551
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Haram M, Tesli M, Dieset I, Steen NE, Røssberg JI, Djurovic S, Andreassen OA, Melle I. An attempt to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms contributing to possible relationships between personality traits and oxytocin-related genes. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 69:25-30. [PMID: 24458227 DOI: 10.1159/000356965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin play a central role in social behavior. Trials with intranasal oxytocin have been conducted and many indicate that the hormone facilitates affiliative behavior and trust. Intranasal oxytocin administration is suggested as a treatment option for psychiatric illnesses with altered sociability as a core symptom and the effects may be due to differences in variants of oxytocin- and vasopressin-related genes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the endogenous oxytocin system by exploring the relationship between variants in the oxytocin gene factors and personality traits closely related to trust, anxiety and social behavior. METHODS 72 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes coding for oxytocin (OXT), vasopressin (AVP), the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and CD38 (CD38), including polymorphisms reported earlier to be related to social phenotypes and novel SNPs, were investigated in 196 healthy subjects. Association analysis between these variants and 3 personality traits (agreeableness, neuroticism and extraversion) measured by the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory was performed. RESULTS We found 7 nominally significant associations for personality traits: agreeableness [rs857240 (AVP, p = 0.0075), rs2270463 (OXTR, p = 0.047)], neuroticism [rs3756242 (CD38, p = 0.024), rs13104011 (CD38, p = 0.024), rs6816486 (CD38, p = 0.024), rs7655635 (CD38, p = 0.034)] and extraversion [rs237878 (OXTR, p = 0.019)]. None of these associations remained significant after the Bonferroni correction (p threshold = 2.31 × 10(-4)). CONCLUSION Our results do not contradict the hypothesis of associations between personality traits and oxytocin-related gene variants; however, there are no statistically significant associations after correcting for multiple testing, warranting replication in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit Haram
- KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Oslo, Norway
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552
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Ebner NC, Kamin H, Diaz V, Cohen RA, MacDonald K. Hormones as "difference makers" in cognitive and socioemotional aging processes. Front Psychol 2015; 5:1595. [PMID: 25657633 PMCID: PMC4302708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with well-recognized alterations in brain function, some of which are reflected in cognitive decline. While less appreciated, there is also considerable evidence of socioemotional changes later in life, some of which are beneficial. In this review, we examine age-related changes and individual differences in four neuroendocrine systems-cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and oxytocin-as "difference makers" in these processes. This suite of interrelated hormonal systems actively coordinates regulatory processes in brain and behavior throughout development, and their level and function fluctuate during the aging process. Despite these facts, their specific impact in cognitive and socioemotional aging has received relatively limited study. It is known that chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol exert neurotoxic effects on the aging brain with negative impacts on cognition and socioemotional functioning. In contrast, the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone appear to have neuroprotective effects in cognitive aging, but may decrease prosociality. Higher levels of the neuropeptide oxytocin benefit socioemotional functioning, but little is known about the effects of oxytocin on cognition or about age-related changes in the oxytocin system. In this paper, we will review the role of these hormones in the context of cognitive and socioemotional aging. In particular, we address the aforementioned gap in the literature by: (1) examining both singular actions and interrelations of these four hormonal systems; (2) exploring their correlations and causal relationships with aspects of cognitive and socioemotional aging; and (3) considering multilevel internal and external influences on these hormone systems within the framework of explanatory pluralism. We conclude with a discussion of promising future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA ; Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hayley Kamin
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Vanessa Diaz
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ronald A Cohen
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kai MacDonald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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553
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Yayou KI, Ito S, Yamamoto N. Relationships between postnatal plasma oxytocin concentrations and social behaviors in cattle. Anim Sci J 2015; 86:806-13. [DOI: 10.1111/asj.12363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Naoyuki Yamamoto
- National Agricultural Research Center for Western Region; Ooda Japan
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554
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Mizuno A, Cherepanov SM, Kikuchi Y, Fakhrul AAKM, Akther S, Deguchi K, Yoshihara T, Ishihara K, Shuto S, Higashida H. Lipo-oxytocin-1, a Novel Oxytocin Analog Conjugated with Two Palmitoyl Groups, Has Long-Lasting Effects on Anxiety-Related Behavior and Social Avoidance in CD157 Knockout Mice. Brain Sci 2015; 5:3-13. [PMID: 25612002 PMCID: PMC4390788 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci5010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide hormone that is secreted into the brain and blood circulation. OT has not only classical neurohormonal roles in uterine contraction and milk ejection during the reproductive phase in females, but has also been shown to have new pivotal neuromodulatory roles in social recognition and interaction in both genders. A single administration of OT through nasal spray increases mutual recognition and trust in healthy subjects and psychiatric patients, suggesting that OT is a potential therapeutic drug for autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and some other psychiatric disorders. Although the mechanism is not well understood, it is likely that OT can be transported into the brain where it activates OT receptors to exert its function in the brain. However, the amount transported into the brain may be low. To ensure equivalent effects, an OT analog with long-lasting and effective blood-brain barrier penetration properties would be beneficial for use as a therapeutic drug. Here, we designed and synthesized a new oxytocin analog, lipo-oxytocin-1 (LOT-1), in which two palmitoyl groups are conjugated at the amino group of the cysteine9 residue and the phenolic hydroxyl group of the tyrosine8 residue of the OT molecule. To determine whether LOT-1 actually has an effect on the central nervous system, we examined its effects in a CD157 knockout model mouse of the non-motor psychiatric symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Similar to OT, this analog rescued anxiety-like behavior and social avoidance in the open field test with the social target in a central arena 30 min after intraperitoneal injection in CD157 knockout mice. When examined 24 h after injection, the mice treated with LOT-1 displayed more recovery than those given OT. The results suggest that LOT-1 has a functional advantage in recovery of social behavioral impairment, such as those caused by neurodegenerative diseases, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Mizuno
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; E-Mails: (A.M.); (Y.K.)
| | - Stanislav M. Cherepanov
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; E-Mails: (S.M.C.); (A.A.F.); (S.A.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yusuke Kikuchi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; E-Mails: (A.M.); (Y.K.)
| | - Azam AKM Fakhrul
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; E-Mails: (S.M.C.); (A.A.F.); (S.A.); (T.Y.)
| | - Shirin Akther
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; E-Mails: (S.M.C.); (A.A.F.); (S.A.); (T.Y.)
| | - Kisaburo Deguchi
- Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University and Medical Care Proteomics Biotechnology Co., Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan; E-Mail:
| | - Toru Yoshihara
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; E-Mails: (S.M.C.); (A.A.F.); (S.A.); (T.Y.)
| | - Katsuhiko Ishihara
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan; E-Mail:
| | - Satoshi Shuto
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; E-Mails: (A.M.); (Y.K.)
- Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (S.S.); (H.H.); Tel./Fax: +81-11-706-3769 (S.S.); +81-76-234-4213 (H.H.)
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; E-Mails: (S.M.C.); (A.A.F.); (S.A.); (T.Y.)
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails: (S.S.); (H.H.); Tel./Fax: +81-11-706-3769 (S.S.); +81-76-234-4213 (H.H.)
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555
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Abstract
Lines of evidence coming from many branches of neuroscience indicate that anxiety disorders arise from a dysfunction in the modulation of brain circuits which regulate emotional responses to potentially threatening stimuli. The concept of anxiety disorders as a disturbance of emotional response regulation is a useful one as it allows anxiety to be explained in terms of a more general model of aberrant salience and also because it identifies avenues for developing psychological, behavioral, and pharmacological strategies for the treatment of anxiety disorder. These circuits involve bottom-up activity from the amygdala, indicating the presence of potentially threatening stimuli, and top-down control mechanisms originating in the prefrontal cortex, signaling the emotional salience of stimuli. Understanding the factors that control cortical mechanisms may open the way to identification of more effective cognitive behavioral strategies for managing anxiety disorders. The brain circuits in the amygdala are thought to comprise inhibitory networks of γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) interneurons and this neurotransmitter thus plays a key role in the modulation of anxiety responses both in the normal and pathological state. The presence of allosteric sites on the GABAA receptor allows the level of inhibition of neurons in the amygdala to be regulated with exquisite precision, and these sites are the molecular targets of the principal classes of anxiolytic drugs. Changes in the levels of endogenous modulators of these allosteric sites as well as changes in the subunit composition of the GABAA receptor may represent mechanisms whereby the level of neuronal inhibition is downregulated in pathological anxiety states. Neurosteroids are synthesized in the brain and act as allosteric modulators of the GABAA receptor. Since their synthesis is itself regulated by stress and by anxiogenic stimuli, targeting the neurosteroid-GABAA receptor axis represents an attractive target for the modulation of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Nuss
- Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital St Antoine, AP-HP, Paris, France ; UMR 7203, INSERM ERL 1057 - Bioactive Molecules Laboratory, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France
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556
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Hypothalamic vasopressin systems are more sensitive to the long term effects of social defeat in males versus females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 51:122-34. [PMID: 25306217 PMCID: PMC4268083 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin signaling has important effects on the regulation of social behaviors and stress responses, and is considered a promising pathway to target for new therapeutics of stress-induced psychiatric disorders. Although there is evidence for sex differences in the behavioral effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP), few data have directly compared the effects of stress on endogenous AVP signaling in males and females. We used California mice (Peromyscus californicus) to study the short and long term effects of social defeat stress on AVP immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the posteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTmp). Acute exposure to defeat increased AVP/c-fos cells in the PVN and SON of both males and females. In contrast, there were sex differences in the long term effects of defeat. Males but not females exposed to defeat had less avp mRNA in the PVN, and in two experiments defeat reduced the number of AVP positive cells in the caudal PVN of males but not females. Interestingly, during relatively benign social encounters with a target mouse, there was a rapid decrease in AVP percent staining (including cell bodies and fibers) in the PVN of males but not females. Defeat reduced AVP percent staining in males, but did not block the socially induced decrease in percent staining. When mice were tested in resident-intruder tests, males exposed to defeat were no less aggressive than control males whereas aggression was abolished in females. However, bouts of aggression were positively correlated with the number of AVP neurons in the BNSTmp of control males but not stressed males, suggesting that different mechanisms mediate aggression in control and stressed males. These data show that while acute AVP responses to defeat are similar in males and females, the long term effects of defeat on AVP are stronger in males.
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557
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Abstract
We provide in this chapter a brief overview of the present knowledge about social memory in laboratory rodents with a focus on mice and rats. We discuss in the first part the relevance of the processing of olfactory cues for social recognition in these animals and present information about the brain areas involved in the generation of a long-term social memory including cellular mechanisms thought to underlie memory consolidation. In the second part, we suggest that sensory modalities beyond olfaction may also be important in contributing to the long-term social memory trace including audition and taction (and vision). The exposure to stimuli activating the auditory system and taction is able to produce interference phenomena at defined time points during the consolidation of social memory. This ability of such-nonsocial-stimuli may provide a new approach to dissect the brain processes underlying the generation of the social memory trace in further studies.
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558
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Albers HE. Species, sex and individual differences in the vasotocin/vasopressin system: relationship to neurochemical signaling in the social behavior neural network. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:49-71. [PMID: 25102443 PMCID: PMC4317378 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Arginine-vasotocin (AVT)/arginine vasopressin (AVP) are members of the AVP/oxytocin (OT) superfamily of peptides that are involved in the regulation of social behavior, social cognition and emotion. Comparative studies have revealed that AVT/AVP and their receptors are found throughout the "social behavior neural network (SBNN)" and display the properties expected from a signaling system that controls social behavior (i.e., species, sex and individual differences and modulation by gonadal hormones and social factors). Neurochemical signaling within the SBNN likely involves a complex combination of synaptic mechanisms that co-release multiple chemical signals (e.g., classical neurotransmitters and AVT/AVP as well as other peptides) and non-synaptic mechanisms (i.e., volume transmission). Crosstalk between AVP/OT peptides and receptors within the SBNN is likely. A better understanding of the functional properties of neurochemical signaling in the SBNN will allow for a more refined examination of the relationships between this peptide system and species, sex and individual differences in sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
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559
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Alves E, Fielder A, Ghabriel N, Sawyer M, Buisman-Pijlman FTA. Early social environment affects the endogenous oxytocin system: a review and future directions. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:32. [PMID: 25814979 PMCID: PMC4356154 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous oxytocin plays an important role in a wide range of human functions including birth, milk ejection during lactation, and facilitation of social interaction. There is increasing evidence that both variations in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and concentrations of oxytocin are associated with differences in these functions. The causes for the differences that have been observed in tonic and stimulated oxytocin release remain unclear. Previous reviews have suggested that across the life course, these differences may be due to individual factors, e.g., genetic variation (of the OXTR), age or sex, or be the result of early environmental influences, such as social experiences, stress, or trauma partly by inducing epigenetic changes. This review has three aims. First, we briefly discuss the endogenous oxytocin system, including physiology, development, individual differences, and function. Second, current models describing the relationship between the early life environment and the development of the oxytocin system in humans and animals are discussed. Finally, we describe research designs that can be used to investigate the effects of the early environment on the oxytocin system, identifying specific areas of research that need further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Alves
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Emily Alves and Femke T.A. Buisman-Pijlman, Adelaide University, 30 Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia e-mail: ;
| | - Andrea Fielder
- School of Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nerelle Ghabriel
- School of Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael Sawyer
- School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Research and Evaluation Unit, Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Femke T. A. Buisman-Pijlman
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Emily Alves and Femke T.A. Buisman-Pijlman, Adelaide University, 30 Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia e-mail: ;
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560
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Balázsfi D, Pintér O, Klausz B, Kovács KB, Fodor A, Török B, Engelmann M, Zelena D. Restoration of peripheral V2 receptor vasopressin signaling fails to correct behavioral changes in Brattleboro rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 51:11-23. [PMID: 25278460 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Beside its hormonal function in salt and water homeostasis, vasopressin released into distinct brain areas plays a crucial role in stress-related behavior resulting in the enhancement of an anxious/depressive-like state. We aimed to investigate whether correction of the peripheral symptoms of congenital absence of AVP also corrects the behavioral alterations in AVP-deficient Brattleboro rats. Wild type (WT) and vasopressin-deficient (KO) male Brattleboro rats were tested. Half of the KO animals were treated by desmopressin (V2-receptor agonist) via osmotic minipump (subcutaneous) to eliminate the peripheral symptoms of vasopressin-deficiency. Anxiety was studied by elevated plus maze (EPM), defensive withdrawal (DW) and marble burying (MB) tests, while depressive-like changes were monitored in forced swimming (FS) and anhedonia by sucrose preference test. Cell activity was examined in septum and amygdala by c-Fos immunohistochemistry after 10 min FS. KO rats spent more time in the open arm of the EPM, spent less time at the periphery of DW and showed less burying behavior in MB suggesting a reduced anxiety state. KO animals showed less floating behavior during FS revealing a less depressive phenotype. Desmopressin treatment compensated the peripheral effects of vasopressin-deficiency without a significant influence on the behavior. The FS-induced c-Fos immunoreactivity in the medial amygdala was different in WT and KO rats, with almost identical levels in KO and desmopressin treated animals. There were no differences in central and basolateral amygdala as well as in lateral septum. Our data confirmed the role of vasopressin in the development of affective disorders through central mechanisms. The involvement of the medial amygdala in the behavioral alterations of vasopressin deficient animals deserves further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diána Balázsfi
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary; János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ottó Pintér
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Barbara Klausz
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina B Kovács
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Fodor
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary; János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mario Engelmann
- Institut für Biochemie und Zellbiologie (M.E.), Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Magdeburg, Germany; Center of Behavioral Brain Science, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest Szigony 43, Budapest, Hungary.
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561
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Maejima Y, Rita RS, Santoso P, Aoyama M, Hiraoka Y, Nishimori K, Gantulga D, Shimomura K, Yada T. Nasal oxytocin administration reduces food intake without affecting locomotor activity and glycemia with c-Fos induction in limited brain areas. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 101:35-44. [PMID: 25573626 DOI: 10.1159/000371636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have considered oxytocin (Oxt) as a possible medicine to treat obesity and hyperphagia. To find the effective and safe route for Oxt treatment, we compared the effects of its nasal and intraperitoneal (IP) administration on food intake, locomotor activity, and glucose tolerance in mice. Nasal Oxt administration decreased food intake without altering locomotor activity and increased the number of c-Fos-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, the area postrema (AP), and the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMNV) of the medulla. IP Oxt administration decreased food intake and locomotor activity and increased the number of c-Fos-ir neurons not only in the PVN, AP, and DMNV but also in the nucleus of solitary tract of the medulla and in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. In IP glucose tolerance tests, IP Oxt injection attenuated the rise of blood glucose, whereas neither nasal nor intracerebroventricular Oxt affected blood glucose. In isolated islets, Oxt administration potentiated glucose-induced insulin secretion. These results indicate that both nasal and IP Oxt injections reduce food intake to a similar extent and increase the number of c-Fos-ir neurons in common brain regions. IP Oxt administration, in addition, activates broader brain regions, reduces locomotor activity, and affects glucose tolerance possibly by promoting insulin secretion from pancreatic islets. In comparison with IP administration, the nasal route of Oxt administration could exert a similar anorexigenic effect with a lesser effect on peripheral organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Maejima
- Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke, Japan
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562
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Hammock EAD. Developmental perspectives on oxytocin and vasopressin. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:24-42. [PMID: 24863032 PMCID: PMC4262889 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The related neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in species-typical behavior, including social recognition behavior, maternal behavior, social bonding, communication, and aggression. A wealth of evidence from animal models demonstrates significant modulation of adult social behavior by both of these neuropeptides and their receptors. Over the last decade, there has been a flood of studies in humans also implicating a role for these neuropeptides in human social behavior. Despite popular assumptions that oxytocin is a molecule of social bonding in the infant brain, less mechanistic research emphasis has been placed on the potential role of these neuropeptides in the developmental emergence of the neural substrates of behavior. This review summarizes what is known and assumed about the developmental influence of these neuropeptides and outlines the important unanswered questions and testable hypotheses. There is tremendous translational need to understand the functions of these neuropeptides in mammalian experience-dependent development of the social brain. The activity of oxytocin and vasopressin during development should inform our understanding of individual, sex, and species differences in social behavior later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A D Hammock
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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563
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Zeglin RJ, DeRaedt MR, Lanthier RP. Does Having Children Moderate the Effect of Child Sexual Abuse on Depression? JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 2015; 24:607-626. [PMID: 26340070 DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2015.1057664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Nearly 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age of 18 will be the victim of child sexual abuse. As adults, these individuals are more likely to report myriad mental illnesses including depression. Testing the hypothesis that having children would moderate the depressive effects of child sexual abuse, the authors used public-use data of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave IV (n = 5,114; mean age = 29.00 years; SD = 1.78). Results indicate that having children significantly moderates the relationship between child sexual abuse and depression for females. Though the risk of depression is increased for all females with a child sexual abuse history, this increase is less dramatic for mothers. Two potential explanations of this effect are presented: biological and psychosocial. The possible implications for mental health professionals working with mothers with a child sexual abuse history include highlighting the role of their children as possible support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Zeglin
- a Department of Counseling and Human Development , The George Washington University , Washington , DC , USA
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564
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Singewald N, Schmuckermair C, Whittle N, Holmes A, Ressler KJ. Pharmacology of cognitive enhancers for exposure-based therapy of fear, anxiety and trauma-related disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 149:150-90. [PMID: 25550231 PMCID: PMC4380664 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 275] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pathological fear and anxiety are highly debilitating and, despite considerable advances in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy they remain insufficiently treated in many patients with PTSD, phobias, panic and other anxiety disorders. Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that pharmacological treatments including cognitive enhancers, when given as adjuncts to psychotherapeutic approaches [cognitive behavioral therapy including extinction-based exposure therapy] enhance treatment efficacy, while using anxiolytics such as benzodiazepines as adjuncts can undermine long-term treatment success. The purpose of this review is to outline the literature showing how pharmacological interventions targeting neurotransmitter systems including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, histamine, glutamate, GABA, cannabinoids, neuropeptides (oxytocin, neuropeptides Y and S, opioids) and other targets (neurotrophins BDNF and FGF2, glucocorticoids, L-type-calcium channels, epigenetic modifications) as well as their downstream signaling pathways, can augment fear extinction and strengthen extinction memory persistently in preclinical models. Particularly promising approaches are discussed in regard to their effects on specific aspects of fear extinction namely, acquisition, consolidation and retrieval, including long-term protection from return of fear (relapse) phenomena like spontaneous recovery, reinstatement and renewal of fear. We also highlight the promising translational value of the preclinial research and the clinical potential of targeting certain neurochemical systems with, for example d-cycloserine, yohimbine, cortisol, and L-DOPA. The current body of research reveals important new insights into the neurobiology and neurochemistry of fear extinction and holds significant promise for pharmacologically-augmented psychotherapy as an improved approach to treat trauma and anxiety-related disorders in a more efficient and persistent way promoting enhanced symptom remission and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - C Schmuckermair
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - N Whittle
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - K J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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565
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Quintana DS, Alvares GA, Hickie IB, Guastella AJ. Do delivery routes of intranasally administered oxytocin account for observed effects on social cognition and behavior? A two-level model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 49:182-92. [PMID: 25526824 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence demonstrates the important role of oxytocin (OT) in the modulation of social cognition and behavior. This has led many to suggest that the intranasal administration of OT may benefit psychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction, such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Here, we review nasal anatomy and OT pathways to central and peripheral destinations, along with the impact of OT delivery to these destinations on social behavior and cognition. The primary goal of this review is to describe how these identified pathways may contribute to mechanisms of OT action on social cognition and behavior (that is, modulation of social information processing, anxiolytic effects, increases in approach-behaviors). We propose a two-level model involving three pathways to account for responses observed in both social cognition and behavior after intranasal OT administration and suggest avenues for future research to advance this research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.
| | - Gail A Alvares
- Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia
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566
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Developing zebrafish models relevant to PTSD and other trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 55:67-79. [PMID: 25138994 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma- and stress-related disorders (TSRDs) represent a serious societal and public health concern, their pathogenesis is largely unknown. Given the clinical complexity of TSRD development and susceptibility, greater investigation into candidate biomarkers and specific genetic pathways implicated in both risk and resilience to trauma becomes critical. In line with this, numerous animal models have been extensively used to better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of PTSD and related TSRD. Here, we discuss the rapidly increasing potential of zebrafish as models of these disorders, and how their use may aid researchers in uncovering novel treatments and therapies in this field.
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567
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Brain oxytocin in social fear conditioning and its extinction: involvement of the lateral septum. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:3027-35. [PMID: 24964815 PMCID: PMC4229574 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Revised: 06/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Central oxytocin (OXT) has anxiolytic and pro-social properties both in humans and rodents, and has been proposed as a therapeutic option for anxiety and social dysfunctions. Here, we utilized a mouse model of social fear conditioning (SFC) to study the effects of OXT on social fear, and to determine whether SFC causes alterations in central OXT receptor (OXTR) binding and local OXT release. Central infusion of OXT, but not arginine vasopressin, prior to social fear extinction training completely abolished social fear expression in an OXTR-mediated fashion without affecting general anxiety or locomotion. SFC caused increased OXTR binding in the dorso-lateral septum (DLS), central amygdala, dentate gyrus, and cornu ammunis 1, which normalized after social fear extinction, suggesting that these areas form part of a brain network involved in the development and neural support of social fear. Microdialysis revealed that the increase in OXT release observed in unconditioned mice within the DLS during social fear extinction training was attenuated in conditioned mice. Consequently, increasing the availability of local OXT by infusion of OXT into the DLS reversed social fear. Thus, alterations in the brain OXT system, including altered OXTR binding and OXT release within the DLS, play an important role in SFC and social fear extinction. Thus, we suggest that the OXT system is adversely affected in disorders associated with social fear, such as social anxiety disorder and reinstalling an appropriate balance of the OXT system may alleviate some of the symptoms.
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568
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Central vasopressin V1A receptor blockade alters patterns of cellular activation and prevents glucocorticoid habituation to repeated restraint stress exposure. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:2005-15. [PMID: 24913767 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145714000935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous experiments implicated a role for the arginine vasopressin (AVP) V1A receptor subtype in mediating the normal decline (habituation) of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to repeated restraint exposure. To explore pathways mediating the endogenous effects of central AVP on stress HPA axis habituation, here we compared cellular (Fos) and hormone responses in male rats receiving chronic icv infusion of vehicle or a V1A receptor antagonist that began 7 d before stress testing, continued through the duration of acute and repeat restraint exposure. As a group, rats with V1A antagonism displayed a modest reduction in ACTH habituation, whereas the decline in corticosterone was completely prevented. V1A antagonized rats also showed reduced evidence of habituated Fos responses in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, medial amygdala, and within the anterior division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Based on these cellular and neuroendocrine responses, we then examined whether repeated restraint is reflected by changes in V1A receptor binding. Relative to stress naïve animals, repeatedly exposed rats showed lower levels of V1A binding in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, thalamus and central amygdala, but higher levels in the septum and anterior BST. Taken together, these findings suggest that AVP may act within multiple targets to regulate the normal decline in stress-induced drive to the HPA axis, and that this may involve the net of V1A receptor stimulatory and inhibitory influences on neuroendocrine habituation.
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569
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Song Z, McCann KE, McNeill JK, Larkin TE, Huhman KL, Albers HE. Oxytocin induces social communication by activating arginine-vasopressin V1a receptors and not oxytocin receptors. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 50:14-9. [PMID: 25173438 PMCID: PMC4252597 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 08/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) and their receptors are very similar in structure. As a result, at least some of the effects of these peptides may be the result of crosstalk between their canonical receptors. The present study investigated this hypothesis by determining whether the induction of flank marking, a form of social communication in Syrian hamsters, by OT is mediated by the OT receptor or the AVP V1a receptor. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of OT or AVP induced flank marking in a dose-dependent manner although the effects of AVP were approximately 100 times greater than those of OT. Injections of highly selective V1a receptor agonists but not OT receptor agonists induced flank marking, and V1a receptor antagonists but not OT receptor antagonists significantly inhibited the ability of OT to induce flank marking. Lastly, injection of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), a peptide that stimulates OT but not AVP release, significantly increased odor-induced flank marking, and these effects were blocked by a V1a receptor antagonist. These data demonstrate that OT induces flank marking by activating AVP V1a and not OT receptors, suggesting that the V1a receptor should be considered to be an OT receptor as well as an AVP receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Song
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Katharine E McCann
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John K McNeill
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tony E Larkin
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kim L Huhman
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - H Elliott Albers
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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570
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES A review of the literature was conducted to assess the association between oxytocin (OT) and pain. METHODS PsychInfo, PubMed, and Medline (EBSCO) research databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles written between 1950 and 2012. Of a total of 1166 articles returned, 50 (9 human, 33 animal, and 8 spinal cord samples) met full inclusion criteria and were included in the review. RESULTS OT had a reliable effect as defined by increasing pain tolerance in 29 of 33 animal studies reviewed. This effect persisted across central and peripheral modes of administration and type of noxious stimulus used (eg, heat, electric). The results suggest that OT acts as an analgesic for acute pain in animals. Preliminary research with humans offers consistent evidence to suggest that OT decreases pain sensitivity, though the reliability and stability of such effects cannot yet be determined. Although the findings are encouraging, there is a need for methodologically rigorous work in humans where OT is administered centrally. DISCUSSION Further research seems to be warranted as the existence of biologically and psychologically plausible mechanisms linking OT and pain have been well supported using animal models with limited but encouraging human research. Implications and recommendations are discussed. Findings from this research may inform therapeutic methods for the management of pain.
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571
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Garay RP, Samalin L, Hameg A, Llorca PM. Investigational drugs for anxiety in patients with schizophrenia. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2014; 24:507-17. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2014.987339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo P Garay
- 1Université Paris-Sud et Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, INSERM U999, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
- 2Craven, Villemoisson-sur-Orge, France ;
| | - Ludovic Samalin
- 3Clermont-Ferrand University, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, EA 7280, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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572
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Schönbom H, Kassens A, Hopster-Iversen C, Klewitz J, Piechotta M, Martinsson G, Kißler A, Burger D, Sieme H. Influence of transrectal and transabdominal ultrasound examination on salivary cortisol, heart rate, and heart rate variability in mares. Theriogenology 2014; 83:749-56. [PMID: 25529317 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy diagnostics in equine reproduction are routinely performed using transrectal ultrasonography, although it is also possible to visualize the fetus by transabdominal ultrasound examinations from the 90th day of gestation onward. We hypothesized that ultrasound examinations may stress the mare and that the gestational stage status and lactation may influence the mare's stress reaction. To investigate the stress reaction, 25 thoroughbred mares of different age, pregnancy and lactational status underwent a transrectal examination. In pregnant mares, an additional transabdominal examination was performed. Salivary cortisol concentration, mean heart rate, and heart rate variability of mares were assessed to evaluate the reactions of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and of the autonomic nervous system. Significant differences were observed between lactating and nonlactating mares; with a lower responsiveness to stress in lactating mares. The transrectal ultrasound examination in nonlactating mares induced a significant increase in salivary cortisol (P < 0.05), and in the heart rate variability parameter, ratio of low to high frequencies (P < 0.05). This reflects an activation of the HPA axis and a shift to more sympathetic dominance. In contrast, a transabdominally performed pregnancy check did not induce an activation of the HPA axis over basal level but increased the mean heart rate and low to high frequency ratio. The results of this study indicate that checks of advanced pregnancies can be easily performed by transabdominal ultrasonography. With regard to animal welfare, this technique should be preferred during midgestation in nonlactating mares.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanno Schönbom
- Clinic for Horses-Unit for Reproductive Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; National Stud Lower Saxony, Celle, Germany
| | - Ana Kassens
- Clinic for Horses-Unit for Reproductive Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Charlotte Hopster-Iversen
- Clinic for Horses-Unit for Reproductive Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jutta Klewitz
- Clinic for Horses-Unit for Reproductive Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marion Piechotta
- Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Dominik Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Agroscope and University of Berne, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Harald Sieme
- Clinic for Horses-Unit for Reproductive Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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573
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Cardoso C, Kingdon D, Ellenbogen MA. A meta-analytic review of the impact of intranasal oxytocin administration on cortisol concentrations during laboratory tasks: moderation by method and mental health. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 49:161-70. [PMID: 25086828 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A large body of research has examined the acute effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on social cognition and stress-regulation. While progress has been made with respect to understanding the effect of oxytocin administration on social cognition in clinical populations (e.g. autism, schizophrenia), less is known about its impact on the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis among individuals with a mental disorder. METHOD We conducted a meta-analysis on the acute effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on the cortisol response to laboratory tasks. The search yielded eighteen studies employing a randomized, placebo-controlled design (k=18, N=675). Random-effects models and moderator analyses were performed using the metafor package for the statistical program R. RESULTS The overall effect size estimate was modest and not statistically significant (Hedges g=-0.151, p=0.11) with moderate heterogeneity in this effect across studies (I(2)=31%). Controlling for baseline differences in cortisol concentrations, moderation analyses revealed that this effect was larger in response to challenging laboratory tasks that produced a robust stimulation of the HPA-axis (Hedges g=-0.433, 95% CI[-0.841, -0.025]), and in clinical populations relative to healthy controls (Hedges g=-0.742, 95% CI[-1.405, -0.078]). CONCLUSION Overall, oxytocin administration showed greater attenuation of the cortisol response to laboratory tasks that strongly activated the HPA-axis, relative to tasks that did not. The effect was more robust among clinical populations, suggesting possible increased sensitivity to oxytocin among those with a clinical diagnosis and concomitant social difficulties. These data support the view that oxytocin may play an important role in HPA dysfunction associated with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Cardoso
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6.
| | - Danielle Kingdon
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Mark A Ellenbogen
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
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574
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Carson DS, Howerton CL, Garner JP, Hyde SA, Clark CL, Hardan AY, Penn AA, Parker KJ. Plasma vasopressin concentrations positively predict cerebrospinal fluid vasopressin concentrations in human neonates. Peptides 2014; 61:12-6. [PMID: 25148831 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Central arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a critical role in mammalian social behavior and has been hypothesized to be a biomarker of certain human neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. However, opportunities to collect post-mortem brain tissue or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from children are extremely limited, and the use of less invasive peripheral assessments (e.g., blood, urine, or saliva) of AVP as a proxy for more invasive central measures has not been well validated. Further, almost nothing is known about AVP biology in very young infants. Therefore in the present study we concomitantly collected basal CSF and plasma samples from N = 20 neonates undergoing clinical sepsis evaluation (all were sepsis negative) and quantified AVP concentrations via well-validated enzyme-immunoassay methodology. Plasma AVP concentrations significantly and positively predicted CSF AVP concentrations (r = 0.73, p = 0.0021), and this relationship persisted when variance attributed to sex, gestational age, and sample collection time was controlled for in the statistical model (r = 0.75, p = 0.0047). These findings provide preliminary support for the use of basal plasma AVP measurement as a proxy for basal brain AVP activity in pediatric populations. Future studies are now required to determine the relationship between behavioral measures and AVP concentrations in both central and peripheral compartments in young infants and older children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean S Carson
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Christopher L Howerton
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Shellie A Hyde
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Catherine L Clark
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anna A Penn
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Departments of Fetal and Transitional Medicine, Neonatology, and the Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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575
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576
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Bakos J, Lestanova Z, Strbak V, Havranek T, Bacova Z. Neonatal manipulation of oxytocin prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced decrease in gene expression of growth factors in two developmental stages of the female rat. Neuropeptides 2014; 48:281-6. [PMID: 25047873 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 06/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin production and secretion is important for early development of the brain. Long-term consequences of manipulation of oxytocin system might include changes in markers of brain plasticity - cytoskeletal proteins and neurotrophins. The aim of the present study was (1) to determine whether neonatal oxytocin administration affects gene expression of nestin, microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the brain of two developmental stages of rat and (2) to evaluate whether neonatal oxytocin administration protects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation. Neonatal oxytocin did not prevent a decrease of body weight in the LPS treated animals. Oxytocin significantly increased gene expression of BDNF in the right hippocampus in 21-day and 2-month old rats of both sexes. Gene expression of NGF and MAP-2 significantly increased in males treated with oxytocin. Both, growth factors and intermediate filament-nestin mRNA levels, were reduced in females exposed to LPS. Oxytocin treatment prevented a decrease in the gene expression of only growth factors. In conclusion, neonatal manipulation of oxytocin has developmental and sex-dependent effect on markers of brain plasticity. These results also indicate, that oxytocin may be protective against inflammation particularly in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Bakos
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Zuzana Lestanova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimir Strbak
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Medical Faculty, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomas Havranek
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Bacova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Medical Faculty, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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577
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Lonstein JS, Maguire J, Meinlschmidt G, Neumann ID. Emotion and mood adaptations in the peripartum female:complementary contributions of GABA and oxytocin. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:649-64. [PMID: 25074620 PMCID: PMC5487494 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Peripartum hormones and sensory cues from young modify the maternal brain in ways that can render females either at risk for, or resilient to, elevated anxiety and depression. The neurochemical systems underlying these aspects of maternal emotional and mood states include the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT). Data from laboratory rodents indicate that increased activity at the GABA(A) receptor contributes to the postpartum suppression of anxiety-related behaviour that is mediated by physical contact with offspring, whereas dysregulation in GABAergic signalling results in deficits in maternal care, as well as anxiety- and depression-like behaviours during the postpartum period. Similarly, activation of the brain OXT system accompanied by increased OXT release within numerous brain sites in response to reproductive stimuli also reduces postpartum anxiety- and depression-like behaviours. Studies of peripartum women are consistent with these findings in rodents. Given the similar consequences of elevated central GABA and OXT activity on maternal anxiety and depression, balanced and partly reciprocal interactions between these two systems may be essential for their effects on maternal emotional and mood states, in addition to other aspects of postpartum behaviour and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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578
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Kelly AM, Goodson JL. Social functions of individual vasopressin-oxytocin cell groups in vertebrates: what do we really know? Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:512-29. [PMID: 24813923 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin-oxytocin (VP-OT) nonapeptides modulate numerous social and stress-related behaviors, yet these peptides are made in multiple nuclei and brain regions (e.g., >20 in some mammals), and VP-OT cells in these areas often exhibit overlapping axonal projections. Furthermore, the magnocellular cell groups release peptide volumetrically from dendrites and soma, which gives rise to paracrine modulation in distal brain areas. Nonapeptide receptors also tend to be promiscuous. Hence, behavioral effects that are mediated by any given receptor type (e.g., the OT receptor) in a target brain region cannot be conclusively attributed to either VP or OT, nor to a specific cell group. We here review what is actually known about the social behavior functions of nonapeptide cell groups, with a focus on aggression, affiliation, bonding, social stress, and parental behavior, and discuss recent studies that demonstrate a diversity of sex-specific contributions of VP-OT cell groups to gregariousness and pair bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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579
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The stress-inducible actin-interacting protein DRR1 shapes social behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 48:98-110. [PMID: 24998413 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which stress is translated into changes in complex behavior may help to identify novel treatment strategies for stress-associated psychiatric disorders. The tumor suppressor gene down-regulated in renal cell carcinoma 1 (DRR1) was recently characterized as a new molecular link between stress, synaptic efficacy and behavioral performance, most likely through its ability to modulate actin dynamics. The lateral septum is one of the brain regions prominently involved in the stress response. This brain region features high DRR1 expression in adult mice, even under basal conditions. We therefore aimed to characterize and dissect the functional role of septal DRR1 in modulating complex behavior. DRR1 protein expression was shown to be expressed in both neurons and astrocytes of the lateral septum of adult mice. Septal DRR1 mRNA expression increased after acute defeat stress and glucocorticoid receptor activation. To mimic the stress-induced DRR1 increase in the lateral septum of mice, we performed adenovirus-mediated region-specific overexpression of DRR1 and characterized the behavior of these mice. Overexpression of DRR1 in the septal region increased sociability, but did not change cognitive, anxiety-like or anhedonic behavior. The observed changes in social behavior did not involve alterations of the expression of vasopressin or oxytocin receptors, the canonical social neuropeptidergic circuits of the lateral septum. In summary, our data suggest that the stress-induced increase of DRR1 expression in the lateral septum could be a protective mechanism to buffer or counterbalance negative consequences of stress exposure on social behavior.
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580
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Cox KH, Bonthuis PJ, Rissman EF. Mouse model systems to study sex chromosome genes and behavior: relevance to humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:405-19. [PMID: 24388960 PMCID: PMC4079771 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosome genes directly influence sex differences in behavior. The discovery of the Sry gene on the Y chromosome (Gubbay et al., 1990; Koopman et al., 1990) substantiated the sex chromosome mechanistic link to sex differences. Moreover, the pronounced connection between X chromosome gene mutations and mental illness produces a strong sex bias in these diseases. Yet, the dominant explanation for sex differences continues to be the gonadal hormones. Here we review progress made on behavioral differences in mouse models that uncouple sex chromosome complement from gonadal sex. We conclude that many social and cognitive behaviors are modified by sex chromosome complement, and discuss the implications for human research. Future directions need to include identification of the genes involved and interactions with these genes and gonadal hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly H Cox
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
| | - Paul J Bonthuis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States.
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581
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Oxytocin and vasopressin modulate the social response to threat: a preclinical study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:1621-33. [PMID: 24807123 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145714000388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals in many species increase their proximity to others in threatening situations (defensive aggregation), increasing their chance of survival and reducing the adverse psychological impact of stressors. However, the basic neurobiology of defensive aggregation is not well understood. Here we examined the role of the social neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) in this response. Groups of rats were exposed to a ball of cat fur (an innate threat stimulus) in a large arena, causing prolonged periods of tight social grouping (huddling). The modulatory effects of OT and AVP on huddling were examined both alone and in conjunction with relevant antagonists. To determine specificity of treatment effects to social grouping, the effects of the same treatments were also assessed in individual rats exposed to cat fur and given the opportunity to hide. OT (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and AVP (0.01 mg/kg, i.p.) increased huddling in rats socially exposed to cat fur, whereas the selective V1A AVP receptor antagonist SR49059 (3 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased huddling. The effects of OT were prevented by pre-treatment with SR49059 (3 mg/kg), while those of AVP were prevented by the V1B receptor antagonist SSR149415 (30 mg/kg, i.p.). OT had no effect on huddling when groups of four rats were tested with no cat fur present whereas AVP increased huddling under these conditions. Neither OT, nor SR49059, affected hiding in individual rats exposed to cat fur. However, AVP increased hiding, an effect prevented by SSR149415 (30 mg/kg, i.p.). These results suggest that OT acts on V1A receptors to promote a social response to threat without altering the more general defensive response. Conversely, AVP appears to increase generalised anxiety via V1B receptors, which subsequently results in huddling. A hitherto unrecognised function of oxytocin is therefore to promote social affiliation during threatening situations.
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582
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Francis SM, Sagar A, Levin-Decanini T, Liu W, Carter CS, Jacob S. Oxytocin and vasopressin systems in genetic syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Res 2014; 1580:199-218. [PMID: 24462936 PMCID: PMC4305432 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are two small, related neuropeptide hormones found in many mammalian species, including humans. Dysregulation of these neuropeptides have been associated with changes in behavior, especially social interactions. We review how the OT and AVP systems have been investigated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), Williams Syndrome (WS) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS). All of these neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are marked by social deficits. While PWS, WS and FXS have identified genetic mutations, ASD stems from multiple genes with complex interactions. Animal models of NDD are invaluable for studying the role and relatedness of OT and AVP in the developing brain. We present data from a FXS mouse model affecting the fragile X mental retardation 1 (Fmr1) gene, resulting in decreased OT and AVP staining cells in some brain regions. Reviewing the research about OT and AVP in these NDD suggests that altered OT pathways may be downstream from different etiological factors and perturbations in development. This has implications for ongoing studies of the therapeutic application of OT in NDD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Francis
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - A Sagar
- University of California at Irvine, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, USA
| | - T Levin-Decanini
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - W Liu
- Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - C S Carter
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - S Jacob
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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583
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Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective. Phys Life Rev 2014; 11:540-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2013.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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584
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Smith JA, Wang L, Hiller H, Taylor CT, de Kloet AD, Krause EG. Acute hypernatremia promotes anxiolysis and attenuates stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in male mice. Physiol Behav 2014; 136:91-6. [PMID: 24704193 PMCID: PMC4183739 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous investigation by our laboratory found that acute hypernatremia potentiates an oxytocinergic tone that inhibits parvocellular neurosecretory neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), attenuates restraint-induced surges in corticosterone (CORT), and reduces anxiety-like behavior in male rats. To investigate the neural mechanisms mediating these effects and extend our findings to a more versatile species, we repeated our studies using laboratory mice. In response to 2.0M NaCl injections, mice had increased plasma sodium concentrations which were associated with a blunted rise in CORT subsequent to restraint challenge relative to 0.15M NaCl injected controls. Immunofluorescent identification of the immediate early gene product Fos found that 2.0M NaCl treatment increased the number of activated neurons producing oxytocin in the PVN. To evaluate the effect of acute hypernatremia on PVN neurons producing corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), we used the Cre-lox system to generate mice that produced the red fluorescent protein, tdTomato, in cells that had Cre-recombinase activity driven by CRH gene expression. Analysis of brain tissue from these CRH-reporter mice revealed that 2.0M NaCl treatment caused a dramatic reduction in Fos-positive nuclei specifically in CRH-producing PVN neurons. This altered pattern of activity was predictive of alleviated anxiety-like behavior as mice administered 2.0M NaCl spent more time exploring the open arms of an elevated-plus maze than 0.15M NaCl treated controls. Taken together, these results further implicate an oxytocin-dependent inhibition of CRH neurons in the PVN and demonstrate the impact that slight elevations in plasma sodium have on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis output and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Smith
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100487, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100487, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
| | - Helmut Hiller
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100487, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
| | - Christopher T Taylor
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100487, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
| | - Annette D de Kloet
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine University of Florida, PO Box 100274, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States.
| | - Eric G Krause
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100487, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
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585
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Sabihi S, Dong SM, Durosko NE, Leuner B. Oxytocin in the medial prefrontal cortex regulates maternal care, maternal aggression and anxiety during the postpartum period. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:258. [PMID: 25147513 PMCID: PMC4123787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) acts on a widespread network of brain regions to regulate numerous behavioral adaptations during the postpartum period including maternal care, maternal aggression, and anxiety. In the present study, we examined whether this network also includes the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that bilateral infusion of a highly specific oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTR-A) into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC increased anxiety-like behavior in postpartum, but not virgin, females. In addition, OTR blockade in the postpartum mPFC impaired maternal care behaviors and enhanced maternal aggression. Overall, these results suggest that OT in the mPFC modulates maternal care and aggression, as well as anxiety-like behavior, during the postpartum period. Although the relationship among these behaviors is complicated and further investigation is required to refine our understanding of OT actions in the maternal mPFC, these data nonetheless provide new insights into neural circuitry of OT-mediated postpartum behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sabihi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shirley M Dong
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicole E Durosko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
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586
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Ellenbogen MA, Linnen AM, Cardoso C, Joober R. Intranasal oxytocin attenuates the human acoustic startle response independent of emotional modulation. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1169-77. [PMID: 25082371 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin promotes social affiliation in humans. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon require further elucidation. The present study investigated the influence of intranasal oxytocin on basic emotional processing in men and women, using an emotion-modulated startle response paradigm. Eighty-four participants self-administered 24 IU of intranasal oxytocin or saline and completed an assessment of the acoustic startle reflex, using electromyography (EMG), with varying emotional foregrounds. Oxytocin had no impact on the affective modulation of the startle eye blink response, but significantly diminished the acoustic startle reflex irrespective of the emotional foreground. The results suggest that oxytocin facilitates prosocial behavior, in part, by attenuating basic physiological arousal. The dampening effect of oxytocin on EMG startle could possibly be used as an inexpensive marker of oxytocin's effect on limbic brain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Ellenbogen
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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587
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Veening JG, de Jong TR, Waldinger MD, Korte SM, Olivier B. The role of oxytocin in male and female reproductive behavior. Eur J Pharmacol 2014; 753:209-28. [PMID: 25088178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide with an impressive variety of physiological functions. Among them, the 'prosocial' effects have been discussed in several recent reviews, but the direct effects on male and female sexual behavior did receive much less attention so far. As our contribution to honor the lifelong interest of Berend Olivier in the control mechanisms of sexual behavior, we decided to explore the role of OT in the present review. In the successive sections, some physiological mechanisms and the 'pair-bonding' effects of OT will be discussed, followed by sections about desire, female appetitive and copulatory behavior, including lordosis and orgasm. At the male side, the effects on erection and ejaculation are reviewed, followed by a section about 'premature ejaculation' and a possible role of OT in its treatment. In addition to OT, serotonin receives some attention as one of the main mechanisms controlling the effects of OT. In the succeeding sections, the importance of OT for 'the fruits of labor' is discussed, as it plays an important role in both maternal and paternal behavior. Finally, we pay attention to an intriguing brain area, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMHvl), apparently functioning in both sexual and aggressive behavior, which are at first view completely opposite behavioral systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Veening
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - T R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - M D Waldinger
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - S M Korte
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B Olivier
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Division of Pharmacology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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588
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Miró L, Pérez-Bosque A, Maijó M, Naftalin RJ, Moretó M. Vasopressin regulation of epithelial colonic proliferation and permeability is mediated by pericryptal platelet-derived growth factor A. Exp Physiol 2014; 99:1325-34. [PMID: 25085844 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2014.080952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has trophic effects on the rat distal colon, increasing the growth of pericryptal myofibroblasts and reducing the colonic crypt wall permeability. This study aimed to reproduce in vitro the effects of AVP observed in vivo using cultures of human CCD-18Co myofibroblasts and T84 colonic epithelial cells. Proliferation of myofibroblasts was quantified by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation; the expression of platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGFA), platelet-derived growth factor B, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-β and vascular endothelial growth factor was measured by PCR and the expression of epithelial junction proteins by Western blot. Arginine vasopressin stimulated myofibroblast proliferation and the expression of PDGFA without affecting the expression of platelet-derived growth factor B, epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-β or vascular endothelial growth factor. These effects were prevented when AVP receptor inhibitors were present in the medium. Pre-incubation of CCD-18Co cells with anti-PDGF antibody or with an inhibitor of the PDGF receptor abolished the effects of AVP. When colonocytes were incubated with medium obtained from myofibroblasts incubated with AVP, both cell proliferation and the expression of epithelial junction proteins increased; however, direct incubation of colonocytes with AVP did not modify these variables. These results demonstrate that AVP stimulates myofibroblast proliferation and induces PDGFA secretion, implying that PDGFA mediates local myofibroblast proliferation by an autocrine feedback loop and regulates epithelial proliferation and permeability by a paracrine mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lluïsa Miró
- Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Pérez-Bosque
- Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Maijó
- Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Miquel Moretó
- Departament de Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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589
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Allsop SA, Vander Weele CM, Wichmann R, Tye KM. Optogenetic insights on the relationship between anxiety-related behaviors and social deficits. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:241. [PMID: 25076878 PMCID: PMC4099964 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses are characterized by deficits in the social domain. For example, there is a high rate of co-morbidity between autism spectrum disorders and anxiety disorders. However, the common neural circuit mechanisms by which social deficits and other psychiatric disease states, such as anxiety, are co-expressed remains unclear. Here, we review optogenetic investigations of neural circuits in animal models of anxiety-related behaviors and social behaviors and discuss the important role of the amygdala in mediating aspects of these behaviors. In particular, we focus on recent evidence that projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) modulate anxiety-related behaviors and also alter social interaction. Understanding how this circuit influences both social behavior and anxiety may provide a mechanistic explanation for the pathogenesis of social anxiety disorder, as well as the prevalence of patients co-diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, elucidating how circuits that modulate social behavior also mediate other complex emotional states will lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which social deficits are expressed in psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A. Allsop
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin M. Vander Weele
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | - Romy Wichmann
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kay M. Tye
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
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590
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Taurines R, Schwenck C, Lyttwin B, Schecklmann M, Jans T, Reefschläger L, Geissler J, Gerlach M, Romanos M. Oxytocin plasma concentrations in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: correlation with autistic symptomatology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 6:231-9. [PMID: 24989441 DOI: 10.1007/s12402-014-0145-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Findings from research in animal models and humans have shown a clear role for the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) on complex social behaviors. This is also true in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies on peripheral OT concentrations in children and young adults have reported conflicting results with the initial studies presenting mainly decreased OT plasma levels in ASD compared to healthy controls. Our study therefore aimed to further investigate changes in peripheral OT concentrations as a potential surrogate for the effects observed in the central nervous system (CNS) in ASD. OT plasma concentrations were assessed in 19 male children and adolescents with ASD, all with an IQ > 70 (age 10.7 ± 3.8 years), 17 healthy male children (age 13.6 ± 2.1 years) and 19 young male patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a clinical control group (age 10.4 ± 1.9 years) using a validated radioimmunoassay. Analysis of covariance revealed significant group differences in OT plasma concentrations (F(2, 48) = 9.574, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.285; plasma concentrations ASD 19.61 ± 7.12 pg/ml, ADHD 8.05 ± 5.49 pg/ml, healthy controls 14.43 ± 9.64 pg/ml). Post hoc analyses showed significantly higher concentrations in children with ASD compared to ADHD (p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction, there was no significant difference in ASD in comparison with healthy controls (p = 0.132). A significant strong correlation between plasma OT and autistic symptomatology, assessed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, was observed in the ASD group (p = 0.013, r = 0.603). Patients with ADHD differed from healthy control children by significantly decreased OT concentrations (p = 0.014). No significant influences of the covariates age, IQ, medication and comorbidity could be seen. Our preliminary results point to a correlation of OT plasma concentrations with autistic symptom load in children with ASD and a modulation of the OT system also in the etiologically and phenotypically overlapping disorder ADHD. Further studies in humans and animal models are warranted to clarify the complex association of the OT system with social impairments as well as stress-related and depressive behavior and whether peripheral findings reflect primary changes of OT synthesis and/or release in relevant areas of the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Taurines
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstraße 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany,
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591
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Perani CV, Slattery DA. Using animal models to study post-partum psychiatric disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:4539-55. [PMID: 24527704 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The post-partum period represents a time during which all maternal organisms undergo substantial plasticity in a wide variety of systems in order to ensure the well-being of the offspring. Although this time is generally associated with increased calmness and decreased stress responses, for a substantial subset of mothers, this period represents a time of particular risk for the onset of psychiatric disorders. Thus, post-partum anxiety, depression and, to a lesser extent, psychosis may develop, and not only affect the well-being of the mother but also place at risk the long-term health of the infant. Although the risk factors for these disorders, as well as normal peripartum-associated adaptations, are well known, the underlying aetiology of post-partum psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. However, there have been a number of attempts to model these disorders in basic research, which aim to reveal their underlying mechanisms. In the following review, we first discuss known peripartum adaptations and then describe post-partum mood and anxiety disorders, including their risk factors, prevalence and symptoms. Thereafter, we discuss the animal models that have been designed in order to study them and what they have revealed about their aetiology to date. Overall, these studies show that it is feasible to study such complex disorders in animal models, but that more needs to be done in order to increase our knowledge of these severe and debilitating mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C V Perani
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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592
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León-Olea M, Martyniuk CJ, Orlando EF, Ottinger MA, Rosenfeld C, Wolstenholme J, Trudeau VL. Current concepts in neuroendocrine disruption. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 203:158-173. [PMID: 24530523 PMCID: PMC4133337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the last few years, it has become clear that a wide variety of environmental contaminants have specific effects on neuroendocrine systems in fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. While it is beyond the scope of this review to provide a comprehensive examination of all of these neuroendocrine disruptors, we will focus on select representative examples. Organochlorine pesticides bioaccumulate in neuroendocrine areas of the brain that directly regulate GnRH neurons, thereby altering the expression of genes downstream of GnRH signaling. Organochlorine pesticides can also agonize or antagonize hormone receptors, adversely affecting crosstalk between neurotransmitter systems. The impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls are varied and in many cases subtle. This is particularly true for neuroedocrine and behavioral effects of exposure. These effects impact sexual differentiation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and other neuroendocrine systems regulating the thyroid, metabolic, and stress axes and their physiological responses. Weakly estrogenic and anti-androgenic pollutants such as bisphenol A, phthalates, phytochemicals, and the fungicide vinclozolin can lead to severe and widespread neuroendocrine disruptions in discrete brain regions, including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus, resulting in behavioral changes in a wide range of species. Behavioral features that have been shown to be affected by one or more these chemicals include cognitive deficits, heightened anxiety or anxiety-like, sociosexual, locomotor, and appetitive behaviors. Neuroactive pharmaceuticals are now widely detected in aquatic environments and water supplies through the release of wastewater treatment plant effluents. The antidepressant fluoxetine is one such pharmaceutical neuroendocrine disruptor. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that can affect multiple neuroendocrine pathways and behavioral circuits, including disruptive effects on reproduction and feeding in fish. There is growing evidence for the association between environmental contaminant exposures and diseases with strong neuroendocrine components, for example decreased fecundity, neurodegeneration, and cardiac disease. It is critical to consider the timing of exposures of neuroendocrine disruptors because embryonic stages of central nervous system development are exquisitely sensitive to adverse effects. There is also evidence for epigenetic and transgenerational neuroendocrine disrupting effects of some pollutants. We must now consider the impacts of neuroendocrine disruptors on reproduction, development, growth and behaviors, and the population consequences for evolutionary change in an increasingly contaminated world. This review examines the evidence to date that various so-called neuroendocrine disruptors can induce such effects often at environmentally-relevant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha León-Olea
- Departamento de Neuromorfología Funcional, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, R.F.M., México D.F., México
| | - Christopher J. Martyniuk
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Edward F. Orlando
- University of Maryland, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Mary Ann Ottinger
- University of Maryland, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Cheryl Rosenfeld
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Bond Life Sciences Center, Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jennifer Wolstenholme
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 23112, USA
| | - Vance L. Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5
- Corresponding author:
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593
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The effect of intranasal oxytocin administration on acute cold pressor pain: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, within-participants crossover investigation. Psychosom Med 2014; 76:422-9. [PMID: 24979580 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examined the effect of synthetic oxytocin delivered intranasally on acute pain sensitivity using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, within-participant crossover design. METHODS Thirty-seven (18 were male) pain-free young adults underwent two laboratory sessions separated by 1 week. Each session consisted of baseline, administration, second baseline, pain, and recovery phases, completed in a fixed order. Participants were given an intransal administration of 40 IU oxytocin or placebo. Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured at 1-minute intervals throughout each phase. Pain was induced by submersing the nondominant hand in cold (2°C) water. Pain threshold, intensity, unpleasantness, and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 pain descriptors were rated immediately after pain testing. Mood was assessed using visual analog scales after baseline, second baseline, and pain phases. The second laboratory session was identical to the first, with the exception that a different nasal spray was administered. RESULTS Participants reported lower pain intensity (50.57 [20.94] versus 56.73 [20.12], p = .047), pain unpleasantness (47.00 [27.24] versus 55.78 [22.46], p = .033), and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 pain descriptors (53.38 [31.18] versus 60.92 [31.17], p = .031) and higher pain threshold (45.70 [59.55] versus 38.35 [59.12], p = .040) after oxytocin administration relative to placebo. There was a nasal spray by phase interaction on HR (p = .006). Pain-related increase in HR was attenuated by oxytocin nasal spray. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased during pain testing but were unaffected by nasal spray. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that oxytocin can lead to decreased acute pain sensitivity.
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594
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Modi ME, Connor-Stroud F, Landgraf R, Young LJ, Parr LA. Aerosolized oxytocin increases cerebrospinal fluid oxytocin in rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 45:49-57. [PMID: 24845176 PMCID: PMC4120060 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Intranasal (IN) administration is a widely used method for examining the effect of oxytocin (OT) on social behavior and cognition in healthy subjects and psychiatric populations. IN-OT in humans enhances trust, emotional perception, and empathetic behavior and is under investigation as a potential pharmacotherapy to enhance social functioning in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Nonhuman primates (NHP) are an important model for understanding the effect of OT on social cognition, its neural mechanisms, and the development of IN-OT as a pharmacotherapy for treating social deficits in humans. However, NHP and even some human populations, such as very young infants and children, cannot easily follow the detailed self-administration protocol used in the majority of human IN-OT studies. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of several OT-administration routes for elevating central OT concentrations in rhesus macaques. First, we examined the effect of IN and intravenous (IV) routes of OT administration on concentrations of OT and vasopressin (AVP) in plasma and lumbar CSF. Second, we examined these same measures in monkeys after an aerosolized (AE) OT delivery route. All three administration routes significantly increased plasma OT concentrations, but only the AE-OT route significantly increased concentrations of CSF OT. No route affected concentrations of AVP in plasma or CSF. This study confirms that the AE route is the most effective method for increasing central OT concentrations in monkeys, and may also be an effective route, alternative to IN, for administering OT to some human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meera E. Modi
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA,Corresponding Author: Meera Modi, 700 Main St. Cambridge, MA 02139, Telephone: 617-395-0681,
| | | | | | - Larry J. Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lisa A. Parr
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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595
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Zelkowitz P, Gold I, Feeley N, Hayton B, Carter CS, Tulandi T, Abenhaim HA, Levin P. Psychosocial stress moderates the relationships between oxytocin, perinatal depression, and maternal behavior. Horm Behav 2014; 66:351-60. [PMID: 24956026 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin (OT) is of particular interest in the study of childbearing women, as it has a role in the onset and course of labor and breastfeeding. Recent research has linked OT to maternal caregiving behavior towards her infant, and to postpartum depressive symptomatology. There is also evidence that psychosocial adversity affects the oxytocin system. The present study investigated the relationship of endogenous OT in women during pregnancy and at 8weeks postpartum to psychosocial stress, maternal symptoms of depression, and maternal sensitive behavior. It was hypothesized that OT would mediate the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on maternal interactive behavior. We also tested the hypothesis that psychosocial stress would moderate the relationship between OT and maternal depressive symptoms and sensitive behavior. A community sample of 287 women was assessed at 12-14weeks of gestation, 32-34weeks of gestation, and 7-9weeks postpartum. We measured plasma OT, maternal symptoms of depression and psychosocial stress. At the postpartum home visit, maternal behavior in interaction with the infant was videotaped, and then coded to assess sensitivity. In the sample as a whole, OT was not related to maternal depressive symptoms or to sensitive maternal behavior. However, among women who reported high levels of psychosocial stress, higher levels of plasma OT were associated with fewer depressive symptoms and more sensitive maternal behavior. These results suggest that endogenous OT may act as a buffer against the deleterious effects of stress, thereby protecting high risk women from developing depressive symptoms and promoting more sensitive maternal interactive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phyllis Zelkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Ian Gold
- Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nancy Feeley
- Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Barbara Hayton
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - C Sue Carter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Togas Tulandi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Haim A Abenhaim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pavel Levin
- Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Nursing Research, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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596
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Oxytocin in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex reduces anxiety-like behavior in female and male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 45:31-42. [PMID: 24845174 PMCID: PMC4067951 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is anxiolytic in rodents and humans. However, the specific brain regions where OT acts to regulate anxiety requires further investigation. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to play a role in the modulation of anxiety-related behavior. In addition, the mPFC contains OT-sensitive neurons, expresses OT receptors, and receives long range axonal projections from OT-producing neurons in the hypothalamus, suggesting that the mPFC may be a target where OT acts to diminish anxiety. To investigate this possibility, female rats were administered OT bilaterally into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC and anxiety-like behavior assessed. In addition, to determine if the effects of OT on anxiety-like behavior are sex dependent and to evaluate the specificity of OT, male and female anxiety-like behavior was tested following delivery of either OT or the closely related neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) into the PL mPFC. Finally, the importance of endogenous OT in the regulation of anxiety-like behavior was examined in male and female rats that received PL infusions of an OT receptor antagonist (OTR-A). Overall, even though males and females showed some differences in their baseline levels of anxiety-like behavior, OT in the PL region of the mPFC decreased anxiety regardless of sex. In contrast, neither AVP nor an OTR-A affected anxiety-like behavior in males or females. Together, these findings suggest that although endogenous OT in the PL region of the mPFC does not influence anxiety, the PL mPFC is a site where exogenous OT may act to attenuate anxiety-related behavior independent of sex.
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597
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Koven NS, Max LK. Basal salivary oxytocin level predicts extra- but not intra-personal dimensions of emotional intelligence. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 44:20-9. [PMID: 24767616 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of literature suggests that oxytocin is an important mediator of social cognition, but much of the research to date has relied on pharmaceutical administration methods that can raise oxytocin to artificially high levels. The present study builds upon previous work by examining whether basal oxytocin level predicts intra- and extra-personal (i.e., self- and other-focused) elements of emotional intelligence (EI), independent of shared variance with current mood. The sample included 71 healthy young adults (46 women). Assessment measures included the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test Version 2.0 (MSCEIT), the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, and the Profile of Mood States. Peripheral oxytocin levels were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from saliva after solid phase extraction. Oxytocin level was unrelated to TMMS scores but was positively associated with performance in the Experiential EI domain of the MSCEIT. However, total mood disturbance was positively related to MSCEIT scores. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that oxytocin level added unique variance to the prediction of MSCEIT performance beyond that of current mood. These results confirm an association between endogenous levels of oxytocin in healthy adults and a subset of EI abilities, including extra-personal emotion recognition and the channeling of emotions to enhance social proficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy S Koven
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Bates College, 4 Andrews Road, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA.
| | - Laura K Max
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Bates College, 4 Andrews Road, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA
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598
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Beiderbeck DI, Lukas M, Neumann ID. Anti-aggressive effects of neuropeptide S independent of anxiolysis in male rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:185. [PMID: 24910598 PMCID: PMC4038774 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide S (NPS) exerts robust anxiolytic and memory enhancing effects, but only in a non-social context. In order to study whether NPS affects aggressive behavior we used Wistar rats bred for low (LAB) and high (HAB) levels of innate anxiety-related behavior, respectively, which were both described to display increased levels of aggression compared with Wistar rats not selectively bred for anxiety (NAB). Male LAB, HAB, and NAB rats were tested for aggressive behavior toward a male intruder rat within their home cage (10 min, resident-intruder [RI] test). Intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion of NPS (1 nmol) significantly reduced inter-male aggression in LAB rats, and tended to reduce aggression in HAB and NAB males. However, local infusion of NPS (0.2 or 0.1 nmol NPS) into either the nucleus accumbens or the lateral hypothalamus did not influence aggressive behavior. Social investigation in the RI test and general social motivation assessed in the social preference paradigm were not altered by icv NPS (1 nmol). The anti-aggressive effect of NPS is most likely not causally linked to its anxiolytic properties, as intraperitoneal administration of the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazole decreased aggression in LAB rats whereas the anxiolytic drug diazepam did not affect aggression in HAB rats. Thus, although NPS has so far only been shown to exert effects on non-social behaviors, our results are the first demonstration of anti-aggressive effects of NPS in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela I Beiderbeck
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Lukas
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg Regensburg, Germany
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599
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Abstract
Music is a universal feature of human societies, partly owing to its power to evoke strong emotions and influence moods. During the past decade, the investigation of the neural correlates of music-evoked emotions has been invaluable for the understanding of human emotion. Functional neuroimaging studies on music and emotion show that music can modulate activity in brain structures that are known to be crucially involved in emotion, such as the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, hippocampus, insula, cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. The potential of music to modulate activity in these structures has important implications for the use of music in the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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600
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The role of DNA methylation in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Neuropharmacology 2014; 80:115-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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