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Musazzi L, Mingardi J, Ieraci A, Barbon A, Popoli M. Stress, microRNAs, and stress-related psychiatric disorders: an overview. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4977-4994. [PMID: 37391530 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders. During and after exposure to stressors, the stress response may have pro- or maladaptive consequences, depending on several factors related to the individual response and nature of the stressor. However, the mechanisms mediating the long-term effects of exposure to stress, which may ultimately lead to the development of stress-related disorders, are still largely unknown. Epigenetic mechanisms have been shown to mediate the effects of the environment on brain gene expression and behavior. MicroRNAs, small non-coding RNAs estimated to control the expression of about 60% of all genes by post-transcriptional regulation, are a fundamental epigenetic mechanism. Many microRNAs are expressed in the brain, where they work as fine-tuners of gene expression, with a key role in the regulation of homeostatic balance, and a likely influence on pro- or maladaptive brain changes. Here we have selected a number of microRNAs, which have been strongly implicated as mediators of the effects of stress in the brain and in the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders. For all of them recent evidence is reported, obtained from rodent stress models, manipulation of microRNAs levels with related behavioral changes, and clinical studies of stress-related psychiatric disorders. Moreover, we have performed a bioinformatic analysis of the predicted brain-expressed target genes of the microRNAs discussed, and found a central role for mechanisms involved in the regulation of synaptic function. The complex regulatory role of microRNAs has suggested their use as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response, as well as possible therapeutic drugs. While, microRNA-based diagnostics have registered advancements, particularly in oncology and other fields, and many biotech companies have launched miRNA therapeutics in their development pipeline, the development of microRNA-based tests and drugs for brain disorders is comparatively slower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ieraci
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy
- Molecular Pharmacology, Cellular and Behavioral Physiology; Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
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2
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Wang X, Song H, Du Y, Zhao Y, Fu Y, Meng Q, Gao Y, Gong M, Song L, Wang S, Yuan F, Shi Y, Shi H. CircSYNDIG1 ameliorates stress-induced abnormal behaviors by suppressing miR-344-5p in mice. Brain Res Bull 2023; 195:66-77. [PMID: 36801359 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important role in diverse stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety and cognitive disorders. Here, using a circRNA microarray, we found that circSYNDIG1, an unreported circRNA, was significantly downregulated in the hippocampus of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice and further validated this finding in corticosterone (CORT) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mice by qRT-PCR, and it was negatively correlated with depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors of these three stressed mice. Furthermore, the interaction of miR-344-5p and circSYNDIG1 was confirmed by in situ hybridization (FISH) assay in hippocampus and dual luciferase reporter assay in 293 T cells. And miR-344-5p mimics could simulate the dendritic spine density reduction, depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and memory impairment induced by CUMS. Overexpression of circSYNDIG1 in hippocampus significantly ameliorated these abnormal changes induced by CUMS or miR-344-5p. It indicated that circSYNDIG1 functions as an miR-344-5p sponge to inhibit miR-344-5p impact, resulting in the increase of dendritic spine density and the subsequent amelioration of the abnormal behaviors. Therefore, the downregulation of circSYNDIG1 in hippocampus participates in CUMS-induced depressive and anxiety-like behavior of mice though miR-344-5p. These findings represent the first evidence for the involvement of circSYNDIG1 and its coupling mechanism in depression and anxiety, suggesting that circSYNDIG1 and miR-344-5p might be new targets for the treatment of stress-related disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Department of Endocrinology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, China.
| | - Han Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Yuru Du
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit, The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
| | - Ye Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Yaling Fu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Qian Meng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Yuan Gao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Miao Gong
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Li Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Sheng Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Fang Yuan
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Yun Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050017, China.
| | - Haishui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
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3
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Bonifacino T, Mingardi J, Facchinetti R, Sala N, Frumento G, Ndoj E, Valenza M, Paoli C, Ieraci A, Torazza C, Balbi M, Guerinoni M, Muhammad N, Russo I, Milanese M, Scuderi C, Barbon A, Steardo L, Bonanno G, Popoli M, Musazzi L. Changes at glutamate tripartite synapses in the prefrontal cortex of a new animal model of resilience/vulnerability to acute stress. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:62. [PMID: 36806044 PMCID: PMC9938874 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02366-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress represents a main risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Whereas it is known that even a single trauma may induce psychiatric disorders in humans, the mechanisms of vulnerability to acute stressors have been little investigated. In this study, we generated a new animal model of resilience/vulnerability to acute footshock (FS) stress in rats and analyzed early functional, molecular, and morphological determinants of stress vulnerability at tripartite glutamate synapses in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We found that adult male rats subjected to FS can be deemed resilient (FS-R) or vulnerable (FS-V), based on their anhedonic phenotype 24 h after stress exposure, and that these two populations are phenotypically distinguishable up to two weeks afterwards. Basal presynaptic glutamate release was increased in the PFC of FS-V rats, while depolarization-evoked glutamate release and synapsin I phosphorylation at Ser9 were increased in both FS-R and FS-V. In FS-R and FS-V rats the synaptic expression of GluN2A and apical dendritic length of prelimbic PFC layers II-III pyramidal neurons were decreased, while BDNF expression was selectively reduced in FS-V. Depolarization-evoked (carrier-mediated) glutamate release from astroglia perisynaptic processes (gliosomes) was selectively increased in the PFC of FS-V rats, while GLT1 and xCt levels were higher and GS expression reduced in purified PFC gliosomes from FS-R. Overall, we show for the first time that the application of the sucrose intake test to rats exposed to acute FS led to the generation of a novel animal model of resilience/vulnerability to acute stress, which we used to identify early determinants of maladaptive response related to behavioral vulnerability to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bonifacino
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy ,grid.7637.50000000417571846Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Facchinetti
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Nathalie Sala
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Frumento
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Elona Ndoj
- grid.7637.50000000417571846Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marta Valenza
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Paoli
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy ,grid.5602.10000 0000 9745 6549Pharmacology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ieraci
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy ,grid.449889.00000 0004 5945 6678Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Como, Italy
| | - Carola Torazza
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matilde Balbi
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Guerinoni
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Nadeem Muhammad
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Russo
- grid.7637.50000000417571846Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy ,Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, 25125 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Milanese
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy ,grid.410345.70000 0004 1756 7871IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Caterina Scuderi
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Barbon
- grid.7637.50000000417571846Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca Steardo
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, SAPIENZA University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- grid.5606.50000 0001 2151 3065Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy ,grid.410345.70000 0004 1756 7871IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
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4
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Thompson SM. Plasticity of synapses and reward circuit function in the genesis and treatment of depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:90-103. [PMID: 36057649 PMCID: PMC9700729 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01422-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
What changes in brain function cause the debilitating symptoms of depression? Can we use the answers to this question to invent more effective, faster acting antidepressant drug therapies? This review provides an overview and update of the converging human and preclinical evidence supporting the hypothesis that changes in the function of excitatory synapses impair the function of the circuits they are embedded in to give rise to the pathological changes in mood, hedonic state, and thought processes that characterize depression. The review also highlights complementary human and preclinical findings that classical and novel antidepressant drugs relieve the symptoms of depression by restoring the functions of these same synapses and circuits. These findings offer a useful path forward for designing better antidepressant compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, 80045, CO, USA.
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5
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Conoscenti MA, Smith NJ, Fanselow MS. Dissociable consequences of moderate and high volume stress are mediated by the differential energetic demands of stress. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273803. [PMID: 36048782 PMCID: PMC9436037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to traumatic stress leads to persistent, deleterious behavioral and biological changes in both human and non-human species. The effects of stress are not always consistent, however, as exposure to different stressors often leads to heterogeneous effects. The intensity of the stressor may be a key factor in determining the consequences of stress. While it is difficult to quantify intensity for many stress types, electric shock exposure provides us with a stressor that has quantifiable parameters (presentation length x intensity x number = shock volume). Therefore, to test the procedural differences in shock volume that may account for some reported heterogeneity, we used two common shock procedures. Learned helplessness is a commonly reported behavioral outcome, highlighted by a deficit in subsequent shuttle-box escape, which requires a relatively high-volume stress (HVS) of about 100 uncontrollable shocks. Conversely, stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) is another common behavioral outcome that requires a relatively moderate-volume stress (MVS) of only 15 shocks. We exposed rats to HVS, MVS, or no stress (NS) and examined the effects on subsequent fear learning and normal weight gain. We found doubly dissociable effects of the two levels of stress. MVS enhanced contextual fear learning but did not impact weight, while HVS produced the opposite pattern. In other words, more stress does not simply lead to greater impairment. We then tested the hypothesis that the different stress-induced sequalae arouse from an energetic challenge imposed on the hippocampus by HVS but not MVS. HVS rats that consumed a glucose solution did exhibit SEFL. Furthermore, rats exposed to MVS and glucoprivated during single-trial context conditioning did not exhibit SEFL. Consistent with the hypothesis that the inability of HVS to enhance fear learning is because of an impact on the hippocampus, HVS did enhance hippocampus-independent auditory fear learning. Finally, we provide evidence that stressors of different volumes produce dissociable changes in glutamate receptor proteins in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dorsal hippocampus (DH). The data indicate that while the intensity of stress is a critical determinant of stress-induced phenotypes that effect is nonlinear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Conoscenti
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Nancy J. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Fanselow
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Staglin Center for Brain & Behavioral Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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6
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Kundakovic M, Rocks D. Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: From clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101010. [PMID: 35716803 PMCID: PMC9715398 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Women are at twice the risk for anxiety and depression disorders as men are, although the underlying biological factors and mechanisms are largely unknown. In this review, we address this sex disparity at both the etiological and mechanistic level. We dissect the role of fluctuating sex hormones as a critical biological factor contributing to the increased depression and anxiety risk in women. We provide parallel evidence in humans and rodents that brain structure and function vary with naturally-cycling ovarian hormones. This female-unique brain plasticity and associated vulnerability are primarily driven by estrogen level changes. For the first time, we provide a sex hormone-driven molecular mechanism, namely chromatin organizational changes, that regulates neuronal gene expression and brain plasticity but may also prime the (epi)genome for psychopathology. Finally, we map out future directions including experimental and clinical studies that will facilitate novel sex- and gender-informed approaches to treat depression and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Devin Rocks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
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7
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Guo XF, Wang XH, Fu YL, Meng Q, Huang BY, Yang R, Guo Y, Du YR, Wang X, Gao Y, Song L, Gong M, Wang S, Li YD, Shi HS, Shi Y. Elevation of N-acetyltransferase 10 in hippocampal neurons mediates depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Brain Res Bull 2022; 185:91-98. [PMID: 35550155 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most debilitating and severe mental diseases globally. Increasing evidence has shown that epigenetics is critical for understanding brain function and brain disorders, including MDD. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10), acting on histones, mRNA and other substrates, has been reported to be involved in epigenetic events, including histone acetylation and mRNA modifications. NAT10 is highly expressed in the brain. However, the potential effects of NAT10 on MDD are still unknown. Here, we exploited chronic mild stress (CMS) to induce anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice and found that the expression of NAT10 in the mouse hippocampus was upregulated after CMS treatment. Inhibition of NAT10 by pharmacological methods produced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. Neuron-specific overexpression of NAT10 in the hippocampus resulted in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, accompanied by higher SIRT1 protein levels, and lower dendritic spine densities. Overall, it was found that elevation of NAT10 in hippocampal neurons is involved in the occurrence of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, suggesting that NAT10 could be a potential new target for developing anxiolytics and antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Fei Guo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Xin-Hao Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Ya-Ling Fu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Qian Meng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Bo-Ya Huang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Yi Guo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Yu-Ru Du
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Li Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - Miao Gong
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Experimental Center for Teaching, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China
| | - You-Dong Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Hai-Shui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, 050017, China.
| | - Yun Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education of China, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
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8
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Csabai D, Sebők-Tornai A, Wiborg O, Czéh B. A Preliminary Quantitative Electron Microscopic Analysis Reveals Reduced Number of Mitochondria in the Infralimbic Cortex of Rats Exposed to Chronic Mild Stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:885849. [PMID: 35600987 PMCID: PMC9115382 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.885849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to severe, uncontrollable and long-lasting stress is a strong risk factor for the development of numerous mental and somatic disorders. Animal studies document that chronic stress can alter neuronal morphology and functioning in limbic brain structures such as the prefrontal cortex. Mitochondria are intracellular powerhouses generating chemical energy for biochemical reactions of the cell. Recent findings document that chronic stress can lead to changes in mitochondrial function and metabolism. Here, we studied putative mitochondrial damage in response to chronic stress in neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex. We performed a systematic quantitative ultrastructural analysis to examine the consequences of 9-weeks of chronic mild stress on mitochondria number and morphology in the infralimbic cortex of adult male rats. In this preliminary study, we analyzed 4,250 electron microscopic images and 67000 mitochondria were counted and examined in the brains of 4 control and 4 stressed rats. We found significantly reduced number of mitochondria in the infralimbic cortex of the stressed animals, but we could not detect any significant alteration in mitochondrial morphology. These data support the concept that prolonged stress can lead to mitochondrial loss. This in turn may result in impaired energy production. Reduced cellular energy may sensitize the neurons to additional injuries and may eventually trigger the development of psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Csabai
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abigél Sebők-Tornai
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ove Wiborg
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Boldizsár Czéh
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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9
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High, in Contrast to Low Levels of Acute Stress Induce Depressive-like Behavior by Involving Astrocytic, in Addition to Microglial P2X7 Receptors in the Rodent Hippocampus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031904. [PMID: 35163829 PMCID: PMC8836505 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) in the brain is suggested to be an etiological factor of major depressive disorder (MDD). It has been assumed that stress-released ATP stimulates P2X7 receptors (Rs) at the microglia, thereby causing neuroinflammation; however, other central nervous system (CNS) cell types such as astrocytes also possess P2X7Rs. In order to elucidate the possible involvement of the MDD-relevant hippocampal astrocytes in the development of a depressive-like state, we used various behavioral tests (tail suspension test [TST], forced swim test [FST], restraint stress, inescapable foot shock, unpredictable chronic mild stress [UCMS]), as well as fluorescence immunohistochemistry, and patch-clamp electrophysiology in wild-type (WT) and genetically manipulated rodents. The TST and FST resulted in learned helplessness manifested as a prolongation of the immobility time, while inescapable foot shock caused lower sucrose consumption as a sign of anhedonia. We confirmed the participation of P2X7Rs in the development of the depressive-like behaviors in all forms of acute (TST, FST, foot shock) and chronic stress (UCMS) in the rodent models used. Further, pharmacological agonists and antagonists acted in a different manner in rats and mice due to their diverse potencies at the respective receptor orthologs. In hippocampal slices of mice and rats, only foot shock increased the current responses to locally applied dibenzoyl-ATP (Bz-ATP) in CA1 astrocytes; in contrast, TST and restraint depressed these responses. Following stressful stimuli, immunohistochemistry demonstrated an increased co-localization of P2X7Rs with a microglial marker, but no change in co-localization with an astroglial marker. Pharmacological damage to the microglia and astroglia has proven the significance of the microglia for mediating all types of depression-like behavioral reactions, while the astroglia participated only in reactions induced by strong stressors, such as foot shock. Because, in addition to acute stressors, their chronic counterparts induce a depressive-like state in rodents via P2X7R activation, we suggest that our data may have relevance for the etiology of MDD in humans.
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Sanacora G, Yan Z, Popoli M. The stressed synapse 2.0: pathophysiological mechanisms in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:86-103. [PMID: 34893785 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00540-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a primary risk factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders. Evidence from preclinical models and clinical studies of depression have revealed an array of structural and functional maladaptive changes, whereby adverse environmental factors shape the brain. These changes, observed from the molecular and transcriptional levels through to large-scale brain networks, to the behaviours reveal a complex matrix of interrelated pathophysiological processes that differ between sexes, providing insight into the potential underpinnings of the sex bias of neuropsychiatric disorders. Although many preclinical studies use chronic stress protocols, long-term changes are also induced by acute exposure to traumatic stress, opening a path to identify determinants of resilient versus susceptible responses to both acute and chronic stress. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression has emerged as a key player underlying the persistent impact of stress on the brain. Indeed, histone modification, DNA methylation and microRNAs are closely involved in many aspects of the stress response and reveal the glutamate system as a key player. The success of ketamine has stimulated a whole line of research and development on drugs directly or indirectly targeting glutamate function. However, the challenge of translating the emerging understanding of stress pathophysiology into effective clinical treatments remains a major challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Sanacora
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
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Chen H, Zhang X, Xu C, An S, Ma XM, Qiao H. Endogenous Hippocampal Estrogen Is Involved in Stress-induced Depression-like Behaviors and Spine Plasticity in Male Rats. Neurosci Lett 2022; 785:136560. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Vanicek T, Reed MB, Seiger R, Godbersen GM, Klöbl M, Unterholzner J, Spurny-Dworak B, Gryglewski G, Handschuh P, Schmidt C, Kraus C, Stimpfl T, Rupprecht R, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Increased left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex density following escitalopram intake during relearning: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy humans. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol 2022; 12:20451253221132085. [PMID: 36420117 PMCID: PMC9677158 DOI: 10.1177/20451253221132085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Serotonergic agents affect brain plasticity and reverse stress-induced dendritic atrophy in key fronto-limbic brain areas associated with learning and memory. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate effects of the antidepressant escitalopram on gray matter during relearning in healthy individuals to inform a model for depression and the neurobiological processes of recovery. Design Randomized double blind placebo control, monocenter study. Methods In all, 76 (44 females) healthy individuals performed daily an associative learning task with emotional or non-emotional content over a 3-week period. This was followed by a 3-week relearning period (randomly shuffled association within the content group) with concurrent daily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (i.e., 10 mg escitalopram) or placebo intake. Results Via voxel-based morphometry and only in individuals that developed sufficient escitalopram blood levels over the 21-day relearing period, an increased density of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was found. When investigating whether there was an interaction between relearning and drug intervention for all participants, regardless of escitalopram levels, no changes in gray matter were detected with either surfaced-based or voxel-based morphometry analyses. Conclusion The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex affects executive function and emotional processing, and is a critical mediator of symptoms and treatment outcomes of depression. In line, the findings suggest that escitalopram facilitates neuroplastic processes in this region if blood levels are sufficient. Contrary to our hypothesis, an effect of escitalopram on brain structure that is dependent of relearning content was not detected. However, this may have been a consequence of the intensity and duration of the interventions. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02753738; Trial Name: Enhancement of learning associated neural plasticity by Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02753738.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Murray B Reed
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - René Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Godber M Godbersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Unterholzner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Spurny-Dworak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patricia Handschuh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Stimpfl
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Rupprecht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr. 18-20, Vienna 1090, Austria
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Yi SS, Zou JJ, Meng L, Chen HM, Hong ZQ, Liu XF, Farooq U, Chen MX, Lin ZR, Zhou W, Ao LJ, Hu XQ, Niu LL. Ultrasound Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex Improves Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors in Mice. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:864481. [PMID: 35573384 PMCID: PMC9099414 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.864481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that inflammatory responses may influence brain neurochemical pathways, inducing depressive-like behaviors. Ultrasound stimulation (US) is a promising non-invasive treatment for neuropsychiatric diseases. We investigated whether US can suppress inflammation and improve depressive-like behaviors. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide to induce depressive-like behaviors. Ultrasound wave was delivered into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for 30 min. Depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated through the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and elevated plus maze (EPM). Biochemical analyses were performed to assess the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the PFC and serum. The results indicated that US of the PFC significantly improved depressive-like behaviors in the TST (p < 0.05) and FST (p < 0.05). Anxiety-like behaviors also improved in the EPM (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the lipopolysaccharide-mediated upregulation of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the PFC was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) by US. In addition, no tissue damage was observed. Overall, US of PFC can effectively improve lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive-like behaviors, possibly through the downregulation of inflammatory cytokines in the PFC. US may be a safe and promising tool for improvement of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha-Sha Yi
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Jun-Jie Zou
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Long Meng
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hou-Minji Chen
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhong-Qiu Hong
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiu-Fang Liu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Umar Farooq
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mo-Xian Chen
- School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zheng-Rong Lin
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li-Juan Ao
- School of Rehabilitation, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xi-Quan Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Li Niu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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Chu Z, Han W, Liu P, Liu F, Lei G, Deng L, Yang L, Dang Y. Electrolytic lesions of the bilateral ventrolateral orbital cortex not only directly reduce depression-like behavior but also decreased desperate behavior induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress in rats. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22:69. [PMID: 34814852 PMCID: PMC8611979 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-021-00677-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have revealed that ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) may play an important role in the regulation of emotional behavior. However, it is not known what effect VLO damage will have on emotion regulation. RESULTS Data showed that damage of VLO increased the anxiety-like behavior in open field test and elevated plus maze, and decreased the depressive behavior in forced swimming test and learned helplessness test. Besides, the impulsive aggressive behaviors were also increased while the attack latency decreased after VLO lesion. What's more, damage of VLO decreased depressive behaviors induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress in rats. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the integrity of VLO plays an important role in emotional regulation, and the damage of VLO may inhibit the development of depression-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Chu
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Han
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Basic Medicine Science, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Liu
- Clinical Research Center of Shaanxi Province for Dental and Maxillofacial Diseases, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Lei
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Lisha Deng
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Liu Yang
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghui Dang
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of the Health Ministry for Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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Ma J, Gao Y, Tang W, Huang W, Tang Y. Fluoxetine Protects against Dendritic Spine Loss in Middle-aged APPswe/PSEN1dE9 Double Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mice. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 17:93-103. [PMID: 32053075 DOI: 10.2174/1567205017666200213095419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have suggested that cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with dendritic spine loss, especially in the hippocampus. Fluoxetine (FLX) has been shown to improve cognition in the early stage of AD and to be associated with diminishing synapse degeneration in the hippocampus. However, little is known about whether FLX affects the pathogenesis of AD in the middle-tolate stage and whether its effects are correlated with the amelioration of hippocampal dendritic dysfunction. Previously, it has been observed that FLX improves the spatial learning ability of middleaged APP/PS1 mice. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we further characterized the impact of FLX on dendritic spines in the hippocampus of middle-aged APP/PS1 mice. RESULTS It has been found that the numbers of dendritic spines in dentate gyrus (DG), CA1 and CA2/3 of hippocampus were significantly increased by FLX. Meanwhile, FLX effectively attenuated hyperphosphorylation of tau at Ser396 and elevated protein levels of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD-95) and synapsin-1 (SYN-1) in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION These results indicated that the enhanced learning ability observed in FLX-treated middle-aged APP/PS1 mice might be associated with remarkable mitigation of hippocampal dendritic spine pathology by FLX and suggested that FLX might be explored as a new strategy for therapy of AD in the middle-to-late stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ma
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
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Song J, Kim YK. Animal models for the study of depressive disorder. CNS Neurosci Ther 2021; 27:633-642. [PMID: 33650178 PMCID: PMC8111503 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Depressive disorder is one of the most widespread forms of psychiatric pathology, worldwide. According to a report by the World Health Organization, the number of people with depression, globally, is increasing dramatically with each year. Previous studies have demonstrated that various factors, including genetics and environmental stress, contribute to the risk of depression. As such, it is crucial to develop a detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of depressive disorder and animal studies are essential for identifying the mechanisms and genetic disorders underlying depression. Recently, many researchers have reported on the pathology of depression via various models of depressive disorder. Given that different animal models of depression show differences in terms of patterns of depressive behavior and pathology, the comparison between depressive animal models is necessary for progress in the field of the depression study. However, the various animal models of depression have not been fully compared or evaluated until now. In this paper, we reviewed the pathophysiology of the depressive disorder and its current animal models with the analysis of their transcriptomic profiles. We provide insights for selecting different animal models for the study of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Song
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Korea
| | - Young-Kook Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Korea
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Huzian O, Baka J, Csakvari E, Dobos N, Leranth C, Siklos L, Duman RS, Farkas T, Hajszan T. Stress Resilience is Associated with Hippocampal Synaptoprotection in the Female Rat Learned Helplessness Paradigm. Neuroscience 2021; 459:85-103. [PMID: 33524494 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The synaptogenic hypothesis of major depressive disorder implies that preventing the onset of depressive-like behavior also prevents the loss of hippocampal spine synapses. By applying the psychoactive drugs, diazepam and fluoxetine, we investigated whether blocking the development of helpless behavior by promoting stress resilience in the rat learned helplessness paradigm is associated with a synaptoprotective action in the hippocampus. Adult ovariectomized and intact female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 297) were treated with either diazepam, fluoxetine, or vehicle, exposed to inescapable footshocks or sham stress, and tested in an active escape task to assess helpless behavior. Escape-evoked corticosterone secretion, as well as remodeling of hippocampal spine synapses at a timepoint representing the onset of escape testing were also analyzed. In ovariectomized females, treatment with diazepam prior to stress exposure prevented helpless behavior, blocked the loss of hippocampal spine synapses, and muted the corticosterone surge evoked by escape testing. Although fluoxetine stimulated escape performance and hippocampal synaptogenesis under non-stressed conditions, almost all responses to fluoxetine were abolished following exposure to inescapable stress. Only a much higher dose of fluoxetine was capable of partly reproducing the strong protective actions of diazepam. Importantly, these protective actions were retained in the presence of ovarian hormones. Our findings indicate that stress resilience is associated with the preservation of spine synapses in the hippocampus, raising the possibility that, besides synaptogenesis, hippocampal synaptoprotection is also implicated in antidepressant therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Huzian
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Judith Baka
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eszter Csakvari
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Dobos
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Leranth
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Laszlo Siklos
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Tamas Farkas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Neuroscience, University of Szeged Faculty of Science and Informatics, Kozep Fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hajszan
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Temesvari Krt 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, United States.
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Becker M, Pinhasov A, Ornoy A. Animal Models of Depression: What Can They Teach Us about the Human Disease? Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:123. [PMID: 33466814 PMCID: PMC7830961 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is apparently the most common psychiatric disease among the mood disorders affecting about 10% of the adult population. The etiology and pathogenesis of depression are still poorly understood. Hence, as for most human diseases, animal models can help us understand the pathogenesis of depression and, more importantly, may facilitate the search for therapy. In this review we first describe the more common tests used for the evaluation of depressive-like symptoms in rodents. Then we describe different models of depression and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. These models can be divided into several categories: genetic models, models induced by mental acute and chronic stressful situations caused by environmental manipulations (i.e., learned helplessness in rats/mice), models induced by changes in brain neuro-transmitters or by specific brain injuries and models induced by pharmacological tools. In spite of the fact that none of the models completely resembles human depression, most animal models are relevant since they mimic many of the features observed in the human situation and may serve as a powerful tool for the study of the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of depression, especially since only few patients respond to acute treatment. Relevance increases by the fact that human depression also has different facets and many possible etiologies and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Becker
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Albert Pinhasov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Asher Ornoy
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
- Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
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Al-Chami A, Ross A, Hayley S, Sun H. Early life stress facilitates synapse premature unsilencing to enhance AMPA receptor function in the developing hippocampus. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:815-821. [PMID: 32783592 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00339.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic early life stress (ELS) increases vulnerability to psychopathologies and cognitive deficits in adulthood by disrupting the function of related neural circuits. However, whether this disruption emerges early in the developing brain remains largely unexplored. In the current study, using an established limited-bedding and nesting model of ELS in postnatal day (P)2-10 mice, we provide direct evidence that ELS caused early modification of hippocampal glutamatergic synapses in the developing brain. We demonstrated that ELS induced rapid enhancement of AMPA receptor function in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons through a postsynaptic mechanism, and importantly, this was associated with premature unsilencing of NMDA receptor-only silent hippocampal synapses. These results suggest that potentiation of AMPAR function may represent an early mediator of ELS-induced alterations of neural networks in the developing brain and may potentially contribute to subsequent cognitive impairments later in life.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Early life stress (ELS) is known to increase the risk of later life cognitive deficits by disrupting neural circuit function. However, whether this disruption emerges early in the developing brain remains largely unexplored. The current study presents direct evidence that ELS prematurely unsilences hippocampal synapses to enhance AMPA receptor functions in a limited-bedding and nesting model, revealing an early mediator of ELS-induced neural circuit reorganizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aycheh Al-Chami
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alysia Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shawn Hayley
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Roman C, Egert L, Di Benedetto B. Astrocytic-neuronal crosstalk gets jammed: Alternative perspectives on the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:5717-5729. [PMID: 32644273 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Investigating interactions of glia cells and synapses during development and in adulthood is the focus of several research programmes which aim at understanding the neurobiology of brain physiological and pathological processes. Both glia-specific released and membrane-bound proteins play essential roles in the development, maintenance and functionality of synaptic connections. Alterations in synaptic contacts in specific brain areas are hallmarks of several brain diseases, such as major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Thus, a deeper knowledge about putative astrocyte dysfunctions which might affect the synaptic compartment is warranted to improve treatment options. Here, we present the latest advances about the role of glia cells in orchestrating the arrangement of synapses and neuronal networks in physiological and pathological states. We specifically focus on the role of astrocytes in the phagocytosis of neuronal synapses as a novel mechanism which drives the refinement of neuronal circuits and might be affected in pathological conditions. Finally, we propose this astrocyte-dependent mechanism as a putative alternative target of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Roman
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Luisa Egert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Di Benedetto
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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21
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Nagy SA, Vranesics A, Varga Z, Csabai D, Bruszt N, Bali ZK, Perlaki G, Hernádi I, Berente Z, Miseta A, Dóczi T, Czéh B. Stress-Induced Microstructural Alterations Correlate With the Cognitive Performance of Rats: A Longitudinal in vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:474. [PMID: 32581670 PMCID: PMC7283577 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Stress-induced cellular changes in limbic brain structures contribute to the development of various psychopathologies. In vivo detection of these microstructural changes may help us to develop objective biomarkers for psychiatric disorders. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced neuroimaging technique that enables the non-invasive examination of white matter integrity and provides insights into the microstructure of pathways connecting brain areas. Objective: Our aim was to examine the temporal dynamics of stress-induced structural changes with repeated in vivo DTI scans and correlate them with behavioral alterations. Methods: Out of 32 young adult male rats, 16 were exposed to daily immobilization stress for 3 weeks. Four DTI measurements were done: one before the stress exposure (baseline), two scans during the stress (acute and chronic phases), and a last one 2 weeks after the end of the stress protocol (recovery). We used a 4.7T small-animal MRI system and examined 18 gray and white matter structures calculating the following parameters: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). T2-weighted images were used for volumetry. Cognitive performance and anxiety levels of the animals were assessed in the Morris water maze, novel object recognition, open field, and elevated plus maze tests. Results: Reduced FA and increased MD and RD values were found in the corpus callosum and external capsule of stressed rats. Stress increased RD in the anterior commissure and reduced MD and RD in the amygdala. We observed time-dependent changes in several DTI parameters as the rats matured, but we found no evidence of stress-induced volumetric alterations in the brains. Stressed rats displayed cognitive impairments and we found numerous correlations between the cognitive performance of the animals and between various DTI metrics of the inferior colliculus, corpus callosum, anterior commissure, and amygdala. Conclusions: Our data provide further support to the translational value of DTI studies and suggest that chronic stress exposure results in similar white matter microstructural alterations that have been documented in stress-related psychiatric disorders. These DTI findings imply microstructural abnormalities in the brain, which may underlie the cognitive deficits that are often present in stress-related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilvia Anett Nagy
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Anett Vranesics
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Research Group for Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Varga
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dávid Csabai
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Bruszt
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Kristóf Bali
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Grastyán Translational Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Perlaki
- MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - István Hernádi
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Grastyán Translational Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Berente
- Research Group for Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Miseta
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Dóczi
- MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Boldizsár Czéh
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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22
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Reduction in BDNF from Inefficient Precursor Conversion Influences Nest Building and Promotes Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113984. [PMID: 32492978 PMCID: PMC7312902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated a knock-in mouse line in which the gene encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) was replaced with a sequence for proBDNF containing human single nucleotide polymorphisms encoding arginines proximal to the cleavage site (R125M and R127L). The ratio of the mature form of BDNF (mBDNF) to precursor BDNF (proBDNF) in hippocampal tissue lysates was decreased in a manner dependent on the number of copies of the mutant gene, indicating that the mutations inhibited proteolytic conversion of proBDNF into mBDNF. Although homozygous mice had a proBDNF/mBDNF ratio of ~9:1, they survived until adulthood. The levels of mBDNF were reduced by 57% in heterozygous mutant mice, which exhibited a depressive-like behavior in the tail suspension test and weight gain when housed in social isolation, showing that impaired proBDNF cleavage contributes to stress-induced depressive-like phenotypes. Furthermore, socially isolated heterozygous mice displayed a pronounced deficit in daily nest-building behaviors. These findings suggest that the decreased production of mBDNF by impaired proBDNF cleavage disturbs daily activities in mice.
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23
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Khan AR, Geiger L, Wiborg O, Czéh B. Stress-Induced Morphological, Cellular and Molecular Changes in the Brain-Lessons Learned from the Chronic Mild Stress Model of Depression. Cells 2020; 9:cells9041026. [PMID: 32326205 PMCID: PMC7226496 DOI: 10.3390/cells9041026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe illness imposing an increasing social and economic burden worldwide. Numerous rodent models have been developed to investigate the pathophysiology of MDD. One of the best characterized and most widely used models is the chronic mild stress (CMS) model which was developed more than 30 years ago by Paul Willner. More than 2000 published studies used this model, mainly to assess novel compounds with potential antidepressant efficacy. Most of these studies examined the behavioral consequences of stress and concomitant drug intervention. Much fewer studies focused on the CMS-induced neurobiological changes. However, the stress-induced cellular and molecular changes are important as they may serve as potential translational biomarkers and increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of MDD. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the structural and molecular alterations in the brain that have been described using the CMS model. We discuss the latest neuroimaging and postmortem histopathological data as well as molecular changes including recent findings on microRNA levels. Different chronic stress paradigms occasionally deliver dissimilar findings, but the available experimental data provide convincing evidence that the CMS model has a high translational value. Future studies examining the neurobiological changes in the CMS model in combination with clinically effective antidepressant drug intervention will likely deliver further valuable information on the pathophysiology of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Raza Khan
- Centre of Biomedical Research, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI) Campus, Lucknow-226017, U.P, India;
| | - Lili Geiger
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary;
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ove Wiborg
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark;
| | - Boldizsár Czéh
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary;
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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24
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Qin XY, Fang H, Shan QH, Qi CC, Zhou JN. All-trans Retinoic Acid-induced Abnormal Hippocampal Expression of Synaptic Genes SynDIG1 and DLG2 is Correlated with Anxiety or Depression-Like Behavior in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082677. [PMID: 32290523 PMCID: PMC7215843 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical reports suggest a potential link between excess retinoids and development of depression. Although it has been shown that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) administration induces behavioral changes, further insight into how ATRA is involved is lacking. The hippocampus seems to be a major target of retinoids, and abnormal synaptic plasticity of the hippocampus is involved in depression. We examined two genes associated with synaptic function, discs large homolog 2 (DLG2), and synapse differentiation-inducing gene protein 1 (SynDIG1) in terms of hippocampal expression and correlation with behavior. Three different doses of ATRA were injected into young mice and 10 mg/kg ATRA was found to induce depression-like behavior. In the hippocampus, DLG2 mRNA was significantly decreased by ATRA. mRNA levels were positively correlated with central area duration and distance in the open-field test. Increased SynDIG1 mRNA levels were observed. There was a negative correlation between SynDIG1 mRNA levels and mobility time in the forced swimming test. Retinoic acid receptor γ mRNA was significantly positively correlated with DLG2 and negatively correlated with SynDIG1. To summarize, ATRA administration induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior accompanied by a decreased expression of DLG2 and an increased expression of SynDIG1. Moreover, DLG2 was correlated with anxiety-like behavior and SynDIG1 was correlated with depression-like behavior. These results might constitute a novel target underlying ATRA-induced anxiety- and depression-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Ya Qin
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (X.-Y.Q.); (H.F.); (Q.-H.S.)
| | - Hui Fang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (X.-Y.Q.); (H.F.); (Q.-H.S.)
| | - Qing-Hong Shan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (X.-Y.Q.); (H.F.); (Q.-H.S.)
| | - Cong-Cong Qi
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200000, China;
| | - Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (X.-Y.Q.); (H.F.); (Q.-H.S.)
- Correspondence:
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25
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Chen F, Danladi J, Wegener G, Madsen TM, Nyengaard JR. Sustained Ultrastructural Changes in Rat Hippocampal Formation After Repeated Electroconvulsive Seizures. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 23:446-458. [PMID: 32215561 PMCID: PMC7387769 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective and fast-acting treatment for depression used in the clinic. Its mechanism of therapeutic action remains uncertain. Previous studies have focused on documenting neuroplasticity in the early phase following electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), an animal model of ECT. Here, we investigate whether changes in synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity (vascular and mitochondria) are sustained 3 months after repeated ECS trials. METHODS ECS or sham treatment was given daily for 1 day or 10 days to a genetic animal model of depression: the Flinders Sensitive and Resistant Line rats. Stereological principles were employed to quantify numbers of synapses and mitochondria as well as length of microvessels in the hippocampus 24 hours after a single ECS. Three months after 10 ECS treatments (1 per day for 10 days) and sham-treatment, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor protein levels were quantified with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS A single ECS treatment significantly increased the volume of hippocampal CA1-stratum radiatum, the total length of microvessels, mitochondria number, and synapse number. Observed changes were sustained as shown in the multiple ECS treatment group analyzed 3 months after the last of 10 ECS treatments. CONCLUSION A single ECS caused rapid effects of synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity, while repeated ECS induced long-lasting changes in the efficacy of synaptic plasticity and nonneuronal plasticity at least up to 3 months after ECS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghua Chen
- Core Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Correspondence: Fenghua Chen, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Medicine - Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Nørrebrogade 44, Building 2B, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark ()
| | - Jibrin Danladi
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa,AUGUST Centre, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Torsten M Madsen
- Core Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens R Nyengaard
- Core Center for Molecular Morphology, Section for Stereology and Microscopy, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark,Centre for Stochastic Geometry and Advanced Bioimaging, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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26
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Duda P, Hajka D, Wójcicka O, Rakus D, Gizak A. GSK3β: A Master Player in Depressive Disorder Pathogenesis and Treatment Responsiveness. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030727. [PMID: 32188010 PMCID: PMC7140610 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), originally described as a negative regulator of glycogen synthesis, is a molecular hub linking numerous signaling pathways in a cell. Specific GSK3β inhibitors have anti-depressant effects and reduce depressive-like behavior in animal models of depression. Therefore, GSK3β is suggested to be engaged in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder, and to be a target and/or modifier of anti-depressants’ action. In this review, we discuss abnormalities in the activity of GSK3β and its upstream regulators in different brain regions during depressive episodes. Additionally, putative role(s) of GSK3β in the pathogenesis of depression and the influence of anti-depressants on GSK3β activity are discussed.
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Optogenetic Control of Spine-Head JNK Reveals a Role in Dendritic Spine Regression. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0303-19.2019. [PMID: 31937523 PMCID: PMC7053173 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0303-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we use an optogenetic inhibitor of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in dendritic spine sub-compartments of rat hippocampal neurons. We show that JNK inhibition exerts rapid (within seconds) reorganization of actin in the spine-head. Using real-time Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to measure JNK activity, we find that either excitotoxic insult (NMDA) or endocrine stress (corticosterone), activate spine-head JNK causing internalization of AMPARs and spine retraction. Both events are prevented upon optogenetic inhibition of JNK, and rescued by JNK inhibition even 2 h after insult. Moreover, we identify that the fast-acting anti-depressant ketamine reduces JNK activity in hippocampal neurons suggesting that JNK inhibition may be a downstream mediator of its anti-depressant effect. In conclusion, we show that JNK activation plays a role in triggering spine elimination by NMDA or corticosterone stress, whereas inhibition of JNK facilitates regrowth of spines even in the continued presence of glucocorticoid. This identifies that JNK acts locally in the spine-head to promote AMPAR internalization and spine shrinkage following stress, and reveals a protective function for JNK inhibition in preventing spine regression.
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28
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Illes P, Verkhratsky A, Tang Y. Pathological ATPergic Signaling in Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 12:331. [PMID: 32076399 PMCID: PMC7006450 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mood disorders, major depression (MD) and bipolar disorder (BD), have a high lifetime prevalence in the human population and accordingly generate huge costs for health care. Efficient, rapidly acting, and side-effect-free pharmaceuticals are hitherto not available, and therefore, the identification of new therapeutic targets is an imperative task for (pre)clinical research. Such a target may be the purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), which is localized in the central nervous system (CNS) at microglial and neuroglial cells mediating neuroinflammation. MD and BD are due to neuroinflammation caused in the first line by the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) from the microglia. IL-1β in turn induces the secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and in consequence the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, which together with a plethora of further cytokines/chemokines lead to mood disorders. A number of biochemical/molecular biological measurements including the use of P2X7R- or IL-1β-deficient mice confirmed this chain of events. More recent studies showed that a decrease in the astrocytic release of ATP in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus is a major cause of mood disorders. It is an attractive hypothesis that compensatory increases in P2X7Rs in these areas of the brain are the immediate actuators of MD and BD. Hence, blood-brain barrier-permeable P2X7R antagonists may be promising therapeutic tools to improve depressive disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Illes
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Achucarro Centre for Neuroscience, Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Yong Tang
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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29
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Hajszan T. Stress and remodeling of hippocampal spine synapses. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2020; 114:257-279. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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30
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Zhang L, Tang W, Chao FL, Zhou CN, Jiang L, Zhang Y, Liang X, Tang J, Qi YQ, Yang H, He Q, Zhang SS, Zhu L, Peng Y, Tang Y. Four-month treadmill exercise prevents the decline in spatial learning and memory abilities and the loss of spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 136:104723. [PMID: 31887353 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that exercise could improve the plasticity of hippocampal synapses. However, the effects of exercise on synapses in the hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not completely known. METHODS In this study, thirty 12-month-old male APP/PS1 double transgenic mice were randomly divided into a sedentary group (n = 15) and a running group (n = 15). Fifteen 12-month-old male wild-type littermates were assigned to the control group (n = 15). While running mice were assigned to treadmill running for four months, the control mice and sedentary mice did not run during the study period. After Morris water maze testing, five mice in each group were randomly selected for a stereological assessment of spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta in the CA1, CA2-3 and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. RESULTS Morris water maze testing revealed that while the learning and memory abilities in sedentary APP/PS1 mice were significantly worse than those in wild-type control mice, the learning and memory abilities in running APP/PS1 mice were significantly better than those in sedentary APP/PS1 mice. The stereological results showed that the spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta numbers of the CA1, CA2-3 and DG in the hippocampus of sedentary APP/PS1 mice were significantly lower than those of wild-type control mice and that the numbers of these spines in the CA1, CA2-3 and DG in the hippocampus of running APP/PS1 mice were significantly higher than those of sedentary APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, a running-induced improvement in spatial learning and memory abilities was significantly correlated with running-induced increases in the spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta numbers in the CA1 and DG of the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Four-month treadmill exercise induced a significant improvement in spatial learning and memory abilities and a significant increase in the number of spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta of the CA1, CA2-3 and DG in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Running-induced improvements in spatial learning and memory abilities were significantly correlated with running-induced increases in the spinophilin-immunoreactive puncta numbers in the CA1 and DG of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Wei Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Feng-Lei Chao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Chun-Ni Zhou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Xin Liang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Ying-Qiang Qi
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Qi He
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Shan-Shan Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yan Peng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Yong Tang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China; Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China.
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Liang X, Tang J, Chao FL, Zhang Y, Chen LM, Wang FF, Tan CX, Luo YM, Xiao Q, Zhang L, Qi YQ, Jiang L, Huang CX, Gao Y, Tang Y. Exercise improves depressive symptoms by increasing the number of excitatory synapses in the hippocampus of CUS-Induced depression model rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 374:112115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Ribeiro DE, Casarotto PC, Staquini L, Pinto E Silva MA, Biojone C, Wegener G, Joca S. Reduced P2X receptor levels are associated with antidepressant effect in the learned helplessness model. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7834. [PMID: 31656696 PMCID: PMC6812674 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purinergic receptors, especially P2RX, are associated to the severity of symptoms in patients suffering from depressive and bipolar disorders, and genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of P2RX7 induces antidepressant-like effect in preclinical models. However, there is scarce evidence about the alterations in P2RX7 or P2RX4 levels and in behavioral consequences induced by previous exposure to stress, a major risk factor for depression in humans. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of imipramine (IMI) on P2RX7 and P2RX4 levels in dorsal and ventral hippocampus as well as in the frontal cortex of rats submitted to the pretest session of learned helplessness (LH) paradigm. Repeated, but not acute administration of IMI (15 mg/kg ip) reduced the levels of both P2RX7 and P2RX4 in the ventral, but not in dorsal hippocampus or frontal cortex. In addition, we tested the effect of P2RX7/P2RX4 antagonist brilliant blue G (BBG: 25 or 50 mg/kg ip) on the LH paradigm. We observed that repeated (7 days) but not acute (1 day) treatment with BBG (50 mg) reduced the number of failures to escape the shocks in the test session, a parameter mimicked by the same regimen of IMI treatment. Taken together, our data indicates that pharmacological blockade or decrease in the expression of P2RX7 is associated to the antidepressant-like behavior observed in the LH paradigm after repeated drug administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidiane Elisa Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Laura Staquini
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Maria Augusta Pinto E Silva
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Caroline Biojone
- Neuroscience Center-HILIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Samia Joca
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Huang Y, Xu D, Xiang H, Yan S, Sun F, Wei Z. Rapid antidepressant actions of imipramine potentiated by zinc through PKA-dependented regulation of mTOR and CREB signaling. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 518:337-343. [PMID: 31420165 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.08.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The slow onset of traditional antidepressants has become an urgent clinical issue, researchers are constantly exploring new antidepressants with prompt action. Previous studies have found that zinc levels were decreased in serum and brain of depressed patients or animal models. Zinc treatment can improve depressive symptoms and enhance the antidepressant effects of monoamine antidepressants. However, its mechanism of action is still unclear. This present study aims to investigate whether the zinc can enhance the rapid action of traditional antidepressant imipramine and to explore the potential mechanisms of action through the rapid antidepressant targets CREB (cAMP-response element binding protein) and mTOR (mammalian target of the rapamycin). Drug treatment included intraperitoneal injection of imipramine or zinc alone and imipramine plus zinc. Zinc had a rapid enhanced antidepressive effect on the imipramine and achieved a rapid antidepressant effect similar to ketamine. Combination of zinc with imipramine rapidly enhanced the phosphorylation of mTOR Ser2448 and CREB Ser133, and increased the expression of mTOR and CREB, which were dependent on the activation of PKA. In conclusion, combination therapy with zinc and monoamine antidepressants may overcome the problem of slow-onset action of traditional antidepressants in clinical uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeqing Huang
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 19 Nonglinxia Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Danhong Xu
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 19 Nonglinxia Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Haiqing Xiang
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 19 Nonglinxia Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Shi Yan
- The Institute of Neuroscience, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 250 Changgang East Road, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Fangfang Sun
- The Institute of Neuroscience, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 250 Changgang East Road, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Zhisheng Wei
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 19 Nonglinxia Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Hao Y, Ge H, Sun M, Gao Y. Selecting an Appropriate Animal Model of Depression. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194827. [PMID: 31569393 PMCID: PMC6801385 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression has become one of the most severe psychiatric disorders and endangers the health of living beings all over the world. In order to explore the molecular mechanism that underlies depression, different kinds of animal models of depression are used in laboratory experiments. However, a credible and reasonable animal model that is capable of imitating the pathologic mechanism of depression in mankind has yet to be found, resulting in a barrier to further investigation of depression. Nevertheless, it is possible to explain the pathologic mechanism of depression to a great extent by a rational modeling method and behavioral testing. This review aims to provide a reference for researchers by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of some common animal depression models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhen Hao
- Joint Program of Nanchang University and Queen Mary University of London, Nanchang 330006, China.
| | - Huixiang Ge
- Department of Physiology, The Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
| | - Mengyun Sun
- Department of Physiology, The Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
| | - Yun Gao
- Department of Physiology, The Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
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Highland JN, Zanos P, Georgiou P, Gould TD. Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor blockade promotes stress resilience in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1788-1796. [PMID: 30939596 PMCID: PMC6785136 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0380-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a leading risk factor for the onset and recurrence of major depression. Enhancing stress resilience may be a therapeutic strategy to prevent the development of depression in at-risk populations or its recurrence in depressed patients. Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu2/3) antagonists have been recognized for antidepressant-like actions in preclinical models, but have not been evaluated for prophylactic effects. We assessed the role of mGlu2/3 in modulating stress resilience using subtype-specific knockout mice lacking mGlu2 (Grm2-/-) or mGlu3 (Grm3-/-), and pharmacological manipulations of mGlu2/3 activity during or prior to the induction and reinstatement of stress-induced behavioral deficits. Grm2-/-, but not Grm3-/-, mice exhibited reduced forced-swimming test immobility time and were resilient to developing inescapable shock (IES)-induced escape deficits. Grm2-/- mice were also resilient to developing corticosterone (CORT)-induced escape deficits and chronic social defeat stress-induced anhedonia. Pharmacological blockade of mGlu2/3 with the antagonist LY341495 during stress prevented the development of IES- and CORT-induced escape deficits, while activation with the agonist LY379268 increased susceptibility to escape deficits. Prophylactic treatment with the LY341495, both systemically and via microinjection into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), up to 7 days before IES, prevented both the induction of escape deficits and their reinstatement by brief re-exposure to IES up to 20 days after treatment. Overall, blockade of mGlu2/3 enhanced stress resilience and deletion of mGlu2, but not mGlu3, conferred a stress-resilient phenotype, indicating that prophylactic treatments reducing mGlu2 activity may protect against stress-induced changes underlying the development or recurrence of stress-induced disorders, including depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn N. Highland
- 0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Program in Toxicology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Panos Zanos
- 0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Polymnia Georgiou
- 0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Todd D. Gould
- 0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Program in Toxicology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2175 4264grid.411024.2Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0000 9558 9225grid.417125.4Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD USA
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Kraus C, Seiger R, Pfabigan DM, Sladky R, Tik M, Paul K, Woletz M, Gryglewski G, Vanicek T, Komorowski A, Kasper S, Lamm C, Windischberger C, Lanzenberger R. Hippocampal Subfields in Acute and Remitted Depression-an Ultra-High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:513-522. [PMID: 31175352 PMCID: PMC6672627 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies investigating hippocampal volume changes after treatment with serotonergic antidepressants in patients with major depressive disorder yielded inconsistent results, and effects on hippocampal subfields are unclear. METHODS To detail treatment effects on total hippocampal and subfield volumes, we conducted an open-label study with escitalopram followed by venlafaxine upon nonresponse in 20 unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder. Before and after 12 weeks treatment, we measured total hippocampal formation volumes and subfield volumes with ultra-high field (7 Tesla), T1-weighted, structural magnetic resonance imaging, and FreeSurfer. Twenty-eight remitted patients and 22 healthy subjects were included as controls. We hypothesized to detect increased volumes after treatment in major depressive disorder. RESULTS We did not detect treatment-related changes of total hippocampal or subfield volumes in patients with major depressive disorder. Secondary results indicated that the control group of untreated, stable remitted patients, compared with healthy controls, had larger volumes of the right hippocampal-amygdaloid transition area and right fissure at both measurement time points. Depressed patients exhibited larger volumes of the right subiculum compared with healthy controls at MRI-2. Exploratory data analyses indicated lower baseline volumes in the subgroup of remitting (n = 10) vs nonremitting (n = 10) acute patients. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that monoaminergic antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder patients was not associated with volume changes in hippocampal subfields. Studies with larger sample sizes to detect smaller effects as well as other imaging modalities are needed to further assess the impact of antidepressant treatment on hippocampal subfields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Kraus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela M Pfabigan
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Tik
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Paul
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Woletz
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Gryglewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Arkadiusz Komorowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Windischberger
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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Song T, Wu H, Li R, Xu H, Rao X, Gao L, Zou Y, Lei H. Repeated fluoxetine treatment induces long-lasting neurotrophic changes in the medial prefrontal cortex of adult rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 365:114-124. [PMID: 30849415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Fluoxetine (Flx), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is extensively used to treat mood and anxiety disorders. Previous animal studies have shown that early-life exposure to Flx results in long-lasting behavioral alterations and neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and cortex, which may persist into adulthood. It remains unclear whether repeated Flx treatment in normal adult animals can induce lasting neuroplasticity and behavioral alterations persisting long beyond the treatment period. In this study, young adult rats (about 9 weeks old) were treated with Flx (10 mg/kg body weight, twice daily) for 15 consecutive days, and the effects of Flx on medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neuroplasticity and mPFC-related behaviors were assessed 20 days after the last injection. It was observed that the mPFC of Flx-treated rats had significant increases in the number of 5-bromodeoxyuridine-positive (BrdU+) cells, dendritic complexity/spine density in layer II/III pyramidal neurons, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) expression levels, as well as a significant decrease in the number of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons. The Flx-treated rats exhibited higher motivation to explore new environments, evidenced by a significantly increased number of entries into the novel arm in the Y-maze test. However, they did not show any significant changes in the anhedonia and anxiety levels measured by sucrose preference and elevated plus maze tests respectively. In conclusion, repeated Flx treatment, with the paradigm used, induces long-lasting neuroplastic changes in the mPFC of normal adult rats; such changes and related behavioral manifestations may persist up to 20 days after the last dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Song
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Radiology, Institute of Surgery Research, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, PR China
| | - Ronghui Li
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Hui Xu
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Xiaoping Rao
- Center for Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Lifeng Gao
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China; Department of Medical Imaging, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, PR China
| | - Yijuan Zou
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Hao Lei
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China.
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Zhang Y, Wang R, Chen R, Wang L. [Changes of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the hippocampus caused by prenatal stress induce depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in rats]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2019; 39:1094-1098. [PMID: 30890512 DOI: 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2019.09.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the pathogenic role of changes of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the hippocampus in depression- and anxiety-like behaviors caused by prenatal stress (PS) in offspring rats. METHODS Twelve female SpragueDawley rats weighing 240-260 g were randomly divided into control and restraint stress groups. The rats in the control group received no interventions, and those in restraint stress group were subjected to restraint stress (three times a day, 45 min each time) at the gestational age of 14-20 days. The 1-month-old offspring rats underwent open field test and forced swimming test to assess the anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, and the expressions of Wnt1, Gsk-3β and β-catenin in the hippocampus were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS In open field test, the offspring rats with PS showed significantly decreased crossings of the center (P < 0.01) with reduced time spent in the center (P < 0.05) compared with control offspring rats. In forced swimming test, the offspring rats in PS group exhibited a significantly longer immobility time than in the control rats, and showed obvious depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Compared with those in the control offspring rats, Gsk-3β expression increased significantly while the expressions of β-catenin and Wnt1 were significantly lowered in the hippocampus of the offspring rats in PS group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS PS causes changes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the hippocampus to contribute to the occurrence of depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University
| | - Ruizhong Wang
- Xi'an Xintong Drug Research Co., Ltd. Xi'an 710077, China
| | - Rui Chen
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University
| | - Li Wang
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University
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Miranda ASD, Miranda ASD, Teixeira AL. Lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer: insights from the pre-clinical evidence. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2018; 14:179-190. [PMID: 30523725 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1553951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lamotrigine (LTG) is a well-established anticonvulsant that is also approved for the prevention of mood relapses in bipolar disorder. However, the mechanisms underlying LTG mood stabilizing effects remain unclear. Areas covered: Herein, the pre-clinical evidence concerning LTG's' mode of action in depression and mania is reviewed. Bottlenecks and future perspectives for this expanding and promising field are also discussed. Pre-clinical studies have indicated that neurotransmitter systems, especially serotoninergic, noradrenergic and glutamatergic, as well as non-neurotransmitter pathways such as inflammation and oxidative processes might play a role in LTG's antidepressant effects. The mechanisms underlying LTG's anti-manic properties remain to be fully explored, but the available pre-clinical evidence points out to the role of glutamatergic neurotransmission, possibly through AMPA-receptors. Expert opinion: A major limitation of current pre-clinical investigations is that there are no experimental models that recapitulate the complexity of bipolar disorder. Significant methodological differences concerning time and dose of LTG treatment, administration route, animal strains, and behavioral paradigms also hamper the reproducibility of the findings, leading to contradictory conclusions. Moreover, the role of other mechanisms (e.g. inositol phosphate and GSK3β pathways) implicated in the mode of action of different mood-stabilizers must also be consolidated with LTG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Silva de Miranda
- a Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.,b Laboratório de Neurobiologia, Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brasil
| | - Amanda Silva de Miranda
- c Departamento de Química , Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brasil
| | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- a Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais , Belo Horizonte , Brazil.,d Neuropsychiatry Program & Immuno-Psychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School , University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston , USA
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Floriou-Servou A, von Ziegler L, Stalder L, Sturman O, Privitera M, Rassi A, Cremonesi A, Thöny B, Bohacek J. Distinct Proteomic, Transcriptomic, and Epigenetic Stress Responses in Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:531-541. [PMID: 29605177 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acutely stressful experiences can trigger neuropsychiatric disorders and impair cognitive processes by altering hippocampal function. Although the intrinsic organization of the hippocampus is highly conserved throughout its long dorsal-ventral axis, the dorsal (anterior) hippocampus mediates spatial navigation and memory formation, whereas the ventral (posterior) hippocampus is involved in emotion regulation. To understand the molecular consequences of stress, detailed genome-wide screens are necessary and need to distinguish between dorsal and ventral hippocampal regions. While transcriptomic screens have become a mainstay in basic and clinical research, proteomic methods are rapidly evolving and hold even greater promise to reveal biologically and clinically relevant biomarkers. METHODS Here, we provide the first combined transcriptomic (RNA sequencing) and proteomic (sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra [SWATH-MS]) profiling of dorsal and ventral hippocampus in mice. We used three different acute stressors (novelty, swim, and restraint) to assess the impact of stress on both regions. RESULTS We demonstrated that both hippocampal regions display radically distinct molecular responses and that the ventral hippocampus is particularly sensitive to the effects of stress. Separately analyzing these structures greatly increased the sensitivity to detect stress-induced changes. For example, protein interaction cluster analyses revealed a stress-responsive epigenetic network around histone demethylase Kdm6b restricted to the ventral hippocampus, and acute stress reduced methylation of its enzymatic target H3K27me3. Selective Kdm6b knockdown in the ventral hippocampus led to behavioral hyperactivity/hyperresponsiveness. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the importance of considering dorsal and ventral hippocampus separately when conducting high-throughput molecular analyses, which has important implications for fundamental research as well as clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Floriou-Servou
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas von Ziegler
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Medical Faculty of the University Zürich and Department of Health Science and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luzia Stalder
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Medical Faculty of the University Zürich and Department of Health Science and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Sturman
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mattia Privitera
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anahita Rassi
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessio Cremonesi
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Thöny
- Division of Metabolism, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Institute for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Chou D, Peng HY, Lin TB, Lai CY, Hsieh MC, Wen YC, Lee AS, Wang HH, Yang PS, Chen GD, Ho YC. (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine rescues chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior through its actions in the midbrain periaqueductal gray. Neuropharmacology 2018; 139:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Protein kinase Mζ in medial prefrontal cortex mediates depressive-like behavior and antidepressant response. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1878-1891. [PMID: 29180675 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal atrophy and alterations of synaptic structure and function in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ), a brain-specific atypical protein kinase C isoform, is important for maintaining long-term potentiation and storing memory. In the present study, we explored the role of PKMζ in mPFC in two rat models of depression, chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and learned helplessness. The involvement of PKMζ in the antidepressant effects of conventional antidepressants and ketamine were also investigated. We found that chronic stress decreased the expression of PKMζ in the mPFC and hippocampus but not in the orbitofrontal cortex. Overexpression of PKMζ in mPFC prevented the depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors induced by CUS, and reversed helplessness behaviors. Inhibition of PKMζ in mPFC by expressing a PKMζ dominant-negative mutant induced depressive-like behaviors after subthreshold unpredictable stress and increased learned helplessness behavior. Furthermore, stress-induced deficits in synaptic proteins and decreases in dendritic density and the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in the mPFC were prevented by PKMζ overexpression and potentiated by PKMζ inhibition in subthreshold stress rats. The antidepressants fluoxetine, desipramine and ketamine increased PKMζ expression in mPFC and PKMζ mediated the antidepressant effects of ketamine. These findings identify PKMζ in mPFC as a critical mediator of depressive-like behavior and antidepressant response, providing a potential therapeutic target in developing novel antidepressants.
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Musazzi L, Tornese P, Sala N, Popoli M. What Acute Stress Protocols Can Tell Us About PTSD and Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:758. [PMID: 30050444 PMCID: PMC6052084 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the fifth most prevalent mental disorder in the United States, is a chronic, debilitating mental illness with as yet limited options for treatment. Hallmark symptoms of PTSD include intrusive memory of trauma, avoidance of reminders of the event, hyperarousal and hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and anhedonia. PTSD is often triggered by exposure to a single traumatic experience, such as a traffic accident, a natural catastrophe, or an episode of violence. This suggests that stressful events have a primary role in the pathogenesis of the disorder, although genetic background and previous life events are likely involved. However, pathophysiology of this mental disorder, as for major depression and anxiety disorders, is still poorly understood. In particular, it is unknown how can a single traumatic, stressful event induce a disease that can last for years or decades. A major shift in the conceptual framework investigating neuropsychiatric disorders has occurred in recent years, from a monoamine-oriented hypothesis (which dominated pharmacological research for over half a century) to a neuroplasticity hypothesis, which posits that structural and functional changes in brain circuitry (largely in the glutamate system) mediate psychopathology and also therapeutic action. Rodent stress models are very useful to understand pathophysiology of PTSD. Recent studies with acute or subacute stress models have shown that exposure to short-time stressors (from several minutes to a few hours) can induce not only rapid, but also sustained changes in synaptic function (glutamate release, synaptic transmission/plasticity), neuroarchitecture (dendritic morphology, synaptic spines), and behavior (cognitive functions). Some of these changes, e.g., stress-induced increased glutamate release and dendrite retraction, are likely connected and occur more rapidly than previously thought. We propose here to use a modified version of a simple and validated protocol of footshock stress to explore different trajectories in the individual response to acute stress. This new conceptual framework may enable us to identify determinants of resilient versus vulnerable response as well as new targets for treatment, in particular for rapid-acting antidepressants. It will be interesting to investigate the putative prophylactic action of ketamine toward the maladaptive effects of acute stress in this new protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Musazzi
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Tornese
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nathalie Sala
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Functional Neurogenomics - Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
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Zaręba-Kozioł M, Figiel I, Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek A, Włodarczyk J. Insights Into Protein S-Palmitoylation in Synaptic Plasticity and Neurological Disorders: Potential and Limitations of Methods for Detection and Analysis. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:175. [PMID: 29910712 PMCID: PMC5992399 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
S-palmitoylation (S-PALM) is a lipid modification that involves the linkage of a fatty acid chain to cysteine residues of the substrate protein. This common posttranslational modification (PTM) is unique among other lipid modifications because of its reversibility. Hence, like phosphorylation or ubiquitination, it can act as a switch that modulates various important physiological pathways within the cell. Numerous studies revealed that S-PALM plays a crucial role in protein trafficking and function throughout the nervous system. Notably, the dynamic turnover of palmitate on proteins at the synapse may provide a key mechanism for rapidly changing synaptic strength. Indeed, palmitate cycling on postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), the major postsynaptic density protein at excitatory synapses, regulates the number of synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) and thus affects synaptic transmission. Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between impairments in S-PALM and severe neurological disorders. Therefore, determining the precise levels of S-PALM may be essential for understanding the ways in which this PTM is regulated in the brain and controls synaptic dynamics. Protein S-PALM can be characterized using metabolic labeling methods and biochemical tools. Both approaches are discussed herein in the context of specific methods and their advantages and disadvantages. This review clearly shows progress in the field, which has led to the development of new, more sensitive techniques that enable the detection of palmitoylated proteins and allow predictions of potential palmitate binding sites. Unfortunately, one significant limitation of these approaches continues to be the inability to use them in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Zaręba-Kozioł
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Figiel
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Bartkowiak-Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Zak N, Moberget T, Bøen E, Boye B, Waage TR, Dietrichs E, Harkestad N, Malt UF, Westlye LT, Andreassen OA, Andersson S, Elvsåshagen T. Longitudinal and cross-sectional investigations of long-term potentiation-like cortical plasticity in bipolar disorder type II and healthy individuals. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:103. [PMID: 29795193 PMCID: PMC5966393 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0151-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual evoked potential (VEP) plasticity is a promising assay for noninvasive examination of long-term potentiation (LTP)-like synaptic processes in the cerebral cortex. We conducted longitudinal and cross-sectional investigations of VEP plasticity in controls and individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) type II. VEP plasticity was assessed at baseline, as described previously (Elvsåshagen et al. Biol Psychiatry 2012), and 2.2 years later, at follow-up. The longitudinal sample with VEP data from both time points comprised 29 controls and 16 patients. VEP data were available from 13 additional patients at follow-up (total n = 58). VEPs were evoked by checkerboard reversals in two premodulation blocks before and six blocks after a plasticity-inducing block of prolonged (10 min) visual stimulation. VEP plasticity was computed by subtracting premodulation VEP amplitudes from postmodulation amplitudes. Saliva samples for cortisol analysis were collected immediately after awakening in the morning, 30 min later, and at 12:30 PM, at follow-up. We found reduced VEP plasticity in BD type II, that impaired plasticity was present in the euthymic phases of the illness, and that VEP plasticity correlated negatively with depression severity. There was a positive association between VEP plasticity and saliva cortisol in controls, possibly reflecting an inverted U-shaped relationship between cortisol and synaptic plasticity. VEP plasticity exhibited moderate temporal stability over a period of 2.2 years. The present study provides additional evidence for impaired LTP-like cortical plasticity in BD type II. VEP plasticity is an accessible method, which may help elucidate the pathophysiological and clinical significance of synaptic dysfunction in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Zak
- 0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torgeir Moberget
- 0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erlend Bøen
- 0000 0004 0512 8628grid.413684.cDepartment of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgitte Boye
- 0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Section of Psychosocial Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trine R. Waage
- 0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Espen Dietrichs
- 0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nina Harkestad
- 0000 0004 1936 7443grid.7914.bDepartment of Biological and Medical Pscyhology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ulrik F. Malt
- 0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Department of Research and Education, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- 0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- 0000 0004 0389 8485grid.55325.34Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway ,0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stein Andersson
- 0000 0004 1936 8921grid.5510.1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torbjørn Elvsåshagen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. .,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. .,Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Marshall J, Zhou XZ, Chen G, Yang SQ, Li Y, Wang Y, Zhang ZQ, Jiang Q, Birnbaumer L, Cao C. Antidepression action of BDNF requires and is mimicked by Gαi1/3 expression in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E3549-E3558. [PMID: 29507199 PMCID: PMC5899481 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722493115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, a neurotrophin that plays a key role in synaptic plasticity, are believed to contribute to the pathophysiology of depression. Here, we show that in a chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression the Gαi1 and Gαi3 subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins are down-regulated in the hippocampus, a key limbic structure associated with major depressive disorder. We provide evidence that Gαi1 and Gαi3 (Gαi1/3) are required for the activation of TrkB downstream signaling pathways. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and CNS neurons, Gαi1/3 knockdown inhibited BDNF-induced tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) endocytosis, adaptor protein activation, and Akt-mTORC1 and Erk-MAPK signaling. Functional studies show that Gαi1 and Gαi3 knockdown decreases the number of dendrites and dendritic spines in hippocampal neurons. In vivo, hippocampal Gαi1/3 knockdown after bilateral microinjection of lentiviral constructs containing Gαi1 and Gαi3 shRNA elicited depressive behaviors. Critically, exogenous expression of Gαi3 in the hippocampus reversed depressive behaviors in CMS mice. Similar results were observed in Gαi1/Gαi3 double-knockout mice, which exhibited severe depressive behaviors. These results demonstrate that heterotrimeric Gαi1 and Gαi3 proteins are essential for TrkB signaling and that disruption of Gαi1 or Gαi3 function could contribute to depressive behaviors.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- Dendrites/metabolism
- Dendrites/pathology
- Dendritic Spines/metabolism
- Dendritic Spines/pathology
- Depression/metabolism
- Depression/pathology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/metabolism
- Depressive Disorder, Major/pathology
- Down-Regulation
- Female
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2/biosynthesis
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2/genetics
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2/metabolism
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go/biosynthesis
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go/genetics
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go/metabolism
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neurons/metabolism
- Neurons/pathology
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Stress, Physiological/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- John Marshall
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912;
| | - Xiao-Zhong Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004 Jiangsu, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006 Jiangsu, China
| | - Su-Qing Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Ya Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Yin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Zhi-Qing Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Qin Jiang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029 Nanjing, China
| | - Lutz Birnbaumer
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709;
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Research, Catholic University of Argentina, C1107AAZ Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cong Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China;
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 210029 Nanjing, China
- North District, The Municipal Hospital of Suzhou, Suzhou 215001, China
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Napper RMA. Total Number Is Important: Using the Disector Method in Design-Based Stereology to Understand the Structure of the Rodent Brain. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:16. [PMID: 29556178 PMCID: PMC5844935 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The advantages of using design-based stereology in the collection of quantitative data, have been highlighted, in numerous publications, since the description of the disector method by Sterio (1984). This review article discusses the importance of total number derived with the disector method, as a key variable that must continue to be used to understand the rodent brain and that such data can be used to develop quantitative networks of the brain. The review article will highlight the huge impact total number has had on our understanding of the rodent brain and it will suggest that neuroscientists need to be aware of the increasing number of studies where density, not total number, is the quantitative measure used. It will emphasize that density can result in data that is misleading, most often in an unknown direction, and that we run the risk of this type of data being accepted into the collective neuroscience knowledge database. It will also suggest that design-based stereology using the disector method, can be used alongside recent developments in electron microscopy, such as serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to obtain total number data very efficiently at the ultrastructural level. Throughout the article total number is discussed as a key parameter in understanding the micro-networks of the rodent brain as they can be represented as both anatomical and quantitative networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M A Napper
- Brain Health Research Centre, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Dong J, Zhou Q, Wei Z, Yan S, Sun F, Cai X. Protein kinase A mediates scopolamine-induced mTOR activation and an antidepressant response. J Affect Disord 2018; 227:633-642. [PMID: 29174736 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical reports have shown that scopolamine produces a rapid (3-4 d) and potent anti-depressive response without severe adverse effects. Animal experiments have proven that scopolamine induces mTOR pathway activation in an AMPAR dependent manner. The present study aimed to determine the role of PKA in scopolamine-induced potentiation of AMPAR, as well as in mTOR pathway activation and rapid antidepressant effects. METHODS We utilized electrophysiological recording, Western blotting, and behavior tests to examine the effects of scopolamine, the selective M2 cholinergic receptor antagonist methoctramine, and H89, a PKA specific inhibitor on AMPAR potentiation, mTOR pathway activation, and behavioral responses in a rat depression model of learned helplessness. RESULTS Scopolamine (1μM) rapidly increased AMPAR-fEPSP amplitudes and membrane GluA1 expression in CA1 region of hippocampal slices, both of which were abolished by H89. Moreover, scopolamine promoted AMPAR phosphorylation on GluA1 ser845, a PKA site involved in GluA1 membrane insertion. H89 disrupted both GluA1 ser845 phosphorylation and mTOR activation, as well as the antidepressant effects of scopolamine as determined via forced swim test. Additionally, methoctramine mimicked the effects of scopolamine on phosphorylation and counter-depressive action in a PKA-dependent manner. LIMITATIONS Only one test was used to evaluate depressive behavior, and gene knock-out rats were not yet utilized to refine our hypotheses. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed that PKA pathway is necessary for scopolamine-induced synaptic plasticity and mTOR pathway activation, and indicated that a potential M2-PKA mechanism underlies scopolamine's antidepressant effects. Such findings suggest that GluA1 ser845 phosphorylation may be a trigger event for scopolamine's actions, and that PKA may represent a novel target for the treatment of depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyang Dong
- Institute of Neurosciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinji Zhou
- Institute of Neurosciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhisheng Wei
- Department of Neurology, School of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi Yan
- Institute of Neurosciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fangfang Sun
- Institute of Neurosciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Cai
- Institute of Neurosciences, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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49
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Csabai D, Wiborg O, Czéh B. Reduced Synapse and Axon Numbers in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rats Subjected to a Chronic Stress Model for Depression. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:24. [PMID: 29440995 PMCID: PMC5797661 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful experiences can induce structural changes in neurons of the limbic system. These cellular changes contribute to the development of stress-induced psychopathologies like depressive disorders. In the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals, reduced dendritic length and spine loss have been reported. This loss of dendritic material should consequently result in synapse loss as well, because of the reduced dendritic surface. But so far, no one studied synapse numbers in the prefrontal cortex of chronically stressed animals. Here, we examined synaptic contacts in rats subjected to an animal model for depression, where animals are exposed to a chronic stress protocol. Our hypothesis was that long term stress should reduce the number of axo-spinous synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex. Adult male rats were exposed to daily stress for 9 weeks and afterward we did a post mortem quantitative electron microscopic analysis to quantify the number and morphology of synapses in the infralimbic cortex. We analyzed asymmetric (Type I) and symmetric (Type II) synapses in all cortical layers in control and stressed rats. We also quantified axon numbers and measured the volume of the infralimbic cortex. In our systematic unbiased analysis, we examined 21,000 axon terminals in total. We found the following numbers in the infralimbic cortex of control rats: 1.15 × 109 asymmetric synapses, 1.06 × 108 symmetric synapses and 1.00 × 108 myelinated axons. The density of asymmetric synapses was 5.5/μm3 and the density of symmetric synapses was 0.5/μm3. Average synapse membrane length was 207 nm and the average axon terminal membrane length was 489 nm. Stress reduced the number of synapses and myelinated axons in the deeper cortical layers, while synapse membrane lengths were increased. These stress-induced ultrastructural changes indicate that neurons of the infralimbic cortex have reduced cortical network connectivity. Such reduced network connectivity is likely to form the anatomical basis for the impaired functioning of this brain area. Indeed, impaired functioning of the prefrontal cortex, such as cognitive deficits are common in stressed individuals as well as in depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Csabai
- MTA - PTE, Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ove Wiborg
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Boldizsár Czéh
- MTA - PTE, Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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50
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Li C, Cao F, Li S, Huang S, Li W, Abumaria N. Profiling and Co-expression Network Analysis of Learned Helplessness Regulated mRNAs and lncRNAs in the Mouse Hippocampus. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 10:454. [PMID: 29375311 PMCID: PMC5768633 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although studies provide insights into the neurobiology of stress and depression, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying their pathologies remain largely unknown. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been implicated in brain functions and behavior. A potential link between lncRNA and psychiatric disorders has been proposed. However, it remains undetermined whether IncRNA regulation, in the brain, contributes to stress or depression pathologies. In this study, we used a valid animal model of depression-like symptoms; namely learned helplessness, RNA-seq, Gene Ontology and co-expression network analyses to profile the expression pattern of lncRNA and mRNA in the hippocampus of mice. We identified 6346 differentially expressed transcripts. Among them, 340 lncRNAs and 3559 protein coding mRNAs were differentially expressed in helpless mice in comparison with control and/or non-helpless mice (inescapable stress resilient mice). Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analyses indicated that induction of helplessness altered expression of mRNAs enriched in fundamental biological functions implicated in stress/depression neurobiology such as synaptic, metabolic, cell survival and proliferation, developmental and chromatin modification functions. To explore the possible regulatory roles of the altered lncRNAs, we constructed co-expression networks composed of the lncRNAs and mRNAs. Among our differentially expressed lncRNAs, 17% showed significant correlation with genes. Functional co-expression analysis linked the identified lncRNAs to several cellular mechanisms implicated in stress/depression neurobiology. Importantly, 57% of the identified regulatory lncRNAs significantly correlated with 18 different synapse-related functions. Thus, the current study identifies for the first time distinct groups of lncRNAs regulated by induction of learned helplessness in the mouse brain. Our results suggest that lncRNA-directed regulatory mechanisms might contribute to stress-induced pathologies; in particular, to inescapable stress-induced synaptic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Li
- Institutes of Brain Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Cao
- Institutes of Brain Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengli Li
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shenglin Huang
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Li
- Institutes of Brain Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nashat Abumaria
- Institutes of Brain Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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