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Casquero-Veiga M, Lamanna-Rama N, Romero-Miguel D, Rojas-Marquez H, Alcaide J, Beltran M, Nacher J, Desco M, Soto-Montenegro ML. The Poly I:C maternal immune stimulation model shows unique patterns of brain metabolism, morphometry, and plasticity in female rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1022622. [PMID: 36733452 PMCID: PMC9888250 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1022622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Prenatal infections are associated with an increased risk of the onset of schizophrenia. Rodent models of maternal immune stimulation (MIS) have been extensively used in preclinical studies. However, many of these studies only include males, omitting pathophysiological features unique to females. The aim of this study is to characterize the MIS model in female rats using positron emission tomography (PET), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MR), and neuroplasticiy studies. Methods: In gestational day 15, Poly I:C (or Saline) was injected into pregnant Wistar rats to induce the MIS model. Imaging studies: [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-PET scans of female-offspring were acquired at post-natal day (PND) 35 and PND100. Furthermore, T2-MR brain images were acquired in adulthood. Differences in FDG uptake and morphometry between groups were assessed with SPM12 and Regions of Interest (ROI) analyses. Ex vivo study: The density of parvalbumin expressing interneurons (PV), perineuronal nets (PNN), and parvalbumin expressing interneurons surrounded by perineuronal nets (PV-PNN) were evaluated in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala using confocal microscopy. ROIs and neuroplasticity data were analyzed by 2-sample T-test and 2-way-ANOVA analyses, respectively. Results: A significant increase in brain metabolism was found in all animals at adulthood compared to adolescence. MIS hardly modified brain glucose metabolism in females, highlighting a significant hypometabolism in the thalamus at adulthood. In addition, MIS induced gray matter (GM) enlargements in the pituitary, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and cingulate cortex, and GM shrinkages in some thalamic nuclei, cerebelar areas, and brainstem. Moreover, MIS induced white matter shrinkages in the cerebellum, brainstem and corpus callosum, along with cerebrospinal fluid enlargements in the lateral and 4th ventricles. Finally, MIS reduced the density of PV, PNN, and PV-PNN in the basolateral amygdala. Conclusion: Our work showed in vivo the differential pattern of functional and morphometric affectation in the MIS model in females, as well as the deficits caused at the synaptic level according to sex. The differences obtained highlight the relevance of including both sexes in psychiatric research in order to consider their pathophysiological particularities and successfully extend the benefits obtained to the entire patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Casquero-Veiga
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Cardiovascular Imaging and Population Studies, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolás Lamanna-Rama
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Romero-Miguel
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Henar Rojas-Marquez
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain,Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Julia Alcaide
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marc Beltran
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Cell Biology Departament, BIOTECMED Institute, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Advanced Imaging Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Campus de Getafe, Madrid, Spain,*Correspondence: Manuel Desco Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
| | - Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
- Laboratorio de Imagen Médica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,High Performance Research Group in Physiopathology and Pharmacology of the Digestive System (NeuGut), University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Alcorcón, Spain,*Correspondence: Manuel Desco Maria Luisa Soto-Montenegro
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2
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Bhat AA, Gupta G, Afzal O, Kazmi I, Al-Abbasi FA, Alfawaz Altamimi AS, Almalki WH, Alzarea SI, Singh SK, Dua K. Neuropharmacological effect of risperidone: From chemistry to medicine. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 369:110296. [PMID: 36496108 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110296] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
As the second-oldest atypical antipsychotic, risperidone has a long history of off-label usage for treating behavioural and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia (BPSD), such as agitation, aggressiveness, and psychosis. Risperidone has been shown in several trials to have a statistically significant benefit when used in a therapeutic context. Several lines of evidence suggest a possible role of risperidone via the antagonistic effect of Dopamine D2 and 5HT-receptor in different neurological diseases like cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia, neuroinflammation, Huntington's disease, and sleep cycle management. Therefore, the pharmacological interactions of risperidone in all these diseases were investigated. Some reports on the use of risperidone in the treatment of dopaminergic psychosis have been slightly conflicting. However, more research is needed to evaluate the role of risperidone in the treatment of these neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif Ahmad Bhat
- School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jagatpura, 302017, Mahal Road, Jaipur, India
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jagatpura, 302017, Mahal Road, Jaipur, India; Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India; Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India.
| | - Obaid Afzal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Imran Kazmi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad A Al-Abbasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Waleed Hassan Almalki
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sami I Alzarea
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India; Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
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Handunnetthi L, Saatci D, Hamley JC, Knight JC. Maternal immune activation downregulates schizophrenia genes in the foetal mouse brain. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab275. [PMID: 34859219 PMCID: PMC8633770 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Susceptibility to schizophrenia is mediated by genetic and environmental risk factors. Maternal immune activation by infections during pregnancy is hypothesized to be a key environmental risk factor. However, little is known about how maternal immune activation contributes to schizophrenia pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated if maternal immune activation influences the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia in foetal mouse brains. We found that two sets of schizophrenia genes were downregulated more than expected by chance in the foetal mouse brain following maternal immune activation, namely those genes associated with schizophrenia through genome-wide association study (fold change = 1.93, false discovery rate = 4 × 10-4) and downregulated genes in adult schizophrenia brains (fold change = 1.51, false discovery rate = 4 × 10-10). We found that these genes mapped to key biological processes, such as neuronal cell adhesion. We also identified cortical excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons as the most vulnerable cell types to the deleterious effects of this interaction. Subsequently, we used gene expression information from herpes simplex virus 1 infection of neuronal precursor cells as orthogonal evidence to support our findings and to demonstrate that schizophrenia-associated cell adhesion genes, PCDHA2, PCDHA3 and PCDHA5, were downregulated following herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Collectively, our results provide novel evidence for a link between genetic and environmental risk factors in schizophrenia pathogenesis. These findings carry important implications for early preventative strategies in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lahiru Handunnetthi
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Defne Saatci
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Joseph C Hamley
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Julian C Knight
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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Gumusoglu SB, Chilukuri ASS, Hing BWQ, Scroggins SM, Kundu S, Sandgren JA, Santillan MK, Santillan DA, Grobe JL, Stevens HE. Altered offspring neurodevelopment in an arginine vasopressin preeclampsia model. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:79. [PMID: 33510137 PMCID: PMC7844013 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01205-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a severe gestational hypertensive condition linked to child neuropsychiatric disorders, although underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used a recently developed, clinically relevant animal model of preeclampsia to assess offspring. C57BL/6J mouse dams were chronically infused with arginine vasopressin (AVP) or saline (24 ng/h) throughout pregnancy. Adult offspring were behaviorally tested (Y-maze, open field, rotarod, social approach, and elevated plus maze). Offspring brain was assessed histologically and by RNA sequencing. Preeclampsia-exposed adult males exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior and social approach while adult females exhibited impaired procedural learning. Adult AVP-exposed males had reduced total neocortical volume. Adult AVP-exposed females had increased caudate-putamen volume, increased caudate-putamen cell number, and decreased excitatory synapse density in hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), CA1, and CA3. At postnatal day 7 (P7), AVP-exposed male and female offspring both had smaller neocortex. At P7, AVP-exposed males also had smaller caudate-putamen volume, while females had increased caudate-putamen volume relative to neocortical size. Similar to P7, E18 AVP-exposed offspring had smaller dorsal forebrain, mainly in reduced intermediate, subventricular, and ventricular zone volume, particularly in males. Decreased volume was not accounted for by cell size or cerebrovascular vessel diameter changes. E18 cortical RNAseq revealed 49 differentially-expressed genes in male AVP-exposed offspring, over-representing cytoplasmic translation processes. In females, 31 genes were differentially-expressed, over-representing collagen-related and epithelial regulation pathways. Gene expression changes in E18 AVP-exposed placenta indicated potential underlying mechanisms. Deficits in behavior and forebrain development in this AVP-based preeclampsia model were distinctly different in males and females, implicating different neurobiological bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Banu Gumusoglu
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Akanksha Sri Satya Chilukuri
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Benjamin Wen Qing Hing
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sabrina Marie Scroggins
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Sreelekha Kundu
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jeremy Anton Sandgren
- Department of Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mark Kharim Santillan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Donna Ann Santillan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Justin Lewis Grobe
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Hanna Elizabeth Stevens
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Zhong H, Xiao R, Ruan R, Liu H, Li X, Cai Y, Zhao J, Fan X. Neonatal curcumin treatment restores hippocampal neurogenesis and improves autism-related behaviors in a mouse model of autism. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3539-3552. [PMID: 32803366 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, repetitive stereotyped behaviors, and cognitive impairments. Curcumin has been indicated to be neuroprotective against neurological and psychological disorders. However, the role of curcumin in autistic phenotypes remains unclear. OBJECTIVES In the current study, we evaluated the effects of neonatal curcumin treatment on behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis in BTBRT+ltpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice, a model of autism. METHODS C57BL/6J (C57) and BTBR mouse pups were treated with 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or curcumin (20 mg/kg) from postnatal day 6 (P6) to P8. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) were evaluated on P8, and neurogenesis was measured on P24 by immunofluorescence. A battery of behavioral tests was carried out when the mice were 8 weeks of age. RESULTS Neonatal curcumin treatment improved autism-related symptoms in BTBR mice, enhancing sociability, reducing repetitive behaviors, and ameliorating cognitive impairments. Furthermore, the suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis in BTBR mice was greatly rescued after neonatal curcumin treatment, leading to an increase in neurogenic processes and an increase in NPC proliferation concomitant with an expansion of the NPC pool on P8, and NPC differentiation towards the neuronal lineage was promoted in the DG of BTBR mice on P24. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that neonatal curcumin treatment elicits a therapeutic response through the restoration of hippocampal neurogenesis in BTBR mice and thus may represent a promising novel pharmacological strategy for ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Zhong
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Rui Xiao
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Ruotong Ruan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yun Cai
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China. .,Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Chongqing, 400038, China.
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Xia Y, Zhang Z, Lin W, Yan J, Zhu C, Yin D, He S, Su Y, Xu N, Caldwell RW, Yao L, Chen Y. Modulating microglia activation prevents maternal immune activation induced schizophrenia-relevant behavior phenotypes via arginase 1 in the dentate gyrus. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1896-1908. [PMID: 32599605 PMCID: PMC7608378 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0743-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal infection during pregnancy increases the risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. This is linked to an inflammatory microglial phenotype in the offspring induced by maternal immune activation (MIA). Microglia are crucial for brain development and maintenance of neuronal niches, however, whether and how their activation is involved in the regulation of neurodevelopment remains unclear. Here, we used a MIA rodent model in which polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)) was injected into pregnant mice. We found fewer parvalbumin positive (PV+) cells and impaired GABAergic transmission in the dentate gyrus (DG), accompanied by schizophrenia-like behavior in the adult offspring. Minocycline, a potent inhibitor of microglia activation, successfully prevented the above-mentioned deficits in the offspring. Furthermore, by using microglia-specific arginase 1 (Arg1) ablation as well as overexpression in DG, we identified a critical role of Arg1 in microglia activation to protect against poly (I:C) imparted neuropathology and altered behavior in offspring. Taken together, our results highlight that Arg1-mediated alternative activation of microglia are potential therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders induced by MIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Xia
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Zhiqing Zhang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Weipeng Lin
- grid.22069.3f0000 0004 0369 6365Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
| | - Jinglan Yan
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Chuan’an Zhu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Dongmin Yin
- grid.22069.3f0000 0004 0369 6365Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
| | - Su He
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Yang Su
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Nenggui Xu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Robert William Caldwell
- grid.410427.40000 0001 2284 9329Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912 USA
| | - Lin Yao
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China. .,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Yongjun Chen
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China. .,Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Goh JY, O'Sullivan SE, Shortall SE, Zordan N, Piccinini AM, Potter HG, Fone KCF, King MV. Gestational poly(I:C) attenuates, not exacerbates, the behavioral, cytokine and mTOR changes caused by isolation rearing in a rat 'dual-hit' model for neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 89:100-117. [PMID: 32485291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses have a multifactorial etiology involving genetic and environmental risk factors that trigger persistent neurodevelopmental impairments. Several risk factors have been individually replicated in rodents, to understand disease mechanisms and evaluate novel treatments, particularly for poorly-managed negative and cognitive symptoms. However, the complex interplay between various factors remains unclear. Rodent dual-hit neurodevelopmental models offer vital opportunities to examine this and explore new strategies for early therapeutic intervention. This study combined gestational administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C); PIC, to mimic viral infection during pregnancy) with post-weaning isolation of resulting offspring (to mirror adolescent social adversity). After in vitro and in vivo studies required for laboratory-specific PIC characterization and optimization, we administered 10 mg/kg i.p. PIC potassium salt to time-mated Lister hooded dams on gestational day 15. This induced transient hypothermia, sickness behavior and weight loss in the dams, and led to locomotor hyperactivity, elevated striatal cytokine levels, and increased frontal cortical JNK phosphorylation in the offspring at adulthood. Remarkably, instead of exacerbating the well-characterized isolation syndrome, gestational PIC exposure actually protected against a spectrum of isolation-induced behavioral and brain regional changes. Thus isolation reared rats exhibited locomotor hyperactivity, impaired associative memory and reversal learning, elevated hippocampal and frontal cortical cytokine levels, and increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in the frontal cortex - which were not evident in isolates previously exposed to gestational PIC. Brains from adolescent littermates suggest little contribution of cytokines, mTOR or JNK to early development of the isolation syndrome, or resilience conferred by PIC. But notably hippocampal oxytocin, which can protect against stress, was higher in adolescent PIC-exposed isolates so might contribute to a more favorable outcome. These findings have implications for identifying individuals at risk for disorders like schizophrenia who may benefit from early therapeutic intervention, and justify preclinical assessment of whether adolescent oxytocin manipulations can modulate disease onset or progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Yin Goh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Saoirse E O'Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Sinead E Shortall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nicole Zordan
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna M Piccinini
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Harry G Potter
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kevin C F Fone
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Madeleine V King
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
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8
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Brain Structural and Functional Alterations in Mice Prenatally Exposed to LPS Are Only Partially Rescued by Anti-Inflammatory Treatment. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090620. [PMID: 32906830 PMCID: PMC7564777 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant immune activity during neurodevelopment could participate in the generation of neurological dysfunctions characteristic of several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Numerous epidemiological studies have shown a link between maternal infections and NDDs risk; animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) have confirmed this association. Activation of maternal immune system during pregnancy induces behavioral and functional alterations in offspring but the biological mechanisms at the basis of these effects are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in peripheral and central inflammation, cortical cytoarchitecture and behavior of offspring (LPS-mice). LPS-mice reported a significant increase in interleukin-1β (IL-1β) serum level, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)- and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1)-positive cells in the cortex. Furthermore, cytoarchitecture analysis in specific brain areas, showed aberrant alterations in minicolumns’ organization in LPS-mice adult brain. In addition, we demonstrated that LPS-mice presented behavioral alterations throughout life. In order to better understand biological mechanisms whereby LPS induced these alterations, dams were treated with meloxicam. We demonstrated for the first time that exposure to LPS throughout pregnancy induces structural permanent alterations in offspring brain. LPS-mice also present severe behavioral impairments. Preventive treatment with meloxicam reduced inflammation in offspring but did not rescue them from structural and behavioral alterations.
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9
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Nakagawa K, Yoshino H, Ogawa Y, Yamamuro K, Kimoto S, Noriyama Y, Makinodan M, Yamashita M, Saito Y, Kishimoto T. Maternal Immune Activation Affects Hippocampal Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission in Offspring From an Early Developmental Period to Adulthood. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:241. [PMID: 32903758 PMCID: PMC7438877 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the risk factors for schizophrenia is maternal infection. We have previously shown that Polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) induced maternal immune activation in mice caused histological changes in the hippocampal CA1 area of offspring during the developmental period and impaired sensorimotor gating in offspring during adulthood, resulting in behavioral changes. However, it remains unclear how maternal immune activation functionally impacts the hippocampal neuronal activity of offspring. We studied the effect of prenatal poly I:C treatment on synaptic transmission of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in postnatal and adult offspring. Treatment with poly I:C diminished excitatory and enhanced inhibitory (GABAergic) synaptic transmission on pyramidal cells in adult offspring. During the early developmental period, we still observed that treatment with poly I:C decreased excitatory synaptic transmission and potentially increased GABAergic synaptic transmission, which was uncovered under a condition of high extracellular potassium-activated neurons. In conclusion, we demonstrate that maternal immune activation decreased excitatory and increased inhibitory synaptic transmission on hippocampal pyramidal cells from an early developmental period to adulthood, which could result in net inhibition in conjunction with poor functional organization and integration of hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiju Nakagawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yoshino
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Yoichi Ogawa
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | | | - Sohei Kimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | | | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamashita
- Center for Medical Science, International University of Health and Welfare, Otawara, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Saito
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
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Haddad FL, Patel SV, Schmid S. Maternal Immune Activation by Poly I:C as a preclinical Model for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A focus on Autism and Schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:546-567. [PMID: 32320814 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) in response to a viral infection during early and mid-gestation has been linked through various epidemiological studies to a higher risk for the child to develop autism or schizophrenia-related symptoms.. This has led to the establishment of the pathogen-free poly I:C-induced MIA animal model for neurodevelopmental disorders, which shows relatively high construct and face validity. Depending on the experimental variables, particularly the timing of poly I:C administration, different behavioural and molecular phenotypes have been described that relate to specific symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and/or schizophrenia. We here review and summarize epidemiological evidence for the effects of maternal infection and immune activation, as well as major findings in different poly I:C MIA models with a focus on poly I:C exposure timing, behavioural and molecular changes in the offspring, and characteristics of the model that relate it to autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraj L Haddad
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Salonee V Patel
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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11
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Environmental influences on placental programming and offspring outcomes following maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 83:44-55. [PMID: 31493445 PMCID: PMC6906258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences during pregnancy induce placental programming, affecting the fetus and its developmental trajectory. However, the influence of 'positive' maternal experiences on the placenta and fetus remain unclear. In animal models of early life stress, environmental enrichment (EE) has ameliorated and even prevented associated impairments in brain and behavior. Here, using a maternal immune activation (MIA) model in rats, we test whether EE attenuates maternal, placental and/or fetal responses to an inflammatory challenge, thereby offering a mechanism by which fetal programming may be prevented. Moreover, we evaluate life-long EE exposure on offspring development and examine a constellation of genes and epigenetic writers that may protect against MIA challenges. In our model, maternal plasma corticosterone and interleukin-1β were elevated 3 h after MIA, validating the maternal inflammatory response. Evidence for developmental programming was demonstrated by a simultaneous decrease in the placental enzymes Hsd11b2 and Hsd11b2/Hsd11b1, suggesting disturbances in glucocorticoid metabolism. Reductions of Hsd11b2 in response to challenge is thought to result in excess glucocorticoid exposure to the fetus and altered glucocorticoid receptor expression, increasing susceptibility to behavioral impairments later in life. The placental, but not maternal, glucocorticoid implications of MIA were attenuated by EE. There were also sustained changes in epigenetic writers in both placenta and fetal brain as a consequence of environmental experience and sex. Following MIA, both male and female juvenile animals were impaired in social discrimination ability. Life-long EE mitigated these impairments, in addition to the sex specific MIA associated disruptions in central Fkbp5 and Oprm1. These data provide the first evidence that EE protects placental functioning during stressor exposure, underscoring the importance of addressing maternal health and well-being throughout pregnancy. Future work must evaluate critical periods of EE use to determine if postnatal EE experience is necessary, or if prenatal exposure alone is sufficient to confer protection.
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12
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Sex-Dependent Effects of Perinatal Inflammation on the Brain: Implication for Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092270. [PMID: 31071949 PMCID: PMC6539135 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals born preterm have higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, autistic spectrum, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders. These conditions are often sexually dimorphic and with different developmental trajectories. The etiology is likely multifactorial, however, infections both during pregnancy and in childhood have emerged as important risk factors. The association between sex- and age-dependent vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders has been suggested to relate to immune activation in the brain, including complex interactions between sex hormones, brain transcriptome, activation of glia cells, and cytokine production. Here, we will review sex-dependent effects on brain development, including glia cells, both under normal physiological conditions and following perinatal inflammation. Emphasis will be given to sex-dependent effects on brain regions which play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders and inflammatory reactions that may underlie early-life programming of neurobehavioral disturbances later in life.
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13
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Maternal Immune Activation during Pregnancy Alters the Behavior Profile of Female Offspring of Sprague Dawley Rats. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NWR-0437-18. [PMID: 31016229 PMCID: PMC6477592 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0437-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences are documented in psychiatric and neurological disorders, yet most preclinical animal research has been conducted in males only. There is a need to better understand of the nature of sex differences in brain disease in order to meet the needs of psychiatric patients. We present the behavior profile of adult female offspring produced using a maternal immune activation (MIA) model where pregnant rats receive an immune stimulant and the offspring typically show various abnormalities consistent with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and autism. The results in female offspring were compared to a previously published cohort of their male siblings (Lins et al., 2018). We examined prepulse inhibition (PPI), sociability, MK-801-induced locomotor activity, crossmodal object recognition (CMOR), and oddity discrimination; behaviors relevant to the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. No between-treatment differences in PPI or locomotor activity were noted. Tactile memory was observed in the control and treated female offspring, visual recognition memory was deficient in the polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) offspring only, and both groups lacked crossmodal recognition. PolyI:C offspring were impaired in oddity preference and had reduced preference for a stranger conspecific in a sociability assay. Systemic maternal CXCL1, IL-6, and TNF-a levels 3 h after polyI:C treatment were determined, but no relationship was found between these cytokines and the behavior seen in the adult female offspring. Overall, female offspring of polyI:C-treated dams display an array of behavior abnormalities relevant to psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia similar to those previously reported in male rats.
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14
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Coiro P, Pollak DD. Sex and gender bias in the experimental neurosciences: the case of the maternal immune activation model. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:90. [PMID: 30765690 PMCID: PMC6375995 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0423-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent and rapidly developing movements relating to the increasing awareness and reports of gender bias, discrimination, and abuse have reached the academic environments. The consideration that negative attitudes toward women and abuse of power creates a hostile environment for female scientists, facilitating sexual harassment and driving women out of science, can be easily related to. Rationally inaccessible gender biases are not only evident at the level of the researchers, but are also paralleled by a corresponding imbalance at the level of the research subjects. Here, we focus on the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model to illustrate exemplarily the current state of ex-/inclusion of female research subjects and the consideration of sex as biological variable in the basic neurosciences. We demonstrate a strong sex disparity with a major emphasis on male animals in studies examining behavioral and neurochemical alterations in MIA offspring. We put forward the hypothesis that this neglect of female subjects in basic research may stem from a hard-wired sex/gender bias, which may also be reflected in a similar attitude toward female scientists. We suggest exploring the possibility that by dismantling sex bias and male dominance in basic research one would get an additional handle on favorably modifying the perception and appreciation for women in science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluca Coiro
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D. Pollak
- 0000 0000 9259 8492grid.22937.3dDepartment of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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15
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Gumusoglu SB, Stevens HE. Maternal Inflammation and Neurodevelopmental Programming: A Review of Preclinical Outcomes and Implications for Translational Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:107-121. [PMID: 30318336 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early disruptions to neurodevelopment are highly relevant to understanding both psychiatric risk and underlying pathophysiology that can be targeted by new treatments. Much convergent evidence from the human literature associates inflammation during pregnancy with later neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. Preclinical models of prenatal inflammation have been developed to examine the causal maternal physiological and offspring neural mechanisms underlying these findings. Here we review the strengths and limitations of preclinical models used for these purposes and describe selected studies that have shown maternal immune impacts on the brain and behavior of offspring. Maternal immune activation in mice, rats, nonhuman primates, and other mammalian model species have demonstrated convergent outcomes across methodologies. These outcomes include shifts and/or disruptions in the normal developmental trajectory of molecular and cellular processes in the offspring brain. Prenatal developmental origins are critical to a mechanistic understanding of maternal immune activation-induced alterations to microglia and immune molecules, brain growth and development, synaptic morphology and physiology, and anxiety- and depression-like, sensorimotor, and social behaviors. These phenotypes are relevant to brain functioning across domains and to anxiety and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder, in which they have been identified. By turning a neurodevelopmental lens on this body of work, we emphasize the importance of acute changes to the prenatal offspring brain in fostering a better understanding of potential mechanisms for intervention. Collectively, overlapping results across maternal immune activation studies also highlight the need to examine preclinical offspring neurodevelopment alterations in terms of a multifactorial immune milieu, or immunome, to determine potential mechanisms of psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena B Gumusoglu
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Hanna E Stevens
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
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16
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Bergdolt L, Dunaevsky A. Brain changes in a maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:1-19. [PMID: 30590095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of insults. Epidemiological studies have identified prenatal exposure to infection as a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this association and have been used to probe the contribution of gene-environment interactions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we review the behavior and brain phenotypes that have been characterized in MIA offspring, including the studies that have looked at the interaction between maternal immune activation and genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. These phenotypes include behaviors relevant to autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders, alterations in brain anatomy, and structural and functional neuronal impairments. The link between maternal infection and these phenotypic changes is not fully understood, but there is increasing evidence that maternal immune activation induces prolonged immune alterations in the offspring's brain which could underlie epigenetic alterations which in turn may mediate the behavior and brain changes. These concepts will be discussed followed by a summary of the pharmacological interventions that have been tested in the maternal immune activation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Bergdolt
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Anna Dunaevsky
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States.
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17
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Hyperactive behavior in female rats in utero-exposed to group B Streptococcus-induced inflammation. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 69:17-22. [PMID: 29920305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one the most common bacterium responsible of maternal infections during pregnancy. Offspring in utero-exposed to GBS-induced placental inflammation displayed sex-specific forebrain injuries. Sex differences have been reported in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Hence, we hypothesized that female rats in utero-exposed to GBS may present sex-specific neurobehavioral impairments. Lewis rats were injected intraperitoneally every 12 h from gestational day (G) 19 to G22 with either saline (controls) or inactivated serotype Ia GBS (109 CFU). Before puberty, no difference in terms of spontaneous motor activity, exploratory or anxiety-related behaviors was noticed between experimental conditions. During puberty, GBS-exposed females - but not males - performed worse than same-sex controls in a forced motor task. During adulthood, GBS-exposed females - but not males - displayed increased spontaneous locomotor activity and decreased inhibition. In conclusion, our findings show for the first time that adult females - but not males - in utero-exposed to GBS-induced inflammation presented a hyperactive and disinhibited phenotype emerging after puberty.
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18
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Maternal Immune Activation Causes Behavioral Impairments and Altered Cerebellar Cytokine and Synaptic Protein Expression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1435-1446. [PMID: 28102228 PMCID: PMC5436129 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Emerging epidemiology studies indicate that maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from inflammatory stimuli such as viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy serves as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although alterations in the cortex and hippocampus of MIA offspring have been described, less evidence exists on the impact on the cerebellum. Here, we report altered expression of cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum of MIA offspring, including increase in the neuroinflammatory cytokine TNFα and its receptor TNFR1. We also report reduced expression of the synaptic organizing proteins cerebellin-1 and GluRδ2. These synaptic protein alterations are associated with a deficit in the ability of cerebellar neurons to form synapses and an increased number of dendritic spines that are not in contact with a presynaptic terminal. These impairments are likely contributing to the behavioral deficits in the MIA exposed offspring.
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Cassella SN, Hemmerle AM, Lundgren KH, Kyser TL, Ahlbrand R, Bronson SL, Richtand NM, Seroogy KB. Maternal immune activation alters glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 expression in the brains of adult rat offspring. Schizophr Res 2016; 171:195-9. [PMID: 26830319 PMCID: PMC4803111 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the maternal innate immune system, termed "maternal immune activation" (MIA), represents a common environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Whereas evidence suggests dysregulation of GABA systems may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, a role for MIA in alteration of GABAergic systems is less clear. Here, pregnant rats received either the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid or vehicle injection on gestational day 14. Glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) mRNA expression was examined in male offspring at postnatal day (P)14, P30 and P60. At P60, GAD67 mRNA was elevated in hippocampus and thalamus and decreased in prefrontal cortex of MIA offspring. MIA-induced alterations in GAD expression could contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Cassella
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Ann M Hemmerle
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Kerstin H Lundgren
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Tara L Kyser
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Stefanie L Bronson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Neil M Richtand
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kim B Seroogy
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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Giovanoli S, Notter T, Richetto J, Labouesse MA, Vuillermot S, Riva MA, Meyer U. Late prenatal immune activation causes hippocampal deficits in the absence of persistent inflammation across aging. J Neuroinflammation 2015; 12:221. [PMID: 26602365 PMCID: PMC4659211 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-015-0437-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to infection and/or inflammation is increasingly recognized to play an important role in neurodevelopmental brain disorders. It has recently been postulated that prenatal immune activation, especially when occurring during late gestational stages, may also induce pathological brain aging via sustained effects on systemic and central inflammation. Here, we tested this hypothesis using an established mouse model of exposure to viral-like immune activation in late pregnancy. METHODS Pregnant C57BL6/J mice on gestation day 17 were treated with the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (poly(I:C)) or control vehicle solution. The resulting offspring were first tested using cognitive and behavioral paradigms known to be sensitive to hippocampal damage, after which they were assigned to quantitative analyses of inflammatory cytokines, microglia density and morphology, astrocyte density, presynaptic markers, and neurotrophin expression in the hippocampus throughout aging (1, 5, and 22 months of age). RESULTS Maternal poly(I:C) treatment led to a robust increase in inflammatory cytokine levels in late gestation but did not cause persistent systemic or hippocampal inflammation in the offspring. The late prenatal manipulation also failed to cause long-term changes in microglia density, morphology, or activation, and did not induce signs of astrogliosis in pubescent, adult, or aged offspring. Despite the lack of persistent inflammatory or glial anomalies, offspring of poly(I:C)-exposed mothers showed marked and partly age-dependent deficits in hippocampus-regulated cognitive functions as well as impaired hippocampal synaptophysin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. CONCLUSIONS Late prenatal exposure to viral-like immune activation in mice causes hippocampus-related cognitive and synaptic deficits in the absence of chronic inflammation across aging. These findings do not support the hypothesis that this form of prenatal immune activation may induce pathological brain aging via sustained effects on systemic and central inflammation. We further conclude that poly(I:C)-based prenatal immune activation models are reliable in their effectiveness to induce (hippocampal) neuropathology across aging, but they appear unsuited for studying the role of chronic systemic or central inflammation in brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Giovanoli
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Tina Notter
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Urs Meyer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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