Liliana P. Montezinho

Antipsychotic-Like Effect of Retigabine [N-(2-Amino-4-(fluorobenzylamino)-phenyl)carbamic Acid Ester], a KCNQ Potassium Channel Opener, via Modulation of Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Neurotransmission

Dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area express both KCNQ2 and KCNQ4 channels, which opening is expected to decrease neuronal excitability via neuronal hyper-polarization. Because psychotic symptoms are believed to be associated with an increased excitability of dopamine (DA) cells in the mesencephalon, KCNQ channels might represent a new potential target for the treatment of psychosis. The aim of our study was to investigate the antipsychotic-like potential of KCNQ channel opening via modulation of neuronal activity within the mesolimbic DAergic system. We report that retigabine [N-(2-amino-4-(fluorobenzylamino)-phenyl)carbamic acid ester], a KCNQ opener, dose-dependently reduced basal DA firing rate and more potently suppressed burst firing activity in the ventral tegmental area, whereas XE-991 [10,10-bis(pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H)-anthracenone], a selective KCNQ blocker, induced opposite effects. In addition, retigabine prevented d-amphetamine-induced DA efflux in the nucleus accumbens and d-amphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity. In contrast, XE-991 potentiated both the locomotor hyperactivity and DA efflux evoked by d-amphetamine. These data strongly suggest that the activation of KCNQ channels attenuates DAergic neurotransmission in the mesolimbic system, particularly in conditions of excessive DAergic activity. In a model predictive of antipsychotic activity, the conditioned avoidance response paradigm, retigabine was found to inhibit avoidance responses, an effect blocked by coadministration of XE-991. Furthermore, retigabine was found to significantly inhibit the hyperlocomotor response to a phencyclidine (PCP) challenge in PCP-sensitized animals, considered as a disease model for schizophrenia. Taken together, our studies provide evidence that KCNQ channel openers represent a potential new class of antipsychotics.

The interaction between dopamine D2-like and beta-adrenergic receptors in the prefrontal cortex is altered by mood-stabilizing agents

Several studies have suggested the involvement of biogenic monoaminergic neurotransmission in bipolar disorder and in the therapy for this disease. In this study, the effects of the mood‐stabilizing drugs lithium, carbamazepine or valproate on the dopaminergic and adrenergic systems, particularly on D2‐like and β‐adrenergic receptors, were studied both in cultured rat cortical neurones and in rat prefrontal cortex. In vitro and in vivo data showed that stimulation of β‐adrenergic receptors with isoproterenol increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and this effect was significantly inhibited by lithium, carbamazepine or valproate. The activation of dopamine D2‐like receptors with quinpirole decreased the isoproterenol‐induced rise in cAMP in control conditions. This inhibition was observed in vivo after chronic treatment of the rats with carbamazepine or valproate, but not after treatment with lithium or in cultured rat cortical neurones after 48 h exposure to the three mood stabilizers. Dopamine D2 and β1‐adrenergic receptors were found to be co‐localized in prefrontal cortical cells, as determined by immunohistochemistry, but western blot experiments revealed that receptor levels were differentially affected by treatment with the three mood stabilizers. These data show that mood stabilizers affect D2 receptor‐mediated regulation of β‐adrenergic signalling and that each drug acts by a unique mechanism.

Intracellular lithium and cyclic AMP levels are mutually regulated in neuronal cells.

In this work, we studied the effect of intracellular 3′,5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) on Li+ transport in SH‐SY5Y cells. The cells were stimulated with forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, or with the cAMP analogue, dibutyryl‐cAMP. It was observed that under forskolin stimulation both the Li+ influx rate constant and the Li+ accumulation in these cells were increased. Dibutyryl‐cAMP also increased Li+ uptake and identical results were obtained with cortical and hippocampal neurons. The inhibitor of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, KB‐R7943, reduced the influx of Li+ under resting conditions, and completely inhibited the effect of forskolin on the accumulation of the cation. Intracellular Ca2+ chelation, or inhibition of N‐type voltage‐sensitive Ca2+ channels, or inhibition of cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) also abolished the effect of forskolin on Li+ uptake. The involvement of Ca2+ on forskolin‐induced Li+ uptake was confirmed by intracellular free Ca2+ measurements using fluorescence spectroscopy. Exposure of SH‐SY5Y cells to 1 mm Li+ for 24 h increased basal cAMP levels, but preincubation with Li+, at the same concentration, decreased cAMP production in response to forskolin. To summarize, these results demonstrate that intracellular cAMP levels regulate the uptake of Li+ in a Ca2+‐dependent manner, and indicate that Li+ plays an important role in the homeostasis of this second messenger in neuronal cells.

Tricarboxylic acid cycle inhibition by Li+ in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line: a 13C NMR isotopomer analysis.

Li+ effects on glucose metabolism and on the competitive metabolism of glucose and lactate were investigated in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line using 13C NMR spectroscopy. The metabolic model proposed for glucose and lactate metabolism in these cells, based on tcaCALC best fitting solutions, for both control and Li+ conditions, was consistent with: (i) a single pyruvate pool; (ii) anaplerotic flux from endogenous unlabelled substrates; (iii) no cycling between pyruvate and oxaloacetate. Li+ was shown to induce a 38 and 53% decrease, for 1 and 15 mM Li+, respectively, in the rate of glucose conversion into pyruvate, when [U-13C]glucose was present, while no effects on lactate production were observed. Pyruvate oxidation by the tricarboxylic acid cycle and citrate synthase flux were shown to be significantly reduced by 64 and 84% in the presence of 1 and 15 mM Li+, respectively, suggesting a direct inhibitory effect of Li+ on tricarboxylic acid cycle flux. This work also showed that when both glucose and lactate are present as energetic substrates, SH-SY5Y cells preferentially consumed exogenous lactate over glucose, as 62% of the acetyl-CoA was derived from [3-13C]lactate while only 26% was derived from [U-13C]glucose. Li+ did not significantly affect the relative utilisation of these two substrates by the cells or the residual contribution of unlabelled endogenous sources for the acetyl-CoA pool.

Quantification and Localization of Intracellular Free Mg2+ in Bovine Chromaffin Cells

Magnesium is an essential element for all living systems. The quantification of free intracellular Mg2+ concentration ([Mg2+]i) is of utmost importance since changes in its basal value may be an indication of different pathologies due to abnormalities of Mg2+ metabolism. In this work we used 31P NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the resting [Mg2+]i in bovine chromaffin cells, a neuron-like cellular model, as well as confocal laser scanning microscopy to study the free Mg2+ spatial distribution in these cells. 31P NMR spectroscopy did not prove to be effective for the determination of [Mg2+]i in this particular case due to some special morphological and physiological properties of this cell type. A basal [Mg2+]i value of 0.551 ± 0.008 mM was found for these cells using fluorescence spectroscopy and the Mg2+-sensitive probe furaptra; this value falls in the concentration range reported in the literature for neurons from different sources. This technique proved to be an accurate and sensitive tool to determine the [Mg2+]i. lntraceilular free Mg2+ seems to be essentially localized in the nucleus and around it, as shown by confocal microscopy with the Mg2+-sensitive probe Magnesium Green. It was not possible to derive any conclusion about free Mg2+ localization inside the chromaffin granules and/or in the cytoplasm due to the lack of sufficient spatial resolution and to probe compartmentalization.

Li influx and binding, and li/mg competition in bovine chromaffin cell suspensions as studied by li NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Li+ influx by bovine chromaffin cells, obtained from bovine adrenal medulla, was studied in intact cell suspensions using 7Li NMR spectroscopy with the shift reagent [Tm(HDOTP)]4-. The influx rate constants, ki, were determined in the absence and in the presence of two Na+ membrane transport inhibitors. The values obtained indicate that both voltage sensitive Na+ channels and (Na+/K+)-ATPase play an important role in Li+ uptake by these cells. 7Li NMR T1 and T2 relaxation times for intracellular Li+ in bovine chromaffin cells provided a T1/T2 ratio of 305, showing that Li+ is highly, immobilized due to strong binding to intracellular structures. Using fluorescence spectroscopy and the Mg2+ fluorescent probe, furaptra, the free intracellular Mg2+ concentration in the bovine chromaffin cells incubated with 15 mM LiCl was found to increase by about mM after the intracellular Li+ concentration reached a steady state. Therefore, once inside the cell, Li+ is able to displace Mg2+ from its binding sites.