The low affinity metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR7 has been implicated in numerous CNS disorders; however, a paucity of potent and selective activators has hampered full delineation of the ...functional role and therapeutic potential of this receptor. In this work, we present the identification, optimization, and characterization of highly potent, novel mGluR7 agonists. Of particular interest is the chromane CVN636, a potent (EC50 7 nM) allosteric agonist which demonstrates exquisite selectivity for mGluR7 compared to not only other mGluRs, but also a broad range of targets. CVN636 demonstrated CNS penetrance and efficacy in an in vivo rodent model of alcohol use disorder. CVN636 thus has potential to progress as a drug candidate in CNS disorders involving mGluR7 and glutamatergic dysfunction.
Rationale
Prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent executive function is disrupted in a range of psychiatric disorders and can be modelled in non-human primates and rodents using attentional set-shifting ...paradigms. There are few current pharmacological strategies for enhancing attentional set shifting, although the PFC is rich in relevant neurotransmitter targets, including 5
-
hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Although 5-HT depletion studies do not support a role for 5-HT in attentional set shifting, the effect of 5-HT activation using specific receptor agonists has not been tested.
Objectives and methods
This study investigated the effect of a novel, selective 5-HT
6
receptor agonist, WAY181187, in a rat model of PFC-dependent extra-dimensional (ED) attentional set shifting. The effect of this agent on immediate early gene expression in the medial PFC and other regions was also examined.
Results
Compared to vehicle-injected controls, WAY181187 facilitated ED set shifting but did not change other non-ED phases of the task (including intra-dimensional set shifting and reversal). This effect was blocked by the selective 5-HT
6
antagonist SB399885, which alone had no effect. WAY181187 enhanced ED set shifting even when administered after the attentional set had been acquired, thereby ruling out impairments in attentional set formation. In separate experiments, at a dose that increased ED set shifting, WAY181187 increased Fos-like immunoreactivity in the medial PFC in a SB399885-sensitive manner, suggesting a 5-HT
6
receptor-mediated activation of this region.
Conclusions
Through use of a novel 5-HT agonist, these experiments reveal a previously unrecognised role for 5-HT activation in PFC-dependent executive function, mediated by 5-HT
6
receptor activation.
SB-399885 (N-3,5-dichloro-2-(methoxy)phenyl-4-(methoxy)-3-(1-piperazinyl)benzenesulfonamide) has high affinity for human recombinant and native 5-HT(6) receptors, with pK(i) values 9.11+/-0.03 and ...9.02+/-0.05, respectively and is a potent competitive antagonist (pA(2) 7.85+/-0.04). It displays over 200-fold selectivity for the 5-HT(6) receptor over all other receptors, ion channels and enzymes tested to date. SB-399885 inhibited ex vivo (125)ISB-258585 (4-Iodo-N-4-methoxy-3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-phenyl-benzenesulfonamide) binding with an ED(50) of 2.0+/-0.24 mg/kg p.o. in rats. It had a minimum effective dose of 1 mg/kg p.o. in a rat maximal electroshock seizure threshold test and a long duration of action, overall demonstrating an excellent pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic correlation. Repeated administration of this agent (10 mg/kg p.o., b.i.d. for 7 days) significantly reversed a scopolamine-induced deficit (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) in a rat novel object recognition paradigm. Moreover, in aged rats (22 months old) SB-399885 (10 mg/kg p.o., b.i.d. for 7 days) fully reversed the age-dependent deficit in water maze spatial learning compared to vehicle-treated age-matched controls and significantly improved recall of the task measured by increases in the searching of the target quadrant on post-training days 1, 3 and 7. In vivo microdialysis in the rat medial prefrontal cortex demonstrated that acute SB-399885 (10 mg/kg p.o.) significantly increased extracellular acetylcholine levels. These data demonstrate that SB-399885 is a potent, selective, brain penetrant, orally active 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist with cognitive enhancing properties that are likely to be mediated by enhancements of cholinergic function. These studies provide further support for the potential therapeutic utility of 5-HT(6) receptor antagonists in disorders characterised by cognitive deficits such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
Nonviral integrating vectors can be used for expression of therapeutic genes. piggyBac (PB), a transposon/transposase system, has been used to efficiently generate induced pluripotent stems cells ...from somatic cells, without genetic alteration. In this paper, we apply PB transposition to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) in primary human T cells. We demonstrate that T cells electroporated to introduce the PB transposon and transposase stably express CD19-specific CAR and when cultured on CD19(+) artificial antigen-presenting cells, numerically expand in a CAR-dependent manner, display a phenotype associated with both memory and effector T cell populations, and exhibit CD19-dependent killing of tumor targets. Integration of the PB transposon expressing CAR was not associated with genotoxicity, based on chromosome analysis. PB transposition for generating human T cells with redirected specificity to a desired target such as CD19 is a new genetic approach with therapeutic implications.
The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist, xanomeline, attenuates amphetamine-induced activity in WT mice. This effect is abolished in mice lacking the M(4) muscarinic acetylcholine ...receptor (M(4) mAChR KO) and partially attenuated in mice lacking M(1) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M(1) mAChR KO). Collectively, these data suggest that the efficacy exhibited by xanomeline in the mouse amphetamine-induced hyperactivity model, is mediated predominantly by M(4) muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, and that M(1) muscarinic acetylcholine receptors may play a more minor role. This supports the hypothesis that activation of M(4), and to a lesser extent M(1) muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, may represent a potential target for the treatment of psychosis seen in schizophrenia.
The low affinity metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR
has been implicated in numerous CNS disorders; however, a paucity of potent and selective activators has hampered full delineation of the ...functional role and therapeutic potential of this receptor. In this work, we present the identification, optimization, and characterization of highly potent, novel mGluR
agonists. Of particular interest is the chromane
, a potent (EC
7 nM) allosteric agonist which demonstrates exquisite selectivity for mGluR
compared to not only other mGluRs, but also a broad range of targets.
demonstrated CNS penetrance and efficacy in an
rodent model of alcohol use disorder.
thus has potential to progress as a drug candidate in CNS disorders involving mGluR
and glutamatergic dysfunction.
This paper reports on the evaluation of the Smart Choices healthy food and drink supply strategy for Queensland schools (Smart Choices) implementation across the whole school environment in state ...government primary and secondary schools in Queensland, Australia.
Three concurrent surveys using different methods for each group of stakeholders that targeted all 1275 school Principals, all 1258 Parent and Citizens' Associations (P&Cs) and a random sample of 526 tuckshop convenors throughout Queensland. Nine hundred and seventy-three Principals, 598 P&Cs and 513 tuckshop convenors participated with response rates of 78%, 48% and 98%, respectively.
Nearly all Principals (97%), P&Cs (99%) and tuckshop convenors (97%) reported that their school tuckshop had implemented Smart Choices. The majority of Principals and P&Cs reported implementation, respectively, in: school breakfast programs (98 and 92%); vending machine stock (94 and 83%); vending machine advertising (85 and 84%); school events (87 and 88%); school sporting events (81 and 80%); sponsorship and advertising (93 and 84%); fundraising events (80 and 84%); and sporting clubs (73 and 75%). Implementation in curriculum activities, classroom rewards and class parties was reported, respectively, by 97%, 86% and 75% of Principals. Respondents also reported very high levels of understanding of Smart Choices and engagement of the school community.
The results demonstrated that food supply interventions to promote nutrition across all domains of the school environment can be implemented successfully.
Background and Purpose
AMPA receptor positive allosteric modulators represent a potential therapeutic strategy to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia. These studies collectively constitute ...the preclinical pharmacology data package used to build confidence in the pharmacology of this molecule and enable a clinical trial application.
Experimental Approach
N‐(2S)‐5‐(6‐fluoro‐3‐pyridinyl)‐2,3‐dihydro 1H–inden‐2‐yl‐2‐propanesulfonamide (UoS12258) was profiled in a number of in vitro and in vivo studies to highlight its suitability as a novel therapeutic agent.
Key Results
We demonstrated that UoS12258 is a selective, positive allosteric modulator of the AMPA receptor. At rat native hetero‐oligomeric AMPA receptors, UoS12258 displayed a minimum effective concentration of approximately 10 nM in vitro and enhanced AMPA receptor‐mediated synaptic transmission at an estimated free brain concentration of approximately 15 nM in vivo. UoS12258 reversed a delay‐induced deficit in novel object recognition in rats after both acute and sub‐chronic dosing. Sub‐chronic dosing reduced the minimum effective dose from 0.3 to 0.03 mg·kg−1. UoS12258 was also effective at improving performance in two other cognition models, passive avoidance in scopolamine‐impaired rats and water maze learning and retention in aged rats. In side‐effect profiling studies, UoS12258 did not produce significant changes in the maximal electroshock threshold test at doses below 10 mg·kg−1.
Conclusion and Implications
We conclude that UoS12258 is a potent and selective AMPA receptor modulator exhibiting cognition enhancing properties in several rat behavioural models superior to other molecules that have previously entered clinical evaluation.
Since the initial observations linking 5-HT to psychiatric illness, evidence for a role of 5-HT and, in particular, a decreased brain serotonergic function in the pathology of a plethora of related ...disorders, has grown. However, it is the role of 5-HT in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders and depression and the mechanism of action of antidepressants which has received the most attention. Thus enhanced serotonergic neurotransmission has become one of the unifying mechanisms of action of modern day antidepressants/anxiolytics such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Interestingly all of these treatments are associated with a delay to therapeutic efficacy and in some cases treatment resistance, despite immediate enhancements in serotonergic neurotransmission. The postulated reason for this is the need for temporal neuroplastic changes in the control of serotonergic neurotransmission, and more specifically changes in 5-HT(1) autoreceptor function. Thus significant research has gone into pharmacologically targeting these 5-HT(1) autoreceptors as a means of augmenting the efficacy of current therapeutic mechanisms. Here we will review the rationale behind the various augmentation strategies adopted and the progress made in identifying novel therapeutics for conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders.
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