| 1. |
- Bäckström, Torbjörn, et al.
(author)
-
Allopregnanolone and its antagonist modulate neuroinflammation and neurological impairment
- 2024
-
In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. - : Elsevier. - 0149-7634 .- 1873-7528. ; 161
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neuroinflammation accompanies several brain disorders, either as a secondary consequence or as a primary cause and may contribute importantly to disease pathogenesis. Neurosteroids which act as Positive Steroid Allosteric GABA-A receptor Modulators (Steroid-PAM) appear to modulate neuroinflammation and their levels in the brain may vary because of increased or decreased local production or import from the systemic circulation. The increased synthesis of steroid-PAMs is possibly due to increased expression of the mitochondrial cholesterol transporting protein (TSPO) in neuroinflammatory tissue, and reduced production may be due to changes in the enzymatic activity. Microglia and astrocytes play an important role in neuroinflammation, and their production of inflammatory mediators can be both activated and inhibited by steroid-PAMs and GABA. What is surprising is the finding that both allopregnanolone, a steroid-PAM, and golexanolone, a novel GABA-A receptor modulating steroid antagonist (GAMSA), can inhibit microglia and astrocyte activation and normalize their function. This review focuses on the role of steroid-PAMs in neuroinflammation and their importance in new therapeutic approaches to CNS and liver disease.
|
|
| 2. |
- Johansson, Maja, 1962-, et al.
(author)
-
GR3027 antagonizes GABA(A) receptor-potentiating neurosteroids and restores spatial learning and motor coordination in rats with chronic hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy
- 2015
-
In: American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0193-1857 .- 1522-1547. ; 309:5, s. G400-G409
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the primary complications of liver cirrhosis. Current treatments for HE, mainly directed to reduction of ammonia levels, are not effective enough because they cannot completely eliminate hyperammonemia and inflammation, which induce the neurological alterations. Studies in animal models show that overactivation of GABA(A) receptors is involved in cognitive and motor impairment in HE and that reducing this activation restores these functions. We have developed a new compound, GR3027, that selectively antagonizes the enhanced activation of GABA(A) receptors by neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone and 3 alpha, 21-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one (THDOC). This work aimed to assess whether GR3027 improves motor incoordination, spatial learning, and circadian rhythms of activity in rats with HE. GR3027 was administered subcutaneously to two main models of HE: rats with chronic hyperammonemia due to ammonia feeding and rats with portacaval shunts (PCS). Motor coordination was assessed in beam walking and spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze and the radial maze. Circadian rhythms of ambulatory and vertical activity were also assessed. In both hyperammonemic and PCS rats, GR3027 restores motor coordination, spatial memory in the Morris water maze, and spatial learning in the radial maze. GR3027 also partially restores circadian rhythms of ambulatory and vertical activity in PCS rats. GR3027 is a novel approach to treatment of HE that would normalize neurological functions altered because of enhanced GABAergic tone, affording more complete normalization of cognitive and motor function than current treatments for HE.
|
|
| 3. |
- Mincheva, Gergana, et al.
(author)
-
Golexanolone, a GABAA receptor modulating steroid antagonist, restores motor coordination and cognitive function in hyperammonemic rats by dual effects on peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation
- 2022
-
In: CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1755-5930 .- 1755-5949. ; 28:11, s. 1861-1874
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: Hyperammonemic rats show peripheral inflammation, increased GABAergic neurotransmission and neuroinflammation in cerebellum and hippocampus which induce motor incoordination and cognitive impairment. Neuroinflammation enhances GABAergic neurotransmission in cerebellum by enhancing the TNFR1-glutaminase-GAT3 and TNFR1-CCL2-TrkB-KCC2 pathways. Golexanolone reduces GABAA receptors potentiation by allopregnanolone. This work aimed to assess if treatment of hyperammonemic rats with golexanolone reduces peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation and restores cognitive and motor function and to analyze underlying mechanisms.Methods: Rats were treated with golexanolone and effects on peripheral inflammation, neuroinflammation, TNFR1-glutaminase-GAT3 and TNFR1-CCL2-TrkB-KCC2 pathways, and cognitive and motor function were analyzed.Results: Hyperammonemic rats show increased TNFα and reduced IL-10 in plasma, microglia and astrocytes activation in cerebellum and hippocampus, and impaired motor coordination and spatial and short-term memories. Treating hyperammonemic rats with golexanolone reversed changes in peripheral inflammation, microglia and astrocytes activation and restored motor coordination and spatial and short-term memory. This was associated with reversal of the hyperammonemia-enhanced activation in cerebellum of the TNFR1-glutaminase-GAT3 and TNFR1-CCL2-TrkB-KCC2 pathways.Conclusion: Reducing GABAA receptors activation with golexanolone reduces peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation and improves cognitive and motor function in hyperammonemic rats. The effects identified would also occur in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and, likely, in other pathologies associated with neuroinflammation.
|
|
