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Zhang AY, Elias E, Manners MT. Sex-dependent astrocyte reactivity: Unveiling chronic stress-induced morphological changes across multiple brain regions. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106610. [PMID: 39032799 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is a major precursor to various neuropsychiatric disorders and is linked with increased inflammation in the brain. However, the bidirectional association between inflammation and chronic stress has yet to be fully understood. Astrocytes are one of the key inflammatory regulators in the brain, and the morphological change in reactive astrocytes serves as an important indicator of inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the sex-specific astrocyte response to chronic stress or systemic inflammation in key brain regions associated with mood disorders. We conducted the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) paradigm to model chronic stress, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection to model systemic inflammation. To evaluate stress-induced morphological changes in astrocyte complexity, we measured GFAP fluorescent intensity for astrocyte expression, branch bifurcation by quantifying branch points and terminal points, branch arborization by conducting Sholl analysis, and calculated the ramification index. Our analysis indicated that chronic stress-induced morphological changes in astrocytes in all brain regions investigated. The effects of chronic stress were region and sex specific. Notably, females had greater stress or inflammation-induced astrocyte activation in the hypothalamus (HYPO), CA1, CA3, and amygdala (AMY) than males. These findings indicate that chronic stress induces astrocyte activation that may drive sex and region-specific effects in females, potentially contributing to sex-dependent mechanisms of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Y Zhang
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
| | - Elias Elias
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
| | - Melissa T Manners
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
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Xu QH, Yang T, Jiang KY, Liu JD, Guo HH, Xia EQ. The association between the number of food kinds and risk of depression in U.S. adults. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:2575. [PMID: 39304862 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19344-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between the number of food kinds and the risk of depression in adults was examined. METHODS According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 4593 adults were included in the study. The number of food kinds was collected via 24‒hour dietary recalls. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire‒9. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were applied to assess the association between the number of food kinds and the risk of depression. RESULTS This study included 4593 study participants, 451 of whom were diagnosed with depression. The revised advantage ratios (with corresponding confidence intervals) for the prevalence of depression among individuals in the fourth quartiles of the number of food kinds (Q4) in comparison to the lowest quartile (Q1) were determined to be 0.59 (0.36‒0.96), respectively. According to our subgroup analyses, the number of food kinds was negatively associated with the risk of depression in females, participants aged 18‒45 and 45‒65 years, and participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 24.9 kg/m2. According to our dose‒response analysis, the number of food kinds was linearly associated with the risk of depression (Pfor nonlinear=0.5896). CONCLUSION The risk of depression exhibited a linear and negative correlation with the number of food kinds. The results indicated that a diversified diet was an effective nonpharmacological approach that deserved further generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Hui Xu
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China
| | - Ting Yang
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China
| | - Ke-Yu Jiang
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China
| | - Jin-Dong Liu
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China
| | - Hong-Hui Guo
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China
| | - En-Qin Xia
- School of Public Health, Shunde Women and Children's Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong, 524003, China.
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Takahashi A. Associations of the immune system in aggression traits and the role of microglia as mediators. Neuropharmacology 2024; 256:110021. [PMID: 38825308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
There is an important relationship between the immune system and aggressive behavior. Aggressive encounters acutely increase the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and there are positive correlations between aggressive traits and peripheral proinflammatory cytokines. Endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, which results in peripheral immune activation, decreases aggressive behavior as one of the sickness behavioral symptoms. In contrast, certain brain infections and chronic interferon treatment are associated with increased aggression. Indeed, the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on the brain in aggressive behavior are bidirectional, depending on the type and dose of cytokine, target brain region, and type of aggression. Some studies have suggested that microglial activation and neuroinflammation influence intermale aggression in rodent models. In addition, pathological conditions as well as physiological levels of cytokines produced by microglia play an important role in social and aggressive behavior in adult animals. Furthermore, microglial function in early development is necessary for the establishment of the social brain and the expression of juvenile social behaviors, including play fighting. Overall, this review discusses the important link between the immune system and aggressive traits and the role of microglia as mediators of this link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Takahashi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
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Zhong Q, Lai S, He J, Zhong S, Song X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Chen G, Yan S, Jia Y. Gender-related alterations of serum trace elements and neurometabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 360:176-187. [PMID: 38723680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is widely known that sex differences have a significant impact on patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to evaluate the sex-related connection between serum trace elements and changes in neurometabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of MDD patients. METHODS 109 untreated MDD patients and 59 healthy controls underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) under resting conditions. We measured metabolic ratios in the ACC from both sides. Additionally, venous blood samples were taken from all participants to detect calcium (Ca), phosphorus, magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), ceruloplasmin (CER), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) levels. We performed association and interaction analyses to explore the connections between the disease and gender. RESULTS In individuals with MDD, the Cu/Zn ratio increased, while the levels of Mg, CER, Zn and Fe decreased. Male MDD patients had lower Cu levels, while female patients had an increased Cu/Zn ratio. We observed significant gender differences in Cu, CER and the Cu/Zn ratio in MDD. Male patients showed a reduced N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/phosphocreatine + creatine (PCr + Cr) ratio in the left ACC. The NAA/PCr + Cr ratio decreased in the right ACC in patients with MDD. In the left ACC of male MDD patients, the Cu/Zn ratio was inversely related to the NAA/PCr + Cr ratio, and Fe levels were negatively associated with the GPC + PC/PCr + Cr ratio. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight gender-specific changes in Cu homeostasis among male MDD patients. The Cu/Zn ratio and Fe levels in male MDD patients were significantly linked to neurometabolic alterations in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Shunkai Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jiali He
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Shuming Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
| | - Xiaodong Song
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yiliang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Guanmao Chen
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Shuya Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yanbin Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
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Liu Q, Han J, Zhang X. Peripheral and central pathogenesis of postherpetic neuralgia. Skin Res Technol 2024; 30:e13867. [PMID: 39101621 PMCID: PMC11299165 DOI: 10.1111/srt.13867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a classic chronic condition with multiple signs of peripheral and central neuropathy. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of PHN is not well defined, limiting clinical treatment and disease management. OBJECTIVE To describe the peripheral and central pathological axes of PHN, including peripheral nerve injury, inflammation induction, central nervous system sensitization, and brain functional and structural network activity. METHODS A bibliographic survey was carried out, selecting relevant articles that evaluated the characterization of the pathogenesis of PHN, including peripheral and central pathological axes. RESULTS Currently, due to the complexity of the pathophysiological mechanisms of PHN and the incomplete understanding of the exact mechanism of neuralgia. CONCLUSION It is essential to conduct in-depth research to clarify the origins of PHN pathogenesis and explore effective and comprehensive therapies for PHN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuping Liu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and MoxibustionTianjinChina
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyFirst Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Jingxian Han
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and MoxibustionTianjinChina
| | - Xuezhu Zhang
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and MoxibustionTianjinChina
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da Costa Rodrigues K, da Conceição Oliveira M, Dos Santos BF, de Campos Domingues NL, Fronza MG, Savegnago L, Wilhelm EA, Luchese C. Mechanisms involved in the antidepressant-like action of orally administered 5-((4-methoxyphenyl)thio)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (MTDZ) in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06647-0. [PMID: 39008059 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06647-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The compound 5-((4-methoxyphenyl)thio)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (MTDZ) has recently been shown to inhibit in vitro acetylcholinesterase activity, reduce cognitive damage, and improve neuropsychic behavior in mice, making it a promising molecule to treat depression. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the antidepressant-like action of MTDZ in mice and its potential mechanisms of action. RESULTS Molecular docking assays were performed and suggested a potential inhibition of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) by MTDZ. The toxicity study revealed that MTDZ displayed no signs of toxicity, changes in oxidative parameters, or alterations to biochemistry markers, even at a high dose of 300 mg/kg. In behavioral tests, MTDZ administration reduced immobility behavior during the forced swim test (FST) without adjusting the climbing parameter, suggesting it has an antidepressant effect. The antidepressant-like action of MTDZ was negated with the administration of 5-HT1A, 5-HT1A/1B, and 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, implying the involvement of serotonergic pathways. Moreover, the antidepressant-like action of MTDZ was linked to the NO system, as L-arginine pretreatment inhibited its activity. The ex vivo assays indicated that MTDZ normalized ATPase activity, potentially linking this behavior to its antidepressant-like action. MTDZ treatment restricted MAO-A activity in the cerebral cortices and hippocampi of mice, proposing a selective inhibition of MAO-A associated with the antidepressant-like effect of the compound. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that MTDZ may serve as a promising antidepressant agent due to its selective inhibition of MAO-A and the involvement of serotonergic and NO pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karline da Costa Rodrigues
- Research Laboratory in Biochemical Pharmacology (LaFarBio), Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN), Center for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Meliza da Conceição Oliveira
- Research Laboratory in Biochemical Pharmacology (LaFarBio), Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN), Center for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Fuzinato Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Organic Catalysis and Biocatalysis, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Gallio Fronza
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology (GPN), Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Lucielli Savegnago
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology (GPN), Technological Development Center, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Ethel Antunes Wilhelm
- Research Laboratory in Biochemical Pharmacology (LaFarBio), Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN), Center for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Luchese
- Research Laboratory in Biochemical Pharmacology (LaFarBio), Neurobiotechnology Research Group (GPN), Center for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Campus Capão do Leão, Pelotas, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil.
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7
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-Specific Mechanisms Underlie Long-Term Potentiation at Hippocampus→Medium Spiny Neuron Synapses in the Medial Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0100242024. [PMID: 38806250 PMCID: PMC11223474 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0100-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp→NAc synapses is rewarding, and mice can establish learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigated sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp→NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We observed similarities in basal synaptic strength between males and females and found that LTP occurs postsynaptically with similar magnitudes in both sexes. However, key sex differences emerged as LTP in males required NMDA receptors (NMDAR), whereas LTP in females utilized an NMDAR-independent mechanism involving L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) and estrogen receptor α (ERα). We also uncovered sex-similar features as LTP in both sexes depended on CaMKII activity and occurred independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Copenhaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
| | - Tara A LeGates
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland 21250
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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Wen W, Zhou J, Zhan C, Wang J. Microglia as a Game Changer in Epilepsy Comorbid Depression. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:4021-4037. [PMID: 38048030 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03810-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
As one of the most common neurological diseases, epilepsy is often accompanied by psychiatric disorders. Depression is the most universal comorbidity of epilepsy, especially in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Therefore, it is urgently needed to figure out potential mechanisms and the optimization of therapeutic strategies. Microglia play a pivotal role in the coexistent relationship between epilepsy and depression. Activated microglia released cytokines like IL-6 and IL-1β, orchestrating neuroinflammation especially in the hippocampus, worsening both depression and epilepsy. The decrease of intracellular K+ is a common part in various molecular changes. The P2X7-NLRP3-IL-1β is a major inflammatory pathway that disrupts brain network. Extra ATP and CX3CL1 also lead to neuronal excitotoxicity and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Regulating neuroinflammation aiming at microglia-related molecules is capable of suspending the vicious mutual aggravating circle of epilepsy and depression. Other overlaps between epilepsy and depression lie in transcriptomic, neuroimaging, diagnosis and treatment. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and amygdala enlargement (AE) may be the underlying macroscopic pathological changes according to current studies. Extant evidence shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and antidepressants like selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are safe, but the effect is limited. Improvement in depression is likely to reduce the frequency of seizure. More comprehensive experiments are warranted to better understand the relationship between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenrong Wen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou, 1838, Guangdong Province, China
- The First Clinical Medicine College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Neural Networks Surgery Team, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jingsheng Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou, 1838, Guangdong Province, China
- The First Clinical Medicine College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Neural Networks Surgery Team, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chang'an Zhan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou, 1838, Guangdong Province, China.
- The First Clinical Medicine College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
- Neural Networks Surgery Team, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
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9
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Fitzgerald E, Pokhvisneva I, Patel S, Yu Chan S, Peng Tan A, Chen H, Pelufo Silveira P, Meaney MJ. Microglial function interacts with the environment to affect sex-specific depression risk. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:597-606. [PMID: 38670238 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a two-fold higher incidence of depression in females compared to men with recent studies suggesting a role for microglia in conferring this sex-dependent depression risk. In this study we investigated the nature of this relation. Using GWAS enrichment, gene-set enrichment analysis and Mendelian randomization, we found minimal evidence for a direct relation between genes functionally related to microglia and sex-dependent genetic risk for depression. We then used expression quantitative trait loci and single nucleus RNA-sequencing resources to generate polygenic scores (PGS) representative of individual variation in microglial function in the adult (UK Biobank; N = 54753-72682) and fetal (ALSPAC; N = 1452) periods. The adult microglial PGS moderated the association between BMI (UK Biobank; beta = 0.001, 95 %CI 0.0009 to 0.003, P = 7.74E-6) and financial insecurity (UK Biobank; beta = 0.001, 95 %CI 0.005 to 0.015, P = 2E-4) with depressive symptoms in females. The fetal microglia PGS moderated the association between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring depressive symptoms at 24 years in females (ALSPAC; beta = 0.04, 95 %CI 0.004 to 0.07, P = 0.03). We found no evidence for an interaction between the microglial PGS and depression risk factors in males. Our results illustrate a role for microglial function in the conferral of sex-dependent depression risk following exposure to a depression risk factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamon Fitzgerald
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada.
| | - Irina Pokhvisneva
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
| | - Sachin Patel
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada
| | - Shi Yu Chan
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, National University Health System, Singapore; Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Helen Chen
- Department of Psychological Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patricia Pelufo Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada; Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore.
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10
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Chen YH, Wang ZB, Liu XP, Xu JP, Mao ZQ. Sex differences in the relationship between depression and Alzheimer's disease-mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic opportunities. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1301854. [PMID: 38903903 PMCID: PMC11188317 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1301854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders with intriguing epidemiological overlaps. Their interrelation has recently garnered widespread attention. Empirical evidence indicates that depressive disorders significantly contribute to AD risk, and approximately a quarter of AD patients have comorbid major depressive disorder, which underscores the bidirectional link between AD and depression. A growing body of evidence substantiates pervasive sex differences in both AD and depression: both conditions exhibit a higher incidence among women than among men. However, the available literature on this topic is somewhat fragmented, with no comprehensive review that delineates sex disparities in the depression-AD correlation. In this review, we bridge these gaps by summarizing recent progress in understanding sex-based differences in mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic prospects for depression and AD. Additionally, we outline key challenges in the field, holding potential for improving treatment precision and efficacy tailored to male and female patients' distinct needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- The First Clinical Medical School, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Zhi-Bo Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Peng Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Jun-Peng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qi Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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11
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Haniff ZR, Bocharova M, Mantingh T, Rucker JJ, Velayudhan L, Taylor DM, Young AH, Aarsland D, Vernon AC, Thuret S. Psilocybin for dementia prevention? The potential role of psilocybin to alter mechanisms associated with major depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 258:108641. [PMID: 38583670 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Major depression is an established risk factor for subsequent dementia, and depression in late life may also represent a prodromal state of dementia. Considering current challenges in the clinical development of disease modifying therapies for dementia, the focus of research is shifting towards prevention and modification of risk factors to alter the neurodegenerative disease trajectory. Understanding mechanistic commonalities underlying affective symptoms and cognitive decline may reveal biomarkers to aid early identification of those at risk of progressing to dementia during the preclinical phase of disease, thus allowing for timely intervention. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is a phenomenon that describes the birth of new neurons in the dentate gyrus throughout life and it is associated with spatial learning, memory and mood regulation. Microglia are innate immune system macrophages in the central nervous system that carefully regulate AHN via multiple mechanisms. Disruption in AHN is associated with both dementia and major depression and microgliosis is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that psychedelics promote neuroplasticity, including neurogenesis, and may also be immunomodulatory. In this context, psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist with rapid-acting antidepressant properties has the potential to ameliorate intersecting pathophysiological processes relevant for both major depression and neurodegenerative diseases. In this narrative review, we focus on the evidence base for the effects of psilocybin on adult hippocampal neurogenesis and microglial form and function; which may suggest that psilocybin has the potential to modulate multiple mechanisms of action, and may have implications in altering the progression from major depression to dementia in those at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarah R Haniff
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Mariia Bocharova
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Mantingh
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - James J Rucker
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | - Latha Velayudhan
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - David M Taylor
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | - Allan H Young
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Division of Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases, Division of Neuroscience of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Sandrine Thuret
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.
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12
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Choi K, Lee J, Kim G, Lim Y, Kang HJ. Recovery of synaptic loss and depressive-like behavior induced by GATA1 through blocking of the neuroinflammatory response. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1369951. [PMID: 38784708 PMCID: PMC11112091 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1369951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
GATA1, a member of the GATA transcription factor family, is a critical factor in hematopoietic system development. In a previous study, we demonstrated the increased expression of GATA1 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of patients suffering from depression and described its role as a transcriptional repressor of synapse-related genes. In this study, we investigated how GATA1 globally altered gene expression using multi-omics approaches. Through the combined analyses of ChIPseq, mRNAseq, and small RNAseq, we profiled genes that are potentially affected by GATA1 in cultured cortical neurons, and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that GATA1 might be associated with immune-related functions. We hypothesized that GATA1 induces immune activation, which has detrimental effects including synapse loss and depressive-like behavior. To test this hypothesis, we first performed a microglial morphometric analysis of a brain having overexpression of GATA1 because microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system. Fractal analysis showed that the ramification and process length of microglia decreased in brains having GATA1 overexpression compared to the control, suggesting that GATA1 overexpression increases the activation of microglia. Through flow cytometry and immunohistochemical analysis, we found that activated microglia showed pro-inflammatory phenotypes characterized by the expression of CD86 and CD68. Finally, we demonstrated that the effects of GATA1 overexpression including synapse loss and depressive-like behavior could be blocked by inhibiting microglial activation using minocycline. These results will elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of GATA1 that affect pathophysiological conditions such as depression and provide a potential target for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hyo Jung Kang
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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13
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Ma Z, Yu Y, Gao M, Chen P, Hong H, Yu D, Liang Z, Bai Y, Ye Q, Wang Y, Huang G, Tan H. Protective Effect of Hop Ethyl Acetate Extract on Corticosterone-Induced PC12 and Improvement of Depression-like Behavior in Mice. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1893-1903. [PMID: 38613492 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common mental disorder. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to depression and its etiology and pathogenesis. This review aims to explore the neuroprotective and antidepressant effects of hop components. By establishing an in vitro cell damage model using PC12 cells induced by corticosterone (CORT) and an in vivo depression model through the intracranial injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice, hop ethyl acetate extract (HEA) was used to study the protective effect and mechanism of HEA on neuronal cells in vitro and the antidepression effect and mechanism in vivo. The results showed that HEA increased the survival and decreased the rate of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, apoptosis, and the ROS and NO content of CORT-induced PC12 cells. HEA alleviated depressive-like behavior, neuroinflammation, reduction of norepinephrine, and dendritic spines induced by intracerebroventricular injection of LPS in mice and increases the expression levels of BDNF, SNAP 25, and TrkB proteins without any significant side effects or toxicity. Hops demonstrated significant comprehensive utilization value, and this work provided an experimental basis for the role of hops in the treatment of depression and provided a basis for the development of HEA for antidepressant drugs or dietary therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon-Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, P. R. China
| | - Yuming Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon-Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, P. R. China
| | - Ming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon-Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, P. R. China
| | - Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon-Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, P. R. China
| | - Huixia Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Utilization of Carbon-Based Energy Resources; College of Chemistry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, P. R. China
| | - Dingle Yu
- Center for Child Care and Mental Health (CCCMH), Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, China
| | - Zhenjiang Liang
- Center for Child Care and Mental Health (CCCMH), Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, China
| | - Yu Bai
- Center for Child Care and Mental Health, Shenzhen Pediatrics Institute of Shantou University Medical College Health, Shenzhen 518035, China
| | - Qinlian Ye
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, China
| | - Yachao Wang
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen 518038, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518035, China
| | - Guodong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neurosurgery, and the Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, No. 3002 Sungang Westroad, Futian District, Shenzhen 518035, China
| | - Hui Tan
- Center for Child Care and Mental Health, Shenzhen Pediatrics Institute of Shantou University Medical College Health, Shenzhen 518035, China
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14
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Wang X, Xia Y, Yan R, Sun H, Huang Y, Xia Q, Sheng J, You W, Hua L, Tang H, Yao Z, Lu Q. Sex differences in anhedonia in bipolar depression: a resting-state fMRI study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01765-4. [PMID: 38558145 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01765-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies about anhedonia symptoms in bipolar depression (BD) ignored the unique role of gender on brain function. This study aims to explore the regional brain neuroimaging features of BD with anhedonia and the sex differences in these patients. The resting-fMRI by applying fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method was estimated in 263 patients with BD (174 high anhedonia [HA], 89 low anhedonia [LA]) and 213 healthy controls. The effects of two different factors in patients with BD were analyzed using a 3 (group: HA, LA, HC) × 2 (sex: male, female) ANOVA. The fALFF values were higher in the HA group than in the LA group in the right medial cingulate gyrus and supplementary motor area. For the sex-by-group interaction, the fALFF values of the right hippocampus, left medial occipital gyrus, right insula, and bilateral medial cingulate gyrus were significantly higher in HA males than in LA males but not females. These results suggested that the pattern of high activation could be a marker of anhedonia symptoms in BD males, and the sex differences should be considered in future studies of BD with anhedonia symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Yi Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Rui Yan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Hao Sun
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Yinghong Huang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Qiudong Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Junling Sheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Wei You
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Lingling Hua
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Hao Tang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Zhijian Yao
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing, 210096, China.
- Child Development and Learning Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210096, China.
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15
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McCallum RT, Thériault RK, Manduca JD, Russell ISB, Culmer AM, Doost JS, Martino TA, Perreault ML. Nrf2 activation rescues stress-induced depression-like behaviour and inflammatory responses in male but not female rats. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:16. [PMID: 38350966 PMCID: PMC10863247 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00589-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a recurring affective disorder that is two times more prevalent in females than males. Evidence supports immune system dysfunction as a major contributing factor to MDD, notably in a sexually dimorphic manner. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a regulator of antioxidant signalling during inflammation, is dysregulated in many chronic inflammatory disorders; however, its role in depression and the associated sex differences have yet to be explored. Here, we investigated the sex-specific antidepressant and immunomodulatory effects of the potent Nrf2 activator dimethyl fumarate (DMF), as well as the associated gene expression profiles. METHODS Male and female rats were treated with vehicle or DMF (25 mg/kg) whilst subjected to 8 weeks of chronic unpredictable stress. The effect of DMF treatment on stress-induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviours, as well as deficits in recognition and spatial learning and memory were then assessed. Sex differences in hippocampal (HIP) microglial activation and gene expression response were also evaluated. RESULTS DMF treatment during stress exposure had antidepressant effects in male but not female rats, with no anxiolytic effects in either sex. Recognition learning and memory and spatial learning and memory were impaired in chronically stressed males and females, respectively, and DMF treatment rescued these deficits. DMF treatment also prevented stress-induced HIP microglial activation in males. Conversely, females displayed no HIP microglial activation associated with stress exposure. Last, chronic stress elicited sex-specific alterations in HIP gene expression, many of which were normalized in animals treated with DMF. Of note, most of the differentially expressed genes in males normalized by DMF were related to antioxidant, inflammatory or immune responses. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings support a greater role of immune processes in males than females in a rodent model of depression. This suggests that pharmacotherapies that target Nrf2 have the potential to be an effective sex-specific treatment for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T McCallum
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Rachel-Karson Thériault
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Joshua D Manduca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Isaac S B Russell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Angel M Culmer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Janan Shoja Doost
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tami A Martino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Melissa L Perreault
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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16
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-specific mechanisms underlie long-term potentiation at hippocampus-nucleus accumbens synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575709. [PMID: 38293132 PMCID: PMC10827060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary in order to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp-NAc synapses is rewarding, and that mice can make learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigate sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp-NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We found that males and females display similar magnitudes of Hipp-NAc LTP which occurs postsynaptically. However, LTP in females requires L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (VGCC) for postsynaptic Ca 2+ influx, while males rely on NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Additionally, females require estrogen receptor α (ERα) activity for LTP while males do not. These differential mechanisms converge as LTP in both sexes depends on CAMKII activity and occurs independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral excitatory pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Strengthening of Hipp-NAc synapses drives reward-related behaviors. Male and female mice have similar magnitudes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and both sexes have a predicted postsynaptic locus of plasticity. Despite these similarities, we illustrate here that sex-specific molecular mechanisms are used to elicit LTP. Given the bidirectional relationship between Hipp-NAc synaptic strength in mediating reward-related behaviors, the use of distinct molecular mechanisms may explain sex differences observed in stress susceptibility or response to rewarding stimuli. Discovery and characterization of convergent sex differences provides mechanistic insight into the sex-specific function of Hipp-NAc circuitry and has widespread implications for circuits mediating learning and reward-related behavior.
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17
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Tao Y, Shen W, Zhou H, Li Z, Pi T, Wu H, Shi H, Huang F, Wu X. Sex differences in a corticosterone-induced depression model in mice: Behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular insights. Brain Res 2024; 1823:148678. [PMID: 37979605 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Depression is characterized by a significant sex disparity, with higher rates observed in women compared to men. This study aimed to investigate the impact of sex on depressive behaviors and explore the underlying mechanisms using a corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression model in mice. Behavioral tests, Nissl staining, UPLC-MS/MS, and Western blot analysis were performed to assess behavioral changes, as well as neuronal alterations, neurotransmitter levels, and protein expressions in the hippocampus. The mice in the model group exhibited sex-specific anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Nissl staining revealed structural abnormalities in the CA3 region of the hippocampus in females. Neurotransmitter analysis indicated decreased serotonin and norepinephrine levels in both sexes, while glutamate levels were elevated in females. Furthermore, female mice demonstrated elevated serum CORT levels. Western blot analysis revealed sex-specific alterations in specific protein expression. Female mice exhibited downregulated glucocorticoid receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression, whereas male mice showed minimal changes. Additionally, female mice displayed reduced phosphorylated AKT, phosphorylated PI3K, and phosphorylated mTOR levels. These findings enhance our understanding of sex-specific differences in the CORT-induced depression model and provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of depression. This research emphasizes sex in depression studies and supports tailored interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlin Tao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Wei Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Houyuan Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Zikang Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Ting Pi
- Kunming Yan'an Hospital Chenggong Hospital, PR China
| | - Hui Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Hailian Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China
| | - Fei Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
| | - Xiaojun Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The MOE Innovation Centre for Basic Medicine Research on Qi-Blood TCM Theories, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, PR China.
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18
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Guo H, Guo J, Gao Z, Luo F, Zhang E. The role of amygdala-ventral pallidum pathway in depression-like behaviors in male mice. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25258. [PMID: 37814992 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) appears to serve an important function in the pathophysiology of depression. Depressive symptoms, such as anhedonia are largely caused by dysfunction in the brain's reward system, in which the ventral pallidum (VP) participates in by controlling dopamine release. However, the role of the BLA-VP pathway in the development of depression remains poorly understood. To investigate this pathway, we employed the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) mouse model, in which we injected retroAAV expressing GFP-Cre into the VP and AAV expressing hM4Di-mCherry into the BLA. We then used CNO to activate the Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) for all behavioral tests. The CUMS procedure resulted in significant depression symptoms such as decreased sucrose preference, limited weight gain, decreased immobile latency, and increased immobile time in the forced swim and tail suspension tests. Inhibition of the BLA-VP glutamatergic projections reversed these depression-like behaviors. We found that suppressing the BLA-VP circuitry had beneficial effects on CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors such as anorexia, anhedonia, and despair. Specifically, upon suppression of glutamatergic projections in the BLA-VP circuitry, these depression-like behaviors were significantly alleviated, which highlights the vital role of this circuitry in the development of depression. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of suppressing this circuitry seem to be associated with the brain's reward system, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Guo
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Jintao Guo
- School of Automation and information Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Zihang Gao
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Luo
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Enming Zhang
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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19
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Erdogan MA, Turk M, Doganay GD, Sever IH, Ozkul B, Sogut I, Eroglu E, Uyanikgil Y, Erbas O. Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Exposure Induces Autism-Like Neurobehavioral Changes in Male Neonatal Rats. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2023; 18:573-591. [PMID: 37889404 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-023-10089-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent research on placental, embryo, and brain organoids suggests that the COVID-19 virus may potentially affect embryonic organs, including the brain. Given the established link between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and neuroinflammation, we sought to investigate the effects of exposure to this protein during pregnancy. We divided pregnant rats into three groups: Group 1 received a 1 ml/kg saline solution, Group 2 received 150 μg/kg adjuvant aluminum hydroxide (AAH), and Group 3 received 40 μg/kg spike protein + 150 μg/kg AAH at 10 and 14 days of gestation. On postnatal day 21 (P21), we randomly separated 60 littermates (10 male-female) into control, AAH-exposed, and spike protein-exposed groups. At P50, we conducted behavioral analyses on these mature animals and performed MR spectroscopy. Subsequently, all animals were sacrificed, and their brains were subject to biochemical and histological analysis. Our findings indicate that male rats exposed to the spike protein displayed a higher rate of impaired performance on behavioral studies, including the three-chamber social test, passive avoidance learning analysis, open field test, rotarod test, and novelty-induced cultivation behavior, indicative of autistic symptoms. Exposure to the spike protein (male) induced gliosis and neuronal cell death in the CA1-CA3 regions of the hippocampus and cerebellum. The spike protein-exposed male rats exhibited significantly greater levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-17 (IL-17), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and lactate and lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than the control group. Our study suggests a potential association between prenatal exposure to COVID-19 spike protein and neurodevelopmental problems, such as ASD. These findings highlight the importance of further research into the potential effects of the COVID-19 virus on embryonic and fetal development and the potential long-term consequences for neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumin Alper Erdogan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Miray Turk
- Graduate School, Department of Molecular Biology-Genetics and Biotechnology, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gizem Dinler Doganay
- Graduate School, Department of Molecular Biology-Genetics and Biotechnology, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
- Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Halil Sever
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahattin Ozkul
- School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Istanbul Atlas University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Sogut
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebru Eroglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Yigit Uyanikgil
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Oytun Erbas
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Demiroğlu Bilim University, Istanbul, Turkey
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20
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Wang X, Xia Y, Yan R, Sun H, Huang Y, Zou H, Du Y, Hua L, Tang H, Zhou H, Yao Z, Lu Q. The sex differences in anhedonia in major depressive disorder: A resting-state fMRI study. J Affect Disord 2023; 340:555-566. [PMID: 37591350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The external behavioural manifestations and internal neural mechanisms of anhedonia are sexually dimorphic. This study aimed to explore the sex differences in the regional brain neuroimaging features of anhedonia in the context of major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD The resting-fMRI by applying amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method was estimated in 414 patients with MDD (281 high anhedonia [HA], 133 low anhedonia [LA]) and 213 healthy controls (HC). The effects of two factors in patients with MDD were analysed using a 2 (sex: male, female) × 2 (group: HA, LA) ANOVA concerning the brain regions in which statistical differences were identified between patients with MDD and HC. We followed up with patients with HA at baseline, and 43 patients completed a second fMRI scan in remission. Paired t-test was performed to compare the ALFF values of anhedonia-related brain regions between the baseline and remission periods. RESULTS For the sex-by-group interaction, the bilateral insula, right hippocampus, right post cingulum cortex, and left putamen showed significant differences. Furthermore, the abnormally elevated ALFF values in anhedonia-related brain regions at baseline decreased in remission. CONCLUSION Our findings point to the fact that the females showed unique patterns of anhedonia-related brain activity compared to males, which may have clinical implications for interfering with the anhedonia symptoms in MDD. Using task fMRI, we can further examine the distinct characteristics between consumption anhedonia and anticipation anhedonia in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yi Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Rui Yan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hao Sun
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yinghong Huang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Haowen Zou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yishan Du
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lingling Hua
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hao Tang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hongliang Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhijian Yao
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China; School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China; Child Development and Learning Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210096, China.
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21
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Shi S, Zhang M, Xie W, Ju P, Chen N, Wang F, Lyu D, Wang M, Hong W. Sleep deprivation alleviates depression-like behaviors in mice via inhibiting immune and inflammatory pathways and improving neuroplasticity. J Affect Disord 2023; 340:100-112. [PMID: 37543111 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep deprivation (SD) has been suggested to have a rapid antidepressant effect. There is substantial evidence that neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity play critical roles in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of SD to alleviate depression-like behaviors of mice, and the role of neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity in it. METHODS Adult male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) for 6 weeks, and 6 h of SD were administrated. Behavioral tests were performed to measure depression-like behaviors. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were performed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The differentially expressed genes were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity were measured by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS Behavioral tests demonstrated that SD swiftly attenuated the depression-like behaviors induced by CRS. RNA-sequencing identified the upregulated immune and inflammatory pathways after CRS exposure were downregulated by SD. Furthermore, SD reversed the levels of immune and inflammation-related mRNA, pro-inflammatory factors and microglia activation in ACC. Additionally, the impaired neuroplasticity elicited by CRS in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ACC were improved by SD. LIMITATIONS More in-depth studies are required to determine the role of different SD protocols in depressive symptoms and their underlying mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed the rapid antidepressant effect of SD on CRS mice through the reduction of the neuroinflammatory response in ACC and the improvement of neuroplasticity in PFC and ACC, providing a theoretical basis for the clinical application of SD as a rapid antidepressant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxiang Shi
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Mengke Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Weijie Xie
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Peijun Ju
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Ningning Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Dongbin Lyu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Meiti Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China.
| | - Wu Hong
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai 201108, China; Mental Health Branch, China Hospital Development Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
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22
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Dandi Ε, Theotokis P, Petri MC, Sideropoulou V, Spandou E, Tata DA. Environmental enrichment initiated in adolescence restores the reduced expression of synaptophysin and GFAP in the hippocampus of chronically stressed rats in a sex-specific manner. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22422. [PMID: 37796476 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
This study aims at investigating whether environmental enrichment (EE) initiated in adolescence can alter chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-associated changes in astroglial and synaptic plasticity markers in male and female rats. To this end, we studied possible alterations in hippocampal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and synaptophysin (SYN) in CUS rats previously housed in EE. Wistar rats on postnatal day (PND) 23 were housed for 10 weeks in standard housing (SH) or enriched conditions. On PND 66, animals were exposed to CUS for 4 weeks. SYN and GFAP expressions were evaluated in CA1 and CA3 subfields and dentate gyrus (DG). CUS reduced the expression of SYN in all hippocampal areas, whereas lower GFAP expression was evident only in CA1 and CA3. The reduced expression of SYN in DG and CA3 was evident to male SH/CUS rats, whereas the reduced GFAP expression in CA1 and CA3 was limited to SH/CUS females. EE housing increased the hippocampal expression of both markers and protected against CUS-associated decreases. Our findings indicate that the decreases in the expression of SYN and GFAP following CUS are region and sex-specific and underline the neuroprotective role of EE against these CUS-associated changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Εvgenia Dandi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Paschalis Theotokis
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neuroimmunology, 2nd Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Christina Petri
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vaia Sideropoulou
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina A Tata
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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23
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Chen Y, Zhao W, Yi S, Liu J. The diagnostic performance of machine learning based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data for major depressive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1174080. [PMID: 37811326 PMCID: PMC10559726 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1174080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Machine learning (ML) has been widely used to detect and evaluate major depressive disorder (MDD) using neuroimaging data, i.e., resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). However, the diagnostic efficiency is unknown. The aim of the study is to conduct an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ML based on rs-fMRI data for MDD. Methods English databases were searched for relevant studies. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. A random-effects meta-analytic model was implemented to investigate the diagnostic efficiency, including sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC). Regression meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were performed to investigate the cause of heterogeneity. Results Thirty-one studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, DOR, and AUC with 95% confidence intervals were 0.80 (0.75, 0.83), 0.83 (0.74, 0.82), 14.00 (9, 22.00), and 0.86 (0.83, 0.89), respectively. Substantial heterogeneity was observed among the studies included. The meta-regression showed that the leave-one-out cross-validation (loocv) (sensitivity: p < 0.01, specificity: p < 0.001), graph theory (sensitivity: p < 0.05, specificity: p < 0.01), n > 100 (sensitivity: p < 0.001, specificity: p < 0.001), simens equipment (sensitivity: p < 0.01, specificity: p < 0.001), 3.0T field strength (Sensitivity: p < 0.001, specificity: p = 0.04), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (sensitivity: p = 0.04, specificity: p = 0.06) might be the sources of heterogeneity. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis showed that the sample size (n > 100: sensitivity: 0.71, specificity: 0.72, n < 100: sensitivity: 0.81, specificity: 0.79), the different levels of disease evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS/HAMD) (mild vs. moderate vs. severe: sensitivity: 0.52 vs. 0.86 vs. 0.89, specificity: 0.62 vs. 0.78 vs. 0.82, respectively), the depression scales in patients with comparable levels of severity. (BDI vs. HDRS/HAMD: sensitivity: 0.86 vs. 0.87, specificity: 0.78 vs. 0.80, respectively), and the features (graph vs. functional connectivity: sensitivity: 0.84 vs. 0.86, specificity: 0.76 vs. 0.78, respectively) selected might be the causes of heterogeneity. Conclusion ML showed high accuracy for the automatic diagnosis of MDD. Future studies are warranted to promote the potential use of these classification algorithms in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjing Chen
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Sijie Yi
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Zhou H, Wang K, Xu Z, Liu D, Wang Y, Guo M. Chronic unpredictable stress induces depression/anxiety-related behaviors and alterations of hippocampal monoamine receptor mRNA expression in female mice at different ages. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18369. [PMID: 37539192 PMCID: PMC10393760 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders. Though they affect people at any age and occur more often in females, the pathophysiological changes under these conditions are less investigated. In the present study, we examined the effects of age and stress on depression- and anxiety-related behaviors in female mice. Saccharin preference and the open field test were carried out before and after chronic unpredictable stress in 4-, 14- and 25-month-old female mice. After behavioral tests, mRNA levels of monoamine receptors in the hippocampus were measured by real-time RT-PCR. Chronic unpredictable stress decreased saccharin preference in 4-, 14- and 25-month-old mice and the time spent in the center in the open field test in 25-month-old mice. For monoamine receptors, analysis of variance revealed significant effects of age on mRNA levels of Htr1a, Htr2a, Htr6, Adra1a, Adrb2, and Adrb3, significant effects of stress on mRNA levels of Htr4, Adra2c, Adrb1, and Adrb2, and interactions of age × stress on mRNA levels of Htr1a, Htr5b, Adra1d, Adra2a, Adra2c, and Adrb1. Chronic unpredictable stress decreased mRNA levels of Htr4, Htr5b, Adra2c, and Adrb1 in 4-month-old female mice. Correlations were observed between saccharin preference and mRNA levels of Htr4, Htr5b, Htr6, Adra1d, Adra2a, and Adra2c in 4-month-old mice and between the time spent in the center in the open field test and mRNA levels of Htr1b in 4-month-old mice, Htr3a, Htr7, and Adrb2 in 14-month-old mice, and Drd2 in 4- and 14-month-old mice. Our findings support that stress induces depression- and anxiety-related behaviors and the expression of hippocampal monoamine receptors in an age-dependent manner in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
| | - Kaixin Wang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
| | - Zhicheng Xu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
| | - Dunjiang Liu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
| | - Yameng Wang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong, 256603, China
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25
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Herselman MF, Lin L, Luo S, Yamanaka A, Zhou XF, Bobrovskaya L. Sex-Dependent Effects of Chronic Restraint Stress on Mood-Related Behaviours and Neurochemistry in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10353. [PMID: 37373499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210353] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety and depressive disorders are closely associated; however, the pathophysiology of these disorders remains poorly understood. Further exploration of the mechanisms involved in anxiety and depression such as the stress response may provide new knowledge that will contribute to our understanding of these disorders. Fifty-eight 8-12-week-old C57BL6 mice were separated into experimental groups by sex as follows: male controls (n = 14), male restraint stress (n = 14), female controls (n = 15) and female restraint stress (n = 15). These mice were taken through a 4-week randomised chronic restraint stress protocol, and their behaviour, as well as tryptophan metabolism and synaptic proteins, were measured in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Adrenal catecholamine regulation was also measured. The female mice showed greater anxiety-like behaviour than their male counterparts. Tryptophan metabolism was unaffected by stress, but some basal sex characteristics were noted. Synaptic proteins were reduced in the hippocampus in stressed females but increased in the prefrontal cortex of all female mice. These changes were not found in any males. Finally, the stressed female mice showed increased catecholamine biosynthesis capability, but this effect was not found in males. Future studies in animal models should consider these sex differences when evaluating mechanisms related to chronic stress and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauritz Frederick Herselman
- Health and Biomedical Innovation, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Liying Lin
- Health and Biomedical Innovation, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Shayan Luo
- Health and Biomedical Innovation, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | | | - Xin-Fu Zhou
- Health and Biomedical Innovation, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Larisa Bobrovskaya
- Health and Biomedical Innovation, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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26
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Li M, Han L, Xiao J, Zhang S, Liu G, Sun X. IL-1ra treatment prevents chronic social defeat stress-induced depression-like behaviors and glutamatergic dysfunction via the upregulation of CREB-BDNF. J Affect Disord 2023; 335:358-370. [PMID: 37217098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β has been proposed to be a key mediator in the pathophysiology of mood-related disorders. However, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a natural antagonist of IL-1 and plays a key role in the regulation of IL-1-mediated inflammation, the effects of IL-1ra in stress-induced depression has not been well elucidated. METHODS Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to investigate the effects of IL-1ra. ELISA kit and qPCR were used to detect IL-1ra levels. Golgi staining and electrophysiological recordings were used to investigate glutamatergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were used to analyze CREB-BDNF pathway and synaptic proteins. RESULTS Serum levels of IL-1ra increased significantly in two animal models of depression, and there was a significant correlation between serum IL-1ra levels and depression-like behaviors. Both CSDS and LPS induced the imbalance of IL-1ra and IL-1β in the hippocampus. Furthermore, chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of IL-1ra not only blocked CSDS-induced depression-like behaviors, but also alleviated CSDS-induced decrease in dendritic spine density and impairments in AMPARs-mediated neurotransmission. Finally, IL-1ra treatment produces antidepressant-like effects through the activation of CREB-BDNF in the hippocampus. LIMITATION Further studies need to investigate the effect of IL-1ra in the periphery in CSDS-induced depression. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that the imbalance of IL-1ra and IL-1β reduces the expression of the CREB-BDNF pathway in the hippocampus, which dysregulates AMPARs-mediated neurotransmission, ultimately leading to depression-like behaviors. IL-1ra could be a new potential candidate for the treatment of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Li
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430012, China; Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan 430012, China.
| | - Li Han
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430012, China; Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan 430012, China
| | - Junli Xiao
- Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430012, China; Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan 430012, China
| | - Song Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Guangya Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan 430023, China.
| | - Xuejiao Sun
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
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27
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Li JM, Hu T, Zhou XN, Zhang T, Guo JH, Wang MY, Wu YL, Su WJ, Jiang CL. The involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome in CUMS-induced AD-like pathological changes and related cognitive decline in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:112. [PMID: 37165444 PMCID: PMC10173607 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02791-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have found that inhibiting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome can significantly improve depressive-like behaviors in mice, but the research on its effect on cognitive decline in depression and its mechanism is still lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in cognitive decline in depression and explore the common neuro-immunological mechanisms of depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 5 weeks, treatment group was administered with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), fluoxetine served as positive control. Then, the mice were assessed for cognitive behaviors and depression-like behaviors, and changes of microglia and neurons in hippocampus and levels of Aβ metabolic pathway and tau protein were measured. To explore the mechanism of NLRP3 activation on neurons, we performed in vitro studies using BV2 microglia and mouse primary neurons. Furthermore, we focused on the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the function of neurons and the expression of AD pathological indicators. RESULTS CUMS induced depressive-like behaviors and cognitive decline in mice, which could be reversed by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome. MCC950, a specific NLRP3 inhibitor, alleviated CUMS-induced neuron injury and AD-like pathological changes, including the abnormal expression of Aβ metabolic pathway and the hyper-phosphorylation of tau protein. LPS (1 μg/mL) + ATP (1 mM) treatment activated the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β in vitro. In vitro experiment also proved that inhibiting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia can restore the Aβ metabolic pathway to normal, decrease neuronal tau protein phosphorylation and protect neurons. CONCLUSIONS Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome effectively alleviated CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors and cognitive decline in mice, and inhibited the activation of AD physiological indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Mei Li
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Neurology, Navy 971st Hospital of PLA, Minjiang Road 22, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Ting Hu
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiao-Na Zhou
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jia-Hui Guo
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Min-Yuan Wang
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yi-Lin Wu
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wen-Jun Su
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Chun-Lei Jiang
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road 800, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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28
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Su W, Ju J, Gu M, Wang X, Liu S, Yu J, Mu D. SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein triggers depression-like behaviors and dysosmia via TLR2-mediated neuroinflammation in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:110. [PMID: 37158916 PMCID: PMC10166055 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02786-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression and dysosmia have been regarded as primary neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, the mechanism of which remains unclear. Current studies have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein is a pro-inflammatory factor sensed by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), suggesting the pathological feature of E protein is independent of viral infection. In this study, we aim to ascertain the role of E protein in depression, dysosmia and associated neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). METHODS Depression-like behaviors and olfactory function were observed in both female and male mice receiving intracisternal injection of E protein. Immunohistochemistry was applied in conjunction with RT-PCR to evaluate glial activation, blood-brain barrier status and mediators synthesis in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb. TLR2 was pharmacologically blocked to determine its role in E protein-related depression-like behaviors and dysosmia in mice. RESULTS Intracisternal injection of E protein evoked depression-like behaviors and dysosmia in both female and male mice. Immunohistochemistry suggested that the E protein upregulated IBA1 and GFAP in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb, while ZO-1 was downregulated. Moreover, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, MMP2 and CSF1 were upregulated in both cortex and hippocampus, whereas IL-1β, IL-6 and CCL2 were upregulated in the olfactory bulb. Furtherly, inhibiting microglia, rather than astrocytes, alleviated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by E protein. Finally, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry suggested that TLR2 was upregulated in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb, the blocking of which mitigated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by E protein. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that envelope protein could directly induce depression-like behaviors, dysosmia, and obvious neuroinflammation in CNS. TLR2 mediated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by envelope protein, which could serve as a promising therapeutic target for neurological manifestation in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenliang Su
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahang Ju
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121 China
| | - Minghui Gu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei China
| | - Xinrui Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaozhuang Liu
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Sanhao Street 36, Shenyang, 110004 Liaoning China
| | - Jiawen Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Dongliang Mu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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29
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Molina P, Andero R, Armario A. Restraint or immobilization: a comparison of methodologies for restricting free movement in rodents and their potential impact on physiology and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105224. [PMID: 37156310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105224] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Restriction of free movement has historically been used as a model for inducing acute and chronic stress in laboratory animals. This paradigm is one of the most widely employed experimental procedures for basic research studies of stress-related disorders. It is easy to implement, and it rarely involves any physical harm to the animal. Many different restraint methods have been developed with variations in the apparatuses used and the degree of limitation of movement. Unfortunately, very few studies directly compare the differential impact of the distinct protocols. Additionally, restraint and immobilization terms are not differentiated and are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. This review offers evidence of great physiological differences in the impact of distinct restraint procedures in rats and mice and emphasizes the need for a standardized language on this topic. Moreover, it illustrates the necessity of additional systematic studies that compare the effects of the distinct restraint methodologies, which would help to decide better which procedure should be used depending on the objectives of each particular study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Molina
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Deparment of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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Shi L, Xia Z, Guo J, Wang L, Peng Z, Qiu D, Zhou Y, Zhou D, Kuang L, Qiu T. Maresin-1 improves LPS-induced depressive-like behavior by inhibiting hippocampal microglial activation. J Affect Disord 2023; 328:261-272. [PMID: 36813041 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Maresin-1 is an antiphlogistic agonist synthesized by macrophages from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It has both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory properties and has been found to enhance neuroprotection and cognitive function. However, there is limited knowledge of its effects on depression and the potential mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the effects of Maresin-1 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depressive symptoms and neuroinflammation were investigated in mice and the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms were further clarified. Maresin-1 treatment (5 μg/kg, i.p.) led to improved tail suspension times, as well as distances moved in an open-field test but it did not improve reductions in sugar-water consumption in mice with depressive-like behaviors induced by LPS (1 mg/kg, i.p.); TSPO PETCT scanning showed that Maresin-1 reduced the standardized uptake value (SUV) of [18 F] DPA-714 in brain regions associated with depression (e.g., hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex), while immunofluorescence of hippocampal and indicated that Maresin-1 inhibited microglial activation reducing the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and NLRP3. The RNA sequencing of mouse hippocampi showed that genes expressed differentially between Maresin-1-treated and LPS-treated tissue were associated with tight connections between cells and the stress-activated MAPK cascade negative regulatory pathways. Overall, this study demonstrates that peripheral application of Maresin-1 could partially relieve LPS-induced depressive-like behaviors and showed for the first time that this effect was related to its anti-inflammatory action on microglia, thus providing new clues for the pharmacological mechanism underlying the anti-depression properties of Maresin-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Zhu Xia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiamei Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lixia Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Zhiping Peng
- Department of Radiological Medicine, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dachuan Qiu
- Department of Radiological Medicine, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Dongdong Zhou
- Mental Health Center, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Tian Qiu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.
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Bashir ST, Redden CR, Raj K, Arcanjo RB, Stasiak S, Li Q, Steelman AJ, Nowak RA. Endometriosis leads to central nervous system-wide glial activation in a mouse model of endometriosis. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:59. [PMID: 36879305 PMCID: PMC9987089 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02713-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common symptom of endometriosis. Women with endometriosis are also at a high risk of suffering from anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders. Recent studies indicate that endometriosis can affect the central nervous system (CNS). Changes in the functional activity of neurons, functional magnetic resonance imaging signals, and gene expression have been reported in the brains of rat and mouse models of endometriosis. The majority of the studies thus far have focused on neuronal changes, whereas changes in the glial cells in different brain regions have not been studied. METHODS Endometriosis was induced in female mice (45-day-old; n = 6-11/timepoint) by syngeneic transfer of donor uterine tissue into the peritoneal cavity of recipient animals. Brains, spines, and endometriotic lesions were collected for analysis at 4, 8, 16, and 32 days post-induction. Sham surgery mice were used as controls (n = 6/timepoint). The pain was assessed using behavioral tests. Using immunohistochemistry for microglia marker ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 (IBA1) and machine learning "Weka trainable segmentation" plugin in Fiji, we evaluated the morphological changes in microglia in different brain regions. Changes in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocytes, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-6 (IL6) were also evaluated. RESULTS We observed an increase in microglial soma size in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus of mice with endometriosis compared to sham controls on days 8, 16, and 32. The percentage of IBA1 and GFAP-positive area was increased in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus in mice with endometriosis compared to sham controls on day 16. The number of microglia and astrocytes did not differ between endometriosis and sham control groups. We observed increased TNF and IL6 expression when expression levels from all brain regions were combined. Mice with endometriosis displayed reduced burrowing behavior and hyperalgesia in the abdomen and hind-paw. CONCLUSION We believe this is the first report of central nervous system-wide glial activation in a mouse model of endometriosis. These results have significant implications for understanding chronic pain associated with endometriosis and other issues such as anxiety and depression in women with endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shah Tauseef Bashir
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Catherine R Redden
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Kishori Raj
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Rachel B Arcanjo
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sandra Stasiak
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Quanxi Li
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Andrew J Steelman
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Romana A Nowak
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Room 314 ASL, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Amentoflavone and methyl hesperidin, novel lead molecules targeting epitranscriptomic modulator in acute myeloid leukemia: in silico drug screening and molecular dynamics simulation approach. J Mol Model 2023; 29:9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00894-022-05407-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
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Lombardo G, Nettis MA, Hastings C, Zajkowska Z, Mariani N, Nikkheslat N, Worrell C, Enache D, McLaughlin A, Kose M, Bogdanova A, Sforzini L, Cleare AJ, Young AH, Dazzan P, Mondelli V, Pariante CM. Sex differences in a double-blind randomized clinical trial with minocycline in treatment-resistant depressed patients: CRP and IL-6 as sex-specific predictors of treatment response. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100561. [PMID: 36467125 PMCID: PMC9712814 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100561] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inflammation is a well-known risk factor for depression. Specifically, patients who do not respond to antidepressant treatment show higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers compared with responders. Thus, several studies have investigated the efficacy of anti-inflammatory add-on treatment in this population. However, major depressive disorder is more prevalent in females than in males, with sex differences present in antidepressant treatment response and in immune system regulation. To explore sex differences in inflammatory profiles and treatment responses, we investigated a cohort of patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD), for which they received an adjunctive, anti-inflammatory treatment with minocycline - the Minocycline in Depression (MINDEP) study. Methods The MINDEP study is a 4-week double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial (stratified by sex) with 39 TRD participants, which demonstrated the efficacy of minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties, in TRD patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and evidence of low-grade inflammation measured with C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 3 mg/L. In these secondary analyses, we investigated the differential effects of minocycline in females (N = 22, 10 randomised to minocycline and 12 randomised to placebo) and in males (N = 17, 8 randomised to minocycline and 9 randomised to placebo) on changes in depressive symptoms (Δ- Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD)-17), taking also into consideration CRP levels (CRP ≥3 mg/L vs. CRP <3 mg/L). Additionally, we investigated the role of serum IL-6 in predicting treatment response to minocycline, using sex-specific medians of IL-6, in novel exploratory analyses. Results Sex differences in Δ-HAMD-17 indicate that only females (F = 10.49, p = 0.005), but not males (F = 1.64, p = 0.22), presented an effect of CRP levels on the response to minocycline. Also, we detected sex differences in the relationship between serum CRP and IL-6 levels: CRP was strongly correlated with IL-6 in females (Spearman's ρ = 0.658, P < 0.001) but not in males (ρ = 0.007, p = 0.979). Exploratory analyses found that IL-6 was indeed a better predictor of response than minocycline than CRP, as we found an interaction between study arms and IL-6 groups (above and below the IL-6 sex-specific median) in females (F = 4.435 p = 0.050) and, at trend statistical level, in males (F = 4.258 p = 0.060). Moreover, Δ-HAMD-17 was numerically comparable in the two high-IL-6 group taking minocycline (females, mean 9.20 ± SD 7.80; males, mean 8.80 ± SD 5.97), confirming that high IL-6, differently from high CRP, identified responders to minocycline both in males and females. Conclusion Our findings highlight the need of sex-specific inflammatory biomarkers in predicting antidepressant response to anti-inflammatories in TRD patients, with the possibility of CRP being a relevant predictor of treatment response only for females, and IL-6 being relevant for both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Lombardo
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Maria Antonietta Nettis
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Caitlin Hastings
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Zuzanna Zajkowska
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nicole Mariani
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Naghmeh Nikkheslat
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Courtney Worrell
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Daniela Enache
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna McLaughlin
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Melisa Kose
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Anna Bogdanova
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Luca Sforzini
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK
| | - Anthony J Cleare
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Allan H Young
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paola Dazzan
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Valeria Mondelli
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, London, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
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Markov DD, Novosadova EV. Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Model of Depression: Possible Sources of Poor Reproducibility and Latent Variables. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:1621. [PMID: 36358321 PMCID: PMC9687170 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mood disorders worldwide. A lack of understanding of the exact neurobiological mechanisms of depression complicates the search for new effective drugs. Animal models are an important tool in the search for new approaches to the treatment of this disorder. All animal models of depression have certain advantages and disadvantages. We often hear that the main drawback of the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression is its poor reproducibility, but rarely does anyone try to find the real causes and sources of such poor reproducibility. Analyzing the articles available in the PubMed database, we tried to identify the factors that may be the sources of the poor reproducibility of CUMS. Among such factors, there may be chronic sleep deprivation, painful stressors, social stress, the difference in sex and age of animals, different stress susceptibility of different animal strains, handling quality, habituation to stressful factors, various combinations of physical and psychological stressors in the CUMS protocol, the influence of olfactory and auditory stimuli on animals, as well as the possible influence of various other factors that are rarely taken into account by researchers. We assume that careful inspection of these factors will increase the reproducibility of the CUMS model between laboratories and allow to make the interpretation of the obtained results and their comparison between laboratories to be more adequate.
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Chen Y, Cai W, Li C, Su Z, Guo Z, Li Z, Wang C, Xu F. Sex differences in peripheral monoamine transmitter and related hormone levels in chronic stress mice with a depression-like phenotype. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14014. [PMID: 36132219 PMCID: PMC9484450 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Backgrounds Chronic stress could induce depression-like phenotype in animal models. Previous data showed that sex differences exist after chronic stress model establishment, however, the detailed information about the difference of blood biochemical indexes is not clear. In this study, we aim to supply comparison of monoamine transmitters and related hormone markers in serum between male and female depressed mice, and in order to better understand the sex difference in transmitters and hormone levels in depression occurrence and development. Methods Sixty C57BL/6 mice (both male and female) were divided into two groups by gender. Same gender mice were then divided randomly into the non-treated control group and chronic stress group which was exposed to 8 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Depression-like behavior was assessed with open-field test and sucrose preference test. Blood sample was collected and monoamine transmitter and related hormone in serum were measured by ELISA. Results The depression-like phenotype mice model was established successfully after 8 weeks of chronic stress. The locomotion activity scores in male stressed mice declined more than that in female stressed mice, while the exploratory behavior scores in female stressed mice declined more than that in male stressed mice. Compared to non-treated control group mice, mice in the chronic stress group in response to stress showed greater declines in monoamine transmitters (5-HT, dopamine, norepinephrine) and sex hormones (androgen, estrogen, oxytocin and prolactin), while stress hormones (adrenaline, corticosterone and ACTH) were significantly increased. The decrease of norepinephrine, androgen and estrogen in female stressed mice was greater than in male stressed mice, whereas the 5-HT and oxytocin in male stressed mice decreased more than in female stressed mice, and the corticosterone in male stressed mice increased more than in female stressed mice. Conclusion Sex differences of monoamine transmitter and related hormone levels in serum occurred in chronic stress induced depression-like phenotype mice model. It may provide a useful reference to guide precise antidepressant treatment in different gender population in clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yitian Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weijia Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Canye Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zuanjun Su
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijun Guo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuman Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
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Serna-Rodríguez MF, Bernal-Vega S, de la Barquera JAOS, Camacho-Morales A, Pérez-Maya AA. The role of damage associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) and permeability of the blood-brain barrier in depression and neuroinflammation. J Neuroimmunol 2022; 371:577951. [PMID: 35994946 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2022.577951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a heterogeneous mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness and loss of interest that render the subject unable to handle basic daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working. Neurobiological traits leading to depression include genetic background, early life abuse, life stressors, and systemic and central inflammatory profiles. Several clinical and preclinical reports documented that depression shows an increase in pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukin (IL-)1β, IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interferon (IFN)-γ; and a decrease in anti-inflammatory IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β species. Inflammatory activation may trigger and maintain depression. Dynamic crosstalk between the peripheral immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) such as activated endothelial cells, monocytes, monocyte-derived dendritic cells, macrophages, T cells, and microglia has been proposed as a leading cause of neuroinflammation. Notably, pro-inflammatory cytokines disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and serotonergic, noradrenergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmission. While still under investigation, peripheral cytokines can engage brain pathways and affect the central synthesis of HPA hormones and neurotransmitters through several mechanisms such as activation of the vagus nerve, increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), altered cytokines transport systems, and engaging toll-like receptors (TLRs) by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). However, physiological mechanisms that favor time-dependent central inflammation before or during illness are not totally understood. This review will provide preclinical and clinical evidence of DAMPs and the BBB permeability as contributors to depression and neuroinflammation. We will also discuss pharmacologic approaches that could potentially modulate DAMPs and BBB permeability for future interventions against major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernanda Serna-Rodríguez
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Monterrey CP. 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Sofía Bernal-Vega
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Monterrey CP. 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | | | - Alberto Camacho-Morales
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Monterrey CP. 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
| | - Antonio Alí Pérez-Maya
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Monterrey CP. 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
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Liang L, Wang H, Hu Y, Bian H, Xiao L, Wang G. Oridonin relieves depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting neuroinflammation and autophagy impairment in rats subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress. Phytother Res 2022; 36:3335-3351. [PMID: 35686337 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe life-threatening disorder with increasing prevalence. However, the mechanistic interplay between depression, neuroinflammation, and autophagy is yet to be demonstrated. This study investigated the effect of Oridonin on CUMS-induced depression, neuroinflammation, and autophagy impairment. Male 4-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), some of which were injected with Oridonin, fluoxetine (FLX), or their combination at different durations of CUMS. CUMS significantly increased the levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1), reduced autophagy-related protein levels (Beclin-1, p62, Atg5, and LC3B), and caused microglia cells activation. Oridonin prevented and reversed the depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, it has a stronger and longer-lasting antidepressant effect than FLX. And the antidepressant effect of Oridonin in combination with fluoxetine was greater than that of high-dose fluoxetine alone. In addition, Oridonin significantly normalized autophagy-related protein levels, and reduced levels of cytokines by blocking the interaction between NLRP3 and NEK7. Similarly, Oridonin abolished levels of cytokines and reversed autophagy impairment in LPS-activated BV2 cells. All these results supported our hypothesis that Oridonin possesses potent anti-depressive action, which might be mediated via inhibition of neuroinflammation and autophagy impairment by blocking the interaction between NLRP3 and NEK7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Psychology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Hu
- Department of Psychology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hetao Bian
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Li JM, Hu T, Jiang CL, Wang W. Pinocembrin ameliorates depressive-like behaviors by regulating P2X7/TRL4 receptors expression in mouse hippocampus. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:301-308. [PMID: 35621136 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that immune dysfunction may contribute to the neurobiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) were recently reckoned pivotally to regulate NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in microglia. Pinocembrin, one of the primary flavonoids from Pinus heartwood and Eucalyptus, has been studied in various animal models of human disease with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Herein, we investigated the potential antineuroinflammatory effects of pinocembrin on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive-like behavior. Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to CUMS for 4 weeks, treatment group was injected with pinocembrin at a dose of 20 mg/kg. After the stress procedure, behavioral tests, including sucrose preference tests (SPTs) and tail suspension tests (TSTs) were performed to evaluate depressive-like phenotype. Subsequently, the expression of cytokines and microglia-related inflammatory biomarkers were assessed. In the study, we found that pinocembrin significantly blocked the declination of SPT percentage and the extension of TST immobility durations in the depression mouse model. Also, we observed that pinocembrin significantly suppressed microglial activation in the hippocampus. Additionally, pinocembrin downregulated hippocampal NLRP3 through P2X7/TLR4 pathway, and also regulated the CUMS-induced imbalance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. In conclusion, pinocembrin ameliorates CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors possibly through downregulating P2X7/TLR4 pathway, providing the mechanism of antidepressant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Mei Li
- Department of Stress Medicine, Faculty of Psychology, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Selection of the Male or Female Sex in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Animal Models of Depression. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:2602276. [PMID: 35813234 PMCID: PMC9262579 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2602276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a serious public health problem and an important factor leading to disease-related disability. Influenced by many factors, such as psychological, hormonal, and genetic factors, the incidence rate of depression in females is approximately two times that in males. However, in preclinical neuroscience research, the selection of the animals' sex for use in depression models has been controversial. At present, in most preclinical studies, the animals generally chosen in depression models have been male rodents rather than female rodents. It remains doubtful whether the data obtained from male animals can be generalized to female animals. The performance of female animals in preclinical studies of depression has been inconclusive. Based on a review of a large number of original studies in the PubMed database, it was found that although male rodents are more commonly used in the study of depression, the use of female animals also shows good modeling of depression and has its advantages. The influence of the animals' sex in the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model needs further research.
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Wang T, Weng H, Zhou H, Yang Z, Tian Z, Xi B, Li Y. Esketamine alleviates postoperative depression-like behavior through anti-inflammatory actions in mouse prefrontal cortex. J Affect Disord 2022; 307:97-107. [PMID: 35378150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The rising incidence of postoperative depression (POD) in recent years has placed a heavy burden on patients' physical and mental health. At this point in time, however, POD pathogenesis remains poorly understood and novel therapeutic strategies are being sought. The present study aimed to clarify esketamine's protective effects and possible mechanisms of action in POD. To this avail, we used an animal model of postoperative depression to analyze behavioral, parameters, plus the inflammatory response in serum and in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Using immunofluorescence staining, we detected the number of microglia and parvalbumin (PV) in mPFC, and determined changes in neuronal dendritic spine density via Golgi staining. Expression of Iba1, PSD95 and NF-κB was examined by Western blot analysis. Our results show that esketamine can significantly improve depression-like symptoms caused by anesthesia and surgery. In addition, esketamine administration reversed the decrease in the density of PV neurons and restored synaptogenesis in mPFC which had been perturbed by inflammation. The evidence obtained suggests esketamine's anti-inflammatory effects may be mediated by the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and possibly by attenuation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. These data warrant further investigations into the interplay of esketamine, and microglia in the modulation of POD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Huandi Weng
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongji Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Zecheng Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhongyou Tian
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Biao Xi
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233003, Anhui, China
| | - Yalan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China.
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Wang H, He Y, Sun Z, Ren S, Liu M, Wang G, Yang J. Microglia in depression: an overview of microglia in the pathogenesis and treatment of depression. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:132. [PMID: 35668399 PMCID: PMC9168645 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02492-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a highly debilitating psychiatric disorder involving the dysfunction of different cell types in the brain. Microglia are the predominant resident immune cells in the brain and exhibit a critical role in depression. Recent studies have suggested that depression can be regarded as a microglial disease. Microglia regulate inflammation, synaptic plasticity, and the formation of neural networks, all of which affect depression. In this review, we highlighted the role of microglia in the pathology of depression. First, we described microglial activation in animal models and clinically depressed patients. Second, we emphasized the possible mechanisms by which microglia recognize depression-associated stress and regulate conditions. Third, we described how antidepressants (clinical medicines and natural products) affect microglial activation. Thus, this review aimed to objectively analyze the role of microglia in depression and focus on potential antidepressants. These data suggested that regulation of microglial actions might be a novel therapeutic strategy to counteract the adverse effects of devastating mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yi He
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zuoli Sun
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Siyu Ren
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Mingxia Liu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Gang Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China. .,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Jian Yang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, 5 Ankang Lane, Dewai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100088, China. .,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, 10 Xi tou tiao, You An Men Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100069, China.
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43
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Liu X, Han Y, Zhou S, Tian J, Qin X, Ji C, Zhao W, Chen A. Serum metabolomic responses to aerobic exercise in rats under chronic unpredictable mild stress. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4888. [PMID: 35318439 PMCID: PMC8941184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09102-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study analyzed the effects of aerobic exercise on endogenous serum metabolites in response to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) using a rat model, aiming to identify the metabolic regulatory pathways involved in the antidepressant effect resulted from a 28-day treadmill aerobic exercise intervention. The animals were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): normal control, normal with aerobic exercise, CUMS control, and CUMS with aerobic exercise. Body weight, sucrose preference and open field tests were performed weekly during the intervention period for changes in depressant symptoms. Serum metabolic profiles obtained by using the LC-MS/MS metabolomics were analyzed to explore the regulatory mechanism for the effect of the aerobic exercise on depression. Behavior tests showed that the aerobic exercise resulted in a significant improvement in depression-like behavior in the CUMS rats. A total of 21 differential metabolites were identified as being associated with depression in serum metabolic profile, of which the aerobic exercise significantly modulated 15, mainly related to amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. Collectively, this is the first study that LC-MS/MS techniques were used to reveal the modulatory effects of aerobic exercise on the serum metabolic profile of depressed rats and the findings further enriched our understanding of potential mechanisms of aerobic exercise interventions on depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Liu
- School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yumei Han
- School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.
- Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.
| | - Shi Zhou
- Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
| | - Junsheng Tian
- Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xuemei Qin
- Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
- Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Cui Ji
- School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Weidi Zhao
- School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Anping Chen
- School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.
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Gaspar R, Soares-Cunha C, Domingues AV, Coimbra B, Baptista FI, Pinto L, Ambrósio AF, Rodrigues AJ, Gomes CA. The Duration of Stress Determines Sex Specificities in the Vulnerability to Depression and in the Morphologic Remodeling of Neurons and Microglia. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:834821. [PMID: 35330844 PMCID: PMC8940280 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.834821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure has been shown to induce a variety of molecular and functional alterations associated with anxiety and depression. Some studies suggest that microglia, the immune cells of the brain, play a significant role in determining neuronal and behavioral responses to chronic stress and also contribute to the development of stress-related psychopathologies. However, little is known about the impact of the duration of stress exposure upon microglia and neurons morphology, particularly considering sex differences. This issue deserves particular investigation, considering that the process of morphologic remodeling of neurons and microglia is usually accompanied by functional changes with behavioral expression. Here, we examine the effects of short and long unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS) protocols on behavior, evaluating in parallel microglia and neurons morphology in the dorsal hippocampus (dHIP) and in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), two brain regions involved in the etiology of depression. We report that long-term uCMS induced more behavioral alterations in males, which present anxiety and depression-like phenotypes (anhedonia and helplessness behavior), while females only display anxiety-like behavior. After short-term uCMS, both sexes presented anxiety-like behavior. Microglia cells undergo a process of morphologic adaptation to short-term uCMS, dependent on sex, in the NAc: we observed a hypertrophy in males and an atrophy in females, transient effects that do not persist after long-term uCMS. In the dHIP, the morphologic adaptation of microglia is only observed in females (hypertrophy) and after the protocol of long uCMS. Interestingly, males are more vulnerable to neuronal morphological alterations in a region-specific manner: dendritic atrophy in granule neurons of the dHIP and hypertrophy in the medium spiny neurons of the NAc, both after short- or long-term uCMS. The morphology of neurons in these brain regions were not affected in females. These findings raise the possibility that, by differentially affecting neurons and microglia in dHIP and NAc, chronic stress may contribute for differences in the clinical presentation of stress-related disorders under the control of sex-specific mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Gaspar
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s –PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Verónica Domingues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s –PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s –PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Filipa I. Baptista
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s –PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António F. Ambrósio
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s –PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Ana João Rodrigues,
| | - Catarina A. Gomes
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal
- Catarina A. Gomes,
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Ginsenoside Rg1 Reduced Microglial Activation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Alleviate Depression-Like Behaviour Via the GAS5/EZH2/SOCS3/NRF2 Axis. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:2855-2873. [PMID: 35230663 PMCID: PMC9016007 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02740-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ginsenoside Rg1 is the principal active ingredient in ginseng. The antidepressant effects of Rg1 have been validated; however, the specific underlying mechanism of this effect needs further research. Rats were subjected to the chronic restraint stress (CRS) depression model. Rg1, or a positive control drug, was administered to the rats. Depression-like behaviours were evaluated through behavioural experiments. Cytokine, mRNA, protein, ATP, and mitochondria DNA levels were detected using the indicated methods. Lentivirus-packaged plasmids were injected into the rat brain for GAS5 overexpression or knockdown. In vitro mitochondrial dysfunction was evaluated by detecting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential. Direct interaction between GAS5 and EZH2 was validated by RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assay. The enrichment of EZH2 and H3K27me3 was evaluated through chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative real-time PCR. Rg1 treatment alleviated depression-like behaviours, microglial activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in CRS rats. Similarly, GAS5 knockdown revealed a similar protective effect of Rg1 treatment. GAS5 overexpression in the rat brain compromised the protective effect of Rg1 treatment. Moreover, Rg1 treatment or GAS5 knockdown attenuated microglial activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro. Mechanically, GAS5 was suppressed SOCS3 and NRF2 expression by facilitating EZH2-mediated transcriptional repression. Rg1 attenuated microglial activation and improved mitochondrial dysfunction in depression by downregulating GAS5 expression. Mechanically, GAS5 might regulate microglial activation and mitochondrial dysfunction via the epigenetic suppression of NRF2 and SOCS3.
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46
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Stress induced microglial activation contributes to depression. Pharmacol Res 2022; 179:106145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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47
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Zhuang H, Yao X, Li H, Li Q, Yang C, Wang C, Xu D, Xiao Y, Gao Y, Gao J, Bi M, Liu R, Teng G, Liu L. Long-term high-fat diet consumption by mice throughout adulthood induces neurobehavioral alterations and hippocampal neuronal remodeling accompanied by augmented microglial lipid accumulation. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 100:155-171. [PMID: 34848340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
High-fat diet (HFD) consumption is generally associated with an increased risk of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions that constitute a sizeable worldwide health burden with profound social and economic consequences. Middle age is a critical time period that affects one's health later in life; pertinently, the prevalence of HFD consumption is increasing among mature adults. Given the growing health-related economic burden imposed globally by increasing rates of noncommunicable diseases in rapidly aging populations, along with the pervasive but insidious health impairments associated with HFD consumption, it is critically important to understand the effects of long-term HFD consumption on brain function and to gain insights into their potential underlying mechanisms. In the present study, adult male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned a control diet (CD, 10 kJ% from fat) or an HFD (60 kJ% from fat) for 6 months (6 M) or 9 months (9 M) followed by behavioral tests, serum biochemical analysis, and histological examinations of both the dorsal and ventral regions of the hippocampus. In both the 6 M and 9 M cohorts, mice that consumed an HFD exhibited poorer memory performance in the Morris water maze test (MWM) and greater depression- and anxiety-like behavior during the open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT) and forced swim test (FST) than control mice. Compared with age-matched mice in the CD group, mice in the HFD group showed abnormal hippocampal neuronal morphology, which was particularly evident in the ventral hippocampus. Hippocampal microglia in mice in the HFD group generally had a more activated phenotype evidenced by a smaller microglial territory area and increased cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68, a marker of phagocytic activity) immunoreactivity, while the microglial density in the dentate gyrus (DG) was decreased, indicating microglial decline. The engulfment of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95, a general postsynaptic marker) puncta by microglia was increased in the HFD groups. Histological analysis of neutral lipids using a fluorescent probe (BODIPY) revealed that the total neutral lipid content in regions of interests (ROIs) and the lipid load in microglia were increased in the HFD group relative to the age-matched CD group. In summary, our results demonstrated that chronic HFD consumption from young adulthood to middle age induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior as well as memory impairment. The negative influence of chronic HFD consumption on behavioral and hippocampal neuroplasticity appears to be linked to a change in microglial phenotype that is accompanied by a remarkable increase in cellular lipid accumulation. These observations highlighting the potential to target lipid metabolism deficits to reduce the risk of HFD-associated emotional dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhuang
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiuting Yao
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hong Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Qian Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Chenxi Yang
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Conghui Wang
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dan Xu
- School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009
| | - Yu Xiao
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jiayi Gao
- Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Mingze Bi
- Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Gaojun Teng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Lijie Liu
- Department of Physiology, Medical College, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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48
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Yan L, Jayaram M, Chithanathan K, Zharkovsky A, Tian L. Sex-Specific Microglial Activation and SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Expression Induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:750373. [PMID: 34899189 PMCID: PMC8654352 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.750373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated a lot of stress and anxiety among not only infected patients but also the general population across the globe, which disturbs cerebral immune homeostasis and potentially exacerbates the SARS-CoV-2 virus-induced neuroinflammation, especially among people susceptible to neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we used a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model to study its effects on glia-mediated neuroinflammation and expression of SARS-CoV2 viral receptors. We observed that female mice showed depressive-like behavior after CUMS, whereas male mice showed enhanced anxiety and social withdrawal. Interestingly, CUMS led to increased amounts of total and MHCII+ microglia in the hippocampi of female mice but not male mice. mRNA levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (Ace2) and basigin (Bsg) were also upregulated in the prefrontal cortices of stressed female mice but not male mice. Similarly, sex-specific changes in SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors FURIN and neuropilin-1 (NRP1) were also observed in monocytes of human caregivers enduring chronic stress. Our findings provided evidence on detrimental effects of chronic stress on the brain and behavior and implied potential sex-dependent susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection after chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Yan
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mohan Jayaram
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Keerthana Chithanathan
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alexander Zharkovsky
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Li Tian
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Ghosh S, Mohammed Z, Singh I. Bruton's tyrosine kinase drives neuroinflammation and anxiogenic behavior in mouse models of stress. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:289. [PMID: 34895246 PMCID: PMC8665324 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02322-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current therapies targeting several neurotransmitter systems are only able to partially mitigate the symptoms of stress- and trauma-related disorder. Stress and trauma-related disorders lead to a prominent inflammatory response in humans, and in pre-clinical models. However, mechanisms underlying the induction of neuroinflammatory response in PTSD and anxiety disorders are not clearly understood. The present study investigated the mechanism underlying the activation of proinflammatory NLRP3 inflammasome and IL1β in mouse models of stress. METHODS We used two mouse models of stress, i.e., mice subjected to physical restraint stress with brief underwater submersion, and predator odor stress. Mice were injected with MCC950, a small molecule specific inhibitor of NLRP3 activation. To pharmacologically inhibit BTK, a specific inhibitor ibrutinib was used. To validate the observation from ibrutinib studies, a separate group of mice was injected with another BTK-specific inhibitor LFM-A13. Seven days after the induction of stress, mice were examined for anxious behavior using open field test (OFT), light-dark test (LDT), and elevated plus maze test (EPM). Following the behavior tests, hippocampus and amygdale were extracted and analyzed for various components of NLRP3-caspase 1-IL1β pathway. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were also used to assess the induction of NLRP3-Caspase 1-IL-1β pathway in stressed mice. RESULTS Using two different pre-clinical models of stress, we demonstrate heightened anxious behavior in female mice as compared to their male counterparts. Stressed animals exhibited upregulation of proinflammatory IL1β, IL-6, Caspase 1 activity and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in brain, which were significantly higher in female mice. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation led to anxiolysis as well as attenuated neuroinflammatory response. Further, we observed induction of activated Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), an upstream positive-regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, in hippocampus and amygdala of stressed mice. Next, we conducted proof-of-concept pharmacological BTK inhibitor studies with ibrutinib and LFM-A13. In both sets of experiments, we found BTK inhibition led to anxiolysis and attenuated neuroinflammation, as indicated by significant reduction of NLRP3 inflammasome and proinflammatory IL-1β in hippocampus and amygdala. Analysis of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells indicated peripheral induction of NLRP3-caspase 1-IL1β pathway in stressed mice. CONCLUSION Our study identified BTK as a key upstream regulator of neuroinflammation, which drives anxiogenic behavior in mouse model of stress. Further, we demonstrated the sexually divergent activation of BTK, providing a clue to heightened neuroinflammation and anxiogenic response to stress in females as compared to their male counterparts. Our data from the pharmacological inhibition studies suggest BTK as a novel target for the development of potential clinical treatment of PTSD and anxiety disorders. Induction of pBTK and NLRP3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of stressed mice suggest the potential effect of stress on systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simantini Ghosh
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Ashoka University, Rai, India.
| | | | - Itender Singh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, Delhi University, New Delhi, India
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Gallego-Landin I, García-Baos A, Castro-Zavala A, Valverde O. Reviewing the Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Pathophysiology of Depression. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:762738. [PMID: 34938182 PMCID: PMC8685322 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.762738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a high-impact, debilitating disease and it is currently considered the most prevalent mental illness. It is associated with disability, as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Despite its significant repercussions in our society, its exact pathophysiology remains unclear and therefore, available antidepressant treatment options are limited and, in some cases, ineffective. In the past years, research has focused on the development of a multifactorial theory of depression. Simultaneously, evidence supporting the role of the endocannabinoid system in the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric diseases has emerged. Studies have shown that the endocannabinoid system strongly impacts neurotransmission, and the neuroendocrine and neuroimmune systems, which are known to be dysfunctional in depressive patients. Accordingly, common antidepressants were shown to have a direct impact on the expression of cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain. Therefore, the relationship between the endocannabinoid system and major depressive disorder is worth consideration. Nevertheless, most studies focus on smaller pieces of what is undoubtedly a larger mosaic of interdependent processes. Therefore, the present review summarizes the existing literature regarding the role of the endocannabinoid system in depression aiming to integrate this information into a holistic picture for a better understanding of the relationship between the two.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Gallego-Landin
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC—NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba García-Baos
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC—NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Castro-Zavala
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC—NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC—NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Neuroscience Research Programme, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
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