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Kentner AC, Bilbo SD, Brown AS, Hsiao EY, McAllister AK, Meyer U, Pearce BD, Pletnikov MV, Yolken RH, Bauman MD. Maternal immune activation: reporting guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the model. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:245-258. [PMID: 30188509 PMCID: PMC6300528 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The 2017 American College of Neuropychopharmacology (ACNP) conference hosted a Study Group on 4 December 2017, Establishing best practice guidelines to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and transparency of the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. The goals of this session were to (a) evaluate the current literature and establish a consensus on best practices to be implemented in MIA studies, (b) identify remaining research gaps warranting additional data collection and lend to the development of evidence-based best practice design, and (c) inform the MIA research community of these findings. During this session, there was a detailed discussion on the importance of validating immunogen doses and standardizing the general design (e.g., species, immunogenic compound used, housing) of our MIA models both within and across laboratories. The consensus of the study group was that data does not currently exist to support specific evidence-based model selection or methodological recommendations due to lack of consistency in reporting, and that this issue extends to other inflammatory models of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This launched a call to establish a reporting checklist focusing on validation, implementation, and transparency modeled on the ARRIVE Guidelines and CONSORT (scientific reporting guidelines for animal and clinical research, respectively). Here we provide a summary of the discussions in addition to a suggested checklist of reporting guidelines needed to improve the rigor and reproducibility of this valuable translational model, which can be adapted and applied to other animal models as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C. Kentner
- 0000 0001 0021 3995grid.416498.6School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA USA
| | - Staci D. Bilbo
- 000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cDepartment of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,0000 0004 0386 9924grid.32224.35Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA USA
| | - Alan S. Brown
- 0000000419368729grid.21729.3fDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY USA ,0000 0000 8499 1112grid.413734.6New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
| | - Elaine Y. Hsiao
- 0000 0000 9632 6718grid.19006.3eDepartment of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - A. Kimberley McAllister
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bCenter for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Urs Meyer
- 0000 0004 1937 0650grid.7400.3Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland ,0000 0004 1937 0650grid.7400.3Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brad D. Pearce
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, and Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Mikhail V. Pletnikov
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Robert H. Yolken
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Pediatrics, Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bThe UC Davis MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA
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Bergdolt L, Dunaevsky A. Brain changes in a maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:1-19. [PMID: 30590095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of insults. Epidemiological studies have identified prenatal exposure to infection as a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this association and have been used to probe the contribution of gene-environment interactions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we review the behavior and brain phenotypes that have been characterized in MIA offspring, including the studies that have looked at the interaction between maternal immune activation and genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. These phenotypes include behaviors relevant to autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders, alterations in brain anatomy, and structural and functional neuronal impairments. The link between maternal infection and these phenotypic changes is not fully understood, but there is increasing evidence that maternal immune activation induces prolonged immune alterations in the offspring's brain which could underlie epigenetic alterations which in turn may mediate the behavior and brain changes. These concepts will be discussed followed by a summary of the pharmacological interventions that have been tested in the maternal immune activation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Bergdolt
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Anna Dunaevsky
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States.
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53
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Brown AS, Meyer U. Maternal Immune Activation and Neuropsychiatric Illness: A Translational Research Perspective. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:1073-1083. [PMID: 30220221 PMCID: PMC6408273 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17121311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiologic studies, including prospective birth cohort investigations, have implicated maternal immune activation in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal infectious pathogens and inflammation are plausible risk factors for these outcomes and have been associated with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder. Concurrent with epidemiologic research are animal models of prenatal immune activation, which have documented behavioral, neurochemical, neuroanatomic, and neurophysiologic disruptions that mirror phenotypes observed in these neuropsychiatric disorders. Epidemiologic studies of maternal immune activation offer the advantage of directly evaluating human populations but are limited in their ability to uncover pathogenic mechanisms. Animal models, on the other hand, are limited in their generalizability to psychiatric disorders but have made significant strides toward discovering causal relationships and biological pathways between maternal immune activation and neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Incorporating these risk factors in reverse translational animal models of maternal immune activation has yielded a wealth of data supporting the predictive potential of epidemiologic studies. To further enhance the translatability between epidemiology and basic science, the authors propose a complementary approach that includes deconstructing neuropsychiatric outcomes of maternal immune activation into key pathophysiologically defined phenotypes that are identifiable in humans and animals and that evaluate the interspecies concordance regarding interactions between maternal immune activation and genetic and epigenetic factors, including processes involving intergenerational disease transmission. [AJP AT 175: Remembering Our Past As We Envision Our Future October 1857: The Pathology of Insanity J.C. Bucknill: "In the brain the state of inflammation itself either very quickly ceases or very soon causes death; but when it does cease it leaves behind it consequences which are frequently the causes of insanity, and the conditions of cerebral atrophy." (Am J Psychiatry 1857; 14:172-193 )].
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan S. Brown
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Cattane N, Richetto J, Cattaneo A. Prenatal exposure to environmental insults and enhanced risk of developing Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder: focus on biological pathways and epigenetic mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 117:253-278. [PMID: 29981347 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
When considering neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), Schizophrenia (SZ) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are considered to be among the most severe in term of prevalence, morbidity and impact on the society. Similar features and overlapping symptoms have been observed at multiple levels, suggesting common pathophysiological bases. Indeed, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and epidemiological data report shared vulnerability genes and environmental triggers across the two disorders. In this review, we will discuss the possible biological mechanisms, including glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmissions, inflammatory signals and oxidative stress related systems, which are targeted by adverse environmental exposures and that have been associated with the development of SZ and ASD. We will also discuss the emerging role of the gut microbiome as possible interplay between environment, immune system and brain development. Finally, we will describe the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the maintenance of long-lasting effects of adverse environments early in life. This will allow us to better understand the pathophysiology of these NDDs, and also to identify novel targets for future treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Cattane
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Fatebenefratelli San Giovanni di Dio, via Pilastroni 4, Brescia, Italy
| | - Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Fatebenefratelli San Giovanni di Dio, via Pilastroni 4, Brescia, Italy; Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, 125 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NU, London, UK.
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55
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Basil P, Li Q, Gui H, Hui TCK, Ling VHM, Wong CCY, Mill J, McAlonan GM, Sham PC. Prenatal immune activation alters the adult neural epigenome but can be partly stabilised by a n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid diet. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:125. [PMID: 29967385 PMCID: PMC6028639 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0167-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
An unstable epigenome is implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. This is important because the epigenome is potentially modifiable. We have previously reported that adult offspring exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA) prenatally have significant global DNA hypomethylation in the hypothalamus. However, what genes had altered methylation state, their functional effects on gene expression and whether these changes can be moderated, have not been addressed. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) for methylome profiling in a MIA rodent model of neurodevelopmental disorders. We assessed whether differentially methylated regions (DMRs) affected the chromatin state by mapping known DNase I hypersensitivity sites (DHSs), and selected overlapping genes to confirm a functional effect of MIA on gene expression using qPCR. Finally, we tested whether methylation differences elicited by MIA could be limited by post-natal dietary (omega) n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation. These experiments were conducted using hypothalamic brain tissue from 12-week-old offspring of mice injected with viral analogue PolyI:C on gestation day 9 of pregnancy or saline on gestation day 9. Half of the animals from each group were fed a diet enriched with n-3 PUFA from weaning (MIA group, n = 12 units, n = 39 mice; Control group, n = 12 units, n = 38 mice). The results confirmed our previous finding that adult offspring exposed to MIA prenatally had significant global DNA hypomethylation. Furthermore, genes linked to synaptic plasticity were over-represented among differentially methylated genes following MIA. More than 80% of MIA-induced hypomethylated sites, including those affecting chromatin state and MECP2 binding, were stabilised by the n-3 PUFA intervention. MIA resulted in increased expression of two of the 'top five' genes identified from an integrated analysis of DMRs, DHSs and MECP2 binding sites, namely Abat (t = 2.46, p < 0.02) and Gnas9 (t = 2.96, p < 0.01), although these changes were not stabilised by dietary intervention. Thus, prenatal MIA exposure impacts upon the epigenomic regulation of gene pathways linked to neurodevelopmental conditions; and many of the changes can be attenuated by a low-cost dietary intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Basil
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China ,0000 0001 2160 926Xgrid.39382.33Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China ,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Hongsheng Gui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Tomy C. K. Hui
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Vicki H. M. Ling
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Chloe C. Y. Wong
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cMRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Jonathan Mill
- 0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cMRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK ,0000 0004 1936 8024grid.8391.3University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter University, St Luke’s Campus, Magdalen Street, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
| | - Grainne M. McAlonan
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China ,0000 0001 2322 6764grid.13097.3cDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Pak-Chung Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Centre for Genomic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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56
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Lombardo MV, Moon HM, Su J, Palmer TD, Courchesne E, Pramparo T. Maternal immune activation dysregulation of the fetal brain transcriptome and relevance to the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1001-1013. [PMID: 28322282 PMCID: PMC5608645 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) via infection during pregnancy is known to increase risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is unclear how MIA disrupts fetal brain gene expression in ways that may explain this increased risk. Here we examine how MIA dysregulates rat fetal brain gene expression (at a time point analogous to the end of the first trimester of human gestation) in ways relevant to ASD-associated pathophysiology. MIA downregulates expression of ASD-associated genes, with the largest enrichments in genes known to harbor rare highly penetrant mutations. MIA also downregulates expression of many genes also known to be persistently downregulated in the ASD cortex later in life and which are canonically known for roles in affecting prenatally late developmental processes at the synapse. Transcriptional and translational programs that are downstream targets of highly ASD-penetrant FMR1 and CHD8 genes are also heavily affected by MIA. MIA strongly upregulates expression of a large number of genes involved in translation initiation, cell cycle, DNA damage and proteolysis processes that affect multiple key neural developmental functions. Upregulation of translation initiation is common to and preserved in gene network structure with the ASD cortical transcriptome throughout life and has downstream impact on cell cycle processes. The cap-dependent translation initiation gene, EIF4E, is one of the most MIA-dysregulated of all ASD-associated genes and targeted network analyses demonstrate prominent MIA-induced transcriptional dysregulation of mTOR and EIF4E-dependent signaling. This dysregulation of translation initiation via alteration of the Tsc2-mTor-Eif4e axis was further validated across MIA rodent models. MIA may confer increased risk for ASD by dysregulating key aspects of fetal brain gene expression that are highly relevant to pathophysiology affecting ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Lombardo
- Center for Applied Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Neuroscience University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive Suite 201, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. E-mail: or
| | - H M Moon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J Su
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - T D Palmer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - E Courchesne
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - T Pramparo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,Neuroscience University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive Suite 201, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. E-mail: or
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57
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Richetto J, Chesters R, Cattaneo A, Labouesse MA, Gutierrez AMC, Wood TC, Luoni A, Meyer U, Vernon A, Riva MA. Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling and Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Maternal Immune Activation Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:3397-3413. [PMID: 27797829 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to maternal infection increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism. The molecular processes underlying this pathological association, however, are only partially understood. Here, we combined unbiased genome-wide transcriptional profiling with follow-up epigenetic analyses and structural magnetic resonance imaging to explore convergent molecular and neuromorphological alterations in corticostriatal areas of adult offspring exposed to prenatal immune activation. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling revealed that prenatal immune activation caused a differential expression of 116 and 251 genes in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, respectively. A large part of genes that were commonly affected in both brain areas were related to myelin functionality and stability. Subsequent epigenetic analyses indicated that altered DNA methylation of promoter regions might contribute to the differential expression of myelin-related genes. Quantitative relaxometry comparing T1, T2, and myelin water fraction revealed sparse increases in T1 relaxation times and consistent reductions in T2 relaxation times. Together, our multi-system approach demonstrates that prenatal viral-like immune activation causes myelin-related transcriptional and epigenetic changes in corticostriatal areas. Even though these abnormalities do not seem to be associated with overt white matter reduction, they may provide a molecular mechanism whereby prenatal infection can impair myelin functionality and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert Chesters
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, IRCCS Fatebenefratelli San Giovanni di Dio, Brescia, Italy.,Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ana Maria Carrillo Gutierrez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias C Wood
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alessia Luoni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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58
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Ciernia AV, Careaga M, Ashwood P, LaSalle J. Microglia from offspring of dams with allergic asthma exhibit epigenomic alterations in genes dysregulated in autism. Glia 2018; 66:505-521. [PMID: 29134693 PMCID: PMC5767155 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation in immune responses during pregnancy increases the risk of a having a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases among pregnant women, and symptoms often worsen during pregnancy. We recently developed a mouse model of maternal allergic asthma (MAA) that induces changes in sociability, repetitive, and perseverative behaviors in the offspring. Since epigenetic changes help a static genome adapt to the maternal environment, activation of the immune system may epigenetically alter fetal microglia, the brain's resident immune cells. We therefore tested the hypothesis that epigenomic alterations to microglia may be involved in behavioral abnormalities observed in MAA offspring. We used the genome-wide approaches of whole genome bisulfite sequencing to examine DNA methylation and RNA sequencing to examine gene expression in microglia from juvenile MAA offspring. Differentially methylated regions were enriched for immune signaling pathways and important microglial developmental transcription factor binding motifs. Differential expression analysis identified genes involved in controlling microglial sensitivity to the environment and shaping neuronal connections in the developing brain. Differentially expressed genes significantly overlapped genes with altered expression in human ASD cortex, supporting a role for microglia in the pathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Vogel Ciernia
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Milo Careaga
- MIND Institute, 2825 50 Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, University of California, Davis
| | - Paul Ashwood
- MIND Institute, 2825 50 Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, University of California, Davis
| | - Janine LaSalle
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
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Howes OD, Rogdaki M, Findon JL, Wichers RH, Charman T, King BH, Loth E, McAlonan GM, McCracken JT, Parr JR, Povey C, Santosh P, Wallace S, Simonoff E, Murphy DG. Autism spectrum disorder: Consensus guidelines on assessment, treatment and research from the British Association for Psychopharmacology. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:3-29. [PMID: 29237331 PMCID: PMC5805024 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117741766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An expert review of the aetiology, assessment, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, and recommendations for diagnosis, management and service provision was coordinated by the British Association for Psychopharmacology, and evidence graded. The aetiology of autism spectrum disorder involves genetic and environmental contributions, and implicates a number of brain systems, in particular the gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. The presentation of autism spectrum disorder varies widely and co-occurring health problems (in particular epilepsy, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and irritability) are common. We did not recommend the routine use of any pharmacological treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. In children, melatonin may be useful to treat sleep problems, dopamine blockers for irritability, and methylphenidate, atomoxetine and guanfacine for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The evidence for use of medication in adults is limited and recommendations are largely based on extrapolations from studies in children and patients without autism spectrum disorder. We discuss the conditions for considering and evaluating a trial of medication treatment, when non-pharmacological interventions should be considered, and make recommendations on service delivery. Finally, we identify key gaps and limitations in the current evidence base and make recommendations for future research and the design of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- 1 MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- 2 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Rogdaki
- 1 MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
| | - James L Findon
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robert H Wichers
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- 4 Department of Psychology, King's College London, London UK
| | - Bryan H King
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Eva Loth
- 3 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gráinne M McAlonan
- 6 The Sackler Centre and Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry, Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- 7 NIHR-BRC for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - James T McCracken
- 8 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jeremy R Parr
- 9 Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Carol Povey
- 10 The National Autistic Society, London, UK
| | - Paramala Santosh
- 11 Department of Child Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Emily Simonoff
- 13 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- 6 The Sackler Centre and Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry, Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- 7 NIHR-BRC for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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60
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Acute in utero exposure to lipopolysaccharide induces inflammation in the pre- and postnatal brain and alters the glial cytoarchitecture in the developing amygdala. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:212. [PMID: 29096641 PMCID: PMC5667487 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0981-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, as well as seizure development. The amygdala is a brain region involved in the regulation of emotions, and amygdalar maldevelopment due to infection-induced MIA may lead to amygdala-related disorders. MIA priming of glial cells during development has been linked to abnormalities seen in later life; however, little is known about its effects on amygdalar biochemical and cytoarchitecture integrity. Methods Time-mated C57BL6J mice were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on embryonic day 12 (E12), and the effects of MIA were examined at prenatal, neonatal, and postnatal developmental stages using immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative PCR, and stereological quantification of cytoarchitecture changes. Results Fetal brain expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNFα, and IL-6) was significantly upregulated at 4 h postinjection (E12) and remained elevated until the day of birth (P0). In offspring from LPS-treated dams, amygdalar expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was also increased on day 7 (P7) and expression was sustained on day 40 (P40). Toll-like receptor (TLR-2, TLR-4) expression was also upregulated in fetal brains and in the postnatal amygdala in LPS-injected animals. Morphological examination of cells expressing ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) suggested long-term microglial activation and astrogliosis in postnatal amygdalar regions. Conclusions Our results showed that LPS-induced MIA at E12 induces a pro-inflammatory cytokine profile in the developing fetal brain that continues up to early adulthood in the amygdala. Inflammation elicited by MIA may activate cells in the fetal brain and lead to alterations in glial (microglia and astrocyte) cells observed in the postnatal amygdala. Moreover, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and their effects on glial subpopulations may in turn have deleterious consequences for neuronal viability. These MIA-induced changes may predispose offspring to amygdala-related disorders such as heightened anxiety and depression and also neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders.
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Crum WR, Sawiak SJ, Chege W, Cooper JD, Williams SC, Vernon AC. Evolution of structural abnormalities in the rat brain following in utero exposure to maternal immune activation: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:50-59. [PMID: 27940258 PMCID: PMC5441572 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic and environmental risk factors for psychiatric disorders are suggested to disrupt the trajectory of brain maturation during adolescence, leading to the development of psychopathology in adulthood. Rodent models are powerful tools to dissect the specific effects of such risk factors on brain maturational profiles, particularly when combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI; clinically comparable technology). We therefore investigated the effect of maternal immune activation (MIA), an epidemiological risk factor for adult-onset psychiatric disorders, on rat brain maturation using atlas and tensor-based morphometry analysis of longitudinal in vivo MR images. Exposure to MIA resulted in decreases in the volume of several cortical regions, the hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, nucleus accumbens and unexpectedly, the lateral ventricles, relative to controls. In contrast, the volumes of the thalamus, ventral mesencephalon, brain stem and major white matter tracts were larger, relative to controls. These volumetric changes were maximal between post-natal day 50 and 100 with no differences between the groups thereafter. These data are consistent with and extend prior studies of brain structure in MIA-exposed rodents. Apart from the ventricular findings, these data have robust face validity to clinical imaging findings reported in studies of individuals at high clinical risk for a psychiatric disorder. Further work is now required to address the relationship of these MRI changes to behavioral dysfunction and to establish thier cellular correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R. Crum
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Stephen J. Sawiak
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Winfred Chege
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jonathan D. Cooper
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Steven C.R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Anthony C. Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK,Corresponding author at: Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK.Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceInstitute of PsychiatryPsychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute5 Cutcombe RoadLondonSE5 9RTUK
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62
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Layer 3 Excitatory and Inhibitory Circuitry in the Prefrontal Cortex: Developmental Trajectories and Alterations in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:862-873. [PMID: 27455897 PMCID: PMC5136518 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Convergent evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a disorder of neurodevelopment with alterations in both early and late developmental processes hypothesized to contribute to the disease process. Abnormalities in certain clinical features of schizophrenia, such as working memory impairments, depend on distributed neural circuitry including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and appear to arise during the protracted maturation of this circuitry across childhood and adolescence. In particular, the neural circuitry substrate for working memory in primates involves the coordinated activity of excitatory pyramidal neurons and a specific population of inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid neurons (i.e., parvalbumin-containing basket cells) in layer 3 of the DLPFC. Understanding the relationships between the normal development of-and the schizophrenia-associated alterations in-the DLPFC circuitry that subserves working memory could provide new insights into the nature of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Consequently, we review the following in this article: 1) recent findings regarding alterations of DLPFC layer 3 circuitry in schizophrenia, 2) the developmental refinements in this circuitry that occur during the period when the working memory alterations in schizophrenia appear to arise and progress, and 3) how various adverse environmental exposures could contribute to developmental disturbances of this circuitry in individuals with schizophrenia.
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63
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Murray BG, Davies DA, Molder JJ, Howland JG. Maternal immune activation during pregnancy in rats impairs working memory capacity of the offspring. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 141:150-156. [PMID: 28434949 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is an environmental risk factor for psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia in the offspring. Patients with schizophrenia display an array of cognitive symptoms, including impaired working memory capacity. Rodent models have been developed to understand the relationship between maternal immune activation and the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. The present experiment was designed to test whether maternal immune activation with the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) during pregnancy affects working memory capacity of the offspring. Pregnant Long Evans rats were treated with either saline or polyI:C (4mg/kg; i.v.) on gestational day 15. Male offspring of the litters (2-3months of age) were subsequently trained on a nonmatching-to-sample task with odors. After a criterion was met, the rats were tested on the odor span task, which requires rats to remember an increasing span of different odors to receive food reward. Rats were tested using delays of approximately 40s during the acquisition of the task. Importantly, polyI:C- and saline-treated offspring did not differ in performance of the nonmatching-to-sample task suggesting that both groups could perform a relatively simple working memory task. In contrast, polyI:C-treated offspring had reduced span capacity in the middle and late phases of odor span task acquisition. After task acquisition, the rats were tested using the 40s delay and a 10min delay. Both groups showed a delay-dependent decrease in span, although the polyI:C-treated offspring had significantly lower spans regardless of delay. Our results support the validity of the maternal immune activation model for studying the cognitive symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan G Murray
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, GB33, Health Sciences Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Don A Davies
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, GB33, Health Sciences Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Joel J Molder
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, GB33, Health Sciences Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - John G Howland
- Dept. of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, GB33, Health Sciences Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.
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64
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Vuillermot S, Luan W, Meyer U, Eyles D. Vitamin D treatment during pregnancy prevents autism-related phenotypes in a mouse model of maternal immune activation. Mol Autism 2017; 8:9. [PMID: 28316773 PMCID: PMC5351212 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to infection is a recognized environmental risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders of developmental origins such as autism or schizophrenia. Experimental work in animals indicates that this link is mediated by maternal immune activation (MIA) involving interactions between cytokine-associated inflammatory events, oxidative stress, and other pathophysiological processes such as hypoferremia and zinc deficiency. Maternal administration of the viral mimic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) in mice produces several behavioral phenotypes in adult offspring of relevance to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. METHODS Here, we investigated whether some of these phenotypes might also present in juveniles. In addition, given the known immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects of vitamin D, we also investigated whether the co-administration of vitamin D could block MIA-induced ASD-related behaviors. We co-administered the hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1α,25 dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25OHD), simultaneously with poly(I:C) and examined (i) social interaction, stereotyped behavior, emotional learning and memory, and innate anxiety-like behavior in juveniles and (ii) the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in maternal plasma and fetal brains. RESULTS We show that like adult offspring that were exposed to MIA, juveniles display similar deficits in social approach behavior. Juvenile MIA offspring also show abnormal stereotyped digging and impaired acquisition and expression of tone-cued fear conditioning. Importantly, our study reveals that prenatal administration of 1,25OHD abolishes all these behavioral deficits in poly(I:C)-treated juveniles. However, prenatal administration of vitamin D had no effect on pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in dams or in fetal brains suggesting the anti-inflammatory actions of vitamin D are not the critical mechanism for its preventive actions in this ASD animal model. CONCLUSIONS This work raises the possibility that early dietary supplementation with vitamin D may open new avenues for a successful attenuation or even prevention of neurodevelopmental disorders following maternal inflammation during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Vuillermot
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Wei Luan
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Queensland Australia
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072 Queensland Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland 4076 Australia
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65
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Auger ML, Floresco SB. Prefrontal cortical GABAergic and NMDA glutamatergic regulation of delayed responding. Neuropharmacology 2017; 113:10-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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66
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Luoni A, Richetto J, Longo L, Riva MA. Chronic lurasidone treatment normalizes GABAergic marker alterations in the dorsal hippocampus of mice exposed to prenatal immune activation. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:170-179. [PMID: 27939135 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal infection represents a risk factor for the development of psychopathologic conditions later in life. Clinical evidence is also supported by animal models in which the vulnerability to develop a schizophrenic-like phenotype likely originates from inflammatory processes as early as in the womb. Prenatal immune challenge, for example, induces a variety of long-term behavioral alterations in mice, such as deficits in recognition and spatial working memory, perseverative behaviors and social impairments, which are relevant to different symptom clusters of schizophrenia. Here, we investigated the modulation of GABAergic markers in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of adult mice exposed to late prenatal immune challenge with the viral mimetic Poly(I:C) (polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic-acid) at gestational day 17, and we evaluated the ability of chronic treatment with the multi-receptor antipsychotic lurasidone to modulate the alterations produced by maternal infection. Poly(I:C) mice show a significant reduction of key GABAergic markers, such as GAD67 and parvalbumin, specifically in the dorsal hippocampus, which were normalized by chronic lurasidone administration. Moreover, chronic drug administration increases the expression of the pool of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts with the long 3'-UTR as well as the levels of mature BDNF protein in the synaptosomal compartment, selectively in dorsal hippocampus. All in all, our findings demonstrate that lurasidone is effective in ameliorating molecular abnormalities observed in Poly(I:C) mice, providing further support to the neuroplastic properties of this multi-receptor antipsychotic drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Luoni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - J Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - L Longo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - M A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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67
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Genome-wide DNA Methylation Changes in a Mouse Model of Infection-Mediated Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:265-276. [PMID: 27769567 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Using a well-established mouse model of prenatal viral-like immune activation, we examined whether this pathological association involves genome-wide DNA methylation differences at single nucleotide resolution. METHODS Prenatal immune activation was induced by maternal treatment with the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid in middle or late gestation. Following behavioral and cognitive characterization of the adult offspring (n = 12 per group), unbiased capture array bisulfite sequencing was combined with subsequent matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses to quantify DNA methylation changes and transcriptional abnormalities in the medial prefrontal cortex of immune-challenged and control offspring. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis was used to explore shared functional pathways of genes with differential DNA methylation. RESULTS Adult offspring of immune-challenged mothers displayed hyper- and hypomethylated CpGs at numerous loci and at distinct genomic regions, including genes relevant for gamma-aminobutyric acidergic differentiation and signaling (e.g., Dlx1, Lhx5, Lhx8), Wnt signaling (Wnt3, Wnt8a, Wnt7b), and neural development (e.g., Efnb3, Mid1, Nlgn1, Nrxn2). Altered DNA methylation was associated with transcriptional changes of the corresponding genes. The epigenetic and transcriptional effects were dependent on the offspring's age and were markedly influenced by the precise timing of prenatal immune activation. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal viral-like immune activation is capable of inducing stable DNA methylation changes in the medial prefrontal cortex. These long-term epigenetic modifications are a plausible mechanism underlying the disruption of prefrontal gene transcription and behavioral functions in subjects with prenatal infectious histories.
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68
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Scola G, Duong A. Prenatal maternal immune activation and brain development with relevance to psychiatric disorders. Neuroscience 2017; 346:403-408. [PMID: 28153689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence from epidemiological studies strongly suggests maternal infection as a risk factor for psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism. Animal studies support this association and demonstrate that maternal immune activation (MIA) changes brain morphology and inflammatory cytokines in the adult offspring. Evidence for changes in inflammatory cytokines is also demonstrated in human post-mortem brain and peripheral blood studies from subjects with psychiatric disorders. This perspective briefly highlights convincing evidence from epidemiological, preclinical and human pathological studies to support the role of MIA in major psychiatric disorders. A better understanding of the link between MIA and brain development in psychiatric disorders will lead to the development of novel immunomodulatory interventions for individuals at risk for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Scola
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry at University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Angela Duong
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Canada
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69
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Transgenerational transmission and modification of pathological traits induced by prenatal immune activation. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:102-112. [PMID: 27021823 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults is increasingly recognized to contribute to the etiology of psychiatric disorders with neurodevelopmental components, including schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder. It remains unknown, however, if such immune-mediated brain anomalies can be transmitted to subsequent generations. Using an established mouse model of prenatal immune activation by the viral mimetic poly(I:C), we show that reduced sociability and increased cued fear expression are similarly present in the first- and second-generation offspring of immune-challenged ancestors. We further demonstrate that sensorimotor gating impairments are confined to the direct descendants of infected mothers, whereas increased behavioral despair emerges as a novel phenotype in the second generation. These transgenerational effects are mediated via the paternal lineage and are stable until the third generation, demonstrating transgenerational non-genetic inheritance of pathological traits following in-utero immune activation. Next-generation sequencing further demonstrated unique and overlapping genome-wide transcriptional changes in first- and second-generation offspring of immune-challenged ancestors. These transcriptional effects mirror the transgenerational effects on behavior, showing that prenatal immune activation leads to a transgenerational transmission (presence of similar phenotypes across generations) and modification (presence of distinct phenotypes across generations) of pathological traits. Together, our study demonstrates for, we believe, the first time that prenatal immune activation can negatively affect brain and behavioral functions in multiple generations. These findings thus highlight a novel pathological aspect of this early-life adversity in shaping disease risk across generations.
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70
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Volk DW. Role of microglia disturbances and immune-related marker abnormalities in cortical circuitry dysfunction in schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 99:58-65. [PMID: 28007586 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of genetics, serum cytokines, and autoimmune illnesses suggest that immune-related abnormalities are involved in the disease process of schizophrenia. Furthermore, direct evidence of cortical immune activation, including markedly elevated levels of many immune-related markers, have been reported in the prefrontal cortex in multiple cohorts of schizophrenia subjects. Within the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, deficits in the basilar dendritic spines of layer 3 pyramidal neurons and disturbances in inhibitory inputs to pyramidal neurons have also been commonly reported. Interestingly, microglia, the resident immune-related cells of the brain, also regulate excitatory and inhibitory input to pyramidal neurons. Consequently, in this review, we describe the cytological and molecular evidence of immune activation that has been reported in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia and the potential links between these immune-related disturbances with previously reported disturbances in pyramidal and inhibitory neurons in the disorder. Finally, we discuss the role that activated microglia may play in connecting these observations and as potential therapeutic treatment targets in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Volk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, W1655 BST, 3811 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
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71
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Paylor JW, Lins BR, Greba Q, Moen N, de Moraes RS, Howland JG, Winship IR. Developmental disruption of perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex after maternal immune activation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37580. [PMID: 27876866 PMCID: PMC5120325 DOI: 10.1038/srep37580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk of offspring developing schizophrenia later in life. Similarly, animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) induce behavioural and anatomical disturbances consistent with a schizophrenia-like phenotype in offspring. Notably, cognitive impairments in tasks dependent on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are observed in humans with schizophrenia and in offspring after MIA during pregnancy. Recent studies of post-mortem tissue from individuals with schizophrenia revealed deficits in extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets (PNNs), particularly in PFC. Given these findings, we examined PNNs over the course of development in a well-characterized rat model of MIA using polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C). We found selective reductions of PNNs in the PFC of polyI:C offspring which did not manifest until early adulthood. These deficits were not associated with changes in parvalbumin cell density, but a decrease in the percentage of parvalbumin cells surrounded by a PNN. Developmental expression of PNNs was also significantly altered in the amygdala of polyI:C offspring. Our results indicate MIA causes region specific developmental abnormalities in PNNs in the PFC of offspring. These findings confirm the polyI:C model replicates neuropathological alterations associated with schizophrenia and may identify novel mechanisms for cognitive and emotional dysfunction in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Paylor
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E1, AB, Canada.,Neurochemical Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2B7, AB, Canada
| | - Brittney R Lins
- Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5E5, SK, Canada
| | - Quentin Greba
- Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5E5, SK, Canada
| | - Nicholas Moen
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E1, AB, Canada
| | | | - John G Howland
- Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5E5, SK, Canada
| | - Ian R Winship
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E1, AB, Canada.,Neurochemical Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2B7, AB, Canada
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72
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Labouesse MA, Dong E, Grayson DR, Guidotti A, Meyer U. Maternal immune activation induces GAD1 and GAD2 promoter remodeling in the offspring prefrontal cortex. Epigenetics 2016; 10:1143-55. [PMID: 26575259 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1114202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. In addition to its influence on other neuronal systems, this early-life environmental adversity has been shown to negatively affect cortical γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) functions in adult life, including impaired prefrontal expression of enzymes required for GABA synthesis. The underlying molecular processes, however, remain largely unknown. In the present study, we explored whether epigenetic modifications represent a mechanism whereby maternal infection during pregnancy can induce such GABAergic impairments in the offspring. We used an established mouse model of prenatal immune challenge that is based on maternal treatment with the viral mimetic poly(I:C). We found that prenatal immune activation increased prefrontal levels of 5-methylated cytosines (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylated cytosines (5hmC) in the promoter region of GAD1, which encodes the 67-kDa isoform of the GABA-synthesising enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67). The early-life challenge also increased 5mC levels at the promoter region of GAD2, which encodes the 65-kDa GAD isoform (GAD65). These effects were accompanied by elevated GAD1 and GAD2 promoter binding of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and by reduced GAD67 and GAD65 mRNA expression. Moreover, the epigenetic modifications at the GAD1 promoter correlated with prenatal infection-induced impairments in working memory and social interaction. Our study thus highlights that hypermethylation of GAD1 and GAD2 promoters may be an important molecular mechanism linking prenatal infection to presynaptic GABAergic impairments and associated behavioral and cognitive abnormalities in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erbo Dong
- b Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry; College of Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago ; Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Dennis Robert Grayson
- b Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry; College of Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago ; Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- b Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry; College of Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago ; Chicago , Illinois , USA
| | - Urs Meyer
- a Physiology and Behavior Laboratory; ETH Zurich ; Schwerzenbach , Switzerland.,c Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich-Vetsuisse ; Zurich , Switzerland
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73
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Longitudinal assessment of neuronal 3D genomes in mouse prefrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12743. [PMID: 27597321 PMCID: PMC5025847 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal epigenomes, including chromosomal loopings moving distal cis-regulatory elements into proximity of target genes, could serve as molecular proxy linking present-day-behaviour to past exposures. However, longitudinal assessment of chromatin state is challenging, because conventional chromosome conformation capture assays essentially provide single snapshots at a given time point, thus reflecting genome organization at the time of brain harvest and therefore are non-informative about the past. Here we introduce 'NeuroDam' to assess epigenome status retrospectively. Short-term expression of the bacterial DNA adenine methyltransferase Dam, tethered to the Gad1 gene promoter in mouse prefrontal cortex neurons, results in stable G(methyl)ATC tags at Gad1-bound chromosomal contacts. We show by NeuroDam that mice with defective cognition 4 months after pharmacological NMDA receptor blockade already were affected by disrupted chromosomal conformations shortly after drug exposure. Retrospective profiling of neuronal epigenomes is likely to illuminate epigenetic determinants of normal and diseased brain development in longitudinal context.
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74
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Estes ML, McAllister AK. Maternal immune activation: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Science 2016; 353:772-7. [PMID: 27540164 DOI: 10.1126/science.aag3194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 732] [Impact Index Per Article: 91.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence implicates maternal infection as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this link and demonstrate that maternal immune activation (MIA) alone is sufficient to impart lifelong neuropathology and altered behaviors in offspring. This Review describes common principles revealed by these models, highlighting recent findings that strengthen their relevance for schizophrenia and autism and are starting to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of MIA on offspring. The role of MIA as a primer for a much wider range of psychiatric and neurologic disorders is also discussed. Finally, the need for more research in this nascent field and the implications for identifying and developing new treatments for individuals at heightened risk for neuroimmune disorders are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myka L Estes
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
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75
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A single low dose of valproic acid in late prenatal life alters postnatal behavior and glutamic acid decarboxylase levels in the mouse. Behav Brain Res 2016; 314:190-8. [PMID: 27498245 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Rodents exposed to valproic acid (VPA) in prenatal life exhibit post-natal characteristics analogous to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many previous studies used relatively high doses of VPA during early pregnancy, potentially confounding interpretation because the offspring are the 'survivors' of a toxic insult. Low dose or late gestation exposure has not been widely studied. OBJECTIVES We examined the behavioral sequelae of late gestation exposure to low dose VPA in the mouse. We also examined postnatal levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65 and GAD67) as markers for GABA neurons, because GABA pathology and subsequent excitatory/inhibitory imbalance is strongly implicated in ASD. METHODS Pregnant C57BL/6N mice received a single subcutaneous injection of 100 or 200mg/kg on gestation day 17. The control group received a saline injection on the same day. The offspring were tested in a battery of behavioral tests in adolescence and adulthood. Six brain regions were harvested and GAD65 and GAD67 were measured by western blotting. RESULTS Compared to saline-exposed controls, adult mice exposed to prenatal VPA had impaired novel object exploration and fear conditioning anomalies. GAD67 was decreased in midbrain, olfactory bulb, prefrontal cortex and increased in cerebellum, hippocampus and striatum; GAD65 was decreased in all 6 regions. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that a low dose of VPA in late pregnancy has persistent effects on brain development, and in particular the GABA system, which may be relevant to ASD. Further attention to the impact of gestation time and dose of exposure in VPA-induced ASD models is encouraged.
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76
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Georgiev D, Yoshihara T, Kawabata R, Matsubara T, Tsubomoto M, Minabe Y, Lewis DA, Hashimoto T. Cortical Gene Expression After a Conditional Knockout of 67 kDa Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase in Parvalbumin Neurons. Schizophr Bull 2016; 42:992-1002. [PMID: 26980143 PMCID: PMC4903066 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the cortex of subjects with schizophrenia, expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), the enzyme primarily responsible for cortical GABA synthesis, is reduced in the subset of GABA neurons that express parvalbumin (PV). This GAD67 deficit is accompanied by lower cortical levels of other GABA-associated transcripts, including GABA transporter-1, PV, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin receptor kinase B, somatostatin, GABAA receptor α1 subunit, and KCNS3 potassium channel subunit mRNAs. In contrast, messenger RNA (mRNA) levels for glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), another enzyme for GABA synthesis, are not altered. We tested the hypothesis that this pattern of GABA-associated transcript levels is secondary to the GAD67 deficit in PV neurons by analyzing cortical levels of these GABA-associated mRNAs in mice with a PV neuron-specific GAD67 knockout. Using in situ hybridization, we found that none of the examined GABA-associated transcripts had lower cortical expression in the knockout mice. In contrast, PV, BDNF, KCNS3, and GAD65 mRNA levels were higher in the homozygous mice. In addition, our behavioral test battery failed to detect a change in sensorimotor gating or working memory, although the homozygous mice exhibited increased spontaneous activities. These findings suggest that reduced GAD67 expression in PV neurons is not an upstream cause of the lower levels of GABA-associated transcripts, or of the characteristic behaviors, in schizophrenia. In PV neuron-specific GAD67 knockout mice, increased levels of PV, BDNF, and KCNS3 mRNAs might be the consequence of increased neuronal activity secondary to lower GABA synthesis, whereas increased GAD65 mRNA might represent a compensatory response to increase GABA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danko Georgiev
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Toru Yoshihara
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Rika Kawabata
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takurou Matsubara
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Makoto Tsubomoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan;,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - David A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;,Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Takanori Hashimoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;
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77
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Giovanoli S, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Schedlowski M, Meyer U, Engler H. Prenatal immune activation causes hippocampal synaptic deficits in the absence of overt microglia anomalies. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 55:25-38. [PMID: 26408796 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults can increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorder in later life, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. These brain disorders are also characterized by pre- and postsynaptic deficits. Using a well-established mouse model of maternal exposure to the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid [poly(I:C)], we examined whether prenatal immune activation might cause synaptic deficits in the hippocampal formation of pubescent and adult offspring. Based on the widely appreciated role of microglia in synaptic pruning, we further explored possible associations between synaptic deficits and microglia anomalies in offspring of poly(I:C)-exposed and control mothers. We found that prenatal immune activation induced an adult onset of presynaptic hippocampal deficits (as evaluated by synaptophysin and bassoon density). The early-life insult further caused postsynaptic hippocampal deficits in pubescence (as evaluated by PSD95 and SynGAP density), some of which persisted into adulthood. In contrast, prenatal immune activation did not change microglia (or astrocyte) density, nor did it alter their activation phenotypes. The prenatal manipulation did also not cause signs of persistent systemic inflammation. Despite the absence of overt glial anomalies or systemic inflammation, adult offspring exposed to prenatal immune activation displayed increased hippocampal IL-1β levels. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that age-dependent synaptic deficits and abnormal pro-inflammatory cytokine expression can occur during postnatal brain maturation in the absence of microglial anomalies or systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Giovanoli
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Schedlowski
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Urs Meyer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Harald Engler
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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78
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Crowley T, Cryan JF, Downer EJ, O'Leary OF. Inhibiting neuroinflammation: The role and therapeutic potential of GABA in neuro-immune interactions. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 54:260-277. [PMID: 26851553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system, once thought to be a site of immunological privilege, has since been found to harbour immunocompetent cells and to communicate with the peripheral nervous system. In the central nervous system (CNS), glial cells display immunological responses to pathological and physiological stimuli through pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine signalling, antigen presentation and the clearing of cellular debris through phagocytosis. While this neuroinflammatory signalling can act to reduce neuronal damage and comprises a key facet of CNS homeostasis, persistent inflammation or auto-antigen-mediated immunoreactivity can induce a positive feedback cycle of neuroinflammation that ultimately results in necrosis of glia and neurons. Persistent neuroinflammation has been recognised as a major pathological component of virtually all neurodegenerative diseases and has also been a focus of research into the pathology underlying psychiatric disorders. Thus, pharmacological strategies to curb the pathological effects of persistent neuroinflammation are of interest for many disorders of the CNS. Accumulating evidence suggests that GABAergic activities are closely bound to immune processes and signals, and thus the GABAergic neurotransmitter system might represent an important therapeutic target in modulating neuroinflammation. Here, we review evidence that inflammation induces changes in the GABA neurotransmitter system in the CNS and that GABAergic signalling exerts a reciprocal influence over neuroinflammatory processes. Together, the data support the hypothesis that the GABA system is a potential therapeutic target in the modulation of central inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadhg Crowley
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Eric J Downer
- School of Medicine, Discipline of Physiology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - Olivia F O'Leary
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Ireland.
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79
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Green IW, Glausier JR. Different Paths to Core Pathology: The Equifinal Model of the Schizophrenia Syndrome. Schizophr Bull 2016; 42:542-9. [PMID: 26392629 PMCID: PMC4838077 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbv136] [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] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder that is perhaps more accurately characterized as "the schizophrenia syndrome." This clinical heterogeneity is reflected in the heterogeneous neurobiological presentations associated with the illness. Moreover, even highly specific neural aberrations that are associated with distinct symptoms of schizophrenia are linked to a wide range of risk factors. As such, any individual with schizophrenia likely has a particular set of risk factors that interact and converge to cross the disease threshold, forming a particular etiology that ultimately generates a core pathophysiology. This core pathophysiology may then produce 1 or more symptoms of schizophrenia, leading to common symptoms across individuals in spite of disparate etiologies. As such, the schizophrenia syndrome can be considered as anequifinalentity: a state of dysfunction that can arise from different upstream etiologies. Moreover, schizophrenia etiologies are multifactorial and can involve the interactive effects of a broad range of genetic, environmental, and developmental risk factors. Through a consideration of how disparate etiologies, caused by different sets of risk factors, converge on the same net dysfunction, this paper aims to model the equifinal nature of schizophrenia symptoms. To demonstrate the equifinal model, we discuss how maternal infection and adolescent cannabis use, 2 recognized schizophrenia risk factors, may interact with other genetic, environmental, and/or developmental risk factors to cause the conserved clinical presentation of impaired working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel W. Green
- Department of Psychology, Harvard College, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Jill R. Glausier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Biomedical Science Tower W1654, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, US; tel: 412-624-7869, fax: 412-624-9910, e-mail:
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80
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Cassella SN, Hemmerle AM, Lundgren KH, Kyser TL, Ahlbrand R, Bronson SL, Richtand NM, Seroogy KB. Maternal immune activation alters glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 expression in the brains of adult rat offspring. Schizophr Res 2016; 171:195-9. [PMID: 26830319 PMCID: PMC4803111 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [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: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the maternal innate immune system, termed "maternal immune activation" (MIA), represents a common environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Whereas evidence suggests dysregulation of GABA systems may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, a role for MIA in alteration of GABAergic systems is less clear. Here, pregnant rats received either the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid or vehicle injection on gestational day 14. Glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) mRNA expression was examined in male offspring at postnatal day (P)14, P30 and P60. At P60, GAD67 mRNA was elevated in hippocampus and thalamus and decreased in prefrontal cortex of MIA offspring. MIA-induced alterations in GAD expression could contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Cassella
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Ann M Hemmerle
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Kerstin H Lundgren
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Tara L Kyser
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Stefanie L Bronson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Neil M Richtand
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kim B Seroogy
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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81
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Maternal immune activation produces neonatal excitability defects in offspring hippocampal neurons from pregnant rats treated with poly I:C. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19106. [PMID: 26742695 PMCID: PMC4705483 DOI: 10.1038/srep19106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from prenatal exposure to infectious pathogens or inflammatory stimuli is increasingly recognized to play an important etiological role in neuropsychiatric disorders with neurodevelopmental features. MIA in pregnant rodents induced by injection of the synthetic double-stranded RNA, Poly I:C, a mimic of viral infection, leads to a wide spectrum of behavioral abnormalities as well as structural and functional defects in the brain. Previous MIA studies using poly I:C prenatal treatment suggested that neurophysiological alterations occur in the hippocampus. However, these investigations used only juvenile or adult animals. We postulated that MIA-induced alterations could occur earlier at neonatal/early postnatal stages. Here we examined the neurophysiological properties of cultured pyramidal-like hippocampal neurons prepared from neonatal (P0-P2) offspring of pregnant rats injected with poly I:C. Offspring neurons from poly I:C-treated mothers exhibited significantly lower intrinsic excitability and stronger spike frequency adaptation, compared to saline. A similar lower intrinsic excitability was observed in CA1 pyramidal neurons from hippocampal slices of two weeks-old poly I:C offspring. Cultured hippocampal neurons also displayed lower frequency of spontaneous firing, higher charge transfer of IPSCs and larger amplitude of miniature IPSCs. Thus, maternal immune activation leads to strikingly early neurophysiological abnormalities in hippocampal neurons.
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82
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Giovanoli S, Notter T, Richetto J, Labouesse MA, Vuillermot S, Riva MA, Meyer U. Late prenatal immune activation causes hippocampal deficits in the absence of persistent inflammation across aging. J Neuroinflammation 2015; 12:221. [PMID: 26602365 PMCID: PMC4659211 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-015-0437-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to infection and/or inflammation is increasingly recognized to play an important role in neurodevelopmental brain disorders. It has recently been postulated that prenatal immune activation, especially when occurring during late gestational stages, may also induce pathological brain aging via sustained effects on systemic and central inflammation. Here, we tested this hypothesis using an established mouse model of exposure to viral-like immune activation in late pregnancy. METHODS Pregnant C57BL6/J mice on gestation day 17 were treated with the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (poly(I:C)) or control vehicle solution. The resulting offspring were first tested using cognitive and behavioral paradigms known to be sensitive to hippocampal damage, after which they were assigned to quantitative analyses of inflammatory cytokines, microglia density and morphology, astrocyte density, presynaptic markers, and neurotrophin expression in the hippocampus throughout aging (1, 5, and 22 months of age). RESULTS Maternal poly(I:C) treatment led to a robust increase in inflammatory cytokine levels in late gestation but did not cause persistent systemic or hippocampal inflammation in the offspring. The late prenatal manipulation also failed to cause long-term changes in microglia density, morphology, or activation, and did not induce signs of astrogliosis in pubescent, adult, or aged offspring. Despite the lack of persistent inflammatory or glial anomalies, offspring of poly(I:C)-exposed mothers showed marked and partly age-dependent deficits in hippocampus-regulated cognitive functions as well as impaired hippocampal synaptophysin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. CONCLUSIONS Late prenatal exposure to viral-like immune activation in mice causes hippocampus-related cognitive and synaptic deficits in the absence of chronic inflammation across aging. These findings do not support the hypothesis that this form of prenatal immune activation may induce pathological brain aging via sustained effects on systemic and central inflammation. We further conclude that poly(I:C)-based prenatal immune activation models are reliable in their effectiveness to induce (hippocampal) neuropathology across aging, but they appear unsuited for studying the role of chronic systemic or central inflammation in brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Giovanoli
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Tina Notter
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Urs Meyer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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83
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Volk DW, Chitrapu A, Edelson JR, Roman KM, Moroco AE, Lewis DA. Molecular mechanisms and timing of cortical immune activation in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2015; 172:1112-21. [PMID: 26133963 PMCID: PMC5063256 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Immune-related abnormalities are commonly reported in schizophrenia, including higher mRNA levels for the viral restriction factor interferon-induced transmembrane protein (IFITM) in the prefrontal cortex. The authors sought to clarify whether higher IFITM mRNA levels and other immune-related disturbances in the prefrontal cortex are the consequence of an ongoing molecular cascade contributing to immune activation or the reflection of a long-lasting maladaptive response to an in utero immune-related insult. METHOD Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to measure mRNA levels for immune-related cytokines and transcriptional regulators, including those reported to regulate IFITM expression, in the prefrontal cortex from 62 schizophrenia and 62 healthy subjects and from adult mice exposed prenatally to maternal immune activation or in adulthood to the immune stimulant poly(I:C). RESULTS Schizophrenia subjects had markedly higher mRNA levels for interleukin 6 (IL-6) (+379%) and interferon-β (+29%), which induce IFITM expression; lower mRNA levels for Schnurri-2 (-10%), a transcriptional inhibitor that lowers IFITM expression; and higher mRNA levels for nuclear factor-κB (+86%), a critical transcription factor that mediates cytokine regulation of immune-related gene expression. In adult mice that received daily poly(I:C) injections, but not in offspring with prenatal exposure to maternal immune activation, frontal cortex mRNA levels were also markedly elevated for IFITM (+304%), multiple cytokines including IL-6 (+493%), and nuclear factor-κB (+151%). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that higher prefrontal cortex IFITM mRNA levels in schizophrenia may be attributable to adult, but not prenatal, activation of multiple immune markers and encourage further investigation into the potential role of these and other immune markers as therapeutic targets in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Volk
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Anjani Chitrapu
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Jessica R Edelson
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Kaitlyn M Roman
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Annie E Moroco
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - David A Lewis
- From the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
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Müller I, Çalışkan G, Stork O. The GAD65 knock out mouse - a model for GABAergic processes in fear- and stress-induced psychopathology. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:37-45. [PMID: 25470336 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) synthetic enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 is critically involved in the activity-dependent regulation of GABAergic inhibition in the central nervous system. It is also required for the maturation of the GABAergic system during adolescence, a phase that is critical for the development of several neuropsychiatric diseases. Mice bearing a null mutation of the GAD65 gene develop hyperexcitability of the amygdala and hippocampus, and a phenotype of increased anxiety and pathological fear memory reminiscent of posttraumatic stress disorder. Although genetic association of GAD65 in human has not yet been reported, these findings are in line with observations of reduced GABAergic function in these brain regions of anxiety disorder patients. The particular value of GAD65(-/-) mice thus lies in modeling the effects of reduced GABAergic function in the mature nervous system. The expression of GAD65 and a second GAD isozyme, GAD67, are differentially regulated in response to stress in limbic brain areas suggesting that by controlling GABAergic inhibition these enzymes determine the vulnerability for the development of pathological anxiety and other stress-induced phenotypes. In fact, we could recently show that GAD65 haplodeficiency, which results in delayed postnatal increase of GABA levels, provides resilience to juvenile-stress-induced anxiety to GAD65(+/-) mice thus foiling the increased fear and anxiety in homozygous GAD65(-/-) mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Müller
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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85
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Transcriptional regulation of GAD1 GABA synthesis gene in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2015; 167:28-34. [PMID: 25458568 PMCID: PMC4417100 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Expression of GAD1 GABA synthesis enzyme is highly regulated by neuronal activity and reaches mature levels in the prefrontal cortex not before adolescence. A significant portion of cases diagnosed with schizophrenia show deficits in GAD1 RNA and protein levels in multiple areas of adult cerebral cortex, possibly reflecting molecular or cellular defects in subtypes of GABAergic interneurons essential for network synchronization and cognition. Here, we review 20years of progress towards a better understanding of disease-related regulation of GAD1 gene expression. For example, deficits in cortical GAD1 RNA in some cases of schizophrenia are associated with changes in the epigenetic architecture of the promoter, affecting DNA methylation patterns and nucleosomal histone modifications. These localized chromatin defects at the 5' end of GAD1 are superimposed by disordered locus-specific chromosomal conformations, including weakening of long-range promoter-enhancer loopings and physical disconnection of GAD1 core promoter sequences from cis-regulatory elements positioned 50 kilobases further upstream. Studies on the 3-dimensional architecture of the GAD1 locus in neurons, including developmentally regulated higher order chromatin compromised by the disease process, together with exploration of locus-specific epigenetic interventions in animal models, could pave the way for future treatments of psychosis and schizophrenia.
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86
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Labouesse MA, Langhans W, Meyer U. Abnormal context-reward associations in an immune-mediated neurodevelopmental mouse model with relevance to schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e637. [PMID: 26371765 PMCID: PMC5068811 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in central reward processing constitute an important aspect of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Despite its clinical relevance, the etiology of deficient reward processing in schizophrenia remains largely unknown. Here, we used an epidemiologically informed mouse model of schizophrenia to explore the effects of prenatal immune activation on reward-related functions. The model is based on maternal administration of the viral mimic PolyI:C and has been developed in relation to the epidemiological evidence demonstrating enhanced risk of schizophrenia and related disorders following prenatal maternal infection. We show that prenatal immune activation induces selective deficits in the expression (but not acquisition) of conditioned place preference for a natural reward (sucrose) without changing hedonic or neophobic responses to the reward. On the other hand, prenatal immune activation led to enhanced place preference for the psychostimulant drug cocaine, while it attenuated the locomotor reaction to the drug. The prenatal exposure did not alter negative reinforcement learning as assessed using a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. Our findings suggest that the nature of reward-related abnormalities following prenatal immune challenge depends on the specificity of the reward (natural reward vs drug of abuse) as well as on the valence domain (positive vs negative reinforcement learning). Moreover, our data indicate that reward abnormalities emerging in prenatally immune-challenged offspring may, at least in part, stem from an inability to retrieve previously established context-reward associations and to integrate such information for appropriate goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Labouesse
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland,Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland. E-mail:
| | - W Langhans
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - U Meyer
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
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87
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Smolders S, Smolders SMT, Swinnen N, Gärtner A, Rigo JM, Legendre P, Brône B. Maternal immune activation evoked by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid does not evoke microglial cell activation in the embryo. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:301. [PMID: 26300736 PMCID: PMC4525016 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have indicated that inflammation during pregnancy increases the risk for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring. Morphological brain abnormalities combined with deviations in the inflammatory status of the brain can be observed in patients of both autism and schizophrenia. It was shown that acute infection can induce changes in maternal cytokine levels which in turn are suggested to affect fetal brain development and increase the risk on the development of neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring. Animal models of maternal immune activation reproduce the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. In this study the poly (I:C) model was used to mimic viral immune activation in pregnant mice in order to assess the activation status of fetal microglia in these developmental disorders. Because microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain they were expected to be activated due to the inflammatory stimulus. Microglial cell density and activation level in the fetal cortex and hippocampus were determined. Despite the presence of a systemic inflammation in the pregnant mice, there was no significant difference in fetal microglial cell density or immunohistochemically determined activation level between the control and inflammation group. These data indicate that activation of the fetal microglial cells is not likely to be responsible for the inflammation induced deficits in the offspring in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Smolders
- BIOMED - Hasselt University Hasselt, Belgium ; Laboratory of Neuronal Differentiation, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven and Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sophie M T Smolders
- BIOMED - Hasselt University Hasselt, Belgium ; INSERM, UMR S 1130, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR 8246, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France ; UM 119 NPS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | | | - Annette Gärtner
- Laboratory of Neuronal Differentiation, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven and Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Pascal Legendre
- INSERM, UMR S 1130, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR 8246, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France ; UM 119 NPS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Bert Brône
- BIOMED - Hasselt University Hasselt, Belgium
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88
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Turkheimer FE, Leech R, Expert P, Lord LD, Vernon AC. The brain's code and its canonical computational motifs. From sensory cortex to the default mode network: A multi-scale model of brain function in health and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:211-22. [PMID: 25956253 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Leech
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Expert
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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89
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that lacks a unifying neuropathology, while currently available pharmacological treatments provide only limited benefits to many patients. This review will discuss how the field of neuroepigenetics could contribute to advancements of the existing knowledge on the neurobiology and treatment of psychosis. Genome-scale mapping of DMA methylation, histone modifications and variants, and chromosomal loopings for promoter-enhancer interactions and other epigenetic determinants of genome organization and function are likely to provide important clues about mechanisms contributing to dysregulated expression of synaptic and metabolic genes in schizophrenia brain, including the potential links to the underlying genetic risk architecture and environmental exposures. In addition, studies in animal models are providing a rapidly increasing list of chromatin-regulatory mechanisms with significant effects on cognition and complex behaviors, thereby pointing to the therapeutic potential of epigenetic drug targets in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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90
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Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Bioque M, Arango C, Parellada M, Do K, O'Donnell P, Bernardo M. Inflammation in schizophrenia: A question of balance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:612-26. [PMID: 26092265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, there has been renewed interest in immune/inflammatory changes and their associated oxidative/nitrosative consequences as key pathophysiological mechanisms in schizophrenia and related disorders. Both brain cell components (microglia, astrocytes, and neurons) and peripheral immune cells have been implicated in inflammation and the resulting oxidative/nitrosative stress (O&NS) in schizophrenia. Furthermore, down-regulation of endogenous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms has been identified in biological samples from patients, although the degree and progression of the inflammatory process and the nature of its self-regulatory mechanisms vary from early onset to full-blown disease. This review focuses on the interactions between inflammation and O&NS, their damaging consequences for brain cells in schizophrenia, the possible origins of inflammation and increased O&NS in the disorder, and current pharmacological strategies to deal with these processes (mainly treatments with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant drugs as add-ons to antipsychotics).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Leza
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Bioque
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kim Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Miguel Bernardo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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91
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Tse MT, Piantadosi PT, Floresco SB. Prefrontal cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid transmission and cognitive function: drawing links to schizophrenia from preclinical research. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:929-39. [PMID: 25442792 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is one of the most pervasive and debilitating aspects of the disorder. Among the numerous neural abnormalities that may contribute to schizophrenia symptoms, perturbations in markers for the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), particularly within the frontal lobes, are some of the most reliable alterations observed at postmortem examination. However, how prefrontal GABA dysfunction contributes to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia remains unclear. We provide an overview of postmortem GABAergic perturbations in the brain affected by schizophrenia and describe circumstantial evidence linking these alterations to cognitive dysfunction. In addition, we conduct a survey of studies using neurodevelopmental, genetic, and pharmacologic rodent models that induce schizophrenia-like cognitive impairments, highlighting the convergence of these mechanistically distinct approaches to prefrontal GABAergic disruption. We review preclinical studies that have directly targeted prefrontal cortical GABAergic transmission using local application of GABAA receptor antagonists. These studies have provided an important link between GABA transmission and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia because they show that reducing prefrontal inhibitory transmission induces various cognitive, emotional, and dopaminergic abnormalities that resemble aspects of the disorder. These converging clinical and preclinical findings provide strong support for the idea that perturbations in GABA signaling drive certain forms of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Future studies using this approach will yield information to refine further a putative "GABA hypothesis" of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maric T Tse
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Patrick T Piantadosi
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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92
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Yin P, Zhang XT, Li J, Yu L, Wang JW, Lei GF, Sun RP, Li BM. Maternal immune activation increases seizure susceptibility in juvenile rat offspring. Epilepsy Behav 2015; 47:93-7. [PMID: 25982885 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological data suggest a relationship between maternal infection and a high incidence of childhood epilepsy in offspring. However, there is little experimental evidence that links maternal infection with later seizure susceptibility in juvenile offspring. Here, we asked whether maternal immune challenge during pregnancy can alter seizure susceptibility and seizure-associated brain damage in adolescence. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or normal saline (NS) on gestational days 15 and 16. At postnatal day 21, seizure susceptibility to kainic acid (KA) was evaluated in male offspring. Four groups were studied, including normal control (NS-NS), prenatal infection (LPS-NS), juvenile seizure (NS-KA), and "two-hit" (LPS-KA) groups. Our results demonstrated that maternal LPS exposure caused long-term reactive astrogliosis and increased seizure susceptibility in juvenile rat offspring. Compared to the juvenile seizure group, animals in the "two-hit" group showed exaggerated astrogliosis, followed by worsened spatial learning ability in adulthood. In addition, prenatal immune challenge alone led to spatial learning impairment in offspring but had no effect on anxiety. These data suggest that prenatal immune challenge causes a long-term increase in juvenile seizure susceptibility and exacerbates seizure-induced brain injury, possibly by priming astroglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yin
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xin-Ting Zhang
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jun Li
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lin Yu
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Ji-Wen Wang
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ge-Fei Lei
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ruo-Peng Sun
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Bao-Min Li
- Pediatric Department of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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93
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Since decades immunological aberrancies have been reported in schizophrenia patients. As schizophrenia represents a heterogenous disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations, complex interactions between the immune system in the brain might have important etiological implications. RECENT FINDINGS Recent findings of altered expression of immune-related genes, changes of peripheral and central cytokines, antibodies and immune cells point toward dysbalanced immune response processes in schizophrenia. SUMMARY Based on immunogenetic factors, immune dysfunctions caused by infections, increased autoimmune reactivity and low-grade inflammatory processes in the periphery as well as in central nervous system may affect neurobiological circuits including changed neurotransmitter metabolisms contributing to pathophysiological alterations in schizophrenia. These immunological abnormalities might provide tools for better diagnostic characterization of this heterogenous disease and on the other side, they may also support the development of immune-related therapeutic strategies.
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94
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Debnath M, Venkatasubramanian G, Berk M. Fetal programming of schizophrenia: select mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 49:90-104. [PMID: 25496904 PMCID: PMC7112550 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that schizophrenia is associated with adverse intrauterine experiences. An adverse or suboptimal fetal environment can cause irreversible changes in brain that can subsequently exert long-lasting effects through resetting a diverse array of biological systems including endocrine, immune and nervous. It is evident from animal and imaging studies that subtle variations in the intrauterine environment can cause recognizable differences in brain structure and cognitive functions in the offspring. A wide variety of environmental factors may play a role in precipitating the emergent developmental dysregulation and the consequent evolution of psychiatric traits in early adulthood by inducing inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and epigenetic dysregulation. However, the precise mechanisms behind such relationships and the specificity of the risk factors for schizophrenia remain exploratory. Considering the paucity of knowledge on fetal programming of schizophrenia, it is timely to consolidate the recent advances in the field and put forward an integrated overview of the mechanisms associated with fetal origin of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monojit Debnath
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India.
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre and Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Michael Berk
- IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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95
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Richetto J, Labouesse MA, Poe MM, Cook JM, Grace AA, Riva MA, Meyer U. Behavioral effects of the benzodiazepine-positive allosteric modulator SH-053-2'F-S-CH₃ in an immune-mediated neurodevelopmental disruption model. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 18:pyu055. [PMID: 25636893 PMCID: PMC4360215 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling may contribute to the emergence of cognitive deficits and subcortical dopaminergic hyperactivity in patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Against this background, it has been proposed that pharmacological interventions targeting GABAergic dysfunctions may prove useful in correcting such cognitive impairments and dopaminergic imbalances. METHODS Here, we explored possible beneficial effects of the benzodiazepine-positive allosteric modulator SH-053-2'F-S-CH₃, with partial selectivity at the α2, α3, and α5 subunits of the GABAA receptor in an immune-mediated neurodevelopmental disruption model. The model is based on prenatal administration of the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid [poly(I:C)] in mice, which is known to capture various GABAergic, dopamine-related, and cognitive abnormalities implicated in schizophrenia and related disorders. RESULTS Real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses confirmed the expected alterations in GABAA receptor α subunit gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortices and ventral hippocampi of adult poly(I:C) offspring relative to control offspring. Systemic administration of SH-053-2'F-S-CH₃ failed to normalize the poly(I:C)-induced deficits in working memory and social interaction, but instead impaired performance in these cognitive and behavioral domains both in control and poly(I:C) offspring. In contrast, SH-053-2'F-S-CH₃ was highly effective in mitigating the poly(I:C)-induced amphetamine hypersensitivity phenotype without causing side effects in control offspring. CONCLUSIONS Our preclinical data suggest that benzodiazepine-like positive allosteric modulators with activity at the α2, α3, and α5 subunits of the GABAA receptor may be particularly useful in correcting pathological overactivity of the dopaminergic system, but they may be ineffective in targeting multiple pathological domains that involve the co-existence of psychotic, social, and cognitive dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Urs Meyer
- Center of Neuropharmacology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy (Drs Richetto and Riva); Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland (Drs Labouesse and Meyer); Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI (Drs Poe and Cook); Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (Dr Grace); Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy (Dr Riva).
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96
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Schmidt MJ, Mirnics K. Neurodevelopment, GABA system dysfunction, and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:190-206. [PMID: 24759129 PMCID: PMC4262918 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The origins of schizophrenia have eluded clinicians and researchers since Kraepelin and Bleuler began documenting their findings. However, large clinical research efforts in recent decades have identified numerous genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia. The combined data strongly support the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia and underscore the importance of the common converging effects of diverse insults. In this review, we discuss the evidence that genetic and environmental risk factors that predispose to schizophrenia disrupt the development and normal functioning of the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Karoly Mirnics
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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97
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Maternal immune activation and abnormal brain development across CNS disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2014; 10:643-60. [PMID: 25311587 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2014.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 602] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown a clear association between maternal infection and schizophrenia or autism in the progeny. Animal models have revealed maternal immune activation (mIA) to be a profound risk factor for neurochemical and behavioural abnormalities in the offspring. Microglial priming has been proposed as a major consequence of mIA, and represents a critical link in a causal chain that leads to the wide spectrum of neuronal dysfunctions and behavioural phenotypes observed in the juvenile, adult or aged offspring. Such diversity of phenotypic outcomes in the mIA model are mirrored by recent clinical evidence suggesting that infectious exposure during pregnancy is also associated with epilepsy and, to a lesser extent, cerebral palsy in children. Preclinical research also suggests that mIA might precipitate the development of Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. Here, we summarize and critically review the emerging evidence that mIA is a shared environmental risk factor across CNS disorders that varies as a function of interactions between genetic and additional environmental factors. We also review ongoing clinical trials targeting immune pathways affected by mIA that may play a part in disease manifestation. In addition, future directions and outstanding questions are discussed, including potential symptomatic, disease-modifying and preventive treatment strategies.
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98
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Rideau Batista Novais A, Crouzin N, Cavalier M, Boubal M, Guiramand J, Cohen-Solal C, de Jesus Ferreira MC, Cambonie G, Vignes M, Barbanel G. Tiagabine improves hippocampal long-term depression in rat pups subjected to prenatal inflammation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106302. [PMID: 25184226 PMCID: PMC4153642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal inflammation during pregnancy is associated with the later development of cognitive and behavioral impairment in the offspring, reminiscent of the traits of schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorders. Hippocampal long-term potentiation and long-term depression of glutamatergic synapses are respectively involved in memory formation and consolidation. In male rats, maternal inflammation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) led to a premature loss of long-term depression, occurring between 12 and 25 postnatal days instead of after the first postnatal month, and aberrant occurrence of long-term potentiation. We hypothesized this would be related to GABAergic system impairment. Sprague Dawley rats received either LPS or isotonic saline ip on gestational day 19. Male offspring's hippocampus was studied between 12 and 25 postnatal days. Morphological and functional analyses demonstrated that prenatal LPS triggered a deficit of hippocampal GABAergic interneurons, associated with presynaptic GABAergic transmission deficiency in male offspring. Increasing ambient GABA by impairing GABA reuptake with tiagabine did not interact with the low frequency-induced long-term depression in control animals but fully prevented its impairment in male offspring of LPS-challenged dams. Tiagabine furthermore prevented the aberrant occurrence of paired-pulse triggered long-term potentiation in these rats. Deficiency in GABA seems to be central to the dysregulation of synaptic plasticity observed in juvenile in utero LPS-challenged rats. Modulating GABAergic tone may be a possible therapeutic strategy at this developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Rideau Batista Novais
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Nadine Crouzin
- Laboratory NICN-UMR7259 “Neurobiologie des Interactions Cellulaires et Neurophysiopathologie”, CNRS - Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Mélanie Cavalier
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathilde Boubal
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Janique Guiramand
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Cohen-Solal
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Céleste de Jesus Ferreira
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
| | - Gilles Cambonie
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Vignes
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
| | - Gérard Barbanel
- Laboratory IBMM-UMR 5247 “Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron”, CNRS - Montpellier 1 University - Montpellier 2 University, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
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99
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Volk DW, Edelson JR, Lewis DA. Cortical inhibitory neuron disturbances in schizophrenia: role of the ontogenetic transcription factor Lhx6. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:1053-61. [PMID: 24837792 PMCID: PMC4133682 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbu068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Disturbances in parvalbumin- and somatostatin-containing neurons, including deficits in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesizing enzyme GAD67 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in schizophrenia, may be related to disrupted pre- and/or postnatal development. Deficits in the transcription factor Lhx6, which regulates parvalbumin and somatostatin neuron development, are associated with GAD67 deficits in schizophrenia. Therefore, we investigated the potential pre- and postnatal roles of Lhx6 in GABA-related disturbances using qPCR and/or in situ hybridization to quantify PFC levels of (1) Lhx6 mRNA in a new cohort of schizophrenia subjects; (2) Lhx6 mRNA in monkeys across postnatal development; (3) GABA-related mRNAs in Lhx6 heterozygous (Lhx6+/−) mice, which model Lhx6 deficits in schizophrenia; and (4) Lhx6 mRNA in GAD67+/− mice, which model GAD67 deficits in schizophrenia. Lhx6 mRNA levels were lower (−15%) in schizophrenia and correlated with lower GAD67 mRNA levels. In addition, Lhx6 mRNA levels declined 24% from the perinatal to prepubertal periods then stabilized in monkeys. Finally, GAD67, parvalbumin, and somatostatin mRNAs were not altered in Lhx6+/− mice, and Lhx6 mRNA was not altered in GAD67+/− mice. These data suggest that PFC Lhx6 and GAD67 mRNA deficits are common components of GABA neuron pathology in schizophrenia. An excessive early postnatal decline in Lhx6 mRNA might contribute to Lhx6 mRNA deficits in schizophrenia. However, a partial loss of Lhx6 is not sufficient in isolation to produce deficits in GAD67 mRNA and vice versa, suggesting that the concurrence of Lhx6 and GAD67 mRNA deficits in schizophrenia may instead be the consequence of a common upstream factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Volk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, W1655 BST, 3811 O’Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, US; tel: 412-648-9617, fax: 412-624-9910, e-mail:
| | | | - David A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;,Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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100
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Siegel BI, Sengupta EJ, Edelson JR, Lewis DA, Volk DW. Elevated viral restriction factor levels in cortical blood vessels in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 76:160-7. [PMID: 24209773 PMCID: PMC3969896 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Revised: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher tissue transcript levels of immune-related markers-including the recently discovered viral restriction factor interferon-induced transmembrane protein (IFITM), which inhibits viral entry and replication-have been reported in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Interestingly, mouse models of neuroinflammation have higher IFITM levels and deficits in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related markers that are similar to findings in schizophrenia, suggesting that a shared pathogenetic process might underlie diverse cortical pathology in the disorder. However, the cell types that overexpress IFITM messenger RNA (mRNA) in schizophrenia are unknown, and it is unclear whether higher IFITM mRNA levels are associated with lower GABA-related marker levels in the same schizophrenia subjects. METHODS We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization with film and grain counting analyses to quantify IFITM mRNA levels in prefrontal cortex area 9 of 57 schizophrenia and 57 healthy comparison subjects and in antipsychotic-exposed monkeys. RESULTS Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization film analysis revealed markedly elevated IFITM mRNA levels (+114% and +117%, respectively) in prefrontal gray matter in schizophrenia. Interestingly, emulsion-dipped, Nissl-stained sections from schizophrenia and comparison subjects revealed IFITM mRNA expression in pia mater and blood vessels. The IFITM grain density over blood vessels was 71% higher in schizophrenia. The IFITM mRNA levels were negatively correlated with GABA-related mRNAs in the same schizophrenia subjects. CONCLUSIONS The finding that schizophrenia subjects with higher IFITM mRNA levels in cortical blood vessels have greater disturbances in cortical GABA neurons suggests that these cell-type distinct pathological disturbances might be influenced by a shared upstream insult that involves immune activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin I Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Jessica R Edelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David W Volk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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