As reações incondicionadas de defesa observadas em mamíferos são organizadas pelo Sistema Encefálico de Aversão (SEA), composto, entre outras estruturas, pela substância cinzenta periaquedutal dorsal (SCPd) e o colículo inferior (CI). Tem sido proposto que o CI seja parte do circuito sensoriomotor para os estímulos auditivos de natureza aversiva e a SCPd como a principal via de saída (output) do SEA para a elaboração de comportamentos defensivos. Ambas as estruturas são reguladas tonicamente pelo neurotransmissor inibitório ácido gama-aminobutírico (GABA). Este trabalho aborda a mediação química GABA/Benzodiazepínica (BZD) do processamento da informação aversiva no CI e das respostas de medo elaboradas pela SCPd. Grupos independentes de animais submetidos ao implante de quimitrodos (eletrodos acoplados a cânulas-guia para injeção de drogas) foram usados para avaliar no CI e SCPd os efeitos de injeções locais de muscimol (agonista de receptores GABA-A), semicarbazida (inibidor da síntese da enzima precursora do GABA descarboxilase do ácido glutâmico) ou midazolam (agonista BZD). Foram registrados potenciais evocados auditivos (PEA) no CI como medida eletrofisiológica da ativação neuronial, além da determinação dos limiares de congelamento e fuga, com o procedimento de estimulação elétrica (EE), tanto do CI quanto da SCPd. A mesma abordagem farmacológica com injeções de drogas intra-CI foi empregada em animais submetidos ao teste do Labirinto em Cruz Elevado (LCE), um modelo animal tradicional de ansiedade. Adicionalmente, investigou-se a participação de ambas as estruturas na expressão do comportamento de desligar uma luz de intensidade aversiva em um novo teste de medo incondicionado (Light Switch Off Test; LSOT) recentemente proposto pelo nosso grupo. Encontramos uma clara segregação funcional entre a porção dorsal e ventral do CI, sendo a última envolvida nos comportamentos defensivos. Mecanismos GABAérgicos em ambas as estruturas influenciam a amplitude do PEA e o congelamento pós-fuga da EE, sugerindo uma relação funcional entre as duas estruturas. Já no LSOT, os resultados indicam o envolvimento de mecanismos GABAérgicos do vCI, mas não da SCPd, na modulação da resposta incondicionada à luz em ratos. Os resultados obtidos permitem ampliar o conhecimento atual sobre a neurobiologia dos estados de medo e ansiedade, em uma abordagem integrada dos mecanismos de processamento das informações sensoriais e da expressão de reações de defesa. / Unconditioned defense reactions observed in mammals are organized by the Brain Aversive System, comprising, among other structures, the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG) and the inferior colliculus (IC). It has been proposed that the IC is part of the sensorimotor circuitry that processes aversive auditory information and the dPAG is considered the main neural substrate for the expression of defensive behaviors. Both structures are tonically regulated by the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This work addresses the chemical mediation of GABA/Benzodiazepine (BZD) on aversive information processing in the IC and the elaboration of fear responses by dPAG. Independent groups of animals implanted with chemitrodes (electrodes attached to a guide cannula for drug injection) have been used to evaluate the IC and dPAG regarding the effects of local injections of GABAergic agents (muscimol, semicarbazide, and midazolam). Auditory evoked potentials (AEP) have been recorded in the IC as a measure of electrophysiological neuronal activation, in addition to determining the thresholds of defensive freezing and flight behaviors, using the electrical stimulation (EE) procedure in both IC and dPAG. The same pharmacological regimen of drug injections intra-dPAG and intra-CI have been applied to animals subjected to the elevated plus maze (EPM), a well-known animal model of anxiety, and also to a novel animal test for innate fear (Light Switch Off Test, LSOT) that has been developed and proposed by our group. We found a clear functional segregation between the dorsal and ventral portions of the IC, the latter being the specific collicular substrate of defensive behaviors. GABAergic mechanisms in both structures influence the amplitude of the AEP and post-stimulation freezing of EE, suggesting a functional link between the two structures. In the LSOT, our data indicate the involvement of GABAergic mechanisms of the ICv, but not the dPAG, in the modulation of the unconditioned response to light in rats. These original findings presented here contribute to broaden the current knowledge on the neurobiology of fear and anxiety, in an integrative approach of the mechanisms underlying sensory processing and the expression of defensive behaviors.

Há relatos de que doses baixas de pentilenotetrazol (PTZ) apresentam um efeito ansiogênico em testes comportamentais que medem ansiedade. No labirinto em cruz elevado a droga reduz a porcentagem de entradas e o tempo gasto nos braços abertos. O clordiazepóxido (CDP), por outro lado, é uma droga que tem efeitos ansiolíticos, aumentando a exploração dos braços abertos do labirinto ao reduzir a aversão natural dos ratos aos braços abertos. Obtém-se um efeito similar quando o teste ocorre no escuro. Cafeína (CAF) é um composto estimulante que, aplicada em baixas doses, estimula a atividade motora no labirinto. O presente trabalho investiga o efeito de drogas gabaérgicas nas medidas de ansiedade obtidas no labirinto em cruz elevado, na presença ou ausência de luz. Ratos distribuídos aleatoriamente em 18 grupos receberam injeções de PTZ (0, 10 e 20 mg/kg), 5 min antes do teste, CDP (0,1.5 e 3 mg/kg) ou CAF (0, 10 e 30 mg/kg) 30 min antes do teste e foram colocados no labirinto em cruz elevado por 5 minutos, permitindo sua livre exploração, sob duas condições de luminosidade: claro (22 lux) ou escuro (0 lux). Os resultados mostraram que nem o PTZ nem o CDP tiveram qualquer efeito quando os animais eram testados no escuro. No claro, o PTZ diminuiu a exploração dos braços abertos, o que foi interpretado como um efeito ansiogênico, e o CDP apresentou um efeito oposto. A CAF provocou um aumento na exploração dos braços abertos somente no escuro. Esses resultados sugerem que a luminosidade deflagra as respostas responsáveis pela esquiva dos braços abertos, e as drogas simplesmente aumentam ou bloqueiam esse efeito. Da mesma forma, a falta da aversão desencadeada pela luz permitiu que a atividade locomotora aumentasse sob ação da CAF. / Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), in low doses, was reported to have an anxiogenic effect in behavioral tests measuring anxiety. In the elevated plus-maze, it reduces the percentage of entries into and the time spent in the open arms. Chlordiazepoxide (CDP), on the other hand, is an anxiolytic drug which increases open arm exploration in the elevated plus-maze by reducing the natural aversion of rats to the open arms. A similar effect is obtained by testing rats in the dark. Caffeine (CAF) is a stimulant compound that, when administered in low doses, stimulates locomotor activity in the plus-maze. The present work investigated the effect of gabaergic drugs on anxiety levels in the presence and absence of light. Rats were randomly divided into 18 groups and either injected 5 min before testing with PTZ (0, 10, 20mg/kg) or 30 min before testing with CDP (0, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg) or CAF (0, 10 and 30 mg/kg) and allowed to freely explore an elevated plus-maze for 5 min under two illumination conditions: light (22 lux) or dark (0 lux). Results show that neither PTZ nor CDP had any effect when the animals were tested in the dark. When tested in the light, PTZ decreased exploratory behavior in the open arms, which is usually interpreted as an anxiogenic effect, while CDP had the opposite effect. CAF provoked an increase in open arm exploration but only when the rats were tested in the dark. These results suggest that light triggers the responses responsible for the avoidance of the open arms, and the drugs simply enhance or block them. Likewise, lacking the aversion triggered by light allowed locomotor activity to increase under the action of CAF.

A importância de aminoácidos em tripanossomatídeos vai além da síntese de aminoácidos, envolvendo processos tais como a diferenciação, osmorregulação e metabolismo energético. A disponibilidade dos aminoácidos envolvidos nestas funções depende, entre outras coisas, de seu transporte na célula. Aqui, caracterizamos o transporte de glutamato e GABA do parasita protozoário humano Trypanosoma cruzi. No transporte de glutamato dados cinéticos amostram um único sistema saturável com uma Km de 0.30 mM e uma velocidade máxima de 98.34 pmoles min-1 per 2 x 107 células para epimastigotas é 20 pmoles min-1 per 2 x 107 células para trypomastigotas, e uma Vmax de 84.45 pmoles/min/20x106 células com uma Km de 0.4 mM para o sistema de transporte de GABA. O transporte não apresentou alterações em condições de jejum de até 3 horas. Aspartato, alanina, glutamina, asparagina, metionina, oxaloacetato é alfa-cetoglutarato competiram com o substrato em concentrações dez vezes em excesso na incorporação de glutamato. Interessantemente, o transporte de glutamato aumentou fortemente na presença de GABA. O transporte de glutamato foi fortemente dependente do pH, mas não de concentrações de Na+ e K+ no meio extracelular, e o transporte de GABA foi fortemente dependente de K+. Estes dados foram consistentes com uma sensibilidade do sistema de transporte a um ionóforo (FCCP), sugerindo que o transporte é levado por um gradiente de concentração de H+ na membrana plasmática nos dois sistemas de transporte. O transporte de glutamato e GABA aumentou linearmente com a temperatura na faixa de 15 a 40o C. / The role of amino acids in trypanosomatids goes beyond protein synthesis, involving processes such as differentiation, osmoregulation and energy metabolism. The availability of the amino acids involved in those functions depends, among other things, on their transport into the cell. Here we characterize a glutamate transporter and GABA transport from the human protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In the glutamate transport, data kinetics show a single saturable system with a Km of 0.30 mM and a maximum velocity of 98.34 pmoles min-1 per 2 x 107 cells for epimastigotes and 20 pmoles min-1 per 2 x 107 cells for trypomastigotes, and, a Vmax de 84.45 pmoles/min/20x106 cells and a Km of 0.4 mM for GABA transport system. Transport was not affected by parasite nutrient starvation for up to 3h in the two transport system. Aspartate, alanine, glutamine, asparagine, methionine, oxaloacetate and alpha-ketoglutarate competed with the substrate in 10-fold excess concentrations in the glutamate incorporation. Interestingly, the glutamate transport was strongly increased in the presence of GABA. Glutamate uptake was strongly dependent on pH, but not on Na+ or K+ concentrations in the extracellular medium, and the GABA transport was strongly dependent of K+. These data were consistent with the sensitivity of the system to the H+ ionophore carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, suggesting that transport is driven by H+ concentration gradient across the cytoplasm membrane in two transport systems. The glutamate and GABA transport increased linearly with temperature in a range from 15 to 40 degrees C.

Orientador: Iscia Teresinha Lopes Cendes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T06:36:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gonsales_MarinaCoelho_D.pdf: 5961380 bytes, checksum: 501b9df1659eb15a6a8545ae0943d967 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: As epilepsias são distúrbios cerebrais caracterizados por uma predisposição persistente para a geração de crises epilépticas, que são interrupções transitórias no funcionamento normal do sistema nervoso. Acredita-se que a maioria das epilepsias relacionadas com idade de inicio precoce possui etiologia presumivelmente genética. Sendo assim, elas representam um grupo para o qual o uso de testes genéticos seria potencialmente benéfico. Os objetivos principais deste trabalho foram: a caracterização das bases moleculares de diferentes formas de epilepsia da infância e da adolescência e a avaliação do potencial dos genes candidatos estudados para a utilização em testes genéticos para fins clínicos. A estratégia empregada foi à triagem de mutações nos seguintes genes: SCN1A, em pacientes com síndromes de Dravet e de Doose; SCL2A1 em pacientes com síndrome de Doose e epilepsias idiopáticas generalizadas (EIGs), especialmente a epilepsia mioclonica juvenil (EMJ); e EFHC1 e GABRA1, em pacientes com EMJ e outras formas comuns de EIGs. A triagem de mutações foi realizada por sequenciamento automático pela técnica de Sanger. As alterações potencialmente deletérias foram investigadas em um grupo controle composto por 100 indivíduos sem epilepsia. O potencial deletério das substituições que resultam em troca do resíduo de aminoácido na proteína codificada foi estimado utilizando-se diferentes algoritmos de predição. As mutações previamente descritas na literatura foram compiladas e analisadas quanto a sua provável localização na proteína e predição de efeito deletério. Analises por Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) foram realizadas para a detecção de variações no numero de copias de SCN1A. A analise de mutações no gene SCN1A revelou alterações potencialmente deletérias em 81% dos pacientes com síndrome de Dravet, e em apenas um paciente com síndrome de Doose. Esses dados, juntamente com os resultados das analises de compilação das mutações descritas na literatura, sugerem que o teste genético em SCN1A para fins clínicos seria altamente recomendável em indivíduos com síndrome de Dravet, mas não para os com síndrome de Doose típica. O gene SLC21A não parece estar envolvido na etiologia da síndrome de Doose e das EIGs em nossa casuística. A frequencia de alterações potencialmente deletérias no gene EFHC1 em indivíduos com EMJ foi relativamente baixa, sugerindo que esse gene não seja o principal causador dessa epilepsia, embora possa ser um fator de predisposição. Por fim, o gene GABRA1 não parece conferir predisposição para as EIGs comuns em nossa casuística / Abstract: Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by a long lasting predisposition to generate epileptic seizures, which are transient interruptions of normal brain function. Most epilepsies with early onset presumably have a genetic etiology. Thus, they represent a group for which the use of genetic testing would be potentially beneficial. The main goals of this study were to characterize the molecular basis of different forms of epilepsy in childhood and adolescence and to evaluate the potential clinical use of genetic testing in the context of these disorders. To achieve these goals we searched for mutations in the following genes: SCN1A in patients with Dravet and Doose syndromes; SLC2A1 in patients with Doose syndrome and idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs), particularly juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME); and EFHC1 and GABRA1 in patients with JME and other common forms of IGEs. Mutation screening was performed by automated Sanger sequencing using capillary electrophoresis. Potentially deleterious nucleotide changes found were subsequently investigated in a control group of 100 individuals without epilepsy. In addition, the deleterious potential of amino acid changes identified was estimated using different prediction algorithms. Mutations previously described in the literature were compiled and analyzed regarding their putative location on the protein and predicted deleterious effect. Furthermore, Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) analyzes were performed to detect the presence of copy number variations in SCN1A. Our results showed potentially deleterious variants in SCN1A in 81% of patients with Dravet syndrome, but only in one patient with Doose syndrome. These data, along with the results of the compilation of mutations reported in the literature suggest that genetic testing for SCN1A is clinically relevant in Dravet syndrome, but not in typical Doose syndrome. SLC21A does not seem to be involved in the etiology of Doose syndrome and EIGs in our cohort. The frequency of potentially deleterious changes in EFHC1 in individuals with JME was relatively low, suggesting that this gene is not the main cause of this form of epilepsy, although it may be a predisposing factor. Lastly, GABRA1 does not seem to confer predisposition to common EIGs in our cohort / Doutorado / Fisiopatologia Médica / Doutora em Ciências

Cette thèse participe à l’étude générale des facteurs environnementaux et périphériques qui contrôlent le développement précoce du système nerveux central. Plus particulièrement, notre objectif a été d’établir quel rôle tient la leptine, hormone de satiété également connue pour sa fonction neurotrophique, dans l’établissement de la séquence développementale GABAergiqueEn combinant des approches électrophysiologiques, morphologiques et moléculaires, nous avons montré que cette séquence était altérée chez la souris déficiente pour la leptine (ob/ob) et pour son récepteur (db/db). En effet, chez ces souris, le GABA hyperpolarise et inhibe les neurones hippocampiques dès le troisième jour de vie post-natale, alors que le GABA induit une dépolarisation pendant la première semaine de vie post-natale chez les animaux sauvages. Grace à une étude in vivo sur les nouveau-nés ob/ob et in vitro sur cultures neuronales, nous avons montré que cette altération du fonctionnement de la transmission GABAergique était due à une expression, prématurée du transporteur du chlore KCC2 tant au niveau traductionnel que transcriptionnel. In vivo, nous avons démontré qu’il était possible de rétablir la séquence développementale GABAergique par injection de leptine chez les souris ob/ob. Nous avons évalué comment l’hyperleptinémie associée à l’obésité maternelle altérait l’homéostasie du chlore, sur la descendance de souris obèses. Ces résultats établissent ainsi l’idée d’un contrôle de l’homéostasie du chlore par la leptine dans l’hippocampe en développement et ouvre de nouveaux horizons sur la prise en charge des troubles neurodéveloppementaux liés à une altération de l’homéostasie du chlore. / This dissertation tackles the general study of external cues (sensory inputs, neuronal activity, neurotrophins, and peripheral factors) controlling early central nervous system development. Our specific aim was to establish the role of leptin in shaping GABAergic developmental sequence, from a depolarizing to an hyperpolarizing action of GABA (D/I shift). Using acute hippocampal slices of newborn rodents, we have shown that this shift was abolished in leptin deficient (ob/ob) mice and in leptin receptor deficient (db/db) mice. In these mice the D/I shift occur as early as post-natal day 3, whereas in wild-type (WT) mice it takes place during the second post-natal week. Using newborn ob/ob mice and neuronal cultures we show that this GABAergic transmission impairment was due a precocious expression of the chloride extruder KCC2. In vivo we have also demonstrated that leptin injections were sufficient to restore the WT phenotype. Finally, we have evaluated how hyperleptinemia associated to maternal obesity alter chloride homeostasis in the offspring of high fat fed mothers. This work establishes therefore the involvement of leptin in the control of chloride homeostasis during development, and will help the management of neurodevelopmental disorders in which altered chloride-homeostasis is part of the pathogenic mechanism. Overall, this dissertation proposes that a peripheral factor, leptin, acts as a relay between the environment and the central nervous system to ensure the proper development of the latter.

Le facteur neurotrophique dérivé du cerveau (BDNF) synthétisé sous la forme d'un précurseur (proBDNF) qui peut être clivé pour donner sa forme mature (mBDNF). Le mBDNF et le proBDNF produisent des réponses physiologiques opposées par l'activation de deux classes distinctes de récepteurs transmembranaires : respectivement, le récepteur TrkB et p75NTR. Le ratio mature/pro-BDNF est un élément important impliqué dans la plasticité synaptique, la formation des circuits neuronaux et in fine les fonctions cognitives. Les altérations dans ce clivage peuvent ainsi expliquer l’émergence de conditions pathologiques post-lésionnelles, comme la mort cellulaire induite par un état de mal épileptique. Au cours de ma thèse, j'ai montré que l'altération de la maturation du BDNF in vitro, provoquait, via le récepteur p75NTR, une altération de l’activité GABAergique. Par ailleurs, au cours des crises d'épilepsies, les réponses dépolarisantes et excitatrices du GABA, soutenus par la baisse d’expression et d’activité du co-transporteur KCC2, ont été rapportées. Ainsi, in vivo, j’ai montré que la voie proBDNF/p75NTR module l'homéostasie chlore au cours du développement et dans des processus d’épileptogenèse. Pendant le développement, l’activation de la voie proBDNF/p75NTR contrôle le passage d’un GABA immature dépolarisant à un GABA mature hyperpolarisant via KCC2. Pendant l’épileptogenèse, le proBDNF via p75NTR contribuerait à l’hyperexcitabilité des réseaux neuronaux. De plus, le blocage de p75NTR permet de réduire le nombre de crises épileptiques. En conclusion, proBDNF/p75NTR est un facteur clé dans la séquence maturative du GABA et dans la mise en place de l’épilepsie du lobe temporal. / The brain-derived neurotophic factor (BDNF) is synthesized as a precursor (proBDNF) that can be processed intracellularly to the mature form (mBDNF). mBDNF and proBDNF are assumed to produce opposing physiological responses mediated by the activation of two distinct classes of transmembrane receptors, the TrkB and the p75NTR respectively. The proteolysis of proBDNF is crucial for cognitive functions; its impairment may account for the emergence of brain disorders such as epilepsy. During my thesis, I showed that alteration in BDNF maturation in vitro triggers an up-regulation of p75NTR, inducing a disruption of GABAergic transmission. Moreover, in epilepsy, depolarizing and excitatory GABAergic responses, due to alteration of KCC2, have been reported. Interestingly, I described novel insights into the proBDNF/p75NTR mechanisms and function in vivo in modulating chloride homeostasis during the development of neuronal networks and in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. In physiological conditions, p75NTR activation by proBDNF may be a key regulator in shaping neural circuitry and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, I have shown that proBDNF/p75NTR to mBDNF/TrkB ratio may control the timing of the developmental shift of GABA depolarizing to hyperpolarizing. During epileptogenesis, proBDNF via p75NTR alters the excitatory/inhibitory equilibrium thereby enhancing neuronal activity through the inhibition of KCC2 function. Hence, blockade of p75NTR can prevent some of the epileptogenic mechanisms. Altogether, these data provide the first compelling evidence that proBDNF disrupts the GABA excitatory/inhibitory developmental sequence, which then favors the emergence of epileptic disorders.

Les cellules microgliales constituent la population de macrophages résidents du système nerveux central. De par leur appartenance au système immunitaire, elles furent longtemps considérées actives uniquement en conditions pathologiques. Au contraire, ces dernières décennies, elles sont apparues comme physiologiquement actives, notamment au cours de la période critique de formation du système nerveux central. Au cours du développement embryonnaire et postnatal, les neurones nouvellement générés migrent vers leur position définitive avant de développer leur arbre dendritique et axonal afin de former les connexions synaptiques à la base des réseaux nécessaires aux fonctions cérébrales. L'étude des microglies au cours de la période postnatale, a montré l'implication d'un mode de communication spécifique entre les neurones et la microglie, la voie Fractalkine/CX3CR1, dans la mise en place des cellules microgliales d'une part et dans le développement synaptique glutamatergique d'autre part. Cependant, l'importance de cette communication neurone-microglie pour le développement du système inhibiteur GABAergique est peu connue. Au cours de mon travail de thèse, je me suis intéressée au rôle de la voie de communication FractalKine/CX3CR1 dans la distribution des cellules microgliales et le développement postnatal du réseau GABAergique de l'Hippocampe. Nous avons ainsi montré que la suppression du récepteur microglial CX3CR1 induit une diminution du nombre de microglies dans la région CA3 de l'Hippocampe, dans une fenêtre temporelle précise entre 7 et 2 jours après la naissance. Cette diminution du nombre de microglies est corrélée avec une altération de l'activité de réseau au niveau de cette région. En effet, la fréquence des GDPs (Giant Depolarizing Potentials), une activité de réseau impliquée dans la formation et la maturation des synapses et spécifiquement générée en CA3, est diminuée à la fin de la première semaine postnatale. De plus, malgré l'absence de modification majeure de l'activité synaptique glutamatergique et GABAergique, les évènements postsynaptiques GABAergiques présentent une sous population d'évènements plus amples et des cinétiques légèrement plus rapides, pouvant suggérer une modification de la population d'interneurones mis en jeu. L'ensemble de mon travail de thèse met en évidence l'impact de la communication neurone-microglie par la voie Fractalkine/CX3CR1 sur le développement postnatal de l'Hippocampe Son absence affecte d'une part, la colonisation microgliale, et d'autre part, une activité de réseau caractéristique de l'Hippocampe, dans une fenêtre temporelle critique pour la mise en place des connexions synaptiques et la formation des réseaux neuronaux . / Microglial cells, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, were mainly studied for their role in pathological conditions, but they recently appeared to be involved in synaptic development and circuits formation during postnatal period. During this critical period, microglial cells colonize the central nervous system and interact with other cell types, including neurons. A specific way of communication between neurons and microglia involves neuronal released fractalkine (CX3CL1) and its specific microglial receptor CX3CR1. CX3CR1 KO mice contributed to unclose microglial role during development. Indeed, CX3CR1 ablation alters microglia distribution in the brain, and it affects glutamatergic transmission and synapse maturation. However, these effects seem to be transient and brain region specific and their mechanisms are poorly understood. Furthermore, some effects observed in juvenile or adult mice may have origin during development, when neuronal connections are established. GABA plays a fundamental role in this process since it is excitatory The influence of neuron.microglia interaction on neuronal activity in the hippocampus during this period is poorly understood. In particular, nothing is known on GABAergic activity, known to be synaptogenic during this period My PhD project aimed at investigating how the signaling fractalkine pathway impacts microglial coloniation of the hippocampus and neuronal activity during the first two postnatal weeks. Our results indicate that in CX3XR1KO mice there is a reduction in the density of microglial cells at P7-P9 in the CA3 hippocampal area, accompanied at P7 by a significant reduction of frequency of Giant Depolarizing Potentials (GDPs), a network activity involved in hippocampal synapse formation and maturation Furthermore, despite no overall difference in glutamatergic or GABAergic synaptic activity, GABAergic events display a subpopulation of larger events, and the kinetics was slightly faster. Thus, the disruption of the specific neuronal.microglia signaling pathway on one hand impacts the microglia coloniation of the hippocampus and on the other hands affects specifically neuronal network activity during a time window critical for the establishment of neuronal connections.

Lopes, Marcel Adriano. Efeitos do clonazepam sobre as respostas defensivas medidas em ratos submetidos ao labirinto em T elevado. 2010. 83f. Dissertação (mestrado) - Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo - Ribeirão Preto, 2010. O labirinto em T elevado (LTE) é um modelo etológico, que evoca comportamentos defensivos correlacionados com o transtorno de ansiedade generalizada (esquiva inibitória) e o transtorno do pânico (fuga). Apesar da validação farmacológica da tarefa de esquiva inibitória deste modelo estar bem estabelecida, algumas questões em relação à tarefa de fuga não estão claras. Resultados prévios da literatura mostram que drogas clinicamente eficazes no tratamento do transtorno do pânico, como antidepressivos tricíclicos (ex: imipramina e clomipramina) e inibidores seletivos da recaptação de serotonina (ex: fluoxetina e escitalopram), aumentam a latência de fuga no LTE, sugerindo efeito do tipo panicolítico. Entretanto, em relação aos benzodiazepínicos de alta potência, também amplamente utilizados na clínica para o tratamento do transtorno do pânico, os dados em relação ao LTE permanecem desconhecidos. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar o efeito da administração aguda ou repetida (7 ou 14 dias) de clonazepam em ratos submetidos ao LTE. Dada a importância da substância cinzenta periaquedutal dorsal (SCPD) na gênese do transtorno do pânico, verificamos se o efeito da administração aguda de clonazepam no LTE era bloqueado pela administração prévia intra-SCPD do antagonista de receptores BZD flumazenil. Nossos resultados mostram que o tratamento agudo com clonazepam diminuiu as latências de esquiva inibitória e aumentou as latências de fuga do braço aberto, indicativo de efeito ansiolítico e panicolítico, respectivamente. Já a administração repetida deste mesmo benzodiazepínico, seja por 7 ou 14 dias, diminuiu as latências de esquiva inibitória, sem alterar as respostas de fuga. A administração intra-SCPD do antagonista de receptores benzodiazepínicos flumazenil não bloqueou o efeito da administração aguda de clonazepam sobre as respostas defensivas medidas no LTE. Os resultados do presente estudo mostram ainda que o efeito do clonazepam sobre a resposta de fuga é dependente da maneira pela qual a aquisição da resposta de esquiva inibitória é realizada, ou seja, o tratamento agudo com clonazepam foi capaz de alterar esta resposta somente quando a esquiva inibitória foi realizada com 6 tentativas. Em suma, nossos dados mostram que a administração aguda de clonazepam promove efeito panicolítico e ansiolítico no LTE. No entanto, deve ser ressaltado que o efeito panicolítico do clonazepam foi apenas observado após a introdução de uma mudança metodológica no teste do LTE. De uma maneira geral, os resultados obtidos sustentam a associação entre o comportamento de fuga e ataques de pânico. / Lopes, Marcel Adriano. Effect of clonazepam on the defensive responses measured in rats tested in the elevated T maze. 2010. 83f. Dissertação (mestrado) - Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto - Universidade de São Paulo - Ribeirão Preto, 2010. The elevated T maze (ETM) is an ethological model that generates in rats defensive behaviors in rats which have been associated with generalized anxiety (inhibitory avoidance) and panic (escape) disorders. A wealth of evidence in the literature supports the validity of the ETM inhibitory avoidance task for detecting the effects of generalized anxiety-effective drugs. However, the effect of panic-effective drugs on escape performance has not been fully investigated yet. Previous studies showed that panic-ameliorating drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. imipramine and clomipramine) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. fluoxetine and escitalopram), increase escape latencies in the ETM, suggesting a panicolytic-like effect. The effect of high-potency benzodiazepines agonists such as clonazepam and alprazolam, also widely used for the treatment of panic disorder, remains unknown. In this study we investigated the effect of acute or repeated administration (7 or 14 days) of clonazepam in rats submitted to the ETM. Given the attributed importance of the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG) in the genesis/regulation of panic disorder, we also investigated whether the effects caused by the acute administration of clonazepam in ETM can be blocked by prior intra-dPAG administration of the BZD receptor antagonist flumazenil. Our results showed that acute treatment with clonazepam impaired inhibitory avoidance acquisition and increased escape latencies, suggesting anxiolytic and panicolytic effects, respectively. Repeated administration of clonazepam, either for 7 or 14 days, also impaired inhibitory avoidance acquisition, but did affect escape expression. Intra-dPAG injection of flumazenil did not block the effect of clonazepam on the defensive responses measured in ETM. Our results also showed that the effect of clonazepam on the escape response is dependent on the way inhibitory avoidance acquisition is measured, i.e. the drug anti-escape effect was only observed in group of animals that had 6 but not 3 trials to acquire inhibitory avoidance. Altogether, our data show that clonazepam causes both anxiolytic and panicolytic effects on ETM, in accordance to its therapeutic profile. However, it should be emphasized that the panicolytic effect of clonazepam was only observed after the introduction of a methodological modification in the ETM test protocol. Overall, our findings support the proposed association between escape behavior and panic attacks.

Resveratrol and catechin have behavioral and neuroprotective effects that may be due to their interaction with neuronal ion channels. It was hypothesized that the grape compounds, resveratrol and catechin modulate GABAAA receptors. To address this hypothesis, the effects of resveratrol and catechin were investigated on human recombinant GABAA receptors expressed in HEK-293 cells using electrophysiological techniques.<.p> HEK-293 cells were cultured and transfected using eDNA encoding human GABAA receptors. GABA-evoked currents were recorded from HEK cells 24-48 hours following transfection. Cells were voltage clamped in the whole cell configuration at -60mV using the patch-clamp technique. Ligand-activated currents were recorded and stored, using Win WCP software, on a desktop computer. Resveratrol (1- 100μM) dose-dependently potentiated GABA-evoked currents recorded from α1β2< /sup>γ2 and α1β2 GABAA receptors. Resveratrol did not modulate a α1β2< /sup>γ2 and α1β2 GABAA receptors. Furthermore, resveratrol did not act through the benzodiazepine binding site. The low efficacy and subunit selectivity of resveratrol is a promising discovery for the development of a highly specific GABAergic modulator. Conversely, catechin (1-100αM) dose-dependently inhibited GABA-evoked currents recorded from α1β2 and α1β1 GABAA receptors. The degree of inhibition was the same for both receptor subtypes. Catechin did not modulate α1β2γ2 or α1β1γ2 GABAA receptors. The selectivity of catechin for receptors lacking the γ subunit is similar to the effects of zinc and did not involve the benzodiazephine site on GABAA receptors. This study has shown that catechin and resveratrol are subunit-selective modulators of human GABAA receptors. These compounds could lead to the development of novel agents to be used in treating neurological disorders. These data support the use and study of natural products for the development of agents that act selectively on the nervous system.

Past research has demonstrated that the motivational effects of opiates causes a change in ventral tegmental area (VTA) γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) subtype A receptor [GABA(A)R] complexes in opiate-dependent animals, which switch from a GABA-induced hyperpolarization of VTA GABA neurons to a GABA-induced depolarization. Previously shown in naïve animals, superfusion of ethanol (IC50 = 30 mM) and the GABA(A)R agonist muscimol (IC50 = 100 nM) decreased VTA GABA neuron firing rate in a dose-dependent manner. The aim of this study was to evaluate VTA GABA neuron excitability, GABA synaptic transmission to VTA GABA neurons, and a potential switch in GABA(A)R functionality produced by alcohol dependence. To accomplish these studies, we used standard whole-cell, perforated patch, and attached-cell mode electrophysiological techniques to evaluate chronic ethanol effects on VTA GABA neurons in CD-1 GAD GFP mice, which enable the visual identification of GABA neurons in the slice preparation. In order to more conclusively demonstrate synaptic plasticity in VTA neurons associated with alcohol dependence, three studies were proposed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the switch in GABA synaptic function with dependence. First, we evaluated the effects of withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure on muscimol-induced inhibition of VTA GABA neuron firing rate. Second, we evaluated the effects of withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure on GABA(A)R-mediated synaptic responses in VTA GABA neurons by looking at eIPSCs, and corresponding changes in VTA DA neuron firing rate. Third, we evaluated chloride reversal potentials in VTA GABA neurons using perforated patch recordings in VTA GABA neurons.Through these studies, we found that there was less sensitivity to muscimol in animals treated with ethanol versus air-exposed controls. However, it is yet to be shown more conclusively if VTA GABA neurons undergo a switch in GABA(A)R function with chronic ethanol.