Relationships among parvalbumin-immunoreactive neuron density, phase-locked gamma oscillations, and autistic/schizophrenic symptoms in PDGFR-β knock-out and control mice

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 24;10(3):e0119258. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119258. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Cognitive deficits and negative symptoms are important therapeutic targets for schizophrenia and autism disorders. Although reduction of phase-locked gamma oscillation has been suggested to be a result of reduced parvalbumin-immunoreactive (putatively, GABAergic) neurons, no direct correlations between these have been established in these disorders. In the present study, we investigated such relationships during pharmacological treatment with a newly synthesized drug, T-817MA, which displays neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects. In this study, we used platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β gene knockout (PDGFR-β KO) mice as an animal model of schizophrenia and autism. These mutant mice display a reduction in social behaviors; deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI); reduced levels of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the medical prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and superior colliculus; and a deficit in of auditory phase-locked gamma oscillations. We found that oral administration of T-817MA ameliorated all these symptoms in the PDGFR-β KO mice. Furthermore, phase-locked gamma oscillations were significantly correlated with the density of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons, which was, in turn, correlated with PPI and behavioral parameters. These findings suggest that recovery of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons by pharmacological intervention relieved the reduction of phase-locked gamma oscillations and, consequently, ameliorated PPI and social behavioral deficits. Thus, our findings suggest that phase-locked gamma oscillations could be a useful physiological biomarker for abnormality of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons that may induce cognitive deficits and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and autism, as well as of effective pharmacological interventions in both humans and experimental animals.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autistic Disorder / genetics
  • Autistic Disorder / immunology
  • Autistic Disorder / metabolism
  • Autistic Disorder / pathology*
  • GABAergic Neurons / drug effects
  • GABAergic Neurons / immunology
  • GABAergic Neurons / metabolism
  • GABAergic Neurons / pathology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Maleates / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Models, Animal
  • Parvalbumins / immunology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Prefrontal Cortex / pathology
  • Prepulse Inhibition / drug effects
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / genetics*
  • Schizophrenia / genetics
  • Schizophrenia / immunology
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism
  • Schizophrenia / pathology*
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology

Substances

  • 1-(3-(2-(1-benzothiophen-5-yl) ethoxy) propyl)-3-azetidinol maleate
  • Maleates
  • Parvalbumins
  • Thiophenes
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta

Grants and funding

This work was supported partly by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Asian Core Program and the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific (B) (25290005). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.