Anatomical specificity in themodulation of activity-regulated genes after acute or chronic lurasidone treatment

作者:Luoni Alessia; Rocha Fabio F; Riva Marco A*
来源:Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2014, 50: 94-101.
DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.12.008

摘要

Lurasidone is a novel second generation antipsychotic drug characterized by amulti-receptor profile. Besides the high affinity for 5-HT2A andD(2) receptors, it is also characterized by potent 5-HT7 receptor antagonism, which may be beneficial for mood and cognition. Considering that dose-dependent changes in receptor occupancy may differentially impact gene transcription, we aimed at investigating the effects of acute and chronic treatments with different doses of lurasidone (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg) in rats on the expression of the activity-regulated genes Arc, Zif268 and Npas4, which are markers of neuronal activation and are also associated with neuroadaptive mechanisms. Our results show dose-dependent and anatomically-selective differences after acute and chronic lurasidone treatment. Indeed, the effects produced by acute treatment seem to reflect the modulatory activity of lurasidone at selected neurotransmitter receptors. In fact, low doses of the drug acted in the hippocampus, while high doses acted in the striatum, reflecting the high predominance of D-2 receptor expression in this brain region. On the contrary, chronic treatment with lurasidone revealed a different profile of IEGs modulation, possibly reflecting neuroadaptive changes set in motion in response to repetitive drug exposure. In summary, the multi-receptor profile of lurasidone leads to the recruitment of different brain structures in a dose-related manner and this may be important for its therapeutic properties, particularly with respect to antidepressant activity and cognition.

  • 出版日期2014-4-3