Targeting mGlu1 Receptors in the Treatment of Motor and Cognitive Dysfunctions in Mice Modeling Type 1 Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Type 1 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no effective treatment to date. Using mice modeling SCA1, it has been demonstrated that a drug that amplifies mGlu1 receptor activation (mGlu1 receptor PAM, Ro0711401) improves motor coordination without the development of tolerance when cerebellar dysfunction manifests (i.e., in 30-week-old heterozygous ataxin-1 [154Q/2Q] transgenic mice). SCA1 is also associated with cognitive dysfunction, which may precede cerebellar motor signs. Here, we report that otherwise healthy, 8-week-old SCA1 mice showed a defect in spatial learning and memory associated with reduced protein levels of mGlu1α receptors, the GluN2B subunit of NMDA receptors, and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the hippocampus. Systemic treatment with Ro0711401 (10 mg/kg, s.c.) partially corrected the learning deficit in the Morris water maze and restored memory retention in the SCA1 mice model. This treatment also enhanced hippocampal levels of the endocannabinoid, anandamide, without changing the levels of 2-arachidonylglycerol. These findings suggest that mGlu1 receptor PAMs may be beneficial in the treatment of motor and nonmotor signs associated with SCA1 and encourage further studies in animal models of SCA1 and other types of SCAs.