One of the most recently identified serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) receptor subtypes is the 5-HT 6 receptor. Although in-depth localization studies reveal an exclusive distribution of 5-HT 6 mRNA in the central nervous system, the precise biological role of this receptor still remains unknown. In the present series of experiments, we report the pharmacological and neurochemical characterization of two novel and selective 5-HT 6 receptor agonists. WAY-181187 and WAY-208466 possess high affinity binding (2.2 and 4.8 nM, respectively) at the human 5-HT 6 receptor and profile as full receptor agonists (WAY-181187: EC 50 ¼ 6.6 nM, E max ¼ 93%; WAY-208466: EC 50 ¼ 7.3 nM; E max ¼ 100%). In the rat frontal cortex, acute administration of WAY-181187 (3-30 mg/kg, subcutaneous (s.c.)) significantly increased extracellular GABA concentrations without altering the levels of glutamate or norepinephrine. Additionally, WAY-181187 (30 mg/kg, s.c.) produced modest yet significant decreases in cortical dopamine and 5-HT levels. Subsequent studies showed that the neurochemical effects of WAY-181187 in the frontal cortex could be blocked by pretreatment with the 5-HT 6 antagonist, SB-271046 (10 mg/kg, s.c.), implicating 5-HT 6 receptor mechanisms in mediating these responses. Moreover, the effects of WAY-181187 on catecholamines were attenuated by an intracortical infusion of the GABA A receptor antagonist, bicuculline (10 mM), confirming a local relationship between 5-HT 6 receptors and GABAergic systems in the frontal cortex. In the dorsal hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala, WAY-181187 (10-30 mg/kg, s.c.) elicited robust elevations in extracellular levels of GABA without producing similar effects on concentrations of norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, or glutamate. In contrast to these brain regions, WAY-181187 had no effect on the extracellular levels of GABA in the nucleus accumbens or thalamus. Additional studies showed that WAY-208466 (10 mg/kg, s.c.) preferentially elevated cortical GABA levels following both acute and chronic (14 day) administration, indicating that neurochemical tolerance does not develop following repeated 5-HT 6 receptor stimulation. In hippocampal slice preparations (in vitro), 5-HT 6 receptor agonism attenuated stimulated glutamate levels elicited by sodium azide and high KCl treatment. Furthermore, in the rat schedule-induced polydipsia model of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), acute administration of WAY-181187 (56-178 mg/kg, po) decreased adjunctive drinking behavior in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, WAY-181187 and WAY-208466 are novel, selective, and potent 5-HT 6 receptor agonists displaying a unique neurochemical signature in vivo. Moreover, these data highlight a previously undescribed role for 5-HT 6 receptors to modulate basal GABA and stimulated glutamate transmission, as well as reveal a potential therapeutic role for this receptor in the treatment of some types of anxiety-related disorders (eg OCD).

Phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A) is the most recently identified family of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), the only known enzymes to break down cyclic nucleotides. The tissue expression profile of this dual specificity PDE is controversial, and little is understood of its biological function, particularly in the brain. We seek here to determine if PDE11A is expressed in the brain and to understand its function, using PDE11A −/− knockout (KO) mice. We show that PDE11A mRNA and protein are largely restricted to hippocampus CA1, subiculum, and the amygdalohippocampal area, with a twoto threefold enrichment in the ventral vs. dorsal hippocampus, equal distribution between cytosolic and membrane fractions, and increasing levels of protein expression from postnatal day 7 through adulthood. Interestingly, PDE11A KO mice show subtle psychiatricdisease-related deficits, including hyperactivity in an open field, increased sensitivity to the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801, as well as deficits in social behaviors (social odor recognition memory and social avoidance). In addition, PDE11A KO mice show enlarged lateral ventricles and increased activity in CA1 (as per increased Arc mRNA), phenotypes associated with psychiatric disease. The increased sensitivity to MK-801 exhibited by PDE11A KO mice may be explained by the biochemical dysregulation observed around the glutamate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isozazolepropionic (AMPA) receptor, including decreased levels of phosphorylated-GluR1 at Ser845 and the prototypical transmembrane AMPA-receptor-associated proteins stargazin (γ2) and γ8. Together, our data provide convincing evidence that PDE11A expression is restricted in the brain but plays a significant role in regulating brain function.

These data provide an important confirmation and expansion of the anxiolytic-like effects of NPS and implicate the NPS system as a novel target for anxiolytic drug discovery.

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