The role of the mGluR allosteric modulation in the NMDA-hypofunction model of schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is one of the most important forms of psychiatric illness and may be chronic and highly disabling. It has been suggested that specific neurochemical abnormality is due to dopaminergic overactivity in the brain. Schizophrenia is currently thought to be associated with a hypoglutamatergic state that is mimicked by acute Phencyclidine (PCP), an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype. Administration of PCP or ketamine in rodents has been used to model aspects of schizophrenia. Taken into consideration the role of glutamatergic system in development of schizophrenia and involvement of striatal dopaminergic receptors in generation of schizophrenia symptoms, it was planned to study functional interaction between NMDA and metabotropic glutamatergic receptors 5 (mGluR5) in schizophrenia-associated behavioral and memory disturbance and the role of mGluRs allosteric modulation in cortico-striatal synaptic plasticity. In our experiments investigation of dose-dependent effects of ketamine revealed that 0.3mg/kg ketamine induces statistical changes most of behavioral and cognitive parameters in rats. Changes in emotional state showed decrease of the number and total duration of groomings in open field experiments as wall as in passive avoidance task. Decrease of motor activity was also detected, while no significant changes were observed in number of defecations. In T-maze test it was shown that spatial memory was damaged. To determine whether mGlu5 and NMDA receptor interact to regulate complex behaviors that are relevant to cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia we focused on assessing whether the selective mGlu5 receptor antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine MPEP mimics or exacerbates the effects of the NMDA receptor antagonist. Ketamine-induced memory disturbance was significantly increased after injection of mGluR5 negative allosteric modulators MPEP. In In vitro experiments the agonist at group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRI) (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenyl-glycine (DHPG,100 microM) evoked a persistent depression of the second component (N2) of the cortico-striatal field potential in rat slices. DHPG-induced plasticity was not NMDA-dependent. mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator MPEP diminishes the inhibition of synaptic responses induced by DHPG and completely blocked the late phase of depression. Our behavioral and in vitro data suggested that between NMDA and mGlu5 receptors there are functional interaction. Thus in some neurological or psychiatric disorders with NMDA dysfunction pharmacological manipulation of mGlu5 receptors could have therapeutic use.