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Liu Y, Chen L, Lin L, Xu C, Xiong Y, Qiu H, Li X, Li S, Cao H. Unveiling the hidden pathways: Exploring astrocytes as a key target for depression therapy. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 174:101-113. [PMID: 38626560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.003] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Depressive disorders are widely debilitating psychiatric disease. Despite the considerable progress in the field of depression therapy, extensive research spanning many decades has failed to uncover pathogenic pathways that might aid in the creation of long-acting and rapid-acting antidepressants. Consequently, it is imperative to reconsider existing approaches and explore other targets to improve this area of study. In contemporary times, several scholarly investigations have unveiled that persons who have received a diagnosis of depression, as well as animal models employed to study depression, demonstrate a decrease in both the quantity as well as density of astrocytes, accompanied by alterations in gene expression and morphological attributes. Astrocytes rely on a diverse array of channels and receptors to facilitate their neurotransmitter transmission inside tripartite synapses. This study aimed to investigate the potential processes behind the development of depression, specifically focusing on astrocyte-associated neuroinflammation and the involvement of several molecular components such as connexin 43, potassium channel Kir4.1, aquaporin 4, glutamatergic aspartic acid transporter protein, SLC1A2 or GLT-1, glucocorticoid receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2B, and autophagy, that localized on the surface of astrocytes. The study also explores novel approaches in the treatment of depression, with a focus on astrocytes, offering innovative perspectives on potential antidepressant medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Lin Lin
- Scientific Research Management Department, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Caijuan Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Yifan Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Huiwen Qiu
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Sixin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
| | - Hui Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, 410208, China; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Hospital of Hunan Province (The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province), Changsha, Hunan, 410007, China.
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Valenza M, Facchinetti R, Torazza C, Ciarla C, Bronzuoli MR, Balbi M, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Steardo L, Milanese M, Musazzi L, Bonifacino T, Scuderi C. Molecular signatures of astrocytes and microglia maladaptive responses to acute stress are rescued by a single administration of ketamine in a rodent model of PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:209. [PMID: 38796504 PMCID: PMC11127980 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02928-6] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress affects the brain and alters its neuroarchitecture and function; these changes can be severe and lead to psychiatric disorders. Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes and microglia play an essential role in the stress response by contributing to the maintenance of cerebral homeostasis. These cells respond rapidly to all stimuli that reach the brain, including stressors. Here, we used a recently validated rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder in which rats can be categorized as resilient or vulnerable after acute inescapable footshock stress. We then investigated the functional, molecular, and morphological determinants of stress resilience and vulnerability in the prefrontal cortex, focusing on glial and neuronal cells. In addition, we examined the effects of a single subanesthetic dose of ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant recently approved for the treatment of resistant depression and proposed for other stress-related psychiatric disorders. The present results suggest a prompt glial cell response and activation of the NF-κB pathway after acute stress, leading to an increase in specific cytokines such as IL-18 and TNF-α. This response persists in vulnerable individuals and is accompanied by a significant change in the levels of critical glial proteins such as S100B, CD11b, and CX43, brain trophic factors such as BDNF and FGF2, and proteins related to dendritic arborization and synaptic architecture such as MAP2 and PSD95. Administration of ketamine 24 h after the acute stress event rescued many of the changes observed in vulnerable rats, possibly contributing to support brain homeostasis. Overall, our results suggest that pivotal events, including reactive astrogliosis, changes in brain trophic factors, and neuronal damage are critical determinants of vulnerability to acute traumatic stress and confirm the therapeutic effect of acute ketamine against the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valenza
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Facchinetti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudia Ciarla
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosanna Bronzuoli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Matilde Balbi
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Steardo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Caterina Scuderi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Jia C, Gill WD, Lovins C, Brown RW, Hagg T. Astrocyte focal adhesion kinase reduces passive stress coping by inhibiting ciliary neurotrophic factor only in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100621. [PMID: 38516563 PMCID: PMC10955429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes have been implicated in stress responses and produce ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), which we have shown in the mouse medial amygdala (MeA) to promote passive stress coping response only in females. Pharmacological inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) upregulates CNTF expression. Here, we found that inducible knockout of FAK in astrocytes or systemic treatment with an FAK inhibitor increased passive coping behavior, i.e., immobility, in an acute forced swim stress test in female, but not male, mice. Strikingly, four weeks of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) did not further increase passive coping in female astrocytic FAK knockout mice, whereas it exacerbated it in female wildtype mice and male mice of both genotypes. These data suggest that astrocyte FAK inhibition is required for chronic stress-induced passive coping in females. Indeed, CUS reduced phospho-FAK and increased CNTF in the female MeA. Progesterone treatment after ovariectomy activated amygdala FAK and alleviated ovariectomy-induced passive coping in wildtype, but not astrocytic FAK knockout females. This suggests that progesterone-mediated activation of FAK in astrocytes reduces female stress responses. Finally, astrocytic FAK knockout or FAK inhibitor treatment increased CNTF expression in the MeA of both sexes, although not in the hippocampus. As mentioned, MeA CNTF promotes stress responses only in females, which may explain the female-specific role of astrocytic FAK inhibition. Together, this study reveals a novel female-specific progesterone-astrocytic FAK pathway that counteracts CNTF-mediated stress responses and points to opportunities for developing treatments for stress-related disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihong Jia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - W. Drew Gill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Chiharu Lovins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
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Parise EM, Gyles TM, Godino A, Sial OK, Browne CJ, Parise LF, Torres-Berrío A, Salery M, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Rivera MT, Cardona-Acosta AM, Holt L, Markovic T, van der Zee YY, Lorsch ZS, Cathomas F, Garon JB, Teague C, Issler O, Hamilton PJ, Bolaños-Guzmán CA, Russo SJ, Nestler EJ. Sex-Specific Regulation of Stress Susceptibility by the Astrocytic Gene Htra1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.588724. [PMID: 38659771 PMCID: PMC11042238 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.588724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to impaired structural and synaptic plasticity in limbic brain regions. Astrocytes, which regulate synapses and are influenced by chronic stress, likely contribute to these changes. We analyzed astrocyte gene profiles in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of humans with MDD and mice exposed to chronic stress. Htra1 , which encodes an astrocyte-secreted protease targeting the extracellular matrix (ECM), was significantly downregulated in the NAc of males but upregulated in females in both species. Manipulating Htra1 in mouse NAc astrocytes bidirectionally controlled stress susceptibility in a sex-specific manner. Such Htra1 manipulations also altered neuronal signaling and ECM structural integrity in NAc. These findings highlight astroglia and the brain's ECM as key mediators of sex-specific stress vulnerability, offering new approaches for MDD therapies.
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Deckers C, Karbalaei R, Miles NA, Harder EV, Witt E, Harris EP, Reissner K, Wimmer ME, Bangasser DA. Early resource scarcity causes cortical astrocyte enlargement and sex-specific changes in the orbitofrontal cortex transcriptome in adult rats. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 29:100607. [PMID: 38304302 PMCID: PMC10831308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocyte morphology affects function, including the regulation of glutamatergic signaling. This morphology changes dynamically in response to the environment. However, how early life manipulations alter adult cortical astrocyte morphology is underexplored. Our lab uses brief postnatal resource scarcity, the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) manipulation, in rats. We previously found that LBN augments maternal behaviors and promotes later resilience to adult addiction-related behaviors, reducing impulsivity, risky decision-making, and morphine self-administration. These behaviors rely on glutamatergic transmission in the medial orbitofrontal (mOFC) and medial prefrontal (mPFC) cortex. Here we tested whether LBN changed astrocyte morphology in the mOFC and mPFC of adult rats using a novel viral approach that, unlike traditional markers, fully labels astrocytes. Prior exposure to LBN causes an increase in the surface area and volume of astrocytes in the mOFC and mPFC of adult males and females relative to control-raised rats. We next used bulk RNA sequencing of OFC tissue to assess transcriptional changes that could increase astrocyte size in LBN rats. LBN caused mainly sex-specific changes in differentially expressed genes. Pathway analysis revealed that OFC glutamatergic signaling is altered by LBN in males and females, but the gene changes in that pathway differed across sex. This may represent a convergent sex difference where glutamatergic signaling, which affects astrocyte morphology, is altered by LBN via sex-specific mechanisms. Collectively, these studies highlight that astrocytes may be an important cell type that mediates the effect of early resource scarcity on adult brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Deckers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Reza Karbalaei
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Nylah A. Miles
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Eden V. Harder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Emily Witt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erin P. Harris
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Kathryn Reissner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Debra A. Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
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Holt LM, Gyles TM, Parise EM, Minier-Toribio A, Markovic T, Rivera M, Yeh SY, Nestler EJ. Astrocytic CREB in nucleus accumbens promotes susceptibility to chronic stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575728. [PMID: 38293227 PMCID: PMC10827054 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence implicates astrocytes in stress and depression in both rodent models and human Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Despite this, little is known about the transcriptional responses to stress of astrocytes within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, and their influence on behavioral outcomes. Methods We used whole cell sorting, RNA-sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses to investigate the NAc astrocyte transcriptome in male mice in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Immunohistochemistry was used to determine stress-induced changes in astrocytic CREB within the NAc. Finally, astrocytic regulation of depression-like behavior was investigated using viral-mediated manipulation of CREB in combination with CSDS. Results We found a robust transcriptional response in NAc astrocytes to CSDS in stressed mice, with changes seen in both stress-susceptible and stress-resilient animals. Bioinformatic analysis revealed CREB, a transcription factor widely studied in neurons, as one of the top-predicted upstream regulators of the NAc astrocyte transcriptome, with opposite activation states seen in resilient versus susceptible mice. This bioinformatic result was confirmed at the protein level with immunohistochemistry. Viral overexpression of CREB selectively in NAc astrocytes promoted susceptibility to chronic stress. Conclusions Together, our data demonstrate that the astrocyte transcriptome responds robustly to CSDS and, for the first time, that transcriptional regulation in astrocytes contributes to depressive-like behaviors. A better understanding of transcriptional regulation in astrocytes may reveal unknown molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Trevonn M Gyles
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Matthew Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Szu-Ying Yeh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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Gore IR, Gould E. Developmental and adult stress: effects of steroids and neurosteroids. Stress 2024; 27:2317856. [PMID: 38563163 PMCID: PMC11046567 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2317856] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In humans, exposure to early life adversity has profound implications for susceptibility to developing neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Studies in rodents have shown that stress experienced during early postnatal life can have lasting effects on brain development. Glucocorticoids and sex steroids are produced in endocrine glands and the brain from cholesterol; these molecules bind to nuclear and membrane-associated steroid receptors. Unlike other steroids that can also be made in the brain, neurosteroids bind specifically to neurotransmitter receptors, not steroid receptors. The relationships among steroids, neurosteroids, and stress are multifaceted and not yet fully understood. However, studies demonstrating altered levels of progestogens, androgens, estrogens, glucocorticoids, and their neuroactive metabolites in both developmental and adult stress paradigms strongly suggest that these molecules may be important players in stress effects on brain circuits and behavior. In this review, we discuss the influence of developmental and adult stress on various components of the brain, including neurons, glia, and perineuronal nets, with a focus on sex steroids and neurosteroids. Gaining an enhanced understanding of how early adversity impacts the intricate systems of brain steroid and neurosteroid regulation could prove instrumental in identifying novel therapeutic targets for stress-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha R Gore
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Elizabeth Gould
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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He S, Shi Y, Ye J, Yin J, Yang Y, Liu D, Shen T, Zeng D, Zhang M, Li S, Xu F, Cai Y, Zhao F, Li H, Peng D. Does decreased autophagy and dysregulation of LC3A in astrocytes play a role in major depressive disorder? Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:362. [PMID: 38001115 PMCID: PMC10673997 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02665-2] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytic dysfunction contributes to the molecular pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the astrocytic subtype that mainly contributes to MDD etiology and whether dysregulated autophagy in astrocytes is associated with MDD remain unknown. Using a single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) atlas, three astrocyte subtypes were identified in MDD, while C2 State-1Q astrocytes showed aberrant changes in both cell proportion and most differentially expressed genes compared with other subtypes. Moreover, autophagy pathways were commonly inhibited in astrocytes in the prefrontal cortices (PFCs) of patients with MDD, especially in C2 State-1Q astrocytes. Furthermore, by integrating snRNA-seq and bulk transcriptomic data, we found significant reductions in LC3A expression levels in the PFC region of CUMS-induced depressed mice, as well as in postmortem PFC tissues and peripheral blood samples from patients with MDD. These results were further validated by qPCR using whole-blood samples from patients with MDD and healthy controls. Finally, LC3A expression in the whole blood of patients with MDD was negatively associated with the severity of depressive symptoms. Overall, our results underscore autophagy inhibition in PFC astrocytes as a common molecular characteristic in MDD and might reveal a novel potential diagnostic marker LC3A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen He
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Shi
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinmei Ye
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiahui Yin
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yufang Yang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Shen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Duan Zeng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Siyuan Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feikang Xu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiyun Cai
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Faming Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Huafang Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Daihui Peng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Musuroglu Keloglan S, Sahin L, Kocahan S, Annac E, Tirasci N, Pekmezekmek AB. Effect of caffeine on hippocampal memory and levels of gene expression in social isolation stress. Int J Dev Neurosci 2023; 83:641-652. [PMID: 37575074 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caffeine (Cf) antagonizes the adenosine receptors and has neuroprotective properties. The effect of Cf has been seen on stress-induced deficits of cognitive. In this study, we have investigated the effect of Cf on learning and memory functions induced by social isolation (SI) stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study, 21-day-old Wistar albino male rats (n = 28) were divided into four groups: the control (C), the SI, the Cf, and the social isolation + caffeine (SICf). Cf (0.3 g/L) was added to the drinking water of the experimental animals for 4 weeks. The learning and memory functions were assessed using the Morris Water Maze Test (MWMT). Following, was performed histopathological evaluation and determined hippocampal gene expression levels by RT-qPCR. RESULTS According to MWMT findings, the time spent in the quadrant where the platform removed was decreased in the SI group compared with the C (p < 0.05). Histological evaluation showed morphological changes in SI by irregular appearance, cellular edema, and dark pycnotic appearance of nuclei in some neurons. However, it was observed that the histological structure of most of the neurons in the SICf group was similar to the C and Cf groups. Hippocampal SNAP25 expression was decreased in the Cf and SICf groups than in the C group (p < 0.05). The GFAP expression was increased in the SICf group than in the C group (p < 0.05). NR2A increased in the SI and SICf groups compared with C and Cf groups (p < 0.05). NR2B expression decreased in the Cf group compared with C and SI groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS SI impaired spatial memory and causes morphological changes in adolescent rats, but this effect of isolation was not seen in Cf-treated animals. The effects of SI on NR2A, Cf on NR2B, and SNAP25 are remarkable. Here, we propose that the impaired effect of SI on spatial memory may be mediated by NR2A, but further studies are needed to explain this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leyla Sahin
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Sayad Kocahan
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Gulhane Medicine, Health Sciences University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ebru Annac
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Adiyaman University, Adiyaman, Turkey
| | - Nurhan Tirasci
- Department of Zootechnics and Animal Nutrition, Institute of Health Sciences, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Hearn E, Moulana M, Saleem K, Clark A, Holmes M, Wadhwa K, Kelly I, Stockmeier CA, Rajkowska G. Reduced length of nodes of Ranvier and altered proteoglycan immunoreactivity in prefrontal white matter in major depressive disorder and chronically stressed rats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16419. [PMID: 37775676 PMCID: PMC10541441 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43627-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) in animals feature comparable cellular and molecular disturbances that involve neurons and glial cells in gray and white matter (WM) in prefrontal brain areas. These same areas demonstrate disturbed connectivity with other brain regions in MDD and stress-related disorders. Functional connectivity ultimately depends on signal propagation along WM myelinated axons, and thus on the integrity of nodes of Ranvier (NRs) and their environment. Various glia-derived proteoglycans interact with NR axonal proteins to sustain NR function. It is unclear whether NR length and the content of associated proteoglycans is altered in prefrontal cortex (PFC) WM of human subjects with MDD and in experimentally stressed animals. The length of WM NRs in histological sections from the PFC of 10 controls and 10 MDD subjects, and from the PFC of control and CUS rats was measured. In addition, in WM of the same brain region, five proteoglycans, tenascin-R and NR protein neurofascin were immunostained or their levels measured with western blots. Analysis of covariance and t-tests were used for group comparisons. There was dramatic reduction of NR length in PFC WM in both MDD and CUS rats. Proteoglycan BRAL1 immunostaining was reduced at NRs and in overall WM of MDD subjects, as was versican in overall WM. Phosphacan immunostaining and levels were increased in both in MDD and CUS. Neurofascin immunostaining at NRs and in overall WM was significantly increased in MDD. Reduced length of NRs and increased phosphacan and neurocan in MDD and stressed animals suggest that morphological and proteoglycan changes at NRs in depression may be related to stress exposure and contribute to connectivity alterations. However, differences between MDD and CUS for some NR related markers may point to other mechanisms affecting the structure and function of NRs in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
| | - Erik Hearn
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Mohadetheh Moulana
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Khunsa Saleem
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Austin Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Maggie Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Kashish Wadhwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Isabella Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Craig Allen Stockmeier
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Grazyna Rajkowska
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
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11
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Deckers C, Karbalaei R, Miles NA, Harder EV, Witt E, Harris EP, Reissner K, Wimmer ME, Bangasser DA. Early resource scarcity causes cortical astrocyte enlargement and sex-specific changes in the orbitofrontal cortex transcriptome in adult rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.01.547315. [PMID: 37425737 PMCID: PMC10327175 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.01.547315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Astrocyte morphology affects function, including the regulation of glutamatergic signaling. This morphology changes dynamically in response to the environment. However, how early life manipulations alter adult cortical astrocyte morphology is underexplored. Our lab uses brief postnatal resource scarcity, the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) manipulation, in rats. We previously found that LBN promotes later resilience to adult addiction-related behaviors, reducing impulsivity, risky decision-making, and morphine self-administration. These behaviors rely on glutamatergic transmission in the medial orbitofrontal (mOFC) and medial prefrontal (mPFC) cortex. Here we tested whether LBN changed astrocyte morphology in the mOFC and mPFC of adult rats using a novel viral approach that, unlike traditional markers, fully labels astrocytes. Prior exposure to LBN causes an increase in the surface area and volume of astrocytes in the mOFC and mPFC of adult males and females relative to control-raised rats. We next used bulk RNA sequencing of OFC tissue to assess transcriptional changes that could increase astrocyte size in LBN rats. LBN caused mainly sex-specific changes in differentially expressed genes. However, Park7, which encodes for the protein DJ-1 that alters astrocyte morphology, was increased by LBN across sex. Pathway analysis revealed that OFC glutamatergic signaling is altered by LBN in males and females, but the gene changes in that pathway differed across sex. This may represent a convergent sex difference where glutamatergic signaling, which affects astrocyte morphology, is altered by LBN via sex-specific mechanisms. Collectively, these studies highlight that astrocytes may be an important cell type that mediates the effect of early resource scarcity on adult brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Deckers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia
| | - Reza Karbalaei
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia
| | - Nylah A Miles
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia
| | - Eden V Harder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Emily Witt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Erin P Harris
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta
| | - Kathryn Reissner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta
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12
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Ferland JMN, Ellis RJ, Rompala G, Landry JA, Callens JE, Ly A, Frier MD, Uzamere TO, Hurd YL. Dose mediates the protracted effects of adolescent THC exposure on reward and stress reactivity in males relevant to perturbation of the basolateral amygdala transcriptome. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2583-2593. [PMID: 35236956 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the belief that cannabis is relatively harmless, exposure during adolescence is associated with increased risk of developing several psychopathologies in adulthood. In addition to the high levels of use amongst teenagers, the potency of ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has increased more than fourfold compared to even twenty years ago, and it is unclear whether potency influences the presentation of THC-induced behaviors. Expanded knowledge about the impact of adolescent THC exposure, especially high dose, is important to delineating neural networks and molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric risk. Here, we observed that repeated exposure to low (1.5 mg/kg) and high (5 mg/kg) doses of THC during adolescence in male rats produced divergent effects on behavior in adulthood. Whereas low dose rats showed greater sensitivity to reward devaluation and also self-administered more heroin, high dose animals were significantly more reactive to social isolation stress. RNA sequencing of the basolateral amygdala, a region linked to reward processing and stress, revealed significant perturbations in transcripts and gene networks related to synaptic plasticity and HPA axis that were distinct to THC dose as well as stress. In silico single-cell deconvolution of the RNAseq data revealed a significant reduction of astrocyte-specific genes related to glutamate regulation in stressed high dose animals, a result paired anatomically with greater astrocyte-to-neuron ratios and hypotrophic astrocytes. These findings emphasize the importance of dose and behavioral state on the presentation of THC-related behavioral phenotypes in adulthood and dysregulation of astrocytes as an interface for the protracted effects of high dose THC and subsequent stress sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N Ferland
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randall J Ellis
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph A Landry
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Callens
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Annie Ly
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Micah D Frier
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teddy O Uzamere
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Li JF, Hu WY, Chang HX, Bao JH, Kong XX, Ma H, Li YF. Astrocytes underlie a faster-onset antidepressant effect of hypidone hydrochloride (YL-0919). Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1175938. [PMID: 37063256 PMCID: PMC10090319 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1175938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Major depression disorder (MDD) is a common and potentially life-threatening mental illness; however, data on its pathogenesis and effective therapeutic measures are lacking. Pathological changes in astrocytes play a pivotal role in MDD. While hypidone hydrochloride (YL-0919), an independently developed antidepressant, has shown rapid action with low side effects, its underlying astrocyte-specific mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: In our study, mice were exposed to chronic restraint stress (CRS) for 14 days or concomitantly administered YL-0919/fluoxetine. Behavioral tests were applied to evaluate the depression model; immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry staining were used to explore morphological changes in astrocytes; astrocyte-specific RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis was performed to capture transcriptome wide alterations; and ATP and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) levels of primary astrocytes were measured, followed by YL-0919 incubation to appraise the alteration of energy metabolism and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).Results: YL-0919 alleviated CRS-induced depressive-like behaviors faster than fluoxetine and attenuated the number and morphologic deficits in the astrocytes of depressed mice. The changes of gene expression profile in astrocytes after CRS were partially reversed by YL-0919. Moreover, YL-0919 improved astrocyte energy metabolism and mitochondrial OXPHOS in astrocytes.Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that YL-0919 exerted a faster-onset antidepressant effect on CRS-mice possibly via astrocyte structural remodeling and mitochondria functional restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Feng Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Yu Hu
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Hai-Xia Chang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Pharmacy, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Jin-Hao Bao
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Xi Kong
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang-Xi Kong, ; Hui Ma, ; Yun-Feng Li,
| | - Hui Ma
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang-Xi Kong, ; Hui Ma, ; Yun-Feng Li,
| | - Yun-Feng Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang-Xi Kong, ; Hui Ma, ; Yun-Feng Li,
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14
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Astrocytes as Context for the Involvement of Myelin and Nodes of Ranvier in the Pathophysiology of Depression and Stress-Related Disorders. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2023; 8:e230001. [PMID: 36866235 PMCID: PMC9976698 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20230001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes, despite some shared features as glial cells supporting neuronal function in gray and white matter, participate and adapt their morphology and neurochemistry in a plethora of distinct regulatory tasks in specific neural environments. In the white matter, a large proportion of the processes branching from the astrocytes' cell bodies establish contacts with oligodendrocytes and the myelin they form, while the tips of many astrocyte branches closely associate with nodes of Ranvier. Stability of myelin has been shown to greatly depend on astrocyte-to-oligodendrocyte communication, while the integrity of action potentials that regenerate at nodes of Ranvier has been shown to depend on extracellular matrix components heavily contributed by astrocytes. Several lines of evidence are starting to show that in human subjects with affective disorders and in animal models of chronic stress there are significant changes in myelin components, white matter astrocytes and nodes of Ranvier that have direct relevance to connectivity alterations in those disorders. Some of these changes involve the expression of connexins supporting astrocyte-to-oligodendrocyte gap junctions, extracellular matrix components produced by astrocytes around nodes of Ranvier, specific types of astrocyte glutamate transporters, and neurotrophic factors secreted by astrocytes that are involved in the development and plasticity of myelin. Future studies should further examine the mechanisms responsible for those changes in white matter astrocytes, their putative contribution to pathological connectivity in affective disorders, and the possibility of leveraging that knowledge to design new therapies for psychiatric disorders.
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15
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Plasma levels of S100B and neurofilament light chain protein in stress-related mental disorders. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8339. [PMID: 35585111 PMCID: PMC9117317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12287-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiological changes underlying stress-related mental disorders remain unclear. However, research suggests that alterations in astrocytes and neurons may be involved. This study examined potential peripheral markers of such alterations, including S100B and neurofilament light chain (NF-L). We compared plasma levels of S100B and NF-L in patients with chronic stress-induced exhaustion disorder (SED), patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and healthy controls. We also investigated whether levels of S100B and NF-L correlated with levels of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs that indicate astrocyte activation or apoptosis) and with symptom severity. Only women had measurable levels of S100B. Women with SED had higher plasma levels of S100B than women with MDD (P < 0.001) and healthy controls (P < 0.001). Self-rated symptoms of cognitive failures were positively correlated with levels of S100B (rs = 0.434, P = 0.005) as were depressive symptoms (rs = 0.319, P < 0.001). Plasma levels of astrocyte-derived EVs were correlated with levels of S100B (rs = 0.464, P < 0.001). Plasma levels of NF-L did not differ between the groups and were not correlated with symptom severity or EV levels. Thus, long-term stress without sufficient recovery and SED may be associated with raised plasma levels of S100B, which may be evidence of pathophysiological changes in astrocytes. The findings also support the hypothesis that plasma levels of S100B are associated with cognitive dysfunction.
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16
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Renz-Polster H, Tremblay ME, Bienzle D, Fischer JE. The Pathobiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Case for Neuroglial Failure. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:888232. [PMID: 35614970 PMCID: PMC9124899 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.888232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has a specific and distinctive profile of clinical features, the disease remains an enigma because causal explanation of the pathobiological matrix is lacking. Several potential disease mechanisms have been identified, including immune abnormalities, inflammatory activation, mitochondrial alterations, endothelial and muscular disturbances, cardiovascular anomalies, and dysfunction of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Yet, it remains unclear whether and how these pathways may be related and orchestrated. Here we explore the hypothesis that a common denominator of the pathobiological processes in ME/CFS may be central nervous system dysfunction due to impaired or pathologically reactive neuroglia (astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocytes). We will test this hypothesis by reviewing, in reference to the current literature, the two most salient and widely accepted features of ME/CFS, and by investigating how these might be linked to dysfunctional neuroglia. From this review we conclude that the multifaceted pathobiology of ME/CFS may be attributable in a unifying manner to neuroglial dysfunction. Because the two key features - post exertional malaise and decreased cerebral blood flow - are also recognized in a subset of patients with post-acute sequelae COVID, we suggest that our findings may also be pertinent to this entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Renz-Polster
- Division of General Medicine, Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health Baden-Württemberg (CPD-BW), University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marie-Eve Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Center for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Dorothee Bienzle
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Joachim E. Fischer
- Division of General Medicine, Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health Baden-Württemberg (CPD-BW), University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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17
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Dolotov OV, Inozemtseva LS, Myasoedov NF, Grivennikov IA. Stress-Induced Depression and Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Astrocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:4999. [PMID: 35563389 PMCID: PMC9104432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases and depression are multifactorial disorders with a complex and poorly understood physiopathology. Astrocytes play a key role in the functioning of neurons in norm and pathology. Stress is an important factor for the development of brain disorders. Here, we review data on the effects of stress on astrocyte function and evidence of the involvement of astrocyte dysfunction in depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Stressful life events are an important risk factor for depression; meanwhile, depression is an important risk factor for AD. Clinical data indicate atrophic changes in the same areas of the brain, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), in both pathologies. These brain regions play a key role in regulating the stress response and are most vulnerable to the action of glucocorticoids. PFC astrocytes are critically involved in the development of depression. Stress alters astrocyte function and can result in pyroptotic death of not only neurons, but also astrocytes. BDNF-TrkB system not only plays a key role in depression and in normalizing the stress response, but also appears to be an important factor in the functioning of astrocytes. Astrocytes, being a target for stress and glucocorticoids, are a promising target for the treatment of stress-dependent depression and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg V. Dolotov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.V.D.); (L.S.I.); (N.F.M.)
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ludmila S. Inozemtseva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.V.D.); (L.S.I.); (N.F.M.)
| | - Nikolay F. Myasoedov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.V.D.); (L.S.I.); (N.F.M.)
| | - Igor A. Grivennikov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, 123182 Moscow, Russia; (O.V.D.); (L.S.I.); (N.F.M.)
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18
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Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Astroglia in the Vulnerability to and Maintenance of Stress-Mediated Neuropathology and Depression. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:869779. [PMID: 35530179 PMCID: PMC9074831 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.869779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant stress exposure and psychiatric depression are associated with morphological, biochemical, and physiological disturbances of astrocytes in specific brain regions relevant to the pathophysiology of those disorders, suggesting that astrocytes are involved in the mechanisms underlying the vulnerability to or maintenance of stress-related neuropathology and depression. To understand those mechanisms a variety of studies have probed the effect of various modalities of stress exposure on the metabolism, gene expression and plasticity of astrocytes. These studies have uncovered the participation of various cellular pathways, such as those for intracellular calcium regulation, neuroimmune responses, extracellular ionic regulation, gap junctions-based cellular communication, and regulation of neurotransmitter and gliotransmitter release and uptake. More recently epigenetic modifications resulting from exposure to chronic forms of stress or to early life adversity have been suggested to affect not only neuronal mechanisms but also gene expression and physiology of astrocytes and other glial cells. However, much remains to be learned to understand the specific role of those and other modifications in the astroglial contribution to the vulnerability to and maintenance of stress-related disorders and depression, and for leveraging that knowledge to achieve more effective psychiatric therapies.
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19
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Koizumi S. Glial Purinergic Signals and Psychiatric Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:822614. [PMID: 35069121 PMCID: PMC8766327 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.822614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion-related neural networks are regulated in part by the activity of glial cells, and glial dysfunction can be directly related to emotional diseases such as depression. Here, we discuss three different therapeutic strategies involving astrocytes that are effective for treating depression. First, the antidepressant, fluoxetine, acts on astrocytes and increases exocytosis of ATP. This has therapeutic effects via brain-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent mechanisms. Second, electroconvulsive therapy is a well-known treatment for drug-resistant depression. Electroconvulsive therapy releases ATP from astrocytes to induce leukemia inhibitory factors and fibroblast growth factor 2, which leads to antidepressive actions. Finally, sleep deprivation therapy is well-known to cause antidepressive effects. Sleep deprivation also increases release of ATP, whose metabolite, adenosine, has antidepressive effects. These independent treatments share the same mechanism, i.e., ATP release from astrocytes, indicating an essential role of glial purinergic signals in the pathogenesis of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Schuichi Koizumi
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- GLIA Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Schuichi Koizumi
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20
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Milligan Armstrong A, Porter T, Quek H, White A, Haynes J, Jackaman C, Villemagne V, Munyard K, Laws SM, Verdile G, Groth D. Chronic stress and Alzheimer's disease: the interplay between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, genetics and microglia. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2209-2228. [PMID: 34159699 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is increasingly being recognised as a risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) is the major stress response pathway in the body and tightly regulates the production of cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone. Dysregulation of the HPA axis and increased levels of cortisol are commonly found in AD patients and make a major contribution to the disease process. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In addition, within the general population there are interindividual differences in sensitivities to glucocorticoid and stress responses, which are thought to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. These differences could ultimately impact an individuals' risk of AD. The purpose of this review is first to summarise the literature describing environmental and genetic factors that can impact an individual's HPA axis reactivity and function and ultimately AD risk. Secondly, we propose a mechanism by which genetic factors that influence HPA axis reactivity may also impact inflammation, a key driver of neurodegeneration. We hypothesize that these factors can mediate glucocorticoid priming of the immune cells of the brain, microglia, to become pro-inflammatory and promote a neurotoxic environment resulting in neurodegeneration. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and identifying these genetic factors has implications for evaluating stress-related risk/progression to neurodegeneration, informing the success of interventions based on stress management and potential risks associated with the common use of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayeisha Milligan Armstrong
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Tenielle Porter
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
| | - Hazel Quek
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Institute, 300 Herston Rd, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Anthony White
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Institute, 300 Herston Rd, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - John Haynes
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Connie Jackaman
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Victor Villemagne
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Kylie Munyard
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Simon M Laws
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
| | - Giuseppe Verdile
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
| | - David Groth
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
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21
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O'Leary LA, Mechawar N. Implication of cerebral astrocytes in major depression: A review of fine neuroanatomical evidence in humans. Glia 2021; 69:2077-2099. [PMID: 33734498 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Postmortem investigations have implicated astrocytes in many neurological and psychiatric conditions. Multiple brain regions from individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have lower expression levels of astrocyte markers and lower densities of astrocytes labeled for these markers, suggesting a loss of astrocytes in this mental illness. This paper reviews the general properties of human astrocytes, the methods to study them, and the postmortem evidence for astrocyte pathology in MDD. When comparing astrocyte density and morphometry studies, astrocytes are more abundant and smaller in human subcortical than cortical brain regions, and immunohistochemical labeling for the astrocyte markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin (VIM) reveals fewer than 15% of all astrocytes that are present in cortical and subcortical regions, as revealed using other staining techniques. By combining astrocyte densities and morphometry, a model was made to illustrate that domain organization is mostly limited to GFAP-IR astrocytes. Using these markers and others, alterations of astrocyte densities appear more widespread than those for astrocyte morphologies throughout the brain of individuals having died with MDD. This review suggests how reduced astrocyte densities may relate to the association of depressive episodes in MDD with elevated S100 beta (S100B) cerebrospinal fluid serum levels. Finally, a potassium imbalance theory is proposed that integrates the reduced astrocyte densities generated from postmortem studies with a hypothesis for the antidepressant effects of ketamine generated from rodent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Anuj O'Leary
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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22
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Molecular characterization of the stress network in individuals at risk for schizophrenia. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100307. [PMID: 33644266 PMCID: PMC7893486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in human stress reactivity remain poorly understood. We aimed to identify the molecular underpinning of aberrant neural stress sensitivity in individuals at risk for schizophrenia. Linking mRNA expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas to task-based fMRI revealed 201 differentially expressed genes in cortex-specific brain regions differentially activated by stress in individuals with low (healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients) or high (healthy controls) stress sensitivity. These genes are associated with stress-related psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia and anxiety) and include markers for specific neuronal populations (e.g. ADCYAP1, GABRB1, SSTR1, and TNFRSF12A), neurotransmitter receptors (e.g. GRIN3A, SSTR1, GABRB1, and HTR1E), and signaling factors that interact with the corticosteroid receptor and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (e.g. ADCYAP1, IGSF11, and PKIA). Overall, the identified genes potentially underlie altered stress reactivity in individuals at risk for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders and play a role in mounting an adaptive stress response in at-risk individuals, making them potentially druggable targets for stress-related diseases.
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23
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Leakage of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles in stress-induced exhaustion disorder: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2009. [PMID: 33479350 PMCID: PMC7820323 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81453-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with stress-induced exhaustion disorder (SED) demonstrate cognitive dysfunction similar to patients with minor traumatic brain injury (TBI). We have previously detected elevated concentrations of astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients with TBI. As such, we hypothesized that astrocyte-derived EVs could be higher in patients with SED than in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls. Patients with SED (n = 31), MDD (n = 31), and healthy matched controls (n = 61) were included. Astrocyte-derived EVs (previously known as microparticles) were measured in plasma with flow cytometry and labeled against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4). In addition, platelet EVs and their CD40 ligand expression were measured. Patients with SED had significantly higher concentrations of AQP4 and GFAP-positive EVs and EVs co-expressing AQP4/GFAP than patients with MDD and healthy controls. Patients with MDD had significantly higher concentrations of GFAP-positive EVs and EVs co-expressing AQP4/GFAP than healthy controls. Platelet EVs did not differ between groups. CD40 ligand expression was significantly higher in patients with SED and MDD than in controls. In conclusion, the present study suggests that patients with SED, and to some extent, patients with MDD, have increased leakage of astrocyte-derived EVs through the blood–brain barrier.
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24
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Dudek KA, Dion‐Albert L, Kaufmann FN, Tuck E, Lebel M, Menard C. Neurobiology of resilience in depression: immune and vascular insights from human and animal studies. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:183-221. [PMID: 31421056 PMCID: PMC7891571 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and recurrent psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood, social isolation and anhedonia. It will affect 20% of individuals with considerable economic impacts. Unfortunately, 30-50% of depressed individuals are resistant to current antidepressant treatments. MDD is twice as prevalent in women and associated symptoms are different. Depression's main environmental risk factor is chronic stress, and women report higher levels of stress in daily life. However, not every stressed individual becomes depressed, highlighting the need to identify biological determinants of stress vulnerability but also resilience. Based on a reverse translational approach, rodent models of depression were developed to study the mechanisms underlying susceptibility vs resilience. Indeed, a subpopulation of animals can display coping mechanisms and a set of biological alterations leading to stress resilience. The aetiology of MDD is multifactorial and involves several physiological systems. Exacerbation of endocrine and immune responses from both innate and adaptive systems are observed in depressed individuals and mice exhibiting depression-like behaviours. Increasing attention has been given to neurovascular health since higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is found in MDD patients and inflammatory conditions are associated with depression, treatment resistance and relapse. Here, we provide an overview of endocrine, immune and vascular changes associated with stress vulnerability vs. resilience in rodents and when available, in humans. Lack of treatment efficacy suggests that neuron-centric treatments do not address important causal biological factors and better understanding of stress-induced adaptations, including sex differences, could contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies including personalized medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Laurence Dion‐Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Ellen Tuck
- Smurfit Institute of GeneticsTrinity CollegeDublinIreland
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
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25
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Tremblay MÈ. A Diversity of Cell Types, Subtypes and Phenotypes in the Central Nervous System: The Importance of Studying Their Complex Relationships. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:628347. [PMID: 33424557 PMCID: PMC7785523 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.628347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Colombia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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26
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Astrocyte-Derived Lactate Modulates the Passive Coping Response to Behavioral Challenge in Male Mice. Neurosci Bull 2020; 37:1-14. [PMID: 32785834 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00553-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Every organism inevitably experiences stress. In the face of acute, intense stress, for example, periods of passivity occur when an organism's actions fail to overcome the challenge. The occurrence of inactive behavior may indicate that struggling would most likely be fruitless. Repeated serious stress has been associated with mood disorders such as depression. The modulation of passive coping response patterns has been explored with a focus on the circuit level. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms are largely uncharacterized. Here, we report that lactate is a key factor in the astrocytic modulation of the passive coping response to behavioral challenge in adult mice. We found increased extracellular lactate in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) when mice experienced the forced swimming test (FST). Furthermore, we discovered that disturbing astrocytic glycogenolysis, which is a key step for lactate production in the mPFC, decreased the duration of immobility in the FST. Knocking down monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), which is expressed exclusively in astrocytes and transports lactate from astrocytes to the extracellular space, caused similar results in the FST. The behavioral effect of both the pharmacological disturbance of astrocytic glycogenolysis and viral disruption of MCT4 expression was rescued via the administration of L-lactate. Moreover, we found that both pharmacological and viral modulation of astrocyte-derived lactate in mPFC slices increased the excitability of layer V pyramidal neurons, and this enhancement was reversed by exogenous L-lactate administration. These results highlight astrocyte-derived lactate as a biological mechanism underlying the passive coping response to behavioral challenge and may provide new strategies to prevent mood disorders.
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27
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Stress gates an astrocytic energy reservoir to impair synaptic plasticity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2014. [PMID: 32332733 PMCID: PMC7181611 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15778-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes support the energy demands of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Enduring changes in synaptic efficacy are highly sensitive to stress, yet whether changes to astrocyte bioenergetic control of synapses contributes to stress-impaired plasticity is unclear. Here we show in mice that stress constrains the shuttling of glucose and lactate through astrocyte networks, creating a barrier for neuronal access to an astrocytic energy reservoir in the hippocampus and neocortex, compromising long-term potentiation. Impairing astrocytic delivery of energy substrates by reducing astrocyte gap junction coupling with dominant negative connexin 43 or by disrupting lactate efflux was sufficient to mimic the effects of stress on long-term potentiation. Furthermore, direct restoration of the astrocyte lactate supply alone rescued stress-impaired synaptic plasticity, which was blocked by inhibiting neural lactate uptake. This gating of synaptic plasticity in stress by astrocytic metabolic networks indicates a broader role of astrocyte bioenergetics in determining how experience-dependent information is controlled. Enduring changes in synaptic efficacy are highly sensitive to stress. Here, the authors show that astrocytic delivery of metabolites has an important role in the stress-mediated impairment of synaptic plasticity.
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28
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Zhang P, Li YX, Zhang ZZ, Yang Y, Rao JX, Xia L, Li XY, Chen GH, Wang F. Astroglial Mechanisms Underlying Chronic Insomnia Disorder: A Clinical Study. Nat Sci Sleep 2020; 12:693-704. [PMID: 33117005 PMCID: PMC7549496 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s263528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to investigate whether the serum biomarkers S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) change in patients with chronic insomnia disorder (CID), and if this is the case, whether the altered levels of these serum biomarkers are associated with poor sleep quality and cognitive decline in CID. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-seven CID outpatients constituted the CID group; thirty healthy controls (HC) were also enrolled. Questionnaires, polysomnography, Chinese-Beijing Version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-C) and Nine Box Maze Test (NBMT) were used to assess their sleep and neuropsychological function. Serum S100B, GFAP, BDNF, and GDNF were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The CID group had higher levels of S100B and GFAP and lower levels of BDNF and GDNF than the HC group. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that poor sleep quality, assessed by subjective and objective measures, was positively correlated with S100B level and negatively correlated with BDNF level. GFAP level correlated positively with poor subjective sleep quality. Moreover, S100B and GFAP levels correlated negatively with general cognitive function assessed using MoCA-C. GFAP level correlated positively with poor spatial working memory (SWM) in the NBMT; BDNF level was linked to poor SWM and object recognition memory (ORcM) in the NBMT. However, principal component analysis revealed that serum S100B level was positively linked to the errors in object working memories, BDNF and GDNF concentrations were negatively linked with errors in ORcM, and GFAP concentration was positively correlated with the errors in the SWM and spatial reference memories. CONCLUSION Serum S100B, GFAP, BDNF, and GDNF levels were altered in patients with CID, indicating astrocyte damage, and were associated with insomnia severity or/and cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhang
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Xue Li
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe-Zhe Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Yang
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Xian Rao
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Xia
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Yan Li
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Gui-Hai Chen
- Department of Sleep Disorders, The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 238000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, People's Republic of China
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