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Kissoondoyal A, Rai-Bhogal R, Crawford DA. Abnormal dendritic morphology in the cerebellum of cyclooxygenase-2 - knockin mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6355-6373. [PMID: 34510613 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a bioactive signalling molecule metabolized from the phospholipid membranes by the enzymatic activity of cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2). In the developing brain, COX-2 constitutively regulates the production of PGE2, which is important in neuronal development. However, abnormal COX-2/PGE2 signalling has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We have previously demonstrated that COX-2- -KI mice show autism-related behaviours including social deficits, repetitive behaviours and anxious behaviours. COX-2-deficient mice also have deficits in pathways involved in synaptic transmission and dendritic spine formation. In this study, we use a Golgi-COX staining method to examine sex-dependent differences in dendritic and dendritic spine morphology in neurons of COX-2- -KI mice cerebellum compared with wild-type (WT) matched controls at postnatal day 25 (P25). We show that COX-2- -KI mice have increased dendritic arborization closer to the cell soma and increased dendritic looping. We also observed a sex-dependent effect of the COX-2- -KI on dendritic thickness, dendritic spine density, dendritic spine morphology, and the expression of β-actin and the actin-binding protein spinophilin. Our findings show that changes in COX-2/PGE2 signalling lead to impaired morphology of dendrites and dendritic spines in a sex-dependant manner and may contribute the pathology of the cerebellum seen in individuals with ASD. This study provides further evidence that the COX-2- -KI mouse model can be used to study a subset of ASD pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashby Kissoondoyal
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ravneet Rai-Bhogal
- Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dorota A Crawford
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Moreno-Rius J. The cerebellum under stress. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 54:100774. [PMID: 31348932 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric conditions are one of the main causes of disability in developed countries. They account for a large portion of resource investment in stress-related disorders, become chronic, and remain difficult to treat. Research on the neurobehavioral effects of stress reveals how changes in certain brain areas, mediated by a number of neurochemical messengers, markedly alter behavior. The cerebellum is connected with stress-related brain areas and expresses the machinery required to process stress-related neurochemical mediators. Surprisingly, it is not regarded as a substrate of stress-related behavioral alterations, despite numerous studies that show cerebellar responsivity to stress. Therefore, this review compiles those studies and proposes a hypothesis for cerebellar function in stressful conditions, relating it to stress-induced psychopathologies. It aims to provide a clearer picture of stress-related neural circuitry and stimulate cerebellum-stress research. Consequently, it might contribute to the development of improved treatment strategies for stress-related disorders.
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Pascual R, Cuevas I, Santander O, Valencia M. Influence of antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid administration on pyramidal cell morphology and microtubule-associated protein type 2 (MAP2) in rat cerebrocortical neurons. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol 2017; 26:9-15. [PMID: 28203043 PMCID: PMC5295246 DOI: 10.1297/cpe.26.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous animal studies have indicated that excessive prenatal circulating glucocorticoid (GC) levels induced by the antenatal administration of synthetic GC (sGC) significantly alter neuronal development in the cerebellar and hippocampal neurons of the offspring. However, it is unknown whether antenatal sGC administration results in long-term neocortical pyramidal cell impairment. In the current study, we examined whether an equivalent therapeutic dose of antenatal betamethasone phosphate (BET) in pregnant rats alters the Golgi-stained basilar dendritic length and histochemical expression of dendritic microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) of neocortical pyramidal cells in infant, adolescent, and young adult offspring. The results obtained showed that in utero BET exposure resulted in a significant reduction in the basilar dendritic length per neuron and a transient reduction in histochemical MAP2 immunoreactivity. Consistent with previous hippocampal and cerebellar data, the present findings suggest that prenatal BET administration alters the dendritic growth of cerebrocortical pyramidal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pascual
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Isabel Cuevas
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Odra Santander
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Martina Valencia
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Womer FY, Tang Y, Harms MP, Bai C, Chang M, Jiang X, Wei S, Wang F, Barch DM. Sexual dimorphism of the cerebellar vermis in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2016; 176:164-170. [PMID: 27401530 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Converging lines of evidence implicate structural and functional abnormalities in the cerebellum in schizophrenia (SCZ). The cerebellar vermis is of particular interest given its association with clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits in SCZ and its known connections with cortical regions such as the prefrontal cortex. Prior neuroimaging studies have shown structural and functional abnormalities in the vermis in SCZ. In this study, we examined the cerebellar vermis in 50 individuals with SCZ and 54 healthy controls (HC) using a quantitative volumetric approach. All participants underwent high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The vermis was manually traced for each participant, and vermis volumes were computed using semiautomated methods. Volumes for total vermis and vermis subregions (anterior and posterior vermis) were analyzed in the SCZ and HC groups. Significant diagnosis-by-sex interaction effects were found in total vermis and vermis subregion analyses. These effects appeared to be driven by significantly decreased posterior vermis volumes in males with SCZ. Exploratory analyses did not reveal significant effects of clinical variables (FEP status, illness duration, and BPRS total score and subscores) on vermis volumes. The findings herein highlight the presence of neural sex differences in SCZ and the need for considering sex-related factors in studying the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Y Womer
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Yanqing Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Michael P Harms
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chuan Bai
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Miao Chang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Shengnan Wei
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China; The Brain Imaging Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Sex differences in animal models of schizophrenia shed light on the underlying pathophysiology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 67:41-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Cerebellar Changes in Guinea Pig Offspring Following Suppression of Neurosteroid Synthesis During Late Gestation. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 16:306-313. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-016-0802-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Pascual R, Valencia M, Bustamante C. Antenatal betamethasone produces protracted changes in anxiety‐like behaviors and in the expression of microtubule‐associated protein 2, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and the tyrosine kinase B receptor in the rat cerebellar cortex. Int J Dev Neurosci 2015; 43:78-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pascual
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de CienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Martina Valencia
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de CienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
| | - Carlos Bustamante
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de CienciasPontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
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Markham JA, Mullins SE, Koenig JI. Periadolescent maturation of the prefrontal cortex is sex-specific and is disrupted by prenatal stress. J Comp Neurol 2013; 521:1828-43. [PMID: 23172080 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Revised: 09/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) undergoes dramatic, sex-specific maturation during adolescence. Adolescence is a vulnerable window for developing mental illnesses that show significant sexual dimorphisms. Gestational stress is associated with increased risk for both schizophrenia, which is more common among men, and cognitive deficits. We have shown that male, but not female, rats exposed to prenatal stress develop postpubertal deficits in cognitive behaviors supported by the prefrontal cortex. Here we tested the hypothesis that repeated variable prenatal stress during the third week of rat gestation disrupts periadolescent development of prefrontal neurons in a sex-specific fashion. Using Golgi-Cox stained tissue, we compared dendritic arborization and spine density of prelimbic layer III neurons in prenatally stressed and control animals at juvenile (day 20), prepubertal (day 30), postpubertal (day 56), and adult (day 90) ages (N = 115). Dendritic ramification followed a sex-specific pattern that was disrupted during adolescence in prenatally stressed males, but not in females. In contrast, the impact of prenatal stress on the female PFC was not evident until adulthood. Prenatal stress also caused reductions in brain and body weights, and the latter effect was more pronounced among males. Additionally, there was a trend toward reduced testosterone levels for adult prenatally stressed males. Our findings indicate that, similarly to humans, the rat PFC undergoes sex-specific development during adolescence and furthermore that this process is disrupted by prenatal stress. These findings may be relevant to both the development of normal sex differences in cognition as well as differential male-female vulnerability to psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Markham
- Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21228, USA.
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Dean SL, Knutson JF, Krebs-Kraft DL, McCarthy MM. Prostaglandin E2 is an endogenous modulator of cerebellar development and complex behavior during a sensitive postnatal period. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 35:1218-29. [PMID: 22512254 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08032.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prostaglandins are lipid-derived molecules that mediate the generation of fever in the central nervous system. In addition to their proinflammatory role, prostaglandins also impact neuronal development and synaptic plasticity, sometimes in a sex-specific manner. The cerebellum has a high expression of prostaglandin receptors during development, but the role that these molecules play during normal cerebellar maturation is unknown. We demonstrate here that disrupting prostaglandin synthesis with cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors during a time-sensitive window in early postnatal life alters cerebellar Purkinje cell development in rats, resulting in initially increased dendritic growth in both sexes. We show that this results in later cerebellar atrophy in males only, resulting in a sex-specific loss of cerebellar volume. Further, although performance in motor tasks is spared, social interaction and the sensory threshold are altered in males developmentally exposed to cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors. This work demonstrates a previously unknown role for prostaglandins in cerebellar development and emphasizes the role that the cerebellum plays outside motor tasks, in cognitive and sensory domains that may help to explain its connection to complex neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L Dean
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Abstract
While a distinct minicolumnar phenotype seems to be an underlying factor in a significant portion of cases of autism, great attention is being paid not only to genetics but to epigenetic factors which may lead to development of the conditions. Here we discuss the indivisible role the molecular environment plays in cellular function, particularly the pivotal position which the transcription factor and adhesion molecule, β-catenin, occupies in cellular growth. In addition, the learning environment is not only integral to postnatal plasticity, but the prenatal environment plays a vital role during corticogenesis, neuritogenesis, and synaptogenesis as well. To illustrate these points in the case of autism, we review important findings in genetics studies (e.g., PTEN, TSC1/2, FMRP, MeCP2, Neurexin-Neuroligin) and known epigenetic factors (e.g., valproic acid, estrogen, immune system, ultrasound) which may predispose towards the minicolumnar and connectivity patterns seen in the conditions, showing how one-gene mutational syndromes and exposure to certain CNS teratogens may ultimately lead to comparable phenotypes. This in turn may shed greater light on how environment and complex genetics combinatorially give rise to a heterogenetic group of conditions such as autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Williams
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Manuel F. Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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