-26401 (Irdabisant), a Potent and Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist/Inverse Agonist with Cognition-Enhancing and Wake-Promoting Activities

CEP-26401 [irdabisant; 6-{4-[3-((R)-2-methyl-pyrrolidin-1-yl)-propoxy]-phenyl}-2H-pyridazin-3-one HCl] is a novel, potent histamine H3 receptor (H3R) antagonist/inverse agonist with drug-like properties. High affinity of CEP-26401 for H3R was demonstrated in radioligand binding displacement assays in rat brain membranes (Ki = 2.7 ± 0.3 nM) and recombinant rat and human H3R-expressing systems (Ki = 7.2 ± 0.4 and 2.0 ± 1.0 nM, respectively). CEP-26401 displayed potent antagonist and inverse agonist activities in [35S]guanosine 5′-O-(γ-thio)triphosphate binding assays. After oral dosing of CEP-26401, occupancy of H3R was estimated by the inhibition of ex vivo binding in rat cortical slices (OCC50 = 0.1 ± 0.003 mg/kg), and antagonism of the H3R agonist R-α-methylhistamine- induced drinking response in the rat dipsogenia model was demonstrated in a similar dose range (ED50 = 0.06 mg/kg). CEP-26401 improved performance in the rat social recognition model of short-term memory at doses of 0.01 to 0.1 mg/kg p.o. and was wake-promoting at 3 to 30 mg/kg p.o. In DBA/2NCrl mice, CEP-26401 at 10 and 30 mg/kg i.p. increased prepulse inhibition (PPI), whereas the antipsychotic risperidone was effective at 0.3 and 1 mg/kg i.p. Coadministration of CEP-26401 and risperidone at subefficacious doses (3 and 0.1 mg/kg i.p., respectively) increased PPI. These results demonstrate potent behavioral effects of CEP-26401 in rodent models and suggest that this novel H3R antagonist may have therapeutic utility in the treatment of cognitive and attentional disorders. CEP-26401 may also have therapeutic utility in treating schizophrenia or as adjunctive therapy to approved antipsychotics.

4-Aminopyridine enhances motor evoked potentials following graded spinal cord compression injury in rats.

Although several experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the ability of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) to restore electrophysiological and/or behavioral function following chronic spinal cord injury, the mechanism by which this occurs remains unclear. Demonstration of efficacy in rat spinal cord injury has not been reported, evidently because even relatively mild spinal cord contusions that produce only minor permanent locomotor disturbances abolish hind limb myoelectric motor evoked potentials (mMEPs). In this study, mMEPs were recorded acutely 25 days following graded thoracic spinal cord compression in rats. mMEP amplitudes were significantly enhanced by a single, 2 mg/kg i.v. dose of 4-AP. mMEPs were increased in all rats showing some evoked responses initially, and also in some animals which had no responses prior to treatment. 4-AP was further found to increase the maximum following frequency of mMEPs in both normal and injured rats from about 0.1 Hz to between 1 and 10 Hz. These data suggest that 4-AP might act by enhancing synaptic efficacy, as well as enhancing conduction in spinal axons whose myelination has been rendered dysfunctional by trauma.

Identification of pyridazin-3-one derivatives as potent, selective histamine H3 receptor inverse agonists with robust wake activity

H(3)R structure-activity relationships on a novel class of pyridazin-3-one H(3)R antagonists/inverse agonists are disclosed. Modifications of the pyridazinone core, central phenyl ring and linker led to the identification of molecules with excellent target potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic properties. Compounds 13 and 21 displayed potent functional H(3)R antagonism in vivo in the rat dipsogenia model and demonstrated robust wake activity in the rat EEG/EMG model.

Synthesis and evaluation of pyridazinone–phenethylamine derivatives as selective and orally bioavailable histamine H3 receptor antagonists with robust wake-promoting activity

A series of pyridazinone-phenethylamine derivatives with moderate to low nanomolar affinity for rat and human H(3)R are described. These analogs exhibited excellent selectivity and metabolic stability, with acceptable rat pharmacokinetic properties. In vivo, 7 and 11 demonstrated potent H(3)R functional antagonism in the rat dipsogenia model and robust wake-promoting activity in the rat electroencephalogram/electromyography (EEG/EMG) model.

Synthesis and evaluation of pyridone-phenoxypropyl-R-2-methylpyrrolidine analogues as histamine H3 receptor antagonists.

6-{4-[3-(R)-2-Methylpyrrolidin-1-yl)propoxy]-phenyl}-2H-pyridazin-3-one 6 (Irdabisant; CEP-26401) was recently reported as a potent H(3)R antagonist with excellent drug-like properties and in vivo activity that advanced into clinical evaluation. A series of pyridone analogs of 6 was synthesized and evaluated as H(3)R antagonists. Structure-activity relationships revealed that the 5-pyridone regiomer was optimal for H(3)R affinity. N-Methyl 9b showed excellent H(3)R affinity, acceptable pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical properties. In vivo evaluation of 9b showed potent activity in the rat dipsogenia model and robust wake-promoting activity in the rat EEG model.

Armodafinil promotes wakefulness and activates Fos in rat brain

Modafinil increases waking and labeling of Fos, a marker of neuronal activation. In the present study, armodafinil, the R-enantiomer of racemic modafinil, was administered to rats at 30 or 100 mg/kg i.p. about 5 h after lights on (circadian time 5 and near the midpoint of the sleep phase of the sleep:wake cycle) to assess its effects on sleep/wake activity and Fos activation. Armodafinil at 100 mg/kg increased wakefulness for 2 h, while 30 mg/kg armodafinil only briefly increased wakefulness. Armodafinil (30 and 100 mg/kg) also increased latencies to the onset of sleep and motor activity. Armodafinil had differential effects in increasing neuronal Fos immunolabeling 2 h after administration. Armodafinil at 100 mg/kg increased numbers of Fos-labeled neurons in striatum and anterior cingulate cortex, without affecting nucleus accumbens. Armodafinil at 30 mg/kg only increased numbers of light Fos-labeled neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex. In brainstem arousal centers, 100 mg/kg armodafinil increased numbers of Fos-labeled neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus, pedunculopontine tegmentum, laterodorsal tegmentum, locus coeruleus, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Fos activation of these brainstem arousal centers, as well as of the cortex and striatum, is consistent with the observed arousal effects of armodafinil.