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1.
BMC Med ; 22(1): 226, 2024 Jun 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38840198

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have linked adolescent motherhood to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring, yet the sex-specific effect and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS: This study included 6952 children aged 9-11 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The exposed group consisted of children of mothers < 20 years at the time of birth, while the unexposed group was composed of children of mothers aged 20-35 at birth. We employed a generalized linear mixed model to investigate the associations of adolescent motherhood with cognitive, behavioral, and autistic-like traits in offspring. We applied an inverse-probability-weighted marginal structural model to examine the potential mediating factors including adverse perinatal outcomes, family conflict, and brain structure alterations. RESULTS: Our results revealed that children of adolescent mothers had significantly lower cognitive scores (ß, - 2.11, 95% CI, - 2.90 to - 1.31), increased externalizing problems in male offspring (mean ratio, 1.28, 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.52), and elevated internalizing problems (mean ratio, 1.14, 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.33) and autistic-like traits (mean ratio, 1.22, 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.47) in female. A stressful family environment mediated ~ 70% of the association with internalizing problems in females, ~ 30% with autistic-like traits in females, and ~ 20% with externalizing problems in males. Despite observable brain morphometric changes related to adolescent motherhood, these did not act as mediating factors in our analysis, after adjusting for family environment. No elevated rate of adverse perinatal outcomes was observed in the offspring of adolescent mothers in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal distinct sex-specific neurodevelopmental outcomes impacts of being born to adolescent mothers, with a substantial mediating effect of family environment on behavioral outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of developing sex-tailored interventions and support the hypothesis that family environment significantly impacts the neurodevelopmental consequences of adolescent motherhood.


Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder , Brain , Cognition , Problem Behavior , Humans , Female , Male , Child , Brain/growth & development , Adolescent , Cognition/physiology , Family Conflict , Mothers , Adult , Pregnancy , Young Adult , Pregnancy in Adolescence , Sex Factors
2.
Research (Wash D C) ; 6: 0269, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38434247

ABSTRACT

Fluid intelligence is a cognitive domain that encompasses general reasoning, pattern recognition, and problem-solving abilities independent of task-specific experience. Understanding its genetic and neural underpinnings is critical yet challenging for predicting human development, lifelong health, and well-being. One approach to address this challenge is to map the network of correlations between intelligence and other constructs. In the current study, we performed a genome-wide association study using fluid intelligence quotient scores from the UK Biobank to explore the genetic architecture of the associations between obesity risk and fluid intelligence. Our results revealed novel common genetic loci (SH2B1, TUFM, ATP2A1, and FOXO3) underlying the association between fluid intelligence and body metabolism. Surprisingly, we demonstrated that SH2B1 variation influenced fluid intelligence independently of its effects on metabolism but partially mediated its association with bilateral hippocampal volume. Consistently, selective genetic ablation of Sh2b1 in the mouse hippocampus, particularly in inhibitory neurons, but not in excitatory neurons, significantly impaired working memory, short-term novel object recognition memory, and behavioral flexibility, but not spatial learning and memory, mirroring the human intellectual performance. Single-cell genetic profiling of Sh2B1-regulated molecular pathways revealed that Sh2b1 deletion resulted in aberrantly enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, whereas pharmacological inhibition of ERK signaling reversed the associated behavioral impairment. Our cross-species study thus provides unprecedented insight into the role of SH2B1 in fluid intelligence and has implications for understanding the genetic and neural underpinnings of lifelong mental health and well-being.

3.
Cell Rep ; 41(9): 111722, 2022 11 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36450249

ABSTRACT

Identifying symptom-specific convergent mechanisms for neurodevelopmental disorders is a promising strategy in advancing therapies. Here, we show that bidirectional dysregulation of Rac1 activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dictates shared social deficits in mice. Selective upregulation or downregulation of Rac1 activity in glutamatergic or fast-spiking GABAergic neurons results in excessive or inadequate control of excitability combined with a decrease in glutamate or an increase in GABA concentrations and an increase in the GABA/glutamate ratio, which is responsible for social deficits. Notably, the autism model of Shank3B knockout mice exhibits aberrantly enhanced Rac1 activity, reduced glutamate concentrations, and pyramidal neuron excitability in mPFC accompanied with social deficits, which were corrected by either excitatory-neuron-specific downregulation of Rac1 activity or upregulation of neuronal excitability. Thus, this work shows a convergence between genetic autism risk factors, dysregulation of Rac1 signaling, and excitation-inhibition imbalance, enabling mechanism-based stratification of patients with social deficits.


Subject(s)
Glutamic Acid , Prefrontal Cortex , Mice , Animals , Pyramidal Cells , GABAergic Neurons , Mice, Knockout , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
4.
Front Immunol ; 13: 870577, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35693812

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with few medication options. Bumetanide, an FDA-approved diuretic, has been proposed as a viable candidate to treat core symptoms of ASD, however, neither the brain region related to its effect nor the cell-specific mechanism(s) is clear. The availability of nanoparticles provides a viable way to identify pharmacological mechanisms for use in ASD. Here, we found that treatment with bumetanide, in a systemic and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) region-specific way, attenuated social deficits in BTBR mice. Furthermore, using poly (ethylene glycol)-poly(l-lactide) (PEG-PLA) nanoparticles [NP(bumetanide)], we showed that the administration of NP(bumetanide) in a mPFC region-specific way also alleviated the social deficits of BTBR mice. Mechanistically, the behavioral effect of NP(bumetanide) was dependent on selective microglia-specific targeting in the mPFC. Pharmacological depletion of microglia significantly reduced the effect of nanoencapsulation and depletion of microglia alone did not improve the social deficits in BTBR mice. These findings suggest the potential therapeutic capabilities of nanotechnology for ASD, as well as the relevant link between bumetanide and immune cells.


Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Animals , Autism Spectrum Disorder/drug therapy , Brain , Bumetanide/pharmacology , Bumetanide/therapeutic use , Disease Models, Animal , Mice , Mice, Inbred Strains
5.
Biomed Pharmacother ; 149: 112837, 2022 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35339829

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Metformin exhibits therapeutic potential in behavioural deficits induced by methamphetamine (METH) in rats. Emerging studies suggest gut microbiota may impact psychiatric symptoms, but there is no direct evidence supporting metformin's participation in the pathophysiology of withdrawal symptoms via modulation of gut microbiota. METHODS: In order to define the functional impacts of gut microbiota and metformin to the behavioural deficits during METH withdrawal, we utilized a combination of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), high-throughput sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics technologies. RESULTS: First, METH addicts exhibited higher α diversity and distinct microbial structures compared to healthy controls. In particular, the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae was positively correlated with the severity of anxiety and depression. Second, both human-to-mouse and mouse-to-mouse FMTs confirmed that METH-altered-microbiota transplantation is sufficient to promote anxiety and depression-like behaviours in recipient germ-free mice, and these behavioural disturbances could be ameliorated by metformin. In-depth analysis revealed that METH significantly altered the bacterial composition and structure as well as relative abundance of several bacterial taxa and metabolites, including Rikenellaceae and inosine, respectively, whereas add-on metformin could remodel these alterations. Finally, the inosine complementation successfully restored METH-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviours in mice. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that METH withdrawal-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviours are reversible and transmissible via gut microbiota in a mouse model. The therapeutic effects of metformin on psychiatric manifestations are associated with microbiota-derived metabolites, highlighting the role of the gut microbiota in substance use disorders and the pathophysiology of withdrawal symptoms.


Subject(s)
Amphetamine-Related Disorders , Metformin , Methamphetamine , Microbiota , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome , Animals , Anxiety/metabolism , Depression/chemically induced , Depression/drug therapy , Depression/microbiology , Inosine , Metformin/pharmacology , Mice , Rats , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/metabolism
6.
Mol Psychiatry ; 26(7): 2820-2836, 2021 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32873898

ABSTRACT

The central control of feeding behavior and metabolic homeostasis has been proposed to involve a form of post-ingestive nutrient learning independent of the gustatory value of food. However, after such learning, it is unknown which brain regions or circuits are activated to retrieve the stored memory and whether this memory undergoes reconsolidation that depends on protein synthesis after its reactivation through retrieval. In the present study, using a conditioned-flavor-preference paradigm by associating flavors with intra-gastric infusion of glucose to minimize the evaluation of the taste of food, we show that retrieval of the post-ingestive nutrient-conditioned flavor memory stimulates multiple brain regions in mice, including the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Moreover, memory retrieval activated the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in the CeA, while site-specific or systemic inhibition of mTORC1 immediately after retrieval prevented the subsequent expression of the post-ingestive nutrient-associated flavor memory, leading to a long-lasting suppression of reinstatement. Taken together, our findings suggest that the reconsolidation process of a post-ingestive nutrient memory modulates food preferences.


Subject(s)
Central Amygdaloid Nucleus , Memory , Nutrients , Animals , Brain , Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/physiology , Conditioning, Classical , Food Preferences , Mice , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
7.
Front Psychiatry ; 12: 789864, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34975585

ABSTRACT

Background and Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a heterogeneous set of neurodevelopmental disorders with diverse symptom severity and comorbidities. Although alterations in gut microbiota have been reported in individuals with ASD, it remains unclear whether certain microbial pattern is linked to specific symptom or comorbidity in ASD. We aimed to investigate the associations between gut microbiota and the severity of social impairment and cognitive functioning in children with ASD. Methods: A total of 261 age-matched children, including 138 children diagnosed with ASD, 63 with developmental delay or intellectual disability (DD/ID), and 60 typically developing (TD) children, were enrolled from the Shanghai Xinhua Registry. The children with ASD were further classified into two subgroups: 76 children diagnosed with ASD and developmental disorder (ASD+DD) and 62 with ASD only (ASD-only). The gut microbiome of all children was profiled and evaluated by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Results: The gut microbial analyses demonstrated an altered microbial community structure in children with ASD. The alpha diversity indices of the ASD+DD and ASD-only subgroups were significantly lower than the DD/ID or TD groups. At the genus level, we observed a decrease in the relative abundance of Prevotella. Simultaneously, Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium were significantly increased in ASD compared with DD/ID and TD participants. There was a clear correlation between alpha diversity and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) total score for all participants, and this correlation was independent of IQ performance. Similar correlations with the CARS total score were observed for genera Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, and Oscillospira. However, there was no single genus significantly associated with IQ in all participants. Conclusions: Specific alterations in bacterial taxonomic composition and associations with the severity of social impairment and IQ performance were observed in children with ASD or ASD subgroups, when compared with DD/ID or TD groups. These results illustrate that gut microbiota may serve as a promising biomarker for ASD symptoms. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted.

8.
Antioxidants (Basel) ; 9(9)2020 Sep 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32899916

ABSTRACT

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) are special flavonoids in citrus fruits that have been suggested to be beneficial to human health. However, whether PMFs in citrus fruit alter human gut microbiota is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PMF-rich fraction from Ougan (Citrus reticulata cv. Suavissima) on gut microbiota and evaluate the intestinal metabolic profile of PMFs in Institute of Cancer Research mice. The main components of the PMF-rich fraction were nobiletin, tangeretin, and 5-demethylnobiletin. The composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. The results showed that after oral administration, the composition of mice gut microbiota was significantly altered. The relative abundance of two probiotics, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, were found to increase significantly. A total of 21 metabolites of PMFs were detected in mice intestinal content by high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, and they were generated through demethylation, demethoxylation, hydroxylation, and glucuronidation. Our results provided evidence that PMFs have potential beneficial regulatory effects on gut microbiota that in turn metabolize PMFs, which warrants further investigation in human clinical trials.

9.
Molecules ; 25(18)2020 Sep 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32927909

ABSTRACT

Apple (Malus pumila Mill.) is a popular fruit with high economic values and various biological activities that are beneficial to human health. In this study, 35 apple cultivars were collected and were evaluated for their basic quality indexes, phenolic compositions, antioxidant activity, anti-tumour, and anti-diabetic activities. The compositions of phenolics were detected by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS) assays. The antioxidant activities of peel and pulp extracts from 35 apple cultivars were evaluated by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Results showed that the contents of phenolic acids and proanthocyanidins showed significant correlations with the antioxidant activities. Phenolic-rich extracts significantly inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation, with the inhibition activity varied significantly between cultivars. 'Gold Delicious' pulp extract, 'Xiboliyabaidian' peel and pulp extracts showed protective effects on H2O2-induced injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). 'Red Fuji' peel extract, 'Xiboliyabaidian' peel and pulp extracts, as well as 'Gold Delicious' peel extract, significantly increased glucose consumption of HepG2 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. This research may provide theoretical guidance for further nutritional investigation of the apple resources.


Subject(s)
Malus/chemistry , Phenols/chemistry , Phenols/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Fruit/chemistry , Hep G2 Cells , Humans , Phytochemicals/chemistry , Phytochemicals/pharmacology , Polyphenols/chemistry , Polyphenols/pharmacology
10.
J Obstet Gynaecol Res ; 46(6): 939-944, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32342628

ABSTRACT

Colposcopy is a visual technique to examine the cervix and determine selection of sites for biopsies and eligibility for treatment. It's always been a critical part of identifying preinvasive and early invasive cervical carcinoma. Unfortunately, challenges exist with regards to the accuracy of traditional colposcopy. Hence, to fully exploit the benefit of increasing diagnostic sensitivity, there is a pressing need to improve the performance of colposcopy by applying novel innovations and techniques. In this case report, we used a recently developed, high-resolution multispectral endoscopy and evaluated its performance by comparing colposcopic image features (the vascular pattern, in particular, depending upon the improved optics and illumination) with histology results. High-resolution multispectral endoscopy makes it easier to distinguish the features of pathological vessels, so that it has a higher sensitivity and specificity to detect cervical lesions, especially in discriminating the vascular pattern using multispectral technology.


Subject(s)
Endoscopy/methods , Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/diagnosis , Adult , Colposcopy/standards , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Sensitivity and Specificity , Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/pathology
11.
J Med Virol ; 92(3): 372-381, 2020 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31670402

ABSTRACT

Human papillomavirus (HPV)16 gene mutation is usually associated with persistent HPV infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). However, the functional implications of HPV16 mutations remain poorly understood.145 LCR/E6/E7 of the HPV16 isolates were amplified and sequenced, and HPV16 integration status was detected. In total, 89 SNPs (68 in the LCR, 13 in E6, 8 in E7) were discovered, 11 of which were nonsynonymous mutations (8 in E6, 3 in E7). The H85Y and E120D variants in E6 were significantly reduced in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) group compared to the T," a potential binding site for TATA-binding protein, is the most common in LCR variants. A4 (Asian) was associated with an increased risk of HSIL compared to A1-3(P = .009). The H85/E120 in E6 and N29 in HPV16 E7 might play a critical role in carcinogenesis by disrupting p53 and Rb degradation due to affecting their interaction, respectively. In a word, the findings in this study provide preventative and therapeutic interventions of HPV16 -related cervical lesions/cancer.


Subject(s)
Human papillomavirus 16/genetics , Human papillomavirus 16/pathogenicity , Oncogene Proteins, Viral/genetics , Papillomavirus E7 Proteins/genetics , Papillomavirus Infections/virology , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/virology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/virology , Adult , Aged , Amino Acid Substitution , China , DNA, Viral , Female , Genotyping Techniques , Humans , Middle Aged , Mutation , Phylogeny , Protein Conformation , Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions/virology , Virus Integration/genetics , Young Adult
12.
Infect Agent Cancer ; 14: 38, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31832087

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Persistent infection with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) has been associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. However, why only a fraction of HPV cases progress to cancer is still unclear. METHODS: We focused on the heterogeneity, classification, evolution and dispersal of variants for 14 common HPV types in 262 HPV-positive patients with cervical lesions. The E6 and E7 genes of HPV were sequenced and compared with the HPV reference for sequence analysis. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbour-joining tree method with MEGA 7.0. RESULTS: In this study, 233 E6 and 212 E7 sequences were successfully amplified by PCR, and these sequences were divided into 5 species groups: alpha-9 (HPV16, 31, 33, 52, 58), alpha-5 (HPV51), alpha-6 (HPV53, 66), alpha-7 (HPV18, 39, 59, 68) and alpha-10 (HPV6, 44). The incidence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) in patients infected with alpha-9 HPV was significantly increased compared with other groups (P < 0.0001), especially HPV16 (P < 0.0001). Strikingly, E7 had significantly fewer nonsynonymous variants in the HSIL compared to

13.
Front Psychiatry ; 10: 15, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30800078

ABSTRACT

Memantine hydrochloride is an uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist for treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. Several studies have shown that memantine can significantly correct the binge-like eating behavior in human and animal models. People with overeating behavior are more likely to be obese. Therefore, we suppose that memantine would be a good candidate for the treatment of obesity. In this study, memantine was shown to increase weight loss in obese mice induced by high fat diet. Memantine was shown to decrease food intake without inducing abdominal discomfort and anxiety, suggesting that this compound would be a good candidate drug for obesity control.

14.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther ; 368(1): 1-10, 2019 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30389721

ABSTRACT

The central amygdala (CeA) plays a critical role in the expression of emotional behaviors, including pathologic anxiety disorders. The present study demonstrated that GABAergic inhibition in CeA was significantly increased by methyleugenol (ME), a natural constituent isolated from the essential oils of several plants. The electrophysiologic recordings showed that ME increased both tonic and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic GABAergic currents in CeA slices, especially the tonic currents, while the miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents were not affected. In the fear-induced anxiety animal model, both intraperitoneal injection or CeA-specific infusion of ME reduced the anxiety-like behaviors in mice, likely by facilitating the activation of A-type GABA receptors (GABAARs). These results reveal that GABAAR in the CeA can be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of anxiety and that ME is capable of enhancing the GABAergic inhibition in CeA neurons for the inhibition of neuronal excitability.


Subject(s)
Anxiety/drug therapy , Anxiety/metabolism , Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/metabolism , Eugenol/analogs & derivatives , GABAergic Neurons/metabolism , Neural Inhibition/drug effects , Anesthetics/pharmacology , Anesthetics/therapeutic use , Animals , Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/drug effects , Eugenol/pharmacology , Eugenol/therapeutic use , GABAergic Neurons/drug effects , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neural Inhibition/physiology , Organ Culture Techniques
15.
Neuropharmacology ; 141: 331-342, 2018 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30170083

ABSTRACT

Feeding can be inhibited by satiety, sickness, or food unpalatability. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has been considered the key region for processing multiple anorexigenic signals, although the detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here we identify that methyleugenol (ME), a novel agonist of A type ionotropic γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAARs), significantly counteracts the anorexigenic effects caused by satiety or sickness in association with GABAergic inhibition in the CeA. Electrophysiologically, ME enhanced GABAergic transmission and repressed neuronal excitability of the CeA. Behaviorally, ME increased feeding but not affect locomotor activity and basal anxiety in naïve mice. Notably, both systemic and CeA-specific delivery of ME significantly rescued satiety- or sickness-induced inhibition of feeding. The effects of ME were mainly dependent on the GABAARs in the CeA. Indeed, viral-mediated, the CeA region-specific genetic knockdown of the γ2 subunit of GABAARs largely abolished the above pharmacological effects, while its re-expression in a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons in the CeA, that produce protein kinase C-δ (PKC-δ), recovered the effects of ME on anorexigenic signals. Taken together, these results reveal a novel molecular mechanism for counter-anorexigenic signals dependent on GABAergic inhibition in the CeA, suggesting the possibility of ME as a leading compound for anorexia treatment.


Subject(s)
Anorexia/prevention & control , Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/drug effects , Eugenol/analogs & derivatives , GABAergic Neurons/drug effects , Neural Inhibition/drug effects , Receptors, GABA-A/physiology , Animals , Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/metabolism , Eating/drug effects , Eating/physiology , Eugenol/antagonists & inhibitors , Eugenol/pharmacology , GABA-A Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , GABA-A Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology , GABAergic Neurons/metabolism , Gene Knockdown Techniques , Locomotion/drug effects , Male , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Microinjections , Protein Kinase C-delta/genetics , Protein Kinase C-delta/metabolism , Receptors, GABA-A/genetics
16.
EBioMedicine ; 34: 201-213, 2018 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30057312

ABSTRACT

An imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition represents a core feature in multiple neuropsychiatry disorders, necessitating the development of novel strategies to calibrate the excitatory-inhibitory balance of therapeutics. Here we identify a natural compound quercetin that reduces prefrontal cortical GABAergic transmission and alleviates the hyperactivity induced by glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801. Quercetin markedly reduced the GABA-activated currents in a noncompetitive manner in cultured cortical neurons, and moderately inhibited spontaneous and electrically-evoked GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic current in mouse prefrontal cortical slices. Notably, systemic and prefrontal-specific delivery of quercetin reduced basal locomotor activity in addition to alleviated the MK-801-induced hyperactivity. The effects of quercetin were not exclusively dependent on α5-subunit-containing A type GABA receptors (GABAARs), as viral-mediated, region-specific genetic knockdown of the α5-subunit in prefrontal cortex improved the MK-801-evoked psychotic symptom but reserved the pharmacological responsivity to quercetin. Both interventions together completely normalized the locomotor activity. Together, quercetin as a negative allosteric GABAAR modulator exerted antipsychotic activity, facilitating further therapeutic development for the excitatory-inhibitory imbalance disorders.


Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents/pharmacology , Prefrontal Cortex/drug effects , Quercetin/pharmacology , Receptors, GABA-A/physiology , Synaptic Transmission/drug effects , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/physiology , Animals , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Cells, Cultured , Dizocilpine Maleate , Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists , Humans , Hyperkinesis/chemically induced , Hyperkinesis/drug therapy , Hyperkinesis/physiopathology , Locomotion/drug effects , Male , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Neurons/drug effects , Neurons/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/physiology , Quercetin/therapeutic use
17.
Sci Rep ; 7: 46654, 2017 04 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28436443

ABSTRACT

Inhibitory A type γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAARs) play a pivotal role in orchestrating various brain functions and represent an important molecular target in neurological and psychiatric diseases, necessitating the need for the discovery and development of novel modulators. Here, we show that a natural compound curcumol, acts as an allosteric enhancer of GABAARs in a manner distinct from benzodiazepines. Curcumol markedly facilitated GABA-activated currents and shifted the GABA concentration-response curve to the left in cultured hippocampal neurons. When co-applied with the classical benzodiazepine diazepam, curcumol further potentiated GABA-induced currents. In contrast, in the presence of a saturating concentration of menthol, a positive modulator for GABAAR, curcumol failed to further enhance GABA-induced currents, suggesting shared mechanisms underlying these two agents on GABAARs. Moreover, the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil did not alter the enhancement of GABA response by curcumol and menthol, but abolished that by DZP. Finally, mutations at the ß2 or γ2 subunit predominantly eliminated modulation of recombinant GABAARs by curcumol and menthol, or diazepam, respectively. Curcumol may therefore exert its actions on GABAARs at sites distinct from benzodiazepine sites. These findings shed light on the future development of new therapeutics drugs targeting GABAARs.


Subject(s)
Benzodiazepines/pharmacology , Pyramidal Cells/physiology , Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism , Sesquiterpenes/pharmacology , Allosteric Regulation/drug effects , Animals , CA1 Region, Hippocampal/cytology , Cells, Cultured , Diazepam/pharmacology , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Flumazenil/pharmacology , GABA Modulators/pharmacology , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Membrane Potentials/drug effects , Pyramidal Cells/cytology , Pyramidal Cells/drug effects , Receptors, GABA-A/genetics , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/pharmacology
18.
J Exp Clin Cancer Res ; 35(1): 180, 2016 11 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27884161

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) into host genome is one of the critical steps that lead to the progression of precancerous lesion into cancer. However, the mechanisms and consequences of such integration events are poorly understood. This study aims to explore those questions by studying high risk HPV16 integration in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: Specifically, HPV integration status of 13 HPV16-infected patients were investigated by ligation-mediated PCR (DIPS-PCR) followed by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: In total, 8 HPV16 integration sites were identified inside or around genes associated with cancer development. In particular, the well-studied tumor suppressor genes SCAI was found to be integrated by HPV16, which would likely disrupt its expression and therefore facilitate the migration of tumor. On top of that, we observed several cases of chromosome translocation events coincide with HPV integration, which suggests the existence of chromosome instability. Additionally, short overlapping sequences were observed between viral derived and host derived fragments in viral-cellular junctions, indicating that integration was mediated by micro homology-mediated DNA repair pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study suggests a model in which HPV16 might contribute to oncogenesis not only by disrupting tumor suppressor genes, but also by inducing chromosome instability.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/virology , Chromosomal Instability , DNA, Viral/genetics , Human papillomavirus 16/physiology , Transcription Factors/genetics , Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/virology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/virology , Adult , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics , Female , Human papillomavirus 16/genetics , Humans , Middle Aged , Protein Interaction Mapping , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Translocation, Genetic , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/genetics , Virus Integration , Uterine Cervical Dysplasia/genetics
19.
Sci Rep ; 5: 17461, 2015 Dec 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26658842

ABSTRACT

Temporal association memory, like working memory, is a type of episodic memory in which temporally discontinuous elements are associated. However, the mechanisms that govern this association remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a crucial role of dopaminergic action in temporal association memory. We used hemizygote hyperdopaminergic mutant mice with reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) expression, referred to as DAT(+/-) mice. We found that mice with this modest dopamine imbalance exhibited significantly impaired trace fear conditioning, which necessitates the association of temporally discontinuous elements, and intact delay auditory fear conditioning, which does not. Moreover, the DAT(+/-) mice displayed substantial impairments in non-matching-to-place spatial working-memory tasks. Interestingly, these temporal association and working memory deficits could be mimicked by a low dose of the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist haloperidol. The shared phenotypes resulting from either the genetic reduction of DAT or the pharmacological inhibition of the D2 receptor collectively indicate that temporal association memory necessitates precise regulation of dopaminergic signaling. The particular defect in temporal association memory due to partial lack of DAT provides mechanistic insights on the understanding of cognitive impairments in multiple neurodevelopmental disorders.


Subject(s)
Behavior, Animal , Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/deficiency , Memory Disorders/genetics , Memory, Short-Term , Animals , Conditioning, Psychological , Disease Models, Animal , Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics , Fear , Maze Learning , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
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