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Parvin Z, Jaafari Suha A, Afarinesh MR, Hosseinmardi N, Janahmadi M, Behzadi G. Social hierarchy differentially influences the anxiety-like behaviors and dendritic spine density in prefrontal cortex and limbic areas in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2024; 469:115043. [PMID: 38729219 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Social hierarchy is a fundamental feature of social organization that can influence brain and emotional processing regarding social ranks. Several areas, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the hippocampus, and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), are recognized to be involved in the regulation of emotional processing. However, its delicate structural correlates in brain regions are poorly understood. To address this issue, social hierarchy in home-caged sibling Wistar rats (three male rats/cage) was determined by employing a social confrontation tube test (postnatal weeks 9-12). Then, locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated using an open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) at 13 weeks of age. The rapid Golgi impregnation method was conducted to quantify the spine density of the first secondary branch of the primary dendrite in 20 µm length. The results indicated that dominant rats had significantly higher anxiety-like behaviors compared to subordinates, as was evident by lower open-arm entries and time spent in the EPM and lower entries and time spent in the center of OFT. The spine density analysis revealed a significantly higher number of spines in subordinates compared to the dominant rats in dmPFC pyramidal neurons and the apical and basal dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. However, the spine density of pyramidal-like neurons in the BLA was higher in dominant rats. Our findings suggest that dominant social rank is associated with higher anxiety and differential density of the dendritic spine in the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions of the brain in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Parvin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Jaafari Suha
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Narges Hosseinmardi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahyar Janahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gila Behzadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Wang X, Feng J, Luan S, Zhou Y, Zhang S, Su H, Wang Z. Linkage of CDC42 and T-helper cell ratio with anxiety, depression and quality of life in ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Biomark Med 2024; 18:157-168. [PMID: 38440868 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2023-0712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the correlations between CDC42 and T-cell subsets concerning anxiety, depression and quality of life in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: Sera from 156 participants were analyzed for CDC42 levels and Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells. Results: CDC42 correlated with reduced Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios, lower anxiety and depression, and higher EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) score. The Th17/Treg ratio correlated with elevated anxiety, depression, EuroQol-5 dimensions score and decreased EQ-VAS score. The Th1/Th2 ratio was positively related to the EQ-VAS score. Conclusion: CDC42 correlates with reduced Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved quality of life in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, 056002, China
| | - Junjie Feng
- Department of Psychology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, 056002, China
| | - Shaohua Luan
- Department of Cardiology Ward 3, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, 056002, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry Ward 9, Beijing Anding Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Shipan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050051, China
| | - Hongling Su
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, 056002, China
| | - Zhongyu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, 056002, China
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Bigio B, Azam S, Mathé AA, Nasca C. The neuropsychopharmacology of acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC): basic, translational and therapeutic implications. DISCOVER MENTAL HEALTH 2024; 4:2. [PMID: 38169018 PMCID: PMC10761640 DOI: 10.1007/s44192-023-00056-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolism can contribute to nuclear histone acetylation among other epigenetic mechanisms. A central aspect of this signaling pathway is acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), a pivotal mitochondrial metabolite best known for its role in fatty acid oxidation. Work from our and other groups suggested LAC as a novel epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and a therapeutic target for clinical phenotypes of depression linked to childhood trauma. Aberrant mitochondrial metabolism of LAC has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to other processes implicated in the pathophysiology of both major depressive disorders and Alzheimer's disease, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. In addition to the rapid epigenetic modulation of glutamatergic function, preclinical studies showed that boosting mitochondrial metabolism of LAC protects against oxidative stress, rapidly ameliorates insulin resistance, and reduces neuroinflammation by decreasing proinflammatory pathways such as NFkB in hippocampal and cortical neurons. These basic and translational neuroscience findings point to this mitochondrial signaling pathway as a potential target to identify novel mechanisms of brain plasticity and potential unique targets for therapeutic intervention targeted to specific clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Bigio
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shofiul Azam
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Aleksander A Mathé
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carla Nasca
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Laine M, Shansky R. Rodent models of stress and dendritic plasticity – Implications for psychopathology. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100438. [PMID: 35257016 PMCID: PMC8897597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress, as commonplace as it is, is a major environmental risk factor for psychopathology. While this association intuitively, anecdotally, and empirically makes sense, we are still very early in the process of understanding what the neurobiological manifestations of this risk truly are. Seminal work from the past few decades has established structural plasticity in the brain as a potential key mechanism. In this review we discuss evidence linking particularly chronic stress exposure in rodent models to plasticity at the dendrites, like remodeling of dendritic branches and spines, in a range of brain regions. A number of candidate mechanisms that seek to explain how stress influences neuroanatomy at this level have been proposed, utilizing in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro methods. However, a large gap still remains in our knowledge of how such dynamic structural changes ultimately relate to downstream effects such as altered affective and cognitive states relevant for psychopathology. We propose that future work expand our understanding of plasticity of specific stress-related brain circuits and cell-types. We also note that the vast majority of the work has been conducted solely on male rodents. The next big strides in our understanding of the neurobiology of psychopathology will require the inclusion of female subjects, as several studies have suggested both sex divergent and convergent features. By understanding plasticity, we can harness it. The growth of this body of knowledge will inform our efforts to improve the therapeutic options for stress-related psychopathology.
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Long-term antibiotic use during early life and risks to mental traits: an observational study and gene-environment-wide interaction study in UK Biobank cohort. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1086-1092. [PMID: 32801349 PMCID: PMC8115166 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00798-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The relationships between long-term antibiotic use during early life and mental traits remain elusive now. A total of 158,444 subjects from UK Biobank were used in this study. Linear regression analyses were first conducted to assess the correlations between long-term antibiotic use during early life and mental traits. Gene-environment-wide interaction study (GEWIS) was then performed by PLINK2.0 to detect the interaction effects between long-term antibiotic use during early life and genes on the risks of mental traits. Finally, DAVID tool was used to conduct gene ontology (GO) analysis of the identified genes interacting with long-term antibiotic use during early life. We found negative associations of long-term antibiotic use during early life with remembrance (p value=1.74 × 10-6, b = -0.10) and intelligence (p value=2.64 × 10-26, b = -0.13), and positive associations of long-term antibiotic use during early life with anxiety (p value = 2.75 × 10-47, b = 0.12) and depression (p value=2.01 × 10-195, b = 0.25). GEWIS identified multiple significant genes-long-term antibiotic use during early life interaction effects, such as ANK3 (rs773585997, p value = 1.78 × 10-8) for anxiety and STRN (rs140049205, p value = 1.88 × 10-8) for depression. GO enrichment analysis detected six GO terms enriched in the identified genes interacting with long-term antibiotic use during early life for anxiety, such as GO:0030425~dendrite (p value = 3.41 × 10-2) and GO:0005886~plasma membrane (p value = 3.64 × 10-3). Our study results suggest the impact of long-term antibiotic use during early life on the development of mental traits.
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Snyder CN, Brown AR, Buffalari D. Similar tests of anxiety-like behavior yield different results: comparison of the open field and free exploratory rodent procedures. Physiol Behav 2021; 230:113246. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Nasca C, Menard C, Hodes G, Bigio B, Pena C, Lorsch Z, Zelli D, Ferris A, Kana V, Purushothaman I, Dobbin J, Nassim M, DeAngelis P, Merad M, Rasgon N, Meaney M, Nestler EJ, McEwen BS, Russo SJ. Multidimensional Predictors of Susceptibility and Resilience to Social Defeat Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:483-491. [PMID: 31466563 PMCID: PMC6730655 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies identified several separate risk factors for stress-induced disorders. However, an integrative model of susceptibility versus resilience to stress including measures from brain-body domains is likely to yield a range of multiple phenotypic information to promote successful adaptation to stress. METHODS We used computational and molecular approaches to test whether 1) integrative brain-body behavioral, immunological, and structural domains characterized and predicted susceptibility or resilience to social defeat stress (SDS) in mice and 2) administration of acetyl-L-carnitine promoted resilience at the SDS paradigm. RESULTS Our findings identified multidimensional brain-body predictors of susceptibility versus resilience to SDS. The copresence of anxiety, decreased hippocampal volume, and elevated systemic interleukin-6 characterized a susceptible phenotype that developed behavioral and neurobiological deficits after exposure to SDS. The susceptible phenotype showed social withdrawal and impaired transcriptomic-wide changes in the ventral dentate gyrus after SDS. At the individual level, a computational approach predicted whether a given animal developed SDS-induced social withdrawal, or remained resilient, based on the integrative in vivo measures of anxiety and immune system function. Finally, we provide initial evidence that administration of acetyl-L-carnitine promoted behavioral resilience at the SDS paradigm. CONCLUSIONS The current findings of multidimensional brain-body predictors of susceptibility versus resilience to stress provide a starting point for in vivo models of mechanisms predisposing apparently healthy individuals to develop the neurobiological and behavioral deficits resulting from stress exposure. This framework can lead to novel therapeutic strategies to promote resilience in susceptible phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Nasca
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Caroline Menard
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, CERVO Brain Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Georgia Hodes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Benedetta Bigio
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York; Biostatistics, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Catherine Pena
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Zachary Lorsch
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Danielle Zelli
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Anjali Ferris
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Veronika Kana
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Immanuel Purushothaman
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Josh Dobbin
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Marouane Nassim
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Paolo DeAngelis
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Miriam Merad
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute and Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Natalie Rasgon
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York; Center for Neuroscience in Women's Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Michael Meaney
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, Douglas Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Scott J Russo
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial cortical region that integrates information from numerous cortical and subcortical areas and converges updated information to output structures. It plays essential roles in the cognitive process, regulation of emotion, motivation, and sociability. Dysfunction of the mPFC has been found in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and addiction. In the present review, we summarize the preclinical and clinical studies to illustrate the role of the mPFC in these neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Ai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan China
| | - Yipeng Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Xuezhi Xing
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
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9
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Modelling Differential Vulnerability to Substance Use Disorder in Rodents: Neurobiological Mechanisms. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 258:203-230. [PMID: 31707470 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Despite the prevalence of drug use within society, only a subset of individuals actively taking addictive drugs lose control over their intake and develop compulsive drug-seeking and intake that typifies substance use disorder (SUD). Although research in this field continues to be an important and dynamic discipline, the specific neuroadaptations that drive compulsive behaviour in humans addicted to drugs and the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie an individual's innate susceptibility to SUD remain surprisingly poorly understood. Nonetheless, it is clear from research within the clinical domain that some behavioural traits are recurrently co-expressed in individuals with SUD, thereby inviting the hypothesis that certain behavioural endophenotypes may be predictive, or at least act in some way, to modify an individual's probability for developing this disorder. The analysis of such endophenotypes and their catalytic relationship to the expression of addiction-related behaviours has been greatly augmented by experimental approaches in rodents that attempt to capture diagnostically relevant aspects of this progressive brain disorder. This work has evolved from an early focus on aberrant drug reinforcement mechanisms to a now much richer account of the putatively impaired cognitive control processes that ultimately determine individual trajectories to compulsive drug-related behaviours. In this chapter we discuss the utility of experimental approaches in rodents designed to elucidate the neurobiological and genetic underpinnings of so-called risk traits and how these innate vulnerabilities collectively contribute to the pathogenesis of SUD.
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Goes TC, Almeida Souza TH, Marchioro M, Teixeira-Silva F. Excitotoxic lesion of the medial prefrontal cortex in Wistar rats: Effects on trait and state anxiety. Brain Res Bull 2018; 142:313-319. [PMID: 30120930 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The neural substrate of anxiety response (state anxiety) to a threatening situation is well defined. However, a lot less is known about brain structures implicated in the individual's predisposition to anxiety (trait anxiety). Scientific evidences lead us to suppose that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is involved in both trait and state anxiety. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of mPFC in trait anxiety and to further evaluate its participation in state anxiety. Sixty six adult, Wistar, male rats were first tested in the free-exploratory paradigm (FEP) and were categorized according to their levels of trait anxiety (high, medium and low). Three to six days after this exposure, all animals were submitted to stereotaxic brain surgery. Half the animals from each anxiety category was allocated to the mPFC-lesioned group and the other half to the Sham-lesioned group. After seven to nine days, all animals were again tested in FEP. Eight to 10 days later, the animals were tested in the Hole Board test, a model of state anxiety. The mPFC lesion decreased levels of trait anxiety of highly anxious rats, whereas it reduced the state anxiety of all animals, regardless the level of trait anxiety. These data extend evidence of the participation of the mPFC in state anxiety and it demonstrate the involvement of this brain structure in trait anxiety, a personality trait supposed to be a predisposing factor for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Costa Goes
- Departamento de Educação em Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Campus Prof. Antônio Garcia Filho, 49400-000, Lagarto, SE, Brazil.
| | - Thiago Henrique Almeida Souza
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Cidade Universitária "Prof. José Aloísio de Campos", 49100-000, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
| | - Murilo Marchioro
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Cidade Universitária "Prof. José Aloísio de Campos", 49100-000, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
| | - Flavia Teixeira-Silva
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Cidade Universitária "Prof. José Aloísio de Campos", 49100-000, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
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11
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Larrieu T, Sandi C. Stress-Induced Depression: Is Social Rank a Predictive Risk Factor? Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800012. [PMID: 29869396 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
An intriguing question in the field of stress is what makes an individual more likely to be susceptible or resilient to stress-induced depression. Predisposition to stress susceptibility is believed to be influenced by genetic factors and early adversity. However, beyond genetics and life experiences, recent evidence has highlighted social rank as a key determinant of susceptibility to stress, underscoring dominant individuals as the vulnerable ones. This evidence is in conflict with epidemiological, clinical, and animal work pointing at a link between social subordination and depression. Here, we review and analyze rodent protocols addressing the relevance of social rank to predict vulnerability to chronic social stress. We also discuss whether a specific social status (i.e., dominance or subordination) is the appropriate predictor of vulnerability to develop stress-induced depression or rather, the loss of social rank and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Larrieu
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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12
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Abstract
The brain is the central organ of stress and adaptation to stress because it perceives and determines what is threatening, as well as the behavioral and physiological responses to the stressor, which promote adaptation ("allostasis") but also contribute to pathophysiology ("allostatic load/overload") when overused and dysregulated. The adult as well as developing brain possesses a remarkable ability to show structural and functional plasticity in response to stressful and other experiences, including neuronal replacement, dendritic remodeling and synapse turnover. Stress can cause an imbalance of neural circuitry subserving cognition, decision making, anxiety and mood that can increase or decrease expression of those behaviors and behavioral states. This imbalance, in turn, affects systemic physiology via neuroendocrine, autonomic, immune and metabolic mediators. In the short term, these changes may be adaptive; but, if the threat passes and the behavioral state persists along with the changes in neural circuitry, such maladaptation requires intervention with a combination of pharmacological and behavioral therapies. There are important sex differences in how the brain responds to stressors. Moreover, adverse early life experience, interacting with alleles of certain genes, produces lasting effects on brain and body via epigenetic mechanisms. While prevention is key, the plasticity of the brain gives hope for therapies that utilize brain-body interactions. Policies of government and the private sector are important to promote health and increase "healthspan."
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Sotnikov OS, Vasyagina NY, Sergeeva SS. Lubinska Phenomenon: Simultaneous Bidirectional Axoplasmic Flow in Nerve Fibers. Bull Exp Biol Med 2016; 160:394-7. [PMID: 26742751 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-016-3179-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Experiments on live mollusk neurons isolated with a neurite fragmentsat its various levels demonstrated that axoplasm is characterized by mechanical strain realized in the form of retraction up to complete invagination of the axoplasm into the soma. Changes in axon geometry were attributed to neuroplasm movement. It was found that the direction of axoplasm movement depends on the location of adhesion points. It was always simultaneous and oppositely directed, as is the case with contractile myofibrils. The formation of distant paired adhesion sites can promote moving away of the axoplasm mass and organelles carried by it. The velocity and activity of axoplasm movement depend on the quantity and intensity of adhesion points along the axon.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Sotnikov
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology and Physiology of the Neuron, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - N Yu Vasyagina
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology and Physiology of the Neuron, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - S S Sergeeva
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology and Physiology of the Neuron, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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McEwen BS, Nasca C, Gray JD. Stress Effects on Neuronal Structure: Hippocampus, Amygdala, and Prefrontal Cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:3-23. [PMID: 26076834 PMCID: PMC4677120 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 835] [Impact Index Per Article: 104.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus provided the gateway into much of what we have learned about stress and brain structural and functional plasticity, and this initial focus has expanded to other interconnected brain regions, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Starting with the discovery of adrenal steroid, and later, estrogen receptors in the hippocampal formation, and subsequent discovery of dendritic and spine synapse remodeling and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, mechanistic studies have revealed both genomic and rapid non-genomic actions of circulating steroid hormones in the brain. Many of these actions occur epigenetically and result in ever-changing patterns of gene expression, in which there are important sex differences that need further exploration. Moreover, glucocorticoid and estrogen actions occur synergistically with an increasing number of cellular mediators that help determine the qualitative nature of the response. The hippocampus has also been a gateway to understanding lasting epigenetic effects of early-life experiences. These findings in animal models have resulted in translation to the human brain and have helped change thinking about the nature of brain malfunction in psychiatric disorders and during aging, as well as the mechanisms of the effects of early-life adversity on the brain and the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA,Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. Tel: +1 212 327 8624, Fax: +1 212 327 8634, E-mail: or http://www.rockefeller.edu/labheads/mcewen/mcewen-lab.php
| | - Carla Nasca
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jason D Gray
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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McEwen BS, Gray JD, Nasca C. 60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: Redefining neuroendocrinology: stress, sex and cognitive and emotional regulation. J Endocrinol 2015; 226:T67-83. [PMID: 25934706 PMCID: PMC4515381 DOI: 10.1530/joe-15-0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of steroid hormone receptors in brain regions that mediate every aspect of brain function has broadened the definition of 'neuroendocrinology' to include the reciprocal communication between the brain and the body via hormonal and neural pathways. The brain is the central organ of stress and adaptation to stress because it perceives and determines what is threatening, as well as the behavioral and physiological responses to the stressor. The adult and developing brain possess remarkable structural and functional plasticity in response to stress, including neuronal replacement, dendritic remodeling, and synapse turnover. Stress causes an imbalance of neural circuitry subserving cognition, decision-making, anxiety and mood that can alter expression of those behaviors and behavioral states. This imbalance, in turn, affects systemic physiology via neuroendocrine, autonomic, immune and metabolic mediators. In the short term, as for increased fearful vigilance and anxiety in a threatening environment, these changes may be adaptive. But, if the danger passes and the behavioral state persists along with the changes in neural circuitry, such maladaptation may need intervention with a combination of pharmacological and behavioral therapies, as is the case for chronic anxiety and depression. There are important sex differences in the brain responses to stressors that are in urgent need of further exploration. Moreover, adverse early-life experience, interacting with alleles of certain genes, produce lasting effects on brain and body over the life-course via epigenetic mechanisms. While prevention is most important, the plasticity of the brain gives hope for therapies that take into consideration brain-body interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of NeuroendocrinologyThe Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Jason D Gray
- Laboratory of NeuroendocrinologyThe Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Carla Nasca
- Laboratory of NeuroendocrinologyThe Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Sotnikov OS, Vasyagina NY, Podol’skaya LA. Contractile tone and contraction as important physiological properties of terminals on the processes of living neurons. BIOL BULL+ 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359015040147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Soztutar E, Colak E, Ulupinar E. Gender- and anxiety level-dependent effects of perinatal stress exposure on medial prefrontal cortex. Exp Neurol 2015; 275 Pt 2:274-84. [PMID: 26057948 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress leads to psychopathological processes correlated with the predisposition of individuals. Prolonged development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), playing a critical role in the cognition, personality and social behavior, makes it susceptible to adverse conditions. In this study, we evaluated the dendritic morphology of medial PFC neurons in rats subjected to perinatal stress exposure. Unbiased stereological counting methods showed that total number estimation of c-Fos (+) nuclei, indicating the neuronal activation upon stressful challenge, significantly increased in high anxious animals compared with low anxious and control groups, in both gender. Golgi-Cox staining of neurons displayed anxiety level- and sex-dependent reduction in the dendritic complexity and spine density of pyramidal neurons, especially in the stressed males. While the total length of dendrites were not correlational; density of spines, specifically the mushroom subtypes, showed a negative correlation with the anxiety level of stressed animals. These results suggest that medial PFC is a critical site of neural plasticity within the stressor controllability paradigm. Outcomes of early life stress might be predicted by analyzing the density and morphology of spines in the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in correlation with the anxiety-like behavior of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdem Soztutar
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040, Eskisehir, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Department, Health Science Institute of Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040, Eskisehir, Turkey.
| | - Ertugrul Colak
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040, Eskisehir, Turkey.
| | - Emel Ulupinar
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040, Eskisehir, Turkey; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Department, Health Science Institute of Eskisehir Osmangazi University, 26040, Eskisehir, Turkey.
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Mind the gap: glucocorticoids modulate hippocampal glutamate tone underlying individual differences in stress susceptibility. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:755-63. [PMID: 25178162 PMCID: PMC4366364 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Why do some individuals succumb to stress and develop debilitating psychiatric disorders, whereas others adapt well in the face of adversity? There is a gap in understanding the neural bases of individual differences in the responses to environmental factors on brain development and functions. Here, using a novel approach for screening an inbred population of laboratory animals, we identified two subpopulations of mice: susceptible mice that show mood-related abnormalities compared with resilient mice, which cope better with stress. This approach combined with molecular and behavioral analyses, led us to recognize, in hippocampus, presynaptic mGlu2 receptors, which inhibit glutamate release, as a stress-sensitive marker of individual differences to stress-induced mood disorders. Indeed, genetic mGlu2 deletion in mice results in a more severe susceptibility to stress, mimicking the susceptible mouse sub-population. Furthermore, we describe an underlying mechanism by which glucocorticoids, acting via mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs), decrease resilience to stress via downregulation of mGlu2 receptors. We also provide a mechanistic link between MRs and an epigenetic control of the glutamatergic synapse that underlies susceptibility to stressful experiences. The approach and the epigenetic allostasis concept introduced here serve as a model for identifying individual differences based upon biomarkers and underlying mechanisms and also provide molecular features that may be useful in translation to human behavior and psychopathology.
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Abstract
As the central organ of stress and adaptation to stressors, the brain plays a pivotal role in behavioral and physiological responses that may lead to successful adaptation or to pathophysiology and mental and physical disease. In this context, resilience can be defined as "achieving a positive outcome in the face of adversity". Underlying this deceptively simple statement are several questions; first, to what extent is this ability limited to those environments that have shaped the individual or can it be more flexible; second, when in the life course does the brain develop capacity for flexibility for adapting positively to new challenges; and third, can such flexibility be instated in individuals where early life experiences have limited that capacity? Brain architecture continues to show plasticity throughout adult life and studies of gene expression and epigenetic regulation reveal a dynamic and ever-changing brain. The goal is to recognize those biological changes that underlie flexible adaptability, and to recognize gene pathways, epigenetic factors and structural changes that indicate lack of resilience leading to negative outcomes, particularly when the individual is challenged by new circumstances. Early life experiences determine individual differences in such capabilities via epigenetic pathways and laying down of brain architecture that determine the later capacity for flexible adaptation or the lack thereof. Reactivation of such plasticity in individuals lacking such resilience is a new challenge for research and practical application. Finally, sex differences in the plasticity of the brain are often overlooked and must be more fully investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S. McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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20
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Batalle D, Muñoz-Moreno E, Arbat-Plana A, Illa M, Figueras F, Eixarch E, Gratacos E. Long-term reorganization of structural brain networks in a rabbit model of intrauterine growth restriction. Neuroimage 2014; 100:24-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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21
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Sotnikov OS, Vasyagina NY, Sergeeva SS. Simultaneous opposite axonal currents in neural process. Retraction hypothesis. Biophysics (Nagoya-shi) 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006350914050273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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22
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Kim H, Yi JH, Choi K, Hong S, Shin KS, Kang SJ. Regional differences in acute corticosterone-induced dendritic remodeling in the rat brain and their behavioral consequences. BMC Neurosci 2014; 15:65. [PMID: 24884833 PMCID: PMC4038707 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-15-65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucocorticoid released by stressful stimuli elicits various stress responses. Acute treatment with a single dose of corticosterone (CORT; predominant glucocorticoid of rats) alone has previously been shown to trigger anxiety behavior and robust dendritic hypertrophy of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are also known to be highly sensitive to stress and regulate anxiety-like behaviors. Nevertheless, we know less about acute CORT-induced structural changes of other brain regions and their behavioral outcomes. In addition, the temporal profile of acute CORT effects remains to be examined. The current study investigates time course changes of dendritic architectures in the stress vulnerable brain areas, the BLA and mPFC, and their behavioral consequences after acute treatment with a single dose of CORT. RESULTS Acute CORT treatment produced delayed onset of dendritic remodeling in the opposite direction in the BLA and mPFC with different time courses. Acute CORT induced dendritic hypertrophy of BLA spiny neurons, which was paralleled by heightened anxiety, both peaked 12 days after the treatment. Meanwhile, CORT-induced dendritic atrophy of mPFC pyramidal neurons peaked on day 6, concomitantly with impaired working memory. Both changed dendritic morphologies and altered behavioral outcomes were fully recovered. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that stress-induced heightened anxiety appears to be a functional consequence of dendritic remodeling of BLA neurons but not that of mPFC. Instead, stress-induced dendritic atrophy of mPFC neurons is relevant to working memory deficit. Therefore, structural changes in the BLA and the mPFC might be specifically associated with distinct behavioral symptoms observed in stress-related mental disorders. Remarkably, stress-induced dendritic remodeling in the BLA as well as mPFC is readily reversible. The related behavioral outcomes also follow the similar time course in a reversible manner. Therefore, further studies on the cellular mechanism for the plasticity of dendrites architecture might provide new insight into the etiological factors for stress-related mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ki Soon Shin
- Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 130-701 Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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23
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The maternal brain: an organ with peripartal plasticity. Neural Plast 2014; 2014:574159. [PMID: 24883213 PMCID: PMC4026981 DOI: 10.1155/2014/574159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The time of pregnancy, birth, and lactation, is characterized by numerous specific alterations in several systems of the maternal body. Peripartum-associated changes in physiology and behavior, as well as their underlying molecular mechanisms, have been the focus of research since decades, but are still far from being entirely understood. Also, there is growing evidence that pregnancy and lactation are associated with a variety of alterations in neural plasticity, including adult neurogenesis, functional and structural synaptic plasticity, and dendritic remodeling in different brain regions. All of the mentioned changes are not only believed to be a prerequisite for the proper fetal and neonatal development, but moreover to be crucial for the physiological and mental health of the mother. The underlying mechanisms apparently need to be under tight control, since in cases of dysregulation, a certain percentage of women develop disorders like preeclampsia or postpartum mood and anxiety disorders during the course of pregnancy and lactation.
This review describes common peripartum adaptations in physiology and behavior. Moreover, it concentrates on different forms of peripartum-associated plasticity including changes in neurogenesis and their possible underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, consequences of malfunction in those systems are discussed.
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24
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Ferreira R, Nobre MJ. Conditioned fear in low- and high-anxious rats is differentially regulated by cortical subcortical and midbrain 5-HT(1A) receptors. Neuroscience 2014; 268:159-68. [PMID: 24657773 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between the prelimbic cortex and the basolateral amygdala underlie fear memory processing, mostly through acquiring and consolidating the learning of a conditioned fear. More recently, studies highlighted the role of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG) in the modulation of learning fear responses. In addition, extensive data in the literature have signaled the importance of serotonin (5-HT) on fear and anxiety. In the present study, the role of 5-HT neurotransmission of the prelimbic cortex, basolateral amygdala or the DPAG on the unconditioned and conditioned fear responses in rats previously selected as low- (LA) or high-anxious (HA) were assessed through local infusions of 5-HT itself (10nmol/0.2μl) or the selective 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT - 0.3μg/0.2μl). Behavioral analysis was conducted using the fear-potentiated startle (FPS) procedure. Dependent variables recorded were the latency and amplitude of the unconditioned startle response and FPS. Our findings suggest that, on the prelimbic cortex, 5-HT modulates the expression of conditioned fear response in HA rats and this modulation is dependent on 5-HT1A receptors. This is not true, however, for the basolateral amygdala or the DPAG. In these regions LA but not HA rats were susceptible to the anxiolytic-like effect of 5-HT1A receptor activation. It is thought that the expression of conditioned fear in HA subjects may be dependent on other 5-HT receptors, as the 5-HT1B subtype, and/or changes in other systems such as the GABA and glutamate neurotransmitters. These results increase our understanding of the rostrocaudal influence of 5-HT on the unconditioned and conditioned fear responses in LA and HA subjects and, to some extent, are in disagreement with the theoretical current that emphasizes the role of 5-HT on anxiety, mainly at the subcortical and midbrain levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ferreira
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento-INeC, Campus USP, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - M J Nobre
- Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Psicologia, Uni-FACEF, 14401-135 Franca, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento-INeC, Campus USP, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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25
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Fogaça MV, Reis FMCV, Campos AC, Guimarães FS. Effects of intra-prelimbic prefrontal cortex injection of cannabidiol on anxiety-like behavior: involvement of 5HT1A receptors and previous stressful experience. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:410-9. [PMID: 24321837 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Revised: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (PL) is an important encephalic structure involved in the expression of emotional states. In a previous study, intra-PL injection of cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotomimetic cannabinoid present in the Cannabis sativa plant, reduced the expression of fear conditioning response. Although its mechanism remains unclear, CBD can facilitate 5HT1A receptor-mediated neurotransmission when injected into several brain structures. This study was aimed at verifying if intra-PL CBD could also induce anxiolytic-like effect in a conceptually distinct animal model, the elevated plus maze (EPM). We also verified if CBD effects in the EPM and contextual fear conditioning test (CFC) depend on 5HT1A receptors and previous stressful experience. CBD induced opposite effects in the CFC and EPM, being anxiolytic and anxiogenic, respectively. Both responses were prevented by WAY100,635, a 5HT1A receptor antagonist. In animals that had been previously (24h) submitted to a stressful event (2h-restraint) CBD caused an anxiolytic, rather than anxiogenic, effect in the EPM. This anxiolytic response was abolished by previous injection of metyrapone, a glucocorticoid synthesis blocker. Moreover, restraint stress increased 5HT1A receptors expression in the dorsal raphe nucleus, an effect that was attenuated by injection of metyrapone before the restraint procedure. Taken together, these results suggest that CBD modulation of anxiety in the PL depend on 5HT1A-mediated neurotransmission and previous stressful experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Fogaça
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - F M C V Reis
- Psychology Department, School of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - A C Campos
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Group of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences and School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Program, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - F S Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil
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26
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Anxiolytic function of the orexin 2/hypocretin A receptor in the basolateral amygdala. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 40:17-26. [PMID: 24485472 PMCID: PMC4361941 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The orexin/hypocretin system interacts with many of the same circuitries contributing to stress-associated disorders like depression and anxiety. These include potentially reciprocal connections with corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurons which drive the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) endocrine response in addition to having an anxiogenic effect in the central amygdala (CeA). Antagonism of the orexin type 1 receptor (Orx1) in the hypothalamus has also been shown to block panic attacks. However, few studies have investigated the effect of orexinergic signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) which is responsible for contextual fear, and modulates the activity of the CeA. To this end, we chronically stressed c57bl/6 mice with social defeat and examined the gene expression of the orexin receptors in the BLA. We found that the transcripts for the Orx1 and Orx2 receptors diverged in the BLA with Orx1 increasing and Orx2 decreasing in animals that were susceptible to the chronic defeat. These changes were not seen in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) which sends efferents to the BLA. We then tried to recapitulate these expression patterns in the BLA using short hairpin interfering sequences delivered by adeno-associated viruses to knock down the orexin receptors. While the Orx1 knockdown did reduce locomotor activity, it did not decrease depressive or anxious behaviors. Knocking down the Orx2 receptors in the BLA increased anxious behavior as measured by reduced social preference and reduced time spent in the center of an open field. Due to the divergent expression patterns of the two receptors in response to chronic stress, orexinergic activity in the BLA may be responsible for bidirectional modulation of anxious behavior. Furthermore, these data raise the possibility that an Orx2 agonist may serve as an effective means to treat anxiety disorders.
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O'Malley D, Julio-Pieper M, O'Mahony SM, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Differential visceral pain sensitivity and colonic morphology in four common laboratory rat strains. Exp Physiol 2014; 99:359-367. [DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2013.076109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dervla O'Malley
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; BioSciences Institute
- Departments of Physiology
| | | | | | - Timothy G. Dinan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; BioSciences Institute
- Psychiatry; University College Cork; Western Road Cork Ireland
| | - John F. Cryan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; BioSciences Institute
- Anatomy and Neuroscience
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Falco AM, McDonald CG, Bachus SE, Smith RF. Developmental alterations in locomotor and anxiety-like behavior as a function of D1 and D2 mRNA expression. Behav Brain Res 2013; 260:25-33. [PMID: 24239691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The majority of smokers start smoking in adolescence, beginning a potentially lifelong struggle with nicotine use and abuse. In rodent models of the effects of nicotine, the drug has been shown to elicit both locomotor and anxiety-like behavioral effects. Research suggests that these behavioral effects may be due in part to dopamine (DA) receptors D1 and D2 in the mesolimbic system, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We examined early adolescent (P28), late adolescent (P45), and adult (P80) male Long-Evans rats in the elevated plus maze (EPM) under normal conditions and the open field (OF) post-nicotine in order to test locomotor and anxiety-like behavior. These behavioral findings were then correlated with expression of DA D1 and D2 mRNA levels as determined via in situ hybridization. Nicotine-induced locomotor behavior was found to be significantly different between age groups. After a single injection of nicotine, early adolescents exhibited increases in locomotor behavior, whereas both late adolescents and adults responded with decreases in locomotor behavior. In addition, it was found that among, early adolescents, open arm and center time in the EPM were negatively correlated with D2 mRNA expression. In contrast, among adults, distance traveled in the center and center time in the OF were negatively correlated with D2 mRNA expression. This study suggests that DA D2 receptors play a role in anxiety-like behavior and that the relationship between observed anxiety-like behaviors and D2 receptor expression changes through the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Falco
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, United States.
| | - C G McDonald
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
| | - S E Bachus
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
| | - R F Smith
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States.
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29
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Illa M, Eixarch E, Batalle D, Arbat-Plana A, Muñoz-Moreno E, Figueras F, Gratacos E. Long-term functional outcomes and correlation with regional brain connectivity by MRI diffusion tractography metrics in a near-term rabbit model of intrauterine growth restriction. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76453. [PMID: 24143189 PMCID: PMC3797044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) affects 5-10% of all newborns and is associated with increased risk of memory, attention and anxiety problems in late childhood and adolescence. The neurostructural correlates of long-term abnormal neurodevelopment associated with IUGR are unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of the long-term functional and neurostructural correlates of abnormal neurodevelopment associated with IUGR in a near-term rabbit model (delivered at 30 days of gestation) and evaluate the development of quantitative imaging biomarkers of abnormal neurodevelopment based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters and connectivity. METHODOLOGY At +70 postnatal days, 10 cases and 11 controls were functionally evaluated with the Open Field Behavioral Test which evaluates anxiety and attention and the Object Recognition Task that evaluates short-term memory and attention. Subsequently, brains were collected, fixed and a high resolution MRI was performed. Differences in diffusion parameters were analyzed by means of voxel-based and connectivity analysis measuring the number of fibers reconstructed within anxiety, attention and short-term memory networks over the total fibers. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The results of the neurobehavioral and cognitive assessment showed a significant higher degree of anxiety, attention and memory problems in cases compared to controls in most of the variables explored. Voxel-based analysis (VBA) revealed significant differences between groups in multiple brain regions mainly in grey matter structures, whereas connectivity analysis demonstrated lower ratios of fibers within the networks in cases, reaching the statistical significance only in the left hemisphere for both networks. Finally, VBA and connectivity results were also correlated with functional outcome. CONCLUSIONS The rabbit model used reproduced long-term functional impairments and their neurostructural correlates of abnormal neurodevelopment associated with IUGR. The description of the pattern of microstructural changes underlying functional defects may help to develop biomarkers based in diffusion MRI and connectivity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Illa
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Eixarch
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ariadna Arbat-Plana
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emma Muñoz-Moreno
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Figueras
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacos
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia (ICGON), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
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Stress, anxiety, and dendritic spines: What are the connections? Neuroscience 2013; 251:108-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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McEwen BS, Morrison JH. The brain on stress: vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex over the life course. Neuron 2013; 79:16-29. [PMID: 23849196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 624] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in working memory and self-regulatory and goal-directed behaviors and displays remarkable structural and functional plasticity over the life course. Neural circuitry, molecular profiles, and neurochemistry can be changed by experiences, which influence behavior as well as neuroendocrine and autonomic function. Such effects have a particular impact during infancy and in adolescence. Behavioral stress affects both the structure and function of PFC, though such effects are not necessarily permanent, as young animals show remarkable neuronal resilience if the stress is discontinued. During aging, neurons within the PFC become less resilient to stress. There are also sex differences in the PFC response to stressors. While such stress and sex hormone-related alterations occur in regions mediating the highest levels of cognitive function and self-regulatory control, the fact that they are not necessarily permanent has implications for future behavior-based therapies that harness neural plasticity for recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Abstract
Exposure to various forms of stress is a common daily occurrence in the lives of most individuals, with both positive and negative effects on brain function. The impact of stress is strongly influenced by the type and duration of the stressor. In its acute form, stress may be a necessary adaptive mechanism for survival and with only transient changes within the brain. However, severe and/or prolonged stress causes overactivation and dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis thus inflicting detrimental changes in the brain structure and function. Therefore, chronic stress is often considered a negative modulator of the cognitive functions including the learning and memory processes. Exposure to long-lasting stress diminishes health and increases vulnerability to mental disorders. In addition, stress exacerbates functional changes associated with various brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide an overview for neuroscientists who are seeking a concise account of the effects of stress on learning and memory and associated signal transduction mechanisms. This review discusses chronic mental stress and its detrimental effects on various aspects of brain functions including learning and memory, synaptic plasticity, and cognition-related signaling enabled via key signal transduction molecules.
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Chocyk A, Bobula B, Dudys D, Przyborowska A, Majcher-Maślanka I, Hess G, Wędzony K. Early-life stress affects the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex in adolescent rats. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2089-107. [PMID: 23581639 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences are crucial factors that shape brain development and function due to their ability to induce structural and functional plasticity. Among these experiences, early-life stress (ELS) is known to interfere with brain development and maturation, increasing the risk of future psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Moreover, ELS may contribute to the emergence of these psychopathologies during adolescence. In this present study, we investigated the effects of ELS, in the form of maternal separation (MS), on the structural and functional plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male rats. We found that the MS procedure resulted in disturbances in mother-pup interactions that lasted until weaning and were most strongly demonstrated by increases in nursing behavior. Moreover, MS caused atrophy of the basal dendritic tree and reduced spine density on both the apical and basal dendrites in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of the mPFC. The structural changes were accompanied by an impairment of long-term potentiation processes and increased expression of key proteins, specifically glutamate receptor 1, glutamate receptor 2, postsynaptic density protein 95, αCa(2+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and αCa(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylated at residue Thr305, that are engaged in long-term potentiation induction and maintenance in the mPFC. We also found that the MS animals were more anxious in the light/dark exploration test. The results of this study indicate that ELS has a significant impact on the structural and functional plasticity of the mPFC in adolescents. ELS-induced adaptive plasticity may underlie the pathomechanisms of some early-onset psychopathologies observed in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Chocyk
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
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Analysis of morphological changes as a key method in studying psychiatric animal models. Cell Tissue Res 2013; 354:41-50. [PMID: 23334194 PMCID: PMC3785701 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1547-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 12/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A major interest in the analysis of animal models of psychiatric diseases is their underlying cellular pathology and to gain information regarding whether pharmacological treatments, genetic differences or an altered environment exert an impact upon the brain morphology or on the morphology or activity of single neurones. In this review, several key methods will be introduced that allow the analysis of morphological changes that are frequently observed in psychiatric animal models. An overview of the techniques that enable dendritic arborisation, alterations in dendritic spines and changes in fibre densities to be analysed are described. Moreover, methods for the analysis of adult neurogenesis and neurodegeneration and for the analysis of neuronal activity in fixed brain tissue are described. An important step during the analysis of morphological changes is the estimation of the number of stained cells. Since conventional cell counting methods have several limitations, two different approaches that permit an estimate of the number of stained cells within three-dimensional tissue are also discussed.
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From the stressed adolescent to the anxious and depressed adult: investigations in rodent models. Neuroscience 2012; 249:242-57. [PMID: 22967838 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2012] [Revised: 08/25/2012] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent of the psychiatric disorders. The average age of onset of these disorders is in adolescence, and stressful experiences are recognized as an important pathway to such dysfunction. Until recently, however, most animal models of these disorders involved adult males. We provide a brief overview of anxiety and depression and the extent to which adolescent rodents are a valid model for their investigation, and briefly review the main measures of anxiety-like and depressive behaviour in rodents. The focus of the review is investigations in which adolescent rodents were exposed to chronic stressors, describing our research using social instability stress and that of other researchers using various social and non-social stressors. The evidence to date suggests stress in adolescence alters the trajectory of brain development, and particularly that of the hippocampus, increasing anxiety and depressive behaviour in adulthood.
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