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Joushi S, Taherizadeh Z, Eghbalian M, Esmaeilpour K, Sheibani V. Boosting decision-making in rat models of early-life adversity with environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107050. [PMID: 38677097 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107050] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Impaired decision-making constitutes a fundamental issue in numerous psychiatric disorders. Extensive research has established that early life adversity (ELA) increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life. ELA in human neonates is associated with changes in cognitive, emotional, as well as reward-related processing. Maternal separation (MS) is an established animal model of ELA and has been shown to be associated with decision-making deficits. On the other hand, enriched environment (EE) and intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on decision-making in humans or animals. Given these considerations, our investigation sought to explore the impact of brief exposure to EE and intranasal OT administration on the decision-making abilities of adolescent rats that had experienced MS during infancy. The experimental protocol involved subjecting rat pups to the MS regimen for 180 min per day from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 21. Then, from PND 22 to PND 34, the rats were exposed to EE and/or received intranasal OT (2 μg/μl) for seven days. The assessment of decision-making abilities, using a rat gambling task (RGT), commenced during adolescence. Our findings revealed that MS led to impaired decision-making and a decreased percentage of advantageous choices. However, exposure to brief EE or intranasal OT administration mitigated the deficits induced by MS and improved the decision-making skills of maternally-separated rats. Furthermore, combination of these treatments did not yield additional benefits. These results suggest that EE and OT may hold promise as therapeutic interventions to enhance certain aspects of cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zahra Taherizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mostafa Eghbalian
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Schoenfeld TJ, Rhee D, Smith JA, Padmanaban V, Brockett AT, Jacobs HN, Cameron HA. Rewarded Maze Training Increases Approach Behavior in Rats Through Neurogenesis-Dependent Growth of Ventral Hippocampus-Prelimbic Circuits. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:725-733. [PMID: 37881563 PMCID: PMC10593943 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Learning complex navigation routes increases hippocampal volume in humans, but it is not clear whether this growth impacts behaviors outside the learning situation or what cellular mechanisms are involved. Methods We trained rats with pharmacogenetic suppression of adult neurogenesis and littermate controls in 3 mazes over 3 weeks and tested novelty approach behavior several days after maze exposure. We then measured hippocampus and prelimbic cortex volumes using magnetic resonance imaging and assessed neuronal and astrocyte morphology. Finally, we investigated the activation and behavioral role of the ventral CA1 (vCA1)-to-prelimbic pathway using immediate-early genes and DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs). Results Maze training led to volume increase of both the vCA1 region of the hippocampus and the prelimbic region of the neocortex compared with rats that followed fixed paths. Growth was also apparent in individual neurons and astrocytes in these 2 regions, and behavioral testing showed increased novelty approach in maze-trained rats in 2 different tests. Suppressing adult neurogenesis prevented the effects on structure and approach behavior after maze training without affecting maze learning itself. The vCA1 neurons projecting to the prelimbic area were more activated by novelty in maze-trained animals, and suppression of this pathway decreased approach behavior. Conclusions Rewarded navigational learning experiences induce volumetric and morphologic growth in the vCA1 and prelimbic cortex and enhance activation of the circuit connecting these 2 regions. Both the structural and behavioral effects of maze training require ongoing adult neurogenesis, suggesting a role for new neurons in experience-driven increases in novelty exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. Schoenfeld
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Psychological Science and Neuroscience, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Diane Rhee
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jesse A. Smith
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Varun Padmanaban
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Adam T. Brockett
- Department of Psychology and Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Hannah N. Jacobs
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Heather A. Cameron
- Section on Neuroplasticity, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Kotlinska JH, Grochecki P, Michalak A, Pankowska A, Kochalska K, Suder P, Ner-Kluza J, Matosiuk D, Marszalek-Grabska M. Neonatal Maternal Separation Induces Sexual Dimorphism in Brain Development: The Influence on Amino Acid Levels and Cognitive Disorders. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1449. [PMID: 37892131 PMCID: PMC10605115 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated maternal separation (MS) is a useful experimental model in rodents for studying the long-term influence of early-life stress on brain neurophysiology. In our work, we assessed the effect of repeated MS (postnatal day (PND)1-21, 180 min/day) on the postnatal development of rat brain regions involved in memory using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) for tissue volume and the level of amino acids such as glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the hippocampus. We assessed whether these effects are sex dependent. We also use novel object recognition (NOR) task to examine the effect of MS on memory and the effect of ethanol on it. Finally, we attempted to ameliorate postnatal stress-induced memory deficits by using VU-29, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the metabotropic glutamate type 5 (mGlu5) receptor. In males, we noted deficits in the levels of glutamate, glycine and glutamine and increases in GABA in the hippocampus. In addition, the values of perirhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex and insular cortex and CA3 were decreased in these animals. MS females, in contrast, demonstrated significant increase in glutamate levels and decrease in GABA levels in the hippocampus. Here, the CA1 values alone were increased. VU-29 administration ameliorated these cognitive deficits. Thus, MS stress disturbs amino acids levels mainly in the hippocampus of adult male rats, and enhancement of glutamate neurotransmission reversed recognition memory deficits in these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Agnieszka Michalak
- Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Anna Pankowska
- Department of Radiography, Medical University, Staszica 16, 20-081 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (K.K.)
| | - Katarzyna Kochalska
- Department of Radiography, Medical University, Staszica 16, 20-081 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (K.K.)
| | - Piotr Suder
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland; (P.S.); (J.N.-K.)
| | - Joanna Ner-Kluza
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland; (P.S.); (J.N.-K.)
| | - Dariusz Matosiuk
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modelling Lab, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8B, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
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Li Y, Shi DD, Wang Z. Adolescent nonpharmacological interventions for early-life stress and their mechanisms. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114580. [PMID: 37453516 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114580] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Those with a negative experience of psychosocial stress during the early stage of life not only have a high susceptibility of the psychiatric disorder in all phases of their life span, but they also demonstrate more severe symptoms and poorer response to treatment compared to those without a history of early-life stress. The interventions targeted to early-life stress may improve the effectiveness of treating and preventing psychiatric disorders. Brain regions associated with mood and cognition develop rapidly and own heightened plasticity during adolescence. So, manipulating nonpharmacological interventions in fewer side effects and higher acceptance during adolescence, which is a probable window of opportunity, may ameliorate or even reverse the constantly deteriorating impact of early-life stress. The present article reviews animal and people studies about adolescent nonpharmacological interventions for early-life stress. We aim to discuss whether those adolescent nonpharmacological interventions can promote individuals' psychological health who expose to early-life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong-Dong Shi
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Institute of Psychological and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Ferreira de Sá N, Camarini R, Suchecki D. One day away from mum has lifelong consequences on brain and behaviour. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00276-2. [PMID: 37352967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.013] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
This chapter presents a brief overview of attachment theory and discusses the importance of the neonatal period in shaping an individual's physiological and behavioural responses to stress later in life, with a focus on the role of the parent-infant relationship, particularly in rodents. In rodents, the role of maternal behaviours goes far beyond nutrition, thermoregulation and excretion, acting as hidden regulators of the pup's physiology and development. In this review, we will discuss the inhibitory role of specific maternal behaviours on the ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) stress response. The interest of our group to explore the long-term consequences of maternal deprivation for 24 h (DEP) at different ages (3 days and 11 days) in rats was sparked by its opposite effects on ACTH and CORT levels. In early adulthood, DEP3 animals (males and females alike) show greater negative impact on affective behaviours and stress related parameters than DEP11, indicating that the latter is more resilient in tests of anxiety-like behaviour. These findings create an opportunity to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders. The chapter also provides a brief historical overview and highlights the relevance of attachment theory, and how DEP helps to understand the effects of childhood parental loss as a risk factor for depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD in both childhood and adulthood. Furthermore, we present the concept of environmental enrichment (EE), its effects on stress responses and related behavioural changes and its benefits for rats previously subjected to DEP, along with the clinical implications of DEP and EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Ferreira de Sá
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
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Dutcher EG, Lopez-Cruz L, Pama EAC, Lynall ME, Bevers ICR, Jones JA, Khan S, Sawiak SJ, Milton AL, Clatworthy MR, Robbins TW, Bullmore ET, Dalley JW. Early-life stress biases responding to negative feedback and increases amygdala volume and vulnerability to later-life stress. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:81. [PMID: 36882404 PMCID: PMC9992709 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02385-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) or adversity, particularly in the form of childhood neglect and abuse, is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood. However, whether these relationships are mediated by the consequences of ELS itself or by other exposures that frequently co-occur with ELS is unclear. To address this question, we carried out a longitudinal study in rats to isolate the effects of ELS on regional brain volumes and behavioral phenotypes relevant to anxiety and depression. We used the repeated maternal separation (RMS) model of chronic ELS, and conducted behavioral measurements throughout adulthood, including of probabilistic reversal learning (PRL), responding on a progressive ratio task, sucrose preference, novelty preference, novelty reactivity, and putative anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze. Our behavioral assessment was combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantitation of regional brain volumes at three time points: immediately following RMS, young adulthood without further stress, and late adulthood with further stress. We found that RMS caused long-lasting, sexually dimorphic biased responding to negative feedback on the PRL task. RMS also slowed response time on the PRL task, but without this directly impacting task performance. RMS animals were also uniquely sensitive to a second stressor, which disproportionately impaired their performance and slowed their responding on the PRL task. MRI at the time of the adult stress revealed a larger amygdala volume in RMS animals compared with controls. These behavioral and neurobiological effects persisted well into adulthood despite a lack of effects on conventional tests of 'depression-like' and 'anxiety-like' behavior, and a lack of any evidence of anhedonia. Our findings indicate that ELS has long-lasting cognitive and neurobehavioral effects that interact with stress in adulthood and may have relevance for understanding the etiology of anxiety and depression in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan G Dutcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Laura Lopez-Cruz
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - E A Claudia Pama
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Mary-Ellen Lynall
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 OQH, UK
| | - Iris C R Bevers
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, The Netherlands
| | - Jolyon A Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Shahid Khan
- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EL, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Amy L Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Menna R Clatworthy
- Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 OQH, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
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Sex differences in addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes in rodents following early life stress. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 6. [PMID: 37101684 PMCID: PMC10124992 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In humans, exposure to early life stress (ELS) is an established risk factor for the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) during later life. Similarly, rodents exposed to ELS involving disrupted mother-infant interactions, such as maternal separation (MS) or adverse caregiving due to scarcity-adversity induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) conditions, also exhibit long-term alterations in alcohol and drug consumption. In both humans and rodents, there is a range of addiction-related behaviors that are associated with drug use and even predictive of subsequent SUDs. In rodents, these include increased anxiety-like behavior, impulsivity, and novelty-seeking, altered alcohol and drug intake patterns, as well as disrupted reward-related processes involving consummatory and social behaviors. Importantly, the expression of these behaviors often varies throughout the lifespan. Moreover, preclinical studies suggest that sex differences play a role in how exposure to ELS impacts reward and addiction-related phenotypes as well as underlying brain reward circuitry. Here, addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) dysfunction resulting from ELS in the form of MS and LBN are discussed with a focus on age- and sex-dependent effects. Overall, these findings suggest that ELS may increase susceptibility for later life drug use and SUDs by interfering with the normal maturation of reward-related brain and behavioral function.
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Jarrar Q, Ayoub R, Alhussine K, Goh KW, Moshawih S, Ardianto C, Goh BH, Ming LC. Prolonged Maternal Separation Reduces Anxiety State and Increases Compulsive Burying Activity in the Offspring of BALB/c Mice. J Pers Med 2022; 12:1921. [PMID: 36422097 PMCID: PMC9699014 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12111921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The elevated plus maze (EPM) and the marble burying (MB) tests are common behavioral tests used for behavioral phenotyping in mouse models for neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the behavioral effects of maternal separation (MS), a standard paradigm for early life stress in animals, in both the EPM and MB tests remain incompletely known. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the behavioral effects of prolonged MS in the offspring of mice using the EPM and MB tests. METHODS Male BALB/c mice were isolated from their mothers for 4 h each day during the first 30 days after birth. On day 50 postnatal, groups of separated and non-separated mice (n = 18/each group) were subjected to the EPM and MB tests for comparative behavioral evaluations. In addition, the locomotor activity of mice was evaluated using the actophotometer test. RESULTS The findings of the EPM test revealed that separated mice exhibited anxiolytic-like behaviors, as evidenced by a significant increase in the latency to closed arms and the time spent in the open arms compared with non-separated mice. Separated mice also showed compulsive burying activity in the MB test, as determined by a significant increase in the number of buried marbles. The results of the actophotometer test did not show any significant change in locomotor activity. CONCLUSIONS Prolonged MS caused the adult offspring of mice to exhibit a decrease in anxiety state and increased compulsive burying activity, which were not associated with a change in locomotor activity. Further investigations with validated tests are needed to support these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qais Jarrar
- Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman 11622, Jordan
| | - Rami Ayoub
- Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman 11622, Jordan
| | - Kawther Alhussine
- Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman 11622, Jordan
| | - Khang Wen Goh
- Faculty of Data Science and Information Technology, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| | - Said Moshawih
- PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Chrismawan Ardianto
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
| | - Bey Hing Goh
- Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Long Chiau Ming
- PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
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Corredor K, Duran J, Herrera-Isaza L, Forero S, Quintanilla J, Gomez A, Martínez GS, Cardenas FP. Behavioral effects of environmental enrichment on male and female wistar rats with early life stress experiences. Front Physiol 2022; 13:837661. [PMID: 36225294 PMCID: PMC9548697 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.837661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences or early life stress experiences (ELSs) increase the risk of non-adaptive behaviors and psychopathology in adulthood. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been proposed to minimize these effects. The vast number of methodological variations in animal studies underscores the lack of systematicity in the studies and the need for a detailed understanding of how enrichment interacts with other variables. Here we evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment in male and female Wistar rats exposed to adverse early life experiences (prenatal, postnatal, and combined) on emotional (elevated plus maze), social (social interaction chamber), memory (Morris water maze) and flexibility tasks. Our results—collected from PND 51 to 64—confirmed: 1) the positive effect of environmental enrichment (PND 28–49) on anxiety-like behaviors in animals submitted to ELSs. These effects depended on type of experience and type of enrichment: foraging enrichment reduced anxiety-like behaviors in animals with prenatal and postnatal stress but increased them in animals without ELSs. This effect was sex-dependent: females showed lower anxiety compared to males. Our data also indicated that females exposed to prenatal and postnatal stress had lower anxious responses than males in the same conditions; 2) no differences were found for social interactions; 3) concerning memory, there was a significant interaction between the three factors: A significant interaction for males with prenatal stress was observed for foraging enrichment, while physical enrichment was positive for males with postnatal stress; d) regarding cognitive flexibility, a positive effect of EE was found in animals exposed to adverse ELSs: animals with combined stress and exposed to physical enrichment showed a higher index of cognitive flexibility than those not exposed to enrichment. Yet, within animals with no EE, those exposed to combined stress showed lower flexibility than those exposed to both prenatal stress and no stress. On the other hand, animals with prenatal stress and exposed to foraging-type enrichment showed lower cognitive flexibility than those with no EE. The prenatal stress-inducing conditions used here 5) did not induced fetal or maternal problems and 6) did not induced changes in the volume of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Corredor
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Centro de Investigación en Biomodelos, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J.M. Duran
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - L. Herrera-Isaza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - S. Forero
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J.P. Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - A. Gomez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - F. P. Cardenas
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- *Correspondence: F. P. Cardenas,
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Filarowska-Jurko J, Komsta L, Smaga I, Surowka P, Marszalek-Grabska M, Grochecki P, Nizio D, Filip M, Kotlinska JH. Maternal Separation Alters Ethanol Drinking and Reversal Learning Processes in Adolescent Rats: The Impact of Sex and Glycine Transporter Type 1 (GlyT1) Inhibitor. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105350. [PMID: 35628160 PMCID: PMC9141364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences are associated with an enhanced risk for mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse. Despite clinical evidence, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are not fully understood. Maternal separation (MS) is a commonly used animal model of early neglect. The aim of the current study is to determine whether the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)/glycine sites are involved in vulnerability to alcohol consumption (two-bottle choice paradigm) and reversal learning deficits (Barnes maze task) in adolescent rats subjected to the MS procedure and whether these effects are sex dependent. By using ELISA, we evaluated MS-induced changes in the NMDAR subunits (GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B) expression, especially in the glycine-binding subunit, GluN1, in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ventral striatum (vSTR) of male/female rats. Next, we investigated whether Org 24598, a glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitor, was able to modify ethanol drinking in adolescent and adult male/female rats with prior MS experience and reversal learning in the Barnes maze task. Our findings revealed that adolescent MS female rats consumed more alcohol which may be associated with a substantial increase in GluN1 subunit of NMDAR in the PFC and vSTR. Org 24598 decreased ethanol intake in both sexes with a more pronounced decrease in ethanol consumption in adolescent female rats. Furthermore, MS showed deficits in reversal learning in both sexes. Org 24598 ameliorated reversal learning deficits, and this effect was reversed by the NMDAR/glycine site inhibitor, L-701,324. Collectively, our results suggest that NMDAR/glycine sites might be targeted in the treatment of alcohol abuse in adolescents with early MS, especially females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Filarowska-Jurko
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.F.-J.); (P.G.)
| | - Lukasz Komsta
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-324 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (P.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Paulina Surowka
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-324 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (P.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.F.-J.); (P.G.)
| | - Dorota Nizio
- Experimental Medicine Center, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Malgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-324 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (P.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.F.-J.); (P.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-81-448-7255; Fax: +48-81-448-7250
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11
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Effects of early life adversities upon memory processes and cognition in rodent models. Neuroscience 2022; 497:282-307. [PMID: 35525496 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stressors in early postnatal life induces long-lasting modifications in brainfunction.Thisplasticity,an essential characteristic of the brain that enables adaptation to the environment, may also induce impairments in some psychophysiological functions, including learning and memory. Early life stress (ELS) has long-term effects on thehypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisresponse to stressors, and has been reported to lead toneuroinflammation,altered levelsof neurotrophic factors, modifications inneurogenesis andsynaptic plasticity,with changes in neurotransmitter systems and network functioning. In this review, we focus on early postnatal stress in animal models and their effects on learning and memory.Many studies have reported ELS-induced impairments in different types of memories, including spatial memory, fear memory, recognition (both for objects and social) memory, working memory and reversal learning. Studies are not always in agreement, however, no effects, or sometimes facilitation, being reported, depending on the nature and intensity of the early intervention, as well as the age when the outcome was evaluated and the sex of the animals. When considering processes occurring after consolidation, related with memory maintenance or modification, there are a very reduced number of reports. Future studies addressing the mechanisms underlying memory changes for ELS should shed some light on the understanding of the different effects induced by stressors of different types and intensities on cognitive functions.
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12
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Macartney EL, Lagisz M, Nakagawa S. The Relative Benefits of Environmental Enrichment on Learning and Memory are Greater When Stressed: A Meta-analysis of Interactions in Rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104554. [PMID: 35149103 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment ("EE") is expected to alleviate the negative effects of stress on cognitive performance. However, there are complexities associated with interpreting interactions that obscure determining the benefit EE may play in mitigating the negative effects of stress. To clarify these complexities, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis on the main and interactive effects of EE and stress on learning and memory in rodents. We show that EE and stress interact 'synergistically' where EE provides a greater relative benefit to stressed individuals compared to those reared in conventional housing. Importantly, EE can fully-compensate for the negative effects of stress where stressed individuals with EE performed equally to enriched individuals without a stress manipulation. Additionally, we show the importance of other mediating factors, including the order of treatment exposure, duration and type of stress, type of EE, and type of cognitive assays used. This study not only quantifies the interactions between EE and stress, but also provides a clear example for how to conduct and interpret meta-analysis of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Macartney
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Kensington Campus, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052.
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Kensington Campus, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia Kensington Campus, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052
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13
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Joushi S, Taherizadeh Z, Esmaeilpour K, Sheibani V. Environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin administration reverse maternal separation-induced impairments of prosocial choice behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 213:173318. [PMID: 34974063 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences influence behavioral and physiological functions and increase vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. Maternal separation (MS) is an established animal model that reproduces the features of chronic stress or adverse experiences during early life. Previous studies have been shown that MS may lead to impairments of social behaviors. Here, we investigated the effects of MS on mutual reward preferences in a double T-maze prosocial choice task. Since enriched environment (EE) and intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration have beneficial effects on cognition and social behaviors, in the present study we tested whether these treatments, alone or in combination, would affect prosocial behavior of rats which underwent MS during infancy. Rat pups underwent MS paradigm for 180 min/day from postnatal day (PND) 1-21. From PND 22-34, rats were exposed to an EE and/or received intranasal OT (2 μg/μl, 7 days). Hence, the 8 groups consisted of control (CTRL), MS, CTRL+EE, CTRL+OT and the saline groups. Assessment of prosocial choice behavior was started in adolescence. MS impaired prosocial choice behavior and reduced mutual reward preferences. Getting exposed to EE and intranasal OT administration could overcome MS-induced deficits and promoted mutual reward preferences of MS rats. Combination of short-term EE and OT strengthened prosocial behavior. Obtained results showed that EE and OT may be considered as profitable therapeutic approaches for promoting some aspects of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zahra Taherizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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14
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González Fleitas MF, Dorfman D, Rosenstein RE. A novel viewpoint in glaucoma therapeutics: enriched environment. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1431-1439. [PMID: 34916414 PMCID: PMC8771091 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.330594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is one of the world's most frequent visual impairment causes and leads to selective damage to retinal ganglion cells and their axons. Despite glaucoma's most accepted risk factor is increased intraocular pressure (IOP), the mechanisms behind the disease have not been fully elucidated. To date, IOP lowering remains the gold standard; however, glaucoma patients may still lose vision regardless of effective IOP management. Therefore, the exclusive IOP control apparently is not enough to stop the disease progression, and developing new resources to protect the retina and optic nerve against glaucoma is a goal of vast clinical importance. Besides pharmacological treatments, environmental conditions have been shown to prevent neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. In this review, we discuss current concepts on key pathogenic mechanisms involved in glaucoma, the effect of enriched environment on these mechanisms in different experimental models, as well as recent evidence supporting the preventive and therapeutic effect of enriched environment exposure against experimental glaucomatous damage. Finally, we postulate that stimulating vision may become a non-invasive and rehabilitative therapy that could be eventually translated to the human disease, preventing glaucoma-induced terrible sequelae resulting in permanent visual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- María F González Fleitas
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Damián Dorfman
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ruth E Rosenstein
- Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, School of Medicine/CEFyBO, University of Buenos Aires/CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Joushi S, Esmaeilpour K, Masoumi-Ardakani Y, Esmaeili-Mahani S, Sheibani V. Effects of short environmental enrichment on early-life adversity induced cognitive alternations in adolescent rats. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:3373-3391. [PMID: 34676587 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Early-life experiences, including parental care, affect cognitive performance later in life. Being exposed to early-life maternal separation (MS) increases susceptibility to stress-related psychopathology. Previous studies suggest that MS could induce learning and memory impairments. Since enriched environment (EE) provides more opportunities for exploration and social interaction, in the present study we evaluated the effects of a short EE paradigm with a duration of 13 days on cognitive abilities of maternally separated rats (MS; 180 min/day, postnatal day (PND) 1-21) during adolescence in four experimental groups: Control, Control+EE, MS, and MS+EE. Plasma corticosterone (CORT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were also measured in experimental animals. We also studied the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the slices of hippocampal CA1 area. The behavioral and electrophysiological assessments were started at PND 35. MS caused higher basal CORT levels in plasma and impaired spatial learning, memory, and social interaction. LTP induction was also impaired in MS rats and plasma BDNF levels were reduced in these animals. MS also induced more anxiety-like behavior. Short EE reduced plasma CORT levels had the potential to improve locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in MS+EE rats and reversed MS-induced impairments of spatial learning, memory, and social behavior. LTP induction and plasma BDNF levels were also enhanced in MS+EE rats. We concluded that short EE might be considered as a therapeutic strategy for promoting cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Yaser Masoumi-Ardakani
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Saeed Esmaeili-Mahani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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16
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Shahraki S, Esmaeilpour K, Shabani M, Sepehri G, Rajizadeh MA, Maneshian M, Joushi S, Sheibani V. Choline chloride modulates learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity impairments in maternally separated adolescent male rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2021; 82:19-38. [PMID: 34727391 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) is a model to induce permanent alternations in the central nervous system (CNS) and is associated with increased levels of anxiety and cognitive deficiencies. Since Methyl donor choline (Ch) has been shown to play a significant role in learning and memory and enhances synaptic plasticity, the authors hypothesized that Ch may attenuate MS-induced impairments in synaptic plasticity and cognitive performance. Rat pups underwent a MS protocol for 180 min/day from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 21. Ch was administered subcutaneously (100 mg/kg, 21 days) to the Choline chloride and MS + Choline chloride groups from PND 29 to 49. Anxiety-like behavior, recognition memory, spatial and passive avoidance learning and memory were measured in the adolescent rats. In addition, evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) were recorded from the CA1 region of the hippocampus. MS induced higher anxiety-like behavior in the animals. It also impaired learning and memory. However, MS had no effect on locomotor activity. Subcutaneous administration of Ch attenuated MS-induced cognitive deficits and enhanced the learning and memory of MS rats. Ch also decreased anxiety-like behavior in the open field test. The present results showed that long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced in all groups except MS and MS + saline animals. However, Ch injection induced LTP and had maintenance in MS + choline chloride, but it was not statistically significant compared with the MS group. In summary, the present findings indicate that MS can interfere with normal animal's cognition and subcutaneous of Ch may be considered an appropriate therapeutic strategy for promoting cognitive dysfunctions in MS animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarieh Shahraki
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Department of Physiology & pharmacology, school of medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Sepehri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Rajizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Marzieh Maneshian
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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17
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FKBP5 and early life stress affect the hippocampus by an age-dependent mechanism. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 9:100143. [PMID: 34589890 PMCID: PMC8474669 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) adversely affects the brain and is commonly associated with the etiology of mental health disorders, like depression. In addition to the mood-related symptoms, patients with depression show dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increased peripheral inflammation, and structural brain alterations. Although the underlying causes are unknown, polymorphisms in the FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene, a regulator of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity, interact with childhood adversities to increase vulnerability to depressive disorders. We hypothesized that high FKBP5 protein levels combined with early life stress (ELS) would alter the HPA axis and brain, promoting depressive-like behaviors. To test this, we exposed males and females of a mouse model overexpressing FKBP5 in the brain (rTgFKBP5 mice), or littermate controls, to maternal separation for 14 days after birth. Then, we evaluated neuroendocrine, behavioral, and brain changes in young adult and aged mice. We observed lower basal corticosterone (CORT) levels in rTgFKBP5 mice, which was exacerbated in females. Aged, but not young, rTgFKBP5 mice showed increased depressive-like behaviors. Moreover, FKBP5 overexpression reduced hippocampal neuron density in aged mice, while promoting markers of microglia expression, but these effects were reversed by ELS. Together, these results demonstrate that high FKBP5 affects basal CORT levels, depressive-like symptoms, and numbers of neurons and microglia in the hippocampus in an age-dependent manner. High FKBP5 reduces basal corticosterone levels in mice, especially in females. ELS prevents FKBP5-induced susceptibility to depressive-like behavior in aged mice. FKBP5 overexpression reduces hippocampal neuron density in aged mice, while increasing microglial markers.
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18
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Lambert CT, Guillette LM. The impact of environmental and social factors on learning abilities: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2871-2889. [PMID: 34342125 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Since the 1950s, researchers have examined how differences in the social and asocial environment affect learning in rats, mice, and, more recently, a variety of other species. Despite this large body of research, little has been done to synthesize these findings and to examine if social and asocial environmental factors have consistent effects on cognitive abilities, and if so, what aspects of these factors have greater or lesser impact. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining how different external environmental features, including the social environment, impact learning (both speed of acquisition and performance). Using 531 mean-differences from 176 published articles across 27 species (with studies on rats and mice being most prominent) we conducted phylogenetically corrected mixed-effects models that reveal: (i) an average absolute effect size |d| = 0.55 and directional effect size d = 0.34; (ii) interventions manipulating the asocial environment result in larger effects than social interventions alone; and (iii) the length of the intervention is a significant predictor of effect size, with longer interventions resulting in larger effects. Additionally, much of the variation in effect size remained unexplained, possibly suggesting that species differ widely in how they are affected by environmental interventions due to varying ecological and evolutionary histories. Overall our results suggest that social and asocial environmental factors do significantly affect learning, but these effects are highly variable and perhaps not always as predicted. Most notably, the type (social or asocial) and length of interventions are important in determining the strength of the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor T Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Lauren M Guillette
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
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19
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Xiong X, Han L, Fan M, Zhang L, Liu L, Guo C, Wu Q, Wang X, Sun R, Ni L, Huang C, Yang J. Early maternal deprivation impairs learning and memory and alters hippocampal gene expression in adult male rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 183:107479. [PMID: 34119613 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Maternal deprivation (MD) in early life severely disrupts hippocampal development, leading to persistent cognitive and behavior deficits. The current study uncovered that early MD (P1-P21) impaired spatial learning and memory capacity detected by Morris water maze (MWM) tests from juvenile (P31) to adult (P81) rats compared to age-matched controls. And the protein expression in hippocampus were detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) before MWM, respectively. Protein changes in hippocampal were examined to identify the molecular pathways underlying MD-induced hippocampal dysfunction. There were 11 differentially expressed proteins analyzed between adult MD and control male rats, while the 8 proteins were then identified by UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations of the identified proteins were related to neuronal and glial cytoskeletal dynamics, membrane signaling, stress responses, biosynthesis, and metabolism. The different expression proteins spectrin alpha chain, non-erythrocytic 1 (Sptan1), ATP-citrate synthase (Acly), and heat shock protein 90-alpha (Hsp90aa1) have been verified by western blot analysis, and their expression levels showed consistent with 2-DE analysis. In addition, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was also found reduced in adult hippocampus of MD rats. This study identifies candidate proteins encompassing a range of functional categories that may contribute to persistent learning and memory deficits due to early life MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Xiong
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China; National Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnostics and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Lin Han
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Meiyang Fan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Lingyu Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Liying Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Chen Guo
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Qiuhua Wu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Ruifang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Lei Ni
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China
| | - Chen Huang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China.
| | - Juan Yang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China.
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20
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Life-course effects of early life adversity exposure on eating behavior and metabolism. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2021; 97:237-273. [PMID: 34311901 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Environmental variations in early life influence brain development, making individuals more vulnerable to psychiatric and metabolic disorders. Early life stress (ELS) has a strong impact on the development of eating behavior. However, eating is a complex behavior, determined by an interaction between signals of energy homeostasis, neuronal circuits involved in its regulation, and circuits related to rewarding properties of the food. Although mechanisms underlying ELS-induced altered feeding behavior are not completely understood, evidence suggest that the effects of ELS on metabolic, mood, and emotional disorders, as well as reward system dysfunctions can contribute directly or indirectly to altered feeding behavior. The focus of this chapter is to discuss the effects of ELS on eating behavior and metabolism, considering different factors that control appetite such as energy homeostasis, hedonic properties of the food, emotional and cognitive status. After highlighting classic studies on the association between ELS and eating behavior alterations, we discuss how exposure to adversity can interact with genetics characteristics to predict variable outcomes.
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21
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Cordier JM, Aguggia JP, Danelon V, Mir FR, Rivarola MA, Mascó D. Postweaning Enriched Environment Enhances Cognitive Function and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Signaling in the Hippocampus in Maternally Separated Rats. Neuroscience 2020; 453:138-147. [PMID: 33039520 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adverse environments during early life may lead to different neurophysiological and behavioral consequences, including depression and learning and memory deficits that persist into adulthood. Previously, we demonstrated that exposure to an enriched environment during adolescence mitigates the cognitive impairment observed after maternal separation in a task-specific manner. However, underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood. The current study examines the effects of neonatal maternal separation (MS) and postweaning environmental enrichment (EE) on spatial learning and memory performance in a short version of the Barnes Maze, active and passive behaviors in the forced swim test, and on TrkB/BDNF receptor expression in the hippocampus. Our results revealed that MS impaired acquisition learning and that enriched rats performed better than non-enriched rats in acquisition trials, regardless of early conditions. During the probe, enriched-housed rats demonstrated better performance than those reared in standard conditions. No significant differences between groups were found in the forced swim test. Both MS and EE increase full-length TrkB expression, and the combination of MS and EE treatment caused the highest levels of this protein expression. Similarly, truncated TrkB expression was higher in the MS/EE group. Animal facility rearing (AFR) non-enriched groups present the lowest activation of phosphorylated Erk, a canonical downstream kinase of TrkB signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate the importance of enriched environment as an intervention to ameliorate the effects of maternal separation on spatial learning and memory. TrkB/BDNF signaling could mediate neuroplastic changes related to learning and memory during exposure to enriched environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Maximiliano Cordier
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba -Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Julieta Paola Aguggia
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq. Enfermera Gordillo. Ciudad Universitaria, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Víctor Danelon
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Franco Rafael Mir
- Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Departamento de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, Av. Luis M. de la Fuente S/N, Ciudad Universitaria de la Ciencia y de la Técnica, F5300 La Rioja, Argentina; Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 X5000JJC- Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Angélica Rivarola
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq. Enfermera Gordillo. Ciudad Universitaria, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 X5000JJC- Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Daniel Mascó
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
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22
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Sanchez CM, Titus DJ, Wilson NM, Freund JE, Atkins CM. Early Life Stress Exacerbates Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2020; 38:555-565. [PMID: 32862765 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurocognitive impairments associated with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) often resolve within 1-2 weeks; however, a subset of people exhibit persistent cognitive dysfunction for weeks to months after injury. The factors that contribute to these persistent deficits are unknown. One potential risk factor for worsened outcome after TBI is a history of stress experienced by a person early in life. Early life stress (ELS) includes maltreatment such as neglect, and interferes with the normal construction of cortical and hippocampal circuits. We hypothesized that a history of ELS contributes to persistent learning and memory dysfunction following a TBI. To explore this interaction, we modeled ELS by separating Sprague Dawley pups from their nursing mothers from post-natal days 2-14 for 3 h daily. At 2 months of age, male rats received sham surgery or mild to moderate parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury. We found that the combination of ELS with TBI in adulthood impaired hippocampal-dependent learning, as assessed with contextual fear conditioning, the water maze task, and spatial working memory. Cortical atrophy was significantly exacerbated in TBI animals exposed to ELS compared with normal-reared TBI animals. Changes in corticosterone in response to restraint stress were prolonged in TBI animals that received ELS compared with TBI animals that were normally reared or sham animals that received ELS. Our findings indicate that ELS is a risk factor for worsened outcome after TBI, and results in persistent learning and memory deficits, worsened cortical pathology, and an exacerbation of the hormonal stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M Sanchez
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - David J Titus
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nicole M Wilson
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Julie E Freund
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Coleen M Atkins
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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Zhang M, Song S, Zhao D, Shi J, Xu X, Zhou G, Li C. High intake of chicken and pork proteins aggravates high-fat-diet-induced inflammation and disorder of hippocampal glutamatergic system. J Nutr Biochem 2020; 85:108487. [PMID: 32827667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
High-fat diets have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, which are also largely related to the type and amount of dietary proteins. However, to our knowledge, it is little known how dietary proteins affect neurodegenerative changes. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary proteins in a high-fat diet on hippocampus functions related to enteric glial cells (EGCs) in Wistar rats that were fed either 40% or 20% (calorie) casein, chicken protein or pork protein for 12 weeks (n=10 each group). Inflammatory factors, glutamatergic system, EGCs, astrocytes and nutrient transporters were measured. A high-chicken-protein diet significantly increased the levels of systemic inflammatory factors, Tau protein and amyloid precursor protein mRNA level in the rat hippocampus. The type and level of dietary proteins in high-fat diets did not affect the gene expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and α-synuclein (P>.05), indicating a negligible effect on astrocyte activity. However, the high-protein diets up-regulated glutamate transporters compared with the low-protein diets (P<.05), while they reduced the γ-aminobutyric acid content in high-chicken and -pork-protein diets (P<.05). Thus, compared with a low-protein diet (20%), a high-chicken or -pork-protein diet (40%) under a high-fat background could alter the balance between glutamatergic system and neurotransmitter and have a stronger effect on the interactions between hippocampal glutamatergic system and EGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Shangxin Song
- School of Food Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, 211171, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Di Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jie Shi
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Xinglian Xu
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Guanghong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Chunbao Li
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Jiangsu Synergistic Innovation Center of Meat Processing and Quality Control, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University; 210095, Nanjing, PR China.
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N-3 PUFA Have Antidepressant-like Effects Via Improvement of the HPA-Axis and Neurotransmission in Rats Exposed to Combined Stress. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:3860-3874. [PMID: 32613466 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-01980-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Early life and adulthood stress increase vulnerability for mental illness, and eventually trigger depression. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have antidepressant effects, but their effect on rats exposed to combined stress has been not investigated. This study aimed to investigate whether n-3 PUFA supplementation had antidepressant-like effects in rat models of depression induced by a combination of chronic mild stress (CMS) and maternal separation (MS) through the modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and neurotransmission. Rats were fed the n-3 PUFA diet during the pre-weaning or post-weaning period or for lifetime, and allocated to different groups based on the type of induced stress: non-stress (NS), CMS + MS, or CMS alone. N-3 PUFA improved the depressive behaviors of the CMS alone and CMS + MS groups and modulated the HPA-axis by reducing the circulating adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosterone, and corticotropin-releasing factor expression, and increasing glucocorticoid receptor expression. N-3 PUFA also modulated brain phospholipid fatty acid concentration, thus reducing inflammatory cytokines; improved the serotonergic pathway, thus increasing the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), serotonin-1A receptor, and serum levels of serotonin; but did not affect glutamatergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, n-3 PUFA decreased the hippocampal expression of microRNA-218 and -132, increased that of microRNA-155, and its lifetime supplementation was more beneficial than pre- or post-weaning supplementation. This study suggests that n-3 PUFA has an antidepressant effect in rats exposed to combined stress, through the improvement of the HPA-axis abnormalities, the BDNF-serotonergic pathway, and the modulation of microRNAs.
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Rutin via Increase in the CA3 Diameter of the Hippocampus Exerted Antidepressant-Like Effect in Mouse Model of Maternal Separation Stress: Possible Involvement of NMDA Receptors. Behav Neurol 2020; 2020:4813616. [PMID: 32587637 PMCID: PMC7296444 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4813616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methods Mouse neonates were exposed to MS paradigm 3 hours daily from postnatal days (PND) 2 to 14. The control and MS mice were divided separately into 16 groups (n = 8) (8 groups for each set) including mice that received normal saline, mice that received rutin at doses of 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg, mice that received NMDA at a dose of 150 mg/kg, mice that received ketamine (NMDA antagonist) at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg, mice that received NMDA antagonist plus a subeffective dose of rutin, and mice that received NMDA plus an effective dose of rutin. Forced swimming test (FST) was performed. Afterwards, the hippocampus was evaluated in cases of histopathological changes as well as expression of NR2A and NR2B genes. Results Rutin significantly reduced immobility time in the FST. The expression of NR2A and NR2B subunits of NMDA receptor in MS mice was significantly higher than that in the control group. Rutin significantly decreased the expression of NR2B and NR2A subunits in the hippocampus. The CA3 diameter and percentage of dark neurons in the hippocampus of MS mice significantly decreased and increased, respectively, which partially reversed following rutin administration. Conclusion Rutin, partially, through a neuroprotective effect on the hippocampus exerted antidepressant-like effect. We concluded that NMDA receptors, at least in part, mediated the beneficial effect of rutin.
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Diaz-Chávez A, Lajud N, Roque A, Cheng JP, Meléndez-Herrera E, Valdéz-Alarcón JJ, Bondi CO, Kline AE. Early life stress increases vulnerability to the sequelae of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol 2020; 329:113318. [PMID: 32305419 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a risk factor for many psychopathologies that happen later in life. Although stress can occur in cases of child abuse, studies on non-accidental brain injuries in pediatric populations do not consider the possible increase in vulnerability caused by ELS. Hence, we sought to determine whether ELS increases the effects of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on cognition, hippocampal inflammation, and plasticity. Male rats were subjected to maternal separation for 180 min per day (MS180) or used as controls (CONT) during the first 21 post-natal (P) days. At P21 the rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and subjected to a mild controlled cortical impact or sham injury. At P32 the rats were injected with the cell proliferation marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 500 mg/kg), then evaluated for spatial learning and memory in a water maze (P35-40) and sacrificed for quantification of Ki67+, BrdU+ and Iba1+ (P42). Neither MS180 nor mTBI impacted cognitive outcome when provided alone but their combination (MS180 + mTBI) decreased spatial learning and memory relative to Sham controls (p < .01). mTBI increased microglial activation and affected BrdU+ cell survival in the ipsilateral hippocampus without affecting proliferation rates. However, only MS180 + mTBI increased microglial activation in the area adjacent to the injury and the contralateral CA1 hippocampal subfield, and decreased cell proliferation in the ipsilateral neurogenic niche. Overall, the data show that ELS increases the vulnerability to the sequelae of pediatric mTBI and may be mediated by increased neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Diaz-Chávez
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico; Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales - Benemérita y Centenaria Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Naima Lajud
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Angélica Roque
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Jeffrey P Cheng
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Esperanza Meléndez-Herrera
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales - Benemérita y Centenaria Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Juan José Valdéz-Alarcón
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Estudios en Biotecnología, Benemérita y Centenaria Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Corina O Bondi
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Anthony E Kline
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
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Menezes J, Souto das Neves BH, Gonçalves R, Benetti F, Mello-Carpes PB. Maternal deprivation impairs memory and cognitive flexibility, effect that is avoided by environmental enrichment. Behav Brain Res 2020; 381:112468. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Microglial Function in the Effects of Early-Life Stress on Brain and Behavioral Development. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9020468. [PMID: 32046333 PMCID: PMC7074320 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9020468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The putative effects of early-life stress (ELS) on later behavior and neurobiology have been widely investigated. Recently, microglia have been implicated in mediating some of the effects of ELS on behavior. In this review, findings from preclinical and clinical literature with a specific focus on microglial alterations induced by the exposure to ELS (i.e., exposure to behavioral stressors or environmental agents and infection) are summarized. These studies were utilized to interpret changes in developmental trajectories based on the time at which the stress occurred, as well as the paradigm used. ELS and microglial alterations were found to be associated with a wide array of deficits including cognitive performance, memory, reward processing, and processing of social stimuli. Four general conclusions emerged: (1) ELS interferes with microglial developmental programs, including their proliferation and death and their phagocytic activity; (2) this can affect neuronal and non-neuronal developmental processes, which are dynamic during development and for which microglial activity is instrumental; (3) the effects are extremely dependent on the time point at which the investigation is carried out; and (4) both pre- and postnatal ELS can prime microglial reactivity, indicating a long-lasting alteration, which has been implicated in behavioral abnormalities later in life.
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Dutcher EG, Pama EC, Lynall ME, Khan S, Clatworthy MR, Robbins TW, Bullmore ET, Dalley JW. Early-life stress and inflammation: A systematic review of a key experimental approach in rodents. Brain Neurosci Adv 2020; 4:2398212820978049. [PMID: 33447663 PMCID: PMC7780197 DOI: 10.1177/2398212820978049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated maternal separation is the most widely used pre-clinical approach to investigate the relationship between early-life chronic stress and its neuropsychiatric and physical consequences. In this systematic review, we identified 46 studies that conducted repeated maternal separation or single-episode maternal separation and reported measurements of interleukin-1b, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, or microglia activation and density. We report that in the short-term and in the context of later-life stress, repeated maternal separation has pro-inflammatory immune consequences in diverse tissues. Repeated maternal separation animals exhibit greater microglial activation and elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine signalling in key brain regions implicated in human psychiatric disorders. Notably, repeated maternal separation generally has no long-term effect on cytokine expression in any tissue in the absence of later-life stress. These observations suggest that the elevated inflammatory signalling that has been reported in humans with a history of early-life stress may be the joint consequence of ongoing stressor exposure together with potentiated neural and/or immune responsiveness to stressors. Finally, our findings provide detailed guidance for future studies interrogating the causal roles of early-life stress and inflammation in disorders such as major depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan G. Dutcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Mary-Ellen Lynall
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shahid Khan
- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, Stevenage, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jeffrey W. Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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González-Pardo H, Arias JL, Vallejo G, Conejo NM. Environmental enrichment effects after early stress on behavior and functional brain networks in adult rats. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226377. [PMID: 31830106 PMCID: PMC6907785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress is associated with long-term and pervasive adverse effects on neuroendocrine development, affecting normal cognitive and emotional development. Experimental manipulations like environmental enrichment (EE) may potentially reverse the effects of early life stress induced by maternal separation (MS) paradigm in rodents. However, the functional brain networks involved in the effects of EE after prolonged exposure to MS have not yet been investigated. In order to evaluate possible changes in brain functional connectivity induced by EE after MS, quantitative cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) histochemistry was applied to determine regional brain oxidative metabolism in adult male rats. Unexpectedly, results show that prolonged MS during the entire weaning period did not cause any detrimental effects on spatial learning and memory, including depressive-like behavior evaluated in the forced-swim test, and decreased anxiety-like behavior. However, EE seemed to alter anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in both control and MS groups, but improved spatial memory in the latter groups. Analysis of brain CCO activity showed significantly lower metabolic capacity in most brain regions selected in EE groups probably associated with chronic stress, but no effects of MS on brain metabolic capacity. In addition, principal component analysis of CCO activity revealed increased large-scale functional brain connectivity comprising at least three main networks affected by EE in both MS and control groups. Moreover, EE induced a pattern of functional brain connectivity associated with stress and anxiety-like behavior as compared with non-enriched groups. In conclusion, EE had differential effects on cognition and emotional behavior irrespective of exposure to MS. In view of the remarkable effects of EE on brain function and behavior, implementation of rodent housing conditions should be optimized by evaluating the balance between scientific validity and animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge L. Arias
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Guillermo Vallejo
- Methodology Area, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Nélida M. Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Gutiérrez-Menéndez A, Banqueri M, Méndez M, Arias JL. How Does Maternal Separation Affect the Cerebellum? Assessment of the Oxidative Metabolic Activity and Expression of the c-Fos Protein in Male and Female Rats. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 19:68-77. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-019-01087-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Heydari A, Esmaeilpour K, Sheibani V. Maternal separation impairs long term-potentiation in CA3-CA1 synapses in adolescent female rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 376:112239. [PMID: 31526768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Mother-infant interactions influence the development of physiology and behavior during the first weeks after birth. As an adverse early life experience, maternal separation (MS) produces behavioral and neuroendocrine functions disorders associated with the hippocampus. Considering the critical role of long-term potentiation (LTP) in learning and memory, we investigated whether MS affects LTP in adolescent female rats. In this study, female rat pups were exposed to daily 3-h (MS180) or 15-min (MS15) periods of maternal separation on postnatal days (PND) 1-14 and control offspring remained with the dams all the time before weaning. Extracellular evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the stratum radiatum of the CA1 area of the slice at 28-35 days of age. Our results indicate that a significant difference existed in the magnitude of LTP between the control group and MS180 group, but the MS15 group was not different from control. In conclusion, these findings suggest that MS may impair LTP induction in the CA1 area of the hippocampus in adolescent female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arefe Heydari
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman university of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman university of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Doreste-Mendez R, Ríos-Ruiz EJ, Rivera-López LL, Gutierrez A, Torres-Reveron A. Effects of Environmental Enrichment in Maternally Separated Rats: Age and Sex-Specific Outcomes. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:198. [PMID: 31555107 PMCID: PMC6727005 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) early in life is related to an increase in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors and neurobiological alterations mostly related to alterations in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been used to ameliorate the effects of MS. However, the outcomes of this intervention at different developmental periods after MS have not been studied. We subjected male and female Sprague–Dawley pups to MS and subsequently compared the effects of EE started either in the pre-pubertal period [postnatal day (PND) 22] or adulthood (PND 78). Anxiety and depressive-like behaviors as well as in hippocampal synaptic density and basal corticosterone, oxytocin, and vasopressin levels were measured. Our results support the beneficial effects of adulthood EE in decreasing anxiety in males as well as promoting synaptic density in ventral hippocampal CA3. Males displayed higher levels of vasopressin while females displayed higher oxytocin, with no changes in basal corticosterone for any group after EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raura Doreste-Mendez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Physiology and Pharmacology, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, United States.,School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, United States
| | - Efraín J Ríos-Ruiz
- School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, United States.,Institute of Translational Research in Behavioral Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Campus, Ponce, PR, United States
| | - Leslie L Rivera-López
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United States
| | - Alfredo Gutierrez
- Department of Community Health, School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Annelyn Torres-Reveron
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United States.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United States
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Abstract
The developmental period constitutes a critical window of sensitivity to stress. Indeed, early-life adversity increases the risk to develop psychiatric diseases, but also gastrointestinal disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome at adulthood. In the past decade, there has been huge interest in the gut-brain axis, especially as regards stress-related emotional behaviours. Animal models of early-life adversity, in particular, maternal separation (MS) in rodents, demonstrate lasting deleterious effects on both the gut and the brain. Here, we review the effects of MS on both systems with a focus on stress-related behaviours. In addition, we discuss more recent findings showing the impact of gut-directed interventions, including nutrition with pre- and probiotics, illustrating the role played by gut microbiota in mediating the long-term effects of MS. Overall, preclinical studies suggest that nutritional approaches with pro- and prebiotics may constitute safe and efficient strategies to attenuate the effects of early-life stress on the gut-brain axis. Further research is required to understand the complex mechanisms underlying gut-brain interaction dysfunctions after early-life stress as well as to determine the beneficial impact of gut-directed strategies in a context of early-life adversity in human subjects.
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Anxiety-like behaviour assessments of adolescent rats after repeated maternal separation during early life. Neuroreport 2019; 29:643-649. [PMID: 29561529 PMCID: PMC5959263 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) plays a central role in developing physiology and psychology during the individual ontogeny process. MS is used to research the neurobiological mechanisms of mental disorders and early life stress. In this study, we investigated the effects of repeated MS and early handling (EH) on locomotor activity in an open-field test, a light–dark box test and an elevated plus-maze test of adolescent rats. The results showed that MS reduced locomotor activities in the open-field test, and increased anxiety-like behaviours in the light–dark box test and the elevated plus-maze test in adolescent rats. These tests indicated that early life stress caused by MS might induce anxiety-like behaviours during adolescence. However, compared with the control group, both the MS and EH groups showed conflicting anxiety levels. The results also suggested that females were more prone to showing anxiety-like behaviour compared with males when suffering from high-intensity stimulation. However, because of the low anxiety level associated with EH, the sex difference in behaviour was not significant. The present study provides novel insights into the effects of MS and EH on behaviour, which shows unique anxiety levels different in adolescent male and female rats.
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Smith BL, Morano RL, Ulrich-Lai YM, Myers B, Solomon MB, Herman JP. Adolescent environmental enrichment prevents behavioral and physiological sequelae of adolescent chronic stress in female (but not male) rats. Stress 2018; 21:464-473. [PMID: 29166811 PMCID: PMC5963965 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1402883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The late adolescent period is characterized by marked neurodevelopmental and endocrine fluctuations in the transition to early adulthood. Adolescents are highly responsive to the external environment, which enhances their ability to adapt and recover from challenges when given nurturing influences, but also makes them vulnerable to aberrant development when exposed to prolonged adverse situations. Female rats are particularly sensitive to the effects of chronic stress in adolescence, which manifests as passive coping strategies and blunted hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) stress responses in adulthood. We sought to intervene by exposing adolescent rats to environmental enrichment (EE) immediately prior to and during chronic stress, hypothesizing that EE would minimize or prevent the long-term effects of stress that emerge in adult females. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to EE on postnatal days (PND) 33-60 and implemented chronic variable stress (CVS) on PND 40-60. CVS consisted of twice-daily unpredictable stressors. Experimental groups included: CVS/unenriched, unstressed/EE, CVS/EE and unstressed/unenriched (n = 10 of each sex/group). In adulthood, we measured behavior in the open field test and forced swim test (FST) and collected blood samples following the FST. We found that environmental enrichment given during the adolescent period prevented the chronic stress-induced transition to passive coping in the FST and reversed decreases in peak adrenocortical responsiveness observed in adult females. Adolescent enrichment had little to no effect on males or unstressed females tested in adulthood, indicating that beneficial effects are specific to females that were exposed to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rachel L Morano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Matia B. Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Novick AM, Levandowski ML, Laumann LE, Philip NS, Price LH, Tyrka AR. The effects of early life stress on reward processing. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 101:80-103. [PMID: 29567510 PMCID: PMC5889741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS), in the form of childhood maltreatment, abuse, or neglect, increases the risk for psychiatric sequelae later in life. The neurobiology of response to early stress and of reward processing overlap substantially, leading to the prediction that reward processing may be a primary mediator of the effects of early life stress. We describe a growing body of literature investigating the effects of early life stressors on reward processing in animals and humans. Despite variation in the reviewed studies, an emerging pattern of results indicates that ELS results in deficits of ventral striatum-related functions of reward responsiveness and approach motivation, especially when the stressor is experienced in early in development. For stressors experienced later in the juvenile period and adolescence, the animal literature suggests an opposite effect, in which ELS results in increased hedonic drive. Future research in this area will help elucidate the transdiagnostic impact of early life stress, and therefore potentially identify and intervene with at-risk youth, prior to the emergence of clinical psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Novick
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Corresponding author: Andrew M Novick, MD PhD, Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI 02906, USA,
| | - Mateus L. Levandowski
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Graduate Program in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Laura E. Laumann
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Noah S. Philip
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lawrence H. Price
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Audrey R. Tyrka
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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38
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Sukhanova YA, Volodina MA, Sebentsova EA, Glazova NY, Manchenko DM, Inozemtseva LS, Andreeva LA, Dolotov OV, Levitskaya NG. Long-Term Changes in Behavior and the Content of BDNF in the Rat Brain Caused by Neonatal Isolation: The Effects of an Analog of ACTH(4-10) Semax. NEUROCHEM J+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712418010154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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39
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Diamantopoulou A, Kalpachidou T, Aspiotis G, Gampierakis I, Stylianopoulou F, Stamatakis A. An early experience of mild adversity involving temporary denial of maternal contact affects the serotonergic system of adult male rats and leads to a depressive-like phenotype and inability to adapt to a chronic social stress. Physiol Behav 2018; 184:46-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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40
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Sperry MM, Kandel BM, Wehrli S, Bass KN, Das SR, Dhillon PS, Gee JC, Barr GA. Mapping of pain circuitry in early post-natal development using manganese-enhanced MRI in rats. Neuroscience 2017; 352:180-189. [PMID: 28391012 PMCID: PMC7276061 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Premature or ill full-term infants are subject to a number of noxious procedures as part of their necessary medical care. Although we know that human infants show neural changes in response to such procedures, we know little of the sensory or affective brain circuitry activated by pain. In rodent models, the focus has been on spinal cord and, more recently, midbrain and medulla. The present study assesses activation of brain circuits using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). Uptake of manganese, a paramagnetic contrast agent that is transported across active synapses and along axons, was measured in response to a hindpaw injection of dilute formalin in 12-day-old rat pups, the age at which rats begin to show aversion learning and which is roughly the equivalent of full-term human infants. Formalin induced the oft-reported biphasic response at this age and induced a conditioned aversion to cues associated with its injection, thus demonstrating the aversiveness of the stimulation. Morphometric analyses, structural equation modeling and co-expression analysis showed that limbic and sensory paths were activated, the most prominent of which were the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hypothalamus, several brainstem structures, and the cerebellum. Therefore, both sensory and affective circuits, which are activated by pain in the adult, can also be activated by noxious stimulation in 12-day-old rat pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Sperry
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - B M Kandel
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - S Wehrli
- NMR Core, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
| | - K N Bass
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - S R Das
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - P S Dhillon
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - J C Gee
- Penn Image Computing and Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - G A Barr
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
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41
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Knop J, Joëls M, van der Veen R. The added value of rodent models in studying parental influence on offspring development: opportunities, limitations and future perspectives. Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 15:174-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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42
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McIntosh AL, Gormley S, Tozzi L, Frodl T, Harkin A. Recent Advances in Translational Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Animal Models of Stress and Depression. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:150. [PMID: 28596724 PMCID: PMC5442179 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable translational tool that can be used to investigate alterations in brain structure and function in both patients and animal models of disease. Regional changes in brain structure, functional connectivity, and metabolite concentrations have been reported in depressed patients, giving insight into the networks and brain regions involved, however preclinical models are less well characterized. The development of more effective treatments depends upon animal models that best translate to the human condition and animal models may be exploited to assess the molecular and cellular alterations that accompany neuroimaging changes. Recent advances in preclinical imaging have facilitated significant developments within the field, particularly relating to high resolution structural imaging and resting-state functional imaging which are emerging techniques in clinical research. This review aims to bring together the current literature on preclinical neuroimaging in animal models of stress and depression, highlighting promising avenues of research toward understanding the pathological basis of this hugely prevalent disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shane Gormley
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublin, Ireland
| | - Leonardo Tozzi
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublin, Ireland.,Universitätsklinikum A.ö.R, Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Medizinische Fakultät, Otto von Guericke UniversitätMagdeburg, Germany
| | - Andrew Harkin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublin, Ireland.,School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical sciences, Trinity College DublinDublin, Ireland
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43
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van Bodegom M, Homberg JR, Henckens MJAG. Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:87. [PMID: 28469557 PMCID: PMC5395581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response systems mediating these long-term effects of stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a cascade of central and peripheral events resulting in the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands. Activation of the HPA-axis affects brain functioning to ensure a proper behavioral response to the stressor, but stress-induced (mal)adaptation of the HPA-axis' functional maturation may provide a mechanistic basis for the altered stress susceptibility later in life. Development of the HPA-axis and the brain regions involved in its regulation starts prenatally and continues after birth, and is protected by several mechanisms preventing corticosteroid over-exposure to the maturing brain. Nevertheless, early life stress (ELS) exposure has been reported to have numerous consequences on HPA-axis function in adulthood, affecting both its basal and stress-induced activity. According to the match/mismatch theory, encountering ELS prepares an organism for similar ("matching") adversities during adulthood, while a mismatching environment results in an increased susceptibility to psychopathology, indicating that ELS can exert either beneficial or disadvantageous effects depending on the environmental context. Here, we review studies investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of the ELS-induced alterations in the structural and functional development of the HPA-axis and its key external regulators (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex). The effects of ELS appear highly dependent on the developmental time window affected, the sex of the offspring, and the developmental stage at which effects are assessed. Albeit by distinct mechanisms, ELS induced by prenatal stressors, maternal separation, or the limited nesting model inducing fragmented maternal care, typically results in HPA-axis hyper-reactivity in adulthood, as also found in major depression. This hyper-activity is related to increased corticotrophin-releasing hormone signaling and impaired glucocorticoid receptor-mediated negative feedback. In contrast, initial evidence for HPA-axis hypo-reactivity is observed for early social deprivation, potentially reflecting the abnormal HPA-axis function as observed in post-traumatic stress disorder, and future studies should investigate its neural/neuroendocrine foundation in further detail. Interestingly, experiencing additional (chronic) stress in adulthood seems to normalize these alterations in HPA-axis function, supporting the match/mismatch theory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marloes J. A. G. Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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44
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Early-life stress impairs recognition memory and perturbs the functional maturation of prefrontal-hippocampal-perirhinal networks. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42042. [PMID: 28169319 PMCID: PMC5294456 DOI: 10.1038/srep42042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life exposure to stressful situations impairs cognitive performance of adults and contributes to the etiology of several psychiatric disorders. Most of affected cognitive abilities rely on coupling by synchrony within complex neuronal networks, including prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HP), and perirhinal cortex (PRH). Yet it remains poorly understood how early life stress (ELS) induces dysfunction within these networks during the course of development. Here we used intermittent maternal separation during the first 2 postnatal weeks to mimic ELS and monitored the recognition memory and functional coupling within prefrontal-hippocampal-perirhinal circuits in juvenile rats. While maternally-separated female rats showed largely normal behavior, male rats experiencing this form of ELS had poorer location and recency recognition memory. Simultaneous multi-site extracellular recordings of network oscillations and neuronal spiking from PFC, HP, and PRH in vivo revealed corresponding decrease of oscillatory activity in theta and beta frequency bands in the PFC of male but not female rats experiencing maternal separation. This deficit was accompanied by weaker cross-frequency coupling within juvenile prefrontal-hippocampal networks. These results indicate that already at juvenile age ELS mimicked by maternal separation induces sex-specific deficits in recognition memory that might have as underlying mechanism a disturbed communication between PFC and HP.
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45
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Chronic early postnatal scream sound stress induces learning deficits and NMDA receptor changes in the hippocampus of adult mice. Neuroreport 2016; 27:397-403. [PMID: 27015584 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Chronic scream sounds during adulthood affect spatial learning and memory, both of which are sexually dimorphic. The long-term effects of chronic early postnatal scream sound stress (SSS) during postnatal days 1-21 (P1-P21) on spatial learning and memory in adult mice as well as whether or not these effects are sexually dimorphic are unknown. Therefore, the present study examines the performance of adult male and female mice in the Morris water maze following exposure to chronic early postnatal SSS. Hippocampal NR2A and NR2B levels as well as NR2A/NR2B subunit ratios were tested using immunohistochemistry. In the Morris water maze, stress males showed greater impairment in spatial learning and memory than background males; by contrast, stress and background females performed equally well. NR2B levels in CA1 and CA3 were upregulated, whereas NR2A/NR2B ratios were downregulated in stressed males, but not in females. These data suggest that chronic early postnatal SSS influences spatial learning and memory ability, levels of hippocampal NR2B, and NR2A/NR2B ratios in adult males. Moreover, chronic early stress-induced alterations exert long-lasting effects and appear to affect performance in a sex-specific manner.
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46
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Dalaveri F, Nakhaee N, Esmaeilpour K, Mahani SE, Sheibani V. Effects of maternal separation on nicotine-induced conditioned place preference and subsequent learning and memory in adolescent female rats. Neurosci Lett 2016; 639:151-156. [PMID: 27931777 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences can potentially increase risk for drug abuse later in life. However, little research has been conducted studying the effects of maternal separation (MS), an experimental model for early life stress, on the rewarding effects of nicotine. Cognitive function may be affected by MS. So, we also investigated whether nicotine administration affect spatial learning and memory in MS adolescent female rats. Rat pups were subjected to daily MS for 15min (MS15) or 180min (MS180) during the first 2 weeks of life or reared under normal animal facility rearing (AFR) conditions. The place preference test was performed with nicotine (0.6mg/kg,s.c.) or vehicle over a period of 6 conditioning trials during adolescence. Spatial learning and memory performance was evaluated by using Morris water maze (MWM). In our study, adolescent female rats exposed to MS180 shown a significantly greater preference for a nicotine-paired compartment during the testing phase than the MS15 group. Nicotine altered the MS-induced spatial learning defects in the MS180 group. These findings suggest that MS may increase sensitivity to the rewarding effects of nicotine and also it is possible to suggest that nicotine administration may influence learning dysfunction induced by MS in adolescent female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Dalaveri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Nouzar Nakhaee
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Saeed Esmaeili Mahani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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47
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Mild daily stressors in adulthood may counteract behavioural effects after constant presence of mother during early life. Physiol Behav 2016; 165:313-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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48
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Zhang H, Yan G, Xu H, Fang Z, Zhang J, Zhang J, Wu R, Kong J, Huang Q. The recovery trajectory of adolescent social defeat stress-induced behavioral, (1)H-MRS metabolites and myelin changes in Balb/c mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27906. [PMID: 27283029 PMCID: PMC4901266 DOI: 10.1038/srep27906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent exposure to social stress precipitates emotion-related disorders and affects the development and function of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, this adversity-induced behavioral and neurological changes remain not fully explored. Adolescent Balb/c mice were subjected to intermittent social defeat stress during postnatal days 28 to 42. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) measurements, behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry were performed one day or 3 weeks after the last stress episode. Defeated mice exhibited hypoactivity and social avoidance with the latter lasting into the early adulthood, while the anxiety level was unchanged. Social defeat experience lead to temporary decreases in the levels of total creatines (Cr + pCr) and Glx (Glu + Gln), but a delayed increase of N- acetylaspartate (NAA) levels. These alternations were accompanied with a persistent reduction of myelin basic protein expression although the number of mature oligodendrocyte did not change. These findings provide evidence that adolescent adverse social experience permanently impairs the emotion-related behavioral performance and induces biochemical and molecular changes in the brain which at least lasts into early adulthood, thus enhancing our understanding of the neurobiology of social defeat stress. Our finding also implicates that NAA signals on MRS may reflect myelin status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handi Zhang
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Gen Yan
- Affiliated Hospital, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Haiyun Xu
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Zeman Fang
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Renhua Wu
- The 2nd affiliated Hospital, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Jiming Kong
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Qingjun Huang
- Mental Health Center Shantou University, Shantou, China
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Holschneider DP, Guo Y, Mayer EA, Wang Z. Early life stress elicits visceral hyperalgesia and functional reorganization of pain circuits in adult rats. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 3:8-22. [PMID: 26751119 PMCID: PMC4700548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a risk factor for developing functional gastrointestinal disorders, and has been proposed to be related to a central amplification of sensory input and resultant visceral hyperalgesia. We sought to characterize ELS-related changes in functional brain responses during acute noxious visceral stimulation. Neonatal rats (males/females) were exposed to limited bedding (ELS) or standard bedding (controls) on postnatal days 2–9. Age 10–11 weeks, animals were implanted with venous cannulas and transmitters for abdominal electromyography (EMG). Cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was mapped during colorectal distension (CRD) using [14C]-iodoantipyrine autoradiography, and analyzed in three-dimensionally reconstructed brains by statistical parametric mapping and functional connectivity. EMG responses to CRD were increased after ELS, with no evidence of a sex difference. ELS rats compared to controls showed a greater significant positive correlation of EMG with amygdalar rCBF. Factorial analysis revealed a significant main effect of ‘ELS’ on functional activation of nodes within the pain pathway (somatosensory, insular, cingulate and prefrontal cortices, locus coeruleus/lateral parabrachial n. [LC/LPB], periaqueductal gray, sensory thalamus), as well as in the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus. In addition, ELS resulted in an increase in the number of significant functional connections (i.e. degree centrality) between regions within the pain circuit, including the amygdala, LC/LPB, insula, anterior ventral cingulate, posterior cingulate (retrosplenium), and stria terminalis, with decreases noted in the sensory thalamus and the hippocampus. Sex differences in rCBF were less broadly expressed, with significant differences noted at the level of the cortex, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, raphe, sensory thalamus, and caudate-putamen. ELS showed a sexually dimorphic effect (‘Sex x ELS’ interaction) at the LC/LPB complex, globus pallidus, hypothalamus, raphe, septum, caudate-putamen and cerebellum. Our results suggest that ELS alters functional activation of the thalamo-cortico-amydala pathway, as well as the emotional-arousal network (amygdala, locus coeruleus), with evidence that ELS may additionally show sexually dimorphic effects on brain function. Early life stress (ELS) elicits visceral hyperalgesia in adult offspring. ELS alters functional activation of the thalamo-cortico-amydala pathway. ELS shows a sexually dimorphic effects on brain function. Functional imaging-based endpoints promise improved animal-to-human translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Holschneider
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Departments of Neurology, Cell and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Y Guo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - E A Mayer
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Departments of Physiology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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50
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Markostamou I, Ioannidis A, Dandi E, Mandyla MA, Nousiopoulou E, Simeonidou C, Spandou E, Tata DA. Maternal separation prior to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia: Impact on emotional aspects of behavior and markers of synaptic plasticity in hippocampus. Int J Dev Neurosci 2016; 52:1-12. [PMID: 27165447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to early-life stress is associated with long-term alterations in brain and behavior, and may aggravate the outcome of neurological insults. This study aimed at investigating the possible interaction between maternal separation, a model of early stress, and subsequent neonatal hypoxia-ischemia on emotional behavior and markers of synaptic plasticity in hippocampus. Therefore, rat pups (N=60) were maternally separated for a prolonged (MS 180min) or a brief (MS 15min) period during the first six postnatal days, while a control group was left undisturbed. Hypoxia-ischemia was applied to a subgroup of each rearing condition on postnatal day 7. Emotional behavior was examined at three months of age and included assessments of anxiety (elevated plus maze), depression-like behavior (forced swimming) and spontaneous exploration (open field). Synaptic plasticity was evaluated based on BDNF and synaptophysin expression in CA3 and dentate gyrus hippocampal regions. We found that neonatal hypoxia-ischemia caused increased levels of anxiety, depression-like behavior and locomotor activity (ambulation). Higher anxiety levels were also seen in maternally separated rats (MS180min) compared to non-maternally separated rats, but prolonged maternal separation prior to HI did not potentiate the HI-associated effect. No differences among the three rearing conditions were found regarding depression-like behavior or ambulation. Immunohistochemical evaluation of synaptophysin revealed that both prolonged maternal separation (MS180min) and neonatal hypoxia-ischemia significantly reduced its expression in the CA3 and dentate gyrus. Decreases in synaptophysin expression in these areas were not exacerbated in rats that were maternally separated for a prolonged period prior to HI. Regarding BDNF expression, we found a significant decrease in immunoreactivity only in the hypoxic-ischemic rats that were subjected to the prolonged maternal separation paradigm. The above findings suggest that early-life stress prior to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia leads to significant alterations in synaptic plasticity of the dorsal hippocampus during adulthood, but does not exacerbate HI-related changes in emotional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Markostamou
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anestis Ioannidis
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evgenia Dandi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria-Aikaterini Mandyla
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Nousiopoulou
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology & Neuroimmunology, B' Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Constantina Simeonidou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Spandou
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Faculty 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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