Glutamate-system defects behind psychiatric manifestations in a familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 disease-mutation mouse model

Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 25:6:22047. doi: 10.1038/srep22047.

Abstract

Migraine is a complex brain disorder, and understanding the complexity of this prevalent disease could improve quality of life for millions of people. Familial Hemiplegic Migraine type 2 (FHM2) is a subtype of migraine with aura and co-morbidities like epilepsy/seizures, cognitive impairments and psychiatric manifestations, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). FHM2 disease-mutations locate to the ATP1A2 gene encoding the astrocyte-located α2-isoform of the sodium-potassium pump (α2Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase). We show that knock-in mice heterozygous for the FHM2-associated G301R-mutation (α2(+/G301R)) phenocopy several FHM2-relevant disease traits e.g., by mimicking mood depression and OCD. In vitro studies showed impaired glutamate uptake in hippocampal mixed astrocyte-neuron cultures from α2(G301R/G301R) E17 embryonic mice, and moreover, induction of cortical spreading depression (CSD) resulted in reduced recovery in α2(+/G301R) male mice. Moreover, NMDA-type glutamate receptor antagonists or progestin-only treatment reverted specific α2(+/G301R) behavioral phenotypes. Our findings demonstrate that studies of an in vivo relevant FHM2 disease knock-in mouse model provide a link between the female sex hormone cycle and the glutamate system and a link to co-morbid psychiatric manifestations of FHM2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Biological Transport
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Cortical Spreading Depression / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism*
  • Gonadal Steroid Hormones / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Migraine with Aura / diagnosis
  • Migraine with Aura / drug therapy
  • Migraine with Aura / genetics*
  • Migraine with Aura / metabolism*
  • Motor Activity
  • Mutation*
  • Phenotype*
  • Reaction Time
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / genetics
  • Stress, Physiological

Substances

  • Gonadal Steroid Hormones
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Atp1a2 protein, mouse
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase

Supplementary concepts

  • Hemiplegic migraine, familial type 2