GABA and glutamate systems as therapeutic targets in depression and mood disorders

Kendell, Steven F.; Krystal, John H.; Sanacora, G.

doi:10.1517/14728222.9.1.153

Cited by 138 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 172 publications

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“…Evidence for involvement of GABA in mood disorders has been summarized (71)(72)(73)(74)(75), and GABA A receptor subunits are expressed in rat vPAG (76). Glutamate receptor antagonists have been shown to have antidepressant activity in animal experiments (77)(78)(79) and in treatment-resistant MD (72,(80)(81)(82), and glutamate receptors are expressed in rodent vPAG (83).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Depression-like behavior in rat: Involvement of galanin receptor subtype 1 in the ventral periaqueductal gray

Wang

Barde

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The neuropeptide galanin coexists in rat brain with serotonin in the dorsal raphe nucleus and with noradrenaline in the locus coeruleus (LC), and it has been suggested to be involved in depression. We studied rats exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS), a rodent model of depression. As expected, these rats showed several endophenotypes relevant to depression-like behavior compared with controls. All these endophenotypes were normalized after administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The transcripts for galanin and two of its receptors, galanin receptor 1 (GALR1) and GALR2, were analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR using laser capture microdissection in the following brain regions: the hippocampal formation, LC, and ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG). Only Galr1 mRNA levels were significantly increased, and only in the latter region. After knocking down Galr1 in the vPAG with an siRNA technique, all parameters of the depressive behavioral phenotype were similar to controls. Thus, the depression-like behavior in rats exposed to CMS is likely related to an elevated expression of Galr1 in the vPAG, suggesting that a GALR1 antagonist could have antidepressant effects.dorsal raphe | neuropeptide | siRNA | stress | transmitter coexistence T he indoleamine hypothesis of depression was formulated some five decades ago (1, 2), in parallel with the catecholamine hypothesis (3, 4), and has been supported by the success of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for treatment of major depression (MD) (5). However, in a considerable number of cases, SSRIs are associated with side effects or lack of efficacy. For example, after treatment with SSRIs, only one-third of patients obtain full remission of symptoms (6). Therefore, there is an ongoing search for new medications targeting mood disorders, such as MD and anxiety. Here, neuropeptides and their receptors, the most diverse family of neurotransmitters in the brain (7), have been extensively explored (5,(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17), including galanin and its three receptors.Galanin is a 29-aa (30-aa in humans) neuropeptide (18) with a wide distribution in the rat brain (19,20), where it is coexpressed with noradrenaline/norepinephrine (NA) in locus coeruleus (LC) neurons and with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) neurons (21-25). There are three galanin receptors, GALR1-GALR3, which all belong to the family of seven transmembrane-spanning, G protein-coupled receptors (26-29). They are found in many areas of the rat brain, as first shown with autoradiographic ligand-binding methodology (30, 31), and later with in situ hybridization (ISH)/quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) (32-36). The galanin system has been associated with numerous physiological and pathophysiological functions (29), including depression-and anxiety-like behaviors.There is early evidence from studies on the rat that central administration of galanin influences mood-related behavior in a region-specific way (37, 38), and also that galanin is prodepres...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Glutamate receptor antagonists have been shown to have antidepressant activity in animal experiments (77)(78)(79) and in treatment-resistant MD (72,(80)(81)(82), and glutamate receptors are expressed in rodent vPAG (83).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression-like behavior in rat: Involvement of galanin receptor subtype 1 in the ventral periaqueductal gray

Wang

Barde

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…[43][44][45][46] The observation of a significant misexpression of molecules central to both GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission in the cortical areas of individuals with major depression has been previously documented by several groups. 21,23,47 These studies follow on a body of clinical evidence showing that antidepressant medications may reduce glutamatergic activity while raising cortical GABA levels, which are seen to be reduced in major depression 48,49 and possibly also schizophrenia. 50,51 Since the two neurotransmitters are intimately connected by virtue of interconversion through glutamic acid decarboxylase in the synthesis of GABA from glutamate and the TCA cycle in the production of glutamate from GABA, it is difficult to disentangle the possible effects of these two molecules on the pathophysiology of depression and suicide.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered expression of genes involved in ATP biosynthesis and GABAergic neurotransmission in the ventral prefrontal cortex of suicides with and without major depression

et al. 2007

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The prefrontal cortex is believed to play a major role in depression and suicidal behavior through regulation of cognition, memory, recognition of emotion, and anxiety-like states, with numerous post-mortem studies documenting a prefrontal serotonergic dysregulation considered to be characteristic of depressive psychopathology. This study was carried out to detect changes in gene expression associated with both suicide and major depression using oligonucleotide microarrays (Affymetrix HG-U133 chip set) summarizing expression patterns in primarily ventral regions of the prefrontal cortex (BA44, 45, 46 and 47). A total of 37 male subjects were included in this study, of which 24 were suicides (depressed suicides = 16, nondepressed suicides = 8) and 13 were matched controls. All subjects were clinically characterized by means of psychological autopsies using structured interviews. Unique patterns of differential expression were validated in each of the cortical regions evaluated, with group-specific changes highlighting the involvement of several key neurobiological pathways that have been implicated in both suicide and depression. An overrepresentation of factors involved in cell cycle control and cell division (BA44), transcription (BA44 and 47) and myelination (BA46) was seen in gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes, which also highlights changes in the expression of genes involved in ATP biosynthesis and utilization across all areas. Gene misexpression in BA46 was most pronounced between the two suicide groups, with many significant genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. The pronounced misexpression of genes central to GABAergic signaling and astrocyte/ oligodendrocyte function provides further support for a central glial pathology in depression and suicidal behavior.

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“…However, the late onset of therapeutic effects as well as unsatisfactory relapse rates and side effects illustrates the need for improved therapeutics (Thase, 2006). Recent studies have provided convincing evidence that dysregulation of glutamate signaling, mainly via its postsynaptic receptors a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), contributes to the emergence of psychiatric disorders (Kendell et al, 2005;Sanacora et al, 2012;Mathews et al, 2012;Yim et al, 2012;Tronson et al, 2010). Modulation of glutamate receptor function has therefore been proposed as a promising target for antidepressant, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic drug development .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homer1/mGluR5 Activity Moderates Vulnerability to Chronic Social Stress

Wagner

Hartmann

Labermaier

et al. 2014

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Stress-induced psychiatric disorders, such as depression, have recently been linked to changes in glutamate transmission in the central nervous system. Glutamate signaling is mediated by a range of receptors, including metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). In particular, mGluR subtype 5 (mGluR5) is highly implicated in stress-induced psychopathology. The major scaffold protein Homer1 critically interacts with mGluR5 and has also been linked to several psychopathologies. Yet, the specific role of Homer1 in this context remains poorly understood. We used chronic social defeat stress as an established animal model of depression and investigated changes in transcription of Homer1a and Homer1b/c isoforms and functional coupling of Homer1 to mGluR5. Next, we investigated the consequences of Homer1 deletion, overexpression of Homer1a, and chronic administration of the mGluR5 inverse agonist CTEP (2-chloro-4-((2,5-dimethyl-1-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl)-1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethynyl)pyridine) on the effects of chronic stress. In mice exposed to chronic stress, Homer1b/c, but not Homer1a, mRNA was upregulated and, accordingly, Homer1/mGluR5 coupling was disrupted. We found a marked hyperactivity behavior as well as a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in chronically stressed Homer1 knockout (KO) mice. Chronic administration of the selective and orally bioavailable mGluR5 inverse agonist, CTEP, was able to recover behavioral alterations induced by chronic stress, whereas overexpression of Homer1a in the hippocampus led to an increased vulnerability to chronic stress, reflected in an increased physiological response to stress as well as enhanced depression-like behavior. Overall, our results implicate the glutamatergic system in the emergence of stress-induced psychiatric disorders, and support the Homer1/mGluR5 complex as a target for the development of novel antidepressant agents.

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GABA and glutamate systems as therapeutic targets in depression and mood disorders

Cited by 138 publications

References 172 publications

Depression-like behavior in rat: Involvement of galanin receptor subtype 1 in the ventral periaqueductal gray

Depression-like behavior in rat: Involvement of galanin receptor subtype 1 in the ventral periaqueductal gray

Altered expression of genes involved in ATP biosynthesis and GABAergic neurotransmission in the ventral prefrontal cortex of suicides with and without major depression

Homer1/mGluR5 Activity Moderates Vulnerability to Chronic Social Stress

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