3,5-Dimethyladamantan-1-amine Restores Short-term Synaptic Plasticity by Changing Function of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters in Mouse Model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1

Introduction. Memantine is an agent that used for treatment of Alzheimer's type dementia. Memantine considerably reduces the effects of neurodegeneration, may potentially slow down the neurodegenerative changes in the cerebellum and may act as treatment of choice for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA 1). Our objective was to study molecular mechanisms of the short-term synaptic plasticity improvement associated with long-term memantine use in SCA 1 transgenic mice. Materials and methods. The experiments were performed on 12-week-old CD1 mice. We created a mouse model of cerebellar astrogliosis after expression of mutant ataxin-1 (ATXN1[Q85]) in the Bergmann glia (BG). To model the astrocyte-mediated neurodegeneration in the cerebellum, the mice were injected with LVV GFAP-Flag-ATXN1[Q85] lentiviral vector (LVV) constructs intracortically. Some of the mice received 0.35 mg/kg memantine dissolved in drink water once daily for 9 weeks. The control animals were administered LVV GFAP-ATXN1[Q2]-Flag. Changes of the excitatory postsynaptic currents amplitudes from Purkinje cells (PC) were recorded by patch clamp. Expression of anti-EAAT1 in the cerebellar cortex was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Results. The reactive glia of the cerebellar cortex in SCA1 mice is characterized by a decrease in the immunoreactivity of anti-EAAT1, while chronic memantine use restores this capacity. The decay time of the excitatory postsynaptic current amplitude in the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell (PF-PC) synapses of the SCA1 mice is considerably longer, which indicates the slowing of glutamate reuptake and EAAT1 dysfunction. The prolonged presence of increased neurotransmitter levels in the synaptic cleft facilitates activation of the mGluR1 signaling and restoration of mGluR1-dependent synaptic plasticity in Purkinje cells of the SCA1 mice. Conclusions. The slowing of neurotransmitter reuptake associated with long-term memantine treatment improves mGluR1-dependent short-term synaptic plasticity of the Purkinje cells in the SCA1 mice. Restoration of synaptic plasticity in these animals may underlie partial reduction of ataxic syndrome

Extracellular S100β Disrupts Bergman Glia Morphology and Synaptic Transmission in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Astrogliosis is a pathological process that affects the density, morphology, and function of astrocytes. It is a common feature of brain trauma, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegeneration including spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), a poorly understood neurodegenerative disease. S100β is a Ca 2+ binding protein. In SCA1, excessive excretion of S100β by reactive astrocytes and its uptake by Purkinje cells has been demonstrated previously. Under pathological conditions, excessive extracellular concentration of S100β stimulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines and induces apoptosis. We modeled astrogliosis by S100β injections into cerebellar cortex in mice. Injections of S100β led to significant changes in Bergmann glia (BG) cortical organization and affected their processes. S100β also changed morphology of the Purkinje cells (PCs), causing a significant reduction in the dendritic length. Moreover, the short-term synaptic plasticity and depolarization-induced suppression of synaptic transmission were disrupted after S100β injections. We speculate that these effects are the result of Ca 2+ -chelating properties of S100β protein. In summary, exogenous S100β induced astrogliosis in cerebellum could lead to neuronal dysfunction, which resembles a natural neurodegenerative process. We suggest that astrocytes play an essential role in SCA1 pathology, and that astrocytic S100β is an important contributor to this process

Extracellular S100β Disrupts Bergman Glia Morphology and Synaptic Transmission in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Astrogliosis is a pathological process that affects the density, morphology, and function of astrocytes. It is a common feature of brain trauma, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegeneration including spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), a poorly understood neurodegenerative disease. S100β is a Ca2+ binding protein. In SCA1, excessive excretion of S100β by reactive astrocytes and its uptake by Purkinje cells has been demonstrated previously. Under pathological conditions, excessive extracellular concentration of S100β stimulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines and induces apoptosis. We modeled astrogliosis by S100β injections into cerebellar cortex in mice. Injections of S100β led to significant changes in Bergmann glia (BG) cortical organization and affected their processes. S100β also changed morphology of the Purkinje cells (PCs), causing a significant reduction in the dendritic length. Moreover, the short-term synaptic plasticity and depolarization-induced suppression of synaptic transmission were disrupted after S100β injections. We speculate that these effects are the result of Ca2+-chelating properties of S100β protein. In summary, exogenous S100β induced astrogliosis in cerebellum could lead to neuronal dysfunction, which resembles a natural neurodegenerative process. We suggest that astrocytes play an essential role in SCA1 pathology, and that astrocytic S100β is an important contributor to this process

Indirect Negative Effect of Mutant Ataxin-1 on Short- and Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in Mouse Models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an intractable progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to a range of movement and motor defects and is eventually lethal. Purkinje cells (PC) are typically the first to show signs of degeneration. SCA1 is caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the ATXN1 gene and the subsequent buildup of mutant Ataxin-1 protein. In addition to its toxicity, mutant Ataxin-1 protein interferes with gene expression and signal transduction in cells. Recently, it is evident that ATXN1 is not only expressed in neurons but also in glia, however, it is unclear the extent to which either contributes to the overall pathology of SCA1. There are various ways to model SCA1 in mice. Here, functional deficits at cerebellar synapses were investigated in two mouse models of SCA1 in which mutant ATXN1 is either nonspecifically expressed in all cell types of the cerebellum (SCA1 knock-in (KI)), or specifically in Bergmann glia with lentiviral vectors expressing mutant ATXN1 under the control of the astrocyte-specific GFAP promoter. We report impairment of motor performance in both SCA1 models. In both cases, prominent signs of astrocytosis were found using immunohistochemistry. Electrophysiological experiments revealed alteration of presynaptic plasticity at synapses between parallel fibers and PCs, and climbing fibers and PCs in SCA1 KI mice, which is not observed in animals expressing mutant ATXN1 solely in Bergmann glia. In contrast, short- and long-term synaptic plasticity was affected in both SCA1 KI mice and glia-targeted SCA1 mice. Thus, non-neuronal mechanisms may underlie some aspects of SCA1 pathology in the cerebellum. By combining the outcomes of our current work with our previous data from the B05 SCA1 model, we further our understanding of the mechanisms of SCA1