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Dzik JM, Puścian A, Mijakowska Z, Radwanska K, Łęski S. PyMICE: APython library for analysis of IntelliCage data. Behav Res Methods 2018; 50:804-815. [PMID: 28643159 PMCID: PMC5880855 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-017-0907-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
IntelliCage is an automated system for recording the behavior of a group of mice housed together. It produces rich, detailed behavioral data calling for new methods and software for their analysis. Here we present PyMICE, a free and open-source library for analysis of IntelliCage data in the Python programming language. We describe the design and demonstrate the use of the library through a series of examples. PyMICE provides easy and intuitive access to IntelliCage data, and thus facilitates the possibility of using numerous other Python scientific libraries to form a complete data analysis workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub M Dzik
- Department of Neurophysiology Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland 3 Pasteur Str., Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Alicja Puścian
- Department of Neurophysiology Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland 3 Pasteur Str., Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Zofia Mijakowska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland 3 Pasteur Str., Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Kasia Radwanska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland 3 Pasteur Str., Warsaw, 02-093, Poland
| | - Szymon Łęski
- Department of Neurophysiology Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland 3 Pasteur Str., Warsaw, 02-093, Poland.
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52
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Marwari S, Dawe GS. (R)-fluoxetine enhances cognitive flexibility and hippocampal cell proliferation in mice. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:441-457. [PMID: 29458297 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118754733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Fluoxetine is a clinically successful antidepressant. It is a racemic mixture of (R) and (S) stereoisomers. In preclinical studies, chronic treatment with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) had antidepressant effects correlated with increased hippocampal cell proliferation in adult rodents. However, the contribution of the enantiomers of fluoxetine is largely unknown. We investigated the effects of treatment with (R)- and (S)-fluoxetine on cognitive behavioral paradigms and examined cell proliferation in the hippocampus of C57BL/6J female mice. In a behavioral sequencing task using the IntelliCage system in which discriminated spatial patterns of rewarded and never-rewarded corners were reversed serially, (R)-fluoxetine-treated mice showed rapid acquisition of behavioral sequencing (compared with S-fluoxetine) and cognitive flexibility in subsequent reversal stages in intra- and inter-session analysis. (R)-fluoxetine also increased cell proliferation in the hippocampus, in particular in the suprapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus. (R)-fluoxetine had superior effects to (S)-fluoxetine in elevated plus maze, forced-swim and tail-suspension tests. These results suggest that (R)-fluoxetine, which has been reported to have a shorter half-life than (S)-fluoxetine, has superior antidepressant effects and more consistently improves spatial learning and memory. This profile offers advantages in depression treatment and may also aid management of the neurocognitive impairments associated with depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhi Marwari
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gavin S Dawe
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,2 Neurobiology and Ageing Programme, Life Sciences Institute, University of Singapore, Singapore
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53
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Automated Center-out Rodent Behavioral Trainer (ACRoBaT), an automated device for training rats to perform a modified center out task. Behav Brain Res 2017; 346:115-121. [PMID: 29196193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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54
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Voikar V, Krackow S, Lipp HP, Rau A, Colacicco G, Wolfer DP. Automated dissection of permanent effects of hippocampal or prefrontal lesions on performance at spatial, working memory and circadian timing tasks of C57BL/6 mice in IntelliCage. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:8-22. [PMID: 28927717 PMCID: PMC6102415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate permanent effects of hippocampal and prefrontal cortex lesion on spatial tasks, lesioned and sham-operated female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a series of conditioning schemes in IntelliCages housing 8–10 transponder-tagged mice from each treatment group. Sequential testing started at 51–172 days after bilateral lesions and lasted for 154 and 218 days in two batches of mice, respectively. Spontaneous undisturbed behavioral patterns clearly separated the three groups, hippocampals being characterized by more erratic hyperactivity, and strongly impaired circadian synchronization ability. Hippocampal lesions led to deficits in spatial passive avoidance, as well as in spatial reference and working memory tasks. Impairment was minimal in rewarded preference/reversal schemes, but prominent if behavioral responses required precise circadian timing or included punishment of wrong spatial choices. No differences between sham-operated and prefrontally lesioned subjects in conditioning success were discernible. These results corroborate the view that hippocampal dysfunction spares simple spatial learning tasks but impairs the ability to cope with conflicting task-inherent spatial, temporal or emotional cues. Methodologically, the results show that automated testing and data analysis of socially kept mice is a powerful, efficient and animal-friendly tool for dissecting complex features and behavioral profiles of hippocampal dysfunction characterizing many transgenic or pharmacological mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vootele Voikar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; XBehavior GmbH, Bänk, Dägerlen, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Anton Rau
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Chair of Entrepreneurial Risks, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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55
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Tohyama C. Developmental neurotoxicity test guidelines: problems and perspectives. J Toxicol Sci 2017; 41:SP69-SP79. [PMID: 28250285 DOI: 10.2131/jts.41.sp69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic evidence has demonstrated associations between early life exposure to industrial chemicals and the occurrence of disease states, including cognitive and behavioral abnormalities, in children. The developing brain in the fetal and infantile periods is extremely vulnerable to chemicals because the blood-brain barrier is not completely formed during these periods. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) test guideline, TG426, updated in 2007, comprises in vivo behavioral observational tests and other tests intended to assess DNT induced by exposure to industrial chemicals. These chemicals may enter the market without having been subjected to DNT testing, as DNT test data is not mandated by law at the time of chemical registration. In addition, proprietary rights have led to problems concerning the non-disclosure of industrial chemical toxicity test data, including DNT test data. To overcome the disadvantages of high-cost and low time efficiency of in vivo DNT tests, in vitro or in silico tests are the proposed alternatives, but it is unlikely that the results of such tests would reflect changes in higher brain functions. Accordingly, the current DNT test guidelines need to be revised to avoid overlooking or neglecting the occurrence of DNT induced by exposure to low doses of chemicals. This review also proposes the introduction of novel in vivo DNT testing methods in light of a cost-performance analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiharu Tohyama
- Health, Environment, Science and Technology International Consulting (HESTIC)
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56
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Loos M, Verhage M, Spijker S, Smit AB. Complex Genetics of Behavior: BXDs in the Automated Home-Cage. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1488:519-530. [PMID: 27933542 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6427-7_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This chapter describes a use case for the genetic dissection and automated analysis of complex behavioral traits using the genetically diverse panel of BXD mouse recombinant inbred strains. Strains of the BXD resource differ widely in terms of gene and protein expression in the brain, as well as in their behavioral repertoire. A large mouse resource opens the possibility for gene finding studies underlying distinct behavioral phenotypes, however, such a resource poses a challenge in behavioral phenotyping. To address the specifics of large-scale screening we describe how to investigate: (1) how to assess mouse behavior systematically in addressing a large genetic cohort, (2) how to dissect automation-derived longitudinal mouse behavior into quantitative parameters, and (3) how to map these quantitative traits to the genome, deriving loci underlying aspects of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics BV), 71033, 1008 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,NeuroBsik Mouse Phenomics Consortium:, A list of additional members of the Neuro-BSIK Mouse Phenomics Consortium is provided in the Acknowledgments., Wageningen, Netherlands.
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,NeuroBsik Mouse Phenomics Consortium:, A list of additional members of the Neuro-BSIK Mouse Phenomics Consortium is provided in the Acknowledgments., Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sabine Spijker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,NeuroBsik Mouse Phenomics Consortium:, A list of additional members of the Neuro-BSIK Mouse Phenomics Consortium is provided in the Acknowledgments., Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,NeuroBsik Mouse Phenomics Consortium:, A list of additional members of the Neuro-BSIK Mouse Phenomics Consortium is provided in the Acknowledgments., Wageningen, Netherlands
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57
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Measuring discrimination- and reversal learning in mouse models within 4 days and without prior food deprivation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:660-667. [PMID: 27918287 PMCID: PMC5066605 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042085.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Many neurological and psychiatric disorders are characterized by deficits in cognitive flexibility. Modeling cognitive flexibility in mice enables the investigation of mechanisms underlying these deficits. The majority of currently available behavioral tests targeting this cognitive domain are reversal learning tasks that require scheduled food restriction, extended training periods and labor-intensive, and stress-inducing animal handling. Here, we describe a novel 4-day (4-d) continuously running task measuring discrimination- and reversal learning in an automated home cage (CognitionWall DL/RL task) that largely eliminates these limitations. In this task, mice can earn unlimited number of food rewards by passing through the correct hole of the three-holed CognitionWall. To assess the validity and sensitivity of this novel task, the performance of C57BL/6J mice, amyloid precursor protein/presenilin1 transgenic (APP/PS1) mice, α-calmodulin kinase-II (αCaMKII) T305D knock-in mice, and mice with an orbitofrontal cortex lesion were examined. We found that C57BL/6J mice reach stable performance levels within the 4 d of the task, while experiencing only slight reductions in weight and no major effects on circadian rhythm. The task detected learning deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic and αCaMKII T305D mutant mice. Additionally, we established that the orbitofrontal cortex underlies reversal learning performance in our task. Because of its short duration and the absence of food deprivation and concurrent weight loss, this novel automated home-cage task substantially improves comprehensive preclinical assessment of cognitive functions in mouse models of psychiatric and neurological disorders and also enables analysis during specific developmental stages.
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58
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Badanich KA, Fakih ME, Gurina TS, Roy EK, Hoffman JL, Uruena-Agnes AR, Kirstein CL. Reversal learning and experimenter-administered chronic intermittent ethanol exposure in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3615-26. [PMID: 27518574 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic alcohol exposure is associated with impaired decision making skills, cognitive deficits, and poor performance on tasks requiring behavioral flexibility. Although oral routes of alcohol administration are commonly used to examine effects of alcohol on various behaviors in rodents, only a few investigations have used intragastric exposures to evaluate ethanol's effects on behavioral flexibility in the adult rat. OBJECTIVES The aim of the current series of experiments was to determine if behavioral flexibility impairments would be demonstrated across a variety of procedural factors, including route of administration [intraperitoneal injection (i.p.), intragastric gavage (i.g.)], ethanol dose (3-5 g/kg), number of daily exposures (once/day, twice/day), duration of exposure (2-6 weeks), or length of abstinence (5-7 days). METHODS Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) or vehicle and evaluated for behavioral intoxication, blood ethanol concentrations (BEC), and performance on a reversal learning odor discrimination task. RESULTS While all rats displayed behavioral intoxication and elevated BECs, CIE i.p. rats had prolonged elevation in BECs and made the most errors during the reversal learning task. Unexpectedly, CIE i.g. exposures failed to produce deficits during reversal learning tasks regardless of ethanol dose, frequency/duration of exposure, or length of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral flexibility deficits resulting from CIE i.p. exposures may be due to the severity and chronicity of alcohol intoxication. Elucidating the impact of ethanol on behavioral flexibility is critical for developing a better understanding of the behavioral consequences of chronic alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Badanich
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA.
| | - Mackinzie E Fakih
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Tatyana S Gurina
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | - Emalie K Roy
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Jessica L Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
| | | | - Cheryl L Kirstein
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.,Department of Physiology and Molecular Pharmacology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
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59
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Kakeyama M. [Development of Higher Brain Function Tests in Rodents and Its Application to Neurotoxicity Assessment of Environmental Chemicals]. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi 2016; 70:120-6. [PMID: 25994343 DOI: 10.1265/jjh.70.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The brain during developmental period is thought to be highly sensitive to environmental insults including exposure to chemicals. However, it has been extremely difficult to detect and assess the features and degree of adversity particularly at low exposure levels. I describe here the effects of maternal exposure to dioxin on higher brain functions later in life, which we detected using our originally developed behavioral tests for quantifying higher brain functions in rodents. We first found changes in the mRNA expression levels of glutamate NMDA receptor subunits that have critical roles in learning and memory function in the neocortex and hippocampus. To assess the neocortical and hippocampal functions in rats, we established novel behavioral tests for assessing paired-associate learning, which is the hippocampal and medial prefrontal NMDA-dependent function. Maternal exposure to dioxin, at a low level of which does not affect simple memory formation, resulted in the disturbance of the paired-associate learning. On the basis of the above learning paradigm, we next developed a behavioral flexibility task and a social competitive task for mice using the automated behavioral assessment system ‘IntelliCage’: this system can accommodate 16 mice at the same time to monitor and record their behavior. Using this system, we found that male mice born to dams exposed to very low doses of dioxin showed inflexibility in a serial reversal learning task and socially low-dominance behavior under a competitive situation. Immunohistochemical analysis of putative neuronal activity markers revealed hypoactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of dioxin-exposed mice. We speculate that mPFC hypoactivity reflects the dioxin-induced higher brain dysfunction and may be associated with some psychiatric illnesses and related problems. These behavioral tests were found to be useful for studying the higher brain functions of rats and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kakeyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, CDBIM, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 2) Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience & Preventive Medicine, Waseda University Faculty of Human Sciences
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60
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Macpherson T, Morita M, Wang Y, Sasaoka T, Sawa A, Hikida T. Nucleus accumbens dopamine D2-receptor expressing neurons control behavioral flexibility in a place discrimination task in the IntelliCage. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:359-64. [PMID: 27317196 PMCID: PMC4918782 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042507.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Considerable evidence has demonstrated a critical role for the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the acquisition and flexibility of behavioral strategies. These processes are guided by the activity of two discrete neuron types, dopamine D1- or D2-receptor expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-/D2-MSNs). Here we used the IntelliCage, an automated group-housing experimental cage apparatus, in combination with a reversible neurotransmission blocking technique to examine the role of NAc D1- and D2-MSNs in the acquisition and reversal learning of a place discrimination task. We demonstrated that NAc D1- and D2-MSNs do not mediate the acquisition of the task, but that suppression of activity in D2-MSNs impairs reversal learning and increased perseverative errors. Additionally, global knockout of the dopamine D2L receptor isoform produced a similar behavioral phenotype to D2-MSN-blocked mice. These results suggest that D2L receptors and NAc D2-MSNs act to suppress the influence of previously correct behavioral strategies allowing transfer of behavioral control to new strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Macpherson
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Makiko Morita
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Toshikuni Sasaoka
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Takatoshi Hikida
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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61
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Sano K, Isobe T, Yang J, Win-Shwe TT, Yoshikane M, Nakayama SF, Kawashima T, Suzuki G, Hashimoto S, Nohara K, Tohyama C, Maekawa F. In utero and Lactational Exposure to Acetamiprid Induces Abnormalities in Socio-Sexual and Anxiety-Related Behaviors of Male Mice. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:228. [PMID: 27375407 PMCID: PMC4891355 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoids, a widely used group of pesticides designed to selectively bind to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, were considered relatively safe for mammalian species. However, they have been found to activate vertebrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and could be toxic to the mammalian brain. In the present study, we evaluated the developmental neurotoxicity of acetamiprid (ACE), one of the most widely used neonicotinoids, in C57BL/6J mice whose mothers were administered ACE via gavage at doses of either 0 mg/kg (control group), 1.0 mg/kg (low-dose group), or 10.0 mg/kg (high-dose group) from gestational day 6 to lactation day 21. The results of a battery of behavior tests for socio-sexual and anxiety-related behaviors, the numbers of vasopressin-immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, and testosterone levels were used as endpoints. In addition, behavioral flexibility in mice was assessed in a group-housed environment using the IntelliCage, a fully automated mouse behavioral analysis system. In adult male mice exposed to ACE at both low and high doses, a significant reduction of anxiety level was found in the light-dark transition test. Males in the low-dose group also showed a significant increase in sexual and aggressive behaviors. In contrast, neither the anxiety levels nor the sexual behaviors of females were altered. No reductions in the testosterone level, the number of vasopressin-immunoreactive cells, or behavioral flexibility were detected in either sex. These results suggest the possibility that in utero and lactational ACE exposure interferes with the development of the neural circuits required for executing socio-sexual and anxiety-related behaviors in male mice specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Sano
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Isobe
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tin-Tin Win-Shwe
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Mitsuha Yoshikane
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takaharu Kawashima
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Go Suzuki
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukuba, Japan; Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental StudiesTsukuba, Japan
| | - Shunji Hashimoto
- Center for Environmental Measurement and Analysis, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Keiko Nohara
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Fumihiko Maekawa
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
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Koskela M, Bäck S, Võikar V, Richie CT, Domanskyi A, Harvey BK, Airavaara M. Update of neurotrophic factors in neurobiology of addiction and future directions. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 97:189-200. [PMID: 27189755 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease and drugs of abuse cause long lasting neuroadaptations. Addiction is characterized by the loss of control over drug use despite harmful consequences, and high rates of relapse even after long periods of abstinence. Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are well known for their actions on neuronal survival in the peripheral nervous system. Moreover, NTFs have been shown to be involved in synaptic plasticity in the brain. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are two of the most studied NTFs and both of them have been reported to increase craving when administered into the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system after drug self-administration. Here we review recent data on BDNF and GDNF functions in addiction-related behavior and discuss them in relation to previous findings. Finally, we give an insight into how new technologies could aid in further elucidating the role of these factors in drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Koskela
- Institute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susanne Bäck
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vootele Võikar
- Neuroscience Center, P.O. Box 56, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Christopher T Richie
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrii Domanskyi
- Institute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Brandon K Harvey
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Institute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
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63
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Netrakanti PR, Cooper BH, Dere E, Poggi G, Winkler D, Brose N, Ehrenreich H. Fast cerebellar reflex circuitry requires synaptic vesicle priming by munc13-3. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 14:264-83. [PMID: 25617111 PMCID: PMC4441738 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0645-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Munc13-3 is a member of the Munc13 family of synaptic vesicle priming proteins and mainly expressed in cerebellar neurons. Munc13-3 null mutant (Munc13-3−/−) mice show decreased synaptic release probability at parallel fiber to Purkinje cell, granule cell to Golgi cell, and granule cell to basket cell synapses and exhibit a motor learning deficit at highest rotarod speeds. Since we detected Munc13-3 immunoreactivity in the dentate gyrus, as reported here for the first time, and current studies indicated a crucial role for the cerebellum in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory, we systematically investigated Munc13-3−/− mice versus wild-type littermates of both genders with respect to hippocampus-related cognition and a range of basic behaviors, including tests for anxiety, sensory functions, motor performance and balance, sensorimotor gating, social interaction and competence, and repetitive and compulsive behaviors. Neither basic behavior nor hippocampus-dependent cognitive performance, evaluated by Morris water maze, hole board working and reference memory, IntelliCage-based place learning including multiple reversals, and fear conditioning, showed any difference between genotypes. However, consistent with a disturbed cerebellar reflex circuitry, a reliable reduction in the acoustic startle response in both male and female Munc13-3−/− mice was found. To conclude, complete deletion of Munc13-3 leads to a robust decrease in the acoustic startle response. This readout of a fast cerebellar reflex circuitry obviously requires synaptic vesicle priming by Munc13-3 for full functionality, in contrast to other behavioral or cognitive features, where a nearly perfect compensation of Munc13-3 deficiency by related synaptic proteins has to be assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Rao Netrakanti
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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Jensen M, Ratner C, Rudenko O, Christiansen SH, Skov LJ, Hundahl C, Woldbye DPD, Holst B. Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Increased Ghrelin Receptor Signaling in the Amygdala. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 19:pyv123. [PMID: 26578081 PMCID: PMC4886665 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Besides the well-known effects of ghrelin on adiposity and food intake regulation, the ghrelin system has been shown to regulate aspects of behavior including anxiety and stress. However, the effect of virus-mediated overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala has not previously been addressed directly. METHODS First, we examined the acute effect of peripheral ghrelin administration on anxiety- and depression-like behavior using the open field, elevated plus maze, forced swim, and tail suspension tests. Next, we examined the effect of peripheral ghrelin administration and ghrelin receptor deficiency on stress in a familiar and social environment using the Intellicage system. Importantly, we also used a novel approach to study ghrelin receptor signaling in the brain by overexpressing the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala. We examined the effect of ghrelin receptor overexpression on anxiety-related behavior before and after acute stress and measured the modulation of serotonin receptor expression. RESULTS We found that ghrelin caused an anxiolytic-like effect in both the open field and elevated plus maze tests. Additionally, it attenuated air-puff-induced stress in the social environment, while the opposite was shown in ghrelin receptor deficient mice. Finally, we found that overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the basolateral division of the amygdala caused an anxiolytic-like effect and decreased the 5HT1a receptor expression. CONCLUSIONS Ghrelin administration and overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala induces anxiolytic-like behavior. Since the ghrelin receptor has high constitutive activity, ligand-independent signaling in vivo may be important for the observed anxiolytic-like effects. The anxiolytic effects seem to be mediated independently from the HPA axis, potentially engaging the central serotonin system.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/drug effects
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Amygdala/physiopathology
- Animals
- Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology
- Anxiety/genetics
- Anxiety/metabolism
- Anxiety/prevention & control
- Anxiety/psychology
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Female
- Ghrelin/pharmacology
- Hindlimb Suspension
- Humans
- Locomotion/drug effects
- Male
- Maze Learning/drug effects
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A/metabolism
- Receptors, Ghrelin/agonists
- Receptors, Ghrelin/genetics
- Receptors, Ghrelin/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Social Behavior
- Stress, Psychological/complications
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/psychology
- Swimming
- Time Factors
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Jensen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Cecilia Ratner
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Olga Rudenko
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Søren H Christiansen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Louise J Skov
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Cecilie Hundahl
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Birgitte Holst
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye).
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65
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Aung KH, Kyi-Tha-Thu C, Sano K, Nakamura K, Tanoue A, Nohara K, Kakeyama M, Tohyama C, Tsukahara S, Maekawa F. Prenatal Exposure to Arsenic Impairs Behavioral Flexibility and Cortical Structure in Mice. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:137. [PMID: 27064386 PMCID: PMC4814721 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to arsenic from well water in developing countries is suspected to cause developmental neurotoxicity. Although, it has been demonstrated that exposure to sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) suppresses neurite outgrowth of cortical neurons in vitro, it is largely unknown how developmental exposure to NaAsO2 impairs higher brain function and affects cortical histology. Here, we investigated the effect of prenatal NaAsO2 exposure on the behavior of mice in adulthood, and evaluated histological changes in the prelimbic cortex (PrL), which is a part of the medial prefrontal cortex that is critically involved in cognition. Drinking water with or without NaAsO2 (85 ppm) was provided to pregnant C3H mice from gestational days 8 to 18, and offspring of both sexes were subjected to cognitive behavioral analyses at 60 weeks of age. The brains of female offspring were subsequently harvested and used for morphometrical analyses. We found that both male and female mice prenatally exposed to NaAsO2 displayed an impaired adaptation to repetitive reversal tasks. In morphometrical analyses of Nissl- or Golgi-stained tissue sections, we found that NaAsO2 exposure was associated with a significant increase in the number of pyramidal neurons in layers V and VI of the PrL, but not other layers of the PrL. More strikingly, prenatal NaAsO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in neurite length but not dendrite spine density in all layers of the PrL. Taken together, our results indicate that prenatal exposure to NaAsO2 leads to behavioral inflexibility in adulthood and cortical disarrangement in the PrL might contribute to this behavioral impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyaw H Aung
- Division of Life Science, Saitama UniversitySaitama, Japan; Department of Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and DevelopmentSetagaya, Japan
| | | | - Kazuhiro Sano
- Molecular Toxicology Section, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Nakamura
- Department of Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development Setagaya, Japan
| | - Akito Tanoue
- Department of Pharmacology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development Setagaya, Japan
| | - Keiko Nohara
- Molecular Toxicology Section, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masaki Kakeyama
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University Tokorozawa, Japan
| | | | | | - Fumihiko Maekawa
- Molecular Toxicology Section, National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba, Japan
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66
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The light spot test: Measuring anxiety in mice in an automated home-cage environment. Behav Brain Res 2015; 294:123-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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67
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CD40-TNF activation in mice induces extended sickness behavior syndrome co-incident with but not dependent on activation of the kynurenine pathway. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 50:125-140. [PMID: 26173174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.06.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The similarity between sickness behavior syndrome (SBS) in infection and autoimmune disorders and certain symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD), and the high co-morbidity of autoimmune disorders and MDD, constitutes some of the major evidence for the immune-inflammation hypothesis of MDD. CD40 ligand-CD40 immune-activation is important in host response to infection and in development of autoimmunity. Mice given a single intra-peritoneal injection of CD40 agonist antibody (CD40AB) develop SBS for 2-3days characterized by weight loss and increased sleep, effects that are dependent on the cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Here we report that CD40AB also induces behavioral effects that extend beyond acute SBS and co-occur with but are not mediated by kynurenine pathway activation and recovery. CD40AB led to decreased saccharin drinking (days 1-7) and decreased Pavlovian fear conditioning (days 5-6), and was without effect on physical fatigue (day 5). These behavioral effects co-occurred with increased plasma and brain levels of kynurenine and its metabolites (days 1-7/8). Co-injection of TNF blocker etanercept with CD40AB prevented each of SBS, reduced saccharin drinking, and kynurenine pathway activation in plasma and brain. Repeated oral administration of a selective indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor blocked activation of the kynurenine pathway but was without effect on SBS and saccharin drinking. This study provides novel evidence that CD40-TNF activation induces deficits in saccharin drinking and Pavlovian fear learning and activates the kynurenine pathway, and that CD40-TNF activation of the kynurenine pathway is not necessary for induction of the acute or extended SBS effects.
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68
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Gapp K, Soldado-Magraner S, Alvarez-Sánchez M, Bohacek J, Vernaz G, Shu H, Franklin TB, Wolfer D, Mansuy IM. Early life stress in fathers improves behavioural flexibility in their offspring. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5466. [PMID: 25405779 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic experiences in childhood can alter behavioural responses and increase the risk for psychopathologies across life, not only in the exposed individuals but also in their progeny. In some conditions, such experiences can however be beneficial and facilitate the appraisal of adverse environments later in life. Here we expose newborn mice to unpredictable maternal separation combined with unpredictable maternal stress (MSUS) for 2 weeks and assess the impact on behaviour in the offspring when adult. We show that MSUS in male mice favours goal-directed behaviours and behavioural flexibility in the adult offspring. This effect is accompanied by epigenetic changes involving histone post-translational modifications at the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) gene and decreased MR expression in the hippocampus. Mimicking these changes pharmacologically in vivo reproduces the behavioural phenotype. These findings highlight the beneficial impact that early adverse experiences can have in adulthood, and the implication of epigenetic modes of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gapp
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Saray Soldado-Magraner
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - María Alvarez-Sánchez
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-88057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gregoire Vernaz
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Huan Shu
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - David Wolfer
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), Institute of Anatomy of the University of Zürich, and Institute for Human Movement Sciences of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich and Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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69
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Early deprivation induces competitive subordinance in C57BL/6 male mice. Physiol Behav 2014; 137:42-52. [PMID: 25089814 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Rodent models have been widely used to investigate the impact of early life stress on adult health and behavior. However, the social dimension has rarely been incorporated into the analysis due to methodological limitations. This study characterized the effects of neonatal social isolation (early deprivation, ED) on adult C57BL/6 mouse behavior in a social context using our recently developed behavioral test protocols for group-housed mice. During the first two postnatal weeks, half of the pups per dam were separated from their dam and littermates for 3h per day (ED group). Post weaning, ED and control pups were electronically tagged and co-housed. At 12weeks, the mixed cohorts were transferred to IntelliCages, equipped with computer-controlled operant chambers. Access to the chambers was used as an index to analyze novel object response, behavioral flexibility, and competitive dominance with minimal experimenter intervention. In general, ED had greater effects on males; ED males exhibited reduced body weight, increased novelty response, and were subordinate to control littermates when competing for reward access. Male ED mice also demonstrated mildly impaired reversal learning. Analyzing gene expression changes in brain regions controlling emotion, stress, spatial memory, and executive function revealed reduced BDNF and c-Fos in hippocampal CA1, enhanced c-Fos in the basolateral amygdala, reduced Map2 while enhanced HSD11β2 in prefrontal cortex of ED males. In male mice, it was suggested that neonatal social isolation results in sustained changes in social behavior with altered function of limbic and frontal cortices.
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70
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Richter SH, Vogel AS, Ueltzhöffer K, Muzzillo C, Vogt MA, Lankisch K, Armbruster-Genç DJN, Riva MA, Fiebach CJ, Gass P, Vollmayr B. Touchscreen-paradigm for mice reveals cross-species evidence for an antagonistic relationship of cognitive flexibility and stability. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:154. [PMID: 24834036 PMCID: PMC4017158 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The abilities to either flexibly adjust behavior according to changing demands (cognitive flexibility) or to maintain it in the face of potential distractors (cognitive stability) are critical for adaptive behavior in many situations. Recently, a novel human paradigm has found individual differences of cognitive flexibility and stability to be related to common prefrontal networks. The aims of the present study were, first, to translate this paradigm from humans to mice and, second, to test conceptual predictions of a computational model of prefrontal working memory mechanisms, the Dual State Theory, which assumes an antagonistic relation between cognitive flexibility and stability. Mice were trained in a touchscreen-paradigm to discriminate visual cues. The task involved “ongoing” and cued “switch” trials. In addition distractor cues were interspersed to test the ability to resist distraction, and an ambiguous condition assessed the spontaneous switching between two possible responses without explicit cues. While response times did not differ substantially between conditions, error rates (ER) increased from the “ongoing” baseline condition to the most complex condition, where subjects were required to switch between two responses in the presence of a distracting cue. Importantly, subjects switching more often spontaneously were found to be more distractible by task irrelevant cues, but also more flexible in situations, where switching was required. These results support a dichotomy of cognitive flexibility and stability as predicted by the Dual State Theory. Furthermore, they replicate critical aspects of the human paradigm, which indicates the translational potential of the testing procedure and supports the use of touchscreen procedures in preclinical animal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Helene Richter
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anne S Vogel
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kai Ueltzhöffer
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Chiara Muzzillo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam A Vogt
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany
| | - Katja Lankisch
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Diana J N Armbruster-Genç
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Christian J Fiebach
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany ; Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Barbara Vollmayr
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University Mannheim, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
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71
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Vannoni E, Voikar V, Colacicco G, Sánchez MA, Lipp HP, Wolfer DP. Spontaneous behavior in the social homecage discriminates strains, lesions and mutations in mice. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 234:26-37. [PMID: 24792526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 04/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern molecular genetics create a rapidly growing number of mutant mouse lines, many of which need to be phenotyped behaviorally. Poor reliability and low efficiency of traditional behavioral tests have prompted the development of new approaches to behavioral phenotyping, such as fully automated analysis of behavior in the homecage. NEW METHOD We asked whether the analysis of spontaneous behavior during the first week in the social homecage system IntelliCage could provide useful prescreening information before specialized and time consuming test batteries are run. To determine how much behavioral variation is captured in this data, we performed principal component analysis on free adaptation data of 1552 mice tested in the IntelliCage during the past years. We then computed individual component scores to characterize and compare groups of mice. RESULT We found 11 uncorrelated components which accounted for 82% of total variance. They characterize frequency and properties of corner visits and nosepokes, drinking activity, spatial distribution, as well as diurnal time course of activity. Behavioral profiles created using individual component scores were highly characteristic for different inbred strains or different lesion models of the nervous system. They were also remarkably stable across labs and experiments. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Monitoring of mutant mice with known deficits in hippocampus-dependent tests produced profiles very similar to those of hippocampally lesioned mice. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that already the monitoring of spontaneous behavior during a week of free adaptation in the IntelliCage can contribute significantly to high throughput prescreening of mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - María Alvarez Sánchez
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
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72
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Puścian A, Lęski S, Górkiewicz T, Meyza K, Lipp HP, Knapska E. A novel automated behavioral test battery assessing cognitive rigidity in two genetic mouse models of autism. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:140. [PMID: 24808839 PMCID: PMC4010752 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Repetitive behaviors are a key feature of many pervasive developmental disorders, such as autism. As a heterogeneous group of symptoms, repetitive behaviors are conceptualized into two main subgroups: sensory/motor (lower-order) and cognitive rigidity (higher-order). Although lower-order repetitive behaviors are measured in mouse models in several paradigms, so far there have been no high-throughput tests directly measuring cognitive rigidity. We describe a novel approach for monitoring repetitive behaviors during reversal learning in mice in the automated IntelliCage system. During the reward-motivated place preference reversal learning, designed to assess cognitive abilities of mice, visits to the previously rewarded places were recorded to measure cognitive flexibility. Thereafter, emotional flexibility was assessed by measuring conditioned fear extinction. Additionally, to look for neuronal correlates of cognitive impairments, we measured CA3-CA1 hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP). To standardize the designed tests we used C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, representing two genetic backgrounds, for induction of autism by prenatal exposure to the sodium valproate. We found impairments of place learning related to perseveration and no LTP impairments in C57BL/6 valproate-treated mice. In contrast, BALB/c valproate-treated mice displayed severe deficits of place learning not associated with perseverative behaviors and accompanied by hippocampal LTP impairments. Alterations of cognitive flexibility observed in C57BL/6 valproate-treated mice were related to neither restricted exploration pattern nor to emotional flexibility. Altogether, we showed that the designed tests of cognitive performance and perseverative behaviors are efficient and highly replicable. Moreover, the results suggest that genetic background is crucial for the behavioral effects of prenatal valproate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Puścian
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
| | - Szymon Lęski
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Górkiewicz
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ksenia Meyza
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Kwazulu-Natal University Durban, South Africa
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology Warsaw, Poland
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73
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Albuquerque B, Häussler A, Vannoni E, Wolfer DP, Tegeder I. Learning and memory with neuropathic pain: impact of old age and progranulin deficiency. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:174. [PMID: 24319417 PMCID: PMC3837228 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent neuropathic pain is a frequent consequence of peripheral nerve injuries, particularly in the elderly. Using the IntelliCage we studied if sciatic nerve injury obstructed learning and memory in young and aged mice, each in wild type and progranulin deficient mice, which develop premature signs of brain aging. Both young and aged mice developed long-term nerve injury-evoked hyperalgesia and allodynia. In both genotypes, aged mice with neuropathic pain showed high error rates in place avoidance acquisition tasks. However, once learnt, these aged mice with neuropathic pain showed a significantly stronger maintenance of the aversive memory. Nerve injury did not affect place preference behavior in neither genotype, neither in young nor aged mice. However, nerve injury in progranulin deficient mice impaired the learning of spatial sequences of awarded places, particularly in the aged mice. This task required a discrimination of clockwise and anti-clockwise sequences. The chaining failure occurred only in progranulin deficient mice after nerve injury, but not in sham operated or wildtype mice, suggesting that progranulin was particularly important for compensatory adaptations after nerve injury. In contrast, all aged mice with neuropathic pain, irrespective of the genotype, had a long maintenance of aversive memory suggesting a negative alliance and possibly mutual aggravation of chronic neuropathic pain and aversive memory at old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Albuquerque
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, pharmazentrum frankfurt, Goethe-University Hospital Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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74
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van den Bos R, Davies W, Dellu-Hagedorn F, Goudriaan AE, Granon S, Homberg J, Rivalan M, Swendsen J, Adriani W. Cross-species approaches to pathological gambling: a review targeting sex differences, adolescent vulnerability and ecological validity of research tools. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:2454-71. [PMID: 23867802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Decision-making plays a pivotal role in daily life as impairments in processes underlying decision-making often lead to an inability to make profitable long-term decisions. As a case in point, pathological gamblers continue gambling despite the fact that this disrupts their personal, professional or financial life. The prevalence of pathological gambling will likely increase in the coming years due to expanding possibilities of on-line gambling through the Internet and increasing liberal attitudes towards gambling. It therefore represents a growing concern for society. Both human and animal studies rapidly advance our knowledge on brain-behaviour processes relevant for understanding normal and pathological gambling behaviour. Here, we review in humans and animals three features of pathological gambling which hitherto have received relatively little attention: (1) sex differences in (the development of) pathological gambling, (2) adolescence as a (putative) sensitive period for (developing) pathological gambling and (3) avenues for improving ecological validity of research tools. Based on these issues we also discuss how research in humans and animals may be brought in line to maximize translational research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud van den Bos
- Department of Organismal Animal Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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75
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Automated long-term tracking and social behavioural phenotyping of animal colonies within a semi-natural environment. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2018. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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76
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Ogi H, Itoh K, Fushiki S. Social behavior is perturbed in mice after exposure to bisphenol A: a novel assessment employing an IntelliCage. Brain Behav 2013; 3:223-8. [PMID: 23785654 PMCID: PMC3683282 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to investigate whether or not prenatal and lactational exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) affects social behavior in mice, pregnant mice were exposed to 500 μg/kg of BPA daily from embryonic day 0 (E0) until postnatal day 21 (P21). The behavior of offspring was monitored at 11-13 and 13-15 weeks of age using an automated behavior assessment system (IntelliCage). Groups of eight mice were tasked with a nose poke, which enabled the mice to open a door to drink bottled water at the corner of their cage. BPA-exposed females visited the corner without drinking behavior during the light cycle less frequently than control female mice did. BPA-exposed males stayed at the corner for longer periods of time and showed a significantly stronger bias in the visit with drinking. In addition, the BPA-exposed males showed a shorter time interval before they visited the corner after preceding animals had visited it, compared with the control males. These findings suggest that prenatal and lactational BPA exposure might affect murine motivational behavior in a social setting differently in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ogi
- Department of Pathology and Applied Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Kyoto, Japan
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77
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Endo T, Kakeyama M, Uemura Y, Haijima A, Okuno H, Bito H, Tohyama C. Executive function deficits and social-behavioral abnormality in mice exposed to a low dose of dioxin in utero and via lactation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50741. [PMID: 23251380 PMCID: PMC3520971 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing prevalence of mental health problems has been partly ascribed to abnormal brain development that is induced upon exposure to environmental chemicals. However, it has been extremely difficult to detect and assess such causality particularly at low exposure levels. To address this question, we here investigated higher brain function in mice exposed to dioxin in utero and via lactation by using our recently developed automated behavioral flexibility test and immunohistochemistry of neuronal activation markers Arc, at the 14 brain areas. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were given orally a low dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) at a dose of either 0, 0.6 or 3.0 µg/kg on gestation day 12.5. When the pups reached adulthood, they were group-housed in IntelliCage to assess their behavior. As a result, the offspring born to dams exposed to 0.6 µg TCDD/kg were shown to have behavioral inflexibility, compulsive repetitive behavior, and dramatically lowered competitive dominance. In these mice, immunohistochemistry of Arc exhibited the signs of hypoactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hyperactivation of the amygdala. Intriguingly, mice exposed to 3.0 µg/kg were hardly affected in both the behavioral and neuronal activation indices, indicating that the robust, non-monotonic dose-response relationship. In conclusion, this study showed for the first time that perinatal exposure to a low dose of TCDD in mice develops executive function deficits and social behavioral abnormality accompanied with the signs of imbalanced mPFC-amygdala activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Endo
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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78
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Counotte DS, Smit AB, Spijker S. The Yin and Yang of Nicotine: Harmful during Development, Beneficial in Adult Patient Populations. Front Pharmacol 2012; 3:180. [PMID: 23060798 PMCID: PMC3465852 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 09/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine has remarkably diverse effects on the brain. Being the main active compound in tobacco, nicotine can aversively affect brain development. However, it has the ability to act positively by restoring attentional capabilities in smokers. Here, we focus on nicotine exposure during the prenatal and adolescent developmental periods and specifically, we will review the long-lasting effects of nicotine on attention, both in humans and animal models. We discuss the reciprocal relation of the beneficial effects of nicotine, improving attention in smokers and in patients with neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, vs. nicotine-related attention deficits already caused during adolescence. Given the need for research on the mechanisms of nicotine's cognitive actions, we discuss some of the recent work performed in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S. Counotte
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of MarylandBaltimore, MD, USA
| | - August B. Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU UniversityAmsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sabine Spijker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU UniversityAmsterdam, Netherlands
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79
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IntelliCage provides voluntary exercise and an enriched environment, improving locomotive activity in mice following fluid percussion injury. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baga.2012.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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80
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Hunsaker MR. Comprehensive neurocognitive endophenotyping strategies for mouse models of genetic disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 96:220-41. [PMID: 22266125 PMCID: PMC3289520 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 12/06/2011] [Accepted: 12/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
There is a need for refinement of the current behavioral phenotyping methods for mouse models of genetic disorders. The current approach is to perform a behavioral screen using standardized tasks to define a broad phenotype of the model. This phenotype is then compared to what is known concerning the disorder being modeled. The weakness inherent in this approach is twofold: First, the tasks that make up these standard behavioral screens do not model specific behaviors associated with a given genetic mutation but rather phenotypes affected in various genetic disorders; secondly, these behavioral tasks are insufficiently sensitive to identify subtle phenotypes. An alternate phenotyping strategy is to determine the core behavioral phenotypes of the genetic disorder being studied and develop behavioral tasks to evaluate specific hypotheses concerning the behavioral consequences of the genetic mutation. This approach emphasizes direct comparisons between the mouse and human that facilitate the development of neurobehavioral biomarkers or quantitative outcome measures for studies of genetic disorders across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hunsaker
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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