Correction: Prophylactic versus Therapeutic Fingolimod: Restoration of Presynaptic Defects in Mice Suffering from Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170825.].

Prophylactic versus Therapeutic Fingolimod: Restoration of Presynaptic Defects in Mice Suffering from Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

Fingolimod, the first oral, disease-modifying therapy for MS, has been recently proposed to modulate glutamate transmission in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice suffering from Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in MS patients. Our study aims at investigating whether oral fingolimod recovers presynaptic defects that occur at different stages of disease in the CNS of EAE mice. In vivo prophylactic (0.3 mg/kg for 14 days, from the 7th day post immunization, d.p.i, the drug dissolved in the drinking water) fingolimod significantly reduced the clinical symptoms and the anxiety-related behaviour in EAE mice. Spinal cord inflammation, demyelination and glial cell activation are markers of EAE progression. These signs were ameliorated following oral fingolimod administration. Glutamate exocytosis was shown to be impaired in cortical and spinal cord terminals isolated from EAE mice at 21 ± 1 d.p.i., while GABA alteration emerged only at the spinal cord level. Prophylactic fingolimod recovered these presynaptic defects, restoring altered glutamate and GABA release efficiency. The beneficial effect occurred in a dose-dependent, region-specific manner, since lower (0.1-0.03 mg/kg) doses restored, although to a different extent, synaptic defects in cortical but not spinal cord terminals. A delayed reduction of glutamate, but not of GABA, exocytosis was observed in hippocampal terminals of EAE mice at 35 d.p.i. Therapeutic (0.3 mg/kg, from 21 d.p.i. for 14 days) fingolimod restored glutamate exocytosis in the cortex and in the hippocampus of EAE mice at 35 ± 1 d.p.i. but not in the spinal cord, where also GABAergic defects remained unmodified. These results improve our knowledge of the molecular events accounting for the beneficial effects elicited by fingolimod in demyelinating disorders.

CXCR4 and NMDA Receptors Are Functionally Coupled in Rat Hippocampal Noradrenergic and Glutamatergic Nerve Endings.

Previous studies had shown that the HIV-1 capsidic glycoprotein gp120 (strain IIIB) modulates presynaptic release-regulating NMDA receptors on noradrenergic and glutamatergic terminals. This study aims to assess whether the chemokine CXC4 receptors (CXCR4s) has a role in the gp120-mediated effects. The effect of CXCL12, the endogenous ligand at CXCR4, on the NMDA-mediated releasing activity was therefore investigated. Rat hippocampal synaptosomes were preloaded with [3H]noradrenaline ([3H]NA) or [3H]D-aspartate ([3H]D-Asp) and acutely exposed to CXCL12, to NMDA or to both agonists. CXCL12, inactive on its own, facilitated the NMDA-evoked tritium release. The NMDA antagonist MK-801 abolished the NMDA/CXCL12-evoked tritium release of both radiolabelled tracers, while the CXCR4 antagonist AMD 3100 halved it, suggesting that rat hippocampal nerve endings possess presynaptic release-regulating CXCR4 receptors colocalized with NMDA receptors. Accordingly, Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of CXCR4 proteins in synaptosomal plasmamembranes. In both synaptosomal preparations, CXCL12-induced facilitation of NMDA-mediated release was dependent upon PLC-mediated src-induced events leading to mobilization of Ca2+ from intraterminal IP3-sensitive stores Finally, the gp120-induced facilitation of NMDA-mediated release of [3H]NA and [3H]D-Asp was prevented by AMD 3100. We propose that CXCR4s are functionally coupled to NMDA receptors in rat hippocampal noradrenergic and glutamatergic terminals and account for the gp120-induced modulation of the NMDA-mediated central effects. The NMDA/CXCR4 cross-talk could have a role in the neuropsychiatric symptoms often observed in HIV-1 positive patients.

Presynaptic, release-regulating mGlu2 -preferring and mGlu3 -preferring autoreceptors in CNS: pharmacological profiles and functional roles in demyelinating disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Presynaptic, release-regulating metabotropic glutamate 2 and 3 (mGlu2/3) autoreceptors exist in the CNS. They represent suitable targets for therapeutic approaches to central diseases that are typified by hyperglutamatergicity. The availability of specific ligands able to differentiate between mGlu2 and mGlu3 subunits allows us to further characterize these autoreceptors. In this study we investigated the pharmacological profile of mGlu2/3 receptors in selected CNS regions and evaluated their functions in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The comparative analysis of presynaptic mGlu2/3 autoreceptors was performed by determining the effect of selective mGlu2/3 receptor agonist(s) and antagonist(s) on the release of [(3)H]-D-aspartate from cortical and spinal cord synaptosomes in superfusion. In EAE mice, mGlu2/3 autoreceptor-mediated release functions were investigated and effects of in vivo LY379268 administration on impaired glutamate release examined ex vivo. KEY RESULTS: Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of presynaptic mGlu2/3 receptor proteins. Cortical synaptosomes possessed LY541850-sensitive, NAAG-insensitive autoreceptors having low affinity for LY379268, while LY541850-insensitive, NAAG-sensitive autoreceptors with high affinity for LY379268 existed in spinal cord terminals. In EAE mice, mGlu2/3 autoreceptors completely lost their inhibitory activity in cortical, but not in spinal cord synaptosomes. In vivo LY379268 administration restored the glutamate exocytosis capability in spinal cord but not in cortical terminals in EAE mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: We propose the existence of mGlu2-preferring and mGlu3-preferring autoreceptors in mouse cortex and spinal cord respectively. The mGlu3 -preferring autoreceptors could represent a target for new pharmacological approaches for treating demyelinating diseases.

Antibody/receptor protein immunocomplex in human and mouse cortical nerve endings amplifies complement-induced glutamate release.

Previous studies have demonstrated that complement alone releases glutamate from human and mouse cortical terminals in an antibody-independent manner. In order to expand our knowledge on complement-mediated effects, we investigated whether the presence of an antigen-antibody complex in synaptosomal plasmamembranes could also trigger complement-induced functional responses that might affect neurotransmitter release. To this aim, we focused on the chemokine 5 receptor (CCR5) expressed in human and mouse cortical glutamate terminals, whose activation by CCL5 elicits [(3)H]D-aspartate ([(3)H]D-ASP) release. Preincubating synaptosomes with an antibody recognizing the NH2 terminus of the CCR5 protein (anti-NH2-CCR5 antibody) abolished the CCL5-induced [(3)H]D-ASP release. Similarly, enriching synaptosomes with an antibody recognizing the COOH terminus of CCR5 (anti-COOH-CCR5 antibody) prevented the CCL5-induced [(3)H]D-ASP release. The antagonist-like activity of the anti-NH2-CCR5 antibody turned to facilitation when anti-NH2-CCR5-treated synaptosomes were exposed to complement. In these terminals, the releasing effect was significantly higher than that elicited by complement in untreated synaptosomes. On the contrary, the complement-induced [(3)H]D-ASP release from anti-COOH-CCR5 antibody-entrapped synaptosomes did not differ from that from untreated synaptosomes. Preincubating synaptosomes with anti-beta tubulin III antibody, used as negative control, neither prevented the CCL5-induced releasing effect nor it amplified the complement-induced [(3)H]D-ASP release. Finally, serum lacking the C1q protein, i.e. the protein essential to promote the antibody-mediated activation of complement, elicited a comparable [(3)H]D-ASP release from both untreated and anti-NH2-CCR5 antibody-treated synaptosomes. Thus, we propose that antibodies raised against the outer sequence of a receptor protein can trigger the activation of the complement through the classic, C1q-mediated antibody-dependent pathway, which results in an abnormal release of glutamate that could be deleterious to central nervous system.

Functional adaptation of presynaptic chemokine receptors in EAE mouse central nervous system.

In cortical synaptosomes of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice at the early stage of disease (13 days post immunization, d.p.i.), the Regulated upon Activation Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES, CCL5)-mediated control of [3H]D-aspartate ([3H]D-ASP) exocytosis elicited by a mild depolarizing stimulus (12 mM KCl) shifted from inhibition to facilitation. By using selective antagonists for the chemokine receptor (CCR) 1, 3, and 5 subtypes, we found that the pharmacological profile of the receptor(s) accounting for CCL5-mediated effect was unaltered when compared to control. Inasmuch, CCR protein expression was unaltered. This studies was not extended at 21 d.p.i. since, at this stage, CCL5 failed to affect [3H]D-ASP exocytosis. At 13 d.p.i., the expression of CCR proteins was largely conserved when compared to control. In spinal cord synaptosomes of EAE mice at 21 d.p.i., when presynaptic defects became evident, the [3H]D-ASP exocytosis elicited by 15 mM KCl was significantly increased when compared to control and it was significantly potentiated by 1 nM CCL5. The antagonist pharmacological profile and the western blot analysis of the CCR proteins unveiled that the receptor repertoire involved was unmodified. Differently from controls, however, the CCR1 antagonist BX513 efficiently inhibited on its own [3H]D-ASP exocytosis suggesting that this receptor could have adopted an active conformation. Altogether, our observations favor the use of CCR antagonists to the cure of neurological symptoms in patients suffering from demyelinating syndrome.

Acute desipramine restores presynaptic cortical defects in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by suppressing central CCL5 overproduction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Altered glutamate exocytosis and cAMP production in cortical terminals of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice occur at the early stage of disease (13 days post-immunization, d.p.i.). Neuronal defects were paralleled by overexpression of the central chemokine CCL5 (also known as RANTES), suggesting it has a role in presynaptic impairments. We propose that drugs able to restore CCL5 content to physiological levels could also restore presynaptic defects. Because of its efficacy in controlling CCL5 overexpression, desipramine (DMI) appeared to be a suitable candidate to test our hypothesis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Control and EAE mice at 13 d.p.i. were acutely or chronically administered DMI and monitored for behaviour and clinical scores. Noradrenaline and glutamate release, cAMP, CCL5 and TNF-α production were quantified in cortical synaptosomes and homogenates. Peripheral cytokine production was also determined. KEY RESULTS: Noradrenaline exocytosis and α2 -adrenoeceptor-mediated activity were unmodified in EAE mice at 13 d.p.i. when compared with control. Acute, but not chronic, DMI reduced CCL5 levels in cortical homogenates of EAE mice at 13 d.p.i., but did not affect peripheral IL-17 and TNF-α contents or CCL5 plasma levels. Acute DMI caused a long-lasting restoration of glutamate exocytosis, restored endogenous cAMP production and impeded the shift from inhibition to facilitation of the CCL5-mediated control of glutamate exocytosis. Finally, DMI ameliorated anxiety-related behaviour but not motor activity or severity of clinical signs. CONCLUSIONS: We propose DMI as an add-on therapy to normalize neuropsychiatric symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients at the early stage of the disease.

The effects of antidepressant treatment in prenatally stressed rats support the glutamatergic hypothesis of stress-related disorders.

Abnormalities of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus represent an integral part of the altered programming triggered by early life stress, which enhances the vulnerability to stress-related disorders in the adult life. Rats exposed to prenatal restraint stress (PRS) develop enduring biochemical and behavioral changes characteristic of an anxious/depressive-like phenotype. Most neurochemical abnormalities in PRS rats are found in the ventral hippocampus, a region that encodes memories related to stress and emotions. We have recently demonstrated a causal link between the reduction of glutamate release in the ventral hippocampus and anxiety-like behavior in PRS rats. To confer pharmacological validity to the glutamatergic hypothesis of stress-related disorders, we examined whether chronic treatment with two antidepressants with different mechanisms of action could correct the defect in glutamate release and associated behavioral abnormalities in PRS rats. Adult unstressed or PRS rats were treated daily with either agomelatine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) or fluoxetine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 d. Both treatments reversed the reduction in depolarization-evoked glutamate release and in the expression of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins in the ventral hippocampus of PRS rats. Antidepressant treatment also corrected abnormalities in anxiety-/depression-like behavior and social memory performance in PRS rats. The effect on glutamate release was strongly correlated with the improvement of anxiety-like behavior and social memory. These data offer the pharmacological demonstration that glutamatergic hypofunction in the ventral hippocampus lies at the core of the pathological phenotype caused by early life stress and represents an attractive pharmacological target for novel therapeutic strategies.

Complement selectively elicits glutamate release from nerve endings in different regions of mammal central nervous system.

Our study was aimed at investigating whether complement, a complex of soluble and membrane-associated serum proteins, could, in addition to its well-documented post-synaptic activity, also pre-synaptically affect the release of classic neurotransmitters in central nervous system (CNS). Complement (dilution 1 : 10 to 1 : 10000) elicited the release of preloaded [(3) H]-d-aspartate ([(3) H]d-ASP) and endogenous glutamate from mouse cortical synaptosomes in a dilution-dependent manner. It also evoked [(3) H]d-ASP release from mouse hippocampal, cerebellar, and spinal cord synaptosomes, as well as from rat and human cortical nerve endings, but left unaltered the release of GABA, [(3) H]noradrenaline or [(3) H]acetylcholine. Lowering external Na(+) (from 140 to 40 mM) or Ca(2+) (from 1.2 to 0.1 mM) ions prevented the 1 : 300 complement-evoked [(3) H]d-ASP release from mouse cortical synaptosomes. Complement-induced releasing effect was unaltered in synaptosomes entrapped with the Ca(2+) ions chelator 1,2-bis-(2-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N', tetra-acetic acid or with pertussis toxin. Nifedipine,/ω-conotoxin GVIA/ω-conotoxin MVIIC mixture as well as the vesicular ATPase blocker bafilomycin A1 were also inefficacious. The excitatory amino acid transporter blocker DL-threo-ß-benzyloxyaspartic acid, on the contrary, reduced the complement-evoked releasing effect in a concentration-dependent manner. We concluded that complement-induced releasing activity is restricted to glutamatergic nerve endings, where it was accounted for by carrier-mediated release. Our observations afford new insights into the molecular events accounting for immune and CNS crosstalk. We investigated whether complement, a complex of soluble and membrane-associated serum proteins, could pre-synaptically affect the release of classic neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). Our data provide evidence that complement-induced releasing activity is restricted to glutamatergic nerve endings, where it was accounted for by carrier-mediated release. Our observations add new insights to the knowledge of the molecular events accounting for immune and CNS crosstalk. EAAT = excitatory amino acid transporter.

CCL5-glutamate interaction in central nervous system: Early and acute presynaptic defects in EAE mice.

We investigated the CCL5-glutamate interaction in the cortex and in the spinal cord from mice with Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) at 13 and 21/30 days post immunization (d.p.i.), representing the onset and the peak of the disease, respectively. An early reduction of the KCl-evoked glutamate release was observed in cortical terminals from EAE mice at 13 d.p.i., persisting until 21/30 d.p.i. A concomitant reduction of the depolarization-evoked cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), but not of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) cortical production also occurred at 13 d.p.i, that still was detectable at the acute stage of disease (21 dp.i.). Inasmuch, the CCL5-mediated inhibition of glutamate exocytosis observed in control mice turned to facilitation in EAE mouse cortex at 13 d.p.i., then becoming undetectable at 21/30 d.p.i. Differently, glutamate exocytosis, as well as IP3 and cAMP productions were unaltered in spinal cord synaptosomes from EAE mice at 13 d.p.i., but significantly increased at 21/30 d.p.i., while the presynaptic CCL5-mediated facilitation of glutamate exocytosis observed in control mice remained unchanged. In both CNS regions, the presynaptic defects were parallelled by increased CCL5 availability. Inasmuch, the presynaptic defects so far described in EAE mice were reminiscent of the effects acute CCL5 exerts in control conditions. Based on these observations we propose that increased CCL5 bioavailability could have a role in determining the abovedescribed impaired presynaptic impairments in both CNS regions. These presynaptic defects could be relevant to the onset of early cognitive impairments and acute neuroinflammation and demyelinating processes observed in multiple sclerosis patients.

Effects of the neoclerodane Hardwickiic acid on the presynaptic opioid receptors which modulate noradrenaline and dopamine release in mouse central nervous system.

We have comparatively investigated the effects of Hardwickiic acid and Salvinorin A on the K(+)-evoked overflow of [(3)H]noradrenaline ([(3)H]NA) and [(3)H]dopamine ([(3)H]DA) from mouse hippocampal and striatal nerve terminals, respectively. The K(+)-evoked overflow of [(3)H]DA was inhibited in presence of Salvinorin A (100 nM) but not in presence of Hardwickiic acid (100 nM). Hardwickiic acid (100 nM) mimicked Salvinorin A (100 nM) in facilitating K(+)-evoked hippocampal [(3)H]NA overflow and the two compounds were almost equipotent. Facilitation of [(3)H]NA overflow caused by 100 nM Hardwickiic acid was prevented by the κ-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist norbinaltorphimine (norBNI, 100 nM) and by the selective δ-opioid receptor (DOR) antagonist naltrindole (100 nM), but was not altered by 100 nM D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP), a selective µ-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist. We conclude that Hardwickiic acid modulates hippocampal [(3)H]NA overflow evoked by a mild depolarizing stimulus by acting at presynaptic opioid receptor subtypes.