Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively

As a nonspecific antagonist of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), caffeine enhances learning and improves memory impairment. Simultaneously, the consumption of caffeine correlates with a feeling of anxiety. The hippocampus is functionally differentiated along its dorsal/ventral axis and plays a cruc...

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Main Authors: Yawei Xu, Yalei Ning, Yan Zhao, Yan Peng, Fen Luo, Yuanguo Zhou, Ping Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.807330/full
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author Yawei Xu
Yalei Ning
Yan Zhao
Yan Peng
Fen Luo
Yuanguo Zhou
Ping Li
author_facet Yawei Xu
Yalei Ning
Yan Zhao
Yan Peng
Fen Luo
Yuanguo Zhou
Ping Li
author_sort Yawei Xu
collection DOAJ
description As a nonspecific antagonist of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), caffeine enhances learning and improves memory impairment. Simultaneously, the consumption of caffeine correlates with a feeling of anxiety. The hippocampus is functionally differentiated along its dorsal/ventral axis and plays a crucial role both in memory and anxiety. Whether caffeine exerts its regulation by inhibiting A2ARs in different subregions of the hippocampus is still unknown. In the present study, we found that after chronic intake of drinking water containing caffeine (1 g/L, 3 weeks), mice exhibited aggravated anxiety-like behavior and enhanced memory function. Tissue-specific, functional disruption of dorsal hippocampal A2ARs by the CRE-LoxP system prevented the memory-enhancing effect of caffeine, while selective disruption of ventral hippocampal A2ARs blocked the impact of caffeine on anxiety. These results, together with the enhanced memory of dorsal hippocampus A2AR knockout mice and greater anxiety-like behavior of ventral hippocampus A2AR knockout mice without caffeine, indicates a dissociation between the roles of ventral and dorsal hippocampal A2A receptors in caffeine’s effects on anxiety-like and memory-related behavioral measures, respectively. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of dorsal or ventral hippocampal A2ARs reversed the behavioral alterations caused by drinking caffeine, leading to impaired memory or decreased anxiety-like behaviors, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that the memory- and anxiety-enhancing effects of caffeine are related to the differential effects of inhibiting A2ARs in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively.
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spelling doaj.art-35bdfafb01e44ada98d32587026b740c2022-12-21T23:48:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122022-02-011310.3389/fphar.2022.807330807330Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, RespectivelyYawei XuYalei NingYan ZhaoYan PengFen LuoYuanguo ZhouPing LiAs a nonspecific antagonist of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), caffeine enhances learning and improves memory impairment. Simultaneously, the consumption of caffeine correlates with a feeling of anxiety. The hippocampus is functionally differentiated along its dorsal/ventral axis and plays a crucial role both in memory and anxiety. Whether caffeine exerts its regulation by inhibiting A2ARs in different subregions of the hippocampus is still unknown. In the present study, we found that after chronic intake of drinking water containing caffeine (1 g/L, 3 weeks), mice exhibited aggravated anxiety-like behavior and enhanced memory function. Tissue-specific, functional disruption of dorsal hippocampal A2ARs by the CRE-LoxP system prevented the memory-enhancing effect of caffeine, while selective disruption of ventral hippocampal A2ARs blocked the impact of caffeine on anxiety. These results, together with the enhanced memory of dorsal hippocampus A2AR knockout mice and greater anxiety-like behavior of ventral hippocampus A2AR knockout mice without caffeine, indicates a dissociation between the roles of ventral and dorsal hippocampal A2A receptors in caffeine’s effects on anxiety-like and memory-related behavioral measures, respectively. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of dorsal or ventral hippocampal A2ARs reversed the behavioral alterations caused by drinking caffeine, leading to impaired memory or decreased anxiety-like behaviors, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that the memory- and anxiety-enhancing effects of caffeine are related to the differential effects of inhibiting A2ARs in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.807330/fullcaffeinedorsal hippocampusventral hippocampusadenosine A2A receptormemoryanxiety
spellingShingle Yawei Xu
Yalei Ning
Yan Zhao
Yan Peng
Fen Luo
Yuanguo Zhou
Ping Li
Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
Frontiers in Pharmacology
caffeine
dorsal hippocampus
ventral hippocampus
adenosine A2A receptor
memory
anxiety
title Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
title_full Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
title_fullStr Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
title_full_unstemmed Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
title_short Caffeine Functions by Inhibiting Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampal Adenosine 2A Receptors to Modulate Memory and Anxiety, Respectively
title_sort caffeine functions by inhibiting dorsal and ventral hippocampal adenosine 2a receptors to modulate memory and anxiety respectively
topic caffeine
dorsal hippocampus
ventral hippocampus
adenosine A2A receptor
memory
anxiety
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.807330/full
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