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Long J, Peng L, Li Q, Niu L, Dai H, Zhang J, Chen K, Lee TMC, Huang M, Zhang R. Acute stress impairs intentional memory suppression through aberrant prefrontal cortex activation in high trait ruminators. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2024; 24:100463. [PMID: 38699400 PMCID: PMC11063604 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100463] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Research shows that the effect of acute stress on intentional memory suppression could be modulated by individual differences in psychological traits. However, whether acute stress distinctly affects intentional memory suppression in high trait ruminators, a high at-risk group of stress-related disorders, and the neural correlations, remains unclear. Method 55 healthy college students were divided into high and low trait ruminators (HTR and LTR), Following stress manipulation, a Think/No Think task assessed the memory suppression performance. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was applied to explore the neural correlates. Psychophysiological interaction analyses were used to assess how the functional connectivity between a seed region and another brain region was modulated by tasks during memory suppression, further mediating memory suppression performance and state rumination. Results The HTR exhibited poorer memory suppression performance than the LTR under the stress condition. Aberrant activation patterns and task-modulated functional connectivity in the dorsal prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) were observed only in the HTR during memory suppression under the stress condition. The effect of memory suppression performance on the state rumination of individuals was significantly mediated by the task-modulated functional connectivity between the DLPFC and STG. Conclusions The findings could provide insights for prevention or early intervention in the development of stress-related disorders in HTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixin Long
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
- Department of Applied Social Science, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Lanxin Peng
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Qian Li
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Lijing Niu
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Haowei Dai
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Jiayuan Zhang
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Keyin Chen
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
| | - Tatia MC Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Meiyan Huang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Ruibin Zhang
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, PR China
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
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Jeon YJ, Park JC, Jang YS, Kim DH, Choi BR, Kim JM, Kim JJ, Han JS. Chemogenetic modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex regulates resistance to acute stress-induced cognitive impairments. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:4806-4814. [PMID: 36156637 PMCID: PMC10110428 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac381] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in regulating resistance to the effects of acute uncontrollable stress. We previously showed that mPFC-lesioned animals exhibit impaired object recognition memory after acute exposure to a brief stress that had no effect in normal animals. Here, we used designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs to determine how modulating mPFC activity affects recognition-memory performance under stressful conditions. Specifically, animals with chemogenetic excitation or inhibition of the mPFC underwent either a brief ineffective stress (20-min restraint + 20 tail shocks) or a prolonged effective stress (60-min restraint + 60 tail shocks). Subsequent recognition memory tests showed that animals with chemogenetic mPFC inhibition exposed to brief stress showed impairment in an object recognition memory task, whereas those with chemogenetic mPFC excitation exposed to prolonged stress did not. Thus, the present findings the decreased mPFC activity exacerbates acute stress effects on memory function whereas increased mPFC activity counters these stress effects provide evidence that the mPFC bidirectionally modulates stress resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Jae Jeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Cheol Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Sun Jang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Hee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Ryoung Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Min Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61669, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeansok J Kim
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, United States
| | - Jung-Soo Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
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Antypa D, Barros Rodrigues D, Billecocq M, Rimmele U. Pharmacologically increased cortisol levels impair recall of associative background context memory in males, but not females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 146:105895. [PMID: 36058201 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105895] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory studies have consistently shown that stress impairs memory retrieval of individual parts (items) of a memory. The stress-hormone cortisol has been particularly linked to this impairment. However, it is unclear whether cortisol similarly affects the binding of items to associative context information in memory, i.e. the constituents of episodic memory. Here, we examine memory retrieval of item and associative memory under pharmacologically elevated cortisol vs. normal levels. Given that previous studies have indicated potential sex differences in the stress- and cortisol-induced memory modulation, we additionally assessed whether there may be sex differences for the cortisol effect on memory retrieval. Eighty-four female and male participants were tested in a placebo controlled, double-blind between-subject design, assigned to either a cortisol (10 mg hydrocortisone) or a placebo group. Participants of both groups were presented foreground images of negative and neutral valence on different neutral background scenes. Twenty-four hours later, participants' memory for the images and their associated background scene was tested with a recognition task 20 min after substance administration. Among the 78 participants of both groups included in the final analysis, cortisol levels were higher in the cortisol group in comparison to the placebo group, and female participants had higher cortisol levels after hydrocortisone intake in comparison to male participants. Item memory did not differ between the placebo and cortisol group. In contrast, in males, but not females, associative memory for the background scene of emotional foreground images was lower in the cortisol vs. placebo group. Moreover, the individual cortisol increase during the recognition task was negatively correlated to memory for the background scenes of the emotional foreground images only in male participants of the cortisol group. This study shows that pharmacologically increased cortisol levels distinctly affect associative memory in female and male participants, but have no effect on item memory, indicating a complex interaction for the stress effects on memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Antypa
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center of Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Crete, Greece; Emotion and Memory Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Daniela Barros Rodrigues
- Emotion and Memory Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marie Billecocq
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Rimmele
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center of Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Emotion and Memory Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Switzerland
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Licheri V, Brigman JL. Altering Cell-Cell Interaction in Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Models: Insight on Cell-Adhesion Molecules During Brain Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:753537. [PMID: 34975396 PMCID: PMC8715949 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.753537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol exposure during pregnancy disrupts the development of the brain and produces long lasting behavioral and cognitive impairments collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). FASDs are characterized by alterations in learning, working memory, social behavior and executive function. A large body of literature using preclinical prenatal alcohol exposure models reports alcohol-induced changes in architecture and activity in specific brain regions affecting cognition. While multiple putative mechanisms of alcohol’s long-lasting effects on morphology and behavior have been investigated, an area that has received less attention is the effect of alcohol on cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The embryo/fetal development represents a crucial period for Central Nervous System (CNS) development during which the cell-cell interaction plays an important role. CAMs play a critical role in neuronal migration and differentiation, synaptic organization and function which may be disrupted by alcohol. In this review, we summarize the physiological structure and role of CAMs involved in brain development, review the current literature on prenatal alcohol exposure effects on CAM function in different experimental models and pinpoint areas needed for future study to better understand how CAMs may mediate the morphological, sensory and behavioral outcomes in FASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Licheri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States.,New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
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Understanding stress: Insights from rodent models. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 2:100013. [PMID: 36246514 PMCID: PMC9559100 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Through incorporating both physical and psychological forms of stressors, a variety of rodent models have provided important insights into the understanding of stress physiology. Rodent models also have provided significant information with regards to the mechanistic basis of the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders such as anxiety disorders, depressive illnesses, cognitive impairment and post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, rodent models of stress have served as valuable tools in the area of drug screening and drug development for treatment of stress-induced conditions. Although rodent models do not accurately reproduce the biochemical or physiological parameters of stress response and cannot fully mimic the natural progression of human disorders, yet, animal research has provided answers to many important scientific questions. In this review article, important studies utilizing a variety of stress models are described in terms of their design and apparatus, with specific focus on their capabilities to generate reliable behavioral and biochemical read-out. The review focusses on the utility of rodent models by discussing examples in the literature that offer important mechanistic insights into physiologically relevant questions. The review highlights the utility of rodent models of stress as important tools for advancing the mission of scientific research and inquiry. Stressful life events may lead to the onset of severe psychopathologies in humans. Rodents may model many features of stress exposure in human populations. Induction of stress via pharmacological and psychological manipulations alter rodent behavior. Mechanistic rodent studies reveal key molecular targets critical for new therapeutic targets.
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Vukojevic V, Mastrandreas P, Arnold A, Peter F, Kolassa IT, Wilker S, Elbert T, de Quervain DJF, Papassotiropoulos A, Stetak A. Evolutionary conserved role of neural cell adhesion molecule-1 in memory. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:217. [PMID: 32632143 PMCID: PMC7338365 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00899-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM-1) has been implicated in several brain-related biological processes, including neuronal migration, axonal branching, fasciculation, and synaptogenesis, with a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity. Here, we investigated the evolutionary conserved role of NCAM-1 in learning and memory. First, we investigated sustained changes in ncam-1 expression following aversive olfactory conditioning in C. elegans using molecular genetic methods. Furthermore, we examined the link between epigenetic signatures of the NCAM1 gene and memory in two human samples of healthy individuals (N = 568 and N = 319) and in two samples of traumatized individuals (N = 350 and N = 463). We found that olfactory conditioning in C. elegans induced ncam-1 expression and that loss of ncam-1 function selectively impaired associative long-term memory, without causing acquisition, sensory, or short-term memory deficits. Reintroduction of the C. elegans or human NCAM1 fully rescued memory impairment, suggesting a conserved role of NCAM1 for memory. In parallel, DNA methylation of the NCAM1 promoter in two independent healthy Swiss cohorts was associated with memory performance. In two independent Sub-Saharan populations of conflict zone survivors who had faced severe trauma, DNA methylation at an alternative promoter of the NCAM1 gene was associated with traumatic memories. Our results support a role of NCAM1 in associative memory in nematodes and humans, and might, ultimately, be helpful in elucidating diagnostic markers or suggest novel therapy targets for memory-related disorders, like PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanja Vukojevic
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4012, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Pavlina Mastrandreas
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Andreas Arnold
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Peter
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iris-T Kolassa
- Ulm University, Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute for Psychology & Education, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah Wilker
- Ulm University, Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute for Psychology & Education, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89069, Ulm, Germany
- University Bielefeld, Department for Psychology and Sports Science, P.O. Box 100131, D-33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Elbert
- University of Konstanz, Clinical Psychology & Behavioural Neuroscience, D-78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Dominique J-F de Quervain
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Papassotiropoulos
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4012, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Attila Stetak
- University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4012, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055, Basel, Switzerland
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Abstract
The goals of animal research in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include better understanding the neurophysiological etiology of PTSD, identifying potential targets for novel pharmacotherapies, and screening drugs for their potential use as PTSD treatment in humans. Diagnosis of PTSD relies on a patient interview and, as evidenced by changes to the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5, an adequate description of this disorder in humans is a moving target. Therefore, it may seem insurmountable to model the construct of PTSD in animals such as rodents. Fortunately, the neural circuitry involved in fear and anxiety, thought to be essential to the etiology of PTSD in humans, is highly conserved throughout evolution. Furthermore, many symptoms can be modeled using behavioral tests that have face, construct, and predictive validity. Because PTSD is precipitated by a definite traumatic experience, animal models can simulate the induction of PTSD, and test causal factors with longitudinal designs. Accordingly, several animal models of physical and psychological trauma have been established. This review discusses the widely used animal models of PTSD in rodents, and overviews their strengths and weaknesses in terms of face, construct, and predictive validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth I Flandreau
- Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, USA.
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 43 Szigony Street, Budapest, 1083, Hungary.
| | - Mate Toth
- Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 43 Szigony Street, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
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Vataeva LA, Tyulkova EI, Alekhin AN, Stratilov VA. Effects of Hypoxia or Dexamethasone at Different Gestation Periods on Fear Conditioning in Adult Rats. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093018060030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Torres-Berrio A, Nava-Mesa MO. The opioid system in stress-induced memory disorders: From basic mechanisms to clinical implications in post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:327-338. [PMID: 30118823 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive and emotional impairment are a serious consequence of stress exposure and are core features of neurological and psychiatric conditions that involve memory disorders. Indeed, acute and chronic stress are high-risk factors for the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), two devastating brain disorders associated with memory dysfunction. Besides the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, stress response also involves the activation of the opioid system in brain regions associated with stress regulation and memory processing. In this context, it is possible that stress-induced memory disorders may be attributed to alterations in the interaction between the neuroendocrine stress system and the opioid system. In this review, we: (1) describe the effects of acute and chronic stress on memory, and the modulatory role of the opioid system, (2) discuss the contribution of the opioid system to the pathophysiology of PTSD and AD, and (3) present evidence of current and potential therapies that target the opioid receptors to treat PTSD- and AD-associated symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mauricio O Nava-Mesa
- Neuroscience Research Group (NEUROS), School of Medicine, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Sotiropoulos I, Silva JM, Gomes P, Sousa N, Almeida OFX. Stress and the Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease and Depression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1184:241-257. [PMID: 32096043 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9358-8_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder with a complex physiopathology whose initiators are poorly defined. Accumulating clinical and experimental evidence suggests a causal role of lifetime stress in AD. This chapter summarizes current knowledge about how chronic stress and its accompanying high levels of glucocorticoid (GC) secretion, trigger the two main pathomechanisms of AD: (i) misprocessing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the generation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and (ii) Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation. Given that depression is a well-known stress-related illness, and the evidence that depression may precede AD, this chapter also explores neurobiological mechanisms that may be common to depressive and AD pathologies. This review also discusses emerging insights into the role of Tau and its malfunction in disrupting neuronal cascades and neuroplasticity and, thus triggering brain pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho - Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Joana M Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho - Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patricia Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho - Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho - Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Effectiveness of memantine on depression-like behavior, memory deficits and brain mRNA levels of BDNF and TrkB in rats subjected to repeated unpredictable stress. Pharmacol Rep 2018; 70:600-606. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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13
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Genovese RF, Dobre S. Mitigation of adverse behavioral impact from predator exposure by the nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide antagonist J-113397 in rats. Behav Pharmacol 2017; 28:521-530. [PMID: 28704271 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor is believed to have an integral modulatory function in the stress response system. We evaluated the highly selective NOP antagonist J-113397 (7.5 and 20.0 mg/kg), using a predator exposure in which rats were exposed to predator cats as a stressor. A single dose of J-113397 or vehicle was administered (intraperitoneally) shortly before exposure to the predators or a sham exposure. Behavioral impact was measured using elevated plus maze (EPM), open field activity (OFA), and an olfactory discrimination (OD). The predator exposure produced a relatively long-lasting deficit (decreased time in open arms, decreased basic activity) on the EPM while having little effect on performance on the OFA or OD. J-113397 mitigated the performance deficits on the EPM in a dose-dependent manner while having little effect on performance on the OFA or OD. The largest dose of J-113397, administered with a sham exposure, was essentially devoid of effects on the EPM, OFA, and OD. These results demonstrate that J-113397 can significantly and selectively mitigate the effects of a stressor typically used in a preclinical model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, these results are consistent with and extend previous results showing that the NOP receptor has an important role in the response to stress and that NOP antagonism may, potentially, have therapeutic benefit in stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond F Genovese
- Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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14
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Othman H, Ammari M, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H. Effects of repeated restraint stress and WiFi signal exposure on behavior and oxidative stress in rats. Metab Brain Dis 2017; 32:1459-1469. [PMID: 28451780 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-0016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Today, due to technology development and aversive events of daily life, Human exposure to both radiofrequency and stress is unavoidable. This study investigated the co-exposure to repeated restraint stress and WiFi signal on cognitive function and oxidative stress in brain of male rats. Animals were divided into four groups: Control, WiFi-exposed, restrained and both WiFi-exposed and restrained groups. Each of WiFi exposure and restraint stress occurred 2 h (h)/day during 20 days. Subsequently, various tests were carried out for each group, such as anxiety in elevated plus maze, spatial learning abilities in the water maze, cerebral oxidative stress response and cholinesterase activity in brain and serum. Results showed that WiFi exposure and restraint stress, alone and especially if combined, induced an anxiety-like behavior without impairing spatial learning and memory abilities in rats. At cerebral level, we found an oxidative stress response triggered by WiFi and restraint, per se and especially when combined as well as WiFi-induced increase in acetylcholinesterase activity. Our results reveal that there is an impact of WiFi signal and restraint stress on the brain and cognitive processes especially in elevated plus maze task. In contrast, there are no synergistic effects between WiFi signal and restraint stress on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifa Othman
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Integrative Physiology, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Ammari
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Integrative Physiology, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia.
- Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 9, Rue Zouhair Essafi, 1006, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Mohsen Sakly
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Integrative Physiology, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia
| | - Hafedh Abdelmelek
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Integrative Physiology, University of Carthage, 7021, Jarzouna, Tunisia
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Cerebrospinal fluid neural cell adhesion molecule levels and their correlation with clinical variables in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 76:12-18. [PMID: 28238731 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays an important role in neural plasticity, and its altered function has been implicated in psychiatric disorders. However, previous studies have yielded inconsistent results on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NCAM levels in psychiatric disorders. The aim of our study was to examine CSF NCAM levels in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), and their possible relationship with clinical variables. METHODS The participants comprised 85 patients with schizophrenia, 57 patients with BD, 83 patients with MDD and 111 healthy controls, all matched for age, sex, and Japanese ethnicity. The CSF samples were drawn using a lumbar puncture and NCAM levels were quantified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Analysis of covariance controlling for age and sex revealed that CSF NCAM levels were lower in all patients (p=0.033), and in those with BD (p=0.039), than in the controls. NCAM levels positively correlated with age in patients with BD (p<0.01), MDD (p<0.01), and the controls (p<0.01). NCAM levels negatively correlated with depressive symptom scores in patients with BD (p=0.040). In patients with schizophrenia, NCAM levels correlated negatively with negative symptom scores (p=0.029), and correlated positively with scores for cognitive functions such as category fluency (p=0.011) and letter fluency (p=0.023) scores. CONCLUSION We showed that CSF NCAM levels were lower in psychiatric patients, particularly bipolar patients than in the controls. Furthermore, we found correlations of NCAM levels with clinical symptoms in patients with BD and in those with schizophrenia, suggesting the involvement of central NCAM in the symptom formation of severe psychiatric disorders.
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Haghani M, Sarvi M. Following the crowd or avoiding it? Empirical investigation of imitative behaviour in emergency escape of human crowds. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Packard AEB, Egan AE, Ulrich-Lai YM. HPA Axis Interactions with Behavioral Systems. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1897-1934. [PMID: 27783863 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Perhaps the most salient behaviors that individuals engage in involve the avoidance of aversive experiences and the pursuit of pleasurable experiences. Engagement in these behaviors is regulated to a significant extent by an individual's hormonal milieu. For example, glucocorticoid hormones are produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, and influence most aspects of behavior. In turn, many behaviors can influence HPA axis activity. These bidirectional interactions not only coordinate an individual's physiological and behavioral states to each other, but can also tune them to environmental conditions thereby optimizing survival. The present review details the influence of the HPA axis on many types of behavior, including appetitively-motivated behaviors (e.g., food intake and drug use), aversively-motivated behaviors (e.g., anxiety-related and depressive-like) and cognitive behaviors (e.g., learning and memory). Conversely, the manuscript also describes how engaging in various behaviors influences HPA axis activity. Our current understanding of the neuronal and/or hormonal mechanisms that underlie these interactions is also summarized. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1897-1934, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E B Packard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ann E Egan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yvonne M Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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18
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Cortisol and BDNF levels in depression within schizophrenia structure: approach to treating. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.17816/rcf14312-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of depression on the level of cortisol and BDNF in patients with schizophrenia 25 inpatients, who met the diagnostic criteria for ICD-10 schizophrenia (F20), were examined. The examination included clinical, psychopathological, laboratory and psychometric methods. Patients were examined twice: at admission and after 6 weeks of treatment. It was found that the level of BDNF in schizophrenic patients with depressive symptoms was significantly lower than that of non-depressed patients, and the level of cortisol in patients with depression was significantly higher.
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Vargas-López V, Lamprea MR, Múnera A. Histone deacetylase inhibition abolishes stress-induced spatial memory impairment. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 134 Pt B:328-38. [PMID: 27544851 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Acute stress induced before spatial training impairs memory consolidation. Although non-epigenetic underpinning of such effect has been described, the epigenetic mechanisms involved have not yet been studied. Since spatial training and intense stress have opposite effects on histone acetylation balance, it is conceivable that disruption of such balance may underlie acute stress-induced spatial memory consolidation impairment and that inhibiting histone deacetylases prevents such effect. Trichostatin-A (TSA, a histone deacetylase inhibitor) was used to test its effectiveness in preventing stress' deleterious effect on memory. Male Wistar rats were trained in a spatial task in the Barnes maze; 1-h movement restraint was applied to half of them before training. Immediately after training, stressed and non-stressed animals were randomly assigned to receive either TSA (1mg/kg) or vehicle intraperitoneal injection. Twenty-four hours after training, long-term spatial memory was tested; plasma and brain tissue were collected immediately after the memory test to evaluate corticosterone levels and histone H3 acetylation in several brain areas. Stressed animals receiving vehicle displayed memory impairment, increased plasma corticosterone levels and markedly reduced histone H3 acetylation in prelimbic cortex and hippocampus. Such effects did not occur in stressed animals treated with TSA. The aforementioned results support the hypothesis that acute stress induced-memory impairment is related to histone deacetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Vargas-López
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marisol R Lamprea
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia; Psychology Department, School of Human Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Alejandro Múnera
- Behavioral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Enhancement of striatum-dependent memory by conditioned fear is mediated by beta-adrenergic receptors in the basolateral amygdala. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 3:74-82. [PMID: 27981180 PMCID: PMC5146203 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional arousal can have a profound impact on various learning and memory processes. For example, unconditioned emotional stimuli (e.g., predator odor or anxiogenic drugs) enhance dorsolateral striatum (DLS)-dependent habit memory. These effects critically depend on a modulatory role of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA). Recent work indicates that, like unconditioned emotional stimuli, exposure to an aversive conditioned stimulus (CS) (i.e., a tone previously paired with shock) can also enhance consolidation of DLS-dependent habit memory. The present experiments examined whether noradrenergic activity, particularly within the BLA, is required for a fear CS to enhance habit memory consolidation. First, rats underwent a fear conditioning procedure in which a tone CS was paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus. Over the course of the next five days, rats received training in a DLS-dependent water plus-maze task, in which rats were reinforced to make a consistent body-turn response to reach a hidden escape platform. Immediately after training on days 1–3, rats received post-training systemic (Experiment 1) or intra-BLA (Experiment 2) administration of the β-adrenoreceptor antagonist, propranolol. Immediately after drug administration, half of the rats were re-exposed to the tone CS in the conditioning context (without shock). Post-training CS exposure enhanced consolidation of habit memory in vehicle-treated rats, and this effect was blocked by peripheral (Experiment 1) or intra-BLA (Experiment 2) propranolol administration. The present findings reveal that noradrenergic activity within the BLA is critical for the enhancement of DLS-dependent habit memory as a result of exposure to conditioned emotional stimuli.
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Zhou X, Zhang F, Hu X, Chen J, Wen X, Sun Y, Liu Y, Tang R, Zheng K, Song Y. Inhibition of inflammation by astaxanthin alleviates cognition deficits in diabetic mice. Physiol Behav 2015; 151:412-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Jauregui-Huerta F, Zhang L, Yañez-Delgadillo G, Hernandez-Carrillo P, García-Estrada J, Luquín S. Hippocampal cytogenesis and spatial learning in senile rats exposed to chronic variable stress: effects of previous early life exposure to mild stress. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 7:159. [PMID: 26347648 PMCID: PMC4539520 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we exposed adult rats to chronic variable stress (CVS) and tested the hypothesis that previous early-life exposure to stress changes the manner in which older subjects respond to aversive conditions. To this end, we analyzed the cytogenic changes in the hippocampus and hippocampal-dependent spatial learning performance. The experiments were performed on 18-month-old male rats divided into four groups as follows: Control (old rats under standard laboratory conditions), Early-life stress (ELS; old rats who were exposed to environmental noise from postnatal days, PNDs 21–35), CVS + ELS (old rats exposed to a chronic stress protocol who were previously exposed to the early-life noise stress) and CVS (old rats who were exposed only to the chronic stress protocol). The Morris Water Maze (MWM) was employed to evaluate the spatial learning abilities of the rats at the end of the experiment. Immunohistochemistry against 5′Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) was also conducted in the DG, CA1, CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. We confocally analyzed the cytogenic (BrdU-labeled cells) and astrogenic (BrdU + GFAP-labeled cells) changes produced by these conditions. Using this procedure, we found that stress diminished the total number of BrdU+ cells over the main proliferative area of the hippocampus (i.e., the dentate gyrus, DG) but increased the astrocyte phenotypes (GFAP + BrdU). The depleted BrdU+ cells were restored when the senile rats also experienced stress at the early stages of life. The MWM assessment demonstrated that stress also impairs the ability of the rats to learn the task. This impairment was not present when the stressful experience was preceded by the early-life exposure. Thus, our results support the idea that previous exposure to mild stressing agents may have beneficial effects on aged subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Jauregui-Huerta
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Limei Zhang
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México México, Mexico
| | - Griselda Yañez-Delgadillo
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Pamela Hernandez-Carrillo
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Joaquín García-Estrada
- División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Sonia Luquín
- Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
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Cadle CE, Zoladz PR. Stress time-dependently influences the acquisition and retrieval of unrelated information by producing a memory of its own. Front Psychol 2015; 6:910. [PMID: 26175712 PMCID: PMC4484976 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress induces several temporally guided “waves” of psychobiological responses that differentially influence learning and memory. One way to understand how the temporal dynamics of stress influence these cognitive processes is to consider stress, itself, as a learning experience that influences additional learning and memory. Indeed, research has shown that stress results in electrophysiological and biochemical activity that is remarkably similar to the activity observed as a result of learning. In this review, we will present the idea that when a stressful episode immediately precedes or follows learning, such learning is enhanced because the learned information becomes a part of the stress context and is tagged by the emotional memory being formed. In contrast, when a stressful episode is temporally separated from learning or is experienced prior to retrieval, such learning or memory is impaired because the learning or memory is experienced outside the context of the stress episode or subsequent to a saturation of synaptic plasticity, which renders the retrieval of information improbable. The temporal dynamics of emotional memory formation, along with the neurobiological correlates of the stress response, are discussed to support these hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea E Cadle
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH USA
| | - Phillip R Zoladz
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH USA
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Olver JS, Pinney M, Maruff P, Norman TR. Impairments of spatial working memory and attention following acute psychosocial stress. Stress Health 2015; 31:115-23. [PMID: 24395182 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have investigated the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm on impaired attention and working memory in humans. Further, the duration of any stress-related cognitive impairment remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an acute psychosocial stress paradigm, the Trier Social Stress, on cognitive function in healthy volunteers. Twenty-three healthy male and female subjects were exposed to an acute psychosocial stress task. Physiological measures (salivary cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure) and subjective stress ratings were measured at baseline, in anticipation of stress, immediately post-stress and after a period of rest. A neuropsychological test battery including spatial working memory and verbal memory was administered at each time point. Acute psychosocial stress produced significant increases in cardiovascular and subjective measures in the anticipatory and post-stress period, which recovered to baseline after rest. Salivary cortisol steadily declined over the testing period. Acute psychosocial stress impaired delayed verbal recall, attention and spatial working memory. Attention remained impaired, and delayed verbal recall continued to decline after rest. Acute psychosocial stress is associated with an impairment of a broad range of cognitive functions in humans and with prolonged abnormalities in attention and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Olver
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Vic, Australia
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26
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Genovese RF, Johnson CC, Tobin CA, Gauchan S. Multiple presentations reduce the behavioral impact of protected predator exposure in rats. Behav Processes 2014; 108:105-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Elmarzouki H, Aboussaleh Y, Bitiktas S, Suer C, Artis AS, Dolu N, Ahami A. Effects of cold exposure on behavioral and electrophysiological parameters related with hippocampal function in rats. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:253. [PMID: 25225472 PMCID: PMC4150461 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Behavioral and mental changes may occur in people exposed to cold stress by decreasing their work efficiency and their mental capacity while increasing the number of accidents on the job site. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of cold stress in spatial learning performance excitability and LTP. Materials and Methods: Three to four month old rats were randomly divided into four groups to form a control group and a cold stress group for each sex. The groups of cold stressed animals were placed in a cold room ambient temperature of 4°C for 2 h day. Adrenal glands and body weight (g) were recorded in control and stressed rats during the cold exposure. Spatial learning (acquisition phase) and memory (probe trial) were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM) immediately after daily exposure. Latency to locate the hidden platform, distance moved (DM), mean distance to platform, swim speed (SS) and time spent in the platform quadrant were compared between genders and treatments. Field potential recordings were made, under urethane anesthesia, from the dentate gyrus (DG) granule-cell layer, with stimulation of the medial perforant pathway 2 h after the probe trial. This study examined spatial memory as measured by MWM performance and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in the DG after exposure to cold in a repeated stress condition for 2 h/day for 5 days. Results: The cold-exposed female rats needed less time to find the hidden platform on day 1 (43.0 ± 13.9 s vs. 63.2 ± 13.2 s), day 2 (18.2 ± 8.4 s vs. 40.9 ± 12.2 s) and on day 4 (8.0 ± 2.1 s vs. 17.2 ± 7.0 s) while cold-exposed male rats showed a decreased escape latency (EL) on day 1 only (37.3 ± 12.5 s vs. 75.4 ± 13.1 s). Cold-exposed male rats spent less time in the target quadrant (30.08 ± 6.11%) than the control male rats (37.33 ± 8.89%). Two hour cold exposure decreased population spike (PS) potentiation during both induction (218.3 ± 21.6 vs. 304.5 ± 18.8%) and maintenance intervals (193.9 ± 24.5 vs. 276.6 ± 25.4%) in male rats. Meanwhile cold exposure did not affect the body weight (C: 221 ± 2.5 vs. S: 222 ± 1.7) but it impacts the adrenal gland relative weight (S: 27.1 ± 1.8 mg vs. C: 26.2 ± 1.4 mg). Conclusion: Overall, the results show that repeated cold exposure can selectively improve spatial learning in adult female rats, but impaired retention memory for platform location in male rats. It is possible that impaired LTP underlies some of the impaired retention memory caused by cold exposure in the male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar Elmarzouki
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Youssef Aboussaleh
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Soner Bitiktas
- Department of Physiology, Erciyes University School of Medicine Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Cem Suer
- Department of Physiology, Erciyes University School of Medicine Kayseri, Turkey
| | - A Seda Artis
- Department of Physiology, Medeniyet University School of Medicine İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Nazan Dolu
- Department of Physiology, Erciyes University School of Medicine Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Ahmed Ahami
- Laboratory of Nutrition and Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ibn Tofail University Kenitra, Morocco
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Brandewiede J, Stork O, Schachner M. NCAM deficiency in the mouse forebrain impairs innate and learned avoidance behaviours. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2014; 13:468-77. [PMID: 24751161 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been implicated in the development and plasticity of neural circuits and the control of hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent learning and behaviour. Previous studies in constitutive NCAM null mutants identified emotional behaviour deficits related to disturbances of hippocampal and amygdala functions. Here, we studied these behaviours in mice conditionally deficient in NCAM in the postmigratory forebrain neurons. We report deficits in both innate and learned avoidance behaviours, as observed in elevated plus maze and passive avoidance tasks. In contrast, general locomotor activity, trait anxiety or neophobia were unaffected by the mutation. Altered avoidance behaviour of the conditional NCAM mutants was associated with a deficit in serotonergic signalling, as indicated by their reduced responsiveness to (±)-8-hydroxy-2-(dipropylamino)-tetralin-induced hypothermia. Another serotonin-dependent behaviour, namely intermale aggression that is massively increased in constitutively NCAM-deficient mice, was not affected in the forebrain-specific mutants. Our data suggest that genetically or environmentally induced changes of NCAM expression in the late postnatal and mature forebrain determine avoidance behaviour and serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Brandewiede
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg
| | - O Stork
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University
- Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - M Schachner
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg
- Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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Dominguez G, Faucher P, Henkous N, Krazem A, Piérard C, Béracochéa D. Stress induced a shift from dorsal hippocampus to prefrontal cortex dependent memory retrieval: role of regional corticosterone. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:166. [PMID: 24860451 PMCID: PMC4030165 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of the deleterious effects of stress on memory retrieval are due to a dysfunction of the hippocampo-prefrontal cortex interplay. The role of the stress-induced regional corticosterone increase in such dysfunction remains however unclear, since there is no published study as yet dedicated to measuring corticosterone concentrations simultaneously in both the prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (dHPC) in relation with memory impairments. To that aim, we first showed in Experiment 1 that an acute stress (3 electric footschocks; 0.9 mA each) delivered before memory testing reversed the memory retrieval pattern (MRP) in a serial discrimination task in which mice learned two successive discriminations. More precisely, whereas non-stressed animals remembered accurately the first learned discrimination and not the second one, stressed mice remembered more accurately the second discrimination but not the first one. We demonstrated that local inactivation of dHPC or mPFC with the anesthetic lidocaine recruited the dHPC activity in non-stress conditions whereas the stress-induced MRP inversion recruited the mPFC activity. In a second experiment, we showed that acute stress induced a very similar time-course evolution of corticosterone rises within both the mPFC and dHPC. In a 3rd experiment, we found however that in situ injections of corticosterone either within the mPFC or the dHPC before memory testing favored the emergence of the mPFC-dependent MRP but blocked the emergence of the dHPC-dependent one. Overall, our study evidences that the simultaneous increase of corticosterone after stress in both areas induces a shift from dHPC (non-stress condition) to mPFC-dependent MRP and that corticosterone is critically involved in mediating the deleterious effects of stress on cognitive functions involving the mPFC-HPC interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle Dominguez
- INSERM U-930, Université François Rabelais, Parc Grandmont Tours, France
| | - Pierre Faucher
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux Talence, France
| | - Nadia Henkous
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux Talence, France
| | - Ali Krazem
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux Talence, France
| | | | - Daniel Béracochéa
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux Talence, France
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Buechel HM, Popovic J, Staggs K, Anderson KL, Thibault O, Blalock EM. Aged rats are hypo-responsive to acute restraint: implications for psychosocial stress in aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:13. [PMID: 24575039 PMCID: PMC3921565 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive processes associated with prefrontal cortex and hippocampus decline with age and are vulnerable to disruption by stress. The stress/stress hormone/allostatic load hypotheses of brain aging posit that brain aging, at least in part, is the manifestation of life-long stress exposure. In addition, as humans age, there is a profound increase in the incidence of new onset stressors, many of which are psychosocial (e.g., loss of job, death of spouse, social isolation), and aged humans are well-understood to be more vulnerable to the negative consequences of such new-onset chronic psychosocial stress events. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of this age-related shift in chronic psychosocial stress response, or the initial acute phase of that chronic response, have been less well-studied. Here, we separated young (3 month) and aged (21 month) male F344 rats into control and acute restraint (an animal model of psychosocial stress) groups (n = 9–12/group). We then assessed hippocampus-associated behavioral, electrophysiological, and transcriptional outcomes, as well as blood glucocorticoid and sleep architecture changes. Aged rats showed characteristic water maze, deep sleep, transcriptome, and synaptic sensitivity changes compared to young. Young and aged rats showed similar levels of distress during the 3 h restraint, as well as highly significant increases in blood glucocorticoid levels 21 h after restraint. However, young, but not aged, animals responded to stress exposure with water maze deficits, loss of deep sleep and hyperthermia. These results demonstrate that aged subjects are hypo-responsive to new-onset acute psychosocial stress, which may have negative consequences for long-term stress adaptation and suggest that age itself may act as a stressor occluding the influence of new onset stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Buechel
- Blalock Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jelena Popovic
- Blalock Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Kendra Staggs
- Blalock Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Katie L Anderson
- Thibault Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Olivier Thibault
- Thibault Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Eric M Blalock
- Blalock Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky Lexington, KY, USA
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31
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Salvetti B, Morris RGM, Wang SH. The role of rewarding and novel events in facilitating memory persistence in a separate spatial memory task. Learn Mem 2014; 21:61-72. [PMID: 24429424 PMCID: PMC3895229 DOI: 10.1101/lm.032177.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Many insignificant events in our daily life are forgotten quickly but can be remembered for longer when other memory-modulating events occur before or after them. This phenomenon has been investigated in animal models in a protocol in which weak memories persist longer if exploration in a novel context is introduced around the time of memory encoding. This study aims to understand whether other types of rewarding or novel tasks, such as rewarded learning in a T-maze and novel object recognition, can also be effective memory-modulating events. Rats were trained in a delayed matching-to-place task to encode and retrieve food locations in an event arena. Weak encoding with only one food pellet at the sample location induced memory encoding but forgetting over 24 h. When this same weak encoding was followed by a rewarded task in a T-maze, the memory persisted for 24 h. Moreover, the same persistence of memory over 24 h could be achieved by exploration in a novel box or by a rewarded T-maze task after a “non-rewarded” weak encoding. When the one-pellet weak encoding was followed by novel object exploration, the memory did not persist at 24 h. Together, the results confirm that place encoding is possible without explicit reward, and that rewarded learning in a separate task lacking novelty can be an effective memory-modulating event. The behavioral and neurobiological implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Salvetti
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
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32
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Enriquez-Barreto L, Cuesto G, Dominguez-Iturza N, Gavilán E, Ruano D, Sandi C, Fernández-Ruiz A, Martín-Vázquez G, Herreras O, Morales M. Learning improvement after PI3K activation correlates with de novo formation of functional small spines. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 6:54. [PMID: 24427113 PMCID: PMC3877779 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2013.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PI3K activation promotes the formation of synaptic contacts and dendritic spines, morphological features of glutamatergic synapses that are commonly known to be related to learning processes. In this report, we show that in vivo administration of a peptide that activates the PI3K signaling pathway increases spine density in the rat hippocampus and enhances the animals' cognitive abilities, while in vivo electrophysiological recordings show that PI3K activation results in synaptic enhancement of Schaffer and stratum lacunosum moleculare inputs. Morphological characterization of the spines reveals that subjecting the animals to contextual fear-conditioning training per se promotes the formation of large spines, while PI3K activation reverts this effect and favors a general change toward small head areas. Studies using hippocampal neuronal cultures show that the PI3K spinogenic process is NMDA-dependent and activity-independent. In culture, PI3K activation was followed by mRNA upregulation of glutamate receptor subunits and of the immediate-early gene Arc. Time-lapse studies confirmed the ability of PI3K to induce the formation of small spines. Finally, we demonstrate that the spinogenic effect of PI3K can be induced in the presence of neurodegeneration, such as in the Tg2576 Alzheimer's mouse model. These findings highlight that the PI3K pathway is an important regulator of neuronal connectivity and stress the relationship between spine size and learning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Enriquez-Barreto
- Structural Synaptic Plasticity Lab, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja Logroño, La Rioja, Spain ; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Germán Cuesto
- Structural Synaptic Plasticity Lab, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Nuria Dominguez-Iturza
- Structural Synaptic Plasticity Lab, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Elena Gavilán
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla, Spain
| | - Diego Ruano
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Universidad de Sevilla Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Fernández-Ruiz
- Experimental and Computational Electrophysiology Lab, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Martín-Vázquez
- Experimental and Computational Electrophysiology Lab, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Herreras
- Experimental and Computational Electrophysiology Lab, Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Morales
- Structural Synaptic Plasticity Lab, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
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Brandewiede J, Jakovcevski M, Stork O, Schachner M. Role of stress system disturbance and enhanced novelty response in spatial learning of NCAM-deficient mice. Stress 2013; 16:638-46. [PMID: 24000815 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.840773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) plays a crucial role in stress-related brain function, emotional behavior and memory formation. In this study, we investigated the functions of the glucocorticoid and serotonergic systems in mice constitutively deficient for NCAM (NCAM-/- mice). Our data provide evidence for a hyperfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, with enlarged adrenal glands and increased stress-induced corticosterone release, but reduced hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor expression in NCAM-/- mice when compared to NCAM+/+ mice. We also obtained evidence for a hypofunction of 5-HT1A autoreceptors as indicated by increased 8-0H-DPAT-induced hypothermia. These findings suggest a disturbance of both humoral and neural stress systems in NCAM-/- mice. Accordingly, we not only confirmed previously observed hyperarousal of NCAM-/- mice in various anxiety tests, but also observed an increased response to novelty exposure in these animals. Spatial learning deficits of the NCAM-/- mice in a Morris Water maze persisted, even when mice were pretrained to prevent effects of novelty or stress. We suggest that NCAM-mediated processes are involved in both novelty/stress-related emotional behavior and in cognitive function during spatial learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Brandewiede
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany
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34
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Kohl C, Riccio O, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, Fournier C, Klampfl SM, Schmidt MV, Sandi C. The interplay of conditional NCAM-knockout and chronic unpredictable stress leads to increased aggression in mice. Stress 2013; 16:647-54. [PMID: 24010949 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.840824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is a key regulator of brain plasticity. Substantial evidence indicates that NCAM is down-regulated by exposure to sustained stress and chronic stress seems to lead to increased aggression. In addition, constitutional NCAM deletion in mice has been shown to lead to increased intermale aggression and altered emotionality Forebrain-specific postnatal NCAM knockout was previously shown to impair cognitive function, particularly when animals were exposed to subchronic stress, but the effects on emotional and social behavior remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential interplay of a forebrain-specific postnatal NCAM deletion and exposure to different lengths of repeated stress (i.e. subchronic: 14 days; chronic: 29 days) on aggressive and emotional behavior. Our results show that postnatal deletion of NCAM in the forebrain leads to increased aggression and altered emotionality depending on the duration of stress, whereas conditional NCAM knockout has no basal impact on these behaviors. These findings support the involvement of NCAM in the regulation of emotional and aggressive behaviors, suggesting that diminished NCAM expression might be a critical vulnerability factor for the development of these behavioral alterations under repeated exposure to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Kohl
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , EPFL, Lausanne , Switzerland and
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35
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Zoladz PR, Diamond DM. Current status on behavioral and biological markers of PTSD: a search for clarity in a conflicting literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:860-95. [PMID: 23567521 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Revised: 03/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has identified stereotypic behavioral and biological abnormalities in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as heightened autonomic activity, an exaggerated startle response, reduced basal cortisol levels and cognitive impairments. We have reviewed primary research in this area, noting that factors involved in the susceptibility and expression of PTSD symptoms are more complex and heterogeneous than is commonly stated, with extensive findings which are inconsistent with the stereotypic behavioral and biological profile of the PTSD patient. A thorough assessment of the literature indicates that interactions among myriad susceptibility factors, including social support, early life stress, sex, age, peri- and post-traumatic dissociation, cognitive appraisal of trauma, neuroendocrine abnormalities and gene polymorphisms, in conjunction with the inconsistent expression of the disorder across studies, confounds attempts to characterize PTSD as a monolithic disorder. Overall, our assessment of the literature addresses the great challenge in developing a behavioral and biomarker-based diagnosis of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip R Zoladz
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH, 45810, USA
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36
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Turner CA, Watson SJ, Akil H. The fibroblast growth factor family: neuromodulation of affective behavior. Neuron 2012; 76:160-74. [PMID: 23040813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we propose a broader view of the role of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family in modulating brain function. We suggest that some of the FGF ligands together with the FGF receptors are altered in individuals with affective disorder and modulate emotionality in animal models. Thus, we propose that members of the FGF family may be genetic predisposing factors for anxiety, depression, or substance abuse; that they play a key organizing role during early development but continue to play a central role in neuroplasticity in adulthood; and that they work not only over extended time frames, but also via rapid signaling mechanisms, allowing them to exert an "on-line" influence on behavior. Therefore, the FGF family appears to be a prototype of "switch genes" that are endowed with organizational and modulatory properties across the lifespan, and that may represent molecular candidates as biomarkers and treatment targets for affective and addictive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortney A Turner
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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37
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Djordjevic A, Djordjevic J, Elaković I, Adzic M, Matić G, Radojcic MB. Effects of fluoxetine on plasticity and apoptosis evoked by chronic stress in rat prefrontal cortex. Eur J Pharmacol 2012; 693:37-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2012.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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38
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The CRF1 receptor antagonist SSR125543 attenuates long-term cognitive deficit induced by acute inescapable stress in mice, independently from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 102:415-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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39
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Marco EM, Valero M, de la Serna O, Aisa B, Borcel E, Ramirez MJ, Viveros MP. Maternal deprivation effects on brain plasticity and recognition memory in adolescent male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2012; 68:223-31. [PMID: 22939999 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Data from both human and animal studies suggest that exposure to stressful life events at neonatal stages may increase the risk of psychopathology at adulthood. In particular, early maternal deprivation, 24 h at postnatal day (pnd) 9, has been associated with persistent neurobehavioural changes similar to those present in developmental psychopathologies such as depression and schizophrenic-related disorders. Most neuropsychiatric disorders first appear during adolescence, however, the effects of MD on adolescent animals' brain and behaviour have been scarcely explored. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the emotional and cognitive consequences of MD in adolescent male and female rats, as well as possible underlying neurobiological mechanisms within frontal cortex and hippocampus. Animals were exposed to a battery of behavioural tasks, from pnd 35 to 42, to evaluate cognitive [spontaneous alternation task (SAT) and novel object test (NOT)] and anxiety-related responses [elevated plus maze (EPM)] during adolescence. Changes in neuronal and glial cells, alterations in synaptic plasticity as well as modifications in cannabinoid receptor expression were investigated in a parallel group of control and adolescent (pnd 40) male and female animals. Notably, MD induced a significant impairment in recognition memory exclusively among females. A generalized decrease in NeuN expression was found in MD animals, together with an increase in hippocampal glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) expression exclusively among MD adolescent males. In addition, MD induced in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of male and female adolescent rats a significant reduction in brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and postsynaptic density (PSD95) levels, together with a decrease in synaptophysin in frontal cortex and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in hippocampus. MD induced, in animals of both sexes, a significant reduction in CB1R expression, but an increase in CB2R that was statistically significant only for the frontal cortex. Taken together, these results indicate that adolescent females are more vulnerable than males to the cognitive deficits derived from MD despite the changes in neural cells, cannabinoid receptors, as well as the reduction in neural plasticity seem to be similar in both sexes. Further investigation is needed to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the sexual dimorphisms associated to the MD effects, and thus, for a better understanding of the specific sex-dependent vulnerabilities to early life stress. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Neurodevelopmental Disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Marco
- Departamento de Fisiología (Fisiología Animal II), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
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40
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Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) is a complex and precise mechanism that controls the most highest functions of the body. All of them depend on the cellular and molecular interactions called by neurobiologists "cellular plasticity". The CNS is a flexible structure but its regeneration after damage is strongly limited. Better understanding of cellular and molecular basis of brain repair can open new way in the development of therapeutic tools for neurodegeneration. Among many molecules that participate in the formation of neuronal networks, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and its sialylated derivative seem to play crucial role in the life of brain. In particular, polysialylated cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) is proposed to participate in the neuroprotective response in neurodegeneration by reducing of AMPA/NMDA receptors sensitivity to glutamate and facilitating disconnection of cell-cell interactions. These mechanisms protect from excitotoxic damage and promote dendritic/spine re-growth. This review briefly focuses on the expression and role of PSA-NCAM in neurodegenerative diseases and its potential application in therapy.
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41
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Stewart A, Gaikwad S, Kyzar E, Green J, Roth A, Kalueff AV. Modeling anxiety using adult zebrafish: a conceptual review. Neuropharmacology 2012; 62:135-43. [PMID: 21843537 PMCID: PMC3195883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2011] [Revised: 07/22/2011] [Accepted: 07/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly emerging as a useful animal model in neurobehavioral research. Mounting evidence shows the suitability of zebrafish to model various aspects of anxiety-related states. Here, we evaluate established and novel approaches to uncover the molecular substrates, genetic pathways and neural circuits of anxiety using adult zebrafish. Experimental approaches to modeling anxiety in zebrafish include novelty-based paradigms, pharmacological and genetic manipulations, as well as innovative video-tracking, 3D-reconstructions, bioinformatics-based searchable databases and omics-based tools. Complementing traditional rodent models of anxiety, we provide a conceptual framework for the wider application of zebrafish and other aquatic models in anxiety research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Anxiety and Depression'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Siddharth Gaikwad
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Evan Kyzar
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jeremy Green
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Andrew Roth
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Allan V. Kalueff
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Program, Tulane Neurophenotyping Platform, Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium, Tulane University Medical School, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Eilam-Stock T, Serrano P, Frankfurt M, Luine V. Bisphenol-A impairs memory and reduces dendritic spine density in adult male rats. Behav Neurosci 2011; 126:175-85. [PMID: 22004261 DOI: 10.1037/a0025959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor used in plastics, occurs in the United States on a daily basis. Recent studies suggest exposure during development causes memory deficits later in life; however, the ramifications of exposure in adulthood are unclear. We examined the effects of acute BPA administration (40 μg/kg) on memory and synaptic plasticity in adult male rats. BPA significantly impaired both visual and spatial memory and decreased dendritic spine density on pyramidal cells in CA1 and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Additionally, BPA significantly decreased PSD-95, a synaptic marker, in the hippocampus and increased cytosolic pCREB, a transcription factor, in mPFC. Together, these findings show that a single dose of BPA, below the USEPA reference safe daily limit of 50 μg/kg/day, may block the formation of new memories by interfering with neural plasticity processes in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tehila Eilam-Stock
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
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43
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Vanelzakker MB, Zoladz PR, Thompson VM, Park CR, Halonen JD, Spencer RL, Diamond DM. Influence of Pre-Training Predator Stress on the Expression of c-fos mRNA in the Hippocampus, Amygdala, and Striatum Following Long-Term Spatial Memory Retrieval. Front Behav Neurosci 2011; 5:30. [PMID: 21738501 PMCID: PMC3125520 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Accepted: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We have studied the influence of pre-training psychological stress on the expression of c-fos mRNA following long-term spatial memory retrieval. Rats were trained to learn the location of a hidden escape platform in the radial-arm water maze, and then their memory for the platform location was assessed 24 h later. Rat brains were extracted 30 min after the 24-h memory test trial for analysis of c-fos mRNA. Four groups were tested: (1) Rats given standard training (Standard); (2) Rats given cat exposure (Predator Stress) 30 min prior to training (Pre-Training Stress); (3) Rats given water exposure only (Water Yoked); and (4) Rats given no water exposure (Home Cage). The Standard trained group exhibited excellent 24 h memory which was accompanied by increased c-fos mRNA in the dorsal hippocampus and basolateral amygdala (BLA). The Water Yoked group exhibited no increase in c-fos mRNA in any brain region. Rats in the Pre-Training Stress group were classified into two subgroups: good and bad memory performers. Neither of the two Pre-Training Stress subgroups exhibited a significant change in c-fos mRNA expression in the dorsal hippocampus or BLA. Instead, stressed rats with good memory exhibited significantly greater c-fos mRNA expression in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) compared to stressed rats with bad memory. This finding suggests that stressed rats with good memory used their DLS to generate a non-spatial (cue-based) strategy to learn and subsequently retrieve the memory of the platform location. Collectively, these findings provide evidence at a molecular level for the involvement of the hippocampus and BLA in the retrieval of spatial memory and contribute novel observations on the influence of pre-training stress in activating the DLS in response to long-term memory retrieval.
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Bergado JA, Lucas M, Richter-Levin G. Emotional tagging—A simple hypothesis in a complex reality. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 94:64-76. [PMID: 21435370 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2010] [Revised: 02/15/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A Bergado
- Centro Internacional de Restauracion Neurologica, La Habana, Cuba
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Gaikwad S, Stewart A, Hart P, Wong K, Piet V, Cachat J, Kalueff AV. Acute stress disrupts performance of zebrafish in the cued and spatial memory tests: The utility of fish models to study stress–memory interplay. Behav Processes 2011; 87:224-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2011.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2010] [Revised: 03/31/2011] [Accepted: 04/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Zoladz PR, Park CR, Halonen JD, Salim S, Alzoubi KH, Srivareerat M, Fleshner M, Alkadhi KA, Diamond DM. Differential expression of molecular markers of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala in response to spatial learning, predator exposure, and stress-induced amnesia. Hippocampus 2011; 22:577-89. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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The corticotropin-releasing factor 1 receptor antagonist, SSR125543, and the vasopressin 1b receptor antagonist, SSR149415, prevent stress-induced cognitive impairment in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 98:425-31. [PMID: 21356230 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 02/16/2011] [Accepted: 02/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The vasopressin 1b receptor antagonist, SSR149415, and the corticotropin-releasing factor 1 receptor antagonist, SSR125543, are orally active non-peptidic compounds with anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like activities in animals. In the present study, their effects on stress-induced deficit in cognitive performances as assessed in a modified object recognition test were investigated in mice. The object recognition task measures the ability of a mouse to remember an object it has previously explored in a learning trial. During this acquisition session, the mouse was stressed by the presence of a pair of rats under the grid floor of the apparatus. One hour later, it was placed again in the environment with the known and a novel object, but in the absence of the rats. While non-exposed mice spent more time exploring the new object, mice that had been exposed to the rats during acquisition failed to discriminate between the known and the new object during retrieval. This cognitive impairment in stressed mice was prevented by the administration of SSR149415 (10 mg/kg, ip), SSR125543 (10 mg/kg, ip) and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, ip). Under similar conditions, the cognitive enhancer donepezil (1 mg/kg, ip) failed to reverse object recognition deficit. These results indicate that the effects of SSR149415 and SSR125543 in the modified object recognition test, in stressed mice, involve the ability of mice to cope with stress rather than an effect on cognition per se. Together, these data suggest that SSR149415 and SSR125543 may be of interest to reduce the cognitive deficits following exposure to stress-related events, such as acute stress disorder.
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Morroni F, Kitazawa M, Drago D, Cheng D, Medeiros R, LaFerla FM. Repeated Physical Training and Environmental Enrichment Induce Neurogenesis and Synaptogenesis Following Neuronal Injury in an Inducible Mouse Model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2011.14027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Beneficial Effects of Tianeptine on Hippocampus-Dependent Long-Term Memory and Stress-Induced Alterations of Brain Structure and Function. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2010. [PMCID: PMC4034085 DOI: 10.3390/ph3103143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tianeptine is a well-described antidepressant which has been shown to prevent stress from producing deleterious effects on brain structure and function. Preclinical studies have shown that tianeptine blocks stress-induced alterations of neuronal morphology and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, tianeptine prevents stress from impairing learning and memory, and, importantly, demonstrates memory-enhancing properties in the absence of stress. Recent research has indicated that tianeptine works by normalizing glutamatergic neurotransmission, a mechanism of action that may underlie its effectiveness as an antidepressant. These findings emphasize the value in focusing on the mechanisms of action of tianeptine, and specifically, the glutamatergic system, in the development of novel pharmacotherapeutic strategies in the treatment of depression.
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Jauregui-Huerta F, Ruvalcaba-Delgadillo Y, Gonzalez-Castañeda R, Garcia-Estrada J, Gonzalez-Perez O, Luquin S. Responses of glial cells to stress and glucocorticoids. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 6:195-204. [PMID: 20729991 DOI: 10.2174/157339510791823790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that glial cells are involved in practically all aspects of neural function. Glial cells regulate the homeostasis of the brain, influence the development of the nervous system, modulate synaptic activity, and carry out the immune response inside the brain. In addition, they play an important role in the restoration of the nervous system after damage, and they also participate in various neurodegenerative disorders. In a similar way, the importance of stress and glucocorticoids (GCs) on brain function is being increasingly recognized. Within the brain, stress hormones target both neurons and glial cells. Through their actions on these cells, glucocorticoids exert organizational functions on various processes of the developing brain and contribute to neuronal plasticity in the adult brain. Moreover, stress and glucocorticoids have become especially attractive in the study of a number of neurodegenerative disorders. However, studies on the mechanisms behind glucocorticoid-induced regulation of brain function have been classically focused on their effects on neurons. In this review, we start by describing the main functions of glial cells and then proceed to present data highlighting the effects of stress and GCs on brain function. We conclude the review by presenting recent evidence linking stress and glucocorticoids to glial cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Jauregui-Huerta
- Microscopía de Alta Resolución. Departamento de Neurociencias. Universidad de Guadalajara
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