201
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Molet J, Heins K, Zhuo X, Mei YT, Regev L, Baram TZ, Stern H. Fragmentation and high entropy of neonatal experience predict adolescent emotional outcome. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e702. [PMID: 26731439 PMCID: PMC5068874 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulnerability to emotional disorders including depression derives from interactions between genes and environment, especially during sensitive developmental periods. Across evolution, maternal care is a key source of environmental sensory signals to the developing brain, and a vast body of work has linked quantitative and qualitative aspects of maternal care to emotional outcome in children and animals. However, the fundamental properties of maternal signals, that promote advantageous vs pathological outcomes in the offspring, are unknown and have been a topic of intense study. We studied emotional outcomes of adolescent rats reared under routine or impoverished environments, and used mathematical approaches to analyze the nurturing behaviors of the dams. Unexpectedly, whereas the quantity and typical qualities of maternal care behaviors were indistinguishable in the two environments, their patterns and rhythms differed drastically and influenced emotional outcomes. Specifically, unpredictable, fragmented maternal care patterns translated into high-entropy rates of sensory signals to the offspring in the impoverished cages. During adolescence, these offspring had significant reductions in sucrose preference and in peer-play, two independent measures of the ability to experience pleasure. This adolescent anhedonia, often a harbinger of later depression, was not accompanied by measures of anxiety or helplessness. Dopaminergic pleasure circuits underlying anhedonia are engaged by predictable sequences of events, and predictable sensory signals during neonatal periods may be critical for their maturation. Conversely, unpredictability maternal-derived signals may disrupt these developmental processes, provoking anhedonia. In sum, high-entropy and fragmented patterns of maternal-derived sensory input to the developing brain predicts, and might promote, the development of anhedonia in rodents, with potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Molet
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - K Heins
- Department of Statistics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - X Zhuo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Y T Mei
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - L Regev
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - T Z Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA,Departments of Pediatrics; Anatomy/Neurobiology; Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Medical Sciences I, ZOT: 4475, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA. E-mail:
| | - H Stern
- Department of Statistics, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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202
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Moreno Gudiño H, Carías Picón D, de Brugada Sauras I. Dietary choline during periadolescence attenuates cognitive damage caused by neonatal maternal separation in male rats. Nutr Neurosci 2015; 20:327-335. [DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2015.1126444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hayarelis Moreno Gudiño
- Department of Experimental Psychology and Physiology of behavior, University of Granada, Spain
- Department of Biological and Biochemical Processes, Simón Bolívar University, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Diamela Carías Picón
- Department of Biological and Biochemical Processes, Simón Bolívar University, Caracas, Venezuela
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203
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An L, Zhang T. Comparison Impairments of Spatial Cognition and Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity Between Prenatal and Postnatal Melamine Exposure in Male Adult Rats. Neurotox Res 2015; 29:218-29. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-015-9578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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204
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Paternain L, Martisova E, Campión J, Martínez JA, Ramírez MJ, Milagro FI. Methyl donor supplementation in rats reverses the deleterious effect of maternal separation on depression-like behaviour. Behav Brain Res 2015; 299:51-8. [PMID: 26628207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Adverse early life events are associated with altered stress responsiveness and metabolic disturbances in the adult life. Dietary methyl donor supplementation could be able to reverse the negative effects of maternal separation by affecting DNA methylation in the brain. In this study, maternal separation during lactation reduced body weight gain in the female adult offspring without affecting food intake, and altered total and HDL-cholesterol levels. Also, maternal separation induced a cognitive deficit as measured by NORT and an increase in the immobility time in the Porsolt forced swimming test, consistent with increased depression-like behaviour. An 18-week dietary supplementation with methyl donors (choline, betaine, folate and vitamin B12) from postnatal day 60 also reduced body weight without affecting food intake. Some of the deleterious effects induced by maternal separation, such as the abnormal levels of total and HDL-cholesterol, but especially the depression-like behaviour as measured by the Porsolt test, were reversed by methyl donor supplementation. Also, the administration of methyl donors increased total DNA methylation (measured by immunohistochemistry) and affected the expression of insulin receptor in the hippocampus of the adult offspring. However, no changes were observed in the DNA methylation status of insulin receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) promoter regions in the hypothalamus. In summary, methyl donor supplementation reversed some of the deleterious effects of an early life-induced model of depression in rats and altered the DNA methylation profile in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Paternain
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Eva Martisova
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Javier Campión
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; CIBERobn, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Alfredo Martínez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; CIBERobn, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; IDISNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria J Ramírez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; IDISNA, Navarra's Health Research Institute, Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Fermin I Milagro
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; CIBERobn, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
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205
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Daskalakis NP, De Kloet ER, Yehuda R, Malaspina D, Kranz TM. Early Life Stress Effects on Glucocorticoid-BDNF Interplay in the Hippocampus. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:68. [PMID: 26635521 PMCID: PMC4644789 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is implicated in the etiology of multiple psychiatric disorders. Important biological effects of ELS are manifested in stress-susceptible regions of the hippocampus and are partially mediated by long-term effects on glucocorticoid (GC) and/or neurotrophin signaling pathways. GC-signaling mediates the regulation of stress response to maintain homeostasis, while neurotrophin signaling plays a key role in neuronal outgrowth and is crucial for axonal guidance and synaptic integrity. The neurotrophin and GC-signaling pathways co-exist throughout the central nervous system (CNS), particularly in the hippocampus, which has high expression levels of glucocorticoid-receptors (GR) and mineralocorticoid-receptors (MR) as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB). This review addresses the effects of ELS paradigms on GC- and BDNF-dependent mechanisms and their crosstalk in the hippocampus, including potential implications for the pathogenesis of common stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- Traumatic Stress Studies Division and Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA ; Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Edo Ronald De Kloet
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research Leiden, Netherlands ; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Traumatic Stress Studies Division and Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA ; Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Bronx, NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine New York, NY, USA
| | - Thorsten M Kranz
- Departments of Cell Biology, Physiology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University New York, NY, USA
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206
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Ganguly P, Holland FH, Brenhouse HC. Functional Uncoupling NMDAR NR2A Subunit from PSD-95 in the Prefrontal Cortex: Effects on Behavioral Dysfunction and Parvalbumin Loss after Early-Life Stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2666-75. [PMID: 25953359 PMCID: PMC4864660 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life stress increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety. Growing evidence implicates aberrant development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the effects of early-life stress, which often emerge in adolescence or young adulthood. Specifically, early-life stress in the form of maternal separation (MS) in rodents has been shown to decrease parvalbumin (PVB)-positive interneurons in the adolescent PFC; however, the mechanism underpinning behavioral dysfunction and PVB loss is not yet known. We recently reported that MS causes overexpression of the NMDA subunit NR2A in the PFC of adolescent rats. Elevated PFC NR2A is also found in developmental models of schizophrenia and is correlated with behavioral deficits, acting largely through its association with the postsynaptic protein PSD-95. In addition, adolescent maturation of PVB-positive interneurons relies on NR2A-driven NMDA activity. Therefore, it is possible that the NR2A/PSD-95 signaling complex has a role in adolescent MS effects. Here, we aimed to determine whether a discrete manipulation of PFC NR2A could prevent MS effects on PFC-controlled behaviors, including cognition, anxiety, and novelty-induced hyperlocomotion, as well as PVB loss in adolescence. We intracranially infused the NR2A-specific blocking peptide TAT2A in order to uncouple NR2A from PSD-95 in the early-adolescent PFC, without antagonizing the NMDA receptor. We demonstrated that MS rats treated with TAT2A during early adolescence were protected from MS-induced PVB loss and exhibited less anxious behavior than those infused with control peptide. These data implicate NR2A-related N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor development in adolescent behavioral and neural consequences of early-life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabarna Ganguly
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 125 NI, Boston, MA 02115, USA, Tel: +1 617 373 6856, Fax: +1 617 373 8714, E-mail:
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207
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208
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Thomas AW, Caporale N, Wu C, Wilbrecht L. Early maternal separation impacts cognitive flexibility at the age of first independence in mice. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 18:49-56. [PMID: 26531108 PMCID: PMC4834230 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
MS mice tested in 4-choice task as juveniles are less flexible than littermates. MS mice tested in adulthood in 4-choice paradigm do not differ from littermates. MS mice showed greater ethanol consumption compared to littermates in adulthood.
Early life adversity is associated with increased risk for mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse. Changes in neural development caused by early life insults could cause or complicate these conditions. Maternal separation (MS) is a model of early adversity for rodents. Clear effects of MS have been shown on behavioral flexibility in rats, but studies of effects of MS on cognition in mice have been mixed. We hypothesized that previous studies focused on adult mice may have overlooked a developmental transition point when juvenile mice exhibit greater flexibility in reversal learning. Here, using a 4-choice reversal learning task we find that early MS leads to decreased flexibility in post-weaning juvenile mice, but no significant effects in adults. In a further study of voluntary ethanol consumption, we found that adult mice that had experienced MS showed greater cumulative 20% ethanol consumption in an intermittent access paradigm compared to controls. Our data confirm that the MS paradigm can reduce cognitive flexibility in mice and may enhance risk for substance abuse. We discuss possible interpretations of these data as stress-related impairment or adaptive earlier maturation in response to an adverse environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Caporale
- University of California Berkeley, Psychology Department; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute
| | - Claudia Wu
- University of California Irvine, Neurobiology and Behavior Graduate Program
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- University of California Berkeley, Psychology Department; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
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209
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Ludäscher P, Schmahl C, Feldmann RE, Kleindienst N, Schneider M, Bohus M. No evidence for differential dose effects of hydrocortisone on intrusive memories in female patients with complex post-traumatic stress disorder--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Psychopharmacol 2015; 29:1077-84. [PMID: 26152322 DOI: 10.1177/0269881115592339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-traumatic stress disorder is characterized by intrusive traumatic memories. Presently, a controversial debate is ongoing regarding whether reduced cortisol secretion in post-traumatic stress disorder promotes an automatic retrieval of trauma-associated memories. Hence, a pharmacological elevation of cortisol was proposed to decrease post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, particularly intrusions. The present study investigated the impact of two different doses of hydrocortisone on automatic memory retrieval using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 30 inpatients with post-traumatic stress disorder. METHODS All participants were female and received various psychotropic medications. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups within a crossover design: they received either 1 week placebo followed by 1 week hydrocortisone 10/d, followed by 1 week placebo, followed by hydrocortisone 30 mg/d (15 participants) or 1 week hydrocortisone 30 mg/d, followed by 1 week placebo, followed by 1 week hydrocortisone 10 mg/d, followed by 1 week placebo (15 participants). The outcome measures were the frequency and the intensity of intrusions, the overall symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder and the general psychopathology. RESULTS We did not find any differences in the frequency and the intensity of post-traumatic stress disorder-related intrusions between the 10 mg hydrocortisone, the 30 mg hydrocortisone and the placebo condition. All effect sizes for the hydrocortisone condition vs. placebo were very small. Additionally, the overall symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder and the general psychopathology did not differ between the hydrocortisone therapies and placebo. CONCLUSIONS Our results do not show any effect of the hydrocortisone administration on intrusions in complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Ludäscher
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robert E Feldmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Nikolaus Kleindienst
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Schneider
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Bohus
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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210
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Lucassen PJ, Oomen CA, Naninck EFG, Fitzsimons CP, van Dam AM, Czeh B, Korosi A. Regulation of Adult Neurogenesis and Plasticity by (Early) Stress, Glucocorticoids, and Inflammation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015; 7:a021303. [PMID: 26330520 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a021303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stress is one of the best-known negative regulators of adult neurogenesis (AN). We discuss changes in neurogenesis in relation to exposure to stress, glucocorticoid hormones, and inflammation, with a particular focus on early development and on lasting effects of stress. Although the effects of acute and mild stress on AN are generally brief and can be quickly overcome, chronic exposure or more severe forms of stress can induce longer lasting reductions in neurogenesis that can, however, in part, be overcome by subsequent exposure to exercise, drugs targeting the stress system, and some antidepressants. Exposure to stress, particularly during the sensitive period of early life, may (re)program brain plasticity, in particular, in the hippocampus. This may increase the risk to develop cognitive or anxiety symptoms, common to brain diseases like dementia and depression in which plasticity changes occur, and a normalization of neurogenesis may be required for a successful treatment response and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Lucassen
- Centre for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte A Oomen
- Centre for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva F G Naninck
- Centre for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carlos P Fitzsimons
- Centre for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie van Dam
- VU University Medical Center, Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boldizsár Czeh
- MTA-PTE, Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary Structural Neurobiology Research Group, Szentagothai Janos Research Center, University of Pecs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Centre for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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211
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Kalpachidou T, Raftogianni A, Melissa P, Kollia AM, Stylianopoulou F, Stamatakis A. Effects of a Neonatal Experience Involving Reward Through Maternal Contact on the Noradrenergic System of the Rat Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:3866-3877. [PMID: 26315690 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The noradrenergic system plays an important role in prefrontal cortex (PFC) function. Since early life experiences play a crucial role in programming brain function, we investigated the effects of a neonatal experience involving reward through maternal contact on the noradrenergic system of the rat PFC. Rat pups were exposed during Postnatal days (PNDs) 10-13, to a T-maze in which contact with the mother was used as a reward (RER). RER males had higher norepinephrine levels in the PFC both on PND 13 and in adulthood. The RER experience resulted in adulthood in increased levels of the active demethylase GADD45b, hypomethylation of the β1 adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) gene promoter, and consequent enhanced expression of its mRNA in the PFC. In addition, protein and binding levels of the ADRB1, as well as those of its downstream effector phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein were elevated in RER males. The higher activity of the PFC noradrenergic system of the RER males was reflected in their superior performance in the olfactory discrimination and the contextual fear extinction, 2 PFC noradrenergic system-dependent behavioral tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Kalpachidou
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Androniki Raftogianni
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Pelagia Melissa
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Anna-Maria Kollia
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Fotini Stylianopoulou
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
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212
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Jauregui-Huerta F, Zhang L, Yañez-Delgadillo G, Hernandez-Carrillo P, García-Estrada J, Luquín S. Hippocampal cytogenesis and spatial learning in senile rats exposed to chronic variable stress: effects of previous early life exposure to mild stress. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:159. [PMID: 26347648 PMCID: PMC4539520 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we exposed adult rats to chronic variable stress (CVS) and tested the hypothesis that previous early-life exposure to stress changes the manner in which older subjects respond to aversive conditions. To this end, we analyzed the cytogenic changes in the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent spatial learning performance. The experiments were performed on 18-month-old male rats divided into four groups as follows: Control (old rats under standard laboratory conditions), Early-life stress (ELS; old rats who were exposed to environmental noise from postnatal days, PNDs 21–35), CVS + ELS (old rats exposed to a chronic stress protocol who were previously exposed to the early-life noise stress) and CVS (old rats who were exposed only to the chronic stress protocol). The Morris Water Maze (MWM) was employed to evaluate the spatial learning abilities of the rats at the end of the experiment. Immunohistochemistry against 5′Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) was also conducted in the DG, CA1, CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. We confocally analyzed the cytogenic (BrdU-labeled cells) and astrogenic (BrdU + GFAP-labeled cells) changes produced by these conditions. Using this procedure, we found that stress diminished the total number of BrdU+ cells over the main proliferative area of the hippocampus (i.e., the dentate gyrus, DG) but increased the astrocyte phenotypes (GFAP + BrdU). The depleted BrdU+ cells were restored when the senile rats also experienced stress at the early stages of life. The MWM assessment demonstrated that stress also impairs the ability of the rats to learn the task. This impairment was not present when the stressful experience was preceded by the early-life exposure. Thus, our results support the idea that previous exposure to mild stressing agents may have beneficial effects on aged subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Jauregui-Huerta
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Limei Zhang
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México, Mexico
| | - Griselda Yañez-Delgadillo
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Pamela Hernandez-Carrillo
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Joaquín García-Estrada
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Sonia Luquín
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
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213
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De Palma G, Blennerhassett P, Lu J, Deng Y, Park AJ, Green W, Denou E, Silva MA, Santacruz A, Sanz Y, Surette MG, Verdu EF, Collins SM, Bercik P. Microbiota and host determinants of behavioural phenotype in maternally separated mice. Nat Commun 2015. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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214
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Martisova E, Aisa B, Tordera RM, Puerta E, Solas M, Ramirez MJ. Venlafaxine reverses decreased proliferation in the subventricular zone in a rat model of early life stress. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:79-82. [PMID: 26051818 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is believed that glucocorticoids control the proliferation of neural progenitor cells, and this process is highly involved in mood disorders and cognitive processes. Using the maternal separation model of chronic neonatal stress, it has been found that stress induced depressive-like behavior, cognitive deficits and a decrease in proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ). Venlafaxine reversed all deleterious effects of chronic stress by modulating HPA activity. These outcomes suggest modulation of stress-mediated glucocorticoid secretion as a target for the treatment of mood disorders and neurodegenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Martisova
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Bárbara Aisa
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rosa M Tordera
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elena Puerta
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Solas
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - María J Ramirez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
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Takatsuru Y, Koibuchi N. Alteration of somatosensory response in adulthood by early life stress. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:15. [PMID: 26041988 PMCID: PMC4436820 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress is well-known as a critical risk factor for mental and cognitive disorders in adulthood. Such disorders are accompanied by altered neuro- (synapto-) genesis and gene expression. Because psychosomatic disorders induced by early life stress (e.g., physical and/or sexual abuse, and neglect) have become a socio-economic problem, it is very important to clarify the mechanisms underlying these changes. However, despite of intensive clinical and animal studies, such mechanisms have not yet been clarified. Although the disturbance of glucocorticoid and glutamate homeostasis by stress has been well-documented, it has not yet been clarified whether such disturbance by early life stress persists for life. Furthermore, since previous studies have focused on the detection of changes in specific brain regions, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, it has not been clarified whether early life stress induced changes in the sensory/motor system. Thus, in this review, we introduce recent studies on functional/structural changes in the somatosensory cortex induced by early life stress. We believe that this review provides new insights into the functional alteration of the somatosensory system induced by early life stress. Such information may have clinical relevance in terms of providing effective therapeutic interventions to early life stressed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Takatsuru
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi Japan
| | - Noriyuki Koibuchi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi Japan
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Croston R, Branch CL, Kozlovsky DY, Roth TC, LaDage LD, Freas CA, Pravosudov VV. Potential Mechanisms Driving Population Variation in Spatial Memory and the Hippocampus in Food-caching Chickadees. Integr Comp Biol 2015; 55:354-71. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icv029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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217
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Pathological brain plasticity and cognition in the offspring of males subjected to postnatal traumatic stress. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:621-31. [PMID: 25092246 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic stress in early-life increases the risk for cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Such early stress can also impact the progeny even if not directly exposed, likely through epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we report in mice that the offspring of males subjected to postnatal traumatic stress have decreased gene expression in molecular pathways necessary for neuronal signaling, and altered synaptic plasticity when adult. Long-term potentiation is abolished and long-term depression is enhanced in the hippocampus, and these defects are associated with impaired long-term memory in both the exposed fathers and their offspring. The brain-specific gamma isoform of protein kinase C (Prkcc) is one of the affected signaling components in the hippocampus. Its expression is reduced in the offspring, and DNA methylation at its promoter is altered both in the hippocampus of the offspring and the sperm of fathers. These results suggest that postnatal traumatic stress in males can affect brain plasticity and cognitive functions in the adult progeny, possibly through epigenetic alterations in the male germline.
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218
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Xiong GJ, Yang Y, Cao J, Mao RR, Xu L. Fluoxetine treatment reverses the intergenerational impact of maternal separation on fear and anxiety behaviors. Neuropharmacology 2015; 92:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Early rearing experience is associated with vasopressin immunoreactivity but not reactivity to an acute non-social stressor in the prairie vole. Physiol Behav 2015; 147:149-56. [PMID: 25890274 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The early life experiences of an organism have the potential to alter its developmental trajectories. Perhaps one of the most powerful influences during this period is the parent-offspring relationship. Previous work in several mammalian species has demonstrated that parental care in early life and specifically maternal behavior can influence several adult outcomes in offspring, including affiliative and aggressive behavior, parental behavior, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) functioning and risk of psychopathology. We have previously demonstrated that naturally occurring variation in the type and amount of care given to offspring in a biparental species, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), is related to social, anxiety-like, aggressive behaviors as well as HPA response to chronic and acute social stressors. Here we aim to determine the effects of early biparental care on HPA functioning and the interaction between early care and later reactivity to a forced swim test, an acute non-social stressor. Behavior during the swim test as well as several indicators of HPA activity, including plasma corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin releasing hormone immunoreactivity (CRH-ir), and vasopressin immunoreactivity (AVP-ir) were measured. Results here indicate an effect of early experience on AVP-ir but not CRH-ir or plasma CORT. There were no differences in CORT levels between high-contact (HC) and low-contact (LC) males or females for either control animals or after a swim stressor. CRH-ir was higher in the central amygdala following a swim test but was not influenced by early care. However, AVP-ir was not influenced by exposure to a swim stressor but was affected by early parental care in a sex-dependent manner. Female HC offspring had increased AVP-ir in the SON while HC male offspring had decreased AVP-ir in the PVN compared to their LC counterparts. The differential response of CRH and AVP to early experience and later stress, and the lack of an interaction between early care rearing and later adult stress, suggest an independence in response of some components of the HPA system. In addition, these findings expand our understanding of the relationship between naturally occurring variation in early biparental care and sexual dimorphisms in adult outcomes.
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Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by the intrusive re-experiencing of past trauma, avoidant behavior, enhanced fear, and hyperarousal following a traumatic event in vulnerable populations. Preclinical animal models do not replicate the human condition in its entirety, but seek to mimic symptoms or endophenotypes associated with PTSD. Although many models of traumatic stress exist, few adequately capture the complex nature of the disorder and the observed individual variability in susceptibility of humans to PTSD. In addition, various types of stressors may produce different molecular neuroadaptations that likely contribute to the various behavioral disruptions produced by each model, although certain consistent neurobiological themes related to PTSD have emerged. For example, animal models report traumatic stress-induced and trauma reminder-induced alterations in neuronal activity in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, in agreement with the human PTSD literature. Models have also provided a conceptual framework for the often-observed combination of PTSD and comorbid conditions such as alcohol use disorder. Future studies will continue to refine preclinical PTSD models in hope of capitalizing on their potential to deliver new and more efficacious treatments for PTSD and associated psychiatric disorders.
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Propofol-induced electroencephalographic seizures in neonatal rats: the role of corticosteroids and γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor-mediated excitation. Anesth Analg 2015; 120:433-9. [PMID: 25390279 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000000529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An imbalance between excitation and inhibition in the developing central nervous system may result in a pathophysiological outcome. We investigated the mechanistic roles of endocrine activity and γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR)-mediated excitation in electroencephalographic seizures caused by the GABAAR-selective anesthetic propofol in neonatal rats. METHODS Postnatal day 4-6 Sprague Dawley rats underwent a minor surgical procedure to implant electrodes to measure electroencephalographic activity for 1 hour before and 1 hour after intraperitoneal administration of propofol (40 mg·kg). Various treatments were administered 15 minutes before administration of propofol. RESULTS Episodes of electroencephalographic seizures and persistent low-amplitude spikes occurred during propofol anesthesia. Multifold increases in serum levels of corticosterone (t(10) = -5.062; P = 0.0005) and aldosterone (t(10) = -5.069; P = 0.0005) were detected 1 hour after propofol administration in animals that underwent experimental manipulations identical to those used to study electroencephalographic activity. Pretreatment with bumetanide, the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter inhibitor, which diminishes GABAAR-mediated excitation, eliminated both seizure and spike electroencephalographic activities caused by propofol. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, RU 28318 and RU486, depressed electroencephalographic seizures but did not affect the spike electroencephalographic effects of propofol. Etomidate, at a dose sufficient to induce loss of righting reflex, was weak at increasing serum corticosteroid levels and eliciting electroencephalographic seizures. Etomidate given to corticosterone-pretreated rat pups further increased the total duration of electroencephalographic seizures caused by administration of exogenous corticosterone (t(21) = -2.512, P = 0.0203). CONCLUSIONS Propofol increases systemic corticosteroid levels in neonatal rats, which along with GABAAR-mediated excitation appear to be required for propofol-induced neonatal electroencephalographic seizures. Enhancement of GABAAR activity alone may not be sufficient to elicit neonatal electroencephalographic seizures.
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Machado A, Herrera AJ, de Pablos RM, Espinosa-Oliva AM, Sarmiento M, Ayala A, Venero JL, Santiago M, Villarán RF, Delgado-Cortés MJ, Argüelles S, Cano J. Chronic stress as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Rev Neurosci 2015; 25:785-804. [PMID: 25178904 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2014-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This review aims to point out that chronic stress is able to accelerate the appearance of Alzheimer's disease (AD), proposing the former as a risk factor for the latter. Firstly, in the introduction we describe some human epidemiological studies pointing out the possibility that chronic stress could increase the incidence, or the rate of appearance of AD. Afterwards, we try to justify these epidemiological results with some experimental data. We have reviewed the experiments studying the effect of various stressors on different features in AD animal models. Moreover, we also point out the data obtained on the effect of chronic stress on some processes that are known to be involved in AD, such as inflammation and glucose metabolism. Later, we relate some of the processes known to be involved in aging and AD, such as accumulation of β-amyloid, TAU hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress and impairement of mitochondrial function, emphasizing how they are affected by chronic stress/glucocorticoids and comparing with the description made for these processes in AD. All these data support the idea that chronic stress could be considered a risk factor for AD.
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Brett ZH, Sheridan M, Humphreys K, Smyke A, Gleason MM, Fox N, Zeanah C, Nelson C, Drury S. A neurogenetics approach to defining differential susceptibility to institutional care. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2015; 39:150-160. [PMID: 25663728 PMCID: PMC4317330 DOI: 10.1177/0165025414538557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An individual's neurodevelopmental and cognitive sequelae to negative early experiences may, in part, be explained by genetic susceptibility. We examined whether extreme differences in the early caregiving environment, defined as exposure to severe psychosocial deprivation associated with institutional care compared to normative rearing, interacted with a biologically informed genoset comprising BDNF (rs6265), COMT (rs4680), and SIRT1 (rs3758391) to predict distinct outcomes of neurodevelopment at age 8 (N = 193, 97 males and 96 females). Ethnicity was categorized as Romanian (71%), Roma (21%), unknown (7%), or other (1%). We identified a significant interaction between early caregiving environment (i.e., institutionalized versus never institutionalized children) and the a priori defined genoset for full-scale IQ, two spatial working memory tasks, and prefrontal cortex gray matter volume. Model validation was performed using a bootstrap resampling procedure. Although we hypothesized that the effect of this genoset would operate in a manner consistent with differential susceptibility, our results demonstrate a complex interaction where vantage susceptibility, diathesis stress, and differential susceptibility are implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Smyke
- Tulane University School of Medicine, USA
| | | | | | | | - Charles Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
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Boku S, Toda H, Nakagawa S, Kato A, Inoue T, Koyama T, Hiroi N, Kusumi I. Neonatal maternal separation alters the capacity of adult neural precursor cells to differentiate into neurons via methylation of retinoic acid receptor gene promoter. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:335-44. [PMID: 25127741 PMCID: PMC5241093 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress is thought to contribute to psychiatric disorders, but the precise mechanisms underlying this link are poorly understood. As neonatal stress decreases adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which, in turn, functionally contributes to many behavioral phenotypes relevant to psychiatric disorders, we examined how in vivo neonatal maternal separation (NMS) impacts the capacity of adult hippocampal neural precursor cells via epigenetic alterations in vitro. METHODS Rat pups were separated from their dams for 3 hours daily from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 14 or were never separated from the dam (as control animals). We isolated adult neural precursor cells from the hippocampal dentate gyrus at PND 56 and assessed rates of proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in cell culture. We also evaluated the effect of DNA methylation at the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) promoter stemming from NMS on adult neural precursor cells. RESULTS NMS attenuated neural differentiation of adult neural precursor cells but had no detectible effect on proliferation, apoptosis, or astroglial differentiation. The DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor, 5-aza-dC, reversed a reduction by NMS of neural differentiation of adult neural precursor cells. NMS increased DNMT1 expression and decreased expression of RARα. An RARα agonist increased neural differentiation and an antagonist reduced retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation. NMS increased the methylated portion of RARα promoter, and the DNMT inhibitor reversed a reduction by NMS of RARα messenger RNA expression. CONCLUSIONS NMS attenuates the capacity of adult hippocampal neural precursor cells to differentiate into neurons by decreasing expression of RARα through DNMT1-mediated methylation of its promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuken Boku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo.
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Benetti F, da Silveira CKB, Rosa J, Izquierdo I. Histamine acting on the basolateral amygdala reverts the impairment of aversive memory of rats submitted to neonatal maternal deprivation. Behav Brain Res 2015; 278:83-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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226
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Hoeijmakers L, Lucassen PJ, Korosi A. The interplay of early-life stress, nutrition, and immune activation programs adult hippocampal structure and function. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 7:103. [PMID: 25620909 PMCID: PMC4288131 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity increases the vulnerability to develop psychopathologies and cognitive decline later in life. This association is supported by clinical and preclinical studies. Remarkably, experiences of stress during this sensitive period, in the form of abuse or neglect but also early malnutrition or an early immune challenge elicit very similar long-term effects on brain structure and function. During early-life, both exogenous factors like nutrition and maternal care, as well as endogenous modulators, including stress hormones and mediator of immunological activity affect brain development. The interplay of these key elements and their underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We discuss here the hypothesis that exposure to early-life adversity (specifically stress, under/malnutrition and infection) leads to life-long alterations in hippocampal-related cognitive functions, at least partly via changes in hippocampal neurogenesis. We further discuss how these different key elements of the early-life environment interact and affect one another and suggest that it is a synergistic action of these elements that shapes cognition throughout life. Finally, we consider different intervention studies aiming to prevent these early-life adversity induced consequences. The emerging evidence for the intriguing interplay of stress, nutrition, and immune activity in the early-life programming calls for a more in depth understanding of the interaction of these elements and the underlying mechanisms. This knowledge will help to develop intervention strategies that will converge on a more complete set of changes induced by early-life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne Hoeijmakers
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Suri D, Vaidya VA. The adaptive and maladaptive continuum of stress responses – a hippocampal perspective. Rev Neurosci 2015; 26:415-42. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2014-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractExposure to stressors elicits a spectrum of responses that span from potentially adaptive to maladaptive consequences at the structural, cellular and physiological level. These responses are particularly pronounced in the hippocampus where they also appear to influence hippocampal-dependent cognitive function and emotionality. The factors that influence the nature of stress-evoked consequences include the chronicity, severity, predictability and controllability of the stressors. In addition to adult-onset stress, early life stress also elicits a wide range of structural and functional responses, which often exhibit life-long persistence. However, the outcome of early stress exposure is often contingent on the environment experienced in adulthood, and could either aid in stress coping or could serve to enhance susceptibility to the negative consequences of adult stress. This review comprehensively examines the consequences of adult and early life stressors on the hippocampus, with a focus on their effects on neurogenesis, neuronal survival, structural and synaptic plasticity and hippocampal-dependent behaviors. Further, we discuss potential factors that may tip stress-evoked consequences from being potentially adaptive to largely maladaptive.
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228
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Dalmaz C, Noschang C, Krolow R, Raineki C, Lucion AB. How postnatal insults may program development: studies in animal models. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 10:121-47. [PMID: 25287539 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1372-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
During the postnatal period, the nervous system is modified and shaped by experience, in order to adjust it to the particular environment in which the animal will live. This plasticity, one of the most remarkable characteristics of the nervous system, promotes adaptive changes, but it also makes brain more vulnerable to insults. This chapter will focus on the effects of interventions during the postnatal development in animal models of neonatal handling (usually up to 15 min of handling) and maternal separation (usually at least for 3 h). Sex-specific changes and effects of prepubertal stress such as social isolation later on in life were also considered. These interventions during development induce long-lasting traces in the pups' nervous system, which will be reflected in changes in neuroendocrine functions, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axes; anxiety and cognitive performance; and feeding, sexual, and social behavior. These enduring changes may be adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the environment in which the animal will live. The challenge researchers facing now is to determine how to reverse the deleterious effects that may result from early-life stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Dalmaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porte Alegre, RS, Brazil
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229
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Cassani J, Dorantes-Barrón AM, Novales LM, Real GA, Estrada-Reyes R. Anti-depressant-like effect of kaempferitrin isolated from Justicia spicigera Schltdl (Acanthaceae) in two behavior models in mice: evidence for the involvement of the serotonergic system. Molecules 2014; 19:21442-61. [PMID: 25532842 PMCID: PMC6271707 DOI: 10.3390/molecules191221442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the antidepressant-like effect of kaempferitrin (Km) isolated from the plant Justicia spicigera (Asteraceae), which is used in traditional medicine for relieving emotional disorders, such as "la tristeza" (sadness or dysthymia) and "el humor" (mood changes). The actions of Km were evaluated in a forced swimming test (FST) and a suspension tail test (TST) in mice. We explored the involvement of the serotonergic system and the hypothalamic-hypophysis-adrenal axis (HPA) in the antidepressant-like effect of Km. To evaluate nonspecific effects of Km on general activity, the open field test (OFT) was performed. Km at 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg induced an antidepressant-like effect. Sub-effective dose of Km (1 mg/kg) produced a synergistic effect with imipramine (6.25 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) but not with desipramine (3.12 mg/kg). Pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine methyl ester (PCPA), a serotonin synthesis inhibitor, N-{2-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl}-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexecarboxamide (WAY-100635), a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, and 8OH-DPAT, a selective 5-HT1A agonist, but not pindolol (10 mg/kg) blocked the anti- immobility effect induced by Km. Taken together, these results indicate that the antidepressant-like effect of Km is related to the serotonergic system, principally 5-HT1A. This effect was not related to changes in locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Cassani
- Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico D.F. 04960, Mexico.
| | - Ana María Dorantes-Barrón
- Laboratorio de Fitofarmacología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico D.F 14370, Mexico.
| | - Lilian Mayagoitia Novales
- Departamento de Etología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico D.F, 14370, Mexico.
| | - Guadalupe Alva Real
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, Mexico D.F 14370, Mexico.
| | - Rosa Estrada-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Fitofarmacología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico D.F 14370, Mexico.
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Fuge P, Aust S, Fan Y, Weigand A, Gärtner M, Feeser M, Bajbouj M, Grimm S. Interaction of early life stress and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor gene: effects on working memory. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 76:888-94. [PMID: 24931706 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress (ELS) experience is associated with persisting working memory (WM) deficits; changes to the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system; and structural, functional, and epigenetic changes in the hippocampus. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CRH receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene interact with ELS experience to predict depression as well as neuroendocrine and neuronal reactivity. Although these findings indicate that vulnerable genotypes might also show impaired WM performance after ELS experience, no previous study investigated whether there is an interaction effect of CRHR1 polymorphisms and ELS experience on WM performance. METHODS Subjects (N = 451) were genotyped for rs110402 and rs242924 within the CRHR1 gene. We used an n-back task to investigate the hypothesis that WM performance in healthy subjects may be subtly influenced by functional differences in CRHR1 and represents an early marker of increased vulnerability after exposure to ELS. RESULTS Exposure to ELS had a particularly strong impact on WM performance in subjects with the common homozygous GG GG genotype, whereas only severe exposure to ELS interfered with WM accuracy in AT carriers. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that specific CRHR1 polymorphisms moderate the effect of ELS experience on WM performance. Exposure to ELS in combination with a vulnerable genotype results in subtle memory deficits in adulthood, which might develop before psychopathological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Fuge
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Aust
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yan Fan
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Weigand
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matti Gärtner
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Melanie Feeser
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Grimm
- Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Neonatal glucocorticoid treatment increased depression-like behaviour in adult rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:1995-2004. [PMID: 24945924 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145714000868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) is frequently used as a therapeutic agent to lessen the morbidity of chronic lung disease in premature infants. Previous studies suggested that neonatal DEX treatment altered brain development and cognitive function. It has been recognized that the amygdala is involved in emotional processes and also a critical site of neuronal plasticity for fear conditioning. Little is known about the possible long-term adverse effect of neonatal DEX treatment on amygdala function. The present study was aimed to evaluate the possible effect of neonatal DEX treatment on the synaptic function of amygdala in adult rats. Newborn Wistar rats were subjected to subcutaneous tapering-dose injections of DEX (0.5, 0.3 and 0.1 mg/kg) from post-natal day one to three, PN1-PN3. Animals were then subjected to a forced swimming test (FST) and electrophysiological recording aged eight weeks. The results of the FST showed neonatal DEX treatment increased depression-like behaviour in adulthood. After acute stress evoking, the percentage of time spent free floating is significantly increased in the DEX treated group compared with the control animals. Furthermore, neonatal DEX treatment elevated long-term potentiation (LTP) response and the phosphorylation level of MAPK in the lateral nucleus of amygdala (LA). Intracerebroventricular infusion of the MAPK inhibitor, PD98059, showed significant rescue effects including reduced depression-like behaviour and restoration of LTP to within normal range. In conclusion, our results suggested that MAPK signalling cascade in the LA plays an important role in the adverse effect of neonatal DEX treatment on amygdala function, which may result in adverse consequences in adult age, such as the enhancement of susceptibility for a depressive disorder in later life.
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232
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Tata DA, Markostamou I, Ioannidis A, Gkioka M, Simeonidou C, Anogianakis G, Spandou E. Effects of maternal separation on behavior and brain damage in adult rats exposed to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Behav Brain Res 2014; 280:51-61. [PMID: 25433094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Animal studies suggest that maternal separation, a widely used paradigm to study the effects of early life adversity, exerts a profound and life-long impact on both brain and behavior. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether adverse early life experiences interact with neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, affecting the outcome of this neurological insult at both functional and structural levels during adulthood. Rat pups were separated from their mothers during postnatal days 1-6, for either a short (15 min) or prolonged (180 min) period, while another group was left undisturbed. On postnatal day 7, a subgroup from each of the three postnatal manipulations was exposed to a hypoxic-ischemic episode. Behavioral examination took place approximately at three months of age and included tests of learning and memory (Morris water maze, novel object and novel place recognition), as well as motor coordination (rota-rod). We found that both prolonged maternal separation and neonatal hypoxia-ischemia impaired the animals' spatial learning and reference memory. Deficits in spatial but not visual recognition memory were detected only in hypoxic-ischemic rats. Interestingly, prolonged maternal separation prior to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia augmented the reference memory impairments. Histological analysis of infarct size, hippocampal area and thickness of corpus callosum did not reveal any exacerbation of damage in hypoxic-ischemic rats that were maternally separated for a prolonged period. These are the first data suggesting that an adverse postnatal environmental manipulation of just 6 days causes long-term effects on spatial learning and memory and may render the organism more vulnerable to a subsequent insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina A Tata
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Ioanna Markostamou
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anestis Ioannidis
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mara Gkioka
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Constantina Simeonidou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Anogianakis
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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233
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Sanchez-Ol CP, Guzman-Vel S, Melo AI, Flores G, De-La-Cruz F, R. Zamudio S. Sub-Chronic Cerebrolysin Treatment Attenuates the Long-lasting Behavioral Alterations Caused by Maternal Separation in Rats. INT J PHARMACOL 2014. [DOI: 10.3923/ijp.2014.406.417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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234
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Naninck EF, Hoeijmakers L, Kakava-Georgiadou N, Meesters A, Lazic SE, Lucassen PJ, Korosi A. Chronic early life stress alters developmental and adult neurogenesis and impairs cognitive function in mice. Hippocampus 2014; 25:309-28. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva F.G. Naninck
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Lianne Hoeijmakers
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Nefeli Kakava-Georgiadou
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Meesters
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Stanley E. Lazic
- In Silico Lead Discovery, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research; Basel Switzerland
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Center for Neuroscience, Structural and Functional Plasticity of the Nervous System Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
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235
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van der Doelen RHA, Calabrese F, Guidotti G, Geenen B, Riva MA, Kozicz T, Homberg JR. Early life stress and serotonin transporter gene variation interact to affect the transcription of the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors, and the co-chaperone FKBP5, in the adult rat brain. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:355. [PMID: 25352794 PMCID: PMC4195371 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The short allelic variant of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) promoter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with the etiology of major depression by interaction with early life stress (ELS). A frequently observed endophenotype in depression is the abnormal regulation of levels of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids. It is hypothesized that altered central glucocorticoid influence on stress-related behavior and memory processes could underlie the depressogenic interaction of 5-HTTLPR and ELS. One possible mechanism could be the altered expression of the genes encoding the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors (GR, MR) and their inhibitory regulator FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP5) in stress-related forebrain areas. To test this notion, we exposed heterozygous (5-HTT+/−) and homozygous (5-HTT−/−) serotonin transporter knockout rats and their wildtype littermates (5-HTT+/+) to daily 3 h maternal separations from postnatal day 2 to 14. In the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus of the adult male offspring, we found that GR, MR, and FKBP5 mRNA levels were affected by ELS × 5-HTT genotype interaction. Specifically, 5-HTT+/+ rats exposed to ELS showed decreased GR and FKBP5 mRNA in the dorsal and ventral mPFC, respectively. In contrast, 5-HTT+/− rats showed increased MR mRNA levels in the hippocampus and 5-HTT−/− rats showed increased FKBP5 mRNA in the ventral mPFC after ELS exposure. These findings indicate that 5-HTT genotype determines the specific adaptation of GR, MR, and FKBP5 expression in response to early life adversity. Therefore, altered extra-hypothalamic glucocorticoid signaling should be considered to play a role in the depressogenic interaction of ELS and 5-HTTLPR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick H A van der Doelen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands ; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Guidotti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Bram Geenen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, Italy
| | - Tamás Kozicz
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
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236
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Maccari S, Krugers HJ, Morley-Fletcher S, Szyf M, Brunton PJ. The consequences of early-life adversity: neurobiological, behavioural and epigenetic adaptations. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:707-23. [PMID: 25039443 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During the perinatal period, the brain is particularly sensitive to remodelling by environmental factors. Adverse early-life experiences, such as stress exposure or suboptimal maternal care, can have long-lasting detrimental consequences for an individual. This phenomenon is often referred to as 'early-life programming' and is associated with an increased risk of disease. Typically, rodents exposed to prenatal stress or postnatal maternal deprivation display enhanced neuroendocrine responses to stress, increased levels of anxiety and depressive-like behaviours, and cognitive impairments. Some of the phenotypes observed in these models of early-life adversity are likely to share common neurobiological mechanisms. For example, there is evidence for impaired glucocorticoid negative-feedback control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, altered glutamate neurotransmission and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis in both prenatally stressed rats and rats that experienced deficient maternal care. The possible mechanisms through which maternal stress during pregnancy may be transmitted to the offspring are reviewed, with special consideration given to altered maternal behaviour postpartum. We also discuss what is known about the neurobiological and epigenetic mechanisms that underpin early-life programming of the neonatal brain in the first generation and subsequent generations, with a view to abrogating programming effects and potentially identifying new therapeutic targets for the treatment of stress-related disorders and cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Maccari
- LIA, International Laboratory Associated, UMR 8576 CNRS Neural plasticity Team, University of Lille 1, France and Sapienza University of Rome, IRCCS NEUROMED, Italy
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237
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Haller J, Harold G, Sandi C, Neumann ID. Effects of adverse early-life events on aggression and anti-social behaviours in animals and humans. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:724-38. [PMID: 25059307 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We review the impact of early adversities on the development of violence and antisocial behaviour in humans, and present three aetiological animal models of escalated rodent aggression, each disentangling the consequences of one particular adverse early-life factor. A review of the human data, as well as those obtained with the animal models of repeated maternal separation, post-weaning social isolation and peripubertal stress, clearly shows that adverse developmental conditions strongly affect aggressive behaviour displayed in adulthood, the emotional responses to social challenges and the neuronal mechanisms activated by conflict. Although similarities between models are evident, important differences were also noted, demonstrating that the behavioural, emotional and neuronal consequences of early adversities are to a large extent dependent on aetiological factors. These findings support recent theories on human aggression, which suggest that particular developmental trajectories lead to specific forms of aggressive behaviour and brain dysfunctions. However, dissecting the roles of particular aetiological factors in humans is difficult because these occur in various combinations; in addition, the neuroscientific tools employed in humans still lack the depth of analysis of those used in animal research. We suggest that the analytical approach of the rodent models presented here may be successfully used to complement human findings and to develop integrative models of the complex relationship between early adversity, brain development and aggressive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Haller
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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238
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Distrutti E, O’Reilly JA, McDonald C, Cipriani S, Renga B, Lynch MA, Fiorucci S. Modulation of intestinal microbiota by the probiotic VSL#3 resets brain gene expression and ameliorates the age-related deficit in LTP. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106503. [PMID: 25202975 PMCID: PMC4159266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal microbiota is increasingly recognized as a complex signaling network that impacts on many systems beyond the enteric system modulating, among others, cognitive functions including learning, memory and decision-making processes. This has led to the concept of a microbiota-driven gut–brain axis, reflecting a bidirectional interaction between the central nervous system and the intestine. A deficit in synaptic plasticity is one of the many changes that occurs with age. Specifically, the archetypal model of plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), is reduced in hippocampus of middle-aged and aged rats. Because the intestinal microbiota might change with age, we have investigated whether the age-related deficit in LTP might be attenuated by changing the composition of intestinal microbiota with VSL#3, a probiotic mixture comprising 8 Gram-positive bacterial strains. Here, we report that treatment of aged rats with VSL#3 induced a robust change in the composition of intestinal microbiota with an increase in the abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacterioidetes, which was reduced in control-treated aged rats. VSL#3 administration modulated the expression of a large group of genes in brain tissue as assessed by whole gene expression, with evidence of a change in genes that impact on inflammatory and neuronal plasticity processes. The age-related deficit in LTP was attenuated in VSL#3-treated aged rats and this was accompanied by a modest decrease in markers of microglial activation and an increase in expression of BDNF and synapsin. The data support the notion that intestinal microbiota can be manipulated to positively impact on neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Distrutti
- S.C. di Gastroenterologia ed Epatologia, Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Julie-Ann O’Reilly
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Claire McDonald
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sabrina Cipriani
- Dipartimento di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Barbara Renga
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Marina A. Lynch
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stefano Fiorucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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239
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Pinheiro RMC, de Lima MNM, Portal BCD, Busato SB, Falavigna L, Ferreira RDP, Paz AC, de Aguiar BW, Kapczinski F, Schröder N. Long-lasting recognition memory impairment and alterations in brain levels of cytokines and BDNF induced by maternal deprivation: effects of valproic acid and topiramate. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 122:709-19. [PMID: 25182413 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1303-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful events early in life may have permanent deleterious consequences on nervous system function and increase the susceptibility to psychiatric conditions later in life. Maternal deprivation, commonly used as a source of neonatal stress, impairs memory in adult rats and reduces hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been shown to be increased in the peripheral blood of patients with psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of maternal separation on the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α, and BDNF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of adult rats. We also evaluated the potential ameliorating properties of topiramate and valproic acid on memory deficits and cytokine and BDNF changes associated with maternal deprivation. The results indicated that, in addition to inducing memory deficits, maternal deprivation increased the levels of IL-10 in the hippocampus, and TNF-α in the hippocampus and in the cortex, and decreased hippocampal levels of BDNF, in adult life. Neither valproic acid nor topiramate were able to ameliorate memory deficits or the reduction in BDNF induced by maternal separation. The highest dose of topiramate was able to reduce IL-10 in the hippocampus and TNF-α in the prefrontal cortex, while valproate only reduced IL-10 levels in the hippocampus. These findings may have implications for a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with alterations observed in adult life induced by early stressful events, and for the proposal of novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Mary Carvalho Pinheiro
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Predio 12D, Porto Alegre, RS, 90619-900, Brazil
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240
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Sampath D, Sabitha KR, Hegde P, Jayakrishnan HR, Kutty BM, Chattarji S, Rangarajan G, Laxmi TR. A study on fear memory retrieval and REM sleep in maternal separation and isolation stressed rats. Behav Brain Res 2014; 273:144-54. [PMID: 25084041 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
As rapid brain development occurs during the neonatal period, environmental manipulation during this period may have a significant impact on sleep and memory functions. Moreover, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays an important role in integrating new information with the previously stored emotional experience. Hence, the impact of early maternal separation and isolation stress (MS) during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) on fear memory retention and sleep in rats were studied. The neonatal rats were subjected to maternal separation and isolation stress during postnatal days 5-7 (6h daily/3d). Polysomnographic recordings and differential fear conditioning was carried out in two different sets of rats aged 2 months. The neuronal replay during REM sleep was analyzed using different parameters. MS rats showed increased time in REM stage and total sleep period also increased. MS rats showed fear generalization with increased fear memory retention than normal control (NC). The detailed analysis of the local field potentials across different time periods of REM sleep showed increased theta oscillations in the hippocampus, amygdala and cortical circuits. Our findings suggest that stress during SHRP has sensitized the hippocampus-amygdala-cortical loops which could be due to increased release of corticosterone that generally occurs during REM sleep. These rats when subjected to fear conditioning exhibit increased fear memory and increased fear generalization. The development of helplessness, anxiety and sleep changes in human patients, thus, could be related to the reduced thermal, tactile and social stimulation during SHRP on brain plasticity and fear memory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayalan Sampath
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India
| | - K R Sabitha
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Preethi Hegde
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India
| | - H R Jayakrishnan
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Bindu M Kutty
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Sumantra Chattarji
- National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), GKVK Campus, Bangalore 560065, India
| | | | - T R Laxmi
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore 560029, India.
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241
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Antidepressant-like effects of the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the root bark of Morus alba on the immobility behavior of rats in the forced swim test. Molecules 2014; 19:7981-9. [PMID: 24927367 PMCID: PMC6271794 DOI: 10.3390/molecules19067981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the antidepressant-like effects of Morus alba fractions in rats were investigated in the forced swim test (FST). Male Wistar rats (9-week-old) were administered orally the M. alba ethyl acetate (EtOAc 30 and 100 mg/kg) and M. alba n-butanol fractions (n-BuOH 30 and 100 mg/kg) every day for 7 consecutive days. On day 7, 1 h after the final administration of the fractions, the rats were exposed to the FST. M. alba EtOAc fraction at the dose of 100 mg/kg induced a decrease in immobility behavior (p < 0.01) with a concomitant increase in both climbing (p < 0.05) and swimming (p < 0.05) behaviors when compared with the control group, and M. alba EtOAc fraction at the dose of 100 mg/kg decreased the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to the stress, as indicated by an attenuated corticosterone response and decreased c-fos immunoreactivity in the hippocampal and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) region. These findings demonstrated that M. alba EtOAc fraction have beneficial effects on depressive behaviors and restore both altered c-fos expression and HPA activity.
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242
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Molet J, Maras PM, Avishai-Eliner S, Baram TZ. Naturalistic rodent models of chronic early-life stress. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1675-88. [PMID: 24910169 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A close association between early-life experience and cognitive and emotional outcomes is found in humans. In experimental models, early-life experience can directly influence a number of brain functions long-term. Specifically, and often in concert with genetic background, experience regulates structural and functional maturation of brain circuits and alters individual neuronal function via large-scale changes in gene expression. Because adverse experience during sensitive developmental periods is often associated with neuropsychiatric disease, there is an impetus to create realistic models of distinct early-life experiences. These can then be used to study causality between early-life experiential factors and cognitive and emotional outcomes, and to probe the underlying mechanisms. Although chronic early-life stress has been linked to the emergence of emotional and cognitive disorders later in life, most commonly used rodent models of involve daily maternal separation and hence intermittent early-life stress. We describe here a naturalistic and robust chronic early-life stress model that potently influences cognitive and emotional outcomes. Mice and rats undergoing this stress develop structural and functional deficits in a number of limbic-cortical circuits. Whereas overt pathological memory impairments appear during adulthood, emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities emerge already during adolescence. This naturalistic paradigm, widely adopted around the world, significantly enriches the repertoire of experimental tools available for the study of normal brain maturation and of cognitive and stress-related disorders including depression, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Molet
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-4475
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243
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Antidepressant effects of Radix et Caulis Acanthopanacis Santicosi extracts on rat models with depression in terms of immobile behavior. J TRADIT CHIN MED 2014; 34:317-23. [DOI: 10.1016/s0254-6272(14)60096-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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244
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Roque S, Mesquita AR, Palha JA, Sousa N, Correia-Neves M. The behavioral and immunological impact of maternal separation: a matter of timing. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:192. [PMID: 24904343 PMCID: PMC4033212 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS), an early life stressful event, has been demonstrated to trigger neuropsychiatric disorders later in life, in particular depression. Experiments using rodents subjected to MS protocols have been very informative for the establishment of this association. However, the mechanism by which MS leads to neuropsychiatric disorders is far from being understood. This is probably associated with the multifactorial nature of depression but also with the fact that different research MS protocols have been used (that vary on temporal windows and time of exposure to MS). In the present study, MS was induced in rats in two developmental periods: for 6 h per day for 14 days between postnatal days 2-15 (MS2-15) and 7-20 (MS7-20). These two periods were defined to differ essentially on the almost complete (MS2-15) or partial (MS7-20) overlap with the stress hypo-responsive period. Behavioral, immunological, and endocrine parameters, frequently associated with depressive-like behavior, were analyzed in adulthood. Irrespectively from the temporal window, both MS exposure periods led to increased sera corticosterone levels. However, only MS2-15 animals displayed depressive and anxious-like behaviors. Moreover, MS2-15 was also the only group presenting alterations in the immune system, displaying decreased percentage of CD8(+) T cells, increased spleen T cell CD4/CD8 ratio, and thymocytes with increased resistance to dexamethasone-induced cell death. A linear regression model performed to predict depressive-like behavior showed that both corticosterone levels and T cell CD4/CD8 ratio explained 37% of the variance observed in depressive-like behavior. Overall, these findings highlight the existence of "critical periods" for early life stressful events to exert programing effects on both central and peripheral systems, which are of relevance for distinct patterns of susceptibility to emotional disorders later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Roque
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga , Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Mesquita
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal ; Neuropsychophysiology Laboratory, Center for Research in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal
| | - Joana A Palha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga , Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga , Portugal
| | - Margarida Correia-Neves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho , Braga , Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory , Braga , Portugal
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Hill RA, Klug M, Kiss Von Soly S, Binder MD, Hannan AJ, van den Buuse M. Sex-specific disruptions in spatial memory and anhedonia in a "two hit" rat model correspond with alterations in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and signaling. Hippocampus 2014; 24:1197-211. [PMID: 24802968 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Post-mortem studies have demonstrated reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of schizophrenia and major depression patients. The "two hit" hypothesis proposes that two or more major disruptions at specific time points during development are involved in the pathophysiology of these mental illnesses. However, the role of BDNF in these "two hit" effects is unclear. Our aim was to behaviorally characterize a "two hit" rat model of developmental stress accompanied by an in-depth assessment of BDNF expression and signalling. Wistar rats were exposed to neonatal maternal separation (MS) stress and/or adolescent/young-adult corticosterone (CORT) treatment. In adulthood, models of cognitive and negative symptoms of mental illness were analyzed. The hippocampus was then dissected into dorsal (DHP) and ventral (VHP) regions and analyzed by qPCR for exon-specific BDNF gene expression or by Western blot for BDNF protein expression and downstream signaling. Male "two hit" rats showed marked disruptions in short-term spatial memory (Y-maze) which were absent in females. However, female "two hit" rats showed signs of anhedonia (sucrose preference test), which were absent in males. Novel object recognition and anxiety (elevated plus maze) were unchanged by either of the two "hits". In the DHP, MS caused a male-specific increase in BDNF Exons I, II, IV, VII, and IX mRNA but a decrease in mature BDNF and phosphorylated TrkB (pTrkB) protein expression in adulthood. In the VHP, BDNF transcript expression was unchanged; however, in female rats only, MS significantly decreased mature BDNF and pTrkB protein expression in adulthood. These data demonstrate that MS causes region-specific and sex-specific long-term effects on BDNF expression and signaling and, importantly, mRNA expression does not always infer protein expression. Alterations to BDNF signaling may mediate the sex-specific effects of developmental stress on anhedonic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Hill
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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246
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Harrison EL, Baune BT. Modulation of early stress-induced neurobiological changes: a review of behavioural and pharmacological interventions in animal models. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e390. [PMID: 24825729 PMCID: PMC4035722 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity alters the predisposition to psychiatric disorders later in life. Those with psychiatric conditions and a history of early adversity exhibit a higher incidence of treatment resistance compared with individuals with no such history. Modulation of the influence early stress exerts over neurobiology may help to prevent the development of psychiatric disorders in some cases, while attenuating the extent of treatment resistance in those with established psychiatric disorders. This review aims to critically evaluate the ability of behavioural, environmental and pharmacologic interventions to modulate neurobiological changes induced by early stress in animal models. Databases were systematically searched to locate literature relevant to this review. Early adversity was defined as stress that resulted from manipulation of the mother-infant relationship. Analysis was restricted to animal models to enable characterisation of how a given intervention altered specific neurobiological changes induced by early stress. A wide variety of changes in neurobiology due to early stress are amenable to intervention. Behavioural interventions in childhood, exercise in adolescence and administration of epigenetic-modifying drugs throughout life appear to best modulate cellar and behavioural alterations induced by childhood adversity. Other pharmacotherapies, such as endocannabinoid system modulators, anti-inflammatories and antidepressants can also influence these neurobiological and behavioural changes that result from early stress, although findings are less consistent at present and require further investigation. Further work is required to examine the influence that behavioural interventions, exercise and epigenetic-modifying drugs exert over alterations that occur following childhood stress in human studies, before possible translational into clinical practice is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Harrison
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia,School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - B T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia,Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. E-mail:
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247
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Darcet F, Mendez-David I, Tritschler L, Gardier AM, Guilloux JP, David DJ. Learning and memory impairments in a neuroendocrine mouse model of anxiety/depression. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:136. [PMID: 24822041 PMCID: PMC4013464 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive disturbances are often reported as serious incapacitating symptoms by patients suffering from major depressive disorders (MDDs). Such deficits have been observed in various animal models based on environmental stress. Here, we performed a complete characterization of cognitive functions in a neuroendocrine mouse model of depression based on a chronic (4 weeks) corticosterone administration (CORT). Cognitive performances were assessed using behavioral tests measuring episodic (novel object recognition test, NORT), associative (one-trial contextual fear conditioning, CFC), and visuo-spatial (Morris water maze, MWM; Barnes maze, BM) learning/memory. Altered emotional phenotype after chronic corticosterone treatment was confirmed in mice using tests predictive of anxiety or depression-related behaviors. In the NORT, CORT-treated mice showed a decrease in time exploring the novel object during the test session and a lower discrimination index compared to control mice, characteristic of recognition memory impairment. Associative memory was also impaired, as observed with a decrease in freezing duration in CORT-treated mice in the CFC, thus pointing out the cognitive alterations in this model. In the MWM and in the BM, spatial learning performance but also short-term spatial memory were altered in CORT-treated mice. In the MWM, unlike control animals, CORT-treated animals failed to learn a new location during the reversal phase, suggesting a loss of cognitive flexibility. Finally, in the BM, the lack of preference for the target quadrant during the recall probe trial in animals receiving corticosterone regimen demonstrates that long-term retention was also affected in this paradigm. Taken together, our results highlight that CORT-induced anxio-depressive-like phenotype is associated with a cognitive deficit affecting all aspects of memory tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavie Darcet
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Indira Mendez-David
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Laurent Tritschler
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Alain M Gardier
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Guilloux
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Denis J David
- EA3544, Neuropharmacologie des troubles anxio-dépressifs et neurogenèse, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud Châtenay-Malabry, France
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248
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Wu Y, Patchev AV, Daniel G, Almeida OFX, Spengler D. Early-life stress reduces DNA methylation of the Pomc gene in male mice. Endocrinology 2014; 155:1751-62. [PMID: 24506071 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) increases the vulnerability thresholds for stress-related diseases such as major depression and anxiety by inducing alterations in the structure and function of neural circuits and endocrine pathways. We previously demonstrated the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to the long-term programming of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity following ELS exposure in male mice. Here, ELS comprising daily separation of pups from their dams on postnatal days 1-10 was observed to up-regulate the expression of the pituitary proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) gene; POMC serves as a prohormone for ACTH, a key mediator of the adrenocortical response to stress. Detailed analysis revealed that the increase in Pomc mRNA levels results from a reduction in DNA methylation at a critical regulatory region of the Pomc gene; interestingly, this change occurs with some delay after ELS and persists for up to 1 year. Using a Pomc-expressing pituitary cell line (AtT20), we confirmed a role for DNA methylation in restraining Pomc expression under resting conditions: specifically, we show that CpG site-specific methylation of the Pomc promoter represses Pomc mRNA transcription. Further, we show high-affinity binding of methyl-CpG binding protein-2 to the distal promoter of Pomc, suggesting that methyl-CpG binding protein-2 acts in association with the chromatin modifiers histone deacetylase 2 and DNA methyltransferase 1 to repress Pomc gene expression. Collectively, these experiments contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms through which environmental cues are translated into stable changes ("cellular memory") in neuroendocrine cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghe Wu
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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249
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Solomon MB, Wulsin AC, Rice T, Wick D, Myers B, McKlveen J, Flak JN, Ulrich-Lai Y, Herman JP. The selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist CORT 108297 decreases neuroendocrine stress responses and immobility in the forced swim test. Horm Behav 2014; 65:363-71. [PMID: 24530653 PMCID: PMC4074011 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2013] [Revised: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Pre-clinical and clinical studies have employed treatment with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonists in an attempt to limit the deleterious behavioral and physiological effects of excess glucocorticoids. Here, we examined the effects of GR antagonists on neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses, using two compounds: mifepristone, a GR antagonist that is also a progesterone receptor antagonist, and CORT 108297, a specific GR antagonist lacking anti-progestin activity. Given its well-documented impact on neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses, imipramine (tricyclic antidepressant) served as a positive control. Male rats were treated for five days with mifepristone (10mg/kg), CORT 108297 (30mg/kg and 60mg/kg), imipramine (10mg/kg) or vehicle and exposed to forced swim test (FST) or restraint stress. Relative to vehicle, imipramine potently suppressed adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) responses to FST and restraint exposure. Imipramine also decreased immobility in the FST, consistent with antidepressant actions. Both doses of CORT 108297 potently suppressed peak corticosterone responses to FST and restraint stress. However, only the higher dose of CORT 108297 (60mg/kg) significantly decreased immobility in the FST. In contrast, mifepristone induced protracted secretion of corticosterone in response to both stressors, and modestly decreased immobility in the FST. Taken together, the data indicate distinct effects of each compound on neuroendocrine stress responses and also highlight dissociation between corticosterone responses and immobility in the FST. Within the context of the present study, our data suggest that CORT 108297 may be an attractive alternative for mitigating neuroendocrine and behavioral states associated with excess glucocorticoid secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matia B Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
| | - Aynara C Wulsin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Taylor Rice
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Dayna Wick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Jessica McKlveen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Jonathan N Flak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Yvonne Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati Metabolic Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
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250
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Abstract
The last decade has witnessed a significant shift on our understanding of the relationship between psychiatric disorders and epilepsy. While traditionally psychiatric disorders were considered as a complication of the underlying seizure disorder, new epidemiologic data, supported by clinical and experimental research, have suggested the existence of a bidirectional relation between the two types of conditions: not only are patients with epilepsy at greater risk of experiencing a psychiatric disorder, but patients with primary psychiatric disorders are at greater risk of developing epilepsy. Do these data suggest that some of the pathogenic mechanisms operant in psychiatric comorbidities play a role in epileptogenesis? The aim of this article is to review the epidemiologic data that demonstrate that primary psychiatric disorders are more frequent in people who develop epilepsy, before the onset of the seizure disorder than among controls. The next question looks at the available data of pathogenic mechanisms of primary mood disorders and their potential for facilitating the development and/or exacerbation in the severity of epileptic seizures. Finally, we review data derived from experimental studies in animal models of depression and epilepsy that support a potential role of pathogenic mechanisms of mood disorders in the development of epileptic seizures and epileptogenesis. The data presented in this article do not yet establish conclusive evidence of a pathogenic role of psychiatric comorbidities in epileptogenesis, but raise important research questions that need to be investigated in experimental, clinical, and population-based epidemiologic research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres M Kanner
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1120 NW, 14th Street, Room 1324, Miami, FL, 33136, USA,
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