Acute pharmacological modulation of mGluR8 reduces measures of anxiety

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), which are coupled to second messenger pathways via G proteins, modulate glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Because of their role in modulating neurotransmission, mGluRs are attractive therapeutic targets for anxiety disorders. Previously we showed that mGluR8−/− male mice showed higher measures of anxiety in the open field and elevated plus maze than age-matched wild-type mice. In this study, we assessed the potential effects of acute pharmacological modulation of mGluR8 on measures of avoidable and unavoidable anxiety. In addition to wild-type mice, we also tested apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe−/−) mice, as these mice show increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors and therefore might show an altered sensitivity to mGluR8 stimulation. mGluR8 stimulation with the specific agonist DCPG, or modulation with AZ12216052, a new, positive allosteric modulator of mGluR8 reduced measures of anxiety in both wild-type mice. The effects of mGluR8 positive allosteric modulators, which only affect neurotransmission in the presence of extracellular glutamate, seem particularly promising for patients with anxiety disorders showing benzodiazepine insensitivity.