Neurotransmission-related gene expression in the frontal pole is altered in subjects with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The frontal pole (Brodmann area 10, BA10) is the largest cytoarchitectonic region of the human cortex, performing complex integrative functions. BA10 undergoes intensive adolescent grey matter pruning prior to the age of onset for bipolar disorder (BP) and schizophrenia (SCHIZ), and its dysfunction is likely to underly aspects of their shared symptomology. In this study, we investigated the role of BA10 neurotransmission-related gene expression in BP and SCHIZ. We performed qPCR to measure the expression of 115 neurotransmission-related targets in control, BP, and SCHIZ postmortem samples (n = 72). We chose this method for its high sensitivity to detect low-level expression. We then strengthened our findings by performing a meta-analysis of publicly released BA10 microarray data (n = 101) and identified sources of convergence with our qPCR results. To improve interpretation, we leveraged the unusually large database of clinical metadata accompanying our samples to explore the relationship between BA10 gene expression, therapeutics, substances of abuse, and symptom profiles, and validated these findings with publicly available datasets. Using these convergent sources of evidence, we identified 20 neurotransmission-related genes that were differentially expressed in BP and SCHIZ in BA10. These results included a large diagnosis-related decrease in two important therapeutic targets with low levels of expression, HTR2B and DRD4, as well as other findings related to dopaminergic, GABAergic and astrocytic function. We also observed that therapeutics may produce a differential expression that opposes diagnosis effects. In contrast, substances of abuse showed similar effects on BA10 gene expression as BP and SCHIZ, potentially amplifying diagnosis-related dysregulation.

Respuesta de una subpoblación de interneuronas y del transportador glial de glutamato GLT1 en la corteza contralateral a un foco isquémico / Contralateral cortical response of a subpopulation of interneurons and the glial glutamate transporter GLT1 to an ischemic core

Introducción: La isquemia cerebral es una de las formas de lesión cerebral mas frecuentes en el humano. Usualmente los investigadores cuando estudian su fisiopatología se centran en las areas directamente comprometidas: región del foco, o en las zonas de penumbra, olvidando otros sectores vecinos o no del foco que están conectados con estos sectores de injuria, los cuales pueden estar implicados en algunos de los síntomas que se observan en los pacientes que sufren procesos isquémicos. Objetivo: Evaluar el comportamiento laminar de una subpoblación de interneuronas y de la población glial de la corteza cerebral contralateral al foco isquémico, a través de los marcadores parvalbúmina (PV), que detecta neuronas gabaérgicas y del transportador glial de glutamato GLT1. Materiales y métodos: Se ocluyó la arteria cerebral media derecha en ratas macho adultas, durante 90 minutos, utilizando una sutura intraluminal. Los animales se sacrificaron a las 24 y 72 horas post isquemia. El analisis se hizo en la corteza contralateral al foco, identificando interneuronas PV positivas y la expresión en astrocitos del transportador GLT1. Resultados: Se encontró disminución significativa de la marcación del transportador de glutamato, GLT1, en las capas III y IV de la corteza contralateral al foco isquémico y un aumento en la expresión de PV en las capas II a V comparado con los animales controles. Conclusiones: Los cambios en la expresión de GLT1 pueden proveer un nuevo estado de regulación de glutamato y un patrón diferente de actividad en áreas remotas a un foco isquémico. El aumento en la expresión de PV puede corresponder a un mecanismo adaptativo asociado al incremento de glutamato, por la disminución del transportador, en las envolturas gliales de las sinapsis. Este estudio representa un ejemplo de plasticidad neuronal y glial en zonas remotas al foco isquémico pero conectadas con el mismo.

Introduction: Cerebral ischemia is an important cause of brain lesion in humans. The target in research has been the ischemic core or the penumbra zones; little attention has been given to areas outside the core or the penumbra but connected with the primary site of injury. Objective: Evaluate the laminar response of a subpopulation of gabaergic cells, those that are parvalbumin (PV) positive and the astrocytes through the expression of the glial transporter GLT1 on the contralateral cortex to an ischemic core. Methodology:á For this purpose we used the medial cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. The artery was occluded for 90 minutes and the animals were sacrificed at 24 and 72 hours post-ischemia. The brains were removed, cut in a vibratome at 50 microns and incubated with the primary antibodies against PV or GLT1. Sections were developed using the vectastain Kit. In control tissue the primary antibody was omitted. Results: When compared with control animals, treated ones show a decrease in the expression of GLT1, especially in layers III and IV of the contralateral cortex to the ischemic core. PV positive cells increases in layers II and V. Conclusion: Increases in the expression of PV cells could correspond to an adaptation associated with glutamate increases in the synaptic compartment. These increases may be due to decreases in the expression of GLT1 transporter, that could not remove the glutamate present in the synaptic cleft, generating hyperactivity in the contralateral cortex. These changes could represent an example of neuronal and glial plasticity in remote areas to an ischemic core but connected to the primary site of injury.

Sistema glutamatergico II: alteraciones en isquemia, alzheimer y esquizofrenia / Glutamatergic system ( second part)

Las neuronas piramidales de la corteza cerebral utilizan ácido glutámico como neurotransmisor. Diferentes tipos de aferentes convergen sobre ellas. Al mismo tiempo, estas células dan lugar a fibras eferentes que interconectan ampliamente variados sectores de la corteza, los núcleos de la base y el tálamo. La tríada de interacciones recíprocas entre neuronas glutamatérgicas, gabaérgicas y monoaminérgicas en regiones límbicas, en la neocorteza y en centros reguladores de la función cortical, como los núcleos de la base, la sustancia negra y el tálamo, se consideran importantes en las actividades motora, cognitiva y emocional. En el presente artículo se presenta una visión actualizada del sistema glutamatérgico y sus posibles implicaciones en la isquemia, la esquizofrenia y la enfermedad de Alzheimer