Scientists have exposed how octopamine, a main neurotransmitter in invertebrates and present in small amounts in mammals, connects with cells in the mammalian brain to prevent cell death. The researchers discovered that when octopamine is presented at particular levels in astrocyte cultures from mices cerebral cortex, it triggers lactate production, hence promoting cell survival. These findings are essential since they shed light on the functioning of octopamine in the mammalian brain, likened to an SOS signal that prompts astrocytes to produce energy to avoid cell death due to ATP scarcity. Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have found that octopamine, a neurotransmitter present in trace amounts in mammals, interacts with brain cells to avoid cell death. At the ideal level, octopamine allows astrocytes to read this distress signal and start making energy which will safeguard the cells from death by absence of ATP.
Researchers have actually revealed how octopamine, a main neurotransmitter in invertebrates and present in percentages in mammals, engages with cells in the mammalian brain to prevent cell death. The researchers found that when octopamine is presented at certain levels in astrocyte cultures from mices cortex, it sets off lactate production, hence promoting cell survival. These findings are essential due to the fact that they clarified the functioning of octopamine in the mammalian brain, compared to an SOS signal that triggers astrocytes to produce energy to prevent cell death due to ATP scarcity. The discovery might possibly add to developing treatments for conditions like Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons, and bipolar disorder, all associated with imbalanced octopamine levels. Credit: Northwestern University
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have actually found that octopamine, a neurotransmitter present in trace amounts in mammals, engages with brain cells to prevent cell death. The study discovered that presenting octopamine into astrocyte cultures sets off lactate production, promoting cell survival. This understanding of octopamines function could notify future treatments for neurodegenerative illness and psychiatric conditions connected to dysregulated octopamine levels, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and bipolar affective disorder.
Northwestern Medicine scientists have actually discovered how octopamine, the major “fight-or-flight” neurotransmitter in invertebrates, communicates with other cells in mammalian brains to avoid cell death, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Although octopamine is still discovered in the mammalian brain in trace quantities, its function has actually been replaced by epinephrine. Long idea to have been an evolutionary leftover in mammals, the role of octopamine in the human brain has not formerly been well understood.
In the present research study, private investigators first set out to understand how astrocytes, which make up most of cells in the human central anxious system, add to brain dysfunction in neurodegenerative illness. In astrocyte cultures from the cortex of mice, researchers discovered that presenting octopamine at specific levels triggered the production of lactate in the astrocytes, promoting cell survival.
” Our findings are considerable since we discovered a method which this trace amine, octopamine, runs in the mammalian brain,” said Gabriela Caraveo Piso, PhD, assistant teacher in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology Division of Movement Disorders. “Think of it like an SOS signal; Neurons that are stressed send this signal to astrocytes to send them energy, to send lactate. At the right level, octopamine allows astrocytes to read this call for help and begin making energy which will safeguard the cells from death by lack of ATP. Its sort of like smoke getting in the method of the SOS if theres too much octopamine. It cant read by the astrocytes.”
The findings might assist notify future treatments for Alzheimers illness, Parkinsons, and bipolar affective disorder, all of which have actually been related to dysregulated levels of octopamine in the brain, Caraveo Piso said.
” Lactate was believed of as a waste item for a long time. It turns out that it is not, it is a really crucial fuel that the neurons require to convert to greater types of energy,” Caraveo Piso stated. “We think this is very important due to the fact that this can affect other illness where octopamine levels are modified, consisting of Alzheimers illness and psychiatric conditions.”
Moving forward, Piso and her partners want to much better comprehend how octopamine operates in healthy brains.
Caraveo Piso said. “Given that octopamine can harness lactate metabolism in astrocytes, we are also interested in comprehending the function of lactate metabolism in the brain in this context of memory and learning and aging.”
Reference: “Octopamine metabolically reprograms astrocytes to confer neuroprotection against α-synuclein” by Andrew Shum, Sofia Zaichick, Gregory S. McElroy, Karis DAlessandro, Milad J. Alasady, Michaela Novakovic, Wesley Peng, Ekaterina A. Grebenik, Daayun Chung, Margaret E. Flanagan, Roger Smith, Alejandro Morales, Laetitia Stumpf, Kaitlyn McGrath, Dimitri Krainc, Marc L. Mendillo, Murali Prakriya, Navdeep S. Chandel and Gabriela Caraveo, 17 April 2023, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.2217396120.
This study was supported by the Northwestern University Translational and clinical Sciences Institute, the Parkinsons Foundation, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Grant R01 NS117750.
