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Woodruff JL, Bykalo MK, Loyo-Rosado FZ, Maissy ES, Sadek AT, Hersey M, Erichsen JM, Maxwell ND, Wilson MA, Wood SK, Hashemi P, Grillo CA, Reagan LP. Differential effects of high-fat diet on endocrine, metabolic and depressive-like behaviors in male and female rats. Appetite 2024; 199:107389. [PMID: 38697221 PMCID: PMC11139556 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107389] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The complications of obesity extend beyond the periphery to the central nervous system (CNS) and include an increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric co-morbidities like depressive illness. Preclinical studies support this concept, including studies that have examined the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on depressive-like behaviors. Although women are approximately two-fold more likely to develop depressive illness compared to men, most preclinical studies have focused on the effects of HFD in male rodents. Accordingly, the goal of this study was to examine depressive-like behaviors in male and female rats provided access to a HFD. In agreement with prior studies, male and female rats provided a HFD segregate into an obesity phenotype (i.e., diet-induced obesity; DIO) or a diet resistant (DR) phenotype. Upon confirmation of the DR and DIO phenotypes, behavioral assays were performed in control chow, DR, and DIO rats. In the sucrose preference test, male DIO rats exhibited significant decreases in sucrose consumption (i.e., anhedonia) compared to male DR and male control rats. In the forced swim test (FST), male DIO rats exhibited increases in immobility and decreases in climbing behaviors in the pre-test sessions. Interestingly, male DR rats exhibited these same changes in both the pre-test and test sessions of the FST, suggesting that consumption of a HFD, even in the absence of the development of an obesity phenotype, has behavioral consequences. Female rats did not exhibit differences in sucrose preference, but female DIO rats exhibited increases in immobility exclusively in the test session of the FST, behavioral changes that were not affected by the stage of the estrous cycle. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that access to a HFD elicits different behavioral outcomes in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Woodruff
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - M K Bykalo
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - F Z Loyo-Rosado
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - E S Maissy
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - A T Sadek
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - M Hersey
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - J M Erichsen
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - N D Maxwell
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - M A Wilson
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - S K Wood
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - P Hashemi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - C A Grillo
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - L P Reagan
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, USA.
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2
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Zoicas I, Licht C, Mühle C, Kornhuber J. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depressive-like symptoms in rodent animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105726. [PMID: 38762128 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105726] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) emerged as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Both preclinical and clinical studies as well as systematic reviews provide a heterogeneous picture, particularly concerning the stimulation protocols used in rTMS. Here, we present a review of rTMS effects in rodent models of depressive-like symptoms with the aim to identify the most relevant factors that lead to an increased therapeutic success. The influence of different factors, such as the stimulation parameters (stimulus frequency and intensity, duration of stimulation, shape and positioning of the coil), symptom severity and individual characteristics (age, species and genetic background of the rodents), on the therapeutic success are discussed. Accumulating evidence indicates that rTMS ameliorates a multitude of depressive-like symptoms in rodent models, most effectively at high stimulation frequencies (≥5 Hz) especially in adult rodents with a pronounced pathological phenotype. The therapeutic success of rTMS might be increased in the future by considering these factors and using more standardized stimulation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Zoicas
- Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
| | - Christiane Licht
- Paracelsus Medical University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Prof.-Ernst-Nathan-Str. 1, Nürnberg 90419, Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Schwabachanlage 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany
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3
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Deng Y, Liang X, Li Y, Jiang L, Wang J, Tang J, Li J, Xie Y, Xiao K, Zhu P, Guo Y, Luo Y, Tang Y. PGC-1α in the hippocampus mediates depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours and regulates excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus in mice. Neuropharmacology 2024; 250:109908. [PMID: 38492883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109908] [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: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Decreased hippocampal synaptic plasticity is an important pathological change in stress-related mood disorders, including major depressive disorder. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. PGC-1α, a transcriptional coactivator, is a key factor in synaptic plasticity. We investigated the relationships between changes in hippocampal PGC-1α expression and depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours, and whether they are related to hippocampal synapses. Adeno-associated virus was used to alter hippocampal PGC-1α expression in male C57BL/6 mice. The sucrose preference test and forced swimming test were used to assess their depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours, respectively. Immunohistochemistry and stereology were used to calculate the total number of excitatory synapses in each hippocampal subregion (the cornu ammonis (CA) 1, CA3, and dentate gyrus). Immunofluorescence was used to visualize the changes in dendritic structure. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of hippocampal PGC-1α and mitochondrial-associated proteins, such as UCP2, NRF1 and mtTFAs. Our results showed that mice with downregulated PGC-1α expression in the hippocampus exhibited depressive-like and passive stress-coping behaviours, while mice with upregulated PGC-1α in the hippocampus exhibited increased stress-coping behaviours. Moreover, the downregulation of hippocampal PGC-1α expression resulted in a decrease in the number of excitatory synapses in the DG and in the protein expression of UCP2 in the hippocampus. Alternatively, upregulation of hippocampal PGC-1α yielded the opposite results. This suggests that hippocampal PGC-1α is involved in regulating depressive-like and stress-coping behaviours and modulating the number of excitatory synapses in the DG. This provides new insight for the development of antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Deng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Xin Liang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Lab Teaching and Management Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Yuhan Xie
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Kai Xiao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Peilin Zhu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Yijing Guo
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Yanmin Luo
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
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D'Aquila PS. Dopamine, activation of ingestion and evaluation of response efficacy: a focus on the within-session time-course of licking burst number. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1111-1124. [PMID: 38702473 PMCID: PMC11106101 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06600-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Evidence on the effect of dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptor antagonists on licking microstructure and the forced swimming response led us to suggest that (i) dopamine on D1-like receptors plays a role in activating reward-directed responses and (ii) the level of response activation is reboosted based on a process of evaluation of response efficacy requiring dopamine on D2-like receptors. A main piece of evidence in support of this hypothesis is the observation that the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist raclopride induces a within-session decrement of burst number occurring after the contact with the reward. The few published studies with a detailed analysis of the time-course of this measure were conducted in our laboratory. OBJECTIVES The aim of this review is to recapitulate and discuss the evidence in support of the analysis of the within-session burst number as a behavioural substrate for the study of the mechanisms governing ingestion, behavioural activation and the related evaluation processes, and its relevance in the analysis of drug effects on ingestion. CONCLUSIONS The evidence gathered so far suggests that the analysis of the within-session time-course of burst number provides an important behavioural substrate for the study of the mechanisms governing ingestion, behavioural activation and the related evaluation processes, and might provide decisive evidence in the analysis of the effects of drugs on ingestion. However, further evidence from independent sources is necessary to validate the use and the proposed interpretation of this measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo S D'Aquila
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43/b, Sassari, 07100, Italy.
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5
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Magalhães DM, Stewart NA, Mampay M, Rolle SO, Hall CM, Moeendarbary E, Flint MS, Sebastião AM, Valente CA, Dymond MK, Sheridan GK. The sphingosine 1-phosphate analogue, FTY720, modulates the lipidomic signature of the mouse hippocampus. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1113-1142. [PMID: 38339785 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16073] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The small-molecule drug, FTY720 (fingolimod), is a synthetic sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) analogue currently used to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in both adults and children. FTY720 can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and, over time, accumulate in lipid-rich areas of the central nervous system (CNS) by incorporating into phospholipid membranes. FTY720 has been shown to enhance cell membrane fluidity, which can modulate the functions of glial cells and neuronal populations involved in regulating behaviour. Moreover, direct modulation of S1P receptor-mediated lipid signalling by FTY720 can impact homeostatic CNS physiology, including neurotransmitter release probability, the biophysical properties of synaptic membranes, ion channel and transmembrane receptor kinetics, and synaptic plasticity mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate how chronic FTY720 treatment alters the lipid composition of CNS tissue in adolescent mice at a key stage of brain maturation. We focused on the hippocampus, a brain region known to be important for learning, memory, and the processing of sensory and emotional stimuli. Using mass spectrometry-based lipidomics, we discovered that FTY720 increases the fatty acid chain length of hydroxy-phosphatidylcholine (PCOH) lipids in the mouse hippocampus. It also decreases PCOH monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and increases PCOH polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). A total of 99 lipid species were up-regulated in the mouse hippocampus following 3 weeks of oral FTY720 exposure, whereas only 3 lipid species were down-regulated. FTY720 also modulated anxiety-like behaviours in young mice but did not affect spatial learning or memory formation. Our study presents a comprehensive overview of the lipid classes and lipid species that are altered in the hippocampus following chronic FTY720 exposure and provides novel insight into cellular and molecular mechanisms that may underlie the therapeutic or adverse effects of FTY720 in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M Magalhães
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisboa, Portugal
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Myrthe Mampay
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | - Sara O Rolle
- Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chloe M Hall
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd, London, UK
| | - Melanie S Flint
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | - Ana M Sebastião
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cláudia A Valente
- Instituto de Farmacologia e Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marcus K Dymond
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
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Schwartzer JJ, Church JS, Russo JN, Ragoonaden S. Offspring behavioral outcomes following maternal allergic asthma in the IL-4-deficient mouse. J Neuroimmunol 2024; 390:578341. [PMID: 38613873 PMCID: PMC11088503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578341] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Maternal allergic asthma (MAA) during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans, and rodent studies have demonstrated that inducing a T helper-2-mediated allergic response during pregnancy leads to an offspring behavioral phenotype characterized by decreased social interaction and increased stereotypies. The interleukin (IL)-4 cytokine is hypothesized to mediate the neurobehavioral impact of MAA on offspring. Utilizing IL-4 knockout mice, this study assessed whether MAA without IL-4 signaling would still impart behavioral deficits. C57 and IL-4 knockout female mice were sensitized to ovalbumin, exposed to repeated MAA inductions, and their offspring performed social, cognitive, and motor tasks. Only C57 offspring of MAA dams displayed social and cognitive deficits, while IL-4 knockout mice showed altered motor activity compared with C57 mice. These findings highlight a key role for IL-4 signaling in MAA-induced behavioral deficits and more broadly in normal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared J Schwartzer
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA.
| | - Jamie S Church
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - Jenna N Russo
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - Shanthini Ragoonaden
- Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
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Jia C, Gill WD, Lovins C, Brown RW, Hagg T. Astrocyte focal adhesion kinase reduces passive stress coping by inhibiting ciliary neurotrophic factor only in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100621. [PMID: 38516563 PMCID: PMC10955429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes have been implicated in stress responses and produce ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), which we have shown in the mouse medial amygdala (MeA) to promote passive stress coping response only in females. Pharmacological inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) upregulates CNTF expression. Here, we found that inducible knockout of FAK in astrocytes or systemic treatment with an FAK inhibitor increased passive coping behavior, i.e., immobility, in an acute forced swim stress test in female, but not male, mice. Strikingly, four weeks of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) did not further increase passive coping in female astrocytic FAK knockout mice, whereas it exacerbated it in female wildtype mice and male mice of both genotypes. These data suggest that astrocyte FAK inhibition is required for chronic stress-induced passive coping in females. Indeed, CUS reduced phospho-FAK and increased CNTF in the female MeA. Progesterone treatment after ovariectomy activated amygdala FAK and alleviated ovariectomy-induced passive coping in wildtype, but not astrocytic FAK knockout females. This suggests that progesterone-mediated activation of FAK in astrocytes reduces female stress responses. Finally, astrocytic FAK knockout or FAK inhibitor treatment increased CNTF expression in the MeA of both sexes, although not in the hippocampus. As mentioned, MeA CNTF promotes stress responses only in females, which may explain the female-specific role of astrocytic FAK inhibition. Together, this study reveals a novel female-specific progesterone-astrocytic FAK pathway that counteracts CNTF-mediated stress responses and points to opportunities for developing treatments for stress-related disorders in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihong Jia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - W. Drew Gill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Chiharu Lovins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
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8
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de Oliveira-Júnior BA, Marques DB, Rossignoli MT, Prizon T, Leite JP, Ruggiero RN. Multidimensional behavioral profiles associated with resilience and susceptibility after inescapable stress. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9699. [PMID: 38678053 PMCID: PMC11055923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59984-7] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical depression is characterized by multiple concurrent symptoms, manifesting as a complex heterogeneous condition. Although some well-established classical behavioral assessments are widespread in rodent models, it remains uncertain whether rats also display stress-induced depression-related phenotypes in a multidimensional manner, i.e., simultaneous alterations in multiple behavioral tests. Here, we investigated multivariate patterns and profiles of depression-related behavioral traits in male Wistar rats subjected to inescapable footshocks (IS) or no-shocks (NS), followed by a comprehensive battery of behavioral tests and ethological characterization. We observed generalized stronger intra-test but weaker inter-test correlations. However, feature clustering of behavioral measures successfully delineated variables linked to resilience and susceptibility to stress. Accordingly, a noteworthy covariation pattern emerged, characterized by increased open field locomotion, reduced time in the elevated plus maze open arms, lower sucrose preference, and increased shuttle box escape failures that consistently differentiated IS from NS. Surprisingly there is little contribution from forced swim. In addition, individual clustering revealed a diversity of behavioral profiles, naturally separating NS and IS, including subpopulations entirely characterized by resilience or susceptibility. In conclusion, our study elucidates intricate relationships among classical depression-related behavioral measures, highlighting multidimensional individual variability. Our work emphasizes the importance of a multivariate framework for behavioral assessment in animal models to understand stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedito Alves de Oliveira-Júnior
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Danilo Benette Marques
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus Teixeira Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tamiris Prizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Pereira Leite
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Naime Ruggiero
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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9
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Gencturk S, Unal G. Rodent tests of depression and anxiety: Construct validity and translational relevance. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:191-224. [PMID: 38413466 PMCID: PMC11039509 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01171-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral testing constitutes the primary method to measure the emotional states of nonhuman animals in preclinical research. Emerging as the characteristic tool of the behaviorist school of psychology, behavioral testing of animals, particularly rodents, is employed to understand the complex cognitive and affective symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders. Following the symptom-based diagnosis model of the DSM, rodent models and tests of depression and anxiety focus on behavioral patterns that resemble the superficial symptoms of these disorders. While these practices provided researchers with a platform to screen novel antidepressant and anxiolytic drug candidates, their construct validity-involving relevant underlying mechanisms-has been questioned. In this review, we present the laboratory procedures used to assess depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in rats and mice. These include constructs that rely on stress-triggered responses, such as behavioral despair, and those that emerge with nonaversive training, such as cognitive bias. We describe the specific behavioral tests that are used to assess these constructs and discuss the criticisms on their theoretical background. We review specific concerns about the construct validity and translational relevance of individual behavioral tests, outline the limitations of the traditional, symptom-based interpretation, and introduce novel, ethologically relevant frameworks that emphasize simple behavioral patterns. Finally, we explore behavioral monitoring and morphological analysis methods that can be integrated into behavioral testing and discuss how they can enhance the construct validity of these tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinem Gencturk
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gunes Unal
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey.
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10
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Lago MW, Marques LS, Jung JTK, Felipeto V, Nogueira CW. A high salt intake in early life affects stress-coping response in males but not in female rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 277:114498. [PMID: 38367943 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114498] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Eating diets high in salt has been associated with alterations in the immune system and the potential development of neuropsychiatric disorders. This area of research shows promise, but there is currently a limited amount of research on this topic. The present study investigated whether a high salt diet (HSD) affects anhedonia and stress-coping response behaviors in young male and female Wistar rats. In this study, male and female Wistar rats were fed an HSD (8 % NaCl w/w) from weaning to post-natal day (PND) 64. From PND 60 to 64, the rats underwent a spontaneous locomotor activity test (SLA), sucrose splash test (SST), sucrose preference test (SPT), and forced swim test (FST), followed by euthanasia at PND 65. Male and female rats consuming the HSD exhibited an increase in water intake compared to the corresponding control diet (CD) groups. Male rats had lower body weight despite having similar food intakes compared to the CD group. Male rats displayed an active stress-coping behavior in the FST, characterized by increased mobility. Additionally, HSD-fed males exhibited a greater preference for sucrose solution in the SPT. However, no effect of diet and sex were detected in the SST and the SLA, and hypothalamic levels of leptin and ghrelin receptors. On the other hand, female rats were less susceptible to the experimental conditions applied in this protocol than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Lago
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity and Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organocalcogens, Center for Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - L S Marques
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity and Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organocalcogens, Center for Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Juliano T K Jung
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity and Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organocalcogens, Center for Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - V Felipeto
- Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity and Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organocalcogens, Center for Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - C W Nogueira
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity and Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organocalcogens, Center for Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
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11
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Ji MT, Pashankar N, Harter AM, Nemesh M, Przybyl KJ, Mulligan MK, Chen H, Redei EE. Limited WKY chromosomal regions confer increases in anxiety and fear memory in a F344 congenic rat strain. Physiol Genomics 2024; 56:327-342. [PMID: 38314698 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00114.2023] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the interaction between genetic differences in stress reactivity/coping and environmental challenges, such as acute stress during adolescence on adult contextual fear memory and anxiety-like behaviors. Fischer 344 (F344) and the inbred F344;WKY-Stresp3/Eer congenic strain (congenic), in which chromosomal regions from the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain were introgressed into the F344 background, were exposed to a modified forced swim test during adolescence, while controls were undisturbed. In adulthood, fear learning and memory, assessed by contextual fear conditioning, were significantly greater in congenic animals compared with F344 animals, and stress during adolescence increased them even further in males of both strains. Anxiety-like behavior, measured by the open field test, was also greater in congenic than F344 animals, and stress during adolescence increased it further in both strains of adult males. Whole genome sequencing of the F344;WKY-Stresp3/Eer strain revealed an enrichment of WKY genotypes in chromosomes 9, 14, and 15. An example of functional WKY sequence variations in the congenic strain, cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1 (Cnrip1) had a Cnrip1 transcript isoform that lacked two exons. Although the original hypothesis that the genetic predisposition to increased anxiety of the WKY donor strain would exaggerate fear memory relative to the background strain was confirmed, the consequences of adolescent stress were strain independent but sex dependent in adulthood. Molecular genomic approaches combined with genetic mapping of WKY sequence variations in chromosomes 9, 14, and 15 could aid in finding quantitative trait genes contributing to the variation in fear memory.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study found that 1) whole genome sequencing of congenic strains should be a criterion for their recognition; 2) sequence variations between Wistar-Kyoto and Fischer 344 strains at regions of chromosomes 9, 14, and 15 contribute to differences in contextual fear memory and anxiety-like behaviors; and 3) stress during adolescence affects these behaviors in males, but not females, and is independent of strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle T Ji
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Neha Pashankar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Aspen M Harter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Mariya Nemesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Katherine J Przybyl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Megan K Mulligan
- Department of Genetics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Eva E Redei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States
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12
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Khan N, Uribe Isaza J, Rouhi N, Jamani NF, Jabeen S, Gill AK, Tsutsui M, Visser F, Sargin D. Behavioral and Neurophysiological Implications of Pathological Human Tau Expression in Serotonin Neurons. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:932-943. [PMID: 38377680 PMCID: PMC10921395 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disorder that results in a severe loss of brain cells and irreversible cognitive decline. Memory problems are the most recognized symptoms of AD. However, approximately 90% of patients diagnosed with AD suffer from behavioral symptoms, including mood changes and social impairment years before cognitive dysfunction. Recent evidence indicates that the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is among the initial regions that show tau pathology, which is a hallmark feature of AD. The DRN harbors serotonin (5-HT) neurons, which are critically involved in mood, social, and cognitive regulation. Serotonergic impairment early in the disease process may contribute to behavioral symptoms in AD. However, the mechanisms underlying vulnerability and contribution of the 5-HT system to AD progression remain unknown. Here, we performed behavioral and electrophysiological characterizations in mice expressing a phosphorylation-prone form of human tau (hTauP301L) in 5-HT neurons. We found that pathological tau expression in 5-HT neurons induces anxiety-like behavior and alterations in stress-coping strategies in female and male mice. Female mice also exhibited social disinhibition and mild cognitive impairment in response to 5-HT neuron-specific hTauP301L expression. Behavioral alterations were accompanied by disrupted 5-HT neuron physiology in female and male hTauP301L expressing mice with exacerbated excitability disruption in females only. These data provide mechanistic insights into the brain systems and symptoms impaired early in AD progression, which is critical for disease intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazmus
S. Khan
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Juan Uribe Isaza
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Nahid Rouhi
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Naila F. Jamani
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Shaista Jabeen
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Amisha K. Gill
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mio Tsutsui
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Frank Visser
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Derya Sargin
- Department
of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of
Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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13
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Medina-Saldivar C, Pardo GVE, Pacheco-Otalora LF. Effect of MCH1, a fatty-acid amide hydrolase inhibitor, on the depressive-like behavior and gene expression of endocannabinoid and dopaminergic-signaling system in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Braz J Med Biol Res 2024; 57:e12857. [PMID: 38381881 PMCID: PMC10880885 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x2024e12857] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
MCH1 is a synthetic macamide that has shown in vitro inhibitory activity on fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), an enzyme responsible for endocannabinoid metabolism. This inhibition can modulate endocannabinoid and dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), potentially having an antidepressant-like effect. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the in vivo administration of MCH1 (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, ip) in 2-month-old BALB/c male mice (n=97) on forced swimming test (FST), light-dark box (LDB), and open field test (OFT) and on early gene expression changes 2 h after drug injection related to the endocannabinoid system (Cnr1 and Faah) and dopaminergic signaling (Drd1 and Drd2) in the NAc core. We found that the 10 mg/kg MCH1 dose reduced the immobility time compared to the vehicle group in the FST with no effect on anxiety-like behaviors measured in the LDB or OFT. However, a 10 mg/kg MCH1 dose increased locomotor activity in the OFT compared to the vehicle. Moreover, RT-qPCR results showed that the 30 mg/kg MCH1 dose increased Faah gene expression by 2.8-fold, and 10 mg/kg MCH1 increased the Cnr1 gene expression by 4.3-fold compared to the vehicle. No changes were observed in the expression of the Drd1 and Drd2 genes in the NAc at either MCH1 dose. These results indicated that MCH1 might have an antidepressant-like effect without an anxiogenic effect and induces significant changes in endocannabinoid-related genes but not in genes of the dopaminergic signaling system in the NAc of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Medina-Saldivar
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Perú
| | - G V E Pardo
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Perú
| | - L F Pacheco-Otalora
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Perú
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14
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Szalanczy AM, Fitzpatrick M, Beeson A, Bui T, Dyson C, Eller S, Landry J, Scott C, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Geurts AM, Weiner JL, Redei EE, Solberg Woods LC. Chronic stress from adolescence to adulthood increases adiposity and anxiety in rats with decreased expression of Krtcap3. Front Genet 2024; 14:1247232. [PMID: 38323241 PMCID: PMC10844407 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1247232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously identified Keratinocyte-associated protein 3, Krtcap3, as a novel adiposity gene, but subsequently found that its impact on adiposity may depend on environmental stress. To more thoroughly understand the connection between Krtcap3, adiposity, and stress, we exposed wild-type (WT) and Krtcap3 knock-out (KO) rats to chronic stress then measured adiposity and behavioral outcomes. We found that KO rats displayed lower basal stress than WT rats under control conditions and exhibited metabolic and behavioral responses to chronic stress exposure. Specifically, stress-exposed KO rats gained more weight, consumed more food when socially isolated, and displayed more anxiety-like behaviors relative to control KO rats. Meanwhile, there were minimal differences between control and stressed WT rats. At study conclusion stress-exposed KO rats had increased corticosterone (CORT) relative to control KO rats with no differences between WT rats. In addition, KO rats, independent of prior stress exposure, had an increased CORT response to removal of their cage-mate (psychosocial stress), which was only seen in WT rats when exposed to chronic stress. Finally, we found differences in expression of the glucocorticoid receptor, Nr3c1, in the pituitary and colon between control and stress-exposed KO rats that were not present in WT rats. These data support that Krtcap3 expression affects stress response, potentially via interactions with Nr3c1, with downstream effects on adiposity and behavior. Future work is necessary to more thoroughly understand the role of Krtcap3 in the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria M. Szalanczy
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Mackenzie Fitzpatrick
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Angela Beeson
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Trangdai Bui
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Christina Dyson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Seth Eller
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Julia Landry
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Christina Scott
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Michael Grzybowski
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Jason Klotz
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Aron M. Geurts
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Jeff L. Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Eva E. Redei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Leah C. Solberg Woods
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
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15
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Wallach J, Cao AB, Calkins MM, Heim AJ, Lanham JK, Bonniwell EM, Hennessey JJ, Bock HA, Anderson EI, Sherwood AM, Morris H, de Klein R, Klein AK, Cuccurazzu B, Gamrat J, Fannana T, Zauhar R, Halberstadt AL, McCorvy JD. Identification of 5-HT 2A receptor signaling pathways associated with psychedelic potential. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8221. [PMID: 38102107 PMCID: PMC10724237 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44016-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonergic psychedelics possess considerable therapeutic potential. Although 5-HT2A receptor activation mediates psychedelic effects, prototypical psychedelics activate both 5-HT2A-Gq/11 and β-arrestin2 transducers, making their respective roles unclear. To elucidate this, we develop a series of 5-HT2A-selective ligands with varying Gq efficacies, including β-arrestin-biased ligands. We show that 5-HT2A-Gq but not 5-HT2A-β-arrestin2 recruitment efficacy predicts psychedelic potential, assessed using head-twitch response (HTR) magnitude in male mice. We further show that disrupting Gq-PLC signaling attenuates the HTR and a threshold level of Gq activation is required to induce psychedelic-like effects, consistent with the fact that certain 5-HT2A partial agonists (e.g., lisuride) are non-psychedelic. Understanding the role of 5-HT2A Gq-efficacy in psychedelic-like psychopharmacology permits rational development of non-psychedelic 5-HT2A agonists. We also demonstrate that β-arrestin-biased 5-HT2A receptor agonists block psychedelic effects and induce receptor downregulation and tachyphylaxis. Overall, 5-HT2A receptor Gq-signaling can be fine-tuned to generate ligands distinct from classical psychedelics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Wallach
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Andrew B Cao
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Maggie M Calkins
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Andrew J Heim
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Chemical Computing Group ULC, 910-1010 Sherbrooke W, Montréal, QC, H3A 2R7, Canada
| | - Janelle K Lanham
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Emma M Bonniwell
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Joseph J Hennessey
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Hailey A Bock
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Emilie I Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | | | - Hamilton Morris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Robbin de Klein
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Adam K Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Bruna Cuccurazzu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - James Gamrat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tilka Fannana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Randy Zauhar
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Artemis Discovery, LLC, Suite 300, 709 N 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19123, USA
| | - Adam L Halberstadt
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Center for Psychedelic Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - John D McCorvy
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
- Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
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16
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Gundacker A, Glat M, Wais J, Stoehrmann P, Pollak A, Pollak DD. Early-life iron deficiency persistently disrupts affective behaviour in mice. Ann Med 2023; 55:1265-1277. [PMID: 37096819 PMCID: PMC10132221 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2191003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutrient deficiency, affecting two billion people worldwide, including about 30% of pregnant women. During gestation, the brain is particularly vulnerable to environmental insults, which can irrevocably impair critical developmental processes. Consequently, detrimental consequences of early-life ID for offspring brain structure and function have been described. Although early life ID has been associated with an increased long-term risk for several neuropsychiatric disorders, the effect on depressive disorders has remained unresolved. MATERIALS AND METHODS A mouse model of moderate foetal and neonatal ID was established by keeping pregnant dams on an iron-deficient diet throughout gestation until postnatal day 10. The ensuing significant decrease of iron content in the offspring brain, as well as the impact on maternal behaviour and offspring vocalization was determined in the first postnatal week. The consequences of early-life ID for depression- and anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood were revealed employing dedicated behavioural assays. miRNA sequencing of hippocampal tissue of offspring revealed specific miRNAs signatures accompanying the behavioural deficits of foetal and neonatal ID in the adult brain. RESULTS Mothers receiving iron-deficient food during pregnancy and lactation exhibited significantly less licking and grooming behaviour, while active pup retrieval and pup ultrasonic vocalizations were unaltered. Adult offspring with a history of foetal and neonatal ID showed an increase in depression- and anxiety-like behaviour, paralleled by a deranged miRNA expression profile in the hippocampus, specifically levels of miR200a and miR200b. CONCLUSION ID during the foetal and neonatal periods has life-long consequences for affective behaviour in mice and leaves a specific and persistent mark on the expression of miRNAs in the brain. Foetal and neonatal ID needs to be further considered as risk factor for the development of depression and anxiety disorders later in life.Key MessagesMarginal reduction of gestational alimentary iron intake decreases brain iron content of the juvenile offspring.Early-life ID is associated with increased depression- and anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood.Reduction of maternal alimentary iron intake during pregnancy is reflected in an alteration of miRNA signatures in the adult offspring brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Micaela Glat
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Wais
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Stoehrmann
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arnold Pollak
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D. Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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17
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Aliphon B, Dai T, Moretti J, Penrose-Menz M, Mulders WHAM, Blache D, Rodger J. A repeated measures cognitive affective bias test in rats: comparison with forced swim test. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2257-2270. [PMID: 36450831 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06281-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is an urgent need to identify behaviours in animals that can provide insight into the aetiology and potential treatment of depression in humans. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to validate a repeated measures cognitive affective bias (CAB) test in a rat model of chronic stress and compare CAB with forced swim test (FST) measures. METHODS Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were trained to associate large and small rewards with scent, spatial, and tactile cues, and their response to an ambiguous tactile stimulus tested. Rats underwent weekly CAB testing for 4 weeks with no intervention, or for 2 weeks of chronic restraint stress (CRS), followed by 2 weeks of fluoxetine, vehicle, or no treatment. CRS rats also underwent the FST at selected timepoints. RESULTS In control rats, CAB was positive and remained stable over the 4-week period. In CRS-fluoxetine and CRS-vehicle groups, CAB was initially positive, became negative during chronic restraint stress, and returned to positive by 2 weeks after treatment. However, in the CRS-no treatment group, CAB was variable at the outset and unstable over time. Behaviour in the FST was not affected by treatment, and there was no correlation between CAB and FST outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Instability in the CRS-no treatment group precluded interpretation of the impact of fluoxetine on CAB post-CRS. Our results suggest that behaviour in the FST does not reflect or alter affective state and support the use of CAB tests as part of the behavioural testing repertoire for preclinical animal models of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Aliphon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Twain Dai
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Jessica Moretti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Marissa Penrose-Menz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Wilhelmina H A M Mulders
- School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Dominique Blache
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.
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18
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Hinks M, Martin YH, Burke FF, Bambico FR, Swift-Gallant A. Cross-sex cecal microbiota transfer alters depressive-like behaviours in mice. Behav Processes 2023; 213:104960. [PMID: 37884083 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104960] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of non-fatal global disease burden, with females being two-fold more likely than males to be diagnosed with the disorder. Despite this sex-linked disparity of diagnosis, it is unclear what underlies the sex bias in MDD. Recent findings suggest a role for the gut in mediating affective disorders through the gut-brain-axis (GBA). However, few studies have included sex as a biological variable. For this study, cross-sex transfer of cecal microbiota was performed between male and female C57Bl/6 mice to elucidate the effects of sex and the gut microbiome on a standard battery of tests measuring depressive-like behaviours. Specifically, regardless of sex, recipients of male cecal content had a greater sucrose preference than controls and recipients of female cecum, although recipients of male cecal transfer also showed a trend towards increased passive coping on the force swim test. Conversely, in the splash test, recipients of female cecum displayed a decrease in grooming behaviour compared to both controls and recipients of male cecum, suggestive of an increase in depressive-like behaviour. These results support a role for female-specific gut microbes in contributing to female vulnerability to depression, particularly on self-care measures, while male-specific gut microbes may protect in part against an anhedonia-like phenotype, but increase passive coping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan Hinks
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Yellow H Martin
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Francine F Burke
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Francis R Bambico
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada.
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Becker L, Mallien AS, Pfeiffer N, Brandwein C, Talbot SR, Bleich A, Palme R, Potschka H, Gass P. Evidence-based severity assessment of the forced swim test in the rat. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292816. [PMID: 37824495 PMCID: PMC10569541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The forced swim test (FST) is a traditional assay, which has been used for more than 40 years to assess antidepressant effects of novel drug candidates. In recent years, a debate about the test has focused on the assumption that the FST is highly aversive and burdening for the animals because of the earlier anthropomorphic interpretation and designation as a "behavioral despair test". The Directive 2010/63/EU and the German Animal Welfare law require a prospective severity classification of the planned experimental procedures. Still, an objective examination of the animals' burden in this test has not been performed yet. To fill this gap, we conducted an evidence-based severity assessment of the forced swim test in rats according to a 'standard protocol' with a water temperature of 25°C. We examined parameters representing the physiological and the affective state, and natural as well as locomotion-associated behaviors in three separate experiments to reflect as many dimensions as possible of the animal's condition in the test. Hypothermia was the only effect observed in all animals exposed to the FST when using this standard protocol. Additional adverse effects on body weight, food consumption, and fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations occurred in response to administration of the antidepressant imipramine, which is frequently used as positive control when testing for antidepressant effects of new substances. We conclude that this version of the FST itself is less severe for the animals than assumed, and we suggest a severity classification of 'moderate' because of the acute and short-lasting effects of hypothermia. To refine the FST according to the 3Rs, we encourage confirming the predictive validity in warmer water temperatures to allow the rats to maintain physiological body temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anne S. Mallien
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Natascha Pfeiffer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Steven R. Talbot
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Hannover Medical School, Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heidrun Potschka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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20
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Brandwein C, Leenaars CHC, Becker L, Pfeiffer N, Iorgu AM, Hahn M, Vairani GA, Lewejohann L, Bleich A, Mallien AS, Gass P. A systematic mapping review of the evolution of the rat Forced Swim Test: Protocols and outcome parameters. Pharmacol Res 2023; 196:106917. [PMID: 37690532 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
As depression is projected to become the leading mental disease burden globally by 2030, understanding the underlying pathology, as well as screening potential anti-depressants with a higher efficacy, faster onset of action, and/or fewer side-effects is essential. A commonly used test for screening novel antidepressants and studying depression-linked aspects in rodents is the Porsolt Forced Swim Test. The present systematic mappping review gives a comprehensive overview of the evolution and of the most prevalently used set-ups of this test in rats, including the choice of animals (strain, sex, and age), technical aspects of protocol and environment, as well as reported outcome measures. Additionally, we provide an accessible list of all existing publications, to support informed decision-making for procedural and technical aspects of the test, to thereby enhance reproducibility and comparability. This should further contribute to reducing the number of unnecessarily replicated experiments, and consequently, reduce the number of animals used in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Brandwein
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Cathalijn H C Leenaars
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Laura Becker
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natascha Pfeiffer
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ana-Maria Iorgu
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melissa Hahn
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gaia A Vairani
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Max‑Dohrn‑Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany; Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Institute of Animal Welfare, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anne S Mallien
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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21
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González-Arias C, Sánchez-Ruiz A, Esparza J, Sánchez-Puelles C, Arancibia L, Ramírez-Franco J, Gobbo D, Kirchhoff F, Perea G. Dysfunctional serotonergic neuron-astrocyte signaling in depressive-like states. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3856-3873. [PMID: 37773446 PMCID: PMC10730416 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02269-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes play crucial roles in brain homeostasis and are regulatory elements of neuronal and synaptic physiology. Astrocytic alterations have been found in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients; however, the consequences of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling in MDD are poorly understood. Here, we found that corticosterone-treated juvenile mice (Cort-mice) showed altered astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics in mPFC both in resting conditions and during social interactions, in line with altered mice behavior. Additionally, Cort-mice displayed reduced serotonin (5-HT)-mediated Ca2+ signaling in mPFC astrocytes, and aberrant 5-HT-driven synaptic plasticity in layer 2/3 mPFC neurons. Downregulation of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling in naïve animals mimicked the synaptic deficits found in Cort-mice. Remarkably, boosting astrocyte Ca2+ signaling with Gq-DREADDS restored to the control levels mood and cognitive abilities in Cort-mice. This study highlights the important role of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling for homeostatic control of brain circuits and behavior, but also reveals its potential therapeutic value for depressive-like states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela González-Arias
- Cajal Institute, CSIC, 28002, Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University-Cajal Institute, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Andrea Sánchez-Ruiz
- Cajal Institute, CSIC, 28002, Madrid, Spain
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University-Cajal Institute, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Jorge Ramírez-Franco
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) & CNRS, UMR7289, 13005, Marseille, France
| | - Davide Gobbo
- Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Saarland, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Saarland, 66421, Homburg, Germany
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Hayer SS, Hwang S, Clayton JB. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes in rodents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1237177. [PMID: 37719161 PMCID: PMC10504664 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1237177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
There are previous epidemiological studies reporting associations between antibiotic use and psychiatric symptoms. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis and alteration of microbiota-gut-brain axis communication has been proposed to play a role in this association. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we reviewed published articles that have presented results on changes in cognition, emotion, and behavior in rodents (rats and mice) after antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. We searched three databases-PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS to identify such articles using dedicated search strings and extracted data from 48 articles. Increase in anxiety and depression-like behavior was reported in 32.7 and 40.7 percent of the study-populations, respectively. Decrease in sociability, social novelty preference, recognition memory and spatial cognition was found in 18.1, 35.3, 26.1, and 62.5 percent of the study-populations, respectively. Only one bacterial taxon (increase in gut Proteobacteria) showed statistically significant association with behavioral changes (increase in anxiety). There were no consistent findings with statistical significance for the potential biomarkers [Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus, serum corticosterone and circulating IL-6 and IL-1β levels]. Results of the meta-analysis revealed a significant association between symptoms of negative valence system (including anxiety and depression) and cognitive system (decreased spatial cognition) with antibiotic intake (p < 0.05). However, between-study heterogeneity and publication bias were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Risk of bias was evaluated to be high in the majority of the studies. We identified and discussed several reasons that could contribute to the heterogeneity between the results of the studies examined. The results of the meta-analysis provide promising evidence that there is indeed an association between antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis and psychopathologies. However, inconsistencies in the implemented methodologies make generalizing these results difficult. Gut microbiota depletion using antibiotics may be a useful strategy to evaluate if and how gut microbes influence cognition, emotion, and behavior, but the heterogeneity in methodologies used precludes any definitive interpretations for a translational impact on clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivdeep S. Hayer
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
- Callitrichid Research Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
- Nebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Soonjo Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jonathan B. Clayton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
- Callitrichid Research Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, United States
- Nebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
- Primate Microbiome Project, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
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23
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Cabrera-Muñoz EA, Ramírez-Rodríguez GB, Díaz-Yañez L, Reyes-Galindo V, Meneses-San Juan D, Vega-Rivera NM. Melatonin Prevents Depression but Not Anxiety-like Behavior Produced by the Chemotherapeutic Agent Temozolomide: Implication of Doublecortin Cells and Hilar Oligodendrocytes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13376. [PMID: 37686181 PMCID: PMC10487426 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland with neuroprotective and neurodevelopmental effects. Also, melatonin acts as an antidepressant by modulating the generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The positive effects of melatonin on behavior and neural development may suggest it is used for reverting stress but also for the alterations produced by chemotherapeutic drugs influencing behavior and brain plasticity. In this sense, temozolomide, an alkylating/anti-proliferating agent used in treating brain cancer, is associated with decreased cognitive functions and depression. We hypothesized that melatonin might prevent the effects of temozolomide on depression- and anxiety-like behavior by modulating some aspects of the neurogenic process in adult Balb/C mice. Mice were treated with temozolomide (25 mg/kg) for three days of two weeks, followed by melatonin (8 mg/kg) for fourteen days. Temozolomide produced short- and long-term decrements in cell proliferation (Ki67-positive cells: 54.89% and 53.38%, respectively) and intermediate stages of the neurogenic process (doublecortin-positive cells: 68.23% and 50.08%, respectively). However, melatonin prevented the long-term effects of temozolomide with the increased number of doublecortin-positive cells (47.21%) and the immunoreactivity of 2' 3'-Cyclic-nucleotide-3 phosphodiesterase (CNPase: 82.66%), an enzyme expressed by mature oligodendrocytes, in the hilar portion of the dentate gyrus. The effects of melatonin in the temozolomide group occurred with decreased immobility in the forced swim test (45.55%) but not anxiety-like behavior. Thus, our results suggest that melatonin prevents the harmful effects of temozolomide by modulating doublecortin cells, hilar oligodendrocytes, and depression-like behavior tested in the forced swim test. Our study could point out melatonin's beneficial effects for counteracting temozolomide's side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Araceli Cabrera-Muñoz
- Laboratorio de Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico (D.M.-S.J.)
| | - Gerardo Bernabé Ramírez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico (D.M.-S.J.)
| | - Lizeth Díaz-Yañez
- Laboratorio de Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico (D.M.-S.J.)
| | - Verónica Reyes-Galindo
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior sin Número, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - David Meneses-San Juan
- Laboratorio de Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico (D.M.-S.J.)
| | - Nelly Maritza Vega-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Neurpsicofarmacología, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz”, Calzada Mexico-Xochimilco 101, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico;
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24
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Bosque M, Margalef R, Llaveria A, Santafe MM. Stress increases the spontaneous release of ACh and may be involved in the generation and maintenance of myofascial trigger points in mouse. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114572. [PMID: 37421986 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114572] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
An increase in spontaneous neurotransmission may be related to myofascial pain. Sympathetic neurons innervate most of the neuromuscular junction sand are involved in the modulation of synaptic transmission. Therefore, a direct action of stress on acetylcholine release is expected. For this reason, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between stress and spontaneous neurotransmission. Five acute stressors (immobilization, forced swimming, food and water deprivation, social isolation and ultrasound) were tested in 6 weeks adult Swiss male mice. Subsequently, these types of stress were combined to generate a model of chronic stress. The study of ACh release was evaluated before and after the application of stress by intracellular recording of spontaneous neurotransmission (mEPPs). In each one of the stressors, an increase in the frequency of mEPPs was obtained immediately after treatment, which remained elevated for 5 days and thereafter returned to control values after a week. With chronic stress, a much higher increase in the frequency of mEPPs was obtained and it was maintained for 15 days. In summary, stress, both in its acute and chronic forms, increased spontaneous neurotransmission significantly. There is a possibility that chronic stress is related with the genesis or maintenance of myofascial pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Bosque
- Unit of Histology and Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Carrer St. Llorenc, No. 21, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Ramón Margalef
- Unit of Histology and Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Carrer St. Llorenc, No. 21, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Albert Llaveria
- Unit of Histology and Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Carrer St. Llorenc, No. 21, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Manel M Santafe
- Unit of Histology and Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University, Carrer St. Llorenc, No. 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
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25
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Vlasov I, Filatova E, Slominsky P, Shadrina M. Differential expression of Dusp1 and immediate early response genes in the hippocampus of rats, subjected to forced swim test. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9985. [PMID: 37340011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36611-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The forced swim test (FST) is widely used to screen for potential antidepressant drugs and treatments. Despite this, the nature of stillness during FST and whether it resembles "depressive-like behavior" are widely debated issues. Furthermore, despite being widely used as a behavioral assay, the effects of the FST on the brain transcriptome are rarely investigated. Therefore, in this study we have investigated changes in the transcriptome of the rat hippocampus 20 min and 24 h after FST exposure. RNA-Seq is performed on the hippocampus tissues of rats 20 min and 24 h after an FST. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using limma and used to construct gene interaction networks. Fourteen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified only in the 20-m group. No DEGs were identified 24 h after the FST. These genes were used for Gene Ontology term enrichment and gene-network construction. Based on the constructed gene-interaction networks, we identified a group of DEGs (Dusp1, Fos, Klf2, Ccn1, and Zfp36) that appeared significant based on multiple methods of downstream analysis. Dusp1 appears especially important, as its role in the pathogenesis of depression has been demonstrated both in various animal models of depression and in patients with depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Vlasov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre, Kurchatov Institute, .
| | - Elena Filatova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre, Kurchatov Institute
| | - Petr Slominsky
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre, Kurchatov Institute
| | - Maria Shadrina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre, Kurchatov Institute
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26
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Akmese C, Sevinc C, Halim S, Unal G. Differential role of GABAergic and cholinergic ventral pallidal neurons in behavioral despair, conditioned fear memory and active coping. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110760. [PMID: 37031946 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP), a major component of the reward circuit, is well-associated with appetitive behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that this basal forebrain nucleus may have an overarching role in affective processing, including behavioral responses to aversive stimuli. We investigated this by utilizing selective immunotoxin lesions and a series of behavioral tests in adult male Wistar rats. We made bilateral GAT1-Saporin, 192-IgG-Saporin or PBS (vehicle) injections into the VP to respectively eliminate GABAergic and cholinergic neurons, and tested the animals in the forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), Morris water maze (MWM) and cued fear conditioning. Both GAT1-Saporin and 192-IgG-Saporin injections reduced behavioral despair without altering general locomotor activity. During the acquisition phase of cued fear conditioning, this antidepressant effect was accompanied by reduced freezing and increased darting in the 192-IgG-Saporin group, and increased jumping in the GAT1-Saporin group. In the extinction phase, cholinergic lesions impaired fear memory irrespective of the context, while GABAergic lesions reduced memory durability only during the early phases of extinction in a novel context. In line with this, selective cholinergic, but not GABAergic, lesions impaired spatial memory in the MWM. We observed no consistent effect in anxiety-like behavior assessed in the OFT and EPM. These findings indicate that both the GABAergic and cholinergic neuronal groups of the VP may contribute to emotion regulation through modulation of behavioral despair and acquired fear by suppressing active coping and promoting species-specific passive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cemal Akmese
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cem Sevinc
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sahar Halim
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gunes Unal
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.
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27
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Origins and consequences of mood flexibility: a computational perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105084. [PMID: 36764635 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
A stable and neutral mood (euthymia) is commended by both economic and clinical perspectives, because it enables rational decisions and avoids mental illnesses. Here we suggest, on the contrary, that a flexible mood responsive to life events may be more adaptive for natural selection, because it can help adjust the behavior to fluctuations in the environment. In our model (dubbed MAGNETO), mood represents a global expected value that biases decisions to forage for a particular reward. When flexible, mood is updated every time an action is taken, by aggregating incurred costs and obtained rewards. Model simulations show that, across a large range of parameters, flexible agents outperform cold agents (with stable neutral mood), particularly when rewards and costs are correlated in time, as naturally occurring across seasons. However, with more extreme parameters, simulations generate short manic episodes marked by incessant foraging and lasting depressive episodes marked by persistent inaction. The MAGNETO model therefore accounts for both the function of mood fluctuations and the emergence of mood disorders.
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28
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Nass SR, Hahn YK, Ohene-Nyako M, McLane VD, Damaj MI, Thacker LR, Knapp PE, Hauser KF. Depressive-like Behavior Is Accompanied by Prefrontal Cortical Innate Immune Fatigue and Dendritic Spine Losses after HIV-1 Tat and Morphine Exposure. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030590. [PMID: 36992299 PMCID: PMC10052300 DOI: 10.3390/v15030590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV are comorbid epidemics that can increase depression. HIV and the viral protein Tat can directly induce neuronal injury within reward and emotionality brain circuitry, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Such damage involves both excitotoxic mechanisms and more indirect pathways through neuroinflammation, both of which can be worsened by opioid co-exposure. To assess whether excitotoxicity and/or neuroinflammation might drive depressive behaviors in persons infected with HIV (PWH) and those who use opioids, male mice were exposed to HIV-1 Tat for eight weeks, given escalating doses of morphine during the last two weeks, and assessed for depressive-like behavior. Tat expression decreased sucrose consumption and adaptability, whereas morphine administration increased chow consumption and exacerbated Tat-induced decreases in nesting and burrowing—activities associated with well-being. Across all treatment groups, depressive-like behavior correlated with increased proinflammatory cytokines in the PFC. Nevertheless, supporting the theory that innate immune responses adapt to chronic Tat exposure, most proinflammatory cytokines were unaffected by Tat or morphine. Further, Tat increased PFC levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, which were exacerbated by morphine administration. Tat, but not morphine, decreased dendritic spine density on layer V pyramidal neurons in the anterior cingulate. Together, our findings suggest that HIV-1 Tat and morphine differentially induce depressive-like behaviors associated with increased neuroinflammation, synaptic losses, and immune fatigue within the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R. Nass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
| | - Yun K. Hahn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA
| | - Michael Ohene-Nyako
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
| | - Virginia D. McLane
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
| | - M. Imad Damaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
| | - Leroy R. Thacker
- Department of Biostatistics, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - Pamela E. Knapp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0059, USA
| | - Kurt F. Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0059, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-804-628-7579; Fax: +1-804-828-0676
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Leyder E, Suresh P, Jun R, Overbey K, Banerjee T, Melnikova T, Savonenko A. Depression-related phenotypes at early stages of Aβ and tau accumulation in inducible Alzheimer's disease mouse model: Task-oriented and concept-driven interpretations. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114187. [PMID: 36343696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Depression is highly prevalent in Alzheimer Disease (AD); however, there is paucity of studies that focus specifically on the assessment of depression-relevant phenotypes in AD mouse models. Conditional doxycycline-dependent transgenic mouse models reproducing amyloidosis (TetOffAPPsi) and/or tau (TetOffTauP301L) pathology starting at middle age (6 months) were used in this study. As AD patients can experience depressive symptoms relatively early in disease, testing was conducted at early, pre-pathology stages of Aβ and/or tau accumulation (starting from 45 days of transgenes expression). Tau-related differences were detected in the Novelty Suppressed Feeding task (NSF), whereas APP-related differences were observed predominantly in measures of the Open Field (OF) and Forced Swim tasks (FST). Effects of combined production of Aβ and tau were detected in immobility during the 1st half of the Tail Suspension task (TST). These data demonstrate that results from different tasks are difficult to reconcile using task/variable-centered interpretations in which a single task/variable is assigned an ad-hoc meaning relevant to depression. An alternative, concept-oriented, approach is based on multiple variables/tests, with an understanding of their possible inter-dependence and utilization of statistical approaches that handle correlated data sets. The existence of strong correlations within and between some of the tasks supported utilization of factor analyses (FA). FA explained a similar amount of variability across the genotypes (∼80%) and identified two factors stable across genotypes and representing motor activity and anxiety measures in OF. In contrast, variables related to FST, TST, and NSFT did not demonstrate a structure of factor loadings that would support the existence of a single integral factor of "depressive state" measured by these tasks. In addition, factor loadings varied between genotypes, indicating that genotype-specific between-task correlations need to be considered for interpretations of findings in any single task. In general, this study demonstrates that utilization of multiple tasks to characterize behavioral phenotypes, an approach that is finally gaining more widespread adoption, requires a step of data integration across different behavioral tests for appropriate interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Leyder
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Prakul Suresh
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Rachel Jun
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Katherine Overbey
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tirtho Banerjee
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tatiana Melnikova
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Alena Savonenko
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 558 Ross Research Building, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Shigetomi E, Koizumi S. The role of astrocytes in behaviors related to emotion and motivation. Neurosci Res 2023; 187:21-39. [PMID: 36181908 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.09.015] [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: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are present throughout the brain and intimately interact with neurons and blood vessels. Three decades of research have shown that astrocytes reciprocally communicate with neurons and other non-neuronal cells in the brain and dynamically regulate cell function. Astrocytes express numerous receptors for neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and cytokines and receive information from neurons, other astrocytes, and other non-neuronal cells. Among those receptors, the main focus has been G-protein coupled receptors. Activation of G-protein coupled receptors leads to dramatic changes in intracellular signaling (Ca2+ and cAMP), which is considered a form of astrocyte activity. Methodological improvements in measurement and manipulation of astrocytes have advanced our understanding of the role of astrocytes in circuits and have begun to reveal unexpected functions of astrocytes in behavior. Recent studies have suggested that astrocytic activity regulates behavior flexibility, such as coping strategies for stress exposure, and plays an important role in behaviors related to emotion and motivation. Preclinical evidence suggests that impairment of astrocytic function contributes to psychiatric diseases, especially major depression. Here, we review recent progress on the role of astrocytes in behaviors related to emotion and motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Shigetomi
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan; Yamanashi GLIA Center, Graduate School of Medical Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan.
| | - Schuichi Koizumi
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan; Yamanashi GLIA Center, Graduate School of Medical Science, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan.
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31
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Shirenova SD, Khlebnikova NN, Narkevich VB, Kudrin VS, Krupina NA. Nine-month-long Social Isolation Changes the Levels of Monoamines in the Brain Structures of Rats: A Comparative Study of Neurochemistry and Behavior. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:1755-1774. [PMID: 36680692 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03858-3] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation (SI) is chronic psycho-emotional stress for humans and other socially living species. There are few comparative studies that have measured monoamine levels in brain structures in male and female rats subjected to SI. Existing data is highly controversial. In our recent study, we investigated behavioral effects of SI prolonged up to 9 months on a rather large sample of 69 male and female Wistar rats. In the present study, we measured the levels of monoamines-norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and DA and 5-HT metabolites-in the brain structures of 40 rats from the same sample. The single-housed rats of both sexes showed hyperactivity and reduced reactivity to novelty in the Open Field test, and impaired passive avoidance learning. Regardless of their sex, by the time of sacrifice, the single-housed rats weighed less and had lower pain sensitivity and decreased anxiety compared with group-housed animals. SI decreased NE levels in the hippocampus and increased them in the striatum. SI induced functional activation of the DA-ergic system in the frontal cortex and hypothalamus, with increased DA and 3-methoxytyramine levels. SI-related changes were found in the 5-HT-ergic system: 5-HT levels increased in the frontal cortex and striatum, while 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid only increased in the frontal cortex. We believe that SI prolonged for multiple months could be a valuable model for comparative analysis of the behavioral alterations and the underlying molecular processes in dynamics of adaptation to chronic psychosocial stress in male and female rats in relation to age-dependent changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie D Shirenova
- Laboratory of General Pathology of the Nervous System, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nadezhda N Khlebnikova
- Laboratory of General Pathology of the Nervous System, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Viktor B Narkevich
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Pharmacology, V. V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology, 8 Baltiyskaya St, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir S Kudrin
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Pharmacology, V. V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology, 8 Baltiyskaya St, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nataliya A Krupina
- Laboratory of General Pathology of the Nervous System, Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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Tian Y, Li M, Zhang S, Hu J, Wu H, Wan M, Xue J, Wang L, Xiao H, Zhou G, Wang K, Liu Q. Microglia activation in the hippocampus mediates retinal degeneration-induced depressive-like behaviors via the NLRP3/IL-1β pathway. Brain Res Bull 2023; 192:70-79. [PMID: 36332880 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.10.021] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown that patients with glaucoma are more prone to depression, but the mechanism of comorbid depression in patients with glaucoma remains unknown. Excessive neuroinflammation has been shown to participate in glaucoma-induced retinal degeneration and hippocampal neural apoptosis in depression. However, little research has been conducted to determine whether neuroinflammation contributes to glaucoma-induced depression. Since the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells is a hallmark of glaucoma, we investigated the role of microglia-induced neuroinflammation in retinal degeneration-induced depression and its potential mechanism. An N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinal degeneration model was established, and behavioral tests were conducted at 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after retinal degeneration. After tissue collection, we used immunohistochemistry to assess the activation of microglia and real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin-domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The mice exhibited depressive-like behaviors 14 and 21 days after retinal degeneration, based on the open field test, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test. Mice also displayed a lower body weight gain than the control group. In addition, microglial activation was observed in the hippocampus. Microglial proliferation was first observed in the dentate gyrus on day 3, while the number of microglia in cornu ammonis 1 grew the most. Moreover, not only was the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, interleukin-18, and interleukin-6 promoted, but the messenger ribonucleic acid levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome were also increased. In conclusion, our research shows that NMDA-induced retinal degeneration can induce depressive-like behaviors, which may be attributed to hippocampal neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Tian
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Meihui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Juntao Hu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Haoran Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Mitchell Wan
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jingxin Xue
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Leilei Wang
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Honglei Xiao
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guomin Zhou
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention of Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
| | - Kaidi Wang
- Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Qiong Liu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention of Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
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Redei EE, Udell ME, Solberg Woods LC, Chen H. The Wistar Kyoto Rat: A Model of Depression Traits. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1884-1905. [PMID: 36453495 PMCID: PMC10514523 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666221129120902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about the value of animal research in psychiatry with valid lines of reasoning stating the limits of individual animal models compared to human psychiatric illnesses. Human depression is not a homogenous disorder; therefore, one cannot expect a single animal model to reflect depression heterogeneity. This limited review presents arguments that the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats show intrinsic depression traits. The phenotypes of WKY do not completely mirror those of human depression but clearly indicate characteristics that are common with it. WKYs present despair- like behavior, passive coping with stress, comorbid anxiety, and enhanced drug use compared to other routinely used inbred or outbred strains of rats. The commonly used tests identifying these phenotypes reflect exploratory, escape-oriented, and withdrawal-like behaviors. The WKYs consistently choose withdrawal or avoidance in novel environments and freezing behaviors in response to a challenge in these tests. The physiological response to a stressful environment is exaggerated in WKYs. Selective breeding generated two WKY substrains that are nearly isogenic but show clear behavioral differences, including that of depression-like behavior. WKY and its substrains may share characteristics of subgroups of depressed individuals with social withdrawal, low energy, weight loss, sleep disturbances, and specific cognitive dysfunction. The genomes of the WKY and WKY substrains contain variations that impact the function of many genes identified in recent human genetic studies of depression. Thus, these strains of rats share characteristics of human depression at both phenotypic and genetic levels, making them a model of depression traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva E. Redei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mallory E. Udell
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Leah C. Solberg Woods
- Section on Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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Moreira LKS, Moreira CVL, Custódio CHX, Dias MLP, Rosa DA, Ferreira-Neto ML, Colombari E, Costa EA, Fajemiroye JO, Pedrino GR. Post-partum depression: From clinical understanding to preclinical assessments. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1173635. [PMID: 37143780 PMCID: PMC10151489 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1173635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-partum depression (PPD) with varying clinical manifestations affecting new parents remains underdiagnosed and poorly treated. This minireview revisits the pharmacotherapy, and relevant etiological basis, capable of advancing preclinical research frameworks. Maternal tasks accompanied by numerous behavioral readouts demand modeling different paradigms that reflect the complex and heterogenous nature of PPD. Hence, effective PPD-like characterization in animals towards the discovery of pharmacological intervention demands research that deepens our understanding of the roles of hormonal and non-hormonal components and mediators of this psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Matheus L. P. Dias
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania, GO, Brazil
| | - Daniel A. Rosa
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania, GO, Brazil
| | - Marcos L. Ferreira-Neto
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Colombari
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, School of Dentistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Elson A. Costa
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania, GO, Brazil
| | - James O. Fajemiroye
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania, GO, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Arthur Wesley Archibald, Evangelical University of Goiás, Anápolis, Brazil
- *Correspondence: James O. Fajemiroye,
| | - Gustavo R. Pedrino
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiania, GO, Brazil
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Khantakova JN, Bondar NP, Antontseva EV, Reshetnikov VV. Once induced, it lasts for a long time: the structural and molecular signatures associated with depressive-like behavior after neonatal immune activation. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1066794. [PMID: 36619667 PMCID: PMC9812963 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1066794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse factors such as stress or inflammation in the neonatal period can affect the development of certain brain structures and have negative delayed effects throughout the lifespan of an individual, by reducing cognitive abilities and increasing the risk of psychopathologies. One possible reason for these delayed effects is the neuroinflammation caused by neonatal immune activation (NIA). Neuroinflammation can lead to disturbances of neurotransmission and to reprogramming of astroglial and microglial brain cells; when combined, the two problems can cause changes in the cytoarchitecture of individual regions of the brain. In addition, neuroinflammation may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and processes of oxidative stress, thereby resulting in higher stress reactivity. In our review, we tried to answer the questions of whether depressive-like behavior develops after NIA in rodents and what the molecular mechanisms associated with these disorders are. Most studies indicate that NIA does not induce depressive-like behavior in a steady state. Nonetheless, adult males (but not females or adolescents of both sexes) with experience of NIA exhibit marked depressive-like behavior when exposed to aversive conditions. Analyses of molecular changes have shown that NIA leads to an increase in the amount of activated microglia and astroglia in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, an increase in oxidative-stress parameters, a change in stress reactivity of the HPA axis, and an imbalance of cytokines in various regions of the brain, but not in blood plasma, thus confirming the local nature of the inflammation. Therefore, NIA causes depressive-like behavior in adult males under aversive testing conditions, which are accompanied by local inflammation and have sex- and age-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia N. Khantakova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia,Federal Government-Funded Scientific Institution Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (RIFCI), Novosibirsk, Russia,*Correspondence: Julia N. Khantakova
| | - Natalia P. Bondar
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena V. Antontseva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vasiliy V. Reshetnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia,Department of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
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Pędzich BD, Medrano M, Buckinx A, Smolders I, De Bundel D. Psychedelic-Induced Serotonin 2A Receptor Downregulation Does Not Predict Swim Stress Coping in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315284. [PMID: 36499610 PMCID: PMC9736085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotoninergic psychedelics such as psilocybin have been reported to elicit a long-lasting reduction in depressive symptoms. Although the main target for serotoninergic psychedelics, serotonin type 2A receptor (5-HT2A), has been established, the possible mechanism of the antidepressant action of psychedelics remains unknown. Using the mouse forced swim test model, we examined whether the administration of the synthetic serotoninergic psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) would modulate 5-HT2A receptor levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and revert stress-induced changes in behavior. Mice subjected to swim stress developed a passive stress-coping strategy when tested in the forced swim test 6 days later. This change in behavior was not associated with the hypothesized increase in 5-HT2A receptor-dependent head twitch behaviors or consistent changes in 5-HT2A receptor levels in the mPFC. When DOI was administered 1 day before the forced swim test, a low dose (0.2 mg/kg i.p.) unexpectedly increased immobility while a high dose (2 mg/kg i.p.) had no significant effect on immobility. Nevertheless, DOI evoked a dose-dependent decrease in 5-HT2A levels in the mPFC of mice previously exposed to swim stress. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that the downregulation of 5-HT2A receptors in the mPFC contributes to the antidepressant-like properties of serotoninergic psychedelics.
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Acute gut inflammation reduces neural activity and spine maturity in hippocampus but not basolateral amygdala. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20169. [PMID: 36418891 PMCID: PMC9684565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24245-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal tract (gut) inflammation increases stress and threat-coping behaviors, which are associated with altered activity in fear-related neural circuits, such as the basolateral amygdala and hippocampus. It remains to be determined whether inflammation from the gut affects neural activity by altering dendritic spines. We hypothesized that acute inflammation alters dendritic spines in a brain region-specific manner. Here we show that acute gut inflammation (colitis) evoked by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) did not affect the overall spine density in the CA1 region of hippocampus, but increased the relative proportion of immature spines to mature spines on basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons. In contrast, in animals with colitis, no changes in spine density or composition on dendrites of pyramidal cells was observed in the basolateral amygdala. Rather, we observed decreased spine density on dendrites of stellate neurons, but not the relative proportions of mature vs immature spines. We used cFos expression evoked by the forced swim task as a measure of neural activity during stress and found no effect of DSS on the density of cFos immunoreactive neurons in basolateral amygdala. In contrast, fewer CA1 neurons expressed cFos in mice with colitis, relative to controls. Furthermore, CA1 cFos expression negatively correlated with active stress-coping in the swim task and was negatively correlated with gut inflammation. These data reveal that the effects of acute gut inflammation on synaptic remodeling depend on brain region, neuronal phenotype, and dendrite location. In the hippocampus, a shift to immature spines and hypoactivity are more strongly related to colitis-evoked behavioral changes than is remodeling in basolateral amygdala.
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The live biotherapeutic Blautia stercoris MRx0006 attenuates social deficits, repetitive behaviour, and anxiety-like behaviour in a mouse model relevant to autism. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 106:115-126. [PMID: 35995237 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by deficits in social behaviour, increased repetitive behaviour, anxiety and gastrointestinal symptoms. The aetiology of ASD is complex and involves an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Emerging pre-clinical and clinical studies have documented a potential role for the gut microbiome in ASD, and consequently, the microbiota represents a potential target in the development of novel therapeutics for this neurodevelopmental disorder. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of the live biotherapeutic strain, Blautia stercoris MRx0006, in attenuating some of the behavioural deficits in the autism-relevant, genetic mouse model, BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR). We demonstrate that daily oral administration with MRx0006 attenuates social deficits while also decreasing repetitive and anxiety-like behaviour. MRx0006 administration increases the gene expression of oxytocin and its receptor in hypothalamic cells in vitro and increases the expression of hypothalamic arginine vasopressin and oxytocin mRNA in BTBR mice. Additionally at the microbiome level, we observed that MRx0006 administration decreases the abundance of Alistipes putredinis, and modulates the faecal microbial metabolite profile. This alteration in the metabolite profile possibly underlies the observed increase in expression of oxytocin, arginine vasopressin and its receptors, and the consequent improvements in behavioural outcomes. Taken together, these findings suggest that the live biotherapeutic MRx0006 may represent a viable and efficacious treatment option for the management of physiological and behavioural deficits associated with ASD.
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MacLellan A, Nazal B, Young L, Mason G. Waking inactivity as a welfare indicator in laboratory mice: investigating postures, facial expressions and depression-like states. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 36340516 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6251130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Animal welfare assessment relies on valid and practical indicators of affect. In mice, the most widely used research vertebrates, lying still with eyes open, inactive-but-awake (IBA) in the home cage, has potential to be one such indicator. IBA is elevated in barren, conventional housing compared with well-resourced, enriched housing, and predicts immobility in Forced Swim Tests, a common measure of 'helplessness' in depression research. In Experiment 1, using females from three strains (C57BL/6, Balb/c and DBA/2), we first replicated past findings, confirming higher levels of IBA in conventional cages and a positive relationship between IBA and helplessness. We then extended this research to three other signs of depression: changes in weight and sleep, and reduced hippocampal volume. Here, IBA positively covaried with body mass index, with sleep in DBA/2s and conventionally housed BALB/cs, and negatively covaried with hippocampal volume in conventionally housed C57BL/6s. In Experiment 2, we sought to refine the phenotype of IBA to improve its accuracy as a welfare indicator. Here, scoring IBA performed in hunched postures appeared to improve its accuracy as an indicator in Balb/c mice. Additional research is now needed to further refine the phenotype of IBA and to confirm whether it reflects states consistent with depression, or instead other underlying poor welfare conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen MacLellan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Basma Nazal
- Formerly Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Lauren Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Georgia Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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40
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MacLellan A, Nazal B, Young L, Mason G. Waking inactivity as a welfare indicator in laboratory mice: investigating postures, facial expressions and depression-like states. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:221083. [PMID: 36340516 PMCID: PMC9627452 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Animal welfare assessment relies on valid and practical indicators of affect. In mice, the most widely used research vertebrates, lying still with eyes open, inactive-but-awake (IBA) in the home cage, has potential to be one such indicator. IBA is elevated in barren, conventional housing compared with well-resourced, enriched housing, and predicts immobility in Forced Swim Tests, a common measure of 'helplessness' in depression research. In Experiment 1, using females from three strains (C57BL/6, Balb/c and DBA/2), we first replicated past findings, confirming higher levels of IBA in conventional cages and a positive relationship between IBA and helplessness. We then extended this research to three other signs of depression: changes in weight and sleep, and reduced hippocampal volume. Here, IBA positively covaried with body mass index, with sleep in DBA/2s and conventionally housed BALB/cs, and negatively covaried with hippocampal volume in conventionally housed C57BL/6s. In Experiment 2, we sought to refine the phenotype of IBA to improve its accuracy as a welfare indicator. Here, scoring IBA performed in hunched postures appeared to improve its accuracy as an indicator in Balb/c mice. Additional research is now needed to further refine the phenotype of IBA and to confirm whether it reflects states consistent with depression, or instead other underlying poor welfare conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen MacLellan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Basma Nazal
- Formerly Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Lauren Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Georgia Mason
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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Luteolin-7- O-Glucuronide Improves Depression-like and Stress Coping Behaviors in Sleep Deprivation Stress Model by Activation of the BDNF Signaling. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14163314. [PMID: 36014820 PMCID: PMC9412559 DOI: 10.3390/nu14163314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is a major risk factor for mental disorders such as depression. Because of the limitations of classical antidepressants such as side effects, low efficacy, and difficulty in long-term use, new natural medicines and bioactive molecules from plants with greater safety and efficacy have recently attracted attention. Luteolin-7-O-glucuronide (L7Gn), a bioactive molecule present in Perilla frutescens, is known to alleviate severe inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in macrophages. However, its antistress and antidepressant effects have not been elucidated. The present study aims to explore the antidepressant the effect of L7Gn on stress-induced behaviors and the underlying mechanism in a mouse sleep deprivation (SD) model. L7Gn treatment improved depression-like and stress coping behaviors induced by SD stress, as confirmed by the tail suspension test and forced swimming test. Furthermore, L7Gn treatment reduced the blood corticosterone and hippocampal proinflammatory cytokine levels which were increased by SD stress, and L7Gn also increased the mRNA and protein levels of hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which were reduced by SD stress. Additionally, treatment with L7Gn resulted in increases in the phosphorylation of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), which are downstream molecules of BDNF signaling. These findings suggest that L7Gn have therapeutic potential for SD-induced stress, via activating the BDNF signaling.
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Petković A, Chaudhury D. Encore: Behavioural animal models of stress, depression and mood disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:931964. [PMID: 36004305 PMCID: PMC9395206 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.931964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies over the past two decades have led to extensive advances in our understanding of pathogenesis of depressive and mood disorders. Among these, rodent behavioural models proved to be of highest informative value. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the most popular behavioural models with respect to physiological, circuit, and molecular biological correlates. Behavioural stress paradigms and behavioural tests are assessed in terms of outcomes, strengths, weaknesses, and translational value, especially in the domain of pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Laboratory of Neural Systems and Behaviour, Department of Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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43
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The differential effects of brief environmental enrichment following social isolation in rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:818-832. [PMID: 35199313 PMCID: PMC8865499 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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TOB is an effector of the hippocampus-mediated acute stress response. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:302. [PMID: 35906220 PMCID: PMC9338090 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02078-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress affects behavior and involves critical dynamic changes at multiple levels ranging from molecular pathways to neural circuits and behavior. Abnormalities at any of these levels lead to decreased stress resilience and pathological behavior. However, temporal modulation of molecular pathways underlying stress response remains poorly understood. Transducer of ErbB2.1, known as TOB, is involved in different physiological functions, including cellular stress and immediate response to stimulation. In this study, we investigated the role of TOB in psychological stress machinery at molecular, neural circuit, and behavioral levels. Interestingly, TOB protein levels increased after mice were exposed to acute stress. At the neural circuit level, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggested that intra-hippocampal and hippocampal-prefrontal connectivity were dysregulated in Tob knockout (Tob-KO) mice. Electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices showed increased postsynaptic AMPAR-mediated neurotransmission, accompanied by decreased GABA neurotransmission and subsequently altered Excitatory/Inhibitory balance after Tob deletion. At the behavioral level, Tob-KO mice show abnormal, hippocampus-dependent, contextual fear conditioning and extinction, and depression-like behaviors. On the other hand, increased anxiety observed in Tob-KO mice is hippocampus-independent. At the molecular level, we observed changes in factors involved in stress response like decreased stress-induced LCN2 expression and ERK phosphorylation, as well as increased MKP-1 expression. This study introduces TOB as an important modulator in the hippocampal stress signaling machinery. In summary, we reveal a molecular pathway and neural circuit mechanism by which Tob deletion contributes to expression of pathological stress-related behavior.
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Barroca NCB, Della Santa G, Suchecki D, García-Cairasco N, Umeoka EHDL. Challenges in the use of animal models and perspectives for a translational view of stress and psychopathologies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104771. [PMID: 35817171 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiology and development of treatments for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders rely heavily on animal models. However, the complexity of these disorders makes it difficult to model them entirely, so only specific features of human psychopathology are emulated and these models should be used with great caution. Importantly, the effects of stress depend on multiple factors, like duration, context of exposure, and individual variability. Here we present a review on pre-clinical studies of stress-related disorders, especially those developed to model posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and anxiety. Animal models provide relevant evidence of the underpinnings of these disorders, as long as face, construct, and predictive validities are fulfilled. The translational challenges faced by scholars include reductionism and anthropomorphic/anthropocentric interpretation of the results instead of a more naturalistic and evolutionary understanding of animal behavior that must be overcome to offer a meaningful model. Other limitations are low statistical power of analysis, poor evaluation of individual variability, sex differences, and possible conflicting effects of stressors depending on specific windows in the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayara Cobra Barreiro Barroca
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Della Santa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Norberto García-Cairasco
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Department of Physiology, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Henrique de Lima Umeoka
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; School of Medicine, University Center UniCerrado, Goiatuba, GO, Brazil
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Li L, Wang S, Huang L, Zhi M, Cai Q, Fang Z, Yan Z, Xi K, Feng D. The Impacts of Workplace Environment on Coal Miners’ Emotion and Cognition Depicted in a Mouse Model. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:896545. [PMID: 35783230 PMCID: PMC9245518 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.896545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Most coal mine accidents are caused by the unsafe behavior of employees. Previous studies have shown that there is a significant connection among the working environment, the psychological state of employees, and unsafe behaviors. However, the internal biological mechanism has not been revealed. To explore the physiological and psychological alterations of coal mine workers and the underlying mechanisms that cause unsafe behaviors, the current study established a novel coal mine environment biological simulation (CEBS) model in mice. This model recreated the underground workplace environment facts in coal mines such as temperature, humidity, and noise, and mice were employed to receive these conditioning stresses according to the 8-h work. Animal behavior tests were performed to evaluate the evolution of the mental state including anxiety and depression, as well as the abilities of learning and memory during the 4-week environmental simulation. CEBS mice showed the adaptation process of anxiety from occurrence to stability in the process of environmental simulation, and also suffered from severe depression compared to the control mice. In addition, impaired spatial memory was also implicated in mice after 4-week CEBS. The behavior results of CEBS mice were consistent with the previous psychological investigation of coal workers. In summary, a novel mouse model was established in this study to depict the occurrence of negative emotions and impaired cognition in coal miners by simulating the underground workplace environment, which provided a basis for further exploring the biological mechanism of miners’ unsafe behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Lei Li,
| | - Siwei Wang
- College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
| | - Lu Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Mei Zhi
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qing Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zihao Fang
- College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhenguo Yan
- College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
| | - Kaiwen Xi
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Dayun Feng,
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47
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George SD, Archana R, Parasuraman S. Caloric Vestibular Stimulation Induced Enhancement of Behavior and Neurotrophic Factors in Chronic Mild Stress Induced Rats. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:834292. [PMID: 35600855 PMCID: PMC9118215 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.834292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Caloric Vestibular Stimulation (CVS) is a non-invasive technique for stimulating the vestibular system. The vestibular system maintains equilibrium and acts as a moderator of mood, emotional control, and stress levels. Stress is a disruption of psychological, behavioral, and physiological homeostasis that affects people of all ages in today's world. Thus, modest therapeutic procedures like vestibular stimulation can be practiced to effectively reduce stress. Hence, the purpose of the study was to determine the effect of vestibular stimulation on improving behavioral alterations and neurotrophic factors in rats exposed to Chronic Mild Stress (CMS). Methodology: The study employed 24 healthy male Sprague Dawley rats divided into four groups (n = 6). CMS was induced for 28 days with a variety of stimuli. Bilateral CVS with hot water (temperature ≈40°C) was started on Day 14 of CMS and continued for 15 days. On days 1, 15, and 28, locomotor activity (LA), wire grip strength (WGS), fall off time (FT), and immobilization time (IT) were measured, and the data were analyzed statistically. Additionally, neurotrophic factors such as Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Glial cell line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) were observed in rats' hippocampus. Results: On days 15 and 28, the CMS-induced group showed a significant reduction in LA, WGS, FT and IT in comparison to the control group. On day 28, the CVS-induced group demonstrated a significant increase in WGS, FT and IT when compared to the CMS group. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that animals subjected to CMS had decreased BDNF and GDNF expression compared to the control group, indicating neuronal dysfunction in the hippocampus in response to stress. However, therapy with CVS increased BDNF and GDNF expression, thereby regenerating damaged hippocampus nerve terminals. Conclusion: The findings of the current study revealed that CVS is a safe and simple neuroprotective treatment against stress and a promising non-invasive technique for overcoming the motor symptoms associated with it. The findings may pave the way for future research and therapeutic applications of CVS for stress management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherly Deborah George
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Manipal University College Malaysia, Melaka, Malaysia.,Department of Physiology, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Technical and Medical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India.,Unit of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Rajagopalan Archana
- Department of Physiology, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Technical and Medical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
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Juvenile handling rescues autism-related effects of prenatal exposure to valproic acid. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7174. [PMID: 35504947 PMCID: PMC9065111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11269-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors acting on young animals affect neurodevelopmental trajectories and impact adult brain function and behavior. Psychiatric disorders may be caused or worsen by environmental factors, but early interventions can improve performance. Understanding the possible mechanisms acting upon the developing brain could help identify etiological factors of psychiatric disorders and enable advancement of effective therapies. Research has focused on the long-lasting effects of environmental factors acting during the perinatal period, therefore little is known about the impact of these factors at later ages when neurodevelopmental pathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are usually diagnosed. Here we show that handling mice during the juvenile period can rescue a range of behavioral and cellular effects of prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure. VPA-exposed animals show reduced sociability and increased repetitive behaviors, along with other autism-related endophenotypes such as increased immobility in the forced swim test and increased neuronal activity in the piriform cortex (Pir). Our results demonstrate that briefly handling mice every other day between postnatal days 22 and 34 can largely rescue these phenotypes. This effect can also be observed when animals are analyzed across tests using an “autism” factor, which also discriminates between animals with high and low Pir neuron activity. Thus, we identified a juvenile developmental window when environmental factors can determine adult autism-related behavior. In addition, our results have broader implications on behavioral neuroscience, as they highlight the importance of adequate experimental design and control of behavioral experiments involving treating or testing young animals.
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De Gregorio D, Inserra A, Enns JP, Markopoulos A, Pileggi M, El Rahimy Y, Lopez-Canul M, Comai S, Gobbi G. Repeated lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) reverses stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, cortical synaptogenesis deficits and serotonergic neurotransmission decline. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1188-1198. [PMID: 35301424 PMCID: PMC9018770 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01301-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a serotonergic psychedelic compound receiving increasing interest due to putative anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. However, the potential neurobiological mechanisms mediating these effects remain elusive. Employing in vivo electrophysiology, microionthophoresis, behavioral paradigms and morphology assays, we assessed the impact of acute and chronic LSD administration on anxiety-like behavior, on the cortical dendritic spines and on the activity of serotonin (5-HT) neurons originating in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in male mice exposed to chronic restraint stress. We found that while the acute intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of LSD (5, 15 and 30 and 60 μg/kg) did not produce any anxiolytic or antidepressant effects in non-stressed mice, the dose of 30 µg/kg (daily for 7 days) prevented the stress-induced anxiety-like behavior and the stress-induced decrease of cortical spine densitiy. Interestingly, while LSD acutely decreased the firing activity of 5-HT neurons, repeated LSD increased their basal firing rate and restored the low 5-HT firing induced by stress. This effect was accompanied by a decreased inhibitory response of 5-HT neurons to microiontophoretic applications of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT (8-hydroxy-N,N-dipropyl-2-aminotetralin). In conclusion, repeated LSD prevents the exacerbation of anxiety-like behavior following chronic stress exposure, but has no behavioral effects in non-stressed mice. These effects are paralleled by increased cortical spinogenesis and an enhancement of 5-HT neurotransmission which might be due to 5-HT1A receptors desensitization. Increased cortical spine density and enhancement of serotonergic neurotransmission may thus represent a candidate mechanism which mediate the therapeutic effects of serotonergic psychedelics on stress-induced anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo De Gregorio
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.15496.3f0000 0001 0439 0892Present Address: Division of Neuroscience, Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Inserra
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Justine P. Enns
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Athanasios Markopoulos
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Michael Pileggi
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Youssef El Rahimy
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Martha Lopez-Canul
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Stefano Comai
- grid.63984.300000 0000 9064 4811Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1 Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy ,grid.15496.3f0000 0001 0439 0892Present Address: Division of Neuroscience, Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, H3A1A1, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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50
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Li Y, Chen Z, Zhao J, Yu H, Chen X, He Y, Tian Y, Wang Y, Chen C, Cheng K, Xie P. Neurotransmitter and Related Metabolic Profiling in the Nucleus Accumbens of Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Anhedonia-Like Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:862683. [PMID: 35571281 PMCID: PMC9100667 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.862683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental disorder that affects many people. The neurotransmitter deficiency hypothesis has been the crux of much research on the treatment of depression. Anhedonia, as a core symptom, was closely associated with altered levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and diverse types of glutamate (Glu) receptors in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, there were no reports showing how Glu changed in the NAc, and there were other unreported molecules involved in modulating stress-induced anhedonia. Thus, we investigated changes in neurotransmitters and their related metabolites in GABAergic, serotonergic and catecholaminergic pathways in the NAc of a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress- (CUMS-) induced anhedonia-like behavior. Then, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed to detect target neurotransmitters and related metabolites in the NAc. Finally, the Western blot was used to assess the expression of key enzymes and receptors. Here, we found that the 5-HT level in anhedonia-susceptible (Sus) rats was increased while the Glu level decreased. DA did not show a significant change among CUMS rats. Correspondingly, we detected a reduction in monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) and Glu receptor 1 levels in anhedonia-Sus rats while Glu receptor 2 (GluR2) and NMDA2B levels were increased in anhedonia-resilient (Res) rats. We also found that the levels of glutamine (Gln), kynurenic acid (Kya), histamine (HA), L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), and tyramine (Tyra) were changed after CUMS. These alterations in neurotransmitters may serve as a new insight into understanding the development of anhedonia-like behavior in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianting Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Xinxiang Central Hospital, The Fourth Clinical College of Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang, China
| | - Heming Yu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Tian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chong Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ke Cheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Ke Cheng,
| | - Peng Xie
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Peng Xie,
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