1
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Vorhees CV, Amos-Kroohs RM, Williams MT. Long-term effects of Preweaning environmental impoverishment on neurobehavioral and neurocognitive outcomes in Sprague Dawley rats: An early environmental stress model. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 103:107356. [PMID: 38719082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Developmental stress, including low socioeconomic status (SES), can induce dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and result in long-term changes in stress reactivity. Children in lower SES conditions often experience more stress than those in other SES groups. There are multiple model systems of early environmental stress (EES), one of which is reduced cage bedding. Here we tested the effects of both prenatal and lactational EES in rats on a range of long-term behavioral and cognitive outcomes. There were persistent reductions in body weight in the EES rats in both sexes. The behavioral results showed no effects on learning and memory using tests of spatial learning or cognitive flexibility in the Morris water maze, egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze, or working memory in the radial-arm maze. There were no effects on basic open-field activity, elevated zero-maze, or forced swim test, but EES rats had reduced time in the dark side of the light/dark test. When rats were drug challenged in the open-field with d-amphetamine or MK-801, there were no differential responses to d-amphetamine, but the EES group under responded compared with the drug-induced hyperactivity in the control group in both males and females. The objective was to establish a developmental stress model that induced cognitive deficits and to the extent that this method did not cause such effects it was not the model we sought. However, the data showed several long-term effects of EES, including the reduced response to the irreversible NMDA antagonist MK-801. This effect merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Robyn M Amos-Kroohs
- Robyn Amos-Kroohs, Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 700 North Fifth St, Richmond, VA 23219, USA.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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2
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Catale C, Martini A, Piscitelli RM, Senzasono B, Iacono LL, Mercuri NB, Guatteo E, Carola V. Early-life social stress induces permanent alterations in plasticity and perineuronal nets in the mouse anterior cingulate cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5763-5783. [PMID: 36117291 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Child maltreatment disrupts trajectories of brain development, but the underlying pathways are unclear. Stressful stimuli in early life interfere with maturation of local inhibitory circuitry and deposition of perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures involved in the closure of critical periods of development. Alterations in cortical PNN and parvalbumin (PV) following early-life stress (ELS) have been detected in human and animal studies. Aberrations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are the most consistent neuroimaging findings in maltreated people, but the molecular mechanisms linking ELS with ACC dysfunctions are unknown. Here, we employed a mouse model of early social threat to test whether ELS experienced in a sensitive period for ACC maturation could induce long-term aberrations of PNN and PV development in the ACC, with consequences on plasticity and ACC-dependent behavior. We found that ELS increased PNN but not PV expression in the ACC of young adult mice. This was associated with reduced frequency of inhibitory postsynaptic currents and long-term potentiation impairments and expression of intense object phobia. Our findings provide information on the long-term effects of ELS on ACC functionality and PNN formation and present evidence for a novel neurobiological pathway underlying the impact of early adversity on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Catale
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martini
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Piscitelli
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Motor Science and Wellness, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luisa Lo Iacono
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Motor Science and Wellness, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Carola
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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3
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Embryonic Deletion of TXNIP in GABAergic Neurons Enhanced Oxidative Stress in PV+ Interneurons in Primary Somatosensory Cortex of Aging Mice: Relevance to Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101395. [PMID: 36291328 PMCID: PMC9599691 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is susceptible to perturbations of redox balance, affecting neurogenesis and increasing the risks of psychiatric disorders. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is an endogenous inhibitor of the thioredoxin antioxidant system. Its deletion or inhibition suggests protection for a brain with ischemic stroke or Alzheimer’s disease. Combined with conditional knockout mice and schizophrenia samples, we aimed to investigate the function of TXNIP in healthy brain and psychiatric disorders, which are under-studied. We found TXNIP was remarkedly expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during healthy mice’s prenatal and early postnatal periods, whereas it rapidly decreased throughout adulthood. During early life, TXNIP was primarily distributed in inhibitory and excitatory neurons. Contrary to the protective effect, the embryonic deletion of TXNIP in GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic) neurons enhanced oxidative stress in PV+ interneurons of aging mice. The deleterious impact was brain region-specific. We also investigated the relationship between TXNIP and schizophrenia. TXNIP was significantly increased in the PFC of schizophrenia-like mice after MK801 administration, followed by oxidative stress. First episode and drug naïve schizophrenia patients with a higher level of plasma TXNIP displayed severer psychiatric symptoms than patients with a low level. We indicated a bidirectional function of TXNIP in the brain, whose high expression in the early stage is protective for development but might be harmful in a later period, associated with mental disorders.
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4
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An X, Guo W, Wu H, Fu X, Li M, Zhang Y, Li Y, Cui R, Yang W, Zhang Z, Zhao G. Sex Differences in Depression Caused by Early Life Stress and Related Mechanisms. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:797755. [PMID: 35663561 PMCID: PMC9157793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.797755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common psychiatric disease caused by various factors, manifesting with continuous low spirits, with its precise mechanism being unclear. Early life stress (ELS) is receiving more attention as a possible cause of depression. Many studies focused on the mechanisms underlying how ELS leads to changes in sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis function, and epigenetics. The adverse effects of ELS on adulthood are mainly dependent on the time window when stress occurs, sex and the developmental stage when evaluating the impacts. Therefore, with regard to the exact sex differences of adult depression, we found that ELS could lead to sex-differentiated depression through multiple mechanisms, including 5-HT, sex hormone, HPA axis, and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianquan An
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wanxu Guo
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Huiying Wu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiying Fu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yizhi Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Zhuo Zhang,
| | - Guoqing Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Guoqing Zhao,
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5
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Tata DA, Dandi E, Spandou E. Expression of synaptophysin and BDNF in the medial prefrontal cortex following early life stress and neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:173-182. [PMID: 32623722 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study aims at investigating whether early stress interacts with brain injury due to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI). To this end, we examined possible changes in synaptophysin (SYN) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of maternally separated rats that were subsequently exposed to a HI episode. Rat pups (n = 11) were maternally separated during postnatal days 1 to 6 (3hr/day), while another group was left undisturbed (n = 11). On postnatal day 7, a subgroup (n = 12) from each postnatal manipulation was exposed to HI. Synaptophysin and BDNF expression was estimated in mPFC prelimbic and anterior cingulate subregions of the ipsilateral and contralateral to the occluded common carotid artery hemispheres. Maternally separated rats expressed significantly less BDNF and SYN in both hemispheres. Neonatal HI significantly reduced BDNF and SYN expression in the ipsilateral mPFC only and this reduction was not further altered by early stress. Our findings indicate the enduring negative effect of a short period of maternal separation on the expression of mPFC SYN and BDNF. They, also, reveal that the HI-associated decreases in these markers are limited to the ipsilateral mPFC and are not exacerbated by early stress. These decreases may have important functional implications given the role of prefrontal area in high-order cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina A Tata
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evgenia Dandi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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6
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Saboory E, Mohammadi S, Dindarian S, Mohammadi H. Prenatal stress and elevated seizure susceptibility: Molecular inheritable changes. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 96:122-131. [PMID: 31132613 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Stressful episodes are common during early-life and may have a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental status of the offspring. In addition to various neurobehavioral complications induced by prenatal stress (PS), seizure is a common complication with no fully explained cause. In this study, the association between PS and seizure susceptibility was reviewed focusing on sex differences and various underlying mechanisms. The role of drugs in the initiation of seizure and the effects of PS on the nervous system that prone the brain for seizure, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, are also discussed in detail by reviewing the papers studying the effect of PS on glutamatergic, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic, and adrenergic systems in the context of seizure and epilepsy. Finally, epigenetic changes in epilepsy are described, and the underlying mechanisms of this change are expanded. As the effects of PS may be life-lasting, it is possible to prevent future psychiatric and behavioral disorders including epilepsy by preventing avoidable PS risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Saboory
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Sedra Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Sina Dindarian
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Hozan Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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7
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Abstract
The developmental period constitutes a critical window of sensitivity to stress. Indeed, early-life adversity increases the risk to develop psychiatric diseases, but also gastrointestinal disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome at adulthood. In the past decade, there has been huge interest in the gut-brain axis, especially as regards stress-related emotional behaviours. Animal models of early-life adversity, in particular, maternal separation (MS) in rodents, demonstrate lasting deleterious effects on both the gut and the brain. Here, we review the effects of MS on both systems with a focus on stress-related behaviours. In addition, we discuss more recent findings showing the impact of gut-directed interventions, including nutrition with pre- and probiotics, illustrating the role played by gut microbiota in mediating the long-term effects of MS. Overall, preclinical studies suggest that nutritional approaches with pro- and prebiotics may constitute safe and efficient strategies to attenuate the effects of early-life stress on the gut-brain axis. Further research is required to understand the complex mechanisms underlying gut-brain interaction dysfunctions after early-life stress as well as to determine the beneficial impact of gut-directed strategies in a context of early-life adversity in human subjects.
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8
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Köhler JC, Gröger N, Lesse A, Guara Ciurana S, Rether K, Fegert J, Bock J, Braun K. Early-Life Adversity Induces Epigenetically Regulated Changes in Hippocampal Dopaminergic Molecular Pathways. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3616-3625. [PMID: 30173406 PMCID: PMC6476847 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1199-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) represents a major risk factor for the development of behavioral dysfunctions and mental disorders later in life. On the other hand, dependent on type, time point, and duration, ELA exposure can also induce adaptations, which result in better stress coping and resilience later in life. Guided by the hypothesis that chronic exposure to ELA results in dysfunctional brain and behavior, whereas short exposure to ELA may result in resilience, the behavioral and neurobiological consequences of long-term separation stress (LTSS) and short-term separation stress (STSS) were compared in a mouse model for ELA. In line with our hypothesis, we found that LTSS induced depressive-like behavior, whereas STSS reduced depressive-like behavioral symptoms. We then tested the hypothesis that the opposite behavioral outcomes of the two stress paradigms may be mediated by functional, epigenetically regulated changes of dopaminergic modulation in the hippocampal formation. We found that STSS exposure elevated dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) gene expression and decreased gene expression of its downstream modulator DARPP-32 (32-kDa dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein), which was paralleled by decreased H3 acetylation at its gene promoter region. In contrast, LTSS elevated DARPP-32 gene expression, which was not paralleled by changes in histone acetylation and DRD1 gene expression. These findings indicate that short- and long-term neonatal exposure to ELA induces changes in dopaminergic molecular pathways, some of which are epigenetically regulated and which either alleviate or aggravate depressive-like symptoms later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana C Köhler
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - N Gröger
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - A Lesse
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - S Guara Ciurana
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - K Rether
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - J Fegert
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie/Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - J Bock
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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9
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Di Segni M, Andolina D, Ventura R. Long-term effects of early environment on the brain: Lesson from rodent models. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 77:81-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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10
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Sprowles JLN, Amos-Kroohs RM, Braun AA, Sugimoto C, Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Developmental manganese, lead, and barren cage exposure have adverse long-term neurocognitive, behavioral and monoamine effects in Sprague-Dawley rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 67:50-64. [PMID: 29631003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Developmental stress, including low socioeconomic status (SES), can induce dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and result in long-term changes in stress reactivity. Children in lower SES households experience more stress and are more likely to be exposed to environmental neurotoxins such as lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) than children in higher SES households. Co-exposure to stress, Pb, and Mn during early development may increase the risk of central nervous system dysfunction compared with unexposed children. To investigate the potential interaction of these factors, Sprague-Dawley rats were bred, and litters born in-house were culled on postnatal day (P)1 to 6 males and 6 females. One male and female within each litter were assigned to one of the following groups: 0 (vehicle), 10 mg/kg Pb, 100 mg/kg Mn, or 10 mg/kg Pb + 100 mg/kg Mn (PbMn), water gavage, and handled only from P4-28 with half the litters reared in cages with standard bedding (29 litters) and half with no bedding (Barren; 27 litters). Mn and PbMn groups had decreased anxiety, reduced acoustic startle, initial open-field hypoactivity, increased activity following (+)-methamphetamine, deficits in egocentric learning in the Cincinnati water maze (CWM), and deficits in latent inhibition conditioning. Pb increased anxiety and reduced open-field activity. Barren-reared rats had decreased anxiety, CWM deficits, increased startle, and initial open-field hyperactivity. Mn, PbMn, Pb Barren-reared groups had impaired Morris water maze performance. Pb altered neostriatal serotonin and norepinephrine, Mn increased hippocampal serotonin in males, Mn + Barren-rearing increased neostriatal serotonin, and Barren-rearing decreased neostriatal dopamine in males. At the doses used here, most effects were in the Mn and PbMn groups. Few interactions between Mn, Pb, and rearing stress were found, indicating that the interaction of these three variables is not as impactful as hypothesized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L N Sprowles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Rhodes College, Department of Psychology, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, United States.
| | - Robyn M Amos-Kroohs
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Virginia Department of Forensic Science, 700 North Fifth St, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
| | - Amanda A Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States
| | - Chiho Sugimoto
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
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de Melo SR, de David Antoniazzi CT, Hossain S, Kolb B. Neonatal Stress Has a Long-Lasting Sex-Dependent Effect on Anxiety-Like Behavior and Neuronal Morphology in the Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Dev Neurosci 2018; 40:93-103. [PMID: 29471293 DOI: 10.1159/000486619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The long-lasting effects of early stress on brain development have been well studied. Recent evidence indicates that males and females respond differently to the same stressor. We examined the chronic effects of daily maternal separation (MS) on behavior and cerebral morphology in both male and female rats. Cognitive and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated, and neuroplastic changes in 2 subregions of the prefrontal cortex (dorsal agranular insular cortex [AID] and cingulate cortex [Cg3]) and hippocampus (CA1 and dentate gyrus) were measured in adult male and female rats. The animals were subjected to MS on postnatal day (P) 3-14 for 3 h per day. Cognitive and emotional behaviors were assessed in the object/context mismatch task, elevated plus maze, and locomotor activity test in early adulthood (P87-P95). Anatomical assessments were performed in the prefrontal cortex (i.e., cortical thickness and spine density) and hippocampus (i.e., spine density). Sex-dependent effects were observed. MS increased anxiety-related behavior only in males, whereas locomotor activity was higher in females, with no effects on cognition. MS decreased spine density in the AID and increased spine density in the CA1 area in males. Females exhibited an increase in spine density in the Cg3. Our findings confirm previous work that found that MS causes long-term behavioral and anatomical effects, and these effects were dependent on sex and the duration of MS stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shakhawat Hossain
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alabama, Canada
| | - Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alabama, Canada
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12
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van Bodegom M, Homberg JR, Henckens MJAG. Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:87. [PMID: 28469557 PMCID: PMC5395581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response systems mediating these long-term effects of stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a cascade of central and peripheral events resulting in the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands. Activation of the HPA-axis affects brain functioning to ensure a proper behavioral response to the stressor, but stress-induced (mal)adaptation of the HPA-axis' functional maturation may provide a mechanistic basis for the altered stress susceptibility later in life. Development of the HPA-axis and the brain regions involved in its regulation starts prenatally and continues after birth, and is protected by several mechanisms preventing corticosteroid over-exposure to the maturing brain. Nevertheless, early life stress (ELS) exposure has been reported to have numerous consequences on HPA-axis function in adulthood, affecting both its basal and stress-induced activity. According to the match/mismatch theory, encountering ELS prepares an organism for similar ("matching") adversities during adulthood, while a mismatching environment results in an increased susceptibility to psychopathology, indicating that ELS can exert either beneficial or disadvantageous effects depending on the environmental context. Here, we review studies investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of the ELS-induced alterations in the structural and functional development of the HPA-axis and its key external regulators (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex). The effects of ELS appear highly dependent on the developmental time window affected, the sex of the offspring, and the developmental stage at which effects are assessed. Albeit by distinct mechanisms, ELS induced by prenatal stressors, maternal separation, or the limited nesting model inducing fragmented maternal care, typically results in HPA-axis hyper-reactivity in adulthood, as also found in major depression. This hyper-activity is related to increased corticotrophin-releasing hormone signaling and impaired glucocorticoid receptor-mediated negative feedback. In contrast, initial evidence for HPA-axis hypo-reactivity is observed for early social deprivation, potentially reflecting the abnormal HPA-axis function as observed in post-traumatic stress disorder, and future studies should investigate its neural/neuroendocrine foundation in further detail. Interestingly, experiencing additional (chronic) stress in adulthood seems to normalize these alterations in HPA-axis function, supporting the match/mismatch theory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marloes J. A. G. Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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13
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Zhang B. Consequences of early adverse rearing experience(EARE) on development: insights from non-human primate studies. Zool Res 2017; 38:7-35. [PMID: 28271667 PMCID: PMC5368383 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2017.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early rearing experiences are important in one's whole life, whereas early adverse rearing experience(EARE) is usually related to various physical and mental disorders in later life. Although there were many studies on human and animals, regarding the effect of EARE on brain development, neuroendocrine systems, as well as the consequential mental disorders and behavioral abnormalities, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Due to the close genetic relationship and similarity in social organizations with humans, non-human primate(NHP) studies were performed for over 60 years. Various EARE models were developed to disrupt the early normal interactions between infants and mothers or peers. Those studies provided important insights of EARE induced effects on the physiological and behavioral systems of NHPs across life span, such as social behaviors(including disturbance behavior, social deficiency, sexual behavior, etc), learning and memory ability, brain structural and functional developments(including influences on neurons and glia cells, neuroendocrine systems, e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis, etc). In this review, the effects of EARE and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms were comprehensively summarized and the possibility of rehabilitation was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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14
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Maternal separation activates microglial cells and induces an inflammatory response in the hippocampus of male rat pups, independently of hypothalamic and peripheral cytokine levels. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 55:39-48. [PMID: 26431692 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult animals subjected to chronic stress show an inflammatory response in the hippocampus which has been related to cognitive dysfunction and psychopathology. However the immediate consequences of early life stress on hippocampal glial cells have not been studied. Here we analyzed the effects of maternal separation (MS) on astrocyte and microglial cell morphology in the hippocampal hilus, compared the expression of cytokines in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, and the peripheral response of cytokines, on postnatal day (PD) 15. Male rat pups of MS (3h/day, PD1-PD14) and Control (CONT) pups showed similar microglial cell densities in the hilus, but MS pups presented more activated microglia. MS decreased astrocyte density and the number of processes in the hilus. Cytokine mRNA expression (qPCR) was analyzed in MS and CONT groups, sacrificed (i) under basal (B) conditions or (ii) after a single stress event (SS) at PN15. In hippocampal extracts, MS increased IL-1β mRNA, under B and SS conditions while IL-6 and TNF-α did not change. In hypothalamic tissue, MS increased TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA, but not IL-1b, after SS. Peripheral concentrations of IL-1β were decreased under B and SS conditions in MS; IL-6 concentration increased after SS in MS pups, and TNF-α concentration was unchanged. In conclusion, MS activates microglial cells and decreases astrocyte density in the hippocampus. A differential cytokine expression is observed in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus after MS, and after SS. Also, MS triggers an independent response of peripheral cytokines. These specific responses together could contribute to decrease hippocampal neurogenesis and alter the neuroendocrine axis.
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15
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Multilevel developmental approaches to understanding the effects of child maltreatment: Recent advances and future challenges. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 27:1387-97. [PMID: 26535932 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579415000826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Recent research in the field of child maltreatment has begun to shed new light on the emergence of health problems in children by emphasizing the responsiveness of developmental processes to children's environmental and biological contexts. Here, I highlight recent trends in the field with an emphasis on the effects of early life stress across multiple levels of developmental domains.
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16
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Gröger N, Matas E, Gos T, Lesse A, Poeggel G, Braun K, Bock J. The transgenerational transmission of childhood adversity: behavioral, cellular, and epigenetic correlates. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:1037-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1570-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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17
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Amos-Kroohs RM, Graham DL, Grace CE, Braun AA, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Developmental stress and lead (Pb): Effects of maternal separation and/or Pb on corticosterone, monoamines, and blood Pb in rats. Neurotoxicology 2016; 54:22-33. [PMID: 26943976 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The level of lead (Pb) exposure in children has decreased dramatically since restrictions on its use were implemented. However, even with restrictions, children are exposed to Pb and still present with cognitive and behavioral deficits. One prominent aspect of the exposome of these children is that many come from low social economic status (SES) conditions, and low SES is associated with stress. In order to compare the combined effects of early stress and Pb, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to vehicle or Pb either alone or in combination with maternal separation stress during brain development (i.e., postnatal day (P)4-P11, P19, or P28). Maternally separated/isolated pups had lower body and thymus weights during exposure and had increased levels of blood Pb compared with vehicle controls. Isolation, but not Pb, affected the response to an acute stressor (standing in shallow water) when assessed on P19 and P29, but not earlier on P11. Interactions of Pb and isolation were found on monoamines in the neostriatum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus on turnover but not on levels, and most changes were on dopamine turnover. Isolation had greater short-term effects than Pb. Interactions were dependent on age, sex, and acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn M Amos-Kroohs
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Devon L Graham
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Curtis E Grace
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Amanda A Braun
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Tori L Schaefer
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Matthew R Skelton
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Charles V Vorhees
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
| | - Michael T Williams
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, United States; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States.
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18
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Matas E, Bock J, Braun K. The Impact of Parent-Infant Interaction on Epigenetic Plasticity Mediating Synaptic Adaptations in the Infant Brain. Psychopathology 2016; 49:201-210. [PMID: 27668788 DOI: 10.1159/000448055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The development of the brain depends on an individual's nature (genes) and nurture (environments). This interaction between genetic predispositions and environmental events during brain development drives the maturation of functional brain circuits such as sensory, motor, emotional, and complex cognitive pathways. Adverse environmental conditions such as early life stress can interfere with the functional development of emotional and cognitive brain systems and thereby increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life. In order to develop more efficient and individualized protective and therapeutic interventions, it is essential to understand how environmental stressors during infancy affect cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in brain maturation. Animal models of early life stress have been able to reveal brain structural and metabolic changes in prefrontolimbic circuits, which are time, brain region, neuron, and sex specific. By focusing on animal models of separation stress during infancy, this review highlights epigenetic and cytoarchitectural modifications which are assumed to mediate lasting changes of brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Matas
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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19
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Duman CH, Duman RS. Spine synapse remodeling in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Neurosci Lett 2015; 601:20-9. [PMID: 25582786 PMCID: PMC4497940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Clinical brain imaging and postmortem studies provide evidence of structural and functional abnormalities of key limbic and cortical structures in depressed patients, suggesting that spine synapse connectivity is altered in depression. Characterization of the cellular determinants underlying these changes in patients are limited, but studies in rodent models demonstrate alterations of dendrite complexity and spine density and function that could contribute to the morphological and functional alterations observed in humans. Rodent studies demonstrate region specific effects in chronic stress models of depression, including reductions in dendrite complexity and spine density in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) but increases in the basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Alterations of spine synapse connectivity in these regions are thought to contribute to the behavioral symptoms of depression, including disruption of cognition, mood, emotion, motivation, and reward. Studies of the mechanisms underlying these effects demonstrate a role for altered brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling that regulates synaptic protein synthesis. In contrast, there is evidence that chronic antidepressant treatment can block or reverse the spine synapse alterations caused by stress. Notably, the new fast acting antidepressant ketamine, which produces rapid therapeutic actions in treatment resistant MDD patients, rapidly increases spine synapse number in the PFC of rodents and reverses the effects of chronic stress. The rapid synaptic and behavioral actions of ketamine occur via increased BDNF regulation of synaptic protein synthesis. Together these studies provide evidence for a neurotophic and synaptogenic hypothesis of depression and treatment response and indicate that spine synapse connectivity in key cortical and limbic brain regions is critical for control of mood and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine H Duman
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
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20
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Yang XD, Liao XM, Uribe-Mariño A, Liu R, Xie XM, Jia J, Su YA, Li JT, Schmidt MV, Wang XD, Si TM. Stress during a critical postnatal period induces region-specific structural abnormalities and dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex via CRF1. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:1203-15. [PMID: 25403725 PMCID: PMC4367464 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
During the early postnatal period, environmental influences play a pivotal role in shaping the development of the neocortex, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that is crucial for working memory and goal-directed actions. Exposure to stressful experiences during this critical period may disrupt the development of PFC pyramidal neurons and impair the wiring and function of related neural circuits. However, the molecular mechanisms of the impact of early-life stress on PFC development and function are not well understood. In this study, we found that repeated stress exposure during the first postnatal week hampered dendritic development in layers II/III and V pyramidal neurons in the dorsal agranular cingulate cortex (ACd) and prelimbic cortex (PL) of neonatal mice. The deleterious effects of early postnatal stress on structural plasticity persisted to adulthood only in ACd layer V pyramidal neurons. Most importantly, concurrent blockade of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF1) by systemic antalarmin administration (20 μg/g of body weight) during early-life stress exposure prevented stress-induced apical dendritic retraction and spine loss in ACd layer V neurons and impairments in PFC-dependent cognitive tasks. Moreover, the magnitude of dendritic regression, especially the shrinkage of apical branches, of ACd layer V neurons predicted the degree of cognitive deficits in stressed mice. Our data highlight the region-specific effects of early postnatal stress on the structural plasticity of prefrontal pyramidal neurons, and suggest a critical role of CRF1 in modulating early-life stress-induced prefrontal abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dun Yang
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Mei Liao
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Andrés Uribe-Mariño
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rui Liu
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Meng Xie
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Jia
- Department of Mental Health, Dayi Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yun-Ai Su
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Tao Li
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China,Department of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058 Hangzhou, China, Tel: +86 571 88208506, Fax: +86 571 88208640, E-mail:
| | - Tian-Mei Si
- Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, China,Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, No. 51, Hua Yuan Bei Road, 100191 Beijing, China, Tel: +86 10 82801948, Fax: +86 10 62352880, E-mail:
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21
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Tata DA, Markostamou I, Ioannidis A, Gkioka M, Simeonidou C, Anogianakis G, Spandou E. Effects of maternal separation on behavior and brain damage in adult rats exposed to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Behav Brain Res 2014; 280:51-61. [PMID: 25433094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Animal studies suggest that maternal separation, a widely used paradigm to study the effects of early life adversity, exerts a profound and life-long impact on both brain and behavior. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether adverse early life experiences interact with neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, affecting the outcome of this neurological insult at both functional and structural levels during adulthood. Rat pups were separated from their mothers during postnatal days 1-6, for either a short (15 min) or prolonged (180 min) period, while another group was left undisturbed. On postnatal day 7, a subgroup from each of the three postnatal manipulations was exposed to a hypoxic-ischemic episode. Behavioral examination took place approximately at three months of age and included tests of learning and memory (Morris water maze, novel object and novel place recognition), as well as motor coordination (rota-rod). We found that both prolonged maternal separation and neonatal hypoxia-ischemia impaired the animals' spatial learning and reference memory. Deficits in spatial but not visual recognition memory were detected only in hypoxic-ischemic rats. Interestingly, prolonged maternal separation prior to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia augmented the reference memory impairments. Histological analysis of infarct size, hippocampal area and thickness of corpus callosum did not reveal any exacerbation of damage in hypoxic-ischemic rats that were maternally separated for a prolonged period. These are the first data suggesting that an adverse postnatal environmental manipulation of just 6 days causes long-term effects on spatial learning and memory and may render the organism more vulnerable to a subsequent insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina A Tata
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Ioanna Markostamou
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anestis Ioannidis
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mara Gkioka
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Constantina Simeonidou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Anogianakis
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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22
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Transgenerational sex-specific impact of preconception stress on the development of dendritic spines and dendritic length in the medial prefrontal cortex. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:855-63. [PMID: 25395153 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0940-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal adverse experience programs social and emotional behavioral traits and is a major risk factor for the development of behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Little information is available on how adversity to the mother prior to her first pregnancy (preconception stress, PCS) may affect brain structural development, which may underlie behavioral dysfunction in the offspring. Moreover, little is known about possible sex-dependent consequences of PCS in the offspring. This study examined spine number/density and dendritic length/complexity of layer II/III pyramidal neurons in the anterior cingulate (ACd), prelimbic/infralimbic (PL/IL) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of male and female rats born to mothers exposed to unpredictable variable stress at different time points prior to reproduction. Our main findings are that in line with our hypothesis adversity to the mother before her pregnancy results in highly complex changes in neuronal morphology in the medial prefrontal, but not in the orbitofrontal cortical regions of her future offspring that persist into adulthood. Moreover, our study revealed that (1) in the PCS2 group (offspring of dams mated two weeks after stress) spine numbers and dendritic length and complexity were increased in response to PCS in the ACd and PL/IL, (2) these regional effects depended on the temporal proximity of adversity and conception, (3) in the ACd of the PCS2 group only males and the left hemispheres were affected. We speculate that these transgenerational brain structural changes are mediated by stress-induced epigenetic (re)programming of future gene activity in the oocyte.
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23
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Braun K, Champagne FA. Paternal influences on offspring development: behavioural and epigenetic pathways. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:697-706. [PMID: 25039356 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Although mammalian parent-offspring interactions during early life are primarily through the mother, there is increasing evidence for the impact of fathers on offspring development. A critical issue concerns the pathways through which this paternal influence is achieved. In the present review, we highlight the literature suggesting several of these routes of paternal effects in mammals. First, similar to mothers, fathers can influence offspring development through the direct care of offspring, as has been observed in biparental species. Second, there is growing evidence that, even in the absence of contact with offspring, fathers can transmit environmentally-induced effects (i.e. behavioural, neurobiological and metabolic phenotypes induced by stress, nutrition and toxins) to offspring and it has been speculated that these effects are achieved through inherited epigenetic variation within the patriline. Third, fathers may also impact the quality of mother-infant interactions and thus achieve an indirect influence on offspring. Importantly, these pathways of paternal influence are not mutually exclusive but rather serve as an illustration of the complex mechanisms through which parental influence is achieved. These influences may serve to transmit traits across generations, thus leading to a transgenerational transmission of neurobiological and behavioural phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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24
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Bock J, Rether K, Gröger N, Xie L, Braun K. Perinatal programming of emotional brain circuits: an integrative view from systems to molecules. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:11. [PMID: 24550772 PMCID: PMC3913903 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental influences such as perinatal stress have been shown to program the developing organism to adapt brain and behavioral functions to cope with daily life challenges. Evidence is now accumulating that the specific and individual effects of early life adversity on the functional development of brain and behavior emerge as a function of the type, intensity, timing and the duration of the adverse environment, and that early life stress (ELS) is a major risk factor for developing behavioral dysfunctions and mental disorders. Results from clinical as well as experimental studies in animal models support the hypothesis that ELS can induce functional “scars” in prefrontal and limbic brain areas, regions that are essential for emotional control, learning and memory functions. On the other hand, the concept of “stress inoculation” is emerging from more recent research, which revealed positive functional adaptations in response to ELS resulting in resilience against stress and other adversities later in life. Moreover, recent studies indicate that early life experiences and the resulting behavioral consequences can be transmitted to the next generation, leading to a transgenerational cycle of adverse or positive adaptations of brain function and behavior. In this review we propose a unifying view of stress vulnerability and resilience by connecting genetic predisposition and programming sensitivity to the context of experience-expectancy and transgenerational epigenetic traits. The adaptive maturation of stress responsive neural and endocrine systems requires environmental challenges to optimize their functions. Repeated environmental challenges can be viewed within the framework of the match/mismatch hypothesis, the outcome, psychopathology or resilience, depends on the respective predisposition and on the context later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Bock
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kathy Rether
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Gröger
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lan Xie
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
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25
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Wang L, Zhang W, Wu R, Kong L, Feng W, Cao Y, Tai F, Zhang X. Neuroendocrine responses to social isolation and paternal deprivation at different postnatal ages in Mandarin voles. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1214-28. [PMID: 24464494 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal isolation and paternal deprivation have long lasting effects on the behavior and neuroendocrine system at adulthood. Whether these effects at adulthood are induced by neonatal changes in relevant neuroendocrine parameters lead by these early-life social experiences is not well understood. Whether monogamous rodents exhibit a stress hypo-responsive period (SHRP) also remains unclear. Using the monogamous mandarin vole, we found that 30 min of isolation did not affect levels of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) at postnatal days 8, 10, and 12 displaying a SHRP, but increased these at postnatal days 4, 14, 16, and 18. Isolation increased vasopressin (AVP)-ir neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) from postnatal days 4 to 12, and up-regulated oxytocin (OT)-ir neurons in the PVN at postnatal days 4 and 8 and SON at postnatal day 4. Paternally deprived pups showed increase in ACTH and CORT after 30 min of social isolation from postnatal days 8 to 14, increase in AVP-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14, reduction in OT-ir neurons in the PVN from postnatal days 10 to 14 and in the SON at postnatal days 12 and 14. These results indicate that monogamous mandarin voles display a short SHRP which can be disrupted by paternal deprivation. Central AVP and OT levels may also be altered by paternal deprivation and social isolation. We propose that changes in these neuroendocrine parameters induced by early-life social experiences such as those tested here persist and result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China; Key laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China
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26
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Vorhees CV, Graham DL, Amos-Kroohs RM, Braun AA, Grace CE, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Erikson KM, Aschner M, Williams MT. Effects of developmental manganese, stress, and the combination of both on monoamines, growth, and corticosterone. Toxicol Rep 2014; 1:1046-1061. [PMID: 25574457 PMCID: PMC4285371 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental exposure to manganese (Mn) or stress can each be detrimental to brain development. Here, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to two housing conditions and Mn from postnatal day (P)4–28. Within each litter two males and two females were assigned to the following groups: 0 (vehicle), 50, or 100 mg/kg Mn by gavage every other day. Half the litters were reared in cages with standard bedding and half with no bedding. One pair/group in each litter had an acute shallow water stressor before tissue collection (i.e., standing in shallow water). Separate litters were assessed at P11, 19, or 29. Mn-treated rats raised in standard cages showed no change in baseline corticosterone but following acute stress increased more than controls on P19; no Mn effects were seen on P11 or P29. Mn increased neostriatal dopamine in females at P19 and norepinephrine at P11 and P29. Mn increased hippocampal dopamine at P11 and P29 and 5-HT at P29 regardless of housing or sex. Mn had no effect on hypothalamic dopamine, but increased norepinephrine in males at P29 and 5-HT in males at all ages irrespective of rearing condition. Barren reared rats showed no or opposite effects of Mn, i.e., barren rearing + Mn attenuated corticosterone increases to acute stress. Barren rearing also altered the Mn-induced changes in dopamine and norepinephrine in the neostriatum, but not in the hippocampus. Barren rearing caused a Mn-associated increase in hypothalamic dopamine at P19 and P29 not seen in standard reared Mn-treated groups. Developmental Mn alters monoamines and corticosterone as a function of age, stress (acute and chronic), and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V. Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +513 636 8624 MTW; 513 636 8622 CVV; fax: +513 636 3912
| | - Devon L. Graham
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Robyn M. Amos-Kroohs
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Amanda A. Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Curtis E. Grace
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tori L. Schaefer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matthew R. Skelton
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Keith M. Erikson
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael T. Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +513 636 8624 MTW; 513 636 8622 CVV; fax: +513 636 3912
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Gos T, Steiner J, Krell D, Bielau H, Mawrin C, Krzyżanowski M, Brisch R, Pieśniak D, Bernstein HG, Jankowski Z, Braun K, Bogerts B. Ribosomal DNA transcription in the anterior cingulate cortex is decreased in unipolar but not bipolar I depression. Psychiatry Res 2013; 210:338-45. [PMID: 23541246 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (AC) is consistently implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. However, it is not clear whether unipolar and bipolar depression display distinct neuropathological features. Therefore, the objective of this post-mortem study was to re-evaluate this important issue. Brains from 9 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 11 patients with bipolar disorder (BD) subtype I depression as well as 24 matched controls were analysed. The argyrophilic nucleolar organiser region (AgNOR) silver-staining method was applied on paraffin-embedded brain sections in order to assess the transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in layer III and V pyramidal neurons of the dorsal and ventral AC in both hemispheres. An AgNOR area decrease suggestive of a diminished transcriptional activity of rDNA was found in the MDD group both versus controls and versus the BD group. The effect was specific for the right hemisphere and dorsal AC and was restricted to layer V pyramidal neurons. The results suggest that only patients with MDD display region-specific chronic hypoactivity of these output neurons, which are critical for mood regulation. Furthermore, in our cohort, unipolar and bipolar I depression could be differentiated relative to the presumed AC hypoactivity and psychotropic medication did not counteract the observed effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Gos
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland; Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Chocyk A, Bobula B, Dudys D, Przyborowska A, Majcher-Maślanka I, Hess G, Wędzony K. Early-life stress affects the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex in adolescent rats. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2089-107. [PMID: 23581639 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences are crucial factors that shape brain development and function due to their ability to induce structural and functional plasticity. Among these experiences, early-life stress (ELS) is known to interfere with brain development and maturation, increasing the risk of future psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Moreover, ELS may contribute to the emergence of these psychopathologies during adolescence. In this present study, we investigated the effects of ELS, in the form of maternal separation (MS), on the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male rats. We found that the MS procedure resulted in disturbances in mother-pup interactions that lasted until weaning and were most strongly demonstrated by increases in nursing behavior. Moreover, MS caused atrophy of the basal dendritic tree and reduced spine density on both the apical and basal dendrites in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of the mPFC. The structural changes were accompanied by an impairment of long-term potentiation processes and increased expression of key proteins, specifically glutamate receptor 1, glutamate receptor 2, postsynaptic density protein 95, αCa(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and αCa(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylated at residue Thr305, that are engaged in long-term potentiation induction and maintenance in the mPFC. We also found that the MS animals were more anxious in the light/dark exploration test. The results of this study indicate that ELS has a significant impact on the structural and functional plasticity of the mPFC in adolescents. ELS-induced adaptive plasticity may underlie the pathomechanisms of some early-onset psychopathologies observed in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Chocyk
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
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29
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Cabungcal JH, Steullet P, Kraftsik R, Cuenod M, Do KQ. Early-life insults impair parvalbumin interneurons via oxidative stress: reversal by N-acetylcysteine. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 73:574-82. [PMID: 23140664 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Revised: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A hallmark of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is a dysfunction of parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking interneurons, which are essential for the coordination of neuronal synchrony during sensory and cognitive processing. Oxidative stress as observed in schizophrenia affects parvalbumin interneurons. However, it is unknown whether the deleterious effect of oxidative stress is particularly prevalent during specific developmental time windows. METHODS We used mice with impaired synthesis of glutathione (Gclm knockout [KO] mice) to investigate the effect of redox dysregulation and additional insults applied at various periods of postnatal development on maturation and long-term integrity of parvalbumin interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex. RESULTS A redox dysregulation, as in Gclm KO mice, renders parvalbumin interneurons but not calbindin or calretinin interneurons vulnerable and prone to exhibit oxidative stress. A glutathione deficit delays maturation of parvalbumin interneurons, including their perineuronal net. Moreover, an additional oxidative challenge in preweaning or pubertal but not in young adult Gclm KO mice reduces the number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive interneurons. This effect persists into adulthood and can be prevented with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. CONCLUSIONS In Gclm KO mice, early-life insults inducing oxidative stress are detrimental to immature parvalbumin interneurons and have long-term consequences. In analogy, individuals carrying genetic risks to redox dysregulation would be potentially vulnerable to early-life environmental insults, during the maturation of parvalbumin interneurons. Our data support the need to develop novel therapeutic approaches based on antioxidant and redox regulator compounds such as N-acetylcysteine, which could be used preventively in young at-risk subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Harry Cabungcal
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
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30
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Stress eliminates retrieval-induced forgetting--does the oral application of cortisol? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:94-106. [PMID: 22688258 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that stress and glucocorticoids can affect memory. Psychosocial stress has been reported to eliminate retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF), the phenomenon that repeated retrieval of a subset of previously learned material impairs later recall of related, but non-retrieved information. The stress-related reduction of RIF has been found correlated with an increase in salivary cortisol levels. Based on these findings, the current placebo-controlled study examined the effect of an oral dose of 25mg hydrocortisone on the RIF effect in 37 healthy men. Even though participants in the hydrocortisone group showed a marked increase in salivary cortisol, retrieval-induced forgetting was not affected by the pharmacological treatment. Thus, cortisol administration alone in contrast to stress experience does not impair the RIF effect. However, participants with high state anxiety during retrieval practice did not show RIF, whereas participants with low state anxiety did. This finding suggests a role for state anxiety in stress-related elimination of retrieval-induced forgetting, perhaps indicative of a memory-modulating sympathetic nervous system effect.
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Licznerski P, Duman RS. Remodeling of axo-spinous synapses in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Neuroscience 2012; 251:33-50. [PMID: 23036622 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 09/10/2012] [Accepted: 09/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines provide a compartment for assembly and functional organization of synaptic machinery that plays a fundamental role in neuronal communication and neuroplasticity. Studies in humans as well as in animal models have demonstrated abnormal spine architecture in several psychiatric disorders, including depression and other stress-related illnesses. The negative impact of stress on the density and organization of spines is thought to contribute to the behavioral deficits caused by stress exposure. Moreover, there is now evidence that medication-induced recovery involves changes in synaptic plasticity and dendrite morphology, including increased expression of pre- and postsynaptic plasticity-related proteins, as well as the density and function of axo-spinous synapses. Here we review the evidence from brain imaging and postmortem studies demonstrating that depression is accompanied by structural and functional alterations of cortical and limbic brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. In addition, we present more direct evidence from basic research studies that exposure to stress alters spine morphology, function and plasticity and that antidepressants, particularly new rapid acting agents, reverse these effects. Elucidation of the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that control spine synapse assembly and plasticity will contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and development of novel, more effective therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Licznerski
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508, United States
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32
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Hohmann CF, Beard NA, Kari-Kari P, Jarvis N, Simmons Q. Effects of brief stress exposure during early postnatal development in Balb/CByJ mice: II. Altered cortical morphology. Dev Psychobiol 2012; 54:723-35. [PMID: 22488100 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2010] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Early life experience can significantly determine later mental health status and cognitive function. Neonatal stress, in particular, has been linked to the etiology of mental health disorders as divergent as mood disorder, schizophrenia, and autism. Our study uses a Balb/CByJ mouse model to test the hypothesis, that neonatal stress will alter development and subsequent environmental modulation of neocortex. Using a split litter design, we generated stressed mice (STR) and within litter controls (LMC) along with age-matched, untreated animals (AMC), to serve as across litter controls. Short, daily exposure to a psychosocial/physical stressor, during the first week of life, resulted by adulthood in significant changes in neocortical thickness and architecture, which were further modulated by exposure to behavioral testing. Surprisingly, cortical size in LMC mice was also affected. These observations were compared to the effects of environmental enrichment in the same mouse strain. Our data indicate that LMC and STR males share with environmentally enriched males, an increase in thickness in infra-granular cortical layers, while STR also display a stress selective decrease in supragranular layers, in response to behavioral training as adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- C F Hohmann
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA.
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33
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Muhammad A, Kolb B. Maternal separation altered behavior and neuronal spine density without influencing amphetamine sensitization. Behav Brain Res 2011; 223:7-16. [PMID: 21515311 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2011] [Revised: 04/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We studied the long-term influence of maternal separation (MS) on periadolescent behavior, adult amphetamine (AMPH) sensitization, and structural plasticity in the corticolimbic regions in rats. Male and female pups, separated daily for 3h from the dam during postnatal day 3-21, were tested for periadolescent exploratory, emotional, cognitive, and social behaviors. The development and persistence of drug-induced behavioral sensitization were tested by repeated AMPH administration and a challenge, respectively. The spine density was examined in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) from Golgi-Cox stained neurons. The results showed that MS enhanced anxiety-like behavior in males. MS abolished the sex difference in playful attacks observed in controls with resultant feminization of male play behavior. Furthermore, the probability of complete rotation defense to face an attack was decreased in females. AMPH administration resulted in the development of behavioral sensitization that persisted at least for two weeks. Sensitization was not influenced by MS. MS increased the spine density in the NAc, the mPFC, and the OFC. Repeated AMPH administration increased the spine density in the NAc and the mPFC, and decreased it in the OFC. MS blocked the drug-induced alteration in these regions. In sum, MS during development influenced periadolescent behavior in males, and structurally reorganized cortical and subcortical brain regions without affecting AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization.
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Bennett M. The prefrontal–limbic network in depression: A core pathology of synapse regression. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 93:457-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2010] [Revised: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 01/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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35
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Ali I, Salzberg MR, French C, Jones NC. Electrophysiological insights into the enduring effects of early life stress on the brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 214:155-73. [PMID: 21165736 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-2125-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence links exposure to stress early in life to long-term alterations in brain function, which in turn have been linked to a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders in humans. Electrophysiological approaches to studying these causal pathways have been relatively underexploited. Effects of early life stress on neuronal electrophysiological properties offer a set of potential mechanisms for these susceptibilities, notably in the case of epilepsy. Thus, we review experimental evidence for altered cellular and circuit electrophysiology resulting from exposure to early life stress. Much of this work focuses on limbic long-term potentiation, but other studies address alterations in electrophysiological properties of ion channels, neurotransmitter systems, and the autonomic nervous system. We discuss mechanisms which may mediate these effects, including influences of early life stress on key components of brain synaptic transmission, particularly glutamate, GABA and 5-HT receptors, and influences on neuroplasticity (primarily neurogenesis and synaptic density) and on neuronal network activity. The existing literature, although small, provides strong evidence that early life stress induces enduring, often robust effects on a range of electrophysiological properties, suggesting further study of enduring effects of early life stress employing electrophysiological methods and concepts will be productive in illuminating disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idrish Ali
- Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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36
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE It has been proposed that early attachment relationships shape the structure and reactivity of social brain structures that underlie later social capacities. We provide a review of the literature surrounding the development of neurological regulatory systems during infancy and outline recent research suggesting these systems go on to underlie adaptive parental responses. METHOD We review evidence in the peer-reviewed psychiatric literature including (i) observational human literature on the neurobiological and social sequelae of early parenting experiences, (ii) experimental animal literature on the effects of early maternal care on neurological development, (iii) experimental animal literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of parenting behaviours, (iv) observational and fMRI evidence on the neurobiological correlates of parenting behaviours, (v) functional and volumetric imaging studies on adults affected by borderline personality disorder. RESULTS The development of infant regulatory systems is influenced by early parenting experiences. These frontolimbic regulatory systems are also heavily implicated in normal parental responses to infant cues. These frontolimbic disturbances are also observed in studies of borderline personality disorder; a disorder associated with poor emotional regulation, early trauma and disturbed parenting. CONCLUSIONS While the current literature is limited to animal models of abnormal care giving, existing disorders associated with deficits in regulatory capacity and abnormal frontolimbic functioning may yet provide a human model of the neurobiology of parenting disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise K Newman
- Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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37
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Parenting and plasticity. Trends Neurosci 2011; 33:465-73. [PMID: 20832872 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2010.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
As any new parent knows, having a baby provides opportunities for enrichment, learning and stress - experiences known to change the adult brain. Yet surprisingly little is known about the effects of maternal experience, and even less about the effects of paternal experience, on neural circuitry not directly involved in parenting. Here we discuss how caregiving and the accompanying experiential and hormonal changes influence the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, brain regions involved in cognition and mood regulation. A better understanding of how parenting impacts the brain is likely to help in devising strategies for treating parental depression, a condition that can have serious cognitive and mental health consequences for children.
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Graham DL, Grace CE, Braun AA, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Tang PH, Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Effects of developmental stress and lead (Pb) on corticosterone after chronic and acute stress, brain monoamines, and blood Pb levels in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2010; 29:45-55. [PMID: 20920575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2010.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Revised: 09/10/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite restrictions, exposure to lead (Pb) continues. Moreover, exposure varies and is often higher in lower socioeconomic status (SES) families and remains a significant risk to cognitive development. Stress is another risk factor. Lower SES may be a proxy for stress in humans. When stress and Pb co-occur, risk may be increased. A few previous experiments have combined Pb with intermittent or acute stress but not with chronic stress. To determine if chronic developmental stress affects outcome in combination with Pb, we tested such effects on growth, organ weight, brain monoamines, and response to an acute stressor. Sprague Dawley rats were gavaged with Pb acetate (1 or 10 mg/kg) or vehicle every other day from postnatal day (P)4-29 and reared in standard or barren cages. Subsets were analyzed at different ages (P11, 19, 29). Chronic stress did not alter blood Pb levels but altered HPA axis response during early development whereas Pb did not. Pb treatment and rearing each altered organ-to-body weight ratios, most notably of thymus weights. Both Pb and rearing resulted in age- and region-dependent changes in serotonin and norepinephrine levels and in dopamine and serotonin turnover. The model introduced here may be useful for investigating the interaction of Pb and chronic developmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon L Graham
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
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40
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Monroy E, Hernández-Torres E, Flores G. Maternal separation disrupts dendritic morphology of neurons in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens in male rat offspring. J Chem Neuroanat 2010; 40:93-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2010.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/17/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Koe AS, Jones NC, Salzberg MR. Early life stress as an influence on limbic epilepsy: an hypothesis whose time has come? Front Behav Neurosci 2009; 3:24. [PMID: 19838325 PMCID: PMC2762371 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.08.024.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2009] [Accepted: 08/18/2009] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), the most prevalent form of refractory focal epilepsy in adults, is thought to begin in early life, even though seizures may not commence until adolescence or adulthood. Amongst the range of early life factors implicated in MTLE causation (febrile seizures, traumatic brain injury, etc.), stress may be one important contributor. Early life stress is an a priori agent deserving study because of the large amount of neuroscientific data showing enduring effects on structure and function in hippocampus and amygdala, the key structures involved in MTLE. An emerging body of evidence directly tests hypotheses concerning early life stress and limbic epilepsy: early life stressors, such as maternal separation, have been shown to aggravate epileptogenesis in both status epilepticus and kindling models of limbic epilepsy. In addition to elucidating its influence on limbic epileptogenesis itself, the study of early life stress has the potential to shed light on the psychiatric disorder that accompanies MTLE. For many years, psychiatric comorbidity was viewed as an effect of epilepsy, mediated psychologically and/or neurobiologically. An alternative – or complementary – perspective is that of shared causation. Early life stress, implicated in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric disorders, may be one such causal factor. This paper aims to critically review the body of experimental evidence linking early life stress and epilepsy; to discuss the direct studies examining early life stress effects in current models of limbic seizures/epilepsy; and to suggest priorities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia S Koe
- Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Gruss M, Braun K, Frey J, Korz V. Maternal separation during a specific postnatal time window prevents reinforcement of hippocampal long-term potentiation in adolescent rats. Neuroscience 2008; 152:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2007] [Revised: 12/20/2007] [Accepted: 12/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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