Maintenance of GABAergic activity by neuregulin 1-ErbB4 in amygdala for fear memory.

Inhibitory neurotransmission in amygdala is important for fear learning and memory. However, mechanisms that control the inhibitory activity in amygdala are not well understood. We provide evidence that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4 tyrosine kinase are critical for maintaining GABAergic activity in amygdala. Neutralizing endogenous NRG1, inhibition, or genetic ablation of ErbB4, which was expressed in a majority of palvalbumin (PV)+ neurons in amygdala, reduced GABAergic transmission and inhibited tone-cued fear conditioning. Specific ablation of ErbB4 in PV+ neurons reduced eIPSC/eEPSC ratios and impaired fear conditioning. Notably, expression of ErbB4 in amygdala was sufficient to diminish synaptic dysfunction and fear conditioning deficits in PV-ErbB4-/- mice. These observations indicated that NRG1 signaling maintains high GABAergic activity in amygdala and, thus, regulates fear memory. Considering that both NRG1 and ErbB4 are susceptibility genes of schizophrenia, our study sheds light on potential pathophysiological mechanisms of this disorder.

[Progressive studies of paeoniflorin].

Paeoniflorin is one of the bioactive components of Paeonia lactiflora, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It is the main monoterpene glucoside isolated from the P. lactiflora in 1963. Since then, researchers have found that paeoniflorin has multifold pharmacological effects. In this review, based on the recent available papers published in PubMed and National Knowledge Infrastructure Data Base, we present the major current approaches in understanding the detection methodology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacology, and toxicology of paeoniflorin.

Contribution of downregulation of L-type calcium currents to delayed neuronal death in rat hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.

Transient forebrain ischemia induces delayed, selective neuronal death in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The underlying molecular mechanisms are as yet unclear, but it is known that activation of L-type Ca2+ channels specifically increases the expression of a group of genes required for neuronal survival. Accordingly, we examined temporal changes in L-type calcium-channel activity in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons of rat hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia by patch-clamp techniques. In vulnerable CA1 neurons, L-type Ca2+-channel activity was persistently downregulated after ischemic insult, whereas in invulnerable CA3 neurons, no change occurred. Downregulation of L-type calcium channels was partially caused by oxidation modulation in postischemic channels. Furthermore, L-type but neither N-type nor P/Q-type Ca2+-channel antagonists alone significantly inhibited the survival of cultured hippocampal neurons. In contrast, specific L-type calcium-channel agonist remarkably reduced neuronal cell death and restored the inhibited channels induced by nitric oxide donor. More importantly, L-type calcium-channel agonist applied after reoxygenation or reperfusion significantly decreased neuronal injury in in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation ischemic model and in animals subjected to forebrain ischemia-reperfusion. Together, the present results suggest that ischemia-induced inhibition of L-type calcium currents may give rise to delayed death of neurons in the CA1 region, possibly via oxidation mechanisms. Our findings may lead to a new perspective on neuronal death after ischemic insult and suggest that a novel therapeutic approach, activation of L-type calcium channels, could be tested at late stages of reperfusion for stroke treatment.