Document Detail


Beneficial effects of desipramine on cognitive function of chronically stressed rats are mediated by alpha1-adrenergic receptors in medial prefrontal cortex.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20417676     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Chronic stress is a risk factor for many psychopathological conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive impairments associated with prefrontal cortical dysfunction are a major component of such illnesses. Using an attentional set-shifting test (AST), we have previously shown that elevating noradrenergic activity in rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) can facilitate cognitive set-shifting, and that chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) caused set-shifting deficits. It is not known, however, if noradrenergic modulatory function is compromised by chronic stress, perhaps contributing to the stress-induced cognitive deficit. Thus, the first study investigated whether acutely elevating noradrenergic activity in mPFC still enhances cognitive function after chronic stress. As previously demonstrated, CUS impaired cognitive set-shifting on the AST. This deficit was abolished by acute systemic administration of the alpha(2)-adrenergic autoreceptor antagonist, atipamezole. Microdialysis revealed no differences in extracellular norepinephrine (NE) levels in mPFC of CUS-exposed and unstressed control rats at baseline or during behavioral testing, and comparable increases after atipamezole. In the second experiment, rats were treated chronically with the selective NE reuptake blocker, desipramine, during the CUS treatment through behavioral testing. Again, CUS impaired cognitive set-shifting in vehicle-treated rats, and chronic desipramine treatment prevented such deficits. Acute blockade of post-synaptic alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors in mPFC prior to testing blocked the beneficial effect of desipramine on cognitive set-shifting. These results suggest that desipramine restores cognitive set-shifting capability that has been compromised by chronic stress by activating alpha(1)-adrenergic receptors in the mPFC. Thus, noradrenergic modulatory capability in mPFC remains intact after CUS, and this represents one possible substrate by which antidepressants may exert their beneficial effects in the treatment of depression.
Authors:
Corina O Bondi; Julianne D Jett; David A Morilak
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-04-24
Journal Detail:
Title:  Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry     Volume:  34     ISSN:  1878-4216     ISO Abbreviation:  Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry     Publication Date:  2010 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-26     Completed Date:  2010-11-02     Revised Date:  2011-08-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8211617     Medline TA:  Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  913-23     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Attention / drug effects
Cognition / drug effects*
Desipramine / pharmacology*
Male
Microdialysis
Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects,  metabolism*
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / metabolism*
Restraint, Physical
Set (Psychology)
Stress, Physiological*
Stress, Psychological*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
MH053851/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; MH072672/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH053851-13/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH053851-14/MH/NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH072672-05/MH/NIMH NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; 0/Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; 50-47-5/Desipramine
Comments/Corrections

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