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Coppeto DJ, Martin JS, Ringen EJ, Palmieri V, Young LJ, Jaeggi AV. Peptides and primate personality: Central and peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin levels and social behavior in two baboon species (Papio hamadryas and Papio anubis). Peptides 2024; 179:171270. [PMID: 38969236 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The neurohormones oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are involved in social behaviors and psychiatric conditions. However, more research on nonhuman primates with complex social behaviors is needed. We studied two closely-related primate species with divergent social and mating systems; hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas, n=38 individuals) and anubis baboons (Papio anubis, n=46). We measured OT in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, n=75), plasma (n=81) and urine (n=77), and AVP in CSF (n=45), and we collected over 250 hours of focal behavioral observations. Using Bayesian multivariate models, we found no clear species difference in hormone levels; the strongest support was for hamadryas having higher CSF OT levels than anubis (posterior probability [PP] for females = 0.75, males = 0.84). Looking at nine specific behaviors, OT was associated with affiliative behaviors (approach, proximity, grooming, PP ∼ 0.85 - 1.00), albeit inconsistently across sources of measurement (CSF, plasma, and urine, which were uncorrelated with each other). Most behaviors had low repeatability (R ∼ 0 - 0.2), i.e. they did not exhibit stable between-individual differences (or "personality"), and different behaviors did not neatly coalesce into higher-order factors (or "behavioral syndromes"), which cautions against the use of aggregate behavioral measures and highlights the need to establish stable behavioral profiles when testing associations with baseline hormone levels. In sum, we found some associations between peptides and social behavior, but also many null results, OT levels from different sources were uncorrelated, and our behavioral measures did not indicate clear individual differences in sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Coppeto
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jordan S Martin
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Erik J Ringen
- Linguistic Research Infrastructure, University of Zurich, Zurich 8050, Switzerland
| | | | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Adrian V Jaeggi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
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2
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Lefevre A, Meza J, Miller CT. Long-range projections of oxytocin neurons in the marmoset brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13397. [PMID: 38659185 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has become a major target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder because of its integral role in governing many facets of mammalian social behavior. Whereas extensive work in rodents has produced much of our knowledge of OT, we lack basic information about its neurobiology in primates making it difficult to interpret the limited effects that OT manipulations have had in human patients. In fact, previous studies have revealed only limited OT fibers in primate brains. Here, we investigated the OT connectome in marmoset using immunohistochemistry, and mapped OT fibers throughout the brains of adult male and female marmoset monkeys. We found extensive OT projections reaching limbic and cortical areas that are involved in the regulation of social behaviors, such as the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the basal ganglia. The pattern of OT fibers observed in marmosets is notably similar to the OT connectomes described in rodents. Our findings here contrast with previous results by demonstrating a broad distribution of OT throughout the marmoset brain. Given the prevalence of this neurohormone in the primate brain, methods developed in rodents to manipulate endogenous OT are likely to be applicable in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lefevre
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS and University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Jazlynn Meza
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cory T Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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3
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Mishra S, Grewal J, Wal P, Bhivshet GU, Tripathi AK, Walia V. Therapeutic potential of vasopressin in the treatment of neurological disorders. Peptides 2024; 174:171166. [PMID: 38309582 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Vasopressin (VP) is a nonapeptide made of nine amino acids synthesized by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. VP acts as a neurohormone, neuropeptide and neuromodulator and plays an important role in the regulation of water balance, osmolarity, blood pressure, body temperature, stress response, emotional challenges, etc. Traditionally VP is known to regulate the osmolarity and tonicity. VP and its receptors are widely expressed in the various region of the brain including cortex, hippocampus, basal forebrain, amygdala, etc. VP has been shown to modulate the behavior, stress response, circadian rhythm, cerebral blood flow, learning and memory, etc. The potential role of VP in the regulation of these neurological functions have suggested the therapeutic importance of VP and its analogues in the management of neurological disorders. Further, different VP analogues have been developed across the world with different pharmacotherapeutic potential. In the present work authors highlighted the therapeutic potential of VP and its analogues in the treatment and management of various neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Mishra
- SGT College of Pharmacy, SGT University, Gurugram, India
| | - Jyoti Grewal
- Maharisi Markandeshwar University, Sadopur, India
| | - Pranay Wal
- Pranveer Singh Institute of Pharmacy, Kanpur, India
| | | | | | - Vaibhav Walia
- SGT College of Pharmacy, SGT University, Gurugram, India.
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4
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Lefevre A, Meza J, Miller CT. Long range projections of oxytocin neurons in the marmoset brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.02.573953. [PMID: 38260560 PMCID: PMC10802265 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.02.573953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has become a major target for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder because of its integral role in governing many facets of mammalian social behavior. Whereas extensive work in rodents has produced much of our knowledge of OT, we lack basic information about its neurobiology in primates making it difficult to interpret the limited effects that OT manipulations have had in human patients. In fact, previous studies have revealed only limited OT fibers in primate brains. Here, we investigated the OT connectome in marmoset using immunohistochemistry, and mapped OT fibers throughout the brains of adult male and female marmoset monkeys. We found extensive OT projections reaching limbic and cortical areas that are involved in the regulation of social behaviors, such as the amygdala, the medial prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia. The pattern of OT fibers observed in marmosets is notably similar to the OT connectomes described in rodents. Our findings here contrast with previous results by demonstrating a broad distribution of OT throughout the marmoset brain. Given the prevalence of this neurohormone in the primate brain, methods developed in rodents to manipulate endogenous OT are likely to be applicable in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lefevre
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Institute of cognitive sciences Marc Jeannerod, CNRS and University of Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Jazlynn Meza
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cory T. Miller
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Neuroscience graduate program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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5
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Hecht EE, Barton SA, Rogers Flattery CN, Meza Meza A. The evolutionary neuroscience of domestication. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:553-567. [PMID: 37087363 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
How does domestication affect the brain? This question has broad relevance. Domesticated animals play important roles in human society, and substantial recent work has addressed the hypotheses that a domestication syndrome links phenotypes across species, including Homo sapiens. Surprisingly, however, neuroscience research on domestication remains largely disconnected from current knowledge about how and why brains change in evolution. This article aims to bridge that gap. Examination of recent research reveals some commonalities across species, but ultimately suggests that brain changes associated with domestication are complex and variable. We conclude that interactions between behavioral, metabolic, and life-history selection pressures, as well as the role the role of experience and environment, are currently largely overlooked and represent important directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA.
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
| | | | - Araceli Meza Meza
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
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6
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Inoue K, Ford CL, Horie K, Young LJ. Oxytocin receptors are widely distributed in the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) brain: Relation to social behavior, genetic polymorphisms, and the dopamine system. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2881-2900. [PMID: 35763609 PMCID: PMC9474670 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin regulates social behavior via direct modulation of neurons, regulation of neural network activity, and interaction with other neurotransmitter systems. The behavioral effects of oxytocin signaling are determined by the species-specific distribution of brain oxytocin receptors. The socially monogamous prairie vole has been a useful model organism for elucidating the role of oxytocin in social behaviors, including pair bonding, response to social loss, and consoling. However, there has been no comprehensive mapping of oxytocin receptor-expressing cells throughout the prairie vole brain. Here, we employed a highly sensitive in situ hybridization, RNAscope, to construct an exhaustive, brain-wide map of oxytocin receptor mRNA-expressing cells. We found that oxytocin receptor mRNA expression was widespread and diffused throughout the brain, with specific areas displaying a particularly robust expression. Comparing receptor binding with mRNA revealed that regions of the hippocampus and substantia nigra contained oxytocin receptor protein but lacked mRNA, indicating that oxytocin receptors can be transported to distal neuronal processes, consistent with presynaptic oxytocin receptor functions. In the nucleus accumbens, a region involved in oxytocin-dependent social bonding, oxytocin receptor mRNA expression was detected in both the D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing subtypes of cells. Furthermore, natural genetic polymorphisms robustly influenced oxytocin receptor expression in both D1 and D2 receptor cell types in the nucleus accumbens. Collectively, our findings further elucidate the extent to which oxytocin signaling is capable of influencing brain-wide neural activity, responses to social stimuli, and social behavior. KEY POINTS: Oxytocin receptor mRNA is diffusely expressed throughout the brain, with strong expression concentrated in certain areas involved in social behavior. Oxytocin receptor mRNA expression and protein localization are misaligned in some areas, indicating that the receptor protein may be transported to distal processes. In the nucleus accumbens, oxytocin receptors are expressed on cells expressing both D1 and D2 dopamine receptor subtypes, and the majority of variation in oxytocin receptor expression between animals is attributable to polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Inoue
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Charles L Ford
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kengo Horie
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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7
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Szczepańska-Sadowska E, Żera T. Vasopressin: a possible link between hypoxia and hypertension. EXPLORATION OF MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.37349/emed.2022.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are frequently associated with transient and prolonged hypoxia, whereas hypoxia exerts pro-hypertensive effects, through stimulation of the sympathetic system and release of pressor endocrine factors. This review is focused on the role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in dysregulation of the cardiovascular system during hypoxia associated with cardiovascular disorders. AVP is synthesized mainly in the neuroendocrine neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON), which send axons to the posterior pituitary and various regions of the central nervous system (CNS). Vasopressinergic neurons are innervated by multiple neuronal projections releasing several neurotransmitters and other regulatory molecules. AVP interacts with V1a, V1b and V2 receptors that are present in the brain and peripheral organs, including the heart, vessels, lungs, and kidneys. Release of vasopressin is intensified during hypernatremia, hypovolemia, inflammation, stress, pain, and hypoxia which frequently occur in cardiovascular patients, and blood AVP concentration is markedly elevated in cardiovascular diseases associated with hypoxemia. There is evidence that hypoxia stimulates AVP release through stimulation of chemoreceptors. It is suggested that acting in the carotid bodies, AVP may fine-tune respiratory and hemodynamic responses to hypoxia and that this effect is intensified in hypertension. There is also evidence that during hypoxia, augmentation of pro-hypertensive effects of vasopressin may result from inappropriate interaction of this hormone with other compounds regulating the cardiovascular system (catecholamines, angiotensins, natriuretic peptides, steroids, nitric oxide). In conclusion, current literature indicates that abnormal mutual interactions between hypoxia and vasopressin may significantly contribute to pathogenesis of hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Szczepańska-Sadowska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tymoteusz Żera
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Kim SH, An K, Namkung H, Saito A, Rannals MD, Moore JR, Mihaljevic M, Saha S, Oh S, Kondo MA, Ishizuka K, Yang K, Maher BJ, Niwa M, Sawa A. Anterior Insula-Associated Social Novelty Recognition: Pivotal Roles of a Local Retinoic Acid Cascade and Oxytocin Signaling. Am J Psychiatry 2022; 180:305-317. [PMID: 36128683 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deficits in social cognition consistently underlie functional disabilities in a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that the anterior insula is a "common core" brain region that is impaired across neurological and psychiatric disorders, which include social cognition deficits. Nevertheless, neurobiological mechanisms of the anterior insula for social cognition remain elusive. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap. METHODS To determine the role of the anterior insula in social cognition, the authors manipulated expression of Cyp26B1, an anterior insula-enriched molecule that is crucial for retinoic acid degradation and is involved in the pathology of neuropsychiatric conditions. Social cognition was mainly assayed using the three-chamber social interaction test. Multimodal analyses were conducted at the molecular, cellular, circuitry, and behavioral levels. RESULTS At the molecular and cellular level, anterior insula-mediated social novelty recognition is maintained by proper activity of the layer 5 pyramidal neurons, for which retinoic acid-mediated gene transcription can play a role. The authors also demonstrate that oxytocin influences the anterior insula-mediated social novelty recognition, although not by direct projection of oxytocin neurons, nor by direct diffusion of oxytocin to the anterior insula, which contrasts with the modes of oxytocin regulation onto the posterior insula. Instead, oxytocin affects oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, where serotonergic neurons are projected to the anterior insula. Furthermore, the authors show that serotonin 5-HT2C receptor expressed in the anterior insula influences social novelty recognition. CONCLUSIONS The anterior insula plays a pivotal role in social novelty recognition that is partly regulated by a local retinoic acid cascade but also remotely regulated by oxytocin via a long-range circuit mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Hong Kim
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Kyongman An
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Ho Namkung
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Atsushi Saito
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Matthew D Rannals
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - James R Moore
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Marina Mihaljevic
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Sneha Saha
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Seyun Oh
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Mari A Kondo
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Kun Yang
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Brady J Maher
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Minae Niwa
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
| | - Akira Sawa
- Departments of Psychiatry (Kim, An, Namkung, Saito, Moore, Mihaljevic, Saha, Oh, Kondo, Ishizuka, Yang, Maher, Niwa, Sawa), Neuroscience (Maher, Sawa), Biomedical Engineering (Namkung, Sawa), Pharmacology (Sawa), and Genetic Medicine (Sawa), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore (Sawa); Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore (Rannals, Oh, Maher); Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney (Kondo); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham (Niwa)
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9
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Takano Y, Umezawa M, Kubota N, Takeda K, Yanagita S. Effects of music exposure during pregnancy on maternal behavior in mother rats. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10029. [PMID: 35991990 PMCID: PMC9382262 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated the possibility of positive effects of exposure to music during pregnancy on mental function in humans and animals. Although there remains a core belief in the positive effects of music during pregnancy, the underlying neurobehavioral mechanisms of these effects remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between maternal nurturing behavior and the oxytocinergic system to elucidate the effect of music on mental health during pregnancy in an experimental investigation using animal models. Pregnant rats were exposed to Mozart sonatas, and their nurturing behavior after delivery was assessed using behavioral analyses. The neural activities of the oxytocinergic system, which are associated with nurturing behavior, were investigated using FosB immunohistochemistry. Music during pregnancy significantly increased the licking behavior of mothers towards pups, which is representative of positive nurturing behavior. In contrast, this alteration in maternal behavior was shown to have no marked effect on the structure or activity of the oxytocinergic system. This study provided possible evidence that exposure to music during pregnancy had a positive effect on postnatal maternal behavior. The results also suggest that the oxytocinergic system, considered a strong candidate for the neural system that regulates maternal behavior, may not be associated with this behavioral change. Understanding the relationship between other neural systems, physiological responses, and nurturing behaviors will provide a more comprehensive explanation of the mechanisms by which music exposure during pregnancy has a positive effect on mental health. Pregnant rats were exposed to Mozart sonatas and their nurturing behavior was investigated. Exposure to music during pregnancy has a positive effect on postnatal maternal behavior. Maternal behavior had no marked effect on the structure or activity of the oxytocinergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurika Takano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Masakazu Umezawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Katsushika, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan
| | - Natsuko Kubota
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Ken Takeda
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sanyo-Onoda City University, Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi 756-0884, Japan
| | - Shinya Yanagita
- Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
- Corresponding author.
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10
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Leveraging a translational research approach to drive diagnostic and treatment advances for autism. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2650-2658. [PMID: 35365807 PMCID: PMC9167797 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01532-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and poorly understood neurodevelopmental disorder. There are currently no laboratory-based diagnostic tests to detect ASD, nor are there any disease-modifying medications that effectively treat ASD's core behavioral symptoms. Scientific progress has been impeded, in part, by overreliance on model organisms that fundamentally lack the sophisticated social and cognitive abilities essential for modeling ASD. We therefore saw significant value in studying naturally low-social rhesus monkeys to model human social impairment, taking advantage of a large outdoor-housed colony for behavioral screening and biomarker identification. Careful development and validation of our animal model, combined with a strong commitment to evaluating the translational utility of our preclinical findings directly in patients with ASD, yielded a robust neurochemical marker (cerebrospinal fluid vasopressin concentration) of trans-primate social impairment and a first-in-class medication (intranasal vasopressin) shown in a small phase 2a pilot trial to improve social abilities in children with ASD. This translational research approach stands to advance our understanding of ASD in a manner not readily achievable with existing animal models, and can be adapted to investigate a variety of other human brain disorders which currently lack valid preclinical options, thereby streamlining translation and amplifying clinical impact more broadly.
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11
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Martins D, Lockwood P, Cutler J, Moran R, Paloyelis Y. Oxytocin modulates neurocomputational mechanisms underlying prosocial reinforcement learning. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 213:102253. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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12
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Abstract
Humans are an unusually prosocial species, who engage in social behaviors that include altruism-whereby an individual engages in costly or risky acts to improve the welfare of another person-care, and cooperation. Current perspectives on the neurobiology of human prosociality suggest that it is deeply rooted in the neuroendocrine architecture of the social brain and emphasize the modulatory role of the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin. In this review, we provide a conceptual overview of the neurobiology of prosocial behavior with a focus on oxytocin's modulatory role in human prosociality. Specifically, we aim to encourage a better understanding of the peptide's susceptibility to diverse factors that produce heterogeneity in outcomes and the resulting methodological implications for measuring the behavioral effects of oxytocin in humans. After providing an overview of the state-of-the-art research on oxytocin's exogenous use, we elaborate on the peptide's modulatory role in the context of care-based altruism, cooperation, and conflict and discuss its potential for therapeutic interventions in psychiatric disorders characterized by social dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Abigail A. Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mary R. Lee
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
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13
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Szczepanska-Sadowska E, Wsol A, Cudnoch-Jedrzejewska A, Żera T. Complementary Role of Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Cardiovascular Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11465. [PMID: 34768894 PMCID: PMC8584236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurons secreting oxytocin (OXY) and vasopressin (AVP) are located mainly in the supraoptic, paraventricular, and suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain. Oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic projections reach several regions of the brain and the spinal cord. Both peptides are released from axons, soma, and dendrites and modulate the excitability of other neuroregulatory pathways. The synthesis and action of OXY and AVP in the peripheral organs (eye, heart, gastrointestinal system) is being investigated. The secretion of OXY and AVP is influenced by changes in body fluid osmolality, blood volume, blood pressure, hypoxia, and stress. Vasopressin interacts with three subtypes of receptors: V1aR, V1bR, and V2R whereas oxytocin activates its own OXTR and V1aR receptors. AVP and OXY receptors are present in several regions of the brain (cortex, hypothalamus, pons, medulla, and cerebellum) and in the peripheral organs (heart, lungs, carotid bodies, kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, ovaries, uterus, thymus). Hypertension, myocardial infarction, and coexisting factors, such as pain and stress, have a significant impact on the secretion of oxytocin and vasopressin and on the expression of their receptors. The inappropriate regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin secretion during ischemia, hypoxia/hypercapnia, inflammation, pain, and stress may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Szczepanska-Sadowska
- Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Chair and Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; (A.W.); (A.C.-J.); (T.Ż.)
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14
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Baldi E, Costa A, Rani B, Passani MB, Blandina P, Romano A, Provensi G. Oxytocin and Fear Memory Extinction: Possible Implications for the Therapy of Fear Disorders? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10000. [PMID: 34576161 PMCID: PMC8467761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several psychiatric conditions such as phobias, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are characterized by pathological fear and anxiety. The main therapeutic approach used in the management of these disorders is exposure-based therapy, which is conceptually based upon fear extinction with the formation of a new safe memory association, allowing the reduction in behavioral conditioned fear responses. Nevertheless, this approach is only partially resolutive, since many patients have difficulty following the demanding and long process, and relapses are frequently observed over time. One strategy to improve the efficacy of the cognitive therapy is the combination with pharmacological agents. Therefore, the identification of compounds able to strengthen the formation and persistence of the inhibitory associations is a key goal. Recently, growing interest has been aroused by the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT), which has been shown to have anxiolytic effects. Furthermore, OXT receptors and binding sites have been found in the critical brain structures involved in fear extinction. In this review, the recent literature addressing the complex effects of OXT on fear extinction at preclinical and clinical levels is discussed. These studies suggest that the OXT roles in fear behavior are due to its local effects in several brain regions, most notably, distinct amygdaloid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Baldi
- Section of Physiological Sciences, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Alessia Costa
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Barbara Rani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Maria Beatrice Passani
- Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences (DSS), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy; (A.C.); (B.R.); (M.B.P.)
| | - Patrizio Blandina
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
| | - Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology ‘V. Erspamer’, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gustavo Provensi
- Section of Pharmacology of Toxicology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;
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15
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Rogers Flattery CN, Coppeto DJ, Inoue K, Rilling JK, Preuss TM, Young LJ. Distribution of brain oxytocin and vasopressin V1a receptors in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): comparison with humans and other primate species. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:1907-1919. [PMID: 34482474 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02369-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite our close genetic relationship with chimpanzees, there are notable differences between chimpanzee and human social behavior. Oxytocin and vasopressin are neuropeptides involved in regulating social behavior across vertebrate taxa, including pair bonding, social communication, and aggression, yet little is known about the neuroanatomy of these systems in primates, particularly in great apes. Here, we used receptor autoradiography to localize oxytocin and vasopressin V1a receptors, OXTR and AVPR1a respectively, in seven chimpanzee brains. OXTR binding was detected in the lateral septum, hypothalamus, medial amygdala, and substantia nigra. AVPR1a binding was observed in the cortex, lateral septum, hypothalamus, mammillary body, entire amygdala, hilus of the dentate gyrus, and substantia nigra. Chimpanzee OXTR/AVPR1a receptor distribution is compared to previous studies in several other primate species. One notable difference is the lack of OXTR in reward regions such as the ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens in chimpanzees, whereas OXTR is found in these regions in humans. Our results suggest that in chimpanzees, like in most other anthropoid primates studied to date, OXTR has a more restricted distribution than AVPR1a, while in humans the reverse pattern has been reported. Altogether, our study provides a neuroanatomical basis for understanding the function of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N Rogers Flattery
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. .,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. .,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. .,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Daniel J Coppeto
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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16
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Horie K, Inoue K, Nishimori K, Young LJ. Investigation of Oxtr-expressing Neurons Projecting to Nucleus Accumbens using Oxtr-ires-Cre Knock-in prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Neuroscience 2021; 448:312-324. [PMID: 33092784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Social bonds such as parent-infant attachment or pair bonds can be critical for mental and physical well-being. The monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has proven useful for examining the neural substrates regulating social behaviors, including social bonding. Oxytocin (OXT) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) play critical roles in alloparental care, pair bonding and consoling behavior in prairie voles. While OXTR in a few regions, such as the nucleus accumbnes (NAcc), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), have been implicated in regulating these behaviors, the extent to which other OXT sensitive areas modulate social behaviors has not been investigated. The NAcc is a central hub for modulating OXTR dependent social behaviors. To identify neurons expressing Oxtr in prairie vole brain, we generated gene knock-in voles expressing Cre recombinase in tandem with Oxtr (Oxtr-ires-Cre) using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. We confirmed Oxtr and Cre mRNA co-localization in NAcc, validating this model. Next, we identified putative Oxtr-expressing neurons projecting to NAcc by infusing retrograde CRE-dependent EGFP AAV into NAcc and visualizing fluorescence. We found enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) positive neurons in anterior olfactory nucleus, PFC, ACC, insular cortex (IC), paraventricular thalamus (PVT), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and posteromedial and posterolateral cortical amygdaloid area (PMCo, PLCo). The ACC to NAcc OXTR projection may represent a species-specific circuit since Oxtr-expressing neurons in the ACC of mice were reported not to project to the NAcc. This is the first delineation of Oxtr-expressing neural circuits in the prairie vole, and demonstrates the utility of this novel genetically modified organism for characterizing OXTR circuits involved in social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Horie
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1, Aramaki Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1, Aramaki Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0845, Japan.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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17
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Gabery S, Ahmed RM, Caga J, Kiernan MC, Halliday GM, Petersén Å. Loss of the metabolism and sleep regulating neuronal populations expressing orexin and oxytocin in the hypothalamus in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 47:979-989. [PMID: 33755993 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To determine the underlying cellular changes and clinical correlates associated with pathology of the hypothalamus in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as hypothalamic atrophy occurs in the preclinical phase of the disease. METHODS The hypothalamus was pathologically examined in nine patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in comparison to eight healthy control subjects. The severity of regional atrophy (paraventricular nucleus: PVN, fornix and total hypothalamus) and peptidergic neuronal loss (oxytocin, vasopressin, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulating transcript: CART, and orexin) was correlated with changes in eating behaviour, sleep function, cognition, behaviour and disease progression. RESULTS Tar DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) inclusions were present in the hypothalamus of all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. When compared to controls, there was atrophy of the hypothalamus (average 21% atrophy, p = 0.004), PVN (average 30% atrophy p = 0.014) and a loss of paraventricular oxytocin-producing neurons (average 49% loss p = 0.02) and lateral hypothalamic orexin-producing neurons (average 37% loss, significance p = 0.02). Factor analysis identified strong relationships between abnormal eating behaviour, hypothalamic atrophy and loss of orexin-producing neurons. With increasing disease progression, abnormal sleep behaviour and cognition associated with atrophy of the fornix. CONCLUSIONS Substantial loss of hypothalamic oxytocin-producing neurons occurs in ALS, with regional atrophy and the loss of orexin neurons relating to abnormal eating behaviour in ALS. Oxytocin- and orexin neurons display TDP43 inclusions. Our study points to significant pathology in the hypothalamus that may play a key role in metabolic and pathogenic changes in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Gabery
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rebekah M Ahmed
- Memory and Cognition Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Brain & Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jashelle Caga
- Brain & Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Memory and Cognition Clinic, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Brain & Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Brain & Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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18
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Staes N, Guevara EE, Helsen P, Eens M, Stevens JMG. The Pan social brain: An evolutionary history of neurochemical receptor genes and their potential impact on sociocognitive differences. J Hum Evol 2021; 152:102949. [PMID: 33578304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans have unique cognitive capacities that, compared with apes, are not only simply expressed as a higher level of general intelligence, but also as a quantitative difference in sociocognitive skills. Humans' closest living relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), show key between-species differences in social cognition despite their close phylogenetic relatedness, with bonobos arguably showing greater similarities to humans. To better understand the evolution of these traits, we investigate the neurochemical mechanisms underlying sociocognitive skills by focusing on variation in genes encoding proteins with well-documented roles in mammalian social cognition: the receptors for vasopressin (AVPR1A), oxytocin (OXTR), serotonin (HTR1A), and dopamine (DRD2). Although these genes have been well studied in humans, little is known about variation in these genes that may underlie differences in social behavior and cognition in apes. We comparatively analyzed sequence data for 33 bonobos and 57 chimpanzees, together with orthologous sequence data for other apes. In all four genes, we describe genetic variants that alter the amino acid sequence of the respective receptors, raising the possibility that ligand binding or signal transduction may be impacted. Overall, bonobos show 57% more fixed substitutions than chimpanzees compared with the ancestral Pan lineage. Chimpanzees, show 31% more polymorphic coding variation, in line with their larger historical effective population size estimates and current wider distribution. An extensive literature review comparing allelic changes in Pan with known human behavioral variants revealed evidence of homologous evolution in bonobos and humans (OXTR rs4686301(T) and rs237897(A)), while humans and chimpanzees shared OXTR rs2228485(A), DRD2 rs6277(A), and DRD2 rs11214613(A) to the exclusion of bonobos. Our results offer the first in-depth comparison of neurochemical receptor gene variation in Pan and put forward new variants for future behavior-genotype association studies in apes, which can increase our understanding of the evolution of social cognition in modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Staes
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Elaine E Guevara
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Dr, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Philippe Helsen
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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19
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Sparapani S, Millet-Boureima C, Oliver J, Mu K, Hadavi P, Kalostian T, Ali N, Avelar CM, Bardies M, Barrow B, Benedikt M, Biancardi G, Bindra R, Bui L, Chihab Z, Cossitt A, Costa J, Daigneault T, Dault J, Davidson I, Dias J, Dufour E, El-Khoury S, Farhangdoost N, Forget A, Fox A, Gebrael M, Gentile MC, Geraci O, Gnanapragasam A, Gomah E, Haber E, Hamel C, Iyanker T, Kalantzis C, Kamali S, Kassardjian E, Kontos HK, Le TBU, LoScerbo D, Low YF, Mac Rae D, Maurer F, Mazhar S, Nguyen A, Nguyen-Duong K, Osborne-Laroche C, Park HW, Parolin E, Paul-Cole K, Peer LS, Philippon M, Plaisir CA, Porras Marroquin J, Prasad S, Ramsarun R, Razzaq S, Rhainds S, Robin D, Scartozzi R, Singh D, Fard SS, Soroko M, Soroori Motlagh N, Stern K, Toro L, Toure MW, Tran-Huynh S, Trépanier-Chicoine S, Waddingham C, Weekes AJ, Wisniewski A, Gamberi C. The Biology of Vasopressin. Biomedicines 2021; 9:89. [PMID: 33477721 PMCID: PMC7832310 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vasopressins are evolutionarily conserved peptide hormones. Mammalian vasopressin functions systemically as an antidiuretic and regulator of blood and cardiac flow essential for adapting to terrestrial environments. Moreover, vasopressin acts centrally as a neurohormone involved in social and parental behavior and stress response. Vasopressin synthesis in several cell types, storage in intracellular vesicles, and release in response to physiological stimuli are highly regulated and mediated by three distinct G protein coupled receptors. Other receptors may bind or cross-bind vasopressin. Vasopressin is regulated spatially and temporally through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, sex, tissue, and cell-specific receptor expression. Anomalies of vasopressin signaling have been observed in polycystic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Growing knowledge of the central biological roles of vasopressin has enabled pharmacological advances to treat these conditions by targeting defective systemic or central pathways utilizing specific agonists and antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chiara Gamberi
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada; (S.S.); (C.M.-B.); (J.O.); (K.M.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (N.A.); (C.M.A.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (M.B.); (G.B.); (R.B.); (L.B.); (Z.C.); (A.C.); (J.C.); (T.D.); (J.D.); (I.D.); (J.D.); (E.D.); (S.E.-K.); (N.F.); (A.F.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (M.C.G.); (O.G.); (A.G.); (E.G.); (E.H.); (C.H.); (T.I.); (C.K.); (S.K.); (E.K.); (H.K.K.); (T.B.U.L.); (D.L.); (Y.F.L.); (D.M.R.); (F.M.); (S.M.); (A.N.); (K.N.-D.); (C.O.-L.); (H.W.P.); (E.P.); (K.P.-C.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (C.-A.P.); (J.P.M.); (S.P.); (R.R.); (S.R.); (S.R.); (D.R.); (R.S.); (D.S.); (S.S.F.); (M.S.); (N.S.M.); (K.S.); (L.T.); (M.W.T.); (S.T.-H.); (S.T.-C.); (C.W.); (A.J.W.); (A.W.)
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20
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Møller M. Vasopressin and oxytocin beyond the pituitary in the human brain. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 180:7-24. [PMID: 34225951 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-820107-7.00002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin and oxytocin are primarily synthesized in the magnocellular supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and transported to the posterior pituitary. In the human, an extensive accessory magnocellular neuroendocrine system is present with contact to the posterior pituitary and blood vessels in the hypothalamus itself. Vasopressin and oxytocin are involved in social and behavioral functions. However, only few neocortical areas are targeted by vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic nerve fibers, which mostly project to limbic areas in the forebrain, where also their receptors are located. Vasopressinergic/oxytocinergic perikarya in the forebrain project to the brain stem and spinal cord targeting nuclei and areas involved in autonomic functions. Parvocellular neurons containing vasopressin are located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and synchronize the activity of the pacemaker in this nucleus. From the suprachiasmatic nucleus fibers project to the parvocellular part of the paraventricular nucleus, where preautonomic neurons project to the intermediolateral nucleus in the thoracic spinal cord, from where the superior cervical ganglion is reached whose noradrenergic fibers terminate in the pineal gland to stimulate melatonin secretion at night. The pineal gland is also innervated by vasopressin- and oxytocin-containing fibers reaching the gland via the "central innervation" in the pineal stalk, which might be involve in an annual regulation of melatonin secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Møller
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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21
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Lu Q, Hu S. Sex differences of oxytocin and vasopressin in social behaviors. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 180:65-88. [PMID: 34225950 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-820107-7.00005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are known to mediate social cognition and behaviors in a sex-dependent manner. This chapter reviews the sex-dependent influence of OT and VP on social behaviors, focusing on (1) partner preference and sexual orientation, (2) memory modulation, (3) emotion regulation, and (4) trust-related behaviors. Most studies suggest that OT promotes familiar (opposite-sex) partner preference, strengthens memory, relieves anxiety, and increases trust. However, VP-regulated social cognition has been studied less than OT. VP facilitates familiar (opposite-sex) partner preference, enhances memory, induces anxiety, and influences happiness/anger perception. Detailed sex differences of these effects are reviewed. There is a male preponderance in the use of animal models and many study results are too complex to draw firm conclusions. Clarifying the complex interplay between the OT/VP system and sex hormones in the regulation of social behaviors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China; Brain Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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22
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Jin K, Lu J, Yu Z, Shen Z, Li H, Mou T, Xu Y, Huang M. Linking peripheral IL-6, IL-1β and hypocretin-1 with cognitive impairment from major depression. J Affect Disord 2020; 277:204-211. [PMID: 32829196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment has long challenged the patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), hypocretins and inflammation have recently been implicated in cognitive function. However, limited studies have compressively assessed their associations with cognitive impairment in MDD. METHODS A total of 100 MDD patients and 100 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for this study. They were tested with HAMD, HAMA, and MCCB scales. The plasma level of selected inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and hypocretin-1 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationship between the plasma level of the factors and clinical performances. RESULTS Patients with MDD showed cognitive impairment in each MCCB subdomain except working memory compared with HC. The levels of IL-6, IL-1β and hypocretin-1 in MDD patients were higher than HC. Besides, IL-1β levels was negatively correlated with overall cognitive function in the combined group. Hypocretin-1 was positively correlated with socially cognitive impairment in MDD patients. A negative correlation between plasma hypocretin-1 levels and HAMA scales was also observed in MDD patients. LIMITATION The study was cross-sectional, thereby limiting causal inference, and had a relatively small sample size. There are no subcategories for MDD based on characteristics. CONCLUSION IL-1β, IL-6 and Hypocretin-1 were reported as potential factors involved in MDD pathology. Hypocretin-1 could contribute to the biological mechanisms of anxiety relief. Hypocretin-1, therefore, may be important in exploring the pathological mechanisms of social cognitive impairment in MDD patients. Conclusively, this study provides new insights for exploring cognitive impairment in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangyu Jin
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Jing Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Zhebin Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Zhejiang University School of Public Health
| | - Zhe Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Haimei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Tingting Mou
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China.
| | - Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejjiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; The Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management in Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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23
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De Leon D, Nishitani S, Walum H, McCormack KM, Wilson ME, Smith AK, Young LJ, Sanchez MM. Methylation of OXT and OXTR genes, central oxytocin, and social behavior in female macaques. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104856. [PMID: 32979349 PMCID: PMC7725942 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) are encoded by OXT and OXTR, respectively. Variable methylation of these genes has been linked to variability in sociability and neuroendophenotypes. Here we examine whether OXTR or OXT methylation in blood predicts concentrations of OXT in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (n = 166) and social behavior (n = 207) in socially-housed female rhesus macaques. We report a similarity between human and rhesus CpG sites for OXT and OXTR and a putative negative association between methylation of two OXTR CpG units with aggressive behavior (both P = 0.003), though this finding does not survive the most stringent correction for multiple comparison testing. We did not detect a statistically significant association between methylation of any CpG sites and CSF OXT concentrations, either. Because none of the tested associations survived statistical corrections, if there is any relationship between blood-derived methylation of these genes and the behavioral and physiological outcomes measured here, the effect size is too small to be detected reliably with this sample size. These results do not support the hypothesis that blood methylation of OXT or OXTR is robustly associated with CSF OXT concentration or social behavior in rhesus. It is possible, though, that methylation of these loci in the brain or in cheek epithelia may be associated with central OXT release and behavior. Finally, we consider the limitations of this exploratory study in the context of statistical power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desirée De Leon
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Hasse Walum
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Kai M McCormack
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychology, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mark E Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Larry J Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mar M Sanchez
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
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24
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Harvey AR. Links Between the Neurobiology of Oxytocin and Human Musicality. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:350. [PMID: 33005139 PMCID: PMC7479205 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human species possesses two complementary, yet distinct, universal communication systems—language and music. Functional imaging studies have revealed that some core elements of these two systems are processed in closely related brain regions, but there are also clear differences in brain circuitry that likely underlie differences in functionality. Music affects many aspects of human behavior, especially in encouraging prosocial interactions and promoting trust and cooperation within groups of culturally compatible but not necessarily genetically related individuals. Music, presumably via its impact on the limbic system, is also rewarding and motivating, and music can facilitate aspects of learning and memory. In this review these special characteristics of music are considered in light of recent research on the neuroscience of the peptide oxytocin, a hormone that has both peripheral and central actions, that plays a role in many complex human behaviors, and whose expression has recently been reported to be affected by music-related activities. I will first briefly discuss what is currently known about the peptide’s physiological actions on neurons and its interactions with other neuromodulator systems, then summarize recent advances in our knowledge of the distribution of oxytocin and its receptor (OXTR) in the human brain. Next, the complex links between oxytocin and various social behaviors in humans are considered. First, how endogenous oxytocin levels relate to individual personality traits, and then how exogenous, intranasal application of oxytocin affects behaviors such as trust, empathy, reciprocity, group conformity, anxiety, and overall social decision making under different environmental conditions. It is argued that many of these characteristics of oxytocin biology closely mirror the diverse effects that music has on human cognition and emotion, providing a link to the important role music has played throughout human evolutionary history and helping to explain why music remains a special prosocial human asset. Finally, it is suggested that there is a potential synergy in combining oxytocin- and music-based strategies to improve general health and aid in the treatment of various neurological dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
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25
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Lee MR, Shnitko TA, Blue SW, Kaucher AV, Winchell AJ, Erikson DW, Grant KA, Leggio L. Labeled oxytocin administered via the intranasal route reaches the brain in rhesus macaques. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2783. [PMID: 32494001 PMCID: PMC7270110 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin may have promise as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders. Its therapeutic effect may depend on its ability to enter the brain and bind to the oxytocin receptor. To date, the brain tissue penetrance of intranasal oxytocin has not been demonstrated. In this nonhuman primate study, we administer deuterated oxytocin intranasally and intravenously to rhesus macaques and measure, with mass spectrometry, concentrations of labeled (exogenously administered) and endogenous oxytocin in 12 brain regions two hours after oxytocin administration. Labeled oxytocin is quantified after intranasal (not intravenous) administration in brain regions (orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, brainstem, and thalamus) that lie in the trajectories of the olfactory and trigeminal nerves. These results suggest that intranasal administration bypasses the blood-brain barrier, delivering oxytocin to specific brain regions, such as the striatum, where oxytocin acts to impact motivated behaviors. Further, high concentrations of endogenous oxytocin are in regions that overlap with projection fields of oxytocinergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Lee
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - T A Shnitko
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - S W Blue
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - A V Kaucher
- Endocrine Technologies Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - A J Winchell
- Endocrine Technologies Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - D W Erikson
- Endocrine Technologies Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - K A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, L-470, Portland, OR, USA
| | - L Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD, USA
- Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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26
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Tolomeo S, Chiao B, Lei Z, Chew SH, Ebstein RP. A Novel Role of CD38 and Oxytocin as Tandem Molecular Moderators of Human Social Behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:251-272. [PMID: 32360414 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin is an important modulator of human affiliative behaviors, including social skills, human pair bonding, and friendship. CD38 will be discussed as an immune marker and then in more detail the mechanisms of CD38 on releasing brain oxytocin. Mention is made of the paralogue of oxytocin, vasopressin, that has often overlapping and complementary functions with oxytocin on social behavior. Curiously, vasopressin does not require CD38 to be released from the brain. This review discusses the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin action, a novel view of how this molecule influences much of human social behaviors often in contradictory ways. The oxytocinergic-vasopressinergic systems are crucial modulators of broad aspects of human personality. Of special interest are studies of these two hormones in trust related behavior observed using behavioral economic games. This review also covers the role of oxytocin in parenting and parental attachment. In conclusion, the effects of oxytocin on human behavior depend on the individual's social context and importantly as well, the individual's cultural milieu, viz. East and West. ACRONYMS: ACC = Anterior Cingulate ADP = Adenosine diphosphate AQ = Autism Quotient cADPR = Cyclic ADP-ribose CNS = Central nervous system DA = Dopamine eQTLC = Expression Quantitative Trait Loci LC-NE = Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging OFC = Orbitofrontal cortices OXT = Oxytocin RAGE = Receptor for advanced glycation end-products SARM1 = Sterile Alpha and toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing 1 TRPM2= Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 2 AVP = Vasopressin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serenella Tolomeo
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Benjamin Chiao
- CCBEF (China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance) & SOE (School of Economics), Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China; PSB Paris School of Business, Paris, France
| | - Zhen Lei
- CCBEF (China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance) & SOE (School of Economics), Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
| | - Soo Hong Chew
- CCBEF (China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance) & SOE (School of Economics), Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China.
| | - Richard P Ebstein
- CCBEF (China Center for Behavior Economics and Finance) & SOE (School of Economics), Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China.
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27
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Mulholland MM, Navabpour SV, Mareno MC, Schapiro SJ, Young LJ, Hopkins WD. AVPR1A variation is linked to gray matter covariation in the social brain network of chimpanzees. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12631. [PMID: 31894656 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The vasopressin system has been implicated in the regulation of social behavior and cognition in humans, nonhuman primates and other social mammals. In chimpanzees, polymorphisms in the vasopressin V1a receptor gene (AVPR1A) have been associated with social dimensions of personality, as well as to responses to sociocommunicative cues and mirror self-recognition. Despite evidence of this association with social cognition and behavior, there is little research on the neuroanatomical correlates of AVPR1A variation. In the current study, we tested the association between AVPR1A polymorphisms in the RS3 promotor region and gray matter covariation in chimpanzees using magnetic resonance imaging and source-based morphometry. The analysis identified 13 independent brain components, three of which differed significantly in covariation between the two AVPR1A genotypes (DupB-/- and DupB+/-; P < .05). DupB+/- chimpanzees showed greater covariation in gray matter in the premotor and prefrontal cortex, basal forebrain, lunate and cingulate cortex, and lesser gray matter covariation in the superior temporal sulcus and postcentral sulcus. Some of these regions were previously found to differ in vasopressin and oxytocin neural fibers between nonhuman primates, and in AVPR1A gene expression in humans with different RS3 alleles. This is the first report of an association between AVPR1A and gray matter covariation in nonhuman primates, and specifically links an AVPR1A polymorphism to structural variation in the social brain network. These results further affirm the value of chimpanzees as a model species for investigating the relationship between genetic variation, brain structure and social cognition with relevance to psychiatric disorders, including autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele M Mulholland
- Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | | | - Mary C Mareno
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas.,University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Larry J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - William D Hopkins
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
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28
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Swaab DF, Bao AM. Sex differences in stress-related disorders: Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:335-358. [PMID: 33008536 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00023-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, such as mood disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are more common in women than in men. This sex difference is at least partly due to the organizing effect of sex steroids during intrauterine development, while activating or inhibiting effects of circulating sex hormones in the postnatal period and adulthood also play a role. Such effects result in structural and functional changes in neuronal networks, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides, which make the arousal- and stress-related brain systems more vulnerable to environmental stressful events in women. Certain brainstem nuclei, the amygdala, habenula, prefrontal cortex, and hypothalamus are important hubs in the stress-related neuronal network. Various hypothalamic nuclei play a central role in this sexually dimorphic network. This concerns not only the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis), which integrates the neuro-endocrine-immune responses to stress, but also other hypothalamic nuclei and systems that play a key role in the symptoms of mood disorders, such as disordered day-night rhythm, lack of reward feelings, disturbed eating and sex, and disturbed cognitive functions. The present chapter focuses on the structural and functional sex differences that are present in the stress-related brain systems in mood disorders and PTSD, placing the HPA-axis in the center. The individual differences in the vulnerability of the discussed systems, caused by genetic and epigenetic developmental factors warrant further research to develop tailor-made therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick F Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Ai-Min Bao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder Management, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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29
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Lussier D, Cruz-Almeida Y, Ebner NC. Musculoskeletal Pain and Brain Morphology: Oxytocin's Potential as a Treatment for Chronic Pain in Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:338. [PMID: 31920621 PMCID: PMC6923678 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain disproportionately affects older adults, severely impacting quality of life and independent living, with musculoskeletal pain most prevalent. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with specific structural alterations in the brain and interindividual variability in brain structure is likely an important contributor to susceptibility for the development of chronic pain. However, understanding of age-related structural changes in the brain and their associations with chronic musculoskeletal pain is currently limited. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide present in the periphery and central nervous system, has been implicated in pain attenuation. Variation of the endogenous OT system (e.g., OT receptor genotype, blood, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid OT levels) is associated with morphology in brain regions involved in pain processing and modulation. Intranasal OT administration has been shown to attenuate pain. Yet, studies investigating the efficacy of OT for management of chronic musculoskeletal pain are lacking, including among older individuals who are particularly susceptible to the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The goal of this focused narrative review was to synthesize previously parallel lines of work on the relationships between chronic pain, brain morphology, and OT in the context of aging. Based on the existing evidence, we propose that research on the use of intranasal OT administration as an intervention for chronic pain in older adults is needed and constitutes a promising future direction for this field. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research in the emerging field, guided by our proposed Model of Oxytocin’s Anagelsic and Brain Structural Effects in Aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée Lussier
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yenisel Cruz-Almeida
- Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Community Dentistry & Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Departments of Aging & Geriatric Research, Epidemiology and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Community Dentistry & Behavioral Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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30
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DeMayo MM, Young LJ, Hickie IB, Song YJC, Guastella AJ. Circuits for social learning: A unified model and application to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:388-398. [PMID: 31560922 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Early life social experiences shape neural pathways in infants to develop lifelong social skills. This review presents the first unified circuit-based model of social learning that can be applied to early life social development, drawing together unique human developmental milestones, sensitive learning periods, and behavioral and neural scaffolds. Circuit domains for social learning are identified governing Activation, Integration, Discrimination, Response and Reward (AIDRR) to sculpt and drive human social learning. This unified model can be used to identify social delays earlier in development. We propose social impairments observed in Autism Spectrum Disorder are underpinned by early mistimed sensitive periods in brain development and alterations in amygdala development to disrupt the AIDRR circuits. This model directs how interventions can target neural circuits for social development and be applied early in life. To illustrate, the role of oxytocin and its use as an intervention is explored. The AIDRR model shifts focus away from delivering broad treatments based only on diagnostic classifications, to specifying and targeting the relevant circuits, at the right time of development, to optimize social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena M DeMayo
- Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia.
| | - Yun Ju C Song
- Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia.
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia; Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 2050, Australia.
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31
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Abstract
Love is one of our most powerful emotions, inspiring some of the greatest art, literature and conquests of human history. Although aspects of love are surely unique to our species, human romantic relationships are displays of a mating system characterized by pair bonding, likely built on ancient foundational neural mechanisms governing individual recognition, social reward, territorial behaviour and maternal nurturing. Studies in monogamous prairie voles and mice have revealed precise neural mechanisms regulating processes essential for the pair bond. Here, we discuss current viewpoints on the biology underlying pair bond formation, its maintenance and associated behaviours from neural and evolutionary perspectives.
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32
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Acute and long-lasting effects of oxytocin in cortico-limbic circuits: consequences for fear recall and extinction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:339-354. [PMID: 30302511 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-5030-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The extinction of conditioned fear responses entrains the formation of safe new memories to decrease those behavioral responses. The knowledge in neuronal mechanisms of extinction is fundamental in the treatment of anxiety and fear disorders. Interestingly, the use of pharmacological compounds that reduce anxiety and fear has been shown as a potent co-adjuvant in extinction therapy. However, the efficiency and mechanisms by which pharmacological compounds promote extinction of fear memories remains still largely unknown and would benefit from a validation based on functional neuronal circuits, and the neurotransmitters that modulate them. From this perspective, oxytocin receptor signaling, which has been shown in cortical and limbic areas to modulate numerous functions (Eliava et al. Neuron 89(6):1291-1304, 2016), among them fear and anxiety circuits, and to enhance the salience of social stimuli (Stoop Neuron 76(1):142-59, 2012), may offer an interesting perspective. Experiments in animals and humans suggest that oxytocin could be a promising pharmacological agent at adjusting memory consolidation to boost fear extinction. Additionally, it is possible that long-term changes in endogenous oxytocin signaling can also play a role in reducing expression of fear at different brain targets. In this review, we summarize the effects reported for oxytocin in cortico-limbic circuits and on fear behavior that are of relevance for the modulation and potential extinction of fear memories.
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33
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Freeman SM, Bales KL. Oxytocin, vasopressin, and primate behavior: Diversity and insight. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22919. [PMID: 30281814 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It has become increasingly clear that the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin have more diverse behavioral and physiological effects across species and across individuals than was initially recognized. To reflect this variation, we would like to introduce our Special Issue, entitled Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Primate Behavior, by celebrating the diversity that is found across the articles within it. While every article directly addresses the topic of this Special Issue, they also vary in many characteristics: the species studied, the methods used, and the perspectives taken. By highlighting the interesting ways in which these articles differ from one another, we can gain unique insights into the subject that ties them together: our understanding of oxytocin and vasopressin and the behavior of primates. Nonhuman primates are critical intermediates between rodents and humans and are the best models for human biology and behavior, especially with respect to complex cognitive social constructs, such as visual social attention, face processing, and vocal communication. While rodent studies have laid an important and foundational framework for our understanding of nonapeptides, brains, and behavior, these studies cannot fully recapitulate human phenomena. Therefore, we hope the articles presented here contribute to a greater understanding on the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in primate physiology and behavior and help to further advance the application of this knowledge to human biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Freeman
- California National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
| | - Karen L Bales
- California National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California
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34
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Lopatina OL, Komleva YK, Gorina YV, Higashida H, Salmina AB. Neurobiological Aspects of Face Recognition: The Role of Oxytocin. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:195. [PMID: 30210321 PMCID: PMC6121008 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Face recognition is an important index in the formation of social cognition and neurodevelopment in humans. Changes in face perception and memory are connected with altered sociability, which is a symptom of numerous brain conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Various brain regions and neuropeptides are implicated in face processing. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in various social behaviors, including face and emotion recognition. Nasal OT administration is a promising new therapy that can address social cognition deficits in individuals with ASD. New instrumental neurotechnologies enable the assessment of brain region activation during specific social tasks and therapies, and can characterize the involvement of genes and peptides in impaired neurodevelopment. The present review sought to discuss some of the mechanisms of the face distinguishing process, the ability of OT to modulate social cognition, as well as new perspectives and technologies for research and rehabilitation of face recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga L Lopatina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yulia K Komleva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yana V Gorina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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