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Arakawa H, Tokashiki M, Higuchi Y, Konno T. Adolescent social isolation disrupts developmental tuning of neuropeptide circuits in the hypothalamus to amygdala regulating social and defensive behavior. Peptides 2024; 175:171178. [PMID: 38368908 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171178] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Engaging in positive social (i.e., prosocial) interactions during adolescence acts to modulate neural circuits that determine adult adaptive behavior. While accumulating evidence indicates that a strong craving for prosocial behavior contributes to sustaining neural development, the consequences of social deprivation during adolescence on social neural circuits, including those involving oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP), are poorly characterized. We evaluated adaptive behaviors in socially isolated mice, including anxiety-like, social, and defensive behaviors, along with OXT and AVP neural profiles in relevant brain regions. Social isolation from postnatal day (P-)22 to P-48 induced enhanced defensive and exploratory behaviors, in nonsocial and social contexts. Unlike OXT neurons, AVP+ cell density in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus increases with age in males. Social isolation also modulated gene expression in the medial amygdala (MeA), including the upregulation of OXT receptors in males and the downregulation of AVP1a receptors in both sexes. Socially isolated mice showed an enhanced defensive, anogenital approach toward a novel adult female during direct social interactions. Subsequent c-Fos mapping revealed diminished neural activity in restricted brain areas, including the MeA, lateral septum, and posterior intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus, in socially isolated mice. These data indicate that neural signals arising from daily social interactions invoke region-specific modification of neuropeptide expression that coordinates with altered defensiveness and neural responsivities, including OXT- and AVP-projecting regions. The present findings indicate an involvement of OXT and AVP circuits in adolescent neural and behavioral plasticity that is tuned by daily social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, MI, USA.
| | - Mana Tokashiki
- Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Konno
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan; The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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2
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Arakawa H. Revisiting sociability: Factors facilitating approach and avoidance during the three-chamber test. Physiol Behav 2023; 272:114373. [PMID: 37805136 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
The three-chamber test, the so-called sociability test, has been widely used to assess social deficits based on impaired socially oriented investigations in rodent models. An innate motivation for investigating conspecifics is theoretically a prerequisite for gaining sociability scores in this paradigm. However, several relevant factors mediating investigatory motives, such as familiarity, attractiveness, and aggression, may affect sociability scores, which must be verified to obtain an adequate evaluation of the psychiatric phenotypes exhibited by disease-relevant rodent models. We assessed the social and non-social factors that mediate proximity preference by the three-chamber test with standard C57BL/6 J (B6) mice and low sociability BTBR+ltpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice. Strains of the opponents had no effect. Sexual cues (i.e., opposite sex) increased proximity preference in both strains of mice; in contrast, novel objects induced an approach in B6 mice but avoidance in BTBR mice. Single-housing before testing, stimulated social motive, affected BTBR mice but not B6 mice. BTBR females showed increased proximity preference across the sessions, and BTBR males showed increased preference toward a male B6 stimulus, but not a male BTBR stimulus. The male preference was restored when the male BTBR stimulus was anesthetized. In addition, self-grooming was facilitated by social and non-social novelty cues in both strains. B6 mice predominantly exhibited an investigatory approach toward social or non-social stimuli, whereas BTBR mice recognized social cues but tended to show avoidance. The three-chamber test could evaluate approach-avoidance strategies in target mouse strains that comprise innate social distance between mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department Systems Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
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Stölting G, Dinh HA, Volkert M, Hellmig N, Schewe J, Hennicke L, Seidel E, Oberacher H, Zhang J, Lifton RP, Urban I, Long M, Rivalan M, Nottoli T, Scholl UI. Isradipine therapy in Cacna1dIle772Met/+ mice ameliorates primary aldosteronism and neurologic abnormalities. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e162468. [PMID: 37698934 PMCID: PMC10619505 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.162468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic gain-of-function mutations in the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 (CACNA1D gene) cause adrenal aldosterone-producing adenomas and micronodules. De novo germline mutations are found in a syndrome of primary aldosteronism, seizures, and neurologic abnormalities (PASNA) as well as in autism spectrum disorder. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we here generated mice with a Cacna1d gain-of-function mutation found in both adenomas and PASNA syndrome (Cacna1dIle772Met/+). These mice show reduced body weight and increased mortality from weaning to approximately 100 days of age. Male mice do not breed, likely due to neuromotor impairment, and the offspring of female mice die perinatally, likely due to lack of maternal care. Mice generated by in vitro fertilization showed elevated intracellular calcium in the aldosterone-producing zona glomerulosa, an elevated aldosterone/renin ratio, and persistently elevated serum aldosterone on a high-salt diet as signs of primary aldosteronism. Anesthesia with ketamine and xylazine induced tonic-clonic seizures. Neurologic abnormalities included hyperlocomotion, impaired performance in the rotarod test, impaired nest building, and slight changes in social behavior. Intracellular calcium in the zona glomerulosa, aldosterone levels, and rotarod performance responded to treatment with the calcium channel blocker isradipine, with implications for the therapy of patients with aldosterone-producing lesions and with PASNA syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Stölting
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hoang An Dinh
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marina Volkert
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole Hellmig
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Schewe
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luise Hennicke
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eric Seidel
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine and Core Facility Metabolomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Junhui Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Richard P. Lifton
- Department of Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Melissa Long
- Animal Behavior Phenotyping Facility (ABPF), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Animal Behavior Phenotyping Facility (ABPF), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timothy Nottoli
- Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale Genome Editing Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ute I. Scholl
- Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Nardi L, Chhabra S, Leukel P, Krueger-Burg D, Sommer CJ, Schmeisser MJ. Neuroanatomical changes of ionotropic glutamatergic and GABAergic receptor densities in male mice modeling idiopathic and syndromic autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1199097. [PMID: 37547211 PMCID: PMC10401048 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1199097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a wide range of neurodevelopment conditions primarily characterized by impaired social interaction and repetitive behavior, accompanied by a variable degree of neuropsychiatric characteristics. Synaptic dysfunction is undertaken as one of the key underlying mechanisms in understanding the pathophysiology of ASD. The excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) hypothesis is one of the most widely held theories for its pathogenesis. Shifts in E/I balance have been proven in several ASD models. In this study, we investigated three mouse lines recapitulating both idiopathic (the BTBR strain) and genetic (Fmr1 and Shank3 mutants) forms of ASD at late infancy and early adulthood. Using receptor autoradiography for ionotropic excitatory (AMPA and NMDA) and inhibitory (GABAA) receptors, we mapped the receptor binding densities in brain regions known to be associated with ASD such as prefrontal cortex, dorsal and ventral striatum, dorsal hippocampus, and cerebellum. The individual mouse lines investigated show specific alterations in excitatory ionotropic receptor density, which might be accounted as specific hallmark of each individual line. Across all the models investigated, we found an increased binding density to GABAA receptors at adulthood in the dorsal hippocampus. Interestingly, reduction in the GABAA receptor binding density was observed in the cerebellum. Altogether, our findings suggest that E/I disbalance individually affects several brain regions in ASD mouse models and that alterations in GABAergic transmission might be accounted as unifying factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Nardi
- Institute of Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stuti Chhabra
- Institute of Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Petra Leukel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dilja Krueger-Burg
- Institute of Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Clemens J. Sommer
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael J. Schmeisser
- Institute of Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Brauer B, Merino-Veliz N, Ahumada-Marchant C, Arriagada G, Bustos FJ. KMT2C knockout generates ASD-like behaviors in mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1227723. [PMID: 37538398 PMCID: PMC10394233 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1227723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders have been associated with genetic mutations that affect cellular function, including chromatin regulation and epigenetic modifications. Recent studies in humans have identified mutations in KMT2C, an enzyme responsible for modifying histone tails and depositing H3K4me1 and H3K4me3, as being associated with Kleefstra syndrome 2 and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the precise role of KMT2C mutations in brain disorders remains poorly understood. Here we employed CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to analyze the effects of KMT2C brain specific knockout on animal behavior. Knocking out KMT2C expression in cortical neurons and the mouse brain resulted in decreased KMT2C levels. Importantly, KMT2C brain specific knockout animals exhibited repetitive behaviors, social deficits, and intellectual disability resembling ASD. Our findings shed light on the involvement of KMT2C in neurodevelopmental processes and establish a valuable model for elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying KMT2C mutations and their relationship to Kleefstra syndrome 2 and ASD.
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Sadigurschi N, Scrift G, Hirrlinger J, Golan HM. Genetic impairment of folate metabolism regulates cortical interneurons and social behavior. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1203262. [PMID: 37449270 PMCID: PMC10338116 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1203262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The implications of folate deficiency in neuropsychiatric disorders were demonstrated in numerous studies. Genetic deficiency in a key folate metabolism enzyme, MTHFR, is an example of the interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors: the maternal MTHFR deficiency governs in-utero nutrient availability, and the embryo's Mthfr genotype influences its ability to metabolize folates. Here, we explore how the maternal and offspring Mthfr genotypes affect cortical interneuron densities and distributions, mouse social outcome, and the relation of the different interneuron patterns to cortical excitability. Methods Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of maternal and offspring Mthfr-KO heterozygosity. Mice were tested for direct social interactions (DSIs), repetitive behavior and cortical laminar distribution of interneuron populations expressing glutamate-decarboxylase-65, parvalbumin and somatostatin. Susceptibility to seizure was tested by exposure to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Results Maternal Mthfr+/- genotype was associated with suppressed social activities and reduced interneuron densities in all layers of the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Somatostatin density and the somatostatin/parvalbumin ratio in the RSC and frontal cortex positively correlated with social behavior in the mice. An interaction between maternal and offspring Mthfr genotypes resulted in higher susceptibility of wild-type offspring to PTZ induced seizure. Discussion Maternal folate metabolism was shown to be critical to interneuron ontogenesis. Our results demonstrate that interneurons have a specific susceptibility to folate deficiency that may mediate folate's involvement in neuropsychiatric disease. The relations between cortical somatostatin interneuron patterns and social behavior highlight this subpopulation of interneurons as a target for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Sadigurschi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Gilad Scrift
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Johannes Hirrlinger
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hava M. Golan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
- Azrieli National Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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7
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Ossorio-Salazar VA, D'Hooge R. Methodological shortcomings of preclinical research on chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105198. [PMID: 37105339 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Ossorio-Salazar
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology & Leuven Brain Institute, Faculty of Psychology, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology & Leuven Brain Institute, Faculty of Psychology, KU Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Kietzman HW, Gourley SL. How social information impacts action in rodents and humans: the role of the prefrontal cortex and its connections. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105075. [PMID: 36736847 PMCID: PMC10026261 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Day-to-day choices often involve social information and can be influenced by prior social experience. When making a decision in a social context, a subject might need to: 1) recognize the other individual or individuals, 2) infer their intentions and emotions, and 3) weigh the values of all outcomes, social and non-social, prior to selecting an action. These elements of social information processing all rely, to some extent, on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders often have disruptions in prefrontal cortical function, likely contributing to deficits in social reasoning and decision making. To better understand these deficits, researchers have turned to rodents, which have revealed prefrontal cortical mechanisms for contending with the complex information processing demands inherent to making decisions in social contexts. Here, we first review literature regarding social decision making, and the information processing underlying it, in humans and patient populations. We then turn to research in rodents, discussing current procedures for studying social decision making, and underlying neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA.
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA.
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9
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Anderson JM, Boardman AA, Bates R, Zou X, Huang W, Cao L. Hypothalamic TrkB.FL overexpression improves metabolic outcomes in the BTBR mouse model of autism. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282566. [PMID: 36893171 PMCID: PMC9997972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice are used as a model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), displaying similar behavioral and physiological deficits observed in patients with ASD. Our recent study found that implementation of an enriched environment (EE) in BTBR mice improved metabolic and behavioral outcomes. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and its receptor tropomyosin kinase receptor B (Ntrk2) were upregulated in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala by implementing EE in BTBR mice, suggesting that BDNF-TrkB signaling plays a role in the EE-BTBR phenotype. Here, we used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to overexpress the TrkB full-length (TrkB.FL) BDNF receptor in the BTBR mouse hypothalamus in order to assess whether hypothalamic BDNF-TrkB signaling is responsible for the improved metabolic and behavioral phenotypes associated with EE. Normal chow diet (NCD)-fed and high fat diet (HFD)-fed BTBR mice were randomized to receive either bilateral injections of AAV-TrkB.FL or AAV-YFP as control, and were subjected to metabolic and behavioral assessments up to 24 weeks post-injection. Both NCD and HFD TrkB.FL overexpressing mice displayed improved metabolic outcomes, characterized as reduced percent weight gain and increased energy expenditure. NCD TrkB.FL mice showed improved glycemic control, reduced adiposity, and increased lean mass. In NCD mice, TrkB.FL overexpression altered the ratio of TrkB.FL/TrkB.T1 protein expression and increased phosphorylation of PLCγ in the hypothalamus. TrkB.FL overexpression also upregulated expression of hypothalamic genes involved in energy regulation and altered expression of genes involved in thermogenesis, lipolysis, and energy expenditure in white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. In HFD mice, TrkB.FL overexpression increased phosphorylation of PLCγ. TrkB.FL overexpression in the hypothalamus did not improve behavioral deficits in either NCD or HFD mice. Together, these results suggest that enhancing hypothalamic TrkB.FL signaling improves metabolic health in BTBR mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M. Anderson
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Amber A. Boardman
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Rhiannon Bates
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Xunchang Zou
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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Arakawa H, Higuchi Y, Ozawa A. Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus circuit-dependently regulates social behavior, which malfunctions in BTBR mouse model of autism. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2621359. [PMID: 36909537 PMCID: PMC10002846 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2621359/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) a neuropeptide synthesized in the hypothalamic nuclei has a variety of function including socio-emotional processes in mammals. While the neural circuits and signaling pathways in central OXT converge in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), we illuminate specific function of discrete PVN OXT circuits, which connect to the medial amygdala (MeA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnST) in mouse models. The OXTPVN→BnST projections are innervated from entire portions of the PVN, while those OXTPVN→MeA projections are asymmetrically innervated from the posterior portion of the PVN. Compared with OXT neurons in B6 wild type mice, BTBR mice that are recognized as a behavior-based autism model exhibited defect in the OXTPVN→BnST projection. We demonstrate that chemogenetic activation of OXTPVN→MeA circuit enhances anxiety-like behavior and facilitates social approach behavior, while activation of OXTPVN→BnST circuit suppresses anxiety-like behavior along with inhibiting social approach. This chemogenetic manipulation on the OXTPVN→BnST circuit proves ineffective in BTBR mice. Accordingly, chemogenetic activation of OXTPVN neurons that stimulate both OXT circuits induces OXT receptor expressions in both MeA and BnST as with those by social encounter in B6 mice. The induction of OXT receptor genes in the BnST was not observed in BTBR mice. These data support the hypothesis that OXT circuits serve as a regulator for OXT signaling in PVN to control socio-emotional approach/avoidance behavior, and a defect of OXTPVN→BnST circuit contributes to autism-like social phenotypes in BTBR mice.
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Higuchi Y, Tachigori SI, Arakawa H. Faded neural projection from the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the lateral habenula contributes to social signaling deficit in male BTBR mice as a mouse model of autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 149:106004. [PMID: 36543023 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.106004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice display several behavioral characteristics, including social deficits resembling the core symptoms of human autism. Atypical social behaviors include sequential processes of assembled cognitive-behavior components, such as recognition, investigatory assessment, and signaling response. This study aimed to elucidate the neural circuits responsible for the regulation of the social signaling response, as shown by scent marking behavior in male mice. We first assessed the recognition and investigatory patterns of male BTBR mice compared to those of C57BL/6 J (B6) mice. Next, we examined their scent-marking behavior as innate social signaling responses adjusted to a confronted feature of social stimuli and situations, along with the expression of c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activity in selected brain areas involved in the regulation of social behavior. The function of the targeted brain area was confirmed by chemogenetic manipulation. We also examined the social peptides, oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the major brain regions that are associated with the regulation of social behavior. Our data indicate that male BTBR mice are less responsive to the presentation of social stimuli and the expression of social signaling responses, which is paralleled by blunted c-Fos responsivity and vasopressin neurons morphological changes in selected brain areas, including the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBnST) and lateral habenula (LHb) in BTBR mice. Further investigation of LHb function revealed that chemogenetic inhibition and activation of LHb activity can induce a change in scent marking responses in both B6 and BTBR mice. Our elucidation of the downstream LHb circuits controlling scent marking behavior indicates intact function in BTBR mice. The altered morphological characteristics of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and vasopressin-positive neurons and axonal projections in the pBnST and LHb appear to underlie the dysfunction of scent marking responses in BTBR mice. (300/300 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Tachigori
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.
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12
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Ito W, Palmer AJ, Morozov A. Social Synchronization of Conditioned Fear in Mice Requires Ventral Hippocampus Input to the Amygdala. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:322-330. [PMID: 36244803 PMCID: PMC10069289 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.016] [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: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social organisms synchronize behaviors as an evolutionary-conserved means of thriving. Synchronization under threat, in particular, benefits survival and occurs across species, including humans, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown because of the scarcity of relevant animal models. Here, we developed a rodent paradigm in which mice synchronized a classically conditioned fear response and identified an underlying neuronal circuit. METHODS Male and female mice were trained individually using auditory fear conditioning and then tested 24 hours later as dyads while allowing unrestricted social interaction during exposure to the conditioned stimulus under visible or infrared illumination to eliminate visual cues. The synchronization of the immobility or freezing bouts was quantified by calculating the effect size Cohen's d for the difference between the actual freezing time overlap and the overlap by chance. The inactivation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, or ventral hippocampus was achieved by local infusions of muscimol. The chemogenetic disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway was performed by expressing hM4D(Gi) in the ventral hippocampal neurons and infusing clozapine N-oxide in the amygdala. RESULTS Mice synchronized cued but not contextual fear. It was higher in males than in females and attenuated in the absence of visible light. Inactivation of the ventral but not dorsal hippocampus or dorsomedial prefrontal cortex abolished fear synchronization. Finally, the disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway diminished fear synchronization. CONCLUSIONS Mice synchronize expression of conditioned fear relying on the ventral hippocampus-amygdala pathway, suggesting that the hippocampus transmits social information to the amygdala to synchronize threat response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Ito
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia.
| | - Alexander J Palmer
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Alexei Morozov
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia; Carilion Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia.
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13
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DiLiberto E, Phatarpekar S, Theodorakis K, Chadman KK. Does the stranger mouse strain matter to female BTBR mice? Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114132. [PMID: 36181946 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114132] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behaviors/restricted interests. One mouse model of ASD is the BTBR T+Itprtf/J (BTBR) mice which display low levels of social behavior in several tests. The social approach test is used to examine the preference for social interaction between a stranger mouse or a novel object. While female BTBR mice have been used in the social approach test, no one has examined the degree to which the strain of the stranger mouse will affect social behavior. The current experiment tested female BTBR subject mice in the social approach test with stranger mice from different strains including the BTBR, 129S1/SvImJ (129), and C57BL/6J (B6) mice, of which the B6 mice are most social. The results show that female BTBR mice overall spent significantly more time in the stranger mouse chamber. However, further analysis revealed that the subject mice spent significantly more time in the stranger mouse chamber when the stranger was from the B6 strain, but not the BTBR or 129 strains. The BTBR female mice also sniffed the B6 and 129 stranger mice more than the novel object. This suggests that BTBR females are more social with mice that display high levels of social behavior, but less so with less social mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth DiLiberto
- NYS Institute for Basic Research in Dev. Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Macaulay Honors College, 35W 67th St, New York, NY 10023, USA.
| | - Shwetha Phatarpekar
- NYS Institute for Basic Research in Dev. Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Kelly Theodorakis
- NYS Institute for Basic Research in Dev. Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Macaulay Honors College, 35W 67th St, New York, NY 10023, USA.
| | - Kathryn K Chadman
- NYS Institute for Basic Research in Dev. Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
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14
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Blanchard DC. Sex, defense, and risk assessment: Who could ask for anything more? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104931. [PMID: 36471523 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Over the 30 years since IBNS was founded, a central theme of "Translation" has emerged. This reflects increasing realization that mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are extremely widespread, expensive and painful to societies and individuals across the world. The Blanchard lab has been particularly involved in attempts to understand the evolutionary and functional mechanisms underlying defensive behaviors as a focal component of these disorders. This involved analysis of the relationships between threatening situations/stimuli, and the behaviors (flight, freezing, fight, and risk assessment) that respond to them, for rodents; and also attempts to link these relationships to human responsivity to similar threatening events: Linkages that are complicated by factors such as domestication and sex. In particular it is important to describe and characterize the organization of defensive patterns in people as well as nonhuman animals, and to understand how these patterns can become nonfunctional and pathological.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Caroline Blanchard
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA; Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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15
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Belokopytova II, Kondaurova EM, Kulikova EA, Ilchibaeva TV, Naumenko VS, Popova NK. Effects of the Cc2d1a/Freud-1 Knockdown in the Hippocampus of BTBR Mice on the Autistic-Like Behavior, Expression of Serotonin 5-HT 1A and D2 Dopamine Receptors, and CREB and NF-kB Intracellular Signaling. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:1206-1218. [PMID: 36273889 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922100145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms of autism are of extreme interest due to the high prevalence of this disorder in the human population. In this regard, special attention is given to the transcription factor Freud-1 (encoded by the Cc2d1a gene), which regulates numerous intracellular signaling pathways and acts as a silencer for 5-HT1A serotonin and D2 dopamine receptors. Disruption of the Freud-1 functions leads to the development of various psychopathologies. In this study, we found an increase in the expression of the Cc2d1a/Freud-1 gene in the hippocampus of BTBR mice (model of autistic-like behavior) in comparison with C57Bl/6J mice and examined how restoration of the Cc2d1a/Freud-1 expression in the hippocampus of BTBR mice affects their behavior, expression of 5-HT1A serotonin and D2 dopamine receptors, and CREB and NF-κB intracellular signaling pathways in these animals. Five weeks after administration of the adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) carrying the pAAV_H1-2_shRNA-Freud-1_Syn_EGFP plasmid encoding a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) that suppressed expression of the Cc2d1a/Freud-1 gene, we observed an elevation in the anxiety levels, as well as the increase in the escape latency and path length to the platform in the Morris water maze test, which was probably associated with a strengthening of the active stress avoidance strategy. However, the Cc2d1a/Freud-1 knockdown did not affect the spatial memory and phosphorylation of the CREB transcription factor, although such effect was found in C57Bl/6J mice in our previous study. These results suggest the impairments in the CREB-dependent effector pathway in BTBR mice, which may play an important role in the development of the autistic-like phenotype. The knockdown of Cc2d1a/Freud-1 in the hippocampus of BTBR mice did not affect expression of the 5-HT1A serotonin and D2 dopamine receptors and key NF-κB signaling genes (Nfkb1 and Rela). Our data suggest that the transcription factor Freud-1 plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of anxiety and active stress avoidance in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina I Belokopytova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Elena M Kondaurova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Elizabeth A Kulikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Tatiana V Ilchibaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Vladimir S Naumenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
| | - Nina K Popova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
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16
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Rigney N, Zbib A, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Knockdown of sexually differentiated vasopressin expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis reduces social and sexual behaviour in male, but not female, mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13083. [PMID: 34978098 PMCID: PMC9213575 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) has long been implicated in the regulation of social behaviour and communication, but the sources of AVP release relevant for behaviour have not been precisely determined. Ablations of the sexually dimorphic AVP cells within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), which are more numerous in males, affect social behaviour differently in males and females. However, it is unknown whether these behavioural effects are caused by a reduction of AVP or of other factors associated with these cells. To test the role of AVP specifically, we used an shRNA viral construct to knock down AVP gene expression within the BNST of wild-type male and female mice, using scrambled sequence virus as a control, and evaluated subsequent changes in social behaviours (social investigation, ultrasonic vocalization (USV), scent marking, copulation, and aggression), or anxiety-like behaviours (elevated plus maze). We observed that, in males, knockdown of AVP expression in the BNST strongly reduced investigation of novel males, aggressive signalling towards other males (tail rattling, USV), and copulatory behaviour, but did not alter attack initiation, other measures of social communication, or anxiety-like behaviours. In females, however, BNST AVP knockdown did not alter any of these behaviours. These results point to differential involvement of AVP derived from the BNST in social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Center for Behavioral NeuroscienceNeuroscience InstituteGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Adam Zbib
- Center for Behavioral NeuroscienceNeuroscience InstituteGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Geert J. de Vries
- Center for Behavioral NeuroscienceNeuroscience InstituteGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Aras Petrulis
- Center for Behavioral NeuroscienceNeuroscience InstituteGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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17
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Hoglen NEG, Manoli DS. Cupid's quiver: Integrating sensory cues in rodent mating systems. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:944895. [PMID: 35958042 PMCID: PMC9358210 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.944895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animal species, males and females exploit different mating strategies, display sex-typical behaviors, and use distinct systems to recognize ethologically relevant cues. Mate selection thus requires mutual recognition across diverse social interactions based on distinct sensory signals. These sex differences in courtship and mating behaviors correspond to differences in sensory systems and downstream neural substrates engaged to recognize and respond to courtship signals. In many rodents, males tend to rely heavily on volatile olfactory and pheromone cues, while females appear to be guided more by a combination of these chemosensory signals with acoustic cues in the form of ultrasonic vocalizations. The mechanisms by which chemical and acoustic cues are integrated to control behavior are understudied in mating but are known to be important in the control of maternal behaviors. Socially monogamous species constitute a behaviorally distinct group of rodents. In these species, anatomic differences between males and females outside the nervous system are less prominent than in species with non-monogamous mating systems, and both sexes engage in more symmetric social behaviors and form attachments. Nevertheless, despite the apparent similarities in behaviors displayed by monogamous males and females, the circuitry supporting social, mating, and attachment behaviors in these species is increasingly thought to differ between the sexes. Sex differences in sensory modalities most important for mate recognition in across species are of particular interest and present a wealth of questions yet to be answered. Here, we discuss how distinct sensory cues may be integrated to drive social and attachment behaviors in rodents, and the differing roles of specific sensory systems in eliciting displays of behavior by females or males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerissa E G Hoglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Devanand S Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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18
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Winiarski M, Kondrakiewicz L, Kondrakiewicz K, Jędrzejewska‐Szmek J, Turzyński K, Knapska E, Meyza K. Social deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mice vary with ecological validity of the test. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12814. [PMID: 35621219 PMCID: PMC9744492 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Translational value of mouse models of neuropsychiatric disorders depends heavily on the accuracy with which they replicate symptoms observed in the human population. In mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) these include, among others, social affiliation, and communication deficits as well as impairments in understanding and perception of others. Most studies addressing these issues in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mouse, an idiopathic model of ASD, were based on short dyadic interactions of often non-familiar partners placed in a novel environment. In such stressful and variable conditions, the reproducibility of the phenotype was low. Here, we compared physical conditions and the degree of habituation of mice at the time of testing in the three chambered social affiliation task, as well as parameters used to measure social deficits and found that both the level of stress and human bias profoundly affect the results of the test. To minimize these effects, we tested social preference and network dynamics in mice group-housed in the Eco-HAB system. This automated recording allowed for long-lasting monitoring of differences in social repertoire (including interest in social stimuli) in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J and normosocial c57BL/6J mice. With these observations we further validate the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J mouse as a model for ASD, but at the same time emphasize the need for more ecological testing of social behavior within all constructs of the Systems for Social Processes domain (as defined by the Research Domain Criteria framework).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Winiarski
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY – Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Ludwika Kondrakiewicz
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY – Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Kacper Kondrakiewicz
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY – Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland,NeuroElectronics Research FlandersLeuvenBelgium
| | - Joanna Jędrzejewska‐Szmek
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | | | - Ewelina Knapska
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY – Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Ksenia Meyza
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, BRAINCITY – Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders, Nencki Institute of Experimental BiologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
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19
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Napolitano A, Schiavi S, La Rosa P, Rossi-Espagnet MC, Petrillo S, Bottino F, Tagliente E, Longo D, Lupi E, Casula L, Valeri G, Piemonte F, Trezza V, Vicari S. Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:889636. [PMID: 35633791 PMCID: PMC9136002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and can be associated with hyper- or hypo-reactivity of sensory stimulation and cognitive disability. ASD comorbid features include internalizing and externalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and it is undoubted that the disorder is linked to some extent to both genetic and environmental factors. It is also well-documented and known that one of the most striking and consistent finding in ASD is the higher prevalence in males compared to females, with around 70% of ASD cases described being males. The present review looked into the most significant studies that attempted to investigate differences in ASD males and females thus trying to shade some light on the peculiar characteristics of this prevalence in terms of diagnosis, imaging, major autistic-like behavior and sex-dependent uniqueness. The study also discussed sex differences found in animal models of ASD, to provide a possible explanation of the neurological mechanisms underpinning the different presentation of autistic symptoms in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Piergiorgio La Rosa
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet
- Neuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- NESMOS, Neuroradiology Department, S. Andrea Hospital Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Petrillo
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bottino
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Tagliente
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Longo
- Neuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Lupi
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Casula
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Valeri
- Head Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorella Piemonte
- Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Life Sciences and Public Health Department, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
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20
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Shekel I, Giladi S, Raykin E, Weiner M, Chalifa-Caspi V, Lederman D, Kofman O, Golan HM. Isolation-Induced Ultrasonic Vocalization in Environmental and Genetic Mice Models of Autism. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:769670. [PMID: 34880723 PMCID: PMC8645772 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.769670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in rodent models suggest that calls emitted by isolated pups serve as an early behavioral manifestation of communication deficits and autistic like behavior. Previous studies in our labs showed that gestational exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and the Mthfr-knock-out mice are associated with impaired social preference and restricted or repetitive behavior. To extend these studies, we examine how pup communication via ultrasonic vocalizations is altered in these ASD models. We implemented an unsupervised hierarchical clustering method based on the spectral properties of the syllables in order to exploit syllable classification to homogeneous categories while avoiding over-categorization. Comparative exploration of the spectral and temporal aspects of syllables emitted by pups in two ASD models point to the following: (1) Most clusters showed a significant effect of the ASD factor on the start and end frequencies and bandwidth and (2) The highest percent change due to the ASD factor was on the bandwidth and duration. In addition, we found sex differences in the spectral and temporal properties of the calls in both control groups as well as an interaction between sex and the gene/environment factor. Considering the basal differences in the characteristics of syllables emitted by pups of the C57Bl/6 and Balb/c strains used as a background in the two models, we suggest that the above spectral-temporal parameters start frequency, bandwidth, and duration are the most sensitive USV features that may represent developmental changes in ASD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itay Shekel
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Shaked Giladi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Eynav Raykin
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.,Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - May Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Vered Chalifa-Caspi
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Dror Lederman
- Faculty of Engineering, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
| | - Ora Kofman
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.,Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Hava M Golan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.,National Center for Autism Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
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21
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Scheuer T, dem Brinke EA, Grosser S, Wolf SA, Mattei D, Sharkovska Y, Barthel PC, Endesfelder S, Friedrich V, Bührer C, Vida I, Schmitz T. Reduction of cortical parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in a rodent hyperoxia model of preterm birth brain injury with deficits in social behavior and cognition. Development 2021; 148:272278. [PMID: 34557899 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The inhibitory GABAergic system in the brain is involved in the etiology of various psychiatric problems, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others. These disorders are influenced not only by genetic but also by environmental factors, such as preterm birth, although the underlying mechanisms are not known. In a translational hyperoxia model, exposing mice pups at P5 to 80% oxygen for 48 h to mimic a steep rise of oxygen exposure caused by preterm birth from in utero into room air, we documented a persistent reduction of cortical mature parvalbumin-expressing interneurons until adulthood. Developmental delay of cortical myelin was observed, together with decreased expression of oligodendroglial glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a factor involved in interneuronal development. Electrophysiological and morphological properties of remaining interneurons were unaffected. Behavioral deficits were observed for social interaction, learning and attention. These results demonstrate that neonatal oxidative stress can lead to decreased interneuron density and to psychiatric symptoms. The obtained cortical myelin deficit and decreased oligodendroglial GDNF expression indicate that an impaired oligodendroglial-interneuronal interplay contributes to interneuronal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Scheuer
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Elena Auf dem Brinke
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Sabine Grosser
- Institute for Integrative Neuroanatomy, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Susanne A Wolf
- Cellular Neurocience, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany.,Department of Experimental Ophthalmology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Daniele Mattei
- Cellular Neurocience, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Yuliya Sharkovska
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.,Institute for Cell and Neurobiology, Center for Anatomy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin 10178, Germany
| | - Paula C Barthel
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.,Institute for Cell and Neurobiology, Center for Anatomy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Stefanie Endesfelder
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Vivien Friedrich
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin 10178, Germany
| | - Christoph Bührer
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Imre Vida
- Institute for Integrative Neuroanatomy, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitz
- Department of Neonatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
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22
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Arakawa H. Implication of the social function of excessive self-grooming behavior in BTBR T +ltpr3 tf/J mice as an idiopathic model of autism. Physiol Behav 2021; 237:113432. [PMID: 33901528 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by two core behavioral characteristics, namely, restricted repetitive behaviors and impaired social-communicative functioning. BTBR T+ltpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice provide a valuable animal model for ASD to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these two behavioral characteristics of ASD. This study examined the social function of excessive grooming behavior in BTBR mice as a phenotype of restricted repetitive behaviors. Compared to the control C57BL/6 J (B6) strain, BTBR mice showed increased self-grooming when placed alone in a test apparatus, and this behavior was even more evident when confronted with a stimulus mouse (either B6 or BTBR) in a three-chamber test apparatus. While B6 mice tended to groom their face/snout region on the empty side of the chamber, BTBR mice showed excessive grooming with frequent transitions among grooming body regions on the side of the chamber containing a social stimulus. Acute systemic injection of buspirone,a serotonin 1A receptor agonist, as an anxiolytic, facilitated approach behavior toward social stimuli in the three-chamber setting in both B6 and BTBR mice. However, this treatment did not affect grooming behavior in B6 mice and significantly enhanced self-grooming in BTBR mice. These behaviors in BTBR mice suggest a potential signaling function of grooming in response to social stimuli, in which bodywide grooming of BTBR mice expressed in the proximity of social opponents may stimulate the release of olfactory (possibly dismissive) signals. Consequently, the putative neural mechanisms underlying excessive grooming may differ from those regulating social approaches that are associated with anxiolytic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Psychology, Tokiwa University, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan; Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan.
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23
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Seiffe A, Ramirez MF, Barrios CD, Albarrán MM, Depino AM. Early estradiol exposure masculinizes disease-relevant behaviors in female mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:2483-2499. [PMID: 33497491 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most psychiatric disorders show a sex bias in incidence, symptomatology, and/or response to treatment. Males are more susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit activity disorder, while women are more prone to major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders after puberty. A striking difference between males and females in humans and other mammals is that males undergo a process of brain masculinization due to the early exposure to gonadal hormones. In rodents, this developmental organization of the brain is essential for adult males to express the appropriate sexual behaviors in the presence of a receptive female. Our goal was to determine whether this process of brain masculinization influences behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders. To this aim, we studied sex differences and the effect of neonatal 17β-estradiol benzoate treatment of female mice on different disease-relevant behaviors. Our analysis includes postnatal behavior, juvenile play, and adult tests for sociability, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and depression. Our results show that the sex differences observed in exploration, repetitive behaviors, and depression-related behaviors are largely reduced when females are neonatally treated with 17β-estradiol benzoate. These results suggest a role of neonatal sex steroids in the development of disease-relevant behaviors and provide evidence supporting a role for perinatal exposure to estrogens and androgens on the development and manifestation of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli Seiffe
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauro Federico Ramirez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Darío Barrios
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Milagros Albarrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amaicha Mara Depino
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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24
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Franceschini A, Fattore L. Gender-specific approach in psychiatric diseases: Because sex matters. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 896:173895. [PMID: 33508283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.173895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In both animals and human beings, males and females differ in their genetic background and hormonally driven behaviour and show sex-related differences in brain activity and response to internal and external stimuli. Gender-specific medicine has been a neglected dimension of medicine for long time, and only in the last three decades it is receiving the due scientific and clinical attention. Research has recently begun to identify factors that could provide a neurobiological basis for gender-based differences in health and disease and to point to gonadal hormones as important determinants of male-female differences. Animal studies have been of great help in understanding factors contributing to sex-dependent differences and sex hormones action. Here we review and discuss evidence provided by clinical and animal studies in the last two decades showing gender (in humans) and sex (in animals) differences in selected psychiatric disorders, namely eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder), schizophrenia, mood disorders (anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder) and neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Franceschini
- Addictive Behaviors Department, Local Health Authority, Trento, Italy
| | - Liana Fattore
- Institute of Neuroscience-Cagliari, National Research Council, Italy.
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25
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Endo N, Makinodan M, Mannari-Sasagawa T, Horii-Hayashi N, Somayama N, Komori T, Kishimoto T, Nishi M. The effects of maternal separation on behaviours under social-housing environments in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:527. [PMID: 33436833 PMCID: PMC7804413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80206-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experience in early life can affect the formation of neuronal circuits during postnatal development and exert long-lasting influences on neural functions that can lead to the development of a variety of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many studies have demonstrated that daily repeated maternal separation, an animal model of early-life stress, can induce impairments in emotional behaviours and cognitive function during adolescence and adulthood. However, the behavioural phenotypes of maternally separated mice under long-term group-housing conditions are largely unknown. In this study, we applied our newly developed assay system to investigate the effects of maternal separation on behaviours under group-housing conditions during four days of continuous observations. Using our system, we found that repeated maternal separation resulted in inappropriate social distance from cagemates, altered approach preferences to others, and induced a lower rank in the time spent on the running wheel under group-housing conditions in adult male mice. Focussing on these behavioural abnormalities that appear in an environment with a social context will be important insights to understand the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Endo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Takayo Mannari-Sasagawa
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
- Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women's University, Nara, 630-8506, Japan
| | - Noriko Horii-Hayashi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Nami Somayama
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Kishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Mayumi Nishi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan.
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26
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Mizuno S, Hirota JN, Ishii C, Iwasaki H, Sano Y, Furuichi T. Comprehensive Profiling of Gene Expression in the Cerebral Cortex and Striatum of BTBRTF/ArtRbrc Mice Compared to C57BL/6J Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:595607. [PMID: 33362469 PMCID: PMC7758463 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.595607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse line BTBR T+ Iptr3tf/J (hereafter referred as to BTBR/J) is a mouse strain that shows lower sociability compared to the C57BL/6J mouse strain (B6) and thus is often utilized as a model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we utilized another subline, BTBRTF/ArtRbrc (hereafter referred as to BTBR/R), and analyzed the associated brain transcriptome compared to B6 mice using microarray analysis, quantitative RT-PCR analysis, various bioinformatics analyses, and in situ hybridization. We focused on the cerebral cortex and the striatum, both of which are thought to be brain circuits associated with ASD symptoms. The transcriptome profiling identified 1,280 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 974 downregulated and 306 upregulated genes, including 498 non-coding RNAs [ncRNAs]) in BTBR/R mice compared to B6 mice. Among these DEGs, 53 genes were consistent with ASD-related genes already established. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis highlighted 78 annotations (GO terms) including DNA/chromatin regulation, transcriptional/translational regulation, intercellular signaling, metabolism, immune signaling, and neurotransmitter/synaptic transmission-related terms. RNA interaction analysis revealed novel RNA–RNA networks, including 227 ASD-related genes. Weighted correlation network analysis highlighted 10 enriched modules including DNA/chromatin regulation, neurotransmitter/synaptic transmission, and transcriptional/translational regulation. Finally, the behavioral analyses showed that, compared to B6 mice, BTBR/R mice have mild but significant deficits in social novelty recognition and repetitive behavior. In addition, the BTBR/R data were comprehensively compared with those reported in the previous studies of human subjects with ASD as well as ASD animal models, including BTBR/J mice. Our results allow us to propose potentially important genes, ncRNAs, and RNA interactions. Analysis of the altered brain transcriptome data of the BTBR/R and BTBR/J sublines can contribute to the understanding of the genetic underpinnings of autism susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Mizuno
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Jun-Na Hirota
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Chiaki Ishii
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Hirohide Iwasaki
- Department of Anatomy, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Yoshitake Sano
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Teiichi Furuichi
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
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Myosin Va Brain-Specific Mutation Alters Mouse Behavior and Disrupts Hippocampal Synapses. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0284-20.2020. [PMID: 33229412 PMCID: PMC7769881 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0284-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myosin Va (MyoVa) is a plus-end filamentous-actin motor protein that is highly and broadly expressed in the vertebrate body, including in the nervous system. In excitatory neurons, MyoVa transports cargo toward the tip of the dendritic spine, where the postsynaptic density (PSD) is formed and maintained. MyoVa mutations in humans cause neurologic dysfunction, intellectual disability, hypomelanation, and death in infancy or childhood. Here, we characterize the Flailer (Flr) mutant mouse, which is homozygous for a myo5a mutation that drives high levels of mutant MyoVa (Flr protein) specifically in the CNS. Flr protein functions as a dominant-negative MyoVa, sequestering cargo and blocking its transport to the PSD. Flr mice have early seizures and mild ataxia but mature and breed normally. Flr mice display several abnormal behaviors known to be associated with brain regions that show high expression of Flr protein. Flr mice are defective in the transport of synaptic components to the PSD and in mGluR-dependent long-term depression (LTD) and have a reduced number of mature dendritic spines. The synaptic and behavioral abnormalities of Flr mice result in anxiety and memory deficits similar to that of other mouse mutants with obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because of the dominant-negative nature of the Flr protein, the Flr mouse offers a powerful system for the analysis of how the disruption of synaptic transport and lack of LTD can alter synaptic function, development and wiring of the brain and result in symptoms that characterize many neuropsychiatric disorders.
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28
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Odent P, Creemers JW, Bosmans G, D'Hooge R. Spectrum of social alterations in the Neurobeachin haploinsufficiency mouse model of autism. Brain Res Bull 2020; 167:11-21. [PMID: 33197534 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.11.007] [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: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by sexually divergent social deficits. Its etiology is multifactorial with an important contribution of genetic factors. Neurobeachin (Nbea), a brain-enriched multidomain scaffolding protein, is an ASD candidate gene that was found to be translocated or deleted in ASD patients. Nbea haploinsufficient (+/-) mice have been proposed as an ASD mouse model, but its broad-spectrum social phenotype, sexual divergence and age-related robustness remain unstudied. This study compared one-year-old male and female Nbea+/- mice and their control littermates in an extensive behavioral battery that focused on social behaviors and communication. Nbea haploinsufficiency was associated with selective, sex-dependent, quantitative and qualitative changes, including alterations in social interest and approach, ultrasonic vocalization (USV) between same-sex adult conspecifics, and preferred types of social interaction. Notably, Nbea+/- females (but not males) displayed a significantly higher number of calls, and the mean principal frequency of their calls was higher than those of normal female littermates. Our results demonstrate that Nbea haploinsufficiency alters various aspects of social performance that are also altered in clinical ASD. The phenotype was often different between male and female mice, even though this sexual divergence was sometimes counterintuitive to observations in people with ASD, and probably influenced by differences in social interaction between male and female mice. By and large, however, this study demonstrates the clinical validity and robustness of the ASD-like phenotype of Nbea+/- mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulien Odent
- Research Groups of Biological Psychology, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven, Belgium(1)
| | - John W Creemers
- Research Groups of Biochemical Neuroendocrinology, Herestraat 49, Leuven, Belgium(1)
| | - Guy Bosmans
- Research Groups of Clinical Psychology, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven, Belgium(1)
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Research Groups of Biological Psychology, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven, Belgium(1).
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29
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Arakawa H. Somatosensorimotor and Odor Modification, Along with Serotonergic Processes Underlying the Social Deficits in BTBR T+ Itpr3 tf/J and BALB/cJ Mouse Models of Autism. Neuroscience 2020; 445:144-162. [PMID: 32061779 PMCID: PMC8078887 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a complex spectrum of disorders characterized by core behavioral deficits in social communicative behavior, which are also required for comprehensive analysis of preclinical mouse models. As animal models of the core behavioral deficits in autism, two inbred mouse strains, BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and BALB/cJ (BALB), were compared with the standard social strain, C57BL/6J (B6), regarding a variety of behavioral factors underlying social communicative interactions, including olfactory and tactile sensory processes, social recognition abilities and behavioral expression strategies. Although both female BTBR and BALB mice can express social recognition and approach behavior depending on the stimuli they encounter, the available sensory modalities, along with modulation of the serotonergic system, differ between the two strains. BALB mice have deficits in using volatile olfactory cues and tactile information in a social context; they fail to exhibit a social approach to volatile cues and seek nonvolatile cues by exhibiting substantial sniff/contact behavior when allowed direct contact with social opponents. Systemic injection of the serotonin (5-HT1A) agonist buspirone has little effect on these social deficits, suggesting a congenitally degraded serotonergic system in BALB mice. In contrast, BTBR mice exhibit impaired body coordination and social motivation-modified olfactory signals, which are relevant to a reduced social approach. A systemic injection of the 5-HT1A agonist restored these social deficits in BTBR mice, indicating that a downregulated serotonergic system is involved in the social deficits exhibited by BTBR mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Rodent Behavioral Core Department of Research Administration, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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30
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Wei H, Wang M, Lv N, Yang H, Zhao M, Huang B, Li R. Increased repetitive self-grooming occurs in Pax2 mutant mice generated using CRISPR/Cas9. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112803. [PMID: 32653558 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and repetitive or restricted interest and behaviors. However, the specific pathogenesis of ASD is still unclear. It has been widely accepted that genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with the pathogenesis of ASD. Paired box2 (Pax2) gene encodes a transcription factor that plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system of humans and mice. In this study, we constructed Pax2 heterozygous gene knockout (Pax2+/-) mice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and performed several autistic-like behavioral assays, including self-grooming test, sociability approach, the elevated plus maze test and Y maze test. Results showed increased repetitive self-grooming and possible abnormal anxiety-like behavior occur in Pax2+/- mice. Furthermore, no changes were observed in the abilities of sociability and working memory in Pax2+/- mice compared to wild-type C57BL/6 J mice. Finally, we speculated that possible mechanism of abnormal autistic-like behaviors due to the deletion of Pax2 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongen Wei
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Na Lv
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Laboratory Animal Center, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Rongshan Li
- Nephrology Division, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliate of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
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31
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Subhadeep D, Srikumar BN, Shankaranarayana Rao BS, Kutty BM. Short photoperiod restores ventral subicular lesion‐induced deficits in affective and socio‐cognitive behavior in male Wistar rats. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1114-1136. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Duttagupta Subhadeep
- Department of Neurophysiology National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bengaluru India
| | - Bettadapura N. Srikumar
- Department of Neurophysiology National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bengaluru India
| | | | - Bindu M. Kutty
- Department of Neurophysiology National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bengaluru India
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32
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Early life stress induces submissive behavior in adult rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 372:112025. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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33
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Ahern TH, Ophir A, Burn D. Evaluating the stability of individual variation in social and nonsocial behavioural types using prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Behav Processes 2019; 169:103961. [PMID: 31520675 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) exhibit remarkable individual variation in social behaviour, suggesting differences in behavioural types. To date, however, there has been little assessment of whether these behavioural types are stable across test sessions, nor to what extent internal states and external contexts (domains) drive individual differences. Here we examined the individual consistency of social (huddling) and non-social (distance moved) behaviour across repeated, long-duration tests, in same-sex cagemate (SS-CM), same-sex stranger (SS-S), opposite-sex stranger (OS-S), and standard partner preference test (PPT) contexts. The SS-CM and SS-S tests were repeated multiple times (SS-CM 1-2; SS-S 1-5) to assess state-dependent variation. A second cohort was used to determine the replicability of findings. Overall, there was a general lack of stability in huddling behavior. It was inconsistent across repeated sessions of the same test type and between types of tests, suggesting a strong contribution of state-dependent variation. Non-social behaviour was more consistent and appeared more domain-dependent and less state-dependent than huddling. Translational and comparative studies of individual variation would likely benefit from testing across multiple contexts and employing repetitive testing paradigms to account for state-dependent variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd H Ahern
- Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Ave., BC-SCI, Hamden, CT, USA.
| | - Alexander Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - David Burn
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Ave., BC-SCI, Hamden, CT, USA
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Vafadari B, Mitra S, Stefaniuk M, Kaczmarek L. Psychosocial Stress Induces Schizophrenia-Like Behavior in Mice With Reduced MMP-9 Activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:195. [PMID: 31555105 PMCID: PMC6726971 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding gene-environment interactions in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia remains a major research challenge. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been previously implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In the present study, adolescent Mmp-9 heterozygous mice, with a genetically lower level of MMP-9, were subjected to resident-intruder psychosocial stress for 3 weeks and then examined in behavioral tests that evaluated cognitive deficits and positive- and negative-like symptoms of schizophrenia. Cognitive and positive symptoms in unstressed Mmp-9 heterozygous mice were unaffected by stress exposure, whereas negative symptoms were manifested only after stress exposure. Interestingly, negative symptoms were ameliorated by treatment with the antipsychotic drug clozapine. We describe a novel gene × environment interaction mouse model of schizophrenia. Lower MMP-9 levels in the brain might be a risk factor for schizophrenia that, in combination with environmental factors (e.g., psychosocial stress), may evoke schizophrenia-like symptoms that are sensitive to antipsychotic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnam Vafadari
- BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute, Warsaw, Poland.,Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Augsburg, Germany
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35
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Ryan K, Thompson L, Mendoza PA, Chadman KK. Inbred strain preference in the BTBR T + Itpr3 tf /J mouse model of autism spectrum disorder: Does the stranger mouse matter in social approach? Autism Res 2019; 12:1184-1191. [PMID: 31206258 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BTBR T+ Itpr3tf /J (BTBR) mice have been used as a model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to their low levels of sociability and high levels of repetitive grooming. These experiments explored social behavior in the BTBR and C57BL/6J mice using variations of the three-chambered social approach test. In the first test, the subject mice had a choice between a stranger mouse of the same strain or from a strain with a different level of sociability. The BTBR male mice demonstrated a strong preference for the more social C57BL/6J stranger mouse, as did the C57BL/6J male mice, although more moderately with sniff time only. The C57BL/6J female mice showed a moderate preference, sniff time only, for the BTBR stranger mouse, whereas the BTBR female mice did not show a preference. The second experiment examined whether the subject mouse preferred a stranger mouse or bedding from the stranger mouse home cage. Male BTBR mice always preferred bedding, whereas the C57BL/6J male mice did not show a preference. Both BTBR and C57BL/6J female mice preferred bedding when the stranger mouse was a different strain but not when the stranger mouse was the same strain. Therefore, the stranger mouse strain seems to influence the preference of the female mice more than the male mice. The mice preferred spending time in the chamber with the social smell but not the actual stranger mouse although not always significantly. This suggests that contact with a stranger mouse is more stressful or anxiety provoking than the smell. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1184-1191. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: BTBR T+ Itpr3tf /J (BTBR) mice have been used as a model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to their low levels of sociability and high levels of repetitive grooming. These experiments explored social behavior in the BTBR and C57BL/6J mice using variations of the three-chambered social approach test. These experiments examined how the sociability level of the stranger mouse affected the subject mouse's preference and if social odor was preferable to a social situation in the BTBR mice. The BTBR male mice demonstrated a strong preference for the more social C57BL/6J stranger mouse, as did the C57BL/6J male mice. The C57BL/6J female mice showed a moderate preference for the BTBR stranger mouse, whereas the BTBR female mice did not show a preference for either stranger mouse. The second modification let the subject mouse have a choice between a stranger mouse or bedding. Male BTBR mice preferred bedding, regardless of the strain of the stranger mouse, whereas the C57BL/6J male mice did not show a preference. Both BTBR and C57BL/6J female mice preferred bedding when the stranger mouse was a different strain but showed no preference when the stranger mouse was from the same strain. The stranger mouse strain seems to influence the female mice more. Male BTBR mice preferred spending time in the chamber with the social smell but not the actual mouse, suggesting that actual contact with a stranger mouse is more stressful or anxiety provoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- KatieLynne Ryan
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, New York.,Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, New York
| | - Lynn Thompson
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, New York.,Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, New York
| | - Patricia A Mendoza
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, New York.,Macaulay Honors College, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Kathryn K Chadman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, New York
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Endo N, Makinodan M, Somayama N, Komori T, Kishimoto T, Nishi M. Characterization of behavioral phenotypes in the BTBR T + Itpr3 tf/J mouse model of autism spectrum disorder under social housing conditions using the multiple animal positioning system. Exp Anim 2019; 68:319-330. [PMID: 30905912 PMCID: PMC6699967 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.18-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse strain is a widely used model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The BTBR mice display behavior consistent with the three diagnostic categories of ASD. However, the behavioral phenotypes of the BTBR mice in a long-term group housing setting are largely unknown because conventional behavioral tests for ASD model mice are designed for use under simplified artificial conditions over a short observation period. In this study, we applied a newly developed assay system, the Multiple Animal Positioning System (MAPS), to quantify behaviors under group housing conditions over four days of continuous observation. Using MAPS, we showed that in a group housing condition, the BTBR mice exhibited lower activity levels in the dark phase and alteration of social behavior in comparison with the C57BL/6J mice. The phenotypes of the BTBR mice were affected by co-housing with the C57BL/6J mice for four days, but the influence was weak and limited. Our results by MAPS differ from those obtained using conventional behavioral tests. The present study demonstrated that MAPS would be useful for evaluating the usual/natural behaviors of various animal models in detail and under more ethological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Endo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Nami Somayama
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Kishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
| | - Mayumi Nishi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan
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37
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Peleh T, Ike KG, Wams EJ, Lebois EP, Hengerer B. The reverse translation of a quantitative neuropsychiatric framework into preclinical studies: Focus on social interaction and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 97:96-111. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Rhine MA, Parrott JM, Schultz MN, Kazdoba TM, Crawley JN. Hypothesis-driven investigations of diverse pharmacological targets in two mouse models of autism. Autism Res 2019; 12:401-421. [PMID: 30653853 PMCID: PMC6402976 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental syndrome diagnosed primarily by persistent deficits in social interactions and communication, unusual sensory reactivity, motor stereotypies, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. No FDA‐approved medical treatments exist for the diagnostic symptoms of autism. Here we interrogate multiple pharmacological targets in two distinct mouse models that incorporate well‐replicated autism‐relevant behavioral phenotypes. Compounds that modify inhibitory or excitatory neurotransmission were selected to address hypotheses based on previously published biological abnormalities in each model. Shank3B is a genetic model of a mutation found in autism and Phelan‐McDermid syndrome, in which deficits in excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity have been reported. BTBR is an inbred strain model of forms of idiopathic autism in which reduced inhibitory neurotransmission and excessive mTOR signaling have been reported. The GABA‐A receptor agonist gaboxadol significantly reduced repetitive self‐grooming in three independent cohorts of BTBR. The TrkB receptor agonist 7,8‐DHF improved spatial learning in Shank3B mice, and reversed aspects of social deficits in BTBR. CX546, a positive allosteric modulator of the glutamatergic AMPA receptor, and d‐cycloserine, a partial agonist of the glycine site on the glutamatergic NMDA receptor, did not rescue aberrant behaviors in Shank3B mice. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin did not ameliorate social deficits or repetitive behavior in BTBR mice. Comparison of positive and negative pharmacological outcomes, on multiple phenotypes, evaluated for replicability across independent cohorts, enhances the translational value of mouse models of autism for therapeutic discovery. GABA agonists present opportunities for personalized interventions to treat components of autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2019, 12: 401–421 © 2019 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Many of the risk genes for autism impair synapses, the connections between nerve cells in the brain. A drug that reverses the synaptic effects of a mutation could offer a precision therapy. Combining pharmacological and behavioral therapies could reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life for people with autism. Here we report reductions in repetitive behavior by a GABA‐A receptor agonist, gaboxadol, and improvements in social and cognitive behaviors by a TrkB receptor agonist, in mouse models of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya A Rhine
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Jennifer M Parrott
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Maria N Schultz
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Tatiana M Kazdoba
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, 95817
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Endo N, Ujita W, Fujiwara M, Miyauchi H, Mishima H, Makino Y, Hashimoto L, Oyama H, Makinodan M, Nishi M, Tohyama C, Kakeyama M. Multiple animal positioning system shows that socially-reared mice influence the social proximity of isolation-reared cagemates. Commun Biol 2018; 1:225. [PMID: 30564746 PMCID: PMC6290015 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0213-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships are a key determinant of social behaviour, and disruption of social behaviour is a major symptom of several psychiatric disorders. However, few studies have analysed social relationships among multiple individuals in a group or how social relationships within a group influence the behaviour of members with impaired socialisation. Here, we developed a video-analysis-based system, the Multiple-Animal Positioning System (MAPS), to automatically and separately analyse the social behaviour of multiple individuals in group housing. Using MAPS, we show that social isolation of male mice during adolescence leads to impaired social proximity in adulthood. The phenotype of these socially isolated mice was partially rescued by cohabitation with group-housed (socially-reared) mice, indicating that both individual behavioural traits and those of cagemates influence social proximity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that low reactive behaviour of other cagemates also influence individual social proximity in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Endo
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, 634-8521 Japan
| | - Waka Ujita
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Department of Clinical Information Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Masaya Fujiwara
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyauchi
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- COCOSNET Ltd., 2-4-29 Kiyokawa, Fukuoka, 810-0005 Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mishima
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Laboratory for Ecological Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
| | - Yusuke Makino
- Laboratory for Systems Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
| | - Lisa Hashimoto
- Laboratory for Systems Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Oyama
- Department of Clinical Information Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, 634-8521 Japan
| | - Mayumi Nishi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, 634-8521 Japan
| | - Chiharu Tohyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8575 Japan
| | - Masaki Kakeyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
- Research Institute for Environmental Medical Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, 359-1192 Japan
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Jeon SJ, Gonzales EL, Mabunga DFN, Valencia ST, Kim DG, Kim Y, Adil KJL, Shin D, Park D, Shin CY. Sex-specific Behavioral Features of Rodent Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Exp Neurobiol 2018; 27:321-343. [PMID: 30429643 PMCID: PMC6221834 DOI: 10.5607/en.2018.27.5.321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex is an important factor in understanding the clinical presentation, management, and developmental trajectory of children with neuropsychiatric disorders. While much is known about the clinical and neurobehavioral profiles of males with neuropsychiatric disorders, surprisingly little is known about females in this respect. Animal models may provide detailed mechanistic information about sex differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of manifestation, disease progression, and development of therapeutic options. This review aims to widen our understanding of the role of sex in autism spectrum disorder, by summarizing and comparing behavioral characteristics of animal models. Our current understanding of how differences emerge in boys and girls with neuropsychiatric disorders is limited: Information derived from animal studies will stimulate future research on the role of biological maturation rates, sex hormones, sex-selective protective (or aggravating) factors and psychosocial factors, which are essential to devise sex precision medicine and to improve diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, there is a strong need of novel strategies to elucidate the major mechanisms leading to sex-specific autism features, as well as novel models or methods to examine these sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Jin Jeon
- Center for Neuroscience, Korea Institute of Science & Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea.,Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Edson Luck Gonzales
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Darine Froy N Mabunga
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Schley T Valencia
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Do Gyeong Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Yujeong Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Keremkleroo Jym L Adil
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Dongpil Shin
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Donghyun Park
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Chan Young Shin
- Department of Pharmacology and Advanced Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Center for Neuroscience Research, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.,KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
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Balaan C, Corley MJ, Eulalio T, Leite-Ahyo K, Pang APS, Fang R, Khadka VS, Maunakea AK, Ward MA. Juvenile Shank3b deficient mice present with behavioral phenotype relevant to autism spectrum disorder. Behav Brain Res 2018; 356:137-147. [PMID: 30134148 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive, multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed according to deficits in three behavioral domains: communication, social interaction, and stereotyped/repetitive behaviors. Mutations in Shank genes account for ∼1% of clinical ASD cases with Shank3 being the most common gene variant. In addition to maintaining synapses and facilitating dendritic maturation, Shank genes encode master scaffolding proteins that build core complexes in the postsynaptic densities of glutamatergic synapses. Male mice with a deletion of the PDZ domain of Shank3 (Shank3B KO) were previously shown to display ASD-like behavioral phenotypes with reported self-injurious repetitive grooming and aberrant social interactions. Our goal was to extend these previous findings and use a comprehensive battery of highly detailed ASD-relevant behavioral assays including an assessment of mouse ultrasonic communication carried out on key developmental days and male and female Shank3B KO mice. We demonstrate that ASD-related behaviors, atypical reciprocal social interaction and indiscriminate repetitive grooming, are apparent in juvenile stages of development of Shank3B KO mice. Our findings underscore the importance of utilizing Shank mutant models to understand the impact of this gene in ASD etiology, whichmay enable future studies focusing on etiological gene-environment interactions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantell Balaan
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96822, United States
| | - Michael J Corley
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Tiffany Eulalio
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Ka'ahukane Leite-Ahyo
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Alina P S Pang
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Rui Fang
- Department of Complementary & Integrative Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Vedbar S Khadka
- Department of Complementary & Integrative Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Alika K Maunakea
- Department of Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 651 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI, 96813, United States
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, 1960 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96822, United States.
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42
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Harmeier A, Meyer CA, Staempfli A, Casagrande F, Petrinovic MM, Zhang YP, Künnecke B, Iglesias A, Höner OP, Hoener MC. How Female Mice Attract Males: A Urinary Volatile Amine Activates a Trace Amine-Associated Receptor That Induces Male Sexual Interest. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:924. [PMID: 30158871 PMCID: PMC6104183 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals of many species rely on odors to communicate, find breeding partners, locate resources and sense dangers. In vertebrates, odorants are detected by chemosensory receptors of the olfactory system. One class of these receptors, the trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), was recently suggested to mediate male sexual interest and mate choice. Here we tested this hypothesis in mice by generating a cluster deletion mouse (Taar2-9−/−) lacking all TAARs expressed in the olfactory epithelium, and evaluating transduction pathways from odorants to TAARs, neural activity and behaviors reflecting sexual interest. We found that a urinary volatile amine, isobutylamine (IBA), was a potent ligand for TAAR3 (but not TAAR1, 4, 5, and 6). When males were exposed to IBA, brain regions associated with sexual behaviors were less active in Taar2-9−/− than in wild type males. Accordingly, Taar2-9−/− males spent less time sniffing both the urine of females and pure IBA than wild type males. This is the first demonstration of a comprehensive transduction pathway linking odorants to TAARs and male sexual interest. Interestingly, the concentration of IBA in female urine varied across the estrus cycle with a peak during estrus. This variation in IBA concentration may represent a simple olfactory cue for males to recognize receptive females. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that IBA and TAARs play an important role in the recognition of breeding partners and mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Harmeier
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claas A Meyer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Staempfli
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabio Casagrande
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marija M Petrinovic
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yan-Ping Zhang
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Basil Künnecke
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Iglesias
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marius C Hoener
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosymptomatic Domains, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development pRED, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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43
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Chao OY, Yunger R, Yang YM. Behavioral assessments of BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mice by tests of object attention and elevated open platform: Implications for an animal model of psychiatric comorbidity in autism. Behav Brain Res 2018; 347:140-147. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IIIA is an inherited, neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder resulting from mutations in the SGSH gene. Consequently, N-sulphoglucosamine sulphohydrolase enzyme activity is reduced resulting in impaired catabolism of heparan sulphate. After an asymptomatic period, patients typically show a progressive loss of cognitive and motor skills, with death often during the second decade of life. The diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include impaired communication and social interactions, as well as displays of repetitive behaviours and fixed interests. Children with MPS-IIIA have been shown to exhibit decreased social communicative behaviours from approximately 3-4 years of age but behavioural stereotypies are mostly absent. In this study, we investigated whether a mouse model of MPS-IIIA exhibited ASD-like symptoms. The BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J inbred mouse model of autism was used as a positive control. Male MPS-IIIA and BTBR mice were less sociable compared with unaffected C57BL/6 male mice in the reciprocal social approach test administered at 20 weeks of age. Alternations in the frequency of social interactions was not evident at earlier stages of the disease course, suggesting an acquisition of ASD-like social behaviours. Stereotypical behaviours were not evident in male MPS-IIIA mice in the marble-burying test nor was the quality of nest constructed by mice affected. Collectively, these data suggest that MPS-IIIA mice acquire autistic social behaviours similar to the human condition, and thus they may be useful for elucidating symptom generating mechanisms and novel treatments for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline A Lau
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Nutrition and Metabolism Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), PO Box 11060, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia.
| | - Sarah J Tamang
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Nutrition and Metabolism Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), PO Box 11060, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
| | - Kim M Hemsley
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Nutrition and Metabolism Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), PO Box 11060, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
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Langguth M, Fassin M, Alexander S, Turner KM, Burne THJ. No effect of prenatal vitamin D deficiency on autism-relevant behaviours in multiple inbred strains of mice. Behav Brain Res 2018; 348:42-52. [PMID: 29655594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders commonly characterised by verbal and non-verbal communication deficits, impaired social interaction and repetitive, stereotypic behaviours. The aetiology of ASD is most likely a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Epidemiological evidence suggests that prenatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of ASD. The overall aim of this study was to investigate prenatal vitamin D deficiency on ASD-related behavioural phenotypes in multiple inbred strains of mice. We included two commonly used inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6J and BALB/c) as well as inbred BTBR mice, which show ASD-related behaviours, such as excessive self-grooming, hyperlocomotion, social interaction deficits and altered communication. We also studied the effect of prenatal vitamin D deficiency in a fourth strain; an F1 cross of C57BL/6J x BTBR mice, which have a partial BTBR phenotype. To implement prenatal vitamin D deficiency, female mice were placed on vitamin D deplete diets for ten weeks, including mating and gestation, until littering, when all dams were switched to the control diet. Behavioural symptoms related to ASD were measured, including isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalisations to measure communication, the three-chambered social interaction task to observe social interaction, the open field test to examine hyperlocomotion, assessment of grooming and rearing behaviour and finally the active place avoidance task to observe spatial learning and memory in response to a mild foot shock. Prenatal vitamin D deficiency had a negative impact on preference for social novelty in C57BL/6J mice, despite similar vocalisation phenotypes, and prenatal vitamin D-deficient F1 mice were found to be hypolocomotive in the open field test yet performed better on the active place avoidance task. Despite clear differences between strains, there were no other consistent significant main effects of maternal diet on the behaviour of the offspring. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a risk factor for ASD and these data show that there is greater variation between different inbred strains in ASD-related behaviour, suggesting that prenatal vitamin D deficiency is not sufficient to recapitulate an ASD phenotype in multiple inbred strains of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Langguth
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Fassin
- Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - S Alexander
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Richlands, Queensland, Australia
| | - K M Turner
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - T H J Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Richlands, Queensland, Australia.
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Ahmad SF, Ansari MA, Nadeem A, Bakheet SA, Alzahrani MZ, Alshammari MA, Alanazi WA, Alasmari AF, Attia SM. Resveratrol attenuates pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of JAK1-STAT3 in BTBR T + Itpr3 tf/J autistic mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 829:70-78. [PMID: 29654783 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairment in communication, social interaction, and repetitive stereotypic behavior. Resveratrol plays a role in several disorders such as neuroimmune, autoimmune, and allergic disorders. BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice, a model for autism, show several behavioral deficits that are physiological characteristics similar to those observed in patients with autism. Previous studies have shown that JAK-STAT signaling pathway is associated with many neurodevelopmental disorders. We investigated the possible role of resveratrol on IL-6+, TNF-α+, IFN-γ+, and STAT3+ in CD4+ T spleen cells in BTBR mice as compared to C57BL/6J mice. We also assessed the effect of resveratrol treatment on IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, JAK1, and STAT3 mRNA expression levels in the brain tissue. We further assessed IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, phosphorylated (p) JAK1, and pSTAT3 (Tyr705) protein expression levels in the brain tissue. Resveratrol (20 and 40 mg/kg)-treated mice had significantly decreased in IL-6+, TNF-α+, IFN-γ+, and STAT3+ in CD4+ spleen cells as compared with BTBR control mice. Resveratrol treatment also decreased IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, JAK1, and STAT3 mRNA expression levels as compared with BTBR control mice in the brain tissue. Moreover, resveratrol treatment resulted in decreased protein expression levels of IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, pJAK1, and pSTAT3 (Tyr705) as compared with BTBR control mice in the brain tissues. Taken together, these results indicate the efficacy of resveratrol in reducing cytokines and JAK-1/STAT3 signaling in BTBR mice, which is a novel and important finding and might be important for future therapies in neuroimmune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheikh F Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mushtaq A Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Nadeem
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Bakheet
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Z Alzahrani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Musaad A Alshammari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wael A Alanazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah F Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sabry M Attia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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Chadman KK. Animal models for autism in 2017 and the consequential implications to drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 12:1187-1194. [PMID: 28971687 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1383982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted interests/repetitive behaviors, for which there are currently no approved drug treatments. The core symptoms of ASD vary widely in severity and are often accompanied by other neuropsychiatric disorders. Drug discovery has been challenging because of the lack of understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of ASD as well as the heterogeneity of symptoms and symptom severity. Areas covered: In this review, the author discusses animal models of ASD used as targets for drug discovery, focusing primarily on non-syndromic models, primarily rodents. They highlight the wide range of drug targets examined in animal models. While very little of this work has resulted in drug therapy for the behavioral symptoms of ASD yet, it has increased our knowledge of the biology of ASD that is critical for driving drug discovery and has already provided many new drug targets for investigation. Expert opinion: The information gathered from the animal models of ASD is increasing our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology for ASD and is leading to better therapeutic targets. However, the issue of small sample size, heterogeneity within clinical samples, and a lack of replicable outcome measures must be addressed to move forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K Chadman
- a Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory , NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities , Staten Island , NY , USA
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Lee E, Lee J, Kim E. Excitation/Inhibition Imbalance in Animal Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:838-847. [PMID: 27450033 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Imbalances between excitation and inhibition in synaptic transmission and neural circuits have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Excitation and inhibition imbalances are frequently observed in animal models of autism spectrum disorders, and their correction normalizes key autistic-like phenotypes in these animals. These results suggest that excitation and inhibition imbalances may contribute to the development and maintenance of autism spectrum disorders and represent an important therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunee Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jiseok Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea.
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Pearson BL, Crawley JN, Eilam D, Pentkowski NS, Summers CH. Curiosity as an approach to ethoexperimental analysis: Behavioral neuroscience as seen by students and colleagues of Bob Blanchard. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:415-422. [PMID: 27018381 PMCID: PMC5035557 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This review is a synopsis of an International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS) symposium which focused on the elements of Behavioral Neuroscience for which Robert J. Blanchard was a Pioneer, Leading Expert, Advocate, Mentor, and Sage. Bob Blanchard's work demonstrably changed our broad understanding of animal behavior, and led the way to experimental design and analysis for studies of animal behavior that helped to clarify the deep complexity and subtleties of behavior. Bob's impact on the field of Behavioral Neuroscience includes the behavior, neurocircuitry, neurochemistry, and pharmacology related to social interactions, aggressive behavior, defensive behaviors, flight, freezing, threat, attack, risk assessment, anxiety disorders, animal models, models of social behavior, and autism. The methods and designs developed by Bob Blanchard over a lifetime have been adopted by scientists around the world, and form a standard of excellence in the field. The article addresses these topics in a way that presents developments in the field, describes the newest research data, and pays tribute to a great scientist and founder of this field of work, Bob Blanchard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Pearson
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ludwig-Erhard Allee 2, Bonn 53179, Germany.
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Room 1001A Research II Building 96, 4625 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - David Eilam
- Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Nathan S Pentkowski
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA; Neuroscience Group, BBS, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
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Meyza KZ, Blanchard DC. The BTBR mouse model of idiopathic autism - Current view on mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:99-110. [PMID: 28167097 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder, with current estimates of more than 1% of affected children across nations. The patients form a highly heterogeneous group with only the behavioral phenotype in common. The genetic heterogeneity is reflected in a plethora of animal models representing multiple mutations found in families of affected children. Despite many years of scientific effort, for the majority of cases the genetic cause remains elusive. It is therefore crucial to include well-validated models of idiopathic autism in studies searching for potential therapeutic agents. One of these models is the BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mouse. The current review summarizes data gathered in recent research on potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the autism-like behavioral phenotype of this strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Z Meyza
- Laboratory of Emotions' Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur Street, Warsaw, 02-093, Poland.
| | - D C Blanchard
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa,1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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