Objective Recent reports have described single individuals with neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) harboring heterozygous KCNQ3 de novo variants (DNVs). We sought to assess whether pathogenic variants in KCNQ3 cause NDD and to elucidate the associated phenotype and molecular mechanisms. Methods Patients with NDD and KCNQ3 DNVs were identified through an international collaboration. Phenotypes were characterized by clinical assessment, review of charts, electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, and parental interview. Functional consequences of variants were analyzed in vitro by patch‐clamp recording. Results Eleven patients were assessed. They had recurrent heterozygous DNVs in KCNQ3 affecting residues R230 (R230C, R230H, R230S) and R227 (R227Q). All patients exhibited global developmental delay within the first 2 years of life. Most (8/11, 73%) were nonverbal or had a few words only. All patients had autistic features, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was diagnosed in 5 of 11 (45%). EEGs performed before 10 years of age revealed frequent sleep‐activated multifocal epileptiform discharges in 8 of 11 (73%). For 6 of 9 (67%) recorded between 1.5 and 6 years of age, spikes became near‐continuous during sleep. Interestingly, most patients (9/11, 82%) did not have seizures, and no patient had seizures in the neonatal period. Voltage‐clamp recordings of the mutant KCNQ3 channels revealed gain‐of‐function (GoF) effects. Interpretation Specific GoF variants in KCNQ3 cause NDD, ASD, and abundant sleep‐activated spikes. This new phenotype contrasts both with self‐limited neonatal epilepsy due to KCNQ3 partial loss of function, and with the neonatal or infantile onset epileptic encephalopathies due to KCNQ2 GoF. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:181–192

Anecdotal and scientific evidence suggests that Cannabis use may be beneficial in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Here, we have investigated the effect of a standardized Cannabis sativa extract with high content of cannabidiol (CBD), here named CBD BDS for “CBD botanical drug substance,” on mucosal inflammation and hypermotility in mouse models of intestinal inflammation. Colitis was induced in mice by intracolonic administration of dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS). Motility was evaluated in the experimental model of intestinal hypermotility induced by irritant croton oil. CBD BDS or pure CBD were given - either intraperitoneally or by oral gavage – after the inflammatory insult (curative protocol). The amounts of CBD in the colon, brain, and liver after the oral treatments were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometry. CBD BDS, both when given intraperitoneally and by oral gavage, decreased the extent of the damage (as revealed by the decrease in the colon weight/length ratio and myeloperoxidase activity) in the DNBS model of colitis. It also reduced intestinal hypermotility (at doses lower than those required to affect transit in healthy mice) in the croton oil model of intestinal hypermotility. Under the same experimental conditions, pure CBD did not ameliorate colitis while it normalized croton oil-induced hypermotility when given intraperitoneally (in a dose-related fashion) or orally (only at one dose). In conclusion, CBD BDS, given after the inflammatory insult, attenuates injury and motility in intestinal models of inflammation. These findings sustain the rationale of combining CBD with other minor Cannabis constituents and support the clinical development of CBD BDS for IBD treatment.

Kv7 K+ channels represent attractive pharmacological targets for the treatment of different neurological disorders, including epilepsy. In this paper, 42 conformationally restricted analogues of the prototypical Kv7 activator retigabine have been synthesized and tested by electrophysiological patch-clamp experiments as Kv7 agonists. When compared to retigabine (0.93 ± 0.43 μM), the EC50s for Kv7.2 current enhancements by compound 23a (0.08 ± 0.04 μM) were lower, whereas no change in potency was observed for 24a (0.63 ± 0.07 μM). In addition, compared to retigabine, 23a and 24a showed also higher potency in activating heteromeric Kv7.2/Kv7.3 and homomeric Kv7.4 channels. Molecular modeling studies provided new insights into the chemical features required for optimal interaction at the binding site. Stability studies evidenced improved chemical stability of 23a and 24a in comparison with retigabine. Overall, the present results highlight that the N5-alkylamidoindole moiety provides a suitable pharmacophoric scaffold for the design of chemically stable, highly potent and selective Kv7 agonists.

Objective Heterozygous variants in KCNQ2 or, more rarely, KCNQ3 genes are responsible for early‐onset developmental/epileptic disorders characterized by heterogeneous clinical presentation and course, genetic transmission, and prognosis. While familial forms mostly include benign epilepsies with seizures starting in the neonatal or early‐infantile period, de novo variants in KCNQ2 or KCNQ3 have been described in sporadic cases of early‐onset encephalopathy (EOEE) with pharmacoresistant seizures, various age‐related pathological EEG patterns, and moderate/severe developmental impairment. All pathogenic variants in KCNQ2 or KCNQ3 occur in heterozygosity. The aim of this work was to report the clinical, molecular, and functional properties of a new KCNQ3 variant found in homozygous configuration in a 9‐year‐old girl with pharmacodependent neonatal‐onset epilepsy and non‐syndromic intellectual disability. Methods Exome sequencing was used for genetic investigation. KCNQ3 transcript and subunit expression in fibroblasts was analyzed with quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blotting or immunofluorescence, respectively. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp electrophysiology was used for functional characterization of mutant subunits. Results A novel single‐base duplication in exon 12 of KCNQ3 (NM_004519.3:c.1599dup) was found in homozygous configuration in the proband born to consanguineous healthy parents; this frameshift variant introduced a premature termination codon (PTC), thus deleting a large part of the C‐terminal region. Mutant KCNQ3 transcript and protein abundance was markedly reduced in primary fibroblasts from the proband, consistent with nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. The variant fully abolished the ability of KCNQ3 subunits to assemble into functional homomeric or heteromeric channels with KCNQ2 subunits. Significance The present results indicate that a homozygous KCNQ3 loss‐of‐function variant is responsible for a severe phenotype characterized by neonatal‐onset pharmacodependent seizures, with developmental delay and intellectual disability. They also reveal difference in genetic and pathogenetic mechanisms between KCNQ2 ‐ and KCNQ3 ‐related epilepsies, a crucial observation for patients affected with EOEE and/or developmental disabilities.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progresses from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia over time. The main clinical hallmarks of the disease (e.g., beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) begin during preclinical AD when cognitive deficits are not yet apparent. Hence, a more profound understanding of AD pathogenesis is needed to develop new therapeutic strategies. In this context, the endocannabinoid (eCB) system and the gut microbiome are increasingly emerging as important players in maintaining the general homeostasis and the health status of the host. However, their interaction has come to light just recently with gut microbiota regulating the eCB tone at both receptor and enzyme levels in intestinal and adipose tissues. Importantly, eCB system and gut microbiome, have been suggested to play a role in AD in both animal and human studies. Therefore, the microbiome gut-brain axis and the eCB system are potential common denominators in the AD physiopathology. Hence, the aim of this review is to provide a general overview on the role of both the eCB system and the microbiome gut-brain axis in AD and to suggest possible mechanisms that underlie the potential interplay of these two systems.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of death in young people for which currently no efficacious treatment exists. Recently, we have reported that mice with mild-TBI with a specific injury in the insula showed elevated levels of a little investigated N-acyl amino acid, N-oleoylglycine (OlGly). Nacyl amino acids have recently experienced an increased interest because of their important biological activities. They belong to the endocannabinoidome family of lipids with structural similarities with the endocannabinoids (eCBs). The aim of this study was to test the neuroprotective and antihyperalgesic actions of OlGly in a model of mouse mild-TBI (mTBI) and its effect on levels of eCBs and N-acylethanolamines at the end of treatment. Following mTBI, mice were administered a daily injection of OlGly (10−50−100 mg/kg i.p.) for 14 days. Treatment with OlGly normalized motor impairment and behavior in the light/dark box test, ameliorated TBI-induced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia, and normalized aggressiveness and depression. Moreover, levels of eCBs and some N-acylethanolamines underwent significant changes 60 days after TBI, especially in the prefrontal cortex and hypothalamus, and OlGly reversed some of these changes. In conclusion, our findings reveal that OlGly ameliorates the behavioral alterations associated with mTBI in mice, while concomitantly modulating eCB and eCB-like mediator tone.

Hedonic and homeostatic hunger represent two different forms of eating: just for pleasure or following energy deprivation, respectively. Consumption of food for pleasure was reported to be associated with increased circulating levels of both the orexigenic peptide ghrelin and some specific endocannabinoids in normal-weight subjects and patients with morbid obesity. To date, the effects of palatable food on these mediators in Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) are still unknown. To explore the role of some gastrointestinal orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides and endocannabinoids (and some related congeners) in chocolate consumption, we measured changes in circulating levels of ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY), anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA) in eight satiated adult PWS patients after consumption of chocolate and, on a separate day, of a non-palatable isocaloric food with the same macronutrient composition. Evaluation of hunger and satiety was also performed by visual analogic scale. The anticipatory phase and the consumption of food for pleasure were associated with decreased circulating levels of PYY. An increase in PEA levels was also observed. By contrast, circulating levels of ghrelin, CCK, AEA, 2-AG and OEA did not differ before and after the exposure/ingestion of either chocolate or non-palatable foods. Hunger and satiety were similar in the hedonic and non-palatable sessions. In conclusion, when motivation to eat is promoted by highly palatable foods, a depressed post-prandial PYY secretion is observed in PWS. Although preliminary, these findings seem to hypothesize a possible role of PYY agonists in the management of PWS patients.Abbreviations: AEA, Anandamide; 2-AG, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol; CB1, cannabinoid receptor type 1; OEA, oleoylethanolamide; PEA, palmitoylethanolamide; PWS: Prader-Willi syndrome; VAS, visual analog scales

Cannabis has been known as a medicine for several thousand years across many cultures and its beneficial effects are mostly due to the presence of cannabinoids, unique natural products, whose pharmacology is going to gain increasing interest in the scientific community. The discovery of the main psychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa L., Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC), led to the identification of at least 100 additional phytocannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), Δ-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ-THCV), and cannabigerol (CBG). These molecules are gaining growing interest for their medical properties; however, further research is needed to assess the differences in their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodymanic profiles. The aim of this study was to set up a rapid and accurate method, by using the LC-MS-IT-TOF technology, to detect and quantify CBD, CBDV, Δ-THCV, and CBG in biological matrices. Data show that the method developed here is linear in the calibration range; recoveries from mouse tissues were in the 50-60% range and sensitivity was 2 ng/mL for CBDV, 4 ng/mL for CBG and THCV, and 7 ng/mL for CBD. The method is rapid, precise and accurate, and it will represent a fundamental tool to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of selected phytocannabinoids in tissues from different animal models, and develop new cannabinoid-based medicine.