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Iwasaki M, Lefevre A, Althammer F, Clauss Creusot E, Łąpieś O, Petitjean H, Hilfiger L, Kerspern D, Melchior M, Küppers S, Krabichler Q, Patwell R, Kania A, Gruber T, Kirchner MK, Wimmer M, Fröhlich H, Dötsch L, Schimmer J, Herpertz SC, Ditzen B, Schaaf CP, Schönig K, Bartsch D, Gugula A, Trenk A, Blasiak A, Stern JE, Darbon P, Grinevich V, Charlet A. An analgesic pathway from parvocellular oxytocin neurons to the periaqueductal gray in rats. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1066. [PMID: 36828816 PMCID: PMC9958129 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36641-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) exerts prominent analgesic effects via central and peripheral action. However, the precise analgesic pathways recruited by OT are largely elusive. Here we discovered a subset of OT neurons whose projections preferentially terminate on OT receptor (OTR)-expressing neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). Using a newly generated line of transgenic rats (OTR-IRES-Cre), we determined that most of the vlPAG OTR expressing cells targeted by OT projections are GABAergic. Ex vivo stimulation of parvocellular OT axons in the vlPAG induced local OT release, as measured with OT sensor GRAB. In vivo, optogenetically-evoked axonal OT release in the vlPAG of as well as chemogenetic activation of OTR vlPAG neurons resulted in a long-lasting increase of vlPAG neuronal activity. This lead to an indirect suppression of sensory neuron activity in the spinal cord and strong analgesia in both female and male rats. Altogether, we describe an OT-vlPAG-spinal cord circuit that is critical for analgesia in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain models.
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Grants
- R01 HL090948 NHLBI NIH HHS
- R01 NS094640 NINDS NIH HHS
- This work was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique contract UPR3212, the Université de Strasbourg contract UPR3212; the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS) fellowship 2014-15, Fyssen Foundation research grant 2015, NARSAD Young Investigator Grant 24821, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, French Research Foundation) grants n° 19-CE16-0011-0 and n° 20-CE18-0031 (to AC); the Graduate School of Pain EURIDOL, ANR-17-EURE-0022 (to AC and ECC); ANR-DFG grant GR 3619/701, PHC PROCOPE and PICS07882 grants (to AC and VG); Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) grants GR 3619/15-1, GR 3619/16-1(to VG); SFB Consortium 1158-2 (to VG, SH and BD); French Japanese governments fellowship B-16012 JM/NH and Subsidy from Nukada Institute for Medical and Biological Research (to MI); Fyssen Foundation fellowship (to AL); Région Grand Est fellowship (to DK); DFG Postdoc Fellowship AL 2466/1-1 (to FA); the Foundation of Prader-Willi Research post-doctoral fellowship (to CPS and FA); DAAD Postdoc Short term research grant 57552337 (to RP); DFG Walter Benjamin Position – Projektnummer 459051339 (to QK). National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grant NIH HL090948, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Grant NIH NS094640, and funding provided by the Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases (CNCD) at Georgia State University (to JES). The authors thank Prof. Yulong Li for providing the GRABOTR plasmid, Drs. Romain Goutagny and Vincent Douchamps for in vivo electrophysiology advices, the Chronobiotron UMS 3415 for all animal care and the technical plateau ComptOpt UPR 3212 for behavior technical assistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Iwasaki
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Arthur Lefevre
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
- Cortical Systems and Behavior Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ferdinand Althammer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Etienne Clauss Creusot
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olga Łąpieś
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hugues Petitjean
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Louis Hilfiger
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Damien Kerspern
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Meggane Melchior
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stephanie Küppers
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Quirin Krabichler
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Ryan Patwell
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Alan Kania
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Tim Gruber
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Matthew K Kirchner
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Moritz Wimmer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henning Fröhlich
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Dötsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Schimmer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian P Schaaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kai Schönig
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Department of Molecular Biology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany
| | - Anna Gugula
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Trenk
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Anna Blasiak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Javier E Stern
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Pascal Darbon
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA.
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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Chini B, Verhage M, Grinevich V. The Action Radius of Oxytocin Release in the Mammalian CNS: From Single Vesicles to Behavior. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2017; 38:982-991. [PMID: 28899620 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has attracted the attention both of the scientific community and a general audience because of its prosocial effects in mammals, and OT is now seen as a facilitator of mammalian species propagation. Furthermore, OT is a candidate for the treatment of social deficits in several neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. Despite such possibilities and a long history of studies on OT behavioral effects, the mechanisms of OT actions in the brain remain poorly understood. In the present review, based on anatomical, biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies, we propose a novel model of local OT actions in the central nervous system (CNS) via focused axonal release, which initiates intracellular signaling cascades in specific OT-sensitive neuronal populations and coordinated brain region-specific behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bice Chini
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano Milan, and Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy; Equal contributions.
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) and VU Medical Center (VUmc), De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Equal contributions.
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), CellNetworks Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, and Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Equal contributions.
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El-Shamayleh Y, Ni AM, Horwitz GD. Strategies for targeting primate neural circuits with viral vectors. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:122-34. [PMID: 27052579 PMCID: PMC4961743 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00087.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the brain works requires understanding how different types of neurons contribute to circuit function and organism behavior. Progress on this front has been accelerated by optogenetics and chemogenetics, which provide an unprecedented level of control over distinct neuronal types in small animals. In primates, however, targeting specific types of neurons with these tools remains challenging. In this review, we discuss existing and emerging strategies for directing genetic manipulations to targeted neurons in the adult primate central nervous system. We review the literature on viral vectors for gene delivery to neurons, focusing on adeno-associated viral vectors and lentiviral vectors, their tropism for different cell types, and prospects for new variants with improved efficacy and selectivity. We discuss two projection targeting approaches for probing neural circuits: anterograde projection targeting and retrograde transport of viral vectors. We conclude with an analysis of cell type-specific promoters and other nucleotide sequences that can be used in viral vectors to target neuronal types at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine El-Shamayleh
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
| | - Amy M Ni
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Gregory D Horwitz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; and
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