受賞区分：国際学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞  受賞国：シンガポール共和国

受賞区分：国際学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞  受賞国：シンガポール共和国

受賞区分：国際学会・会議・シンポジウム等の賞  受賞国：大韓民国

記述言語：英語   出版者・発行元：International Journal of Molecular Sciences  

Schizophrenia is one of the most serious psychiatric disorders and is characterized by reductions in both brain volume and spine density in the frontal cortex. RhoA belongs to the RAS homolog (Rho) family and plays critical roles in neuronal development and structural plasticity via Rho-kinase. RhoA activity is regulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Several variants in GAPs and GEFs associated with RhoA have been reported to be significantly associated with schizophrenia. Moreover, several mouse models carrying schizophrenia-associated gene variants involved in RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling have been developed. In this review, we summarize clinical evidence showing that variants in genes regulating RhoA activity are associated with schizophrenia. In the last half of the review, we discuss preclinical evidence indicating that RhoA/Rho-kinase is a potential therapeutic target of schizophrenia. In particular, Rho-kinase inhibitors exhibit anti-psychotic-like effects not only in Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice, but also in pharmacologic models of schizophrenia (methamphetamine- and MK-801-treated mice). Accordingly, we propose that Rho-kinase inhibitors may have antipsychotic effects and reduce cognitive deficits in schizophrenia despite the presence or absence of genetic variants in small GTPase signaling pathways.

DOI： 10.3390/ijms242115623

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Pharmacological Research  

Copy-number variations in the ARHGAP10 gene encoding Rho GTPase–activating protein 10 are associated with schizophrenia. Model mice (Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice) that carry “double-hit” mutations in the Arhgap10 gene mimic the schizophrenia in a Japanese patient, exhibiting altered spine density, methamphetamine-induced cognitive dysfunction, and activation of RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling. However, it remains unclear whether the activation of RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling due to schizophrenia-associated Arhgap10 mutations causes the phenotypes of these model mice. Here, we investigated the effects of fasudil, a brain permeable Rho-kinase inhibitor, on altered spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and on methamphetamine-induced cognitive impairment in a touchscreen‑based visual discrimination task in Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice. Fasudil (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) suppressed the increased phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase–targeting subunit 1, a substrate of Rho-kinase, in the striatum and mPFC of Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice. In addition, daily oral administration of fasudil (20 mg/kg/day) for 7 days ameliorated the reduced spine density of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the mPFC. Moreover, fasudil (3–20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) rescued the methamphetamine (0.3 mg/kg)-induced cognitive impairment of visual discrimination in Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice. Our results suggest that Rho-kinase plays significant roles in the neuropathological changes in spine morphology and in the vulnerability of cognition to methamphetamine in mice with schizophrenia-associated Arhgap10 mutations.

DOI： 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106589

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175207

開催年月日： 2023年7月

記述言語：英語  

国名：グレートブリテン・北アイルランド連合王国(英国)  

開催年月日： 2021年10月

記述言語：英語   会議種別：ポスター発表  

国名：シンガポール共和国  

記述言語：日本語   会議種別：口頭発表（一般）  

国名：日本国  

記述言語：英語   会議種別：口頭発表（一般）  

国名：日本国  

記述言語：英語   会議種別：ポスター発表  

国名：大韓民国