P2X7 receptor: an emerging target in central nervous system diseases.

The ATP-sensitive homomeric P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) has received particular attention as a potential drug target because of its widespread involvement in inflammatory diseases as a key regulatory element of the inflammasome complex. However, it has only recently become evident that P2X7Rs also play a pivotal role in central nervous system (CNS) pathology. There is an explosion of data indicating that genetic deletion and pharmacological blockade of P2X7Rs alter responsiveness in animal models of neurological disorders, such as stroke, neurotrauma, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Moreover, recent studies suggest that P2X7Rs regulate the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, implicating P2X7Rs as drug targets in a variety of CNS pathology

Purinerg receptorok által közvetített hatások komplex vizsgálata: új neuroprotektív terápiás lehetőségek elméleti alapjai = Complex studies on purinergic receptor-mediated actions: a theoretical basis for neuroprotection

Vizsgálataink fő célja a neurotranszmitter felszabadulást serkentő P2 nukleotid receptorok szerepének tisztázása volt fiziológiás és patológiás állapotokban. Feltérképeztük a P2X7 receptort kódoló mRNS eloszlását a központi idegrendszer számos területén. Elsőként azonosítottunk a GABA és glutamát felszabadulás szabályozásában résztvevő, serkentő P2X7 receptorokat a hippokampuszban. Feltártuk a P2X7 receptorok celluláris és szubcelluláris eloszlását ezen agyterületen, igazoltuk a P2X7 receptor részvételét az ATP GABA és glutamát felszabadító hatásában farmakológiai analízis, valamint transzgenikus technológia igénybevételével. Neurokémiai és elektrofizológiai módszerekkel igazoltuk, hogy a P2X7 receptorok funkcionális válaszkészsége fokozódik energiadepriváció hatására. Kimutattuk, hogy a noradrenalin felszabadulást a hippokampuszban serkentő P2X1 és/vagy P2X3 receptorok szabályozzák. Megállapítottuk, hogy az ATP és egyéb purinok képesek önerősítő módon saját felszabadulásukat fokozni a homo- illetve heteroexchange által. Tisztáztuk a mitokondriális inhibitorok és az oxidatív stressz szupraadditív kölcsönhatását a noradrenalin/dopamin felszabadulás kiváltásában a hippokampuszban, illetve a rotenon indukált Parkinson modellben. Feltártuk az IL-1béta purin felszabadulást előidéző hatását. Eredményeink alátámasztották a pályázatban felállított hipotézist, mely szerint a P2X7 vagy egyéb P2X receptorok befolyásolása ígéretes terápiás célpont lehet neurodegeneratív betegségekben. | The main objective of the studies was to identify the role of the facilitatory P2 nucleotide receptors under physiological and pathological conditions. We explored the mRNA expression of P2X7 receptors in several areas of the CNS. We demonstrated for the first time that the activation of P2X7 receptors facilitate the release of GABA and glutamate in the hippocampus, and the cell-type specific distribution of this receptor was also explored. The involvement of P2X7 receptor in the GABA and glutamate releasing effect of ATP was proved by pharmacological analysis and by the utilization of transgenic technology. We also demonstrated by electrophysiological and neurochemical techniques that the functional responsiveness of P2X7 receptors is increased during energy deprivation. On the other hand, the release of noradrenaline is subject to facilitation by P2X1 and /or P2X3 receptors. We identified the homo-and heteroexchange, as a new mechanism, whereby purines could promote the release of each other and themselves. We revealed the supraadditive impact of mitochondrial inhibitors and oxidative stress on noradrenaline release in the hippocampus and on dopamine release in the rotenon induced Parkinson model. In addition the effect of IL-1beta on the release of purines from the hippocampus was also described. In conclusion our findings support our initial hypothesis that P2X7 or other P2X receptors could be attractive therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases

Purinergic mechanisms in neuroinflammation: An update from molecules to behavior.

The principle functions of neuroinflammation are to limit tissue damage and promote tissue repair in response to pathogens or injury. While neuroinflammation has utility, pathophysiological inflammatory responses, to some extent, underlie almost all neuropathology. Understanding the mechanisms that control the three stages of inflammation (initiation, propagation and resolution) is therefore of critical importance for developing treatments for diseases of the central nervous system. The purinergic signaling system, involving adenosine, ATP and other purines, plus a host of P1 and P2 receptor subtypes, controls inflammatory responses in complex ways. Activation of the inflammasome, leading to release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, activation and migration of microglia and altered astroglial function are key regulators of the neuroinflammatory response. Here, we review the role of P1 and P2 receptors in mediating these processes and examine their contribution to disorders of the nervous system. Firstly, we give an overview of the concept of neuroinflammation. We then discuss the contribution of P2X, P2Y and P1 receptors to the underlying processes, including a discussion of cross-talk between these different pathways. Finally, we give an overview of the current understanding of purinergic contributions to neuroinflammation in the context of specific disorders of the central nervous system, with special emphasis on neuropsychiatric disorders, characterized by chronic low grade inflammation or maternal inflammation. An understanding of the important purinergic contribution to neuroinflammation underlying neuropathology is likely to be a necessary step towards the development of effective interventions

Központi idegrendszeri kannabinoid receptorok farmakológiai és funkcionális feltérképezése = Pharmacological and functional mapping central nervous system cannabinoid receptors

Kimutattuk, hogy bár a kannabinoidok GABA felszabadulásra gyakorolt hatását a hippokampuszban a CB1 receptorok közvetítik, ezek a hatások részben fennmaradnak a CB1 receptor genetikai törlése esetén is, valószínűleg egy "tartalék" kannabinoid receptor feldúsulása révén. Elsőként írtuk le és jellemeztük a kannabinoidok gátló hatását a szerotonin felszabadulásra a hippokampuszban. A kannabinoidok hatását a CB1-receptorok közvetítik, és az a szerotonerg terminálisoknak elsősorban egy szubpopulációjára terjed ki. Kimutattuk, hogy az endokannabinoidok a hippokampuszban a bazális IL-1beta produkció szabályozásában is szerepet játszanak, mégpedig stimuláló jelleggel és a P2X7 receptorok közvetítésével. Eredményeink elsőként igazolják, hogy a nucleus accumbens drog addikcióban kiemelten fontos szerepet játszó dopaminerg végződéseiből a kannabinoidok nemcsak a dopaminerg neuronok ventralis tegmentum-ban elhelyezkedő sejttestjeinek stimulálásával, hanem a nucleus accumbensen belüli hatással, dizinhibíciós mechanizmussal is képesek dopamint felszabadítani. Leírtuk a noradrenalin és acetilkolin felszabadulás frekvenciafüggő kannabinerg modulációját a prefrontális kéregben. Kimutattuk, hogy GPR3 receptor genetikai törlése az agyi monoamin tartalmak csökkenéséhez és ezzel korreláló magatartásváltozásokkal jár a szorongás és a depresszió állatkísérletes modelljeiben. | We showed that the effect of cannabinoids on GABA release in the hippocampus is mediated by CB1-cannabinoid receptors. However, these effects are partly maintained after genetic deletion of CB1 receptors, and probably due to a residual, 'backup' cannabinoid receptor, which is overexpressed in CB1 knockouts. We reported for the first time the inhibitory effect of cannabinoids on serotonin release from the hippocampus. The action of cannabinoids is mediated by CB1 receptors, but affects only one subpopulation of serotonergic nerve terminals. We showed that endocannabinoids stimulate basal IL-1beta production in the hippocampus, partly with the participation of P2X7 receptors. We provided the first neurochemical evidence that the activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors leads to the augmentation of [3H]dopamine efflux via a local GABAA receptor-mediated disinhibitory mechanism in the rat nucleus accumbens. In addition, the frequency dependent modulation of noradrenaline and acetylcholine release by cannabinoids is characterized in the prefrontal cortex. We also showed that genetical deletion of GPR3 receptor leads to the depletion of monoamine content in the brain and consistent alterations of behavior in animal models of anxiety and depression

Central P2Y12 receptor blockade alleviates inflammatory and neuropathic pain and cytokine production in rodents.

In this study the role of P2Y12 receptors (P2Y12R) was explored in rodent models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain and in acute thermal nociception. In correlation with their activity to block the recombinant human P2Y12R, the majority of P2Y12R antagonists alleviated mechanical hyperalgesia dose-dependently, following intraplantar CFA injection, and after partial ligation of the sciatic nerve in rats. They also caused an increase in thermal nociceptive threshold in the hot plate test. Among the six P2Y12R antagonists evaluated in the pain studies, the selective P2Y12 receptor antagonist PSB-0739 was most potent upon intrathecal application. P2Y12R mRNA and IL-1beta protein were time-dependently overexpressed in the rat hind paw and lumbar spinal cord following intraplantar CFA injection. This was accompanied by the upregulation of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 in the hind paw. PSB-0739 (0.3mg/kg i.t.) attenuated CFA-induced expression of cytokines in the hind paw and of IL-1beta in the spinal cord. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy and the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist MLA occluded the effect of PSB-0739 (i.t.) on pain behavior and peripheral cytokine induction. Denervation of sympathetic nerves by 6-OHDA pretreatment did not affect the action of PSB-0739. PSB-0739, in an analgesic dose, did not influence motor coordination and platelet aggregation. Genetic deletion of the P2Y12R in mice reproduced the effect of P2Y12R antagonists on mechanical hyperalgesia in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models, on acute thermal nociception and on the induction of spinal IL-1beta. Here we report the robust involvement of the P2Y12R in inflammatory pain. The anti-hyperalgesic effect of P2Y12R antagonism could be mediated by the inhibition of both central and peripheral cytokine production and involves alpha7-receptor mediated efferent pathways

Nemszinaptikus transmisszió: egy új megközelítés az alapvető agy funkciók megértéséhez = Nonsynaptic transmission: a new pathway to understand major brain functions

A két-foton mikroszkópia használata új információkat szolgáltatott a nemszinaptikus kölcsönhatásokról szubmikronos anatómiai struktúrákban. Feltérképeztük a technika felhasználásának lehetőségeit a különböző szövetpreparátumok, idegsejttípusok esetében. A membrán Na+/Ca2+ cserélő gátlása elsősorban a dendrittörzsben befolyásolja a szinaptikus Ca2+ tranzienseket, és szabályozza a tüske-dendrit kapcsolatot. A dendritikus Ca2+ válaszok szintjén a noradrenalin pozitív hatású a dendritikus integráció kapacitásaira nézve, elősegíti a dendritikus potenciálok keletkezését, előnyös a munkamemóriára nézve. Kísérleteink feltárták a nikotin sokrétű serkentő hatásait a dendritek funkcióira nézve, így az akciós potenciálok terjedésének erősítését, spontán válaszok kialakulását a piramissejtek tüskéiben, illetve az interneuronok dendrittörzsében. A farmakológiai alkalmazások közül az antidepresszánsok hatásait vizsgáltuk. Elképzelhető, hogy az antidepresszánsok a lassú inaktivált állapot stabilizálásának keresztül gátolják a Na+ csatorna funkciót úgy, hogy segítsék a depressziós neurális "körök" oldódását. A terápia során kialakuló koncentráció viszonyokban a fluoxetin és a dezipramin az NMDA receptorok működését hatékonyan gátolhatják, ami fontos eleme lehet a depresszió oldásának. | The use of two-photon microscopy yielded novel information about the nonsynaptic interactions in submicron anatomical structures. We mapped the applicational possibilities of this technique using various tissue preparations and neuron types. The inhibition of the membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchanger primarily influenced the synaptic Ca2+ transients in the dendrite shaft and regulate locally the dendrite/spine connectivity. At the level of the dendritic Ca2+ responses, noradrenaline has a positive effect on the capacity of dendritic integration, promotes the initiation of dendritic spikes, and enhances working memory. Our experiments revealed that nicotine has multiple effects on dendritic functions including the strengthening the propagation of action potentials in the dendrite and inducing spontaneous responses in dendritic spines of the pyramidal neurons and dendrites of interneurons. Among the pharmacological applications, we studied the effects of antidepressants. It is possible that the antidepressants block the function of the Na+ channel through the stabilization of the inactivated state in a way that helps unbound the depressive "circuits". At therapeutically relevant concentrations fluoxetine and desipramine can efficiently inhibit the function of the NMDA receptor that might be an important element of antidepressive mechanisms

The Role of Extracellular Adenosine in Chemical Neurotransmission in the Hippocampus and Basal Ganglia: Pharmacological and Clinical Aspects

Now there is general agreement that the purine nucleoside adenosine is an important neuromodulator in the central nervous system, playing a crucial role in neuronal excitability and synaptic/non-synaptic transmission in the hippocampus and basal ganglia. Adenosine is derived from the breakdown of extra- or intracellular ATP and is released upon a variety of physiological and pathological stimuli from neuronal and non-neuronal sources, i.e. from glial cells and exerts effects diffusing far away from release sites. The resultant elevation of adenosine levels in the extracellular space reaches micromolar level, and leads to the activation A1, A2A, A2B and A3 receptors, localized to pre- and postsynaptic as well as extrasynaptic sites. Activation of presynaptic A1 receptors inhibits the release of the majority of transmitters including glutamate, acetylcholine, noradrenaline, 5-HT and dopamine, whilst the stimulation of A2A receptors facilitates the release of glutamate and acetylcholine and inhibits the release of GABA. These actions underlie modulation of neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity and coordination of neural networks and provide intriguing target sites for pharmacological intervention in ischemia and Parkinson’s disease. However, despite that adenosine is also released during ischemia, A1 adenosine receptors do not participate in the modulation of excitotoxic glutamate release, which is nonsynaptic and is due to the reverse operation of transporters. Instead, extrasynaptic A1 receptors might be responsible for the neuroprotection afforded by A1 receptor activation

Neurochemical Changes in the Mouse Hippocampus Underlying the Antidepressant Effect of Genetic Deletion of P2X7 Receptors.

Recent investigations have revealed that the genetic deletion of P2X7 receptors (P2rx7) results in an antidepressant phenotype in mice. However, the link between the deficiency of P2rx7 and changes in behavior has not yet been explored. In the present study, we studied the effect of genetic deletion of P2rx7 on neurochemical changes in the hippocampus that might underlie the antidepressant phenotype. P2X7 receptor deficient mice (P2rx7-/-) displayed decreased immobility in the tail suspension test (TST) and an attenuated anhedonia response in the sucrose preference test (SPT) following bacterial endotoxin (LPS) challenge. The attenuated anhedonia was reproduced through systemic treatments with P2rx7 antagonists. The activation of P2rx7 resulted in the concentration-dependent release of [3H]glutamate in P2rx7+/+ but not P2rx7-/- mice, and the NR2B subunit mRNA and protein was upregulated in the hippocampus of P2rx7-/- mice. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was higher in saline but not LPS-treated P2rx7-/- mice; the P2rx7 antagonist Brilliant blue G elevated and the P2rx7 agonist benzoylbenzoyl ATP (BzATP) reduced BDNF level. This effect was dependent on the activation of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors but not on Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1,5). An increased 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation was also observed in the dentate gyrus derived from P2rx7-/- mice. Basal level of 5-HT was increased, whereas the 5HIAA/5-HT ratio was lower in the hippocampus of P2rx7-/- mice, which accompanied the increased uptake of [3H]5-HT and an elevated number of [3H]citalopram binding sites. The LPS-induced elevation of 5-HT level was absent in P2rx7-/- mice. In conclusion there are several potential mechanisms for the antidepressant phenotype of P2rx7-/- mice, such as the absence of P2rx7-mediated glutamate release, elevated basal BDNF production, enhanced neurogenesis and increased 5-HT bioavailability in the hippocampus