Most antidepressants have a delayed onset of therapeutic efficacy. Specifically SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants often require several weeks of administration to reach full clinical efficacy. The two main hypotheses which have been proposed to explain this delay is 1: a progressive desensitization of autoreceptors such as the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B autoreceptors which initially limit the increase in serotonin produced by most antidepressants, and 2: growth related changes that may take place downstream of the increases in monoamines elicited by these drugs. Among these growth-related events much of the focus has been on dendritic growth in the hippocampus and other limbic structures such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, and on the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a phenomenon termed neurogenesis. We have developed in the previous funding period three animal models that respond to chronic but not acute antidepressants: the novelty-suppressed feeding, novelty-induced hypophagia and chronic unpredictable stress paradigms. In addition we have developed new genetic strategies to conditionally ablate 5-HT1A autoreceptors as well as young hippocampal neurons. In this competitive renewal we propose to take advantage of these behavioral and genetic tools to accomplish the following goals:
Aim 1 : We will test the hypothesis that mice lacking the 5-HT1A and/or the 5-HT1B autoreceptors will respond faster to antidepressants.
Aim 2 : We will test the hypothesis that young hippocampal neurons are necessary for the behavioral effects of antidepressants.
Aim 3 : We will attempt to identify the 5-HT receptors which are responsible for the effects of SSRIs on neurogenesis and behavior. Specifically, we will test the hypothesis that 5-HT1A receptors located on hippocampal progenitors are necessary for the effects of chronic fluoxetine on neurogenesis and possibly on behavior. This proposal may therefore provide ideas for the generation of novel antidepressants that would directly target neurogenesis or mimic the properties of young hippocampal neurons. Due to the anatomic specificity of neurogenesis, such agents might be expected to have fewer side effects, in addition to a faster onset of therapeutic efficacy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37MH068542-10
Application #
8249874
Study Section
Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling Study Section (MNPS)
Program Officer
Winsky, Lois M
Project Start
2003-05-07
Project End
2013-03-31
Budget Start
2012-04-01
Budget End
2013-03-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$395,753
Indirect Cost
$148,253
Name
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
167204994
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10032
Jimenez, Jessica C; Su, Katy; Goldberg, Alexander R et al. (2018) Anxiety Cells in a Hippocampal-Hypothalamic Circuit. Neuron 97:670-683.e6
Anacker, Christoph; Luna, Victor M; Stevens, Gregory S et al. (2018) Hippocampal neurogenesis confers stress resilience by inhibiting the ventral dentate gyrus. Nature 559:98-102
Anacker, Christoph; Hen, René (2017) Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive flexibility - linking memory and mood. Nat Rev Neurosci 18:335-346
Brachman, Rebecca A; McGowan, Josephine C; Perusini, Jennifer N et al. (2016) Ketamine as a Prophylactic Against Stress-Induced Depressive-like Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 79:776-86
Samuels, Benjamin Adam; Mendez-David, Indira; Faye, Charlène et al. (2016) Serotonin 1A and Serotonin 4 Receptors: Essential Mediators of the Neurogenic and Behavioral Actions of Antidepressants. Neuroscientist 22:26-45
Nautiyal, Katherine M; Tritschler, Laurent; Ahmari, Susanne E et al. (2016) A Lack of Serotonin 1B Autoreceptors Results in Decreased Anxiety and Depression-Related Behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 41:2941-2950
Tannenholz, Lindsay; Hen, René; Kheirbek, Mazen A (2016) GluN2B-Containg NMDA Receptors on Adult-Born Granule Cells Contribute to the Antidepressant Action of Fluoxetine. Front Neurosci 10:242
Danielson, Nathan B; Kaifosh, Patrick; Zaremba, Jeffrey D et al. (2016) Distinct Contribution of Adult-Born Hippocampal Granule Cells to Context Encoding. Neuron 90:101-12
Drew, Liam J; Kheirbek, Mazen A; Luna, Victor M et al. (2016) Activation of local inhibitory circuits in the dentate gyrus by adult-born neurons. Hippocampus 26:763-78
Adam Samuels, Benjamin; Leonardo, E David; Hen, René (2015) Hippocampal subfields and major depressive disorder. Biol Psychiatry 77:210-211

Showing the most recent 10 out of 46 publications