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Kim HD, Wei J, Call T, Ma X, Quintus NT, Summers AJ, Carotenuto S, Johnson R, Nguyen A, Cui Y, Park JG, Qiu S, Ferguson D. SIRT1 Coordinates Transcriptional Regulation of Neural Activity and Modulates Depression-Like Behaviors in the Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:495-505. [PMID: 38575105 PMCID: PMC11338727 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depression and anxiety disorders are significant causes of disability and socioeconomic burden. Despite the prevalence and considerable impact of these affective disorders, their pathophysiology remains elusive. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutics for these conditions. We evaluated the role of SIRT1 in regulating dysfunctional processes of reward by using chronic social defeat stress to induce depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Chronic social defeat stress induces physiological and behavioral changes that recapitulate depression-like symptomatology and alters gene expression programs in the nucleus accumbens, but cell type-specific changes in this critical structure remain largely unknown. METHODS We examined transcriptional profiles of D1-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) lacking deacetylase activity of SIRT1 by RNA sequencing in a cell type-specific manner using the RiboTag line of mice. We analyzed differentially expressed genes using gene ontology tools including SynGO and EnrichR and further demonstrated functional changes in D1-MSN-specific SIRT1 knockout (KO) mice using electrophysiological and behavioral measurements. RESULTS RNA sequencing revealed altered transcriptional profiles of D1-MSNs lacking functional SIRT1 and showed specific changes in synaptic genes including glutamatergic and GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) receptors in D1-MSNs. These molecular changes may be associated with decreased excitatory and increased inhibitory neural activity in Sirt1 KO D1-MSNs, accompanied by morphological changes. Moreover, the D1-MSN-specific Sirt1 KO mice exhibited proresilient changes in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. CONCLUSIONS SIRT1 coordinates excitatory and inhibitory synaptic genes to regulate the GABAergic output tone of D1-MSNs. These findings reveal a novel signaling pathway that has potential for the development of innovative treatments for affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Dae Kim
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Tanessa Call
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Xiaokuang Ma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Nicole Teru Quintus
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Alexander J Summers
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Samantha Carotenuto
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Ross Johnson
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Angel Nguyen
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Yuehua Cui
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Jin G Park
- Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Deveroux Ferguson
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona.
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Borland JM. The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105809. [PMID: 39004323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
BORLAND, J.M., The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents, NEUROSCI BIOBEH REV 21(1) XXX-XXX, 2024.-Sociality shapes an organisms' life. The nucleus accumbens is a critical brain region for mental health. In the following review, the effects of different types of social interactions on the physiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens is synthesized. More specifically, the effects of sex behavior, aggression, social defeat, pair-bonding, play behavior, affiliative interactions, parental behaviors, the isolation from social interactions and maternal separation on measures of excitatory synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling and factors of transcription and translation in neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodent models are reviewed. Similarities and differences in effects depending on the type of social interaction is then discussed. This review improves the understanding of the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of sociality.
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Navarrete J, Schneider KN, Smith BM, Goodwin NL, Zhang YY, Salazar AS, Gonzalez YE, Anumolu P, Gross E, Tsai VS, Heshmati M, Golden SA. Individual Differences in Volitional Social Self-Administration and Motivation in Male and Female Mice Following Social Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:309-321. [PMID: 38244753 PMCID: PMC11255129 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A key challenge in developing treatments for neuropsychiatric illness is the disconnect between preclinical models and the complexity of human social behavior. We integrate voluntary social self-administration into a rodent model of social stress as a platform for the identification of fundamental brain and behavior mechanisms underlying stress-induced individual differences in social motivation. METHODS Here, we introduced an operant social stress procedure in male and female mice composed of 3 phases: 1) social self-administration training, 2) social stress exposure concurrent with reinforced self-administration testing, and 3) poststress operant testing under nonreinforced and reinforced conditions. We used social-defeat and witness-defeat stress in male and female mice. RESULTS Social defeat attenuated social reward seeking in males but not females, whereas witness defeat had no effect in males but promoted seeking behavior in females. We resolved social stress-induced changes to social motivation by aggregating z-scored operant metrics into a cumulative social index score to describe the spectrum of individual differences exhibited during operant social stress. Clustering does not adequately describe the relative distributions of social motivation following stress and is better described as a nonbinary behavioral distribution defined by the social index score, capturing a dynamic range of stress-related alterations in social motivation inclusive of sex as a biological variable. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that operant social stress can detect stable individual differences in stress-induced changes to social motivation. The inclusion of volitional behavior in social procedures may enhance the understanding of behavioral adaptations that promote stress resiliency and their mechanisms under more naturalistic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Navarrete
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kevin N Schneider
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Briana M Smith
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nastacia L Goodwin
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yizhe Y Zhang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Axelle S Salazar
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yahir E Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Pranav Anumolu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ethan Gross
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Valerie S Tsai
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mitra Heshmati
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sam A Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
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Guan J, Sun Y, Fan Y, Liang J, Liu C, Yu H, Liu J. Effects and neural mechanisms of different physical activity on major depressive disorder based on cerebral multimodality monitoring: a narrative review. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1406670. [PMID: 39188405 PMCID: PMC11345241 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1406670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is currently the most common psychiatric disorder in the world. It characterized by a high incidence of disease with the symptoms like depressed mood, slowed thinking, and reduced cognitive function. Without timely intervention, there is a 20-30% risk of conversion to treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and a high burden for the patient, family and society. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity (PA) is a non-pharmacological treatment that can significantly improve the mental status of patients with MDD and has positive effects on cognitive function, sleep status, and brain plasticity. However, the physiological and psychological effects of different types of PA on individuals vary, and the dosage profile of PA in improving symptoms in patients with MDD has not been elucidated. In most current studies of MDD, PA can be categorized as continuous endurance training (ECT), explosive interval training (EIT), resistance strength training (RST), and mind-body training (MBT), and the effects on patients' depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and sleep varied. Therefore, the present study was based on a narrative review and included a large number of existing studies to investigate the characteristics and differences in the effects of different PA interventions on MDD. The study also investigated the characteristics and differences of different PA interventions in MDD, and explained the neural mechanisms through the results of multimodal brain function monitoring, including the intracranial environment and brain structure. It aims to provide exercise prescription and theoretical reference for future research in neuroscience and clinical intervention in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Guan
- Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Sports, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Fan
- College of P.E and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Liang
- Department of Physical Education, Kunming University of Science and Technology Oxbridge College, Kunming, China
| | - Chuang Liu
- Department of Physical Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haohan Yu
- Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingmin Liu
- Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Xu Y, Lin Y, Yu M, Zhou K. The nucleus accumbens in reward and aversion processing: insights and implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1420028. [PMID: 39184934 PMCID: PMC11341389 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1420028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central component of the brain's reward circuitry, has been implicated in a wide range of behaviors and emotional states. Emerging evidence, primarily drawing from recent rodent studies, suggests that the function of the NAc in reward and aversion processing is multifaceted. Prolonged stress or drug use induces maladaptive neuronal function in the NAc circuitry, which results in pathological conditions. This review aims to provide comprehensive and up-to-date insights on the role of the NAc in motivated behavior regulation and highlights areas that demand further in-depth analysis. It synthesizes the latest findings on how distinct NAc neuronal populations and pathways contribute to the processing of opposite valences. The review examines how a range of neuromodulators, especially monoamines, influence the NAc's control over various motivational states. Furthermore, it delves into the complex underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders such as addiction and depression and evaluates prospective interventions to restore NAc functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kuikui Zhou
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
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Luo PX, Serna Godoy A, Zakharenkov HC, Vang N, Wright EC, Balantac TA, Archdeacon SC, Black AM, Lake AA, Ramirez AV, Lozier LE, Perez MD, Bhangal I, Desta NM, Trainor BC. Hypocretin in the nucleus accumbens shell modulates social approach in female but not male California mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01937-9. [PMID: 39117901 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01937-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
The hypocretin (Hcrt) system modulates arousal and anxiety-related behaviors and has been considered as a novel treatment target for stress-related affective disorders. We examined the effects of Hcrt acting in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) and anterodorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (adBNST) on social behavior in male and female California mice (Peromyscus californicus). In female but not male California mice, infusion of Hcrt1 into NAcSh decreased social approach. Weak effects of Hcrt1 on social vigilance were observed in both females and males. No behavioral effects of Hcrt1 infused into the adBNST were observed. Analyses of sequencing data from California mice and Mus musculus NAc showed that Hcrtr2 was more abundant than Hcrtr1, so we infused the selective Hcrt receptor 2 antagonist into the NAcSh, which increased social approach in females previously exposed to social defeat. A calcium imaging study in the NAcSh of females before and after stress exposure showed that neural activity increased immediately following the expression of social avoidance but not during freezing behavior. This observation is consistent with previous studies that identified populations of neurons in the NAc that drive avoidance. Intriguingly, calcium transients were not affected by stress. These data suggest that hypocretin acting in the NAcSh plays a key role in modulating stress-induced social avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei X Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Nou Vang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Emily C Wright
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Alexis M Black
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alyssa A Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alison V Ramirez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E Lozier
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Melvin D Perez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Irvin Bhangal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nile M Desta
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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7
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Dogra S, Aguayo C, Xiang Z, Putnam J, Smith J, Johnston C, Foster DJ, Lindsley CW, Niswender CM, Conn PJ. Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 3 Modulates Thalamo-accumbal Transmission and Rescues Schizophrenia-Like Physiological and Behavioral Deficits. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:230-242. [PMID: 38061467 PMCID: PMC11150332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in the gene encoding for metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGlu3) are associated with an increased likelihood of schizophrenia diagnosis and can predict improvements in negative symptoms following treatment with antipsychotics. However, the mechanisms by which mGlu3 can regulate brain circuits involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology are not clear. METHODS We employed selective pharmacological tools and a variety of approaches including whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, slice optogenetics, and fiber photometry to investigate the effects of mGlu3 activation on phencyclidine (PCP)-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. A chemogenetic approach was used to evaluate the role of thalamo-accumbal transmission in PCP-induced sociability deficits. RESULTS We first established that PCP treatment augmented excitatory transmission onto dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and induced sociability deficits. Our studies revealed a selective increase in glutamatergic synaptic transmission from thalamic afferents to D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. Chemogenetic silencing of thalamo-accumbal inputs rescued PCP-induced sociability deficits. Pharmacological activation of mGlu3 normalized PCP-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. Mechanistic studies revealed that mGlu3 activation induced robust long-term depression at synapses from the thalamic projections onto D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that activation of mGlu3 decreases thalamo-accumbal transmission and thereby rescues sociability deficits in mouse modeling schizophrenia-like symptoms. These findings provide novel insights into the NAc-specific mechanisms and suggest that agents modulating glutamatergic signaling in the NAc may provide a promising approach for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Dogra
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Caleb Aguayo
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Zixiu Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jason Putnam
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Joshua Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Curran Johnston
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Daniel J Foster
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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8
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Pagliusi M, Amorim-Marques AP, Lobo MK, Guimarães FS, Lisboa SF, Gomes FV. The rostral ventromedial medulla modulates pain and depression-related behaviors caused by social stress. Pain 2024; 165:1814-1823. [PMID: 38661577 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) is a crucial structure in the descending pain modulatory system, playing a key role as a relay for both the facilitation and inhibition of pain. The chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model has been widely used to study stress-induced behavioral impairments associated with depression in rodents. Several studies suggest that CSDS also causes changes related to chronic pain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the involvement of the RVM in CSDS-induced behavioral impairments, including those associated with chronic pain. We used chemogenetics to activate or inhibit the RVM during stress. The results indicated that the RVM is a vital hub influencing stress outcomes. Rostral ventromedial medulla activation during CSDS ameliorates all the stress outcomes, including social avoidance, allodynia, hyperalgesia, anhedonia, and behavioral despair. In addition, RVM inhibition in animals exposed to a subthreshold social defeat stress protocol induces a susceptible phenotype, facilitating all stress outcomes. Finally, chronic RVM inhibition-without any social stress stimulus-induces chronic pain but not depressive-like behaviors. Our findings provide insights into the comorbidity between chronic pain and depression by indicating the involvement of the RVM in establishing social stress-induced behavioral responses associated with both chronic pain and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pagliusi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Anna P Amorim-Marques
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Pharmaceutical Sciences School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Francisco S Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Sabrina F Lisboa
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Pharmaceutical Sciences School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Felipe V Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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9
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Giua G, Pereira-Silva J, Caceres-Rodriguez A, Lassalle O, Chavis P, Manzoni OJ. Cell- and Pathway-Specific Disruptions in the Accumbens of Fragile X Mouse. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1587232024. [PMID: 38830765 PMCID: PMC11270510 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1587-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. The mesocorticolimbic system, which includes the prefrontal cortex (PFC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and nucleus accumbens core (NAcC), is essential for regulating socioemotional behaviors. We employed optogenetics to compare the functional properties of the BLA→NAcC, PFC→NAcC, and reciprocal PFC↔BLA pathways in Fmr1-/y::Drd1a-tdTomato male mice. In FXS mice, the PFC↔BLA reciprocal pathway was unaffected, while significant synaptic modifications occurred in the BLA/PFC→NAcC pathways. We observed distinct changes in D1 striatal projection neurons (SPNs) and separate modifications in D2 SPNs. In FXS mice, the BLA/PFC→NAcC-D2 SPN pathways demonstrated heightened synaptic strength. Focusing on the BLA→NAcC pathway, linked to autistic symptoms, we found increased AMPAR and NMDAR currents and elevated spine density in D2 SPNs. Conversely, the amplified firing probability of BLA→NAcC-D1 SPNs was not accompanied by increased synaptic strength, AMPAR and NMDAR currents, or spine density. These pathway-specific alterations resulted in an overall enhancement of excitatory-to-spike coupling, a physiologically relevant index of how efficiently excitatory inputs drive neuronal firing, in both BLA→NAcC-D1 and BLA→NAcC-D2 pathways. Finally, the absence of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMRP) led to impaired long-term depression specifically in BLA→D1 SPNs. These distinct alterations in synaptic transmission and plasticity within circuits targeting the NAcC highlight the potential role of postsynaptic mechanisms in selected SPNs in the observed circuit-level changes. This research underscores the heightened vulnerability of the NAcC in the context of FMRP deficiency, emphasizing its pivotal role in the pathophysiology of FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Giua
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
| | - Jessica Pereira-Silva
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
| | - Alba Caceres-Rodriguez
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
| | - Olivier Lassalle
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
| | - Pascale Chavis
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
| | - Olivier J Manzoni
- Institut de neurobiologie de la méditerranée, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1249, Marseille 13273, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13284, France
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Blum K, Bowirrat A, Sunder K, Thanos PK, Hanna C, Gold MS, Dennen CA, Elman I, Murphy KT, Makale MT. Dopamine Dysregulation in Reward and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2024; 14:733. [PMID: 39061473 PMCID: PMC11274922 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by core deficits in social skills, communication, and cognition and by repetitive stereotyped behaviors. These manifestations are variable between individuals, and ASD pathogenesis is complex, with over a thousand implicated genes, many epigenetic factors, and multiple environmental influences. The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) mediated brain reward system is held to play a key role, but the rapidly expanding literature reveals intricate, nuanced signaling involving a wide array of mesolimbic loci, neurotransmitters and receptor subtypes, and neuronal variants. How altered DA signaling may constitute a downstream convergence of the manifold causal origins of ASD is not well understood. A clear working framework of ASD pathogenesis may help delineate common stages and potential diagnostic and interventional opportunities. Hence, we summarize the known natural history of ASD in the context of emerging data and perspectives to update ASD reward signaling. Then, against this backdrop, we proffer a provisional framework that organizes ASD pathogenesis into successive levels, including (1) genetic and epigenetic changes, (2) disrupted mesolimbic reward signaling pathways, (3) dysregulated neurotransmitter/DA signaling, and finally, (4) altered neurocognitive and social behavior and possible antagonist/agonist based ASD interventions. This subdivision of ASD into a logical progression of potentially addressable parts may help facilitate the rational formulation of diagnostics and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Exercise Sports, Mental Health, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
- Sunder Foundation, Palm Springs, CA 92264, USA
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
| | | | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Colin Hanna
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Catherine A. Dennen
- Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Health Northeast, Philadelphia, PA 19145, USA
| | - Igor Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University School of Medicine, Cambridge, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin T. Murphy
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Milan T. Makale
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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11
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Deng J, Chen L, Liu CC, Liu M, Guo GQ, Wei JY, Zhang JB, Fan HT, Zheng ZK, Yan P, Zhang XZ, Zhou F, Huang SX, Zhang JF, Xu T, Xie JD, Xin WJ. Distinct Thalamo-Subcortical Circuits Underlie Painful Behavior and Depression-Like Behavior Following Nerve Injury. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2401855. [PMID: 38973158 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Clinically, chronic pain and depression often coexist in multiple diseases and reciprocally reinforce each other, which greatly escalates the difficulty of treatment. The neural circuit mechanism underlying the chronic pain/depression comorbidity remains unclear. The present study reports that two distinct subregions in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) play different roles in this pathological process. In the first subregion PVT posterior (PVP), glutamatergic neurons (PVPGlu) send signals to GABAergic neurons (VLPAGGABA) in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG), which mediates painful behavior in comorbidity. Meanwhile, in another subregion PVT anterior (PVA), glutamatergic neurons (PVAGlu) send signals to the nucleus accumbens D1-positive neurons and D2-positive neurons (NAcD1→D2), which is involved in depression-like behavior in comorbidity. This study demonstrates that the distinct thalamo-subcortical circuits PVPGlu→VLPAGGABA and PVAGlu→NAcD1→D2 mediated painful behavior and depression-like behavior following spared nerve injury (SNI), respectively, which provides the circuit-based potential targets for preventing and treating comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Deng
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Cui-Cui Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Guo-Qing Guo
- Neuroscience Laboratory for Cognitive and Developmental Disorders, Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jia-You Wei
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jian-Bo Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Hai-Ting Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zi-Kun Zheng
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Pu Yan
- Department of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Xiang-Zhong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Neurology, First people's hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, 510168, China
| | - Sui-Xiang Huang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital Affiliated to Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Ji-Feng Zhang
- Neuroscience Laboratory for Cognitive and Developmental Disorders, Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jing-Dun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Collaborative Innovation for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Wen-Jun Xin
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
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12
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Kalisch R, Russo SJ, Müller MB. Neurobiology and systems biology of stress resilience. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1205-1263. [PMID: 38483288 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress resilience is the phenomenon that some people maintain their mental health despite exposure to adversity or show only temporary impairments followed by quick recovery. Resilience research attempts to unravel the factors and mechanisms that make resilience possible and to harness its insights for the development of preventative interventions in individuals at risk for acquiring stress-related dysfunctions. Biological resilience research has been lagging behind the psychological and social sciences but has seen a massive surge in recent years. At the same time, progress in this field has been hampered by methodological challenges related to finding suitable operationalizations and study designs, replicating findings, and modeling resilience in animals. We embed a review of behavioral, neuroimaging, neurobiological, and systems biological findings in adults in a critical methods discussion. We find preliminary evidence that hippocampus-based pattern separation and prefrontal-based cognitive control functions protect against the development of pathological fears in the aftermath of singular, event-type stressors [as found in fear-related disorders, including simpler forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] by facilitating the perception of safety. Reward system-based pursuit and savoring of positive reinforcers appear to protect against the development of more generalized dysfunctions of the anxious-depressive spectrum resulting from more severe or longer-lasting stressors (as in depression, generalized or comorbid anxiety, or severe PTSD). Links between preserved functioning of these neural systems under stress and neuroplasticity, immunoregulation, gut microbiome composition, and integrity of the gut barrier and the blood-brain barrier are beginning to emerge. On this basis, avenues for biological interventions are pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Kalisch
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
- Brain and Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
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13
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Torres-Berrío A, Estill M, Patel V, Ramakrishnan A, Kronman H, Minier-Toribio A, Issler O, Browne CJ, Parise EM, van der Zee YY, Walker DM, Martínez-Rivera FJ, Lardner CK, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Russo SJ, Shen L, Sidoli S, Nestler EJ. Mono-methylation of lysine 27 at histone 3 confers lifelong susceptibility to stress. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00413-6. [PMID: 38959894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications are critical for mediating persistent alterations in gene expression. By combining unbiased proteomics profiling and genome-wide approaches, we uncovered a role for mono-methylation of lysine 27 at histone H3 (H3K27me1) in the enduring effects of stress. Specifically, mice susceptible to early life stress (ELS) or chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) displayed increased H3K27me1 enrichment in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain-reward region. Stress-induced H3K27me1 accumulation occurred at genes that control neuronal excitability and was mediated by the VEFS domain of SUZ12, a core subunit of the polycomb repressive complex-2, which controls H3K27 methylation patterns. Viral VEFS expression changed the transcriptional profile of the NAc, led to social, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities, and altered excitability and synaptic transmission of NAc D1-medium spiny neurons. Together, we describe a novel function of H3K27me1 in the brain and demonstrate its role as a "chromatin scar" that mediates lifelong stress susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vishwendra Patel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hope Kronman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Orna Issler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yentl Y van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Freddyson J Martínez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Casey K Lardner
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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14
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Nestler EJ, Russo SJ. Neurobiological basis of stress resilience. Neuron 2024; 112:1911-1929. [PMID: 38795707 PMCID: PMC11189737 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
A majority of humans faced with severe stress maintain normal physiological and behavioral function, a process referred to as resilience. Such stress resilience has been modeled in laboratory animals and, over the past 15 years, has transformed our understanding of stress responses and how to approach the treatment of human stress disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders. Work in rodents has demonstrated that resilience to chronic stress is an active process that involves much more than simply avoiding the deleterious effects of the stress. Rather, resilience is mediated largely by the induction of adaptations that are associated uniquely with resilience. Such mechanisms of natural resilience in rodents are being characterized at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels, with an increasing number being validated in human investigations. Such discoveries raise the novel possibility that treatments for human stress disorders, in addition to being geared toward reversing the damaging effects of stress, can also be based on inducing mechanisms of natural resilience in individuals who are inherently more susceptible. This review provides a progress report on this evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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15
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Correa A, Ponzi A, Calderón VM, Migliore R. Pathological cell assembly dynamics in a striatal MSN network model. Front Comput Neurosci 2024; 18:1410335. [PMID: 38903730 PMCID: PMC11188713 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2024.1410335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions the principal cells of the striatum, medium spiny neurons (MSNs), show structured cell assembly activity patterns which alternate sequentially over exceedingly long timescales of many minutes. It is important to understand this activity since it is characteristically disrupted in multiple pathologies, such as Parkinson's disease and dyskinesia, and thought to be caused by alterations in the MSN to MSN lateral inhibitory connections and in the strength and distribution of cortical excitation to MSNs. To understand how these long timescales arise we extended a previous network model of MSN cells to include synapses with short-term plasticity, with parameters taken from a recent detailed striatal connectome study. We first confirmed the presence of sequentially switching cell clusters using the non-linear dimensionality reduction technique, Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP). We found that the network could generate non-stationary activity patterns varying extremely slowly on the order of minutes under biologically realistic conditions. Next we used Simulation Based Inference (SBI) to train a deep net to map features of the MSN network generated cell assembly activity to MSN network parameters. We used the trained SBI model to estimate MSN network parameters from ex-vivo brain slice calcium imaging data. We found that best fit network parameters were very close to their physiologically observed values. On the other hand network parameters estimated from Parkinsonian, decorticated and dyskinetic ex-vivo slice preparations were different. Our work may provide a pipeline for diagnosis of basal ganglia pathology from spiking data as well as for the design pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Correa
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Adam Ponzi
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
- Center for Human Nature, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Vladimir M. Calderón
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Neurobiology Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Rosanna Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
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16
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Díez-Solinska A, Goñi-Balentziaga O, Beitia-Oyarzabal G, Muñoz-Culla M, Vegas O, Azkona G. Chronic defeat stress induces monoamine level dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex but not in the hippocampus of OF1 male mice. Behav Brain Res 2024; 467:115023. [PMID: 38688411 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Chronic social stress can increase susceptibility to chronic diseases such as depression. One of the most used models to study the physiological mechanisms and behavioral outcomes of this type of stress is chronic defeat stress (CDS) in male mice. OF1 male mice were subjected to a stress period lasting 18 days. During that time, non-stressed animals were housed in groups. The cluster analysis of the behavioral profile displayed during the first social interaction divided subjects into two groups: active/aggressive (AA) and passive/reactive (PR). The day after the end of the stress period, the following behavioral analyses were performed: the sucrose preference test (SPT) on day 19, the open field test (OFT) on day 20, and the forced swim test (FST) on day 21. Immediately after completing the last test, animals were weighed, and blood samples were obtained. Then, they were sacrificed, and their prefrontal cortices and hippocampi were removed and stored to analyze monoamine levels. Stressed animals displayed anhedonia, and solely the PR mice continued to show higher levels of immobility in the OFT and FST. All stressed animals, regardless of the coping strategy, presented higher plasma corticosterone levels. In addition, stressed mice showed lower levels of tyrosine, dopamine, DOPAC, MHPG, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and 5-HIAA levels but higher serotonin levels in the prefrontal cortex, not in the hippocampus. In conclusion, our results show that CSD induces differences in monoamine levels between brain areas, and these differences did not respond to the coping strategy adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Díez-Solinska
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain
| | - Olatz Goñi-Balentziaga
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, and Research Methods, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain
| | - Garikoitz Beitia-Oyarzabal
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain
| | - Maider Muñoz-Culla
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain; Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastian 20014, Spain
| | - Oscar Vegas
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain; Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastian 20014, Spain
| | - Garikoitz Azkona
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain.
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17
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Ng THJ, Sarikahya MH, Hudson R, Szkudlarek HJ, Pérez-Valenzuela E, Uzuneser TC, Proud E, Gummerson D, Youssef M, Machado M, Zhaksylyk K, DeVuono MV, Chen C, Yeung KKC, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. Adolescent nicotine exposure induces long-term, sex-specific disturbances in mood and anxiety-related behavioral, neuronal and molecular phenotypes in the mesocorticolimbic system. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1171-1182. [PMID: 38521861 PMCID: PMC11109238 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01853-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The majority of lifetime smokers begin using nicotine during adolescence, a critical period of brain development wherein neural circuits critical for mood, affect and cognition are vulnerable to drug-related insults. Specifically, brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hippocampus, are implicated in both nicotine dependence and pathological phenotypes linked to mood and anxiety disorders. Clinical studies report that females experience higher rates of mood/anxiety disorders and are more resistant to smoking cessation therapies, suggesting potential sex-specific responses to nicotine exposure and later-life neuropsychiatric risk. However, the potential neural and molecular mechanisms underlying such sex differences are not clear. In the present study, we compared the impacts of adolescent nicotine exposure in male vs. female rat cohorts. We performed a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological and targeted protein expression analyses along with matrix assisted laser deionization imaging (MALDI) immediately post-adolescent exposure and later in early adulthood. We report that adolescent nicotine exposure induced long-lasting anxiety/depressive-like behaviors, disrupted neuronal activity patterns in the mPFC-VTA network and molecular alterations in various neural regions linked to affect, anxiety and cognition. Remarkably, these phenotypes were only observed in males and/or were expressed in the opposite direction in females. These findings identify a series of novel, sex-selective biomarkers for adolescent nicotine-induced neuropsychiatric risk, persisting into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsun Hay Jason Ng
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Mohammed H Sarikahya
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Roger Hudson
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Hanna J Szkudlarek
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Enzo Pérez-Valenzuela
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Taygun C Uzuneser
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Emma Proud
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Dana Gummerson
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Miray Youssef
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Madeline Machado
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Kuralay Zhaksylyk
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Marieka V DeVuono
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Chaochao Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Ken K-C Yeung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Walter J Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, N6C 2R5, Canada.
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute (CHRI), London, ON, Canada.
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18
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Song N, Liu Z, Gao Y, Lu S, Yang S, Yuan C. NAc-DBS corrects depression-like behaviors in CUMS mouse model via disinhibition of DA neurons in the VTA. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1550-1566. [PMID: 38361128 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by diverse debilitating symptoms that include loss of motivation and anhedonia. If multiple medications, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy fail in some patients with MDD, their condition is then termed treatment-resistant depression (TRD). MDD can be associated with abnormalities in the reward-system-dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, in which the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) play major roles. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) applied to the NAc alleviates the depressive symptoms of MDD. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of this DBS has remained elusive. In this study, using the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model, we investigated the behavioral and neurobiological effects of NAc-DBS on the multidimensional depression-like phenotypes induced by CUMS by integrating behavioral, in vivo microdialysis coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD), calcium imaging, pharmacological, and genetic manipulation methods in freely moving mice. We found that long-term and repeated, but not single, NAc-DBS induced robust antidepressant responses in CUMS mice. Moreover, even a single trial NAc-DBS led to the elevation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter, accompanied by the increase in dopamine (DA) neuron activity in the VTA. Both the inhibition of the GABAA receptor activity and knockdown of the GABAA-α1 gene in VTA-GABA neurons blocked the antidepressant effect of NAc-DBS in CUMS mice. Our results showed that NAc-DBS could disinhibit VTA-DA neurons by regulating the level of GABA and the activity of VTA-GABA in the VTA and could finally correct the depression-like behaviors in the CUMS mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Song
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China.
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China.
| | - Zhenhong Liu
- Institute for Brain Disorders, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Yan Gao
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Shanshan Lu
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Shenglian Yang
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Chao Yuan
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100850, China
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19
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Rodriguez M, Themann A, Garcia-Carachure I, Lira O, Robison AJ, Cushing BS, Iñiguez SD. Chronic social defeat stress in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster): A preclinical model for the study of depression-related phenotypes. J Affect Disord 2024; 351:833-842. [PMID: 38341153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress-induced illnesses, like major depression, are among the leading causes of disability across the world. Consequently, there is a dire need for the validation of translationally-suited animal models incorporating social stress to uncover the etiology of depression. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are more translationally relevant than many other rodent models as they display monogamous social and bi-parental behaviors. Therefore, we evaluated whether a novel social defeat stress (SDS) model in male prairie voles induces depression-relevant behavioral outcomes. METHODS Adult sexually-naïve male prairie voles experienced SDS bouts from a conspecific pair-bonded male aggressor, 10 min per day for 10 consecutive days. Non-stressed controls (same-sex siblings) were housed in similar conditions but never experienced physical stress. Twenty-four h later, voles were evaluated in social interaction, sucrose preference, and Morris water maze tests - behavioral endpoints validated to assess social withdrawal, anhedonia-related behavior, and spatial memory performance, respectively. RESULTS SDS-exposed voles displayed lower sociability and body weight, decreased preference for a sucrose solution, and impairment of spatial memory retrieval. Importantly, no differences in general locomotor activity were observed as a function of SDS exposure. LIMITATIONS This study does not include female voles in the experimental design. CONCLUSIONS We found that repeated SDS exposure, in male prairie voles, results in a depression-relevant phenotype resembling an anhedonia-like outcome (per reductions in sucrose preference) along with social withdrawal and spatial memory impairment - highlighting that the prairie vole is a valuable model with potential to study the neurobiology of social stress-induced depression-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minerva Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Anapaula Themann
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | | | - Omar Lira
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Bruce S Cushing
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Sergio D Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.
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20
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Kanigowski D, Urban-Ciecko J. Conditioning and pseudoconditioning differently change intrinsic excitability of inhibitory interneurons in the neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae109. [PMID: 38572735 PMCID: PMC10993172 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many studies indicate a broad role of various classes of GABAergic interneurons in the processes related to learning. However, little is known about how the learning process affects intrinsic excitability of specific classes of interneurons in the neocortex. To determine this, we employed a simple model of conditional learning in mice where vibrissae stimulation was used as a conditioned stimulus and a tail shock as an unconditioned one. In vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed an increase in intrinsic excitability of low-threshold spiking somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SST-INs) in layer 4 (L4) of the somatosensory (barrel) cortex after the conditioning paradigm. In contrast, pseudoconditioning reduced intrinsic excitability of SST-LTS, parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons (VIP-INs) with accommodating pattern in L4 of the barrel cortex. In general, increased intrinsic excitability was accompanied by narrowing of action potentials (APs), whereas decreased intrinsic excitability coincided with AP broadening. Altogether, these results show that both conditioning and pseudoconditioning lead to plastic changes in intrinsic excitability of GABAergic interneurons in a cell-specific manner. In this way, changes in intrinsic excitability can be perceived as a common mechanism of learning-induced plasticity in the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Kanigowski
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Urban-Ciecko
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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21
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Zachry JE, Kutlu MG, Yoon HJ, Leonard MZ, Chevée M, Patel DD, Gaidici A, Kondev V, Thibeault KC, Bethi R, Tat J, Melugin PR, Isiktas AU, Joffe ME, Cai DJ, Conn PJ, Grueter BA, Calipari ES. D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core have distinct and valence-independent roles in learning. Neuron 2024; 112:835-849.e7. [PMID: 38134921 PMCID: PMC10939818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
At the core of value-based learning is the nucleus accumbens (NAc). D1- and D2-receptor-containing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core are hypothesized to have opposing valence-based roles in behavior. Using optical imaging and manipulation approaches in mice, we show that neither D1 nor D2 MSNs signal valence. D1 MSN responses were evoked by stimuli regardless of valence or contingency. D2 MSNs were evoked by both cues and outcomes, were dynamically changed with learning, and tracked valence-free prediction error at the population and individual neuron level. Finally, D2 MSN responses to cues were necessary for associative learning. Thus, D1 and D2 MSNs work in tandem, rather than in opposition, by signaling specific properties of stimuli to control learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Zachry
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael Z Leonard
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dev D Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Anthony Gaidici
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kimberly C Thibeault
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rishik Bethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer Tat
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Patrick R Melugin
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Atagun U Isiktas
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Denise J Cai
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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22
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Petri A, Sullivan A, Allen K, Sachs BD. Genetic loss of the dopamine transporter significantly impacts behavioral and molecular responses to sub-chronic stress in mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1315366. [PMID: 38486964 PMCID: PMC10937361 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1315366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurotransmission has emerged as a critical determinant of stress susceptibility and resilience. Although the dopamine transporter (DAT) is known to play a key role in maintaining dopamine (DA) homeostasis, its importance for the regulation of stress susceptibility remains largely unknown. Indeed, while numerous studies have examined the neurochemical and behavioral consequences of genetic loss of DAT, very few have compared responses to stress in wild-type and DAT-knockout (KO) animals. The current study compared the responses of male and female WT and DAT-KO mice to a model of sub-chronic stress. Our results reveal that DAT-KO mice are resistant to stress-induced increases in the latency to enter the light chamber of the light-dark emergence test and demonstrate that DAT-KO mice exhibit baseline reductions in forced swim test immobility and grooming time in the splash test of grooming behavior. In addition to these behavioral changes, our results highlight the importance of sex and dopaminergic neurotransmission on stress-induced changes in the expression and phosphorylation of several signal transduction molecules in the nucleus accumbens that have previously been implicated in the regulation of stress susceptibility, including ERK, GSK3β, and ΔFosB. Overall, these results provide further evidence of the importance of dopaminergic neurotransmission in regulating stress susceptibility and suggest that genetic loss of DAT prevents stress-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benjamin D. Sachs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States
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23
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Cathomas F, Lin HY, Chan KL, Li L, Parise LF, Alvarez J, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Aubry AV, Muhareb S, Desland F, Shimo Y, Ramakrishnan A, Estill M, Ferrer-Pérez C, Parise EM, Wilk CM, Kaster MP, Wang J, Sowa A, Janssen WG, Costi S, Rahman A, Fernandez N, Campbell M, Swirski FK, Nestler EJ, Shen L, Merad M, Murrough JW, Russo SJ. Circulating myeloid-derived MMP8 in stress susceptibility and depression. Nature 2024; 626:1108-1115. [PMID: 38326622 PMCID: PMC10901735 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07015-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress has profound effects on the body, including the immune system and the brain1,2. Although a large number of pre-clinical and clinical studies have linked peripheral immune system alterations to stress-related disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD)3, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we show that expression of a circulating myeloid cell-specific proteinase, matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8), is increased in the serum of humans with MDD as well as in stress-susceptible mice following chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). In mice, we show that this increase leads to alterations in extracellular space and neurophysiological changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), as well as altered social behaviour. Using a combination of mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing, we performed high-dimensional phenotyping of immune cells in circulation and in the brain and demonstrate that peripheral monocytes are strongly affected by stress. In stress-susceptible mice, both circulating monocytes and monocytes that traffic to the brain showed increased Mmp8 expression following chronic social defeat stress. We further demonstrate that circulating MMP8 directly infiltrates the NAc parenchyma and controls the ultrastructure of the extracellular space. Depleting MMP8 prevented stress-induced social avoidance behaviour and alterations in NAc neurophysiology and extracellular space. Collectively, these data establish a mechanism by which peripheral immune factors can affect central nervous system function and behaviour in the context of stress. Targeting specific peripheral immune cell-derived matrix metalloproteinases could constitute novel therapeutic targets for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flurin Cathomas
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Hsiao-Yun Lin
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenny L Chan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Long Li
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lyonna F Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Johana Alvarez
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Antonio V Aubry
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samer Muhareb
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fiona Desland
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yusuke Shimo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - C Matthias Wilk
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manuella P Kaster
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Jun Wang
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Allison Sowa
- Microscopy CoRE and Advanced Bioimaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - William G Janssen
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Microscopy CoRE and Advanced Bioimaging Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara Costi
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adeeb Rahman
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Fernandez
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Campbell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Filip K Swirski
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miriam Merad
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James W Murrough
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Brain and Body Research Center of the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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24
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Cisler JM, Dunsmoor JE, Fonzo GA, Nemeroff CB. Latent-state and model-based learning in PTSD. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:150-162. [PMID: 38212163 PMCID: PMC10923154 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by altered emotional and behavioral responding following a traumatic event. In this article, we review the concepts of latent-state and model-based learning (i.e., learning and inferring abstract task representations) and discuss their relevance for clinical and neuroscience models of PTSD. Recent data demonstrate evidence for brain and behavioral biases in these learning processes in PTSD. These new data potentially recast excessive fear towards trauma cues as a problem in learning and updating abstract task representations, as opposed to traditional conceptualizations focused on stimulus-specific learning. Biases in latent-state and model-based learning may also be a common mechanism targeted in common therapies for PTSD. We highlight key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to further elaborate how latent-state learning and its associated neurocircuitry mechanisms function in PTSD and how to optimize treatments to target these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M Cisler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Joseph E Dunsmoor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gregory A Fonzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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25
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Le Merrer J, Detraux B, Gandía J, De Groote A, Fonteneau M, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Becker JAJ. Balance Between Projecting Neuronal Populations of the Nucleus Accumbens Controls Social Behavior in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:123-135. [PMID: 37207936 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficient social interactions are a hallmark of major neuropsychiatric disorders, and accumulating evidence points to altered social reward and motivation as key underlying mechanisms of these pathologies. In the present study, we further explored the role of the balance of activity between D1 and D2 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons (D1R- and D2R-SPNs) in the control of social behavior, challenging the hypothesis that excessive D2R-SPN activity, rather than deficient D1R-SPN activity, compromises social behavior. METHODS We selectively ablated D1R- and D2R-SPNs using an inducible diphtheria toxin receptor-mediated cell targeting strategy and assessed social behavior as well as repetitive/perseverative behavior, motor function, and anxiety levels. We tested the effects of optogenetic stimulation of D2R-SPNs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and pharmacological compounds repressing D2R-SPN. RESULTS Targeted deletion of D1R-SPNs in the NAc blunted social behavior in mice, facilitated motor skill learning, and increased anxiety levels. These behaviors were normalized by pharmacological inhibition of D2R-SPN, which also repressed transcription in the efferent nucleus, the ventral pallidum. Ablation of D1R-SPNs in the dorsal striatum had no impact on social behavior but impaired motor skill learning and decreased anxiety levels. Deletion of D2R-SPNs in the NAc produced motor stereotypies but facilitated social behavior and impaired motor skill learning. We mimicked excessive D2R-SPN activity by optically stimulating D2R-SPNs in the NAc and observed a severe deficit in social interaction that was prevented by D2R-SPN pharmacological inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Repressing D2R-SPN activity may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to relieve social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Merrer
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
| | - Bérangère Detraux
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jorge Gandía
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Aurélie De Groote
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Fonteneau
- iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde
- Neurophy Lab, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; WELBIO, Wavre, Belgium.
| | - Jérôme A J Becker
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Unité Mixte de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 7247, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement 0085, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France; iBrain, Unité Mixte de Recherche 1253 Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Tours, Tours, France
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26
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Soghomonian JJ. The cortico-striatal circuitry in autism-spectrum disorders: a balancing act. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1329095. [PMID: 38273975 PMCID: PMC10808402 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1329095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia are major targets of cortical inputs and, in turn, modulate cortical function via their projections to the motor and prefrontal cortices. The role of the basal ganglia in motor control and reward is well documented and there is also extensive evidence that they play a key role in social and repetitive behaviors. The basal ganglia influence the activity of the cerebral cortex via two major projections from the striatum to the output nuclei, the globus pallidus internus and the substantia nigra, pars reticulata. This modulation involves a direct projection known as the direct pathway and an indirect projection via the globus pallidus externus and the subthalamic nucleus, known as the indirect pathway. This review discusses the respective contribution of the direct and indirect pathways to social and repetitive behaviors in neurotypical conditions and in autism spectrum disorders.
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Belilos A, Gray C, Sanders C, Black D, Mays E, Richie C, Sengupta A, Hake H, Francis TC. Nucleus accumbens local circuit for cue-dependent aversive learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113488. [PMID: 37995189 PMCID: PMC10795009 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient, which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area. We describe a nucleus accumbens core local circuit whereby excitatory plasticity facilitates learning and recall of discrete aversive cues. We demonstrate that putative nucleus accumbens substance P release and long-term excitatory plasticity on dopamine 2 receptor-expressing projection neurons are required for cue-dependent fear learning. Additionally, we find that fear learning and recall is dependent on distinct projection neuron subtypes. Our work demonstrates a critical role for nucleus accumbens substance P in cue-dependent aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Belilos
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Cortez Gray
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Christie Sanders
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Destiny Black
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Elizabeth Mays
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Christopher Richie
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Ayesha Sengupta
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Holly Hake
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - T Chase Francis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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Dong Y, Li Y, Xiang X, Xiao ZC, Hu J, Li Y, Li H, Hu H. Stress relief as a natural resilience mechanism against depression-like behaviors. Neuron 2023; 111:3789-3801.e6. [PMID: 37776853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Relief, the appetitive state after the termination of aversive stimuli, is evolutionarily conserved. Understanding the behavioral role of this well-conserved phenomenon and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms are open and important questions. Here, we discover that the magnitude of relief from physical stress strongly correlates with individual resilience to depression-like behaviors in chronic stressed mice. Notably, blocking stress relief causes vulnerability to depression-like behaviors, whereas natural rewards supplied shortly after stress promotes resilience. Stress relief is mediated by reward-related mesolimbic dopamine neurons, which show minute-long, persistent activation after stress termination. Circuitry-wise, activation or inhibition of circuits downstream of the ventral tegmental area during the transient relief period bi-directionally regulates depression resilience. These results reveal an evolutionary function of stress relief in depression resilience and identify the neural substrate mediating this effect. Importantly, our data suggest a behavioral strategy of augmenting positive valence of stress relief with natural rewards to prevent depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yifei Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xinkuan Xiang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhuo-Cheng Xiao
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
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Gan Y, Dong Y, Dai S, Shi H, Li X, Wang F, Fu Y, Dong Y. The different cell-specific mechanisms of voluntary exercise and forced exercise in the nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacology 2023; 240:109714. [PMID: 37690678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Physical inactivity is a global epidemic. People who take the initiative to exercise will feel pleasure during the exercise process and stick with it for a long time, while people who passively ask for exercise will feel pain and cannot stick with it. However, the neural mechanisms underlying voluntary and forced exercise remain unclear. Here, we report that voluntary running increased the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSC) but decreased membrane excitability in D1R-MSNs, whereas D2R-MSNs did not change in mEPSC and membrane excitability. Forced running increased the frequency of mEPSC and membrane excitability in D2R-MSNs, but D1R-MSNs did not change, which may be the mechanism by which forced exercise has a non-rewarding effect. These findings provide new insights into how voluntary and forced exercise mediate reward and non-reward effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixia Gan
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yigang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shanghua Dai
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haifeng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Fanglin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yingmei Fu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
| | - Yi Dong
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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Sequeira S, Carmel T, Tervo-Clemmens B, Edmiston EK. Future Directions in the Mental Health of Transgender Youth: Towards a Social-Affective Developmental Model of Health Disparity. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2023; 52:866-876. [PMID: 37910433 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2023.2272972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Mental health disparities in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are well-documented. These disparities are often studied in the context of minority stress theory, and most of this research focuses on experiences of trauma and discrimination TGD youth experience after coming out. However, TGD youth may be targets of violence and victimization due to perceived gender nonconformity before coming out. In this Future Directions, we integrate research on attachment, developmental trauma, and effects of racism and homophobia on mental health to propose a social-affective developmental framework for TGD youth. We provide a clinical vignette to highlight limitations in current approaches to mental health assessment in TGD youth and to illustrate how using a social-affective developmental framework can improve clinical assessment and treatment approaches and deepen our understanding of mental health disparities in TGD people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tamar Carmel
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Richmond
| | | | - E Kale Edmiston
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine
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31
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Zhang YF, Wu J, Wang Y, Johnson NL, Bhattarai JP, Li G, Wang W, Guevara C, Shoenhard H, Fuccillo MV, Wesson DW, Ma M. Ventral striatal islands of Calleja neurons bidirectionally mediate depression-like behaviors in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6887. [PMID: 37898623 PMCID: PMC10613228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42662-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral striatum is a reward center implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. It contains islands of Calleja, clusters of dopamine D3 receptor-expressing granule cells, predominantly in the olfactory tubercle (OT). These OT D3 neurons regulate self-grooming, a repetitive behavior manifested in affective disorders. Here we show that chronic restraint stress (CRS) induces robust depression-like behaviors in mice and decreases excitability of OT D3 neurons. Ablation or inhibition of these neurons leads to depression-like behaviors, whereas their activation ameliorates CRS-induced depression-like behaviors. Moreover, activation of OT D3 neurons has a rewarding effect, which diminishes when grooming is blocked. Finally, we propose a model that explains how OT D3 neurons may influence dopamine release via synaptic connections with OT spiny projection neurons (SPNs) that project to midbrain dopamine neurons. Our study reveals a crucial role of OT D3 neurons in bidirectionally mediating depression-like behaviors, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Jialiang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Yingqi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Natalie L Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Guanqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, Hebei, China
| | - Wenqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, Hebei, China
| | - Camilo Guevara
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hannah Shoenhard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daniel W Wesson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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32
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Belilos A, Gray C, Sanders C, Black D, Mays E, Richie CT, Sengupta A, Hake HS, Francis TC. Nucleus Accumbens Local Circuit for Cue-Dependent Aversive Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527338. [PMID: 36798245 PMCID: PMC9934565 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area. We uncovered a nucleus accumbens core local circuit whereby excitatory plasticity facilitates learning and recall of discrete aversive cues. We demonstrate that putative nucleus accumbens substance P release and long-term excitatory plasticity on dopamine 2 receptor expressing projection neurons is required for cue-dependent fear learning. Additionally, we found fear learning and recall were dependent on distinct projection-neuron subtypes. Our work demonstrates a critical role for Nucleus Accumbens substance P in cue-dependent aversive learning.
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33
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Fitzgerald E, Arcego DM, Shen MJ, O'Toole N, Wen X, Nagy C, Mostafavi S, Craig K, Silveira PP, Rayan NA, Diorio J, Meaney MJ, Zhang TY. Sex and cell-specific gene expression in corticolimbic brain regions associated with psychiatric disorders revealed by bulk and single-nuclei RNA sequencing. EBioMedicine 2023; 95:104749. [PMID: 37549631 PMCID: PMC10432187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are sex-specific differences in the prevalence, symptomology and course of psychiatric disorders. However, preclinical models have primarily used males, such that the molecular mechanisms underlying sex-specific differences in psychiatric disorders are not well established. METHODS In this study, we compared transcriptome-wide gene expression profiles in male and female rats within the corticolimbic system, including the cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcS), ventral dentate gyrus and the basolateral amygdala (n = 22-24 per group/region). FINDINGS We found over 3000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the NAcS between males and females. Of these DEGs in the NAcS, 303 showed sex-dependent conservation DEGs in humans and were significantly enriched for gene ontology terms related to blood vessel morphogenesis and regulation of cell migration. Single nuclei RNA sequencing in the NAcS of male and female rats identified widespread sex-dependent expression, with genes upregulated in females showing a notable enrichment for synaptic function. Female upregulated genes in astrocytes, Drd3+MSNs and oligodendrocyte were also enriched in several psychiatric genome-wide association studies (GWAS). INTERPRETATION Our data provide comprehensive evidence of sex- and cell-specific molecular profiles in the NAcS. Importantly these differences associate with anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and cross-disorder, suggesting an intrinsic molecular basis for sex-based differences in psychiatric disorders that strongly implicates the NAcS. FUNDING This work was supported by funding from the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (MJM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamon Fitzgerald
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Danusa Mar Arcego
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Mo Jun Shen
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas O'Toole
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Xianglan Wen
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 185 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 9819, USA
| | - Kelly Craig
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Patricia Pelufo Silveira
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nirmala Arul Rayan
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore
| | - Josie Diorio
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and Brain - Body Initiative, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tie-Yuan Zhang
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada.
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Luscher B, Maguire JL, Rudolph U, Sibille E. GABA A receptors as targets for treating affective and cognitive symptoms of depression. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:586-600. [PMID: 37543478 PMCID: PMC10511219 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
In the past 20 years, our understanding of the pathophysiology of depression has evolved from a focus on an imbalance of monoaminergic neurotransmitters to a multifactorial picture including an improved understanding of the role of glutamatergic excitatory and GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission. FDA-approved treatments targeting the glutamatergic [esketamine for major depressive disorder (MDD)] and GABAergic (brexanolone for peripartum depression) systems have become available. This review focuses on the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) system as a target for novel antidepressants and discusses the mechanisms by which modulation of δ-containing GABAARs with neuroactive steroids (NASs) or of α5-containing GABAARs results in antidepressant or antidepressant-like actions and discusses clinical data on NASs. Moreover, a potential mechanism by which α5-GABAAR-positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) may improve cognitive deficits in depression is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Luscher
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Penn State Neuroscience Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jamie L Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Uwe Rudolph
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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35
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Balouek JA, Mclain CA, Minerva AR, Rashford RL, Bennett SN, Rogers FD, Peña CJ. Reactivation of Early-Life Stress-Sensitive Neuronal Ensembles Contributes to Lifelong Stress Hypersensitivity. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5996-6009. [PMID: 37429717 PMCID: PMC10451005 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0016-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is one of the strongest lifetime risk factors for depression, anxiety, suicide, and other psychiatric disorders, particularly after facing additional stressful events later in life. Human and animal studies demonstrate that ELS sensitizes individuals to subsequent stress. However, the neurobiological basis of such stress sensitization remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that ELS-induced stress sensitization would be detectable at the level of neuronal ensembles, such that cells activated by ELS would be more reactive to adult stress. To test this, we leveraged transgenic mice to genetically tag, track, and manipulate experience-activated neurons. We found that in both male and female mice, ELS-activated neurons within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and to a lesser extent the medial prefrontal cortex, were preferentially reactivated by adult stress. To test whether reactivation of ELS-activated ensembles in the NAc contributes to stress hypersensitivity, we expressed hM4Dis receptor in control or ELS-activated neurons of pups and chemogenetically inhibited their activity during experience of adult stress. Inhibition of ELS-activated NAc neurons, but not control-tagged neurons, ameliorated social avoidance behavior following chronic social defeat stress in males. These data provide evidence that ELS-induced stress hypersensitivity is encoded at the level of corticolimbic neuronal ensembles.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early-life stress enhances sensitivity to stress later in life, yet the mechanisms of such stress sensitization are largely unknown. Here, we show that neuronal ensembles in corticolimbic brain regions remain hypersensitive to stress across the life span, and quieting these ensembles during experience of adult stress rescues stress hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie-Anne Balouek
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Christabel A Mclain
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Adelaide R Minerva
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Rebekah L Rashford
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Shannon N Bennett
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Forrest D Rogers
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
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36
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Deng Q, Zhang SQ, Yang PF, Dong WT, Wang F, Long LH, Chen JG. α-MSH-catabolic enzyme prolylcarboxypeptidase in nucleus accumbens shell ameliorates stress susceptibility in mice through regulating synaptic plasticity. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:1576-1588. [PMID: 37012493 PMCID: PMC10374542 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01074-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence demonstrates the vital role of synaptic transmission and structural remodeling in major depressive disorder. Activation of melanocortin receptors facilitates stress-induced emotional behavior. Prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) is a serine protease, which splits the C-terminal amino acid of α-MSH and inactivates it. In this study, we asked whether PRCP, the endogenous enzyme of melanocortin system, might play a role in stress susceptibility via regulating synaptic adaptations. Mice were subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) or subthreshold social defeat stress (SSDS). Depressive-like behavior was assessed in SIT, SPT, TST and FST. Based on to behavioral assessments, mice were divided into the susceptible (SUS) and resilient (RES) groups. After social defeat stress, drug infusion or viral expression and behavioral tests, morphological and electrophysiological analysis were conducted in PFX-fixed and fresh brain slices containing the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcsh). We showed that PRCP was downregulated in NAcsh of susceptible mice. Administration of fluoxetine (20 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p., for 2 weeks) ameliorated the depressive-like behavior, and restored the expression levels of PRCP in NAcsh of susceptible mice. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of PRCP in NAcsh by microinjection of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-prolyl-L-prolinal (ZPP) or LV-shPRCP enhanced the excitatory synaptic transmission in NAcsh, facilitating stress susceptibility via central melanocortin receptors. On the contrary, overexpression of PRCP in NAcsh by microinjection of AAV-PRCP alleviated the depressive-like behavior and reversed the enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission, abnormal dendritogenesis and spinogenesis in NAcsh induced by chronic stress. Furthermore, chronic stress increased the level of CaMKIIα, a kinase closely related to synaptic plasticity, in NAcsh. The elevated level of CaMKIIα was reversed by overexpression of PRCP in NAcsh. Pharmacological inhibition of CaMKIIα in NAcsh alleviated stress susceptibility induced by PRCP knockdown. This study has revealed the essential role of PRCP in relieving stress susceptibility through melanocortin signaling-mediated synaptic plasticity in NAcsh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Deng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shao-Qi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ping-Fen Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Wan-Ting Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Li-Hong Long
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Ojha A, Teresi GI, Slavich GM, Gotlib IH, Ho TC. Social threat, fronto-cingulate-limbic morphometry, and symptom course in depressed adolescents: a longitudinal investigation. Psychol Med 2023; 53:5203-5217. [PMID: 36117278 PMCID: PMC10024647 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosocial stressors characterized by social threat, such as interpersonal loss and social rejection, are associated with depression in adolescents. Few studies, however, have examined whether social threat affects fronto-cingulate-limbic systems implicated in adolescent depression. METHODS We assessed lifetime stressor severity across several domains using the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) in 57 depressed adolescents (16.15 ± 1.32 years, 34 females), and examined whether the severity of social threat and non-social threat stressors was associated with gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We also examined how lifetime social threat severity and GMVs in these regions related to depressive symptoms at baseline and over 9 months. RESULTS General stressor severity was related to greater depression severity at baseline and over 9 months. Moreover, greater severity of social threat (but not non-social threat) stressors was associated with smaller bilateral amygdala and NAcc GMVs, and smaller bilateral surface areas of caudal and rostral ACC (all pFDR ⩽ 0.048). However, neither social threat nor non-social threat stressor severity was related to hippocampal GMVs (all pFDR ⩾ 0.318). All fronto-cingulate-limbic structures that were associated with the severity of social threat were negatively associated with greater depression severity over 9 months (all pFDR ⩽ 0.014). Post-hoc analyses suggested that gray matter morphometry of bilateral amygdala, NAcc, and rostral and caudal ACC mediated the association between social threat and depression severity in adolescents over 9 months (all pFDR < 0.048). CONCLUSIONS Social threat specifically affects fronto-cingulate-limbic pathways that contribute to the maintenance of depression in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Ojha
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Giana I. Teresi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George M. Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany C. Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Ghosal S, Gebara E, Ramos-Fernández E, Chioino A, Grosse J, Guillot de Suduiraut I, Zanoletti O, Schneider B, Zorzano A, Astori S, Sandi C. Mitofusin-2 in nucleus accumbens D2-MSNs regulates social dominance and neuronal function. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112776. [PMID: 37440411 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a brain hub regulating motivated behaviors, including social competitiveness. Mitochondrial function in the NAc links anxiety with social competitiveness, and the mitochondrial fusion protein mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) in NAc neurons regulates anxiety-related behaviors. However, it remains unexplored whether accumbal Mfn2 levels also affect social behavior and whether Mfn2 actions in the emotional and social domain are driven by distinct cell types. Here, we found that subordinate-prone highly anxious rats show decreased accumbal Mfn2 levels and that Mfn2 overexpression promotes dominant behavior. In mice, selective Mfn2 downregulation in NAc dopamine D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) induced social subordination, accompanied by decreased accumbal mitochondrial functions and decreased excitability in D2-MSNs. Instead, D1-MSN-targeted Mfn2 downregulation affected competitive ability only transiently and likely because of an increase in anxiety-like behaviors. Our results assign dissociable cell-type specific roles to Mfn2 in the NAc in modulating social dominance and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriparna Ghosal
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elias Gebara
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eva Ramos-Fernández
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Chioino
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bernard Schneider
- Bertarelli Platform for Gene Therapy, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Zorzano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Favoretto CA, Pagliusi M, Morais-Silva G. Involvement of brain cell phenotypes in stress-vulnerability and resilience. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1175514. [PMID: 37476833 PMCID: PMC10354562 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1175514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders' prevalence is epidemically increasing in modern society, leading to a severe impact on individuals' well-being and a great economic burden on public resources. Based on this, it is critical to understand the mechanisms by which stress induces these disorders. The study of stress made great progress in the past decades, from deeper into the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to the understanding of the involvement of a single cell subtype on stress outcomes. In fact, many studies have used state-of-the-art tools such as chemogenetic, optogenetic, genetic manipulation, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry to investigate the role of specific cell subtypes in the stress response. In this review, we aim to gather studies addressing the involvement of specific brain cell subtypes in stress-related responses, exploring possible mechanisms associated with stress vulnerability versus resilience in preclinical models. We particularly focus on the involvement of the astrocytes, microglia, medium spiny neurons, parvalbumin neurons, pyramidal neurons, serotonergic neurons, and interneurons of different brain areas in stress-induced outcomes, resilience, and vulnerability to stress. We believe that this review can shed light on how diverse molecular mechanisms, involving specific receptors, neurotrophic factors, epigenetic enzymes, and miRNAs, among others, within these brain cell subtypes, are associated with the expression of a stress-susceptible or resilient phenotype, advancing the understanding/knowledge on the specific machinery implicate in those events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane Aparecida Favoretto
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Pagliusi
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drugs and Medicines, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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Chen X, Cui QQ, Hu XH, Ye J, Liu ZC, Mei YX, Wang F, Hu ZL, Chen JG. CD200 in dentate gyrus improves depressive-like behaviors of mice through enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis via alleviation of microglia hyperactivation. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:157. [PMID: 37391731 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02836-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroinflammation and microglia play critical roles in the development of depression. Cluster of differentiation 200 (CD200) is an anti-inflammatory glycoprotein that is mainly expressed in neurons, and its receptor CD200R1 is primarily in microglia. Although the CD200-CD200R1 pathway is necessary for microglial activation, its role in the pathophysiology of depression remains unknown. METHODS The chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) with behavioral tests were performed to investigate the effect of CD200 on the depressive-like behaviors. Viral vectors were used to overexpress or knockdown of CD200. The levels of CD200 and inflammatory cytokines were tested with molecular biological techniques. The status of microglia, the expression of BDNF and neurogenesis were detected with immunofluorescence imaging. RESULTS We found that the expression of CD200 was decreased in the dentate gyrus (DG) region of mice experienced CSDS. Overexpression of CD200 alleviated the depressive-like behaviors of stressed mice and inhibition of CD200 facilitated the susceptibility to stress. When CD200R1 receptors on microglia were knocked down, CD200 was unable to exert its role in alleviating depressive-like behavior. Microglia in the DG brain region were morphologically activated after exposure to CSDS. In contrast, exogenous administration of CD200 inhibited microglia hyperactivation, alleviated neuroinflammatory response in hippocampus, and increased the expression of BDNF, which in turn ameliorated adult hippocampal neurogenesis impairment in the DG induced by CSDS. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggest that CD200-mediated alleviation of microglia hyperactivation contributes to the antidepressant effect of neurogenesis in dentate gyrus in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian-Qian Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Hai Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zi-Cun Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan-Xi Mei
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhuang-Li Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.
- The Research Center for Depression, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, China.
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Francis TC, Porcu A. Emotionally clocked out: cell-type specific regulation of mood and anxiety by the circadian clock system in the brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1188184. [PMID: 37441675 PMCID: PMC10333695 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1188184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are self-sustained oscillations of biological systems that allow an organism to anticipate periodic changes in the environment and optimally align feeding, sleep, wakefulness, and the physiological and biochemical processes that support them within the 24 h cycle. These rhythms are generated at a cellular level by a set of genes, known as clock genes, which code for proteins that inhibit their own transcription in a negative feedback loop and can be perturbed by stress, a risk factor for the development of mood and anxiety disorders. A role for circadian clocks in mood and anxiety has been suggested for decades on the basis of clinical observations, and the dysregulation of circadian rhythms is a prominent clinical feature of stress-related disorders. Despite our understanding of central clock structure and function, the effect of circadian dysregulation in different neuronal subtypes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master pacemaker region, as well as other brain systems regulating mood, including mesolimbic and limbic circuits, is just beginning to be elucidated. In the brain, circadian clocks regulate neuronal physiological functions, including neuronal activity, synaptic plasticity, protein expression, and neurotransmitter release which in turn affect mood-related behaviors via cell-type specific mechanisms. Both animal and human studies have revealed an association between circadian misalignment and mood disorders and suggest that internal temporal desynchrony might be part of the etiology of psychiatric disorders. To date, little work has been conducted associating mood-related phenotypes to cell-specific effects of the circadian clock disruptions. In this review, we discuss existing literature on how clock-driven changes in specific neuronal cell types might disrupt phase relationships among cellular communication, leading to neuronal circuit dysfunction and changes in mood-related behavior. In addition, we examine cell-type specific circuitry underlying mood dysfunction and discuss how this circuitry could affect circadian clock. We provide a focus for future research in this area and a perspective on chronotherapies for mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Chase Francis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Alessandra Porcu
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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42
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Decker Ramirez EB, Arnold ME, McConnell KT, Solomon MG, Amico KN, Schank JR. The effects of lipopolysaccharide exposure on social interaction, cytokine expression, and alcohol consumption in male and female mice. Physiol Behav 2023; 265:114159. [PMID: 36931488 PMCID: PMC10121933 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Much recent research has demonstrated a role of inflammatory pathways in depressive-like behavior and excess alcohol consumption. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a cell wall component of gram-negative bacteria that can be used to trigger a strong inflammatory response in rodents in a preclinical research setting to study the mechanisms behind this relationship. In our study, we exposed male and female mice to LPS and assessed depressive-like behavior using the social interaction (SI) test, alcohol consumption in the two-bottle choice procedure, and expression of inflammatory mediators using quantitative PCR. We found that LPS administration decreased SI in female mice but had no significant impact on male mice when assessed 24 h after injection. LPS resulted in increased proinflammatory cytokine expression in both male and female mice; however, some aspects of the cytokine upregulation observed was greater in female mice as compared to males. A separate cohort of male and female mice underwent drinking for 12 days before receiving a saline or LPS injection, which we found to increase alcohol intake in both males and females. We have previously observed a role of the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) in escalated alcohol intake, and in the inflammatory and behavioral response to LPS. The NK1R is the endogenous target of the neuropeptide SP, and this system has wide ranging roles in depression, anxiety, drug/alcohol seeking, pain, and inflammation. Thus, we administered a NK1R antagonist prior to alcohol access. This treatment reduced escalated alcohol consumption in female mice treated with LPS but did not affect drinking in males. Taken together, these results indicate that females are more sensitive to some physiological and behavioral effects of LPS administration, but that LPS escalates alcohol consumption in both sexes. Furthermore, NK1R antagonism can reduce alcohol consumption that is escalated by LPS treatment, in line with our previous findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Decker Ramirez
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - M E Arnold
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - K T McConnell
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - M G Solomon
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - K N Amico
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - J R Schank
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA.
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Giua G, Lassalle O, Makrini-Maleville L, Valjent E, Chavis P, Manzoni OJJ. Investigating cell-specific effects of FMRP deficiency on spiny projection neurons in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1146647. [PMID: 37323585 PMCID: PMC10264852 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1146647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fragile X syndrome (FXS), resulting from a mutation in the Fmr1 gene, is the most common monogenic cause of autism and inherited intellectual disability. Fmr1 encodes the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), and its absence leads to cognitive, emotional, and social deficits compatible with the nucleus accumbens (NAc) dysfunction. This structure is pivotal in social behavior control, consisting mainly of spiny projection neurons (SPNs), distinguished by dopamine D1 or D2 receptor expression, connectivity, and associated behavioral functions. This study aims to examine how FMRP absence differentially affects SPN cellular properties, which is crucial for categorizing FXS cellular endophenotypes. Methods We utilized a novel Fmr1-/y::Drd1a-tdTomato mouse model, which allows in-situ identification of SPN subtypes in FXS mice. Using RNA-sequencing, RNAScope and ex-vivo patch-clamp in adult male mice NAc, we comprehensively compared the intrinsic passive and active properties of SPN subtypes. Results Fmr1 transcripts and their gene product, FMRP, were found in both SPNs subtypes, indicating potential cell-specific functions for Fmr1. The study found that the distinguishing membrane properties and action potential kinetics typically separating D1- from D2-SPNs in wild-type mice were either reversed or abolished in Fmr1-/y::Drd1a-tdTomato mice. Interestingly, multivariate analysis highlighted the compound effects of Fmr1 ablation by disclosing how the phenotypic traits distinguishing each cell type in wild-type mice were altered in FXS. Discussion Our results suggest that the absence of FMRP disrupts the standard dichotomy characterizing NAc D1- and D2-SPNs, resulting in a homogenous phenotype. This shift in cellular properties could potentially underpin select aspects of the pathology observed in FXS. Therefore, understanding the nuanced effects of FMRP absence on SPN subtypes can offer valuable insights into the pathophysiology of FXS, opening avenues for potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Giua
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Cannalab “Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory”, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Lassalle
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Cannalab “Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory”, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | | | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascale Chavis
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Cannalab “Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory”, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier J. J. Manzoni
- INMED, INSERM U1249, Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- Cannalab “Cannabinoids Neuroscience Research International Associated Laboratory”, INSERM-Aix-Marseille University/Indiana University, Marseille, France
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Liu WZ, Wang CY, Wang Y, Cai MT, Zhong WX, Liu T, Wang ZH, Pan HQ, Zhang WH, Pan BX. Circuit- and laminar-specific regulation of medial prefrontal neurons by chronic stress. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:90. [PMID: 37208769 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01050-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic stress exposure increases the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a hub for controlling stress responses through communicating with multiple limbic structures, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, considering the complex topographical organization of the mPFC neurons in different subregions (dmPFC vs. vmPFC) and across multiple layers (Layer II/III vs. Layer V), the exact effects of chronic stress on these distinct mPFC output neurons remain largely unknown. RESULTS We first characterized the topographical organization of mPFC neurons projecting to BLA and NAc. Then, by using a typical mouse model of chronic restraint stress (CRS), we investigated the effects of chronic stress on the synaptic activity and intrinsic properties of the two mPFC neuronal populations. Our results showed that there was limited collateralization of the BLA- and NAc-projecting pyramidal neurons, regardless of the subregion or layer they were situated in. CRS significantly reduced the inhibitory synaptic transmission onto the BLA-projecting neurons in dmPFC layer V without any effect on the excitatory synaptic transmission, thus leading to a shift of the excitation-inhibition (E-I) balance toward excitation. However, CRS did not affect the E-I balance in NAc-projecting neurons in any subregions or layers of mPFC. Moreover, CRS also preferentially increased the intrinsic excitability of the BLA-projecting neurons in dmPFC layer V. By contrast, it even caused a decreasing tendency in the excitability of NAc-projecting neurons in vmPFC layer II/III. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that chronic stress exposure preferentially modulates the activity of the mPFC-BLA circuit in a subregion (dmPFC) and laminar (layer V) -dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zhu Liu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Mei-Ting Cai
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wei-Xiang Zhong
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Tian Liu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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Torres-Berrío A, Estill M, Ramakrishnan A, Kronman H, Patel V, Minier-Toribio A, Issler O, Browne CJ, Parise EM, van der Zee Y, Walker D, Martínez-Rivera FJ, Lardner CK, Cuttoli RDD, Russo SJ, Shen L, Sidoli S, Nestler EJ. Monomethylation of Lysine 27 at Histone 3 Confers Lifelong Susceptibility to Stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539829. [PMID: 37214877 PMCID: PMC10197593 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Histone post-translational modifications are critical for mediating persistent alterations in gene expression. By combining unbiased proteomics profiling, and genome-wide approaches, we uncovered a role for mono-methylation of lysine 27 at histone H3 (H3K27me1) in the enduring effects of stress. Specifically, mice exposed to early life stress (ELS) or to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) in adulthood displayed increased enrichment of H3K27me1, and transient decreases in H3K27me2, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain-reward region. Stress induction of H3K27me1 was mediated by the VEFS domain of SUZ12, a core subunit of the polycomb repressive complex-2, which is induced by chronic stress and controls H3K27 methylation patterns. Overexpression of the VEFS domain led to social, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities, and altered excitability of NAc D1 mediums spiny neurons. Together, we describe a novel function of H3K27me1 in brain and demonstrate its role as a "chromatin scar" that mediates lifelong stress susceptibility.
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Zhang G, Cui M, Ji R, Zou S, Song L, Fan B, Yang L, Wang D, Hu S, Zhang X, Fang T, Yu X, Yang JX, Chaudhury D, Liu H, Hu A, Ding HL, Cao JL, Zhang H. Neural and Molecular Investigation into the Paraventricular Thalamic-Nucleus Accumbens Circuit for Pain Sensation and Non-opioid Analgesia. Pharmacol Res 2023; 191:106776. [PMID: 37084858 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The paucity of medications with novel mechanisms for pain treatment combined with the severe adverse effects of opioid analgesics has led to an imperative pursuit of non-opioid analgesia and a better understanding of pain mechanisms. Here, we identify the putative glutamatergic inputs from the paraventricular thalamic nucleus to the nucleus accumbens (PVTGlut→NAc) as a novel neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia. Our in vivo fiber photometry and in vitro electrophysiology experiments found that PVTGlut→NAc neuronal activity increased in response to acute thermal/mechanical stimuli and persistent inflammatory pain. Direct optogenetic activation of these neurons in the PVT or their terminals in the NAc induced pain-like behaviors. Conversely, inhibition of PVTGlut→NAc neurons or their NAc terminals exhibited a potent analgesic effect in both naïve and pathological pain mice, which could not be prevented by pretreatment of naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Anterograde trans-synaptic optogenetic experiments consistently demonstrated that the PVTGlut→NAc circuit bi-directionally modulates pain behaviors. Furthermore, circuit-specific molecular profiling and pharmacological studies revealed dopamine receptor 3 as a candidate target for pain modulation and non-opioid analgesic development. Taken together, these findings provide a previously unknown neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia and a valuable molecular target for developing future safer medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangchao Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Mengqiao Cui
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ran Ji
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Shiya Zou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Bingqian Fan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Li Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Di Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Suwan Hu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Wuxi NO.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi NO.2 People's Hospital, Wuxi 214000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tantan Fang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xiaolu Yu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - He Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, China
| | - Ankang Hu
- The Animal Facility of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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Fox ME, Wulff AB, Franco D, Choi EY, Calarco CA, Engeln M, Turner MD, Chandra R, Rhodes VM, Thompson SM, Ament SA, Lobo MK. Adaptations in Nucleus Accumbens Neuron Subtypes Mediate Negative Affective Behaviors in Fentanyl Abstinence. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:489-501. [PMID: 36435669 PMCID: PMC9931633 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid discontinuation generates a withdrawal syndrome marked by increased negative affect. Increased symptoms of anxiety and dysphoria during opioid discontinuation are significant barriers to achieving long-term abstinence in opioid-dependent individuals. While adaptations in the nucleus accumbens are implicated in opioid abstinence syndrome, the precise neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Additionally, our current knowledge is limited to changes following natural and semisynthetic opioids, despite recent increases in synthetic opioid use and overdose. METHODS We used a combination of cell subtype-specific viral labeling and electrophysiology in male and female mice to investigate structural and functional plasticity in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neuron (MSN) subtypes after fentanyl abstinence. We characterized molecular adaptations after fentanyl abstinence with subtype-specific RNA sequencing and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. We used viral-mediated gene transfer to manipulate the molecular signature of fentanyl abstinence in D1-MSNs. RESULTS Here, we show that fentanyl abstinence increases anxiety-like behavior, decreases social interaction, and engenders MSN subtype-specific plasticity in both sexes. D1-MSNs, but not D2-MSNs, exhibit dendritic atrophy and an increase in excitatory drive. We identified a cluster of coexpressed dendritic morphology genes downregulated selectively in D1-MSNs that are transcriptionally coregulated by E2F1. E2f1 expression in D1-MSNs protects against loss of dendritic complexity, altered physiology, and negative affect-like behaviors caused by fentanyl abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that fentanyl abstinence causes unique structural, functional, and molecular changes in nucleus accumbens D1-MSNs that can be targeted to alleviate negative affective symptoms during abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Fox
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Andreas B Wulff
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniela Franco
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eric Y Choi
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cali A Calarco
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michel Engeln
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Makeda D Turner
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Victoria M Rhodes
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Scott M Thompson
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Jiang Y, Zou M, Wang Y, Wang Y. Nucleus accumbens in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder: A brief review. Brain Res Bull 2023; 196:68-75. [PMID: 36889362 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent mental disorder characterized by anhedonia, loss of motivation, avolition, behavioral despair and cognitive abnormalities. Despite substantial advancements in the pathophysiology of MDD in recent years, the pathogenesis of this disorder is not fully understood. Meanwhile,the treatment of MDD with currently available antidepressants is inadequate, highlighting the urgent need for clarifying the pathophysiology of MDD and developing novel therapeutics. Extensive studies have demonstrated the involvement of nuclei such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HIP), nucleus accumbens (NAc), hypothalamus, etc., in MDD. NAc,a region critical for reward and motivation,dysregulation of its activity seems to be a hallmark of this mood disorder. In this paper, we present a review of NAc related circuits, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying MDD and share an analysis of the gaps in current research and possible future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Jiang
- Institute of Innovation and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, China
| | - Manshu Zou
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, China
| | - Yeqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Human Health, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Institute of Innovation and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, China.
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Wu M, Li A, Guo Y, Cao F, You S, Cao J, Mi W, Tong L. GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens core mediate the antidepressant effects of sevoflurane. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 946:175627. [PMID: 36868292 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.175627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
General anaesthetics have been widely applied to induce reversible loss and recovery of consciousness in clinical practice and have been shown to have reliably safe profiles. Since brief exposure to general anaesthetics can result in long-lasting and global changes in neuronal structures and function, these drugs also exhibit strong therapeutic potential for mood disorders. Preliminary and clinical studies have suggested that the inhalational anaesthetic drug sevoflurane might relieve symptoms of depression. However, the antidepressant effects of sevoflurane and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we confirmed that the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of inhaling 2.5% sevoflurane for 30 min were comparable to those of ketamine and could be sustained for 48 h. Activation of GABAergic (γ-aminobutyric acidergic) neurons in the nucleus accumbens core by chemogenetics was shown to mimic the antidepressant effects of inhaled sevoflurane, whereas inhibition of these neurons significantly prevented these effects. Considered together, these results suggested that sevoflurane might exert rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects via modulation of neuronal activities in the nucleus accumbens core nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wu
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing, 100144, China
| | - Ao Li
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Yongxin Guo
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Fuyang Cao
- Department of Anesthesia, The Sixth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Shaohua You
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jiangbei Cao
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Weidong Mi
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
| | - Li Tong
- Anesthesia and Operation Center, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
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50
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Wu XB, Zhu Q, Gao MH, Yan SX, Gu PY, Zhang PF, Xu ML, Gao YJ. Excitatory Projections from the Prefrontal Cortex to Nucleus Accumbens Core D1-MSNs and κ Opioid Receptor Modulate Itch-Related Scratching Behaviors. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1334-1347. [PMID: 36653189 PMCID: PMC9987576 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1359-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an uncomfortable and complex sensation that elicits the desire to scratch. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity is important in driving sensation, motivation, and emotion. Excitatory afferents from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and hippocampus are crucial in tuning the activity of dopamine receptor D1-expressing and D2-expressing medium spiny neurons (Drd1-MSN and Drd2-MSN) in the NAc. However, a cell-type and neural circuity-based mechanism of the NAc underlying acute itch remains unclear. We found that acute itch induced by compound 48/80 (C48/80) decreased the intrinsic membrane excitability in Drd1-MSNs, but not in Drd2-MSNs, in the NAc core of male mice. Chemogenetic activation of Drd1-MSNs alleviated C48/80-induced scratching behaviors but not itch-related anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, C48/80 enhanced the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) and reduced the paired-pulse ratio (PPR) of electrical stimulation-evoked EPSCs in Drd1-MSNs. Furthermore, C48/80 increased excitatory synaptic afferents to Drd1-MSNs from the mPFC, not from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or ventral hippocampus (vHipp). Consistently, the intrinsic excitability of mPFC-NAc projecting pyramidal neurons was increased after C48/80 treatment. Chemogenetic inhibition of mPFC-NAc excitatory synaptic afferents relieved the scratching behaviors. Moreover, pharmacological activation of κ opioid receptor (KOR) in the NAc core suppressed C48/80-induced scratching behaviors, and the modulation of KOR activity in the NAc resulted in the changes of presynaptic excitatory inputs to Drd1-MSNs in C48/80-treated mice. Together, these results reveal the neural plasticity in synapses of NAc Drd1-MSNs from the mPFC underlying acute itch and indicate the modulatory role of the KOR in itch-related scratching behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Itch stimuli cause strongly scratching desire and anxiety in patients. However, the related neural mechanisms remain largely unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that the pruritogen compound 48/80 (C48/80) shapes the excitability of dopamine receptor D1-expressing medium spiny neurons (Drd1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and the glutamatergic synaptic afferents from medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to these neurons. Chemogenetic activation of Drd1-MSNs or inhibition of mPFC-NAc excitatory synaptic afferents relieves the scratching behaviors. In addition, pharmacological activation of κ opioid receptor (KOR) in the NAc core alleviates C48/80-induced itch. Thus, targeting mPFC-NAc Drd1-MSNs or KOR may provide effective treatments for itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Bo Wu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Qian Zhu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Ming-Hui Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Sheng-Xiang Yan
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Pan-Yang Gu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhang
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Meng-Lin Xu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Yong-Jing Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
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