Alteration of autophagy signaling in the brain by psychiatric treatments

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09816
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University (2017); National Defense Medical College (2015-2016)
• Principal Investigator: NIBUYA Masashi 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00228256)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 清水 邦夫 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究施設、病院並びに防衛, 防衛医学研究センター 行動科学研究部門, 教授 (00531641) ; 戸田 裕之 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究施設、病院並びに防衛, 精神科学, 講師 (00610677) ; 鈴木 豪 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 有人宇宙技術部門, 主任医長 (50649035)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: autophagy / endocytosis / BDNF / TrkB / ECT / stress / hippocampus / lipid raft

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Analyses revealed significantly upregulated expression of endocytosis-related proteins following 10-day electroconvulsive seizure (ECS) treatment in rat hippocampal homogenates and hippocampal lipid raft fractions. We consider that the membrane trafficking machinery that transports functional proteins in the neuronal cells and from or into the synaptic membranes is one of the new candidates supporting the cellular and behavioral neuroplastic profiles of ECT administrations.
The exact activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling following multiple ECS treatments has not been well elucidated. We demonstrated increased phosphorylation as well as decreased expression of the full-length TrkB receptor in both dorsal and ventral hippocampal regions of rats after a 10-day ECS treatment. Our results indicate that the hippocampal BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway is activated by ECS treatments despite the ligand-induced down-regulation of the full-length TrkB receptor.

Free Research Field

精神医学