Adult-onset hippocampal-specific neuropeptide Y overexpression confers mild anxiolytic effect in mice.
The anticonvulsive properties of neuropeptide Y (NPY) are opening up opportunity for the development of NPY gene transfer as a therapy for epilepsy. In order to pursue the potential clinical translation of this approach, the effects of somatic NPY gene transfer on other hippocampal functions need to be assessed. The present study characterized the behavioral effects of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV)-mediated hippocampal NPY overexpression in adult male mice and also Y1 receptor knockout mice. In wild-type mice, there were no obvious adverse effects on the general health, motor function and cognition following rAAV-NPY treatment. Moreover, hippocampal NPY overexpression induced a moderate anxiolytic effect in the open field test and elevated plus maze. Intriguingly, the treatment also increased depressive-like behavior in the tail suspension test. Elevated hippocampal NPY levels in the absence of Y1 signalling had no effects on anxiety or cognition and actually improved the depressive-like phenotype observed in the wild-type mice treated with rAAV-NPY.
Neurobiology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia. en-ju.lin@osumc.edu
En-Ju Deborah
EJ
Lin
Shu
S
Lin
Aygul
A
Aljanova
Matthew J
MJ
During
Herbert
H
Herzog
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D009478:Neuropeptide Y