Dataset Information

The PPARα agonist fenofibrate attenuates disruption of dopamine function in a maternal immune activation rat model of schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA) is associated with a risk to develop schizophrenia and affects dopamine systems in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), key region in the neurobiology of psychoses. Considering the well-described sex differences in schizophrenia, we investigated whether sex affects MIA impact on dopamine system and on schizophrenia-related behavioral phenotype. Furthermore, considering peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) expression in the CNS as well as its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, we tested if PPARα activation by prenatal treatment with a clinically available fibrate (fenofibrate) may mitigate MIA-related effects.

Methods

We induced MIA in rat dams with polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and assessed prepulse inhibition and dopamine neuron activity in the VTA by means of electrophysiological recordings in male and female preweaned and adult offspring.

Results

Poly I:C-treated males displayed prepulse inhibition deficits, reduced number and firing rate of VTA dopamine neurons, and paired-pulse facilitation of inhibitory and excitatory synapses. Prenatal fenofibrate administration attenuated detrimental effects induced by MIA on both the schizophrenia-like behavioral phenotype and dopamine transmission in male offspring.

Conclusion

Our study confirms previous evidence that females are less susceptible to MIA and highlights PPARα as a potential target for treatments in schizophrenia.

SUBMITTER: De Felice M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6488881 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The PPARα agonist fenofibrate attenuates disruption of dopamine function in a maternal immune activation rat model of schizophrenia.

De Felice Marta M Melis Miriam M Aroni Sonia S Muntoni Anna Lisa AL Fanni Silvia S Frau Roberto R Devoto Paola P Pistis Marco M

CNS neuroscience & therapeutics 20181121 5

<h4>Aims</h4>Prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA) is associated with a risk to develop schizophrenia and affects dopamine systems in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), key region in the neurobiology of psychoses. Considering the well-described sex differences in schizophrenia, we investigated whether sex affects MIA impact on dopamine system and on schizophrenia-related behavioral phenotype. Furthermore, considering peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) expression in the CNS a ...[more]

PMID: 30461214

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Project description:BackgroundThe role of PPARα in gene regulation in mouse liver is well characterized. However, less is known about the role of PPARα in human liver. The aim of the present study was to better characterize the impact of PPARα activation on gene regulation in human liver. To that end, chimeric mice containing hepatocyte humanized livers were given an oral dose of 300 mg/kg fenofibrate daily for 4 days. Livers were collected and analyzed by hematoxilin and eosin staining, qPCR, and transcriptomics. Transcriptomics data were compared with existing datasets on PPARα activation in normal mouse liver, human primary hepatocytes, and human precision cut liver slices.ResultsOf the different human liver models, the gene expression profile of hepatocyte humanized livers most closely resembled actual human liver. In the hepatocyte humanized mouse livers, the human hepatocytes exhibited excessive lipid accumulation. Fenofibrate increased the size of the mouse but not human hepatocytes, and tended to reduce steatosis in the human hepatocytes. Quantitative PCR indicated that induction of PPARα targets by fenofibrate was less pronounced in the human hepatocytes than in the residual mouse hepatocytes. Transcriptomics analysis indicated that, after filtering, a total of 282 genes was significantly different between fenofibrate- and control-treated mice (P < 0.01). 123 genes were significantly lower and 159 genes significantly higher in the fenofibrate-treated mice, including many established PPARα targets such as FABP1, HADHB, HADHA, VNN1, PLIN2, ACADVL and HMGCS2. According to gene set enrichment analysis, fenofibrate upregulated interferon/cytokine signaling-related pathways in hepatocyte humanized liver, but downregulated these pathways in normal mouse liver. Also, fenofibrate downregulated pathways related to DNA synthesis in hepatocyte humanized liver but not in normal mouse liver.ConclusionThe results support the major role of PPARα in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, and underscore the more modest effect of PPARα activation on gene regulation in human liver compared to mouse liver. The data suggest that PPARα may have a suppressive effect on DNA synthesis in human liver, and a stimulatory effect on interferon/cytokine signalling.

Project description:The role of PPARα in gene regulation in mouse liver is well characterized. However, less is known about the effect of PPARα activation in human liver. The aim of the present study was to better characterize the impact of PPARα activation on gene regulation in human liver by combining transcriptomics with the use of hepatocyte humanized livers. To that end, chimeric mice containing hepatocyte humanized livers were given an oral dose of 300 mg/kg fenofibrate daily for 4 days. Livers were collected and analysed by hematoxilin and eosin staining, qPCR, and transcriptomics. Transcriptomics data were compared with existing datasets on fenofibrate treatment in normal mice. The human hepatocytes exhibited excessive lipid accumulation. Fenofibrate increased the size of the mouse but not human hepatocytes, and tended to reduce steatosis in the human hepatocytes. Quantitative PCR indicated that induction of PPARα targets by fenofibrate was less pronounced in the human hepatocytes than in the residual mouse hepatocytes. Transcriptomics analysis indicated that, after filtering, a total of 282 genes was significantly different between fenofibrate- and control-treated mice (P<0.01). 123 genes were significantly lower and 159 genes significantly higher in the fenofibrate-treated mice, including many established PPARα targets such as FABP1, HADHB, HADHA, VNN1, PLIN2, ACADVL and HMGCS2. According to gene set enrichment analysis, fenofibrate upregulated interferon/cytokine signaling-related pathways in hepatocyte humanized liver, but downregulated these pathways in normal mouse liver. Also, fenofibrate downregulated pathways related to DNA synthesis in hepatocyte humanized liver but not in normal mouse liver. The results support the major role of PPARα in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, and underscore the more modest effect of PPARα activation on gene regulation in human liver compared to mouse liver. The data suggest that PPARα may have a suppressive effect on DNA synthesis in human liver, and a stimulatory effect on interferon/cytokine signalling.

Dataset Information

The PPARα agonist fenofibrate attenuates disruption of dopamine function in a maternal immune activation rat model of schizophrenia.

Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

The PPARα agonist fenofibrate attenuates disruption of dopamine function in a maternal immune activation rat model of schizophrenia.

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