Quetiapine regulates FGF-2 and BDNF expression in the hippocampus of animals treated with MK-801.
Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are trophic factors, widely distributed in the adult brain, whose expression can be modulated by psychoactive drugs. Administration of the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine resulted in a marked elevation of FGF-2 and BDNF mRNA levels in the rat hippocampus, but only under conditions of reduced NMDA receptor activity. These effects were drug-specific, given that they were not observed with the conventional antipsychotic haloperidol; and anatomically defined, since no similar effect was observed in striatum, prefrontal or frontal cortex. These results suggest that quetiapine may promote neuroplasticity via the up-regulation of neurotrophic factors when NMDA-mediated transmission is perturbed.
Center of Neuropharmacology and Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEND), Department of Pharmacological Sciences University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy. Fabio.Fumagalli@unimi.it
Fabio
F
Fumagalli
Raffaella
R
Molteni
Francesco
F
Bedogni
Massimo
M
Gennarelli
Jorge
J
Perez
Giorgio
G
Racagni
Marco A
MA
Riva
D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate