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Cai L, Argunşah AÖ, Damilou A, Karayannis T. A nasal chemosensation-dependent critical window for somatosensory development. Science 2024; 384:652-660. [PMID: 38723089 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Nasal chemosensation is considered the evolutionarily oldest mammalian sense and, together with somatosensation, is crucial for neonatal well-being before auditory and visual pathways start engaging the brain. Using anatomical and functional approaches in mice, we reveal that odor-driven activity propagates to a large part of the cortex during the first postnatal week and enhances whisker-evoked activation of primary whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). This effect disappears in adult animals, in line with the loss of excitatory connectivity from olfactory cortex to wS1. By performing neonatal odor deprivation, followed by electrophysiological and behavioral work in adult animals, we identify a key transient regulation of nasal chemosensory information necessary for the development of wS1 sensory-driven dynamics and somatosensation. Our work uncovers a cross-modal critical window for nasal chemosensation-dependent somatosensory functional maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linbi Cai
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ali Özgür Argunşah
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angeliki Damilou
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Theofanis Karayannis
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Assembly, Brain Research Institute (HiFo), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Wilson SP, Prescott TJ. Scaffolding layered control architectures through constraint closure: insights into brain evolution and development. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200519. [PMID: 34957842 PMCID: PMC8710877 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional organization of the mammalian brain can be considered to form a layered control architecture, but how this complex system has emerged through evolution and is constructed during development remains a puzzle. Here we consider brain organization through the framework of constraint closure, viewed as a general characteristic of living systems, that they are composed of multiple sub-systems that constrain each other at different timescales. We do so by developing a new formalism for constraint closure, inspired by a previous model showing how within-lifetime dynamics can constrain between-lifetime dynamics, and we demonstrate how this interaction can be generalized to multi-layered systems. Through this model, we consider brain organization in the context of two major examples of constraint closure-physiological regulation and visual orienting. Our analysis draws attention to the capacity of layered brain architectures to scaffold themselves across multiple timescales, including the ability of cortical processes to constrain the evolution of sub-cortical processes, and of the latter to constrain the space in which cortical systems self-organize and refine themselves. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Tony J. Prescott
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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3
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Abstract
The perinatal brain is well equipped to react to the environment during sleep. Several lines of research in animals and humans prior to and immediately after birth have documented the capability to respond, to process and remember patterns of stimulation. In this article, we will summarize recent findings as well as previous work documenting the memory and learning capacities of the developing brain during sleep and wake states. The role of these sleep state dependent processes may play in the ability to adapt to the postnatal environment will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Callaghan
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University et à la Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State, Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, États-Unis
| | - William P Fifer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University et à la Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, États-Unis
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4
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Dibattista M, Al Koborssy D, Genovese F, Reisert J. The functional relevance of olfactory marker protein in the vertebrate olfactory system: a never-ending story. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:409-427. [PMID: 33447880 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03349-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory marker protein (OMP) was first described as a protein expressed in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the nasal cavity. In particular, OMP, a small cytoplasmic protein, marks mature ORNs and is also expressed in the neurons of other nasal chemosensory systems: the vomeronasal organ, the septal organ of Masera, and the Grueneberg ganglion. While its expression pattern was more easily established, OMP's function remained relatively vague. To date, most of the work to understand OMP's role has been done using mice lacking OMP. This mostly phenomenological work has shown that OMP is involved in sharpening the odorant response profile and in quickening odorant response kinetics of ORNs and that it contributes to targeting of ORN axons to the olfactory bulb to refine the glomerular response map. Increasing evidence shows that OMP acts at the early stages of olfactory transduction by modulating the kinetics of cAMP, the second messenger of olfactory transduction. However, how this occurs at a mechanistic level is not understood, and it might also not be the only mechanism underlying all the changes observed in mice lacking OMP. Recently, OMP has been detected outside the nose, including the brain and other organs. Although no obvious logic has become apparent regarding the underlying commonality between nasal and extranasal expression of OMP, a broader approach to diverse cellular systems might help unravel OMP's functions and mechanisms of action inside and outside the nose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Dibattista
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari "A. Moro", Bari, Italy
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5
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Ménard S, Gelez H, Jacubovitch M, Coria-Avila GA, Pfaus JG. Appetitive olfactory conditioning in the neonatal male rat facilitates subsequent sexual partner preference. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104858. [PMID: 32919208 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pairing a neutral odor with a male rat's initial sexual experiences to ejaculation produces a subsequent conditioned ejaculatory preference (CEP) in which males ejaculate preferentially with receptive females that bear the odor relative to unscented receptive females. In 1986, Fillion and Blass reported that neonatal male rats exposed to a neutral lemon odor (citral) painted on their mother's ventrum while nursing ejaculated faster as adults with sexually receptive, citral-scented females compared to unscented receptive females. The present study examined whether the same odor paired with tactile reward in neonatal male rats would alter the subsequent expression of a CEP. Newborn Long-Evans male rats were separated from their mothers each day beginning on Postnatal Day 1 and placed into a Plexiglas cage that contained either unscented or citral-scented bedding (N = 8/group). During each trial, rats were stroked from head to toe with a soft, narrow paintbrush, after which they were returned to their mothers. Males were weaned at 21 days of age and housed in same-treatment pairs for an intervening 50 days. Following habituation to a large open field, males were presented with two sexually receptive Long-Evans females, one scented with citral, and the other unscented, for a 30-min test of copulation. Males in the Paired group copulated and ejaculated preferentially with the scented female whereas males in the Unpaired group showed no preference. Pairing a neutral odor with a reward state in infancy generates a preference in male rats to ejaculate with sexually receptive females bearing the same odor in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shann Ménard
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Hélène Gelez
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Mariana Jacubovitch
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada; Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México.
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6
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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Sathyanesan A, Gallo V. Cerebellar contribution to locomotor behavior: A neurodevelopmental perspective. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 165:106861. [PMID: 29723669 PMCID: PMC7303045 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The developmental trajectory of the formation of cerebellar circuitry has significant implications for locomotor plasticity and adaptive learning at later stages. While there is a wealth of knowledge on the development of locomotor behavior in human infants, children, and adolescents, pre-clinical animal models have fallen behind on the study of the emergence of behavioral motifs in locomotor function across postnatal development. Since cerebellar development is protracted, it is subject to higher risk of genetic or environmental disruption, potentially leading to abnormal behavioral development. This highlights the need for more sophisticated and specific functional analyses of adaptive cerebellar behavior within the context of whole-body locomotion across the entire span of postnatal development. Here we review evidence on cerebellar contribution to adaptive locomotor behavior, highlighting methodologies employed to quantify and categorize behavior at different developmental stages, with the ultimate goal of following the course of early behavioral alterations in neurodevelopmental disorders. Since experimental paradigms used to study cerebellar behavior are lacking in both specificity and applicability to locomotor contexts, we highlight the use of the Erasmus Ladder - an advanced, computerized, fully automated system to quantify adaptive cerebellar learning in conjunction with locomotor function. Finally, we emphasize the need to develop objective, quantitative, behavioral tasks which can track changes in developmental trajectories rather than endpoint measurement at the adult stage of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Sathyanesan
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Vittorio Gallo
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA; George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA
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8
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Wilson SP. Modelling the emergence of rodent filial huddling from physiological huddling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170885. [PMID: 29291081 PMCID: PMC5717655 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Huddling behaviour in neonatal rodents reduces the metabolic costs of physiological thermoregulation. However, animals continue to huddle into adulthood, at ambient temperatures where they are able to sustain a basal metabolism in isolation from the huddle. This 'filial huddling' in older animals is known to be guided by olfactory rather than thermal cues. The present study aimed to test whether thermally rewarding contacts between young mice, experienced when thermogenesis in brown adipose fat tissue (BAT) is highest, could give rise to olfactory preferences that persist as filial huddling interactions in adults. To this end, a simple model was constructed to fit existing data on the development of mouse thermal physiology and behaviour. The form of the model that emerged yields a remarkable explanation for filial huddling; associative learning maintains huddling into adulthood via processes that reduce thermodynamic entropy from BAT metabolism and increase information about social ordering among littermates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart P. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Robotics, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Meyer PM, Alberts JR. Non-nutritive, thermotactile cues induce odor preference in infant mice (Mus musculus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 130:369-379. [PMID: 27599356 DOI: 10.1037/com0000044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Mouse pups (Mus musculus) placed on the midline of a mesh floor suspended over an empty area bounded by 2 odor fields, 1 containing homecage bedding and the other clean bedding, preferentially selected the homecage area when tested on postnatal day (PD) 5, 10, or 12. PD5 pups given a choice of homecage bedding versus age-matched bedding from another litter showed no discrimination, whereas PD10/12 pups preferred own home odors. To test whether such home orientation can be shaped by experience, pups were placed for 2 hrs on PDs 8 and 9 with either a lactating dam, a nonlactating foster dam or a warm tube bearing 1 of 2 novel odors. Other pups were similarly exposed to scented gauze to test whether mere exposure (familiarization) to an odor could induce a preference. Pups naïve to both test odors and those familiar with 1 odor showed no preference for either odor on PD10. Pups placed with a lactating dam spent significantly more time over the conditioned odor. Moreover, pups placed with the nonlactating dams or the warm tube also preferred the conditioned odor, indicating that the preference can be attributed association with non-nutritive, thermotactile cues. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington
| | - Jeffrey R Alberts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington
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10
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Al Aïn S, Goudet C, Schaal B, Patris B. Newborns prefer the odor of milk and nipples from females matched in lactation age: Comparison of two mouse strains. Physiol Behav 2015; 147:122-30. [PMID: 25912833 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Newborn mice are attracted to mammary odor cues carried in murine milk and nipple secretions. However, murine milk odor is not equally attractive along lactation. The present study focuses on the differential response of 2day-old mouse pups of C57Bl/6 (C) and Balb/C (B) strains to the odor of milk (Experiment 1) and nipples (Experiment 2) that are matched/unmatched in terms of pup's age or strain. In Experiment 1, C and B pups were tested in a series of tests simultaneously opposing either murine milk and a blank (water), or two milks collected in early and late lactation (lactation days 2 and 15, respectively) from females belonging to their own or the other strain. Results showed that C and B pups were attracted to the odor of the different milks regardless of the lactation age and the strain of the donor female. Nevertheless, C and B pups preferred the odor conveyed by early- than late-lactation milk of either strain. Moreover, early-lactation milk from C females was more attractive than early-lactation milk from B females for pups of either strain. In Experiment 2, differential nipple grasping response of C and B pups was measured when they were exposed to nipples of females in early or late lactation. The proportion of C pups that grasped a nipple was greater when they were exposed to a nipple in early lactation regardless of the strain of the donor females, whereas the proportion of B pups that grasped a nipple was greater when they were exposed to a nipple in early lactation, but only from own strain. Thus, newborn mice prefer the odor of milk and nipples from females that are matched in lactation age. This result is discussed in terms of reciprocally adaptive mechanisms between lactating females and their newborn offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syrina Al Aïn
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Center for Olfaction, Taste, and Food Science, Dijon, France
| | - Camille Goudet
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Center for Olfaction, Taste, and Food Science, Dijon, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Center for Olfaction, Taste, and Food Science, Dijon, France.
| | - Bruno Patris
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Center for Olfaction, Taste, and Food Science, Dijon, France.
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11
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Pham H, Duy AP, Pansiot J, Bollen B, Gallego J, Charriaut-Marlangue C, Baud O. Impact of inhaled nitric oxide on white matter damage in growth-restricted neonatal rats. Pediatr Res 2015; 77:563-9. [PMID: 25580736 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2015.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal growth restriction is the second leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, and neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) have increased neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric morbidity. These neurocognitive impairments are mainly related to injury of the developing brain associated with IUGR. Growing evidence from preclinical models of brain injury in both adult and neonatal rodents supports the view that nitric oxide can promote neuroprotection. METHODS In a model of IUGR induced by protracted gestational hypoxia leading to diffuse white matter injury, we subjected neonatal rats to low dose (5 ppm) but long-lasting (7 d) exposure to inhaled NO (iNO). We used a combination of techniques, including immunohistochemistry, quantitative PCR, and cognitive assessment, to assess neuroprotection. RESULTS Antenatal hypoxia-induced IUGR was associated with severe neuroinflammation and delayed myelination. iNO exposure during the first postnatal week significantly attenuated cell death and microglial activation, enhanced oligodendroglial proliferation and finally improved myelination. Remarkably, iNO was associated with the specific upregulation of P27kip1, which initiates oligodendrocytic differentiation. Finally, iNO counteracted the deleterious effects of hypoxia on learning abilities. CONCLUSION This study provides new evidence that iNO could be effective in preventing brain damage and/or enhancing repair of the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoa Pham
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France
| | - An Phan Duy
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Julien Pansiot
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Bieke Bollen
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Jorge Gallego
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France
| | | | - Olivier Baud
- 1] INSERM UMR1141, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France [2] PremUP Foundation, Paris, France [3] Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Robert Debré Children's Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
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Al Aïn S, Mingioni M, Patris B, Schaal B. The response of newly born mice to odors of murine colostrum and milk: unconditionally attractive, conditionally discriminated. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1365-76. [PMID: 24798460 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
It is a general rule that milk conveys chemosensory cues that are attractive to mammalian neonates. This study investigated whether compositional fluctuations in milk along lactation induce variations in newborn mouse pups' (Mus musculus, strain BALB/c) attraction to milk odor. Pups differing in suckling experience were exposed to the odor of milk sampled from females varying in lactational stage. Immediately after birth, suckling-inexperienced (P0) and suckling-experienced (P0suck ) pups were assayed in a series of paired-choice tests contrasting murine milk [of lactation days 0, 3, 15 (abridged L0, L3, L15, respectively)] and a blank (water) to evaluate olfactory detection and attraction of milk odor. Preference tests further paired these milk two-by-two to assess their relative attraction. Results showed first that P0 and P0suck pups detect and positively orient to any milk odor. When L0 is presented against L15 milk, P0 pups orient for a similar duration towards these odor stimuli, whereas P0suck pups spend more time toward the odor of L0 than of L15 milk. Finally, P0suck pups orient similarly to odors of L0 milk collected before/after the first suckling episode (L0 and L0suck , respectively), but the odor of L0 milk was more attractive than that of L3 milk. Thus, mouse pups' positive orientation toward the odors of murine colostrum (assumed to correspond to L0/L0suck milk) and later-lactation milk appears unconditional of previous suckling experience, whereas their ability to discriminate or display preference between milk differing in lactation stage appears conditional on postnatal exposure effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syrina Al Aïn
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût, Dijon, France
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Gallego J. Genetic diseases: congenital central hypoventilation, Rett, and Prader-Willi syndromes. Compr Physiol 2013; 2:2255-79. [PMID: 23723037 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c100037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The present review summarizes current knowledge on three rare genetic disorders of respiratory control, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), Rett syndrome (RTT), and Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). CCHS is characterized by lack of ventilatory chemosensitivity caused by PHOX2B gene abnormalities consisting mainly of alanine expansions. RTT is associated with episodes of tachypneic and irregular breathing intermixed with breathholds and apneas and is caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein. PWS manifests as sleep-disordered breathing with apneas and episodes of hypoventilation and is caused by the loss of a group of paternally inherited genes on chromosome 15. CCHS is the most specific disorder of respiratory control, whereas the breathing disorders in RTT and PWS are components of a more general developmental disorder. The main clinical features of these three disorders are reviewed with special emphasis on the associated brain abnormalities. In all three syndromes, disease-causing genetic defects have been identified, allowing the development of genetically engineered mouse models. New directions for future therapies based on these models or, in some cases, on clinical experience are delineated. Studies of CCHS, RTT, and PWS extend our knowledge of the molecular and cellular aspects of respiratory rhythm generation and suggest possible pharmacological approaches to respiratory control disorders. This knowledge is relevant for the clinical management of many respiratory disorders that are far more prevalent than the rare diseases discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Gallego
- Inserm U676 and University of Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
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14
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Pham H, Vottier G, Pansiot J, Duong-Quy S, Bollen B, Dalous J, Gallego J, Mercier JC, Dinh-Xuan AT, Bonnin P, Charriaut-Marlangue C, Baud O. Inhaled NO prevents hyperoxia-induced white matter damage in neonatal rats. Exp Neurol 2013; 252:114-23. [PMID: 24322053 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
White matter damage (WMD) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are the two main complications occurring in very preterm infants. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been proposed to promote alveolarization in the developing lung, and we have reported that iNO promotes myelination and induces neuroprotection in neonatal rats with excitotoxic brain damage. Our hypothesis is that, in addition to its pulmonary effects, iNO may be neuroprotective in rat pups exposed to hyperoxia. To test this hypothesis, we exposed rat pups to hyperoxia, and we assessed the impact of iNO on WMD and BPD. Rat pups were exposed to either hyperoxia (80% FiO2) or to normoxia for 8 days. Both groups received iNO (5 ppm) or air. We assessed the neurological and pulmonary effects of iNO in hyperoxia-injured rat pups using histological, molecular and behavioral approaches. iNO significantly attenuated the severity of hyperoxia-induced WMD induced in neonatal rats. Specifically, iNO decreased white matter inflammation, cell death, and enhanced the density of proliferating oligodendrocytes and oligodendroglial maturation. Furthermore, iNO triggered an early upregulation of P27kip1 and brain-derived growth factor (BDNF). Whereas hyperoxia disrupted early associative abilities, iNO treatment maintained learning scores to a level similar to that of control pups. In contrast to its marked neuroprotective effects, iNO induced only small and transient improvements of BPD. These findings suggest that iNO exposure at low doses is specifically neuroprotective in an animal model combining injuries of the developing lung and brain that mimicked BPD and WMD in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoa Pham
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Gaelle Vottier
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Julien Pansiot
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Sy Duong-Quy
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Cochin, Service de Physiologie, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Bieke Bollen
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France; University of Leuven, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jérémie Dalous
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Jorge Gallego
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Mercier
- Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Pediatric emergency department, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Hôpital Cochin, Service de Physiologie, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bonnin
- Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; INSERM, UMR 965, 75010 Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Lariboisière, Physiologie Clinique-Explorations Fonctionnelles, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Christiane Charriaut-Marlangue
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Baud
- INSERM, UMR 676, 75019 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, UFR de médecine Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75010 Paris, France; PremUP foundation, 75014 Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Neonatal intensive care unit, 75019 Paris, France.
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15
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Roth TL, Raineki C, Salstein L, Perry R, Sullivan-Wilson TA, Sloan A, Lalji B, Hammock E, Wilson DA, Levitt P, Okutani F, Kaba H, Sullivan RM. Neurobiology of secure infant attachment and attachment despite adversity: a mouse model. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2013; 12:673-80. [PMID: 23927771 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 06/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Attachment to an abusive caregiver has wide phylogenetic representation, suggesting that animal models are useful in understanding the neural basis underlying this phenomenon and subsequent behavioral outcomes. We previously developed a rat model, in which we use classical conditioning to parallel learning processes evoked during secure attachment (odor-stroke, with stroke mimicking tactile stimulation from the caregiver) or attachment despite adversity (odor-shock, with shock mimicking maltreatment). Here we extend this model to mice. We conditioned infant mice (postnatal day (PN) 7-9 or 13-14) with presentations of peppermint odor and either stroking or shock. We used (14) C 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) to assess olfactory bulb and amygdala metabolic changes following learning. PN7-9 mice learned to prefer an odor following either odor-stroke or shock conditioning, whereas odor-shock conditioning at PN13-14 resulted in aversion/fear learning. 2-DG data indicated enhanced bulbar activity in PN7-9 preference learning, whereas significant amygdala activity was present following aversion learning at PN13-14. Overall, the mouse results parallel behavioral and neural results in the rat model of attachment, and provide the foundation for the use of transgenic and knockout models to assess the impact of both genetic (biological vulnerabilities) and environmental factors (abusive) on attachment-related behaviors and behavioral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- T L Roth
- Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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16
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Modèles animaux de la prématurité : mesures comportementales des effets des lésions cérébrales. ENFANCE 2013. [DOI: 10.4074/s0013754513001080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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17
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Hammock EA, Law CS, Levitt P. Vasopressin eliminates the expression of familiar odor bias in neonatal female mice through V1aR. Horm Behav 2013; 63:352-60. [PMID: 23261858 PMCID: PMC4285782 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
V1aR has a well established role in the neural regulation of adult mammalian social behavior. The role of V1aR in developmentally emerging social behavior is less well understood. We mapped V1aR at post-natal day 8 (P8) and demonstrate developmentally-specific expression in the neocortex and hippocampus. We tested the ability of male and female C57BL/6J mice to show orienting bias to a familiar odor at this age. We demonstrate that females, but not males, show an orienting bias for odors previously paired with the mother, which is eliminated by V1aR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A.D. Hammock
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville TN, 37232
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN, 37232
| | - Caitlin S. Law
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville TN, 37232
| | - Pat Levitt
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Cell and Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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18
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Roy V, Leroux P, Arabo A, Marret S, Gonzalez B. Modèles animaux de la prématurité : mesures comportementales des effets des lésions cérébrales. ENFANCE 2013. [DOI: 10.3917/enf1.131.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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19
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Testing smell when it is really vital: behavioral assays of social odors in the neonatal mouse. Methods Mol Biol 2013; 1068:349-71. [PMID: 24014375 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-619-1_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The initial interactions of mouse newborns with their mother are crucial for their survival. These interactions rapidly end in the pups reaching nipples and getting milk. While we realize that olfaction is clearly prevailing in the success of these first suckling episodes, we still understand little about the nature and range of the natural odorants involved. Here we non-exhaustively describe some experimental principles and methods to assay the behavior of newly born and infant mice exposed to different odor stimuli from conspecifics. Testing neonatal and young mice with chemostimuli which they are evolutionarily or developmentally canalized to detect may be a productive way to trace unanticipated odor signals. Moreover, testing neonates also may also lead to characterize unsuspected strategies of murine females to produce and release odor messages.
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20
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Ramanantsoa N, Fleiss B, Bouslama M, Matrot B, Schwendimann L, Cohen-Salmon C, Gressens P, Gallego J. Bench to cribside: the path for developing a neuroprotectant. Transl Stroke Res 2012; 4:258-77. [PMID: 24323277 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-012-0233-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2012] [Revised: 11/06/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of perinatal brain injury include immeasurable anguish for families and substantial ongoing costs for care and support of effected children. Factors associated with perinatal brain injury in the preterm infant include inflammation and infection, and with increasing gestational age, a higher proportion is related to hypoxic-ischemic events, such as stroke and placental abruption. Over the past decade, we have acquired new insights in the mechanisms underpinning injury and many new tools to monitor outcome in perinatal brain injury in our experimental models. By embracing these new technologies, we can expedite the screening of novel therapies. This is critical as despite enormous efforts of the research community, hypothermia is the only viable neurotherapeutic, and this procedure is limited to term birth and postcardiac arrest hypoxic-ischemic events. Importantly, experimental and preliminary data in humans also indicate a considerable therapeutic potential for melatonin against perinatal brain injury. However, even if this suggested potential is proven, the complexity of the human condition means we are likely to need additional neuroprotective and regenerative strategies. Thus, within this review, we will outline what we consider the key stages of preclinical testing and development for a neuroprotectant or regenerative neurotherapy for perinatal brain injury. We will also highlight examples of novel small animal physiological and behavioral testing that gives small animal preclinical models greater clinical relevance. We hope these new tools and an integrated bench to cribside strategic plan will facilitate the fulfillment of our overarching goal, improving the long-term brain health and quality of life for infants suffering perinatal brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelina Ramanantsoa
- Inserm U676, Hopital Robert Debre, 48 Blvd Serurier, 75019, Paris, France
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21
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Al Aïn S, Belin L, Patris B, Schaal B. An odor timer in milk? Synchrony in the odor of milk effluvium and neonatal chemosensation in the mouse. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47228. [PMID: 23133511 PMCID: PMC3484995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian newborns exhibit avid responsiveness to odor compounds emanating from conspecific milk. Milk is however developmentally heterogeneous in composition as a function of both evolved constraints and offspring demand. The present study aimed to verify whether milk odor attractivity for neonates is equally distributed along lactation in Mus musculus (Balb-c strain). Therefore, we exposed pups varying in age to milk samples collected from females in different lactational stages. The pups were assayed at postnatal days 2 (P2), 6 (P6) and 15 (P15) in a series of paired-choice tests opposing either murine milk and a blank (water), or two samples of milk collected in different stages of lactation [lactation days 2 (L2), 6 (L6), and 15 L15)]. Pups of any age were able to detect, and were attracted to, the odor of the different milk. When milk from different lactational stages were simultaneously presented, P2 pups oriented for a similar duration to the odors of L2 and of L6 milk, but significantly less to the odor of L15 milk. Next, P6 pups roamed equivalently over L2 and L6 milk odors, but still less over the odor of L15 milk. Finally, P15 pups explored as much L15 milk odor as the odors of both L2 and L6 milk. This developmental shift in milk attractivity is discussed in terms of changing chemosensory properties of milk and of shifting chemosensory abilities/experience of pups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benoist Schaal
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Center for Smell, Taste and Food Science, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- * E-mail:
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22
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Al Aïn S, Belin L, Schaal B, Patris B. How does a newly born mouse get to the nipple? Odor substrates eliciting first nipple grasping and sucking responses. Dev Psychobiol 2012; 55:888-901. [PMID: 23037148 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
It is a mammalian female strategy to emit odor cues and signals that direct their inexperienced newborns to the nipple, and optimize their initial sucking success and, hence, viability. Here, natural odorous substrates that contribute to nipple grasping were investigated in mice, a species that has not been much scrutinized on this topic. The response of pups toward the nipples of lactating females (LF) versus nonlactating females (NLF) were first assessed right after watched birth, before and after the first suckling experience, and at 1 day old, after more extended suckling experience. It appeared that only nipples of LF induced grasping at these early ages, leading to take NLF as the baseline setting to present various odor substrates sampled from LF, viz. amniotic fluid, murine milk, LF saliva, pup saliva, LF urine, and an odorless control stimulus (water). Results indicate that: (1) only amniotic fluid and fresh milk induced nipple grasping before the first suckling experience; (2) LF saliva started inducing grasping after the first suckling experience; (3) pup saliva released grasping after 24-36 hr of suckling experience; finally (4) neither LF urine, nor water induced any nipple grasping. In conclusion, the activity of amniotic fluid and murine milk on neonatal pup behavior before any postnatal suckling experience suggests that either prenatal learning and/or predisposed olfactory mechanisms do operate, while the behavioral activation due to maternal and infantile salivas clearly depends on postnatal exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syrina Al Aïn
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group Centre for Smell, Taste and Food Science CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Inra, Dijon, France.
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23
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Hellier JL, Arevalo NL, Smith L, Xiong KN, Restrepo D. α7-Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: role in early odor learning preference in mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35251. [PMID: 22514723 PMCID: PMC3325997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have shown that mice with decreased expression of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7) in the olfactory bulb were associated with a deficit in odor discrimination compared to wild-type mice. However, it is unknown if mice with decreased α7-receptor expression also show a deficit in early odor learning preference (ELP), an enhanced behavioral response to odors with attractive value observed in rats. In this study, we modified ELP methods performed in rats and implemented similar conditions in mice. From post-natal days 5–18, wild-type mice were stroked simultaneously with an odor presentation (conditioned odor) for 90 s daily. Control mice were only stroked, exposed to odor, or neither. On the day of testing (P21), mice that were stroked in concert with a conditioned odor significantly investigated the conditioned odor compared to a novel odor, as observed similarly in rats. However, mice with a decrease in α7-receptor expression that were stroked during a conditioned odor did not show a behavioral response to that odorant. These results suggest that decreased α7-receptor expression has a role in associative learning, olfactory preference, and/or sensory processing deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Hellier
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America.
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24
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Olfactory classical conditioning in neonatal mouse pups using thermal stimuli. Behav Brain Res 2012; 229:250-6. [PMID: 22257564 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models are increasingly used to investigate genetic contributions to developmental disorders in children, especially newborns. In particular, early cognitive assessment in newborn mice is critical to evaluate pediatric drug efficacy and toxicity. Unfortunately, methods for behavioral tests in newborn mice are scarce. Therefore, developing such tests for newborn mice is a priority challenge for neurogenetics and pharmacological research. The aim of the present study was to develop a conditioning method well suited to high-throughput cognitive screening in newborn mice. To this end, we developed an odor-preference conditioning test using ambient temperature as an unconditioned stimulus (US) and artificial odors as conditioned stimuli (CS). First, we showed that mouse pups move toward the thermoneutral temperature when offered a choice between a thermoneutral and cold environment, thus showing thermotaxis. Second, we conducted a classical conditioning paradigm in pups aged six to ten days. In terms of central nervous system development, this period corresponds to extreme prematurity to early post-term period in humans. During acquisition, the pups were alternatively exposed to odor CS paired with either cold or warm temperatures. Immediately after acquisition, the pups underwent a two-odor choice test, which showed preference for the odor previously paired with the warm temperature, thus showing conditioning. The proposed paradigm is easy to conduct, and requires modest experimenter interference. The method is well suited for high-throughput screening of early associative disorders in newborn mice.
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25
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Al Aïn S, Chraïti A, Schaal B, Patris B. Orientation of newborn mice to lactating females: identifying biological substrates of semiochemical interest. Dev Psychobiol 2011; 55:113-24. [PMID: 22212953 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Among mammals, odor-based communication between females and infants is decisive for neonatal survival. So far, the nature of odor substrates involved in the localization of the mother and their nipples is unknown in mice. The present study aims: (1) to evaluate the specific attractive value of lactating females to newborn mice, (2) to localize the abdominal region that is most attractive to pups, and (3) to identify odor substrates that support such attraction. Results showed that 5-6-day-old mice roam preferentially over the abdomen of lactating females than the abdomen of non-lactating females. In lactating females, pups are more attracted to abdominal areas comprising nipples. The blend of odor substrates from nipples, as well as separate sources presumed to compose it, viz. milk, maternal saliva and pup saliva, were detectable and equivalently attractive to pups. The equivalent attraction of these different odor substrates may derive either from overlap in chemical constituents, or from associative learning during nursing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syrina Al Aïn
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université de Bourgogne-Inra, Dijon, France.
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26
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Sevelinges Y, Mouly AM, Lévy F, Ferreira G. Long-term effects of infant learning on adult conditioned odor aversion are determined by the last preweaning experience. Dev Psychobiol 2009; 51:389-98. [PMID: 19415682 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We recently showed that odorizing mother's nipples from birth to weaning attenuated adult conditioned odor aversion (COA). The present study evaluated whether shorter durations of preweaning olfactory experiences could induce similar long-term effects. We first showed that late preweaning odorization (PN13-PN25) impaired adult COA similarly to odorization from birth to weaning (PN0-PN25) whereas early odorization (PN0-PN12) had no effect on adult COA. As early odorization was followed by an odorless suckling period, we evaluated whether this odorless suckling could have interfered with early associative learning. We therefore weaned the animals either immediately after early odorization or 7 days later. Early odorization (PN0-PN18) followed by late odorless suckling (PN19-PN25) had no effect on adult COA. However, pups with early odorization (PN0-PN18) but without late odorless suckling (weaned at PN18) showed attenuated COA. These results support the hypothesis that interference between early and late preweaning experiences with the mother determines the long-term impact on adult COA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Sevelinges
- Laboratoire de Comportement Neurobiologie et Adaptation CNRS UMR6175, INRA UMR85 Université de Tours, 37380 Nouzilly, France
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27
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Bollen B, Bouslama M, Matrot B, Rotrou Y, Vardon G, Lofaso F, Van den Bergh O, D'Hooge R, Gallego J. Cold stimulates the behavioral response to hypoxia in newborn mice. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2009; 296:R1503-11. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.90582.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In newborns, hypoxia elicits increased ventilation, arousal followed by defensive movements, and cries. Cold is known to affect the ventilatory response to hypoxia, but whether it affects the arousal response remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of cold on the ventilatory and arousal responses to hypoxia in newborn mice. We designed an original platform measuring noninvasively and simultaneously the breathing pattern by whole body plethysmography, body temperature by infrared thermography, as well as motor and ultrasonic vocal (USV) responses. Six-day-old mice were exposed twice to 10% O2 for 3 min at either cold temperature (26°C) or thermoneutrality (33°C). At 33°C, hypoxia elicited a marked increase in ventilation followed by a small ventilatory decline, small motor response, and almost no USVs. Body temperature was not influenced by hypoxia, and oxygen consumption (V̇o2) displayed minimal changes. At 26°C, hypoxia elicited a slight increase in ventilation with a large ventilatory decline and a large drop of V̇o2. This response was accompanied by marked USV and motor responses. Hypoxia elicited a small decrease in temperature after the return to normoxia, thus precluding any causal influence on the motor and USV responses to hypoxia. In conclusion, cold stimulated arousal and stress responses to hypoxia, while depressing hypoxic hyperpnea. Arousal is an important defense mechanism against sleep-disordered breathing. The dissociation between ventilatory and behavioral responses to hypoxia suggests that deficits in the arousal response associated with sleep breathing disorders cannot be attributed to a depressed hypoxic response.
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28
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Serra J, Ferreira G, Mirabito L, Lévy F, Nowak R. Post-oral and perioral stimulations during nursing enhance appetitive olfactory memory in neonatal rabbits. Chem Senses 2009; 34:405-13. [PMID: 19366788 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjp014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nursing-suckling interactions facilitate olfactory learning in newborns as long as suckling and the olfactory stimulus temporally overlap. We tested the hypothesis that olfactory preferences would develop even with a long delay between odor presentation and nursing. Thyme was presented to 2-day-old rabbit pups by placing an odorized plate 2 cm above their nest box. Duration and time of nursing were controlled and occurred before, during, or after odor presentation. Controls were not nursed. When exposed to the odor for 15 min, control pups preferred thyme to a novel odor in a 2-choice test immediately after exposure but not 3 and 22 h later. When pups were nursed immediately before thyme exposure or during exposure, they preferred the familiar odorant until 22 h later. Identically, when nursing occurred 30 min before odor exposure, a preference for thyme was maintained up to 22 h. This was not observed when nursing occurred 60 min before odor presentation. We concluded that enhancement of olfactory memory occurs in neonates during nursing but also after post-oral stimulation by postprandial internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Serra
- Equipe Comportement, Neurobiologie, Adaptation, Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR6175 CNRS INRA, Université de Tours, Haras Nationaux, Nouzilly, France
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29
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Abstract
The first hours of a newborn rat's life entail locating and attaching to the mother's nipple not only for nutrition but also for protection and warmth. The present study sought to characterize olfactory learning in the rat neonate immediately after birth. Newborn rats were exposed to an odor at various time periods soon after birth and tested for behavioral activation and attachment to a surrogate nipple in the presence of this odor at 4-5 hr postpartum. Regardless of when pups were presented the odor (0, 1, or 2 hr after birth) motor activity was greater among pups previously exposed to the odor than pups with no odor experience. Similarly, latency to attach to the nipple in the presence of the odor was lower among odor-preexposed pups, especially when odor exposure began within an hour of cesarean delivery. Odor exposure immediately after birth for just 15 min was sufficient to increase motor activity and to decrease latency to attach to a similarly scented surrogate nipple. These results suggest that olfactory experience very soon after birth can shape subsequent olfactory responses. The relative importance of the dearth of postnatal experience or of elevated neurochemicals immediately after birth and possible associative mechanisms underlying this learning is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacie S Miller
- Department of Psychology, Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
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30
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Sevelinges Y, Lévy F, Mouly AM, Ferreira G. Rearing with artificially scented mothers attenuates conditioned odor aversion in adulthood but not its amygdala dependency. Behav Brain Res 2008; 198:313-20. [PMID: 19041900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2008] [Revised: 10/27/2008] [Accepted: 11/03/2008] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether neonatal odor experience associated with the mother affects food avoidance learning and basolateral amygdala (BLA) involvement in adulthood. Odorization of mother's nipples with banana or almond solutions from birth to weaning resulted in an impairment at adulthood of conditioned odor aversion (COA). These effects were specific to the early-experienced odor since no deficit was observed for COA to a novel odor (Experiment 1). In contrast, mere exposure to an odor in the home cage instead of on mother's nipples induced no deficit in COA at adulthood (Experiment 2). Finally, transitory inactivation of the BLA during COA acquisition in adult animals impaired the normal COA of naïve animals but also the attenuated COA of rats with early odor experience on the mother (Experiment 3). These results demonstrate that neonatal odor experience associated with the mother promotes the acquisition of appetitive memories which can interfere with food avoidance learning in adulthood. They also suggest that this early experience did not modify the BLA involvement in learned aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Sevelinges
- Laboratoire de Comportement, Neurobiologie et Adaptation, UMR 6175, INRA-CNRS-Université de Tours-Haras Nationaux, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
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31
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Ramanantsoa N, Vaubourg V, Matrot B, Vardon G, Dauger S, Gallego J. Effects of temperature on ventilatory response to hypercapnia in newborn mice heterozygous for transcription factor Phox2b. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2007; 293:R2027-35. [PMID: 17715184 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00349.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a rare disease with variable severity, generally present from birth and chiefly characterized by impaired chemosensitivity to hypercapnia. The main cause of CCHS is a mutation in the PHOX2B gene, which encodes a transcription factor involved in the development of autonomic medullary reflex pathways. Temperature regulation is abnormal in many patients with CCHS. Here, we examined whether ambient temperature influenced CO2sensitivity in a mouse model of CCHS. A weak response to CO2at thermoneutrality (32°C) was noted previously in 2-day-old mice with an invalidated Phox2b allele ( Phox2b+/−), compared with wild-type littermates. We exposed Phox2b+/− pups to 8% CO2at three ambient temperatures (TAs): 29°C, 32°C, and 35°C. We measured breathing variables and heart rate (HR) noninvasively using a novel whole body flow plethysmograph equipped with contact electrodes. Body temperature and baseline breathing increased similarly with TA in mutant and wild-type pups. The hypercapnic ventilatory response increased linearly with TA in both groups, while remaining smaller in mutant than in wild-type pups at all TAs. The differences between the absolute increases in ventilation in mutant and wild-type pups become more pronounced as temperature increased above 29°C. The ventilatory abnormalities in mutant pups were not associated with significant impairments of heart rate control. In both mutant and wild-type pups, baseline HR increased with TA. In conclusion, TA strongly influenced the hypercapnic ventilatory response in Phox2b+/− mutant mice. These findings suggest that abnormal temperature regulation may contribute to the severity of respiratory impairments in CCHS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ramanantsoa
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U676, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
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Melatonin prevents learning disorders in brain-lesioned newborn mice. Neuroscience 2007; 150:712-9. [PMID: 17950543 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2007] [Revised: 09/11/2007] [Accepted: 09/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal brain injuries often result in irreversible learning disabilities, which manifest in early childhood. These injuries are chiefly ascribable to marked susceptibility of the immature brain to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. No treatments are available. One well-characterized model of perinatal brain injuries consists in injecting the glutamate analog ibotenate into the brain of 5-day-old mice. The resulting excitotoxic lesions resemble the hypoxic-ischemic gray-matter lesions seen in full-term and near-term newborns, as well as the white-matter lesions of preterm newborns. We previously reported that these lesions disrupted odor preference conditioning in newborn mice. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the neuroprotector melatonin in preventing learning disabilities in newborn mice with ibotenate-induced brain injury. In postnatal day (P) 6-P7 pups, we tested psychomotor reflexes, spontaneous preference for maternal odors as an index of memory, ultrasonic vocalization responses to stroking as an index of sensitivity to tactile stimuli, and conditioned preference for an odor previously paired with stroking as an index of learning abilities. Without melatonin, conditioning was abolished, whereas spontaneous odor preference, psychomotor reflexes, and sensitivity to tactile stimuli were normal. Thus, abolition of conditioning was not associated with sensorimotor impairments. Histological analysis confirmed the efficacy of melatonin in reducing white-matter lesions induced by ibotenate. Furthermore, treatment with melatonin protected the ability to develop conditioning. Thus, melatonin, which easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and has been proven safe in children, may be effective in preventing learning disabilities caused by perinatal brain injuries in human preterm infants.
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Bollen B, Bouslama M, Matrot B, D'Hooge R, Van den Bergh O, Gallego J. Learned defense response to hypoxia in newborn mice. Neurosci Lett 2007; 420:268-72. [PMID: 17532570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2007] [Revised: 04/24/2007] [Accepted: 05/06/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In newborns, hypoxia elicits defensive behaviors including awakening from sleep, body movements and crying. An inability to produce this defense response is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome and other respiratory control disorders. In this study, we examined the possibility that the defense response to hypoxia in newborns is partly determined by early exposure to hypoxia. We explored this possibility in 6-day-old mice, which resemble human preterm infants of approximately 25-30 weeks' gestational age. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were recorded as a marker for the defense response to hypoxia. In a conditioning experiment, newborn mice were exposed to two artificial odors (conditioned stimuli, CS). For acquisition (two trials), pups were exposed to one odor (CS+) in a hypoxic gas mixture (10% O2, which was the unconditioned stimulus, US) and to another odor (CS-) in air. Then, the pups were exposed to each odor while breathing air. Newborn mice produced significantly more USVs when exposed to the odor previously paired with hypoxia than to the control odor. Thus, associative learning may shape the defense response to hypoxia in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bieke Bollen
- INSERM, U676, Robert-Debré Teaching Hospital, 75019 Paris, France, and Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Bouslama M, Chauvière L, Fontaine RH, Matrot B, Gressens P, Gallego J. Treatment-induced prevention of learning deficits in newborn mice with brain lesions. Neuroscience 2006; 141:795-801. [PMID: 16713117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2006] [Revised: 04/02/2006] [Accepted: 04/05/2006] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal brain injuries often result in irreversible learning disabilities, which manifest in early childhood. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of these injuries and potential pharmacological treatments are emerging, chiefly from studies in newborn rodents. In newborn mice, experimentally induced lesions can be dramatically reduced by appropriate neuroprotective treatments. However, the early effectiveness of these treatments in preserving cognition remained unknown. Here, we addressed this issue by using intracerebral ibotenate to induce excitotoxic brain lesions in 5-day-old mice (postnatal day 5). On postnatal days 6-7, we tested spontaneous preference for maternal odors, as an index of odor memory, and conditioned preference for an artificial odor previously paired with stroking, as an index of associative learning. Brain-lesioned newborn mice showed normal general status and preference for maternal odors. In contrast, odor conditioning was severely impaired. A previous study showed that fructose 1,6-biphosphate acted as a neuroprotective agent which significantly reduced neocortical lesion size. In the present study, treating the newborn mice with fructose 1,6-biphosphate 15 min before the ibotenate injection reduced neocortical lesion size and restored conditioning. This demonstrates, for the first time, that neuroprotective treatment can protect some features of early cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bouslama
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France
| | - L Chauvière
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France
| | - R H Fontaine
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France
| | - B Matrot
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France
| | - P Gressens
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France
| | - J Gallego
- INSERM U676, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 bvd Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France; University Paris 7, Denis Diderot Medical School, IFR02, 10 av de Verdun, 75010 Paris, France.
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Abstract
Behavior genetics studies in mice demand efficient training protocols for rapid phenotypic screening. However, the capacity of neonatal mice to form and retain associative memories has been difficult to study due to their limited sensorimotor capacities. The present study describes a method for robust, naturalistic associative learning in neonatal mice as young as 3 days old. After removal of the dam from the home cage for 2 h, preweanling CD-1 mice of ages 3, 5, and 10 days postnatal were conditioned to associate an arbitrary odorant with the suckling and milk delivery that ensued upon her return to the home cage. After a second maternal deprivation, neonates were tested on their acquired preference for that odorant. Neonates exhibited a learned preference for the conditioned odorant over a novel control odorant. No learning was observed without deprivation, that is, when the dam was removed only briefly for scenting. One-trial learning sufficed to show clear preferences for the conditioned odorant, although repeated training (three sessions over 8 days) significantly increased the expression of preference. The development of neonatal associative learning protocols requiring minimal human intervention is important for the behavioral phenotyping of mutant and transgenic strains, particularly those modeling developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren M Armstrong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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