Molecular Psychiatry (2007) 12, 704–706& 2007 Nature Publishing Group
Group-II metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands asadjunctive drugs in the treatment of depression: a newstrategy to shorten the latency of antidepressantmedication?
Molecular Psychiatry (2007) 12, 704–706;
affects synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter
release by modulating membrane Ca2 þ and K þchannels.8 Subtype-selective ligands are now avail-
Unipolar depression is a major public health problem
able that either bind to the glutamate-binding domain
and will be the second most prevalent cause of
of mGlu receptors or interact with an allosteric site
illness-induced disability by the year 2020 according
acting as receptor enhancers or negative modulators.9
to the World Health Organization. There are several
Drugs that inhibit group-I mGlu receptors (particu-
antidepressant drugs that are effective and relatively
larly the mGlu5 receptor antagonists, 2-methyl-6-
safe, but they all require a long latency (usually 3–4
(phenylethynyl)-pyridine and ((2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-
weeks) to improve depressive symptoms. This latency
4-yl)ethynyl)pyridine), inhibit group-II mGlu recep-
seriously complicates the management of severely
(3-(3,4-dichloro-benzyloxy)-2-amino-6-fluorobi-
depressed patients, who are at high risk for suicide
cyclo(hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid 6-heptyl ester
during the early phases of treatment. Paradoxically,
2S-2-amino-2-(1S,2S-2-carboxycyclopropan-1-
suicide attempts may even increase during the first
yl)-3-(xanth-9-yl)propionate (LY341495)) or activate
days of antidepressant medication because of the
group-III receptors (1S,3R,4S)-1-aminocyclo-pentane-
shorter latency of drug-induced psychomotor activa-
tion. Fast-active drugs or adjunctive drugs that short-
en the clinical latency of classical antidepressants
propane(b)chromen-1-acarboxamide) are effective in
will provide a major breakthrough in the treatment of
animal models of depression, and, in same cases,
depression. Recent evidence suggests that glutamate
produce behavioral effects that are consistent with an
receptors are potential targets for antidepressant
drugs.1 These receptors are subdivided into two major
We have focused on how mGlu receptors affect
classes: (i) ionotropic glutamate receptors (i.e. alpha-
neuroadaptive changes induced by classical antide-
pressants. Initially, we found that a 21-day treatment
N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and kainate receptors),
with the tricyclic antidepressant imipiramine in-
which are ligand-gated ion channels; and (ii) metabo-
creases the expression of mGlu2/3 receptors in brain
tropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors, which are coupled
regions that are implicated in the pathophysiology of
to G proteins. NMDA receptor antagonists produce
depression, such as the hippocampus and nucleus
beneficial effects in animal models of depression,2–4
accumbens. One of the established functions of these
but their potential use in humans is limited by their
receptors, that is their synergistic activity with
strong impact on excitatory synaptic transmission,
mGlu1/5 receptors in stimulating PI hydrolysis, was
which results in serious adverse effects, such as
enhanced in hippocampal slices isolated from ani-
sedation, ataxia and impairment of learning and
mals treated with imipramine.12 We reasoned that the
memory.5 Drugs acting at mGlu receptors should offer
upregulation of mGlu2/3 receptors could contribute
a better profile of tolerability because these receptors
to the overall process of neuroadaptation to antide-
‘modulate’ rather than mediate synaptic transmission
pressants, and addressed this issue by monitoring the
in the central nervous system.6,7 mGlu receptors form
downregulation of b-adrenergic receptors in mice
a family of eight subtypes subdivided into three
treated with imipramine for up to 21 days. Interest-
groups on the basis of their amino-acid sequence,
ingly, the latency required for the downregulation
pharmacological profile and transduction mechan-
of b-adrenergic receptors in the hippocampus was
isms. Group-I mGlu receptors (mGlu1 and mGlu5
shortened from 21 to 14 days when imipramine was
receptors) are coupled to Gq, and their activation
combined either with low doses of the mGlu2/3
stimulates polyphosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis lead-
receptor agonist, (À)-2-oxa-4-aminobicy-clo(exhane-
ing to mobilization of intracellular Ca2 þ and activa-
4,6-dicarboxylic acid (LY379268) (0.5 mg/kg, intra
tion of protein kinase C. Group-II (mGlu2 and mGlu3)
peritoneally (i.p.)), or with the preferential mGlu2/3
and group-III (mGlu4, mGlu6, mGlu7 and mGlu8)
receptor antagonist, LY341495 (1 mg/kg, i.p.).13 We
receptors are all coupled to Gi/o proteins. Their
interpreted these findings by speculating that low
activation inhibits cAMP formation and indirectly
doses of LY379268 activated a subset of mGlu2 or
Fluoxetine combined with metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonist, LY379268, increases cell proliferation (a)
and neurogenesis (b) in cultured cerebellar granule neuroprecursors. Primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells wereprepared from 6–7-day-old rat pups and grown in serum-free neurobasal medium, supplemented with 10 ng/ml EGF and20 ng/ml bFGF (Zusso et al., 2004). Ten days after plating, putative granule cell neuroprogenitors, identified as round-shapedcells, were isolated, replated and treated for 72 h with fluoxetine (10 nM), LY379268 (1 nM), or the two drugs in combination. Cell proliferation was assessed by counting the cells immunoreactive for 5-bromo-20-deoxyuridine (BrdU, applied 24 h beforeat the concentration of 10 mM). For assessment of neurogenesis, cells were re-plated in poly-L-lysine in medium deprived ofmitogens and containing 10% fetal calf serum. Neurons were identified by the expression of b-III-tubulin using TuJ1antibodies (1:100). Values were counted in three random microscopic fields/per dish and are means7s.e.m. of 4–6determinations. *P < 0.05 vs controls (one-way ANOVA þ Fisher’s PLSD). In (c), a 3-day of treatment with chlorimipraminecombined with LY379268 induces a substantial decrease of total immobility time in forced swim test in FSL rats. FSL ratswere treated with saline, chlorimipramine 10 mg/kg i.p., LY379268 0.5 mg/kg i.p., or the two drugs in combination once dailyfor 3 days. A standard 5-min test was performed 24 h after the last injection. Time values are expressed as seconds, and aremeans7s.e.m. of six animals per group. *P < 0.05 (one-way ANOVA þ Fisher’s PLSD) vs rats treated with saline.
mGlu3 receptors producing functional effects similar
latency of action if mGlu2/3 receptors are activated at
to those resulting from an overall receptor blockade
with LY341495, or, alternatively, that the antagonist
Taken together, these data raise the attractive
LY341495 could recruit additional receptor sub-
possibility that mGlu2/3 receptor ligands (either low
types.13 Currently, we are examining the combination
doses of agonists or antagonists) may be used as
between LY379268 and antidepressant drugs both
adjunctive drugs to shorten the latency of antidepres-
in vitro and in vivo. We are using cultured cerebellar
sant medication, provided that these drugs will also
granule cell neuroprogenitors as an in vitro model
show a good profile of safety and tolerability, as can
of antidepressant-induced neurogenesis14 (see brief
methods in the legend in Figure 1). In these cultures,low
synergistically with the selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitor, fluoxetine, in enhancing both cell prolifera-
Supported in part by the Swedish Medical Research
tion and neurogenesis (Figure 1a and b). In vivo
Council Grant 10414 to AAM. LY379268 was a
experiments were carried out using Flinders-sensitive
generous gift from Eli-Lilly Research Laboratories
line (FSL) rats, which show spontaneous ‘depressive’
symptoms, including an increased immobility time inthe forced swim test.15 The exaggerated immobility is
F Matrisciano1,2, I Panaccione1, M Zusso3, P Giusti3,
reduced by a chronic, but not subchronic, treatment
R Tatarelli2, L Iacovelli1, AA Mathe´4, SHM Gruber4,
with antidepressants.16 A 3-day treatment of FSL
rats with either chlorimipramine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or
LY379268 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p., once daily) produced only
Pharmacology, University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’,
small effects in the forced swim test. However, a
Piazzale Aldo Moro, Rome, Italy; 2Department of
combination of the two drugs for 3 days substantially
reduced the immobility time (Figure 1c), supporting
the hypothesis that antidepressants have a shorter
Molecular Psychiatry
3Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology,
6 Nicoletti F, Meek JL, Iadarola MJ, Chuang DM, Roth BL, Costa E.
University of Padova, Padova, Italy; 4Department of
Clinical Neuroscience – Psychiatry, Karolinska
7 Bruno V, Battaglia G, Copani A, D’Onofrio M, Di Iorio P, De Blasi
Institute, Karolinska University Hospital
et al. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2001; 2: 1013–1033.
8 Pin JP, Duvoisin R. Neuropharmacology 1995; 34: 1–26.
9 Schoepp DD, Jane DE, Monn JA. Neuropharmacology 1999; 38:
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Eur J Neurosci 2003; 17: 2409–2417.
12 Matrisciano F, Scaccianoce S, Del Bianco P, Panaccione I, Canudas
AM, Battaglia G et al. J Neurochem 2005; 93: 1345–1352.
13 Matrisciano F, Storto M, Ngomba RT, Cappuccio I, Caricatole A,
1 Li X, Need AB, Baez M, Witkin JM. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006;
Scaccianoce S et al. Neuropharmacology 2002; 42: 1008–1015.
14 Zusso M, Debetto P, Guidolin D, Giusti P. Crit Rev Neurobiol 2004;
2 Alt A, Nisenbaum ES, Bleakman D, Witkin JM. Biochem
15 Overstreet DH, Friedman E, Mathe´ AA, Yadid G. Neurosci
3 Palucha A, Pilc A. Drugs News Perspect 2005; 18: 262–268.
4 Javitt DC. Mol Psychiatry 2004; 9: 984–997, , 979.
16 Schiller GD, Pucilowski O, Wienicke C, Overstreet DH. Brain Res
5 Lee JM, Zipfel GJ, Choi DW. Nature 1999; 399: A7–A14. Molecular Psychiatry
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