title: NAAG peptidase inhibition reduces locomotor activity and some stereotypes in the PCP model of schizophrenia via group II mGluR.
abstract: Phencyclidine (PCP) administration elicits positive and negative symptoms that resemble those of schizophrenia and is widely accepted as a model for the study of this human disorder. Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists have been reported to reduce the behavioral and neurochemical effects of PCP. The peptide neurotransmitter, N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), is a selective group II agonist. We synthesized and characterized a urea-based NAAG analogue, ZJ43. This novel compound is a potent inhibitor of enzymes, glutamate carboxypeptidase II (K(i) = 0.8 nM) and III (K(i) = 23 nM) that deactivate NAAG following synaptic release. ZJ43 (100 microM) does not directly interact with NMDA receptors or metabotropic glutamate receptors. Administration of ZJ43 significantly reduced PCP-induced motor activation, falling while walking, stereotypic circling behavior, and head movements. To test the hypothesis that this effect of ZJ43 was mediated by increasing the activation of mGluR3 via increased levels of extracellular NAAG, the group II mGluR selective antagonist LY341495 was co-administered with ZJ43 prior to PCP treatment. This antagonist completely reversed the effects of ZJ43. Additionally, LY341495 alone increased PCP-induced motor activity and head movements suggesting that normal levels of NAAG act to moderate the effect of PCP on motor activation via a group II mGluR. These data support the view that NAAG peptidase inhibitors may represent a new therapeutic approach to some of the components of schizophrenia that are modeled by PCP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Rafal T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Olszewski
authors.forename: Noreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bukhari
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Alan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kozikowski
authors.forename: Jarda T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wroblewski
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamimi-Noori
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wroblewska
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bzdega
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.forename: Franca B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Joseph H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Neale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010622:Phencyclidine; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C486211:ZJ43; D014508:Urea; D043425:Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; D010622:Phencyclidine