Masanori Miyauchi

Combined serotonin (5-HT)1A agonism, 5-HT2A and dopamine D2 receptor antagonism reproduces atypical antipsychotic drug effects on phencyclidine-impaired novel object recognition in rats

Subchronic administration of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, e.g. phencyclidine (PCP), produces prolonged impairment of novel object recognition (NOR), suggesting they constitute a hypoglutamate-based model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (CIS). Acute administration of atypical, e.g. lurasidone, but not typical antipsychotic drugs (APDs), e.g. haloperidol, are able to restore NOR following PCP (acute reversal model). Furthermore, atypical APDs, when co-administered with PCP, have been shown to prevent development of NOR deficits (prevention model). Most atypical, but not typical APDs, are more potent 5-HT(2A) receptor inverse agonists than dopamine (DA) D2 antagonists, and have been shown to enhance cortical and hippocampal efflux and to be direct or indirect 5-HT(1A) agonists in vivo. To further clarify the importance of these actions to the restoration of NOR by atypical APDs, sub-effective or non-effective doses of combinations of the 5-HT(1A) partial agonist (tandospirone), the 5-HT(2A) inverse agonist (pimavanserin), or the D2 antagonist (haloperidol), as well as the combination of all three agents, were studied in the acute reversal and prevention PCP models of CIS. Only the combination of all three agents restored NOR and prevented the development of PCP-induced deficit. Thus, this triple combination of 5-HT(1A) agonism, 5-HT(2A) antagonism/inverse agonism, and D2 antagonism is able to mimic the ability of atypical APDs to prevent or ameliorate the PCP-induced NOR deficit, possibly by stimulating signaling cascades from D1 and 5-HT(1A) receptor stimulation, modulated by D2 and 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonism.

Dopamine D3 receptor antagonism contributes to blonanserin-induced cortical dopamine and acetylcholine efflux and cognitive improvement.

Blonanserin is a novel atypical antipsychotic drug (APD), which, unlike most atypical APDs, has a slightly higher affinity for dopamine (DA) D2 than serotonin (5-HT)2A receptors, and is an antagonist at both, as well as at D3 receptors. The effects of atypical APDs to enhance rodent cortical, hippocampal, limbic, and dorsal striatal (dSTR) DA and acetylcholine (ACh) release, contribute to their ability to improve novel object recognition (NOR) in rodents treated with sub-chronic (sc) phencyclidine (PCP) and cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). Here we determined the ability of blonanserin, the D3 antagonist NGB 2904, and the typical APD, haloperidol, a D2 antagonist, to enhance neurotransmitter efflux in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and dSTR of mice, and to ameliorate the scPCP-induced deficit in NOR in rats. Blonanserin, 10mg/kg, i.p., increased DA, norepinephrine (NE), and ACh efflux in mPFC and dSTR. NGB 2904, 3mg/kg, increased DA and ACh, but not NE, efflux in mPFC, and DA, but not ACh, efflux in dSTR. Haloperidol increased DA and NE efflux in dSTR only. The selective D3 agonist PD 128907 partially blocked the blonanserin-induced cortical ACh, DA, NE and striatal DA efflux. NGB 2904, 3mg/kg, like blonanserin, 1mg/kg, and the combination of sub-effective doses of NGB 2904 and blonanserin (both 0.3mg/kg), ameliorated the scPCP-induced NOR deficit in rats. These results suggest that D3 receptor blockade may contribute to the ability of blonanserin to increase cortical DA and ACh efflux, as well as to restore NOR and improve CIAS.

Nicotinic receptors and lurasidone-mediated reversal of phencyclidine-induced deficit in novel object recognition

BACKGROUND Enhancement of cholinergic function via nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (nAChR) agonism is a potential approach for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). Some atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) enhance ACh release in rodent brain, indirectly stimulating these receptors. Here, we elucidate which nAChR subtypes mediate novel object recognition (NOR) in normal rats and contribute to the ability of the AAPD, lurasidone, to improve the NOR deficit in sub-chronic (sc) phencyclidine (PCP)-treated rats, a model for CIAS. METHODS The ability of lurasidone and nAChR ligands to reverse the scPCP-induced deficit in NOR was assessed in female, Long-Evans rats. RESULTS The broad acting nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine (MEC), induced a NOR deficit in normal rats. The NOR deficit secondary to scPCP was reversed by either selective α4β2* nAChR agonism (A-85380) or α7 nAChRs agonism (PNU-282987); these effects were blocked by DHβE and MLA, selective antagonists of α4β2* and α7 nAChR, respectively. The ability of lurasidone to reverse the scPCP-induced NOR deficit was blocked by MEC, but not MLA or DHβE. However, sub-effective doses (SED) of either A-85380 or PNU-282987 potentiated the ability of SED lurasidone to reverse the scPCP-induced NOR deficit. CONCLUSIONS These results identify both α4β2* and α7 nAChRs as candidates for enhancing the ability of lurasidone and other AAPDs, which increase the release of ACh, to improve CIAS.

Dopamine D4 receptor stimulation contributes to novel object recognition: Relevance to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia:

Several atypical antipsychotic drugs (APDs) have high affinity for the dopamine (DA) D4 receptor, but the relevance to the efficacy for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of D4 receptor stimulation or blockade on novel object recognition (NOR) in normal rats and on the sub-chronic phencyclidine (PCP)-induced novel object recognition deficit. The effect of the D4 agonist, PD168077, and the D4 antagonist, L-745,870, were studied alone, and in combination with clozapine and lurasidone. In normal rats, L-745,870 impaired novel object recognition, whereas PD168077 had no effect. PD168077 acutely reversed the sub-chronic phencyclidine-induced novel object recognition deficit. Co-administration of a sub-effective dose (SED) of PD168077 with a sub-effective dose of lurasidone also reversed this deficit, but a sub-effective dose of PD168077 with a sub-effective dose of clozapine, a more potent D4 antagonist than lurasidone, did not reverse the sub-chronic phencyclidine-induced novel object recognition deficit. At a dose that did not induce a novel object recognition deficit, L-745,870 blocked the ability of clozapine, but not lurasidone, to reverse the novel object recognition deficit. D4 receptor agonism has a beneficial effect on novel object recognition in sub-chronic PCP-treated rats and augments the cognitive enhancing efficacy of an atypical antipsychotic drug that lacks affinity for the D4 receptor, lurasidone.

Prolonged reversal of the phencyclidine-induced impairment in novel object recognition by a serotonin (5-HT)1A-dependent mechanism

Many acute treatments transiently reverse the deficit in novel object recognition (NOR) produced by subchronic treatment with the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor non-competitive antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), in rodents. Treatments which restore NOR for prolonged periods after subchronic PCP treatment may have greater relevance for treating the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia than those which restore NOR transiently. We examined the ability of post-PCP subchronic lurasidone, an atypical APD with potent serotonin (5-HT)1A partial agonism and subchronic tandospirone, a selective 5-HT1A partial agonist, to enable prolonged reversal of the subchronic PCP-induced NOR deficit. Rats treated with subchronic PCP (2mg/kg, twice daily for 7 days) or vehicle, followed by a 7day washout period were subsequently administered lurasidone or tandospirone twice daily for 7 days (day 15-21), and tested for NOR weekly for up to two additional weeks. Subchronic lurasidone (1, but not 0.1mg/kg) or tandospirone (5, but not 0.6mg/kg) significantly reversed the PCP-induced NOR deficit at 24h and 7days after the last injection, respectively. The effect of lurasidone persisted for one more week (day 36, 14 days after the last lurasidone dose), while tandospirone-treated rats were able to perform NOR at 7, but not 14, days after the last tandospirone dose. Co-administration of WAY100635 (0.6mg/kg), a 5-HT1A antagonist, with lurasidone, blocked the ability of lurasidone to restore NOR, suggesting that 5-HT1A receptor stimulation is necessary for lurasidone to reverse the effects of PCP. The role of dopamine, GABA and the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway in the persistent, but not indefinite, restoration of NOR is discussed.

Muscarinic receptor signaling contributes to atypical antipsychotic drug reversal of the phencyclidine-induced deficit in novel object recognition in rats

Enhancement of cholinergic function via muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 agonism improves cognition in some schizophrenia patients. Most atypical antipsychotic drugs, including clozapine and its active metabolite, N-desmethylclozapine, and lurasidone, enhance the release of acetylcholine in key brain regions involved in cognition (e.g. hippocampus). We determined the effect of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 stimulation on novel object recognition and its contribution to the ability of atypical antipsychotic drugs to reverse the novel object recognition deficit in rats withdrawn from subchronic phencyclidine, a rodent model of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. In control rats, the non-specific muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, scopolamine, and the M1 selective antagonist, VU0255035, induced a novel object recognition deficit, which was reversed by the M1 agonist, AC260584. Scopolamine fully blocked the effect of clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine, but not lurasidone, to restore novel object recognition in subchronic phencyclidine-treated rats. VU0255035 also blocked these effects of clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine, but not lurasidone; however, the blockade was not as complete as that achieved with scopolamine. Furthermore, subchronic phencyclidine increased hippocampal M1 mRNA expression. These data suggest that M1 agonism is required for clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine to ameliorate the phencyclidine-induced deficit in novel object recognition, additional evidence that M1 agonism is a potential target for treating cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

Hippocampal GABAA antagonism reverses the novel object recognition deficit in sub-chronic phencyclidine-treated rats

HighlightsIncreased vHPC GABAA receptor stimulation disrupted NOR in normal rats.GABAA receptor antagonism in the vHPC restored NOR in scPCP‐treated rats.scPCP treatment increased the expression of GABAA &agr;5 and &bgr;1 subunits in the HPC.Increased expression of GABAA &ggr;2 in PFC was increased following scPCP treatment.scPCP treatment did not alter total tissue leves of GABA in hippocampus. Background: Abnormalities in prefrontal cortical and hippocampal GABAergic function are postulated to be major causes of the cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). There are conflicting views on whether diminished or enhanced GABAergic activity contributes to the deficit in short‐term novel object recognition (NOR) in the sub‐chronic phencyclidine (scPCP) rodent model of CIAS. This study assessed the role of GABAA signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) in NOR in saline (scSAL)‐ and scPCP‐treated rats. Methods: The effects of local administration of a GABAA agonist (muscimol) into the vHPC or mPFC and an antagonist (bicuculline) or a GABAA/benzodiazepine partial agonist (bretazenil) into the vHPC on NOR in scSAL and scPCP‐treated rats were determined. Results: In scSAL‐treated rats, injection of muscimol into the vHPC, but not mPFC, induced a deficit in NOR. The scPCP‐induced NOR deficit was significantly reversed by intra‐vHPC bicuculline, while intra‐vHPC bretazenil produced a non‐significant trend for reversal (p = .06). scPCP treatment increased mRNA expression of GABAA &ggr;2 in PFC and GABAA &agr;5 and GABAA &bgr;1 in the HPC. However, GABA concentration in the PFC or HPC was not altered. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the scPCP‐induced NOR deficit can be rescued by reducing GABAA receptor stimulation in vHPC, indicating that increased vHPC GABAA inhibition may contribute to the scPCP‐induced NOR deficit in rats. These results also indicate that excessive GABAA receptor signalling in the vHPC has a deleterious effect on NOR in normal rats.