Potentiating KCC2 activity is sufficient to limit the onset and severity of seizures.

The type 2 K+/Cl- cotransporter (KCC2) allows neurons to maintain low intracellular levels of Cl-, a prerequisite for efficient synaptic inhibition. Reductions in KCC2 activity are evident in epilepsy; however, whether these deficits directly contribute to the underlying pathophysiology remains controversial. To address this issue, we created knock-in mice in which threonines 906 and 1007 within KCC2 have been mutated to alanines (KCC2-T906A/T1007A), which prevents its phospho-dependent inactivation. The respective mice appeared normal and did not show any overt phenotypes, and basal neuronal excitability was unaffected. KCC2-T906A/T1007A mice exhibited increased basal neuronal Cl- extrusion, without altering total or plasma membrane accumulation of KCC2. Critically, activity-induced deficits in synaptic inhibition were reduced in the mutant mice. Consistent with this, enhanced KCC2 was sufficient to limit chemoconvulsant-induced epileptiform activity. Furthermore, this increase in KCC2 function mitigated induction of aberrant high-frequency activity during seizures, highlighting depolarizing GABA as a key contributor to the pathological neuronal synchronization seen in epilepsy. Thus, our results demonstrate that potentiating KCC2 represents a therapeutic strategy to alleviate seizures.

Restriction of dietary protein leads to conditioned protein preference and elevated palatability of protein-containing food in rats.

The mechanisms by which intake of dietary protein is regulated are poorly understood despite their potential involvement in determining food choice and appetite. In particular, it is unclear whether protein deficiency results in a specific appetite for protein and whether influences on diet are immediate or develop over time. To determine the effects of protein restriction on consumption, preference, and palatability for protein we assessed patterns of intake for casein (protein) and maltodextrin (carbohydrate) solutions in adult rats. To induce a state of protein restriction, rats were maintained on a low protein diet (5% casein) and compared to control rats on non-restricted diet (20% casein). Under these dietary conditions, relative to control rats, protein-restricted rats exhibited hyperphagia without weight gain. After two weeks, on alternate conditioning days, rats were given access to either isocaloric casein or maltodextrin solutions that were saccharin-sweetened and distinctly flavored whilst consumption and licking patterns were recorded. This allowed rats to learn about the post-ingestive nutritional consequences of the two different solutions. Subsequently, during a preference test when rats had access to both solutions, we found that protein-restricted rats exhibited a preference for casein over carbohydrate whereas non-restricted rats did not. Analysis of lick microstructure revealed that this preference was associated with an increase in cluster size and number, reflective of an increase in palatability. In conclusion, protein-restriction induced a conditioned preference for protein, relative to carbohydrate, and this was associated with increased palatability.

Characterization of a 32 µm diameter carbon fiber electrode for in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Carbon fiber electrodes (CFE) are commonly used for in vivo detection of catecholamines due to their excellent electrochemical properties and biocompatibility. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) combined with CFEs permits the detection of catecholamines such as dopamine (DA) with high specificity and reliability. However, advances in neuroscience constantly demand sensors with greater sensitivities and selectivities. This study investigated an untreated CFE of 32 µm diameter and 300 µm exposed length for detection of DA using FSCV. Despite the larger area of the working electrode, we observed only a small increase in the background current in comparison with the commonly used CFE of 7 µm diameter and 100 µm exposed length. The sensitivity of the 32 µm CFE was 9 times greater than that of the 7 µm CFE. These larger electrodes exhibited good linearity and a 6 fold higher signal-to-noise ratio than 7 µm CFEs in vitro. The 32 µm CFE showed significantly better selectivity for DA in preference to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid than the 7 µm CFE and similar selectivity to the 7 µm CFE for ascorbic and homovanillic acid. The electrodes displayed good temporal resolution and electrochemical stability in both in vitro and in vivo tests.

Methylphenidate modifies overflow and presynaptic compartmentalization of dopamine via an α-synuclein-dependent mechanism.

Methylphenidate (MPD) modulates dopamine (DA) overflow in part by redistributing vesicle pools, a function shared by the presynaptic protein α-synuclein (α-syn). We suggest that α-syn modifies the effect of MPD on DA neurotransmission. The effect was studied in the dorsal striatum in wild-type mice and two mouse lines lacking α-syn by using in vivo voltammetry and microdialysis. MPD (1 mg/kg) attenuated evoked DA overflow only in mice lacking α-syn but produced a similar increase in the extracellular DA levels in all three lines. A kinetic analysis showed that MPD decreased DA release per stimulus pulse in α-syn-deficient mice but increased in wild-type mice. MPD blocked DA reuptake and produced a similar increase in the apparent affinity (K(m)) for DA reuptake in all three lines. Repeated-burst stimulation redistributes vesicular storage pools and facilitates DA overflow, and this form of facilitation is significantly enhanced in α-syn knockout mice. The DA reuptake inhibitor 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine (GBR12909) (10 mg/kg) completely blocked the facilitation of DA overflow in all three lines, whereas MPD (1 mg/kg) selectively decreased it only in mice lacking α-syn. MPD (5 mg/kg) and GBR12909 (10 mg/kg) produced equipotent inhibition of DA reuptake (in terms of K(m)), indicating that reuptake inhibition does not explain the MPD selectivity. Our data indicate that MPD decreases DA release probability in the absence of α-syn and increases it in control animals, whereas the effect of MPD on DA reuptake is independent of α-syn. We suggest that this selectivity is based on α-syn-dependent compartmentalization of presynaptic DA.

Sub-regional differences and mechanisms of the short-term plasticity of dopamine overflow in striatum in mice lacking alpha-synuclein.

Mice lacking the pre-synaptic protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) demonstrate enhanced facilitation of dopamine (DA) overflow in dorsal striatum following repeated, high-frequency burst stimulation of the dopaminergic pathways. Dorsal striatum is most vulnerable to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. The role of α-syn in facilitation of DA overflow in the ventral striatum, which is less vulnerable to neurodegeneration, is unknown. We investigated the link between the absence of α-syn and the plasticity of DA overflow in the dorsal and ventral striatum by in vivo voltammetry and the possible mechanisms of modulation of the plasticity of DA overflow. We show that the facilitation of DA overflow following paired-burst stimulation is significantly enhanced in the dorsolateral but not in the ventral striatum of mice lacking α-syn. Re-uptake inhibitor, GBR12909, completely eliminated the facilitation of DA overflow regardless of the presence of α-syn in both dorsal and ventral striatum, indicating that re-uptake is critical for maintenance of paired-burst facilitation (PBF). Inhibition of D2 autoreceptors by haloperidol decreased PBF only in mice lacking α-syn. However, the basal function of D2 autoreceptors tested by paired-pulse depression of DA overflow was not different between the lines. Therefore, alterations in the D2 autoreceptor system do not explain the different effect of haloperidol on PBF in mice with and without α-syn. This indicates that neither re-uptake nor D2 autoreceptors differentiate the PBF between the genotypes. We propose that modification of DA vesicles in α-syn knockout mice, as reported in several studies, may be a factor underlying the enhanced PBF in these mice.

Decreased reuptake of dopamine in the dorsal striatum in the absence of α-synuclein.

The presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) plays a role in dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. Mutations in this protein have been linked to pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. However, the details of regulation of dopamine homeostasis by α-syn and its molecular targets are generally unknown. We investigated the effect of α-syn deletion on striatal dopaminergic homeostasis. Two α-syn deficient mouse lines, one carrying a spontaneous deletion of α-syn locus and the other a transgenic α-syn knockout, were used in the study. Stimulated and basal extracellular dopamine levels were determined in the dorsal striatum by in vivo voltammetry and in vivo microdialysis, respectively. Dopamine transporter expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. Stimulated dopamine overflow and basal extracellular dopamine levels were higher in mice lacking α-syn with a concomitant decrease in dopamine transporter expression and reuptake in the dorsal striatum. We show that α-syn deletion produces significant adaptive changes in the striatal dopaminergic system via modulation of reuptake.