Comparison of iSeq and MiSeq as the two platforms for 16S rRNA sequencing in the study of the gut of rat microbiome.

Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S) regions is a culture-free method used to identify and analyze Procaryota occurring within a given sample. The prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene contains conserved regions and nine variable regions (V1-V9) frequently used for phylogenetic classification of genus or species in diverse microbial populations. This work compares the accuracy and efficacy of two platforms, iSeq and MiSeq from Illumina, used in sequencing 16S rRNA. The most important similarities and differences of 16S microbiome sequencing in 20 fecal rat samples were described. Genetic libraries were prepared according to 16S Metagenomic Sequencing Library Preparation (Illumina) for the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S. The species richness obtained using iSeq technology was lower compared to MiSeq. At the second taxonomy level (L2), the abundance of taxa was comparable for both platforms. At the L7, the taxa abundance was significantly different, and the number of taxa was higher for the MiSeq. The alpha diversity was lower for iSeq than for MiSeq, starting from the order to the species level. The beta diversity estimation revealed statistically significant differences in microbiota diversity starting from the class level to the species level in samples sequenced on two investigated platforms. This work disclosed that the iSeq platform could be used to evaluate the bacterial profile of the samples to characterize the overall profile. The MiSeq System seems to be better for a detailed analysis of the differences in the microbiota composition. KEY POINTS: • iSeq platform allows to shorten the sequencing time three times compared to the MiSeq. • iSeq can only be used for an initial and quick microbiome assessment. • MiSeq is better for a detailed analysis of the differences in the microbiota composition.

The effects of PDE10 inhibition on attentional set-shifting do not depend on the activation of dopamine D1 receptors.

Inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) represent a novel class of potential antipsychotic compounds. These principles increase the level of cAMP and cGMP in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum and resemble the neurochemical consequences of dopamine D2 receptor inhibition and dopamine D1 receptor stimulation. Cognitive dysfunctions, including an impaired ability to shift perceptual attentional set, are core features of schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of D1 receptors in the procognitive action of the PDE10A inhibitor using the attentional set-shifting task in rats. The performance of the rats in the extradimensional shift stage of the attentional set-shifting task was taken as an index of cognitive flexibility. We first assessed the effects of the D1 agonist in otherwise untreated animals and in animals pretreated with the D1 receptor antagonist. We then investigated the procognitive effects of the PDE10A inhibitor, MP-10, in otherwise untreated animals and in animals pretreated with the D1 receptor antagonist. The dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 produced cognitive impairment at the dose of 0.0125 mg/kg, but not at 0.0063 mg/kg. The D1 receptor agonist, SKF-81,297, produced a procognitive effect that was abolished by 0.0063 mg/kg of SCH-23390. The compound MP-10 produced a procognitive effect at the dose of 0.3 mg/kg, but not at 0.1 mg/kg. Rat pretreatment with 0.0063 mg/kg of SCH-23390 did not block the procognitive effect of 0.3 mg/kg of MP-10. The present study demonstrates that the blockade of dopamine D1 receptors is unlikely to affect the procognitive effects of PDE10A inhibition.

Pro-social and pro-cognitive effects of LIT-001, a novel oxytocin receptor agonist in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia.

Social and cognitive dysfunctions are the most persistent symptoms of schizophrenia. Since oxytocin (OXT) is known to play a role in social functions and modulates cognitive processes, we investigated the effects of a novel, nonpeptide, selective OXT receptor agonist, LIT-001, in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. Administration of methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM; 22 mg/kg) on the 17th day of rat pregnancy is known to cause developmental disturbances of the brain, which lead to schizophrenia-like symptomatology in the offspring. Here, we examined the effects of acutely administered LIT-001 (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) in MAM-exposed males and females on social behaviour, communication and cognition. We report that MAM-treated adult male and female rats displayed reduced social behaviour, ultrasonic communication and novel object recognition test performance. LIT-001 partially reversed these deficits, increasing the total social interaction time and the number of 'positive', highly-modulated 50 kHz ultrasonic calls in male rats. The compound ameliorated MAM-induced deficits in object discrimination in both sexes. Present results confirm the pro-social activity of LIT-001 and demonstrate its pro-cognitive effects following acute administration.

Unraveling psilocybin's therapeutic potential: behavioral and neuroplasticity insights in Wistar-Kyoto and Wistar male rat models of treatment-resistant depression.

RATIONALE: Our study aimed to unravel the unknown mechanisms behind the exceptional efficacy of Psilocybin (PSI) in treating treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Focusing on Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats with a TRD phenotype and Wistar (WIS) rats as a normative comparison, we investigated behavioral and neuroplasticity-related responses to PSI, striving to shed light on the distinctive features of its antidepressant effects. OBJECTIVES: We set out to assess the behavioral impact of acute and prolonged PSI administration on WKY and WIS rats, employing Novel Object Recognition (NORT), Social Interaction (SI), and Forced Swimming Test (FST). Our secondary objectives involved exploring strain-specific alterations in neuroplasticity-related parameters, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc). METHODS: Conducting post-acute and extended assessments after a single PSI administration, we applied behavioral tests and biochemical analyses to measure serum BDNF levels and neuroplasticity-related parameters in the prefrontal cortex. Statistical analyses were deployed to discern significant differences between the rat strains and assess the impact of PSI on behavioral and biochemical outcomes. RESULTS: Our findings uncovered significant behavioral disparities between WKY and WIS rats, indicating passive behavior and social withdrawal in the former. PSI demonstrated pronounced pro-social and antidepressant effects in both strains, each with its distinctive temporal trajectory. Notably, we identified strain-specific variations in BDNF-related signaling and observed the modulation of Arc expression in WKY rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our study delineated mood-related behavioral nuances between WKY and WIS rat strains, underscoring the antidepressant and pro-social properties of PSI in both groups. The distinct temporal patterns of observed changes and the identified strain-specific neuroplasticity alterations provide valuable insights into the TRD phenotype and the mechanisms underpinning the efficacy of PSI.

Effects of ketamine on rat social behavior as analyzed by DeepLabCut and SimBA deep learning algorithms.

Traditional methods of rat social behavior assessment are extremely time-consuming and susceptible to the subjective biases. In contrast, novel digital techniques allow for rapid and objective measurements. This study sought to assess the feasibility of implementing a digital workflow to compare the effects of (R,S)-ketamine and a veterinary ketamine preparation Vetoquinol (both at 20 mg/kg) on the social behaviors of rat pairs. Historical and novel videos were used to train the DeepLabCut neural network. The numerical data generated by DeepLabCut from 14 video samples, representing various body parts in time and space were subjected to the Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA) toolkit, to build classifiers for 12 distinct social and non-social behaviors. To validate the workflow, previously annotated by the trained observer historical videos were analyzed with SimBA classifiers, and regression analysis of the total time of social interactions yielded R 2 = 0.75, slope 1.04; p < 0.001 (N = 101). Remarkable similarities between human and computer annotations allowed for using the digital workflow to analyze 24 novel videos of rats treated with vehicle and ketamine preparations. Digital workflow revealed similarities in the reduction of social behavior by both compounds, and no substantial differences between them. However, the digital workflow also demonstrated ketamine-induced increases in self-grooming, increased transitions from social contacts to self-grooming, and no effects on adjacent lying time. This study confirms and extends the utility of deep learning in analyzing rat social behavior and highlights its efficiency and objectivity. It provides a faster and objective alternative to human workflow.

Repeated treatment with alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands enhances cognitive processes and stimulates Erk1/2 and Arc genes in rats.

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) is a potential target for the treatment of cognitive decline in patients with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Here we examined the promnesic activity of the α7 nAChR agonist (A582941), the type I (CCMI), and the type II (PNU120596) positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) in rats following single and repeated (once daily for seven days) treatment. To determine the neuronal mechanisms underlying the procognitive activity of the tested compounds, levels of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erk1/2) and the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) mRNAs were assessed in the frontal cortical and hippocampal brain regions. Using the novel object recognition test, we demonstrate that the lower doses of A582941 (0.1 mg/kg), CCMI (1 mg/kg), and PNU120596 (0.3 mg/kg) improved recognition memory after repeated but not single administration, suggesting a cumulative effect of repeated dosing. In contrast, the higher doses of A582941 (0.3 mg/kg), CCMI (3 mg/kg) and PNU120596 (1 mg/kg) demonstrated promnesic efficacy following both single and repeated administration. Subsequent in situ hybridization revealed that repeated treatment with A582941 and CCMI, but not PNU120596 enhanced mRNA expression of the Erk1/2 and Arc in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Present data suggest that both the α7 nAChR agonist and PAMs exhibit procognitive effects after single and repeated administration. The increased level of the Erk1/2 and Arc genes is likely to be at least partially involved in this effect.

The Effect of Maternal Immune Activation on Social Play-Induced Ultrasonic Vocalization in Rats.

Prenatal maternal infection is associated with an increased risk of various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Maternal immune activation (MIA) can be experimentally induced by prenatal administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a synthetic viral-like double-stranded RNA. Although this MIA model is adopted in many studies, social and communicative deficits, included in the first diagnostic criterion of ASD, are poorly described in the offspring of poly(I:C)-exposed dams. This study aimed to characterize the impact of prenatal poly(I:C) exposure on socio-communicative behaviors in adolescent rats. For this purpose, social play behavior was assessed in both males and females. We also analyzed quantitative and structural changes in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by rats during the play test. Deficits of social play behaviors were evident only in male rats. Males also emitted a significantly decreased number of USVs during social encounters. Prenatal poly(I:C) exposure also affected acoustic call parameters, as reflected by the increased peak frequencies. Additionally, repetitive behaviors were demonstrated in autistic-like animals regardless of sex. This study demonstrates that prenatal poly(I:C) exposure impairs socio-communicative functioning in adolescent rats. USVs may be a useful tool for identifying early autistic-like abnormalities.

Effects of prenatal exposure to valproic acid or poly(I:C) on ultrasonic vocalizations in rat pups: The role of social cues.

Sociocommunicative deficits commonly observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be experimentally modeled using rodents' ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). For example, USVs emitted by pups, separated from their mothers and nest, serve as a useful tool to identify autistic-like behaviors during the early period of development. Being sensitive to social context, these neonatal calls may help to reveal reduced social attachment or abnormal processing of social information. The aim of the present study was to characterize quantitative and structural changes in USVs emitted during isolation by male and female rat pups prenatally exposed to either valproic acid (VPA) or poly(I:C). To determine whether those pups differed from controls in sensitivity to social stimuli, isolation-induced USVs were recorded under two bedding conditions, i.e., novel bedding and soiled bedding from their home cages. Our results demonstrated early communication deficits in both models of autism. We reported a reduced number of USVs emitted by both VPA- and poly(I:C)-exposed males and females. Moreover, compared to the controls, VPA (but not poly(I:C)) pups emitted shorter calls with a higher peak frequency. While VPA offspring demonstrated fewer USVs on the "safe" bedding imbued with maternal/nest odors, this calming effect was not observed in poly(I:C) males, suggesting a more specific deficit in social communication. The present results demonstrate that qualitative along with quantitative analyses of neonatal vocalizations are a useful tool for assessing early sociocommunicative deficits in ASD models. Notably, more specific changes in USV emission may be detected when introducing social context.

Positive allosteric modulators of alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors enhance procognitive effects of conventional anti-Alzheimer drugs in scopolamine-treated rats.

Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs) may represent a novel approach to attenuate cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). One possible scenario for the use of this class of compounds is their combination with currently approved anti-AD drugs. We thus evaluated the efficacy of co-administration of inactive doses of type I and type II α7-nAChR PAMs (CCMI and PNU-120596, respectively) with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), donepezil and galantamine, or with a non-competitive glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, memantine, in ameliorating scopolamine-induced memory deficits in the novel object recognition test in rats. Both CCMI and PNU-120596 as well as donepezil, galantamine and memantine attenuated the scopolamine-induced recognition impairments. Interestingly, the combined administration of previously established sub-effective doses of the tested PAMs (0.1 mg/kg) with either AChEIs, donepezil (0.3 mg/kg) and galantamine (0.1 mg/kg), or memantine (0.3 mg/kg) also restored object recognition memory in scopolamine-treated animals. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of α7-nAChR PAMs as an augmentation strategy for cognitive enhancement in AD.

Valproic acid exposure impairs ultrasonic communication in infant, adolescent and adult rats.

Persistent deficits of social communication are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Communication disabilities can be experimentally modeled using rodents' ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Although prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is one of the most widely used animal models of ASD, little is known about communication impairments in this model. We performed a longitudinal study to characterize VPA-induced socio-communicative deficits in male and female rats. USVs were recorded in neonatal rats during maternal separation, in adolescent rats during social play, and in adult rats during social interactions. VPA male and female pups emitted a reduced number of USVs. Their calls were shorter and of an elevated peak frequency. Although social play deficits in adolescent rats were restricted to males only, both males and females demonstrated quantitative and qualitative changes in USVs. Altered vocalization also accompanied deficient social interactions in adult VPA males. In contrast to the adolescents, however, these differences were limited to a reduced number of USVs, but not to the call's structure. Present data suggest that ultrasonic vocalization measurement is a useful tool in detecting lifelong communicative disability in a VPA exposure-induced ASD model. We postulate that USV assessment in female rats may be a more sensitive indicator of juvenile autistic-like disturbances than other behavioral measures.

Social dysfunction in the neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia in male and female rats: Behavioural and biochemical studies.

Social dysfunction is among the core symptoms of schizophrenia. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (VP) are involved in the regulation of social behaviour and social cognition. There are indications that both of these neurotransmitter systems are altered in schizophrenia. Prenatal (embryonic day 17) exposure to the neurotoxin methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM; 22 mg/kg) leads to a schizophrenia-like phenotype in rats and has been used as a model of schizophrenia symptoms. Here, we examined the social phenotype of MAM-exposed female and male rats and measured concentrations of OXT, VP and their specific receptors in various brain areas involved in the control of social behaviour. We report decreases in social behaviour and ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) in the MAM rats during social encounters. Specifically, the duration of social interactions and number of corresponding USVs were reduced in this group. In the MAM rats, "positive" 50-kHz USVs were flatter, i.e., displayed lower bandwidth, a greater percentage of "short" calls and lower percentage of frequency-modulated calls. The MAM animals exhibited diminished interest towards social stimuli in olfactory preference tests. In the resident-intruder test, MAM exposure reduced dominance behaviour only in the males. We also report cognitive impairments, including reduced novel object recognition and cognitive inflexibility in the attentional set shifting test, and decreased OXT and OXT receptor concentrations in the prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus and VP and VP receptors in the hypothalamus in the MAM rats. Deficits in central OXT and VP systems may underlie abnormalities present in the MAM model of schizophrenia.

Distinct cognitive and discriminative stimulus effects of ketamine enantiomers in rats.

Although (S)-ketamine was approved for use in treatment-resistant depression in 2019, new preclinical findings suggest that (R)-ketamine might produce better efficacy and tolerability relative to (S)-ketamine. Here we evaluated the effects of (R)-, (S)-, and (R,S)-ketamine on executive functions as measured in the attentional set shifting task (ASST) and on their discriminative stimulus effects in rats. Earlier data demonstrated that cognitive flexibility is compromised by (R,S)-ketamine, but the effects of enantiomers in rats are unknown. Separate cohorts of rats were tested in ASST and trained to discriminate either (R,S)-ketamine, (S)-ketamine, or (R)-ketamine (all at 10 mg/kg) from saline; in order to maintain the discrimination, a higher (R)-ketamine dose (17.5 mg/kg) was subsequently instituted. In ASST, all three forms increased the trials to criterion measure at reversal learning and extra-dimensional set-shifting phases. However, in contrast to (R)- and (S)-ketamine, (R,S)-ketamine prolonged the mean time to complete a single trial during early stages, suggesting increased reaction time, and/or unspecific side-effects related to motor or motivational impairments. In the drug discriminations, all rats acquired their respective discriminations between drug and saline. In (R,S)-ketamine-trained rats, (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine only partially substituted for the training dose of (R,S)-ketamine. Further, (R)-ketamine did not fully substitute in rats trained to (S)-ketamine. The data suggest more serious cognitive deficits produced by (R,S)-ketamine than its enantiomers. Furthermore, (R,S)-ketamine and its isomers share overlapping but not isomorphic discriminative stimulus effects predicting distinct subjective responses to (R)- vs. (S)-ketamine in humans.

Evaluation of ultrasonic vocalizations in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia during the early life stages of rats.

In an animal neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, we investigated ultrasonic communication and social behavior in male and female rats. Pregnant dams were treated with methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM; 22 mg/kg) at 17 days of gestation. First, we examined the ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted by 8-day-old pups isolated from their mothers and placed in a familiar or an unfamiliar environment. Second, we assessed tickling-induced USVs, social play (SP) behavior and accompanying USVs in 30-day-old juveniles. Independent of the prenatal treatment, sex differences were noted at both ages. In the pups isolated from their mothers, compared to the females, the males produced flatter calls with a lower frequency. Compared to the females, the tickling-induced male USVs were characterized by a higher frequency, and the male SP-induced USVs showed a broader bandwidth and more modulated structure. Additionally, the numbers of both SP-induced USVs and SP episodes in the males were higher than those in the females. In contrast, the MAM exposure reduced the ultrasonic communication and social behavior independent of age almost equally in the male and female rats. The MAM-exposed isolated pups and juveniles experiencing tickling and social interaction displayed lower USV bandwidths, suggesting that the complexity of their ultrasonic communication was reduced. In addition, the MAM-exposed juveniles demonstrated a lower number of 50-kHz "happy calls" and decreased SP duration, which is suggestive of social withdrawal or negative-like symptoms. These data demonstrate that young MAM-exposed rats display an atypical repertoire of USVs and reduced play behavior suggestive of communication deficits associated with schizophrenia.

Serotonin transporter deficiency alters socioemotional ultrasonic communication in rats.

It has been widely established that serotonin plays important role in the regulation of emotional and social behaviour. Rodents with a genetic deletion of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) are used as a model to study lifelong consequences of increased extracellular 5-HT levels due to its impaired reuptake. SERT knock-out (SERT-KO) mice and rats consistently showed anxiety-like symptoms and social deficits. Nevertheless, the impact of SERT deletion on socioemotional ultrasonic communication has not been addressed. Here we investigated the impact of lifelong serotonin abundance on ultrasonic vocalisation accompanying social interactions and open field exploration in rats. SERT-KO rats displayed reduced overall duration of social contacts, but increased time spent on following the conspecific. The altered pattern of social behaviour in SERT-KO rats was accompanied by the structural changes in ultrasonic vocalisations, as they differed from their controls in distribution of call categories. Moreover, SERT deletion resulted in anxiety-like behaviours assessed in the open field test. Their anxious phenotype resulted in a lower tendency to emit appetitive 50-kHz calls during novelty exploration. The present study demonstrates that genetic deletion of SERT not only leads to the deficits in social interaction and increased anxiety but also affects ultrasonic communication.

Procognitive effects of varenicline in the animal model of schizophrenia depend on α4ß2- and α 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

BACKGROUND: Varenicline, a partial agonist of the α4ß2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4ß2-nAChR), is currently used to facilitate smoking cessation. Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that this compound may also be effective in treating cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear which nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes may be involved because varenicline is not only a partial agonist for α4ß2-nAChRs but also a full agonist for α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs). AIM: We investigated the effects of varenicline, compared to the α4ß2-nAChR partial agonist TC-2403 and the α7-nAChR full agonist PNU-282987, in a ketamine-based model of schizophrenia-like cognitive deficits on the attentional set-shifting task in rats. The second goal was to elucidate whether the procognitive efficacy of varenicline was due to the compound's action on α4ß2-nAChRs or α7-nAChRs. METHODS: Ketamine was administered to rats for 10 consecutive days and the test was performed 14 days following the last injection. The tested compounds were administered 30 min prior to the attentional set-shifting task. RESULTS: Varenicline, TC-2403 and PNU-282987 ameliorated ketamine-evoked set-shifting deficits. While the α4ß2-nAChR antagonist dihydro-ß-erythroidine and the α7-nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine completely prevented the procognitive actions of TC-2403 and PNU-282987, respectively, varenicline's effect was only partially blocked by any given antagonist. Moreover, the combined treatment with TC-2403 and PNU-282987 more effectively facilitated rats' set-shifting ability than activation of either type of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alone. CONCLUSION: The present findings demonstrated that varenicline's actions on both α7-nAChRs and α4ß2-nAChRs may be necessary to produce its full procognitive effect in the present experimental setting.

Stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine alpha7 receptors rescue schizophrenia-like cognitive impairments in rats.

Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) dysfunction plays an important role in schizophrenia. Positive allosteric modulators of α7 nAChR have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to manage cognitive deficits that are inadequately treated in schizophrenic patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of type I (CCMI) and type II (PNU120596) α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulators to counteract MK-801-induced cognitive and sensorimotor gating deficits. The activity of these compounds was compared with the action of the α7 nAChR agonist A582941. CCMI, PNU120596 and A582941 reversed the sensorimotor gating impairment evoked by MK-801 based on the prepulse inhibition of the startle response. Additionally, no MK-801-evoked working memory deficits were observed with α7 nAChR ligand pretreatment as assessed in a discrete paired-trial delayed alternation task. However, these compounds did not affect the rats' attentional performances in the five-choice serial reaction time test. The α7 nAChR agents demonstrated a beneficial effect on sensorimotor gating and some aspects of cognition tested in a rat model of schizophrenia. Therefore, these results support the use of α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulators as a potential treatment strategy in schizophrenia.

3-Furan-2-yl-N-p-tolyl-acrylamide, a positive allosteric modulator of the α7 nicotinic receptor, reverses schizophrenia-like cognitive and social deficits in rats.

The cognitive impairments and negative symptoms experienced by schizophrenia patients still await effective treatment. Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) have gain considerable attention in this regard. It has been recently proposed that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α7 nAChRs may represent an alternative strategy to that based on orthosteric agonists. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of PAM-2 (3-furan-2-yl-N-p-tolyl-acrylamide) against cognitive deficits and negative-like symptoms in a rat model of schizophrenia based on administration of ketamine, a NMDAR antagonist. The activity of PAM-2 was compared to that elicited by DMXBA, an α7 nAChR partial agonist. For this purpose, the attentional set-shifting task (ASST) and the novel object recognition task (NORT) were used. The efficacies of PAM-2 and DMXBA against ketamine-induced social withdrawal were assessed using the social interaction test (SIT). The results demonstrated that PAM-2 and DMXBA ameliorated ketamine-induced cognitive impairments on the ASST and NORT as well as produced pro-social activities in the SIT. Moreover, the co-administration of inactive doses of PAM-2 and antipsychotic drugs, clozapine or risperidone, reversed ketamine-induced deficits. The present findings provide further support for the concept that α7-PAMs could be used either alone or in combination with antipsychotics for schizophrenia therapy.

The combination of memantine and galantamine improves cognition in rats: The synergistic role of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptors.

The combination of memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) is used as a therapeutic strategy to improve cognition in Alzheimer's disease. Among AChEIs, galantamine, which is also a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), including α7-nAChRs, may be particularly beneficial. The α7-nAChR is involved in interactions between the cholinergic and glutamatergic systems. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of α7-nAChRs in the pro-cognitive effects of this drug combination. To this aim, cognitive performance in rats was assessed using the attentional set shifting task (ASST) and novel object recognition task (NORT). Co-administration of inactive doses of memantine with galantamine facilitated the rats' set-shifting performance and reversed delay-induced deficits in object recognition. These effects were blocked by the α7-nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine, suggesting that the observed cognitive enhancement is α7-nAChR dependent. Moreover, combined administration of memantine with inactive doses of selective α7-nAChRs PAMs, CCMI and PNU-120596, also improved ASST and NORT performance in a methyllycaconitine-dependent manner. Stimulation of α7-nAChRs may underlie the pro-cognitive effects of combining memantine and galantamine. Our results suggest that memantine, when given with enhancers of α7-nAChRs, may represent an effective strategy for cognitive improvement.

Positive allosteric modulators of alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors reverse ketamine-induced schizophrenia-like deficits in rats.

Alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs) have generated great interest as targets of new pharmacological treatments for cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. One promising recent approach is based on the use of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α7-nAChRs, which demonstrate several advantages over direct agonists. Nevertheless, the efficacy of these newly introduced α7-nAChR agents has not been extensively characterised in animal models of schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of type I and II PAMs, N-(5-chloro-2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-N'-(5-methyl-3-isoxazolyl)urea (PNU-120596) and N-(4-chlorophenyl)-[[(4-chlorophenyl)amino]methylene]-3-methyl-5-isoxazoleacet-amide (CCMI), respectively, and galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChE) that also allosterically modulates nAChRs, against ketamine-induced cognitive deficits and social withdrawal in rats. The orthosteric α7-nAChR agonist octahydro-2-methyl-5-(6-phenyl-3-pyridazinyl)-pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (A-582941) was used as a positive control. Additionally, the antipsychotic activities of the tested compounds were assessed using the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test. PNU-120596, CCMI, galantamine and A-582941 reversed ketamine-induced cognitive inflexibility, as assessed in the attentional set-shifting task (ASST). The tested compounds were also effective against ketamine-induced impairment in the novel object recognition task (NORT). PNU-120596, CCMI, and A-582941 ameliorated ketamine-induced social interaction deficits, whereas galantamine was ineffective. Moreover, all tested compounds selectively suppressed the CAR. The positive allosteric modulation of α7-nAChRs demonstrates preclinical efficacy not only against schizophrenia-like cognition impairments but also positive and negative symptoms. Therefore, the use of α7-nAChR PAMs as a potential treatment strategy in schizophrenia is supported.