Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it>
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dysfunctions in the serotonergic system have been implicated in several neurological disorders such as depression. Elderly individuals who have been diagnosed with clinical depression show elevated cases of neurodegenerative diseases...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2009-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Neuroscience |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/10/62 |
| _version_ | 1818364234051878912 |
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| author | Luo Yuan Brown Marishka K |
| author_facet | Luo Yuan Brown Marishka K |
| author_sort | Luo Yuan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dysfunctions in the serotonergic system have been implicated in several neurological disorders such as depression. Elderly individuals who have been diagnosed with clinical depression show elevated cases of neurodegenerative diseases. This has led to suggestions that modulating the serotonin (5-HT) system could provide an alternative method to current therapies for alleviating these pathologies. The neuroprotective effects of bilobalide <it>in vitro </it>have been documented. We aim to determine whether bilobalide affects the 5-HT system in the nematode <it>C. elegans</it>. The wild type worms, as well as well-characterized 5-HT mutants, were fed with bilobalide in a range of concentrations, and several 5-HT controlled behaviors were tested.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed that bilobalide significantly inhibited 5-HT-controlled egg-laying behavior in a dose-dependent manner, which was blocked in the 5-HT receptor mutants (<it>ser-4, mod-1</it>), but not in the 5-HT transporter (<it>mod-5</it>) or synthesis (<it>tph-1</it>) mutants. Bilobalide also potentiated a 5-HT-controlled, experience-dependent locomotory behavior, termed the enhanced slowing response in the wild type animals. However, this effect was fully blocked in 5-HT receptor <it>mod-1 </it>and dopamine defective <it>cat-2 </it>mutants, but only partially blocked in <it>ser-4 </it>mutants. We also demonstrated that acetylcholine transmission was inhibited in a transgenic <it>C. elegans </it>strain that constitutively expresses Aβ, and bilobalide did not significantly affect this inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that bilobalide may modulate specific 5-HT receptor subtypes, which involves interplay with dopamine transmission. Additional studies for the function of bilobalide in neurotransmitter systems could aid in our understanding of its neuroprotective properties.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:01:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92e242cffb804140b8fc5cae98436269 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2202 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:01:07Z |
| publishDate | 2009-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-92e242cffb804140b8fc5cae984362692022-12-21T23:30:00ZengBMCBMC Neuroscience1471-22022009-06-011016210.1186/1471-2202-10-62Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it>Luo YuanBrown Marishka K<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dysfunctions in the serotonergic system have been implicated in several neurological disorders such as depression. Elderly individuals who have been diagnosed with clinical depression show elevated cases of neurodegenerative diseases. This has led to suggestions that modulating the serotonin (5-HT) system could provide an alternative method to current therapies for alleviating these pathologies. The neuroprotective effects of bilobalide <it>in vitro </it>have been documented. We aim to determine whether bilobalide affects the 5-HT system in the nematode <it>C. elegans</it>. The wild type worms, as well as well-characterized 5-HT mutants, were fed with bilobalide in a range of concentrations, and several 5-HT controlled behaviors were tested.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed that bilobalide significantly inhibited 5-HT-controlled egg-laying behavior in a dose-dependent manner, which was blocked in the 5-HT receptor mutants (<it>ser-4, mod-1</it>), but not in the 5-HT transporter (<it>mod-5</it>) or synthesis (<it>tph-1</it>) mutants. Bilobalide also potentiated a 5-HT-controlled, experience-dependent locomotory behavior, termed the enhanced slowing response in the wild type animals. However, this effect was fully blocked in 5-HT receptor <it>mod-1 </it>and dopamine defective <it>cat-2 </it>mutants, but only partially blocked in <it>ser-4 </it>mutants. We also demonstrated that acetylcholine transmission was inhibited in a transgenic <it>C. elegans </it>strain that constitutively expresses Aβ, and bilobalide did not significantly affect this inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that bilobalide may modulate specific 5-HT receptor subtypes, which involves interplay with dopamine transmission. Additional studies for the function of bilobalide in neurotransmitter systems could aid in our understanding of its neuroprotective properties.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/10/62 |
| spellingShingle | Luo Yuan Brown Marishka K Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> BMC Neuroscience |
| title | Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> |
| title_full | Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> |
| title_fullStr | Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> |
| title_short | Bilobalide modulates serotonin-controlled behaviors in the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis elegans</it> |
| title_sort | bilobalide modulates serotonin controlled behaviors in the nematode it caenorhabditis elegans it |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/10/62 |
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