NMDA antagonists mimic the effects of clinically effective antidepressants in both preclinical tests predictive of antidepressant action and procedures designed to model aspects of depressive symptomatology. These findings led to experiments demonstrating that chronic administration of NMDA antagonists to rodents results in a downregulation of cortical beta-adrenoceptors, a phenomenon also observed following chronic treatment with many antidepressants. These neurochemical and behavioral similarities between antidepressants and NMDA antagonists prompted us to examine the impact of chronic antidepressant treatment on NMDA receptors. Chronic (14 days) but not acute (1 day) administration of seventeen different antidepressants to mice produced adaptive changes in radioligand binding to NMDA receptors. Detailed studies with three antidepressants (imipramine, citalopram, and electroconvulsive shock) show that these changes develop slowly, persist for some time after cessation of treatment, and (for imipramine and citalopram) are dose dependent. Moreover, following chronic treatment with imipramine, these changes in radioligand binding to NMDA receptors appear restricted to the cerebral cortex. Based on the consistency of these effects across antidepressant treatments, we propose that adaptive changes in NMDA receptors may be the final common pathway for antidepressant action. The recent demonstration (Nowak et al., 1995) that radioligand binding to NMDA receptors is altered in frontal cortex of suicide victims (compared to age and post-mortem interval matched controls) is consistent with the hypothesis (Trullas and Skolnick, 1990) that this family of ligand gated ion channels is involved in the pathophysiology of depression.

Cone snails are tropical marine mollusks that envenomate prey with a complex mixture of neuropharmacologically active compounds. We report the discovery and biochemical characterization of a structurally unique peptide isolated from the venom of Conus marmoreus. The new peptide, mr10a, potently increased withdrawal latency in a hot plate assay (a test of analgesia) at intrathecal doses that do not produce motor impairment as measured by rotarod test. The sequence of mr10a is NGVCCGYKLCHOC, where O is 4-trans-hydroxyproline. This sequence is highly divergent from all other known conotoxins. Analysis of a cDNA clone encoding the toxin, however, indicates that it is a member of the recently described T-superfamily. Total chemical synthesis of the three possible disulfide arrangements of mr10a was achieved, and elution studies indicate that the native form has a disulfide connectivity of Cys1-Cys4 and Cys2-Cys3. This disulfide linkage is unprecedented among conotoxins and defines a new family of Conus peptides.Conus is a genus of predatory marine gastropods that envenomate their prey. Prey capture is accomplished through a sophisticated arsenal of peptides that target specific ion channel and receptor subtypes. Each Conus venom appears to contain a unique set of 50 -200 peptides. The structure and function of only a small minority of these peptides have been determined to date. For peptides where function has been determined, three classes of targets have been elucidated: voltage-gated ion channels, ligand-gated ion channels, and G-protein-linked receptors.Conus peptides that target voltage-gated ion channels include those that delay the inactivation of sodium channels as well as blockers specific for sodium channels, calcium channels, and potassium channels. Peptides that target ligand-gated ion channels include antagonists of N-methyl-D-aspartate and serotonin receptors as well as competitive and non-competitive nicotinic receptor antagonists. Peptides that act on G protein receptors include neurotensin and vasopressin receptor agonists. The unprecedented targeting selectivity of conotoxins derives from specific disulfide bond frameworks combined with hypervariable amino acids within disulfide loops (see Ref. 1 for review). Due to the high potency and exquisite selectivity of the conopeptides, several are in various stages of clinical development for treatment of human disorders (2).In this report we describe the isolation of a new peptide from the venom of the marble cone, Conus marmoreus. C. marmoreus is found in the Indo-Pacific, from India to the Marshall Islands and Fiji. It preys upon various gastropods including other cone snails (3). We previously reported the isolation and characterization of a peptide from this venom that potently inhibits voltage-gated sodium channels (4). In this report, we describe the isolation of a novel peptide that appears antinociceptive and likely represents a defining member of a new family of Conus peptides. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Materials and HPLC 1 ConditionsThe venom of C...

MuO-conotoxin MrVIB is a blocker of voltage-gated sodium channels, including TTX-sensitive and -resistant subtypes. A comprehensive characterization of this peptide has been hampered by the lack of sufficient synthetic material. Here, we describe the successful chemical synthesis and oxidative folding of MrVIB that has made an investigation of the pharmacological properties and therapeutic potential of the peptide feasible. We show for the first time that synthetic MrVIB blocks rat NaV1.8 sodium channels and has potent and long-lasting local anesthetic effects when tested in two pain assays in rats. Furthermore, MrVIB can block propagation of action potentials in A- and C-fibers in sciatic nerve as well as skeletal muscle in isolated preparations from rat. Our work provides the first example of analgesia produced by a conotoxin that blocks sodium channels. The emerging diversity of antinociceptive mechanisms targeted by different classes of conotoxins is discussed.

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