Effects of Pregnanolone Glutamate and Its Metabolites on GABAA and NMDA Receptors and Zebrafish Behavior.

Multiple molecular targets have been identified to mediate membrane-delimited and nongenomic effects of natural and synthetic steroids, but the influence of steroid metabolism on neuroactive steroid signaling is not well understood. To begin to address this question, we set out to identify major metabolites of a neuroprotective synthetic steroid 20-oxo-5ß-pregnan-3α-yl l-glutamyl 1-ester (pregnanolone glutamate, PAG) and characterize their effects on GABAA and NMDA receptors (GABARs, NMDARs) and their influence on zebrafish behavior. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to assess concentrations of PAG and its metabolites in the hippocampal tissue of juvenile rats following intraperitoneal PAG injection. PAG is metabolized in the peripheral organs and nervous tissue to 20-oxo-17α-hydroxy-5ß-pregnan-3α-yl l-glutamyl 1-ester (17-hydroxypregnanolone glutamate, 17-OH-PAG), 3α-hydroxy-5ß-pregnan-20-one (pregnanolone, PA), and 3α,17α-dihydroxy-5ß-pregnan-20-one (17-hydroxypregnanolone, 17-OH-PA). Patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments in cultured hippocampal neurons demonstrate that PA and 17-OH-PA are potent positive modulators of GABARs, while PAG and 17-OH-PA have a moderate inhibitory effect at NMDARs. PAG, 17-OH-PA, and PA diminished the locomotor activity of zebrafish larvae in a dose-dependent manner. Our results show that PAG and its metabolites are potent modulators of neurotransmitter receptors with behavioral consequences and indicate that neurosteroid-based ligands may have therapeutic potential.

Enhancing electroanalytical performance of porous boron-doped diamond electrodes by increasing thickness for dopamine detection.

Novel porous boron-doped diamond (BDDporous)-based materials have attracted lots of research interest due to their enhanced detection ability and biocompatibility, favouring them for use in neuroscience. This study reports on morphological, spectral, and electrochemical characterisation of three BDDporous electrodes of different thickness given by a number of deposited layers (2, 3 and 5). These were prepared using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on SiO2 nanofiber-based scaffolds. Further, the effect of number of layers and poly-l-lysine coating, commonly employed in neuron cultivation experiments, on sensing properties of the neurotransmitter dopamine in a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer media was investigated. The boron doping level of ∼2 × 1021 atoms cm-3 and increased content of non-diamond (sp2) carbon in electrodes with more layers was evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetric experiments revealed reduced working potential windows (from 2.4 V to 2.2 V), higher double-layer capacitance values (from 405 µF cm-2 to 1060 µF cm-2), enhanced rates of electron transfer kinetics and larger effective surface areas (from 5.04 mm2 to 7.72 mm2), when the number of porous layers increases. For dopamine, a significant boost in analytical performance was recognized with increasing number of layers using square-wave voltammetry: the highest sensitivity of 574.1 µA µmol-1 L was achieved on a BDDporous electrode with five layers and dropped to 35.9 µA µmol-1 L when the number of layers decreased to two. Consequently, the lowest detection limit of 0.20 µmol L-1 was obtained on a BDDporous electrode with five layers. Moreover, on porous electrodes, enhanced selectivity for dopamine detection in the presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid was demonstrated. The application of poly-l-lysine coating on porous electrode surface resulted in a decrease in dopamine peak currents by 17% and 60% for modification times of 1 h and 15 h, respectively. Hence, both examined parameters, the number of deposited porous layers and the presence of poly-l-lysine coating, were proved to considerably affect the characteristics and performance of BDDporous electrodes.

Acute exposure to high-induction electromagnetic field affects activity of model peripheral sensory neurons.

Exposure to repetitive low-frequency electromagnetic field (LF-EMF) shows promise as a non-invasive approach to treat various sensory and neurological disorders. Despite considerable progress in the development of modern stimulation devices, there is a limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying their biological effects and potential targets at the cellular level. A significant impact of electromagnetic field on voltage-gated calcium channels and downstream signalling pathways has been convincingly demonstrated in many distinct cell types. However, evidence for clear effects on primary sensory neurons that particularly may be responsible for the analgesic actions of LF-EMF is still lacking. Here, we used F11 cells derived from dorsal root ganglia neurons as an in vitro model of peripheral sensory neurons and three different protocols of high-induction magnetic stimulation to determine the effects on chemical responsiveness and spontaneous activity. We show that short-term (<180 sec.) exposure of F11 cells to LF-EMF reduces calcium transients in response to bradykinin, a potent pain-producing inflammatory agent formed at sites of injury. Moreover, we characterize an immediate and reversible potentiating effect of LF-EMF on neuronal spontaneous activity. Our results provide new evidence that electromagnetic field may directly modulate the activity of sensory neurons and highlight the potential of sensory neuron-derived cell line as a tool for studying the underlying mechanisms at the cellular and molecular level.

Improved superfusion technique for rapid cooling or heating of cultured cells under patch-clamp conditions.

We have developed an improved technique for fast cooling and heating of solutions superfusing isolated cells under patch-clamp or calcium imaging conditions. The system meets the requirements for studying temperature dependency of all kinds of ion channels, in particular temperature-gated ion channels. It allows the application of temperature changes within a range of 5-60 degrees C at maximum rates of -40 degrees C/s to 60 degrees C/s. Barrels filled with different solutions are connected to a manifold consisting of seven silica capillaries (320 microm inner diameter, i.d.). A common outlet consists of a glass capillary through which the solutions are applied onto the cell surface. The upper part of this capillary is embedded in a temperature exchanger driven by a miniature Peltier device which preconditions the temperature of the passing solution. The lower part of the capillary carries an insulated copper wire, densely coiled over a length of 7 mm, and connected to a dc current source for resistive heating. The Peltier device and the heating element are electrically connected to the headstage probe which is fixed on to a micromanipulator for positioning of the manifold. The temperature of the flowing solution is measured by a miniature thermocouple inserted into the common outlet capillary near to its orifice which is placed at a distance of less than 100 microm from the surface of the examined cell. The temperature is either manually controlled by voltage commands or adjusted via the digital-to-analog converter of a conventional data acquisition interface. Examples are given of using the device in patch-clamp studies on heterologously expressed TRPV1, TRPM8, and on cultured rat sensory neurons.