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Chen YH, Wang ZB, Liu XP, Xu JP, Mao ZQ. Sex differences in the relationship between depression and Alzheimer's disease-mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic opportunities. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1301854. [PMID: 38903903 PMCID: PMC11188317 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1301854] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders with intriguing epidemiological overlaps. Their interrelation has recently garnered widespread attention. Empirical evidence indicates that depressive disorders significantly contribute to AD risk, and approximately a quarter of AD patients have comorbid major depressive disorder, which underscores the bidirectional link between AD and depression. A growing body of evidence substantiates pervasive sex differences in both AD and depression: both conditions exhibit a higher incidence among women than among men. However, the available literature on this topic is somewhat fragmented, with no comprehensive review that delineates sex disparities in the depression-AD correlation. In this review, we bridge these gaps by summarizing recent progress in understanding sex-based differences in mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic prospects for depression and AD. Additionally, we outline key challenges in the field, holding potential for improving treatment precision and efficacy tailored to male and female patients' distinct needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- The First Clinical Medical School, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Zhi-Bo Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Peng Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Jun-Peng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qi Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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2
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Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
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Campbell H, Guo JD, Kuhn C. Applying the Research Domain Criteria to Rodent Studies of Sex Differences in Chronic Stress Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01351-9. [PMID: 38821193 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Women have a two-fold increased rate of stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but the mechanisms of this increased susceptibility remain incompletely understood. Female subjects were historically excluded from preclinical studies and clinical trials. Additionally, chronic stress paradigms used to study psychiatric pathology in animal models were developed for use in males. However, recent changes in NIH policy encourage inclusion of female subjects, and considerable work has been performed in recent years to understand biological sex differences that may underlie differences in susceptibility to chronic stress associated psychiatric conditions. We here review the utility as well as current challenges of using the framework of the NIH's research domain criteria as a transdiagnostic approach to study sex differences in rodent models of chronic stress including recent progress in the study of sex differences in the neurobehavioral domains of negative valence, positive valence, cognition, social processes, arousal, and social processes.
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Duque-Wilckens N, Maradiaga N, Szu-Ying Y, Joseph D, Srinavasan V, Thelen K, Sotomayor F, Durga K, Nestler E, Moeser AJ, Robison AJ. Activity-dependent FosB gene expression negatively regulates mast cell functions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.06.592755. [PMID: 38766119 PMCID: PMC11100602 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.06.592755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Mast cells are innate immune cells that play a crucial role in numerous physiological processes across tissues by releasing pre-stored and newly synthesized mediators in response to stimuli, an activity largely driven by changes in gene expression. Given their widespread influence, dysfunction in mast cells can contribute to a variety of pathologies including allergies, long COVID, and autoimmune and neuroinflammatory disorders. Despite this, the specific transcriptional mechanisms that control mast cell mediator release remain poorly understood, significantly hindering the development of effective therapeutic strategies. We found that the two proteins encoded by the transcription factor FosB, FOSB and the highly stable variant ΔFOSB, are robustly expressed upon stimulation in both murine and human mast cell progenitors. Motivated by these findings, we generated a novel mouse model with targeted ablation of FosB gene expression specifically in mast cells (MC FosB- ) by crossing a mast cell-specific Cre reporter line (Mcpt5-Cre) with a Cre-dependent floxed FosB mouse lines. We found that mast cell progenitors derived from MC FosB- mice, compared to wild types (WT), exhibit baseline increased histamine content and vesicle numbers. Additionally, they show enhanced calcium mobilization, degranulation, and histamine release following allergy-related IgE-mediated stimulation, along with heightened IL-6 release in response to infection-like LPS stimulation. In vivo experiments with IgE- mediated and LPS challenges revealed that MC FosB- mice experience greater drops in body temperature, heightened activation of tissue-resident mast cells, and increased release of pro-inflammatory mediators compared to their WT counterparts. These findings suggest that FosB products play a crucial regulatory role in moderating stimulus-induced mast cell activation in response to both IgE and LPS stimuli. Lastly, by integrating CUT&RUN and RNAseq data, we identified several genes targeted by ΔFOSB that could mediate these observed effects, including Mir155hg, CLCF1, DUSP4, and Trib1. Together, this study provides the first evidence that FOSB/ΔFOSB modulate mast cell functions and provides a new possible target for therapeutic interventions aimed at ameliorating mast cell-related diseases.
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Kropp DR, Rainville JR, Glover ME, Tsyglakova M, Samanta R, Hage TR, Carlson AE, Clinton SM, Hodes GE. Chronic variable stress leads to sex specific gut microbiome alterations in mice. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 37:100755. [PMID: 38618010 PMCID: PMC11010943 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress has been implicated in the incidence and severity of psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders. The immune system is capable of modulating the activity and composition of the gut following stress and vice versa. In this study we sought to examine the sequential relationship between immune signaling and microbiome composition occurring in male and female mice over time using a variable stress paradigm. Tissue was collected prior to, during, and after the stress paradigm from the same mice. Cytokines from plasma and brain were quantified using a multiplexed cytokine assay. Fecal samples were collected at the same timepoints and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed to determine the relative abundance of microbiota residing in the guts of stressed and control mice. We found sex differences in the response of the gut microbiota to stress following 28 days of chronic variable stress but not 6 days of sub-chronic variable stress. Immune activation was quantified in the nucleus accumbens immediately following Sub-chronic variable when alterations of gut composition had not yet occurred. In both sexes, 28 days of stress induced significant changes in the proportion of Erysipelotrichaceae and Lactobacillaceae, but in opposite directions for male and female mice. Alterations to the gut microbiome in both sexes were associated with changes in cytokines related to eosinophilic immune activity. Our use of an animal stress model reveals the immune mechanisms that may underly changes in gut microbiome composition during and after stress. This study reveals potential drug targets and microbiota of interest for the intervention of stress related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawson R. Kropp
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Rainville
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Matthew E. Glover
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mariya Tsyglakova
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Rupabali Samanta
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Tamer R. Hage
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Audrey E. Carlson
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Sarah M. Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Georgia E. Hodes
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Yin X, Zhao Y, Wang S, Feng H, He X, Li X, Liu X, Lu H, Wen D, Shi Y, Shi H. Postweaning stress affects behavior, brain and gut microbiota of adolescent mice in a sex-dependent manner. Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109869. [PMID: 38354850 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109869] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Aggression is an instinctive behavior that has been reported to be influenced by early-life stress. However, the potential effects of acute stress during the postweaning period, a key stage for brain development, on defensive aggression and the associated mechanism remain poorly understood. In the present study, aggressive behaviors were evaluated in adolescent mice exposed to postweaning stress. Serum corticosterone and testosterone levels, neural dendritic spine density, and gut microbiota composition were determined to identify the underlying mechanism. Behavioral analysis showed that postweaning stress reduced locomotor activity in mice and decreased defensive aggression in male mice. ELISA results showed that postweaning stress reduced serum testosterone levels in female mice. Golgi staining analysis demonstrated that postweaning stress decreased neural dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that postweaning stress altered the composition of the gut microbiota in male mice. Combined, these results suggested that postweaning stress alters defensive aggression in male mice, which may be due to changes in neuronal structure as well as gut microbiota composition. Our findings highlight the long-lasting and sex-dependent effects of early-life experience on behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyong Yin
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Hao Feng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xinyue He
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xincheng Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Hengtai Lu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Di Wen
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yun Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
| | - Haishui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Nursing School, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China.
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Wang X, Xia Y, Yan R, Sun H, Huang Y, Xia Q, Sheng J, You W, Hua L, Tang H, Yao Z, Lu Q. Sex differences in anhedonia in bipolar depression: a resting-state fMRI study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01765-4. [PMID: 38558145 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01765-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies about anhedonia symptoms in bipolar depression (BD) ignored the unique role of gender on brain function. This study aims to explore the regional brain neuroimaging features of BD with anhedonia and the sex differences in these patients. The resting-fMRI by applying fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method was estimated in 263 patients with BD (174 high anhedonia [HA], 89 low anhedonia [LA]) and 213 healthy controls. The effects of two different factors in patients with BD were analyzed using a 3 (group: HA, LA, HC) × 2 (sex: male, female) ANOVA. The fALFF values were higher in the HA group than in the LA group in the right medial cingulate gyrus and supplementary motor area. For the sex-by-group interaction, the fALFF values of the right hippocampus, left medial occipital gyrus, right insula, and bilateral medial cingulate gyrus were significantly higher in HA males than in LA males but not females. These results suggested that the pattern of high activation could be a marker of anhedonia symptoms in BD males, and the sex differences should be considered in future studies of BD with anhedonia symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Yi Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Rui Yan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Hao Sun
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Yinghong Huang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Qiudong Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Junling Sheng
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Wei You
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Lingling Hua
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Hao Tang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Zhijian Yao
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
- Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China.
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing, 210096, China.
- Child Development and Learning Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210096, China.
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Kang S, Kim W, Nam J, Li K, Kang Y, Bae B, Chun KH, Chung C, Lee J. Non-Targeted Metabolomics Investigation of a Sub-Chronic Variable Stress Model Unveils Sex-Dependent Metabolic Differences Induced by Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2443. [PMID: 38397124 PMCID: PMC10889542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042443] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is twice as prevalent in women as in men, however, most preclinical studies of depression have used male rodent models. This study aimed to examine how stress affects metabolic profiles depending on sex using a rodent depression model: sub-chronic variable stress (SCVS). The SCVS model of male and female mice was established in discovery and validation sets. The stress-induced behavioral phenotypic changes were similar in both sexes, however, the metabolic profiles of female plasma and brain became substantially different after stress, whereas those of males did not. Four stress-differential plasma metabolites-β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB), L-serine, glycerol, and myo-inositol-could yield biomarker panels with excellent performance to discern the stressed individuals only for females. Disturbances in BHB, glucose, 1,5-anhydrosorbitol, lactic acid, and several fatty acids in the plasma of stressed females implied a systemic metabolic shift to β-oxidation in females. The plasma levels of BHB and corticosterone only in stressed females were observed not only in SCVS but also in an acute stress model. These results collectively suggest a sex difference in the metabolic responses by stress, possibly involving the energy metabolism shift to β-oxidation and the HPA axis dysregulation in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seulgi Kang
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (K.L.); (Y.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Woonhee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea; (W.K.); (J.N.); (C.H.C.)
| | - Jimin Nam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea; (W.K.); (J.N.); (C.H.C.)
| | - Ke Li
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (K.L.); (Y.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Yua Kang
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (K.L.); (Y.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Boyeon Bae
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (K.L.); (Y.K.); (B.B.)
| | - Kwang-Hoon Chun
- Gachon Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea;
| | - ChiHye Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea; (W.K.); (J.N.); (C.H.C.)
| | - Jeongmi Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; (S.K.); (K.L.); (Y.K.); (B.B.)
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Cea Salazar VI, Perez MD, Robison AJ, Trainor BC. Impacts of sex differences on optogenetic, chemogenetic, and calcium-imaging tools. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102817. [PMID: 38042130 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102817] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Technical innovation in neuroscience introduced powerful tools for measuring and manipulating neuronal activity via optical, chemogenetic, and calcium-imaging tools. These tools were initially tested primarily in male animals but are now increasingly being used in females as well. In this review, we consider how these tools may work differently in males and females. For example, we review sex differences in the metabolism of chemogenetic ligands and their downstream signaling effects. Optical tools more directly alter depolarization or hyperpolarization of neurons, but biological sex and gonadal hormones modulate synaptic inputs and intrinsic excitability. We review studies demonstrating that optogenetic manipulations are sometimes consistent across the rodent estrous cycle but within certain circuits; manipulations can vary across the ovarian cycle. Finally, calcium-imaging methods utilize genetically encoded calcium indicators to measure neuronal activity. Testosterone and estradiol can directly modulate calcium influx, and we consider these implications for interpreting the results of calcium-imaging studies. Together, our findings suggest that these neuroscientific tools may sometimes work differently in males and females and that users should be aware of these differences when applying these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melvin D Perez
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - A J Robison
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Copenhaver AE, LeGates TA. Sex-specific mechanisms underlie long-term potentiation at hippocampus-nucleus accumbens synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575709. [PMID: 38293132 PMCID: PMC10827060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have complicated our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many behaviors that are key for survival. As such, continued elucidation of the similarities and differences between sexes is necessary in order to gain insight into brain function and vulnerability. The connection between the hippocampus (Hipp) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial site where modulation of neuronal activity mediates reward-related behavior. Our previous work demonstrated that long-term potentiation (LTP) of Hipp-NAc synapses is rewarding, and that mice can make learned associations between LTP of these synapses and the contextual environment in which LTP occurred. Here, we investigate sex differences in the mechanisms underlying Hipp-NAc LTP using whole-cell electrophysiology and pharmacology. We found that males and females display similar magnitudes of Hipp-NAc LTP which occurs postsynaptically. However, LTP in females requires L-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels (VGCC) for postsynaptic Ca 2+ influx, while males rely on NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Additionally, females require estrogen receptor α (ERα) activity for LTP while males do not. These differential mechanisms converge as LTP in both sexes depends on CAMKII activity and occurs independently of dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) activation. Our results have elucidated sex-specific molecular mechanisms for LTP in an integral excitatory pathway that mediates reward-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a variable in mechanistic studies. Continued characterization of sex-specific mechanisms underlying plasticity will offer novel insight into the neurophysiological basis of behavior, with significant implications for understanding how diverse processes mediate behavior and contribute to vulnerability to developing psychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Strengthening of Hipp-NAc synapses drives reward-related behaviors. Male and female mice have similar magnitudes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and both sexes have a predicted postsynaptic locus of plasticity. Despite these similarities, we illustrate here that sex-specific molecular mechanisms are used to elicit LTP. Given the bidirectional relationship between Hipp-NAc synaptic strength in mediating reward-related behaviors, the use of distinct molecular mechanisms may explain sex differences observed in stress susceptibility or response to rewarding stimuli. Discovery and characterization of convergent sex differences provides mechanistic insight into the sex-specific function of Hipp-NAc circuitry and has widespread implications for circuits mediating learning and reward-related behavior.
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Swinford-Jackson SE, Rich MT, Huffman PJ, Knouse MC, Thomas AS, Mankame S, Worobey SJ, Pierce RC. Low frequency deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens shell neuronal subpopulations attenuates cocaine seeking selectively in male rats. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 9:100133. [PMID: 38312329 PMCID: PMC10836638 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The present study examined the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the nucleus accumbens shell on cocaine seeking and neuronal plasticity in rats. Electrical DBS of the accumbens shell attenuated cocaine primed reinstatement across a range of frequencies as low as 12 Hz in male rats. Nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (MSNs) can be differentiated by expression of dopamine D1 receptors (D1DRs) or D2DRs. Low-frequency optogenetic-DBS in D1DR- or D2DR-containing neurons attenuated cocaine seeking in male but not female rats. In slice electrophysiology experiments, 12 Hz electrical stimulation evoked long term potentiation (LTP) in D1DR-MSNs and D2DR-MSNs from cocaine naive male and female rats. However, in cocaine-experienced rats, electrical and optical DBS only elicited LTP in D2DR-MSNs from male rats. These results suggest that low frequency DBS in the nucleus accumbens shell effectively, but sex-specifically, suppresses cocaine seeking, which may be associated with the reversal of synaptic plasticity deficits in D2DR-MSNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Swinford-Jackson
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Matthew T. Rich
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Phillip J. Huffman
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Melissa C. Knouse
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Arthur S. Thomas
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sharvari Mankame
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Samantha J. Worobey
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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Kim M, Kim W, Chung C. The neural basis underlying female vulnerability to depressive disorders. Anim Cells Syst (Seoul) 2023; 27:297-308. [PMID: 38023591 PMCID: PMC10653660 DOI: 10.1080/19768354.2023.2276815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Depressive disorders are more prevalent and severe in women; however, our knowledge of the underlying factors contributing to female vulnerability to depression remains limited. Additionally, females are notably underrepresented in studies seeking to understand the mechanisms of depression. Various animal models of depression have been devised, but only recently have females been included in research. In this comprehensive review, we aim to describe the sex differences in the prevalence, pathophysiology, and responses to drug treatment in patients with depression. Subsequently, we highlight animal models of depression in which both sexes have been studied, in the pursuit of identifying models that accurately reflect female vulnerability to depression. We also introduce explanations for the neural basis of sex differences in depression. Notably, the medial prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens have exhibited sex differences in previous studies. Furthermore, other brain circuits involving the dopaminergic center (ventral tegmental area) and the serotonergic center (dorsal raphe nucleus), along with their respective projections, have shown sex differences in relation to depression. In conclusion, our review covers the critical aspects of sex differences in depression, with a specific focus on female vulnerability in humans and its representation in animal models, including the potential underlying mechanisms. Employing suitable animal models that effectively represent female vulnerability would benefit our understanding of the sex-dependent pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woonhee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - ChiHye Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
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13
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Wang X, Xia Y, Yan R, Sun H, Huang Y, Zou H, Du Y, Hua L, Tang H, Zhou H, Yao Z, Lu Q. The sex differences in anhedonia in major depressive disorder: A resting-state fMRI study. J Affect Disord 2023; 340:555-566. [PMID: 37591350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The external behavioural manifestations and internal neural mechanisms of anhedonia are sexually dimorphic. This study aimed to explore the sex differences in the regional brain neuroimaging features of anhedonia in the context of major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD The resting-fMRI by applying amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method was estimated in 414 patients with MDD (281 high anhedonia [HA], 133 low anhedonia [LA]) and 213 healthy controls (HC). The effects of two factors in patients with MDD were analysed using a 2 (sex: male, female) × 2 (group: HA, LA) ANOVA concerning the brain regions in which statistical differences were identified between patients with MDD and HC. We followed up with patients with HA at baseline, and 43 patients completed a second fMRI scan in remission. Paired t-test was performed to compare the ALFF values of anhedonia-related brain regions between the baseline and remission periods. RESULTS For the sex-by-group interaction, the bilateral insula, right hippocampus, right post cingulum cortex, and left putamen showed significant differences. Furthermore, the abnormally elevated ALFF values in anhedonia-related brain regions at baseline decreased in remission. CONCLUSION Our findings point to the fact that the females showed unique patterns of anhedonia-related brain activity compared to males, which may have clinical implications for interfering with the anhedonia symptoms in MDD. Using task fMRI, we can further examine the distinct characteristics between consumption anhedonia and anticipation anhedonia in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yi Xia
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Rui Yan
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hao Sun
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yinghong Huang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Haowen Zou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yishan Du
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lingling Hua
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hao Tang
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hongliang Zhou
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhijian Yao
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China; Nanjing Brain Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China; School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 sipailou, Nanjing 210096, China; Child Development and Learning Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210096, China.
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14
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Wright EC, Luo PX, Zakharenkov HC, Serna Godoy A, Lake AA, Prince ZD, Sekar S, Culkin HI, Ramirez AV, Dwyer T, Kapoor A, Corbett C, Tian L, Fox AS, Trainor BC. Sexual differentiation of neural mechanisms of stress sensitivity during puberty. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306475120. [PMID: 37847733 PMCID: PMC10614610 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306475120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a major public health concern and current treatments are inadequate for many individuals. Anxiety is more common in women than men and this difference arises during puberty. Sex differences in physiological stress responses may contribute to this variability. During puberty, gonadal hormones shape brain structure and function, but the extent to which these changes affect stress sensitivity is unknown. We examined how pubertal androgens shape behavioral and neural responses to social stress in California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a model species for studying sex differences in stress responses. In adults, social defeat reduces social approach and increases social vigilance in females but not males. We show this sex difference is absent in juveniles, and that prepubertal castration sensitizes adult males to social defeat. Adult gonadectomy does not alter behavioral responses to defeat, indicating that gonadal hormones act during puberty to program behavioral responses to stress in adulthood. Calcium imaging in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) showed that social threats increased neural activity and that prepubertal castration generalized these responses to less threatening social contexts. These results support recent hypotheses that the BNST responds to immediate threats. Prepubertal treatment with the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone acts in males and females to reduce the effects of defeat on social approach and vigilance in adults. These data indicate that activation of androgen receptors during puberty is critical for programming behavioral responses to stress in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Pei X. Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | | | - Alyssa A. Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Zhana D. Prince
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Shwetha Sekar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Hannah I. Culkin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Cody Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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15
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Baumgartner NE, Biraud MC, Lucas EK. Sex differences in socioemotional behavior and changes in ventral hippocampal transcription across aging in C57Bl/6J mice. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 130:141-153. [PMID: 37524006 PMCID: PMC10629502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Socioemotional health is positively correlated with improved cognitive and physical aging. Despite known sex differences in socioemotional behaviors and the trajectory of aging, the interactive effects between sex and aging on socioemotional outcomes are poorly understood. We performed the most comprehensive assessment of sex differences in socioemotional behaviors in C57Bl/6J mice across aging to date. Compared to males, females exhibited decreased anxiety-like behavior and social preference but increased social recognition. With age, anxiety-like behavior, cued threat memory generalization, and social preference increased in both sexes. To investigate potential neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes, we analyzed transcriptional neuropathology markers in the ventral hippocampus and found age-related changes in genes related to activated microglia, angiogenesis, and cytokines. Sex differences emerged in the timing, direction, and magnitude of these changes, independent of reproductive senescence in aged females. Interestingly, female-specific upregulation of autophagy-related genes correlated with age-related behavioral changes selectively in females. These novel findings reveal critical sex differences in trajectories of ventral hippocampal aging that may contribute to sex- and age-related differences in socioemotional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina E Baumgartner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Mandy C Biraud
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Lucas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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16
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Mulvey B, Selmanovic D, Dougherty JD. Sex Significantly Impacts the Function of Major Depression-Linked Variants In Vivo. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:466-478. [PMID: 36803612 PMCID: PMC10425576 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.009] [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: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies have discovered blocks of common variants-likely transcriptional-regulatory-associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), though the functional subset and their biological impacts remain unknown. Likewise, why depression occurs in females more frequently than males is unclear. We therefore tested the hypothesis that risk-associated functional variants interact with sex and produce greater impact in female brains. METHODS We developed techniques to directly measure regulatory variant activity and sex interactions using massively parallel reporter assays in the mouse brain in vivo, in a cell type-specific manner, and applied these approaches to measure activity of >1000 variants from >30 MDD loci. RESULTS We identified extensive sex-by-allele effects in mature hippocampal neurons, suggesting that sex-differentiated impacts of genetic risk may underlie sex bias in disease. Unbiased informatics approaches indicated that functional MDD variants recurrently disrupt a number of transcription factor binding motifs, including those of sex hormone receptors. We confirmed a role for the latter by performing massively parallel reporter assays in neonatal mice on the day of birth (during a sex-differentiating hormone surge) and hormonally quiescent juveniles. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides novel insights into the influence of age, biological sex, and cell type on regulatory variant function and provides a framework for in vivo parallel assays to functionally define interactions between organismal variables such as sex and regulatory variation. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate that a portion of the sex differences seen in MDD occurrence may be a product of sex-differentiated effects at associated regulatory variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Mulvey
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Din Selmanovic
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
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17
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Bouarab C, Wynalda M, Thompson BV, Khurana A, Cody CR, Kisner A, Polter AM. Sex-specific adaptations to VTA circuits following subchronic stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.02.551665. [PMID: 37577542 PMCID: PMC10418168 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.02.551665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the mesolimbic reward circuitry is implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related illnesses such as depression and anxiety. These disorders are more frequently diagnosed in females, and sex differences in the response to stress are likely to be one factor that leads to enhanced vulnerability of females. In this study, we use subchronic variable stress (SCVS), a model in which females are uniquely vulnerable to behavioral disturbances, to investigate sexually divergent mechanisms of regulation of the ventral tegmental area by stress. Using slice electrophysiology, we find that female, but not male mice have a reduction in the ex vivo firing rate of VTA dopaminergic neurons following SCVS. Surprisingly, both male and female animals show an increase in inhibitory tone onto VTA dopaminergic neurons and an increase in the firing rate of VTA GABAergic neurons. In males, however, this is accompanied by a robust increase in excitatory synaptic tone onto VTA dopamine neurons. This supports a model by which SCVS recruits VTA GABA neurons to inhibit dopaminergic neurons in both male and female mice, but males are protected from diminished functioning of the dopaminergic system by a compensatory upregulation of excitatory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Bouarab
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
- Current address: Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris
| | - Megan Wynalda
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
| | - Brittney V. Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
- Current address: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahasse, FL, 32306
| | - Ambika Khurana
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
| | - Caitlyn R. Cody
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
- Current address: Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115
| | - Alexandre Kisner
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
- Current address: Department of Neuroscience, American University, Washington DC 20016
| | - Abigail M. Polter
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
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18
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Yin MY, Guo L, Zhao LJ, Zhang C, Liu WP, Zhang CY, Huo JH, Wang L, Li SW, Zheng CB, Xiao X, Li M, Wang C, Chang H. Reduced Vrk2 expression is associated with higher risk of depression in humans and mediates depressive-like behaviors in mice. BMC Med 2023; 21:256. [PMID: 37452335 PMCID: PMC10349461 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02945-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VRK serine/threonine kinase 2 gene (VRK2) showing genome-wide significant associations with major depression, but the regulation effect of the risk SNPs on VRK2 as well as their roles in the illness are yet to be elucidated. METHODS Based on the summary statistics of major depression GWAS, we conducted population genetic analyses, epigenome bioinformatics analyses, dual luciferase reporter assays, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to identify the functional SNPs regulating VRK2; we also carried out behavioral assessments, dendritic spine morphological analyses, and phosphorylated 4D-label-free quantitative proteomics analyses in mice with Vrk2 repression. RESULTS We identified a SNP rs2678907 located in the 5' upstream of VRK2 gene exhibiting large spatial overlap with enhancer regulatory marks in human neural cells and brain tissues. Using luciferase reporter gene assays and eQTL analyses, the depression risk allele of rs2678907 decreased enhancer activities and predicted lower VRK2 mRNA expression, which is consistent with the observations of reduced VRK2 level in the patients with major depression compared with controls. Notably, Vrk2-/- mice exhibited depressive-like behaviors compared to Vrk2+/+ mice and specifically repressing Vrk2 in the ventral hippocampus using adeno-associated virus (AAV) lead to consistent and even stronger depressive-like behaviors in mice. Compared with Vrk2+/+ mice, the density of mushroom and thin spines in the ventral hippocampus was significantly altered in Vrk2-/- mice, which is in line with the phosphoproteomic analyses showing dysregulated synapse-associated proteins and pathways in Vrk2-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS Vrk2 deficiency mice showed behavioral abnormalities that mimic human depressive phenotypes, which may serve as a useful murine model for studying the pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Yu Yin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lei Guo
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Juan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Clinical Research Center & Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei-Peng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chu-Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin-Hua Huo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shi-Wu Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chang-Bo Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Chuang Wang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
- School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Hong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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19
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Boxer EE, Kim J, Dunn B, Aoto J. Ventral Subiculum Inputs to Nucleus Accumbens Medial Shell Preferentially Innervate D2R Medium Spiny Neurons and Contain Calcium Permeable AMPARs. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1166-1177. [PMID: 36609456 PMCID: PMC9962776 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1907-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventral subiculum (vSUB) is the major output region of ventral hippocampus (vHIPP) and sends major projections to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS). Hyperactivity of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit is associated with substance use disorders and the modulation of vSUB activity alters drug seeking and drug reinstatement behavior in rodents. However, to the best of our knowledge, the cell type-specific connectivity and synaptic transmission properties of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit have never been directly examined. Instead, previous functional studies have focused on total ventral hippocampal (vHIPP) output to NAcMS without distinguishing vSUB from other subregions of vHIPP, including ventral CA1 (vCA1). Using ex vivo electrophysiology, we systematically characterized the vSUB-NAcMS circuit with cell type- and synapse-specific resolution in male and female mice and found that vSUB output to dopamine receptor type-1 (D1R) and type-2 (D2R) expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) displays a functional connectivity bias for D2R MSNs. Furthermore, we found that vSUB-D1R and vSUB-D2R MSN synapses contain calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in drug-naive mice. Finally, we find that, distinct from other glutamatergic inputs, cocaine exposure selectively induces plasticity at vSUB-D2R synapses. Importantly, we directly compared vSUB and vCA1 output to NAcMS and found that vSUB synapses are functionally distinct and that vCA1 output recapitulated the synaptic properties previously ascribed to vHIPP. Our work highlights the need to consider the contributions of individual subregions of vHIPP to substance use disorders and represents an important first step toward understanding how the vSUB-NAcMS circuit contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inputs to nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine receptor type 1 (D1R) and D2R medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are critically involved in reward seeking behavior. Ventral subiculum (vSUB) provides robust synaptic input to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS) and activity of this circuit is linked to substance use disorders. Despite the importance of the vSUB to nucleus accumbens circuit, the functional connectivity and synaptic transmission properties have not been tested. Here, we systematically interrogated these properties and found that basal connectivity and drug-induced plasticity are biased for D2R medium spiny neurons. Overall, we demonstrate that this circuit is distinct from synaptic inputs from other brain regions, which helps to explain how vSUB dysfunction contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Boxer
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - JungMin Kim
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Brett Dunn
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Jason Aoto
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
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20
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Swinford-Jackson SE, Rich MT, Huffman PJ, Knouse MC, Thomas AS, Mankame S, Worobey SJ, Pierce RC. Low frequency optogenetic deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 or D2 receptor-containing neurons attenuates cocaine seeking selectively in male rats in part by reversing synaptic plasticity deficits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.23.524956. [PMID: 36747662 PMCID: PMC9900748 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.23.524956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background Clinically, deep brain stimulation (DBS) utilizes relatively high frequencies (>100 Hz). In preclinical models, 160 Hz stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in rodents prevents relapse of drug seeking. However, the ability of varied frequencies of accumbens DBS to attenuate drug seeking, and the neuronal subtype specificity of this effect, is unclear. Methods The present study examined the effect of DBS in the nucleus accumbens on neuronal plasticity and cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking behavior in rats. Results Electrical DBS of the accumbens shell attenuated cocaine primed reinstatement across a range of frequencies in male rats, including as low as 12 Hz. The majority of nucleus accumbens neurons are medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which can be differentiated in terms of projections and effects on cocaine-related behaviors by expression of dopamine D1 receptors (D1DRs) or D2DRs. In slice electrophysiology experiments, 12 Hz electrical stimulation evoked long term potentiation (LTP) in eYFP labeled D1DR-MSNs and D2DR-MSNs from cocaine naive male and female rats. However, in rats that self-administered cocaine and underwent extinction training, a paradigm identical to our reinstatement experiments, electrical DBS only elicited LTP in D2DR-MSNs from male rats; this effect was replicated by optical stimulation in rats expressing Cre-dependent ChR2 in D2DR-MSNs. Low-frequency optogenetic-DBS in D1DR-containing or D2DR-containing neurons attenuated cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine seeking in male but not female rats. Conclusions These results suggest that administering DBS in the nucleus accumbens shell at lower frequencies effectively, but sex-specifically, suppresses cocaine craving, perhaps in part by reversing synaptic plasticity deficits selectively in D2DR-MSNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Swinford-Jackson
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Matthew T. Rich
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Phillip J. Huffman
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Melissa C. Knouse
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Arthur S. Thomas
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sharvari Mankame
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Samantha J. Worobey
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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21
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Simmons SC, Grecco GG, Atwood BK, Nugent FS. Effects of prenatal opioid exposure on synaptic adaptations and behaviors across development. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109312. [PMID: 36334764 PMCID: PMC10314127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109312] [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: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on prenatal opioid exposure (POE) given the significant concern for the mental health outcomes of children with parents affected by opioid use disorder (OUD) in the view of the current opioid crisis. We highlight some of the less explored interactions between developmental age and sex on synaptic plasticity and associated behavioral outcomes in preclinical POE research. We begin with an overview of the rich literature on hippocampal related behaviors and plasticity across POE exposure paradigms. We then discuss recent work on reward circuit dysregulation following POE. Additional risk factors such as early life stress (ELS) could further influence synaptic and behavioral outcomes of POE. Therefore, we include an overview on the use of preclinical ELS models where ELS exposure during key critical developmental periods confers considerable vulnerability to addiction and stress psychopathology. Here, we hope to highlight the similarity between POE and ELS on development and maintenance of opioid-induced plasticity and altered opioid-related behaviors where similar enduring plasticity in reward circuits may occur. We conclude the review with some of the limitations that should be considered in future investigations. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Opioid-induced addiction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Simmons
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Greg G Grecco
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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22
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
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23
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Aghi K, Goetz TG, Pfau DR, Sun SED, Roepke TA, Guthman EM. Centering the Needs of Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender-Diverse Populations in Neuroendocrine Models of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1268-1279. [PMID: 35863692 PMCID: PMC10472479 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most studies attempting to address the health care needs of the millions of transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender-diverse (TNG) individuals rely on human subjects, overlooking the benefits of translational research in animal models. Researchers have identified many ways in which gonadal steroid hormones regulate neuronal gene expression, connectivity, activity, and function across the brain to control behavior. However, these discoveries primarily benefit cisgender populations. Research into the effects of exogenous hormones such as estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone has a direct translational benefit for TNG individuals on gender-affirming hormone therapies (GAHTs). Despite this potential, endocrinological health care for TNG individuals remains largely unimproved. Here, we outline important areas of translational research that could address the unique health care needs of TNG individuals on GAHT. We highlight key biomedical questions regarding GAHT that can be investigated using animal models. We discuss how contemporary research fails to address the needs of GAHT users and identify equitable practices for cisgender scientists engaging with this work. We conclude that if necessary and important steps are taken to address these issues, translational research on GAHTs will greatly benefit the health care outcomes of TNG people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisha Aghi
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California
| | - Teddy G Goetz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel R Pfau
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Simón E D Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York; Center for Applied Transgender Studies, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Troy A Roepke
- Department of Animal Sciences, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
| | - Eartha Mae Guthman
- Center for Applied Transgender Studies, Chicago, Illinois; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
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24
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Zhao L, Zheng X, Ji K, Wang Z, Sang L, Chen X, Tang L, Zhu Y, Bai Z, Chen R. The Relationship between Social Support and Anxiety among Rural Older People in Elderly Caring Social Organizations: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11411. [PMID: 36141684 PMCID: PMC9516966 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social support and anxiety have a major impact on later life quality in rural, older people in elderly caring social organizations (SOs). This study aimed to explore the relationship between social support and anxiety and their relevant influential factors among rural older people in elderly caring SOs in Anhui Province, China. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted through a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and a generalized linear model were employed. RESULTS A significantly negative association between friends' support and anxiety were found among rural older people in elderly caring SOs. Statistically significant relationships were found between social support and gender, marital status, education level, whether visited by relatives, and institutional satisfaction. Similarly, anxiety was associated with gender, institutional satisfaction, comorbid chronic diseases, and friends' support. CONCLUSIONS Social support from friends plays an important role in preventing and regulating anxiety among rural older people, especially those from elderly caring SOs. To reduce the occurrence and level of anxiety among rural elderly in elderly caring SOs, an effort should be given to strengthening social support, improving institutional satisfaction, and emphasizing comorbid chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanlan Zhao
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xin Zheng
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Kai Ji
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zhengsheng Wang
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Lingzhi Sang
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xuefei Chen
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ling Tang
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zhongliang Bai
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ren Chen
- School of Health Services Management, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Suzhou 234000, China
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25
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Zou J, Shang W, Yang L, Liu T, Wang L, Li X, Zhao J, Rao X, Gao J, Fan X. Microglia activation in the mPFC mediates anxiety-like behaviors caused by Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2715. [PMID: 35977050 PMCID: PMC9480961 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is considered as one of the major causative agents of serious hospital- and community-acquired infections. Recent studies have reported that S. aureus infection induced neuroinflammation and was linked with some mental disorders. To evaluate the effects of S. aureus infection on abnormal behaviors, we conducted the present study. METHODS A S. aureus USA300-infected mouse model was established using bacterial suspension injection into tail vein. A series of behavioral tests were performed after USA300 infection. The expression of cytokines was detected in serum and mPFC. The number and some morphological parameters of microglia were also evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS Anxiety-like behaviors, instead of locomotor activity impairment or depression-like behaviors, were observed in mice infected with S. aureus USA300 compared with control. S. aureus USA300 infection caused overexpression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in serum, resulted in microglial over-activation and excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines in the mPFC. In addition, overexpression of TLR2 accompanied by increased GLS1 and p-STAT3 was observed in the mPFC of mice infected with S. aureus USA300. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that S. aureus USA300 infection can lead to neuroinflammation in the mPFC of mice, which may contribute to the development of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zou
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Weilong Shang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Tianyao Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xiancai Rao
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Junwei Gao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
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26
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Culbert KM, Milá Roa A, Stevens K, Sisk CL, Burt SA, Klump KL. Pubertal emergence of testosterone effects on depressive symptoms in boys. JCPP ADVANCES 2022; 2. [DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Culbert
- Department of Psychology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Antonio Milá Roa
- Department of Psychology University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada USA
| | - Kimberly Stevens
- Department of Psychology University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada USA
| | - Cheryl L. Sisk
- Neuroscience Program Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - S. Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Kelly L. Klump
- Department of Psychology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
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27
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Negative effects of brain regulatory T cells depletion on epilepsy. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 217:102335. [PMID: 35931355 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102335] [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: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The infiltration of immune cells is observed in the epileptogenic zone; however, the relationship between epilepsy and regulatory T cells (Tregs) remains only partially understood. We aimed to investigate brain-infiltrating Tregs to reveal their underlying role in epilepsy. We analyzed the infiltration of Tregs in the epileptogenic zones from patients with epilepsy and a pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) model. Next, we evaluated the effects of brain Treg depletion on neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, oxidative stress, seizure activity and behavioral changes in the pilocarpine model. We also explored the impact of Treg expansion in the brain on seizure activity. There were a large number of Tregs in the epileptogenic zones of human and experimental epilepsy. The number of brain Tregs was negatively correlated with the frequency of seizures in patients with epilepsy. Our further findings demonstrated that brain Treg depletion promoted astrocytosis, microgliosis, inflammatory cytokine production, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss in the hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE). Moreover, brain Treg depletion increased seizure activity and contributed to behavioral impairments in experimental chronic TLE. Interestingly, intracerebroventricular injection of CCL20 amplified Tregs in brain tissue, thereby inhibiting seizure activity. Taken together, our study highlights the therapeutic potential of regulating Tregs in epileptic brain tissue.
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28
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Caradonna SG, Paul MR, Marrocco J. Evidence for an allostatic epigenetic memory on chromatin footprints after double-hit acute stress. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100475. [PMID: 36032404 PMCID: PMC9400173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress induces allostatic responses, whose limits depend on genetic background and the nature of the challenges. Allostatic load reflects the cumulation of these reponses over the course of life. Acute stress is usually associated with adaptive responses, although, depending on the intensity of the stress and individual differences , some may experience maladaptive coping that persists through life and may influence subsequent responses to stressful events, as is the case of post-traumatic stress disorder. We investigated the behavioral traits and epigenetic signatures in a double-hit mouse model of acute stress in which heterotypic stressors (acute swim stress and acute restraint stress) were applied within a 7-day interval period. The ventral hippocampus was isolated to study the footprints of chromatin accessibility driven by exposure to double-hit stress. Using ATAC sequencing to determine regions of open chromatin, we showed that depending on the number of acute stressors, several gene sets related to development, immune function, cell starvation, translation, the cytoskeleton, and DNA modification were reprogrammed in both males and females. Chromatin accessibility for transcription factor binding sites showed that stress altered the accessibility for androgen, glucocorticoid, and mineralocorticoid receptor binding sites (AREs/GREs) at the genome-wide level, with double-hit stressed mice displaying a profile unique from either single hit of acute stress. The investigation of AREs/GREs adjacent to gene coding regions revealed several stress-related genes, including Fkbp5, Zbtb16, and Ddc, whose chromatin accessibility was affected by prior exposure to stress. These data demonstrate that acute stress is not truly acute because it induces allostatic signatures that persist in the epigenome and may manifest when a second challenge hits later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew R. Paul
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY, USA.
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29
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Li Q, Zhao W, Liu S, Zhao Y, Pan W, Wang X, Liu Z, Xu Y. Partial resistance to citalopram in a Wistar-Kyoto rat model of depression: An evaluation using resting-state functional MRI and graph analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 151:242-251. [PMID: 35500452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as an endogenous depression model partially lack a response to classic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Thus, this strain has the potential to be established as a model of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, the SSRI resistance in WKY rats is still not fully understood. In this study, WKY and control rats were subjected to a series of tests, namely, a forced swim test (FST), a sucrose preference test (SPT), and an open field test (OFT), and were scanned in a 7.0-T MRI scanner before and after three-week citalopram or saline administration. Behavioral results demonstrated that WKY rats had increased immobility in the FST and decreased sucrose preference in the SPT and central time spent in the OFT. However, citalopram did not improve immobility in the FST. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis showed regional changes in the striatum and hippocampus of WKY rats. However, citalopram partially reversed the ALFF value in the dorsal part of the two regions. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis showed that FC strengths were decreased in WKY rats compared with controls. Nevertheless, citalopram partially increased FC strengths in WKY rats. Based on FC, global graph analysis demonstrated decreased network efficiency in WKY + saline group compared with control + saline group, but citalopram showed weak network efficiency improvement. In conclusion, resting-state fMRI results implied widely affected brain function at both regional and global levels in WKY rats. Citalopram had only partial effects on these functional changes, indicating a potential treatment resistance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Wentao Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; National Key Disciplines, Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Neurobiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Weixing Pan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhifen Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital/First Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuropsychiatric Diseases, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China; National Key Disciplines, Key Laboratory for Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Department of Neurobiology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
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30
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Herbst MR, Twining RC, Gilmartin MR. Ventral hippocampal shock encoding modulates the expression of trace cued fear. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 190:107610. [PMID: 35302040 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus is crucial for associative fear learning when the anticipation of threat requires temporal or contextual binding of predictive stimuli as in trace and contextual fear conditioning. Compared with the dorsal hippocampus, far less is known about the contribution of the ventral hippocampus to fear learning. The ventral hippocampus, which is highly interconnected with defensive and emotional networks, has a prominent role in both innate and learned affective behaviors including anxiety, fear, and reward. Lesions or temporary inactivation of the ventral hippocampus impair both cued and contextual fear learning, but whether the ventral hippocampal role in learning is driven by affective processing, associative encoding, or both is not clear. Here, we used trace fear conditioning in mixed sex cohorts to assess the contribution of shock-encoding to the acquisition of cued and contextual fear memories. Trace conditioning requires subjects to associate an auditory conditional stimulus (CS) with a shock unconditional stimulus (UCS) that are separated in time by a 20-s trace interval. We first recorded neuronal activity in the ventral hippocampus during trace fear conditioning and found that ventral CA1 predominantly encoded the shock reinforcer. Potentiated firing to the CS was evident at testing, but no encoding of the trace interval was observed. We then tested the necessity of shock encoding for conditional fear acquisition by optogenetically silencing ventral hippocampal activity during the UCS on each trial of training. Contrary to our predictions, preventing hippocampal shock-evoked firing did not impair associative fear. Instead, it led to a more prolonged expression of CS freezing across test trials, an effect observed in males, but not females. Contextual fear learning was largely intact, although a subset of animals in each sex were differentially affected by shock-silencing. Taken together, the results show that shock encoding in the ventral hippocampus modulates the expression of learned fear in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Herbst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Robert C Twining
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Marieke R Gilmartin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
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31
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Williams ES, Mazei-Robison M, Robison AJ. Sex Differences in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Preclinical Animal Models for the Study of Depression. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039198. [PMID: 34404738 PMCID: PMC8886985 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Depression and related mood disorders constitute an enormous burden on health, quality of life, and the global economy, and women have roughly twice the lifetime risk of men for experiencing depression. Here, we review sex differences in human brain physiology that may be connected to the increased susceptibility of women to major depressive disorder (MDD). Moreover, we summarize decades of preclinical research using animal models for the study of mood dysfunction that uncover some of the potential molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms that may underlie sex differences and disease etiology. We place particular emphasis on a series of recent studies demonstrating the central contribution of the circuit projecting from ventral hippocampus to nucleus accumbens and how inherent sex differences in the excitability of this circuit may predict and drive depression-related behaviors. The findings covered in this review underscore the continued need for studies using preclinical models and circuit-specific strategies for uncovering molecular and physiological mechanisms that could lead to potential sex-specific diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and/or treatments for MDD and other mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Williams
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | | | - A J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
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32
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Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Corrales WA, Silva JP, González PI, Lagos S, García MA, Alarcón-Mardones M, Rojas PS, Xu X, Cidlowski JA, Aliaga E, Fiedler J. Chronic restraint stress produces sex-specific behavioral and molecular outcomes in the dorsal and ventral rat hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100440. [PMID: 35252485 PMCID: PMC8894263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders display differences at multiple levels according to sex. While most studies have been conducted in male rodents, less is known about comparable outcomes in females. In this study, we found that the chronic restraint stress model (2.5 h/day for 14 days) triggers different somatic responses in male and female adult rats. Chronic restraint produced a loss in sucrose preference and novel location preference in male rats. However, chronic restraint failed to produce loss of sucrose preference in females, while it improved spatial performance. We then characterized the molecular responses associated with these behaviors in the hippocampus, comparing the dorsal and ventral poles. Notably, sex- and hippocampal pole-specific transcriptional signatures were observed, along with a significant concordance between the female ventral and male dorsal profiles. Functional enrichment analysis revealed both shared and specific terms associated with each pole and sex. By looking into signaling pathways that were associated with these terms, we found an ample array of sex differences in the dorsal and, to a lesser extent, in the ventral hippocampus. These differences were mainly present in synaptic TrkB signaling, Akt pathway, and glutamatergic receptors. Unexpectedly, the effects of stress on these pathways were rather minimal and mostly dissociated from the sex-specific behavioral outcomes. Our study suggests that female rats are resilient and males susceptible to the restraint stress exposure in the sucrose preference and object location tests, while the activity of canonical signaling pathways is primarily determined by sex rather than stress in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo I. González
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sara Lagos
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - María A. García
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Alarcón-Mardones
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Medical Technology School and the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Corresponding author. Medical Technology School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| | - Jenny Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
- Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. Chile.
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Baugher BJ, Buckhaults K, Case J, Sullivan A, Huq SN, Sachs BD. Sub-chronic stress induces similar behavioral effects in male and female mice despite sex-specific molecular adaptations in the nucleus accumbens. Behav Brain Res 2022; 425:113811. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Sheng JA, Tan SML, Hale TM, Handa RJ. Androgens and Their Role in Regulating Sex Differences in the Hypothalamic/Pituitary/Adrenal Axis Stress Response and Stress-Related Behaviors. ANDROGENS: CLINICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS 2022; 2:261-274. [PMID: 35024695 PMCID: PMC8744007 DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Androgens play a pivotal role during development. These gonadal hormones and their receptors exert organizational actions that shape brain morphology in regions controlling the stress regulatory systems in a male-specific manner. Specifically, androgens drive sex differences in the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis and corresponding hypothalamic neuropeptides. While studies have examined the role of estradiol and its receptors in sex differences in the HPA axis and associated behaviors, the role of androgens remains far less studied. Androgens are generally thought to modulate the HPA axis through the activation of androgen receptors (ARs). They can also impact the HPA axis through reduction to estrogenic metabolites that can bind estrogen receptors in the brain and periphery. Such regulation of the HPA axis stress response by androgens can often result in sex-biased risk factors for stress-related disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This review focuses on the biosynthesis pathways and molecular actions of androgens and their nuclear receptors. The impact of androgens on hypothalamic neuropeptide systems (corticotropin-releasing hormone, arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin) that control the stress response and stress-related disorders is discussed. Finally, this review discusses potential therapeutics involving androgens (androgen replacement therapies, selective AR modulator therapies) and ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah M L Tan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Taben M Hale
- Department of Basic Medical Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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Abstract
Social stressors are known to have strong negative impacts on mental health. There is a long history of preclinical social defeat stress studies in rodents focusing on males that has produced important insights into the neural mechanisms that modulate depression- and anxiety-related behavior. Despite these impressive results, a historical weakness of rodent social stress models has been an under-representation of studies in females. This is problematic because rates of depression and anxiety are higher in women versus men. Recently there has been a surge of interest in adapting social stress methods for female rodents. Here we review new rodent models that have investigated numerous facets of social stress in females. The different models have different strengths and weaknesses, with some model systems having stronger ethological validity with other models having better access to molecular tools to manipulate neural circuits. Continued use and refinement of these complementary models will be critical for addressing gaps in understanding the function of neural circuits modulating depression- and anxiety-related behavior in females.
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36
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Deutschmann AU, Kirkland JM, Briand LA. Adolescent social isolation induced alterations in nucleus accumbens glutamate signalling. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13077. [PMID: 34278652 PMCID: PMC9206853 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adversity during early childhood and adolescence increases an individual's vulnerability to developing substance use disorder. Despite the knowledge of this vulnerability, the mechanisms underlying it are still poorly understood. Excitatory afferents to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediate responses to both stressful and rewarding stimuli. Understanding how adolescent social isolation alters these afferents could inform the development of targeted interventions both before and after drug use. Here, we used social isolation rearing as a model of early life adversity which we have previously demonstrated increases vulnerability to cocaine addiction-like behaviour. The current study examined the effect of social isolation rearing on presynaptic glutamatergic transmission in NAc medium spiny neurons in both male and female mice. We show that social isolation rearing alters presynaptic plasticity in the NAc by decreasing the paired-pulse ratio and the size of the readily releasable pool of glutamate. Optogenetically activating the glutamatergic input from the ventral hippocampus to the NAc is sufficient to recapitulate the decreases in paired-pulse ratio and readily releasable pool size seen following electrical stimulation of all NAc afferents. Further, optogenetically inhibiting the ventral hippocampal afferent during electrical stimulation eliminates the effect of early life adversity on the paired-pulse ratio or readily releasable pool size. In summary, we demonstrate that social isolation rearing leads to alterations in glutamate transmission driven by projections from the ventral hippocampus. These data suggest that targeting the circuit from the ventral hippocampus to the nucleus accumbens could provide a means to reverse stress-induced plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lisa A. Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University,Neuroscience Program, Temple University
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37
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Rainville JR, Lipuma T, Hodes GE. Translating the Transcriptome: Sex Differences in the Mechanisms of Depression and Stress, Revisited. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:25-35. [PMID: 33865609 PMCID: PMC10197090 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has produced a plethora of studies examining sex differences in the transcriptional profiles of stress and mood disorders. As we move forward from accepting the existence of extensive molecular sex differences in the brain to exploring the purpose of these sex differences, our approach must become more systemic and less reductionist. Earlier studies have examined specific brain regions and/or cell types. To use this knowledge to develop the next generation of personalized medicine, we need to comprehend how transcriptional changes across the brain and/or the body relate to each other. We provide an overview of the relationships between baseline and depression/stress-related transcriptional sex differences and explore contributions of preclinically identified mechanisms and their impacts on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Rainville
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Timothy Lipuma
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
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38
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Tsyglakova M, Huskey AM, Hurst EH, Telep NM, Wilding MC, Babington ME, Rainville JR, Hodes GE. Sex and region-specific effects of variable stress on microglia morphology. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100378. [PMID: 34820640 PMCID: PMC8600001 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mood disorder that is more prevalent in women than men. In humans, PET imaging of microglia activation is currently being explored as a potential biomarker of MDD and suicidal ideation. Stress is a trigger for many mood disorders, including MDD. Microglial changes in morphology and activation state in response to stress has been reported in various brain regions, but most studies only examined male subjects. Here we report changes in microglia morphology in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and subregions of the hippocampus (HPC) in both male and female mice following variable stress of 6 or 28 days in duration. Our data demonstrate that after 6 days of stress, microglia in the female NAc and dentate gyrus have a reduction in homeostatic associated morphology and an increase in primed microglia. After 28 days some of these sex specific stress effects were still present in microglia within the NAc but not the dentate gyrus. There were no effects of stress in either sex at either timepoint in CA1. In female mice, anti-inflammatory activation of microglia using rosiglitazone promoted sociability behavior after 6 days of stress. Furthermore, both drug and stress have impact on microglia morphology and activation state in the NAc. These data suggest that microglia morphology and activation state are altered by 6 days of variable stress in a region-specific manner and may contribute to, or potentially compensate for, the onset of stress susceptibility rather than impacting long term exposure to stress. There are region and sex specific effects of stress on microglia. Female microglia respond more strongly to shorter periods of stress. Rosiglitazone increases social interaction in stressed female mice. Rosiglitazone does not block stress induced microglia activation in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Tsyglakova
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Alisa M Huskey
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Emily H Hurst
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Natalie M Telep
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mary C Wilding
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Meghan E Babington
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Rainville
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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39
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Sex differences in anxiety and depression: circuits and mechanisms. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:674-684. [PMID: 34545241 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological sex differences in anxiety disorders and major depression are well characterized. Yet the circuits and mechanisms that contribute to these differences are understudied, because preclinical studies have historically excluded female rodents. This oversight is beginning to be addressed, and recent studies that include male and female rodents are identifying sex differences in neurobiological processes that underlie features of these disorders, including conflict anxiety, fear processing, arousal, social avoidance, learned helplessness and anhedonia. These findings allow us to conceptualize various types of sex differences in the brain, which in turn have broader implications for considering sex as a biological variable. Importantly, comparing the sexes could aid in the discovery of novel therapeutics.
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40
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Bollinger J. Uncovering microglial pathways driving sex-specific neurobiological effects in stress and depression. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 16:100320. [PMID: 34589809 PMCID: PMC8474553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Women suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD) more often than men and report greater MDD symptom severity. Mounting evidence suggests that sex differences in MDD may be driven, in part, by sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms. Chronic stress is a significant risk factor in MDD, and preclinical rodent models show differential patterns of stress-induced neural remodeling and cognitive-behavioral dysfunction in males and females. For instance, chronic stress leads to synapse loss in the medial prefrontal cortex in male rodents yet has either no effect on- or increases-synapse number in females. Recent reports have implicated microglia, the immune cells of the brain, in MDD, and findings demonstrate sex-specific microglial signatures in both preclinical stress models and MDD patients. Given that microglia can remodel neural architecture, modulate synaptic transmission, and affect subsequent changes in behavior, it is plausible that microglial pathways contribute to differential stress effects on neuroplasticity and function in males and females. As such, this review examines the evidence for sex-specific microglia-neuron interactions in preclinical stress models and in patients with MDD. Discoveries highlighted herein demonstrate divergent microglial contributions in males and females and suggest that future studies investigating stress-linked disorders should be guided by sex-dependent neurobiological and behavioral findings. Examining these pathways represents a clear avenue toward both a richer understanding of brain, behavior, and immunity, and innovative psychoneuroimmunology-based applications in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.L. Bollinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 2120 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH, 45237, USA
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41
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Lopez J, Bagot RC. Defining Valid Chronic Stress Models for Depression With Female Rodents. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:226-235. [PMID: 33965195 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Women are twice as likely to experience depression than men, yet until recently, preclinical studies in rodents have focused almost exclusively on males. As interest in sex differences and sex-specific mechanisms of stress susceptibility increases, chronic stress models for inducing depression-relevant behavioral and physiological changes in male rodents are being applied to females, and several new models have emerged to include both males and females, yet not all models have been systematically validated in females. An increasing number of researchers seek to include female rodents in their experimental designs, asking the question "what is the ideal chronic stress model for depression in females?" We review criteria for assessing female model validity in light of key research questions and the fundamental distinction between studying sex differences and studying both sexes. In overviewing current models, we explore challenges inherent to establishing an ideal female chronic stress model, with particular emphasis on the need for standardization and adoption of validated behavioral tests sensitive to stress effects in females. Taken together, these considerations will empower female chronic stress models to provide a better understanding of stress susceptibility and allow the development of efficient sex-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle Lopez
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rosemary C Bagot
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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42
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Early life adversity promotes resilience to opioid addiction-related phenotypes in male rats and sex-specific transcriptional changes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020173118. [PMID: 33593913 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020173118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiencing some early life adversity can have an "inoculating" effect that promotes resilience in adulthood. However, the mechanisms underlying stress inoculation are unknown, and animal models are lacking. Here we used the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) model of adversity to evaluate stress inoculation of addiction-related phenotypes. In LBN, pups from postnatal days 2 to 9 and their dams were exposed to a low-resource environment. In adulthood, they were tested for addiction-like phenotypes and compared to rats raised in standard housing conditions. High levels of impulsivity are associated with substance abuse, but in males, LBN reduced impulsive choice compared to controls. LBN males also self-administered less morphine and had a lower breakpoint on a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule than controls. These effects of LBN on addiction-related behaviors were not found in females. Because the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediates these behaviors, we tested whether LBN altered NAc physiology in drug-naïve and morphine-exposed rats. LBN reduced the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in males, but a similar effect was not observed in females. Only in males did LBN prevent a morphine-induced increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio. RNA sequencing was performed to delineate the molecular signature in the NAc associated with LBN-derived phenotypes. LBN produced sex-specific changes in transcription, including in genes related to glutamate transmission. Collectively, these studies reveal that LBN causes a male-specific stress inoculation effect against addiction-related phenotypes. Identifying factors that promote resilience to addiction may reveal novel treatment options for patients.
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43
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Walker LC, Huckstep KL, Chen NA, Hand LJ, Lindsley CW, Langmead CJ, Lawrence AJ. Muscarinic M 4 and M 5 receptors in the ventral subiculum differentially modulate alcohol seeking versus consumption in male alcohol-preferring rats. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:3730-3746. [PMID: 33942300 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediate alcohol consumption and seeking in rats. While M4 and M5 receptors have recently been implicated to mediate these behaviours in the striatum, their role in other brain regions remain unknown. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and ventral subiculum (vSub) both densely express M4 and M5 receptors and modulate alcohol-seeking, via their projections to the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In Indiana alcohol-preferring (iP) male rats, we examined Chrm4 (M4 ) and Chrm5 (M5 ) expression in the VTA and vSub following long-term alcohol consumption and abstinence using RT-qPCR. Using a combination of retrograde tracing and RNAscope, we examined the localisation of Chrm4 and Chrm5 on vSub cells that project to the AcbSh. Using selective allosteric modulators, we examined the functional role of M4 and M5 receptors within the vSub in alcohol consumption, context-induced alcohol-seeking, locomotor activity, and food/water consumption. KEY RESULTS Long-term alcohol and abstinence dysregulated the expression of genes for muscarinic receptors in the vSub, not in the VTA. Chrm4 was down-regulated following long-term alcohol and abstinence, while Chrm5 was up-regulated following long-term alcohol consumption. Consistent with these data, a positive allosteric modulator (VU0467154) of intra-vSub M4 receptors reduced context-induced alcohol-seeking, but not motivation for alcohol self-administration, while M5 receptor negative allosteric modulator (ML375) reduced initial motivation for alcohol self-administration, but not context-induced alcohol-seeking. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Collectively, our data highlight alcohol-induced cholinergic dysregulation in the vSub and distinct roles for M4 and M5 receptor allosteric modulators to reduce alcohol consumption or seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate L Huckstep
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicola A Chen
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lexi J Hand
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christopher J Langmead
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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44
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Zhao D, Liu C, Cui M, Liu J, Meng F, Lian H, Wang D, Hu F, Liu D, Li C. The paraventricular thalamus input to central amygdala controls depression-related behaviors. Exp Neurol 2021; 342:113744. [PMID: 33965409 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The dysregulation of neuronal networks may contribute to the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural connections underlying the symptoms of MDD have yet to be elucidated. Here, we observed that glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) were activated by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) with higher expression numbers of ΔFosB-labeled neurons and protein expression levels, activation of PVT neurons caused depressive-like phenotypes, whereas suppression of PVT neuronal activity induced an antidepressant effect in male, but not female mice, which were achieved by using a chemogenetic approach. Moreover, we found that PVT glutamatergic neurons showed strong neuronal projections to the central amygdala (CeA), activation of the CeA-projecting neurons in PVT or the neuronal terminals of PVT-CeA projection neurons induced depression-related behaviors or showed enhanced stress-induced susceptibility. These results suggest that PVT is a key depression-controlling nucleus, and PVT-CeA projection regulates depression-related behaviors in a sex-dependent manner, which could be served as an essential pathway for morbidity and treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhao
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Cuilan Liu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Minghu Cui
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Fantao Meng
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Haifeng Lian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Fengai Hu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Dunjiang Liu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Li
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China; Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong, China.
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45
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Sarno E, Moeser AJ, Robison AJ. Neuroimmunology of depression. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 91:259-292. [PMID: 34099111 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and a major contributor to the global burden of disease, yet the cellular and molecular etiology of depression remain largely unknown. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with a variety of chronic physical inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, and mood disorders may act synergistically with other medical disorders to worsen patient outcomes. Here, we outline the neuroimmune complement, explore the evidence for altered immune system function in MDD, and present some of the potential mechanisms by which immune cells and molecules may drive the onset and course of MDD. These include pro-inflammatory signaling, alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, dysregulation of the serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems, neuroinflammation, and meningeal immune dysfunction. Finally, we discuss the interactions between current antidepressants and the immune system and propose the possibility of immunomodulatory drugs as potential novel antidepressant treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Sarno
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Adam J Moeser
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
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46
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Adolescent fluoxetine treatment mediates a persistent anxiety-like outcome in female C57BL/6 mice that is ameliorated by fluoxetine re-exposure in adulthood. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7758. [PMID: 33833356 PMCID: PMC8032660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87378-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether juvenile fluoxetine (FLX) exposure induces long-term changes in baseline responses to anxiety-inducing environments, and if so, whether its re-exposure in adulthood would ameliorate this anxiety-like phenotype. An additional goal was to assess the impact of adolescent FLX pretreatment, and its re-exposure in adulthood, on serotonin transporters (5-HTT) and brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF)-related signaling markers (TrkB-ERK1/2-CREB-proBDNF-mBDNF) within the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. To do this, female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to FLX in drinking water during postnatal-days (PD) 35–49. After a 21-day washout-period (PD70), mice were either euthanized (tissue collection) or evaluated on anxiety-related tests (open field, light/dark box, elevated plus-maze). Juvenile FLX history resulted in a persistent avoidance-like profile, along with decreases in BDNF-signaling markers, but not 5-HTTs or TrkB receptors, within both brain regions. Interestingly, FLX re-exposure in adulthood reversed the enduring FLX-induced anxiety-related responses across all behavioral tasks, while restoring ERK2-CREB-proBDNF markers to control levels and increasing mBDNF within the prefrontal cortex, but not the hippocampus. Collectively, these results indicate that adolescent FLX history mediates neurobehavioral adaptations that endure into adulthood, which are indicative of a generalized anxiety-like phenotype, and that this persistent effect is ameliorated by later-life FLX re-exposure, in a prefrontal cortex-specific manner.
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Lv QY, Chen MM, Li Y, Yu Y, Liao H. Brain circuit dysfunction in specific symptoms of depression. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2393-2403. [PMID: 33818849 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Since the depressive disorder manifests complex and diverse symptoms clinically, its pathological mechanism and therapeutic options are difficult to determine. In recent years, the advent of optogenetics, chemogenetics and viral tracing techniques, along with the well-established rodent model of depression, has led to a shift in the focus of depression research from single molecules to neural circuits. In virtue of the powerful tools above, psychiatric disorder such as depression could be well related to the disfunction of brain's connection. Moreover, compelling studies also support that the diversity of depressive behaviour could be involved with the discrete changes in a distinct circuit of the brain. Therefore, summarising the differential changes of the neural circuits in mice with depression-like behaviour may provide a better understanding of the causal relationships between neural circuit and depressive behaviour. Here, we focus on the changes in the neural circuitry underlying various depression-like phenotypes, including motivation, despair, social avoidance and comorbid sequelae, which may provide an explanation to circuit-specific discrepancy in depression-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Y Lv
- New Drug Screening Center, Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming M Chen
- New Drug Screening Center, Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Li
- New Drug Screening Center, Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Yu
- New Drug Screening Center, Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong Liao
- New Drug Screening Center, Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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Bali V, Simmons SC, Manning CE, Doyle MA, Rodriguez M, Stark AR, Ayala Rosario SN, Robison AJ, Mazei-Robison MS. Characterization of proinflammatory markers in the ventral tegmental area across mouse models of chronic stress. Neuroscience 2021; 461:11-22. [PMID: 33689861 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), understanding of the biological underpinnings remains limited. Rodent models suggest that changes in activity and output of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are important for depressive-like phenotypes. Additionally, brain inflammatory processes are thought to contribute to MDD pathology and inflammation in the VTA has been linked to changes in VTA DA neuronal activity. Thus, we sought to determine whether there is increased inflammatory signaling in the VTA following forms of chronic stress that induce depressive-like symptoms. First, we subjected male mice to either physical or vicarious chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), paradigms known to induce long-term depressive-like behavior and changes in VTA signaling. Second, we subjected male and female mice to subchronic variable stress (SCVS), a paradigm that induces depressive-like behavior only in female mice. We then isolated mRNA from the VTA and assessed proinflammatory gene regulation via RT-PCR. Our results show that physical, but not vicarious, CSDS increases interleukin 1β (IL-1β) mRNA expression and this inversely correlates with social interaction score. In contrast, IL-1β expression was unchanged in male or female mice following SCVS. No significant increases in VTA ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunochemistry were detected following CSDS that would be indicative of a robust inflammatory response. In conclusion, we show that chronic stressors distinctively alter expression of proinflammatory genes in the VTA and changes may depend on the severity and time-course of the stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vedrana Bali
- Dept of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Sarah C Simmons
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Claire E Manning
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Marie A Doyle
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Minerva Rodriguez
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Ali R Stark
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | | | - A J Robison
- Dept of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Michelle S Mazei-Robison
- Dept of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
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Friedman AK. New Insights Into the Role of Ventral Hippocampus-Nucleus Accumbens Activity Encoding Stress Vulnerability. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:812-814. [PMID: 33153525 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allyson K Friedman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of the City University of New York, and the Department of Biology, The Graduate Center, the City University of New York, New York, New York.
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Muir J, Tse YC, Iyer ES, Biris J, Cvetkovska V, Lopez J, Bagot RC. Ventral Hippocampal Afferents to Nucleus Accumbens Encode Both Latent Vulnerability and Stress-Induced Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:843-854. [PMID: 32682566 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress is a major risk factor for depression, but not everyone responds to stress in the same way. Identifying why certain individuals are more susceptible is essential for targeted treatment and prevention. In rodents, nucleus accumbens (NAc) afferents from the ventral hippocampus (vHIP) are implicated in stress-induced susceptibility, but little is known about how this pathway might encode future vulnerability or specific behavioral phenotypes. METHODS We used fiber photometry to record in vivo activity in vHIP-NAc afferents during tests of depressive- and anxiety-like behavior in male and female mice, both before and after a sex-specific chronic variable stress protocol, to probe relationships between prestress neural activity and behavior and potential predictors of poststress behavioral adaptation. Furthermore, we examined chronic variable stress-induced alterations in vHIP-NAc activity in vivo and used ex vivo slice electrophysiology to identify the mechanism of this change. RESULTS We identified behavioral specificity of the vHIP-NAc pathway to anxiety-like and social interaction behavior. We also showed that this activity is broadly predictive of stress-induced susceptibility in both sexes, while prestress behavior is predictive only of anxiety-like behavior. We observed a stress-induced increase in in vivo vHIP-NAc activity coincident with an increase in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current frequency. CONCLUSIONS We implicate vHIP-NAc in social interaction and anxiety-like behavior and identify markers of vulnerability in this neural signal, with elevated prestress vHIP-NAc activity predicting increased susceptibility across behavioral domains. Our findings indicate that individual differences in neural activity and behavior play a role in predetermining susceptibility to later stress, providing insight into mechanisms of vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Muir
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yiu Chung Tse
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eshaan S Iyer
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julia Biris
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Joëlle Lopez
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rosemary C Bagot
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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