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MacCallum PE, Cooze JB, Ward J, Moore KA, Blundell J. Evaluating the effects of single, multiple, and delayed systemic rapamycin injections to contextual fear reconsolidation: Implications for the neurobiology of memory and the treatment of PTSD-like re-experiencing. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114855. [PMID: 38185381 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is known to mediate the formation and persistence of aversive memories. Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, administered around the time of reactivation blocks retrieval-induced mTOR activity and de novo protein synthesis in the brains of rodents, while correspondingly diminishing subsequent fear memory. The goal of the current experiments was to further explore rapamycin's effects on fear memory persistence. First, we examined whether mTOR blockade at different time-points after reactivation attenuates subsequent contextual fear memory. We show that rapamycin treatment 3 or 12 h post-reactivation disrupts memory persistence. Second, we examined whether consecutive days of reactivation paired with rapamycin had additive effects over a single pairing at disrupting a contextual fear memory. We show that additional reactivation-rapamycin pairings exacerbates the reconsolidation impairment. Finally, we examined if impaired reconsolidation of a contextual fear memory from rapamycin treatment had any after-effects on learning and recalling a new fear association. We show that rapamycin-impaired reconsolidation does not affect new learning or recall and protects against fear generalization. Our findings improve our understanding of mTOR- dependent fear memory processes, as well as provide insight into potentially novel treatment options for stress-related psychopathologies such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip E MacCallum
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Jane B Cooze
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Joshua Ward
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Kelsey Am Moore
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Blundell
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
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Barbano MF, Zhang S, Chen E, Espinoza O, Mohammad U, Alvarez-Bagnarol Y, Liu B, Hahn S, Morales M. Lateral hypothalamic glutamatergic inputs to VTA glutamatergic neurons mediate prioritization of innate defensive behavior over feeding. Nat Commun 2024; 15:403. [PMID: 38195566 PMCID: PMC10776608 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44633-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is involved in feeding behavior and defense responses by interacting with different brain structures, including the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). Emerging evidence indicates that LH-glutamatergic neurons infrequently synapse on VTA-dopamine neurons but preferentially establish multiple synapses on VTA-glutamatergic neurons. Here, we demonstrated that LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA promoted active avoidance, long-term aversion, and escape attempts. By testing feeding in the presence of a predator, we observed that ongoing feeding was decreased, and that this predator-induced decrease in feeding was abolished by photoinhibition of the LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA. By VTA specific neuronal ablation, we established that predator-induced decreases in feeding were mediated by VTA-glutamatergic neurons but not by dopamine or GABA neurons. Thus, we provided evidence for an unanticipated neuronal circuitry between LH-glutamatergic inputs to VTA-glutamatergic neurons that plays a role in prioritizing escape, and in the switch from feeding to escape in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Flavia Barbano
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Confocal and Electron Microscopy Core, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Emma Chen
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Orlando Espinoza
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Uzma Mohammad
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yocasta Alvarez-Bagnarol
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Suyun Hahn
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Ryugo DK, Milinkeviciute G. Differential projections from the cochlear nucleus to the inferior colliculus in the mouse. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1229746. [PMID: 37554670 PMCID: PMC10405501 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1229746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The cochlear nucleus (CN) is often regarded as the gateway to the central auditory system because it initiates all ascending pathways. The CN consists of dorsal and ventral divisions (DCN and VCN, respectively), and whereas the DCN functions in the analysis of spectral cues, circuitry in VCN is part of the pathway focused on processing binaural information necessary for sound localization in horizontal plane. Both structures project to the inferior colliculus (IC), which serves as a hub for the auditory system because pathways ascending to the forebrain and descending from the cerebral cortex converge there to integrate auditory, motor, and other sensory information. DCN and VCN terminations in the IC are thought to overlap but given the differences in VCN and DCN architecture, neuronal properties, and functions in behavior, we aimed to investigate the pattern of CN connections in the IC in more detail. This study used electrophysiological recordings to establish the frequency sensitivity at the site of the anterograde dye injection for the VCN and DCN of the CBA/CaH mouse. We examined their contralateral projections that terminate in the IC. The VCN projections form a topographic sheet in the central nucleus (CNIC). The DCN projections form a tripartite set of laminar sheets; the lamina in the CNIC extends into the dorsal cortex (DC), whereas the sheets to the lateral cortex (LC) and ventrolateral cortex (VLC) are obliquely angled away. These fields in the IC are topographic with low frequencies situated dorsally and progressively higher frequencies lying more ventrally and/or laterally; the laminae nestle into the underlying higher frequency fields. The DCN projections are complementary to the somatosensory modules of layer II of the LC but both auditory and spinal trigeminal terminations converge in the VLC. While there remains much to be learned about these circuits, these new data on auditory circuits can be considered in the context of multimodal networks that facilitate auditory stream segregation, signal processing, and species survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K. Ryugo
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck and Skull Base Surgery, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Giedre Milinkeviciute
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
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Kolter JF, Hildenbrand MF, Popp S, Nauroth S, Bankmann J, Rother L, Waider J, Deckert J, Asan E, Jakob PM, Lesch KP, Schmitt-Böhrer A. Serotonin transporter genotype modulates resting state and predator stress-induced amygdala perfusion in mice in a sex-dependent manner. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247311. [PMID: 33606835 PMCID: PMC7895400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a key molecule of serotoninergic neurotransmission and target of many anxiolytics and antidepressants. In humans, 5-HTT gene variants resulting in lower expression levels are associated with behavioral traits of anxiety. Furthermore, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies reported increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) during resting state (RS) and amygdala hyperreactivity. 5-HTT deficient mice as an established animal model for anxiety disorders seem to be well suited for investigating amygdala (re-)activity in an fMRI study. We investigated wildtype (5-HTT+/+), heterozygous (5-HTT+/-), and homozygous 5-HTT-knockout mice (5-HTT-/-) of both sexes in an ultra-high-field 17.6 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner. CBF was measured with continuous arterial spin labeling during RS, stimulation state (SS; with odor of rats as aversive stimulus), and post-stimulation state (PS). Subsequently, post mortem c-Fos immunohistochemistry elucidated neural activation on cellular level. The results showed that in reaction to the aversive odor CBF in total brain and amygdala of all mice significantly increased. In male 5-HTT+/+ mice amygdala RS CBF levels were found to be significantly lower than in 5-HTT+/- mice. From RS to SS 5-HTT+/+ amygdala perfusion significantly increased compared to both 5-HTT+/- and 5-HTT-/- mice. Perfusion level changes of male mice correlated with the density of c-Fos-immunoreactive cells in the amygdaloid nuclei. In female mice the perfusion was not modulated by the 5-Htt-genotype, but by estrous cycle stages. We conclude that amygdala reactivity is modulated by the 5-Htt genotype in males. In females, gonadal hormones have an impact which might have obscured genotype effects. Furthermore, our results demonstrate experimental support for the tonic model of 5-HTTLPR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jann F. Kolter
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Markus F. Hildenbrand
- Department of Magnetic Resonance and X-Ray Imaging, Fraunhofer Development Center X-Ray Technology, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Nauroth
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julian Bankmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Rother
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Waider
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Esther Asan
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Peter M. Jakob
- Department of Experimental Physics 5, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Schmitt-Böhrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Li MM, Zhou P, Chen XD, Xu HS, Wang J, Chen L, Zhang N, Liu N. NO in the dPAG modulates panic-like responses and ASIC1a expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 511:274-279. [PMID: 30770101 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.02.020] [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] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Panic disorder (PD) is a multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder. Our previous study has demonstrated that the nitric oxide (NO) pathway and the acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) level in the dorsal midbrain periaqueductal gray (dPAG) are involved in the modulation of panic-like responses. In addition, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus also play a role in panic-like responses. However, no studies have investigated the protein level of ASIC1a in the PFC and hippocampus in a mouse model of panic-like disorders after alteration of the NO pathway in the dPAG. We investigated the production of a panic attack with intra-dPAG injections of SNAP, an NO donor, and 7-NI, an nNOS inhibitor. Moreover, we measured ASIC1a protein levels in the PFC and hippocampus. The rat exposure test (RET) is frequently used as an animal model of panic. In our study, C57BL/6 mice received an intra-dPAG injection of SNAP or 7-NI before RET; neurobehavioral tests were then conducted, followed by mechanistic evaluation through western blot analysis in the PFC and hippocampus. An intra-dPAG infusion of SNAP significantly increased the panic-like effect, whereas treatment with 7-NI decreased fear behavior. Mice treated with SNAP/7-NI showed significantly increased/decreased ASIC1a expression in the PFC, and a decreasing/increasing trend in the hippocampus. The present study suggests that the NO pathway in the dPAG plays a key role in panic-like responses in mice confronted by a rat, further, NO intra-dPAG injection also modulates the ASIC1a expression levels in the PFC and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Meng Li
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Medical University, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210029, China
| | - Huai-Sha Xu
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Toxicology, The Key Lab of Modern Toxicology (NJMU), Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Medical University, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Medical University, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, 210029, China.
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6
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Single aggressive and non-aggressive social interactions elicit distinct behavioral patterns to the context in mice. Behav Processes 2018; 157:601-609. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Identification and Field Testing of Volatile Components in the Sex Attractant Pheromone Blend of Female House Mice. J Chem Ecol 2018; 45:18-27. [PMID: 30411204 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-1032-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Recently, it was reported (i) that the sex pheromone blend of male house mice, Mus musculus, comprises not only volatile components (3,4-dehydro-exo-brevicomin; 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole) but also a component of low volatility (the sex steroid testosterone), and (ii) that the sex steroids progesterone and estradiol are sex pheromone components of female house mice. Here we tested the hypothesis that the sex attractant pheromone blend of female mice, analogous to that of male mice, also comprises volatile pheromone components. Analyzing by GC-MS the head space volatiles of bedding soiled with urine and feces of laboratory-kept females and males revealed three candidate pheromone components (CPCs) that were adult female-specific: butyric acid, 2-methyl butyric acid and 4-heptanone. In a two-choice laboratory experiment, adult males spent significantly more time in the treatment chamber baited with both the synthetic steroids (progesterone, estradiol) and the synthetic CPCs than in the paired control chamber baited only with the synthetic steroids. In field experiments, trap boxes baited with both the CPCs and the steroids captured 6.7-times more adult males and 4.7-times more juvenile males than trap boxes baited with the steroids alone. Conversely, trap boxes baited with both the CPCs and the steroids captured 4.3-times more adult males and 2.7-fold fewer adult females than trap boxes baited with the CPCs alone. In combination, these data support the conclusion that butyric acid, 2-methyl butyric acid and 4-heptanone are part of the sex attractant pheromone of female house mice. With progesterone and estradiol being pheromone components of both female brown rats, Rattus norvegicus, and female house mice, these three volatile components could impart specificity to the sexual communication system of house mice, brown rats and possibly other rodent species.
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8
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Zhou P, Xu HS, Li MM, Chen XD, Wang J, Zhou HB, Chen L, Zhang N, Liu N. Mechanism of nitric oxide and acid-sensing ion channel 1a modulation of panic-like behaviour in the dorsal periaqueductal grey of the mouse. Behav Brain Res 2018; 353:32-39. [PMID: 29953907 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Predators induce defensive responses and fear behaviours in prey. The rat exposure test (RET) is frequently used as an animal model of panic. Nitric oxide (NO) which has been reported to be activated by the NMDA receptor, in turn mediates calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) signalling pathways in defensive responses. ACCN2, the orthologous human gene of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), is also associated with panic disorder; however, few studies have focused on the role of ASIC1a in the modulation of panic and calcium/CaMKII signalling by NO. In the present study, NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME; non-selective NOS inhibitor), S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP; NO donor), and psalmotoxin (PcTx-1; selective ASIC1a blocker) were administered to the dorsal periaqueductal grey (dPAG) before the predator stimulus, and the roles of NO in the expression of ASIC1a, phosphorylation of CaMKIIα (p-CaMKIIα) and expression of calmodulin (CaM) were investigated. The effects of ASIC1a, p-CaMKIIα and CaM regulation were also examined. Our results showed that intra-dPAG infusion of L-NAME weakened panic-like behaviour and decreased ASIC1a, p-CaMKIIα and CaM expression levels, whereas intra-dPAG infusion of SNAP enhanced panic-like behaviour and increased ASIC1a, p-CaMKIIα and CaM levels. Intra-dPAG infusion of PcTx-1 also weakened panic-like behaviour and decreased p-CaMKIIα expression level. Taken together, these results indicate that NO and ASIC1a are involved in the modulation of RET-induced panic-like behaviour in the dPAG. NO regulates the calcium/CaMKII signalling pathways, and ASIC1a participates in this regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhou
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Huai-Sha Xu
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Meng-Meng Li
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Toxicology, the Key Lab of Modern Toxicology (NJMU), Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Hua-Bin Zhou
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
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Liu Z, Kariya MJ, Chute CD, Pribadi AK, Leinwand SG, Tong A, Curran KP, Bose N, Schroeder FC, Srinivasan J, Chalasani SH. Predator-secreted sulfolipids induce defensive responses in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1128. [PMID: 29555902 PMCID: PMC5859177 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03333-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals respond to predators by altering their behavior and physiological states, but the underlying signaling mechanisms are poorly understood. Using the interactions between Caenorhabditis elegans and its predator, Pristionchus pacificus, we show that neuronal perception by C. elegans of a predator-specific molecular signature induces instantaneous escape behavior and a prolonged reduction in oviposition. Chemical analysis revealed this predator-specific signature to consist of a class of sulfolipids, produced by a biochemical pathway required for developing predacious behavior and specifically induced by starvation. These sulfolipids are detected by four pairs of C. elegans amphid sensory neurons that act redundantly and recruit cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) or transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to drive both escape and reduced oviposition. Functional homology of the delineated signaling pathways and abolishment of predator-evoked C. elegans responses by the anti-anxiety drug sertraline suggests a likely conserved or convergent strategy for managing predator threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Maro J Kariya
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Christopher D Chute
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Amy K Pribadi
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sarah G Leinwand
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ada Tong
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kevin P Curran
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Neelanjan Bose
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Frank C Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jagan Srinivasan
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Sreekanth H Chalasani
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Sorregotti T, Cipriano AC, Cruz FC, Mascarenhas DC, Rodgers RJ, Nunes-de-Souza RL. Amygdaloid involvement in the defensive behavior of mice exposed to the open elevated plus-maze. Behav Brain Res 2017; 338:159-165. [PMID: 29080676 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the exposure to an open elevated plus maze (oEPM, an EPM with all four open arms) elicits fear/anxiety-related responses in laboratory rodents. However, very little is known about the underlying neural substrates of these defensive behaviors. Accordingly, the present study investigated the effects of chemical inactivation of the amygdala [through local injection of cobalt chloride (CoCl2: a nonspecific synaptic blocker)] on the behavior of oEPM-exposed mice. In a second experiment, the pattern of activation of the basolateral (BLA) and central (CeA) nuclei of the amygdala was assessed through quantification of Fos protein expression in mice subjected to one of several behavioral manipulations. To avoid the confound of acute handling stress, 4 independent groups of mice were habituated daily for 10days to an enclosed EPM (eEPM) and, on day 11 prior to immunohistochemistry, were either taken directly from their home cage (control) or individually exposed for 10min to a new clean holding cage (novelty), an eEPM, or the oEPM. An additional group of mice (maze-naïve) was not subjected to either the habituation or exposure phase but were simply chosen at random from their home cages to undergo an identical immunohistochemistry procedure. Results showed that amygdala inactivation produced an anxiolytic-like profile comprising reductions in time spent in the proximal portions of the open arms and total stretched attend postures (SAP) as well as increases in time spent in the distal portions of the open arms and total head-dipping. Moreover, Fos-positive labeled cells were bilaterally increased in the amygdaloid complex, particularly in the BLA, of oEPM-exposed animals compared to all other groups. These results suggest that the amygdala (in particular, its BLA nucleus) plays a key role in the modulation of defensive behaviors in oEPM-exposed mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiani Sorregotti
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univ. Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Cipriano
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univ. Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Cardoso Cruz
- Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, 04023-901, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Diego Cardozo Mascarenhas
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univ. Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univ. Estadual Paulista, UNESP, 14800-903, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
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Preliminary behavioral assessment of cagemates living with conspecifics submitted to chronic restraint stress in mice. Neurosci Lett 2017; 657:204-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Liu YJ, Li LF, Zhang YH, Guo HF, Xia M, Zhang MW, Jing XY, Zhang JH, Zhang JX. Chronic Co-species Housing Mice and Rats Increased the Competitiveness of Male Mice. Chem Senses 2017; 42:247-257. [PMID: 28073837 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjw164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Rats are predators of mice in nature. Nevertheless, it is a common practice to house mice and rats in a same room in some laboratories. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and physiological responsively of mice in long-term co-species housing conditions. Twenty-four male mice were randomly assigned to their original raising room (control) or a rat room (co-species-housed) for more than 6 weeks. In the open-field and light-dark box tests, the behaviors of the co-species-housed mice and controls were not different. In a 2-choice test of paired urine odors [rabbit urine (as a novel odor) vs. rat urine, cat urine (as a natural predator-scent) vs. rabbit urine, and cat urine vs. rat urine], the co-species-housed mice were more ready to investigate the rat urine odor compared with the controls and may have adapted to it. In an encounter test, the rat-room-exposed mice exhibited increased aggression levels, and their urines were more attractive to females. Correspondingly, the levels of major urinary proteins were increased in the co-species-housed mouse urine, along with some volatile pheromones. The serum testosterone levels were also enhanced in the co-species-housed mice, whereas the corticosterone levels were not different. The norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-HT levels in the right hippocampus and striatum were not different between the 2. Our findings indicate that chronic co-species housing results in adaptation in male mice; furthermore, it appears that long-term rat-odor stimuli enhance the competitiveness of mice, which suggests that appropriate predator-odor stimuli may be important to the fitness of prey animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Juan Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, 1638 Wolong Road, Wolong District, Nanyang 473061, Henan Province, China and.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, 1638 Wolong Road, Wolong District, Nanyang 473061, Henan Province, China and
| | - Yao-Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hui-Fen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Min Xia
- School of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, 1638 Wolong Road, Wolong District, Nanyang 473061, Henan Province, China and
| | - Meng-Wei Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, 1638 Wolong Road, Wolong District, Nanyang 473061, Henan Province, China and
| | - Xiao-Yuan Jing
- School of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, 1638 Wolong Road, Wolong District, Nanyang 473061, Henan Province, China and
| | - Jing-Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jian-Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Mendes BDO, Rabelo LM, E Silva BC, de Souza JM, da Silva Castro AL, da Silva AR, de Lima Rodrigues AS, Malafaia G. Mice exposure to tannery effluents changes their olfactory capacity, and their response to predators and to the inhibitory avoidance test. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:19234-19248. [PMID: 28664498 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9504-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The current study has assessed whether the oral and/or dermal exposure of C57Bl/6 J mice to tannery effluent (a complex pollutant consisting of xenobiotic mixtures) could damage their olfactory functions, as well as whether it changes their aversive behavior in the inhibitory avoidance test. Accordingly, the animals were distributed in groups which were exposed or not to this xenobiotic through two different routes (oral and dermal), for 15 days. The effluent group subjected to oral exposure received drinking water containing 5% tannery effluent, whereas the animals in the dermal group were exposed to raw tannery effluent for 1 h/day. The animals dermally exposed to the tannery effluent (males and females) have shown the highest latency to find palatable food in the buried food test. The shortest time spent by the animals (orally or dermally) exposed to tannery effluent in the safety zone of the apparatus used in the predator exposure test, as well as the longest time spent by them in the aversive zone, have shown failures in their perception to the risk represented by the presence of the predator (cat). The passive avoidance test results have shown that the dermal exposure to tannery effluent led to partial memory deficit in male and female mice; therefore, the present study has confirmed the tannery effluent toxicity to mammals. Moreover, the present study was pioneer in demonstrating that the dermal exposure to this xenobiotic, even for a short period-of-time, can change the olfactory and cognitive functions of animals, as well as lead to harmful consequences to their health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna de Oliveira Mendes
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Letícia Martins Rabelo
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Bianca Costa E Silva
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Joyce Moreira de Souza
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - André Luis da Silva Castro
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Conservação de Recursos Naturais do Cerrado, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Aline Sueli de Lima Rodrigues
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Conservação de Recursos Naturais do Cerrado, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2,5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO, Brazil.
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Conservação de Recursos Naturais do Cerrado, Instituto Federal Goiano-Campus Urutaí, Urutaí, GO, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
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MATSAP: An automated analysis of stretch-attend posture in rodent behavioral experiments. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31286. [PMID: 27503239 PMCID: PMC4977506 DOI: 10.1038/srep31286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stretch-attend posture (SAP) occurs during risk assessment and is prevalent in common rodent behavioral tests. Measuring this behavior can enhance behavioral tests. For example, stretch-attend posture is a more sensitive measure of the effects of anxiolytics than traditional spatiotemporal indices. However, quantifying stretch-attend posture using human observers is time consuming, somewhat subjective, and prone to errors. We have developed MATLAB-based software, MATSAP, which is a quick, consistent, and open source program that provides objective automated analysis of stretch-attend posture in rodent behavioral experiments. Unlike human observers, MATSAP is not susceptible to fatigue or subjectivity. We assessed MATSAP performance with videos of male Swiss mice moving in an open field box and in an elevated plus maze. MATSAP reliably detected stretch-attend posture on par with human observers. This freely-available program can be broadly used by biologists and psychologists to accelerate neurological, pharmacological, and behavioral studies.
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Furuya-da-Cunha EM, Souza RRD, Canto-de-Souza A. Rat exposure in mice with neuropathic pain induces fear and antinociception that is not reversed by 5-HT2C receptor activation in the dorsal periaqueductal gray. Behav Brain Res 2016; 307:250-7. [PMID: 27059332 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that serotonin 5-HT2C receptors in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) mediate both anxiety and antinociception in mice submitted to the elevated plus maze. The present study examined the effects of intra-dPAG infusion of the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor agonist (MK-212) in the defensive reactions and antinociception in mice with neurophatic pain confronted by a predator. Neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve, and predator confrontation was performed using the rat exposure test (RET). Our results demonstrated that both sham-operated and CCI mice exhibited intense defensive reactions when confronted by rats. However, rat-exposed CCI mice showed reduced pain reactivity in comparison to CCI mice exposed to a toy rat. Intra-dPAG infusion of MK-212 prior to predator exposure did not significantly alter defensive or antinociceptive responses. To our knowledge, our results represent the first evidence of RET-induced antinociception in mice. Moreover, the results of the present study suggest that 5-HT2C receptor activation in the dPAG is not critically involved in the control of predator-evoked fearful or antinociceptive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Mayumi Furuya-da-Cunha
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP. Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Rimenez Rodrigues de Souza
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychology UFSCar. Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Azair Canto-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP. Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychology UFSCar. Rod. Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil; Neuroscience and Behavioral Institute, Av. do Café, 2.450, 14050-220 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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de Oliveira Crisanto K, de Andrade WMG, de Azevedo Silva KD, Lima RH, de Oliveira Costa MSM, de Souza Cavalcante J, de Lima RRM, do Nascimento ES, Cavalcante JC. The differential mice response to cat and snake odor. Physiol Behav 2015; 152:272-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Cannabinoid modulation of predator fear: involvement of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:1193-206. [PMID: 24438603 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713001788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of systemic or intra-dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (dlPAG) administration of CB1 agonists on behavioural changes induced in rats by predator (a live cat) exposure, a model of panic responses. Since nitric oxide (NO) and cannabinoid neurotransmission are proposed to interact in the dlPAG to modulate defensive responses, we also investigated if NO is involved in the biphasic effects of anandamide (AEA) injected into the dlPAG. The results showed that systemic administration of WIN55,212-2 or intra-dlPAG AEA attenuated the defensive behaviours caused by cat exposure. Both compounds produced biphasic curves. The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) antagonist AM251 prevented the panicolytic effect of AEA whereas a neuronal NOS inhibitor turned the ineffective high dose of AEA into an effective one. These results suggest that modulation of the cannabinoid system could be a target in the treatment of panic disorders. However, the biphasic effects of these compounds could limit their therapeutic potential.
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Sorregotti T, Mendes-Gomes J, Rico JL, Rodgers RJ, Nunes-de-Souza RL. Ethopharmacological analysis of the open elevated plus-maze in mice. Behav Brain Res 2013; 246:76-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.02.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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