Differential expression of synaptic vesicle proteins after repeated electroconvulsive seizures in rat frontal cortex and hippocampus.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the treatment of choice for patients with severe or drug-resistant depressive disorders, yet the mechanism behind its efficacy and the effect on neurotransmission is essentially unknown. As synaptic vesicle proteins (SVPs) are required for vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release, we have examined the effect of single and repeated electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), an animal model of ECT, on the expression of 14 SVPs in the rat frontal cortex and the hippocampus using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Only in the frontal cortex, the mRNA level of synapsin II was significantly upregulated after repeated ECS. In contrast, the mRNA levels of 6 of the 14 SVPs were significantly regulated in the hippocampus after ECS. We found that SNAP29 was upregulated and synaptotagmin III was downregulated after one single ECS in the hippocampus. Furthermore, SNAP29, synapsin I, synapsin III, VAMP2, and VAMP5 were significantly upregulated, whereas synaptotagmin III was significantly downregulated after repeated ECS in the hippocampus. We suggest that these genes are highly important in the long-term therapeutic effect of ECS, and thus it can be hypothesized that the SVPs are involved in the pathophysiology of depression.
Elfving
Betina
B
Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital Risskov, Skovagervej 2, Risskov, Denmark. bef@psykiatri.aaa.dk
Bonefeld
Birgit Egeskov
BE
Rosenberg
Raben
R
Wegener
Gregers
G
D000818:Animals; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D050766:Qb-SNARE Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050767:Qc-SNARE Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016704:Synapsins / Q000235:genetics; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology*; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000235:genetics; D050863:Synaptotagmin I / Q000235:genetics; D050861:Synaptotagmin II / Q000235:genetics; D050857:Synaptotagmins / Q000235:genetics; D050988:Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D050766:Qb-SNARE Proteins; D050767:Qc-SNARE Proteins; D050683:R-SNARE Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C117418:Snap29 protein, rat; C498452:Snapin protein, rat; D016704:Synapsins; D016708:Synaptophysin; D050863:Synaptotagmin I; D050861:Synaptotagmin II; C494312:Syt1 protein, rat; C494264:Syt2 protein, rat; C494706:Vamp2 protein, rat; D050988:Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 2; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D050857:Synaptotagmins